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Title: StarDust Summary: "We could've been... Stardust." Author Notes: Had the HARDEST time picking a title for this one, Everything from "Amazed" to "Go Away and Leave Me Alone" (AE ;) to "Forgotten" to "Miserable" to "Stardust". =) And in this little universe, Mulder and Scully DID *shudder* Sleep together; And Fight Club never happened. Sure, It would have fit great but I hated it (Syzygy, anyone?) Thanks: Loads and loads and LOADS to Ang for putting up with my Q's, helping me when I was stuck, and beta reading all the way through. You are the BEST, babe :) <3! To Cassie and her QOTD "We could've been... Stardust" From the Three Of A Kind ep for giving me the idea for the title (And a great line ;) "I once considered spending my whole life with this man. What I would have missed." Her voice spoke clearly to him, as she glanced over, carefully awaiting his response. "I don't think you can know. I mean, how many different lives would we be leading if we made different choices?" Mulder shrugged, facing her. "We... We don't know." She nodded slightly, and then continued, "What if there was only one choice and all the other ones were wrong? And there were signs along the way to pay attention to?" "Mmm," he agreed. "And all the... choices would then lead to this very moment. One wrong turn, and... we wouldn't be sitting here together." Mulder smiled slightly, looking down at Scully once again. "Well, that says a lot. That says a lot, a lot, a lot. That's probably more than we should be getting into at this late hour," he continued slowly as he looked down at her, waiting for a reply. None came. Mulder leaned over and tenderly tucked a strand of auburn hair behind her ear. He stood up gently, so as not to awake her, he pulled an Indian blanket over her sleeping form. Mulder tucked it in, then as he headed for his own room he pulled his shirt over his head as he went. Soon enough, he'd stripped down to his boxers, where he slid into bed and turned onto his back. Mulder slowly drifted off to sleep as he muttered to himself. "Everything happens for a reason." Every time our eyes meet, - Amazed, Lonestar Scully's eyes slowly fluttered open as she glanced around the room. Mulder's apartment, she thought grimly as she stood up slowly. Scully pushed the blanket aside, as she searched the coffee table for her keys. Best to leave now, she thought.as she glanced around. Keys, Keys... Oh, crap. Scully frowned as the realization hit her. She'd walked earlier; Mulder drove her in his car back to his place. Crap crap crap. Scully glanced at the clock on the mantle. One fifty-six am. No way was she going to walk or catch a bus at that late hour. Scully sighted as she began to run through her options. Stay at Mulder's. Wake Mulder up, get a ride home. Stay at Mulder's. She shivered as she tiptoed towards Mulder's bedroom. Pressing open the door, she peered in, and noticed him sleeping peacefully. Damn., she thought.as she looked at him. I can't wake him up to take me home. Her eyes trailed slowly up the covers until cover met skin. She drank in his form, sleeping quietly, a slight smile on his face. Scully turned; she slowly started to shut the door, when a hand caught her wrist. "Don't," mumbled a sleepy voice. She turned back, Mulder stood in the doorway. "What?" she asked, voice slightly trembling, though she knew the answer. "Don't leave," he replied, voice husky. Scully nodded slowly, as he led her back to his bed. She let him. Mulder kissed her cheek, pulling her next to him on the bed. "Why, Mulder?" she asked, trying to fight back tears - Whether they were of sorrow, joy, tiredness, or pure bliss she did not know. "I'd do anything for you," he replied, moving his hands down her body to her navel, where he began slowly undoing buttons to her shirt. "Anything?" "Anything." "Love me?" Her voice shook as he disposed of her shirt. "Forever," he murmured against her hair. And he loved her. Scully woke suddenly and unexpectedly, tangled in Mulder's embrace. His right arm wrapped around her waist, left flopped across his own stomach. They were both crowded to the right side of the bed. She held her breath, ever so slowly tumbling over to the other side of the bed. Scully crept out of his bed, slowly and carefully she gathered her scattered clothes off the floor. She stepped over to the bathroom, not bothering to shut the door. She began to dress, absentmindedly she wondered where in the world her nylons had gone. The steady drip of the tap filled her ears, as she zipped up the side of her skirt. Scully pulled down her green shirt, until it covered her fully. Leaning forward, she glanced into the mirror, attempting to straighten her tousled hair. Eventually she did so, leaving the drip of the tap and the bathroom behind. She stepped into Mulder's room; she picked her jacket up off the bed, where it barely clung to the end without collapsing onto the floor. Shrugging it on, she eyed his sleeping body. Blankets pushed up to his mid thigh, his arm across his chest and the covers, the other flopped on the empty bed, a slight smile spread across his face. He was beautiful,, she thought. But not mine. And then she left. I didn't hear you leave, -Here With Me, Dido "Hello, Fox..." a small girl whispered, her hair waved around her. "I missed you." "Samantha?" he asked incredulously, voice breaking. The girl stood there, only five years of age, in her nightgown and slippers, clutching a teddy bear. And then she changed. She was no longer five, but eight, being abducted, taken from his life. And he was powerless to do anything. Then