Title: Left in the Dark

Author: BJC525

Rated: PG-13

Key Words: S, A, MSR-UST, Mulderangst, Scullyangst

Spoilers: Small Duane Barry. A small tribute to Amor Fati at

the end.

Disclaimer: Not mine, never were. Sigh. Oh well.

Summary: DARKNESS - figurative or literal - who's to say which

is more terrifying. Mulder and Scully will experience both.

Chapter 1

"Oh Mulder," Scully called out sweetly in a singsong voice, as she perused the map before her.

"Yes, Scully," Mulder answered blissfully, driving along the highway in North Dakota, enjoying the peace, the quiet, the dulcet tones of Dana Scully calling his name.

"Mulder, could I trouble you to answer me just one little thing," she continued in her silkiest voice.

(Keep talking like that Scully, and I'm pulling the car over right here, ) he thought, his imagination supplying him with an endless run of Scully-vision for his viewing pleasure.

Taking his silence as tacit permission, Scully proceeded to blindside him.

"Would you mind telling me where the hell are we?" she said sharply and loudly.

Wham!!

The door to his fantasy world slammed shut with a bang, dumping a quick cold shower on his head. Taken completely by surprise, Mulder jumped in his seat, his hands jerked the wheel, making the car swerve violently. The tires squealed loudly as they sought purchase.

"Shit!" Mulder cried out as he fought to regain control. When they were finally going straight again, Mulder glanced over to see Scully regarding him coolly; not a hair out of place as she patiently waited to regain his full attention.

"So?" She threw down the map in disgust. "Where are we?"

Mulder opened his mouth, but before he could utter a single sound, Scully cut him off at the pass. "If you say North Dakota, you can start looking for a new partner, Mister."

Mulder shut his mouth with a snap. He definitely wasn't up to calling his partner's bluff. Not here. Not now. He was in too deep to make it up to her at this point.

How could everything - absolutely everything, go so wrong on one case. It was mind-boggling. Everything - from the very beginning he felt like they'd been doomed.

When Skinner handed the case file down, Mulder had thought it sounded pretty good. He knew that both he and Scully could really use something that required minimal effort, but from minute one, this one had been cloaked in a black fog.

A small town in the mid-West whose local enforcement agency resented outside "interference" from FBI agents and most especially from a woman, drained them, both physically and emotionally. They worked as hard as they ever had to solve the case quickly and quietly, but of course when it was discovered that the whole thing was a college research project on "reported alien abductions and sightings", Mulder knew that they wouldn't be able to get out of there quick enough. The town's mortal embarrassment was the last straw and they hit the open road at 10:30 at night doing 80 mph without looking back.

Which was how they'd ended up on this little adventure. And now, he just wanted to find a town with a motel and get their bearings so that they could get to an airport and get back home. They had taken turns driving; sixteen hours straight through.

Next to him, Scully dropped her head in her hands as the absurdity of what she'd done hit her. "Oh beam me up, Scotty," she moaned painfully.

"Hey!" Mulder protested, "No quoting William Shatner while I'm driving."

Scully peeked over at him, eyebrows raised in surprise. "And why not, pray tell? And before you answer that, let me remind you that I wasn't quoting William Shatner - that was Captain Kirk."

Mulder grimaced and groaned in mock distress. "Even worse." He used his peripheral vision and was inordinately pleased to see that his partner was smiling at least.

"You haven't answered my question, Mulder. Why this aversion to Captain Kirk?" Scully asked, fighting to hide her smile and not quite succeeding. She wasn't quite through being mad at him for dragging her out on that sorry excuse for a case.

"You can't be serious, Scully. Everybody knows that the only intelligent captain of the Enterprise was Picard." Mulder announced matter of factly.

Scully did a double take. "What?" Her brow furrowed in puzzlement. "What was so special about Picard?"

(What am I saying?) She couldn't believe that she was having this conversation - debating two fictional starship captains out in the middle of nowhere U.S.A. (Must be more tired than I thought.)

"Oh, lots of things," Mulder replied lightly. "Mostly Beverly Crusher."

Now Scully was really lost. With a huff she let her head fall back against the headrest. "Mulder - what are you talking about? What does Beverly Crusher have to do with it?"

"Only the suave Jean-Luc Picard had exceptional taste, as demonstrated by his feelings for one lovely red-haired doctor," Mulder said mischievously, emphasizing "red-haired" and "doctor".

Scully bit her lip. (Oh, Lord!) she thought helplessly. (I can't fight that. Game - set and match - Fox Mulder.) She couldn't look at him, but she had a pretty good idea that he knew. Oh, yes, he knew exactly how that comment had affected her.

Mulder smiled smugly. (Winner and still champion. And out of the doghouse!) The air of self-satisfaction was easily picked up by the perceptive woman seated to his immediate right.

"Stop grinning, Mulder." She snapped, not forgetting for a minute how this conversation had started.

"I'm happy - that's all. I can't repress it," Mulder said plaintively.

"Sure you can. I'm happy, too," she retorted. "See how well I'm repressing it. So if I can, you can."

Mulder just laughed at her and how utterly ridiculous she sounded.

Scully sighed and gave up. Someday, someday she'd learn to quit while she was ahead. Or if not ahead, at least treading water.

Mulder wisely kept quiet and reached over to turn up the radio.

Chapter 2

Mulder realized at once that something was wrong with the car. The "check engine" light came on, a strange noise could be heard and was that smoke?

Without a second thought he pulled to the side of the road, causing Scully to instantly jerk her gaze over.

"What is it? What's wrong?" she asked quickly, her eyes wide.

Before Mulder could answer, she caught sight of smoke seeping out from under the hood. She was unable to keep from groaning aloud as Mulder immediately turned off the engine. Rolling her eyes heavenward, she shot an irritated look at her partner and threw open her door. She found herself staring at a sign that helpfully informed her that the next town was six miles away.

Mulder heaved a tortured, put-upon sigh. (Oh yeah, I was wondering how much worse things could get. What else could go wrong, I asked myself. ) He shook his head, removing the daggers Scully had sent his way, thinking that he couldn't win for losing at this point. He stepped out of the car and decided to throw himself at her mercy.

"Go ahead, Scully. Let me have it," he said contritely, his head bowed.

Scully just stared at him. As much as she would have loved to let loose, to lay it all on her partner, she just couldn't do it. (God, look at him. Forget the "soulful" puppy dog look; add "whipped" to his repertoire.) She just couldn't hit him when he was that far down. And besides - he couldn't take the blame for this one, although he was apparently going to try.

Her shoulders slumped. "Knock it off, Mulder. I doubt very seriously that this is your fault." She stared morosely at the road before them. Six miles. And sunset wasn't too far off. She looked on either side of the road and saw nothing that she hadn't seen all day: farm land. Fields of pumpkins, corn and various other products but no visible farmhouses.

"Well, do we wait here, or grab the luggage and start walking?" she asked, her tone sharper than she intended. Mulder flinched. "Sorry," she said softly, backing off. "That was uncalled for."

"It's okay." Mulder was relieved. At least she hadn't suggested that they split up, which was totally unacceptable in his book. Yes, she was armed. Yes, she was a highly trained FBI agent, but she was also the single most precious thing in his life and after nearly losing her "x" amount of times, he wasn't about to let her wait alone in the car in the middle of nowhere at night. Could he carry their luggage six miles? Probably. Would Scully insist on carrying her own? Definitely. Could -she- carry her luggage and her laptop computer six miles? Unknown for sure, but he knew she'd go down fighting to the end trying, so that option was out as far as he was concerned.

He caught her shivering slightly as the wind picked up and he pulled his own coat tighter against the evening chill. "Come on, Scully - let's wait in the car. At least we'll be out of the wind," he said.

Scully silently acquiesced. It was getting colder. She turned back to the car and caught sight of something in the distance. She squinted. Something was coming down the road, but moving much too slowly to be a car.

Mulder noticed her puzzled expression and followed her gaze. After a moment, a wide grin lit up his face. "Well, Scully - looks like we may be rescued."

Scully stared harder then burst out laughing. "Oh my God! Is that a horse-drawn wagon?"

It was and as it came closer, they could hear a guitar and singing.

"Hey, Scully. Ever been on a hayride?" Mulder asked gleefully, as he opened the trunk and retrieved their luggage.

"About 20 years ago, but from the look of things, nothing's changed," Scully answered, more relieved than she'd care to admit. Spend the night in the car, or walk six miles into

town carrying luggage. Neither option held any appeal after driving for so long.

