X-Files 1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

The room was dark and cold; there was a steady hum coming from an air-conditioning unit running over time resonating through the room. A woman lay in her bed a fever ravishing her virus laden form, her sweat soaked the sheets and the clothing that clung to her as she thrashed around in the sheets like waves of an ocean trying to pull her under. A terrifying dream was playing out in her subconscious. Her darling husband a man she had loved and lost to a devastating disease. A cancer that had overtaken his brain and altered his beautiful mind, turning him into a monster, a man she no-longer recognized. In her dream he was very much alive and he had a gun pointed at another man, a man she knew but couldn't quite place. He was pleading for his life.

"No, no please, don't do this" he begged.

She started to scream "please, please stop." But her pleas went un-heard or un-noticed.

The gun went off with a piercing crack that echoed through her unconscious mind. The bullet hit the man in the chest and the blood, oh god the blood, it sprayed across his chest and spilled onto the floor. The man's face took on an expression of pure shock, the last expression it would ever make; it was then that she recognized the face. Even though it had been a few years since she had seen him, she was sure she was looking at the face of her stepfather. That's when she woke she sprung completely upright, her heart racing, her breathing rapid and her head pounding. She was alone and she felt so alone. She took control of her breathing slowing it down and her heart rate fell with it but her head seemed to pound harder. She rolled over to her side table where her aspirin and glass of water sat, she struggled with the childproof lid sending the pills across the mattress and onto the floor, with no energy to clean up the mess she took two pills into her mouth and swallowed the water hard hoping they stay down this time and calm the persistent thud.

"Dam flu" she said out loud. "It was just a dream" she repeated the sentence over and over in her worried mind then lay it to rest on her pillow, she closed her eyes and slowly, eventually, drifted back off to sleep.

'BRING BRING.' Her phone startled her awake again 'who could be ringing me at this hour?' She thought. "Hello" she answered sleepily into the receiver pinching the bridge of her nose with her finger and thumb.

"Joanne?"

"Yes."

"It's Walter Joanne."

"Oh hi big brother."

"Joanne what's wrong you sound terrible!"

"Yeah it's just the flu, what's up?"

"I'm sorry Joanne its Jake." Her heart sank into her stomach its pace quickening for the second time that night. Jake, her step-father the man she just saw fall in a pool of fiery red blood at the hand of her husband.

"Jake? What about him Walter?"

"I'm sorry Joanne he's dead."

In another part of the country in another bedroom dawn was breaking but the sun was struggling to pierce through the heavy storm clouds. The sound of heavy rain drops pelting on the window panes was being drowned out by the soft groans and heavy breathing of gentle lovemaking. A sound that had only recently filled this room but now filled it often as the sun was rising. The curtain open slightly cast shadows on the bed where the lovers lay, dancing along the blanket as it rose and fell in time with the bodies that lay entangled underneath it.

'BRING BRING.' The cell phone vibrated across the small bedside table, breaking the atmosphere like turning the lights on in a busy night club.

'BRINNG BRIING.' It rang too loudly to be ignored.

"Don't you dear answer that Mulder!"

Without removing himself from on top of her he reached over and grabbed the phone catching it before it vibrated its way onto the floor.

"Mulder!"

"It might be our source Scully."

"Mul…" She was cut off.

"Mulder" he shouted down the small device.

"Agent Mulder?"

"Yes." His eyes suddenly un-blinking and serious, he looked down at his partner telepathically trying to tell her to stay as still and quiet as a mouse.

"Where are you agent Mulder you sound out of breath?"

"Ah I'm um, I'm jogging sir."

Scully snapped her hand to her mouth in an attempt to cover the sound of her breath which was suddenly deafening in both of their ears.

"Jogging, in this weather?" She heard the voice on the other end of the phone say.

"Ah yes sir, the rain - it makes you run faster." Mulder shook his head unable to stop the words from falling out of his mouth instantly registering how silly that sounded. His partner pinched the tip of her nose to stifle the giggle trying desperately to escape her lips.

"Ok" a slight pause for a confused effect. "I have a case for you Agent Mulder, it has a personal connection. My stepfather was murdered tonight."

"Oh I'm sorry to hear that sir."

"There's something else Agent Mulder, something unusual about his cause of death."

"Ok"

"I'll brief you and Agent Scully in my office in an hour, you are both booked on an early flight to Dallas."

"Ok sir we will be there, I mean, ah, would you like me to call and let Agent Scully know?"

"No you finish your jog I'll call her." With a click the line went dead and he threw the phone on the bed and sunk his forehead into her shoulder.

"I told you not to answer it" Scully said smugly removing her hand from her mouth and placing it over his back. "A new case?"

"Yeah" he said his voice muffled by her hair and the pillow she lay on.

"Anything interesting?"

He pointed a finger indignantly at her home phone also sitting on the bedside table, knowing it was about to ring and then rolled off of her and onto the other side of the bed.

'BRING BRING'. Scully sat pulling the sheet to cover her bare chest and moved to sit on the edge of her bed. "Hello."

"Agent Scully?"

"Yes sir."

"I need you in my office in an hour to brief you on a new case."

"Yes sir."

"Pack a bag for Dallas Agent Scully your flight will leave at 11."

"Yes sir. Is everything alright sir?"

"No Agent Scully, I now have to ring my mother" with that the line went dead. She lowered the receiver onto the base. Mulder moved to rest behind her planting slow lingering kisses along her shoulder, up her neck and then down the other side. Her skin tingled pleasantly under his lips; she rolled her head side to side giving him the full length of her neck.

"What was that about?" She said her voice just above a whisper.

"Murder" he said in between kisses as he made his way back along her shoulder "Skinners stepfather" he brought his hands around under the sheet onto her stomach.

She let the sheet fall and turned into his arms. "Well you better make it quick Agent Mulder we have to pack for Dallas."


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

An hour later Mulder and Scully were sitting in their boss's office, behind his desk, in their usual positions waiting for the assistant director to arrive. Their clothes looked tailored and sharp, not a hair out of place, always the professionals. They drew a definitive line between their professional and personal lives knowing how important that was, knowing that the implications of anybody knowing about the true nature of their partnership would be detrimental to them both professionally and personally.

The door flew open and they stood in unison as their boss walked with purpose towards them. He handed them both a manila folder and gestured for them to take their seats, they obliged.

"Good morning Agents."

"I'm sorry for your loss sir" Scully said with a sympathetic tone.

"Thank you Agent Scully but truth be told we weren't all that close." He started his brief pointing to the files they held in their hands "Jake Anderson aged 65." They flipped them open to reveal police and coroner reports, a photo of the victim was held with a paperclip in the corner of the file. "He was married to Joan Skinner - my mother until five years ago when he left without explanation, found deceased this morning on his bedroom floor. He resides in Dallas where we believe he has been living since he left my mother with a Sharee Batey aged 35, apparently resolving the mystery as to why he left so suddenly." His tone revealed it wasn't such a mystery after all. "Batey is a nurse she works at the Dallas Memorial Hospital and found him when she came home from her PM shift at approximately 0000hrs. The Dallas coroner has ruled his C.O.D as 'Hypovolemia'."

Scully pulled out the police report and photo from the crime scene. "There must be a mistake sir there was no blood found at the scene, hypovolema indicates massive blood loss." She looked puzzled, she began to speed read through the folder coming to the coroner's report. "The coroner says a lung was punctured but no external wound was evident. This makes no sense sir I think someone has made a mistake here."

"On the phone you said it was a murder?" Mulder questioned. "I don't see any report here from the police indicating a murder took place. There was no evidence of forced entry or a struggle at the scene, no blood what are we missing here sir?" He closed the file and looked up at his boss whose gaze had turned to something apparently interesting on the floor.

"You are right agents something doesn't add up." He removed his glasses and started to clean them with his tie paying more attention to the glass frames then was necessary. Mulder and Scully looked at each other then back to the assistant director.

"Is there something else sir?" Scully asked almost afraid of the answer.

"It's my sister" He paused nervously. "Joanne she too lives in Dallas. She and Anderson were never on speaking terms but she knew he lived close by. Her husband was gravely ill last year - a brain tumor- he was in the hospital for a long time, Anderson's partner was his nurse." He stopped cleaning his glasses and placed them back on his nose. He sat down in his chair and rolled it under his desk placing his elbows in front of him and looked over at the two agents. He could trust them they'd worked together for years and god knows they had shared some strange theories with him in their time. But it was always them who were labeled 'crazy' he was just the one signing the bottom of their reports. He didn't like it when the tables were turned and it occurred to him in that moment how difficult it must be for them.

"Anderson was a mean son of a bitch; he hit my sister when she was a teenager, something she never revealed to me until recently, she suspected he was doing the same to Batey." There was a long uncomfortable pause. "My sister … Joanne …. She had a dream." His gaze dropped again, the agents looked at him intensely they could feel this was uncomfortable for him. "When I called this morning she knew he was dead, she knew where, she knew how. Details she just couldn't have known without being there, it was her who told me he had been shot."

"Because of a dream?" Mulder asked trying not to hold a 'you've gone insane' tone to his voice.

"Yes she saw it happen, she described where the bullet hit, what he was wearing, she was so distressed I, I don't know." Skinner shook his head and rested it in his hands.

"Sir" Scully started carefully. "There's no evidence in this case file that suggests a gun, a bullet…." she trailed off in an attempt to pose the question of what it was exactly he wanted them to investigate.

Mulder was better at this situation, it was usually he who bore the grunt of condescending tone and he could see Skinner squirm at the implication of Scully's question. "Did she see who shot him sir?" Mulder ignored the look his partner shot him.

"Yes" Skinner said but did not lift his eyes "she said it was her husband the only thing is her husband is dead, he died a year ago."

Scully took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. "Ok I think we need to start at the body I'll go down and do my own examination as soon as we land in Dallas." She stood indicating she wanted to leave, even after all these years she still hated it when everyone seemed to jump to paranormal conclusions before the investigation had even began. Following her lead Mulder stood followed by Skinner.

"Thank you agents I'd appreciate regular updates on this one, have a good flight.".

"I swear these seats keep getting smaller Scully." Mulder complained shifting uncomfortably in the small airline seat. "You'd think the government would spring for 1st class after all these years". That was the moment that - bang- the airline hostess knocked his elbow with the beverage cart. "Oh shit" he said with a little too much anger under his breath.

"Oh I'm so sorry sir" she said politely.

"Yeah me too" he rubbed the bruising flesh.

"Can I get you something from the beverage trolley?"

"Yeah the tip of my elbow back please."

"Haha" she said rather than laughed.

"Coffee please – large." Great emphasis put on the 'large'.

"Certainly sir" she filled the cup and handed him the hot beverage very cautiously.

"I'm sorry again."

He failed a smile in response then put his lips to the cup letting its contents go down slowly hoping the caffeine would flood his bloodstream and somehow make this flight go a little faster.

"Are you tired Mulder?" Scully asked smugly. He turned his eyes to her without removing his mouth from the cup. "Maybe you should give up your morning 'jogs'" she smirked wickedly.

"No no no Scully it's a fact that the morning is the best time to exercise. Your serotonin levels at their peak give you an extra bit of 'perk.'" He dropped the tone in his voice to just above a whisper. "Not to mention the burst of endorphins" now he was looking right through her, not letting her drop her gaze from his "the body's natural pain killers, amongst other things." Only Mulder has the ability to make science sound sexy Scully thought to herself. She swallowed deeply she hated that he could do that to her. He dropped his gaze breaking the spell "I dunno Scully maybe I'm getting too old to go 'jogging' morning and night." He met her eyes again and smirked she matched his smirk with her own.

"I sure hope not Mulder."

He chuckled his mood was improving already.

"What about this case Mulder?" she said flipping her case file open - back to business - "Skinner seems to be going out on a limb here don't you think?"

"It's his family Scully wouldn't you want to know what happened?"

"He didn't even like the guy Mulder he said it himself."

"Yeah but his sister is obviously bothered by her dream and there is certainly some unexplained element to his injuries you said that yourself."

"I've dealt with these boys in Dallas before Mulder they are amateurs. The head ME has only been in that job four months, he made a mistake I'm sure I'll clear that up when I see the body. Skinners sister was febrile with the flu when she had this dream. When the body's core temperature exceeds 103*F it starts to effect brain function, it can cause delusions, hallucinations and nightmares Mulder."

"True but how many times do they come true Scully?" Their eyes locked again this time in that all too familiar gaze they always shared at this point in the investigation. She had just spouted off her scientific explanation and he tried to shoot her down with a single unusual fact she could not dispute. "Like you said at the office Scully you examine the body, prove your junior coroner incompetent and I'll arrange for us to talk to Skinners sister in the morning."

"I think we should talk to the partner too Mulder. Skinner implied an abusive relationship if it is murder she shouldn't be ruled out as a suspect."

He nodded in agreement and drained the rest of his coffee.

"This is your captain speaking" the intercom chimed. "Can the crew prepare the cabin for landing."

"Thank god" Mulder exhaled to no-one in particular. Scully reached over and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. He looked to his left and then to his right then lifted her hand to his lips planting a soft kiss on her knuckle. "I'll take the bags to the hotel you go to the morgue then I'll meet you at the hotel for dinner. Maybe we can go 'jogging."

"I think we have beaten that metaphor to death Mulder". They jolted as the planes wheels hit the tarmac.

Scully walked along the long corridor of the Dallas coroner her heels clicking along the floor tiles. She approached a woman sitting at a desk surrounded by thick glass; her name badge read 'Marge.' Marge was flicking through a celebrity gossip magazine and didn't look up as Scully approached. Scully pulled out her badge tapped the edge on the glass and then flattened it against the clear surface. Marge looked up at her badge and then at her. "Can I help you?" she asked seemingly unimpressed by her credentials.

Scully stood on her tip toes to speak into the group of holes in the glass meant to be a means to communicate through. "I'm Agent Dana Scully from the FBI."

"I can see that Agent Scully what brings you to the Dallas morgue this fine Monday afternoon?" The woman feigned enthusiasm.

"I'm here to examine a body - Jake Anderson - case number..." She flicked the manila folder she brought with her open then lifted her heels up again "3402581 I'm here with direct orders from the assistant director."

"An examination has already been completed Agent Scully Dr. Taylor has already filed that report."

This time she didn't bother to speak directly into the holes feeling her small stature gave her less authority behind this glass barrier. "I'm aware of that but in the light of some new evidence the Assistant Director has insisted on a second opinion."

"Sure" the woman faked a smile "sign here." She pushed a sign in sheet on a clip board under the glass attached was an electronic access card "he's in room four."

Scully scribbled her signature and ID number and then noted the name written above hers – Dr. Grant Taylor - the head M.E he had signed in just ten minutes ago. "Great" she said to herself then slid the board back under the glass.

"Excuse me?" the woman behind the counter asked.

"Ah nothing, sorry is Dr. Taylor here?"

"Yeah he's looking at another case."

"Great thank you" she clipped the entrance card onto her collar, picked up her file and headed for room four.

Dr. Taylor stood scalpel poised over the latest victim to come through his morgue when he heard the beep and then click of the door next to his room open. 'Ah Miss FBI is here' he thought to himself. He knew she was coming; he had taken the call himself from the FBI. He met Agent Scully on his first case here in Dallas, her and her gangly hot shot partner. He had moved his family from Chicago just over four months ago, his wife was expecting their fifth child and money was tight. A friend of his who worked in the local Dallas hospital knew this and recommended him for the job. The promotion came with a pay rise, an offer that was too good to turn down.

