Key To The Kingdom

X - FILES

RATING: R - some violent imagery and strong language.
CATEGORY: MULDER ANGST/MT/MSR
SPOILERS: THE TRUTH / EXISTENCE/ TUNGUSKA / BIOGENESIS / THE END / WITHIN / WITHOUT / CLOSURE / TRUST NO 1 / REQUIEM / DEADALIVE / ASCENSION / TALITHA CUMI / CONDUIT / WILLIAM / DREAMLAND / THE ERLENMEYER FLASK / PATIENT X / THREE WORDS...and probably more, but
these are the ones that come to mind.
SUMMARY: Post - The Truth. Mulder discovers the truth about himself and the
outcome for mankind is held in the balance.
ARCHIVE: Please contact me at:- evans_p17@sky.com
FEEDBACK: Very welcomed
DISCLAIMER: All X File character's belong to CC,1013 & Fox, but have been
lovingly borrowed for a while. No profit was made and no copyright
infringement intended.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is my second story but first attempt at trying to sum
things up with The X Files and bring it to a conclusion. NOT an easy task!
This took me just over a year to write.
Thank you to Debbie (Waddles) for her editing and suggestions of how to
improve upon the tale eg: less UK wording and more USA! Plus other
issues she pointed out, all of which were very helpful. :-)

NB: This is my spare time hobby. I'm a singer and if you'd like to hear my version of Bree Sharp's 'David Duchovny' along with 10 other song samples (cover and original) you are welcome to visit my website: - http://pennys-from-evan.co.uk/

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have all of me
I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
But though you're still with me
I've been alone all along
Evanescence - My Immortal

KEY TO THE KINGDOM
by Penny Evans

The words played over and over again in her head, until Agent Dana Katherine
Scully could stand it no longer. Her hands trembled over the keyboard as she
continued to type on her computer. If she had known back then what she knew
now, she would never have accepted the assignment...to debunk Agent Fox
Mulder's work. To prove to the outside world that the paranormal was just
some high faluting fantasy created in the minds of those desperate enough to
wish to escape from a mundane reality. God how she wished her scientific
approach towards the answers had been the truth. But the cruel hard facts
of the 'Truth' had been something she could never have prepared herself for.
Most of the people in the world would continue with their everyday life,
never knowing that they had been moments away from oblivion! Yet, the cost
to herself and her partner for this truth, would haunt her for the rest of her
days! End of journal.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scully awoke with a start.

'Jesus!'

She felt beads of sweat on her soft skin, and realized her long, auburn hair
was now sticking to her face, and she was in complete darkness.

There was movement beside her, as an arm reached up to turn on the bedside
lamp, and a dishevelled mop of brown hair appeared from under the quilt,
followed by a handsome chiselled profile and rather concerned hazel eyes.
"S-Scully, are you okay?"

" I'm fine. Go back to sleep."

Mulder sat upright. "You don't sound fine."

"It was just a stupid nightmare, Mulder."

"About what?" He leaned across and put an arm around her shoulders.

Scully nuzzled closer and sighed. "About the situation we're in."

"Oh, that."

It was said rather flippantly he realized, but Mulder didn't wish to delve
into the subject too deeply. Not yet, not when he'd just been wakened
after having a rather peaceful night's sleep. Okay, unusual for him, but boy
had he needed it! "Did it involve running from black helicopters, while
Anasazi ruins were blowing up all around us? Or me confessing my sins?"
he joked softly.

"What sins?" Scully asked puzzled.

"That I'd failed... in every respect." Before she could say anything he
quickly added, "but still you believe I won't give up the fight?"

"I know you won't," she replied firmly. "No, it wasn't about any of that.
Okay, it involved me at my computer, typing up something about how the
world was saved."

"Hey, maybe it was a vision...and so we can all rest easy? We won!"

The grin was false, and she knew it. " We lost," she said quietly.
"I mean you and I did."

"Bummer!" Mulder kissed her gently on the forehead then looked across at
the glowing green florescent numbers of a travel clock on the side table
beside the bed. "You do realize it's only 3am? So, you've plenty more time
to dream up a happy ending."

"Okay," Scully replied absent mindedly, snuggling back under the quilt beside
him. Gently she took his hand in hers, whispering "Mulder? Where do we go
from here?"

"Let's talk about it in a couple of hours, alright?" He squeezed her hand,
and closed his eyes.

Who the hell knew where they were heading now? One thing was for sure.
It had to be far away from the United States. Here, he was now an escaped
prisoner, with military men after his hide, for a crime he didn't commit.
The so-called murder of a military man, that had been carefully devised by
certain government officials, some of whom were alien life forms, secretly
planning with their race to repossess the earth, which once belonged to them.
The 'Mickey Mouse' trial he'd undergone was so far fetched it was like some
fucking B-Movie script! Finally, the verdict had been death by lethal
injection. He hadn't expected anything less. Then his former boss
in the FBI, AD Skinner along with Agent John Doggett had done their dog
and pony act of breaking him out of the prison. Now, that was laughable!
How they'd managed to succeed was beyond reason. 'Oh stop analysing,
Mulder' he thought. 'Least right now I'm in a comfy motel room with the
woman I love. Scully. When did that happen?. Enough! Go to sleep.
He drew the now sleeping beauty towards him and held her gently. "We'll
catch a plane out of here. I'll make arrangements tomorrow." Tenderly he
brushed a lock of hair that had fallen across her face. "Love you," he whispered
softly.

"Hmmn", she said. That made him smile.

The song replayed continuously, as his mind
projected flames burning around the wizened, blackened corpse. He thought of
the man who had caused him so much pain, yet had played the father figure as
well, who told him bedtime stories, while he dug the knife deep into his heart.
CGB Spender! May the smoking bastard rot in hell! Mulder turned over,
away from Scully, as reality converged with imagination and continued to play
out the dramatic scenario. Helicopters. Explosions. The Anasazi ruins...in
even more ruins. A jet black bomb flying through the air, straight into his
arch nemesis. Watching the skin melt away into a pile of bones, all the
while it's skull, grinning. He was the devil himself.

Suddenly there was an almighty crash and splintering of wood, which jolted
Mulder from his dream. He'd remembered to turn off the light in the motel
room so why were his eyes now being blinded by bright white beams..?
Flash lights? He only had enough time to make out silhouettes of men,
before he felt rough, strong arms grab him, wrenching him up out of the bed.
"What the hell..?"

"Mulder!" a voice shouted. It was Scully. She'd been woken abruptly, to
discover her partner was being...abducted. Someone held her down, and she
struggled violently. She stopped this futile action when she felt the cold
steel barrel of a pistol at her forehead.

" Shut-up! Okay, no sounds, or you're dead. Understand?" The voice
sounded menacing, but she glared at whoever it was anyway.

"Don't hurt her!" Mulder hollered, the anger mixed with fear quite clearly
sounding in his voice. He struggled against his captors, but to no avail.

"No one's going to get hurt Mr. Mulder. As long as you come with us."

