ALLEGIANCE
by
Lacadiva
Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the television series, The X-Files are the creations and property of Chris Carter, Fox Broadcasting, and Ten Thirteen Productions, and have been used without permission.
Summary: After Mulder and Scully are wounded in a bloody ambush, Scully awakens to find herself in a world
where The Day has come and gone, and a choice must be made between duty and Mulder.
Note: I wrote this story several years ago and archived it at Gossamer. Recently unearthed it and thought I'd put it up at . Don't know if people read X-Files stories much anymore, but I cut my teeth as a fanfic writer on this story and a couple other XF stories. On with the show.
CHAPTER 4
Scully's training - FBI or Colonizer? - took over. She fell into a defensive stance and raised her gun at Krycek,
aiming for the spot between his eyes.
"Shoot me," he said, "and you'll risk my finger moving just enough to pull the trigger and blow your lover's head off. That would be bad, considering all the trouble you went through to rescue him."
Scully noticed that the gunfire had ceased. The rebels were retreating. No, not retreating. Leaving. Scattered all over the road and the dried grass shoulder were all human officers - dead, dying, bleeding. Some crawling, trying to get away, others were crying out in pain.
"You did this, Scully," said Krycek. "You killed every one of them."
"No," she said, steadying her gun. "I didn't want it to happen this way. I didn't know."
Krycek tightened his grip on Mulder and smiled as he winced in pain. "You're not stupid! You knew. What did
you think they'd do? Walk up to us an humbly ask us to hand over Fox Mulder? You think you're better than me,
but you're not. At least I don't plead ignorance and go on my merry way. Murder's murder."
"You knew all along I was the mole," Scully said.
"Of course I knew you were the mole. The interesting thing is, Scully, you were my mole."
"That can't be! I spied on you. I passed information to the resistance to thwart you!"
"Every piece of information you passed on, came directly from me."
"No."
"Game's finally over, Scully. You lose. Time for me to collect."
Krycek slammed Mulder hard into the side of the truck, then turned his gun on Scully and fired.
The slug tore into her thigh, forcing her down. She hit the ground hard, a strangled scream forced from her throat.
She held on to her own gun, but knew she would be too weak to use it.
Krycek took a few steps closer to the edge of the truck bed and aimed down at Scully, ready to finish the job. "Plans have changed. No more baby. I want a divorce," he said with a smile.
"Happy to oblige," she said, weakly lifting her gun. She knew it was futile. She was losing blood too quickly and
losing her ability to focus. Shock was already setting in.
Suddenly Krycek came flying out of the truck with a shout. He didn't jump. He was pushed. Mulder had pushed him.
Mulder stood, leaning against the wall of the truck, a satisfied grin on his pained face, as Krycek hit the ground.
Scully managed to smile.
She heard a snap - the sound of Krycek's prosthetic arm cracking into pieces as he hit the tarmac. She would have
laughed if it didn't hurt so badly.
Mulder climbed out of the truck and went to Krycek's prone body. He kicked Krycek in the face so hard that
Mulder fell backwards. Krycek let out a cry, then scrambled to his feet to charge at Mulder.
Scully fired.
The bullet hit Krycek in the back. Scully knew it must have torn through his shriveled heart. Krycek turned and gave Scully a confused look. "Why'd you -"
He hit the ground before he could finish.
Mulder and Scully scrambled toward each other. Mulder did the best he could to help Scully to her feet and carry her away from the battleground. Both knew that units were probably on their way to round up and execute the parties responsible for the ambush. Both knew they would be as good as dead if they were found.
"Mulder! I can't, my leg -"
Mulder moved to carry her, but Scully knew that would not last long, not in his beaten condition. Mulder managed to get her off the ground, but could only carry her a few steps before his own legs gave out and he fell to his knees, his body threatening to shut down, feeling unconsciousness sneaking up on him.
"I'm sorry, Scully."
