Chapter 18 - You Need To Choose Mulder
Scully blinked with disbelief at the image in front of her. There on the armchair sat Wendy with one leg perched on Mulder's shoulder.
And Mulder was kneeling in front of her, with one hand holding the leg to which he was administering small licks and kisses and judging by the small moans coming from Wendy, Scully was very happy she could not see what the other hand was doing.
She took a deep breath and said "Richard"
Mulder didn't seem to hear her, but Wendy did. She opened her eyes and Scully could see they were filled with desire. She smiled a wicked smile at Scully.
"Couldn't stay away? Well, I am sure we can find some way to incorporate you into our little plans."
Scully's eyes grew huge at the thought. "Who would you like to service you first my dear. Me or your husband?"
Having definitely heard enough Scully grabbed Mulder's shoulder and hissed "Richard I want to leave and I want to leave now!"
Mulder still didn't seem to hear her and she yanked at him with all her might. He stumbled backwards and looked up at her a bit puzzled.
Not waiting for his head to clear, Scully grabbed his hand and pulled at him to stand up. "We are leaving here now" she said with a panic in her voice that was not longer just acting. "We don't belong here. We are going home."
With that she took Mulder by the arm and dragged him from the house. He said nothing but allowed himself to be led without putting up any fight.
As soon as Scully had dragged him far enough away from the house, she dropped his arm and turned on him. "What was that all about?" she said trying very hard not to yell her question at the top of her lungs.
Mulder who finally seemed to be coming out of his daze answered quietly. "What was what all about? I have no idea what you are talking about."
Scully's mouth dropped open at this and she turned on her heel and stormed up the street back to their house. Mulder followed behind her frantically trying to think of what he did wrong this time.
Both were so wrapped up in their swirling emotions, that neither of them spotted Agnes sitting on her porch swing slowly shaking her head at the sight of them.
"Scully" Mulder said as soon as he had shut the door "I honestly don't know what has gotten you so upset."
Scully stopped in her tracks and turned to face him with nothing but pure anger burning in her eyes. "You really don't know. Why don't you go ask Wendy?"
"Wendy?" Mulder said still confused.
"Wendy, you know the woman you were just with. Christ Mulder you reek of her scent and you claim you don't know what is bothering me?"
Mulder just stood there not knowing what to say. Scully glared at him one more time then headed for the stairs. "I am getting out of this outfit and taking a nice hot shower. Perhaps by the time I am done, your memory will have returned."
Mulder watched her storm up the stairs having absolutely no idea what to do next.
The shower and more comfortable clothes helped Scully's mood but not much. She was still furious at Mulder for taking his role tonight so seriously and even more furious at herself for being so upset by it.
"Thank God we will be going home soon" she said to herself as she turned off her bedroom light and headed for the stairs. "I just don't know if I can stand being around him much longer."
She walked down the stairs and into the living room but found it to be empty. She checked the kitchen, the basement family room, both bedrooms and baths and found them all empty as well.
Mulder was gone.
All of a sudden the anger she was feeling was replaced by pure panic. She had been so mad at Mulder that she hadn't even thought about whether or not their little plan had worked.
Apparently it had.
She grabbed her service weapon and identification and ran over to see Agnes.
Scully pushed pass Agnes when she opened the door.
"Where is he Agnes?"
"Who?"
Scully turned towards the woman as she dug out her id. "I am with the FBI Agnes, tell me when my partner is."
Agnes did not seem to be at all surprised at the revelation that her neighbors weren't who they said they were. "I knew you two were hiding something - but I didn't want to look too deeply."
Scully glared at her ignoring her comments. "Richard. I mean Mulder - where is he?"
"He isn't here, but check the house yourself if it will make you feel better. Then we will talk."
Scully pulled out her weapon and did a systematic sweep of the house finding nothing more than the missing articles from her house.
She put her weapon away and walked over to Agnes who was standing by the window looking out.
Scully took a deep breath to calm herself before she spoke. "Agnes, do you know where he is?"
"Perhaps" the woman said looking older by the minute. "Answer me this. Has your partner been acting strangely when he is around a particular woman."
Scully started to shake her head 'no' and then thought back on their last few encounters with Wendy. "Yes."
Agnes sighed and the look of sadness in her eyes grew deeper. "Do you know if by any chance this woman was able to take any of his fluids into her body."
Scully rolled her eyes at Agnes. "Fluids?" she said trying not to sound as annoyed as she felt "Really Agnes, what does Mulder's bodily fluids have to do with anything?"
Agnes said nothing and Scully shook her head thinking that Agnes and Mulder had more in common than she had originally thought.
