Thanks to all who have reviewed so far! It means a lot! ~ATX~
::Greenville, South Carolina- 1:30am::
Dana and Josh were snuggled up in bed, sleeping soundly for the moment. An old comforter and afghan covered them and Christmas music played softly on the radio on the nightstand, the only sound in the house. Ethan stirred in the baby bassinet next to the bed and Dana woke up when he squeaked. Sleepily she lifted her head and waited. He started whimpering and Dana wriggled out of Josh's grip. When she picked him up he felt warm to her.
"What's wrong baby?" Josh called out sleepily from the bed.
"Ethan feels warm. I'm going to go take his temperature again."
"All right." Josh rolled out of bed and followed her out of the room.
"You don't have to follow me, Josh. I'm a big girl; I can do it by myself," she protested lightly.
"I know. I just wanted an excuse to see if Santa came yet downstairs."
"Oh, you!" Dana swatted his arm and pulled him through the living room so fast he couldn't see the tree or anything underneath. "Now help me find the thermometer." Together they searched, but they couldn't find it anywhere in the kitchen or the downstairs bathroom. Puzzled, they turned to the living room. The tree looked dark and foreboding without the candles lit. Josh turned on a lamp and found the object of their pursuit on the mantle of the fireplace. He took it down and walked back upstairs with Dana. Neither one noticed the small candle on the tree, near the back, that was still lit.
When the thermometer beeped, Dana took it and read, "101.5. That's not to bad, but I want to get a fever reducer in him so it doesn't get any higher." Josh nodded and went into the bathroom to look for some suspension Tylenol. He came back with an empty box.
"Remember when the Johnson's kid had a fever? We gave it to them."
Ethan moved from whimpering to crying. Dana looked at Josh. "I'll just have to go out and get some at a drugstore that's open tonight."
"No, I'll go. He's probably going to be hungry in a little while anyway and if you're not back, well I can't really do anything about that." Josh smiled at Dana and she smiled back. "I'll be back soon."
He walked out of the room and started down the stairs. Dana walked out and stood at the top of the stairs. "Josh, aren't you forgetting something?"
"What?" He looked down at his apparel. He was wearing white flannel pants with little red Santa Clauses printed on them and a white undershirt. "Oh. Maybe I should put on some real clothes."
Dana raised her eyebrow and smiled. "No, I think you should go driving all over town in your pajamas." She started cooing and making comforting noises at Ethan as she walked back to the bedroom. Josh followed her and began pulling on a pair of jeans as she sat in the old rocking chair in the corner and began rocking Ethan back to sleep, hopefully.
"I'll be back as soon as I can," Josh said as he kissed Dana and Ethan.
"I love you," called Dana as she watched him leave.
"Love you too."
In his hurry to get the medicine, Josh didn't notice the smoke rising from behind the tree on his way out.
::One Hour Later::
As Josh pulled the car onto Birch Lane he glanced at the clock. It read 2:35 AM. "Jeez, it's been an hour. I hope Ethan's doing better," he thought as he drove down the street. He pulled into the driveway and got out of the car, shivering in the cold. "The air smells like smoke. Who would be burning leaves at this hour?" he wondered as he walked up to the door. He unlocked it and was nearly pushed back as a wave of heat shot out at him. The entire downstairs floor was alive with flames.
"Dana! Dana!" he yelled.
Upstairs, Dana was asleep in bed, the smoke working its deadly sleeping charm on her and Ethan.
"Dana!" Josh steeled himself and ran across the foyer and around the corner to the stairs where the flames were already making their way up. The fire licked at his legs and one of his pant legs caught fire, but he ignored it. His only thought was to get Dana and Ethan out of the house. "Stupid smoke detector. Why didn't I get batteries sooner?" The fire crawled up his leg and he was forced to stop and beat it down, all the while calling out Dana's name.
Slowly, Dana stirred and opened her eyes. They stung and when she sat up she felt dizzy. It was then she noticed the smoke filling the room. She gasped and coughed when the smoke filled her lungs. Then she heard Josh calling out her name.
"Josh!" She scrambled out of bed and grabbed Ethan, who was now awake and crying, dropping to the floor and crawling to the door. She placed the back of her hand against the door. It was warm. Suddenly there was a loud thud from the hall. "Josh? Josh? Josh!"
No response.
::Birch Lane - 2:36 AM::
"Come on, where is it?" Mulder drove down the street, struggling to see the house numbers in the dark. Suddenly he saw a flash of light. The house at the end of the street had flames coming out of the roof and smoke pouring out the front door. "No, no," he whispered.
