Title: Stalker Summary: Scully is stalked by a person from the past who isn't what he seems and tries to get Mulder in on the act. "Mulder, you can be such a typical male sometimes, you know?" Scully repeated for what seemed like the millionth time that night. "I mean really, after driving for two hours longer than we should have, shouldn't you have figured something was wrong? Not to mention the fact that there doesn't seem to be any civilization around for miles, when we should be in the middle of Washington D.C." "Do you want to drive?" Mulder asked, his tone harsher than he had meant. He was answered with silence. They were going home after a long, gruelling case. There had been ten gruesome murders and Scully had almost been number eleven. They were both on edge about the closeness of the situation. To make things worse, a storm had started just after they left New York and had made driving hell. The rain was coming down in sheets and Mulder could barely see twenty feet in front of him. Scully had fallen asleep, *Probably the first time in a few days thought Mulder, even though his partner denied that she was uneasy. Shortly afterwards, Mulder had accidentally landed out on the wrong road and was totally lost. When Scully awoke and found out she had lost it. That was half-an-hour ago. Mulder had started to speed up the car during their argument and was desperately fighting to keep the car on the road. Scully had yelled at him for that too. When he started to calm down, his foot eased off the gas, but not soon enough. Lightning hit a huge tree just at the side of the road a few feet in front of them. The tree spilt in half and part of it fell across the road. "MULDER!" Scully screamed as he slammed the brakes and swerved to avoid the obstacle. The front tires hit a large section of mud on the shoulder and lost traction. Mulder tried to steady the car but lost the fight when he was thrown against the driver's side window and blacked out as the car flipped over into a ditch. Scully had smashed her head against the dashboard in front of her and joined Mulder in a journey into blackness. Mulder awoke to the sound of thunder crashing above him. He slowly opened his eyes to find himself leaning against Scully. He gently pushed her upright and inspected himself for any damage. Except for a wicked headache, and some stiff joints, amazingly he was okay. The car, on the other hand, was a disaster. He decided to worry about that later and concentrate on his partner next to him. He undid his seat belt and manoeuvred around to get a better look at Scully. He undid her seat belt and gently tried to wake her. "Scully? Scully can you hear me?" Mulder gently shook her and was rewarded. Scully's eyelids fluttered open. "Mulder? What happened?" "We were in a car crash. Remember?" Scully slowly nodded and turned to face her partner. "You okay?" "Yeah. Few stiff joints but nothing major. You?" "Let me get back to you on that one. How long have we been out?" Mulder checked his watch. "Only an hour." Scully inhaled deeply and stopped mid-breath. "Mulder, do you smell that?" Mulder inhaled and nodded. "Gas. We'd better get out before something sparks that and blows up." Scully nodded and tried to open her door. "Mulder, my door is jammed. What about yours?" He tried his door but found it jammed also. "Scully, squeeze up against your door." she complied and Mulder repositioned himself, ending up with his feet against his door and his back facing Scully. He kicked the door twice with both feet and felt the door budge. A bolt of lightning that flashed behind the car caught his attention. The electricity had been enough to light the gas that was leaking from the car. Some grass about ten feet away lit and the flame was snaking it's way towards them. Mulder turned his attention back to the door. After three more strong kicks the door opened. Mulder scrambled out and pulled out Scully. "RUN!" Mulder yelled as he and Scully ran away from the car. Mulder dove on top of Scully and tried to protect her as the car exploded into a fireball. "You okay?" he asked as he picked himself then his partner from the muddy ground. "Yes. Just next time, can I be on top?" she smiled and he laughed. "Well, what now? I don't remember seeing any houses along the way. You?" Before Mulder could answer, almost as if on cue, a bolt of lightning flashed about two-hundred feet away and lit up the sky long enough for the weary agents to see a house. "Well, there's your answer. After you madam," and he bowed down. Scully started walking and Mulder followed. By the time they reached the front door of the house, they were soaked through to the bone. Mulder knocked on the door but didn't receive an answer. He tried the handle and found the door unlocked. Instinctively, the agents pulled out their guns and cautiously entered the house. "Hello? Is anyone home? We're FBI Agents." Scully