she was fourteen, and he saw her. Not saw her, but SAW her; for the first time in years. She was in pain, so much pain. "Help me, Fox," she breathed. He tried to move, but he couldn't. He was frozen. And then she aged, she was twenty, then twenty five, then thirty five and pregnant and her hand rested on her belly and she smiled. "I can feel the baby kick, Fox," she whispered. "Want to feel?" Mulder slowly made his way over to her, placing his hand on her stomach. He leaned down and placed his head against her stomach. He looked up, and she was no longer Samantha, but Scully, grinning at him. "Do you feel him, Mulder?" she asked. He tried to speak, but couldn't. "SCULLY!" Mulder screamed, bolting upright. He was sweating, and there was a sticky substance on his bed sheets. He gingerly touched it, and examined his hand. Blood. Ripping his covers off, he sprang up, running to the bathroom. His stomach was sliced open, being held open by staples. He screamed. The only answers to his calls were the window curtains flapping in the room from the cool night breeze. Silence Roared. Scully stepped carefully down the sidewalk, her heels clicking. She sped up, until she was almost at a full run, heading home. She'd taken a bus, but was dropped off a few blocks before her apartment. She entered, slamming the door, and sank down to the floor, crying. "What the fuck have you done, Dana?" she whispered, clutching at her jacket sleeve. Her face darkened slightly, as she moaned. "Everything," she answered her own question, breaking into hysterical tears as she cried herself to sleep. One Month, Two Weeks Later Mulder sighed, leaning back in his chair, and peering at Scully. If I had three wishes... He thought slowly, as a result of the current case, I'd wish to know what was going on inside of her pretty little head. Almost a month and two weeks had passed since they slept together, and nothing had changed. For some reason, Mulder didn't seem surprised. "Scully," he spoke up suddenly, stood up and headed across the room to where she sat. "Yes, Mulder?" she replied, not bothering to look up from the case file she was flipping through. "I need to know something, Scully," he placed a hand on the file, drawing it closed. "What happened before?" She looked up at him, surprised. Pulling off her glasses, she spoke. "Well, the man I was autopsying wasn't there. He just-" "No, Scully. Before, with us." "I'm not sure what you're getting at Mulder." She answered slowly. He growled under his breath, trying to control his anger. "You know damn well what I'm talking about." She just looked at him, her eyes a crystal blue; a cold, frozen blue. Mulder felt his heart wrench. I've got to get out of here. He thought, trying to think of an escape, his cell phone trilled. Both agents jumped, and he grabbed for it. "Mulder." A few moments and a "We'll be right there." Later, he turned to Scully. "We've got to head out to a crime scene. We've found your missing body." Two Weeks Later Mulder frowned, as he flipped through the case file. Why are they coming back to seven years history...? A knock at the door jolted him out of his thoughts. "Who is it?" "It's me," Scully called from out side, she shifted her weight from foot to foot as she wrapped her arms around her waist. Mulder stood and headed towards the door. He opened it, growing concerned by what he saw. "What's wrong, Scully? You look sick." She paused, glanced at him, and then softly declared, "I- I don't know what's wrong." He took her shoulders and brought her into the room. "Come in, Come in." He shut the door, leading her over to the bed. She sat there, huddled and shivering. "Scully?" he pressed, beginning to turn down the blankets on his bed. "I, um... I was starting to get ready for bed and I started to feel really dizzy, vertigo or something," she began slowly. "And then I just... I started to get chills." "Do you want me to call a doctor?" he asked. "No, I just... I just want to get warm," she replied, climbing back onto the bed. She paused, took off her shoes and let them fall to the floor. Climbing carefully under the covers, Mulder tucked her in. He lay down behind her, wrapping his arms around her body. "Thank you," she whispered, shifting slightly. You are in control here, Dana. She told herself silently. "It's not worth it, Scully," Mulder spoke up suddenly. She was silent, still lost in her own thoughts. You are in control; you and only you. The room was silent, until Scully finally replied. "What?" He sighed, squeezing her waist. "Scully, I want you to go home." "Oh, Mulder, I'm going to be fine," she replied, slightly exasperated that he wanted her off the case. "No, I've been thinking about it," he continued, thinking back to earlier on the case. "Looking...Just looking at you tonight, as you held that baby...knowing everything that's been taken away from you. A chance for motherhood, your health, and that baby. I think that..." Mulder paused as he tried to collect his thoughts. "I don't know, maybe they're right." "Who's right?" she asked carefully, already sensing what his answer was. "The FBI," he replied. "Maybe what they say is true, though for all the wrong reasons. It's the personal costs that are too high." Scully bit her lip, trying not to cry. A single tear trickled down her cheek, splashing onto the red of the blankets. Mulder leaned over, whispering to her, his breath tickling her ear. "There so much more you need to do with your life, Scully. There's so much more than this." He stroked her cheek, continuing to whisper to her. "There has to be an end, Scully." Mulder softly kissed her cheek