Scully paused and thought a while before remembering the night when Mulder had pricked his finger. "Mulder pricked his finger and she sucked the blood off of it. I thought she was just trying to seduce him - are you saying there is more to it than that?"
"You were right, my dear, she was trying to seduce him. But she was also working her magic on him. By using his blood she was able to control him by simply touching him."
"Magic?" Scully said trying not to look too disgusted. "Are you trying to tell me that Wendy cast a spell on Mulder? That Wendy is a witch?"
"Yes, that is exactly what I am telling you. She is a witch, a much stronger one than I, who likes to use more black magic than white."
"How can you say that?" Scully demanded
"Because I am her mother." Agnes said quietly
"Her mother." Agnes cut off Scully before she could say anything more.
"We have no time to waste. If Wendy has seen the way your partner looks at you, then she will have realized that she can never truly have him for her own. Wendy doesn't like to loose - she will kill him like she did the others."
Scully stared at Agnes speechless but after a moment nodded. "Okay Agnes, I guess I have no choice but to believe you. What do you want me to do?"
Agnes smiled very weakly. "My car is already running" She saw Scully's look of puzzlement "I knew you would come to me when Richard - or whatever his real name is - went missing."
"His name is Mulder" Scully mumbled as she walked behind Agnes to the car.
Agnes got in the driver's side with Scully sitting beside her.
"How do you know where to go?" Scully asked slipping on her seatbelt and praying that she wasn't making a mistake going with Agnes.
"I saw it. Just as I saw that Wendy plans to kill him - and she may very well succeed if we don't get to him first."
"But you said her influence on him is only by the use of touch. All we have to do is pull him away from her." Scully said the feeling of panic increasing.
"That is true, unless she has taken a second type of fluid from him. It can be something as simple as a tear or a drop of perspiration and as intimate as."
"I get the general idea" Scully said frowning "but what does it mean?"
"What it means is that she can place an even stronger suggestion in his mind and he will do it without thinking. She can make him do anything."
Scully swallowed hard and looked out the front window. "Where are we going?"
"To the Mile High Bridge" Agnes answered her "From what I saw in my reflecting pan, Wendy means to have him jump off but she also wants you there to witness it. She always was a bit melodramatic."
"So you have known all along about what she was doing? Why didn't you do something to stop her? All those men." Scully's voice trailed off.
Agnes looked a tad guilty when she spoke "Who do you think cast a spell on Lydia and got her to talk to you. I have tried my own magic on her but Wendy is too strong. I did all I could do. I tried to keep the men she had her eyes on away from her and uninterested."
Scully just looked at her and shook her head again. "Believe it or not Dana - that is your real name, isn't it? I managed to keep a good number of men away from her. You and your partner chose to ignore the warnings."
"We were hoping to set a trap" Scully muttered.
"You were hoping to trap me. You had the right theory but the wrong witch."
"It's Mulder's theory. I don't even believe in witches. Or at least I didn't."
They rode in silence for the next ten minutes until they approached a high bridge crossing the Mississippi River. Scully scanned the distance from the bridge itself to the churning waters below it.
If someone survived the fall, they would be consumed within minutes by the current of the river.
The bridge was deserted with the exception of one lone car.
"She's here." Agnes said slowing down her approach towards the bridge.
Scully merely nodded and reached for her cell phone. Within seconds she was in contact with the local Bureau office and had told them of her situation and requested backup on the bridge and beneath it.
Agnes continued to drive across the bridge until they were a few yards from where Wendy and Mulder stood.
Both women got out of the car. "Let him go Wendy" Agnes said quietly. "You have let your emotions take charge. It is time to stop."
"Shut up old woman!" Wendy yelled back at her mother. "What do you know? You never even thanked me for killing off that cheating husband of yours."
"That cheating husband was your father." Agnes said quietly.
"Don't you think I know that, don't you think I want to forget that. But I made him pay, just like I am making all of them who broke my heart pay."
Scully motioned Agnes behind her and slowly approached Wendy. "Wendy, I am a Federal Agent as is Agent Mulder. I have requested backup. There is no way you will be able to escape. Let him go - while you still can."
Wendy walked around Mulder possessively. "Do you think I don't know who he is? What kind of fool do you think I am? I knew who you were and believe me it only added to my pleasure when I seduced him."
Scully managed not to wince at the words but continued to move slowly towards her pulling out her weapon as she went.
Scully stopped about a foot from them holding her weapon casually in her hand.
"Wendy, I don't want to hurt you.." she started before Wendy cut her off.
