Scully turned to Margaret. "Where are they?" Receiving only silence, she walked over to Margaret and grabbed her by the collar. "Answer me! Tell me where he went!"

Margaret looked back at Scully. "I'm afraid he's taken them."

"Taken them?" Scully asked in a confused face. "Who? And taken them where?"

"Erik has taken them both back with him to the 19th century."

Scully let go of Margaret's collar and pulled back chuckling. "No, no. You…you can't be serious? You're trying to tell me that he just took my partner and Miss Willoughby back in time?"

"That is precisely what I am telling you, Agent Scully."

Scully stood up and started walking around the room. "Mulder!" She searched frantically opening up closets and any door she could find. She simply refused to believe Margaret's theory. He had to be here somewhere! He was just hiding. After her search turned up nothing, she went back to Margaret and pulled out her gun. "I want you to tell me where he is, NOW!"

Margaret looked back at her not flinching. "I already told you, Agent Scully. Raoul is back with his Christine in the century he was born in. If you wish to help your partner, Agent Scully, you will put down your weapon and listen to me."

Scully slowly lowered her gun. "All right, I'm listening."

"In the process of the banishment, Erik somehow managed to take Miss Willoughby back in time with him. And since your partner was also with her, he went as well."

"You're crazy." Scully muttered.

"Am I?" Margaret asked. "You saw Erik with your very own eyes, Agent Scully. You can not just claim he is a part of someone's imagination now."

"Even if I did see him, how can he take someone back in time?"

Margaret sighed. "I admit that I didn't realize just how powerful Erik really was. I thought he had become weakened in his journey to this realm. It is….quite clear to me that this was his intention all along."

"What do you mean?"

"He never intended to become flesh, Agent Scully. After all, what good what that do for him in this century? He would really hold no ground, as he would back in his own century, now would he? Back in his own century, in his own domain, he is king. And his entire purpose was to have his Christine, was it not? What better way to have her then to take her back to where it all began? There would be no one to stop him then."

"What about, Mulder?"

"As I told you, he was in Miss Willoughby's presence when she was taken. Therefore, he is no doubt with her wherever she is as well."

Scully sighed. She still couldn't believe what she was hearing. It just wasn't possible! But how else could she explain Mulder's disappearance into thin air? There was still the possibility that he could have run out the front door with Lyssa while the room was dark. But there was no indication of someone making a hasty exit. She had noticed that it was raining outside and if the door had been opened, rain would have poured in and there would have been puddles on the floor from footsteps. Well, so much for the scientific explanation. "All right, so suppose this did happen. How do we get them back?"

Margaret was about to answer when she turned to see someone else standing in the doorway. "Good evening, Assistant Director."

Scully turned to see Skinner. "Sir? What….what are you doing here?"

Skinner looked at Scully. "I should ask you the same question, Agent Scully."

Scully swallowed, as she knew she had to think fast. "I was here….speaking with Miss Margaret here regarding a case."

"The case that I took you and Agent Mulder off of?" Skinner asked in a firm tone as he crossed his arms. "Where is Agent Mulder?"

"I…I don't know, Sir. I came here alone."

Skinner shook his head. "Oh don't lie to me, Agent Scully! If there is one thing I can't tolerate its when someone lies to me particularly one of my agents! I saw him come in here with Lysette. Now where are they?"

Skinner had seen Mulder walk in with Lysette? Then that meant he had followed them. How was she going to explain this to him when even she didn't know what happened? "Sir…."

"Neither Agent Mulder or Miss Willoughby are here I can assure you, Assistant Director." Margaret answered from the corner.

Skinner turned to Margaret. "Who are you and how do you know who I am?"

"How I know you is completely irrelevant Mr. Skinner. I think you should be more concerned as to the whereabouts of your niece and Agent Mulder."

Skinner took a step forward. "You know where they are?"

"Indeed I do."

"Well…then take me to them, immediately!" Skinner answered starting to show his anger.

"I'm afraid that is impossible, Mr. Skinner. Or at least….it's not a place I can take you to very easily."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Skinner demanded. "Are you hiding them somewhere? Answer me!"

"Your niece and Agent Mulder are in a place that most of us will never venture to and experience." Margaret answered.