and leaned his head on her shoulder. She took his hand, held it near her mouth. "Thank you, Mulder," she whispered, slowly tumbling out of his embrace. She turned to leave, but Mulder stopped her. "Sit, Scully," he motioned for the bed as he stood. "I need to know something." She did as he asked, peering up into his eyes. He paused, leaning forward, placed his hands on her knees. Looking into her eyes, he finally spoke. "Do you, love me?" She breathed in shakily, closed her eyes. Mulder watched in fascination as her lashes fluttered closed against her porcelain skin. "No," she replied, opened her eyes, and gazed into his. "No, I don't. Not in that way, Mulder." "Then say it, Scully," he replied, not bothering to hide the hurt from his voice. "Tell me," he finished in a whisper. "I don't love you Mulder," she stated calmly, though inside she was screaming. "You are the BEST friend I have EVER had, my best friend, but nothing more, Mulder. I don't want to ruin what we have. I can't. I don't love you like you want me to." He nodded, as if accepting the fact, as she stood and walked. She never heard him scream, or throw the antique clock across the room. Krycek watched from across the parking lot, cell phone poised to his ear, as Scully stumbled out of Mulder's hotel room. Scully ran up to the Hoese's residence, she watched as the deputy carried their baby away. "Oh my..." she whispered quietly, turning her attention to the conversation her partner and Miles were having. "What happened, Billy?" he asked, shading his eyes as he looked at the house. "Teresa's gone. She's been taken, and they took her," Miles replied. Scully glanced at Mulder, then at Miles, all three of them knew full well who 'They' were. "How do you know?" she finally asked. "The door was open." Was his answer. The three of them padded into the house, and upstairs. Mulder stopped, peered into the nursery. "Scully... the floor. What do you see?" Scully bent down, inspecting the patch of carpet, burned through, almost as if by acid. She looked dubiously at Mulder "The same thing as out on the road. You've seen it before," he replied to her silent question. "Yeah. I have. We both have," Scully said carefully, avoiding any admittance. Mulder shook his head slightly, leaving the room. "What is it?" Miles asked, peering over her shoulder. She glanced up at him. "It's a biological toxin emitted as a gas through the bloodstream." He looked confused. "From WHO?" She sighed, standing. "From what is *arguably* an, well, alien." Scully turned to leave and suddenly gasped. She fell slightly, almost fainted. Miles caught her and looked at her with concern. "You okay?" "Yeah," she replied as she regained her balance. Miles was not convinced. "You sure?" "Yeah, I'm fine, thanks." She walked out of the room and Miles followed her. They approached the car; Mulder sat inside, staring stonily out the window. "Mulder..." He ignored Scully as he jumped out of the car and headed for a kid standing off to the side. "Hey. Hey! What are you doing?" he called, reaching the boy. "I was just standing there. Is that against the law?" the boy sneered at him. Miles and Scully caught up with Mulder. He turned to Miles. "You know this guy?" Miles nodded. "Yeah. What are you doing, Richie?" "They took him, Billy. They took Gary. He was just gone," Richie replied, getting hysterical. Mulder put a hand on Richie's shoulder, trying to calm him. "Relax. Slow down." Richie breathed in deeply, and spoke again. "They're out there. I don't care what your dad says, Billy." "My... dad?" Miles asked as he glanced from Richie, to Mulder. Nodding, Richie continued, "He was out there, too. He knows." Miles paled a few shades, and took off, running away. "Can you take us to where Gary disappeared?" Mulder asked, glancing at Richie. He nodded and led them to the woods. "I was shining my flashlight in the dark looking for the UFO and uh, the beam hit this spot in space-- like it bent the light," Richie told them, ducking under a branch. Mulder followed him, asked "And then what happened?" "Well, Sir, I yelled, 'Gary!' And I looked... but he wasn't there, ya know? He wasn't anywhere, man, and then the flashlight got really hot and I dropped it. It's right around here somewhere," Richie told him as he looked around on the ground. Scully watched the two men search for a minute, still upset over last nights events. Sighing, she wandered away and headed to a slight part in the dense trees. She stepped into the clearing, glancing around, when something grabbed her. She was lifted up, up; up of the ground, as an eerie, low pitched vibration filled her ears. Her eyes widened, and she tried to scream, but no sound came out. MULDEEEEEEEEEEEER! And then her body began to shake, faster and faster, impossibly fast, to the humming. And all went black. Richie suddenly sat up and waved towards Mulder. "Oh, hey, here it is." Mulder headed over, picked up and inspected the scorched flashlight. "Hey, Scu-" He glanced around, realizing that she was not beside him. "Scully?" Mulder headed towards the clearing, his pace quickened with Richie following close behind. Frantically, he looked around for his partner. "Scully?" he called, as he entered the clearing. Spotting her collapsed on the ground, he went over, repeating her name. He gently picked her up, supporting her against his leg. Scully moaned and turned her head. "Mu... Mulder?" she asked, trying to focus on his face. "Yes, It's me... You want some water?" he asked gently. "What happened to her?" Richie asked, peering over the concerned Mulder's shoulder. "Can you just get her some water?" he replied, not