He had called the FBI on his first case, he hated that, having to call in the 'cavalry' on his first case, he didn't think it would impress his superiors but he was stumped. It was an unusual case - there were wounds on the body made by something not human but not animal either. Back in Chicago a colleague of his had talked about the X-file division at the FBI. A pair of Agents - Mr. and Mrs. Spooky he called them, who ran around the country chasing UFO's and vampires. He had laughed it off at the time but under the circumstances of this case the X-files was the only thing he could think of. He spoke to Agent Mulder who was more than eager to help, although his theories of genetic mutants and the like proved less then helpful. It was Scully who found the plant connection to secretions left behind in the wound, essentially solving the case. She took great pleasure in pointing out he had missed the organic substance in the original toxicology report. He shouldn't have missed it he knew that but still she came down pretty hard on him.

He put the scalpel down on the small metal trolley next to him, covered the corpse with a white sheet and lowered his face mask. "Excuse me Miss Doe I'll be back in a minute". He stepped out and then into the room next door. Hearing the door open Scully turned to see Dr. Taylor enter.

"Agent Scully we meet again, say I never did get my testicle back from you when you left last time. Are you here for the other one?"

Scully raised her eyebrow "good afternoon Dr. Taylor I'm simply following orders from my superiors here, you have to admit there are some holes in your report, I'm just trying to get to the bottom of what killed this man." He pouted. "Say how many children do you have now Dr. Taylor? Who knows if I do solve this thing I might save you the vasectomy bill." She snapped her mask over her mouth and headed towards the autopsy table.

"Ha!" He had to laugh she sure had a way with words. He walked over and joined her beside the body. "What exactly are you looking for Agent Scully?"

"The unique position I hold in this job Dr. Taylor is that I never have a clue what I'm looking for until I find it". She pulled back the sheet that covered the corpse. The 'y' incision from the autopsy was roughly sutured with thick nylon. She reached for a scalpel off the trolley of instruments she had assembled and started to cut away at the thick strands. "In your report you said there was a pneumothorax, a hole in this man's lung which caused him to bleed out."

"That's right" Dr. Taylor nodded.

"What caused such a puncture and where did all the blood go?"

"I determined the puncture was made by a thrombus coming from a pre-existing clotting disorder."

"A blood clot punctured his lung? What, did he have a high blood lead level?" She said sarcastically. She finished undoing the sutures and pulled back the flap of skin exposing the now disconnected organs lying freely in the chest cavity under the severed ribcage.

Dr. Taylor didn't appreciate being made feel like an amateur. "There are clotting disorders Agent Scully where the viscosity of the blood becomes so great a clot can occlude a small vessel and then with enough pressure from the circulating volume be forced through the soft lung tissue. I assume the blood was absorbed by the surrounding tissue and organs only to drain post mortem."

She raised her eyebrow again "I think you assume too much Dr." She pulled the left lung and examined the wound closely carrying it carefully over to the microscope. She wound the focus adjusting her sight and paused to study the wound even closer. It was a perfect circle, more than that there was a distinct striation pattern running through it. She stepped back from the microscope. "Dr. Taylor look at this for me will you."

He walked over to the microscope and peered through the long lens. "That can't be" he looked at her with a shocked expression then back down the microscope. "That looks like a bullet hole."

"I was afraid you were going to say that." She removed her face mask and gloves disposing them in the nearby bin.

"But Agent Scully there was no entry, no exit wound, how can that be? How can you have a bullet hole with no bullet?" She didn't reply her expression was answer enough; she collected a swab and sample pot and scrapped along the surface of the wound then placed the swab into the pot and screwed on the lid. "What are you looking for?"

"I'll let you know if I find it." She turned on her heels and left Dr. Taylor with his jaw on his chest. He watched the automatic door close slowly behind her. "She did it again!"

Scully pulled out her cell phone and pressed speed dial 1. It only rang once "Mulder it's me" She spoke loudly down the receiver as she clicked her heels back down the long corridor, passing Marge who didn't look up when she slid her access card under the glass cage. "I'm just leaving the coroners Mulder and I found your bullet hole."

"What? I'm confused Scully you said there was no bullet."

"I'm confused too Mulder there are no external wounds but the pattern and shape of the wound looks to me like a slug neatly cut through Mr. Anderson's lung causing an acute haemopneumothorax effectively bleeding him to death."

"Where's the blood Scully?"

"I don't know Mulder I was hoping you would have a theory on that. I've taken a sample; I'll drop it off at the lab on the way to the hotel."

"Ok we're in room five and six, oh I spoke to Joanne Harrison and Sharee Batey they'll see us tomorrow. I think we need to pay a visit to Dallas Memorial though Scully pull Joanne's husbands file if this is murder he is our prime suspect."

Scully stopped at the door of her car. "He's dead Mulder dead people can't be suspects."

"We'll see."

"Mul….." he had cut her off again. She flicked the phone off sighed and then stepped into her rental car.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

Having had the run around at the lab and getting caught in the traffic on the highway, Scully was making her way to the hotel a late. She climbed the steps, an effort to lift her foot from one to the other until she came to room five and knocked softly on the door, when there was no answer she knocked again louder this time, still no luck. She tried next door… nothing. She exhaled slowly she had become very used to her partner doing this. Hesitantly she made her way back down the stairs to the front office. "Hi" she said to the elderly gentlemen behind the desk "my name is Agent Scully…" before she could finish he interrupted.

"Ah yes Agent Scully your partner wanted me to give you this" he handed her the key to her room and a folded piece of paper. She recognized her partners scrawl instantly:

'Scully went to Dallas PD. I'll bring back dinner'

M.'

She tucked the note into her pocket and made her way back up the stairs to her room. She put the key into the door and turned the handle. These rooms always looked the same - bed, table, chair, TV, bathroom - sure some were cleaner, some more modern this one wasn't too bad she supposed as far as hotel rooms go, they had stayed here during their last case in Dallas so at least it held some familiarity to her. She threw the file and key on the table and made her way to the bathroom. Her clothes still carried the stench of the morgue so she removed them and stepped into the shower.

Mulder carefully balancing the takeaway boxes and his own case files in his arms made his way gingerly up the stairs to the hotel room, the hotel key dangling in his mouth. He got to the door and stood in front of it contemplating how he was going to open it with the keys in his mouth and sweet and sour sauce dripping down his full hands. He leaned his elbow over the door knob, it slipped over it, he tried tapping the door with his hip 'click' the door pushed open 'ah' he thought to himself Scully's back and made a mental note to scald her for leaving the door unlocked. "Scully?" He called his voice muffled by the keys, he spat them down on the bed and placed the hot boxes of food down on the table "Scully?" he tried again

"Mulder, Is that you?"

He held his sauce covered hands out in from of him as he waded through to the bathroom. Scully's face peered out from behind the shower curtain her hair covered in thick lathery bubbles. "Hey - who were you expecting?" he questioned suspiciously leaning down to kiss her firmly on the lips "mmm you smell good" He kissed her again.

She crinkled her nose "hmmm you don't" and flicked the curtain closed. He walked over to the basin and washed the sauce off his hands.

"What were you doing at the Police Department Mulder?"

"I'll tell you over dinner Scully, come on its getting cold". He left the bathroom and started to open the boxes carefully trying not to burn his fingers. He heard the shower turn off and turned to see Scully in her white hotel bathrobe her hair slicked back still wet.

"That smells good, god I'm starving" she sat down at the table. Mulder loosened then undid the knot in his tie, he pulled it through the collar and threw it on the bed, and then un-buttoned the first four buttons of his shirt while grabbing plates and forks from the cupboard and set them down on the table. They hungrily started to dish the food onto their plates.

"So what happened at the PD?" Scully asked stuffing a mouthful of rice into her mouth.

"Well after you called from the morgue Detective Smith called me, he was the first on the scene in the Anderson case, he was on the late shift again so asked if I wanted to come down and look at some new evidence he had found."

"New evidence?"

"Yeah he hadn't given the case another thought being that the guys was a 65year old who had a young girlfriend and a medical condition in other words he thought it was an open and shut case. But when he found out the FBI were being brought in he went back for a closer look, make sure nothing had been missed."

"He found something?"

"Yeah - blood"

"What?"

"Well evidence of blood. It showed up under his florescent torch."

"So someone cleaned up after themselves then."

"I don't know Scully he said there didn't appear to be any evidence of cleaning solution but the blood splatter was definitely consistent with a gunshot wound and in comparison to the position of the 'vic' boom" he pointed a finger sternly into his chest for emphasis "straight through the left lung."

Scully realized she had stopped chewing her mouthful and began slowly chewing it again "what's your theory Mulder?"

"Well we have a blood spatter pattern, but no actual blood, a bullet wound with no actual bullet and the only witness was a woman sleeping across town who saw her dead husband pull the trigger". He paused to take in a mouthful. "I don't know Scully it's like on one hand" he dropped his fork and held out his right hand "you have Joanne's dream her husband shooting her step father in cold blood in some fiery revenge scene on the other hand" he held up his left hand "at the exact same moment her stepfather got out of bed to take a wiz and dropped dead when a blood clot punctured his lung and somehow" he entwined his fingers "the two realities merged leaving bits of physical evidence from each scenario". Scully had stopped chewing again; she chewed three times slowly then swallowed her mouth full giving him that all too familiar 'you're crazy' look. "Well ok Scully what happened at the morgue?" He stuffed a spring roll into his mouth.

"First of all there was no blood clot. I took a swab off the wound down to the lab and had it tested"

"Tested for what?" It was his turn to talk through a mouthful.

"Gunshot residue."

"And?"

"And it was positive."

"Huh."

"While I was at the morgue I bumped into Dr. Taylor, you know he accused me of castrating him Mulder" her voice had raised an octave.

"Well you are handy with that scalpel Scully" He said waggling his eyebrows. She picked up a fortune cookie and threw it at him.

"Anyway when I got the result from the lab I called and asked him to take a casting of the wound, see if we could match the striation pattern to a bullet, we should have the results tomorrow" she scraped the last morsel of food off her plate at put it into her mouth.

"I better call Skinner" Mulder reached for his phone

"No" Scully extended her hand to him "I'll call Skinner you go shower Mulder you smell like a homeless person" He handed her the phone and headed for the bathroom. Scully walked over to the bed and lay down suddenly feeling very tired. She dialed Skinners number and listened to it ring, the answering service clicked on, she listened to the message and waited for the beep. "Yes hi Sir its Scully, just calling to fill you in on the case. We have pulled together a few pieces of new evidence ah, I won't go into it over the phone but we should know more tomorrow, we'll give you a call back then". She pressed the end button and threw it on the bed side table grabbing the TV remote at the same time. She lay her head down and turned the TV on. Flicking through the channels she settled on a nature show about wild cats, the drone of David Attenborough's voice lulling her to sleep.

Mulder stepped out of the bathroom just a towel around his waist "Hey Scully I left my clothes in my room can you go grab my bag?….. Scully?" He tip toed over to the bed she was fast asleep. He grabbed the blanket that was folded down at the end of the bed and draped it over her then pushed a strand of hair that had fallen over her eyes and tucked it behind her ear.

"Hmmm" she stirred slightly but didn't wake. He reached for his clothes and his keys and pulled the door open scanning the hall, making sure no-one was lingering and then tip toed over to his room.

Mulder looked at his watch it was 7.30am if they didn't get moving they were going to be late for their interview with Skinners sister. He stood outside Scully's hotel room door checking his pockets and belt – 'badge, keys, wallet, gun check,check,check' He said in his mind and then knocked on the door. Scully pulled it open.

"Good morning" she was dressed and had her glasses on she moved aside letting him walk into the room.

"Morning" he replied brushing passed her. "We better get moving or we are going to be late."

"Yeah I've just been preparing for our interviews" she removed her glasses putting them in their case then gathered up her badge, file and gun clipping it into her belt holster. "I missed you last night" she said not looking up at him.

He shrugged innocently "you looked so peacefully Scully I didn't want to disturb you." He smiled at her softly. She picked up the coffee she had made but not gotten around to starting and took a few sips "eew cold."

"Here" he grabbed it from her and finished it in four large gulps.

"Hey" Scully said indignantly.

"You ready to go then?" He put the cup down.

"Yeah but you owe me a coffee on the way now" He smiled at her again and snaked his arm around behind her placing his hand on her back and pushed her gently out the door.

Mulder banged firmly on the large oak door.

"Are you sure this is the right place Mulder?" They stood outside the residence of Joanne Harrison.

"Yeah Skinner gave me the address, she confirmed it last night" he replied and knocked again this time more loudly. "Mrs. Harrison?" He called. They heard slippers dragging along the floor and then the door opened. "Joanne Harrison?" Mulder enquired pulling out his badge "I'm Fox Mulder this is Dana Scully we spoke on the phone last night."

Joanne stood in front of the agents in her night gown and slippers her hair un-brushed and nose red from being blown too often. "Hi yes come in" she said through a blocked nose they moved through the house to the dining room. "Please excuse my appearance I have a nasty flu I can't seem to shake."

"Have you seen a Dr. Mrs. Harrison?" Scully asked as they sat at the table.

"Yeah it's just a flu not much they can do really." Her slippers flipped against her heels as she walked into the kitchen and started to fill the jug. "Can I offer you a drink?"

Scully jumped up from the table "here how about I do that you sit down."

'ACHOO!' Joanne sneezed in reply and Scully moved her face away quickly in an attempt to protect her airway from the residual spray. "Sorry excuse me."

"Gazuntite" Mulder called from the table. Joanne flipped her slippers back across the kitchen and sat opposite Mulder at the table while Scully hunted through the cupboards to find what she needed for the drinks.

"Thanks for coming out here on this Agent Mulder I'm sure my story must sound a little crazy to you." She grabbed a tissue from the box on the table and brought it her sore nose.

"Don't worry we specialize in the weird and wonderful Mrs. Anderson" Mulder said - an attempt to make her more comfortable.

"Speak for yourself Mulder" Scully flashed a cheeky smile at her partner and brought the drinks to the table taking her seat. Joanne laughed quietly and nodded her head thanking Scully for the drink.

"Yes Walter has told me a bit about you too" Mulder and Scully shot each other a glance. Joanne noting a certain amount of discomfort from her revelation added "all good things, I can tell he trusts you otherwise he wouldn't have sent you out here."

"Tell us about your stepfather Mrs. Harrison" Scully started.

"Please call me Joanne" she blew her nose again and began her story.

"My parents divorced when I was very young; around nine or ten, Walter would have been around thirteen. We all took it pretty hard although all of us saw it coming. My father left and got himself a new life, he didn't leave much room for Walter and I so it was just us and mum for a long time. Jake didn't come onto the scene until Walter was about seventeen, just as he left home for college, I was fourteen and like most fourteen year old girls showed my rebellious resistance into this new intruder in our lives. I guess my attitude finally got the better of him and one day after an argument about…. Gosh I don't even remember now the car I think; he slapped me fair across the face." Her eyes dropped and she paused and sniffed, not sure if it was the flu anymore or just dragging up these old memories. "After that he thought that was the only way to get his message across" she met their eyes again.

"Did he ever hit your mum?" Mulder asked sympathy in his tone.

"Not that I ever saw I think he used other ways to control her, anyway I left home, him and mum were together for a few years after that, then one day he just left. When I moved up to Dallas I found out he had moved in with a younger model although I never saw or spoke to him. I got to know Sharee when Doug got sick, she was his nurse - Sharee - and Jakes partner."

"Doug was your husband?" Scully asked.

"Yes" Joanne replied dropping her gaze to her fidgeting hands on the table now unable to deny the tears as they started to swell in her eyes.

