As soon as Mulder and Scully crossed the invisible barrier into their own world, they were greeted by bright lights and a swarm of bodies and voices. They emerged, but came to a stop as a large group of F.B.I. agents stood as a barrier around them with guns.

A voice came from behind the men.

"Stop! Put your guns down! For Christ's sake."

Mulder had never been happier to see Skinner as he watched him pushed his way through the wall of agents.

Mulder and Scully briskly walked toward him, but Scully reached him first. She opened her mouth to talk, but Skinner beat her to it, looking at them with sharp, but concerned eyes.

"Shit, what did they do to you two? We need to get you some medical attention."

He turned to lead them to the camp, but Scully stopped him, gripping his arm.

"Sir, I don't have time to explain our current situation and I doubt you'll believe me, but at any moment, about 20 angry people with guns are going to be coming from behind that tree."

Skinner glanced to his left, where Mr. Ackers was standing awkwardly off in the distance. He looked back at Scully and Mulder.

"Don't worry, I know what's going on, but thanks for the heads up. We're more than prepared for them."

Scully shot Mulder a surprised face as Skinner shouted out orders for the men to ready themselves for the townspeople to attack. As soon as everyone was in their place, he ushered Mulder and Scully to their camp which was a safe distance away from the barrier.

He repeated his previous question. "What the hell happened to you two?" Concern was etched on his face.

Mulder shrugged, becoming increasingly aware of the pain in his shoulder and back as his adrenaline was wearing off; he was finding it harder and harder to walk. "Just a bunch of psychopaths with too much time on their hands."

Scully worriedly looked at Mulder, shooting Skinner a glance, hoping he'd get the message. "We'll tell you all the details later, sir. How much further is the camp?"

Skinner nodded slightly, but picked up his pace. "Not far. There's the lights of the camp just ahead."

They heard noises in the distance and they all turned to watch as the townspeople crossed the invisible barrier and the agents tried to subdue them. Mulder and Scully watched, almost in a trance, until Skinner's voice pulled them back to reality.

"They'll take care of it. Come on."

They continued to hear a flurry of voices echo through the air as Skinner ushered them into camp; they were nearly to the medical tent when Mulder felt his legs give out beneath him as he felt a shooting pain shoot across his back. He gasped as he reached out for Scully for support as he dropped to his knees.

"Shit, Mulder..."

Scully gripped his arm, holding him for support; Skinner on his other side.

Mulder took in deep shallow breaths, "I'm okay...my back...I just got a huge zinger."

Scully opened her mouth to reply when gunshots started ringing through the air. All three of them turned to the direction of the sound: the townspeople apparently were fighting back.

Everything was happening so fast and they watched as the agents in black started dropping one by one, they clearly hadn't anticipated this kind of fight.

Scully looked at Mulder, his face slack, covered in sweat, blood, and dirt, clearly in pain but currently overtaken by shock. She looked up at Skinner, hoping for some assurance that everything was going to be fine, that he had a plan, something.

Instead, she heard him mutter, "Oh my god."

The noise suddenly stopped and they were left in a moment of eerie silence.

She shot to her feet as she watched a single figure running toward them. She relaxed a little when she saw that it was Mr. Ackers but the crazed look on his face sent a chill through her.

He panted as he reached them, breath coming in ragged gasps. He had blood on his face and his jacket sleeve was torn. "They've...killed all of the agents...have weapons...about 12 left...coming this way..."

Skinner grabbed Mulder and pulled him to his feet, ignoring his gasp of pain.

"C'mon, this way...hurry!"

He led them further into the camp where there was a medium sized building. It was old and wooden, but looked like it had been reinforced and repaired.

They rushed through the metal doors and Mulder sank to his knees as Skinner let him go, sprinting toward a large cabinet sitting along the opposite wall.

"We found this building and built the camp around it. We've been using it for a weapons storage, so we reinforced it with steel."

He tossed Mr. Ackers and Scully rifles. "It should be enough to keep them out, as long as they don't try to starve us out."

He walked over to Mulder, pulled a gun out of his waistband, handed it to him, then walked to a barred window next to the door and peered into the night.

Mulder leaned up against the wall and looked up at Skinner.

"Sir, don't you have a phone? We could call for backup?"

Skinner looked at Scully then Mulder, disappointment on his face.

"I did, but I can't find it. I must have dropped it when we were running here."