letting go of Scully. Richie nodded, turned and left. "I just... I just... I just hit the ground," she whispered as she tried to sit up. "Here, lie still," he said quietly, pushing her back down. Scully swallowed hard, fighting back tears. "Why is this happening to me?" "It's okay. It's okay," he replied, stroking her hair. Her anger soon took over the sorrow. "What the *hell's* going on, Mulder?" she demanded. "I don't know. But these aren't just random abductions, Scully. We've got to warn Billy Miles of that," he replied, shaking his head. Scully paused, trying to collect herself. Voice shaking, she finally spoke. "Warn him of what?" Mulder sighed, smoothing her hair back. "These abductees aren't just systematically being taken. They're not coming back." Two Days Later Mulder tossed a basketball up in the air, catching it, and then repeating the motions. He glanced around the office. You've really done it this time, Mulder. He was jerked out of his thoughts by a door being shut. Mulder glanced up and saw Skinner standing in the office. "Agent Mulder." Mulder spun around in the chair, facing him fully. "What's our punishment this time? Thumbscrews or 40 lashes? Come on in, Walter. Sit a spell. This could be the last time you take a trip down to these offices." Setting the ball on the desk, he turned his attention to the man. Skinner looked at him. "You went to Oregon." Mulder threw his hands in the air. "Guilty as charged. And if they're coming down on you for that, then I'm sorry. I truly am." "Fortunately, they think that I make a contribution to the Bureau," Skinner replied, arms crossed. Mulder laughed bitterly. "Oh well yeah, stick to a budget they say your making a contribution, but push the limits of your profession, and they say you're out of control." Skinner shook his head, exasperated. "You could bring home a flying saucer and have an alien shake hands with the President, what it comes down to Agent Mulder is: they don't like you." It took all of his strength not to glare at the man. "Well, we didn't bring home a flying saucer or an alien." "Yeah, so I've been told," he replied. Mulder nodded dejectedly. Skinner went back to the door, waving at somebody. Krycek and Covarrubias entered. Mulder glared at Krycek, pausing for only a second before lunging at him. Skinner grabbed Mulder's arms forcefully and held him back. "Agent Mulder! I think you should listen to him." Mulder backed down slightly, as Skinner let his arms go. "You've got every reason to want to see me dead," Krycek told Mulder. Mulder tried again to attack Krycek, but Skinner grabbed his arms. Krycek continued, "But you've got to listen to me now. You have one, singular opportunity." Mulder glared at Krycek. "Here? Or you want to step outside?" He spat. "Agent Mulder," Covarrubias interrupted, "CancerMan is dying." Mulder glanced at Skinner. Skinner just turned and left. "His last wish is to rebuild his Project, to have us revive the Conspiracy. It all begins in Oregon," Covarrubias continued. Krycek spoke up. "The ship that collided with that Navy plane. It's in those woods." "There's no ship in those woods," Mulder replied dryly. Krycek shook his head. "Yeah, it's there. Cloaked in an energy field. Great, mops up the evidence." "Who?" Mulder asked. "The Alien Bounty Hunter. Billy Miles. Teresa Hoese, her husband." Krycek listed the names. "He's eliminating proof of all the tests. We're asking ourselves," Krycek paused, running his hand through his hair. "We're asking ourselves, 'Where are they?' They're right there. They're right under our noses. I'm giving you the chance to change that, to hold the proof." Mulder glanced suspiciously at Krycek. "Why me? And why now?" "I want to damn the soul of that Cigarette Smoking Son-of-a-Bitch," Krycek growled. All three people looked at the door, as it swung open. "Mulder?" Scully asked, looking from him, to Krycek, to Covarrubias and back again. Scully crossed her arms protectively around her stomach, looking around at the group gathered in Skinner's conference office, and at the mess that covered it. Scattered around were papers, files and Chinese take-out containers. I can't believe these people - Mulder and I, Skinner, The guys, and THEM She glanced at Krycek and Covarrubias. "What's amazing," Frohike started to say, "is that even the military satellites don't see it." "But J.P.L.'S Topex Poseidon shows it only as waveform data." "And here it appears simply as a microburst of transmission error on the European Space Agency's ERS-2." Langley replied. Skinner glanced back and forth between the two. "In other words?" Frohike shrugged. "In other words, you'd never know it's a UFO." "If you didn't know what you were looking at," Byers continued, "or looking for." "No wonder we couldn't see them," Langley mused. "Listen, it is not going to be there forever," Krycek interrupted, glancing to Covarrubias. "As we all stand here talking, it's rebuilding itself," she informed them. Scully pursed her lips, turned, and headed out the door. She began to pace the hall. I can't take this... If it's true... Mulder's voice broke her thoughts. "Scully?" "Mulder, if any of this is true..." she began, sighing. Mulder cut her off. "If it is, or if it isn't I want you to forget about it, Scully." She was taken aback, she stared at him in disbelief. "Forget about it?" "You're not going back out there. I'm not going to let you go back out there," he stated firmly. "What are you talking about?" she demanded, slightly irritated. If this has ANYTHING to do with that night... "It has to end sometime. That time is now," he replied. She glared at him, and