"I'm sorry Joanne" Scully grabbed a tissue from the box and handed it to her "I know this is difficult but can you tell us a bit about your husband's condition."

"Yeah, thanks, its ok" she wiped the tears from her eyes quickly an attempt to conceal their existence and kept them firmly at her hands now tearing the tissue into little pieces. Mulder and Scully kept their eyes on her. "It all happened so fast, he was complaining of headaches for maybe three weeks, his mood changed so quickly, he would get so angry! Which was completely not like him, Doug was the sweetest, kindest man you would ever have known. I watched him slowly turn into, into, a monster! One day he came home from work and tripped over a shoe I hadn't put away properly, he just lost it, he was screaming at me calling me things I thought I would never hear pass his lips." She looked up at the agents with the same fear her eyes held that day. "He was so angry! He charged towards me and grabbed my wrist squeezing it so hard I thought it would snap. I was begging him to let me go. Then his eyes grew cold, they glassed over and it was like I saw the exact moment that tumor overtook his beautiful mind completely. He fell to his knees then, clutching his head. I called an ambulance, we went to the hospital and he." She paused drawing a short breath "he never came out." She looked down at the tiny pieces of tissue she had been tearing. "The Drs. said the tumor was in the part of his brain that controlled his emotions and personality that's why his mood was so altered. He deteriorated so quickly, there was really nothing they could do besides pain control and sedation to try and control his violent outbursts. He just changed so much." She couldn't stop the tears falling now; they rolled freely down her face. "He threatened everyone, he yelled, he threw things, in a week he didn't even know who I was. None of the staff wanted to look after him; he threw a full bed pan at one of the nurses' once." She laughed nervously through her tears. "Sharee was great, very kind; she put up with so much and always offered a shoulder for me to cry on."

"Did she know about your connection to Jake?" Scully asked.

"No, well if she did she didn't let on. I knew of course but I never brought it up. I didn't want Jake in my life again."

"Skinner indicated you thought Jake had been violent towards Sharee?" Mulder questioned rather than stated.

"Yeah she always wore a long top under her scrubs, it was so hot in there I wondered if it was to cover something. One shift she rolled her sleeves up during Doug's bed sponge and I thought I saw finger marks bruised onto her forearm. When she saw me looking she covered them up."

"Did you confront her about this?"

"No Agent Mulder I wanted to keep our private lives quite separate."

Mulder nodded in response "tell us about your dream."

Joanne had stopped crying and regained her focus. "Have you ever had a dream that is so real, so vivid that when you wake up you feel disorientated like you weren't supposed to be in your bed, you were there, right in your dream?" Mulder and Scully nodded together both too familiar with images from their pasts haunting their dreams. "It was like that although at first I didn't recognize Jake, just Doug, well Doug's face his body but it was the Doug from that hospital bed not my husband. He was in a room I didn't know but the room was so clear in my mind I could tell you the color of the sheets, the pattern on the wallpaper. I saw the gun and the look in Doug's eyes, he raised it up, pointed it at the man who was begging for his life."

"Were you there in your dream? Were you there in the room?" Mulder asked eagerly.

"No. Yes, kind of, it was like watching a movie screen, a horror film; you know when you scream at the girl in the movie 'don't go up the stairs the killer is up there' - like that I was there but no-one was aware I was there and I was frozen. Anyway Doug pulled the trigger and then everything went into slow mo. I saw the bullet as it flew across the air and into his chest, my god there was so much blood, it was then that I realized it was Jake although he had aged I knew it was him." Joanne's tone dropped down low she was still, her eyes held a spot on the wall in front of her like she was picturing his face, remembering the horror scene that played out in front of her that night. She shook her head shaking the images out of her mind's eye and looked back at the agents. "Anyway that's when I woke up, I was drenched in sweat, I had a fever of 104." She stood then pushing her chair away "excuse me a second I need some more aspirin." She shuffled her feet out of the room.

Scully looked over at her partner meeting his eyes she raised her eyebrows then stood gathering up the empty cups and taking them into the kitchen.

"What are you thinking Scully?"

"What do you want me to say Mulder?" she turned to face him one hand on the bench and one on her hip. "The dream could still be a complete coincidence I mean she said she got really close to Andersons partner maybe during their conversations she was able to gain some insight into their relationship, even talked about that room and then at an unconscious level the image of the room was imprinted in her mind then came out in her dream, where in some subconscious desire to seek revenge on her abusive step father her husband, who had recently become capable of open violence stepped into her dream and shot him." She waited tentatively for Mulders response his expression wrecked of sarcasm.

"You think they talked about wallpaper patterns?"

Joanne walked back into the room then. "You do think I'm crazy don't you?" Her eyes shifted between the pair.

"No" Scully said placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We are just trying to establish the facts."

Joanne looked deep into Scully's eyes "I know what I saw Agent Scully."

Mulder broke their cold stare. "Joanne in your dream Doug had a gun?"

"Yes Agent Mulder how many times do we have to…"

He cut her sentence short "no, I know, I just mean have you ever seen Doug with a gun? I mean if the dream were real, where would he get a gun from?"

"It was his gun, he had his gun" Mulder stood now and walked towards the two women standing in the kitchen.

"Where's the gun now?"

"It's here, in the safe in our room."

"Can we see it?"

"Sure" she headed down the hallway indicating for them to follow her. Once in the master bedroom she removed a wedding portrait from the wall revealing a small safe. She turned the dial forward, then back, then forward again, the clogs of the lock clicking into place then snapping open. She pulled out a black gun box and handed it to Mulder. He flicked open the silver catch and lifted the lid revealing the gun. It was a 9mm hand gun one commonly used in home defense.

"When was the gun fired last?" he asked.

"Ah it hasn't, well it probably was at some point before we brought it but we never fired it. I don't think we even loaded it. Doug brought it one day after we had a break in he thought it would make us feel safer, but we never actually fired it."

"And you are sure this was the gun you saw in your dream?" Scully asked pointing to the gun.

"Yes Agent Scully it definitely was I recognized the pattern on the handle."

Mulder snapped the box shut "would you mind if we took this Joanne?"

"No of course not take it I never liked that thing anyway." Mulder started to leave the room Scully placed a hand on Joanne's shoulder.

"Thank you Joanne how about you go back to bed, get some rest and be sure to keep your fluids up."

"Sounds good thank you Agent Scully."

Scully followed her partner out of the door. She could see him sitting in the car waiting for her as she briskly walked down the path that lead to the car. She opened the car door and sat into the passenger seat. "Where to now Mulder?" She pulled her seatbelt and fastened it across her chest.

"I thought I could drop you at the hospital, you go and find out what you can about Doug Harrison, we'll drop the gun at the lab on the way, see if we can match it to the bullet hole you found in Andersons chest." She looked at him perplexed at her own admission that it was in fact a bullet hole. "You know your cute when you're confused Scully."

"Mulder" she cocked an eyebrow at him "so where are you going to go then?"

"I'm going to talk to Sharee, re-visit the crime scene" he turned his eyes to the road and put his foot down.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

Mulder stood at Sharee Batey's door his hand poised in a closed fist ready to make contact when he stopped himself. He stopped to consider what he had learnt this morning about this case, if in fact he had learnt anything at all. Usually at this point he drew some theory, but today his brain couldn't connect the dots no matter how hard he tried. He had seen cases before where people had dreams seeming to be premonitions of an event that had not yet been. In fact he had experienced this himself in some shape or form, but never where the dream world and real world had become entangled. Was this a homicide? If so because it was Joanne's dream does that mean she is a suspect? He shook his head in an attempt to re-align the scattered facts like an 'etch a sketch'. He raised his hand again and knocked on the door. Sharee Batey pulled the door open. She was a small woman, thin and pale. Her hair thin and straight was pulled off her face in a tight pony tail. Her clothes two sizes to big hung off her tiny frame and Mulder noted covered her completely.

"Miss Batey? I'm agent Mulder" he pulled his badge.

"Yes" she replied fidgeting with the long sleeve of her top that reached beyond her fingers not wanting to meet his eyes. "Look I've told the police everything I know I'd really just like to get on with my life now" her words were shaky.

"I know Miss Batey I'm sorry just a few more questions and I'll get out of your hair" he said leaning his head down in an attempt to lift her eyes to his. She shuffled her feet backwards opening the door further allowing Mulder to step in. "Thank you" he stepped inside and into the living room.

"Would you like to see the bedroom?" She asked finally lifting her eyes to him.

"Sure" he smiled at her, an attempt to be reassuring. "That's probably a good place to start." As they walked down the hallway he assessed the rest of the house looking into each room as he passed it. The house was clean, a little too clean. She stopped at the bedroom door and he came to stand beside her they both fit awkwardly within the small door frame.

"I came home" she started without prompting. "I get off at 11.15 so it was close to midnight. I came in to get my pajamas and found him lying on the floor right there." She pointed to an area at the end of the bed.

Mulder nodded and walked over to the area kneeling down to inspect the carpet. He brushed his hand over the soft fibers then looked back up at her. "Was the light on?" She shook her head. "Was he face up or face down?"

"Ah" she brought her finger and thumb up to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Face up, I flicked the light on ran over to him and tried to feel a pulse, when I couldn't find one I grabbed the phone dialed 911 and then commenced CPR."

Mulder was nodding as he brushed his hands around the carpet. "What about the blood?" He said attempting to trip her.

Sharee dropped her hands briskly to her side, her expression changed to one of frank confusion, "blood? What blood Agent Mulder? There was no blood!" Mulder nodded again then put his nose down to the carpet. Now Sharee was really confused and a little disturbed. "Agent Mulder what are you doing?"

"No bleach" he said more to himself then to her.

"Bleach!?"

"Miss Batey does the names Joanne and Doug Harrison mean anything to you?"

The shock left Sharee's face as she tried to recall, the names were familiar to her but she couldn't quite place them. "Yeah I think so, I can't place how though."

"Mr. Harrison was a patient of yours he had a brain tumor, he died about a year ago."

Sharee's face softened as the memories came back to her "ah yes, he threw a bed pan at my unit manager" a naughty smile crept across her face then disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. "What does he have to do with this?"

"Mrs. Harrison suspected your partner was violent towards you" Mulder pressed her.

Sharee's anger boiled up insider her, her pulse and respiratory rate began to race and she grabbed at her long sleeves pulling them down even further in an unconscious attempt to hide the marks. "Look Agent Mulder she doesn't even know me, I was her husband's nurse, she didn't know Jake, I don't know what you're getting at but if you think you can come in here acting very strangely, sniffing at my upholstery and bringing up random patients and and…." She didn't really know where she was going with this, he had practically knocked her knees out from under her. She took a deep breath an attempt to calm her raging pulse. "Jake died from a thrombus, he was on long term treatment for a clotting disorder, the coroner didn't mention any fowl play what exactly are you implying here?" She felt her breath as it quickened in her chest she stared down at him now having no trouble at meeting his gaze.

"I'm sorry Miss Batey I don't mean to upset you, the truth is some unusual evidence has surfaced around your partners' case. I'm sorry I can't elaborate on that right now but I need to ask you a difficult question." He took her silence and non-blinking eyes as an indication to carry on. "Did you murder Jake Anderson?"

"I think you better leave Agent Mulder."

Mulder stepped out of the front door which slammed firmly behind him, so close he felt a breeze run through his shirt. His phone began to buzz in his pocket he pulled it out of his pants and put it to his ear "Mulder."

"A….gent..." the line was full of static only a few syllables breaking through the distortion.

"Hello?" Mulder plugged his other ear with his finger and walked towards his rental car.

"Can you…" the voice was familiar amongst the crackling as Mulder stepped into his car and shut the door.

"Sir? Skinner? Can you hear me? Hello" the line went dead. He pushed the end button almost permanently into the aging nokia and threw it on the passenger seat. He placed his hands in the ten and two position on the steering wheel and leaned his forehead in between them. His phone began to chirp again "Sir?" He answered.

"No Mulder it's me."

"Scully, have you heard from Skinner?"

"No, have you?"

"I think so it was a bad connection, I'm sure it was him though, how are you going at the hospital?"

"Good I've got some paperwork and scans to sift through I thought I might head back to the hotel. I can catch a cab it isn't far. How did you get on with the nurse?"

"She had nothing to do with it Scully. I might go to the lab see how they are getting on with the gun."

"Good luck Mulder."

Scully sat on her hotel double bed, shoes and stockings abandoned, sweltering in the Dallas heat. She looked down her nose through her glasses at a sea of medical jargon and MRI scans. She had read the documents over and over again. Nothing was jumping of the pages at her, nothing registered outside of the norm. She stretched her neck from side to side it cracked as the muscles stretched and released. She looked over at the digital clock it flashed 8pm in red florescence 'where's Mulder' she thought to herself. She exhaled a long breath removed her glasses and discarded them onto the loose documents. A layer of sweat had started to line her skirt where her blouse was tucked uncomfortably. She stood off the bed and pulled the offending material out of her skirt. She walked over to the kitchenette and grabbed a glass out of the cupboard then bent down to the mini fridge/freezer to get some ice when she heard the key turn in the lock behind her. Knowing who it would be she didn't look up.

Mulder seeing Scully poised so delicately in the fridge rushed behind her grabbing her hips in his hands. "Ohm" she jumped "you frightened me" he nuzzled at the back of her neck pressing his hips against her and rocking them slightly together. "You want one?" She gestured at the tall glass now filled with ice.

"Sure" he continued to nuzzle under her hair line and up to her ear. She reached up into the cupboard somewhat restricted by her partners wandering hands and lips. She abandoned the glasses and turned in his hands. He released his grip only enough to allow her to turn then buried his lips into hers. He pushed up against her hard enough to force her lower back painfully into the bench she was leaning on. She let out a soft cry that teetered somewhere between pleasure and pain.

"What's gotten into you?" She asked into his mouth unable to break away.

"Nothing" he mumbled back.

"What happened at the lab?"

"Nothing."

She took his face in her hands and pulled his lips from hers, breaking the firm seal. "What happened at the lab?"

"Nothing" he leaned in again but was stopped by her finger pressed up to his lips.

"Mulder?"

He pried himself from her body easing the pressure in her back and combed a hand through his hair. "Nothing Scully, it's been a frustrating day, everything about this case is frustrating. I got the guys at the lab to run the ballistics three times. The results just came back inconclusive. We can't definitively say the gun had been fired recently. The only thing we did find was that had the gun of been fired a 9mm would fit the gun and match the striation pattern from the casting of the wound the ME made."

She pouted sympathetically and squeezed his hand.

"Was there anything in the medical stuff?"

"Nope nothing the cancer was unusually aggressive but other than that there were no anomalies. It seems the only good thing to come out of all this is he donated his brain to science. Hopefully they'll have better luck than us."

"I think we should write this one up Scully; there is some strange evidence, yes, but no compelling evidence to suggest foul play. I don't know what Skinner wants us to do with this."

"Why Agent Mulder are you going soft on me?"

He smiled and placed his hands back to her hips pushing her against the bench again. "Never soft in present company."

She smacked his hand playfully "you are giving up awfully easy" she had song in her tone.

"I don't think there is anything else we can do here."

"It's going to be a short report Mulder" her concentration was falling quickly as he ran his nose along her ear and she closed her eyes quivering slightly under his touch. She curled a finger under his chin and pressed his lips softly to hers. He deepened the kiss looking to release the frustrations of the day in a more satisfying manner. He lowered his hands down the length of her thighs gathering the material of her skirt in his fingers as he went, slowly raising the hem. They smiled against each other's mouths their teeth touching slightly. Scully took hold of the knot that held his tie and began loosening it. 'BBRINNG BBRINNG'. The shrilling cell phone in Mulders pocket made them both jump. "Goddammitt" Mulder dropped the hem of her skirt 'BRRINNNNG BBRIINNG'. His phone was insistent.