"You know your beloved partner is completely under my control. He mind bends totally to my will."
"I don't believe you" Scully said hoping she sounded more confident than she felt.
"Would you like a little proof?" Wendy said turning to Mulder.
"Kiss me Mulder" she whispered and immediately Mulder pulled her into his arms and gave her a long passionate kiss.
When they parted she gave Scully an evil smile. "Strike her Mulder and take away her gun."
Scully could only gasp as Mulder slapped her hard across the face without showing the slightest hint of emotion. A simple twist of her arm sprung the gun from her hand. He held in loosely in his own hand.
"Well done lover boy." Wendy purred at him. "Now climb up on the railing there and throw yourself in."
Mulder went to do what he was told when Scully yelled out "STOP".
He scream caught his attention and he stopped. Scully took this as a sign of hope and continued.
"Mulder, it's me" she said softly using her normal greeting "You can't do what she says. You have to stay here with me."
Mulder paused and a small spark of recognition lit in his eyes.
Wendy responded quickly before the spell could be broken. "Don't listen to her fool. She is trying to trick you so she can use you and hurt you."
Mulder looked at Scully as if he had never seen her before and was trying to figure out what danger to him she presented.
"That's not true Mulder. I have never hurt you and will never hurt you."
"You aren't going to be fooled by that, are you?" Wendy retorted. "Shoot her"
Mulder looked at Scully and raised her gun and pointed it at her while Wendy kept talking. "Shoot her and then shoot yourself."
Scully looked Mulder directly in the eyes and spoke calmly to him.
"Mulder, don't listen to her. You know me. All you have to do is make yourself remember. When we got stuck up in the Artic and I locked you in the cold storage unit; when you came halfway around the world to rescue me; when you went to investigate that submarine and I had to find a cure to save you - we belong together Mulder. We could never hurt each other for only together we are whole."
"Very touching my dear" Wendy said "all the more reason why you should both die together."
"Do it!" she yelled at Mulder.
Mulder moved back and forth between both women his face showing his attempt to focus his thoughts. He face then went perfectly calm and he fired one shot and collapsed on the ground.
Agnes screamed when the shot went off still not believing that Mulder had pulled the trigger.
Scully too was surprised that Mulder had actually been able to shoot his kidnapper. She rushed over to his crumpled body and since he seemed to be breathing left him and ran over to Wendy yelling for Agnes to dial 911 even though she heard the sounds of sirens approaching.
"Tell them there have been shots fired and that we have two victims and one is an FBI agent. That will get them here even quicker."
Scully rolled Wendy over and was relieved to see that Mulder had been able to shoot her cleanly through the shoulder. She was awake and in considerable pain, but she would live to stand trial for all she had done.
"Mulder" Scully said as she pressed her hand against Wendy's wound to stop the bleeding. "What have you done to him?"
Wendy moaned and then smiled that evil smile again at Scully. "Nothing much. I just told him that if anything should happen to me, he was to go to sleep, just like sleeping beauty."
Try as they might, neither Agnes nor Scully were able to get anything else out of her. Wendy apparently was keen on having the last laugh when it came to Mulder.
36 hours later - Washington DC
Mulder had slept and slept and slept. He had slept through his examination at the hospital in Minneapolis, on the chartered flight back to DC and the entire time he had been hospitalized at George Washington Hospital.
The doctors were stumped. He brain functions appeared to be those of a man in a very deep sleep but they could not rouse him no matter what they tried.
Scully had only left Mulder's side to check in with Skinner and get a few changes of clothes. Other than that, she spent all of her time at his bedside telling him over and over again how sorry she was for assuming the worse about him.
"Come on Mulder" Scully said for what must have been the thousandth time "It's time to wake up. I miss you Mulder. Our work needs you, I need you."
Scully was so wrapped up in her one way conversation with Mulder that she didn't even notice Agnes standing in the doorway until she cleared her throat.
Startled, Scully looked up surprised to see her former neighbor entering the room.
"Hello dear" Agnes said bending over to kiss Scully on the cheek. "I thought I would come here to see if there was any way I could help."
Scully smiled weakly. "Not unless you know of some magic that will break whatever hold Wendy still has on him."
Agnes pulled the extra chair over next to Mulder's bed and sat down, taking his hand in hers.
"I have tried to talk to Wendy but she won't see anyone. Since she will be of no help I tried to replay what happened on the bridge over in mind and to try and think of the key that will unlock the puzzle."
"I have been doing the same thing, but can think of nothing. Figuring out clues from bits and pieces of information is the type of thing he can do" Scully said pointing to Mulder "not me. He has the open mind, I have the closed one."