then sighed. "Mulder..." "Scully, you have to understand that they're taking abductees. You're an abductee. I'm not going to risk..." he cut her off again, then paused, glancing sadly at her. His voice broke slightly as he spoke the next two words, his heart dieing, over the thought of having lost her love, but now losing her friendship. "...losing you." Scully slowly walked towards him and embraced him. "I won't let you go alone," she whispered as she unclasped her necklace. "I won't let you go." 24 Hours Later Skinner slowed the car to a stop. He exited, popping the trunk, as Mulder followed. "This is starting to feel like the snipe hunt I was afraid of," he muttered. Mulder pulled a backpack out of the car and headed out to the woods. "There's no such thing as a snipe, sir," he called over his shoulder. Skinner ran to catch up with Mulder, stopping him before he entered. "Hey, you know, my ass is on the line here, too, Agent Mulder." "I know that," he replied, heading into the woods. Skinner glanced around, and then followed. Scully reached for another file, and shifted through it. Her eyes suddenly widened with concern. "This just can't be." Frohike came up behind her. "What are you looking at?" "Medical records... of Billy Miles, and other known abductees in Bellefleur, Oregon. They all experienced anomalous brain activity," she replied. "Electro-encephalitic trauma." Byers put in. Scully nodded. "Which is exactly what Mulder experienced earlier this year." Langley frowned. "I... I don't understand." "There was something out there in that field." She explained slowly. "It knocked me back, because it didn't want me. Mulder thinks that it was me that was in danger of being taken." "When it's Mulder who's in danger." Frohike finished. Scully blinked twice, a wave of nausea overcoming her. "Scully?" Langley asked, peering at her. She collapsed, Frohike quickly caught her, laying her carefully on the ground. "Scully!" Byers cried, rushing over. "Whoa! You okay?" Frohike asked, concerned. "Oh, gee." Langley muttered, checking her forehead for a temperature. "How's it supposed to work?" Skinner asked, glancing at Mulder. "Not exactly sure, sir," Mulder replied, checking a readout on the device. "But, uh..." Cracking a grin, he continued. "Budgetarily, I'd say we're looking pretty good.' Skinner nodded as he began to set up a laser. Mulder watched him for a minute, and then stood, heading for the spot where he had found Scully earlier, recalling the conversation. I was just, on the ground... The ship's hidden by a force field... He walked into the clearing, following the laser beams. He frowned. The lasers all ended in red dots against something invisible. Walking over, Mulder cautiously stuck his hand in. It began shaking very fast, to the low-pitched vibration. "Agent Mulder?!" Skinner cried, looking for him. No sign of him in the clearing, or anywhere nearby. "Mulder!" Skinner whirled around, searching for him. Inside the force field, Mulder was standing inside a pool of very white light. He glanced from side to side, seeing the Oregon abductees, Ray Hoese, Teresa Hoese, Billy Miles, Det. Miles, and many more. Mulder hesitated before he stepped into the circle of white light. He looked up, up, up; gently he fingered the cross his partner had given him. Mulder suddenly glanced to the side, hearing a twig snap. The Bounty Hunter smiled a shit-eating grin at Mulder, stepping into the light. There was a bright flash of light, and all Skinner could see was the retreating form of a triangular shaped spaceship. "Mulder," he whispered, his voice a mixture of awe and anguish. He turned, slowly heading back to the car. Frohike rushed into the hospital, following the stretcher they were wheeling Scully on. "She just, FAINTED," he said, breathless, as Byers followed behind him. "Alright, we'll run some tests on her." The doctor nodded taking her into a room, and slamming the doors on Frohike and Byers. "All we can do is wait." Byers said, taking a seat and loosening his tie. 24 Hours Later "Mr. Frohike?" The doctor asked, stepping outside. "Yes? How is she?" He answered, standing up. "We're waiting for the final lab results," he replied. Frohike breathed out. "Can I see her?" "Sure." The doctor opened the door, letting Frohike in. "Hey Scully. How ya feeling?" he asked, walking up to the bed. "I'm fine," she replied, not peeling her eyes away from the window. "Good to hear, Scully," he paused, collecting his thoughts. "I... I have some bad news, Dana," he said carefully. She turned her head to look at him for the first time since he'd entered. Her eyes were bloodshot, lips dry. "It's Mulder, isn't it?" Scully asked hoarsely, already knowing the answer. Frohike sighed. "He's gone, Dana," he finished. "I'm so sorry, we all are-" Scully nodded slowly, comprehending this information. "If there's anything-" She shook her head. "I'd like to be alone right now." "Are you sure that's the-" He began, but Scully cut him off. "I'm sure." Frohike turned, and wordlessly left the room. Scully blinked, finally letting herself cry, she placed her head in her hands. "Miss Scully?" The doctor asked, entering her room. Scully sat up, wiping her face in a feeble attempt to dry her tears. "Yes?" she asked, her voice cracked slightly. "I have some good news for you." He smiled at her. "It turns out... You're pregnant." Scully's eyes widened, as she glanced at the doctor. "No," she replied in a whisper, "That can't be true. I..." She bit her lip, glancing at the man. "The tests don't lie, Miss Scully. We're running additional blood work on you, but we're positive you're pregnant." A beeping sound filled the room. The doctor glanced at his pager. "I'm needed in the ER," he tapped the beeper. "I'll be back." He jogged out of the room, and the doors swung shut behind him. For the first time, Scully felt truly, alone. "Pregnant..." she whispered. "But how?" And then she did something she hadn't done in a long time. She laughed. 