"Where to?" he demanded to know. Who the hell were these people?
*Military*, was his first thought. Well he had been in their custody. So
now they were going to haul his ass back to prison? Well, not without a fight
they weren't. A sudden sharp blow to his jaw refrained him from thinking any
further about overpowering these guys.

"All in good time, Mulder" was the only answer he received, as he was
forced out of the room.

Scully watched the whole scene, unable to help in any way. "Where are you
taking him?"

The man with the gun smiled at her. "He wants answers, and we know someone
who can provide them."

Scully was perplexed by this weird statement. "Answers to what?"

"To the truth."

"What..?"

Before she could continue, he jumped in with, " No word of this to anyone,
okay? Or he'll be eliminated."

Scully nodded fearfully. "And if I stay silent?"

"You'll see him again...soon. And you'll have the truth."

This was insane, but what exactly could she do? Who could she talk to? How
had these men found them? Only Skinner knew the location. Had he been
compromised and had to spill the beans? For Mulder's sake all she could do
was sit tight, and hope that eventually something would make some sense.

The man handed her a piece of paper. "Here. This has the whereabouts of
where we are taking him. Come alone in several hours, and you'll see what
all this is about."

She realized it was a letter, written to her, explaining about a rendezvous
which was going to be arranged, and how it was important that Mulder be in
attendance, how he would finally be given the proof he'd been searching for
after all these years. She was warned that she must cooperate, or things could
get uneasy for the both of them. Was it just a pathetic hoax, or something definite?
Who knew? But these men had guns and meant business, so trying to defend
herself and her partner probably wasn't a great idea right at this moment in
time. "Okay, I'll cooperate, so long as Mulder's not harmed."

"You have our word." The man moved across to the doorway; the door itself
was now hanging off it's hinges where his consorts had made their 'graceful'
entrance.

"One more thing", she called. "Why couldn't you have just asked Mulder to go
to this so-called important rendezvous, instead of forcing him?"

"Where's the fun in that?"

One thing was for certain. He was damn near freezing standing outside in
just a tee shirt and cotton pants. Couldn't they have at least have let him
get dressed before taking him to...wherever the hell they were taking him?
He noticed the man who'd had the gun, leaving the motel room."Is
Scully..?"

"She's fine. She knows the deal."

"Which is?"

"There's someone who wants to meet you. Apparently he has answers for you."

Mulder frowned. "What the hell are you talking about?"

A large helicopter landed in the field beside the motel, drowning out the man's replies.
"You'll see. Just get on board."

"Or what?" he yelled defensively.

"Or we shoot you!"

Okay, that was an abrupt enough answer. Mulder decided to obey and climbed
into the machine with his friendly captors. Now that he could see them clearly,
he realized they weren't military. No, they were dressed rather smartly
in suits. Aliens maybe? He shuddered. Not more fucking
experimenting on him, please? Nah. Aliens wouldn't arrive in a
helicopter...they'd beam him up to their space ship. Best stay calm and try
and go with it...for now. The helicopter took off, and Mulder silently
prayed that hopefully the rest of the day wouldn't get any more bizarre than
this? Surely?

It hadn't seemed all that long, before the pilot had landed on a heli-pad,
on top of a hospital building, in a city...somewhere. Mulder was led to a private
cubicle in one of the wards. He noticed it was in Intensive Care. So this
someone who he'd been brought to meet obviously wasn't very healthy.
"Now what?"

"This is where we part company", one of the suits replied.

"Oh gee, and I was just getting to know you guys", Mulder said,
sarcastically.

Another man opened the door to the IC unit. "Go inside."

Mulder shrugged, and stepped into the room, as one of the guys closed the
door behind him. He was just about to let some wisecrack about being shut in
with some psycho, slip from his mouth. When he saw just who the man in the
hospital room was. The shock he received nearly knocked him off his feet. In
the bed, looking like something from a Hammer Horror movie, was the old
'fossil' himself. The cigarette smoking man! "I--I.," he stammered. "No!
You are dead!"

"It won't be long now," the old man faltered.

"I watched the whole frickin' Anasazi place blow sky high!" Mulder
exclaimed. "There's no way you could have survived that!" And believe
me you died in the best way I could think of in my mind, in a fucking great
fireball, you son-of-a-bitch!* he thought, angrily.

CGB Spender smiled, showing blackened, broken teeth. "Calm down Mulder."

"Calm down?!"

Mulder started to back towards the door. "I don't fucking believe this!" He
took a deep breath and glared at the corpse in the bed. "So, it's you that
had your goons drag me out of a nice, warm motel room in the middle of
the night, to come to your bed side?" He stopped pacing. "Sorry, I didn't
bring any flowers," he added angrily.

The man wasn't listening. "Mulder, I have something to tell you," he said,
his voice cracking. "I am dying..."

"My heart bleeds!" Mulder cut him off abruptly.

CGB Spender's voice tightened a little. "This is important."

"What? What is so god dammed important!" He began pacing again. "We all
know the date is set for 2012. Our planet will be invaded by the aliens, and
there's not a damn thing we can do about it. So, what else is so
fucking important?"

"Sit down, and I will tell you," the smoking man demanded, his voice
straining into a garbled croak. Slowly a smile began to form on his cracked
lips...or was it a sneer? " You have to hear this, because you are the most
important part of this whole equation."

Feeling overwhelmed with anger, as well as morbid curiosity by what the man
had just said, Mulder sat himself down. Obviously, this wasn't going to be
good news.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dana Scully arrived at the memorial hospital in Roswell, immediately
demanding a nurse to tell her where a gentleman by the name of Fox Mulder
was? The poor woman explained that no one by that name had been admitted
that night. Scully looked at the piece of paper again. It revealed the
address of this hospital clearly written in black ink. He had to be here.
Those men had promised her she'd see him again. She began walking up the
corridor, feeling very agitated and more than a little worried. Just then
someone stepped out of a nearby door and almost ran into her.

"Mulder?" she gasped. There was no reply from her partner. She then
noticed how his face had gone rather pale, and his eyes were glazed over.
"Mulder, what's wrong?"

No reply.

"Why did those men bring you here?" Concerned by his absent expression, she
gathered him into a hug. "Jeez, Mulder...you're freezing!"

She quickly realized he was in shock. But what on earth had caused it? She
felt him shudder and then begin to shake quite violently as tears started to
trickle down his cheeks. Carefully she manoeuvred him to a seat, and lowered
him into it. "What's happened?" she asked gently, sitting down beside him.

Mulder's breathing was laboured as he tried choking back his sobs. "I-I
can't..." he stammered, the words trailing off.

Suddenly, several medical staff rushed past them and through the ICU doors.
Scully heard the low tone sounding out from an ECG monitor inside, and knew
instinctively what that meant. She looked at her partner, and took his hand.
"Who's in there?" she whispered.

Mulder took a deep breath and replied shakily, "H-He wanted m-me to know
the real t-truth."

Scully looked puzzled. "Who did?"