Agnes patted her hand. "Well, then we will just have to see if we can open it a little bit, won't we?"
Scully looked at her totally confused so she continued. "Dana, I want you to think about what Wendy said to you after Fox here collapsed. Exactly, word for word."
Scully sat back in her chair and closed her eyes forcing herself to relive those terrible moments again. "She said that Mulder would sleep just like sleeping beauty."
Agnes looked at her expectantly waiting for her to make the connection. When Scully shook her head at her and continued to look puzzle Agnes spoke. "I believe the key is in the phrase 'sleeping beauty'."
"Sleeping beauty as in the fairy tale?" Scully asked still quite puzzled.
"Exactly. Wendy always loved fairy tales when she was a little girl. Her favorite was Sleeping Beauty. I think the cure for Sleeping Beauty will work on Fox as well."
Scully frowned as she tried to recall the story. Fairy tales were not her favorite growing up but she still had been exposed to most of them.
"Are you trying to tell me that he will awaken with the kiss from his true love?" Scully said not knowing whether she should laugh or cry at this idea.
"Exactly" Agnes said beaming. "After all, love is the strongest magic of all."
"You have got to be kidding." Scully said "Even if you aren't kidding, how am I ever going to find his true love?" Her thoughts immediately went to Phoebe who was probably floating around Europe somewhere.
Agnes smiled at her as she rose from her chair. "You know your partner well, don't you Dana?"
Scully nodded. "Then look into your heart and his and I am sure you will find the answer. After that, the rest is simple."
Scully looked up at her stunned. Surely Agnes had spent too much time locked up with her magic books to believe such things.
Agnes kissed her cheek again and walked from the room pausing only long enough at the door to say "Trust yourself and him Dana. You won't be disappointed."
With that she was gone and Scully was left alone with her sleeping partner wondering what exactly she was supposed to do with the information Agnes had given her.
Scully picked up Mulder's hand and held it to her cheek. "Oh Mulder, where are you when I need you? This is the kind of puzzle you love to figure out. What should I do? What would you do if you were me?"
She turned his hand over and kissed his palm when suddenly she remembered the way Mulder had looked at her over dinner the night of their first kiss. Mulder, she knew, would take the chance and worry about the circumstances later.
Scully got up and paced around the room a few times trying to think things through. If she kissed Mulder and he woke up, did that mean that she was his true love? If so, could she handle that?
If she kissed him and he didn't wake up would she be able to handle the fact that she wasn't his true love?
"Either way, you are going to be dealing with a basket case" Scully warned Mulder as she positioned herself on the bed so she could look directly down at him.
He looked so peaceful and handsome that Scully found it easier than she thought to lean over and place a gentle kiss on his lips.
She lifted her head and looked at him and could have sworn that she saw his mouth twitch towards the hint of a smile.
"So you liked that Mulder?" she said "Good thing, because here comes another one."
This kiss was longer and with more feeling. Scully was about to pull away and give up when she thought she felt the smallest of movements beneath her lips.
She deepened the kiss and realized that Mulder was beginning to kiss her back.
Scully opened herself to him and felt a surge of joy when Mulder seemed to melt into her.
She finally pulled back and looked down at him. Mulder slowly opened his eyes and raised his hand up and carefully brushed away a single tear that was running down her face.
"Hey" he said.
"Hey yourself" Scully replied.
"How come you never kissed me like that the other 100 times I was in the hospital?" Mulder asked.
Scully just blushed. "It's a long story. I thought it would bring you around."
"Really? I can't wait to hear it." Mulder said pulling himself up in bed. "Tell it to me - all of it."
So Scully did. She told him about him and Wendy at the party (which caused Mulder to blush considerably); her conversations with Agnes; her standoff with Wendy on the bridge and how she had kept him from jumping into the river and how after he shot Wendy she had told Scully that he would sleep like Sleeping Beauty.
Mulder listened carefully and when Scully finished immediately said "So you knew that I had to receive a kiss from my true love to awaken. Very good Scully, I never thought you would have put much validity into a fairy tale."
"Well actually I didn't think of it. Agnes flew all the way out here to put me on the right track."
"All the way out here? Does that mean we are back in DC?" Mulder asked.
"Yes"
"Did you pack up everything in the house?" Mulder asked.
"Of course I did - are you worried I forgot something?"
Mulder leered at her. "Everything? Including the little number you wore the other night?"
Scully didn't answer her only rolled her eyes at him.
"Good" Mulder said smiling from ear to ear. "You can wear it to my coming home party."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ End of story. any final thoughts?
