March 1996

Intro:

   Well, here's the first bit of a story that sprang forth one night and
demanded to be written...hope ya'll enjoy it.  In a way, it's an homage to
a favorite story of mine (and a certain movie from the 60's.....kudos to
anyone who makes the connections.)

Disclaimer:  Everyone and everything in this story belongs to the
omnipotent Chris Carter, 10-13 Productions, etc....  Only the story is
mine.  It is not intended for commercial reproduction.

**********************************************

SYMBIOSIS

   "The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand,
   nor the kindly smile nor the joy of companionship;
   it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when
   he discovers that someone else believes in him and
   is willing to trust him."
               - Ralph Waldo Emerson

PROLOGUE

1951
Somewhere in the New Mexico Desert

   The last strings of sunlight drew across the painted earth.  The air
was silent and still, somehow knowing that what would soon take place
demanded its reverence.  For tonight, the normally peaceful shadows would
move.  
   They moved from behind the warmth of the toasted rocks.  They moved
quickly across the blood-red dust.  There would be no safe haven.  Time
was neither an enemy nor a friend to these living silhouettes.  It merely
marked their existence...an existence that would soon be swallowed up by
an experiment of echoes and whispers.
   High-pitched hails filled the cooling air as two bright, manmade
lights  bore down upon them.  The roar of the Land Rover's engine slowed
to an idling hum as it positioned itself for attack.
   Shadows ran in circles around it...
   The burst of automatic rifle fire crackled only a few moments.
   Silence.
   There were no more shadows.
   The wind began its slow crescendo of mourning and the dust began to
dance in a whirl of color.  It soon began to howl.

   One wounded figure scurried beyond the confusion of dust and death...
running blindly to the hills beyond.

*************

CHAPTER ONE

May 10, 1996
Washington, D.C.
FBI Headquarters

   Special Agent Fox Mulder reclined behind his desk, his large feet atop
a pile of ancient folders that threatened to collapse from their perch in
front of him.  A solitary lamp, which appeared to have been rescued from a
1950's garage sale, beamed down upon the papers in his lap.
   Across the room, his partner, Agent Dana Scully, was scrunched over
several reports.  A pair of glasses dangled loosely from the corner of her
mouth.  She leaned forward slightly as she gazed at the autopsy photos
before her.  Her hair fell over her eyes and she muttered to herself
absently as she pushed the disobedient red strands back over her ear.
   The only consistent sound in the dark basement room was the buzzing hum
of the standard issue government clock on the wall.

   It had been an extremely mundane week in the office that housed the
X-Files.  There had been no mutants to chase, no aliens that oozed oily
slime...no teenagers that had run amok due to supernatural forces.
   So, Mulder filled his time perusing old case files.  Scully bided her
time by reviewing some autopsies for the guys in Violent Crimes.
   Scully sighed.  *If only we had some government conspiracy to
uncover.*  She grimaced and shook her head.  She was so bored that she was
beginning to think like Mulder.
   "Hey, Scully!"  Mulder finally interrupted the dreary silence.
   "Hey what?"
   "It's six o'clock.  Time to make like a tree and scram..."  
   Scully smiled slightly at Mulder's bad joke.  She looked up and he
almost laughed.  Her hair was mussed up, her eyes were only half-open and
her mouth was pursed in a feeble attempt to retain their hold on the
glasses that were now about to fall onto her desk.
   Mulder grabbed his coat and moved over to her side.  He pulled her
chair out from the desk and grabbed Scully by the arm, making her stand.
   "Mulder!  I really should finish these...." Scully tried to
protest...weakly.
   "They'll be there on Monday.  I think we both need to get out of here
after the week we've had."
   Scully sighed once again and raised her hands in surrender.
   "Mulder, for once we agree on something.  Besides, I'm really tired of
estimating the generations of blowflies on bodies...."  Scully reached for
her coat as Mulder winced.
   "Gee, Scully...you really know the way to a man's stomach."
   Scully merely acknowledged his sudden squeamishness with a sideways
glance and a slightly raised brow.
   "Now.  How about joining me for some grease-laden, artery clogging
pizza?" Mulder prodded.
   "As long as you don't go off on your theories about pizza pans and UFOs
again..." 
   "I promise.  But there is this one waitress who has these antennae
sprouting from her head...."
   The two agents walked out the door, turning the lights off behind them.

2100 hours
Suburban Virginia

   Mulder slowly walked into his apartment.  The grease from the supreme
pizza he had shared with Scully was making its presence known now.  He
frowned as he looked down at his tie once again.  The sauce was never
gonna come off of it.  Of course, Scully would just as soon never see this
article of clothing again.  For some reason she didn't think the images of
flying pigs belonged on ties.  *Go figure,* he shrugged.
   As he moved from the doorway to head for his bottle of industrial
strength Maalox in the kitchen, he almost slipped on a piece of paper on
the floor.  It appeared to have been shoved under the door.  He wasn't
surprised by the paper...one of his contacts, Mr. X, frequently used this
method of communication.
   He was surprised, however, when he opened it.

   "Mr. Mulder -- I've been watching you for some time now.  And I believe
that you may be the one to whom I can finally entrust my information.  I
know what happened in Roswell.  I know because I was there.  I know
because I'm still there.  And there are forces that do not want you to
have this knowledge...for reasons even you do not understand...yet.  I
tell you this now because my time here is now short.  I do have physical
evidence that should answer many of your questions...but  you must hurry. 
Tickets are waiting for you at the Westward Airlines counter at Dulles
Airport.  Your flight leaves at 10:30 p.m.  
   Be careful.  They know us and are watching.
                                                      --- A Friend"

   His heart was racing as he quickly began stuffing his overnight bag. 
Within five minutes, he was out the door.

2200 hours
Suburban Maryland

   Scully rolled over on the sofa once again, trying to find a comfortable
position.  She punched at the throw pillows beneath her head, hoping that
her actions would miraculously turn them into fluffy pockets of air.  *No
such luck,* she thought grimly.  
   She briefly considered moving to her bedroom, but quickly dismissed the
thought.  For some reason, she had found that she felt safer...less
vulnerable..when she slept on the couch.  So, whenever the nightmares
crept in, dredging up memories...and things she couldn't remember in the
waking hours....she moved to the sofa.  Maybe it was because it gave her
something to prop her back up against.   Or maybe she was becoming just as
paranoid as her partner.   She wasn't sure.
   But, tonight, thanks to her acceptance of Mulder's dare to eat half of
that stupid and incredibly anchovy laden supreme pizza....well, the
nightmares were rearing their ugly heads.
   She closed her eyes once again...hoping that the stillness around her
would help her succumb to the night.  
   The painfully cheery chirp of her cordless phone erased any ideas of
sleep.  Scully sighed and sat up.  There was only one person who had such
lousy timing.  It had to be Mulder.  She picked up the phone.
   "Scully....." she answered.
   There was silence on the other end.  Scully frowned.  What was going on?
   "Hello?"  She prodded.
   A quiet monotone voice responded.
   "Agent Scully.  Your partner is in danger......"  