Scully covered his hands with hers and pulled them back to her skirt. "Ignore it." 'BBRRINNNG BRIIINNNNG'. He smiled and raised her skirt to her waist lifting her gently up and onto the bench. The phone stopped. She pulled the tie from his collar and started on the buttons of his shirt, their lips entwined ravishing each other hungrily.

'BRRINNNG BRIINNG' now it was Scully's phone interrupting them "dammit" It was her turn to curse.

Mulder dropped his hands to either side of her hips stepping out of the v between her knees and lowered his head "it must be important." He stepped back and took her hand helping her down from the bench. 'BRINNG BRINNG' the phone insistent was raising their blood pressure with each piercing ring. She sifted through the documents looking for the small but noisy object.

"Shit, where is it?" She began pushing the papers to the floor 'BBRINNG BRRINNN' the noise suddenly louder meant she had found it. "Hello… hello" the line was dead.

In two strides Mulder had her in his arms. "They'll call back" and lowered her onto the bed.

'BANG BANG BANG' a firm hand pressed on the door. "Agent Mulder? Scully?" Recognizing their boss's voice the agents sprung to their feet. "I know you are in there I heard your phones ringing."

Quickly they tucked and buttoned running their hands first through their hair then to flatten the front of their clothes. "How does he do that?" Scully spat at her partner.

"Hello?" He was getting impatient behind the door.

Once he had composed himself Mulder pulled the door open. "Hi we weren't expecting you Sir. When did you get to Dallas?"

Skinner marched into the room clearly frustrated. "This afternoon, I've been at my sisters, sorry I called from the airport but we had a bad line. I'm in the room next door" his eyes scanned the shuffled room suspiciously. "Why aren't you answering your phones?" He looked over at Scully and narrowed his gaze.

She held her hands out gesturing at the scattered paperwork. "We were going through the case sir and my phone got lost in all this paperwork."

"Well there has been another murder; I was just talking to the ME when he got the call. I told him you would meet him at his office, I assume you would like to examine the body yourself this time."

"Yes sir" she bent down grabbing her shoes and stockings and disappeared into the bathroom.

Skinner turned his attention to Mulder. "Is there something I should know about Agent Mulder?"

Mulder answered quickly poker face poised "not at all sir" he shrugged off the implication. "Why do you keep referring to a murder? Scully and I have found no substantial evidence to support the theory a crime was committed by a prosecutable suspect."

"This time there is an entry wound, a single shot to the temple. His wife was upstairs febrile with the flu, just like my sister. She dreamt a man entered the premises crept up behind her husband as he sat on the couch watching the news. He placed the gun to his temple and pulled the trigger. I want you to go to the hospital the wife has been admitted, see if the doctors will let you see her and get a statement, perhaps a description of the shooter. I'll talk to you in the morning." He turned and left slamming the door behind him.

Scully peered out of the bathroom to see if the coast was clear. Mulder was standing with his hand on the door handle paused, staggered at how close they had come to being discovered. He pondered on that fact; they had become too comfortable in this… whatever this was. He could feel Scully watching him and turned to face her. "That was close" he whispered as if the wall that separated Skinners and theirs were made of paper - well it practically was he had heard their phones through it, 'oh god, what else had he heard' he thought and the fear registered on his face.

"Too close!" Scully snatched her jacket from the back of the chair, she was whispering too but the anger in her voice was still present. He moved to her.

"You're angry" he said grabbing her hand.

"Don't" she pulled away from his touch.

"He doesn't suspect Scully" he was still whispering.

She laughed nervously shaking her head "I don't know Mulder, what about yesterday morning and then again today?" She pointed at the door their boss had stormed through "what would he have walked in on!" They were staring at each other fear and anger in both of their eyes. "It shouldn't have to be like this. It shouldn't have to be this hard" she lowered her gaze.

"What are you saying Scully?" He was afraid to reach out to her again, that cold look she had in her eyes he hadn't seen that in a long time, not since before they were together.

"I'm saying" she paused searching for the right words "I'm saying that this," she pointed her finger back and forward between the two of them, "this, whatever this is, it's dangerous Mulder."

"I know that Scully but…"

Scully had her turn at cutting him off she was still whispering but her words were practically being spat from her mouth. "But what Mulder, your work is everything to you and it has become everything to me, what value does that work hold if they can hold this." She repeated the action of pointing her finger back and forward between them, "hold it against us." Their eyes were locked the air thick and tense between them.

"What value do our lives hold Scully without this, without love?" His voice caught in his throat and he whispered "Without us?"

Shock registered on her face. Did he just say what she thought he just said? Did he actually use that word, he had caught her off guard she wasn't expecting that word to fall from his lips, or was she? Her head started to pound and swirl behind her eyes, she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I have a headache" she lowered her whisper "I can't talk about this right now, I have an autopsy to do and you have a witness statement to take." She walked towards the door and turned the lock.

"Scully" he caught her elbow as she passed him, she looked down at his hand where it clutched her desperately seeking reassurance, she couldn't offer him any she was angry, confused, hurting, and her head was really starting to pound. She looked up at him "where are the keys?" He just kept her eyes with his. "The keys Mulder!" Now she wasn't whispering. He reached into his pocket for the keys and placed them into her open palm. She turned and left and a door slammed in his face for the third time that day.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

Dr. O'Neill took the bottle of Scotch from his lower desk draw and poured a generous amount into his glass. He looked over at his lap top as he brought the glass to his lips. The algorithms of numbers and mathematical symbols started to blur as his glasses fogged up from his breath bouncing off the potent amber liquid. He punched in a few numbers as the fog cleared altering one of the equations slightly, the lap top beeped in protest and he slammed the lid down. He picked up his glass and attempted to drink again from the now empty vessel "aargh" he cried out in anger and threw the glass hard at the wall of his lab shattering it into a million pieces. Then he laughed at himself "I really am a mad scientist" he laughed again, there was certain irony in a scientist studying human aggression to become, well, aggressive.

Up until two years ago his work had been in psychology, working with violent criminals in one of the highest security prisons in the country. On a day to day basis he worked with the lowest of the low in society. He sacrificed his own life in the hope of finding a cure for antisocial, maniacal behavior. During his time at the prison he had spent great lengths of time talking with the prisoners, compiling psychological profiles. After many such reports strong patterns started to emerge and he was able to group certain thought process to crimes committed. Under this theory he started to conduct physical tests, using visual stimulation he was able to match these thought processes with patterns on an EEG screen. He theorized that similar to depression, aggression had its own chemical and electrical properties in the brain and as electrical shock therapy had been increasing in the success of assisting depressive disorders. He hoped to create an electrical shock treatment that would do the same for aggression. His research had been cut short, physical testing of his theory was deemed unethical and his funding had been stopped. His frustrations towards the 'powers at be' that wrote the cheques was what got him fired and his superiors confined him to a lab. Eager to not let ten years of his life and hard work go to waste he started experimenting on the post mortem brain. After death, electrical and chemical activity remained in the human brain for a short period of time. He had found a way to prolong this activity long after death had occurred essentially meaning that even after the body had been lay to rest, the brain sat in his lab functioning as it was when the person was walking and thinking. He decided to focus on people who suffered from a Glioblastoma, a brain tumor that when affected the frontal lobe altered personality and caused extremely aggressive behavior in those afflicted. His last experiment had failed an expensive failure that almost meant the end again for him. He had worked long and hard to ensure that this time he would be successful.

He walked over to his experiment, the broken glass crunched under his shoes. The brain lay carefully in a clear perspex box surrounded by artificially produced Cerebral Spinal Fluid. The CSF he had proudly perfected himself was preserving the brain function well and was why he felt his current experimentation was showing more promise than the last. There were small electrodes strategically placed along the soft fragile surface. It looked so simple and yet their placement had to be perfectly aligned. The red leads were connected to his computer from where small electrical impulses were carefully constructed by the symbols and pattern of numbers he plugged into his laptop. The small currents were supposed to imitate the normal electrical impulses that would occur while the person who carried this brain was alive. This particular brain was a perfect specimen. The large aggressive Glioblastoma sitting like a true invader in this man's frontal lobe was the key to his success. The black probes coming from the grey matter surrounding this large tumor were connected to an EEG monitor the fuzzy lines that ran across the machines screen only he could make sense of. By filtering his impulses through this large tumor which in life altered personality and enhanced aggressive behavior he hoped to mimic a picture of what that aggression looked like on his EEG and produce the same EEG patterns he found during his tests on the prisoners. If he could calculate the electrical impulses that mimicked human thought during the most violent of acts by filtering its effects through this particular tumor he hoped to be able to alter it finding the correct counter impulses to hopefully treat violent criminals with his electric shock therapy.

He had decided to start with Murder. Being one of the most primitive of aggressive behaviors its electrical and chemical impulses appeared to be the easiest to replicate. He had spent the better part of a year carefully constructing his equations and conducting preliminary tests on animals. His first live test was conducted just a few nights ago and eight of the twelve equations had been correct. Tonight he had mastered ten. During his initial live experiment he had only been successful with three. As with the last brain the physiology and preservation of the brain tissue altered each time he cast electricity through its delicate structure. He had two more chances and then he would have to start again. He was so close he could taste victory like it was the warm sour scotch that layered his palate. It was going to be a long night.

Mulder pushed through the heavy hospital double doors. They crashed loudly as they hit the walls hard and creaked on their old hinges. The noise startled a few weary patients waiting fervently in the ED waiting room. He walked with heavy steps towards the admitting desk. He was angry, tired and desperately wanted to finish this frustrating assignment so he could get back to DC. In the three months he and Scully had been in this extended version of their relationship they had adapted fine. They had functioned incredibly well, in fact they had probably had the most successful three months professionally then they had had their entire time working together. They had fought, yes, that was inevitable they were after all such different people. But their arguments were always of the professional nature, about their work, their case but their personal relationship had never come into question. It was as if each day they removed their professional relationship along with their shoes and often the rest of their professional attire. Their relationship had become the one thing that he could rely on, his one solid mass to plant his unsteady feet on and tonight the ground shook beneath him.

He found Officer Smith standing at the admissions desk "Officer Smith" he greeted him.

"Agent Mulder" he replied. "I'm sorry Agent Mulder you may have come down here unnecessarily. Mrs. Hall has been sedated we won't be able to speak to her until the morning I'm afraid."

"What happened?"

"This is Dr Reefton," Officer Smith gestured towards a woman who came to stand beside him. "She is the attending physician who admitted Mrs Hall" Dr Reefton extended her hand to Mulder. She was a tall attractive woman with long straight brown hair that fell just below her shoulders. She was wearing a tidy black skirt and suit jacket her white coat fit snuggly over top. Mulder looked down at her outstretched hand before he extended his own. He smiled at her as a way of a greeting and shook her hand firmly.

"Agent Mulder, hello" she replied to his smile.

She looked far too sprightly for the hour they found themselves working in Mulder thought and scratched the unshaven stubble on his chin. "What is Mrs Hall's condition?' Mulder directed his enquiry to her.

"When the paramedics found her at the scene she was ranting, delirious with fever and collapsed from extreme dehydration secondary to hyperemesis. We have admitted her for fluid resuscitation; an antiemetic for the vomiting and have sedated her to ensure she gets some adequate rest."

"When do you think we will be able to talk to her?"

"Well the fever is coming down and the sedative should start to wear off in about four to six hours, so by the morning I'm sure you will be able to speak to her. Although I don't know how helpful she will be."

Mulder turned to the Officer. "Could you get a sketch artist here first thing? I want to get a sketch of the shooter."

Officer Smith looked at Mulder a little confused, "Well yes, but again there is no evidence of a shooter Agent Mulder."

"But there was a bullet hole in Mr Halls head was there not?"

"Well, I guess, kind of, but..."

"Well just get me the sketch artist ok" Mulder was used to people looking at him confused but today was in no mood to be questioned. He pushed his way between the two stunned individuals and followed the length of the corridor until he found a row of seats to perch on. He didn't want to go back to the hotel; he wasn't in the mood to pick up his argument with Scully especially with their boss lingering in the next room. He had at least four hours to kill and his stomach was starting to protest at the lack of dinner. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and starred down at the black screen. He needed to make a call, he wasn't ready to talk to her yet but something had occurred to him that he was too distracted to ask her about at their last interaction. He sighed and then plugged the number he knew so well into the phone. It rang for a long time, he was almost about to hang up when she answered catching him off guard.

"Yeah Scully" her voice boomed into his ear muffled like she was balancing the phone between her ear and shoulder.

"Hi" he said. 'I come in peace' he thought.

"Hi." Her voice was calm, soft even. Was the fight over he wondered, his surprise of hearing her so calm meant the pause in their conversation lingered longer than was considered to be acceptable. "Are you there Mulder? I'm kind of up to my elbows in stomach contents here."

"Yeah sorry I'm at the hospital, looks like I'll be here for the night I won't be able to talk to our witness until the morning."

"You're not coming back to the hotel?"

"No."

"Oh."

Was that disappointment he detected? "Something occurred to me Scully. You said that Mr Harrison's brain was donated to science, do you know what they were doing with it?"

"No but the Dr who requested the organ for donation is on staff there. It shouldn't be too hard to find out." She sneezed loudly unable to move her mouth from the receiver in time.

Mulder pulled the phone away from his ear attempting to reduce the hearing damage caused by the sudden assault. "Bless you."

"Sorry, excuse me." Another long uncomfortable pause followed. He wanted to say more but couldn't formulate the right words in his head.

"Mulder is there something else I'm kind of busy here."

"No, no that's good Scully just….. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine Mulder." Had he really expected any other response "Dr Taylor is waiting I really have to go" and with that she hung up the phone.

Scully threw the phone down on the counter in front of her and pulled two more latex gloves from the box sized small, replacing her bloodied ones. She wiped her brow with her sleeve and exhaled through pursed lips; she suddenly felt very warm and could feel a line of sweat trek down her spine. "Where were we?" She turned to Dr Taylor who had one of Mr Halls' internal organs dangling from the roof scales.

"Small intestine" he replied.

"You know let's just skip to the brain, let's face it that's why we are here isn't it?"

"Ok" he placed emphasis on each letter, a little surprised at her haste.

Scully walked to the top of the autopsy table to stand directly over the deceased man's head. "What's wrong with this picture?"

"Bullet hole, no blood, no bullet" he answered proudly as if he were the student and she were the teacher.

"Yes, but this time an entry wound, but then again no exit wound" she frowned and exhaled heavily.

"Are you ok Dr Scully you are looking a little pale?"

She raised her eyebrow at him instead of offering a response to that question "Could it have been another weapon perhaps something that would leave the same wound as a bullet?" She offered instead.

"Well I guess we could get a forensics team in, take some x-rays, tissue samples and a casting of the wound and compare it with some other weapon types. But it still begs the question Dr Scully, where's the blood?" He looked at her intently and gestured towards the corpses head where the blood should be splayed.

"The officer found blood in the Anderson case under the fluorescent torch have you got one here?"

"Yeah sure, it's in the next room." He moved passed her to get to the exit when she stepped back and lost her balance. He caught her arm before she fell "Whoa, are you alright there?" Stars were dancing in front of Scully's eyes and there was a blackening around the edges of her vision threatening to cover it.

"Yeah just a little tired I guess" Dr Taylor studied her face, her cheeks had become flushed. He turned his palm and placed the back of his hand to her forehead. She pulled away from him briskly "What are you doing?"

