From: "Richard E. Wahlquist" <74720.1275@compuserve.com> Subject: With You Always (1/3) Kirsten Wahlquist Title: With You Always Author: Kirsten Wahlquist E-Mail: dkscully@softhome.net Distribution Statement: Go ahead, just let me know where it's going and keep my name and addy on it. Spoiler Warning: Titanic Rating: NC-17, for brief sex, language Content Warnings: MSR Classification: TR Summary: During an investigation, Mulder and Scully give in to their desires. Just as things seem to be going great, Mulder disappears. Disclaimer: Arrrggghhhhh! Chris Carter, stop chasing me around with that gun! I know they're yours! You, too, 1013 and Fox! Arrggghh!! Authors Note: This story is for Genevieve (See? I did as you asked!), who asked for a Mulder In Jeopardy story and gave me the basic plot outline. With You Always By Kirsten Wahlquist FBI Headquarters February 12 10:13 A.M. "What did you say, Mulder?" Scully asked, looking up from the newest case they had been handed. "I said, I think this case is going to bring us closer to the truth than we've ever come before," Mulder repeated, annoyed. "You can tell that from a half-finished file and ten minutes?" Scully was being her usual, skeptical self. Mulder looked sheepishly at her. "Yeah," he answered weakly, then regained his composure. "I mean, look at the overwhelming number of sightings over the past week. It's phenomenal!" Scully regarded him closely for a moment before speaking. "Mulder, sometimes I think you take some pretty big leaps of faith." "But-" He stopped short, and looked accusingly at Scully. "Give it a chance," he said finally. "We can head out to Seattle, and if there really isn't anything there, we can come home." Scully sighed and shut the folder. "All right. We'll go. If there's nothing there, we come home." Mulder had a pleased look on his face as he left to make travel arrangements. *** Mulder's Motel Room, Seattle February 13 8:07 P.M. The rain pounded the area, turning the pavements a much darker shade and making the grass a little greener. The residents passed it off as just another rainy day, but any traveler from a dry place might think that the world was going to be flooded out. Mulder slowly opened the door to his motel room. It wasn't real fancy, but, then again, they never got anything real expensive. Cheap pieces of art hung from the walls, trying to make the place seem a bit more cheery. Tiredly, he threw his suitcase on the bed and flopped down next to it. His stomach growled at him, reminding him just how long it had been since he last ate. Mulder stood and sluggishly went next door to Scully's room. He pounded on the door, and waited for her to answer. When she opened the door, he saw that she had changed out of her business attire into a more comfortable pair of jeans and t-shirt. Mulder smiled at her warmly, admiring how good she looked in casual clothes. "I was just wondering if you wanted to go out and get something to eat," he offered. Scully returned the smile. "Sure. I was getting a little hungry myself. Just a second." She turned back to her room to get a coat and her purse. When she returned, Mulder escorted her to the car. "Where to?" he queried. Scully thought for a moment. "I don't know. Nothing too fancy." Mulder laughed. "You want McDonalds?" "I don't care. Just bear in mind, if we do go there, how much fat is in one of those burgers." She rolled her eyes at the thought of it. "McDonalds it is." He pulled out of the parking space, turned onto the road, and headed in the direction of the nearest McDonalds. *** Mulder watched Scully eat, forgetting about his own food. She noticed him staring at her. "Something wrong, Mulder?" "No, no." He forced himself to look back at his own food and start eating. It took awhile before the realization dawned on him that the next day was Valentine's Day. he decided. Then he pondered it a little more. Mulder tried to keep himself from staring at the one he loved as he spoke. Coincidentally, Scully was having much the same ideas running through her mind. She mused over the subject for a moment before coming to somewhat of a conclusion. She was pleased with this idea, and pushed it from her mind as she ate hungrily. *** Mulder's Motel Room February 13 11:21 P.M. Mulder leaned back against the headboard and closed his eyes. He couldn't wait to see the expression on Scully's face when she got the flowers. He imagined her happiness when he told her how he really felt, and that they'd kiss and--no. He knew it probably wouldn't happen, and mulled over this fact for quite some time. Glancing out the window, one car stood out from all the rest. It was hard to tell in the dark, but it looked an awful lot like the car he'd seen many times that day. Mulder shook his head. No, there were probably hundreds of cars that looked like that around here. He wrote it all off as a figment of his imagination. As Mulder climbed under the covers, he thought again of the next day, and what it could bring. As he dozed off, his last thoughts were of Scully being in that bed with him. *** Scully's Motel Room February 14 7:34 A.M. Scully awoke groggily the next morning. She rolled over slowly and glanced at the clock. Sighing, she dragged herself out of bed and went to take a shower. As she stood under the massaging flow of water, Scully recalled that it was Valentine's Day. She still hadn't decided what to do for Mulder. No, it was too impersonal. She thought hard, forgetting about everything else for the moment. It was a bit on the unoriginal side, but a fair solution if she really got in a pinch. Wracking her brain, she finally came up with an okay solution. A movie, something romantic, but not too cheesy. Read: Titanic. Scully smiled to herself, proud that she had come up with such a sweet idea. She quickly finished up her shower, dressed, and dried her hair. Just as she was leaving the bathroom, she heard a knock at her door. "Just a second," she called, slipping on a pair of shoes. She pulled open the door to see Mulder standing there, a kind smile on his face. "Come in, Mulder." She quickly shoved the twisted thought from her mind. Mulder drew a bouquet of red roses from behind his back as he entered the room. "Happy Valentine's Day, Scully," he greeted, handing her the bouquet. She was obviously delighted. A grin spread across her face as she accepted the roses. "Thank you, Mulder," she replied kindly. She paused a second before continuing. "I couldn't really think of something to get you," she told him honestly. "So I was going to ask if you wanted to go see a movie tonight." Mulder smiled at her, obviously pleased with the idea. "I'd like that. Anything special you had in mind?" Scully shrugged innocently. "I don't know. Titanic? I hear it's really good." Still beaming, Mulder responded, "Sounds good to me." After a moment, he returned to the case. "I got a hold of a lead. Apparently, one woman claims to have actually been abducted." Scully raised an eyebrow, returning to her skeptical self. "Do you know where she lives?" "Yeah, I got an address here. It's someplace in..." he looked a bit harder at the paper, trying to pronounce the name. "...Sequim." It eventually came out sounding more like "Seh-kwim." Scully gave him one of her patented, you're-not-inspiring-my-confidence looks. "Mulder, how can you be expected to find this place when you can't even pronounce the name?" Grinning, Mulder replied, "Are you implying that you don't know where Tegucigalpa is?" Scully shook her head, obviously trying to hide the smile tugging at her lips. "So you *do* know how to get there?" "Well, kind of. It's a little ways away." Scully paused before asking the inevitable question. "*How* far away?" "Um...three or four hours." Scully sighed, and sat down on the bed. "You want to go today or tomorrow?" Mulder didn't even take the time to think before he shook his head. "Tomorrow." He grinned widely at her. "It's Valentine's Day. You think I'm going to ruin that?" She smiled weakly at him. Out loud, she simply said, "So what are you going to do today?" "I was thinking we could head over to the University of Washington and find out what we can about sightings around here." He shrugged, as if the case didn't really matter much. Scully nodded her assent, set the beautiful flowers on the nightstand, and got up to leave. Noting the steady downpour outside, she pulled on her coat before heading out the door. Mulder was waiting for her at the car. She yanked open the car door, and slipped inside. As Scully was putting on her seatbelt, Mulder looked over at her. "Are you okay, Scully? You look a bit distracted." His brow was furrowed in worry. Snapping out of a daze, she glanced back at him. "I'm fine, Mulder." Mulder gave her an if-you-say-so look, and started the engine. *** Planet Hollywood 5:57 P.M. Mulder gazed across the table at Scully. He was glad he had come up with something other than just plain flowers for Scully. When they'd noticed the sign as they drove through Seattle, Mulder had immediately pulled into the parking lot. Scully inquired as to what he was doing, and he informed her that it was dinner, his treat. Mulder knew the bill would probably amount to a fortune, but decided that it was worth it. Scully seemed to be enjoying herself thoroughly. As the waiter brought their food, Mulder glanced up at the screen playing movie shorts, clips of movie stars at the restaurant, and the like. Quickly, he returned his attention to the food at hand. The aroma of Mulder's hamburger was enticing. When he had ordered it, Scully had laughed and asked why when he could get one several times cheaper at a fast food place. He had shrugged it off, and the subject was dropped. When the waiter departed, Scully paused a moment before she began to eat. She gazed steadily into Mulder's eyes. Forcing herself to look away, Scully stabbed a fork into her side salad. Mulder smiled inwardly. he pondered, Unknowingly, that mental smile appeared on his face as he watched Scully eat. *** Movie Theater 8:30 P.M. Mulder watched intensely as the great steamer, the R.M.S. Titanic, sailed gracefully across the ocean. It was amazing to him that such a grand ship should have to sink on it's maiden voyage. He shoved thoughts of the ghost ship from his mind and focused on the film, where Jack was standing at the bow, claiming to be the 'king of the world.' Glancing at Scully, he noted that she was grinning. It was uplifting--so far. *** Jack and Rose met at the bow of Titanic, Rose having decided to return to her true love despite her mother's anger. She stepped up onto the railing of the ship. "Do you trust me?" That phrase hit home; Mulder had faced that question many-a-time. "I trust you." Rose took her hands from the railing, and held them out. "Open your eyes." Rose's eyes fluttered open, and she grinned at the colorful expanse before her. "Jack, I'm flying!" she cried. At that moment, Scully's hand slid over his. Mulder took it, his eyes never leaving the screen. Outside, he was casual about it. Inside, he was rejoicing. *** The movie ended, and the credits began to roll. The song in the background was gorgeous. Mulder admired the music, and Scully was content to listen. Around the, people with tear-stained faces were getting up. They chatted casually, mostly about the movie. The exits jammed up quickly. As "My Heart Will Go On" ended, Mulder stood and rubbed his eyes. He and Scully made their way to the doors, then headed towards the car. As they climbed in, Scully smiled nervously at Mulder. "I had a great time," she thanked him. Mulder returned the smile. "Hey, it was your idea. I should be the one thanking you." They stared at each other silently for a moment before Scully leaned toward him. Thoughts flew through Mulder's head. He leaned in to her, and his mouth found hers. Their lips locked, and magically, Scully's tongue slipped into his mouth. The kiss was nervous at first, but grew into a passionate, love-filled game of tonsil