12 Hours Later Skinner walked down the hospital halls, slowly making his way to Scully's room. He entered, letting the doors sway shut. "Agent Scully." "Hi," she replied pensively. "Hi. How you feeling?" he asked, pushing his hands into the pockets of his trench coat. "I'm feeling fine," she answered, then continued, "They're just running some tests on me." Skinner paused, breathing in How the hell do I tell her? He wondered. "Well... um..." His face twisted into pain. I can't... I can't say it.. Scully bit her lip, trying not to cry. "I already heard." "I lost him. I don't know what else I can say." Skinner said suddenly, voice breaking. "I lost him. I'll be asked... what I saw. And what I saw, I can't deny. I won't." A tear slipped down Scully's face, followed by another. "We will find him." She wiped at the tears trickling down her rosy cheeks. "I have to." Skinner nodded, turning to leave the room. "Sir?" She blurted out. He stopped, turning back around. "Um... there's something else I need to tell you. Something that I need for you to keep to yourself." She continued. She paused, looking like she was going to laugh - or cry. He glanced questionly at her. "I'm having a hard time explaining it. Or believing it. But, um..." Scully paused, inwardly smiling, yet at the same time, feeling so much pain. "I'm pregnant," she finished, trying to smile, but in the end, it came out a mixture of a laugh, and a weak sob. All he could do was stare at her, speechless. 3 Days Later Scully stepped into her apartment, clicking the door shut behind her. Skinner had picked her up from the hospital, and taken her home after the tests were complete. She flipped on a light, making her way over to the phone, hitting the play button on the machine. "Hi, Dana, It's Mom, I'm just calling to see if you're around for lunch on Sunday, Call me later this week, Okay? Love you sweetie. Bye." She sighed, hitting erase. The next message began to play, as a voice filled her apartment - overtop of Frohike's. "You're taking this pretty well." Scully whirled around, spotting Krycek sitting on her sofa. She fumbled for her gun, pulling it out, and aimed it towards his figure. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly. Krycek just grinned. "So, Dana, Who's the lucky father?" He snarled. "Or is it a bastard?" Scully stood there; angrily she glared at him. He gave her a shit-eating look and continued, standing up. "Is it Mulder? We all know lover boy has the need for a little panty action now and then, If you get my drift," he paused, fingering her FBI badge on the coffee table. :"Or is it Skinner? God knows he *loves* that paperwork" Krycek snorted. "Or maybe it's the Smoking man... Thanks to Viagra, Dirty old men can get it up and on with pretty little feds." Krycek sneered at her, and he stepped closer. His breath smelt faintly of alcohol, as he sang softly, to the tune of a haunting nursery rhyme. "Maybe not one, maybe not two, but have you ever wondered what three did to you?" Scully tried not to squirm, growing more uncomfortable by his close proximity, and his tauntings every second. He continued in a low voice. "Can't cry for Mulder, Can't say a word, You're gonna be laid while drugged so you won't be heard" Scully shivered, reaching for the gun she hadn't realized she'd dropped. Pale fingertips grazed dark metal, warm met cool, and something inside of her snapped. She whirled Krycek around, slamming him into the wall. Shoving her gun into his face, she hissed. "What do you know?" He glared at her from over the barrel of the gun. "I know nothing." Scully slammed him back into he wall. "I don't think that's the truth." Krycek literally squirmed. "There were papers." "What papers?" she asked through clenched teeth, tightening her grip on her collar. "Where the HELL are they?" "Spender..." Krycek wheezed, his face turning slightly purple from the loss of air. "Spender had them." "And where is he?" "Dead," he replied, breathing in as Scully released him slightly. "I can take you to someone who knows." "Do it." She growled, thrusting him out the door towards the parking lot, and her car. "Agent Scully." Covarrubias said, glancing at her. "Alex. What brings you two here?" Krycek just shook his head, as Scully shoved him further into the room. He tumbled into a chair, glaring up at the petite redhead. Damn, She's got a temper. He thought, watching the scene unfold before him. "Don't fuck with me Marita." She growled. Covarrubias glared coolly at her, staring her down. "My dear," she replied slowly, eyeing the agent. In the safety of her own fortress, she was no longer the silent, scared informant Mulder knew. "I wouldn't fuck you if you paid me." She eyed Scully's outfit. "And even then, that's what it looks like *you're* doing nowadays for extra money." Marita turned away, fingering the pyramid shaped paperweight on her desk. "I heard the FBI's been... falling apart lately." She stuck out her lower lip slightly, blowing a strand of her peroxide blond hair out of her face. Scully glared at her, taking the safety off her gun. "Go for it." Marita breathed, leaning foreward. "You'll just get yourself in even deeper shit then you're already in. On top of everything else," she hissed, eyes flickering, "Do you *really* want a criminal