A/N: Hello all, I'm back! Here's the next chapter...
The search for Baschelli was long and arduous. Hiking up the mountain in waist-deep snow was bad enough, but there was a distinct heaviness to the world that day. The very air hung thick and breathing was an effort. There was not a bird in sight, the sky was an unusual grey and the snow persisted. Silence was kept because speaking was a crime against their already tired lungs. The inability to call out for Baschelli made the search even more impossible. Anna wouldn't give up, however, and the sun was low in the sky before the party returned to camp. Greenwood quickly departed from the group and went off by himself to the tent. The others returned to the main tent in a new search, the search for food and warm coffee. Their voices returned to them as they relaxed and ate. Mulder suggested that they continue their search on the East side of the mountain, suggesting that Baschelli may have gone to the dig in hopes of finding shelter for the night. All agreed and it was decided that they would continue at first light.
Everyone settled for an early night, but none slept. It was too haunting to think what was happening. Anna struggled with her conscience. Was she looking for the right reasons? She wanted to find Baschelli, but for her own personal gain. He was of no value to her other that the fact that, if he was not found, her reputation would be destroyed. She rolled over in her bunk, angry at her thoughts. She had become a half-human being, fighting for little more than greatness: a trait that was not endearing to her at all.
Scully lay awake wondering about the case she had landed herself with. What was behind all these mysterious killings? Surely no animal could be this determined to wipe out such specific members of this team. Could it be that she had, once again, stumbled onto a legitimate X-File while hoping to prove Mulder incorrect? She feared that that might be the case.
Mulder would not allow sleep to follow him that night. His thoughts dwelled on something far more serious to him than any X-File; something more serious than any idol or archeologist. He was doing battle with his own emotions. Scully had filled his senses in a way she had never done before. His every hope and dream now rested with her and he couldn't allow it. After all, she had so bravely defeated her own interest in him. She had shown that she had no interest in their relationship on that failed night that still stung him when he was vulnerable. She should have been right, because that was the way things were supposed to be in the real world, but Mulder couldn't help but think that she was wrong. He needed her if he was to survive and it wasn't a matter of partners following all the right rules, it was a matter of souls denying what was rightfully theirs.
The search continued in the early morning. The team battled with the suffocating cold. There was silence as they ascended the East Side of the mountain. The snow seemed thicker than it had been in a while and safe walking was the only focus of the team's minds. Their search went on without incident. It was painfully slow and it became clear that the once easy trek to the dig would now be infinitely more difficult to fit into one day. Nothing seemed to be stirring in the cold. All life seemed to have been brutally silenced. It was then that the team encountered an unusual work of nature.
It was about midday as they rounded a particularly steep bend in the mountainside. The wind picked up with an almighty force. It swirled around them and they each scrambled for a piece of rock on which to cling. They could hear voices in the wind, agonized screams for assistance. They seemed to seep in through each person's ears and echo within their skulls. Then, just as suddenly as the wind had struck up, it vanished. Leaving the thin stretch of mountainside where the team stood bewildered, absolutely silent.
No one spoke. It was too unnatural. Scully tried to reason out what she'd just heard, putting it down to odd weather and a frightened imagination. Mulder, who stood behind her, was now fully convinced that this was the work of some created deity. The others stood transfixed. Their minds seemed to urge them to leave, but all where too afraid to move: much too afraid to lift even a foot from the ground. Mulder was the first to do anything. "Well, that was a little on the strange side," the tension broke and the team relaxed slightly, ready to leave the unlikely event behind.
Mulder took a step to get the team moving, a bad judgement call as far as what happened shortly after was concerned. The snow gave way beneath him, dropping a huge height to the rocks below. Scully was quick as she dropped down and grabbed hold of his arm before he could slip away after the icy ledge. She gripped his arm with fearful force and he looked up at her with shock cascading over his face. She tried to pull him to her, but he proved too heavy and the strength in her arms was limited to simply preventing his fall. "You all have to get off that ledge," said Mulder suddenly. Scully looked at him, confused. "It's not rock," he said simply, "It's ice." From his position beneath the ledge, Mulder had a view that none of the others could argue with. "It's going to break, if you don't get off now." His voice was remarkably calm. Scully looked down at him with disbelief in her eyes.
"I can't lift you by myself," she said quietly. He looked up at her and she knew what he wanted her to do. Horrified, she tightened her grip on his arm in defiance.
"You have to Scully, I won't let you come after me," his voice was soft and sure. Scully was about to answer back, but the ledge began to give way. Mulder's gloved hand slipped a little. She could feel that she would not be able to hold him. She wanted to tell him so much, but couldn't find her tongue. Before she could make any further decisions, Mulder let go of her hand and, unable to hold on, her grip failed. She fell back against the mountainside, unwilling to see where he'd fallen. She was in shock. She seemed to have lost control of herself.
Her mind didn't seem to be functioning and her body had no desire to do anything to pull itself to safety. Once she had no further concern for herself, she sobbed in agony. The others made no move to go near her in her grief even though they knew something must be done. After a second or so, Anna decided to do something. She moved over to her friend and tried to hold her. Scully pushed her away, it was pain to have someone even try and touch her. As if any mortal comfort could save her from the unquenchable agony that spread over her. "We've got to get away from this ledge Dana, it's going to collapse."
"Then let it," said Scully, defiance shunting aside her tears for a moment. Anna looked at her in horror. She was then resolute. She ignored her friend's indignant cries and grabbed her arm. She pulled her from the ledge against her will, it slowly collapsing behind them. Once they'd reached the relative safety of the other side of the bend, Anna let her go. Scully screamed at her in anger, she had so wanted to follow that ledge to the bottom.
A/N: I'm sorry, I had to do it, it seemed so perfect…