My apologies if the last chapter was a bit mushy for your taste, and I feel I should apologize in advance for what I am going to put you all through in this next series of chapters. However, there will be a light at the end of the tunnel if you trust me and keep on reading. Thank you much, and have a lover-ly read!
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CHAPTER 10
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Though Mulder and Scully were used to long hours and flying last minute, they had talked Skinner into allowing them another week to update their reports, do more research, and prepare new theories before their trip back to Colorado. This extra time also allowed them to focus on the development of their very secret, very overdue, and very sexual relationship. Skinner had never allowed them extra time during a case, but he thought they needed more time to research. (Mulder and Scully would chuckle at this in private.) When they did return to Boulder, the agents felt less obligated to keep the local PD up to speed without Bonnie Jacobson there. "So far, you are right on target," Mulder laughed as he and his partner waltzed from the car to a nearby construction site. She raised her eyebrows as if to ask him what he was he was talking about. "About the chemicals. You brought the test results home, and we found that the toxins in the water could, in fact, be split into two harmless chemicals." She grinned proudly. "So we are checking the rest of that theory now, right?" Scully nodded. "What if it doesn't check out?"
"Then we start looking for other possibilities. Guess and check, you know." They came to the outer ring of a loud group of men in dirty overalls and hardhats. "Excuse me!" Scully yelled over the noise in an authoritative tone. It was times like these her partner had to actually try not to chortle at how cute she was. "Can someone please tell me where we can find the manager?" All the men started walking towards her, examining her feminine figure intrusively, at which point a possessive Mulder stepped in front of her.
"She asked where your manager is!" he shouted. Giving him dirty looks, a few of the men pointed at a small temporary office a little further up the hill. The workers made sure that the agents would have to walk through their crowd to get to it by spreading out in front of them. "How nice," Mulder whispered to Scully sarcastically. He held her shoulders protectively as they split the horde and approached the shack-like office. There were many whistles and frustrated grunts in the crowd as he did so. Mulder knocked, and the door was opened by a clean-cut, professionally dressed, elderly man, but before they entered, he noticed one worker staring at them suspiciously. "Who is that?" he asked the manager, trying to be discrete.
The manager barely glanced, already knowing to whom Mulder was referring. "That is Mario Sanchez. He's an odd one, alright, but a good worker…very dedicated to the team."
Mulder smiled his thanks and placed that new piece of information on the back burner for the time being. It didn't mean anything yet, but it may later.
"Sir, do you use or come across any chemicals in your work here?" Scully asked, wasting no time.
"Sure we do. There are a lot of chemicals involved in building and…why?"
The agents exchanged "oops" looks, realizing they hadn't even introduced themselves yet. Scully answered, using her authoritative voice again. "We are FBI agents," she said as they exposed their badges for the first time in the duration of this entire case, "and we are investigating what we believe to be the source of toxins that are being created in the local water system." The manager straightened. He, suddenly, seemed to be done sharing information. "Sir, we aren't here to bust your company for chemical dumping, however, we do need to know what chemicals are being dumped. Many lives depend on it."
"We do no chemical dumping here," he said gruffly. "We go strictly by the book."
Scully glanced at the primitive construction workers, doubting they were even capable of going "strictly by the book." Then she returned her attention to the manager. "Off the record?" she offered.
Mulder was about to remind her that they needed the information for their reports, but he realized that wasn't really the point now. The point was finding out what chemicals were in the water so that they could save people's lives. The manager considered telling them what he knew "off the record" and decided to be of help. "Okay, as long as it's off the record, we have been dumping chemicals. But they aren't toxic! That's for sure. I checked them myself."
"Sir, we have reason to believe that despite their safety independently, a chemical reaction is occurring among them, creating toxic solutions," Scully informed.
"Well, I don't know anything about that," he shrugged cooperatively.
"We weren't expecting you to," Mulder chimed in. "Which is why we would like your permission to take adequate samples of all the chemicals you dump or 'come across' in this project."
"'Come across?' Okay. I don't see why not." He guided them to another area on the site where they saw buckets and barrels of liquid. "You guys can take it all as far as I care."
They smiled and said in unison, "That won't be necessary."
Mulder and Scully filled and labeled sample containers until they had some of everything. It took them a lot longer than they had anticipated and didn't get back on the road until after dark. "You know, Mulder, maybe we should get some more samples of the stream and river water just in case."
"In case of what?"
"Well, these chemicals we have may not turn up anything useful, so we should have samples of the water too. Perhaps one or more of the chemicals being dumped are reacting to a natural chemical."