Scully blinked with disbelief at the image in front of her. There on the armchair sat Wendy with one leg perched on Mulder's shoulder.
And Mulder was kneeling in front of her, with one hand holding the leg to which he was administering small licks and kisses and judging by the small moans coming from Wendy, Scully was very happy she could not see what the other hand was doing.
She took a deep breath and said "Richard"
Mulder didn't seem to hear her, but Wendy did. She opened her eyes and Scully could see they were filled with desire. She smiled a wicked smile at Scully.
"Couldn't stay away? Well, I am sure we can find some way to incorporate you into our little plans."
Scully's eyes grew huge at the thought. "Who would you like to service you first my dear. Me or your husband?"
Having definitely heard enough Scully grabbed Mulder's shoulder and hissed "Richard I want to leave and I want to leave now!"
Mulder still didn't seem to hear her and she yanked at him with all her might. He stumbled backwards and looked up at her a bit puzzled.
Not waiting for his head to clear, Scully grabbed his hand and pulled at him to stand up. "We are leaving here now" she said with a panic in her voice that was not longer just acting. "We don't belong here. We are going home."
With that she took Mulder by the arm and dragged him from the house. He said nothing but allowed himself to be led without putting up any fight.
As soon as Scully had dragged him far enough away from the house, she dropped his arm and turned on him. "What was that all about?" she said trying very hard not to yell her question at the top of her lungs.
Mulder who finally seemed to be coming out of his daze answered quietly. "What was what all about? I have no idea what you are talking about."
Scully's mouth dropped open at this and she turned on her heel and stormed up the street back to their house. Mulder followed behind her frantically trying to think of what he did wrong this time.
Both were so wrapped up in their swirling emotions, that neither of them spotted Agnes sitting on her porch swing slowly shaking her head at the sight of them.
"Scully" Mulder said as soon as he had shut the door "I honestly don't know what has gotten you so upset."
Scully stopped in her tracks and turned to face him with nothing but pure anger burning in her eyes. "You really don't know. Why don't you go ask Wendy?"
"Wendy?" Mulder said still confused.
"Wendy, you know the woman you were just with. Christ Mulder you reek of her scent and you claim you don't know what is bothering me?"
Mulder just stood there not knowing what to say. Scully glared at him one more time then headed for the stairs. "I am getting out of this outfit and taking a nice hot shower. Perhaps by the time I am done, your memory will have returned."
Mulder watched her storm up the stairs having absolutely no idea what to do next.
The shower and more comfortable clothes helped Scully's mood but not much. She was still furious at Mulder for taking his role tonight so seriously and even more furious at herself for being so upset by it.
"Thank God we will be going home soon" she said to herself as she turned off her bedroom light and headed for the stairs. "I just don't know if I can stand being around him much longer."
She walked down the stairs and into the living room but found it to be empty. She checked the kitchen, the basement family room, both bedrooms and baths and found them all empty as well.
Mulder was gone.
All of a sudden the anger she was feeling was replaced by pure panic. She had been so mad at Mulder that she hadn't even thought about whether or not their little plan had worked.
Apparently it had.
She grabbed her service weapon and identification and ran over to see Agnes.
Scully pushed pass Agnes when she opened the door.
"Where is he Agnes?"
"Who?"
Scully turned towards the woman as she dug out her id. "I am with the FBI Agnes, tell me when my partner is."
Agnes did not seem to be at all surprised at the revelation that her neighbors weren't who they said they were. "I knew you two were hiding something - but I didn't want to look too deeply."
Scully glared at her ignoring her comments. "Richard. I mean Mulder - where is he?"
"He isn't here, but check the house yourself if it will make you feel better. Then we will talk."
Scully pulled out her weapon and did a systematic sweep of the house finding nothing more than the missing articles from her house.
She put her weapon away and walked over to Agnes who was standing by the window looking out.
Scully took a deep breath to calm herself before she spoke. "Agnes, do you know where he is?"
"Perhaps" the woman said looking older by the minute. "Answer me this. Has your partner been acting strangely when he is around a particular woman."
Scully started to shake her head 'no' and then thought back on their last few encounters with Wendy. "Yes."
Agnes sighed and the look of sadness in her eyes grew deeper. "Do you know if by any chance this woman was able to take any of his fluids into her body."
Scully rolled her eyes at Agnes. "Fluids?" she said trying not to sound as annoyed as she felt "Really Agnes, what does Mulder's bodily fluids have to do with anything?"
Agnes said nothing and Scully shook her head thinking that Agnes and Mulder had more in common than she had originally thought.