hockey. *** Scully's Motel Room February 15 12:25 A.M. As Scully unlocked the door and stepped inside, Mulder followed, still beaming. Scully closed the door behind him. The blinds were closed, and Mulder pulled her into a giant hug. Mulder held Scully in a tight embrace. Slowly, his hands moved southward. They came to rest on her ass. Her eyes grew wide for a moment, then softened quickly. She was smiling innocently, although her thoughts proved otherwise. Her hands drifted to Mulder's ass. They remained like this for a moment before Scully spoke timidly. "Mulder..." She paused, a bit unsure about what Mulder would think of her next statement. "I want you inside me." For a second, Mulder appeared shocked. Scully thought dejectedly. Then he smiled down at her, obviously pleased. He maneuvered her gently toward the bed, and they fell onto it, Scully on top, kissing Mulder voraciously. His hands fell to her waist, where they deftly removed her pants. Scully did the same, and "accidentally" brushed his penis while doing so. She felt it, fully erect and stiff. As Mulder reached up to take off her shirt, he casually ran a hand over her breast. He pulled the shirt over her head quickly, revealing her bra underneath. Mulder was wearing a buttoned shirt, and Scully undid each of them in turn, running small kisses down the length of his shoulder. Mulder quickly pulled away Scully's underwear and bra, revealing her fully to him. She gently removed his underwear, and for the first time saw his penis. It was gigantic. Mulder began to kiss her neck, then moved slowly down her body to her breast. He curled his tongue around her nipple, and sucked it delicately. He kept going, instead using his tongue to pleasure her. It quickly found her clit, and he ran his tongue along it teasingly. Scully moaned to him, and he continued. The licks became harder and more intense. Scully's head writhed from side to side restlessly. Feeling the urge to do so. Mulder wriggled his tongue a bit inside. The feeling it created made Scully make small, pleasured noises. She arched her back, moaning his name. Mulder's hands wrapped around her, clutching her ass. They rolled over, and Mulder on top. Their lips met in a lustful kiss. Shifting his hands, he massaged her ass gently. Scully made small grunting noises as her own hands found his cock. She traced her finger over it teasingly, as a jolt ripped through Mulder. Every muscle in his body contracted, and he let out a small squeak. "Now, Mulder," she whispered, pleading. His lips curled into a half-smile as she spread her legs wider. Mulder gently lowered himself into her, and Scully emitted a low groan of pleasure. There was nothing in her life that had matched the way she felt that first moment he was inside her. So far. He thrust himself into her again, this time harder. Scully uttered a low, primal growl as she got closer and closer to coming. The thrusts became increasingly harder and faster as time wore on. She shifted her hips, allowing Mulder to go deeper inside. This pushed her over the edge. With a guttural cry, her back arched as the sensation ripped through her. Her head lolled back in satisfaction, and Mulder planted small kisses down her neck, shoulder, and chest. He thrust hard and fast, and Scully was moaning and tossing with pleasure. Mulder took his hands from her ass and ran them through her hair. He lowered his head and kissed her fully, his tongue batting at hers. Exhaustedly, Mulder slumped and buried his head in Scully's chest. He extricated himself from her, and rolled over to lay next to her. Scully clutched him tightly, thoroughly enjoying being in close contact with his now-sweaty body. He ran his fingers through her hair, kissing her softly on the forehead. he thought. A sensual smile crossed his face as he held the now-sleeping Scully tenaciously. *** 7:45 A.M. Mulder awoke to the sweet aroma of Scully. He felt the warmth of her naked body next to him, and all the thoughts of the previous night came flooding back to him. Her breath was warm on his chest. He ran his hand delicately through her auburn hair. After a moment, she slowly awoke. When Scully looked up to see Mulder, she smiled lovingly at him. They lay like that for some time before Mulder spoke. "We should go get ready to leave," he suggested. Scully nodded pensively, and Mulder dragged himself out of bed. While he put on his strewn clothes, Scully went to take a shower. She almost hesitated, feeling somehow closer to him when she had his scent. Shaking off the feeling, she turned on the water and stepped into the stream. *** Washington State Ferry 10:13 A.M. Mulder parked the car on the teeming ferry, and stepped out. Scully followed suit, and they headed up the stairs to the passenger deck. Earlier, they had agreed that they were going to keep their relationship separate from their duty. They'd decided that it was best if they kept their sexual feelings checked during the day, so as not to interfere with their work. The horn blew loudly, and the ferry backed slowly out of the terminal. Scully hurried out to the deck. The wind was frightfully cold, and whipped her hair around her. Thankfully, the rain had let up, and even the sun was starting to peek from behind the clouds. Mulder leaned on the railing next to her, gazing across the wind-blown waters of Puget Sound. Whitecaps rose and fell with the waves, and fishing boats chugged across Elliot Bay. >From somewhere to their left came shouts of excitement. People crowded there, all watching something in awe. Scully strode over to see what all the fuss was about. Amazingly, she found a spot on the rail and searched for what was so special. About a hundred yards from the boat, a pod of killer whales were frolicking, creating gigantic splashes and entertaining the passengers. Scully smiled. Having a dad in the Navy, she had heard a lot of stories of whales, and how beautiful it was to actually see them in the wild. She was now experiencing it firsthand, and understood exactly why everyone enjoyed it. Mulder stood behind her, grinning like a five-year-old at the sight. An enormous bull leapt high into the air, his nose seemingly touching the ever-growing sun. The resulting splash thrilled everyone, and cheers of delight erupted from the crowd. Closer to the boat, a mother and calf surfaced, inspecting the intruder. The calf leapt clear of the water, it's glossy skin glinting in the sunlight. Children nearby screamed with delight at the spectacle. (See part one for info) As the ferry turned into the bay to reach it's destination, the orcas parted with them. Kids watched their tall dorsals as long as they could, hoping for another show. Moments later, they were no longer visible. Mulder and Scully trudged back to the car, each pondering over the recent turn of events. They climbed in silently, and waited for the gate to open. It took a couple tries to get the ferry docked correctly without bouncing off the pier, but eventually the gate was opened, and the cars filed off. *** Just outside Sequim 2:26 P.M. Mulder drove past miles and miles of unused land. Evergreen trees grew on both sides of the road, making it seem almost like a decorative prison. At last, they broke into an open area. "Hey, Scully, look." He pointed to a sign on the side of the road. Scully followed his gaze, noting the immense, carved sign. "John Wayne Marina. It's his old house." Mulder pulled into the parking lot and chose a parking space. Glancing around, he saw the mud created when the tide went out. On the shore, three teenagers were pulling up a Zodiac and scrambling for the shelter of the marina. he mused, observing the high waves crested with whitecaps. Mulder and Scully strode into the marina, and looked around for any information on it. They climbed up the steps to a small observation tower. From there, they could see the whole bay, and the spit that lay beyond. Mulder scanned the pamphlets laid out, most describing regulations for boats, emergency procedures, et cetera. Scully was surprised to see that a Navy ship had docked there. It seemed to large to fit in the marina, but there it was. Crew members milled around, some conferring with families, others carrying out their duties. The three teenagers they'd seen pulling up their raft were sitting in it opposite the massive boat, obviously waiting for something. The two agents headed back down the stairs, and wandered aimlessly amid the miscellaneous boats. They heard the Navy vessel staring up it's engines. "You want to go watch it leave?" Mulder asked. Scully hesitated; sometimes being around things having to do with the Navy reminded her of her father. After a second, she nodded silently. They went out to the breakwater, and stood at the edge as the ship chugged out into the choppy waters. Behind it, the Zodiac flew along, flying off jumps created by the wake. The teenagers were whooping it up, yelling and screaming as they were launched into the air. The officers laughed and pointed at them. Mulder shook his head mock-sternly. "Kids these days, huh?" Scully let a tight-lipped smile creep across her face. They got back into the car, and continued on to the reported abductee's home. *** Jennifer Yawahtah's home 3:18 P.M. Mulder climbed briskly up the steps and knocked on the door. Scully stood next to him, staring coldly at the door. It opened, and a young, red-headed woman poked her head out. "May I help you?" she asked timidly. "I'm Agent Fox Mulder, this is my partner Dana Scully, we're from the FBI" A look of shock crossed the woman's face momentarily, then she wiped it away. "Come in." Mulder and Scully stepped inside, and looked around at the living room. Pictures of family members hung lopsidedly from the walls, and the furniture was in disrepair. "What can I do for you?" Mulder returned his attention to the woman. She seemed fixated on him, and completely ignored Scully. "Ms. Yawahtah, we've gotten word that you've recently had a close encounter with extraterrestrial beings." The woman's eyes narrowed, and she regarded him closely. "Yes, I have. I--" She stopped short, almost afraid to tell her story. Mulder urged her on, and she continued. "A couple of months ago," she began slowly, "I was abducted by aliens." Scully made her usual, I-highly-doubt-it face, but Mulder was interested. "Can you tell me anything about it? Do you remember anything?" The woman paused, thinking. "I had just moved to the area, and was staying in a motel while I searched for a house. I remember seeing a bright light, with a reddish tint to it. The next thing I knew, I was awakened in Harborview Medical Center, several weeks later." Mulder nodded, taking her story in. "Would you agree to going through a hypnosis session?" Mulder asked her hopefully. She hesitated, then spoke tensely. "I guess so." Ms. Yawahtah and Mulder went over the details of the session, and decided to have it done the next day. In the meantime, Scully used the woman's phone to make reservations for the night at a local motel--the same one the woman had disappeared from. When Scully returned, Mulder and the woman were just finishing up. "We'll see you tomorrow," Mulder said, acknowledging Scully's presence. "Good night," the woman returned. Mulder and Scully went to the car, got in, and headed for their motel room. *** Mulder's Motel Room 11:21 P.M. Mulder studied the photographs taken of the UFO activity. All were taken by normal people who happened to be sitting in their backyard with a camera. He regarded one shot in particular, because it seemed odd to him in some way. Not odd as in strange phenomena, but more like something was familiar. As he studied the photo more closely, he realized that the reason it seemed so familiar was that it had been taken right behind the motel. Mulder leapt from his chair, and hurried out back. He crept through the undergrowth quietly, the flashlight beam playing on the trees. A sudden crackling startled him. Mulder shined his