"You have a fever Dr Scully."

She pulled her arm from his hand abruptly. "Thank you for your concern Dr Taylor, I'll be fine can you get the light please" she held his eyes with hers firmly then trekked him as he left the room. When the door closed behind him she leant back against the wall and her head fell forward suddenly too heavy for her shoulders. She did feel awful, the ibuprofen she had taken earlier hadn't even touched the sides of her headache and now her skin goose pimpled with fever over aching muscles.

Dr Taylor re-entered carrying the florescent torch, he walked over to the circuit board plugging it in and then began surveying over the autopsy table. A distinct blood splatter pattern was evident from the wound and over the man's face and scalp. "Look at that!" He exclaimed then looked over at her "I've never seen anything like this Dr Scully. It can't have been cleaned off; the blood splatter pattern is too neat. Do you think they used some kind of solvent to erase the colour of the blood?"

"I guess that's a possibility, yes, another skin swab should determine that." She was whispering now and closed her eyes as they became too sensitive in the light. "You know Dr Taylor you are right I'm not really feeling all that well, can I leave you to finish up here?" She started to pull off her gloves and pulled at her white coat popping the buttons down its front. The nausea started to become overwhelming and she began to lose her footing again. Dr Taylor took her elbow to steady her again, dropping the torch in the process it crashed to the floor revealing a pool of blood on the floor under the autopsy table. "Oh my god!" She exclaimed "look at that." The puddle looked as though the blood had come from the wound on the victim's head, a smaller pool lay next to his head on the autopsy table.

"Perhaps it was from the previous autopsy." Dr Taylor suggested. She looked up at him quizzically - 'that was highly unlikely'. "I don't think I have seen anything this bizarre Agent Scully. You and I are the only two people to have been in this room, this man was brought in in a body bag, he couldn't have still been bleeding and even if he was why can't we see the blood?" He was still steadying her with his hand and looked up to find her even paler then before. "Look, I really think you need to go, I'll take some samples, look into this, will you be ok to get back to the hotel, should I call your partner?"

"No!" she answered quickly. 'No don't call Mulder' she thought. "No I'm ok I'm sure once I get out into the fresh air I will start to feel better. She gently removed her arm from his clasp this time and smiled at him in thanks, then grabbed her jacket and left.

The clicking of her heals on the floor sounded like drums in her head as she made her way out of the coroner's rooms and finding welcome shelter in the form of the driver's seat of her rental car. She was breathing hard trying to fight the nearly overwhelming urge to vomit. Her shirt was wet with sweat under her breasts and in the middle of her back she pulled it out of her skirt and undid the top four buttons fanning her face with her collar. She started the car, muting the radio as it bleared into full volume rattling her brain and pulled out of the car park. She fought back the nausea long enough to navigate her way around the streets she had luckily become familiar with over the last couple of days, to reach her hotel room. Exhausted she made her way up the stairs, she struggled with the key in the lock and brought her hand to her mouth fearful she wasn't going to make it inside in time, the lock turned and she ran into the bathroom and emptied her stomach contents violently into the hotel toilet over and over again she wretched. The virus ramped in her body was over heating her core and turning her stomach inside out, when there was nothing left she lay down on the cold hotel bathroom floor enjoying the icy feeling on her overheated skin. 'I have to get into bed' she thought but the urge to close her eyes was overwhelming and she indulged herself as delirium started to set in and memories of a similar setting started to flood back to her. Even though the memories were initially full of too much blood shed, pain and fear, she knew there was a happy ending to this story and she let it play out in her feverish mind as she lay there on the bathroom floor a small smile crept over her lips.

Three months earlier

"I'm not going with you Mulder; this case is a hunch at best." She sat perched on his desk arms and legs folded in obvious defiance. He was standing next to his projector, his finger over the button of his remote pointing it at an image of two boys the older of the two had his brother in a head lock but they both had large smiles on their faces. Mulder and Scully looked at each other for a long time playing their imaginary game of 'who is going to blink first' when a large smile lit up his face.

"What?"

"We both know you are going to come with me Scully" he chuckled.

"Well that's a bit presumptuous of you don't you think?"

"No, I just know you too well my dear."

"My dear, Mulder" she slipped off the desk and came to stand next to the projector with him. "Since when do terms of endearment feature in your little case presentations?"

"Since you started bringing me a donut with my coffee in the morning honey." He grabbed the donut in question taking a large bite leaving a sugar coating on his lips. She cocked an eyebrow at him and snatched the remote from his hand pretending to be indignant but really she was happier then she had ever been in this partnership/mutual friendship/ well it was hard to define at this moment. Of course she would be going with him.

The two brothers- Ben and Nicholas came from Elkton a small town just outside of Washington. Mulder had linked their family heritage back to the days of Christ, he surmised that the boys were reincarnates of Cain and Able and he based this on a series of events that had recently occurred in this town that were seemingly identical to events that occurred in the bible and a birth mark Ben had. Mulder believed this birth mark was 'the mark of Cain'. Scully flicked the remote to the final image on the slide; it was from the bible an artist's rendition of Cain and Able with a caption underneath it: 'Cain said to his brother Able, "Let's go out into the field" and while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Able and killed him'.

"Genesis" Scully recognised the passage well. "So you hope to prevent Ben from murdering his brother Nicholas?" Scully asked mockingly.

"Well other crimes have been committed Scully, with serious religious undertones, we should look into those first but yes we could keep an eye on the boys." Scully was still looking at him unconvinced. "It shouldn't be too hard Scully we just have to wait for them to walk into a field," he was mocking her now.

She rolled her eyes and turned off the projector.

Scully shifted uncomfortably in her seat. They had been in Elkton for three days and while they had been very successful in some aspects, they hadn't made much progress with the two brothers and she was becoming impatient with Mulders persistence on this. They had followed the boys to a national park where they sat in their car watching them play a game of what appeared to be modern combat. Using sticks and pinecones as weapons they ducked and dived around the trees. Scully's stomach growled loudly and she covered it with her hand to filter the noise.

"Are you alright Scully?" Mulder smiled at the sheer volume of the noise.

"Yeah I think that chicken salad I had for lunch had seen better days."

Without hesitation he reached over and covered her flat abdomen with his hand, he moved his fingers scrunching the material of her shirt as he did raising it slightly from the hem to reveal a small flash of her stomach. She gasped softly at his boldness and turned her head to find he had leaned right over to her. His face was a mere few inches away from hers. His eyes were focused straight through hers and hers darted side to side looking into each of his in turns. Time stood still for the few seconds they were poised in that position, a million thoughts ran through her mind leaving her unprepared when he suddenly moved his hand, causing her to jump.

"Where'd they go?" He exclaimed, his eyes scanning the tree line.

Scully turned to where the boys had been playing, his hand had left a warm patch on her abdomen and she cleared her throat nervously trying to ignore the feelings it invoked in her so she could regain focus on what they were doing there. "Ah, um I can't see them." She answered.

Instinct kicked in and they both pulled open their doors and ran down the small hill leading to the tree line where the boys had been. They stopped at the edge of the trees scanning the area left and right both out of breath with the sudden exertion and rush of adrenaline. "They can't have gone far." Mulder exclaimed and reached for his belt and unclipped his weapon bringing it up to his chest. Scully followed his lead retrieving her own weapon from her belt. "You go left" he gestured with his hand and started to jog in the opposite direction. "Try to keep within ear shot" he yelled as he disappeared into the trees.

She moved as quickly as she could over the uneven forest floor, dodging tree roots and fallen branches. Her gun was held by both hands above her right shoulder. It didn't take long for her to come to a clearing she looked around the edge of the tree line but couldn't see Mulder. Her brow creased at the sight that lay out in front of her she had just stepped out of a thick forest into this large field. 'Field' she thought back to that morning in their office 'we just have to wait until they walk into a field'. Her heart rate and breathing quicken as she felt the adrenaline flood her veins and senses kicked into overdrive. She scaled the scene in front of her, listening carefully to the sounds of the wind and the trees but there was nothing else and then faintly in the distance she could hear something. Perhaps it was a cry but she couldn't be certain. Her eyes whipped around the tree line across the field she spotted some movement and started to walk forward gun still poised over her shoulder. She walked slowly at first but as she drew closer she could start to make out the two boys in the distance, her pace quickened. They were at the edge of a small lake at the end of the field, Ben held his brother by the shoulders with his head submerged under the water. The young boy was fighting, kicking, struggling but was no match for his older brothers' strength. Scully was running now "Stop!" She yelled. The boy lifted his head and seeing her running towards him in the distance altered the position of his hands to his brothers' throat. An attempt to quicken his death before Scully could reach him.

Scully was closing the distance but not quickly enough as the boy, now being strangled as well as drowned stop struggling. "Stop or I'll shoot!" She raised her weapon 'don't make me shoot you' she thought to herself desperately. Ben looked up at her but only tightened his grip. "Stop!" she tried again she extended her arms even more, gun poised, the distance was too great, her sight was off slightly by the terrain but she was running out of options, she wasn't going to make it in time. She closed one of her eyes, taking aim slowing her pace to increase her accuracy, said a silent prayer and then pulled the trigger. The sound of the shot echoed through the air making it sound like a bolt of thunder ripping through the trees. She saw the boy's shoulder jerk backwards as the bullet hit him and he fell violently back onto the ground. Scully increased her pace again running faster than she thought she ever had in her life, somehow, even in her inappropriate heeled shoes for the terrain. Finally she made it to the edge of the small lake. She dragged the limp young man from the water and was relieved when he started to cough.

Mulder heard the shot echo through the forest and instinctively ran towards the noise "Scully!" He yelled into the trees. When he came out of the tree line he found himself at the edge of the small lake. He looked over towards the commotion and couldn't help but be shocked by the scene that lay out in front of him. Scully was with the older boy so he went to the young boy who was wet and coughing struggling for breath. He Knelt down to the boy but his eyes never left Scully. He lifted the boy "breath" he said slowly and softly. "That's it breath in and then breath out." He looked at the boy briefly then back over to Scully. The boy started to get a hold of his breath then started to cough again. "Scully" he called to her asking her what she wanted him to do simply in the tone in which he called her name.

"Get over here Mulder!" There was panic in her voice. He walked unsteadily towards her and couldn't help gasp at the sight before him. There was so much blood. It was thick and bright and it painted the muddy ground and covered his shaking partner who was cradling the young man on her knees. Her hand covered the wound on his shoulder, the bullet had severed the artery and the blood was pulsing through her fingers in time to the young man's beating heart. The boy was taking short shallow breathes pure shock written over his face.

"Scully?" he asked her again 'what do you need me to do'.

"Call the emergency services Mulder; tell them to get a chopper here now." She couldn't look up at him, "and give me your tie!"

The memory of that boy's face and his blood covering her woke her from her febrile stupor. She lifted her cheek off the cold bathroom tile and groaned. She didn't know how long she had been lying there but she ached all over and was shivering still hot with fever. She reached up to the basin and used it to bring herself to her feet. The movement stirred her stomach again and she vomited but her stomach had barely anything left to loose. She could hear her hotel phone ringing but made no effort to answer it. She stood and looked at herself in the mirror, her eyes had dark shadows below them her complexion ivory and green - she looked dreadful. She grimaced at her reflection and then turned on the water and splashed it onto her face and in her mouth. She stepped out of her clothes as she walked towards her welcoming bed then climbed in between the cool sheets. Laying her head onto the pillow her dreams went back to the evening of that day…..

Mulder knocked on her apartment door but did not expect her to answer; he withdrew her key from his pocket and turned it in the lock. He walked in and scanned the empty room, the lights were off and the curtains weren't drawn. "Scully" he called but got no reply. He made his way through to her bedroom the house seemed eerily still, it was meticulously neat except for the trail of bloodied clothes that lead to her ensuite. The clock ticked loudly on her wall, he could hear his own heart beating in time with it. The door to the bathroom was open and in noting a steady stream of steam coming out of it he made his way over to the bathroom door. "Scully" he called again but still received no reply; he hesitated for only a moment then entered her bathroom.

He had seen enough people in shock to know that's what he saw in his partner. Even though the glass was heavily fogged with steam, he could see her sitting in the shell of her shower. Her knees were drawn tightly to her chest engulfed by her arms, her chin sat between the grooves made by her knees. Her eyes were unfocused staring straight ahead at nothing but the glass of the shower. "Scully" he said again softly trying not to startle her and pulled open the shower door. She didn't move, didn't blink if she wasn't holding herself upright he would've contemplated checking for a pulse. The shower was hot and pummelling down on her back leaving her pale skin red with heat, her head was placed too far forward to catch the spray of the water and he was shocked to see the blood that had stained and tangled it.

"Oh Scully" he reached out a hand to touch her but pulled back before making contact and still her muscles stayed rigid, her eyes glazed over staring blankly at that imaginary spot on the shower wall. He felt panic start to rise up within him. She had been through so much during her time with him on the x-files, but cases involving children were always the hardest, on both of them. He never doubted her decision to pull the trigger; he knew he would've done the same. The fact the shot had not been clean was not her fault either, the range was too great, the site unclear, he knew it; he wondered how he could convince her. He walked back into her bedroom and gathered her pyjamas from under her pillow then returned to the bathroom where he placed them on the vanity and knelt down at the open shower door. Still she sat in the same position; he hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath then reached out to her again. Softly he placed the tips of his fingers under her chin and tilted her head back. He expected her to flinch, to resist, but she didn't, she let him move her head slowly under the water stream and closed her eyes as the warm water hit her forehead. The water circling her became red stained from the blood being washed from her hair, its bright red colour exaggerated by the too white shower floor. He let go of her chin and she tilted her head back to a neutral position, her eyes opened and returned to that spot on the glass wall. He reached up and grabbed the bottle of shampoo sitting in the corner of the shower and placed a small amount in his hand. Drawing in another deep breath he reached out and began to massage it into her scalp. The fragrant scent he pleasantly recognised from her hair was now tainted with the steal smell of old blood. The suds turned to lather quickly as he awkwardly but slowly gathered her hair in his hands and rubbed them together, he looked back at her eyes to try and see if he would get a response but was still left unrewarded and he wondered if she realised he was even there. He placed his fingers back under her chin and tilted her head under the falling water the suds hit the shower floor with a loud crack and she flinched, her eyes shot open and she drew a short sharp breath. He pulled his hands back quickly almost falling backwards, but she didn't make another move.

The suds circled her and then found their way down the drain he wished he could wash her memories of that day away as he had washed her hair. He turned the shower tap to off and draped a large white towel around her shoulders. He turned and grabbed a towel for himself, drying his hands and then brushing the water that had sprayed down the front of his shirt. When he turned back to the shower he almost bumped into her. "Jesus" he cursed under his breath. She had stood while his back was turned and now stood mere millimetres away from him dripping wet and bare except for the towel she was clutching around her shoulders.

He could hear the clock in the next room ticking loudly although its pace seemed to have slowed considerably as his pulse had taken on a quicker thud. He stood back, averting his eyes then used the towel he held in his hands to dry her the best that he could. Her stony eyes drew a new focus straight in front of her the new spot was in the centre of Mulders chest and he stood there and wondered again if she realised he was there, that it was him she looked straight through. He reached for her Pyjamas lying on the vanity then drew each of her arms through the sleeve of the pale blue, silk top. He buttoned the top button; she still looked straight through his centre. He trailed his fingers down the two seams to the next button and the knuckle of his index finger accidently grazed the curve of her breast. The chill that ran through her body from that intimate, albeit accidental, touch threw her out of her trance and she drew a short gasp, her head flicking up to find his eyes. They drew focus and darted side to side at his irises in turn. So much of their communication was done through mere glances and lingering stares and as her expression was asking him 'what are you doing, why are you here' he did his best to say 'its ok' with his own expression.