Scully paused and thought a while before remembering the night when Mulder had pricked his finger. "Mulder pricked his finger and she sucked the blood off of it. I thought she was just trying to seduce him - are you saying there is more to it than that?"
"You were right, my dear, she was trying to seduce him. But she was also working her magic on him. By using his blood she was able to control him by simply touching him."
"Magic?" Scully said trying not to look too disgusted. "Are you trying to tell me that Wendy cast a spell on Mulder? That Wendy is a witch?"
"Yes, that is exactly what I am telling you. She is a witch, a much stronger one than I, who likes to use more black magic than white."
"How can you say that?" Scully demanded
"Because I am her mother." Agnes said quietly
"Her mother." Agnes cut off Scully before she could say anything more.
"We have no time to waste. If Wendy has seen the way your partner looks at you, then she will have realized that she can never truly have him for her own. Wendy doesn't like to loose - she will kill him like she did the others."
Scully stared at Agnes speechless but after a moment nodded. "Okay Agnes, I guess I have no choice but to believe you. What do you want me to do?"
Agnes smiled very weakly. "My car is already running" She saw Scully's look of puzzlement "I knew you would come to me when Richard - or whatever his real name is - went missing."
"His name is Mulder" Scully mumbled as she walked behind Agnes to the car.
Agnes got in the driver's side with Scully sitting beside her.
"How do you know where to go?" Scully asked slipping on her seatbelt and praying that she wasn't making a mistake going with Agnes.
"I saw it. Just as I saw that Wendy plans to kill him - and she may very well succeed if we don't get to him first."
"But you said her influence on him is only by the use of touch. All we have to do is pull him away from her." Scully said the feeling of panic increasing.
"That is true, unless she has taken a second type of fluid from him. It can be something as simple as a tear or a drop of perspiration and as intimate as."
"I get the general idea" Scully said frowning "but what does it mean?"
"What it means is that she can place an even stronger suggestion in his mind and he will do it without thinking. She can make him do anything."
Scully swallowed hard and looked out the front window. "Where are we going?"
"To the Mile High Bridge" Agnes answered her "From what I saw in my reflecting pan, Wendy means to have him jump off but she also wants you there to witness it. She always was a bit melodramatic."
"So you have known all along about what she was doing? Why didn't you do something to stop her? All those men." Scully's voice trailed off.
Agnes looked a tad guilty when she spoke "Who do you think cast a spell on Lydia and got her to talk to you. I have tried my own magic on her but Wendy is too strong. I did all I could do. I tried to keep the men she had her eyes on away from her and uninterested."
Scully just looked at her and shook her head again. "Believe it or not Dana - that is your real name, isn't it? I managed to keep a good number of men away from her. You and your partner chose to ignore the warnings."
"We were hoping to set a trap" Scully muttered.
"You were hoping to trap me. You had the right theory but the wrong witch."
"It's Mulder's theory. I don't even believe in witches. Or at least I didn't."
They rode in silence for the next ten minutes until they approached a high bridge crossing the Mississippi River. Scully scanned the distance from the bridge itself to the churning waters below it.
If someone survived the fall, they would be consumed within minutes by the current of the river.
The bridge was deserted with the exception of one lone car.
"She's here." Agnes said slowing down her approach towards the bridge.
Scully merely nodded and reached for her cell phone. Within seconds she was in contact with the local Bureau office and had told them of her situation and requested backup on the bridge and beneath it.
Agnes continued to drive across the bridge until they were a few yards from where Wendy and Mulder stood.
Both women got out of the car. "Let him go Wendy" Agnes said quietly. "You have let your emotions take charge. It is time to stop."
"Shut up old woman!" Wendy yelled back at her mother. "What do you know? You never even thanked me for killing off that cheating husband of yours."
"That cheating husband was your father." Agnes said quietly.
"Don't you think I know that, don't you think I want to forget that. But I made him pay, just like I am making all of them who broke my heart pay."
Scully motioned Agnes behind her and slowly approached Wendy. "Wendy, I am a Federal Agent as is Agent Mulder. I have requested backup. There is no way you will be able to escape. Let him go - while you still can."
Wendy walked around Mulder possessively. "Do you think I don't know who he is? What kind of fool do you think I am? I knew who you were and believe me it only added to my pleasure when I seduced him."
Scully managed not to wince at the words but continued to move slowly towards her pulling out her weapon as she went.
Scully stopped about a foot from them holding her weapon casually in her hand.
"Wendy, I don't want to hurt you.." she started before Wendy cut her off.
