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Title: Rescue Mission Summary: Scully's tired of waiting. Author's note: At the end. As expected, the call came in the middle of the night. But the caller wasn't who she thought it would be. "Ellens Air Base. You know where that is?" She remembered one of their first cases together. Lights in the night sky. A man who wasn't quite himself. Stoned teens who helped him sneak onto the base. Rescuing him. "Yes, Krycek, I know where it is." She was already pulling on clothes and reaching for the bag she kept packed, just in case. For most women who were seven months' pregnant, that might be their 'hospital bag.' Not for her. "Anything else? I have to call Skinner." "You can't." She was certain she'd misheard. "I can't." "Just you." Silence on both ends of the line. Then: "Fine." By the time she'd gotten a flight, assured the gate agent and the flight attendants that she wouldn't go into labor on the way, rented a car and got to the rendezvous site, it was late morning. She knew they could only go in under cover of darkness, but she felt she had to press it anyway. "Scully... I know you have no reason to trust me," he said, reading her thoughts. "God knows I've screwed you two often enough. But believe me when I say that we cannot go in before dark -- and it's imperative we get him out tonight." This was the first she'd heard anything of urgency. "Why?" "If we don't, he'll die." She spent the day dozing fitfully and pacing the small motel room in the nearby town. It was the same motel where they'd stayed eight years ago, on their second case together. God, so much had changed since then. Finally, just before midnight, her cell phone rang once. Krycek's signal. She grabbed her backpack -- flashlight, bottled water, medical supplies, a package of sunflower seeds just in case -- and left to meet him. To rescue Mulder. Getting onto the base wasn't as difficult as either of them had anticipated. They found the gap in security Krycek's contact had told him about and slipped inside the perimeter, staying low and avoiding the sweeping searchlights. When they stopped to check Krycek's map, he gave her an appraising look. "What?" She was in no mood. "Didn't think you could keep up." "You always did underestimate me, Krycek." To her surprise, he nodded, serious. He turned his attention back to the map, then surveyed the area. "That way," he pointed. Getting inside the building was a lot harder than getting onto the base. The lock, a combination keycard and number code system, took Krycek a full ten minutes to crack. Finally, they got inside. The building was dark, deserted except for them. Scully couldn't tell from the blank doors and empty hallways what the facility was used for. They paused again to look at a crude sketch of the building's interior. The silence was eerie; even the crinkling of the paper sounded absurdly loud. "You sure he's here?" she whispered. "Yeah." He looked up, eyes darting from hallway to hallway. Finally he nodded in one direction. "There." As they neared the tenth door down on the right, Scully's footsteps slowed and her heart began to pound. He was close; she could tell. She could feel him. At the correct door, Krycek muttered an epithet in Russian. "What?" Her whisper was harsh, impatient. He pointed above the doorknob -- a keycard slot, number code pad, and fingerprint screen. They exchanged a look, then Krycek silently pulled a nine-millimeter from his jacket. "Wait..." She stepped forward and laid one hand flat on the door, closing her eyes. After the briefest of instants, she curled her other hand around the doorknob and turned. The door swung open silently, and Scully took a step inside. Krycek came up behind her, his flashlight guiding her way -- but she didn't need it. He was there. Lying on a cot in the corner. His eyes were closed. He didn't move. She froze, not wanting to believe they'd come all this way only to be too late. Then... she saw it. His chest rose slightly, then fell. Then again. Thank God, she thought. He's breathing. She moved slowly to him, leaning over him. A trembling hand reached out to touch him. He wasn't real until she touched him. Her fingers closed over his -- his skin was warm. She shut her eyes, silently willing him to squeeze her hand. "Scully." Her eyes flew open -- but it hadn't been his voice. She smoothed Mulder's hair back off his forehead, not taking her eyes off him. "Krycek... help me get him out of here." Once she had Mulder safely at the motel, Scully could finally relax a little. He was still unconscious, but at least now she could get a good look at him. She sat next to him on the bed and examined him. He was too thin. His hair was longer, limp. His skin was dry. His breathing was steady but shallow. His pupils were reactive, which was a good thing. But it was the *only* good thing. She had no idea what had been done to him, why he was still out, when he might wake up... She glanced over at Krycek, nearly asleep in the chair by the window, and called out to him softly. He still jerked awake, ran his hand over his face. "There wasn't anyone else on that base. Why did they leave him there?" "I didn't ask." She pondered that for a moment -- his statement confirmed what she'd suspected all along, that Krycek was involved in Mulder's disappearance. Hatred flared within her, until she remembered that Krycek also helped her rescue him. She turned her attention back to the man on the bed. She couldn't keep her hands off him, stroking his arm, running her fingers through his hair. "You said he'd die if we didn't get him out tonight... What was supposed to happen tomorrow?" "They're gonna blow up the base. Probably the town, too. We should leave." Scully looked up at him then. "No. We can't leave, not until he wakes up." "You don't get it, do you? The people who know what was done to him are gone. Whatever records there might've been are gone. The