"That's my Scully, always thinking." She smiled to herself as he turned the car toward their favorite cliff. It was so late by the time they were headed back to the motel that they decided to forfeit the money and head straight for the airport. To their surprise, the motel reimbursed the FBI every cent for that night. They said they didn't need the rooms anyway and insisted it was only fair. ("Anything for the FBI.")
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CHAPTER 11
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Back in D.C. by the next morning, Scully took their samples directly to the lab. She explained to the FBI chemist what it was she was looking for and what she was hoping to prove. The chemist nodded her head in understanding, and they bid farewell. This was one of those things Scully would have felt more comfortable doing herself because chemistry was so often about figuring things out by accident. What if the other girl found what they were looking for without even knowing it? This bothered Scully all the way to her partner's apartment, but she insisted to herself that it would be fine. They would have an answer soon, and all would be well. Bonnie would be able to return home safely, and they could finally explain to her what killed her son and assure her it would not happen to anyone else. Scully contemplated what Mrs. Jacobson's reaction to hearing the good news would be. She imagined it would be very bittersweet and decided to think about something happier. She pulled up to the curb and parked, checking the time to see if it was late enough to not have to put quarters in the meter. It was only four o'clock. Man, she thought, it sure feels like it's later. After six, parking was free, so she put in two dollars worth of quarters and headed for the glass door of the apartment complex. She had had copies of all Mulder's keys since their second year of working together, as he did hers. Despite that, she still knocked when she came to his door.
"Hey, you're early," he greeted pleasantly.
"Yeah, sorry about that."
"Don't be. Let me microwave the popcorn really quick, and we can start the movie."
"Sounds good." She followed him into the living room and sat on the couch while he headed off to the kitchen. The movie was already in the VCR, and the case was lying on top. "Las Vegas Vacation, Mulder?" To be fair, it was a lot better than Caddyshack, which was the last movie they watched together. Every time they watched it, she would tease him, saying it's a guy's movie.
"It's not Christmas yet, so I figured the Las Vegas one would have to do." He entered the room with two glasses of wine and handed her one. Then the microwave buzzer went off, and he disappeared into the kitchen again, reappearing with a bowl of popcorn a few seconds later. "Cheers," he said, clinking their glasses as he sat down next to her.
They sipped at the wine for a minute in silence, and then Scully set her glass on the table. She took Mulder's glass and placed it next to hers. "You know what?" she said.
"What?" Scully, his FBI partner, had transformed into Dana, his girlfriend, in front of his eyes as she slid closer to him and kissed him. Intimacy was never something they lacked, but this was more profound. Mulder couldn't be more head over heels in love with her, and he couldn't thank God enough every time she showed him that she felt the same. If he could freeze this moment for all eternity, that would be enough. "I want you to move in," he whispered into her mouth, nipping at her bottom lip as he did.
"Don't you think that'll let the cat out of the bag?" she whispered back, shifting her weight closer and closer to him as they held each other.
"It isn't fair," he sighed, resting his chin in her auburn hair. Agreeing but not responding, she laid down on the couch with her head in his lap, and he turned on the movie. Staring down at her, Mulder petted her hair and rubbed his hand lightly across her cheek and lips, prompting her to kiss his fingers. The movie began, and the couple watched it quietly, except for when they were laughing.
Almost an hour later, the phone rang. Mulder answered it as Scully sat up to hit the pause button. "Mulder," he said in a deep voice. "What? Who is this?" Scully gave her partner a questioning look which he acknowledged only by shaking his head. He stood and walked to the window, looking down at the sidewalk for whatever reason. Finally, he hung up the phone and turned off the movie and the television set completely. He seemed to be rushing.
"Who was that?" Scully asked in a partial panic.
"Come on," was all he said until they were out the door. He ran down the hall to the elevator with his partner barely at his heels. When inside, he told her, "I think we are being watched."
"By whom?"
"Remember that construction worker that was staring at us?"
"Him?"
"Yeah. I think I saw him on a payphone outside the building at the same time I was on the phone."
"So?"
"So, that was the same voice of the guy who called me at the motel that night in Colorado." The elevator doors opened revealing the first floor, and Mulder jogged out the glass doors Scully had entered an hour earlier. The man on the payphone had indeed been Sanchez, as Mulder verified when he got a few yards away. Sanchez had been walking to his car when he caught sight of Mulder with his peripheral vision, and then he ran to the car. "Give me the keys!" Mulder yelled to Scully as he dashed toward the car she had driven there. They jumped in, and the chase was on.