***********************************************************

Westward Airlines Flight #237
2300 hours (Eastern)

   There was something about flying first class.  Mulder decided that it
was a combination of leg room and the fact that somehow, the seats didn't
have that "used" feel and aroma about them.  He tilted his seat back,
enjoying the sensation of being able to fully stretch his long legs.
   He had been surprised at the airport when the attendant gave him his
seating assignment.  Whoever had arranged all of this apparently had some
money to burn.  Mulder stole a glance at his watch.  While he certainly
enjoyed being pampered for a change...his "field" trips for the Bureau
were usually pretty back-to-basics after all... there was something
nagging at him.
   He had done it again.  He had run off, leaving Scully behind...without
even letting her know what was going on.  He tried to write off his
neglect as a matter of secrecy demanded by the note he received.  But, he
knew that it was a poor excuse.   Scully was the one person on the planet
who he could trust.  And here he was, running off to New Mexico, trusting
some anonymous "benefactor" over his own partner.   Scully was not going
to be pleased.  Actually, that was an understatement.
   He leaned forward and, after fumbling through his wallet for a credit
card,  grabbed the cell phone from the seatback in front of him.  A few
moments later, Scully's phone was ringing.  It kept on ringing until her
answering machine finally kicked in.  Mulder frowned.  *Where in the world
could Scully be at this time of night?*  The machine beeped at him as he
continued to frown.  He quickly gathered his thoughts and began his
deliberately cryptic message...no sense taking chances in case the note
was right and someone else was hearing his words...
   "Scully...I decided to take a few days off for some R&R.  I'll call you
tomorrow."
   Mulder grappled with the phone for a moment as he tried to return it to
its cradle.  He sat back and reviewed his message.  It would be enough. 
She would certainly hear the roar of the airplane engines in the
background and would have something to go on....just in case.

Baltimore-Washington International Airport

   Scully ran down the ramp and managed to squeeze onto the plane just as
the door was being shut.  The garment bag she had hastily packed had
slowed her down. She handed her ticket and FBI identification to the
flight attendant who eyed her carefully.  Scully had not had time to
change out of her jeans, t-shirt and sweater...her hair pulled back in a
haphazard ponytail.  She knew she was not exactly her usual epitome of
professionalism.  The attendant directed her to put her bag in one of the
front storage bins.  Scully then lumbered back to the coach class and
found her seat.  For once she was lucky.  No one else was in her row.  
   "I guess there are a few advantages to these late night flights," she
muttered under her breath.  She then continued with her oft repeated
mantra that practiced every lecture she was going to give Mulder when she
found him.
   Scully had barely gotten belted into her seat when the plane began to
taxi toward the runway.

***********************************************
Albuquerque International Airport
Albuquerque, New Mexico
0130 hours (Mountain)

   Mulder walked toward the taxi stand in front of the airport.  The
flight had had a short layover in Denver and he was beginning to feel the
adrenaline rush of his new quest taper off.  
   He had been paged over the airport intercom almost the instant he had
stepped off the plane.  The message informed him that a room was booked
for him at the Hilton a few blocks away.  He had thought about trying to
call Scully again, but decided to wait until he was checked into his
room.  He jumped into the first taxi in line and headed toward the hotel.

Albuquerque International Airport
0140 hours

   Scully moved from arrival screen to arrival screen, looking for late
flights that had come from Dulles or National Airport.  She tracked down
two and headed toward the ticket counters.  There was no record of Mulder
on the American Airlines flight so she headed toward Westward.
   Even though the airport was relatively deserted at this late hour, she
was too distracted to notice the two men approaching her from behind.  
The first moment she was aware of them was when a firm hand gripped her
arm and she felt the hard steel of a gun discretely jabbed into her
ribcage.
   "Nice of you to join the festivities, Agent Scully."

===========================================================================

CHAPTER TWO 

Hilton Hotel
0800 hours

   Mulder stood in front of the hotel, awaiting the limousine that was due
to pick him up.   He tapped his foot impatiently.  Despite the luxury of
the accommodations, it had been difficult to sleep.  He had tried to call
Scully several times, but she was not at home.  *So much for backup,* he
thought.
   The nagging in his gut had turned into a sense of foreboding...almost a
sensation of fight or flight.  He still had no idea who was setting all of
this up, yet he knew that his curiosity would force him to get into the
limousine when it arrived.  It was this inner drive that always dragged
him into these things...that shoved him forward as he searched for the
truth.  But, in the not too distant corners of his thoughts, he also knew
that it was this same drive that caused him to recklessly...and
constantly...put himself in harm's way.
   *Well, maybe it's not so bad that I'm not dragging Scully into it this
time,* he mused as the spied the long white limo approach the curb.
   The driver exited the vehicle and approached him.
   "Agent Mulder?"
   Mulder nodded.  The driver opened the door and Mulder slid into his
seat.  His heart began to pick up its pace.  He was getting closer to the
answers.

0900 hours

   Mulder stared out the window of the limo at the heliport pad before
him.  The driver still stared directly ahead, obviously waiting for
something.  That something landed five minutes later.
   The driver jumped out the car and ran back to open the door for
Mulder.  Then, with a quick motion from the driver, he found himself
running through the turbulent wash from the waiting helicopter's blades. 
Moments later, he was firmly ensconced in a comfortable leather seat.  He
watched the ground fall away as they rose into the air and headed out over
the desolate hillsides to the south.

