It seemed like an eternity before Skinner arrived to meet with Scully at Our Lady of Sorrows Hospital. She did one final check up on Christian before the sound of her cell phone pierced the silence, forcing her to leave the room and the hospital itself as she went to meet Skinner outside the corridors.

It took all she had not to crumple at the sight of her ex boss she hadn't seen in 6 years since living in isolation. Instead, she pulled open the passenger door and looked over at him. "I…I appreciate you doing this for me…for us, sir."

Skinner briefly averted his gaze as he pulled away from the curb. "You don't need to call me sir anymore, Dana; I think it's safe to say we're past formalities with what we have been through."

She gently squeezed his hand briefly. "I know…it's just that…"

"Why didn't you tell him?" Skinner interrupted before she could say more.

Scully blinked back tears. "Pregnant with a fugitive's baby when there was no way I could conceive my last child," she scoffed. "Besides…I couldn't…especially after what we said to one another."

That caught Skinner's attention. "What do you mean? What happened between you, Dana?"

Scully looked down as she tucked a stray piece of hair that had fallen loose from her ponytail. "I couldn't handle how invested he was getting into this case. I know it was the right thing for him to do so he doesn't have to live like a fugitive...that's why I insisted that he do it. But I have been avoiding what I have feared all along, that him chasing monsters will disrupt the peace we've fought so hard for. I told him the other day I wasn't coming home after I told him what this was doing to me…even though it was my idea, my suggestion for him to get involved. I realized that later...that this was why I loved him so much…why I convinced him to take the case."

Scully was aware Skinner was looking over at her and she looked away with unshed tears in her eyes. "Yesterday, when I saw him at the hospital, I tried to tell him that. That I love him despite of all of this, but he said it's the very reason we can't be together," her voice broke.

Skinner gently touched her arm. "Dana," he started.

"I'm so afraid something terrible has happened to him and now he may never know about the baby," she began to sob.

"Look, Dana, I may not have been able to save him before, but I promise you…I know he is alive and I will give my life if it means he makes it home okay…and then I will do whatever it takes to make sure he doesn't do anything like this to you again."

Scully knew her boss always had feelings for her and she loved him for it even if it wasn't in the way he had always hoped for. But she and Mulder had grown close to him over many years and has more than proven he can be trusted.

A moment later, Scully got a call that her car had been found…over the edge of a cliff. When she got off the phone and broke the news to Skinner and told him the address, her fears had nearly doubled. Skinner quickly plugged the location into the GPS.

"They didn't find a body," She said aloud in more of an attempt to console herself than anything else. But now he was alone in the freezing cold somewhere, assuming he was still alive somewhere.

Skinner felt this scenario was all too familiar. When he found Mulder, he couldn't wait to tear into him and give him a piece of his mind about causing this grief to his partner. Once he made sure he was okay, that is.

Once they arrived on the scene, Scully nearly threw herself out of the car and past the several agents that had gathered there. Skinner was close behind her as she was telling the sergeant who she was and who he was. She felt her heart sink once she was handed Mulder's phone with blood on it, obviously his.

Skinner had sensed her distress when she told him in a quivering, shaky voice what they had found. He really did want to kill Mulder right about now for causing Scully so much unnecessary grief. Her demanding, no nonsense demeanor completely changed once she had reached him earlier.

She was definitely the same Scully from 6 years ago, though her hair was a lot longer and lighter. She had only aged just slightly, yet was still a beautiful woman. Mulder was a one lucky sonofabitch, though he definitely didn't act like it.

It wasn't much longer before they were on their way again, searching for clues, with no destination in mind. Scully was looking outside for much of the time and he knew she was doing her best to hide her emotions.

Tired of the awkward silence, he sighed and assured her once more that they would find him.

"I know Mulder, he would get to a phone and call first," he said in a lame attempt to comfort her.

"He wouldn't do anything crazy…" Scully looked over and gave him an incredulous look at that.

"Not overly crazy," he finished, covering for himself.

Not long after that, Scully had instructed him to pull over. He did as he was told and watched her as he began to inspect the mailboxes. She obviously had some sort of clue to where Mulder might be, as she recognized the address to be one of the suspects, followed by sounds of dogs barking and howling.

"What is it, Dana?"