This moment was Scully's first recollection from that night, the shock blocking out the rest. As she stood there feeling her most vulnerable looking up at her partner, she suddenly didn't care, she felt that wall she had built up between them crumble away. He was dressing her she thought and realised she trusted him implicitly, yearned for his comfort and loved him completely. He finished with the buttons on her top and knelt down to allow her to step into her pants. She rested her hands on his shoulders to keep her balance and he drew them up the length of her legs his hands stopping to rest on her hips. Scully bit into her bottom lip as it started to quiver "I killed him." She said her voice shaking.

Mulder tightened his hands on her waist and pulled her against him. "No Scully, no, you saved him. You saved both of them. You left the hospital before you could see, before I could tell you, they are going to be ok." He rested his forehead into hers as a silent tear ran down her cheek. "Come on," he drew his arm around her waist and led her out of the bathroom. He pulled back the cover of her bed and let her climb in, tucking the covers up to her chin he knelt down and let her encircle his neck with her arms and bury her face in his shoulder. She began to sob quietly at first and then wailing, unbridled tears fell onto his back and he closed his eyes and held his back strong so she could pelt her fists down onto it. He held her and the clock on the wall ticked the hour by. Eventually the sobs slowed and she fell into an exhausted sleep.

She woke when the first light of the day began to creep through her curtains. She reached over to where he had been kneeling to find him no-longer sitting there. She sighed then ran her fingers down the buttons of her top remembering the softness of his fingers and the feeling it had invoked deep inside her. She could hear the faint sound of an infomercial playing on her TV and smiled knowing exactly where she would find him. She left her bed and walked into her lounge he was just as she had pictured him, splayed on her couch with a single cushion resting under his head. His shoes and socks discarded, his jacket and tie lay across the back of a chair. His folded arms lay across his chest rising and falling with each deep sleeping breath, he looked so peaceful. She smiled down at the sight and about all the new feelings she had running inside her for him. She pressed the TV off and when she looked back he was awake, he hadn't moved but his eyes were on her. She reached down and gently touched the tips of her fingers along the top of his hand, leaving them for a while she traced small circles over his skin and then entwined his fingers with hers, stepping backwards as she did motioning him to rise. He complied not dropping his eyes from hers when he stood they were facing each other so close their bodies were touching. She tilted her chin and looked deep into his eyes her gaze was full of promise as she raised her heels to close the gap of their height and pressed a soft, lingering kiss on his bottom lip. Lowering her heals she turned and with their fingers still entwined… she lead him to her bed.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

Mulder scanned the crowded hospital waiting room looking for the admitting physician he had met earlier he creased his brow 'what was her name?' He thought "Reefton" he said out loud as she walked passed him her face buried in a patient file. "Dr Reefton" he said louder and grabbed the tail of her white coat. She stopped suddenly and turned abruptly ready to scold whoever had just grabbed at her. She could never get used to the many unsubtle innuendos thrown at her by every second man that walked into this hospital. But it wasn't just someone it was the handsome FBI agent she had met earlier. Many a law man had come through this hospital but most were red nosed and round bellied from too much beer and donuts but not this one, this one she didn't mind him grabbing at her coat. Although when she looked at him sitting in that chair she got the distinct impression that getting to know her more personally was the farthest thing from his mind. She looked down at his left hand there was no wedding band, he wasn't married but when she looked into his eyes and smiled at him she saw a women's reflection and knew without asking that he had eyes for only one.

"Agent Mulder isn't it?" She asked kindly trying to disguise the flirt in her voice.

"Yes Dr Reefton I wander if I could ask you a few questions?"

"Kate, please call me Kate. I'm about to go on a break do you want to grab a coffee?"

"Actually I'm starving is there a vending machine somewhere?"

"Even better the café here is open all night. Agent Mulder, do you have a first name?"

"Ah Agent Mulder is fine. Lead the way"

She looked at him a little confused; a little insulted but led him to the cafeteria.

They sat opposite each other, over their sandwiches and fries, apart from the tired women behind the counter they were the only ones in the large, low lit cafeteria. Mulder didn't realise how hungry he actually was until he put the first fry into his mouth and now he couldn't stop putting one after the other. "Doesn't your girlfriend feed you Agent Mulder?" He chocked a little on his mouthful and didn't commit to an answer. He avoided her inquisitive eyes and put another chip in his mouth.

"Uh huh so you had a fight then?"

"Kind of a personal question for someone you just met don't you think Dr Reefton?"

"It's Kate and I'm a Dr, most people tell me the most personal things about themselves in the first ten minutes of our meeting."

"Ah but I am not a patient, Kate." It only just occurred to him that this woman, who he also just noticed was attractive too, was flirting with him. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair and cleared his throat. "I need to ask you about organ donation."

"Are you thinking of donating a kidney?" He was embarrassed at how outwardly flirty her tone was and laughed it off.

"No, there was a patient treated here about a year ago for an aggressive brain tumour. When he died he donated his brain to research I need to find out who requested the organ and what kind of research they conducted with it."

"That information should be easy to find although if its brain research you're interested in I can almost guess who it is who would have requested it." The way she said the last half of that sentence indicated this person was not someone she was fond of. Mulder tilted his head gesturing her to expand on that sentence. "His name is O'Neill, he's a bit, well, how to put this nicely, mad. They put him in a basement lab; they put all the crazy ones in the basement."

Mulder laughed outwardly. Kate was about to take a sip of her coffee and she paused with the cup at her lips. "What?"

"My office is in the basement."

She blushed "I'm sorry I didn't mean to offend."

"Don't worry the FBI think I'm crazy too, give me a little time I'm sure you'll draw the same conclusion."

"What does your girlfriend think?"

"You don't give up do you?" he chuckled the sentence, amused at how bold this woman was being.

She took that sip of her coffee, "nope."

He dropped his eyes and smiled picturing Scully's 'you're crazy Mulder' face. "Yeah she thinks I'm crazy too."

Kate smiled and took another sip of her coffee she had got it out of him, she knew she would and she would leave it at that. "Come on I'm sure O'Neil is hiding in his underground lair I'll take you down to see him."

"Don't let me keep you from your patients."

"It's pretty quiet in ED I have my pager if they need me."

"Let me just make a call." He pulled out his phone and turned trying to gain some privacy. The phone rang and rang in his ear. "Come on Scully" he said to the ring tone in his ear, he needed to hear her voice but the only version he got was her recorded voice message. He didn't leave a message after the beep. He shoved the phone deep in his pocket and joined Kate at the elevator door; she had hit the 'B' and was watching the light fall down the numbers above the steel doors. The elevator doors opened and they stepped in. "You don't happen to know the coroners number do you?"

"Unfortunately yes, I have him on speed dial…. Occupational hazard" and she pulled out her cell phone and scrolled through the list of names when she found it she hit send and handed him the phone. After a few rings a very flustered Dr Taylor answered.

"Hello Kate - please don't tell me you have another body for me, I can't get another pathologist at this hour."

"Hello" Mulder responded.

"Hello, who is this?"

"This is Special Agent Mulder."

"Oh you" Dr Taylor remembered him from their last meeting "Why are you on Dr Reefton's phone?"

"I'm here at the hospital with her following up some leads on this case, is Agent Scully with you?"

Kate looked up at the lighted numbers trying to pretend she wasn't eavesdropping on his conversation.

"No I sent her home."

"What! You sent her home? What gives you the authority to throw a federal agent off this case?"

"Settle down Agent Mulder I didn't throw her off anything, she's sick, she could barely stand on her two feet."

"Sick!" images of Scully after her chemo flashed through his mind and made him feel nauseous himself.

"What kind of sick? What's wrong with her? She didn't call me and say she wasn't well."

"The flu I think and are you surprised? She told me not to call you, I don't know how you do it Agent Mulder she is one stubborn woman!"

Mulder disconnected the call and shifted angrily on his feet. He handed Kate back her cell phone without looking at her and reached for his own. He found their hotel number and pushed send. Kate bit her lower lip and looked over at him out of the corner of her eye "Yes this is Agent Mulder can you put me through to room six, no room five please" he yelled down the phone.

He had mixed their rooms up, Kate noticed, 'ah she must be the one' she thought. Mulder caught her looking at him aware that he had been caught out and she looked back up at the lit number display.

"Yes I am aware of the hour sir! Thank you" he looked back at the smug look on Kate's face and chose to ignore her. There was a long awkward silence as the phone rang and rang in his ear going unanswered.

The hotel desk clerk came back on the line, "I'm sorry sir there is no answer, if you don't mind me saying, Agent Scully is probably trying to asleep."

"Have you seen her tonight?"

"Yes Agent Mulder she arrived back a while ago. I can still see your car in the car park she must be asleep."

Mulder let out a sigh of relief. At least she had made it back ok.

"Thank you"

"Would you like to leave a message?"

"No, no message" he hung up and returned it to his pocket awkward silence filled the extremely long elevator ride again.

"Is everything alright Agent Mulder?"

"Yeah, my partner is sick she must have caught the flu."

"Your partner?" She didn't look over at him but he looked to her.

"Yes, my partner" he emphasised the last word as the lift doors crashed open.

"Shall we?" Kate gestured out of the elevator doors smiling smugly at him.

It really was an underground lair; the corridor was cluttered with old gurneys and medical equipment, wheelchairs with only one wheel and a rusted autopsy table. Mulder shivered at the haunted nature of the poorly lit corridor. A light shone through a door window at the end of the corridor like a beacon and he walked towards it quickly. Kate tapped her knuckle on the lit window, "Dr O'Neill" she called then tapped louder. "Dr O'Neill its Dr Reefton I have an FBI agent with me who wants to speak to you?" They got no answer.

Mulder rattled the round door handle a few times and then turned it. "I guess the Dr is in the house" he joked and pushed his way passed Kate and into the lab. She rolled her eyes and followed him in. Once through the doors Mulder paused to take in what he saw. In the middle of the room was a large Perspex box surrounded by many wires connecting to equipment and a large screen.

"I told you he was mad" Kate whispered in his ear. They looked around the large over lit lab unable to see anyone in the room. "Dr O'Neill" Kate called again.

Mulder walked over to the experiment and peered over the top. "That's disgusting" he exclaimed, "Could that be the brain I'm looking for?"

Kate came to stand beside him and looked down at the brain. "You said your patient died a year ago right? I don't think it could be, it looks too.." she looked at it squeamishly "fresh." They both looked down at the brain again.

"Can I help you?" A man appeared behind them making them both jump and spin on their heels.

"Dr O'Neill I presume" Mulder replied allowing Kate to gather her wits.

"Yes may I ask what you are doing in my lab?"

"I'm Agent Mulder from the FBI; I'm interested in some of your research?"

Dr O'Neill walked to his desk and sat down gesturing them to take the seats across from him. He lifted his bottle of scotch "Drink?"

They both shook their heads and he poured himself a generous helping into a glass. "What does the FBI want with my research?"

Mulder and Kate looked over at each other as he drained the glass in one large gulp and let out a large 'aahhh'.

"Um, well I am investigating a series of unusual deaths and a name has appeared in relation to them - Doug Harrison. He was a patient who was treated for an aggressive brain tumour here over a year ago; when he died he donated his brain to science. I believe you are the physician who requested the organ."

"Glioblastoma" O'Neill answered

"Pardon me?"

"You said brain tumour, he had a glioblastoma."

"Is there a difference?"

Kate's beeper vibrated loudly against her hip. "Excuse me" she unclipped the small black devise and read the message across its screen. "I have to go, Mrs Hall is rousing didn't you want to speak with her agent Mulder?"

"Yes I'll meet you there in a minute I'll just finish here with the Doctor."

"Will you be ok to find your way back?" She looked at him fearing for his safety down here alone with this man.

He smiled, touched at her concern "I'll be fine."

She hesitated and then looked over at Dr O'Neill who had started to busy himself at his laptop. She rested a hand on Mulders shoulder and bent down to his ear. "I assume you are wearing a weapon" she whispered.

"I'll be fine" he tapped the sig on his belt.

Kate tapped his shoulder a few times and then left the lab. Dr O'Neill was tapping frantically on his keyboard staring intently at the small screen.

"Dr O'Neill" Mulder leaned in to try and get his attention.

"Sshhh!" He hissed

Mulder waited a few seconds "Dr O'Neill what did you do with Mr Harrisons brain?"

"That's it!" The mad Doctor yelled at the computer and pushed his chair away from the desk marching over to another computer next to the large clear box that contained the brain, he started pelting away at the keyboard.

Mulder raised his brow and rose out of his chair joining the Dr at the opposite side of the box. "Dr O'Neill" Mulder started to repeat his question and without thinking placed his hands on the edge of the plastic.

"Don't touch that!" O'Neill yelled without taking his eyes off the computer screen.

Mulder snapped his hands back to his sides "I'm sorry Dr, Mr Harrisons brain, where is it?"

"You are looking at it Agent" Dr O'Neill stopped his typing and focused back to Mulder "Do you know how many murderers, muggers, rapists and all round psychopaths there are in this country Agent Mulder?"

"Well…"

"Do you know how much it costs to keep these pathetic excuses of human beings behind bars?"

"Well I…."

"I do! I spent a good part of my life counselling them, studying them learning what makes them tick, what drives their repulsive urges." He spat as he spoke and Mulder wanted to wipe the saliva that had sprayed onto his tie.

"I'm an FBI agent Dr O'Neill and a psychologist I have seen my share of human nature at its worse."

"I bet you have." He returned his attention to the computer screen.

"What are we looking at here?" He cringed at the floating brain.

"The un-dead brain."

Mulder pictured the cliché lightning bolt strike behind the literary 'mad scientist'. "Care to expand on that Dr?"

"Mr Harrison had a particularly nasty glioblastoma it was aggressive and in the perfect location to amplify aggressive behaviour. My research involves working with this aggression mapping it using carefully designed electrical charges and once I have perfected it I can work on treating it with E.C.T."

"You think you can cure a murderer with a treatment designed for depression?"

Dr O'Neill nodded.

"Impressive. So you said this brain was 'undead' you mean preserved?"

"No Agent Mulder this brain is very much alive. The CSF I created and the electricity I have carefully calculated running through it means this brain is functioning as if it was still controlling a living human being."

The pieces were starting to come together in Mulders mind. "So this brain is capable of thought, of dreams, actions?"

Dr O'Neill laughed "Agent Mulder one would need a body for those actions and I'm sure Mr Harrisons body is most definitely compost by now. This is just a well preserved brain kept mechanically alive like you would heart and lungs on a life support system."

"But a heart and lungs cannot project thought" Mulder muttered under his breath as his cell phone chimed in his pocket. "Thank you Dr." He pulled his phone out of his pocket and made his way towards the exit of the Laboratory. Dr O'Neill shrugged and returned to his lap top.

"Mulder" he yelled into the phone.

"Agent Mulder Mrs hall is awake and talking to the sketch artist we have a picture of your 'killer.'" Kate informed him.

"Thanks, I'm on my way up." He stepped into the elevator and tried Scully's phone again.

"Hello" a very sleepy Scully with a very blocked nose answered. Her voice was muffled against her pillow like she hadn't raised her head to answer the phone.

"Hi." Mulder smiled picturing her first thing in the morning.

"Mulder?" she was barely awake.

"Yeah it's me how are you feeling?"

"Better, I think" she yawned loudly "I was just dreaming about you" she said through her yawn on its way out.

"Really, was I good?"

