PART 26

Mulder woke up with a dent in his cheek from sleeping on the steering wheel of the car. He'd been driving till the early hours of the morning and fell asleep at a rest station getting some gas. He got out of the car to stretch his legs and find some coffee. This was the day he was determined to find Scully. As he went into a small cafe he sat down with his drink and his phone began to ring.

"Mulder."

"Agent Mulder?"

"Yes speaking?"

"Agent Mulder I have some very important information for you about your partner."

"What? Who is this?"

"Somebody that wants back your trust."

"Diana? Is that you?"

"I know where she is, she's in a hidden, or not so hidden, hide away in a forest about twenty miles south of where you are."

"You've been following me?"

"No, I know where you are, because we always do Agent Mulder."

"Who is this?!"

"You know who this is, I can't tell you that. Goodbye."

"Wait! Damn it! Diana?!"

It was no use, the phone went dead. He sat for a moment and then ran back out to his car. He sped off South and was full of anger about the confused identity of his caller. If it was Diana, what the hell was she playing at? And why? Maybe he'd find some

answers when he'd travelled 20 miles South and, hopefully, found Scully.

As Scully tried explaining her plan as simply as possible, she could tell by the expressions on everyone's faces that it was going to be a hard job convincing them it could work. She answered all of their questions, but still they looked like they were missing something, something that they didn't understand.

"So, you really thing that this will get us out?"

"Yes, I do. And I think that you would all be able to live perfectly happy, perfectly safe lives afterwards."

"But it could go wrong, that is what you're saying right?"

"It, could. But if we all stick together and work hard, we can get out of here and we can live our lives once we're out."

"Well, I only hope you're right Miss Scully."

"You'll have an awful lot of deaths on your conscience if it goes wrong."

"Actually I won't, because I'll get killed with you if this goes wrong. Remember?"

The had been leader of the group quietened down so as not to make a fool of himself anymore. He tried to be helpful, but he was so used to being in charge he often ended up patronizing Scully or just getting in her way. Scully watched them all look to each other for support and reassurance, they were a team whether she told them to be or not, she still prayed that her plan would work, but things always had a tendency to go wrong for her. No matter how hard she tried to make things right.

"I don't see why we can't start tonight, pack only the things you can carry and that are only essentials. Nothing more, no creature comforts, ok?"

They all shuffled away and Scully took a walk outside for some air. It was around mid-afternoon and the sky was clear, which meant hopefully the moon and stars would help light there way at nightfall as they would be un-able to use any other source of light through out their transporting action. As Scully cleared her head she watched Nacelles playing around in the fallen leaves, she was as normal as any other

carefree child, she deserved so much more than what she had. She should have had everything any other child would have had. But still the thought of having to let her go tore her heart out, she knew she shouldn't have, but she'd come to love the girl like she was part of her own family, how was she going to say goodbye?

As she turned to go back inside and help prepare for their journey when she heard a noise coming from the bushes. She walked over to them and tried to see what it was. She walked further into them calling out to whoever was there. But there was no reply. She turned to go back when she heard it more loudly this time, she began to panic and didn't bother turning back again, this was trouble. She ran back to the huts and prayed that smoking man hadn't found them, and that it wasn't to late for them to escape.