"Dogs," was all she said and before he knew it, he was chasing her several yards across property in sleet and snow towards where the sound was coming from. The only stopped at the sight of a two headed dog, to which Skinner cringed at when one of the heads looked up and grunted at them. Scully gasped at the trail of blood that preceded it. There had obviously been a struggle to cause the death of one of the dogs.

He watched as she placed her hand on her belly as she continued to follow the trail. The gesture was either one of two things. She was cold or it as an absent minded gesture he had become accustomed to that signaled how protective she was feeling over her baby. He assumed it was the latter.

Once they reached the entrance to a run down building that resembled a warehouse, he very reluctantly agreed to split up…though he was very much aware of how futile of an argument it would be, given her present state of mind.

Scully rounded the corner of one of the buildings with the nearest entrance, so which she heard a loud sharpening that could have only come from the sound of sharpening something such as an axe or a sword. She sucked in her breath at the sight of Mulder on the ground, barely conscious and completely unaware of his presence. Thankfully, his captor was as well. She hurriedly tried to find a large enough object she could wield and render this man powerless.

Fueled with adrenaline, she grabbed a large pipe that was left to scrap and yelled out "Hey!" and swung it as hard as she could. She barely saw the man go down as she rushed to Mulder's side, obviously grateful he was still alive. She gently touched his face and wanted nothing more than to hold him and tell him how sorry she was, but he needed fluids, clothes and medical treatment fast. It was obvious he suffered a major concussion and his body was badly reacting to the freezing cold.

"Sssorry about your car," he muttered. She wanted so much just to cry and tell him that it didn't matter anymore, that she was so happy he was alive…that she got to him in time.

"It's okay, Mulder…it's okay," she whispered as she gently analyzed the extent of his injuries. "I'll be right back, I promise." She hurriedly ran into the building to see Skinner yelling at several obviously unauthorized medical professionals.

She was horrified at the sight of the victim they were searching for in ice cold water and an obviously decapitated victim. Once Skinner seemed to have the situation under control, she looked over at him anxiously. "Mulder is right outside this door…he needs clothes and fluids right away…I have to take care of this."

Skinner looked at her. "Don't worry, I already have reinforcements on the way for these other people."

She watched as he disappeared out the door.

Mulder was right where Scully said he would be, barely conscious. He threw off his coat and tucked it around Mulder's body tightly. Any anger he had for this man only minutes ago had completely taken a vacation once he saw the state this man was in. He was barely alive.

"Skinner?" Mulder muttered. "You're a sight for sore eyes."

Skinner held his former subordinate close and decided to let the comment slide. Despite how frustrating he was over the years, he had to admit he did care a lot about this man.

"Cold…" Mulder whispered.

"I know, it's going to be okay…just keep your eyes open. Talk to me, okay?"

Skinner touched Mulder's head lightly, part of which was a slight reassurance he would be okay. He only hoped his injuries weren't too extensive.

Mulder shuddered.

He had to keep him talking until the reinforcements and ambulance came in.

"You have been a real pain in my ass over the years, Mulder. You know that, right?"

That earned him a slight chuckle, but no response.

"But despite everything, I know Scully sees so much more in you. What I have come to see also in recent years. Despite that thick head of yours, you're a good man, Mulder. I never understood it at first, but I do now."

Mulder closed his eyes. "Dddoesn't deserve me…deserves better," he muttered.

"Well, that's certainly not how she sees it. I've seen her anguish over you more times than I would like to count...have experienced firsthand what losing you does to her and believe me, there is no one else for her."

He could hear faint sounds of the ambulance in the distance, knowing they were close. Scully had rushed back outside to check on them and their reinforcements. It was then Skinner realized Mulder had stopped being responsive.

Scully obviously sensed Skinner's distress as she was at his side within moments begging and pleading with him to talk to her…to say something. The next several minutes were a blur, but at that moment, the ambulance and reinforcements arrived and Skinner was yelling out orders to arrest doctors and get stretchers out to transport Mulder and the girl inside.

Once he was back at her side Skinner saw her attempts at waking him had obviously failed and her sobs were uncontrollable "No, I can't lose you," she cried. "Please, please don't leave us. I need you!"

Skinner pulled her into his arms and felt tears in his own eyes. "He's going to be okay, Dana, I promise."

He only hoped that this time he was right.

To be continued….