called, but received no response. Mulder nodded in the direction of a room off to the right, while Scully nodded towards the stairs in front of them. Mulder went tot the right and entered the room, following his outstretched arms which held his firearm. He could hear Scully's footfalls on the staircase behind him. He slowly glanced around the room but couldn't see much in the dark. One of his hands left his weapon and reached inside his suit pocket. There he found the small pen-like flashlight he usually kept there. He flicked it on and a small ray of light cut through the darkness. The room was very neat and tidy, but sparsely furnished. A single couch was against the wall under the large window on the front of the house. A wooden coffee table sat in front of the couch, completely empty. The room was empty besides these two pieces of furniture. Mulder made his way to what seemed like the kitchen. There were two appliances, a fridge and a single ring burner on the counter. A door lead to the backyard, but was locked. The fridge contained only a case of beer, part of a loaf of bread and some butter. Only one of the cupboards contained anything, and that was some glasses, plates and cutlery. Convinced that nothing was there, Mulder went to the final room at the front of the house. This room was completely empty. Mulder slowly lowered his gun when he heard a "thump" come from upstairs. He ran to the base of the stairs and called his partner. When he didn't get a response, he ran up the stairs. "Scully? Where are you?" He was about to check the first room on his left when he saw a familiar red-head slowly back out of a room at the end of the hall. "Scully, there you are. What was that noise?" Even though she was only a few feet away, she didn't react. Mulder walked up and lightly touched her shoulder. At his touch Scully jumped and turned to face him. Mulder gasped at her appearance. She was white as a sheet and was starting to tremble. "Scully what is it? What happened?" He could see her trying to speak, but nothing came. Finally she looked in the direction of the room she had just been in. Mulder walked into the room and nearly tripped over her flashlight. Mulder stood up and turned the beam in the direction of the back wall, and was taken aback. The entire wall of the room had pictures of Scully, his partner, from the time in New York. There were pictures of her during the investigation and pictures of her in the warehouse, before Mulder had been able to find her. The words "DIE" written in what looked like blood were all over the pictures and the walls. "Oh my god," was all Mulder could say. He looked back to where Scully had been standing. _Had_. He rushed out of the room and heard the front door open. HE ran down the stairs and found his partner running away from the house. Luckily his legs were longer and he caught up with her and almost had to tackle her to stop her from running further. She was trembling violently now and crying. Mulder pulled her close to him and there they stood out in the pouring rain. Scully awoke to the sounds of a hospital. She opened her eyes and squinted against the sunlight coming through the blinds. Suddenly a large figure stood in front of her and closed the blinds. The figure turned around and Scully saw her partner. He looked a little worse for wear, but it was Mulder. "How are you feeling?" Mulder asked as he pulled a chair closer to her bed and sat down. "Better than you look." Mulder smiled sheepishly and rubbed his chin where a days growth had appeared. "Do you remember last night?" "Yeah. The car crash, the explosion and the pictures. You really know how to show a girl a good time," she smiled. Mulder know it was for his sake, and smiled back. "Mulder, who lives there? How did they get a hold of those pictures?" Mulder shook his head, "We don't know yet. The building belonged to an Edgar Voight, but he died two years ago and left the property to the city of Washington D.C. where he had worked most of his life. The city auctioned off the property to a construction company which was going to use the land for a hotel. The company went bankrupt a year ago and the city regained control of the land. Nobody from either the city or the construction company has been to the house in over a year. There has been a team watching the house since we got picked up early this morning, but no one's showed up yet." "By the way, how did I end up here?" "After I caught up to you outside, you cried for a good hour, then suddenly passed out. The doctors think it was a combination of shock, the bump on your head from the accident and the fact that you were soaked. Anyway, I carried you back into the house and made my way to another house, about a half-an-hours walk away where I called for backup and an ambulance." Mulder sneezed and grabbed a handful of tissues from his pocket. "Mulder, you got drenched too. I order