0945 hours

   Mulder had become accustomed to the barren hills and gullies below.  He
had not seen any signs of civilization for at least thirty minutes.  The
pilot had made no attempts at conversation and had ignored all of Mulder's
comments and questions.  He almost jumped from his seat when the man
finally spoke.
   "We've arrived,"  he stated simply.
   Mulder looked at the horizon and noticed the manmade shapes that were
slowly taking form.  It appeared to be some sort of compound...with
several buildings.  They were built low to the ground and their color
blended in well with the natural hues of the wasteland around them.  It
would be difficult to spot them unless you knew where to look.
   And it would be nearly impossible to escape if there was trouble.
   As they neared the complex, Mulder stared with more than a little awe. 
Whoever had built this had some serious money...and connections.  He had
not spied any infrastructure that would have supported the construction of
the site.  There were no roads to speak of.  He had seen rough tracks
across the earth, probably from four-wheel drive vehicles, but there were
no well-worn paths.  There were no obvious signs of security in the area. 
Of course, since they were in the middle of nowhere, why would anyone need
an alarm system?  It was definitely not a prime demographic area for Radio
Shack or ADT.
   Mulder counted five one-story buildings.  Four small buildings that
more or less encircled a larger one.  The largest one was obviously the
hub of the complex.
   He scanned the low hills around the perimeter.  He was only able to
catch a quick glimpse of what appeared to be a radar dish atop one of the
rises.  *So, there is some high tech security after all,* Mulder solemnly
deduced. 
   The helicopter began its descent in the middle of the complex.  As they
touched down, several men ran to the helicopter.  One of them opened the
door and motioned for Mulder to follow him.  Once Mulder was on solid
ground, the helicopter immediately took off once again.
   "Right this way, Mr. Mulder.  My boss is very anxious to meet you," the
man yelled over the noise of the rotors and blades.
   He led Mulder into the large building.  The comfortable coolness inside
was shocking in contrast to the dry heat outside that was already working
through its mid-morning climb past 95 degrees.  Mulder ran his hand across
his face, trying to gauge if he was really as dust-covered as he felt.  He
was.
   Mulder paused a moment as he surveyed the scene around him.  They had
entered into a large atrium area.  It was sparsely decorated with assorted
metallic sculptures dotting the corners.  Off to one side there were two
sofas...apparently some sort of waiting area.  The security cameras were
discretely hidden, but Mulder still managed to spy at least three
distinctive cameras peeking from within fire alarms and sprinklers.  He
knew there were probably a lot more.  Mulder wondered which building
housed the security watchdogs and monitors.
   Mulder's guide noticed his delay.
   "Mr. Mulder..this way please.  Your host has set up a room for your
meeting." He motioned down the hall.
   Mulder followed.  As they moved from the more "public" area, through
three different security doors, the place took on a more "homey" feel and
look.  The decorations had taken on a more personal look...like someone
actually lived in this part of the large building; however, there was
still no clue as to who that someone was.
   They reached the end of the long corridor and came upon on a set of two
large wooden doors.  Mulder surmised that it was the heart of the building
as these were the only non-metallic doors they had encountered.
   The guide opened both doors and led Mulder into the room.  It was set
up almost like a den.  A very large and expensively furnished den. 
Several large leather sofas were grouped on one side of the room, along
with a very large television monitor and other electronic "toys."  On the
other side of the room sat an executive desk of gargantuan proportions.  A
door was behind the desk. 
   His guide walked across the room to another door and opened it.
   "Mr. Mulder, your host thought you might want to wash up after your
journey.  Here is the washroom."
   Mulder nodded.  "And where is my "host?"
   "He will be here in a few minutes.  We are still waiting for someone
else to arrive....Feel free to make yourself at home.  I'll leave you here
now."
   Before Mulder could respond or ask who else they were waiting for, the
man retreated through the double doors.  Mulder was very aware of the
sound of locks being thrown on the doors as they closed.  *Well,* he
figured, *there's not much I can do about it now.*  He shrugged and went
to wash off some of the dirt that had accumulated on his face.

   Twenty minutes later, Mulder sat on one of the sofas.  He had searched
the entire room to no avail.  The door behind the desk was locked. 
*Surprise.*  There were no papers, no indications of who his host was. 
His curiosity was fully and thoroughly piqued.  He tapped his foot
impatiently, wondering exactly how long he was going to have to wait.  
   He received his answer a moment later.
   The door behind the desk suddenly opened and his host entered.   Mulder
jumped to his feet and watched as the man crossed the room silently.  He
was tall and very gaunt.  His skin was almost waxen and jaundiced.  He
appeared to be in his late sixties.  His white hair was full and neatly
trimmed, as was the slight moustache that adorned his upper lip.
   "Mr. Mulder.  I'm so glad you accepted my invitation."  He held out his
hand.  Mulder shook it briefly, noting how thin and bony the fingers
were.  He tried not to shudder.  It felt like shaking hands with a corpse.
   "Well, sir, your note made me curious." Mulder replied.
   The man chuckled and gave a knowing smile.  He gestured toward the
chairs in front of the desk.
   "Have a seat, Mr. Mulder.  Our second guest is about to arrive.  In the
meantime, we have a moment to talk."
   Mulder sat down as the man moved behind the desk and sat down.
   "Maybe we could start with your name...." Mulder began.
   "All in due time, Mr. Mulder.  All in due time.  For now, you can call
me Mr. Rose."
   "Fine, `Mr. Rose.'  Now, do you want to tell me why you went to all of
this trouble to bring me here?"
   "But, Mr. Mulder, it was NO trouble to bring you here.  Now, our other
guest...that was a little more complicated...."  Rose's crooked smile set
off more alarms in Mulder's head.  *What did he mean, NO trouble?*
   "I'm afraid I don't understand..."
   "You will, Agent Mulder.  In fact, sooner than you think."