record, Agent Scully?" Covarrubias tsked. "You really should learn better. You don't kill your enemy with your own *gun*." She stepped forward, holding out her hand. "Give me the gun, and then we'll talk." Fuck, Scully thought. She's right. I won't shoot her. "No," she replied in a low voice. "I'll put it away," she carefully slid it into her holster, "But I won't hand it to you." "Agreed." Krycek spoke up from the chair, standing and moving next to Marita. "Now, what..." Covarrubias began, speaking in rhythm, "Brings you... here?" "You have papers," Scully replied, keeping one hand on her gun. "Papers about that disk I got from the smoking man three months ago. Papers about *me*, files that contain the truth I need to know." Marita grinned at her. "Cats got the mouse." Scully glared at her again, as the blonde continued. "I don't have them. All of them, anyways." She paused, glancing at Krycek. "Then what do you have?" Scully demanded. "Files about all the abductees. Come with me." She replied, leaving the room. Scully followed her uncertainly, Krycek bringing up the rear. "In the car." Marita ordered, sliding into the passenger seat. "Where are we going?" Scully asked, wary of trusting them. "The Pentagon." Krycek replied, stepping into the back. After a moment's hesitation, Scully climbed into the passenger seat, slamming the door shut tightly. Her ride had begun. Marita strode down the rows of files, Krycek behind her, dragging Scully. They slowed in aisle 5a; And Marita headed for the drawer marked "Scully, Dana Katharine" Scully breathed in sharply. "A whole file... On *me*?" she asked, stepping towards it. Krycek grabbed her arm. "Not so fast." She glanced at Marita, then back at Krycek. Covarrubias grinned slyly, pulling out a stack of files. She held them in front of her, neither offering nor keeping them from Scully. "A trade," she said slowly, circling around the both of them. Scully's eyes narrowed. "What type of trade?" she asked carefully. "Eight of your ova every five years, in return for these files." Scully's face paled. "I'm barren," she managed to choke out, eyes wide. "Aren't I?" "No," Marita replied. "It's all in here. Everything that's happened to you is explained." "But... how?" Scully asked, her eyes filling with tears. "Why?" Marita leaned in close, putting her flawless face directly in front of Scully's own. "My dear... You ARE the holy grail," she whispered, handing her the files. Scully sat in her apartment, staring at the white wall in front of her. The wall may be white, but her mind was a million miles away, spiraling, bursting with color. The smoking man had done this to her, those months ago. The documents proved it. They were logs, of everything that had been done to her, starting years even, before her abduction. They'd watched her. Tracked her, tricked her, and assigned her to Mulder. Her abduction had been perpetrated by the smoking man and Krycek, to get her away from Mulder, as well as to experimented on. Her Antarctic experience, the same. That was to keep her from Mulder, to "Take away that which he can't live without," as was scrawled across the page in lopsided handwriting. Scully glanced down at the page, reading the next bit of information over again. That trip she'd taken with the smoking man... The disk she had gained contained the data for the Holy Grail. It was destroyed. There had been one chip left, one to save any person in this world from any incurable disease, to save them from everything. And she had it. The smoking man had, as she feared, drugged her. But he hadn't taken advantage of her, he hadn't violated her in any way - he'd cured her. Scully gingerly reached up, touching the scar on the back of her neck from the first implant. The skin around it felt no different than before, but she smiled slightly, knowing it was in her. She feared it at the same time. Scully sighed. She would be hunted for this that had been proven with the bargain she'd made. Smiling wistfully, she rubbed her stomach gently. She was pregnant. And there was now no doubt in her mind whom the father was. He smile fell slightly as she spoke his name. "Mulder..." Three hundred thousand miles away, up, up, up in the sky; a man awoke, screaming out an incomprehensible word to the greys he was with. "SCCHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUULEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEE!" ~*§tÅ®Ðü§t*~ One Year Later A solid figure staggered down the darkened ally, trying not to trip over the scattered debris. He moved his way down the space, stepping out into the flood of the lamplight. He wasn't quite sure where he was going, but he had a solid instinct that told him, if he found this "Scully," whatever - or whoever it was, he would remember. He didn't know why, but he just... knew. Eventually the man approached an apartment complex, and headed in. The landlord took no interest to the roughed up, bearded man who entered. He mused, heading upstairs. He walked down the corridor, and fumbled in his pocket for the key ring he knew would be there. His shaky white hands grasping it, he tried key by key until one fit. The man twisted the knob, pushing the door open cautiously. He stepped into the darkness, the only light peeking in through the shades on a lone window. Quietly shutting the door, he entered. "I knew you'd come," a female voice piped up. The man whirled around. "Who are you?" he asked, voice cracking. "You don't even remember me, Mulder?" she asked, mock hurt filling the air. He thought. "No," The voice replied, dripping with sarcasm. "You name is Sally." The voice stepped into the stream