"What did he say on the phone?"
"He said more people will die if we don't leave the construction team out of our investigation."
"Well that sounds like a confession to me."
"I don't know. This guy's crazy, Scully. I don't think he has much of a clue what's really going on, but I do believe he is capable of murder. He'd probably do anything to protect his team, even if they don't need the protection."
"We'll see about that when the test results are ready." Mulder followed the car down an alley to an abandoned warehouse that Sanchez had entered. Huh, Scully thought to herself, this feels oddly familiar.
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CHAPTER 12
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They entered the warehouse cautiously, unsure of what to expect. Mulder and Scully had their weapons drawn and looked around, scanning the large room for possible hiding places. Unfortunately, there were many. Crates and garbage were piled along two of the four walls, the back and the right side. Scully took notice of the familiar surroundings of the abandoned warehouse and stiffened, white as a ghost. "What's wrong?" Mulder whispered so softly she could barely hear him.
"Mulder," she whispered back, "I have a really bad feeling about this. Maybe we should go call for back up." She recalled her dream mentally, but decided it was best to not explain it then.
"For one guy? He's in here somewhere. You just take that side, and I'll check the back."
"Mulder, no, let's just go. We'll find him and talk to him later. It's not worth it."
"Worth what?" All the while, Mulder had been quietly inching his way closer to a pile of crates as Scully inched her way to the door. When she answered his question with a pleading just-trust-me look, he joined her back at the door. "This is ridiculous," he barked and grabbed her arm. He was just pulling her back to the middle of the room when she saw a glimmer in the crates. Without thinking, she instinctively hurled her body in front of her partner as three sudden gunshots rang out. The third was from Mulder's gun, killing the shooter instantly. Mulder was quietly taking pride in his aim when Scully's knees began to give out, and he caught her from behind. "Sc-Scully?" he stuttered in a confused and panicky tone. He laid her on the ground, and that's when he saw them. She had been shot once in the stomach and once in the chest. He was completely dumbfounded. "Oh, my God," he could barely say. Then he just repeated it over and over again.
Scully's eyes fluttered wildly, trying to stay open, as she fought violently to breathe. In her dream, Mulder had been stabbed, but she had been shot. Though it didn't make sense to her, that wasn't a very important matter right then. "Mulder?" she gargled, terrified for her life.
"I'm right here." He scooped her upper body into his lap and cradled her. Mulder was trying not to cry because he didn't want to cause her anymore fear than she was already experiencing, but it came anyway. "I'm so sorry," he choked.
Speaking was tough for her, but there was so much she wanted to tell him. As a medical doctor, she knew she didn't have very long, so she tried to talk through the blood that was already pooling in her mouth. The last thing she wanted was for Mulder to blame himself. "You couldn't have known."
"It should have been me," he cried.
She began to choke on her own blood, and he tilted her head towards him, draining her mouth so she could breathe more easily. "I love you so much," she said.
Mulder shook his head, "No. Don't say that. People always die after they say that. Please don't go where I cannot be with you." For a second, he wasn't sure if she was still conscious, and his heart fell into his stomach.
Dana's words were soft and slightly slurred when they finally came. These, he knew, would be her last, and it broke his heart to hear them. "We will always be together." He gazed at her as she became still. There was no dramatic slump, no audible "last breath." It was almost as if she had simply fallen asleep. He began to sob into her and kissed her hair. He rocked her back and forth in his lap until he was emotionally exhausted. When he couldn't cry anymore, he assumed he had just run out of tears. Mulder looked down at his partner and used the cuff of his jacket sleeve to scrub dried blood from the corners of her mouth and her cheek, leaving pink stains on her face. Her hair was damp from his crying, but her clothes had dried around her fatal wounds. Mulder decided he had better call the police, but first, he called Skinner.
"Sir?"
"Agent Mulder? Is everything okay?"
No answer.
"Mulder, what's wrong?"
"Sir, I need your help."
"What happened?"
"I need you to come to the abandoned warehouse on Franklin. I, um, I'm afraid I have some…" Mulder did everything he could to not start crying again. "…bad news about Agent Scully."
"Oh no." Skinner's voice changed over the phone. Apparently, that was all Mulder had to say.
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Skinner arrived just before the medical examiners, and found Mulder inside. He was still cradling his lifeless partner and seemed to be talking to her until he heard his boss approaching. "Oh, Mulder," he shrugged sadly. Scully was one of his best agents, but she was also a friend. Most of all, however, he felt for Mulder, who still couldn't let her go. "The medical examiners are here. You'll need to let them take her."