flashlight around cautiously. he thought. He went back to his search for any sort of mark having to do with a UFO encounter. Mulder was so engrossed in his work, that he didn't hear the rustling noise until it was too late. He whirled around just in time to see a heavy metal object make contact with his head. Mulder fell to the ground with a groan and a thud. Above him, someone smirked with pleasure. *** Motel February 16 7:29 A.M. Scully pounded on Mulder's door for the second time. Just to double check, she turned to make sure the car was still there, and it was. "God, Mulder," she said aloud. "I hope you didn't ditch me again." Scully checked the door, and found it to be unlocked. She slowly opened it and slipped inside. Photos were strewn over the bed, and one was on the table. She slowly crossed the room to get a look at the one on the table. She recognized it from somewhere. Thinking back, she recalled exactly where it was from--their motel. She followed Mulder's path exactly. Crashing through the bushes, she searched for her missing partner. "Mulder!" she called repeatedly. Her foot suddenly struck something. Something plastic. Scully looked down to see a long-since-dead flashlight laying on the ground. When she examined it more closely, she realized it was the one Mulder had brought. "Shit," she exclaimed under her breath. "Not again." *** Time and Place Undetermined Mulder stirred and groaned painfully. His whole body screamed at him. His eyes flitted open, looking at his darkened surroundings. It was too dim to see anything, but he felt the cold hardness of cement beneath him. Cloth bound his hands securely behind him, and held his feet together. A gag was placed in his mouth. He struggled for a moment against the restraints. Rolling over, Mulder saw a small pool of light a few feet away. His eyes followed it up to a small hole in the wall, where a few stars shone dimly in the night sky. The sound of footsteps echoed through the darkened air. Wincing, Mulder pinpointed the source of the sound and concentrated on it. A crack of light appeared, then grew as the door creaked open. Mulder looked up to see the silhouetted from of a woman. "You're awake," she said coldly. Mulder glared as he scrutinized her. She seemed familiar somehow. Furrowing his brow, he focused on her face. Then it hit him-Jennifer Yawahtah. "You," he breathed. It was hard to talk through the gag, but he made an effort. She smirked at him. "Yeah, me." "Why?" Mulder gasped, his head pounding. Yawahtah shrugged, grinning evilly. "Just because," she answered vaguely. Mulder rolled his eyes. The woman crossed the now-lit room to Mulder's crumpled form. She rolled him onto his back with her foot, and looked him square in the eye. "I always win, Fox," she asserted. Mulder squinted his eyes shut; the light was making them hurt. Yawahtah sighed and shook her head. Mulder heard her stalk out of the room, slam the door, then all was silent. *** Sequim Police Station February 17 7:52 P.M. Scully let out a long held breath. They'd found a boot tread at the crime scene, and it wasn't Mulder's. After running a check, they had found that there was nothing outstanding about it, and many of the area's residents had the same size and mark on their shoes. "What about questioning other people at the motel? Did you try that?" Scully asked hopefully. The sheriff nodded solemnly. "That was one of the first things I did. Nada." Shaking her head, Scully looked over the photos they had found in Mulder's room. They were obscure, and Scully couldn't make heads or tails of them. It was impossible to tell where they were taken, and, most of the time, what they were taken of. "All right," Sheriff Caller sighed, "let's go back to the beginning." Scully nodded silently. "When was the last time you saw Mulder?" *** Time and Place Undetermined Mulder awoke groggily, and it took a moment for him to remember what happened. The cold air chilled him to the bone, and he shivered uncontrollably. He struggled fiercely at the bonds, but they held strong. A ray of daylight spilled into the room, and he could see his surroundings for the first time. The floor was cement, the room bare. The ceiling was dirty, and the paint was cracking off it. Mulder squeezed his eyes shut as a feeling of nausea passed through him. The world seemed to spin around him, taunting him. The whole room seemed to teeter. It dawned on him that he was on a boat. Now that he knew where he was, Mulder knew that getting sick was inevitable. His stomach tossed restlessly, and Mulder curled into a ball in an attempt to make the nausea subside. Clenching his teeth and squeezing his eyes shut, he dealt with the pain. he told himself. He tried, and one image in particular came to mind-Valentine's Day evening, and the passion he had shared with Scully. The though of it brought tears to his eyes. He dearly missed Scully, and would do anything to be with her right then. Granted, he'd do anything to be anywhere but where he was right then. "Scully," he moaned, unaware that he was saying it aloud. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut as another wave of nausea swept throughout him. he silently begged. He concentrated on Scully, and tried to hold out through the pain. *** Mulder screamed in agony as the cold metal came down upon his bare back. He was whipped again and again. His captor had taken off his shirt and was beating him endlessly with something. Mulder couldn't tell what it was; the pain was too great to see much of anything. He bore it as long as he could, but it was soon too much for him. He cried out in pain and grief as he was struck again... ...Scully sat bolt upright in her bed. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was 4:56 AM. She was breathing hard, beads of sweat popping on her forehead. Scully realized she was shaking uncontrollably. It took a moment for her to calm down and convince herself it was only a dream. The worst part was that she couldn't convince herself it was a dream. It could be really happening. Scully shook her head, trying to remind herself it was her imagination going into overdrive. Laying back down, Scully stared at the ceiling, the horrible images flying through her head tirelessly. Her lower lip quivered, and tears brimmed in her eyes. She swallowed hard, and tried to keep them in check. In the end, she lost. Tears streamed down her cheeks, soaking her pillow. She gave up the fight, and allowed them to flow freely. Biting her lip, she was wracked with sobs. Scully rolled over onto her stomach and laid her head on her arms. "Mulder," she sobbed, calling out to her lost partner and lover. She held her breath for a moment, then prayed silently for his return. *** Time and Exact Place Unknown Mulder groaned in pain as he opened his eyes. Yawahtah loomed over him, a lopsided grin plastered on her attractive face. "Good morning," she greeted innocently. Mulder mumbled something incomprehensible in return. Grabbing him by the arm, Yawahtah pulled him agonizingly to his feet. His head spun, and the world turned on end. The woman was incredibly strong, and managed to drag him to a nearby pipe. She dropped him to the ground, and he landed with a heavy thud. >From behind her back, Yawahtah pulled forth a wad of twine. She quickly untied Mulder's hands, knowing full well that he was too weak to fight. Just before he had awoken, she had given him a mild sedative. She hurriedly positioned his hands, and held them by the pipe, which was a couple feet off the ground. She quickly wrapped the twine tightly around his hands and tied them securely to the pipe. She stood, smug satisfaction plastered all over her face. "Now you can actually sit up," she gloated. All Mulder could do was look up at her and try to keep his composure. The woman traced her finger along Mulder's jawline, giggling. "That partner of yours is lucky," she gushed. "She gets to spend each day with a very nice-looking man." Another giggle. "But now it's my turn." Mulder shrank back against the wall, trying to squirm away from Yawahtah. It evoked another giggle, and she reached out to grab his jaw. "What's the matter?" she asked innocently. "Doesn't Fox want to play?" An evil grin spread across her face as her hand wandered down to brush Mulder's penis. He was immediately erect, and quite ashamed of it. The woman grinned evilly at him. *** Scully's Motel Room February 18 9:26 P.M. Scully threw herself exhaustedly onto the bed. She hadn't gone back to sleep since she woke up that morning with that horrible nightmare. The image replayed itself in her mind, over and over again. She couldn't help but wince when she thought about what Mulder's captor might be doing to him. Sitting up, she rested her head in her hands. She couldn't believe that this was happening. After several days of exhaustive searching, they had produced nothing of value. Scully was startled as the phone rang. She picked it up quickly, hoping for some word on Mulder. "Scully," she answered. A snicker on the other end of the line. "Hello?" Scully repeated. "Agent Scully," began the feminine voice on the other side. Whoever it was on the other end was obviously trying to mask their voice. "I think you lost something?" Scully was puzzled for a moment. "I..." Scully trailed off, the realization dawning upon her. "Where's Mulder?" she demanded. "Oh, he's fine," the person sighed. Scully wasn't convinced. "I want to talk to him," she pushed. There was a snort on the other end. "I guess, but only for a moment." There was the sound of footsteps echoing, then a door. Someone was shuffling around. "Scully?" Mulder asked quietly, evidently on some form of drug. Scully breathed a silent sigh of relief. "Mulder, are you okay?" "I-" The voice was cut off, and the captor once again spoke. "See? He's alive." With that, she hung up. Scully sat for a moment, unable to move. She quickly dialed to get the number of the last call. When she received the information, she simply tossed it aside. It was Mulder's cell phone number. Shaking her head, Scully dialed the police station to let them in on the latest development. *** Time and Place Unknown Mulder looked around the now-darkened room. His wrists throbbed and all the blood had drained from them, leaving them cold and in pain. His headache had subsided somewhat, and he was becoming accustomed to the rolling of the waves. Earlier, he had heard Yawahtah muttering something about a storm. Great. Just what he wanted-to get seasick again. He shook his head in an attempt to clear away the fogginess that lingered. he urged. He hoped that, from the photos left in his room, she might see what he had seen-that the picture was taken behind the motel, and by none other than Jennifer Yawahtah. Yawahtah chose that moment to enter Mulder's dark prison. She held a large flashlight, and was shining it into Mulder's eyes. Bending over, she set down the flashlight and took Mulder by the arm. Panicking, Mulder tried to wrench it away. Yawahtah smirked and pulled forth a small syringe filled with a foul-looking substance. Mulder was wide-eyed, and tried to squirm away. He was tired, though, and she prevailed. Jabbing the needle into his arm, a smile tugged at her lips. Mulder winced as he felt the sharp prick. "Wha..." Mulder tried to ask, breathing hard. "What... was... that?" he finally got the question out. The woman looked him in the eye. "You'll see," she answered cryptically. Colors began to swim before Mulder's eyes, and he felt as if he were in a dream. He was hardly aware of Yawahtah's hands running down his body. Grinning smugly, she ran her hands down his legs, and everywhere else she could feel. Mulder just sat, dazed. The woman stood, satisfaction filling her face. *** Scully's Motel Room February 19 3:57 PM Scully sat dejectedly on her bed. She glanced up and frowned at the mass of photos laying on the table. Standing, she strode over to them and sat down. She dug through the pile until she found the picture taken behind the motel. she repeated in her mind. She tried to think of any previous references to the motel. Sighing, Scully put her head down. Then it hit her. She leapt up and grabbed her jacket. Scully dashed out to the car and leapt in. She quickly slammed the door shut, fastened her seatbelt, started the engine, and peeled out of the parking lot. As Scully sped down the quiet road, she ran through a mental checklist of procedures. Check at Yawahtah's house, then, if she wasn't there, get a search warrant. Pulling up in the driveway, Scully hurried out of the car and up the steps. She banged fiercely on the door, momentarily forgetting to be business-like. She straightened up, and waited for a response. There was none. Bingo. *** Sequim Police Station February 20 10:13 AM "She has no criminal record," Sheriff Caller informed Scully. "Any cars or that sort of thing licensed to her?" Sheriff Caller typed quickly into his computer. He leaned back in satisfaction at the results. "She has a white Toyota Corolla licensed to her, as well as an old fishing boat." "An old fishing boat?" (See part one for info) "From what I understand, her husband was a fisherman. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound when Yawahtah disappeared during her 'abduction.' " "Where is the boat now?" Scully queried. The sheriff scrolled down the page, and nodded. "It's being kept at the John Wayne Marina." With the click of a button, he printed out the screen and took the paper. "Let's go," he ordered, pulling on his jacket. Scully nodded and followed him out. *** John Wayne Marina 11:02 AM Scully clambered out of the car, and out onto the first of the docks. "What was the name of that boat?" she called over her shoulder. The sheriff looked down at the paper as he hurried after her. "Um... the Pequod." Scully nodded absently and looked over each boat for any sign of the Pequod. Funny how a name from one of her favorite stories could now represent something so vile. After half an hour of searching, they had turned up no sign of the boat. Scully sighed mournfully. "So they're gone. How are we going to find them way out there?" Sheriff Caller thought over this a moment, then glanced back at Scully. We could put out a radio call asking people to keep on the lookout. Other than that, I guess we've just got to hope for the best." Scully bit her lip and looked around nervously. "There's nothing else we can do?" she questioned hopefully. The sheriff looked her sullenly and shook his head. Scully sucked in a deep breath and held it for awhile. "All right, then. Let's go," she agreed. *** Scully's Motel Room February 21 5:48 PM Scully leaned back in her chair and tried to think straight. So far, no one had seen the missing boat or it's assumed occupants. There had to be someone out there who had passed by it, someone who had taken notice of it. The phone rang beside her, and her scrambled to pick it up. "Scully." "Missing someone?" the person on the other end sneered. Scully's face hardened as she recognized Yawahtah's voice. "We will find you Ms. Yawahtah, I assure you." "Oh, so you've discovered who I am. But, the question remains... *where* am, I?" Scully remained silent. "I'll give you a little break," Yawahtah decided aloud. Scully perked up and was immediately attentive. "Meet me out at Middle Island tonight at 7:30, and I'll clue you in." There was a pause. "No one else, or he dies. You can't tell anyone, either." "Where's Middle Island?" Scully demanded. "That, Miss Scully, is your job to find out." With that, Yawahtah hung up. *** Time and Place Unknown Mulder watched in horror as his abductor flipped his cell phone shut. She was grinning maniacally. "You wouldn't," he breathed as she started toward him. "Oh, I would, and I will." Mulder watched as she produced a small gun. He hadn't seen it before, or at least hadn't noticed it. That was to be expected since he had been under the influence of drugs. She yanked out a cloth and hurriedly tied it around Mulder's mouth, gagging him. "You'll see your little partner soon," she crooned. Mulder shook his head in disgust. "Now, I have to go meet her." She turned on her heel and gleefully hopped out. *** Middle Island 7:29 PM Scully stood on the small bit of land in the middle of the bay. It hadn't taken her long to learn where it was. Apparently, it was one of those islands that was so small that it appeared and disappeared with the tide. As the tide was going out then, the island was growing. The rain poured down on Scully, soaking her to the bone. A fierce storm had been predicted for that evening, and the wind was blowing like crazy. Around her, a couple crabs scurried to their holes. From what she had heard, this place was great for crab hunting. She had pulled up the small Zodiac she had rented onto the sand, and was waiting impatiently. She stared ahead as she saw something small skimming across the water toward her. As the boat was pulled onto the shore, the woman whirled around, drawing her gun. "Put down your gun and put your hands up," the woman growled menacingly. Scully, following FBI protocol, complied. Yawahtah moved slowly toward her, and picked up Scully's gun. She motioned for Scully to start walking to the boat. "Go," the woman ordered. Scully moved silently toward the boat, feeling the gun trained on the back of her head. She was shoved roughly into the small boat, and fell on her face. A small trickle of blood began to ooze from a cut on her cheek. The woman grabbed her violently by the leg, and hastily tied her ankles together. She caught Scully's wrists and bound them together behind her back. Shoving her to the front of the Zodiac, Yawahtah started the motor and sped off into the darkness. The waves bounced and jarred Scully, and she felt as if her shoulder was about to fall off. She was wet and cold, and water continued to slosh over the side of the raft. Shivering, Scully shifted position in an attempt to make herself more comfortable. She remained like that for only a few minutes before an enormous wave hit the boat, causing it to rise into the air and come down with a mighty crash. Scully's head slammed into the bottom of the boat, and she was instantly dazed. The world spun and twisted around her as she slipped into unconsciousness. *** Scully awoke with a pounding headache, and felt herself being lifted out of the boat. A gag was placed in her mouth, and it tugged painfully at the corners of her mouth. Her eyes fluttered open, and Yawahtah knew she was awake. "Walk," she ordered gruffly. Scully found that her ankles had been untied. The woman pressed the gun into Scully's back, and Scully climbed onto the much larger fishing boat. She trudged onward, stumbling in the darkness. Yawahtah guided her silently. Eventually, they wound up in a small, darkened room. The woman flipped on a light, and Scully saw Mulder unconscious in the corner. "Muwwerrr!" she called, trying to speak through the gag. He stirred slightly, and picked his head up tiredly. Spotting his partner, he became wide awake, struggling to get free. Yawahtah shoved Scully to the far corner, and pushed her to the floor forcefully. She hit the cold cement with a thud, scraping her knees. Pulling forth a ball of twine, Yawahtah proceeded to tie Scully to the pipe as well, but in a place far from Mulder. Between them, another pipe ran perpendicular to the one they were tied to, preventing her from sliding over to him. "Scuwwwyy!" Mulder yelled, struggling against his restraints. Their captor finished tying Scully's hands and feet, then stood up. Her face showed that she wasn't quite satisfied, and seemed to think about it for a moment. Then, her foot suddenly lashed out, catching Scully in the ribs. Scully gasped, the pain flooding through her torso. She squeezed her eyes shut and grimaced, trying to keep from crying out. She heard Mulder yell, and he began his struggle anew. Yawahtah left Scully for the moment, and strode over to Mulder. She smiled contentedly, and looked at him like he was gold. "You," she scolded, "are one *tenacious* man." Mulder tried to kick at her with his bound feet, but she hopped out of the way. Shaking her head like a mother whose son had just gotten his new clothes torn, she turned and left the room. Scully gazed at Mulder, fear in her eyes. Mulder was still trying to break free, but to no avail. He soon stopped struggling and sagged against the wall. Scully shifted positions, and there was a sharp intake of breath as the pain once again shot through her rib cage. Mulder hauled himself up to the point where his head was level with his hands. He ripped the gag from his mouth. It was tied very tightly, and he bloodied the corners of his mouth in the process. Scully tried to pull herself up to do the same, but slumped back as her ribs protested painfully. Taking a deep, agonizing breath, she yanked herself up and yanked the gag from her mouth, also cutting the corners of her mouth. She fell back to the floor, biting back the cry of pain. "Scully," Mulder hissed. She looked up at him, wincing. "We've got to figure out how to get out of here." That was obvious. "I know," she replied, "but how?" Mulder shook his head, and Scully lolled her head back and closed her eyes. Mulder's mouth curled into a frown. Scully was in obvious pain. He hoped she hadn't broken any ribs. "Did you tell anyone you were coming here?" "No, Yawahtah said not to or she'd kill you." Mulder nodded knowingly. "Yeah, she was standing right there," he motioned with his head, "when she called you." He paused a second. "You should have anyway," he said quietly. Scully looked at him, her eyes pleading. "I would never do anything that would put you in danger like that," she replied, matching his tone. Breaking his gaze, Mulder tried to twist his hands into a position from which he could untie his bonds. Scully was in immense pain. She figured that Yawahtah had done more damage than was apparent at first. Her head was spinning from the agony, and she felt like she was going to pass out. Mulder stopped struggling for a moment, and stared at Scully. "Are you all right?" Mulder asked, concerned. Scully didn't answer, instead, her head laid back and her eyes closed. "Scully? Scully?!" She didn't answer, and he quickly returned to working at the twine. If he could break free, he could get to her and help her. Mulder pulled fiercely at his restraints, and blood trickled down his arms where his skin was rubbed raw. He kept working at it, begging silently for some miracle. *** Jennifer Yawahtah looked directly ahead as the boat sped farther and farther away from the mainland. She had a smug look smeared on her face, her left lip corner curled into a half-smile. They were all hers now. She had Mulder, and the aliens who had taken her away could take Scully instead. It was her ticket to freedom. The rain pelted the windows, driven by the howling wind. The water was nearly covered in a blanket of whitecaps. The wind had kicked up and was howling with the ferocity of a mad lion. The rain came down in sheets, ready to drown the sea itself out. she thought, nervous. Her husband had left it in poor condition. It had no radar, a very old and battered radio, and the hull was pretty weak. Jennifer's eye caught something ahead, but then it was gone. She passed it off as a hallucination, for she hadn't had any sleep in a long time. The boat suddenly lurched to one side, but it's momentum kept it going. Jennifer brought it down to a halt, and hurried out to the deck. she thought when she saw the damage. The hull had given in on one side, and water was flowing into it. Briefly, she thought about going to get the FBI agents, but she pushed it from her mind. she mused. Scurrying to the back of the boat, she pushed the Zodiac into the restless waters. She untied it from the boat, started the engine, and disappeared into the settling fog. *** Scully had felt the violent shaking and woken up. Mulder was panicking