"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea." - Revelation 21:1
Near Jasper, Indiana
59 days after
No one said a word while Gibson drove. He had never been to Indiana in his life, and yet as he turned onto each new road, he knew exactly what lay around every corner. In a way, it was like an invisible force outside his own body pulled the car forward on a track. Scully doesn't trust me. Eavesdropping on her thoughts was not intentional on his part; she was just so loud. He'd found that when people experienced intense emotions like fear and panic, their inner voices became even louder to his mind. She thinks I was lucky before, and now I'm losing my mind. Gibson wanted to tell her that he couldn't explain it, but that he knew they would find her daughter. Explanations would be futile, however; she would know he could hear her, and he didn't want her to know he was listening.
"Are we close?" Mulder asked tensely from the backseat.
"Not much farther," Gibson replied, though truthfully, he wasn't so sure.
The pulling sensation grew more intense, so much so that Gibson's chest literally began to ache from the force of it. Without braking, he swerved off the state highway and veered onto a smaller road.
"Jesus! Gibson, let me drive," Dana exclaimed.
"Almost there," Gibson said under his breath.
He pulled into a large, deserted parking lot of what used to be a K-Mart. The place looked completely empty; it had probably been looted long ago, nothing remaining but broken glass. Gibson parked the car a good distance from the building, removed the keys from the ignition, and folded his hands in his lap. The others must have been waiting for some explanation, judging from the confused glances they gave him.
"She's here," he said.
"What? There's nothing here," Dana said exasperatedly.
Gibson opened his door and strode toward the building. The car doors slammed, and he heard a chorus of whispers behind him. Suddenly, he noticed some shadowed movement behind the shattered windows; and he stopped immediately when he clearly saw two barrels of a shot gun aiming straight at him from the ledge under the window.
"We don't mean to harm you," he called out, "And we don't intend to take anything from you. Have you seen a little girl? We're looking for a little girl!"
To everyone's astonishment, an elderly woman slowly rose to her feet and stepped over the low jagged shards of glass that remained of the front windows. Both of her hands held a surprisingly steady grip on the gun, which she kept trained on Gibson. Her eyes were dark and cold, and long tendrils of grey hair blew wildly around her gaunt, wrinkled face. She wore an old-fashioned sundress and apron. Her ghostly appearance caused Gibson to shiver.
"You're trying to take my daughter away from me! Who the hell do you people think you are? The good Lord took her away, yes he did, long ago. But the Day of Judgment is nigh: the day the dead will walk among the living in His glory, and He will take the innocents in the twinkling of an eye. My little girl rose up out of her own grave to meet Him when He comes. The good Lord sent her back to me, he did. I found her walking on that same road where her spirit left her earthly form. Nobody's taking her away again!"
"Ma'am, I'm afraid you're mistaken. Please, can I see…your daughter?" Gibson asked calmly.
"Put down your weapon ma'am! We don't want to use force against you!" Dana cried from behind him.
Out of the corner of his eye, Gibson saw Mulder dart around to the woman's other side while her attention was focused on he and Dana. He kept his gaze straight ahead while Mulder crept behind the old woman, and just as she flinched when she felt his presence, he grasped her wrists until the shotgun clattered to the pavement. The woman screamed and wailed, and despite her age and frail physical stature, she put up a strong fight, clawing and biting. While Dana ran to help Mulder and Will stood gaping at the scene before him, Gibson hurried past into the store. He jogged through the darkness yelling, "Abigail! Abigail, are you here? If you're here, please come out! It's okay, you don't need to hide. Abigail!"
Feet shuffled in the shadows. Whispers, faint whispers echoed around him.
"Who's there?" he cried.
Gibson was met by three frightened faces that appeared in the pool of light that seeped from cracks in the painted windows overhead. A middle-aged man and two younger women studied him cautiously.
"Are you a believer?" the man whispered.
"Believer in what? Look, my party is searching for a little girl. Dark hair, eight years old. Does anyone here match that description?"
"These are the last days. The Lord is coming soon to take the faithful. Do you believe?"
"I believe your group is holding a young child against her will."
"Perhaps you refer to Susan's daughter who returned from death in this age of miracles. We all care for her."