base where he was held will be blasted into oblivion in less than four hours." Krycek leaned forward, stared into her. "He might not wake up." Her jaw clenched, she tore her gaze from him, returning to her task of touching Mulder. "Then we need to get him to a hospital." "We need to get out of town." She glanced at him again. He'd leaned back in the chair again, his eyes closed. "You need to rest." He sighed deeply, eyes still closed. "Scully..." "Pocatello's just two hours away. Rest for an hour or so, then we'll leave." He looked at her then, nodding slightly. He started to push himself out of the chair. "Stay there." Krycek's eyes widened a little, then he smirked at her. "Afraid I'll run out on you?" "No." They stared at each other a moment longer, then he relaxed in the chair. "You should rest, too." Scully didn't answer. She kept running her fingers through Mulder's hair, stroking his arm. Waiting for him to wake up. "You think you can wake Sleeping Beauty with a kiss?" She glared at Krycek, anger flaring again -- not just at him, but at all of them. Everyone who'd looked at her sideways since his disappearance. Everyone who'd made a snide remark in the eight years she'd worked on the X-Files. Everyone who'd hovered, overprotective, since her pregnancy began to show. Krycek took it all in, shrugged. "Stretch out next to him. I'll wake you in an hour." She watched as Krycek settled himself in the chair and appeared to fall asleep almost immediately. Then she toed off her shoes and laid down next to Mulder -- on her side, one arm around his head. With her other hand she picked up his, rested it on her belly. With their baby nestled between them, Scully leaned over and gently kissed Mulder's cheek, then whispered, "Mulder... please wake up..." She dreamed. For the first time since he disappeared, she dreamed. Of the last time they made love. Of the next time they would make love. Of his body, strong and healthy. Of his hands, gentle and loving. His lips, soft but insistent. His voice, rough with passion. His eyes, shimmering with love. When Krycek woke her, barely more than an hour after she'd fallen asleep, she was still flushed. They left for Pocatello before the sun came up, Krycek driving, Scully in the back seat with Mulder. His breathing was better, but he still hadn't regained consciousness. By the time they found a motel, the news was spreading like wildfire -- Ellens Air Base had been attacked, burned out. So had the town. For two more days they stayed in Pocatello. Krycek kept on top of the news about Ellens, went out for food, watched over Mulder when Scully needed him to. They didn't say much to each other --there wasn't much to say. Their mutual objective had been achieved. They'd rescued Mulder before the base was hit. Scully's more personal goal was still out of reach. She wanted Mulder back -- completely back. Every night since the first, Scully carried out what had become her ritual -- lying next to Mulder, her arm around him, his hand placed on her belly, her lips on his cheek, her whispered plea in his ear. "Mulder... please wake up..." On the morning of the third day... he did. Scully awoke to the feel of his lips against her forehead. Still groggy from sleep, she turned to look at him, at Mulder. His eyes were open, and he was smiling at her. "Hi." His voice was raspy from disuse, and he slowly reached behind her for the bottle of water she kept next to the bed. Taking a sip, he tried again. "Hi." "Hi... Are you real?" She could do little more than stare at him in wonder. "I'm real. Are you?" A laugh burst from her, and he smiled in return. She brought a hand up to touch his face... his eyes... his lips... "Mulder..," he nodded a little, and she pressed her mouth to his. He kissed her back, gentle but firm, and when they parted they stayed close. Her hand never left his face, and his trailed up and down her arm. "How long have you been awake?" "Don't know. Don't care... Where are we?" "Pocatello, Idaho." "Wasn't I in Oregon before?" She nodded. "But we found you at Ellens Air Base." He smiled faintly, and she could tell he remembered the significance. "'We'? Skinner? The Gunmen?" She shook her head and looked away for the first time that morning. "They don't know I'm here." Fingers under her chin, he tilted her face up. "Who?" "Krycek. We got you out three days ago, he's been here ever since." They shared a look, then she went on. "I know we shouldn't trust him, Mulder, but that doesn't matter. Nothing matters except that you're here... that you're alive." He smiled again, that soft, loving smile she'd seen only a few times in their life together. This time, he leaned down to her -- and this kiss was a bit more intense. She felt his hand skim her abdomen as their tongues finally touched, and he smiled against her lips. "Something you want to tell me, Scully?" "We're having a baby." Both their smiles broadened, their eyes shining. Just then the baby kicked, and she guided his hand to the spot. "Jesus, how long was I gone?" "About six months." "And we're due when?" "Six weeks." "When can we go home?" "Soon." She snuggled against him, her head on his shoulder, and they just held each other. She began to drift off, real rest overtaking her, then she heard his voice again. "I knew you'd come, Scully," he whispered. "I knew you'd save me." She tightened her arms around him, and he did the same. They held on to each other for dear life, almost afraid to let go again. End End Note: The other day on the I Want To Believe mailing list, beduini said she'd like to see some Mulder/Scully Reunion scenes. Many, many of us responded, in very short order. The variety of styles, POVs, tones, etc. was incredible. This was pretty much a writing exercise, begun and completed within about an hour. I liked it. I hope you do, too. "I've been called a lot of things, Detective. Skeptical, however, is not one of them."
- Mulder, 'Mind's Eye' |