you to go home and get some rest. Shaving would be good too." "Oh no. I am not leaving this hospital without you." "Good." "You can't protest either. Skinner has placed you under my protective custody. So, whether...what?" "Good. I admit it Mulder, I'm scared. What I saw last night was not normal. However, you still need to go home and rest." Mulder, for one of the first times that Scully could remember, was at a loss for words. She had agreed. Something that he was not expecting. Just then the doctor walked in. "How are you feeling Agent Scully?" "Fine." "Agent Mulder, would you mind waiting in the hall for a few moments?" Mulder nodded, "I'll just be outside, okay?" Scully smiled and Mulder left the room. When he entered the hall, Skinner was waiting for him. "Well, well, Is this a social call or a business call?" asked Mulder, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He was still ticked off that Skinner _hadn't_ put Scully under protective custody. Mulder hated lying to his partner, his friend, but he wasn't going to risk her safety because the Bureau didn't have enough proof. He had already let that happen one too many times. Mulder recalled their discussion over the phone earlier that morning. "What do you mean 'no'? Haven't you seen the pictures yet? We're dealing with a real psycho!" "Agent Mulder, I have seen the photographs, but there isn't any proof. No written, verbal or physical threats." "What about psychological? In case I need to remind you Department Head Skinner, my partner, a trained FBI agent, is lying in a hospital bed because of shock! She is a strong person Skinner, and you and I both know that for her to be in this condition, there is something seriously wrong! She has just returned to duty after 'mysteriously' disappearing for 3 months, and she comes back to face one psycho in New York who almost kills her and now another one, close to D.C.! I think she's gone through enough! Now, if you'll excuse me, I've just assigned MYSELF as her personal bodyguard until this creep is caught! Good-bye!" Mulder had slammed down the phone. Had he seen Skinner, he would have seen the slight grin on his face. Mulder figured that his career was over, again, especially when he found Skinner waiting for him in the hall. "Listen Agent Mulder, before you say anything that you might regret. I'm here to tell you that Agent Scully does need protection." Skinner handed him a letter, "Somebody slid it under the door today while we were searching her apartment." It was made from newspaper clippings and read; Time's running out Red. Say good-bye! The Grim Reaper Mulder looked up to see his superior walking away. Mulder folded the letter and shoved it in his pocket as the doctor left Scully's room. "So doctor, what's the prognosis?" "She's fine. Physically that is. I can tell you're a special friend Agent Mulder. I knew that the first time I saw you two months ago when Agent Scully was brought in. Then, you didn't think you could help, now's a chance to make up for that. She'll need someone to talk to. Listen." Mulder nodded and the doctor walked away. Scully appeared in the doorway to her room, dressed and ready to go. Mulder picked up her overnight case, which one of her neighbours had dropped off this morning, and they made their way to a car. This was another new one which the FBI had grudgingly handed over to Mulder and threatened to take his badge if this one ended up a fireball. The first stop was Mulder's apartment where he showered, shaved and picked up some clothes and other stuff and 'packed' them in a duffel bag. The finally made it to Scully's place after doing a bit of grocery shopping when she realized that her fridge was empty. Scully went directly to her bathroom to take a shower while Mulder unpacked the groceries and started making them both some tea. The water boiled just as the water in the shower turned off. Perfect timing, Mulder thought to himself. He made the two cups of tea and walked into the sitting room and flopped down onto the couch. "Mulder? I could really go for a cup of tea," Scully shouted from her bedroom. "I'm way ahead of you," he shouted back. Scully stuck a towelled head out the doorway to her room. Mulder picked up the mug of tea and handed it to her. She took a relaxing sip, and smiled. "You must be psychic partner." "Yet," and he walked back to the couch and grabbed the remote from the coffee table and turned on the television. He flipped through a few channels and finally settled on a classic science fiction movie, 'The Blob'. He continued to sip his tea and was just getting into the movie when he realized that Scully was taking a long time. Maybe she fell asleep. Probably what I should do. He got off the couch and went to the door to Scully's room. He knocked lightly and called her name. "Scully? You awake?" When he didn't get an answer he pushed the door slightly and peered in. He