"What?" Skinner asked in a confused voice.

"They have crossed the boundaries of time itself. They are still a part of this world but not the one we are existing in at this time."

Skinner shook his head. "Look, I don't have time for this round a bout crap! All I know is my niece is with a man who is unstable AND who I might add I forbid from seeing her! If you can't give me answers, then I'll have no choice but to…"

"Sir, I think you should listen to her." Scully replied as she interrupted him.

Skinner turned to Scully. "You know something about this?"

"A little. I'm…still trying to take it in myself." Scully sighed. "Sir, I don't know how to explain it but Agent Mulder and Miss Willoughby disappeared from here."

"Disappeared? You mean they ran off together?"

"No." Scully paused. How was she going to be able to word this without sounding like a complete lunatic? "Lysette….was kidnapped by an individual and Mulder went after them." Well, she wasn't completely lying in that is essentially what happened. Although they had all vanished into thin air with no visible traces.

Skinner's eyes widened. "Lyssa….was kidnapped? By who? Why didn't Mulder try and call me?"

"She was kidnapped, Mr. Skinner." Margaret replied. "She was kidnapped by an individual who was obsessed with her. Agent Mulder tried to interfere and he…ended up leaving with them."

Skinner pulled out his cell. "Well, then let's report this and get an APB out on this guy right away!"

"I'm afraid it's not that easy, Mr. Skinner." Margaret replied.

"What are you talking about?" He then looked at Scully again. "You saw this man, Agent Scully?"

"Well, yes but…"

"What did he look like?"

Another sigh escaped Scully's lips. She knew there was no possible way to convince Skinner of what had happened here. The only thing she could do was give him what he wanted. "He was dressed in black and wearing a cloak."

Skinner pulled out a notepad and started to write on it. "Anything else? Anything that might make him distinctive?"

"He was….wearing a mask."

"What kind of mask?"

"Just….a white facial mask. Sir, how could a man not be distinctive if he is dressed in black and wearing a cloak? It that doesn't make him stick out from a crowd I don't know what would?"

Skinner pulled out his cell. "All right, I'm going to get an APB out on this guy. Agent Scully, you stay right here." He then stepped out of the room.

"You had no choice but to tell him what you did, Agent Scully." Margaret replied. "He never would have believed you and we would be wasting more time then we can afford."

"You said there was a way to bring them back?"

"Yes but it is something very dangerous and I can not guarantee it will be successful."

"Well…what is it?"

Margaret pulled out a crystal. "This crystal is a very powerful force, Agent Scully. It is what ties everything to this century. It realigns the energies of the universe. And…it has the ability to cross the boundaries of time." She held out the crystal to Scully. "It can return Agent Mulder and Miss Willoughby back to their own time."

Scully looked down at the crystal, which sparkled. "But…how do we get it to them?"

"You must take it to them."

Scully looked at her in disbelief. "M…me? But….but how?"

"By going back in time to the 19th century yourself and finding them."

"WHAT!"

"By sending you back in time with the crystal, you will have the chance to bring them back, Agent Scully. The crystal is the only chance we have of transporting them home. But it can only be done at a certain point in time and that is what makes this so dangerous."

"What do you mean?"

"The crystal will only work when it is fully charged and that occurs at the full moon. There is no possible way for me to know the phases of the moon in 1881. During the time you are there, Erik will do everything he can to prevent you from achieving your task. He will know you when you arrive." Margaret paused. "In order to rescue them, Agent Scully, you must push all of your disbelief and negative energies aside. You must…open your mind to other possibilities if you wish to find them and save them. Are you willing to do that?"

"If it means to save my partner, yes." Scully answered.

"Good. Your strength will come from that and help you." Margaret answered. She then walked over to a shelf and retrieved a black cord necklace, which had an amulet. "This will help protect you and remind you of your task." She handed it to Scully. "Wear it at all times. Call upon its power when you need it."

Scully took the amulet and placed it around her neck. She had seen far too much not to believe in this. And besides, when it came to Mulder's life she would do anything, no matter how extreme. "Anything else?"