He shook his head slowly, staring at her peaceful face. "I can't. If I let them take her, that's it."
"What do you mean?" Skinner walked up and put his hand on Mulder's shoulder.
"Even though she's gone, it doesn't really feel like it. Not yet. As long as she's in my arms, she's still with me." He looked up at his boss with glossy eyes. "If they take her, and she's not in my arms, then I will never get to hold her again." Skinner didn't know how to respond, so Mulder continued. "Sir, you don't know this, but Scully and I have been…together…for quite some time now." Skinner remained silent even though he had several new questions begging to be answered. "Almost every night for the past few weeks, I have held her in my arms…not so different from now…and I kissed her, and I loved her." He began to cry again. "And I will never be able to do that again." Skinner turned as he heard the medical examiners open the doors, and he put up an authoritative hand, telling them to give them another second. Returning his attention to his friend, he decided it was best to get Mulder out of the warehouse and home.
"Come on, Mulder. You need to let her go." He rubbed his shoulders and waved the MEs in to join them. He held Mulder's arms as they pried his partner from his grasp, and Mulder remained sitting in place until he heard them drive away. Only Skinner stayed with him. "I'll take you home and have someone come pick up the car."
"Sir, I think I should make a stop before I go home."
"Where?"
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Mulder rang the doorbell and could hear footsteps approaching the door. He was not looking forward to this at all, but he was at the point of no return since he had sent Skinner home after dropping him off. The door opened. "Fox…" Margaret Scully's attention was taken by his shirt, which was still soaked with blood, and the expression on her face made a quick transition from delight to fear. He said nothing. "Where's Dana?" she asked, not really wanting to hear the answer because she knew it was bad.
Though she had insisted that Mulder call her "Maggie" in the past, he resorted to what he felt most comfortable calling her. "Mrs. Scully, I'm so sorry." That was enough for her. She began to cry as Mulder leaned forward to give her a long, comforting hug. Soon, she ushered him inside, and they sat down to talk.
"How'd it happen?" Maggie asked when she finally felt ready.
Mulder was afraid to open that door, but she had the right to know how her daughter died. Slowly, he began to speak. "Dana was shot..." Her eyes told him that she had figured that. "…once in the stomach and once in the chest."
"Did she suffer?" Mulder knew Dana had been terrified and in a lot of pain--pain that her mother would try to imagine if he told her the truth--so he lied, shaking his head and silently considered Dana's pain himself. Then she asked him a question he had been hoping to avoid. "Where were you when this happened?"
"Mrs. Scully, about that, there's something I feel I should tell you." She urged him on with an encouraging nod, but she couldn't know how hard this was going to be for him to say. "Your daughter saved my life," he said into his hands and drew in a deep breath, "but it cost her hers."
"Oh, Fox." To his surprise, she jumped forward and enveloped him in her forgiving arms. "It's not your fault," she said in a motherly tone. If it hadn't been for Dana, he wouldn't be used to this treatment at all, but Maggie had taught her daughter well. "But I wouldn't say anything to Bill if I were you."
Mulder felt a sudden burst of fear in his stomach at the sound of his name. "Oh, God, Bill."
"Don't you worry, Fox. It'll be okay. I'll make sure he doesn't know where you live before I tell him the news." Her gesture was about forty percent joke and sixty percent concern for Mulder's well-being.
"Actually, Maggie, I think it would be best if I told him what happened in person." She looked confused and impressed at the same time. "It's the right thing to do. For now, just tell him Dana was shot."
Maggie nodded her understanding and looked down at his shirt. "Oh, let me take care of this for you, and you can shower if you want." Mulder put a protective hand on his bloodstained shirt. "What?"
"Not yet," he said. It broke her heart to see him try so hard to hold onto what he had left of her daughter, even if it was that. "There's one other thing that I think I should tell you. After all, I rather you find out from me than the rumors you may hear later. Dana and I are…were…"
"Together?"
"How did you--?"
"It was only a matter of time, Fox. I've been noticing the way you kids looked at each other since she started working with you. I'm just sorry that you didn't get to be with her longer."
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For making this bearable." She hugged him again, and a few minutes later, he took a cab home.
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CHAPTER 13
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A/N: Since no longer allows song lyrics unless they are completely original, I have deleted the lyrics to this song, which I used as my 13th chapter. Please do check them out or listen to the song sometime. It is very sad, but very beautiful.
"Here Without You"
by 3 Doors Down
P.S. Things get better, I promise! Read through the end, and you'll see!