As she watched the group get closer, she thought that riding in a hay-filled wagon with a bunch of teenagers and singing would normally sound like fun, but she knew that she was way too tired to enjoy it at this point. She stood back as Mulder flagged down the driver, a man in his eighties, with a kind, weather-beaten face and an easy smile. He introduced himself as Jacob Ingalls. The lady sitting next to him was obviously his wife and in the twilight she reminded Scully of "Aunt Em" from "The Wizard of Oz."

Mulder quickly explained their predicament and everyone was more than willing to have the strangers join them as they went back into town. One of the girls offered her dad's services to get the car brought into town, since he was the only mechanic. Mulder extended his cell phone to her and she quickly called him. Mulder introduced himself and explained the problem and the man said he'd get his tow truck right out.

"Thank you so much, Mr. McGee. Do you want me to wait here?" Mulder asked.

"Naw. Why don't you come on into town with the kids and check into a motel room. I'm at home now and I have to go to the shop to get the tow truck, so you folks might as well get comfortable and grab some dinner. I'm sure you haven't eaten yet, am I right?"

"You're right, Mr. McGee. Thanks again." Mulder said, gratefully.

"No problem, Mr. Mulder and just call me Hank."

The two men finalized their plans and Mulder loaded the suitcases in the front of the wagon. Scully was offered the last seat next to Mrs. Ingalls, but to Mulder's delight, she elected to join him in the back.

She snuggled down next to Mulder and the sweet-smelling hay, burrowing deeper to get warm and Mulder hesitantly put his arm around her. When she didn't protest, he gently pulled her closer and leaned back to enjoy the ride. The teenagers, eight of them, started singing softly again, and Scully soon drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 3

It was the grumbling of her stomach that finally roused Scully from a deep sleep and she reluctantly pulled herself to a sitting position. She regretted not having eaten dinner last night, but the call of the sandman had been too powerful to ignore by the time they'd arrived into town. She fumbled for her watch on the nightstand and was pleasantly surprised to see that she had slept until 8:30 - quite late for her. She rolled over and languidly stretched, refusing to feel guilty for sleeping late, although she -was- curious as to why Mulder hadn't called her earlier.

She was reaching for the phone when she spied an envelope that had been slipped under her door. Scrambling out from beneath the warmth of the covers, she picked it up and read the enclosed note.

"Scully - the car should be ready about 11:00. Knock when you're ready and we'll grab some breakfast. Mulder"

Just reading the word breakfast set her stomach to growling again and Scully hurried to the bathroom, grabbing clean clothes on the way.

In the adjacent room, Mulder smiled when he heard the water running. He had been starting to wonder if he was going to have to call and wake her, but was glad that she had caught up on her sleep some.

Forty-five minutes later, Scully was knocking and Mulder jumped up quickly, opening the door to see his partner standing before him in jeans and a lavender sweater set.

"Just in time," he said with a grin.

"Just in time for what?" Scully asked, puzzled.

"Oh, I was going to wake you up if you hadn't gotten here when you did. And I had just decided to use something more creative than a phone call or a knock on your door." Mulder answered mischievously.

Scully cocked an eyebrow. "And what did you have in mind?"

"Well, I did have my ice bucket in hand," he pulled it from behind his back along with his lock picking tool.

"You wouldn't dare!" Scully cried indignantly.

"Ooh Scully - you should know better than to tempt me like that," Mulder said wickedly.

Scully folded her arms across her chest. "Hmph. I can see a barricade in front of my door from now on." Her stomach growled again. "Are you ready to go? 'Cause I'm starving."

He resisted the urge to tease her and just smiled back. "Sure. Let me turn off the TV and I'm all set." He left Scully standing in the doorway.

When Scully heard a woman sobbing, her curiosity drew her in. "Mulder - what in the world are you watching?" she asked, looking at the TV. "This -definitely- doesn't look like your usual fare."

"Ha ha. Very funny." Mulder, to his chagrin was unable to locate the remote control.

She stared harder at the screen, trying to figure it out when a familiar image of the top half of a young woman's head wearing a pale cap was displayed.

She laughed aloud. "Mulder! Oh my God! Is this the "Blair Witch Project"?"

Mulder was still frantically searching his bed sheets for the elusive remote control. "Uh - it's no big deal - uh - really - it was the only thing on - and - uh - I've kind of been wanting to see it. Aha!" Successful at last, he quickly pushed the power button, silencing the cries.

Scully, however, wasn't finished. "Do you need some Dramamine?"

Mulder stared at her blankly.

"Well, Holly and I were discussing this a couple of weeks ago and she told me that she got seasick the way the camera kept jumping around. I figured if Holly was affected - you should be hanging over the toilet."

Mulder didn't say anything, but the look on his face said it all.

Scully pounced. "You -did- get seasick!" she crowed gleefully. "I knew it!"

"Well, you don't have to sound so happy about it, G-woman," he groused, pocketing his room key.

Scully wasn't through yet. "Personally, I'm surprised that you didn't drag us up there, investigating it for yourself."

"Oh, you're just on a roll this morning aren't you," Mulder said as he guided her quickly to the door. "For your information, the Blair Witch is fake."

"What's your point, Mulder?" Scully smirked. "And when did you ever let 'it's fake' stop you?"

Mulder just rolled his eyes and shut the door firmly. "Do you want to eat or debate the Blair Witch and whether or not we should visit Burkittsville?"

"Eat," Scully stated, grinning broadly. "Come on, G-man. I'm starved.

Once inside the cafe, both Scully and Mulder pushed aside the menus without a glance, bringing an efficient waitress immediately to their table.

"Are you folks ready to order?" she asked pleasantly, filling their upturned coffee cups.

"I'd like a plain bagel, toasted, with cream cheese - light if you've got it. Also a glass of orange juice and a bowl of cottage cheese with whatever fruit is in season," Scully told her, reaching for her coffee.

"Large bowl of cereal - Frosted Flakes preferably, or Cheerios and orange juice," Mulder said.

The waitress nodded as she wrote down their orders then hurried off with a smile. Mulder looked up to see Scully staring at him suspiciously.

"What?" he asked with a frown.

"All right - start talking," Scully demanded quietly, leaning forward across the table on her elbows.

"What?" Mulder repeated, baffled, as he scrambled to think what could be bothering her.

"What have you done with my partner: Fox-let-me-have-one-of-everything-on-the-menu-Mulder?" she replied eyeing him like a virus under a microscope. "Is this an X-file I should know about?"

Mulder laughed and leaned forward until their noses were mere inches apart. "Sorry, Scully. I'm not an alien clone. I've been up for a few hours already and went and checked on the car. I had a real breakfast while you were channeling Sleeping Beauty."

He could feel her breath warm on his cheek and he quickly sat back before the urge to bridge the tiny space between them overwhelmed him. The waitress returned a few minutes later bearing a tray of food. She skillfully balanced it on one hand and placed their orders down with the other.

"Can I get you anything else?" she asked.

"This looks great, thanks," Mulder replied, reaching for his spoon. He waited for her to step away before continuing. "Anyway, this is more like a mid-morning snack."

"So, what about the car?" Scully asked, spreading a thin layer of cream cheese over the large bagel. She kept her eyes down-cast hoping Mulder didn't notice how the nearness of his lips to hers had affected her.

"Hank said it should be ready before 11:00," he told her in between bites of the sugarcoated cereal. He explained what had gone wrong as well. "Also, he gave me better directions to get us out of here."

"I saw that there was a shopping mart in that strip center across the street. I thought that I could grab something to take on the road with us." Scully said.

"Sounds good, partner. The garage is just a block down and two blocks over. I can jog over, get the car then come back and pick you up," Mulder said easily.

Scully nodded. "Then we can come back, check out and pick up our suitcases."

With their plans made, they finished breakfast in silence, paid the bill and stepped out, eager to get going.

Mulder did some quick stretches as he watched Scully cross the street. She passed a dry-cleaners, a travel agency and a Pac'N'Mail center before entering the family-owned grocery store. He took off at a leisurely pace, enjoying the cool morning temperature and the bright sunshine coming from a cloudless blue sky.

Farther down the road, he came to the elementary school, deserted on this Saturday morning. He wasn't even aware that his steps had slowed as he stared at the one-story building, the playground, and the athletic field. He saw himself in a very similar setting, so many years ago and he wondered what Scully had been like when she was in grade school. He knew she had moved around a lot; that had to be hard on a kid. He pictured her in her plaid uniform with a short pleated skirt, white blouse, knee-high socks and brown loafers. He was able to visualize curly red hair in a long ponytail or maybe she

wore braids with brightly colored ribbons at the ends.