   At that moment, the double doors opened behind them.  Mulder turned to
see who was joining them.
   His heart froze as he saw two large men escorting the "other guest"
into the room.  Dana Scully was not making their job easy as they gripped
her arms tightly.  She stopped her protests when she saw Mulder launching
himself from his seat toward her.
   "Get your hands off of her!" Mulder roared.
   Surprisingly, the men complied.  They quickly turned and exited the
room, locking the doors behind them.
   Mulder exchanged looks with Scully, each letting the other know that
they were okay.  Then, Mulder spun around, his anger causing him to clench
his fists.
   "What the hell is going on here?"  Mulder demanded.
   "If you'll both have a seat, we can talk now," Rose responded calmly.
   Scully stared at Mulder and Rose questioningly.  Mulder knew that they
were not in any position to put up a fight at the moment.  He looked at
Scully, then he slowly placed his hand on her back and led her over to the
chairs.  They sat down silently.
   "Now, Mr. Rose...what the hell is going on?"  Mulder demanded again. 
His anger was still visible to Scully, but he had managed to bring it down
a few levels.
   Rose examined the two FBI agents before him.   Everything he had been
told was true.  He smiled.  This was going to go very well.  It would be a
worthy challenge...for once.
   "Perhaps I should start at the beginning.   As I'm sure you've noticed,
I'm a very rich man.  I've been a very rich man for a very long time. 
And, you see, a very rich man often has time on his hands.  Time for
hobbies...pet pursuits.  Now, I fancy myself as a scientist of sorts.  A
behavioral scientist to be exact...with some dabbling in the field of
social behavior...anthropology..that sort of thing."
   "What does that have to do with us?  Your note said that you had
evidence of what happened at Roswell..." Mulder interrupted.
   Scully's eyes widened.  So that was what led Mulder out here.
   "And I do, Agent Mulder.  Please bear with an old man for a moment. 
I've been conducting my own experiments in behavior for a long time.  I've
long been fascinated by how subjects react under stress...not so much on
the individual level...but in group interactions.  How well do subjects
work together...how do they communicate...what are they willing to do for
and TO each other to survive.  The results have been quite interesting. 
It's amazing what you can learn about a society or culture by examining
the reactions of its individuals...."
   Scully looked at Mulder.  She wondered if he was beginning to think
what she was thinking....
   "For instance...take you two.  It was amazingly easy to lure both of
you out here.  We had to use two different approaches, but you both
responded as predicted based on your previous behavior.
   We only had to give you a short note that promised some evidence of
extraterrestrial life, Mr. Mulder, and you were packed and on a plane.  As
predicted, you didn't notify Agent Scully...your impulsive nature forbade
that.
   And you, Miss Scully, all you had to hear was that your partner here
was in danger...and you were off for parts unknown.  Truly amazing.  You
have both proven to be excellent test subjects."
   Scully's face began to redden, both in anger and some embarrassment. 
Were they that predictable?  Mulder flashed her a quick look of apology. 
Once again he had led them into danger.
   "You two are amazing!  With one look you can understand what the other
one is thinking...this is marvelous!"  Rose exclaimed excitedly.
   Scully had had enough.  "Look, I don't know who the hell you think you
are...but, you have no right to do this.  To bring Agent Mulder out here
under false pretenses...what sort of sick game is this?"
   "Ah, but Agent Scully.  There were no false pretenses.  I do have
evidence that you seek.  You see, I didn't get to finish my story.  I've
been doing these experiments for many years...and not all of my test
subjects have been...how shall I put this?  Not all have been human."
   "What are you talking about?"  Mulder ordered.
   "Mr. Mulder.  I was there in Roswell.  There were many folks who were
scared out of there minds...folks who had power...who controlled the
military machines.  They were afraid of the unknown.  They wanted...they
needed... to know what we were going to be up against.  What if this one
spacecraft was not the only one out there?  We needed to define the
enemy...to see what he was made of.  And they needed someone to find
out...someone they knew they could trust.
   They came to my door.  And I was happy to help.  And they got some
answers, thanks to my tests."
   "And just what were these tests, Mr. Rose?"  Mulder asked quietly.
   "I'm glad you asked that.  As I said before, I prefer to study the
group dynamics and individual reactions when subjects are under extreme
stress.  This can't be done in a conventional laboratory.  Hence, my large
outdoor "lab" area.  We are completely isolated out here.  Over a hundred
miles from any other people.  The harsh environment keeps people out...and
keeps subjects in."
   "Just what did you do?"  Scully demanded.
   "We went on a hunt of sorts, Miss Scully.  It granted us the perfect
conditions to test the mettle of our enemies.  What were they willing to
do to survive?  And we got some interesting results..."
   "You son of a ....."  Mulder yelled.
   Rose interrupted.  "Now, Mr. Mulder.  Is that any way to talk to your
host?  I was going to tell you about the results.  Let's see, where was
I?  Well, we were quite shocked by the docile nature of these beings. 
They never put up any kind of resistance.  None whatsoever.  They simply
huddled down and accepted their fate.  Quite astonishing...and quite
reassuring to the powers that be."
   "And you just killed them where they sat?" Mulder was shocked.
   "Just because you don't approve of the results doesn't mean that the
results were not important.  We had to know what we were up against.  You
have to know your enemy before you can fight him.  We had to know what
kind of defenses they were capable of displaying.  We found out.  And this
has been our protection for over forty years...the experiment worked."
   Scully was trying not to be sick.  It was obvious that this man was
deranged.  "But, what has all of that got to do with us?"
   "Good question, Miss Scully.  As you may have noticed, I am not exactly
in the best of health.  In fact, my doctors tell me that I only have a few
months left.  So, now it's time to finish up my experiments...and to
finish that book I've always wanted to write."
   "Let me guess the title... `To Serve Man'..." Scully muttered.  Mulder
had to smile at Scully's sarcasm. 
   Mulder faced Rose.  "So, let me guess.  We are your final experiment. 
Isn't that right?"
   "Very good, Agent Mulder.  I've heard a lot about you two over the past
few years.  And I began to think...  I've been looking for a nice way to
wrap up my life's work...and you two fit the bill nicely.  Two
partners...trained federal agents...trained in survival...instinctively
protecting one another.  Yes, this will be quite a challenge.  I like a
good challenge."
   "And what if we refuse to participate?"  Mulder leaned forward, wishing
that he could block Rose's view of Scully.
   "Well, Mr. Mulder, you should know that you really don't have much of a
choice....now do you?  But, to be fair to you, there is a reward for you
out there.  The evidence you seek is still out in the desert.  There was
never any reason to dispose of it.  Besides, I always figured that it
would come in handy some day.  So, you see, you do have a chance to get
something out of all of this...of course, you won't ever be able to share
it with anyone....but, at least you'll leave this existence with some
answers."
   Mulder rose from his chair.  Suddenly all he wanted to do was vault
over the desk and personally strangle the smug look off of Rose's sick
face.
   "You're crazy...you know that?  At least let Agent Scully go...she has
nothing to do with all of this..."
   Scully grabbed his arm, pulling him back.  "Mulder, no..."
   Rose simply laughed.  "That's commendable of you.  But, now, my
experiment wouldn't be much of an experiment if I didn't have both of
you.  And now, I can see that you intend to change this talk into
something more physical...so, I will leave you now."  Rose stood, pressing
a small button under the desk.
   "I suggest that you both eat a good lunch.  I will see you again in
an hour."
   As Rose exited the room, the double doors opened again and four men
entered.  They grabbed both agents and led them down the corridor.  When
they reached a narrow metal door, one of the guards opened it and Scully
and Mulder were unceremoniously shoved into the small room.  The door was
quickly locked behind them.
   The room was actually a bare white prison cell.  There was one bed
bolted to the wall and floor.  The only light came from a single bulb on
the ceiling, about ten feet from the ground.  Mulder did not want to think
about who else might have had to spend time in here.
   Scully sighed and sat down on the bed while Mulder paced the room.  Six
steps across...six steps back.  After a few minutes of incessant stalking,
Scully couldn't take it any more.
   "Mulder...please sit down."  Scully patted the mattress beside her.
   "I can't!  I can't believe I was this stupid!"  Mulder yelled at himself.
   "I can't believe we were both this stupid," Scully quietly answered.
   Mulder stopped his pacing and stared at her.  "What do you mean,
`both'?  I was the one who started all of this..."
   "No, Mulder.  Rose is the one who started all of this.  Don't forget
that.  Now, what are we going to do?"
   Mulder's shoulders dropped and he ran a hand through his hair.  He
moved over and sat down beside his partner.
   "I don't know.  I guess we watch and wait..."
   "Mulder...I'm sorry..."
   He gazed at her..not believing his own ears.  "What?"
   "I'm sorry.  I should have called someone..Skinner..someone before I
left...no one will be looking for us until at least Monday."
   Mulder was shocked.  He couldn't believe that Scully was trying to take
the blame for this.  He was about to respond when he remembered the
cameras he had seen earlier.  He quickly eyed his surroundings.  He
couldn't see any cameras...but he knew they had to be there...and he knew
someone was listening to them now.  They were watching and taking
notes...learning about them.  Scully looked at him questioningly.  As she
followed his gaze, she finally understood his silence.  She gave him an
almost imperceptible nod...imperceptible to everyone except Mulder.
   Mulder quietly took her hand and squeezed it.  They remained in silence
for several minutes.  The door opened and a man carried in two trays and
set them down.  He quickly left and slammed the door shut again.
   "I guess it's lunch time, Mulder...let's just hope that it's not
Supreme Pizza with anchovies."  Mulder silently thanked her for the
attempt to leaven the situation.  
   The two agents lifted the trays and began to eat...knowing that they
would need what little strength it would provide.  
   They would have to rely on each other for the rest. 