"The s-smoking bastard!" His words were filled with bitterness and
resentment, as well as pain.

Scully couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I thought he was dead, for
real this time?"

"He is...now," Mulder replied.

"Did you kill him?" She had to ask the question, even though she knew it may
cause him stress.

"No." The reply was firm and abrupt. "He was here because he was severely
injured...and he was dying."

Scully backtracked her thoughts. "He arranged for you to be brought here?"

"Yes", he said quietly.

"Because he wanted you to know, what?"

Mulder shuddered. "He wanted me to know about something...something he
never told me until now." He spat the words out as if they were poison.

Scully squeezed his hand. "Mulder...what?"

He shuddered.. "I guess he wanted me to know the real story behind the
conspiracy, the aliens, everything."

"Because he was dying?"

"No."

"Then...why?"

Mulder looked straight into her eyes. "No. It was because he wanted to see
me broken...defeated." The tears began to well up again, and he couldn't
stop them.

For the first time ever, Scully was afraid for him. She'd never seen him
look so totally helpless. "What on earth did he tell you?" she asked gently.

Mulder closed his eyes, and turned away, cradling his head in both hands.

"W-what..?"

He cut her off, his voice trembling. "He told me all about my true family."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Try as she might, Scully hadn't been able to get him to say another word.
So she'd manoeuvred him to the rental car and drove back to the motel.
The hospital was a public building, and she didn't want to bring too much attention
to them; not that anyone seemed to know, or indeed care who they were. All the
same, she wanted them both back in the motel room, away from prying eyes. Dana
also felt that perhaps Mulder would open up to her once she got him back. No
such luck so far so she insisted he at least get some sleep - doctor's orders. It
was around 5.00pm when he finally surfaced, so she'd helped him get dressed and
insisted he eat something, after ordering take-out. His movements were almost
mechanical, doll-like, and she was growing more and more concerned. But how
could she help him if he didn't speak to her? She also felt a little
annoyed, and angry at herself for feeling this way. Why didn't he tell her
this news he'd discovered? She was his confidant, his touchstone, his true
companion...and now lover. So, why the heck couldn't he tell her what was
upsetting him so? The sound of the toilet flushing in the bathroom cubicle
snapped her out of her reverie. He entered, crossed over to a chair by a
table and fell into it, as if it was the last bit of strength he had left.

"Mulder..please talk to me."

Scully walked over to him, and seated herself opposite.

"I've just been sick," he mumbled.

Not really what she wanted to hear, but at least it was something. "Maybe
pizza wasn't such a good idea?" she joked, softly.

But Mulder didn't acknowledge the tender jibe. He remained cut off, lost in
some dark little world of his own. A world Scully intended to conqueror.

She rose from the chair and went over to him. "Come here". She led him over
and gently eased him onto the bed, then sat beside him. He let her, and it
felt like she was being a puppeteer. She leaned in and kissed him softly.

He felt her arms go around him, and responded half-heartedly. At least
being with Scully allowed him to have some sanity in hs life. He felt her
push him very lightly down beside her, then something clicked in his mind.
Here was a woman who truly loved him, and would do anything for him.
Maybe if he opened up and explained his painful secret, she would understand.
The smoking man's words re-played in his head like a loop tape, and he
shuddered. He felt nauseous again, and realised he couldn't deal with this
revelation all alone. It was far too much for one man to handle. On the
other hand, what if he told Scully everything, and she couldn't cope with
the news? If he lost her, he'd lose all meaning of existence. She was the
only thing keeping him going, especially after being given news like that.
No. He couldn't lose her! He felt those damn tears welling up again and
swallowed hard.

"S-Scully..?"

"Yes?"

"I-I'm afraid to t-tell you."

She pulled him closer. "Mulder, you needn't be. You know how I feel
about you?"

"Y-Yes," he stammered.

"Then you shouldn't be afraid to tell me anything."

He sighed deeply. "I-I know. But...I don't think you'll understand."

"Try me," she replied, gently.

Mulder stared into her eyes, his own now red and filled with tears. "I-I
don't want to lose you Scully. I wouldn't be able to carry on."

Scully looked puzzled, and deeply concerned. "You won't ever lose me Mulder.
No matter what you have to say."

"P-Promise me," he stammered weakly.

"I promise."

Then Scully remembered what he'd said at the hospital. "You said it's about
your true family?"

He had to tell her. He had to share this devastating news with someone or
he'd end up having a nervous break down. *Please god make her understand*,
he thought. Then he took a deep breath and started to explain, slowly. "You
know the smoking bastard had an affair with my mother?"

"Yes?" she replied, quietly, aware this was a delicate subject. "I know he
was your real father."

"There was a reason he was so close to her," Mulder added, his voice
sounding strained. "She was an important part of the whole thing."

"What do you mean?" Scully felt him shudder in her arms.

"He arranged for her to be... abducted." His voice was hardly a whisper.

Scully frowned. "He..what?"

Mulder hesitated, but continued. "Many times. She was their test subject."
The words he spoke made him want to throw up again, but he swallowed
instead. "They just picked her out at random."

"W-Who did?" Scully wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer.

"Who do you think?" Mulder spat the words out. "The aliens."

It had to be alien related didn't it? It couldn't be anything else?
"Why?" was all she could say.

*Don't tell her...she won't understand! She won't understand!* The words
screamed out in his mind. Mulder felt so sick inside, and leaned in closer,
burying his head into her shoulder. "They wanted a human woman for their
genetic experiments," he whispered bitterly. He lifted his head. "You know
they were trying to create a new species from a combination of human and
alien DNA?"

"Yes." Scully sighed, now rather worried about what her partner might say
next.

"T-They succeeded, Scully." His words had taken on an edge of definite fear.

"What do you mean, succeeded? We know the secret government was trying to
create a vaccine from hybrid cells, against the black oil," she said warily.

"Yeah, and the aliens gave them a foetus of their kind so they could
secretly continue the experiments, with the intentions of creating a slave
race. Then, there's the hybrids the aliens created who re-created themselves.
I think their plan was to maybe overthrow the greys as a new species? Just
where humans would fit into all of this, who knows?" Mulder realized he'd
spouted the words out in one lengthy monotone, and wasn't even sure his
partner was following what he was saying? But it had to be said, if only to
try and clarify things in his own mind. " But there's another extremely
secret agenda which has been brought to my attention, Scully. All thanks to
the smoking bastard!" He'd almost yelled that last sentence out, so took a
deep breath trying to compose himself.

"Which is..?" Scully was almost afraid to ask.

"I mean...," he stammered. "That bastard got her pregnant...and they..."
*Please god don't let me carry on*, his mind begged. But he couldn't stop
now. He had to tell the woman he loved, he had to. "T-They impregnated the
foetus...with alien DNA."

*Oh my god...no, please don't be saying what I think you're saying*, Scully
thought. But all she could say was, "You mean...you...you're a..?"