Ruefully he shook himself out of his reverie - there'd be plenty of time for that as they drove. He took a deep breath to clear the cobwebs and took off jogging again. Any more dawdling and Scully would be finished long before him and she'd be forced to lug those groceries back to the motel. Legs pumping furiously, he raced past the elementary school with its childhood memories and ran to the car repair shop to

retrieve their rental car.

Scully found the items she needed quickly and carried the basket to the checkout stand. The clerk, Tammy, rang up her purchases; bottled water, sunflower seeds, fruit and grain bars, pretzels and a bag of M & M's that she intended to sneak past Mulder if at all possible. There were times when nothing came between her and chocolate.

She handed Tammy her Visa card but Tammy sadly informed her that she could not accept credit cards. Scully's face fell but Tammy directed her to the bank next to the motel.

"They can give you a cash advance and I'll hold your things here until you get back."

"Thanks, Tammy," Scully said gratefully, "I'll just be a few minutes."

Tommy Powell pulled his brother, Dennis back behind the corner of the bank when he saw the petite, red-haired woman heading their way. "Quiet, Dennis," he hissed, "Got one more customer coming." He checked his guns again to make sure all was ready. He was a tall man, six foot-two, ruggedly built, with sandy brown hair and dark brown eyes. His build however seemed slight when standing next to his younger brother, Dennis. The young man stood seven and a half feet tall and weighed over four hundred pounds, almost pure muscle augmented by the steroids Tommy had given him over the years.

While the practice had allowed Tommy to exploit Dennis' size and strength on the sideshow circuit; ultimately it had resulted in an inoperable brain tumor, just discovered three weeks ago. To Tommy's dismay, Dennis was given only six months to live. Mentally, his IQ in the low sixties, he didn't understand brain tumor exactly, but he did understand the resultant headaches that left him nearly incapacitated when they hit. Guilt-ridden, Tommy was determined to keep him as comfortable as possible in his own way.

That way was to steal money to buy the necessary drugs to alleviate Dennis' blinding headaches. He got whatever he could on the streets, narcotics, hallucinogenics, cocaine, and marijuana, mixing them haphazardly until Dennis was stoned to the gills, but no longer in obvious pain.

Dennis looked over at Tommy to see who was coming and felt his mouth fall open as he fell instantly and completely in love. It was an emotion heretofore unknown to him and it took him completely by storm. He knew he'd never be able to explain his feelings, but he also knew that the sight of the beautiful woman with shiny copper hair and brilliant blue eyes took his breath away completely.

Oblivious to his brother's sudden infatuation, Tommy waited until the woman was inside, then making sure that the coast was clear, nodded to Dennis and headed in.

Chapter 5

Tommy made sure Dennis was following him as he quickly rounded the corner and stood outside the front doors. He put his hand in his backpack and carefully extricated the small homemade bomb. With a final glance inside to make sure that no one was watching, he pulled open the door with one hand and tossed the bomb in with the other, quickly pulling back as he waited for the explosion.

Scully heard the door open and what she saw when she turned around struck mortal fear into her heart. As if in slow motion, she watched the bomb tumble end over end, closer and closer.

"Bomb!" she screamed instantly, "Everybody down!"

She barely heard the shrieks and cries as she flung herself down, behind a desk and curled up into a tight ball. Desperately, she covered her face, eyes and ears as best she could as the room exploded in a blazing white light.

Flying glass and debris rained down on her, leaving her stunned and dazed, her ears ringing painfully.

When she came to, the first thing she saw was the largest man she'd ever seen in her life, squatting down before her, removing the glass and wood that covered her. Her head pounding, she attempted to scramble away but a searing pain in her right arm stopped her immediately.

Dennis watched her. Her fear of him hurt him. Didn't she know that he couldn't hurt her? He was helping her. See. Her pain-filled cry scared him and when he saw what had caused it, his own fear escalated.

A wickedly sharp piece of glass had pierced her right upper arm, imbedding itself deeply in the skin. Blood oozed around the large cut, staining the sweater and dripping onto the

floor. Dennis wanted to help her and reached out, intending to remove the glass, but she again cried out and somehow managed to scoot away from him.

Tommy appeared at his side, brandishing his gun at Scully. "Shut up, little lady and don't move!" He snarled angrily and looked down at Dennis. "Quit screwing around and make sure no body moves."

Dennis cowered away from the gun and his brother, not wanting to infuriate him further and Scully simply stared. Her hearing hadn't returned and while she didn't understand what he had said - she did understand the gun. She watched in disbelief as Tommy terrorized the bank tellers, shooting one and tossing him outside like yesterday's trash. The looks on the other victims' faces surely mirrored her own.

She glanced down at her arm - no time to remove the glass - she'd need a tourniquet. And besides - the damage had been done: her arm was useless now, nerve or muscle damage or possibly both.

She wanted to get her gun, but it would be awkward with her left hand. Not impossible though and she started to reach back. She had her gun in her hand when a glance at the behemoth next to her stopped her instantly.

Dennis observed her closely and saw the pain she was in. He could understand pain like that. He was sorry for her. He didn't want her to be in pain. He loved her. And then it struck him. Tommy loved him. Tommy made the pain go away. Dennis could make the pretty lady's pain go away and then she'd know that he loved her. He reached out to her.

Chapter 6

Mulder had been impatiently waiting for Hank to bring the car out when he heard the flat bang of the explosion destroy the peaceful quiet of the morning.

His mouth went dry as he looked over in the direction of the horrific sound, in the direction that he had just come from.

nononononono

Like a shot, he was off and running; stopping and getting the car never even occurred to him. Scully - only Scully. As he drew closer, he saw that it wasn't the grocery store that had exploded, but a building on the opposite street corner. Sheer relief caused him to stumble awkwardly and he frantically tried to regain his balance. Gasping for breath, he staggered into the store and it didn't seem unusual at the time that he should have run into his partner by now. Only when he saw that she wasn't in the store did it hit him. Desperately he looked around for her bright auburn hair in the now deserted store.

The clerk, Tammy, who had wisely kept her post and guarded the cash register, stared at the stranger racing up and down the aisles.

"Sir!" she called out loudly, trying to get his attention. "Sir, can I help you?"

His hazel eyes wild, Mulder rushed over to her. "Have you seen a woman with red hair, wearing blue jeans and a sweater in here this morning? Actually just several minutes ago."

Tammy's heart sank. Oh God. No body had ever prepared her for something like this. (I'm just a teenager,) she thought, (I can't do this.) The look on her face told Mulder everything that he needed to know and his expression matched Tammy's.

"She went to the bank," the devastated girl whispered. "I couldn't take credit cards - so I - I - sent her to the bank. And the bank - the bank blew - blew up!" She put her face in her hands, sobbing.

Mulder was in shock. (No - it can't be.) He put a hand on the girl's shoulder but had no words of comfort he could offer her except to say that it wasn't her fault.

Battling the growing crowd now gathered at the front of the bank across the street, Mulder was finally able to get his first look. He could see that the front windows and door had been blown out and glass littered the sidewalk and street. There was no visible damage to adjacent structures and Mulder seriously hoped that it indicated that the inside damage was minimal as well. He started forward but was immediately stopped by one of the three deputies currently keeping everyone back.

"Whoa! Hold on there, Mister. Where do you think you're going?"

"Let me go!" Mulder growled and roughly tried to shoulder past the young man. "I'm FBI and my partner is in there."

"Hey - stop it!" The deputy cried out. "Don't you understand? There are two men in there holding everyone hostage. They've already shot one of the tellers and threw his body outside here."

Mulder froze. He had thought, prayed even in his own way, that the explosion had just been natural gas or something equally non-sinister.

This was not to be the case. Scully was in there with two bank robbers who had killed at least one person in cold blood. The deputy quickly directed him to the sheriff, who was setting up a command center of sorts.

Numb with horror, Mulder went to him.

Chapter 7

Sheriff Rodney Anderson, 56 years old with snow white hair and solemn green eyes was already shocked to find himself in the middle of a bank heist with the lives of hostages at stake, now stood before a real, live FBI agent. He felt like he'd taken a tumble into another dimension.

"I don't quite what to say, Agent Mulder. I'm terrible sorry to hear that your partner is in there, but I must admit that I'm just a small town sheriff. We've never had anything like this and I've lived in this town my whole life. I'm gonna be extremely grateful for a man with your experience here."

Mulder nodded morosely. "I understand, Sheriff, but I've only been in a negotiation once before, really." Visions of Duane Barry jumped before his eyes.

Anderson didn't miss the flicker of pain that crossed Mulder's face. "Didn't go too well, huh?"

Mulder shuddered. "Tell me what we've got."

Anderson took the hint. "Two men were seen sneaking around from the back alley to the bank just before the explosion."