found her sitting on the floor surrounded by pictures. "What are those Scully?" He walked over to where she was sitting and looked down. He did a double-take and rubbed his eyes to make sure he was seeing them properly. He knelt down beside his partner and finally got a look at her face. She looked the same as she did last night. "Mulder," she finally managed to whisper, "he's been here! In my things! I found one picture in each drawer of my dresser." Mulder knew that the FBI had been there this morning and had gone over everything carefully. He had received a call from Skinner while they were at the market saying that the team was leaving. The time between the phone call and the time they had gotten to Scully's place was only ten minutes. This guy was close, too close. "We can stay at my place if you like." Mulder knew that Scully would never have suggested it. It was just unprofessional to be this scared, and she hated unprofessionalism, especially in herself. Mulder held his breath waiting for an answer. All he got was a nod from the woman sitting next to him. Scully picked up her overnight bag from the bed where it still remained packed. Mulder carefully picked up the photos and placed them in a plastic bag. Mulder got up the next morning from the couch where he had spent the night. He had managed to convince his partner to take the bed which he hadn't used in months. She thanked him and they had sat up most of the night just talking and drinking tea. Finally, at around one in the morning, he told her to get some sleep. She complied, but during the night, when he wasn't screaming because of his nightmares, he had heard her crying. He had gotten off the couch a couple of times, wanting to go in and console her, but something always kept him back. He looked at the clock on top of the T.V. and it read 7:00. Great, he thought, time to get up. He got off the couch and stretched. Something tugged at the back of his mind which had been there all night. It had to do with the letter Skinner had handed him at the hospital. With a sudden realization of what it was, he snapped his fingers. He called up Agent Ronalds at the Bureau. He was in charge of the debriefing of him and Scully after the closing of the case in New York. "Hello Ronalds? It's Mulder...Fine thanks. Listen, I need you to go through Agent Scully's debriefing. See if you can find out what David Taylor called her would you? Yeah, I'm going on a hunch...I'm at home...Ten minutes? Perfect...Yeah thanks. Bye." Mulder hung up the phone to find Scully standing in the doorway to his bedroom. "Red." "What?" "Taylor called me Red. Why? What are you up to Mulder? What aren't you telling me?" Mulder walked over to his overcoat and pulled out the note that Skinner had given him the day before. He unfolded it and handed it to Scully. "Where did this come from?" "Someone slid it under your door while some agents were searching your apartment yesterday." "Mulder, you don't think..." "That it's Taylor?" said Mulder, finishing Scully's thought. "Yes. Don't disagree so fast," he said as he held up his hand in response to Scully's open mouth. She closed it, and decided to see what her partner had to say. "I hate to bring this up, but remember Jack? He was taken over by an evil entity. B.J., the detective who had to finish the job of her grandfather. Obviously Taylor wasn't finished. He stalked you in New York and was killed before he could...anyway, he's still stalking you." "So what your saying is that Taylor won't rest until I'm dead?! You're more insane than he is...was!" Scully stormed back into Mulder's room and slammed the door so hard that Mulder thought the door would come off the hinges. He figured he should probably leave her alone. The phone rand and Mulder picked it up. "Mulder...Hi Ronalds...Red? Yeah got it...Thanks." _He_ had seen everything. Watching. Listening. Planning. Mulder was smart, but Scully didn't believe him. Good. _He_ had lost Red before, but _he_ wouldn't lose her again. Mulder suddenly felt a chill down his back, almost as if a cold wind had blown by him. He turned around to check the window, but it was closed. He shrugged and decided to take a shower. Mulder spent part of the day flicking through channels, but not really watching anything. Scully hadn't come out of his room yet and he was getting upset. He was about to get up and knock on the door when she came out. "Mulder, before you say anything, I want you to hear me out." Mulder nodded and leaned back into the couch. "I don't know what happened with Jack. I won't pretend that it was nothing, but I won't pretend to know. But I do know that I trust you. You were there when I needed you after Jack, after my disappearance, in New York, and I know you're here for me now. Someone wants me dead, I don't know who, but I want to fight this. I refuse to sit in this apartment and wait. So, until a more logical