Mulder finished her sentence, feeling as if his whole life had come to an
abrupt end. "I'm an alien-human hybrid, Scully. They created me...for this
whole damn project!" He noticed the stunned expression on her face, and
felt so alone right at that moment. "I'm...I'm s-sorry," he stammered,
helplessly.

Scully began shaking her head. "N-no," she said softly. The sudden
revelation had hit her like a painful slap in the face! This changed
everything, everything in her life...and Mulder's. She stopped thinking
about herself and immediately focused on the man beside her. The man whose
life had suddenly been violently turned upside down.

"I-I'm not who you thought I was. I-I never have been," he
whimpered.

"Mulder...none of this..." Scully paused, not really knowing quite how to
react. "None of this is your fault" she said, lamely. She received no reply
from the stricken man.

Her mind started to flash back to the time when her partner had
suffered from a strange anomaly that had given him the power to read
people's thoughts. Just like the child chess prodigy, Gibson Praise...who was
also part alien. Strange how she was never able to put two and two together
when the mind reading ability surfaced in Mulder. Perhaps it was due to
denial on her part? For many years she had believed it had occurred due to
him being subjected to the alien retro virus, when he'd been a prisoner in
Tunguska; forced into being a test subject when the Russians were trying to
develop an antidote. But now...? Now he was telling her he'd had this virus
within him since he was conceived, just lying dormant, waiting to strike.
How and for what morbid reason? "The disease you had....your mind..?"

"Is part of it," he said swallowing hard. Even though he felt so sick
inside, there was a small bout of relief in seeing how Scully was coping
with the news. At least she hadn't run screaming from the room or called him
a freak. But then she had recently discovered aliens do exist and was now
much more open minded to the extreme possibilities. He took a deep breath,
"Scully....there's more."

"M...more?" she asked, her voice stammering a little.

"Th..the reason why they did this."

"Which is?" She paused, her mind conjuring up visions of the not so
distant past. " Billy Miles? Has it anything to do with him and
super soldiers?"

"They were the Grey's latest creations, so they could form a new alien army
from the human abductees." Briefly, he closed his eyes and a lump
caught in his throat. "According to the cigarette smoking piece of
shit...they have much grander plans in store for me." Mulder's thoughts
were also in rewind mode, and the moment in the FBI's parking lot when
Skinner arrived on the scene, just in time to prevent Alex Krycek from
shooting him, came to mind. *But didn't he hesitate - why?* he thought.
" I...I think he knew."

This statement threw Scully completely. "Who...knew what, Mulder?"

"Krycek...he knew what I was. Why they abducted me he must have
known." *But didn't his phantom self try and help me escape from that
military facility?* he pondered.

Scully took his shaking hand. "What are you saying?"

Mulder was still lost in thought. *Why would Krycek help me from beyond
the grave?*

Then again, had he really been there? Maybe Krycek, X, the Lone Gunmen, all
of them...maybe they'd just been imaginary allies, phantoms he had created
in his own desperate attempt to find a solution; a way out?... So, how had X
managed to give him that piece of paper with Maurita's whereabouts printed
on it? Too many questions!

Scully could see he wasn't listening to her, so she tried again. "Mulder! What
do you mean Krycek knew?"

Mulder looked into her blue eyes, his own still glistening with moisture.
"It was something he said, before Skinner shot him. It didn't make sense at
the time." He shifted uneasily on the bed. "But..but now it does."

As far as Dana Scully was concerned, nothing made sense. "What did Krycek
say?"

Mulder's breathing quickened. "He said it to Skinner. He said, 'It's gonna
take more bullets than you could ever fire to win this game... but one
bullet... and I can give you a thousand lives.'
"Then..." Mulder shivered.

"Then?"

"Then...he told Skinner to shoot me."

"But he shot Krycek." Scully replied, firmly.

"He didn't know then, what I know now," Mulder said, his voice no more
than a whisper.

"Which is..?" Scully already knew the answer. Mulder had just told her the
answer, but she just didn't want to speak it. She didn't want to believe it.

"That I'm the threat....because of what those extra terrestrial bastards did
to me." The tears flowed afresh. "It's what CGB Spender told me Scully.
That I'll be the cause of the destruction of mankind."

"I don't understand H...how can you..?"

Mulder cut her off mid sentence. "I was abducted so that they could trigger
the alien part of me." He swallowed hard, "He said it was my chosen
destiny...and that there's no escape."

She'd been lost in a whirlpool of information that was pulling her under
into a realm of terror. Suddenly, she came to her senses. "But Mulder, after
we revived you, and I administered the course of antivirals, you
recovered...with a clean bill of health. You don't have the alien retro
virus any more!"

He could hear the erratic tone in her voice. Oh, how he desperately wanted to
believe the antivirals had cured him, but he knew the answer was far from
the truth. He'd been told that much by Old Smokey. Quietly, he replied
"Scully...it's part of me."

"W...what do you mean? Mulder?" she asked, stammering.

"My DNA...it's part alien. It creates the virus in me...and will do it
again."

Scully wasn't going to accept this, not one little bit. Not now, not when
she'd miraculously had Mulder returned to her. All right, he'd had to hide
for a year in the desert. But now he was here. And nothing was going to tear
them apart again, nothing! She had to have an answer, she had to.

"So, we inject you with liquid magnetite...like Jeffrey Spender did for our
son. It cured him, and now he's fully human." Tears came to her eyes, as she
remembered the day Fox's half-brother had intervened in rescuing William from
an alien fate. In reality, it had tragically resulted in her having to give him
away to a foster family, so he would be safe.

Mulder sighed, his voice cracking. "Scully, William only had the virus in
his system, not in his DNA make-up. Maybe because of you being totally
human...I don't know?" He didn't want to say any more, but it was only fair
to explain it to her, the woman he loved more than life itself. "Magnetite
won't help me."

She wouldn't give up, no matter what he said. "But we have proved that
antivirals postpone it at least." Scully showed clear determination in her
voice, even though her world had taken one massive turn into oblivion. "Then
I'll keep administering them to you, as long as it takes."

Mulder drew her closer and held on tightly. She was trying so hard to
rationalise everything; desperately trying to solve the problem. But the
smoking bastard had told him all about his so-called destiny, and Mulder
knew the sickening outcome to the whole scenario. "I very much doubt they
are going to let me be cured. I'm far too important to them. They need me."

"For...what?" she asked, letting fear once again creep in.

He pulled away from her comforting arms, breathing heavily. He was going to
tell her the final part of the story. The final part that would reveal to
her as well as himself, that he was a condemned man/alien...whatever! He
wanted to scream!

"Scully? The alien DNA...part of me...It will take me over." His words came
out disjointed. It felt like someone else was speaking them. "I'll be one of
them....incredibly strong...fearless...powerful. No more Mulder...I won't
be the least part human any more." He swallowed hard. " I'll be their....their
key. Key to man's destruction!"

Scully couldn't stand any more of what she was hearing. "T..this c...can't
be happening. It just can't be happening," she said stubbornly, refusing
to believe, as she pulled him into her embrace.