"Do we know anything about these two men?" Mulder questioned him. "Are they locals?"

Anderson shook his head. "Several people have stepped forward and described one of them as being at least 7 feet tall if not more. And I can tell you without a doubt that we don't have anyone fitting that description around here."

Mulder tried to focus on what the sheriff was saying, but his thoughts kept returning to Scully. Had she survived the initial blast? Had there been any more gunfire?

He asked to speak with the most reliable witness. Anderson immediately sent for Kurt Jackson.

The twenty-five year old postal worker repeated his description of the two strangers.

Mulder asked him if he'd ever seen them around here before.

Kurt thought a moment before answering. "Now that you mention it - I did. I'm pretty sure that I passed them going into the state park two days ago."

"Do you remember what they were driving?" Mulder asked eagerly.

Kurt closed his eyes as he tried to visualize it while Mulder struggled to hide his impatience.

"Ok - yeah. It was a white van, older model, I think, but I couldn't tell you what make. I also don't remember seeing any writing on the van - just all white." Kurt told them.

Mulder asked Sheriff Anderson to have someone check around for such a van that didn't belong to anyone in town. "If you find it, get someone to fingerprint it and I'll modem them out."

Mulder then got someone to call into the bank in the hopes of talking with the two men inside. It had been thirty minutes since the explosion and no activity had been seen inside yet.

The negotiations, however, did not go well and Mulder tried every trick in his book. The man on the phone simply identified himself as Tommy. Tommy refused to tell them how

badly the hostages were injured, if any more had died, or if anyone needed immediate medical attention. He refused to send anyone out, would accept no one as a trade even though Mulder had tried to use the same ploy they had with Duane Barry and let a paramedic go in.

Mulder's frustration grew in leaps and bounds, as did his despair. He stared hypnotically at the small electric fan on the desk next to him, his gaze locked on the endlessly spinning blades.

He felt utterly lost - helpless - adrift on a sea of despair.

(She's all right. She has to be all right.) He couldn't lose her. He couldn't. She and she alone, was his guiding light in this crazy thing called life. She was the light of his life and without her, he knew he'd be left in a darkness so complete that nothing in this world could banish it.

It was her abduction that had taught him that incredibly painful lesson. Those three hellishly long months had introduced him to the darkness and when she was waging that

final battle with cancer, he had felt the darkness creeping silently in to consume him. He had struggled against the oppressive blanket of grief that threatened to smother him and

yet he knew that without her he would never escape. As she had lain so very still and pale, his world had turned gray and he watched helplessly as the light of his life began to fade away.

He would always remember how he had felt as he had watched the banishing of the blackness when he had learned of her remission. Blinding white light had enveloped him and lifted him up to newly undiscovered heights of joy.

The light that illuminated his life grew a little brighter every time that she smiled at him or touched him or did any of the little things that showed him time and again how she felt

about him.

And now, the darkness was knocking again on his door, beckoning him. Mulder fought it. He wouldn't lose her. He wouldn't lose the light of his life and be left with the cold,

dead darkness.

Chapter 8

Their first break came when they were able to identify the white van. It came back as being stolen from Oklahoma City and since there were plenty of fingerprints to be found,

Mulder sent them all. It seemed like an eternity before the anxious officers got the records of the two men that they were dealing with.

Mulder cringed as he read about the brothers, the life that they led, on the circus sideshow circuit and of Dennis' recent diagnosis. They were suspects in too numerous to count robberies across three states - banks and pharmacies, mostly. They learned that Tommy was the leader, of Dennis' limited intelligence yet seemingly unlimited strength coupled with extraordinary height and weight and Mulder was as truly frightened for his partner as he'd ever been before.

Finally, after six brutally long hours, they seemed to be making headway. Tommy was getting tired. They were wearing him down. The fatigue was evident in his voice now. He was trapped and he knew it, but he demanded that Dennis be taken care of properly. Dennis was innocent and he was dying.

Anderson glanced over at Mulder, who nodded distractedly. (Whatever - just don't hurt anyone else. Don't hurt Scully.)

Tommy then had one final stipulation and Mulder tensed as he listened in on the extension.

"I'm coming out, but I ain't comin' out alone," Tommy snarled.

"You mean Dennis?" Sheriff Anderson asked hesitantly.

"No, I don't mean Dennis!" Tommy snapped impatiently. "I -told- you: Dennis is innocent."

"Okay, okay - you're right. I'm sorry," Anderson said quickly, trying to placate him.

"Yeah, well," Tommy was only slightly mollified. "Like I was saying, I don't trust you not to shoot me as I walk out so I'm comin' out with a hostage."

Mulder groaned aloud. (Shit!)

Anderson looked over at him anxiously. Mulder realized that the sheriff was waiting for him to give the go-ahead.

(Not Scully - please - don't pick Scully.)

Anderson waited patiently. Finally Mulder relented. He had no choice. A single tired nod was all he could manage.

Anderson told Tommy to give him five minutes to get everyone back and let him warn the other officers of the deal that they'd made.

Tommy reluctantly agreed. "Five minutes. That's all."

Anderson hung up, watching Mulder worriedly. "Agent Mulder?" The man looked completely spent, his hair standing on end after endless hours of running his hands anxiously across his face and up over his head.

Mulder doodled mindlessly on the pad lying on the desk in front of him. "Something doesn't feel right," he murmured to no one in particular. A faint sense of unease was working its way through his already frazzled nervous system.

"Tell everyone to get back. Have your deputies stand down," he said abruptly. "Have them ready to take Tommy in after and only after I've secured the hostage."

Anderson simply nodded. "You got it." He hurried out to brief his men.

Mulder stood for a moment, alone now in the makeshift command center. It was almost over. So why didn't he feel any relief? The feeling of dread was deep in his stomach,

expanding and sliding up into his throat and making it harder to breathe.

Scully. Scully was still in there. (That's probably it. She's still in there, either hurt in the initial blast, or about to come out as a hostage.)

Enough. He shook his head impatiently and unholstered his gun, checking the clip. Scully's all right and she was about to be free. He would make sure of it.

He stepped outside and saw that the Sheriff had gotten everybody off the streets and that the deputies were stationed away, but close enough to make sure that there was no escape routes for Tommy.

Mulder positioned himself front and center, but behind a parked car. Anderson crouched next to him. "No sign of him yet," he said in a low voice.

Mulder took the binoculars and searched carefully, but he too, saw no movement in the bank. That really bad feeling was coming back stronger now. He glanced at his watch. Time's up. And still no Tommy.

Without hesitation he stood up and moved around in front of the car. "Tommy! Can you hear me? It's been five minutes. Come on out - we're not going to hurt you!" he called out loudly. (Hang on, Scully. Hang on.) If only he could see her - see her eyes.

For a moment there was no sound and no movement. Mulder held his breath. Then - there he was. Tommy stepped toward the door.

Alone.

It was at that instant that Mulder knew with a intense, mind-smashing certainty that Tommy wasn't giving himself up. He wasn't coming out.

The explosion caught everyone by complete surprise. The blast sent Mulder crashing back into the parked car, shattering windows and raining glass down upon him. He never felt it. He lost consciousness and lay in a crumpled heap on the street.

The first thing he became aware of was Sheriff Anderson and a nurse bending anxiously over him. "Agent Mulder?" the nurse called softly when she saw him coming around.

Mulder blinked against the glare. "Scully - where's Scully? Is she okay? Did she survive the blast?" He determinedly pulled himself to a sitting position, ignoring the dizziness and pain. Anderson and the nurse wisely let him be as they exchanged glances.

Mulder didn't like what he saw. "Come on, Anderson - out with it?" he spoke harshly, his fear evident. "Where is she?"

"Agent Mulder," Anderson said, his voice thick with emotion. "She's gone, Agent Mulder."

"She died?" Mulder gasped, stricken, his world crumbling, the light fading again. "No - please -"

"No!" Anderson shouted to stop Mulder's train of thought. "She's gone," he reiterated, "and so is Dennis. They weren't in the bank. We think they've been gone since the beginning. One of the hostages was being taken to surgery, but she managed to tell us that she saw Dennis take Scully out the back just after the first explosion. Probably went out around the back while we were setting up."

Mulder's mouth worked, but no sound came out. Scully was missing? She hadn't been in the bank at all these past hours that they'd been negotiating with Tommy?! The concept nearly overwhelmed him. All those hours that he should have been out looking for her and he didn't even know she was gone!

Sheriff Anderson hesitantly reached out and handed Mulder a gun. Scully's sig. "We found it in the bank," he said softly, apologetically.