Scully sighed as she paced the room, racking her brain for any ideas. She kept glancing at Mulder, who was now staring suspiciously at Mr. Ackers. She glanced at Mr. Ackers as well, suddenly aware of a nagging uneasiness inside her.

How did he make it away from the fight? And what took him so long?

He was looking out of the other window, on the other side of the door, rifle gripped firmly in hand.

Scully gripped her rifle and sank down next to Mulder, repairing his bandages and trying to make him as comfortable as possible. He shot her a look as she fixed the bandage on his shoulder. For a moment, they stared into each other eyes, communicating without even speaking.

"What's taking them so long?" Skinner spat out. He stepped away from the window, lowering his rifle. Scully, do you mind taking over for me for a second? Nature's calling."

Scully glanced again at Mr. Ackers, who was still intently staring out his window.

She rose from her position next to Mulder and stood in front of the window looking out into the night. She heard the bathroom door shut and she glanced over at Mr. Ackers who had stepped away from the window, rifle hanging at his side. Trying not to seem suspicious, she continued to look out her window, but her grip on her rifle tightened.

"They aren't coming."

Scully paused feeling a tightening in her throat.

She stepped away from the window and turned to face Mr. Ackers. He was setting his rifle down on the ground, unbuttoning his jacket.

Scully glanced at Mulder, who was gripping his gun, ready for a fight. She looked back at Mr. Ackers, "What makes you say that?"

She could feel Mulder's gaze on her and she moved her rifle close to her side.

Mr. Ackers looked at Scully and smiled. "I just know."

Scully abruptly aimed the rifle at Mr. Ackers as she watched him pull a pistol from the inside of his jacket, now aiming it at her.

Scully's yell echoed through the cabin, "Put the gun down!"

Skinner came barreling out of the bathroom, gun raised, and Mulder had push himself to his feet, gun also pointed at Mr. Ackers.

Mr. Ackers chuckled, "You can try to shoot me, but I don't think you'll be too successful, seeing as there aren't any bullets in those guns."

Scully faltered for a moment, but held her gun steady again. She repeated, "Put the gun down. Now."

"All I want is him." He motioned to Mulder.

Silence settled over the room as the three of them tried to process their situation.

Mulder croaked. "Why?"

A smile pulled at the edge of Mr. Ackers mouth. "Because, you're my ticket to getting back in the town. You see, after my son was murdered, I went off the deep end, overcome with grief. I left the town; I didn't realize what I was doing. For years, I have tried to get back in, but Jane wouldn't let me. She said I had abandoned her when I needed her most." He let out a deep sigh. "She was right, of course. But you...you can get me back in. I told Jane that I would bring you to her, only if she would take me back. If we could be together again." He suddenly let out a maniacal burst of laughter. "I've been waiting for this moment for so long. And now it's finally here."

He took a step toward Mulder, but Skinner and Scully rushed in front of him.

Scully was seething with anger. "You aren't taking him anywhere, you son of a bitch."

"If you let me take him, I promise we'll let you both go."

Skinner sneered, "Go to hell."

Mr. Ackers fired two shots in quick succession, one at Scully and the other at Skinner. Each shot hit their target and both Scully and Skinner dropped to the ground in slow motion.

Mulder fell to his knees as he watched it unfold before his eyes. "No!"

He let out a small sigh of relief as he realized it was just a tranquilizer gun. He scuttled over to Scully checking her pulse. He could hear Mr. Ackers talking to someone over a cell phone.

"...I'm ready."

Almost instantaneously, 2 men rushed into the room and grabbed Mulder by his arms, dragging him roughly out of the door and into the cold, dark night. They dragged him away from the building and toward a bonfire at the edge of the camp. Mulder recognized Jane, standing by the fire, arms crossed, looking crazed.

No...not again, not again, please.

He felt his breath coming in ragged gasps as the men dropped him to his knees in front of Jane. With a jolt he realized he still had his gun. He had stuck it in his waistband underneath his shirt.

He straightened up as much as he could as he stared into Jane's cold eyes.

"You killed my last son."

Mulder swallowed, but didn't speak. The silence was deafening.

Jane screamed. "My last son!"

He didn't flinch, not even when he saw the blow coming. He swayed on his knees as her fist struck his face, but he resumed his strong composure.

Jane was breathing heavily and looked like a caged animal. He struck him two more times, and Mulder could feel new warmth on the side of his face and warm blood oozing from his nose.

"How could you? If my husband hadn't come back to me, I would have no one."

At this, Mr. Ackers stood by his wife's side, Mulder saw that he was smiling. He could feel his anger building up, sensing his moment was coming.