Mulder stroked her hair softly, and kissed her gently, tears still very
much in evidence.

"Oh S...Scully, he whimpered."

He held her as if his very life depended on it, and maybe it did. How he
wished they could both just disappear into a warm, safe nothingness far
away from the horror which they faced. He hadn't even mentioned to her about
how the transformation would occur, because the smoking son of a bitch
hadn't been clear on that. It would either be another abduction, or the
fucking alien DNA would strike at random, or? He couldn't let Mulder
know exactly how his demise would occur (his human side that is.) No, the
bastard had to die in his hospital bed, before that was revealed to him. As
he held Scully tighter, feeling her shudder a little in his arms, his
parents came to mind. They'd also known the truth about him, but obviously
hadn't been allowed to give the game away, or...? They were murdered, the
both of them, because they had almost revealed the truth to him. The black
lunged son of a bitch had told him that the conspiracy had given his mother
the horrible, disfiguring cancer, and promised no cure. So, she'd killed
herself, because she couldn't take it any more, could no longer live with what
they'd done to her son Since birth he had been observed by the aliens, while
they waited for the moment when he would be ripe and ready for the picking.

Then there was Samantha? He'd forgotten about his sister. She was another
experiment; another hybrid. Rather than being the chosen one (which was
strictly Mulder's role in their game plan), she had been expendable, just an
early test subject, to inflict torture upon until they were done with her. Only
the walk-ins had stepped in and saved her soul, transforming her essence
into starlight. She had been set free.

*Thank god!* he thought, as he held onto his beloved Scully. *Thank god she
was saved.* His body convulsed, as he felt he was losing control. Then the
tears flooded from his hazel eyes! He'd believed not so long ago, that
maybe there was hope? But now? Now he felt like he was staring into a
terrifying, dark abyss. Game over Mulder!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

A sharp knock brought him out of his dark reverie. Scully also jumped, and
reached for her gun.

"What the hell happened here?" John Doggett entered the room, pushing at the
broken door. He spotted Scully, weapon pointed at him. "Whoa! It's just me."

"Sorry", she replied, still reeling from Mulder's terrifying revelation.
"Can't be too careful these days."

Two more familiar faces appeared behind him, namely Walter Skinner and
Monica Reyes.

"Erm...hope we're not interrupting anything" Skinner said promptly, when he
noticed his two favourite agents were sitting on the bed together. When
he saw Mulder's pale complexion and glazed expression; and the fact the door
had clearly been broken off its hinges, he became concerned. "What has
happened?"

Scully placed her weapon back onto the side table. "We were paid a visit by
the smoking man's henchmen."

All three looked a little stunned, Skinner more so. "What? But he's dead,
right?"

"Oh he's dead...but not before he had Mulder dragged to his hospital
bedside, so he could tell him the truth," she said bitterly.

"What truth?" Monica asked, also aware that Mulder was looking extremely
upset about something.

Scully immediately noticed a look of dread come over her partner's face, so
decided to change the subject. It would have to be discussed, but not right
at this moment. "So...why are you guys here?"

"We got kicked out the FBI!" Doggett said firmly. "Obviously we weren't
pulling our weight", he teased, but his voice was solemn.

"I was called into Assistant Director Kersh's office," Skinner added. "Only
to quickly discover I no longer had my position in the Bureau."

"And they've closed the X Files, permanently", Monica said, her tone
matching her partner's.

"So, you decided under the circumstances to get the hell away from there?"
Mulder asked, his voice sounding strained.

"Circumstances?" Doggett asked.

"Before they turned you all into alien army recruits," Mulder replied. " You
know too much to be safe from them now."

Defensively, Doggett jumped in. "We know most of the FBI are in on this
super soldier program with the military. It's pretty clear they don't want
us on the team any more because we know their dirty little secret."

Mulder sighed heavily. "Whatever." He was in no mood to start an argument
about who was really in charge. He knew the answer. It had been shoved into
his face by the smoking bastard. Right now, he'd prefer Doggett's
explanation, as the truth. If only?

"You've not mentioned Kersh, or Gibson," Scully spoke up. "Are they ok?"

"I arranged for Gibson to get safe passage out of Washington DC. Then we
followed suit," Skinner said. "I still had some pull with people higher up
the ladder, who I knew could be trusted."

"Sure about that?" Mulder asked, quietly. He received no reply.

"I don't know what happened to AD Kersh. All I know is Gibson is safe in the
New Mexico desert. It was confirmed to me via one of the Navaho tribesmen
he's residing with." Skinner's face darkened, as he remembered the scene
that had gone down outside Kersh's office.

After being given the heave ho, he was then asked to give the powers that
be the whereabouts of Mulder and Scully. This, of course he'd refused.
Angrily, they left the room and he followed. They then confronted Gibson, who
had been waiting outside the office, along with Doggett and Reyes. They'd been
extremely concerned about the assistant director. One of the alien replacements
(the one he'd pointed out at Mulder's trial) had grabbed the young boy, staring
into his eyes, forcing Gibson to reveal his thoughts to him. He had been so afraid.

"They tried to read Gibson's mind to find out where you both were," Skinner
told his two former agents."That's how they knew you were at those Anasazi
ruins in the desert."

"And,..and now they know we're here, in Roswell?" Scully asked, worried.

"No," Skinner replied calmly. "Gibson somehow managed to convince them you
were hiding out in Canada. I mean that's where we'd told you to head in
the first place."

"H...how..?" Scully began.

"I guess he's getting good at training his thoughts. Making other mind
readers believe a lie," Mulder replied. *Three cheers for Gibson* echoed in
his mind.

"So if they think you're in Canada..." Monica began, but was interrupted by
Scully.

"Then we can't go there."

"So, where do we head, chief?" Doggett asked. Most of what Skinner and
Mulder had said about Gibson had gone over his head. He just couldn't bring
himself to believe in all this E.S.P mind reading nonsense...or aliens come to
that. But he did realise they were in some sort of danger. That was very
clear.

"I think we need to get off this continent as soon as we can. I can arrange
transportation. I still have some pull with authorities," Skinner smiled.
"I can get us flown out of here by private jet."

"Adiós America," Monica said softly. "I've never been anywhere but across
the States."

"It'll be an adventure." Doggett replied.

The three of them were so engrossed in discussing the journey that lay
ahead, they'd almost forgotten their other two friends, until Mulder spoke
up. "So where exactly are we going?" he asked.

Scully could tell he was sounding a little tense, but the other's hadn't
noticed.

"England is our best bet." Skinner replied.

"Right," Mulder said, the tension building. "Of course, the aliens won't
think to look for me...us there!" A thinly veiled line of sarcasm poured
from his lips.

*Oh not aliens again!* Doggett thought.

Skinner had heard the slip in Mulder's outburst, and became concerned.
"What do you mean 'look for you'?" he asked.

Mulder breathed heavily and turned away. "Nothing," he said in a whisper.