Mulder stared at the gun in stunned horror. (She's out there without even her gun! ) He buried his face in his hands and wept, as his pent-up emotions finally would be held no longer.

Sheriff Anderson looked on helplessly. What could he say? What could anyone say?

Chapter 9

Scully regained consciousness abruptly and was immediately bombarded with sensations and memories at a rate that threatened to overwhelm her. It all seemed too much to handle at once and she gasped aloud, her mind and body on fire. The explosion - the gigantic man who came at her - her injured arm - lacerated - the sharp, piece of glass. Breathing heavily, she kept her eyes closed, unwilling to subject herself to any further sensory input until she was ready.

She shifted painfully on the hard ground upon which she lay, wincing when she unsuccessfully tried to move her right arm. Using her left hand, she found that the glass had been removed and a makeshift bandage applied, but that she was still unable to move it. She had to get past that for now.

Mentally, she replayed the events leading up to her predicament, breezing past what she already knew and concentrating on Dennis, that overgrown freak of nature towering over her that she had awakened to after the explosion.

She couldn't help but shudder as she remembered the truly intimidating size and bulk of the man. She remembered him staring down at her and for a moment she felt like Fay Wray under the curious eye of King Kong. At first she hadn't thought that he meant to hurt her, but when he had grabbed her injured arm with his huge paw, the pain had been too much, stealing her consciousness in the blink of an eye.

Even now, what happened next was foggy, and she had vague impressions of being held like a doll and being carried away. Try as she might, she just couldn't remember leaving the bank, but she did come around when Dennis retrieved a brown bag from a parked van.

The throbbing in her arm kept distracting her as she struggled to recall what happened next. Her eyes still closed, she shivered as the cold dampness of the floor seeped through her jeans and sweater. Using her good hand, she touched the ground below her, finding it to be rock: moist, yet smooth as marble. She was confused - rock?

Without warning a wave of nausea swept over her and she squeezed her eyes even tighter. Weakly, she pulled herself to a sitting position hoping it would help, but worried by her weakness. Before she could puzzle that one, she was assailed by another wave of nausea and dizziness. Protecting her injured arm, she awkwardly leaned over, retching loudly, the sound reverberating and adding to her disorientation.

A cave? Was she in a cave? She paused to let her stomach settle and catch her breath. Then slowly, she opened her eyes, breathing quietly and shallowly, trying to keep the nausea at bay.

She couldn't help but cry out softly when she found herself confronted by darkness. Not just any darkness. Complete darkness. Total. There were no adjustments to be made by her eyes to this darkness. This was a darkness the likes of which she'd never known before in her life.

It was as if she'd been buried alive and the mere thought of that caused icy fingers of panic to reach out for her, bringing with it a feeling of suffocation. The darkness seemed to be a living thing, pulling at her from all sides and she found herself hyperventilating. The dizziness returned quickly and she leaned back, unable to tell for sure if her eyes were open or closed.

It was several minutes more before she felt like she had regained control. Finally she felt like she could function, but without a light source she realized that she had nowhere

to go. The wrong direction would take her deeper inside and away from any light.

She saw Dennis' face in her mind and the look of lower intelligence. Surely he wouldn't have brought her too far inside, would he? But which direction was out? She sighed heavily, still feeling foggy, her mouth cotton-dry. He was coming back - wasn't he? Surely he hadn't brought her here just to leave her to die? How long could she wait before having to explore the cave - blind? Oh God - the thought of crawling around in total darkness completely unnerved her.

She licked her lips, trying to moisten them even the tiniest bit, but it was no use. She frowned. Something was wrong. She was forgetting something. Something that happened after Dennis took her from the bank.

Okay, think - you woke up - he was getting something out of the van. A bag - it was a brown paper bag. Then what?

Drugs!

He had injected her! He had said that he would help her pain and then he had stuck that needle in her leg, as she struggled ineffectively against him.

She moaned softly. She'd been drugged. Well that explained a lot: her nausea, dizziness, dry mouth and weakness. What had he injected her with? How long had she been out? How long had Dennis been gone? And when would he be back?

Scully forced herself to stop and get a grip. She berated herself harshly. She was an FBI agent, not some helpless victim in a old B movie. Mulder's face suddenly loomed in her mind. She concentrated on his hazel eyes and sensual mouth, using the image to calm and soothe her. He would find her. They always found each other, but she was determined to help him along. She was not going to just sit here in the dark and wait. She needed food, she needed water and she needed to get out of here right now.

And then she heard it.

Someone was coming! Scully held her breath as she tried to determine which direction the sound was coming from. Less than a minute later, she saw the first faint light. It was

coming from a hole in the wall to her left and set low to the ground. The light danced and wobbled as it moved slowly closer. As welcome a sight as it was, Scully instinctively backed away, still cradling her right arm.

She blinked several times as the light gradually advanced and she was able to see that she was in a large cave. The hole in the vertical wall seemed to be the opening to a tunnel and the only way out. The cave grew brighter and she noted two sleeping bags and a stack of canned goods. Oh God - was he living here?

She had no doubt that it was Dennis returning, but she couldn't tell yet if he was alone. Her heart pounding painfully, she moved farther away from the opening just as

Dennis' face appeared and he reached out to place the lantern as well a large, plastic bottle of water on the floor next to the opening. Scully could see that it was a tight fit for him as he awkwardly pulled himself out of the tunnel. Finally he was able to stand and she craned her neck upward, not surprised at all to see that his head grazed the ceiling.

Dennis looked down at her and Scully forced herself to meet his gaze, pushing past her fear.

"You're up," he said with a small smile, stepping forward. "I brought some water."

"Thank you," Scully replied, neutrally. "But I really must be

going now."

Dennis' brow furrowed and he squatted down before her. "But you're hurt," he said, pointing to her arm.

Scully looked down and noticed that the bandage was nearly soaked with blood. "Yes, I know that I'm hurt. That's why I have to go."

Dennis shook his head. "I will take care of you."

Scully kept her voice calm with difficulty. "You can't take care of me. I need a doctor."

"I'll take care of you," Dennis repeated stubbornly. "I can do it. My brother takes care of me and he's not a doctor. See?" He reached down behind a rock and pulled out the brown paper bag.

Scully's eyes widened in fear. The drugs. He had the drugs in here.

"When I hurt," Dennis went on, "Tommy takes care of me. He loves me. I will take care of you. I love you."

Scully simply stared up at him, struck speechless in sheer horror.

Chapter 10

The State Park. Mulder felt like that was where Dennis had taken Scully. With his limited intelligence and resources, Mulder felt like he'd return to familiar territory. "Where in the park?" was the $64,000 question though. Sheriff Anderson had gathered all his available men, park rangers provided maps and extra manpower and the State Police were on the way.

Mulder spoke to the assembled officers with a calm authority he didn't feel. Ignoring the lingering headache from the recent blast, he laid out search procedures, spoke of

coordination and communication all the while displaying professional detachment. Only Sheriff Anderson seemed to see through the facade. He had only to look in Mulder's eyes. Hazel eyes that were frantic, haggard and distraught and showed quite clearly how hard it was to maintain outward calm.

"I know that you men don't normally deal with this kind of situation around here, but remember: if you find them - call me at once. You are not to take him yourself unless it is clear that Agent Scully is in immediate danger. Report the location and make sure he stays there. Understood?" Mulder said firmly.

There were affirmative nods and murmurs all around. There was no doubt in their minds that Dennis belonged to Mulder and to no one else.

After listening to the FBI agent, everyone filed out, eager to get to work. Night was rapidly approaching but no one suggested waiting until morning. Mulder had retrieved his large flashlight from the rental car and hurried out with the rest. His shoulders sagged under the weight of the heavy cloak of despair and darkness that enveloped his heart and soul. It was a darkness that no flashlight could ever hope to banish.

Mulder ignored the exhaustion, the fear and even the darkness. The need to find Scully - that was the only thing that he was aware of. Find Scully - find the light.

Chapter 11

Scully lay huddled on the moldy sleeping bag, her thoughts disjointed but feeling no pain. The lantern flickered causing shadows to dance upon the cave walls. As she listened to Dennis sing softly to himself across from her, it was all she could do not to burst into tears.

"Burn baby burn - disco inferno - burn baby burn - disco inferno..." Over and over in the same off-key voice. Dennis obviously knew no other song, or even the rest of the words to the old seventies dance tune and the monotony played on Scully's already frazzled nerves.

He had injected her again.

In her already weakened state, unable to fight his massive strength with one arm (not that two would have been much more help) she had gritted her teeth against the pain as he had jabbed the needle firmly through her jeans, into the muscle of her right thigh. Even as he had done it, he kept telling her in a childlike voice that he was helping her. "I love you."