"You know your beloved partner is completely under my control. He mind bends totally to my will."
"I don't believe you" Scully said hoping she sounded more confident than she felt.
"Would you like a little proof?" Wendy said turning to Mulder.
"Kiss me Mulder" she whispered and immediately Mulder pulled her into his arms and gave her a long passionate kiss.
When they parted she gave Scully an evil smile. "Strike her Mulder and take away her gun."
Scully could only gasp as Mulder slapped her hard across the face without showing the slightest hint of emotion. A simple twist of her arm sprung the gun from her hand. He held in loosely in his own hand.
"Well done lover boy." Wendy purred at him. "Now climb up on the railing there and throw yourself in."
Mulder went to do what he was told when Scully yelled out "STOP".
He scream caught his attention and he stopped. Scully took this as a sign of hope and continued.
"Mulder, it's me" she said softly using her normal greeting "You can't do what she says. You have to stay here with me."
Mulder paused and a small spark of recognition lit in his eyes.
Wendy responded quickly before the spell could be broken. "Don't listen to her fool. She is trying to trick you so she can use you and hurt you."
Mulder looked at Scully as if he had never seen her before and was trying to figure out what danger to him she presented.
"That's not true Mulder. I have never hurt you and will never hurt you."
"You aren't going to be fooled by that, are you?" Wendy retorted. "Shoot her"
Mulder looked at Scully and raised her gun and pointed it at her while Wendy kept talking. "Shoot her and then shoot yourself."
Scully looked Mulder directly in the eyes and spoke calmly to him.
"Mulder, don't listen to her. You know me. All you have to do is make yourself remember. When we got stuck up in the Artic and I locked you in the cold storage unit; when you came halfway around the world to rescue me; when you went to investigate that submarine and I had to find a cure to save you - we belong together Mulder. We could never hurt each other for only together we are whole."
"Very touching my dear" Wendy said "all the more reason why you should both die together."
"Do it!" she yelled at Mulder.
Mulder moved back and forth between both women his face showing his attempt to focus his thoughts. He face then went perfectly calm and he fired one shot and collapsed on the ground.
Agnes screamed when the shot went off still not believing that Mulder had pulled the trigger.
Scully too was surprised that Mulder had actually been able to shoot his kidnapper. She rushed over to his crumpled body and since he seemed to be breathing left him and ran over to Wendy yelling for Agnes to dial 911 even though she heard the sounds of sirens approaching.
"Tell them there have been shots fired and that we have two victims and one is an FBI agent. That will get them here even quicker."
Scully rolled Wendy over and was relieved to see that Mulder had been able to shoot her cleanly through the shoulder. She was awake and in considerable pain, but she would live to stand trial for all she had done.
"Mulder" Scully said as she pressed her hand against Wendy's wound to stop the bleeding. "What have you done to him?"
Wendy moaned and then smiled that evil smile again at Scully. "Nothing much. I just told him that if anything should happen to me, he was to go to sleep, just like sleeping beauty."
Try as they might, neither Agnes nor Scully were able to get anything else out of her. Wendy apparently was keen on having the last laugh when it came to Mulder.
36 hours later - Washington DC
Mulder had slept and slept and slept. He had slept through his examination at the hospital in Minneapolis, on the chartered flight back to DC and the entire time he had been hospitalized at George Washington Hospital.
The doctors were stumped. He brain functions appeared to be those of a man in a very deep sleep but they could not rouse him no matter what they tried.
Scully had only left Mulder's side to check in with Skinner and get a few changes of clothes. Other than that, she spent all of her time at his bedside telling him over and over again how sorry she was for assuming the worse about him.
"Come on Mulder" Scully said for what must have been the thousandth time "It's time to wake up. I miss you Mulder. Our work needs you, I need you."
Scully was so wrapped up in her one way conversation with Mulder that she didn't even notice Agnes standing in the doorway until she cleared her throat.
Startled, Scully looked up surprised to see her former neighbor entering the room.
"Hello dear" Agnes said bending over to kiss Scully on the cheek. "I thought I would come here to see if there was any way I could help."
Scully smiled weakly. "Not unless you know of some magic that will break whatever hold Wendy still has on him."
Agnes pulled the extra chair over next to Mulder's bed and sat down, taking his hand in hers.
"I have tried to talk to Wendy but she won't see anyone. Since she will be of no help I tried to replay what happened on the bridge over in mind and to try and think of the key that will unlock the puzzle."
"I have been doing the same thing, but can think of nothing. Figuring out clues from bits and pieces of information is the type of thing he can do" Scully said pointing to Mulder "not me. He has the open mind, I have the closed one."