Scully looked at him, then at her former colleagues. She felt torn between
staying silent about what Mulder had said to her about his true self, but
at the same time, she felt that the others should know. It would all come out
eventually anyway. How could you keep something this major a big secret?
Also, it wouldn't be fair to keep her friends in the dark not when they
were doing everything they could to help.

Gently she touched Mulder's arm. "I think we should tell them. They'll
understand."

Fear darted through him like he'd been hit by lightening. "No!" he said
firmly, pulling away. The last thing he wanted was to have to explain the
nightmare situation all over again. "I...can't tell them," he stammered.

"Can't tell us what?" Monica asked, gently.

"P..Please...," Mulder began.

Scully interrupted. "Mulder," she said softly. "I'll tell them."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The two ex-FBI agents and former assistant director sat motionless, as
their former colleague, Dana Scully, tried to explain the whole story and what
she now knew about Fox Mulder and his kidnapping, which led to the confrontation
with the dying cigarette smoking man. She noticed tears begin to well up in
her partner's eyes as she spoke, and squeezed his hand gently. He pulled
from her grasp, stood up sharply and walked over to the window. He remained
in complete silence, his back towards them, as Scully came to the end of her
speech.

"So, what you're telling us is...Mulder's an alien now?" The words had come
out wrong, but Doggett just couldn't get his head around this one at all.

Walter Skinner was also trying to process this alarming discovery in his
mind, but wasn't sure exactly what to say. "Oh God," was all he could
manage. He had been made very much aware of the existence of alien life, but
never in his entire life could he have foreseen something like this.

Monica too was stunned. She'd seen a spacecraft, alien super soldiers, and
like the ex-assistant director, she had no choice but to believe in the
impossible. "How can we help him?" she asked feebly.

Mulder finally turned and faced them, letting out a heavy sigh. "You can't",
he whispered quietly.

Scully could see he was shaking and walked over to where he was
standing. She gently put her arms around him, holding his body closely
against her own. "Mulder..." she said, softly.

He closed his eyes, allowing a few tears to course down his cheeks, then
gently pushed her away. He looked towards the others in the
room. Skinner showed concern in his eyes. Monica was giving him a look of
sympathy...and Doggett was displaying total confusion but in fairness, his
gaze had softened somewhat.

Now the news was out in the open, and Mulder realized that he would have to
reveal the whole truth. He looked back at Scully, noticing there was
moisture in her eyes, but she gave him a faint smile. "I-I have something to
tell you," he stammered. He walked over and seated himself down at the
table. Once again looking at each friend in turn he added, "All of you."

Scully frowned slightly. There couldn't possibly be even more to explain.
She'd believed he'd told her everything. "What is it Mulder?"

"You all know what I am. You might as well know why I am".

Then Scully remembered what he'd said to her not so long ago. "Mulder, you
said that you would be a threat to mankind." He nodded, gazing down at the
floor. "I couldn't take it in at the time..."

Skinner interrupted her. "A threat?" he asked nervously. "Why did you tell
Scully that?"

Doggett's eyes widened on hearing that. "A threat to us?" he asked.

"To everyone.....on this earth", Mulder replied. He felt bile rising in his
throat and swallowed hard.

"How can that be?" Monica asked, shaking her head.

He looked over at his former boss, Walter Skinner. "For years I was
considered a lost cause with the Bureau; a joke to my peers. Agent Mulder,
the guy who runs around chasing little green men from out of space." He
forced a chuckle. "Who would ever have thought I'd turn out to be the most
important piece of the puzzle in this whole charade?"

"Important piece?" Skinner asked, confused. "How?"

Mulder took a deep irregular breath. "I was chosen....to be a new type of
species. The smoking bastard; my dear father..." He emphasized the word
'dear' as if it was poison on his tongue. "He explained it all to me.
The true plan of the Greys was to create the perfect hybrid who would
mutate to an alien in human form becoming a highly developed intelligent
creature who would rule the workers, or drones, of the slave hybrid race...
with an army of super soldiers to back me." he said, bitterly. "In other
words I'll eventually become so powerful that I will lead the alien race to
victory against mankind." His voice weakened. "It's all been foretold. It's a
destiny I can't escape."

"Holy shit!" Doggett blurted out. "This sounds like a great idea for a movie
script."

All eyes turned on him.

"Well, come on! Do you really expect me to believe this? Do you believe
this?"

Mulder's eyes flashed angrily at him. "Why in God's name do you think I
would make any of this up, Doggett?"

"I have no idea"

"Then be quiet," Skinner cut in sharply. He turned to his former agent.
"Mulder, I believe you. I wish in all earnest that I didn't, but I do." He took
a deep breath. "Now, how are we supposed to stop this?" he asked, rather
pathetically.

"Like I told Monica," Mulder replied helplessly. "You can't stop this."

Scully had heard enough of what had been said. She felt both scared and
deeply concerned for her partner. "I won't let you quit on me...on us. Not
now, not ever." She took Mulder's hand, and felt him shudder. "There has to
be a way."

"If I have faith?" he asked her, lamely.

She didn't answer.

Skinner had been pondering a solution, at least something that was a
positive move in the right direction. Though it was harder to think straight
after Mulder's little announcement. "We have got to get away from here,"he
suggested.

"You mean leave for England?" Monica asked, equally confused.

Skinner picked up his cell phone. "Remember those connections I still have?"

Scully nodded.

"I'm going to try and arrange a flight out of Roswell." He headed for the
doorway. "I'll get us out of this place, by tonight if I can." Then he left
the motel room.

John Doggett felt like everyone had completely lost their minds. At the
same time, something was niggling in the back of his own. Why would Mulder
make up such an elaborate story? "So, if this is true and that's a mighty big if,
the plan is to run away and what? Hide Mulder from these so-called aliens?"

"Skinner's right," Monica piped up. "I think we should leave."

"And where do you think it's going to be safe?" Mulder said, quietly.

Scully squeezed his hand. "If we stay here, we definitely won't be."

"What about this destiny thing?" Doggett asked.

"What do you mean?" Scully replied.

"I mean," Doggett began, "if we are to try and believe this is all true are
we in fact safe?" He could see the confusion in both Monica and Scully's
faces, but the stare Mulder was giving him told Doggett he was on the right
track.

"You mean from me," Mulder stated.

"What?" Scully began.

Doggett cut her off. "He said himself that he'll become this powerful threat to
the human race. So, let's say we do everything we can to protect him, and
it's not enough? Then what?"

"Then I turn on you and rip your throat out!" Mulder's words choked him.
"Is that what you're afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid," Doggett replied. However, he knew his statement didn't
fully ring true.

"Or maybe slice your head off with a flick of the wrist....like Billy
Miles?"

"Mulder," Scully interjected. "Please don't do this to yourself." She turned
towards Doggett. "John, he's no threat to anyone."

"Not as long as we keep him from these aliens right?" Monica asked.

"I believe so," Scully replied, looking at Mulder for an answer. She saw the
tears welling up in his eyes again.

"Problem solved," he said, but the words rang falsely in his ears.