"How many of you are hiding here?"
"Our congregation numbers twenty of His servants," one of the women responded.
"Listen, that woman out there has lost her mind. The girl isn't her daughter. Where is she?"
"Jonas, who's here?"
Gibson squinted into the shadows to try to see the source of the small voice.
The man, Jonas, held out his arms in a protective posture, obviously prepared to block Gibson's attempt to locate the speaker.
"Dawn, please take her to the back. She shouldn't be wandering on her own," Jonas said curtly.
"Abby?" Gibson tried, "Abigail Mulder?"
A small figure darted under Jonas's outstretched arms, evading his grasp, and stepped into the patch of light in front of Gibson.
"Carol, get back right now. You're not to talk to strangers," Dawn scolded.
The young girl had long dark hair, tangled and unkempt. Blue eyes glared up at him quizzically, and then her expression softened as her face lit up in a smile. I've seen her before. Where have I seen her?
She skipped forward and grasped Gibson in a hug around his waist.
"I knew you'd come. Mommy and Daddy said you were just a dream, but I always knew you were real."
"Wh—what," he stammered.
"Abigail!" Mulder hollered, racing toward them from the front of the store.
Abby gasped, whirled around Gibson, and dashed straight into her father's arms. He swept her off her feet in a tight embrace and cradled the back of her head with his hand as she pressed her face against his shoulder.
"Daddy!" she cried, her voice muffled.
"I'm here, baby blue. Are you okay? Have you been hurt, honey?" he said tearfully.
"No, I'm fine. Where's Mommy?"
"Mommy's here too. And there's another very special person with us that you need to meet."
--
Near Washington, D.C.
59 days after
"All five of them are there? And they have found the girl?"
"That cannot be determined, my Lord."
"We have waited for them to locate the girl before moving on them. She is the one. We must have both of them, despite what he's done. We still need him."
"Yes my Lord, but the woman from your factory and her man are the only two that we have been able to see. The others might be with them. It is possible."
"Very well, we cannot wait any longer. If the others are not with them, we will simply have to locate the three on our own. Inform section 226 to proceed; they are the closest to the location."
"Yes, my Lord. And what shall I tell them are your orders?"
"I want the man and woman executed formally. That will show the rest of them what happens when they defy us."
"Yes, my Lord."
--
Dana wiped the tears from her eyes as she watched both of her children together, laughing in a secret conversation in the corner under the front windows. Abigail had taken the shocking news extremely well; she didn't question or doubt or even appear to be terribly surprised. When she was younger, she'd often asked her parents for a brother for Christmas and had never understood why the question made her mother cry. Now she was delighted to have what she'd always longed for.
William instantly lit up and turned into a chatterbox when he met his sister; he'd gained an entire family in the span of merely a few days. Dana smiled as she gazed at them; she could already tell that he was quite protective of Abby. She felt Mulder squeeze her hand, and she glanced over to see that he too was in awe, observing his two children interacting for the first time.
She absently fingered the tiny gold cross that she'd worn around her neck for most of her life. My prayers have been answered. Hope rekindled within her that maybe there actually was something else out there other than humans and Them. Something greater.
"Can we talk now?" Jonas crossed her line of vision and sat opposite Dana, Mulder, and Gibson. "We finally got Susan calmed down. She's in back with everybody, sleeping. This is late for us. We typically rest and wake with the sun, but your coming's got everybody in a frenzy. They're sitting up talking; having a meeting about you…that girl's your daughter?"
"Yes," Mulder answered, "We were separated in Montana, and Susan just found her by the road."
"She told us it was her girl, and we took it to mean Armageddon is close, since she'd risen from death."
"Well, you were wrong," Dana said tersely.
"I'm not trying to offend you, ma'am…So what do you all plan to do now?"
Gibson cleared his throat and leaned forward.
"We're not safe here," he said, "I know we're not safe here. Neither are you," he nodded at Jonas.
"Where do you think we should go, Gibson?" Mulder asked.
"I think…I think we should head south and make for Central and South America."
"We're not leaving Indiana. The good Lord will protect us," Jonas said.