::Inside the house::
Dana grabbed two handkerchiefs from the bathroom and placed one over Ethan's nose and mouth and one over her own. She braced herself and opened the door. What she saw, she would never forget. Josh was lying on the floor; face down with a pile of burning rubble on his back. She looked up and saw that the ceiling had collapsed and the fire had gotten into the attic. "Josh?" The fire was creeping closer to where she stood. He stirred underneath the debris and lifted his head up weakly.
"Run Dana. Get out of here!"
"Josh, no!" More of the ceiling caved in.
"Scully! Scully!" Dana looked up at the sound of Mulder's voice. The fire was getting closer and closer to where Josh was. Soon it would be right on top of him. Mulder raced up the flaming stairs with his arms up over his head.
"Mulder," called out Josh weakly. "Get Dana out of here."
"Scully, get out of here!" Mulder closed his eyes briefly and ran through the fiery wall that was advancing toward Josh. He began pulling the heavy debris off Josh, but there wasn't enough time to get all of it off. "Scully, I said get out. Go, now, before it's too late!"
"No, I won't leave you Josh." She whispered tearfully as she knelt down before him and grasped his sooty hand.
"You never will." He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. "Go. Even if Mulder gets me out, I think my leg is broken. I wouldn't be able get out in time."
"Scully, if you're going to go, it's going to have to be now." Mulder skirted around the huge pile until he was standing next to Dana.
"Mulder, get her out of here," Josh said. Ethan screamed in fright and confusion, which seemed to wake Dana up. She put her hand against Josh's cheek once more and whispered, "I love you."
"Love you too baby."
"Come on!" Mulder pulled Dana down the hall and down the stairs, swatting at the flames that threatened to overwhelm them. They stumbled outside, gasping in the fresh air. Ethan's cries mixed with the sound of sirens wailing in the distance. Dana looked back at the house, realizing what she had done.
"NO! Josh! Josh!" She tried to run back into the house, but Mulder grabbed her and pulled her close, holding her tightly. "Let me go!" Her protests grew feeble. She buried her head into Mulder's chest and started sobbing. All around them flashing red lights and sirens pierced the night sky. Mulder's watch alarm beeped and he glanced down at it. 2:39 turned to 2:40. Mulder looked up at the sky as tears ran down his face. No one deserves this on Christmas, he thought.
*******That's it for this chapter. This was a hard one to write. I had to put Josh and Scully in what I hope seemed like a loving relationship (Which was torture. I'm a diehard shipper!) and then kill him off. Anyway... do ya'll think I should group part 1 and 2 together or leave them separate? There's still one or two more chapters to go, so stick around! ~ATX~
::Greenville, South Carolina- 1:30am::
Dana and Josh were snuggled up in bed, sleeping soundly for the moment. An old comforter and afghan covered them and Christmas music played softly on the radio on the nightstand, the only sound in the house. Ethan stirred in the baby bassinet next to the bed and Dana woke up when he squeaked. Sleepily she lifted her head and waited. He started whimpering and Dana wriggled out of Josh's grip. When she picked him up he felt warm to her.
"What's wrong baby?" Josh called out sleepily from the bed.
"Ethan feels warm. I'm going to go take his temperature again."
"All right." Josh rolled out of bed and followed her out of the room.
"You don't have to follow me, Josh. I'm a big girl; I can do it by myself," she protested lightly.
"I know. I just wanted an excuse to see if Santa came yet downstairs."
"Oh, you!" Dana swatted his arm and pulled him through the living room so fast he couldn't see the tree or anything underneath. "Now help me find the thermometer." Together they searched, but they couldn't find it anywhere in the kitchen or the downstairs bathroom. Puzzled, they turned to the living room. The tree looked dark and foreboding without the candles lit. Josh turned on a lamp and found the object of their pursuit on the mantle of the fireplace. He took it down and walked back upstairs with Dana. Neither one noticed the small candle on the tree, near the back, that was still lit.
When the thermometer beeped, Dana took it and read, "101.5. That's not to bad, but I want to get a fever reducer in him so it doesn't get any higher." Josh nodded and went into the bathroom to look for some suspension Tylenol. He came back with an empty box.
"Remember when the Johnson's kid had a fever? We gave it to them."
Ethan moved from whimpering to crying. Dana looked at Josh. "I'll just have to go out and get some at a drugstore that's open tonight."
"No, I'll go. He's probably going to be hungry in a little while anyway and if you're not back, well I can't really do anything about that." Josh smiled at Dana and she smiled back. "I'll be back soon."
He walked out of the room and started down the stairs. Dana walked out and stood at the top of the stairs. "Josh, aren't you forgetting something?"
"What?" He looked down at his apparel. He was wearing white flannel pants with little red Santa Clauses printed on them and a white undershirt. "Oh. Maybe I should put on some real clothes."
Dana raised her eyebrow and smiled. "No, I think you should go driving all over town in your pajamas." She started cooing and making comforting noises at Ethan as she walked back to the bedroom. Josh followed her and began pulling on a pair of jeans as she sat in the old rocking chair in the corner and began rocking Ethan back to sleep, hopefully.