Just then Walter Skinner entered the room, a look of triumph on his face.

"What?" Monica asked, hopefully.

"I've just got us a private plane as far as Wyoming. It'll be arriving in a
few hours, and we'll be landing near Devil's Tower." he announced. "

"Wyoming?" Doggett said, glancing over at Mulder. "I thought we had to get
away from the States, otherwise the aliens will find us eventually?"

"I thought you didn't believe in aliens?" Monica said softly.

John Doggett wasn't listening. "Oh and Devil's Tower as well. Maybe we can
remake Spielberg's movie 'Close Encounters Of The Third Kind.' Wouldn't that
be fun?" he said in a sarcastic tone.

Both Scully and Monica ignored the remark and Skinner carried on with what
he'd been trying to say.

"When we get there, they'll be another plane waiting to take us to
England."

Mulder, who hadn't been concentrating on much of the conversation at all,
turned away and looked out of the window and up at the sky, which was now
turning into a glorious sunset over the mountains in the distance. He didn't see
the beautiful oranges and reds blending together, just the cold glint of a metallic
surface hovering above. His imagination projected the spaceship clearly in his
mind and he shuddered. How could he ever be free no matter where they ran to?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The plane touched down on an abandoned airstrip in the heart of a stretch of
grassland in the early hours of the morning.

During the several hours of flight from Roswell, Mulder had sat quietly in a
window seat, gazing out at the night sky; Scully curled up asleep beside
him. He wasn't sure why it should be, considering the frightening
circumstances he was in, but the bright pinpricks of light twinkling in all
that blackness had offered him some comfort. *Starlight*, he'd thought *that
special place where Samantha travelled...where she's safe.*

Monica Reyes had also managed to let herself drift off to sleep, having
chosen a seat to herself opposite Mulder and Scully. Both Doggett and
Skinner, seated behind them, had remained firmly awake throughout the trip.
Every now and then Skinner would glance over at Mulder, but received no
response.

*Jeeze, how am I supposed to protect him?* he asked himself.

John Doggett on the other hand had been thinking about a completely
different scenario. *Just how are we supposed to protect ourselves...in this
confined space? If Mulder changes...* He wasn't sure how else to put it.
*Then we don't stand a chance in hell of survival!*

To his relief this altercation had never happened, but he still wouldn't feel
comfortable, until his feet touched terra firma.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Five figures alighted onto the runway, but there was no one there to greet
them. The place was deserted.

"So where's this other plane?" Doggett asked.

Skinner's brow furrowed. "I don't understand?" he stated. He walked over to
the pilot of the little Cessna they'd arrived in. "Have you any idea where
our connection is?" he asked.

"Sorry sir," the pilot replied. "All I had were instructions to fly you
here." He paused then added, "Sir, I do have to return to the base. I can't
wait..."

"Okay," Skinner interrupted. "I understand."

"What's going on?" Scully asked, concerned.

"It's not coming is it?" Mulder said, stating the fact more than asking a
question. Visions of an alien spacecraft arriving on the scene instead
couldn't help but permeate his thoughts. He scanned the sky nervously, but
there were no bright lights; only the stars.

Skinner took his cell phone out of his jacket and began pressing numbers.

"Are you certain we are in the right place?" Monica asked him. It seemed to
her that they were in the middle of nowhere.

"Yes!" Skinner replied, sharply, making her jump a little. "I'm sorry Ms.
Reyes." Frustration showed clearly on his face.

"What is it?" Doggett asked.

"There's no answer...nothing!"

"Who are you calling?" Scully wanted to know.

"Friends involved with British Intelligence", Skinner replied, agitated.
"They arranged our transport out of the US."

Mulder sighed heavily. "Looks like someone got to them."

"You mean the aliens?" Doggett asked him. His tone of voice was firm,
although he hadn't meant to sound so condescending.

Mulder flashed him a look and said nothing.

Monica decided to change the subject. "You know, it's the middle of the
night. Don't you think we'd better try and find somewhere to crash?"

Scully looked around the area, but couldn't see a sign of life anywhere.
"And just where are we supposed to do that?"

"Sir." The pilot referred to Walter Skinner. "I do know there's a motel,
about a mile or so from here, over that hill." He pointed in a westerly
direction. "You could all stay there until you get things sorted out."

*Sorted out* Skinner thought. What if their plans to get to the UK had been
thwarted by the alien conspiracy? Then that would mean they knew where they
were. *Best not say anything. I don't wish to panic anyone, least of all
Mulder.* "Thanks," he replied.

"No problem, sir." The pilot smiled, then added, "I'd best be going."

The five watched the little plane take off down the runway and disappear
into the night.

"We'd better make a move ourselves," Skinner suggested. "It's getting colder
by the minute."

The others nodded, and started to make headway towards the hill the pilot
had pointed out to them. As they walked, Skinner lead the way while Doggett,
Reyes and Scully were not far behind.

Mulder sidled up alongside his former boss. "I know what you're thinking,"
he said quietly.

Skinner gave him a puzzled, if slightly alarmed look.

"No, I've not read your mind," Mulder assured him. "That alien ability
seems to have diminished." His voice sounded bitter. *And I hope to God it
never returns* he thought. Chances were probably likely it would, and then
some. But he didn't wish to explore that avenue of possibilities right now.

"What am I thinking?" Skinner asked him, realizing his former FBI agent
wasn't someone who you could keep in the dark about most things. His mind
had always been one step ahead of everyone else in the Bureau. It was
uncanny. Sadly, now he knew why Mulder had possessed this unique ability. It
was all thanks to an alien race set on repossessing the earth and using him
as their...their what? Weapon of destruction? He shuddered a little.

Mulder placed a hand on his shoulder. "You think they might come looking for
us? He faltered slightly and added, "They probably know where we are."

The others had heard this conversation and became alarmed.

"If that's true, then we're like sitting ducks out here," Scully stated.

Doggett had a question for Mulder. "But if they are so hell bent on taking
you again, wouldn't they be here now, buzzing over this area?" Before anyone
could reply, he turned to Monica. "You said that the ship you claim you saw
was huge. If it was here, we'd see it right?"

"Without a doubt," Monica answered. Tentatively she gazed above her head.

"So they can't know where we are then, can they?" Doggett asked. "Sorry,
Mulder but I think you're obviously scared and are jumping to
conclusions."

Mulder stopped walking and faced him. But Scully positioned herself between
the two men.

"Let's just get to the motel," she suggested. She looked at Mulder.
"Please?" Placing her arm around his waist, she squeezed him gently.
"There's no one here but us, and I'm cold."

In response Mulder put an arm across her shoulders and held her closer to
him as the team continued to walk towards the hill. Every now and then he
would glance up, then look out across the expanse of land. *Of course it
could always be cloaked* he thought, and felt a knot in the pit of his
stomach. But everything remained the same during their short journey to the
motel.