of light, revealing a petite blonde, strong in stance. She rolled her eyes, pursing her lips. "Yes, It's your name." Mulder glanced at her, trying to place her in his shattered bits of memory. She wasn't HER, that was for sure. He didn't even know what SHE looked like, but it was evident in his heart, searing through his soul, that the women he sought was not here. "I'll take you to her," she offered, extending her hand. Mulder stood there, mesmerized, and finally took her hand, allowing her to lead him out the door. "Who's the good girl? Where is she?" Scully cooed, bouncing a beautiful auburn haired baby on her lap. "There she is," she whispered, grinning at her child. "There she is." She kissed the girl on the tip of her nose, as her mother entered. "Dana," she started slowly, reaching for the girl. "Miss Covarrubias is here to see you." Scully glanced at her watch, and then nodded, standing. "Here, Mom, Take Angela." She carefully handed her daughter to Maggie, standing and straightening her jeans. "What can I do for you, Marita?" she asked, heading for the door. Covarrubias smiled at her. "Hello, Dana," she said, taking her hand. She squeezed it, then withdrew, motioning for Scully to follow her outside. "There's someone here to see you," she told Scully carefully, not knowing what her reaction would be. Scully stepped outside, glancing around. "They couldn't have just come to the door?" she asked dryly, heading down the dusty road, and towards the end of the driveway. Marita followed her, tucking a loose strand of her hair back into her bun. "So who is it?" she asked, turning around to face Marita, hands on her hips. She pushed at the sleeves of her plaid shirt, shielding the sun from her eyes a moment later. One of the horses whinnied in the distance, and she glanced towards the field. She heard footsteps behind her, and on instinct, tried to turn, but couldn't. Two strong hands turned her body for her. She found herself peering into a face she never thought she'd see again. Blinking twice, she reached up, tracing the lines of his face, running her fingers along his chin, right over the cut he'd gotten years ago shaving. "Is it really you?" she asked, a tear dripping down her cheek. "Sc- Scully?" Mulder chocked out, looking at her questionly. She nodded slowly, as he pushed her now shoulder length her hair back. "It's me, Mulder. It's me," she whispered. He swallowed hard, looking into her eyes. He leaned in, carefully brushing his lips against her own. And then they came. Memories came rushing at him like a typhoon, as he pressed his lips against hers, crushing her with his own. His childhood, Samantha being abducted, his teenage years, Phoebe Green, the FBI, their first meeting, her abduction, finding his "sister," her cancer, her cure... His own near death, Her being *taken* from him again, the rescue, the death of the syndicate... It all came flooding back. She pulled away from him, leaving him licking her salty taste off his lips. "Scully, I..." She put a finger to his lips. "You have a daughter. Her name is Angela Joanna Scully, Or 'Jo' as we call her." Scully swallowed. "She was born December twenty third, weighing seven point six pounds. She's got your eyes, Mulder, there's no doubt about that." She grinned at him. "Do you want to see her?" Mulder nodded slowly, dazedly following her to the house. He stepped inside, feeling Maggie's gaze follow him around the room. Scully reappeared, holding Jo. She passed her to Mulder, watching carefully as he took in her tiny body. "But... How?" he asked, looking at her, tears filling his eyes. "You're..." She shook her head, her body language warm and inviting, but her eyes cool. "Not anymore. Not since almost a year and a half ago, Mulder." He nodded slowly, glancing from her, then to Maggie. Maggie glanced at her watch, wringing her hands, before turning and leaving. Scully patted the couch next to her, and Mulder sat. "Mulder... there's something... else, I need to tell you." He glanced at her, as Jo gently clasped his finger. "I've met someone, Mulder... Someone who I love very, very much." She looked up at him, as he froze, listening to her. Jo seemed to sense something was wrong, as she also froze, not moving, crying, just sitting still in Mulder's arms. "This is my home now, with my mother, with him and Jo. I've got a new life, Mulder, one that you're not a part of." He nodded slowly, passing his daughter back to Scully. Mulder stood, heading for the door. "Mulder, wait!" she cried. He didn't turn, just kept walking. She passed Jo to Maggie, who had reappeared, and dashed after him. She grabbed his arm, whirling him around. "There will ALWAYS be a place for you in my heart, Mulder." Her eyes flashed. "Just not in the way you want me to keep you." He looked at her, beginning to speak. "We could've been... Stardust, Scully." She shook her head. "No, Mulder. That's all we are. Dust." He closed his eyes, turned, and walked. Out of her life, out of her soul, forever. She watched his retreating form, then turned, looking towards the Ranch, towards the pasture where the horses lay, towards the forest where the wolves roamed, and up, up, up at the setting sun, where she could just see the beginning twinkle of the stars. Two of them lay there, twinkling against the dark blue sky, almost as if a silvery string connected them. If you looked carefully, beyond the two bright stars, there was one more, a smaller on, smiling down at them. Smiling down at all of us. finis ~*§tÅ®Ðü§t*~
~*Quinn Hegal*~ qhegal@hotmail.com http://www.geocities.com/qhegal
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