Mulder placed a hand on her bleeding wound and tried to put pressure on it. Scully screamed out and held onto him. He stopped, knowing it was useless. He wasn't a doctor, but he knew from his own experience that without
immediate attention Scully would bleed to death before either of them could get away.
Mulder stood and ran weakly for the hummer. He jumped in, revved it, and pulled it out of the convoy line and drove it over to Scully. He leaped out and went to her, his intention to lift her and put her inside and drive away.
He didn't get the chance.
From somewhere came the sound of gunfire. Scully saw something red leap from Mulder's chest and felt warm
blood splatter her face. She recoiled, suppressing the urge to scream.
Mulder's face was neutral as he looked down at the gaping, bloody hole in his chest. He collapsed to his knees, then hit the ground. Pain registered then. He let out a scream that made Scully's blood run cold.
"MULDER! MULDER, NO!"
Scully looked up and saw Krycek. He was lying on the ground, smiling, a gun in hand, smoke still rising from the
barrel. Scully brought her own gun up and fired again, this time hitting Krycek straight between the eyes. He died
instantly.
"Mulder!" Scully crawled over to him. Forgetting the pain in her leg, she shoved her arms under Mulder's armpits and tried to lift the tall man and drag him. She could hear helicopters over head and hear hummers heading their way.
"Come on, Mulder! Help me!"
"No, Scully, don't move me. DON'T MOVE ME!"
The last words came out in a gurgle. She looked at Mulder's face and saw a torrent of blood erupt from his
mouth, spilling down his chin and to his chest.
"Don't move me," he begged. "Please."
"I won't," was all she could say. She sat down and cradled him in her arms, moving him as little as possible. Each
minute movement caused him to cry out.
She could hear the Colonizers getting closer.
"Mulder?"
"Not your fault. My fault."
"No. None of this was ever your fault. I had a choice. I made my choice and I stand by it."
"Me, too."
Scully felt the wind whipping her head, and looked up to see a 'copter hovering just above them.
"Throw your weapon aside!" came the amplified voice from the 'copter. "You are under arrest." Scully threw her
gun as far away as she could, then wrapped her arms around Mulder again.
"Scully?" His body seized up as if he'd been hit with an electrical shock. An agonized groan escaped his lips, along
with bubbling stream of blood and fluid.
She saw the hummers heading their way, filled with armed Colonizers and foot soldiers. They had but a few seconds left.
"Scully!"
"Yes, I'm here."
"It's so cold."
"I know." She held him tighter, closer. "Is that better?"
"Yes," he lied.
The vehicles formed a semi-circle around them. Soldiers with guns aimed and ready to fire jumped from the
hummers and moved on them.
"Hold your fire," Scully cried out. "Please. I won't fight. I'll go peacefully. Let me stay until the end. Please."
The Bounty Hunter stepped out of his hummer and took three steps forward. Scully looked him dead in the eye.
"Please," she said.
The Bounty Hunter nodded stoically. The men and women in his charge relaxed, but kept their weapons trained on Scully.
"Mulder?"
"Still here? Shoulda ditched me, while you had the chance."
"With this bum leg? I couldn't get very far."
"I can't stand-" he began, but a surge of pain and anger hit him. He took a raspy deep breath and tried again. "I can't stand the thought, they're going to execute you, because of me," he forced out and sank deeper into her arms, his last ounce of strength spent.
"I wouldn't put myself on the line for anyone else but you."
"Oh, God, Scully, it hurts. It HURTS."
"I know." She held him tighter, and felt his body tense, then begin to shudder.
"Always thought I'd go out with a bang, not a whimper."
"Are you coming onto me, Mulder?" she asked tearfully.
Mulder tried to laugh, but it hurt too much. "Don't let them take you. Go fighting. Fight the -"
Mulder could not finish. He simply looked at her with those ever-changing hazel eyes. Suddenly, the look of
suffering disappeared from his face. He simply smiled.