at something. As her eyes focused better, she saw water starting to seep into the room from under the door. Mulder saw that she was awake and called out to her. "Scully! Get yourself untied!" he ordered. Scully needed no further urging as she pushed the pain in her ribs away to do the job. The water was swelling, and was now covering the floor about an inch deep. Suddenly, Scully felt something in the twine loosen. Her hands were bleeding from the effort, but she ignored it as she tried to slacken it more. Mulder was doing the same thing, but with no results. He watched in panic as the water rose to his waist. It was freezing cold, and he already couldn't feel his toes. "Scully!" he called. She turned to face him, still working at her bonds. "Hurry!" She gave him one of her infamous I-already-knew-*that* looks, then returned her attention to the task at hand, so to speak. Horror welled in both of them as the water rose to their chests. The boat was tilted now, the back slightly higher than the front. The door was fast disappearing, being that it was closer to the front. Scully suddenly cried out. Mulder's head whipped around to see that she had broken loose. She had untied the twine from her ankles, and was hurrying toward him. "Yes," Mulder breathed as Scully finished untying his hands and feet. They waded toward the door, which was now completely underwater. Scully took a deep, agonizing breath, and dove down. Mulder followed suit. They came up into a larger room, probably the bridge. Scully's face was blanketed in horror. "We can't call for help, Mulder! The radio's underwater!" "We'll just have to get out of here, and we'll hope that Yawahtah radioed before she left." Scully nodded in agreement, and they swam toward the remaining exit. Mulder dove under the waves, with Scully in close pursuit. They surfaced outside the boat, and swam a little ways away to avoid the suction. Together, they watched as the boat slowly fell beneath the waves. Debris from the boat floated nearby, and Mulder pulled Scully toward a plank that rested a few feet away. They maneuvered themselves so that Scully was between Mulder and the board. That way, they could both keep afloat while still sharing body heat. Scully wrapped her arms around Mulder, and held him tightly. The wind was beginning to die down, and the rain was slackening. Scully smiled weakly. Perfect timing. "Mulder," she said as softly as she could and still be heard, "I missed you." "I missed you, too," he told her, running one hand through her hair. She was very scared; she seemed sure she was going to die right there. Mulder held her comfortingly, propping his elbows on the board. "M-M-Mulder," Scully stammered after awhile. "I c-can't f-feel my b-b-body." Mulder planted a small, reassuring kiss on her forehead. "It'll b-be fine," he told her, still unsure of himself. "I'm t-tired," complained Scully. "Don't fall asleep," Mulder ordered. Scully looked up at him, a pained expression on her face. Burying her head in his neck, she held him tighter, as if he might slip away if she let go. In the silence that followed, Mulder began to wonder if anyone was going to come looking for them. He started to panic again, and looked down at Scully. "Scully," he hissed. No response. "Scully," he repeated, louder this time. Still nothing. Alarmed, he reached for her neck to check for a pulse. Immense relief flooded through him when he felt a faint heartbeat. Mulder sighed, hoping with all his might that she could hang on. It was then that he realized his eyelids were sagging. He felt tired. The world around him was a daze, everything seemed like it was just a big dream. He thought he heard an engine off in the distance, but he was too tired to make out anything. He closed his eyes, figuring a quick nap wouldn't hurt him. His judgment had already been impaired by the frigid water. *** Harborview Medical Center February 22 5:05 PM Mulder's eyes fluttered open, the bright light blinding him. All he could see was white. He turned his head slowly to the side, and saw a couple chairs and a door. Where was he? Mulder felt the slight pinch of the IV tube in his arm. A hospital. They had been rescued. The door opened, and a short, brunette nurse entered. Her lip curled into a smile. "So you're awake?" Mulder took a deep breath. "What happened?" "From what I understand, a passing boat saw you and your friend lying there in the water and pulled you out. You were both unconscious." Mulder was immediately wide awake. "Scully, where is she? Is she all right?" The nurse nodded quietly. "She'll be fine. She was a little worse off than you. A couple broken ribs, and she lost more of her body heat." "Is she awake yet?" Shaking her head, the nurse frowned. "She hasn't woken up yet," she informed him. Mulder laid back on the pillow and stared at the ceiling. "I just need to take a blood sample, okay?" Mulder nodded his consent, and waited for the prick of the needle. He winced as it entered his skin, but it was over quickly. He fell asleep soundly, knowing that his partner and lover was safe. *** Scully awoke slowly, her eyes adjusting to the light. She squinted at the ceiling, then turned her head to see the same nurse that had attended to Mulder enter the room. She smiled sweetly and looked at Scully. Her own health was far from her mind at that moment. "How is Mulder?" she asked. "He's fine, woke up just a little while ago." Scully breathed a sigh of relief and closed her eyes. "What happened?" she finally asked. The nurse repeated her story, and Scully prayed a prayer of thanks for their good fortune. "I need to take some blood, all right?" Scully, her eyes closed, nodded silently. She felt the needle pierce her skin, but paid it no heed. Scully let out a long held breath and winced as her ribs ached. She was safe. Better yet, Mulder was safe. When they left, all would be as it should. And she would have Mulder, her friend and lover, with her again. With her always. With You Always II: Double Trouble Kirsten Wahlquist Time and Place Unknown In the shadows lurked a mysterious figure. From a passer-by's viewpoint, it looked to be a woman. Other than that, she was unknown. She smirked at her own intelligence as she waited for her contact. Glancing at her watch, she saw that it was exactly ten o'clock...the time she was supposed to meet this other person. When she looked up, there was her contact, waiting silently. "Comrade," she greeted, nodding her head. "Ssh," the other person hissed. "Must you tell everyone in DC I'm a communist?" The woman shrank back, ashamed. Then she straightened. "You said you had a job for me." The communist nodded. "I need you to get some information for me." The woman's eyes narrowed. "What kind of information?" "I hear you have a knack for getting FBI agents out of the way." The woman smiled, realizing what she was about to be asked to do. "I want you to get some information from one of the agents here in DC. Someone by the name of Fox Mulder." The woman grinned. "On one condition." "That is?" "I get to keep him." *** Scully's Apartment March 4 10:13 Scully unlocked the door to her apartment, with Mulder following close behind. She let herself in and motioned for Mulder to enter. "I had a great time, Dana," he said softly. They had just returned from a romantic dinner and a movie. "Me too," she returned, an innocent smile on her face. Mulder wrapped his arms tenderly around her, lowering his face toward hers. Their lips met and melded together greedily. Mulder tongue went into her mouth. They remained like that until they had to take a breath. "Scully... are you feeling lucky?" Mulder asked seductively. The corners of Scully's mouth twisted into a smile as she reached her hands around to his ass. Mulder began unbuttoning her shirt, making sure to brush her breasts. He deftly pulled it off and unhooked her bra. In response, Scully pulled Mulder's t-shirt over his head, and unzipped his fly. She yanked off his jeans, and he guided her toward her bed. The two of them were left in only their underwear, but Mulder soon changed that. He nimbly removed her underpants, and laid her down on the bed. He kissed her on the forehead, then moved slowly down her neck, shoulder, chest, and stomach. In one quick movement, Scully did away with his briefs. God, he was large. It amazed her every time. Mulder's hands moved up and down her body, his fingers tracing her curves. His tongue slid along her skin, running slowly from her face, to her chest, and finally to her clit. Scully gasped involuntarily as a shock rippled through her. Scully reached her hands around to his ass and massaged them sensually. They rolled over so that she was on top, and she took her turn running her tongue across his body. When she reached his penis, she took him full in the mouth. Mulder, sucked in a deep breath and shuddered at the feeling creeping through his midsection. Mulder took his turn on top again, as Scully gazed at him pleadingly. "Now, Mulder, please." Mulder grinned at her and lowered himself into her. Scully's breath came ragged, her entire body shuddering. Mulder thrust himself into her again and again, pushing her closer and closer to the limits. When Scully came, her face erupted into a fireball of pleasure. She moaned and called out Mulder's name. After a little bit, Mulder extricated himself from her and rolled over. Scully wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest. Her face was aglow. God, she loved Mulder. *** AD Walter Skinner's Office March 5 11:35 PM Skinner looked past the smoking cigarette into the old man's eyes. "You want me to *what*?" "You heard me right," the Cigarette Smoking Man replied calmly. "This would be temporary and secretive. Alex Krycek is the perfect choice. If he works here, we may be able to discover how he has leaked secrets to the Russians." Skinner shook his head thoughtfully. "I don't know how this could be done secretly." "You could assign him to the X-Files. That seems to be his area of... expertise." "No," Skinner said sharply. "You remember what happened last time? What with Agent Scully's abduction?" A pause. "With her sister?" Cigarette Smoking Man nodded slowly. "Believe me, I remember. This is something that needs to be done, though." "What needs to be done is to throw Krycek in jail for murder. Do you know what the reaction from the other agents would be?" "As long as this kept top secret, no one will know he's here. After we wrap this up, and the leak is sealed, we can arrest him." Skinner sighed, then put his head in his hands. He looked up, letting out a deep breath. "Fine. Just this once." Cigarette Smoking Man smirked, and took another puff of his cigarette. *** Mulder's Basement Office March 6 8:02 AM Scully slipped into Mulder's office, a tight-lipped smile on her face. Her lover glanced up, and grinned at her. "Good morning, Dana." "Good morning," she answered politely. She set her bag down on the chair and crossed the room to his desk. "What is it this time? Monkey babies lurking in the sewers of New Jersey?" Mulder snorted. "Actually this isn't a case. It's a memo from Skinner." Scully furrowed her brows. "What did you do this time?" "It's not me. We've just been assigned a new partner." Mulder paused, glancing nervously at Scully. "It's Krycek." His jaw clenched in anger. "Mulder, it's not April Fools Day yet." "I'm serious! Look at this." He handed her the memo and sat back. Scully's eyebrows raised in surprise as she read the notice. When she was finished, she slapped the paper onto the desk, her anger unchecked. "This is bullshit! There is no way I am going to get stuck working with Krycek!" She took a few deep, measured breaths to calm down. Mulder hung his head, almost sorry to have told her. But he had a responsibility to tell her these things. "How high up does this come from?" she asked suddenly. "As far as I know, all the way from the top. Also, we're supposed to keep this top-secret. *That* will be a fun