"You don't know me!" she hissed furiously, grabbing her thigh and struggling to crawl away from him. She had passed out minutes later, Dennis' song "burn baby burn - disco inferno - burn baby burn..." fading to a distant buzz before disappearing entirely in a drug-induced fog.

Awake now, she glanced down at her watch, dismayed to find that the crystal was smashed. (Mulder - ) she thought, (help me. Please, I need you. I'm - I'm afraid.) Tears filled her eyes at her mental admission - one that was so impossibly hard to make face to face - and she was unable to stop them. Quickly she brushed the hot tears away, praying that Dennis hadn't seen them and think that she needed to be "helped" by him and his drugs again.

Chapter 12

Scully blinked sleepily, realizing that she had drifted back to sleep. She felt fuzzy and disoriented, not knowing what time it was and still under the influence of the drugs Dennis had injected into her. Without moving her head, she was able to glance over at her captor.

She was stunned to realize that he was fast asleep. Adrenaline surged through her veins as she dragged herself to a sitting position, biting back the moan that threatened to escape her lips as she jostled her injured arm. An anxious glance down at the new bandage Dennis had tied while she was unconscious told her that the blood was old and there was no sign of active bleeding.

She looked around for something to use as a sling and finally settled on awkwardly tearing off a sleeve from her sweater then tying and looping it around her neck. She paused to catch her breath, trying to get a handle on the shooting pains traveling up and down her arm into her neck and shoulder.

She was frustrated by her inability to use the arm and deep down, that inability scared her. She couldn't fight Dennis; she knew that. It was painfully obvious. She couldn't reason with him either; she was learning that, too. She had to get away from him. Through the tunnel. She looked around for the tunnel entrance. Where was it? Why couldn't she see it?

Oh God.

Dennis' massive bulk was planted directly in front of the tunnel, blocking it almost completely.

Scully's heart sank. Oh God - now what? There was no way that she could physically move even an arm without waking him up. She stared at the sleeping giant before her, almost willing him to change position - roll over - anything to allow her to slip through the opening.

She sat poised like a coiled spring, ready to jump at the first opportunity, her heart beating loudly in her ears. After ten minutes of fruitless waiting, she sank back; her body deflating like a balloon and the tension gave way as she fell against the rocky wall.

She wanted to scream, to cry out in frustration, to pound her fists against the wall or Dennis. But a sudden sound from her captor stopped her cold. Wide-eyed, she stared at Dennis as he shifted position, moving slightly away from the opening. Scully held her breath, mentally urging him to budge just a little bit more. There was a possibility that she could get past him if he would just move a few inches farther.

Creeping slowly, with the stealth of a cat, she inched forward. Dennis moaned softly in his sleep and rolled over onto his back. Scully crouched before him, frozen; waiting for him to awaken, her breath coming in short harsh gasps.

Dennis continued to sleep.

Forcing herself to keep calm, Scully reassessed the situation. Dennis lay stretched out before the tunnel entrance, but if she stepped over his legs, there was just enough room for her to place a foot down then slip into the hole. It would work unless Dennis woke up.

Scully shook her head. (Don't go there. Just get out of here - now.)

She grabbed the lantern and ever so carefully placed one foot on the ground between the wall and Dennis.

She checked his face. Nothing.

She struggled to keep her balance and stay quiet as she backed into the hole then placed the lantern behind her, into the tunnel.

Again she looked at Dennis. Still no movement.

So far, so good. She shifted around to face away from the cave. Now - how to get through the tunnel with one arm in a sling and carry the lantern and move quietly. As roomy as the space was, it wasn't enough to allow her to stand.

She picked up the lantern and leaning forward, placed it ahead of her as far as she could. Then carefully and noiselessly crawled, bearing her weight on her knees and uninjured arm. When she reached the light, she repeated the process.

Gravel rattled in the cave behind her.

The sweet taste of horror filled her mouth and she jerked her head around, already knowing what she'd see.

Dennis stared at her, his face seeming to fill the tunnel entrance; his eyes were fixed on Scully's, glassy and huge.

Scully screamed. But the cry never crossed her lips as her breath stopped in her throat. She scrambled backward, ignoring her arm, which was suddenly on fire. Blood began to trickle down her forearm. She saw Dennis shift and all at once his hand was reaching toward her. She sucked in a quick harsh hiss of air. (Oh God!)

Panic spurred her on and she pushed herself backward, scooting on her backside and using her stronger leg muscles. She managed to miss the lantern and now it was between her and Dennis. And still he reached out to her - silently.

Then, without warning, Dennis' face contorted into a mask of sheer agony. He pulled his arm back and Scully watched in shock as he gripped his head with both hands and then

shrieked.

Scully knew that she had never heard such an awful cry in her life. The sound reverberated loudly in the cave, echoing back and forth, going on and on as he bent double. Scully tried unsuccessfully to cover her ears and block out the unearthly screams.

Finally she broke out of her trance when Dennis stopped long enough to take another breath then yell again. She had no idea what was wrong but she certainly had no intention of sticking around long enough to find out.

No longer worried about stealth, she grabbed the lantern and made her way ahead of the cries. Sweat trickled down her forehead to sting her eyes. Impatiently she swiped her sleeve across her face and kept moving. She was panting heavily, the sound lost in Dennis' continued cries and she couldn't tell if he was coming after her or not.

At last, she paused to catch her breath and try to control her agonized gasps as her injured arm throbbed mercilessly. She forced herself to listen closely. Yes - she had done it. Dennis was not following her. His voice was getting hoarse and distant. She glanced down at the lantern that had valiantly battled the darkness and she wondered briefly how much longer it would last.

Recovering her second wind, she again crawled forward, desperate to get out of this tunnel. The thought of freedom allowed her to ignore her arm, as she pictured Mulder waiting for her, calling out to her. She thought she could even see him at the end, waiting to take her in his arms.

And then the light went out, plunging her back into the terrifying pitch blackness.

Chapter 13

When the light went out - Scully whimpered softly, her body frozen. She knew that she had to go on - to escape the darkness and find the light. But the darkness was so strong. In the absence of all light, its power was enormous. Its need for more power drew it to her like a living thing, sapping her own depleted reserves, her strength, and her courage. She felt helpless in this blackness as though she was encased in a force field of some kind.

She felt as though the tunnel was closing in on her, threatening and evil. Terror was let in by the oppressive blackness and it took hold of her in its icy grip. Claustrophobia came next and Scully wept helplessly. Uncontrollable tremors wracked her body and she shivered and sobbed.

How much time passed, she could not say, but at last she felt like she had regained some modicum of control. The feeling of being buried alive was still there, but the need to move, to get out and find the light was stronger now.

The first move was the hardest; thinking something was going to reach out and grab her from the darkness was very real. However once she got started, it became a little easier. Shortly, she could feel the tunnel widen and she was able to crouch tentatively, placing one foot down, securing her position, then creeping forward - "duck-like".

Her left hand felt bruised and raw as it scraped along, feeling her way and her leg muscles protested loudly at the unfamiliar movement. Scully ignored the discomfort. She had more important things to concentrate on.

The end of the tunnel came unexpectedly and Scully tumbled out with a cry that sounded rough and hoarse. She fell just a couple of feet, landing on her left side to protect her right arm. She moaned softly but was relieved that she wasn't hurt worse than a few more bruises.

She lay on her back, trying to gather her strength when something caught her eye. With a surge of hope, she pulled herself up and stared hard. Light. Oh my God. Just the tiniest pinprick of light, but to her desperately searching eyes, it was a beacon as bright as day.

Staggering to her feet, she took one joyous step when she thought that she heard a distant sound and paused, listening carefully. The sound died and she took another step.

There it was again. Definitely closer and louder. She froze - her skin chilly and damp.

The sound began to have substance and when the cold, clammy skin brushed her face and mouth she instinctively threw herself to the ground.

It was the sharp claws tangling themselves in her hair that told her exactly what had made the sound and with a strangled cry of horror, she curled into a ball, trying to protect

herself from the onslaught. They were all over her, swarming over her with their furry bodies and beating at her with their clammy wings.

Without a sound, she fainted.

When she awoke, she was filled with terror until she realized that the bats had gone. For now. She could still feel the nasty slime coating her face and body and the stench clogged her nostrils. The thought of them returning made her wonder if she could keep her sanity and she trembled anew.

Once again, she understood that her only hope of survival was the tiny light up ahead. Mulder would be in that light.

Weakly, she pulled herself to a standing position and slowly but surely moved towards the light. Stumbling and falling on the uneven floor of the cave, she never took her eyes off the light. As she got closer, she could see that it was moonlight, washing the cave in a cool blue/gray.