explanation can be found, I'll go along with your 'theory'. Just wipe that look of triumph off your face, you haven't won, I simply don't have an answer. Yet. So, do I have your co-operation? I don't want to be mothered, but if Skinner placed me under protective custody, who am I to argue?" Scully finished an expected a typical 'Mulder' remark. Instead, Mulder simply smiled. "Well, ready to start searching for some clues?" "Give me ten minutes," and with that Scully went back into his room and got ready. Mulder had suggested that they first go to the office and see if any fingerprints had been found that might help them. They found out that the letter and the photos were clean. They were told, however, that the photos had been developed in someone's personal darkroom. This fact only confirmed Mulder's theory. Taylor's 'day job' had been a photographer's assistant. "This doesn't prove anything Mulder," Scully had insisted when her partner got that look again. "Yet," he said, and smiled. After leaving the Bureau, they decided to check out Scully's place for more clues. Scully took her bedroom and bathroom while Mulder took the kitchen and living room. After a thorough search, Scully met Mulder in her living room. "Well, except for some powder from the finger printing boys, there's nothing here." "I didn't find anything either. I..." Mulder stopped mid-sentence when he noticed an envelope partially under the door. "Scully, how long has that been there?" Scully looked at the envelope. "It couldn't have been long." Mulder pulled out his gun and opened the door. He couldn't see anyone for quite a distance and went back in. Scully had put on a pair of surgical gloves and was reading the letter she had found in the envelope. "Mulder, read this." Mulder walked over behind Scully and read over her shoulder. You'll have to be smarter than a Fox to catch me Red! The Grim Reaper Scully wordlessly folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope. She placed both objects in a bag and put everything in her briefcase. "We should bring this to the lab. There could be fingerprints or other evidence." "Scully, we'll get this guy. I promise." Scully gave her partner a small smile and locked the door to her place behind Mulder. "I promise, I promise. Is that all you can say Fox?" _He_ had seen everything. The time was near. It was going to be interesting to see what happened when _he_ finished _his_ mission. "That's right Red. Tick Tock!" After bringing the letter to the lab, they went downstairs to their office to wait for the results. Scully tried to look busy, but Mulder noticed her staringat one page for almost fifteen minutes. "You want to talk?" Mulder asked. Scully snapped out of her daze and looked at her partner. "About what?" "About New York, about now, about anything?" Scully took a deep breath before replying. "Do you ever think your job is hopeless? I mean, we barely get the guy in New York, and there's someone waiting to take his place. It sometimes feels like it's never going to end." Mulder knew exactly how she felt. He would close one case only to find three more open. He kept on going because of Samantha. He didn't know why Scully kept going on his crazy trips, following even crazier hunches. That was what intrigued him so much about her. "He was waiting for you, you know," Scully suddenly said. Mulder knew she was referring to Taylor. She hadn't told him what really happened. All he knew was that when he had gone to pick her up at the hotel they had been staying at to check out a possible hiding place, a few days ago, and she was gone. And when he found her six hours later, she was heavily drugged and close to a comatose state. "That was his mistake. Somehow he knew that just killing me and having you find me dead wasn't good enough. He wanted you to see it." Scully had been reliving those six hours over and over again since they had happened. She had gone to sleep in the hotel room, but had woken up in some abandoned warehouse. He had drugged her as soon as he had noticed her eyelids flutter open. She hadn't been knocked out completely, but she had to lie completely still or she became violently dizzy. She had lay there for almost six hours listening to Taylor caller 'Red' and explaining that he was waiting for Mulder to arrive. He had somehow known that they had finally figured out what area he was hiding in. However, he had miscalculated Mulder. He figured the police would come in with their usual bravado and have a chance to kill her and possibly a few other cops. Had he known Mulder better, he would've known that he wasn't going to chance his partner's life to anyone else. He had quietly entered the warehouse, and tricked Taylor into firing at him. Luckily, Taylor missed. Mulder fired back in 'self-defence' and had hit his target. Taylor had been shot right in the head and had died instantly. To Scully, the whole thing