   Rose sat alone in the room, watching the monitors.  This was going to
be an excellent hunt.  Of course, there were a few things that had to be
taken care of first.  A few twists to add to the experiment's recipe.  And
he now knew exactly what the new ingredients would be. 
   Yes.  Tomorrow would be a very good day.

===========================================================================

CHAPTER THREE

Sunday
0400 hours

   They had been awakened from their slumber by the clanging on the door
as it was unlocked.  Mulder sat up stiffly and nudged Scully.  They had
fallen asleep sitting on the cot, leaning together against the wall.
   "We're getting our wake-up call, Scully."
   She opened her eyes and slowly sat up straight, stretching her sore back.
   "Just when I was getting comfortable, too," she retorted.
   The men came in and handcuffed them.   Then, they escorted them out of
the room and down the hallway.
   "Mulder," Scully murmured, "what do you think Mr. Hyde has planned for
us now?"
   "Scully, hasn't anyone ever told you to think positive?"  Mulder replied. 
   Their conversation earned them both a not too gentle shove from
behind.  They both fell silent as they were led into a large room...a room
that looked an awful lot like a surgical theater.  

   The two agents stood in the sterile room, staring at the two tables
before them.  Three men in white lab coats moved about the room, going
back and forth between the tables, checking straps and the trays of
surgical instruments.
   Scully looked at Mulder out of the corner of her eye.  "Mulder, you
wanna tell tell me again about how I'm supposed to think positively?"
   This time, Mulder had no response.  He wished that his hands were not
cuffed so he could take hold of her hand...or at least give her arm a
gentle squeeze.  Instead, he leaned into her slightly...hoping to reassure
her...and himself.
   Rose entered the room, interrupting any possibility of further
conversation between them.  He motioned to two of the guards and they
moved forward and grabbed Mulder by the arms.
   "And now, Mr. Mulder, Miss Scully...the experiment begins."
   The men dragged Mulder over to one of the tables and threw him on top
of it.  Within moments, they had securely strapped him down.  Mulder
couldn't move.  Scully rushed forward, trying to stop them, but the two
guards behind her grabbed her and restrained her, despite her best efforts
at kicking them away.
   "What are you doing?"  Scully screamed.
   Rose nodded at the guards and they twisted Scully's arms back above her
head, forcing her to kneel.
   "Mr. Mulder, I suggest that you advise your partner to settle down.  We
wouldn't want her arms to break..now would we?"
   Mulder strained to turn his head which was securely strapped to the
table.  He could just see Scully out of the corner of his eye.
   "Scully!  Don't...not now..."  Mulder pleaded.
   Scully stopped fighting and her eyes met his, begging him not to try
and protect her...to let her keep fighting.  She knew that he was right. 
This was not the time...they would have to get to Rose later...not on his
home turf.
   Rose seemed satisfied.  He nodded at the medical technician beside
Mulder.  He uncovered the instrument tray beside the table and lifted a
large needle and syringe.  After shooting out a small spray of clear
fluid, he moved over Mulder and held the needle over his right eye.
   Mulder could only grimace as the needle descended closer.  Scully's own
eyes widened in horror as she realized what the technician was going to
do.
   Mulder yelled in pain as the needle entered the corner of his right
eye.  The injected fluid sent waves of flames through his head.  Moments
later, the technician injected Mulder's left eye.  
   Scully tried to struggle to her feet again...pushing at the men who
restrained her...trying to reach her partner.  Mulder's voice had become
hoarse with agony.  As he opened and closed his eyes, trying to squeeze
out the fire in them, he realized what they had done.  
   The world had become dark.  They had blinded him.  He could hear
Scully's loud shouts of anger and the grunts of the guards as she fought
with them.  The pain had begun to recede slightly, allowing him to focus
his attentions better.  From the sound of the scuffle going on, Scully was
going to get hurt.
   "Scully!"  Mulder rasped.
   As the straps on him were loosened, Mulder could hear a new
sound...Scully had been lifted off the ground and was yelling.
   "No!  You bastard!  You're never going to get away with this..." she
was yelling.
   Rose chuckled.  "I already have...I already have."
   Mulder could hear the velcro straps being ripped apart and then secured
around Scully across the room.  He tried to jump from the table, but two
pairs of hands grabbed him.  He was still too disoriented to put up much
of a fight.
   "Scully!  What's happening?"  He screamed.
   "Relax, Agent Mulder.  It will all be over in a few moments."  Rose
stated, with obvious enjoyment.  He was taking in each of the agents'
reactions...playing it to the hilt.
   Suddenly, Scully let out a heart-breaking scream.  Mulder roared and
tried to pull away from the arms that held him.  He threw one elbow back
hard and received some satisfaction as he felt it connect with someone's
face.  It sounded as though the man's nose was broken.  He took advantage
of the distraction and jumped from the table and tried to run toward where
he could still hear Scully moaning.  
   His freedom was short lived.  Mulder felt the air whooshing by his head
moments before something large and solid crashed into the side of his
face.  He fell to the floor, only dimly aware of the small gasps now
coming from his partner.  Then his mind clouded and fell into the same
darkness that covered his eyes.