And then he died.
Scully held him close and cried.
"Time to go," the Bounty Hunter said. Guards lifted Scully to her feet. She barely noticed the pain in her leg anymore. She allowed herself to be carried toward a hummer, then turned back to watch as two guards were lifting Mulder's body from the ground.
"NO! YOU LET HIM GO! YOU LET HIM GO!"
She twisted out of their hold and grabbed a hand gun from the holster of one of the guards escorting her.
All guns trained on her her.
"Sub-Commander Scully! Put down the weapon, or we will be forced to fire. It does not have to end this way."
"But it does!" Scully cried. "It does. Not a whimper, but a bang," she said, then aimed at the Bounty Hunter.
Two dozen rifles went off all at once.
Cedar Sinai Hospital
Los Angeles, CA
4:35 am
She awoke gasping for air. Instantly someone was at her side. She opened her eyes and saw the face of Margaret
Scully, tears spilling from her beautiful eyes.
"Welcome back, baby girl," she said.
"Mom? You're here. You're alive. Where -"
"You're in the hospital. You're still in Los Angeles. I took the first flight I could get as soon as Fox called me."
"Mulder. Mulder? Where is he?"
"Right here."
Mulder appeared behind her mother. He was wearing a hospital gown and robe, and his face was pale and drawn.
He moved slowly, winced a bit when he attempted to sit on the bed, thought better of it and remained standing.
"You're alive. Thank God. What happened?"
"You don't remember?" he asked. "We were ambushed. Our so-called snitch snitched on us. They were waiting for us."
"Right," she said, remembering. "I was shot." She reached up to touch the thick gauze bandage wrapped around her head. "How bad?"
"The bullet grazed your temple, but the fall you took was worse. I thought..."
"What about you, Mulder, are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Bullet in the side, tore out a chunk of meat, but missed anything vital. Good thing our suspect was a rotten marksman."
"Maybe. Where's my uniform?
"Your uniform?"
Scully looked confused for a second. "Oh, wait," she said, covering her face with her hands and taking in a deep
breath. "I had the most incredible dream."
"Yeah? Was I in it?" Mulder asked.
"I don't remember. It wasn't so much a dream as a…"
"What?"
"Like walking between here and the afterlife. It sounds foolish, I know, but I can't think of any other way to
describe it."
"Sounds like an X-File."
"I'm sure it's not."
"That's enough, you two," Margaret Scully interjected. She pushed Mulder aside, shooing him out of the room. "You can tell him all about it later, Dana. You need your rest, and so does he." She turned to Mulder. "Back to your room before the doctor finds out you're AWOL."
"I appreciate your concern, Mrs. Scully, but -"
"Fox, go."
"I better go," Mulder said, with a smile. "I'll see you later. And don't ever scare me like that again."
Scully reached out for Mulder's hand. He leaned in and took hold. Scully's grip was tight, almost desperate.
"You sure you're okay?" she asked.
Mulder nodded. She finally let go.
Holding his side, Mulder opened the door, checked the hall for clearance from doctors and evil nurses, then ambled away.
Mrs. Scully took her daughter's hand, careful not to hit the IV needle and tubes, and kissed it gently. "Fox was right. You gave us quite a scare."
"Sorry. I'll be fine, Mom. Mulder's going to be okay?"
"His doctor says he can go home day after tomorrow."
"Good."
"What did you dream about?"
"What?"
"You said you had a strange dream."
"Oh. I don't-" She blinked, and sighed. "I don't remember now. You know me. I never remember my
dreams for long."
"You just rest, then, baby girl. I'm right here if you need me."
"Thanks mom. I'm glad you're here."
"Me to."
Scully closed her eyes and slept without dreaming.
THE END
Thanks for your kind attention. Hope you dug it. I wrote this a few years ago, and found it recently. Miss the X-Files so much. If you enjoyed it at all, please review and share your thoughts. 'Night.