"Yes." Margaret walked up to Scully. "While you are there, you will be exposed to the Victorian period, Agent Scully. It will be more than just looking at mere displays as you would a museum. It is important that you try and blend in as much as possible. If you meet anyone, you must interact with him or her as little as possible. Any mere occurrence such as that could chance the events of the future. Remind yourself that the events are already written in that century. But you must prevent Erik from taking Christine to his lair." She pulled out a paperback version of The Phantom of the Opera and handed it to Scully. "Consider this your guide. You must not allow Erik to kidnap Christine and take her to his lair after her performance in Faust toward the end of the book. If you do, then you must prevent him from leaving it while you get Christine to safety. Trap him in the lair and it is done. And when the crystal is ready, it shall bring all of you back here."

"There's another danger isn't there?"

Margaret nodded. "You must do what you can to convince both Agent Mulder and Miss Willoughby who they are. They are both in a precarious situation due to their connection with one another and Erik from that time period. Their souls will try and convince them that they are Raoul and Christine. Erik will also do what he can to persuade them to think that as well. Once Raoul and Christine permanently take over them, they will forget who Fox Mulder and Lysette Willoughby are. And when that happens…"

"They will forget everything I've told them and won't want to leave." Scully finished.

"Yes and Erik will win thus keeping them there trapped forever." Margaret sighed. "And if you do not succeed in returning them when the crystal commands…you shall be trapped there as well."

"With no way to return?"

Margaret nodded her head slowly. "Do you still wish to do this in regards to the risks I have just explained to you?"

Scully nodded and took a deep breath. "I'm ready."

"Very well. I need you to close your eyes, Agent Scully. Close your eyes and empty your mind of all thoughts." Margaret watched as Scully did as she was told. She then closed her eyes and began to chant as she raised her arms.

Skinner was still speaking on his cell; giving the description of the suspect Scully had described when he saw a bright flash of lightning outside. "What the hell? Jake, I'm going to have to call you back. Yeah, I've got a hell of a lightning storm where I'm at. Where am I? In Washington same as you, why? What do you mean there's no thunderstorm where you are? Well, there's one where I am!" He then noticed the lightning flashes intensifying back toward the room where he had left Scully and Margaret. "Look, just work on getting out that APB all right? I'll call you back as soon as I can." He hung up his cell and started walking toward the door. "Agent Scully? Are you all right?" Receiving no answer, he continued forward. "Agent Scully?" Pulling out his gun, he continued to advance toward the room. The lightning intensified and a window blew open, filling the room with blustery wind. He struggled against the gusty wind and entered the room to see Scully standing in the middle of the room with her eyes closed. He could see something glowing in her hand and Margaret standing behind her chanting. "What the hell?" He then raised his gun at Margaret. "What are you doing to her!"

Margaret continued to chant, with each one becoming louder in intensity. She was completely oblivious to Skinner's presence in the room. There was a flash of lightning and then Margaret fell to the floor.

Skinner rushed over to Margaret. After finding she had a pulse, he then looked back toward the center of the room where he had seen Scully. But she was no longer there. "Agent Scully?" His anger consuming him, he took his gun and aimed it at Margaret. "Where is she!"

Margaret opened her eyes and looked at Skinner. "She has gone to find them." She replied in a weak voice.

Skinner lowered his gun and pulled out his cell. "Yeah, Jake it's me again. I need an addendum to that report." He sighed. "Add Special Agent Dana Scully to the missing list. That's right. I'm on my way right now. And send an ambulance to 1677 Nester." He then hung up his cell and bent down to Margaret. "An ambulance is on the way. As soon as you get checked over, I want some answers, do you understand me?"

"You…already know them." Margaret whispered before passing into unconsciousness.

Skinner pulled back from her and looked at where he had last seen Scully. There was absolutely no trace of her. He put his hand to his forehead as he heard the distant siren from an ambulance. Now, he had two of his best Agents and his niece missing. And somewhere out there a suspect who was somehow connected to it all.

NOTE: I am so sorry it took a while to get this chapter out!I am trying SO hard to not let RL cause me problems! Part of the problem I have is I have no privacy. BUT I have now found I can come to the library with my laptop and get it there! So, I hope this will correct the recent problems I've been having and I will be able to update more regularly. Thank you to those of you who continue to read this AND to those who have just started! I hope things are starting to become a little more clear now. There is more to come!

Dana