And then she heard it again. Listening to the distant humming move closer, she knew that she could not take it another time. With an anguished scream, she threw herself towards the light, running with a strength she didn't know she possessed she ran, overwhelmed by a mindless panic.

She shot out of the cave, into the night and saw someone up ahead. A thick curtain of fog hung in the air and autumn leaves of every color covered the mossy ground causing her to slip and slide, unable to gain her footing. She wanted to tell them to look out for the bats but she couldn't stop screaming.

Chapter 14

Sheriff Rodney Anderson stared in dumbfounded shock at the spectacle before him. Thirty yards ahead of he and Ranger Pete Carson, a woman was stumbling from the side of the mountain and coming up behind her out of the fog, was a black cloud, pouring out into the night and taking off into the woods in a loud roar.

The woman's screams put their feet in motion and they ran towards her, not knowing if it was Agent Scully or not, but knowing that whoever it was, needed help - now.

By the time they reached her, she was no longer screaming, but staring blankly up into the sky. When she heard their arrival, she skittered back, obviously terrified and in shock. Anderson motioned Pete to stay put. He took a cautious step towards the woman and stopped, shining his flashlight on her body, careful to avoid her face directly. He winced as he took in the bloody, bandaged right arm hanging limply at her side, the torn tattered clothing and the scrapes and bruises covering her face, neck and hands. Seeing that he wasn't moving closer to her, the woman turned her gaze back up to the sky.

Anderson realized that it was indeed Agent Scully. "Pete," he hissed over his shoulder. "Get Agent Mulder and the others here on the double and keep a sharp look out for Dennis."

Pete nodded. He understood that the FBI agent had been through a horrendous ordeal and desperately needed someone familiar to help her now.

Anderson followed Scully's gaze and saw that she was focused on the nearly full moon, hanging above the lake.

"Agent Scully," he called softly. "My name is Rodney. Rodney Anderson."

Scully ignored him. (The light. The beautiful light.) She faced the light above her and stepped in that direction. (The light. Get to the light.) Mulder was waiting for her in the

light. Nothing else mattered.

Anderson tried again. "Agent Scully. It's all right now. You're safe." Agent Scully's blank stare was beginning to scare him. (Where the hell is Mulder?)

"Can you hear me Agent Scully?"

He was concerned, too, that she was walking towards the lake and he tried again to get her attention. "Agent Scully - hey - stop. It's okay now. I'm not going to hurt you." He

matched her steps but didn't move closer, afraid that he'd spook her again. (Jesus, Mulder, get over here, would you.) "Agent Scully, let me help you, please."

Scully stopped dead in her tracks, as did Anderson. (Help me? Oh, I don't think so.)

She bolted.

Caught completely off guard, Anderson fell quickly behind. (What did I say?) He saw that she was at the water's edge and he yelled frantically.

Chapter 15

When Mulder got Pete Carson's call, he nearly jumped for joy, his heart overwhelmed with relief. His search partner, Ranger James Packer, knew the area Pete described and promised to have Mulder there in minutes.

They were just about there when Pete reported that Agent Scully had taken off towards the lake.

"Stop her!" Mulder yelled uselessly at the radio.

"Anderson's gone after her, but she won't listen. She's really out of it," Pete responded, continuing to look around for Dennis.

James didn't say a word as he pushed the Explorer at a breakneck speed to the lake.

When they arrived at the lakefront, Mulder leapt from the vehicle and searched desperately for his partner. He spotted Anderson first, hearing his shouts and raced towards him, finally catching sight of Scully. "Scully," he tried to scream, when he saw her in the lake, but his throat had closed and no sound passed in his panicky state.

She was in the water, ankle deep now and moving deeper. Her teeth began to chatter from the cold and she started to shiver. She felt something lap at her feet and she looked down to see the foamy water. But that was all right, because she was getting closer to the light and the light was good. Mulder would be there - waiting for her.

A wave caught her at the knees and took her feet out from under her.

Disembodied hands reached for her and pulled her up before she could take a breath. She started to struggle and then realized that it was Mulder. Mulder was holding her tightly.

She shook her head. "Mulder?"

He simply stared at her, panting, his lungs burning, clutching her like a lifeline. Anderson led them to shore.

"Mulder?" Her voice was small.

"It's okay, Scully," he finally managed to get out. "It's okay."

She nodded and closed her eyes. Everything was all right now.

Mulder felt her body go limp as they got to the shore and he sank to his knees, checking for and finding a pulse. (Thank you - thank you - thank you.)

He gripped her body close to his and waited for the ambulance as Anderson and Packer bundled them in their jackets.

Chapter 16

Ranger Carson gathered all search parties to concentrate their efforts and locate Dennis. Anderson stayed with Mulder and Scully, awaiting the ambulance and watching them literally tore his heart apart.

Mulder cradled his partner's body in his arms, brushing her hair back; horrified by the condition she was in. "Scully," he whispered brokenly, "come on, Scully. Wake up."

Anderson knelt down beside them. "She's been through a lot," he said gently.

"When I get my hands on that son of a bitch - " Mulder muttered angrily.

"It wasn't all Dennis," the sheriff said reluctantly.

Mulder jerked his head up. "What are you talking about?"

"When Carson and I arrived, she was running away from the mountain over there and behind her was a swarm of bats," he admitted, shuddering at the memory and still able to hear Scully's shrill screams ringing loudly in the night.

Mulder was aghast. "Bats!" He looked down at Scully, taking in the scratches on her face, neck and hands. The water had managed to wash away the slime the creatures had left on her.

Anderson continued. "One of the guys radioed in that they found a cave. They think that's where she ran from. They're sending teams in to search but no sign of Dennis yet.

Mulder couldn't even begin to imagine the horror of it all. The thought of those furry rodents swarming her defenseless body made him physically ill. He pulled her closer, mindful of her injured arm. (Please Scully. Please. You're going to be okay. It's all over now.)

Anderson looked up to see the ambulance arriving and breathed a sigh of relief as he directed the vehicle over. Mulder reluctantly allowed the sheriff to pull him back while the paramedics worked on his partner. Quickly and efficiently they splinted her right arm, started an IV and placed her on their monitors. Minutes later they were loaded in the ambulance and racing to the hospital.

Mulder remained at Scully's side, holding her hand as much to comfort her as him. He hoped that some part of her was aware that she was safe now and that he was there with her. He tried to infuse some warmth into her chilled body and tucked the blankets firmly around her.

He had watched Anderson step away from the ambulance and head off to join the search parties. As much as he wanted to go after Dennis, he couldn't. He couldn't leave Scully now. Now when she'd need him most. And he needed her. The dark cloud he'd been living under had let a single ray of light through but it wasn't enough. He didn't feel safe yet.

He braced himself for the usual ER visit. Bitterly he reviewed their usual routine. They'd receive the patient, throw him out to register and cool his jets in the waiting room, waiting forever for anyone to let him know what the hell was going on. He ground his teeth.

Times like this that he wished that he had a medical degree instead of a badge so that

he could be there at her side. The way he knew Scully had been at his. He glanced down at her. She hadn't moved a muscle since collapsing in his arms earlier. Her breathing seemed regular if a bit fast and he slipped a finger over the pulse point at her wrist. It was hard to detect because of the shock and hypothermia, but the paramedic didn't seem overly concerned.

When they arrived at the hospital, Scully was taken immediately to a trauma room and to Mulder's utter shock, he was brought in with her. The doctor on duty, Jason Murray, shook his hand.

"Agent Mulder, I'm Dr. Murray. Is there anything that I need to know about Agent Scully's medical history?"

Mulder gaped at him a moment before he could get his mouth to work. "Uh - yeah." (Wow - this was a switch.) He glanced over Dr. Murray's shoulder to see two nurses getting Scully set up, putting her on their monitors, drawing blood, and calling for x-rays.

Mulder quickly gave a brief synopsis of the information that Scully had told him to give if she was ever unable to supply it herself, including blood type, allergies, surgeries and of course, the cancer.

"Very good, Agent Mulder. Sheriff Anderson called in and gave us a heads up on the situation. Now I want you to give Rachel at the front desk some quick registration information and then she's going to take you to the doctor's lounge to shower and get out of those wet clothes."

"No - I'm fine," Mulder protested.

"I insist," Dr. Murray said kindly, but firmly. "As soon as you're done, she'll get you back in here and I should have some results for you. Now get going and let me get to work."

He patted Mulder's shoulder then turned to his patient, calling for preliminary results and examining the injuries.