"I don't know you interrupted me, it was just getting to the good part."

"Scully" he exhaled her name smiling. "Did we make up?"

"Hmm?"

"The last time I saw you, you slammed a door in my face."

"I'm sorry" She whispered, he didn't answer hoping she would continue with that apology. "You know sometimes it feels like you and I are walking on this never ending tightrope." She exhaled heavily, "I guess I keep waiting to fall."

"You know I'd catch you."

She was silent for a while. "What if we both fall?"

"Well then I guess you'll have someone to hold onto on the way down." Another long silence followed. "Scully?"

"Mmm" she was sleepy again.

"What are you wearing?"

She laughed sleepily "not much actually I still have a fever." She couldn't pull off a seductive voice in her current state but tried her best. "How's the case going?"

"I'm heading up to see Mrs Hall, her husband was our latest victim. I think she may be able to confirm my suspicions."

"Hmmm?"

"I just met an unusual little man who has Mr Harrisons brain wired for sound or should I say wired for dreams."

"Hmmm?"

"He has managed to somehow keep it alive, he's conducting experiments on it using electrical impulses he hopes to simulate specific forms of human aggression and then counteract it with electric shock therapy. If I'm right the time he conducted his experiments will co-relate to the time of our murders and Mrs Hall will ID Harrison as the killer." There was silence on the other end of the line so he continued.

"I think his experiment is causing Doug Harrison to somehow be projected into the dreams of these women where he kills his victims. The murders are conducted in a dream but because of Mr Harrison's unique state of consciousness his actions spill into the real world, merging the unconscious and conscious planes and that is why the evidence is there but not there." There was no response "Scully, are you still with me?"

"I think you're right Mulder."

He coughed, pretending to chock on her statement "pardon me? You really are sick."

"Mmm or I just don't have the energy to argue with you. Ok. If you were right, every serial murder has a motive or the victims are connected in some way. How are your victims connected Mulder, how are they selected? Maybe I should meet you sounds like I should take a look at this experiment; I don't think you quite have the facts straight." She went to sit up but her head spun and her stomach flipped again.

"Maybe not Scully" he could hear her discomfort. "Take your phone's off the hook and go back to sleep, I'll see you soon."

"Hmmmm" she was already half way there.

"Sweet dreams." He hung up the phone and put it back into his pocket smiling to himself as the elevator reached his floor. He felt a great weight lift off his shoulders, but intuitively knew another was about to take its place.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

The ED had become a frenzy of new staff at hand over and the morning rush of overnight casualties making their way through the doors. In the crowd of new faces and lack of sleep Mulder became disorientated and made his way to the admitting desk. "Hello" he tried to get the attention of one of the busy nurses behind the desk. "Hello," they continued to push the files around on the desk and tap away at the computer. He pulled out his badge and placed it on their desk. "Can I have a moment of your time please?" The nurse looked up but was interrupted as Kate and Officer Smith approached him.

"Good morning Agent Mulder" Officer Smith greeted him.

"Nice to see you made it out of there." Kate added.

"Have you got my sketch?" Officer Smith handed him the freshly drawn sketch.

"It's Harrison" Mulder said handing the sketch to Kate and moving away from the desk towards Mrs Hall's room.

Kate stopped him short of entering. "Wait Mulder, Harrison's your Glioblastoma case, the guys who's brain is hooked up to Frankenstein's computer. How can he be your killer?"

"Harrisons' brain is very much alive it's in a state of consciousness no human brain has ever been in before and your 'Dr Frankenstein' is stimulating it's most aggressive power. Specifically he is generating murderous actions that are playing out in these women's dreams and coming into fruition in this world." Kate looked at him blankly "You see now why they put me in the basement?" She kept starring in silence. "Look my usual Dr/scientist who argues the scientific explanation is in bed with a fever, do you think you could try standing in?" She started to move her mouth. "Wait. There is new research that suggests some brain tumours may have viral origins, right?"

"Yes."

"Could a Glioblastoma stem from a simple flu virus?"

"Yes, I suppose it ca…"

"That's the connection. Each woman who had the murderous dreams were also delirious with fever from a flu virus." He was staring at her intensely suddenly all the pennies were dropping at once and then he gasped "Huh, Scully."

"What?" Kate answered thinking he really had gone mad.

"My partner, do you have a car?"

"Yes, it's in the Dr's car park, I have my own space."

"Can I borrow it?"

"Ok where are you going?" She pulled the keys out of her pocket and handed them to him as he turned and starting walking briskly away.

"I need to go wake my partner up" he called as he ran towards the exit. Then something occurred to him so he swivelled on his feet and ran back to her placing his hands on each of her shoulders. "I need you to go down to O'Neils lab. I need you to pull the plug on his experiment."

She nodded "ok."

Mulder turned to Officer Smith who was watching them confused. He pointed a sharp finger at him "you go with her."

Kate and Officer Smith exchanged a confused glance and then watched Mulder exit the busy ED. Mulder pulled out his phone and dialled the hotel number. "This is Agent Mulder I need you to go and knock on room five's door….

Yes that's Agent Scully's room…..

Yes she probably is asleep….

I need you to try and wake her…

No her phone will be off the hook…..

Thank you I'm on my way."

Scully hung up her cell phone and switched it off and then she removed the receiver from its base in her hotel phone as well. For once she was going to follow Mulders advice. Feeling a bit more steady and less likely to vomit she slowly rose out of bed to find something to try and lower her still raging fever. She poured herself a long glass of cold water, set it on her bedside table then climbed back between the sheets resting her head and hoping an uninterrupted deep sleep would find her.

Behind her eyelids she returned to her febrile dream land. Her hand was still interlinked with his as she led him to the foot of her bed. Stopped he stepped closer to her closing the already small distance between them. She kept her eyes low, suddenly feeling for the first time in his presence, a little shy. She felt like her breathing was audible to the neighbours and yet he remained calm, she could feel his eyes sitting on the top of her lowered head. He ran the side of his index finger along her jaw, painfully slowly until he reached her chin and tilted her head to meet his eyes. The room was deafeningly silent and she felt like the floor might open beneath her. His finger left her chin and in an odd move he swept it along the back of her neck, under her collar. "No bees?" He whispered.

She smiled suddenly feeling much more relaxed, realising this was his way of asking if she was sure. "No bees" she confirmed smiling one of her rare smiles. He closed the distance between their mouths slowly. She closed her eyes in sweet anticipation. His lips were soft and tender and moved gently over hers, she knew this was the single most intimate moment of her life and she never wanted it to end. They paused at the same time moving their mouths a breath away from each other she opened her eyes to look up at him - but he was gone. She ran her tongue along her lower lip and then took it between her teeth; her lips were still tingling from his. She was still dreaming she realised but the room was darker and different; she was no longer in her apartment. It was familiar though the bed, the paint, and the décor she turned on her feet looking around the room – it was her hotel room. Looking down at the bed she realised she was looking down at herself, fast asleep. Something or someone moved inside the bathroom catching the corner of her eye. She instinctively went to reach for her gun but her feet were planted firmly to the floor, like she was frozen in time and yet time moved forward around her. She turned her eyes back to the bathroom there was definitely someone in there she could see his flannel sleeve. Her breathing quickened she looked back and forth from her sleeping self to the looming presence in her hotel bathroom. A key shuffled in the lock stealing her icy gaze for just a second and then Mulder burst into the room.

"Scully" he called quietly Scully turned to see the figure in the bathroom retreat out of sight.

"I'm here Mulder" she answered but he didn't hear her, he couldn't see her; he was concentrating on her lying in the bed. He came around and knelt at her bedside to face her exposing his back to the man in the bathroom.

"Mulder I'm here," she tried louder this time. He didn't flinch.

"Scully." He carefully traced the back of his finger down the side of her face. "Wake up sleepy head."

Scully remembered what Joanne had said about watching a movie play out in front of you and this is exactly what was happening. Time appeared to slow as the figure came from the bathroom his flannel covered arms were extended and a small revolver she recognised from that day in Joanne's house was held firmly in his hands. Fingers poised over the trigger and its barrel site firmly planted on the back of Mulders head. "Stop!" Scully yelled, but no-one was paying attention. "Mr Harrison please" she tried again.

The gunman momentarily dropped his attention from Mulder and looked at her. His head cocked sideways in confusion, he had recognised his name.

"Stop" she repeated with a quiver on her lips and a single tear threatening to fall from her bottom eyelid. "Please" she pleaded. Her eyes shifted back to Mulder realising that he felt the presence lingering on his back and was reaching for his weapon. Harrison saw her shift in attention and returned his to Mulder. Time slowed to a crawl for Scully. She heard her own voice yelling "No" as that tear fell from its hiding place and trekked down her cheek and her feet still planted to the floor left her to only fold in half at the middle.

Mulder stood and turned face to face with the shooter as he pulled the trigger spitting the bullet out with a shattering crack. Mulders arms swinging to deflect the shot hit Harrisons arms forcing the bullet lower than its intended target and instead through Mulders shoulder. Scully watched helplessly as Mulders shoulder jerked violently backwards, his face grimacing with intense pain and shock and the spray of his blood splatter over her bed and her still lying asleep and seemingly oblivious to the nightmare that was playing out in that Dallas hotel room. Harrison fell to the floor knocked over by Mulders blow spilling the gun to the floor. Scully was gasping desperately trying to fill her lungs with oxygen, her tears were freely flowing, her hands planted on her knees desperately trying to keep herself upright and then everything went black.

Suddenly she was back in her bed, she woke with a startle kicking her feet free of the weight from the body that lay across them and clutching at the sheets scrambling to get herself into an upright position. She shivered and shook. Her breath was coming in short quick gasps. Then she brushed viscously at her chest and arms where Mulders warm red blood at soaked her shirt in her worst nightmare. She looked down at him lying across the foot of her bed unconscious, but there was no blood. She frowned as she looked at him momentarily confused; she brushed at her clothes one last time then shivered gathering her wits and catching her breath. Then everything started to make sense, the dream, the virus, Harrison. "Mulder" she crawled along the bed to his side "Mulder wake up". She shook his shoulders, he didn't respond. She started on his top buttons, loosening the tie and then in frustration ripped at the shirt sending buttons flying in the air popping as they tore from the expensive cotton. The wound was neat but deep. "Oh god, Mulder, Mulder wake up, open your eyes" she patted him firmly on each cheek and he stirred slightly before falling back unconscious.

Scully scrambled back on all fours along the edge of the bed until she reached the head board and then banged firmly on the wall. "Skinner!" She yelled banging hard again "Skinner I need your help!" Hearing feet scramble out of the bed in the next room she went back to Mulders side. "Come on Mulder, come back to me" she whispered then lay her cheek to his mouth, checking for signs of life, warm reassuring breath hit her cheek- he was still breathing.

Skinner came crashing into the room still doing his pants up looking half asleep "What is it, what's wrong?"

"Mulders been shot."

"What?" He looked between an unconscious Mulder and a scared looking Scully.

"Call an ambulance he's been shot!" She fired back at him giving him her 'do it or I'll kill you' stare. She held her hands firmly over the wound, still no blood was spilling through but she could feel its warmth slide through her fingers and his life pulse started to beat too slowly.

Skinner who had managed to button his fly, but had left his belt hanging was also still in his white singlet that he had been sleeping in. He put his glasses on that he had grabbed in his haste out the door and scrambled to the phone. "Yes this is Deputy Director Walter Skinner FBI I need a paramedic team now, I'm at ah ah." He looked around the room for something that had the hotel name on it but the operator answered for him reading from the caller display screen in front of her. "Yes room 5, I have an agent down!" He hung up the phone and turned to Scully. She sat on her knees with her hand placed firmly over Mulders left shoulder. "Talk to me Scully, what's going on?"

"He's shot!" she didn't look up at him.

"Where I can't see any blood? Are you ok you look like you have a fever? Are you sure?"

"I saw it" she looked up at him her exterior calm and collected except for a single tear that sat on her eyelid then spilled down her cheek. "In my dream, it was Harrison." She looked back down at her hands, reassured by the gentle pulse beneath her palms.

"Ok, Ok settle down, tell me what you want me to do."

"Get him a blanket, over there" she gestured with her chin towards the wardrobe where she had seen the spare linen.

He got up and did as she had asked covering Mulder with the blanket. "You ok?" he asked trying to catch her eyes.

"I can feel it" she said shakily. "I can feel the blood on my hands." She started to breath quickly "this is not happening, this is not happening, this is not happening" the words came from deep in her throat. She looked up at him and through gritted teeth exaggerated each word "This is not happening!" Their eyes were locked.

"It's ok" He broke the silence, "the paramedics are on their way." He tried to sound reassuring but a big part of him thought she was delirious. Then he looked at Mulders face, he was pale and his skin was covered in a light sheen of sweat, making it clammy to the touch, all signs that he was, indeed, bleeding to death. He looked back at Scully whose eyes started to dart from side to side, like she was concentrating hard to find something. "What, what is it?"

"No" she answered and shifted her hands slightly.

"What Scully, What's going on?"

"No No No" she repeated adjusting her position so she was kneeling directly over him. "His heart has stopped."

"What!"

"Quickly, help me get him on the floor."

"Scully?"

"NOW!"

He scrambled onto the bed linking his arms under Mulders shoulders, his head limp rolled from side to side in Skinners lap. Scully grabbed his feet and together they dragged him onto the floor. He landed with a thud, his eyes closed, the colour had drained from his lips and his body was limp and lifeless. Just then the door burst open and the paramedics flooded the room. Scully was knelt beside him pumping furiously on his chest. Two of the paramedics were carrying a stretcher came to the other side of his body. The other carrying the medical supplies and defib machine.

"Step aside mam we can take it from here" one of the men spoke to her. She kept up her steading rhythm "Mam!"

"He needs a large bore I.V!"

"Mam please we can take it from here."

"He needs a litre of ringers wide open and have the second litre ready. Radio the hospital; tell them we need 6 units of A negative ready for when we get there!"

The confused paramedic looked up at Skinner.

"This is special Agent Dana Scully" Skinner responded. "She is a medical Doctor and this man's partner I suggest you do as she says."

The paramedic shrugged in acceptance and then grabbed Mulders arm to try and find a suitable vein to place the line. The other took her radio from her belt and started ordering the blood at the hospital.

"You" Scully looked up at the paramedic holding the medical bag, still pumping away on Mulders chest. "Get an airway in and start bagging him. You" she looked at the female paramedic holding the defibrillator. "Give me that! Skinner get down here and put some pressure on that wound."

All, but Scully passed each other a glance, the same confused expression 'this woman is nuts' they silently said to each other. But none of them dared question her and all of them did as she asked.

"Clear!" She yelled with the paddles firmly positioned across Mulders chest. His body convulsed violently upwards. "Charge it again" Scully demanded. The paramedic obeyed. "Clear" they all stood back and again his body lurched off the floor. Still a long ring and flat line echoed across the medical machinery. "Again" she yelled. "Come on Mulder" she begged him as the machine charged, "we aren't finished yet partner, you can't leave me yet. Clear!" Again the electricity violently rushed through his body but when he landed on the floor the monitor began to beep a slow steady rhythm. "Thank god" she exhaled, throwing the paddles to the floor and hanging her head in exhaustion. Everyone else in the room sat staring at her awaiting their next order. She looked up and then around at them all. "What are you waiting for get him on the stretcher and into the ambulance and where's that other bag of fluids?" They all jumped into action getting him onto the stretcher, continuing to pump the ambu bag supplying vital oxygen to his brain. The heart monitor lay beside him on the stretcher it's slow but steady beep a reassuring reminder his heart was still beating. Scully never let go of his hand as they lifted him into the back of the ambulance.