"Why South America?" Dana asked, ignoring Jonas.
"I don't know why, and I can't explain how I know it, but They've only settled in the northern hemisphere. It's something about how this climate is more easily manipulated for Their settlements. And there's a greater concentration of pockets of magnetite in the south; They fear it—it may be the key to discovering Their weakness."
"You're suggesting that you're going to try to fight Them? The good Lord will do that. We just have to have patience," Jonas interjected.
"Everything you've advised has been right so far, Gibson. I'm going to trust this. We should head out first thing in the morning. I think a few hours of rest here will be fine," Mulder said.
"Maybe if—if we could somehow spread word to other people—we could form a human resistance in the south: an army," Gibson said, "Maybe one day we can retake our planet."
"That's a nice idea," Dana murmured, "We can hope."
--
He slept soundly for the first time in weeks. At last, his family was all together, everyone safe, everyone healthy. The moment he curled up next to Dana, he'd forgotten where he was; it could've been their bedroom in the house they shared not so long ago. He closed his eyes, inhaled her scent, listened to her gentle, even breathing, and wrapped his arms around her softness. Though he wanted to savor the sensations of home, he was asleep in a matter of minutes.
He is twelve years old. He is himself as he is today, but he is twelve years old again. He is standing on his porch in the Vineyard, gazing out into the field. The four sandbags are set out in a diamond for the game this afternoon. Sun shining brightly, not a cloud in the sky. The scent in the air tells him that it is autumn; clear and crisp. Suddenly, the screen door bangs open and she is there, arms crossed, one eyebrow arched, pigtails and all.
"Mom says you have to let me play today. You never give me a chance. I'm good, Fox. You wait and see."
"Samantha…"
His throat tightens. He wants to hold her and never let go.
"I've missed you so much…I should've let you play. That was the day before it happened. I've regretted it my entire life."
Her eyes grow older, wiser. She is not a little girl, just like he is not a boy.
"Don't be stupid, Fox. You know I forgave you. You know how much I loved you. I never would have wanted you to blame yourself. It wasn't your fault. None of it."
"You were my quest, Samantha. For years, you were my quest…the X- Files…it all started with you."
"Was it all worth it?"
"No. You died when you were fourteen. I couldn't save you."
"But she became your quest, after me. She was worth it, right?"
"Yes."
"It's almost the end, you know."
"Yes, I know."
She becomes a child again and bounds through the screen door.
"Mom made cider, Fox. Come and get some," she calls over her shoulder.
"I'll be right there," he says as he turns back to gaze at the open field.
Something awakened him. It was a heavy sound, dark and foreboding, and it echoed.
"Scully! Scully, wake up!" he whispered harshly in her ear.
"Hmm? Mulder, what's wrong?" she muttered.
"That noise…"
He stood quickly, stepped over the sleeping figures of Gibson, Abby, and Will, and crossed to peek out the front windows. Down the road, silhouetted against the soft glow of dawn on the horizon, he saw Them. A large group, a small army, hooded and cloaked in black robes. They marched in even rows.
"They're coming for us. My God, They're coming for us," he said softly.
--
"Everyone, get up! Now!" Gibson hollered.
He strode through the alcove in the back of the store where the congregation slept on mats, side by side. They looked up at Gibson in fear and scurried away from him, huddling together.
"What is going on here?" Jonas fumed as he stormed forward to meet Gibson.
"They're coming! What weapons do you have? We need everything you have!"
"Slow down a minute, son. Who's coming?"
"There's an army of Them; They're going to attack us!"
"The Devil's army. The Devil's army has come upon us. We must pray, and the good Lord will deliver us through the great battle of good and evil. We have finally come to the end! Today we will look upon His face!"
"No! You can't just hide back here and wait to be killed! We need weapons so we can fight Them!"
"We're not fighting, son. There are three shot guns in the corner. That's all we have. If you feel that you are called to use your own force against Them, then you're welcome to the weapons."
"Fine!"
--
Gibson dropped the guns and let them clatter on the linoleum. Mulder and Dana were leaning against the front wall beside the windows, and when he approached, they looked up at him in bewilderment.
"That's it?" Mulder exclaimed.