After checking themselves in, they bid each other goodnight and headed to
their rooms. They discovered there was hardly anybody else staying in this
particular motel, so Doggett and Skinner decided to share, while Monica
suggested she stay in the adjoining room. Both Mulder and Scully chose the
one next to hers.

"I'm afraid it's single beds only," Scully teased gently, trying to
alleviate some of the tension.

Mulder didn't seem to be listening.

"Should be plenty of room for us in one of these though...Mulder?"

"Huh?" he said, absent mindedly.

She took a hold of his hand and led him over to one of the beds. "Sit," she
commanded lightly.

He obeyed.

"Oh Mulder...honey...,she added tentatively, then became lost for words.
What could she say? *Oh how I wish none of this were true and you weren't
some alien experiment destined to face a cruel fate.* What the hell good
would that do? She couldn't even say that everything was going to be
all right. So, she just wrapped her arms around him tightly and held him close.

He couldn't register Scully's touching words there and then, the anguish
he had locked inside was overwhelming him. Mulder was so grateful to have
her beside him though and clung to her as if his very life depended on it.
Somehow his tears had managed to stay hidden during the entire trip from
Roswell. But once behind closed doors he discovered he could hold back no
longer.

Scully felt his body shudder and then heard him crying softly. *We'll get
through this* she thought, *Even if I have to kill every single one of those
aliens. They are not having him!*

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

As swirling mists parted, all that could be seen was a piercing light which
seemed to penetrate his very soul. A flash of cold steel then the pain
followed, slicing into his flesh, his world turning a crimson red. Fox
Mulder heard himself screaming over and over, begging for someone to hear
his cries for help. But no one came. The Greys were grouped all around,
leaning over his prone body, which was pinned to the chair, with metal
spikes that had been driven through both bone and tissue into both wrists
and ankles. Their black almond shaped eyes staring down at him, no
expression displayed upon their small faces. He heard a screeching, tearing
sound, forcing himself to look up. Coming out of the light was a metal arm
with what looked like a spinning saw on the end. It was getting closer and
closer and with a certain horror he realized it was going to slice into his
chest!

"Oh dear God!" he screamed. "Please help me! HELP ME!"

Mulder's eyes darted open as he heard himself yell out in fear. It took
several shaky seconds before he realized he was in a bed in a motel room.
Fragments of the nightmare were now receding and he felt himself gradually
begin to grow calmer, although his body was now bathed in sweat, and his
head was starting to ache. Slowly he turned to one side to see that Scully
was snuggled up beside him. She must have been really exhausted, as his
scream hadn't disturbed her sleep. Taking care not to wake her, he slowly
swung his legs out of bed and gingerly walked over to a window. The room was
cold and he shivered a little, wrapping his arms tightly around himself to
try and keep warm. He looked out and could see twinkling stars in a sky that
was starting to grow a little lighter, so it was obviously just before dawn.
He realized he needed to get out of the now clammy underclothes he had worn
the night before. He took a fresh pair out of his overnight bag. The only
items both he and his partner had managed to bring with them were a few
changes of underwear and toiletries which they'd had in their possession
since the escape to the motel in Roswell. He quickly dressed, glancing back
at her every now and then to make sure she was still asleep. Right now he
needed to be alone. As he pulled on his shirt, his hand brushed against the
deep scar which ran down the centre of his chest, and he shivered. The
nightmarish visions aboard the alien spaceship returned but he forced them
to the back of his mind.

"No," he whispered painfully. He could shut out the physical torture they
had inflicted upon him but trying to prevent himself from thinking about
just what they had planned for him in the near future seemed an impossible
task.

*There really is no way out of this Mulder* his mind kept repeating. "Oh
give me a break", he moaned. Taking a deep breath, he crossed over to the
motel door and unlocked it. Giving one more glance toward the redhead
sleeping soundly, he stepped out of the room, quietly closing the door
behind him.

continued in Part 2

Continued from Part 1

Outside the air was chilly but fresh and he took several deep breaths
hoping this would help to lessen the throbbing pain behind his temples.
He noticed a light coming from one of the buildings and began walking
toward it. When he reached the place he realized it was the motel's
reception area, which also had a little café that was open. He noticed there
were only a few people inside so decided even though he would rather be
alone, he would also prefer to be warmer. He entered and seated himself at a
table near the door, wishing to keep his distance from the other clientèle.
Once inside he noticed there were only four more people occupying the café.
A young couple was chatting to each other over steaming hot cups of coffee
across from him. The aroma was tempting Mulder, so when the
waitress came over he ordered a cup. He watched her move behind the counter
and could see she was quite attractive, if a little too tall for his liking.
Long brunette curls sweeping down her shoulders and eyes the colour of jade,
hiding behind very thickly laid on make-up. He was pondering why some
women chose to wear so much eye shadow and mascara when it was really so
unnecessary when he noticed the third person in the café. A young girl,
probably in her early twenties, was seated at the table directly opposite
him. She seemed of average height, with wavy dark blonde hair reaching to
the nape of her neck. He also couldn't help noticing she was very
curvaceous.

She looked up from her coffee and smiled in his direction, which made him
blush slightly. This unfortunately always happened when a pretty member of
the opposite sex showed any acknowledgement to his existence. It was a habit
he wished he could break. Also the fact she had those same crystal blue eyes
as his partner, didn't help either.

The waitress returning with his cup of coffee made him temporarily break eye
contact with the girl as he smiled his thanks. She left and he took a sip
of the beverage before him. Mmmn. It tasted rich in flavour and he was
grateful for the warmth he felt from it. He realized the headache seemed
to be fading now. *So that's all I needed,..a dose of caffeine?* he mused.
Taking a larger sip, he looked up and met the young lady's gaze once more
and returned a belated smile in her direction. He noticed she was dressed in
black jeans and tee shirt to match. It was then that he saw she was wearing
a button and took a sharp intake of breath when he realized that the emblem
was an alien head in gold, with almond shaped eyes.

"You like it?" she asked, in an amused tone.

"Pardon?" Mulder stumbled out, realizing he must have been staring for a
good while.

"I couldn't help but notice you were staring at my button," she replied.
"It's an extra-terrestrial."

"I can see that," he said. "Very pretty," he added, his demeanour showing he
was far from pleased upon seeing it.

The girl smiled again. "Do you believe in them?"

This completely threw him for a loop. "W-What?"

"Aliens. Do you believe they exist?" she asked, lightly.

"Do you?" He aimed the question directly at her, both curious and also
unnerved by this pretty young stranger.

"Yeah." Her reply was firm. "Oh yeah." She paused briefly

News Series Episodes Movies Books Photos Stars Characters Fanfics Music Home Videos Games Aliatope Locations Mythology Sites Forums

Login Join

WRITTEN BY

VIEWS

LAST UPDATE

PAGE VERSION

LIKES

RANK

RATING

PUBLISHED ON

WORD COUNT

READ TIME

SUMMARY

REVIEWS

HISTORY

News Series Episodes Movies Books Photos Stars Characters Fanfics Music Home Videos Games Aliatope Locations Mythology Sites Forums Login Join