Agnes patted her hand. "Well, then we will just have to see if we can open it a little bit, won't we?"
Scully looked at her totally confused so she continued. "Dana, I want you to think about what Wendy said to you after Fox here collapsed. Exactly, word for word."
Scully sat back in her chair and closed her eyes forcing herself to relive those terrible moments again. "She said that Mulder would sleep just like sleeping beauty."
Agnes looked at her expectantly waiting for her to make the connection. When Scully shook her head at her and continued to look puzzle Agnes spoke. "I believe the key is in the phrase 'sleeping beauty'."
"Sleeping beauty as in the fairy tale?" Scully asked still quite puzzled.
"Exactly. Wendy always loved fairy tales when she was a little girl. Her favorite was Sleeping Beauty. I think the cure for Sleeping Beauty will work on Fox as well."
Scully frowned as she tried to recall the story. Fairy tales were not her favorite growing up but she still had been exposed to most of them.
"Are you trying to tell me that he will awaken with the kiss from his true love?" Scully said not knowing whether she should laugh or cry at this idea.
"Exactly" Agnes said beaming. "After all, love is the strongest magic of all."
"You have got to be kidding." Scully said "Even if you aren't kidding, how am I ever going to find his true love?" Her thoughts immediately went to Phoebe who was probably floating around Europe somewhere.
Agnes smiled at her as she rose from her chair. "You know your partner well, don't you Dana?"
Scully nodded. "Then look into your heart and his and I am sure you will find the answer. After that, the rest is simple."
Scully looked up at her stunned. Surely Agnes had spent too much time locked up with her magic books to believe such things.
Agnes kissed her cheek again and walked from the room pausing only long enough at the door to say "Trust yourself and him Dana. You won't be disappointed."
With that she was gone and Scully was left alone with her sleeping partner wondering what exactly she was supposed to do with the information Agnes had given her.
Scully picked up Mulder's hand and held it to her cheek. "Oh Mulder, where are you when I need you? This is the kind of puzzle you love to figure out. What should I do? What would you do if you were me?"
She turned his hand over and kissed his palm when suddenly she remembered the way Mulder had looked at her over dinner the night of their first kiss. Mulder, she knew, would take the chance and worry about the circumstances later.
Scully got up and paced around the room a few times trying to think things through. If she kissed Mulder and he woke up, did that mean that she was his true love? If so, could she handle that?
If she kissed him and he didn't wake up would she be able to handle the fact that she wasn't his true love?
"Either way, you are going to be dealing with a basket case" Scully warned Mulder as she positioned herself on the bed so she could look directly down at him.
He looked so peaceful and handsome that Scully found it easier than she thought to lean over and place a gentle kiss on his lips.
She lifted her head and looked at him and could have sworn that she saw his mouth twitch towards the hint of a smile.
"So you liked that Mulder?" she said "Good thing, because here comes another one."
This kiss was longer and with more feeling. Scully was about to pull away and give up when she thought she felt the smallest of movements beneath her lips.
She deepened the kiss and realized that Mulder was beginning to kiss her back.
Scully opened herself to him and felt a surge of joy when Mulder seemed to melt into her.
She finally pulled back and looked down at him. Mulder slowly opened his eyes and raised his hand up and carefully brushed away a single tear that was running down her face.
"Hey" he said.
"Hey yourself" Scully replied.
"How come you never kissed me like that the other 100 times I was in the hospital?" Mulder asked.
Scully just blushed. "It's a long story. I thought it would bring you around."
"Really? I can't wait to hear it." Mulder said pulling himself up in bed. "Tell it to me - all of it."
So Scully did. She told him about him and Wendy at the party (which caused Mulder to blush considerably); her conversations with Agnes; her standoff with Wendy on the bridge and how she had kept him from jumping into the river and how after he shot Wendy she had told Scully that he would sleep like Sleeping Beauty.
Mulder listened carefully and when Scully finished immediately said "So you knew that I had to receive a kiss from my true love to awaken. Very good Scully, I never thought you would have put much validity into a fairy tale."
"Well actually I didn't think of it. Agnes flew all the way out here to put me on the right track."
"All the way out here? Does that mean we are back in DC?" Mulder asked.
"Yes"
"Did you pack up everything in the house?" Mulder asked.
"Of course I did - are you worried I forgot something?"
Mulder leered at her. "Everything? Including the little number you wore the other night?"
Scully didn't answer her only rolled her eyes at him.
"Good" Mulder said smiling from ear to ear. "You can wear it to my coming home party."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ End of story. any final thoughts?