one," Mulder cracked. Scully huffed and flopped into the chair. She didn't feel like working anymore. When she lifted up her head, Mulder saw the pain in her eyes. He stood, and scooted around the desk to her. Taking her hand, Mulder looked her in the eye. "I don't pretend to know exactly what you're going through. I do know, though, that I'll help you through it," he told her comfortingly. A small hint of a smile crossed Scully's features. "Thank you," she half-whispered. Mulder stood up, and planted a small kiss on her cheek. He took a deep breath and changed the subject. "We were handed a new case today, and it is not monkey babies in the New Jersey sewers." Scully let out a quiet, almost unsure laugh at the remark. "Recently, the Bureau discovered someone who *may* be underlying the whole Russian Black Cancer project." "No wonder they're assigning Krycek to us." Mulder nodded quickly, and continued. "Apparently, it's a woman. Goes by the name of Comrade Watsoff." He threw a file down onto the desk and flipped it open. "Not much else is known about her," he commented, shaking his head. "She may be in DC right now. If not, she's nearby." Scully nodded, deep in thought. "Is she the only one they've found here? I mean, as of right now." "The only one they've officially found, yes. It's rumored that there are a couple others." "Any word on where to look?" Mulder shook his head. "We get to search the entire DC area," he told her with mock excitement. "Oh, joy," she replied, equally sarcastic. *** Mulder's Basement Office March 7 10:06 AM Mulder and Scully's heads jerked up at the sound of someone knocking on the door. "Come in," Mulder called. The door opened slowly, and Mulder saw AD Skinner standing in the door way. "Good morning, agents," he greeted. Behind him, Scully could see Krycek shuffle into the doorway. Skinner moved to the side, and motioned for Krycek to enter. "I know you three haven't had the best time together," Skinner began diplomatically, "but I expect that you will cooperate with each other." Krycek moved forward, and held out his good hand to Mulder and Scully. "This is only temporary, remember that." He paused. "I believe you agents have a case to work on." They nodded distractedly. "Good day," he said, and hurried back up to his own office. The three were left staring at each other for a moment. Only Krycek broke the silence. "Look, I'm sorry for what I did. I told Mulder that." "Yeah, when you put a gun to my stomach?" Mulder shot back. "I knew you weren't going to listen to me any other way. You'd yell at me, and tell me off, and never listen to what I had to say." "You killed my father, and Scully's sister! You expect us to trust you?" Mulder was nearly screaming. "You're going to have to, aren't you?" Krycek said rather softly. Mulder remained silent, unable to come up with a retort. "I guess so," Mulder answered finally. Scully remained silent, though, as she tried to put aside her anger at the man who had killed her sister. Her gaze shifted uneasily. There was no sound to be heard in the room for quite sometime. It wasn't until Mulder decided to get to work on the case that there was any talking. "What do you know about one Comrade Watsoff?" Mulder questioned Krycek. He shook his head, indicating that he didn't know much. "I heard the name once or twice when I was in Russia, but nothing more than that." "Is she working on the Black Cancer project?" Scully broke in. "I think so, but I'm not quite sure." Mulder had to resist the urge to punch Krycek. He kept it to a mild glare, but Krycek understood. "You know, just because I worked on that, it doesn't mean I know everything," Krycek said defensively, glaring back. "I don't believe you." "You never do, what difference..." "Stop it, both of you!" Scully yelled, throwing her hands up in exasperation. She looked from one to the other. Both men avoided her icy stares, feeling slightly ashamed of themselves. It remained absolutely silent for a few moments before the phone rang. Mulder grabbed it first. "Mulder," he answered. He nodded thoughtfully as the person on the other end of the line rattled off a new breakthrough. "Thank you," he replied politely, and hung up. "They just sighted Watsoff." "How did they know it was her? I thought they didn't know what she really looked like," Scully queried, skeptical. "Thank God for anonymous tips," Mulder returned, grabbing his coat. Scully and Krycek exchanged curious looks, and followed Mulder out. *** Mulder's Office 11:21 PM Mulder walked back into his office, frustrated. The stakeout had been fruitless. Not a thing had been found. He threw himself into a chair and rubbed his hands over his eyes. Picking up a file, he thumbed through the photos they had taken. A small shadow showed from an alley, which Mulder guessed to be human. A small noise came from an adjoining room. Mulder's head snapped up, and he leapt from his chair. he mused. But when he heard the noise again, he pursued it. Mulder slipped into the dark room. It seemed empty. Mulder reached for the light switch and flipped it. Nothing happened. Mulder backed nervously away. He was just about to bolt when something moved in front of him. There was a crack as something hard connected with his head, then everything turned black. *** Mulder's Office March 8 8:37 AM Mulder was over half an hour late, it wasn't like him. Scully's brow furrowed as she glanced at the clock. She and Krycek were waiting patiently in the office, not saying a word. "That's it," Scully decided, standing. "I'm going to his apartment." Krycek watched her silently, a questioning look on his face. Scully chose not to explain herself. "Wait for me here." Sighing, Krycek leaned back and waited. *** Time and Place Unknown Mulder awoke groggily, trying in vain to get up. His hands and feet were securely bound, and a gag tugged at the corners of his mouth. Groaning, he sat upright. He immediately decided that was a bad idea when a bolt of pain shot through his skull. As he looked around, Mulder saw only dark walls. he whined. The "wall" in front of him creaked open, and a sliver of light shone through. Squinting, Mulder tried to make out the figure standing in front of him. There was no guessing involved. Mulder knew exactly who it was, and it scared him to death. Jennifer Yawahtah was back. "Hello, Fox. Long time no see," she said seductively. Mulder began wrestling against his restraints. "Oh, now let's not start that again," Yawahtah complained, untying Mulder's gag. Mulder's eyes narrowed, scrutinizing her. "Why?" was his only question. "That's for me to know and you never to find out," she taunted. "So, how was that sea water?" The rage built up inside Mulder, and he was on the verge of ripping her head off with his teeth. "You... you almost killed her," he accused. "Will you just forget about her? She doesn't really care about you." "Oh, and you do?" Mulder shot back. "More than her," Yawahtah argued. Suddenly, a sadistic smile grew on her face. "I think you need something to calm you," she said softly. Mulder saw what was coming, and tried to squirm away. Yawahtah pulled forth a small syringe, filled with an unknown substance. She grabbed Mulder's jaw and held him still while she inserted the needle into his neck. "There you go," she cooed. Mulder's vision blurred, colors swimming in front of him. He could vaguely feel the gag being replaced in his mouth, and Yawahtah's hands traveling down the length of his body... *** Mulder's Apartment 9:14 AM Scully banged on the door to Mulder's apartment. When there was no response, she called his name. "Mulder? Are you there?" Still no answer. Scully took out her key and unlocked the door. It was absolutely silent, and the lights were off. "Mulder, are you here?" she called again. As she checked each room, everything seemed to be in order. Except Mulder wasn't there. A nauseous feeling was growing in the pit of Scully's stomach. *** Mulder's Office 9:57 Scully threw open the door to Mulder's office. Krycek was sitting in the same place he was when she'd left. "He's not there," she blurted out. Her face was puffy, like she had been crying. Krycek remained silent, but stood and walked toward her. His face was expressionless. Scully's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as Krycek continued to advance on her. Scully backed away nervously, right into the wall. Krycek was just a couple feet away. "No," Scully told him firmly. He was unhindered, and she was trapped. Krycek placed his hands, both fake and real, on the wall on either side of her. He leaned towards her. Scully squirmed as his mouth neared hers. She turned her head away, but he only grabbed her jaw with his good hand to hold it still. When his lips made contact with hers, Scully immediately felt violated. She ripped from his grasp, making a mad dash for the door. Krycek just watched her go, a twisted, evil smile playing on his handsome features. *** Time and Place Unknown Mulder stirred from his restless slumber. His wrists and ankles stung, and he could feel the corners of his mouth being rubbed raw. He let out a slow sigh, slumping back against the wall. The world seemingly spun around him, leaving him dizzy and disoriented. A shudder passed through him as he remembered where he was. Yawahtah was back. He tried to yank his hands free, but he only succeeded in making himself even more nauseous. He couldn't take this anymore. Heaven only knows what she would do to him next time he was drugged. he silently pleaded, his body going limp in defeat. *** Scully's Apartment 8:34 PM Scully sat on her couch, hugging her knees to her chest. She still couldn't believe Krycek had done what he had. Wait, check that. She *could* believe it. He had killed her sister, and Mulder's father. Who was to say he wouldn't go as far as to try to rape her? She lowered her head and her eyes began to water. Everything was going wrong. Why? Why her? Why was it that everything she loved seemed to fall apart the minute she found it? She sat up straight, wiping the moisture from her eyes. The last time she had allowed herself to cry was when Yawahtah had taken him the first time. "Oh, Mulder," she moaned, wishing desperately that he could hear her. Wait. Back up. Yawahtah? She *had* disappeared from the site where the boat sank, and no bodies had been recovered. Scully felt a renewed sense of hope, knowing that they could, quite possibly, already have the profile of the kidnapper. Scully was about to call the Bureau and have them pull up any files pertaining to Yawahtah when there was a knock at the door. Wearily, she got up and answered it. Her jaw dropped in shock when she saw Krycek standing outside. She took a few steps back, terrified. "Wait," he called. She stopped backpedaling, but kept a wary eye on him. "I... I wanted to apologize for what I did." Did she just hear him right? He was apologizing? "I know it was wrong, and I'm sorry." He held out his good hand, palm up. Scully eyeballed him momentarily, then shook his hand carefully. "Did you find anything new on the case?" he queried, changing the subject. Scully, sensing that the topic should not be discussed in the *public* hallway, waved Krycek inside. He nodded courteously as he entered. "Well, I may have something worth checking out." Krycek looked quizzically at her. "Almost a month ago, we were in Washington - State, that is - and a woman took a particular interest in Mulder. She kidnapped him, and led me on a wild goose chase. To make a long story short, she was never found." "And you think that she may be behind this?" Scully nodded slowly. "What was her name?" "Jennifer Yawahtah. She's a native of Washington State, a self-proclaimed alien abductee." Krycek nodded absently. "I think I've heard that name before - recently." "How recently?" Scully queried. "Oh, several weeks ago. Seems that she was the first choice for some work with the Russians." "That would've been before Mulder and I met her. Which means, we