"I'll put some clothes on and meet you at the hospital" Skinner called to her but the ambulance doors slammed shut before she could respond and the engine and siren whirred into action and began its rapid descent from the car park.

Dr Kate Reefton was pacing in front of the ambulance entrance. She had a surgical team on standby and six units of blood waiting to be transfused. Just over an hour ago she had made her way with Officer Smith down to the basement lab, trying her best to explain Mulders theory to him as they made their way down the long elevator ride.

"Sounds like a crock of shit" he stated honestly. "You know Mulder has a certain reputation for coming up with these ghost stories. I heard things about him. You know he believes his sister was abducted by aliens?"

"Aliens?" she enquired.

"Yeah he's been waving his gun at the sky from his basement office ever since. Dunno why that partner of his has hung around so long. Ha" he snickered. "Maybe he has a really big 'gun' " He chuckled. "You know I have a big 'gun' I could show it to you sometime?" he smirked at her suggestively.

She gave him an unimpressed smile. Yes this is what she had come to expect from local law enforcement. Ignorant beer bellies with filthy minds. But she liked Mulder; he seemed to be clued on, different to the others. When they reached Dr O'Neill's lab they found the door locked and their calls and knocks were left unanswered.

"This is a waste of time" Officer Smith exclaimed. "The bureau can shove it, I've been up all night for two nights on this and I'm chasing what - dreams, a dead man? Give me a break" and he walked away indignantly. Kate hesitated for a moment then followed him.

Now she was waiting for Mulder to arrive on a stretcher. The paramedic said they had successfully resuscitated him at the hotel but his heart had stopped again in the ambulance. He said 'a crazy red head' was calling the shots, talking about virus', brain tumours and phantom gunshot wounds. She was probably delirious with fever like last night's 'wacko' he had surmised through his crackling radio. But Kate's gut told her otherwise. Mulder was right and she hadn't stopped O'Neill as he had asked her too and now he could die.

She had stopped pacing and was biting her nails nervously when the ambulance pulled up to the door. The door burst open and a stretcher fell onto its wheels with a loud crash. Mulder was too pale and his head lolled from side to side as the stretcher hit the ground. Sitting astride his waist was the 'red head' in question, furiously pumping on his chest. "Agent Scully?" she guessed running next to the stretcher as it was pushed through the hospital doors.

Scully looked up at her as she continued CPR. "Who are you?" She asked breathless from the exertion.

"Dr Kate Reefton, I've been working with your partner tonight. He told me his theory I know what's going on Agent Scully, tell me what happened."

Scully hesitated then un-creased her brow. "Single gunshot wound to the left shoulder, through and through. He went into cardiac arrest at the hotel but we got him back after three rounds of adrenaline and shocks. We maintained his BP and heart rate on route until about two minutes ago. He's had 3 litres of ringers, but I can't see the blood, I, I, I don't know how much he has lost." Seeing a friend and ally in Kate's eyes she let her guard down and her voice began to shake. "I can't see the blood."

"Stop the stretcher" Kate directed at the ambulance crew. She gestured at one of the paramedics "can you take over CPR please." He nodded and started to kneel up onto the stretcher. "Come here" she took Scully's arm, "hop down, your exhausted let someone else take over." Scully complied and tiredly came down from the trolley. Her world began to spin again and she felt herself falling. The sound of the stretcher wheels running along the floor became distant and so did Kate's voice, she was yelling "take him to O.R. four they are prepped and ready and someone get me another gurney over here." Scully closed her eyes and gave into the darkness again.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

Scully fluttered her eye lashes as her eyes adjusted to the harsh hospital light. Her mouth was dry she opened and shut it a few times to moisten her tongue – the taste she was rewarded with was far from pleasant. The I.V caused an ache in the crease of her elbow and she wandered what idiot junior doctor decided to put it there. She drew a breath through her nose and forced her eyes to open and take in her surroundings. A Dr approached her bed. "Agent Scully, your awake, how are you feeling?" Kate asked.

"Hum, can I have some water please?"

"Sure" Kate lifted the glass from the table beside the bed and offered her the straw. She suckled quickly draining the cup. "You are having IV acetaminophen and your fever is coming down. You are on a continuous I.V but are extremely dehydrated, do you feel any better?"

"Humm, thank you, yes" she replied dropping the straw from her mouth and then taking the cup from her hand. It was then she remembered where she was and what had happened. "Where's Mulder, is he ok?" She started to pull the covers aside and climb out of the bed. "Let me see him."

Kate stopped her "Agent Scully, stay there, don't try and get up yet" Scully was fighting passed her "Agent Scully he's ok there's nothing you can do. Please get back into bed I don't want to have to scrape you off the floor again." Scully paused, stopped fighting her sitting on the edge of the bed. Kate gestured at the bed with her hand "Please" Scully complied and lay back down. So Kate carried on "He made it through surgery, he has been in ICU for little over an hour, his vitals are stable but he is still listed as critical. The artery was severed which was why there was so much blood loss but it was repaired and no other permanent damage is evident." She paused wanting to break the news to her slowly, let her take everything she was saying in. "The next 24 hours are critical…." She inhaled and then as she exhaled said bluntly, "if he is still alive by tomorrow morning the surgeons suspect he should make a full recovery."

Scully dropped the corners of her mouth and nodded. "Then I need to go to him" she replied quietly but firmly.

Kate suspected she wouldn't take 'no' for an answer "Just let me get a wheelchair"

As they entered the small ICU room a familiar setting of monitors and beeps were ever present. The large intubation tube was tied firmly to Mulders mouth and his chest rose and fell in time with the life support machine. There was no other sign of injury bar a small bandage across his left shoulder as simple as if he had knocked it during a baseball game. Scully steadied herself before rising from the wheelchair. Skinner was standing at Mulders side with his arms crossed looking over him; he glanced up as Scully approached the other side of the bed and took Mulders hand. She didn't look up at him.

"He's stable" Skinner tried to sound reassuring.

"I know" she replied at a broken whisper.

"He's strong Scully he can get through this."

"I know."

"You did everything you could."

She looked up at him but this time didn't respond. She turned to Kate "Where is the scientist doing these experiments? We need to stop him."

Kate cleared her throat and rocked uncomfortably on her feet.

"What?" Scully asked. Kate looked up at Skinner who looked uncomfortably at his feet.

"What!" Scully asked more firmly this time.

"Ah." Skinner started

"Tell me."

"Dr O'Neill is missing." Skinner finally responded.

"Ok" Scully nodded her head. "What about the experiment, the research?"

"It's gone" Kate chimed in looking up to meet Scully's eyes and trying to pull off a confident tone. "Everything on the computer is gone, there are no research notes and Harrison's brain has gone with it."

Scully could feel the anger rise inside her, her heart was pumping in her ears. Yet again the physical evidence was gone and all they were left with were shaky stories from scared febrile housewives. She knew she would regret any words that left her mouth so she turned her focus back to Mulders face.

"The surgeons think Mulder was punctured by an unknown foreign body, possibly a round spike of some kind. They can't account for the lack of blood at the scene but once they commenced the surgery the bleeding was real and that is what is on the official report." Kate continued.

Scully nodded still biting her tongue. Skinner watching her could see how angry she was and how familiar this scenario was for her working on the X files. "I put you two up to this Scully, I'll back up whatever you want to write in your report" he reached out to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

She shrugged it off, "and what makes you think that will make a difference" she hissed at him. "Welcome to the X-files sir, who do you think cleaned up O'Neil's work?"

"Agent Mulder explained everything to me, I saw the experiment with my own eyes, and I can corroborate his story" Kate tried.

Scully turned her narrowed eyes to Kate leaning on the door frame. "And you think his theory from your mouth gives it validation?"

Kate dropped her eyes and shook her head 'no'.

"You're a woman, in my experience repeating Agent Mulders theories only start rumours that his mouth has been in more places than just your ear." Scully hissed at Kate then turned her attention to her boss "and in the FBI 'backing up' his reports generally requires removing **your** lips from an official arse." She knew she should have kept her mouth shut. Kate turned and left without responding and Skinner rocked nervously on his heels.

"Write your report anyway….. For Agent Mulder…He cares what you believe Scully."

"I'll be sure to do that sir" she responded shakily nodding her head, losing her confidence, then she looked up at him with another one of those tears that sat neatly on her eyelid. "As long as he lives to read it" she stared at him not willing to blink and let that tear fall in front of him. Skinner turned away to leave and she turned back to face Mulder, adjusting her hand in his.

She heard Skinner stop in the door way but didn't look back at him. "Off the record Agent Scully we all find our lips on cheeks we don't suspect to ever place them on, whichever 'cheek' that may be and while I'm not a man who pays attention to rumours I won't ignore the facts." He paused and Scully swallowed nervously.

"I suggest you place your lips" he directed his eyes at Mulder "discreetly."

Scully lowered her head and heard his footsteps turn and leave the ICU.

A day in a hospital goes by at the same pace as a week, minutes into hours, and hours into days. A complete circle of life is completed each day in one ICU as a life ends and another begins. Mulder's heart still beat to its own rhythm the next morning so they removed his life support. His breath too continued without the machine but his eyes did not open. On day two he received two more units of blood and Scully self-discharged herself, claiming her flu was now a bad case of the sniffles and she could manage her own rehydration from the hospital cafeteria. Upon her discharge a large comfortable chair, blanket and pillow mysteriously appeared next to Mulders bed. She suspected it had been Kate who had put it there and made a mental note to thank her and apologise for her outburst. On day three Mulder had more colour in his cheeks, his vitals remained strong but still his eyes remained closed. Scully checked out of the hotel and brought their clothes to the I.C.U unit. Skinner had returned to D.C and called each day for an update on Mulders condition. On day four Scully's response to Skinners phone call remained the same "No change, sir." On day five they found Dr O'Neill's body in an alley behind a bar. The coroner report says he drank himself to death, of course after he had deleted ten years of his work and burned any hard evidence of his experiments. Much to Dr Taylor's glee Scully had no grounds to dispute his findings, nor could she find any evidence to the contrary, although his satisfaction was fleeting when he swore she left the autopsy bay with tears in her eyes.

On day six, Scully was feeling much better so she began her report. She sat in the big chair next to Mulders bed with her laptop on her knee. She wrote the date then pressed 'return' twice. The curser blinked at her expectantly, she wrote a sentence and then deleted it, then another and deleted it again. She Sighed and looked over at Mulder, "why am I always the one left to do the paperwork?" She joked with him.

His chest rose and fell in response and his monitor beeped on in time to his heart. She knew talking to coma patients could help them come out of it, as a Doctor she had told many hopeful family members that. But she hadn't yet brought herself to talk to him. She felt in doing so she was admitting to herself he wouldn't recover, that sounded silly now. She stood up and walked to the edge of the bed.

"I know I'm supposed to talk to you but I don't really know what you would want me to say." She shook her head feeling ridiculous and was about to sit down, then changed her mind. "Do you want me to say I love you?" She paused subconsciously expecting him to answer. "Under the circumstances Mulder if you actually can hear me I'm sure you would deliberately not wake up to make me suffer for choosing this moment to tell you that. So no I'm not going to say that, not this moment, this isn't the right moment, but I will endeavour to find the right one." She promised. "I think we should stick to work, we are definitely better at that." So she told him about Dr O'Neill's death, how their evidence had been destroyed, how their only credible witnesses (including herself) have been labelled as delirious and that Harrison's nurse – Sharee and Officer Smith, thought he belonged in a mental hospital.

"Why did you sniff her carpet Mulder?" She asked smiling for the first time that week. "Skinner and Dr Reefton have been very supportive; in fact Dr Reefton either works way more hours than most Drs or has a suspiciously high interest in your condition. Another succumbed to your charm I suspect, although she feels pretty guilty about not stopping O'Neill in time". She pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat, leaning forward and resting her forehead on his hip. "I think Skinner knows about us Mulder" she confessed. "But I think the message was 'don't get caught'. Not that it matters now." She said more to herself. Then she heard him try to speak and felt him shift underneath her. Caught off guard she sat up straight, removing her hands from him briskly like she had disturbed him accidentally. When she heard him try to speak again she shifted her eyes to his to find them open and looking directly at her, he blinked a few times adjusting to the light and then tried to speak again.

"What?" she asked standing again and bending down closer to him.

"I can…"

"Talk slowly Mulder, what did you say?"

She leaned her ear to his mouth.

"I can see down your top" he whispered into her ear his voice hoarse from the intubation tube.

She smiled and exhaled in a half laugh and turned to meet his eyes finding a large grin spread across his face. She kissed his grin firmly and quickly. He responded by placing a firm hand behind her head and pressed her lips to his, kissing her softly and slowly.

"Hmmm" he murmured against her lips "I knew there was a reason to live."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

It had been a month since they had left Dallas. It was a warm Sunday morning and while it was still cold outside the morning sun was warm and flooded over her bed. She lifted her head and rested it on her elbow turning to face him. He was laying on his stomach his head facing away from her naked but for the sheet that covered him from the waist down. His ribs expanded and settled reassuring her she wasn't dreaming he was very much alive and indeed naked in her bed. She studied his back and decided it was her favourite part of him. Strong, defined and just the right shade of tan. There were now two scars on his left shoulder, one more fresh then the other and both, she supposed, had in some way been her doing. His back carried many a burden, his job, his family, the world and sometimes they were her burdens he carried and he did so willingly. That back carried her on many occasions both physically and metaphorically and she smiled as she recalled her favourite purpose of all - a place to dig her fingernails into as he took her up and over the edge of intimacy. "Are you awake" she whispered. He didn't move, or respond. She hesitated for a second then simply said "you know I'm in love with you, right?" She waited for him to turn over or say something but he lay there asleep. She smiled and shook her head a little, what she didn't see was the large grin that secretly spread across his face. She traced a circle around the scar on his shoulder intimately and he stirred pretending to just wake up. He turned his head to face her.

"Morning" he said stretching and turning to face her.

"Good Morning" she smirked at him.

"What?"

"You passed your physical; I think you are definitely ready to go back to work tomorrow."

"Thank you Dr" he nodded in mock gratitude. "You 'passed' too, twice if I recall."

She rolled her eyes and then got up out of bed wrapped herself in her robe and walked out to the kitchen. He heard the coffee machine stir and her filling the pot. "We have a meeting with Skinner tomorrow about a new under cover assignment," she called from the kitchen. "Actually I'm glad you are coming back tomorrow." She walked back into the room and settled back under the covers shivering a little. "I haven't seen Skinner face to face since he left Dallas and I fear I may owe him an apology." He looked at her quizzically coming up to rest his head on his bended elbow. So she continued. "We may have had cross words over your hospital bed." He raised his eyebrows at her. "There may have been something about lips and mouths and kissing government officials arses."

"That doesn't sound like you" he said sarcastically. She hit him softly on the shoulder and he faked a pained expression. "What's the case?"

"Actually an Agent Doggett came to see me on Friday. He has been working on a multiple disappearance case on a cruise liner. He came to us because the captain claims there is a ghost aboard responsible."

"Hmm" he responded "I think I need one more day in bed." He grabbed her waist and rolled her on top of him. She ran the tip of her nose down the length of his and then joined their lips. He joined their bodies at the same time.

'BRINNNG BRINNG' her phone rang loudly next to the bed.

'BRINNG BRINNG'. "This is Dana Scully, leave me a message" her answering machine clicked on.

"Dana?"

"Dana it's mum. Will you be joining me at mass this morning? I could pick you up."

"Dana, are you there honey?"

"Dana?"

"Dana….

THE END


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