0800 hours

   The first thing Mulder was aware of was the softness under his aching
head.  Then he felt a hand gently brush across his face.  Slowly, he
realized that his head was being held in someone's lap... *Scully's lap?* 
But why was it so dark?
   He tried to sit up and groaned.  Now, he remembered.
   "Scully?  Are you okay?  What happened?"  Mulder mumbled as he tried to
clear his head.
   He felt two small hands brush across his face and move across his
head...probably looking for damage.
   "Scully?"  he asked again.
   There was silence.  Mulder was confused.  He recognized the touch on
his face...he could even smell the remnants of Scully's shampoo...
   "Scully?"
   When she didn't answer, Mulder reached up and grabbed her hands from
his face.  He could feel her body tense.
   "Scully!  What's going on?  Talk to me!"
   After another moment, Scully grasped his hands and moved them toward
her.  She placed one of his hands over her mouth and one over her ear. 
Then, while he was still holding her, she shook her head.
   It took several moments before the meaning of her actions hit him. 
Rose had upped his odds by trying to take away the things that made them
work so well together.  He had blinded Mulder...and had taken away
Scully's voice and hearing.

   Scully watched Mulder's face as he processed what she had just
communicated to him.  She boiled with frustration and opened her
mouth...once again trying to say his name.  She had no idea if any noise
was coming out at all..but she knew that her vocal chords had been at
least partially affected by whatever they had injected into her ears.  She
could feel very little vibration in her throat and chest as she tried to
speak.  She kept watching Mulder's face as she tried..hoping to see some
sort of reaction from him, letting her know that she had succeeded.
   Mulder could feel Scully frown as he held her face in his hands.  Then,
he heard a very faint whisper...
   "Mul....der...."
   He smiled.  Faint though it was, it was good to hear his name.  He
nodded his head and could feel Scully relax a bit as she realized he had
heard her.
   Suddenly, Scully jumped.  The door had been opened.  He could hear the
footsteps of several men as they stalked over to grab them.
   "Time to do our field tests, Agent Mulder,"  Rose stated.
   Mulder felt a surge of panic rise in his throat as Scully was torn away
from him.  He needed her...he would feel safe as long as they were
together.
   Scully tried to reach for her partner...she knew that she was his eyes
now...he needed her...and she needed him to get through this.  The men
roughly pulled her away and led her out into the hallway.  She wished that
she could call out to Mulder...to let him know where she was.
   They were marched down the corridor and through a large door that led
to the outside.  Scully reflexively threw one hand over her eyes to shield
them from the bright sunlight that was already busy scorching the desert
below.  She spun her head around to make sure that Mulder was still behind
her.
   Mulder felt the blast of early morning heat as they went out the door. 
He could feel the suns rays on his face.  He wished that he could see
where they were headed...but at least he could take some solace in the
fact that he could still hear Scully's light footsteps ahead of him.  They
hadn't been separated.  Of course, he rationalized, Rose's experiment was
designed to test how they reacted together...they would stay together.  As
they continued to walk, he could hear the engines of what sounded like two
or maybe three trucks starting up.  Was that where they were headed?
   Scully kept looking around at her now silent world.  She could see two
trucks ahead of them.  They were obviously going for a ride.  She scanned
the compound, trying to memorize every detail.  She knew it was up to her
to remember the layout so that when...if....they got out of this, they
could come back to personally strangle Rose's scrawny, pasty little neck. 
Her jaw was set in anger now.  
   Rose observed the agents from the lead truck.  He was amazed by the
defiance in Scully's eyes.  It almost saddened him to think that she would
be dead within a few hours...what a waste.  Of course, she and Mulder were
exactly what he had hoped to find for this last project.  He sighed.
   Scully was boosted up into the back of the first truck.  It reminded
her of the trucks she'd seen in old World War II movies.  A camouflaged
canvas covered the back.  A few seconds later, Mulder was tossed in beside
her.  Three armed guards climbed in behind them, canceling out any
possibility of unruly behavior by the agents.  They hurriedly pulled down
the rear flap.
   Scully examined their weapons.  They were carrying MP-5s.  Not exactly
the same fire power as an M-16, but definitely accurate and easy to handle
in emergencies.  She had fired them on many occasions at Quantico...they
were very lightweight and had very little recoil...a wonderful little
weapon.   She closed her eyes, imagining what she would do if she managed
to get her hands on one of them. 
   Mulder could sense Scully's presence beside him as the trucks lurched
on their way.  The sudden movement caused him to fall back against her. 
Scully quickly let her fantasy of retribution fall away as she grabbed him
and helped him back against the seat beside her.  She left her hand on his
arm as the trucks continued on.  She could feel the angry intensity in his
muscles.  She gripped his arm a little tighter.

   Scully guessed that they had been driving for about two hours when they
stopped.  She had been unable to determine the direction they had driven. 
She would try and guess when they got outside.  She had tried to fix their
position by the sun before they left the compound, but, since they had
taken her watch...it was only a guess.
   The rear flaps were lifted and the guards got out of the truck, pulling
Scully and Mulder after them.  She looked up and saw Rose approaching
them.  He was carrying two canteens.  She tried to read his lips as he
spoke.
   "Well, Mr. Mulder.  We've reached our destination.  This is where part
company...for now."
   Mulder turned in the direction of Rose's voice.  "And here I was
getting used to your company."  
   "Now, Mr. Mulder.  You really should save your energy.  You're going to
need it."
   Scully didn't need to try to figure out Mulder's words.   She could
tell by the expression on his and Rose's faces that his sarcasm was
rearing its wonderful head.
   "I realize that Miss Scully won't understand all of this...but, I will
let you in on a little secret.  Your disabilities are only temporary...at
least, that's how the drugs are designed to act.  We've never really
tested them before.  And of course, I doubt you'll live long enough for
them to wear off."
   "I feel so much better," Mulder dryly responded.
   "Now, as I am a sportsman as well as a scientist, I have two canteens
of water for you.  You will have a four hour head start."  Rose handed the
canteens to Scully.  She looked at him questioningly.  She had only been
able to pick up on the words `four hour.'
   The guards moved back into the truck and the engines started up once
again.  Mulder yelled over the din, "Rose!  Next time we meet...your a
dead man."
   Rose smiled at Mulder's bravado.  "Mr. Mulder, you've already wasted
two minutes.  I suggest you start moving."
   Rose walked back to the cab of the truck and climbed in.  The trucks
drove off, leaving Mulder and Scully alone.
   Scully scanned the entire horizon.  They were in the middle of
absolutely nowhere.
   A nowhere that looked an awful lot like hell.

===========================================================================

CHAPTER FOUR

Washington, D.C.
1630 hours (Eastern)

   The man sat alone in his office, trying to hide in the cloud of smoke
that cascaded throughout the small room.  He nervously tapped his desk,
forgotten ashes falling from his lit cigarette.  The phone call had scared
him.  What was that fool in New Mexico thinking?
   Now, he waited for the phone to ring again.  He waited for instructions.
   He did not have to wait long.
   "Yes?" the man quietly spoke into the receiver.
   "Eradicate the loose cannon.  Use all means necessary," the cultured
voice on the other end instructed.
   "Understood."
   The man hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair.  He had carte
blanche...and he would use it.
   