Mulder heaved a tortured sigh and with one final glance back at his unconscious partner, stepped out to find Rachel.

Later, pulling on the scrubs that Rachel had left for him, he had to admit that he felt a little better after the hot shower and clean dry clothes. Rachel met him at the desk and

supervised as he choked down a sandwich and coffee she had brought for him. "You're not going to do yourself any favors if you're dead on your feet," she admonished in a motherly tone of voice.

(Whatever,) Mulder thought, resigned to his fate and chewing quickly. He just wanted to get back to Scully.

Dr. Murray met him outside the exam room. "Agent Mulder, I've got some news for you."

Mulder stood stock still, steeling himself for the worst.

"The right arm is not broken, but the tendons and muscle were lacerated severely and I've called in our best surgeon to fix her up. When I described our findings, he was confident he could repair the damage and that she'd be as good as new. There were no signs of any bites from the bats, I'm happy to say but there were two injection marks on her thighs. The drug screen shows a variety of narcotics as well as LSD."

Mulder was livid. "He injected her!" (I'll kill him! So help me I'm going to kill him!) He thought, his hands clenched in pure rage, his eyes blazing with fire.

"Agent Mulder, please. She's going to be all right," Dr. Murray hastened to reassure him. "The drugs will be metabolized and there won't be any long term affects from the

amount she received. We should be most thankful that with her small size that she wasn't overdosed. Now, why don't you come see her while they're prepping for surgery? Doc Gibson should be here in ten minutes or so." He guided Mulder in.

Feeling totally helpless, Mulder stood at Scully's side. He took a deep breath, trying to release the rage that threatened to consume him and banish the visions of the seven and a half-foot monster terrorizing his petite partner.

A hand touched his arm. "Agent Mulder?"

Mulder tore his eyes away from Scully's face to see a nurse at his side.

"Agent Mulder, it's time for us to go to the operating room now."

Mulder just stared at her. (You can't take her away - I just got her back.)

The nurse smiled understandingly and stepped back, pulling Mulder with her as two techs wheeled Scully out of the room. Mulder stared after her. (She's going to be okay. Right? She's going to be okay?)

Chapter 17

Sheriff Rodney Anderson found Mulder sound asleep, sitting next to Scully's bed, his head propped on it, holding her left hand. The room was dark, so he left the door open, using the light from the hall to see. He stepped closer, noting that Agent Scully's right arm was heavily bandaged and that the other cuts and scratches had been cleaned and dressed with gauze. He said a quick prayer of thanks, then reluctantly woke Mulder.

The agent had been sleeping lightly and awoke instantly at the touch on his shoulder, tense and wide-eyed. He relaxed visibly when he saw who it was and cast a quick glance at Scully to see if he'd woke her up. He hadn't and he looked inquiringly over at Anderson. The sheriff stepped to the door and silently indicated that Mulder should follow.

Mulder nodded and rose, stretching to relieve the kinks in his stiff, sore muscles before joining Anderson in the hall.

"They found Dennis," Anderson said in a low voice, after closing the door to Scully's room. "He's dead."

"How?" Mulder asked in surprise.

"He was dead when we found him." Anderson replied. "There wasn't a mark on him. The doc thinks that based on Dennis' medical history that it was probably the brain cancer. Especially considering the lack of medical treatment that he'd received. That six-month estimate was probably factoring in chemo or something.

Mulder nodded, taking it all in.

"Anyway, they're having a hell of a time getting him out of that cave he kept Agent Scully in, which is at the end of a twenty-yard tunnel. I just thought that you should know."

Mulder closed his eyes. (Oh God, Scully.)

Anderson shuffled his feet nervously. "So, uh- how is she?"

Mulder looked gratefully at the man who had done so much to find Scully. "She's going to be all right. She's still sleeping. She just got out of recovery," he glanced down at his watch, "an hour ago."

Anderson bobbed his head. "Glad to hear it. I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am that you two got mixed up in all this."

Mulder waved him off, but Anderson would have none of it. "No. I mean it. No one should have to go through what you did. There's no way any of us could make that up to you, but for what its worth - I want to thank you for helping me with that hostage situation. And don't tell me it was just because your partner was in there. I don't know you very well, but I'd like to think that I know you better than that."

Mulder smiled weakly. "Thank you, Sheriff."

"Yeah, well, you just take care of your partner. I've got one of my deputies bringing your things in and I'll be turning in your rental car. Dave King, retired Navy Pilot and farmer now, has his own Cessna and will fly you both to Minneapolis as soon as you're ready." Anderson said.

"You really didn't have to go to all this trouble, Sheriff, but thank you again." Mulder said in awe.

Anderson looked him square in the eye. "It was no trouble. Got it?"

Mulder got the message and grinned. "Got it."

With a final shake of hands, Anderson headed out and Mulder took up his familiar place at Scully's side. He soon drifted back to sleep.

Chapter 18

"Mulder!"

Mulder jerked violently in his chair at Scully's cry of alarm, lifting his head up to find that she had somehow pulled herself to a sitting position. In the dim light he could see that her eyes were wide and her breathing sounded harsh and loud in the otherwise quiet room. Her left hand reached out to him and he immediately took it and sat down next to her on the bed.

"I'm here, Scully, it's all right." Mindful of her IV and monitoring cables, he carefully wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Silently, she snuggled into the embrace, trembling slightly and Mulder stroked her back, reassuring her in a low voice as he felt her heart beat rapidly against his chest and his own racing heart.

"It's dark," she said, not quite whimpering.

Without releasing his hold, Mulder reached for the call button and pushed the button to switch on the television, turning the volume all the way down.

After several minutes, he felt her relax and gently eased her back down, smoothing her damp hair away from her face. "Better?" he asked softly, as the glow from the silent TV lit up the room.

Scully nodded once, unable to meet his eyes. Mulder cupped her cheek, stroking it tenderly with his thumb. No tears, he realized, wondering if that was a good thing or not at this point.

"It's over," he whispered, "You're safe now."

Scully nodded again. "I know." Her eyes remained downcast.

"He's dead, Scully," Mulder told her, "Dennis is dead. He can't hurt you." (Unless you count the nightmares and memories, ) he thought in despair.

Scully gasped at the news, looking at him at last, searching his face, verifying that what he told her was true.

"Did you - ?"

"I didn't touch him, Scully," Mulder said with a ghost of an icy cold smile. "Of course, that's not to say I didn't want to after what he did to you."

A single tear slipped down her cheek and Mulder caught it and brushed it away. "Don't say that, Mulder," Scully said tremulously, "Don't."

"Scully, he could have killed you," Mulder stated, the thought making his heart clench painfully in his chest.

"He didn't though. And he didn't want to. He didn't know any better. He - he said he wanted - wanted to help me. That he - he l-l-loved me," she stumbled over the words and the feelings of terror they brought. Her voice dissolved as the tears filled her eyes and spilled over.

"Oh, Scully," Mulder enveloped her in his arms again, crying his own silent tears as his partner sobbed helplessly, her good arm clutching him like a lifeline, releasing the fear and terror. She was thankful beyond belief that he was here, holding her in his arms.

At last, the storm passed and a small sigh escaped her lips. Mulder helped her lay back, searching her face carefully; pale, exhausted but calmer now. Drained, she closed her eyes, trying to gather her thoughts.

Mulder waited patiently as she found her inner core of strength, not realizing how he fueled much of that core. "Would you like some water?"

"That would be wonderful," she murmured gratefully.

He hurried out to the nurses' station and returned to find her staring blankly at the television.

"Have you ever been to Disney World?" She asked quietly.

"What?" Mulder looked up to see a commercial for the amusement park, a small child wearing Mickey Mouse ears, holding his parents hands. "Oh, uh - no. We never made it down there."

Scully nodded absently. "Me either."

Mulder wondered if this was heading somewhere as he assisted her to a position to drink the water he had brought.

"Thanks," she said after draining the glass dry.

He sat down and waited patiently for her to take the lead. She watched the television for several more minutes, not really seeing what was on, before speaking again.

"I never used to be afraid of the dark, you know." Scully admitted painfully, unable to look at him, surprising herself by telling him.

Mulder winced. "I know what you mean," he admitted ruefully.

Scully looked at him in surprise. "Do you?"

"Yeah, I do." He thought of the darkness that threatened to overwhelm him when she was gone and shuddered.

Scully studied his face and reached out her hand. He took it in both of his, reveling in the feel of her soft skin. He realized that she knew exactly what he was thinking. As usual.

"I love you," she said softly.

Mulder stared at her. "I love you too, Scully," he finally managed to get out. "You're the light of my life."

Scully's smile lit up the room. "And you are mine."

THE END