were dealing with quite a bit more than we thought," Scully pointed out, suddenly feeling very uneasy. They fell silent, and Scully rested her head in her hands. Some time later, the phone interrupted the silence. Scully picked it up quickly. "Hello?" The voice on the other end was very familiar. "Hello again," the voice sneered. "Missing something?" Anger welled within Scully. "What did you do with him?" she demanded. "Oh, he's safe," Yawahtah reassured her. "I want to talk to him," Scully declared. "Not so fast," Yawahtah shot back. "He's feeling a little... under the weather." "What did you do to him?" Scully asked, horrified. "Nothing much. Bye now." "Wait-" Scully tried to interrupt, but it was too late. Yawahtah hung up, leaving Scully to guess at what condition Mulder was in. "What did she say?" Krycek asked after a moment. "She has him. She said he was - and I quote - 'under the weather'." Scully's face twisted into a grimace. Krycek scrunched his face in thought. "What do you think she means by that?" "I... well... last time, when they did blood tests in the hospital, they found traces of an unknown drug in his bloodstream," Scully informed him. She sighed heavily, only able to imagine what the drug did to him. When he had returned before, he had never spoken of what Yawahtah had done to him. "I'm going to head back to the office," Krycek stated. "You look like you need some rest. I'll keep an eye on things." Scully started to protest, but realized that he was right. She was no good if she was to tired to think straight. She nodded reluctantly and Krycek left without a word. Scully headed for her bedroom, still trying to make sense of what was going on. *** Unknown Time and Place A sudden, brilliant light surrounded Mulder. He blinked and squinted, trying to block out the brightness. Jennifer Yawahtah's dark form loomed over him. "Time to wake up, Fox!" she crowed. Mulder's posture became slightly more defensive. He groaned as he twisted his wrists painfully. Yawahtah knelt beside him and looked over his body. "Ready to make a phone call?" she asked. She reached for his face, but her hand was batted away by Mulder's bound hands. "Quit being so feisty," she admonished. She again reached for his face with the attention of removing the gag. "Keep away from her," Mulder growled as the cloth was pulled away. Yawahtah sighed tiredly and picked up Mulder's cell phone. She quickly dialed Mulder's office, where she was sure Scully would be. After several rings, there was an answer on the other end. "Hello?" The voice was distinctly female, and very frustrated. "Hello," sneered Yawahtah. There was an audible gasp. "I want to talk to him," Scully said, regaining her composure. "Oh, I suppose so," Yawahtah answered reluctantly. "But he can only answer yes or no." She held the phone down to Mulder's ear. "Yeah?" Mulder answered. Yawahtah nudged him, not in the mood for games. "Mulder, are you okay?" Scully asked, the worry evident in her voice. "Yes," he replied, exaggerating the lone word as he glared at Yawahtah. "Do you know where you are?" "No." "Can Yawahtah hear me?" "No." "I'll get to you as soon as - " Scully's words were lost as Yawahtah yanked the phone away. "See? He's okay." With that, Yawahtah hung up. *** End part one Title: With You Always II: Double Trouble (2/2) Author: Kirsten Wahlquist E-Mail: dkscully@softhome.net Mulder's Basement office March 9 11:21 AM "Did you get a trace?" Scully asked as she hung the phone up. Krycek nodded, grimacing. "It's Mulder's cell." Scully rolled her eyes, irritated. "I recorded the conversation, though," Krycek told her. "We can go through it." Scully nodded absently while he got the equipment set up. *** 2:52 PM Scully listened to the recording for the umpteenth time, searching for *something* to go on. There was nothing. * "Do you know where you are?" "No." * There! Scully rewound it and listened again. Just after Mulder said "no," there was a background noise. Very, very faint, but there. She grabbed the tape and dashed out the door. Several minutes later, she arrived at the lab. A man whose ID said "John Brocks" was working there. "Agent Scully," Brocks greeted. "What do you have?" Scully held up the tape. "I think I've got a background noise I need cleaned up," Scully informed him. They quickly began to set it up. "Where was it?" He hit play, and Scully listened carefully. "Just after Mulder says 'No,'" Brocks nodded as he heard the faint noise. "There's definitely something there," he said hopefully. "I'll squelch the foreground noise, and enhance the background," Brocks told her as he worked. Soon, they had the sound as clear as it would get. "It sounds like a train," Scully noted. Brocks nodded. "That narrows the search area," he pointed out. "There aren't too many places around here where you can get a clear sound like that." Scully breathed in deeply. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "No problem," replied Brocks. Scully hustled out of the room to strike up a search. *** 9:33 PM Scully sat back in her car and sipped her latte. She watched the building in front of her, waiting with rapt attention. She was anxious to move into the building, but she held herself back. Finally, after what seemed like years, Scully saw Krycek coming out of the building. That was her cue to move in. Nonchalantly, she crossed the street to the entrance. Krycek met her there. "Room 207. I've already called for backup," Krycek said. Scully raised an eyebrow, but didn't protest. She didn't want to waste any time arguing. They ascended in the elevator, and got off at the second floor. They moved stealthily down the hallway until they arrived at the door with a brass "207" on it. Krycek knocked soundly on the door. Scully wondered. Krycek banged again. The door opened slowly, revealing Jennifer Yawahtah's face. "Ms. Loske?" Krycek asked, using the name she was staying under. "Yes?" she answered. Krycek barged into the room, quickly followed by Scully. "You're under arrest for the kidnapping of Special Agent Fox Mulder." Krycek closed the door behind him. "And Special Agent Dana Scully." He swung his gun around and aimed it at Scully, who was looking from Krycek to Yawahtah in bewilderment. "Oh, don't act so surprised," snapped Yawahtah. She moved to tie Scully's hands. "What's going on?" demanded Scully. Krycek's eyes gleamed evilly. "Agent Scully, you've stumbled into something bigger than you're prepared to handle." Yawahtah took the clip out of Scully's gun. "Can you handle her?" Krycek nodded. "I have someone I need to check on." Scully was forced to sit down in a chair. She glared defiantly at Krycek. Meanwhile, Yawahtah entered the room where Mulder was being held. He looked up at her with contempt, having heard the entire exchange. He struggled fiercely and tried to cry out to Scully. "Oh, hush," Yawahtah hissed. "You'll see them soon." She jabbed a needle into Mulder, but it was not her usual concoction. Mulder passed out, and she dragged him into the other room. Scully, seeing Mulder's unconscious form, tried in vain to reach him. "Mulder!" she cried. Krycek quickly clamped his good hand over her mouth. "Shut up," he ordered. Yawahtah handed him a cloth, which he used to gag Scully. Yawahtah bound Scully's feet, then moved to stand by Krycek. "We've got to get out of here," Krycek whispered. Yawahtah nodded an affirmative. "We can't leave them here, though," she pointed out. "No, we can't. They'll come with." He glanced back at Scully, who was straining to listen. "How long will that drug last?" "Only a few more minutes," Yawahtah replied. She glanced longingly at Mulder. As predicted, Mulder soon awoke. Upon seeing Scully, he wriggled and tried to get to her. He attempted to call her name, but the gag held fast in his mouth. Krycek smirked down at Mulder, who was not surprised to see him. "We're going on a little trip," Krycek sneered. "Get up." Yawahtah untied Mulder, and he struggled up while she untied Scully. All the time, Krycek's gun was trained on them. "Try anything, and die," Krycek stated bluntly. "Don't say a word." He shoved Scully and Mulder ahead of him, and they moved toward the car. Scully bit her lip and shot an apologetic look at Mulder. Nobody noticed as they strode out to the car and got in. Yawahtah drove, Krycek rode shotgun, and Mulder and Scully were shoved forcefully into the back seat. Mulder clutched Scully's hand tightly as they sped away from the sidewalk. *** Unknown Highway March 10 7:23 AM Scully's eyes peeked open, letting the dim morning light in. Her head was resting against Mulder's shoulder, her hand still in his. Groggily, she lifted her head, remembering where she was. Krycek drove, and Yawahtah sat in the passenger seat. Mulder was already awake, alert as usual. He glanced down at her, his eyes red from lack of sleep. Outside the car, the trees whizzed by. There were no buildings to be seen for miles, no power lines, no signs of human life. Just empty roads and nature. Scully inched closed to Mulder, suddenly feeling like she was very insignificant. Mulder squeezed her hand reassuringly. After several hours, Krycek pulled the car over to the side of the road. Wordlessly, Yawahtah got out of the car. She yanked open the rear door and pulled Scully from the car. "Scully!" Mulder cried. He trued to lunge after her, but was held back by Krycek. With Scully in tow, Yawahtah headed into the woods, a gun in her hand. They traveled for several minutes before Yawahtah stopped and threw Scully to the ground. She glared at the redhead that cowered below her. In a fury, Yawahtah kicked Scully again and again. Each time, Scully bit back cries of pain. The blows came in rapid succession. Scully felt like her whole body was falling apart. Finally, she let out a strangled whimper, which seemed to satisfy Yawahtah. With a smirk, Yawahtah raised her gun a pulled the trigger. When Yawahtah returned to the car, Krycek was waiting impatiently. "They're onto us, let's go," he ordered. Mulder looked about frantically for Scully. Noting the gun in Yawahtah's hand, he gasped in horror. "You killed her," he tried to say. Yawahtah shrugged it off. "One less witness. Let's go." Krycek started the car and sped away. In the back seat, tears began to roll down Mulder's cheeks. *** Search dogs scoured the woods, searching for any trace of Mulder, Scully, Krycek, or Yawahtah. Skinner looked on at a distance, rather distraught. His jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed. In the distance, there was a loud barking. People flew into motion, making a mad dash for the discovery. There, in the dirt and leaves, lay Scully, bloodied and unconscious. "She's alive!" one of the paramedics shouted. There was a gunshot wound on her shoulder. It was dangerously close to her neck. Other than that, her face was covered in blood, and bruises and gashes were all over her body. "Breathing is shallow," one medic called out. "Heart rate is stable." He checked each injury to make sure the bleeding had stopped. Soon, Scully was on her was to the nearest hospital. *** March 12 1:23 AM Mulder tugged at the rope binding his hands behind his back. He rolled onto his side, trying to look around. The room was pitch black and silent. Mulder knew, though, that Krycek was waiting for him to try something stupid. Mulder finally twisted himself around so that he could look out the window. A late snow fell softly, blanketing the area in a white fuzz. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could make out a sparsely-furnished room. Krycek sat in a chair across from him. Yawahtah was nowhere to be seen. Krycek noticed that Mulder had awakened. "Fox," he hissed. Mulder's head snapped up, anger burning in his eyes. Krycek stood and moved to stand by him. "It's her birthday," Krycek whispered. "Don't be an ass." The warning was clear. Mulder nodded and gulped. Suddenly, Krycek's features grew softer, almost sympathetic. "You're not the only one who misses Scully." His voice was truthful, but Mulder knew that it was misleading. Mulder's temper flared. "What did you do to her?" he growled. "Absolutely nothing," Krycek lied. "In fact, she started it. Oh, that woman is the kinkiest - " "Shut up!" growled Mulder "You can't help but miss a woman like her." Krycek was nearly salivating at the thought. "You sick bastard," Mulder snapped. "You have no idea," Krycek shot back. "Now shut up and go to sleep." Mulder gritted his teeth and lashed out at Krycek with bound feet. In retaliation, Krycek struck Mulder soundly. Mulder slumped back, letting unconsciousness overtake him. *** Hospital 9:37 AM A soft, steady beeping was the first thing Scully heard. Groggily, she opened her eyes. She regretted it instantly as a bolt of pain shot through her. As her vision cleared, she became aware of the pinch in her arm. It was an IV tube. She was in the ICU. A nurse hustled over and began her ministrations. Instantly, Skinner was there, too. "What happened?" asked Scully. Her voice was quiet, as if it hurt to talk. "Search and Rescue found you yesterday evening. You'd been beaten up and shot." He motioned toward her torso. "You have several broken ribs, a gunshot wound to the shoulder, a major concussion, and you had some internal hemorrhaging." Scully groaned painfully. "You were in surgery for quite awhile." "Mulder?" was all she could manage. "Still missing," Skinner replied. You need to rest." Scully tried to object, but Skinner stood his ground. With a sigh, she allowed herself to sleep. *** March 13 7:18 PM Scully frowned up at the Assistant Director. "What do you mean?" He has to be around here somewhere!" Skinner shook his head sadly. "They've already sent a lot of people home. If they don't find him soon..." He trailed off, letting the words hang in the air. Scully understood completely. "They can't call it off!" her voice was rising in desperation. "Easy!" Skinner ordered. He calmed himself down. "I'm trying my hardest to keep the search going." Scully wasn't satisfied, but she knew arguing would be futile. She moved to sit up, much to her ribs' protest. Quickly, Skinner was pushing her back down gently. "Hurting yourself more isn't going to help him," he warned. "I have to get to him," she stressed. Skinner was firm in his decision. "No, and if you don't try to rest, I'll have one of the nurses sedate you," he threatened. That seemed to bring her back down to earth. Scully's muscles relaxed, and she laid back down. "Now, do you have and information that might be useful?" Scully closed her eyes in thought. "Well, it was my car they were using," she recalled. Her eyes lit up as she remembered something. "I overheard them talking," she told him. "Who?" "Krycek and Yawahtah. They're working together." If Skinner was surprised, he didn't show it. "Apparently, Krycek was sent to intercept something Yawahtah was going to pass to the communists. Information, or something like that, which she got from Mulder's office." The pieces began to fall into place. That was why the Cigarette Smoking Man had wanted Krycek reinstated. "They said something about a mountain cabin..." She couldn't remember any more. "Did Agent Mulder seem okay?" "He was drugged, sir. Not the whole time, only about five minutes, but I'm not sure about the time before or after I was there." "Drugged with what?" "I'm not sure." Her lips pursed in frustration. "I'm sorry, that's all I can remember." Skinner nodded sympathetically. "Try to sleep," he said quietly. "I'll keep the hunt going as long as I can." Scully made no reply, but simply closed her eyes. Skinner crept out of the room, leaving her to rest. *** 9:56 PM Scully awoke with a start. Perspiration dotted her face, and her breathing was heavy. "Mulder," she whispered. Images from her dream flew through her head. Mulder, tied in a corner, cold and hungry, Krycek's menacing figure looming over him. Yawahtah, touching him... Somewhere deep inside, Scully knew that this wasn't just her fears coming into her dreams. With a sudden determination, she swung her legs painfully over the side of the bed. She had to get to Mulder, hurt or not. *** Mountain Cabin March 14 11:21 AM Mulder bit his lip as his stomach rumbled. He hadn't eaten in quite some time, and it was catching up to him. As if sensing his discomfort, Yawahtah approached with a bottle of water. Mulder opened his mouth, and she poured some of the refreshing liquid down his throat. When she'd finished, she stepped back and regarded him. His face was a mixture of relief because he had water and misery because Scully was gone. "Are you cold?" Yawahtah asked finally. Mulder nodded slowly, unsure as to what she would do about it. Thankfully, all she did was drape a blanket over him, but her hands lingered. It was as if she wanted him, but didn't have the heart to make it non-consensual. Sighing, she got up and tossed another log on the fire. At that moment, Krycek came through the door, shaking off snow. "The tire tracks are gone," he announced, motioning toward the steadily-falling snow. "Nobody's going to be able to get up here for quite awhile." Yawahtah nodded. "Or down, either." "We've got enough supplies for a long time," Krycek added. "We can hold out." He smirked at Mulder. "We only have two mouths to feed if we so choose." Mulder's face darkened. As if to reinforce Krycek's threat, Mulder's stomach grumbled loudly. There was no escape. *** Mountain Road 9:39 PM The car plowed slowly up the hill. Scully tapped the steering wheel impatiently. She glanced at the dashboard. The needle on the gas gauge was right near 'E,' and she hadn't seen any signs of a cabin. After quite a bit of finagling, she'd finally found the approximate location of the cabin, without getting caught and sent back to the hospital. Finally, the car sputtered to a stop, and Scully leaned her head back. She sighed heavily and gathered the essentials: flashlight, extra jacket, matches (which would inevitably be wet as soon as she got out of the car), and food and water. Her ribs and back screamed as she lifted the pack. She took her gun from the bag and checked the clip. It was full. Taking a deep, painful breath, Scully stepped out into the snow. She gasped as the icy air nipped at the exposed flesh of her face. Gritting her teeth, she slammed the car door shut and began to trudge up the hill. It didn't take very long before her legs grew weary and threatened to collapse. Her whole body cried out for mercy, but she had to get to Mulder. She allowed herself no rest. The cabin had to be somewhere nearby! *** Mountain Cabin March 15 5:27 AM Mulder rolled over and looked out the window. The snow was falling harder, if that was possible. He grimaced, knowing that help was a long time coming. Krycek was asleep on the couch, Yawahtah in the lone bedroom. It was almost silent, save for the soft crackling and popping of the fire. A homey pine scent filled the room, lulling Mulder into a sense of security. As silently as possible, he inched toward Krycek's gun. It lay unguarded on the table by Krycek's head. Mulder had almost reached it when Krycek awoke. He flew at Mulder, pinning him to the ground. "Very sneaky, Fox," he sneered. He smacked Mulder's jaw once for good measure. Mulder remained stunned for a moment, then began to fight back. He jammed his knee into Krycek's groin, then rolled out of the way. Krycek wouldn't give up, though. He tacked Mulder and began to pummel him in the stomach. Finally, Krycek sat back on his heels, watching Mulder gasp for air. Mulder's eyes burned holes through him. "Bastard," he spat. At the remark, Krycek lunged at Mulder and began to fight again. All the commotion had woken Yawahtah. She stormed in to find Mulder and Krycek literally at each others' throats. "Stop!" she screamed. Instantly, the men's heads shot up. They hadn't even known she was there. Krycek slunk away, watching Mulder like a hawk circling it's prey. Yawahtah moved to inspect Mulder's bruised and slightly-bloody face. She glared at Krycek, whose face portrayed no regret. If anything, he seemed proud of himself. "I told you to leave him to me," she growled. "Why should you get all the fun?" Krycek shot back. "Because without me, neither of you would be here," came the retort. "Yeah, you'd be slumming it in some Russian prison." Mulder looked back and forth between the quarrelsome captors. Suddenly, Krycek grabbed his gun and aimed it at Mulder's temple. "In fact," he snarled, "I think I should just kill him on the spot." Before Krycek could react, Yawahtah had her own gun out. Krycek ducked behind Mulder, using him as a shield. Yawahtah was undeterred, however. She aimed her gun as if Mulder wasn't even there. Mulder's eyes widened in horror as her finger squeezed the trigger slowly, agonizingly. Mulder barely had time to flinch as a shot rang out... ....Yawahtah crumpled to the ground, revealing a snow-covered Scully. "Drop the gun, Krycek," she ordered. Her tone warned him that any deviance would be punished by death. Slowly, Krycek did as told. Scully kept her gun trained on him, and moved to untie Mulder's hands. Mulder picked up Krycek's gun, and motioned for him to sit in a chair. Scully bent to check Yawahtah's pulse. It was there, but she'd have to get the wound cleaned up before it caused problems. Luckily, the bullet had only lodged in her shoulder. The blow stunned her, but it wasn't life-threatening. Meanwhile, Mulder had tied Krycek soundly to the chair. Krycek remained oddly calm. "We only have two mouths to feed if we so choose," Mulder repeated. Krycek's eyes narrowed and he spat at Mulder, who didn't even blink. After a moment, Mulder stood gingerly and moved to Scully. He gave her a gentle hug. She smiled into his chest, ignoring the pain that irritated her ribs. "I thought you were dead," Mulder whispered. He pulled back slightly and looked into Scully's eyes. Krycek gave a snort of disgust, which was ignored. "Not quite," replied Scully with a smile. She planted a light kiss on his chin. "We need to call an ambulance," she said after a moment. "They may not be able to get here right away." Mulder nodded his assent, and they moved toward the small kitchen to get something to eat. *** It didn't take nearly as long for their rescue to arrive as they had originally thought. A helicopter was there by the next morning. Yawahtah was taken to the hospital, as were Scully and Mulder. Krycek, though, was not to be found. During the night, he had escaped the seemingly-tight ropes. Knowing he was outnumbered, he'd disappeared into the snow-covered wilderness. Mulder was seething, and it took all of his strength not to rush out and hunt him down. Scully was re-hospitalized, for all of her previous injuries and the addition of exposure. She got a long lecture from a stressed-out Skinner. Mulder was checked in for a broken rib, which he had acquired in his struggle with Krycek the morning before. Also, traces of the unknown substance were found in his blood. Yawahtah was placed in intensive care under guard. Although the bullet had not been fatal, it had caused a lot of internal bleeding. After being released, Mulder stopped at the door to Yawahtah's room. He flashed his badge at the guards, who opened the door without a question. Yawahtah lay on the bed, tubes running in and out of her body. Mulder's face softened at the sight of her, so vulnerable. Then he clenched his jaw as he thought of everything she had done to Scully - *his* Scully. With a final glare, he left the room, slamming the door behind him. He was finished with Yawahtah. He decided to put the past behind him, and set off for Scully's room. There was no way he'd let someone come between him and Scully again. Ever... he hoped. THE END Well, what did you think?? Tell me! dkscully@softhome.net All of my stories, most unavailable anywhere else, can be found at: http://members.tripod.com/~keikolover/fanfic/index.html -Kirsten 1998 23:59:45 -0500