Somewhere in the New Mexico Desert
1430 hours

   Scully stood, hands planted on her hips.  A trickle of sweat began
another  tickling path down her face.  She brushed it away with her
shoulder.  She turned to look again at her partner.  Mulder sat on the
ground, leaning back on his outstretched arms.  His hair was even spikier
than usual, thanks to several hours in the hot sun.  The suit he was
wearing was anything but its normal neatly pressed self now.
   Scully had been thankful that she had been dressed so casually.  At
least she had on a pair of jeans and some tennis shoes on her aching
feet.  Poor Mulder was in a business suit.  She had convinced him...well,
not really convinced...she had forced him to take off his coat and she had
tied it around his waist.  She had realized he might need it during the
coolness of the desert night.  She had tried to take his shirt off to tie
it over his head, to give him some protection from the sun, but Mulder had
refused.  Was he embarrassed?  His feet had to baking in those dress
shoes, too.  She sighed silently.
   They had been walking westward for at least three or four hours. 
Scully had to make the decision of which direction to go.  And she wasn't
used to making decisions for both of them without at least some
discussion.  She hoped that she had made the right decision.  Mulder had
been wonderful...never a frown or sign of complaint.  She was amazed by
the trust he showed her.  It had taken a good thirty minutes of walking,
and several stumbling episodes, before they were able to find the best way
for her to lead him.  They finally settled on a position that normally
would have been uncomfortable for both of them.  Scully simply wrapped her
arm around his waist and he draped his arm over her shoulder.  This way,
she felt confident enough that he wouldn't fall.  And, she had to admit,
this way she was comforted by feeling his strength.  She missed his
voice...the one that could reassure her...keep her going.  And she missed
the silent words of encouragement he could give her with his eyes.  And,
she wished that she could help him.  It had to be terrifying to be in such
darkness.

   Mulder sat still, listening to wind as it softly blew across his face. 
Occasionally, he could hear Scully nearby, kicking at stones.  So much of
their partnership was based on non-verbal communication...that was why
they worked so well together.  It was strange to concentrate on what his
partner sounded like...her own distinct rhythms.  He was very grateful
that she was there with him.  He knew that if he had gone through this
alone...or with anyone else...he would have panicked...been terrified by
his loss of vision.  He had seen how much she trusted him many times
over.  He wondered if she knew just how much he trusted her.
   He knew that they were headed west.  The sun had become stronger on his
face as they day passed.  He could only guess the time...and he imagined
that Rose was about to start the hunt.  He hoped that Scully realized how
little time they had and that she could find shelter for them soon.
   Mulder lifted his canteen to take a small sip.  He was already having
problems controlling his thirst.  He still had about half a canteen left. 
They would have to get out of this quickly or else it wouldn't matter
whether or not Rose got to them...they would die from thirst and exposure.
   He screwed the cap back on the canteen and was surprised when Scully
took it from his hand.  She opened it and looked inside.  She was trying
to keep tabs on how much water they had left.  Mulder was having to drink
his faster than she was...and she knew he was trying to conserve.
   She lifted his head toward her, brushing the short, sweaty locks from
his sunburned brow.  She shook her head.  There was no point in trying to
get him to wrap his shirt over his head...she knew he would refuse.
   She looked to the west again.  She guessed that they had at least
another hour of walking before they reached the hills before them.  She
hoped that was enough time.  If they could get on higher ground...and have
some rocks for cover..they might be able to elude Rose.  Or at least
prolong the charade long enough for help to come.  Of course, she knew
that Rose had sophisticated equipment...probably infrared and night vision
devices.  And, of course she knew that even if someone was looking for
them, they would have no idea where to start.  It would be easy to fall
prey to these negative thoughts.
   Mulder had grown uneasy at Scully's silence.  It wasn't that she wasn't
speaking...he knew she couldn't do that.  He could just sense the
tenseness in her body...the way she was standing so still.   He reached up
and found her hand.
   Scully looked down and smiled.  Rose had no idea what he was up against
after all.  She grabbed Mulder's hand and pulled him to his feet.  She
wrapped her arm around his waist and they began walking toward the hills.

   Rose rolled down his window as the truck bumped its way across the
uneven terrain.  His smile deepened the lines in his already skull-like
face.  He could almost smell his quarry.  He had surmised that the agents
would either head for the low rolling hills to the south or the ones
toward the west.  It hadn't taken long for them to find a few tracks. 
They were headed west.  It would be slow going for his truck, but he
wasn't in any hurry.  He enjoyed the chase...possibly even more than the
anti-climax of the kill.
   He wondered where their first confrontation would be.  And he wondered
what the agents were up to at that moment.  How were they confronting
their new disabilities.  Were they fighting?  Not likely.  He had heard
many things about the two over the past few years.  Yes, they argued...but
it was more of a dialectic relationship.  They played off of one another's
strengths and weaknesses...arriving at the best combination of force and
then attacking whatever obstacles were in front of them.  It would be
interesting to see what they did when he caught up with them.
   Very interesting indeed.

1800 hours

   Mulder and Scully reached the base of the steep hill face.  Scully had
tried to find a simpler route up, but was unsuccessful.  They would have
to do some climbing.  She managed to locate a crevice opening that led
upward in almost a step like fashion to what appeared to be a plateau
about forty feet above.  It would be treacherous...but, they didn't have
much choice.  They had to get over this hill.
   She led Mulder into the opening and ran his hands over the sides of the
brittle rocks...hoping he would understand what they were about to do.
   Mulder felt the crumbling hill beneath his hands and had an awful
feeling that they were about to do a little free-climbing.
   "Scully?  Did I ever tell you that I hate heights?"  He stated, even
though he knew she wouldn't understand.
   He leaned back against the rock and nodded his head.  Scully decided
that the best way to tackle the hill was for her to go first.  She would
take a few steps and then turn to place Mulder's hands in the right
places.  She wished that they had some kind of rope to tie to each other. 
This was not going to be easy.
   They started out slowly.  Soon, they developed a rhythm that allowed
them to move a little faster.  Scully would take three steps, then would
reach down to lead Mulder up.  They had almost reached the top.  
   Scully finally pulled herself up onto the plateau.  She was covered
from head to toe in sweat and dirt.  She was relieved that they might
finally get some rest up here...and that they had managed to make it up
before darkness enveloped them.
   She turned back to Mulder and reached out for his hand.  He took it and
began to slowly reach out with his right foot to find a toehold.  He found
an indentation that felt to be about three inches deep.  It should support
his weight.  He pushed up. 
   Suddenly, the fragile rock crumbled beneath his feet and he was falling.
   "Scully!"  Mulder yelled.
   Scully gasped as Mulder's full weight yanked her arm down.  She could
feel herself being pulled over the edge.  But, she knew she would never
let go.  Either they both got out of this together...or they both would
fail together.
   She braced her left arm on the ledge and her fingers tore at the rock. 
She dug her toes into the face of the plateau.  Mulder was desperately
trying to swing his feet back into the wall of rock, and trying to grab
onto something...anything with his left hand.  Finally, one foot found a
small ledge.  He pushed up once again.  Scully strained with all of her
strength, using every muscle in her body to pull him up.
   Mulder's left hand finally found the ledge and he heaved himself up,
almost landing on top of his winded partner.  They both lay on their
backs, panting for breath, Mulder's head across her stomach.
   A minute or so later, Mulder was surprised by a tremor from Scully.  He
lifted his head and placed his hand across her stomach.  What was going
on?
   Scully looked at Mulder's puzzled face and laughed even harder.  It was
too bad she couldn't tell him why she was laughing.  She wasn't even sure
anyway, though.  But, she had this overwhelming desire to tell him that he
should be thanking Suzanne Somers and the Thigh and Butt Masters for his
life.  Oh well, she would tell him when they got home.
   Mulder gave up trying to figure out why Scully was laughing and plopped
his head back down into its previously very comfortable position.