He took stock of his surroundings: two men were standing beside him, Jane and Mr. Ackers were in front of him, and the remaining townspeople were behind them.

The two men suddenly grabbed Mulder's arms and pulled him to his feet. Jane approached him with a knife in hand, teeth barred.

"It's time to end this."

Mulder fought against the men's grasp as Jane neared closer and closer.

Suddenly, the sweetest sound echoed through the clearing: Scully's voice.

"Drop the knife and back away!"

He heard a gun shot ring through the air and saw Jane jump back.

"Now!"

The two men released their grip on Mulder and he backed up towards Scully, struggling to remain on his feet. He pulled the gun out of his waistband as he joined her.

Scully was in full F.B.I mode now. "Everyone get on their stomachs and put your hands on your head."

She threatened them with the gun and pointed it at Mr. Ackers. "You, throw your cell phone over here."

He grimaced and reached into his pocket, throwing the phone toward Scully, except it landed a couple feet away.

She tightened her grip on her rifle as she cautiously reached down to grab the phone.

Everything happened so fast.

Mulder saw one of the men pull out a gun and aim it at Scully, but Mulder reacted too fast as he shot the man square in the chest.

It was pure chaos.

The rest of the townspeople pulled out their weapons and a full out gun fight ensued.

Mulder and Scully dropped to the ground and let their training and adrenaline take over, shooting at every figure they saw.

Then, suddenly, silence.

Dust clouded the night air and all Mulder and Scully could hear was their own deep breathing.

Scully coughed out, "Mulder, are you alright?"

Mulder croaked, "Yeah...more or less."

Scully pushed herself to her feet and Mulder slowly did the same.

The light of the campfire eerily bounced off the bodies now littering the ground. Dark blotches covered the dirt and the eerie silence made Scully's skin tingle.

She checked the pulse of each body and pulled the phone from Mr. Ackers body, after ascertaining that he was dead, tossing it to Mulder.

Mulder immediately called for back up as Scully checked the pulse of Jane. She stood to her feet with a sigh.

"They're all dead."

She felt Mulder standing next to her and she felt his hand in hers. She looked at him, amazed that he could feel so strong after all he had endured.

He was thinking the same about her.

He gripped her hand as he pulled her away from the carnage, toward the cabin in the camp.

"Backup is on it's way, but we should probably check on Skinner."

Scully nodded as she let herself be pulled away by Mulder. Thankful for his level headedness.

They slowly made their way toward the camp when a question sprang to Mulder's mind.

"How did you wake up from the tranquilizer?"

A small smile appeared on Scully's face.

"It never pierced my skin." She pulled her necklace out of her shirt. "Can you believe it? It hit my necklace. I played it out though, I figured I could load my gun after you left and then go after you."

Mulder just stared at Scully. "You're amazing, Scully."

Scully was thankful that it was still dark so Mulder couldn't see her blush.

They approached the cabin but Mulder pulled Scully to a stop.

"Scully," he turned to face her, "I have to tell you something."

Scully looked up at him expectantly.

"I...if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have made it through these past few weeks. You got me through everything, Scully, and I can't express how much you mean to me. I...I love you, Scully."

Scully felt tears spring to her eyes as she saw silent tears stream down his face.

"Oh, Mulder."

She threw his arms around his broken body and pulled him in tight, her hand stroking his hair.

"I love you too, Mulder. So much."

They stood, embraced like that for a long time. Both enjoying the moment of openness and comfort. Despite the all the pain, they both felt like a weight had been lifted from them.

Scully gave Mulder another squeeze before pulling herself away from him. She put her hand affectionately on Mulder's face.

"We better go check on Skinner. The backup should be here soon."

Mulder smiled and nodded as they entered the cabin. Skinner was just starting to stir when they entered and Mulder and Scully quickly explained what happened.

Skinner sat up and leaned against the gun cabinet. Mulder and Scully sank to the ground on the adjacent wall and leaned against it, holding hands. Skinner watched them with sadness, but didn't say anything. He couldn't even imagine what the two of them had been through. He was already dreading the inquiry at work.

30 minutes crept past before they finally heard a helicopter in the distance. They could see a light from a helicopter landing in a clearing in the distance. Mulder squeezed Scully's hand and smiled at her. She smiled back. They were finally going home.


Thank you guys so much for sticking with this story! It's been a lot of fun writing this and I'll be wrapping it up in the next chapter.