appeared as though it was happening in slow motion. She had managed to stay conscious long enough to call Mulder to her side and smile. He had said something but her world had already turned to black. She had successfully slept off the drug overnight in a hospital, given her statement to the local police and had left with Mulder. "I don't think I ever really thanked you for saving my life." Mulder shrugged, "What are partners for?" But both knew that there partnership was a friendship, and that didn't need to be said. The phone rang on Mulder's desk. "Mulder...Nothing huh?..Yeah, I'll tell her...Thanks Charlie." Mulder hung up the phone and faced his partner. "That was Charlie from the lab. The note and the envelope were clean." Mulder looked at his watch. It was already 6:00 pm. Somehow, they had skipped lunch. That explains the rumbling in my stomach, he thought. "You in the mood for some burgers?" "I guess. What time is it?" "Six." "Already? No wonder my stomach is arguing with me." "Mine too. Sounds like an earthquake. Come on, my treat." They got up from their desks, and Mulder helped Scully with her coat and shrugged on his. After a dinner of two hamburgers plus all of his fries and most of Scully's, Mulder was finally satisfied. Scully had eaten a club sandwich and spent most of her time watching the human vacuum cleaner across from her. Mulder had said something about dessert but after a stern 'doctor' look from Scully, he managed to convince her to get some for home for later. Scully knew that 'later' meant as soon as they walked through the door. Sure enough, Scully went into Mulder's room to change out of her suit, and when she joined her partner in the living room he had just taken the last bite of cheesecake. He saw her enter the room and smiled sheepishly. "Mulder, I don't know how you managed to live this long." Mulder held up a plastic bag, "Sunflower seeds." Scully shook her head and went into the kitchen. "Feel like a cup of tea?" "Sure, sounds great. Need help?" "No, I've got it." Just then Mulder's phone rang. "Mulder...You what?..What did he say?..Long pause...okay, what's the address? Got it...Thanks Charlie. I owe you one." "What's up?" Scully asked as she brought in two mugs of steaming tea. She handed one to Mulder and sat down. "Thanks. That was Charlie, they found the guy who lives in the old Voight place. Turns out this guy walked calmly into the house, and came running out screaming a few minutes later. He encountered the two Agents who were watching the house and started telling them that his bedroom was covered in pictures of some female with blood all over them. According to the agents on the scene, this guy was scared, had no idea who you are and had no explanation for the pictures and blood. When questioned further, the suspect couldn't account for his actions for the last two days. Turns out he was in Washington D.C., and bumped into a police officer. He felt a slight electrical shock, like the kind caused by static electricity. Then he found himself in his house looking at the wall of pictures. He also vaguely remembers a warehouse, he had the address written down on a piece of paper in his pocket. They've got him in a cell downtown, but he's still sticking to his story. The Bureau has already checked out the warehouse and found nothing." Scully had sat there, sipping her tea and absorbing the information Mulder had just given her. She turned over all the evidence in her head, trying to piece it all together. "Mulder, I hate to say this, but how does this information fit into your theory?" "First, there is usually a small electrical shock when a spirit is transferred from one host to another. There are hundreds of documented cases attesting to this. Secondly, if it is the spirit of Taylor, that would explain the presence of the pictures, the warehouse and the continuity of the notes which refer to you as 'Red'." "Okay, if Taylor was using this guy as a host, where is he now?" Mulder had no answer for that. "Maybe the warehouse will contain some clues about that." "Why not?" Scully put her mug down and put her coat on. Mulder did the same. _He_ watched them drive up to the warehouse and wanted for them to enter before leaving _his_ latest host. _He_ followed them and savoured every moment. _He_ had already ensured that everything was in place. This time Red would not survive. _He_ watched them enter the room where _he_ had everything set-up, then made _his_ move. Mulder wasn't expecting a thing. Mulder felt a slight shock. The he was Mulder no longer. "Hello Red." Scully whirled around and found her partner pointing his gun at her head. "So Red, you thought you could get away huh? I told you that I would have my way. Well, here I am." Mulder's voice had changed to Taylor and her partner's eyes were ice. "Where's Mulder?" "Oh he's here. Just temporarily pushed to the back. Don't think about doing