"Yes, and they refuse to fight."
"This isn't…we can't…there's no way," Dana stammered.
"How close are They?" Gibson asked.
"Maybe a mile away, last time I looked," Mulder said.
"What's happening?" Abigail wailed, as she jumped up from the other side of the windows to look outside and see for herself what the fuss was about.
"Abby, get down!" Mulder yelled, diving forward to grab her and pull her away.
The tone in her father's voice made her cry harder, so he held her gently in his lap to calm her, stroking her hair, while Dana emptied the cartridges in the weapons to check the ammunition.
"Gibson," Dana said, "Take Will and Abby to the back with the others."
"No Mommy, I don't want to go!" Abby whimpered.
"You're going, baby. It'll be okay. Will, crawl over here. Keep your head under the window ledge."
The boy, frightened and shaking, slowly made his way to where the others were gathered.
"They're going to take me back! Please please don't let Them take me back!" Will pleaded, his voice cracking.
"No one is taking you anywhere. I promise, William. You need to go with Gibson now," Mulder said.
"But I can help you! I can fight!"
"I know you could, William, but you don't need to. Watch your sister for us, okay?"
Dana murmured.
Reluctantly, Will rose to his feet and stood beside Gibson, while Abigail still clung to her father.
"Abby, Abigail…" Mulder tried as he attempted to pry her off. "Go with your brother."
"Come on, Abby," Will said shakily.
She slowly pulled away from him, and glanced over her shoulder at Gibson and William.
"Give me a kiss, baby blue. I love you," Mulder said softly.
She leaned forward and lightly kissed the tip of his nose.
"We love both of you," Dana said, squeezing Abby's hand.
Dana and Mulder both looked at Will and he nodded, reaching his arm out to his sister. Abby stood, rubbing her eyes, and grasped her brother's hand before Gibson ushered them on and walked behind them toward the back of the building.
--
"They're here," Mulder whispered as Gibson crouched beside them underneath the window. Dana passed him one of the guns, and he took it in his shaking hands. He propped himself up on one elbow to peer into the early morning outside and gasped as he felt a shudder run through his body. Yes, They were there. Black hoods thrown back to reveal familiar faces, the same face. The bounty hunter. All of them. They stood in a staggered line, each grasping the hilt of his weapon sheathed at his waist in readiness for the strike. Lights seeped through the irises of their cold grey eyes, and Gibson felt like They were boring holes into him with their stare.
"They can't see me, can't sense me. They don't know I'm here. But They know you're here," Gibson murmured under his breath.
"What about the children? Do They know the children are here?" Dana asked fearfully.
"…No. Just the two of you…We can still run. There's a way out back. We could take one of the congregation member's cars hidden behind the building," Gibson said.
"…But They'll still be able to track us somehow. They'll know where we are. Gibson, They don't ever have to know you were here. Leave now. Go. Take William and Abigail and head south," Mulder said firmly.
"No, I'm not leaving you. You can't do this alone."
"Three isn't any better than two. Not against Them. Go Gibson, while you still can. Before They find you with us," Dana said.
Tears stung his eyes. They're right. It's the only way.
"If we get out of this, we'll find you. But if not…" Mulder trailed off.
"Take care of my babies," Dana whispered hoarsely.
Gibson nodded and quickly turned to flee just as Dana grabbed his arm.
"Give this to Abby," she said, unhooking the gold chain from around her neck and pressing it to Gibson's palm.
He stuffed the necklace into his pocket and ran without looking back.
--
"No we can't leave! Not without Mommy and Daddy!" Abigail cried, clutching her stuffed cat to her chest.
Gibson scooped her up in his arms and raced toward the car while she kicked and squirmed in a failed attempt to break free of his grasp.
"If we go now, Mom and Dad will find us, right?" Will asked, running after him.
"I don't know. Take her, William."
Gibson swung Abby down beside the driver's door, and Will gripped her arms at her sides so she couldn't struggle away. Amazingly enough, the keys were on the floor board. He quickly started the ignition while Will pulled his sister into the backseat.
"Be brave, Abby. If we're brave, we can't lose," Gibson murmured as he sped away from the building. "We have to believe that."