"I'll be back as soon as I can," Josh said as he kissed Dana and Ethan.
"I love you," called Dana as she watched him leave.
"Love you too."
In his hurry to get the medicine, Josh didn't notice the smoke rising from behind the tree on his way out.
::One Hour Later::
As Josh pulled the car onto Birch Lane he glanced at the clock. It read 2:35 AM. "Jeez, it's been an hour. I hope Ethan's doing better," he thought as he drove down the street. He pulled into the driveway and got out of the car, shivering in the cold. "The air smells like smoke. Who would be burning leaves at this hour?" he wondered as he walked up to the door. He unlocked it and was nearly pushed back as a wave of heat shot out at him. The entire downstairs floor was alive with flames.
"Dana! Dana!" he yelled.
Upstairs, Dana was asleep in bed, the smoke working its deadly sleeping charm on her and Ethan.
"Dana!" Josh steeled himself and ran across the foyer and around the corner to the stairs where the flames were already making their way up. The fire licked at his legs and one of his pant legs caught fire, but he ignored it. His only thought was to get Dana and Ethan out of the house. "Stupid smoke detector. Why didn't I get batteries sooner?" The fire crawled up his leg and he was forced to stop and beat it down, all the while calling out Dana's name.
Slowly, Dana stirred and opened her eyes. They stung and when she sat up she felt dizzy. It was then she noticed the smoke filling the room. She gasped and coughed when the smoke filled her lungs. Then she heard Josh calling out her name.
"Josh!" She scrambled out of bed and grabbed Ethan, who was now awake and crying, dropping to the floor and crawling to the door. She placed the back of her hand against the door. It was warm. Suddenly there was a loud thud from the hall. "Josh? Josh? Josh!"
No response.
::Birch Lane - 2:36 AM::
"Come on, where is it?" Mulder drove down the street, struggling to see the house numbers in the dark. Suddenly he saw a flash of light. The house at the end of the street had flames coming out of the roof and smoke pouring out the front door. "No, no," he whispered.
::Inside the house::
Dana grabbed two handkerchiefs from the bathroom and placed one over Ethan's nose and mouth and one over her own. She braced herself and opened the door. What she saw, she would never forget. Josh was lying on the floor; face down with a pile of burning rubble on his back. She looked up and saw that the ceiling had collapsed and the fire had gotten into the attic. "Josh?" The fire was creeping closer to where she stood. He stirred underneath the debris and lifted his head up weakly.
"Run Dana. Get out of here!"
"Josh, no!" More of the ceiling caved in.
"Scully! Scully!" Dana looked up at the sound of Mulder's voice. The fire was getting closer and closer to where Josh was. Soon it would be right on top of him. Mulder raced up the flaming stairs with his arms up over his head.
"Mulder," called out Josh weakly. "Get Dana out of here."
"Scully, get out of here!" Mulder closed his eyes briefly and ran through the fiery wall that was advancing toward Josh. He began pulling the heavy debris off Josh, but there wasn't enough time to get all of it off. "Scully, I said get out. Go, now, before it's too late!"
"No, I won't leave you Josh." She whispered tearfully as she knelt down before him and grasped his sooty hand.
"You never will." He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. "Go. Even if Mulder gets me out, I think my leg is broken. I wouldn't be able get out in time."
"Scully, if you're going to go, it's going to have to be now." Mulder skirted around the huge pile until he was standing next to Dana.
"Mulder, get her out of here," Josh said. Ethan screamed in fright and confusion, which seemed to wake Dana up. She put her hand against Josh's cheek once more and whispered, "I love you."
"Love you too baby."
"Come on!" Mulder pulled Dana down the hall and down the stairs, swatting at the flames that threatened to overwhelm them. They stumbled outside, gasping in the fresh air. Ethan's cries mixed with the sound of sirens wailing in the distance. Dana looked back at the house, realizing what she had done.
"NO! Josh! Josh!" She tried to run back into the house, but Mulder grabbed her and pulled her close, holding her tightly. "Let me go!" Her protests grew feeble. She buried her head into Mulder's chest and started sobbing. All around them flashing red lights and sirens pierced the night sky. Mulder's watch alarm beeped and he glanced down at it. 2:39 turned to 2:40. Mulder looked up at the sky as tears ran down his face. No one deserves this on Christmas, he thought.
*******That's it for this chapter. This was a hard one to write. I had to put Josh and Scully in what I hope seemed like a loving relationship (Which was torture. I'm a diehard shipper!) and then kill him off. Anyway... do ya'll think I should group part 1 and 2 together or leave them separate? There's still one or two more chapters to go, so stick around! ~ATX~