anything either, because you'll only be hurting Mulder. Now, drop your gun." Scully slowly lowered her gun to the floor. She knew Taylor was right, she couldn't hurt Taylor without hurting Mulder. She needed more time to think, to plan. "How do I know Mulder is still there? I want to talk to him." Taylor thought about this and agreed. "Just for a moment." Taylor momentarily let Mulder's consciousness come through. "Scully," Mulder said in his own voice, "remember Jack." "That's enough!" Taylor was back. "What was Mulder talking about? Who's Jack?" "I don't know." Scully lied. She thought back to that night. When had Jack been Jack? she though to herself. When he died. She couldn't kill Mulder. Besides, that wouldn't ensure that Taylor couldn't find another host. No, there had to be another answer. But she needed more time. "Taylor, why are you doing this? Why did you kill those other women? Maybe I can help." "You can't help. Nobody can. Oh, they tried to get me to go to those psychiatrists, but they tried to blame it all on my parents. Can you believe it? Those professionals, who didn't know me from any other guy on the street, tried to blame my problems on my folks!" It's working, thought Scully, he's not focusing anymore. "Why? _wasn't_ it your parent's fault?" "NO! You're just like all the other female doctors! My parents were great people! They loved me! They...What, what's happening?" Scully couldn't believe her eyes. Taylor had left Mulder's body and had manifested himself above Mulder. Mulder slumped to the floor unconscious. "No! I need a host! I must finish!" Scully looked around the room and spotted a cloth and a bottle of chloroform on a table. He can't survive much longer and he obviously needs a conscious host. She ran over to the table. "Taylor, you're weak! You're nothing without a host!" "That's not true! I am strong! I will finish my task!" "How? You need a host, or you'll die. Again!" "I can use you." "No! You need a conscious host. You've given me the tools to make that impossible. What are you going to do Taylor?" Scully watched as Taylor's full form began to slowly disappear. Mulder was still unconscious and Taylor was getting desperate. He edged closer to Scully. She grabbed the bottle and moved away from him. Taylor's form was holding steady in it's present state. Scully had to weaken him more, or she'd loose. "You're pathetic Taylor! Taking a host who represents the very thing you hate!" Scully slowly unscrewed the bottle of chloroform. She had to time this perfectly. Soon Taylor would be weak enough to take a change and try to use her body as a host. Scully had to breathe in the chloroform at just the right time. "You're just a means to an end!" "You're just trying to justify this! You're last minutes on this earth and you're going to take the form of a female doctor! You're worst nightmare!" Taylor's form started to dim. He's going to try soon, thought Scully. She was right. Taylor came right towards her. Scully felt the slight electric shock of contact, but managed to deeply inhale the chloroform. As she slipped into oblivion, she heard Taylor's screams of defeat. When Mulder opened his eyes, he found himself face down on a cold concrete floor. He tried to remember where he was. He had driven Scully to the warehouse and had walked in with her. He had felt a slight electrical shock...Taylor. Taylor had been there. Bits and pieces came back to him. The last thing he remembered was Scully taunting Taylor. Oh god, Scully. Mulder propped himself up but could only see the door they had come in. He slowly turned around and saw Scully's unmoving form about twenty feet away. Please let her be alive, thought Mulder. As he made his way over to her, he could smell something sweet in the air. He saw a brown bottle close to his partner's hand and read the label. Chloroform. Mulder was a bit confused, and hoped that Scully had only been drugged. He felt for a pulse and found one. He placed Scully's head in his lap and gently woke her. "Scully, Scully it's Mulder." Scully stirred and opened her eyes to find her partner's face above her. She focused on his eyes, and smiled. It was Mulder. "Hi partner. How are you doing?" "Been better. You?" "Well, I seemed to have spilled chloroform all over me, but that's a small price to pay for getting rid of Taylor." Scully sat up slowly, since her head was spinning. She had inhaled a lot more chloroform than she had intended. "So, I guess you'll really be known now as 'Mrs. Spooky' huh? I mean, it's not every Agent who get's a chance to be a 'Ghost buster'." Scully gave her partner 'the look'. Yep, she thought to herself, it's definitely Mulder. They continued to sit on the floor in the warehouse as Scully told Mulder what had happened. As Scully filled her partner in, she knew that she was one step closer to understanding him, and one step closer to being a believer. The End. |