   Rose squinted as his vehicle approached the hills.  They were almost
there.  Mulder and Scully must be nearby.  The hairs on the back of his
neck had begun to stand up...and they only did this when he was closing
in. 

   Scully finally rolled over and stood up to take stock of their
surroundings.  It would be a relatively easy climb through the rocks and
over the hill.  Unless Rose had decided to use a helicopter...and she
didn't think this was likely, somehow, that would violate his "sportsman
code of conduct"... their hunters would also have to climb up on foot. 
This would buy them some time.  She turned back to Mulder.  He was sitting
up now and appeared to be listening for, or to, something.  She walked
back to his side and touched his arm.  He held up a hand, telling her to
wait for a moment.
   Scully watched as Mulder turned his head from side to side.  What was
he hearing?  She released his arm and examined the rocks around them.  She
could climb up one of them and take a look around.  She moved quickly,
climbing on top of one the flatter rocks, trying to stay low.  The sun was
low enough on the horizon that it made it difficult to distinguish shapes
and colors.

   Rose watched as two of his men climbed on top of the truck to get a
better vantage point.  He scanned the field of rocks above them, looking
for some sign of his prey.  His low-light scope would be able to pick up
any movement.  In an hour, he would be able to use his infrared
sights...the two agents wouldn't have a prayer.
   Rose was about to put his scope down when one of the men shouted
and pointed.
   "Up there.  I've got one of them!"
   Rose moved his line of sight...there she was.  He grinned.  This was
going to be easy after all.  He turned to his men and gave the order. 
They lifted their rifles.

   "Fire!"

===========================================================================

CHAPTER FIVE

   Scully fell back onto the rocks as the bullet impacted her left side. 
The full metal jacket of the projectile caused it to barely hesitate as it
ripped through its target and continued on its path.
   Mulder had dropped to his knees at the sound of the first shot.  He
turned at the sound of Scully's quiet gasp.  Then, there was silence. 
Mulder frantically rubbed at his eyes, hoping that somehow this action
would miraculously restore his sight.
   "Scully?"  he called, even though he knew it was pointless.
   He began to crawl on his knees, sweeping his arms around
him...grappling against the rocks...reaching out for her.  His mind filled
with every horrible possibility...made only worse by the darkness he felt
pressing down on his chest.
   Scully opened her eyes.  She was aware of a sharp stinging sensation in
her side.  Her fingers traveled to the site to investigate.  When she held
them in front of her face, she already knew the diagnosis.  She stared for
a moment as the sticky red fluid dripped from her fingertips onto her
chest.  Then she remembered.
   *Mulder!*  she silently screamed.  She quickly raised up on one elbow,
ignoring the fire that was now beginning to ignite in her gut.  Her breath
returned to her as she saw her partner kneeling about ten feet away.  He
looked fine.  
   But, then she realized their new predicament.   They had to get on the
move...immediately.  There was no way Mulder could maneuver around all of
these rocks and steep hills without her help.   She was the one with
sight.   And Mulder would never let her do what had to be done if he knew
that she was injured.
   Scully quickly removed her belt and sweater.  She wadded the sweater up
and wrapped it directly over the wounds, securing it with the belt.  It
would have to do for now.  The bullet had gone all the way through and did
not appear to have hit anything too major.  She hoped.  Her biggest
concern would be blood loss...and the fact that both she and Mulder were
already dehydrated would certainly not help matters.  She had to hurry. 
She had to get Mulder to a safer place.
   She braced herself to stand, taking a quick moment to feel the cross
around her neck.  If ever they were in need of a miracle, it was now.
   Scully forced herself to her feet, carefully keeping her head down as
she moved over to Mulder.
   Mulder jumped when her hand grabbed his arm, but he relaxed slightly as
he recognized its familiar touch.  He breathed a sigh of relief.  *She's
okay,* he thought.
   Mulder turned his head at a new sound.  Scully stared at his face,
trying to read the lines that now appeared.  The noise from the truck
engines was getting closer.  Mulder turned to Scully, hoping she would be
able to understand.
   "They're coming.  We have to go!"  He slowly stated as he stood.
   Scully had no trouble understanding.   She knew that Rose had already
spotted them and would be closing in for "the kill."  She wrapped Mulder's
arm around her neck and began to lead him through the rocks.

1930 hours

   Darkness had enveloped the rocks as Rose and his men studied the
plateau.   The full moon, covered by clouds above, gave only an occasional
glimmer of light. Flashlights played across the rocks until two of them
focused on several dark stains.
   "Sir, we definitely hit her.  There's blood everywhere."
   Rose followed the red trail with his beam.  It would be difficult to
follow at night.  Difficult, but not impossible...at least they would be
able to get a general direction.  He signaled to his men and they began to
fan out, climbing up the hill to search for the two agents. 

   Mulder and Scully had gotten over the rocky hill and had begun their
descent down the other side.  From what little Scully could still see,
they were headed down into a gully..almost a small canyon between several
hills.  She didn't like the idea of them being on lower ground.  It would
be too easy for Rose and his men to spot them.  And, she wasn't sure how
much longer she could keep her "I'm fine" facade.  Her side was cramping
badly...and her legs were getting weaker.
   She stopped and leaned against a large outcrop for support while she
tried to catch her breath.  Mulder gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.  He
knew that she had to be exhausted.  He certainly was.  Her neck muscles
were tense.  He was tempted to give her a massage.  To remind her that he
was there for her...in whatever way he was still able.
   Mulder shifted his weight away from her...trying to give her a little
breathing room.  As he shifted his feet, there was no way he could have
been aware of the narrow ditch...  He found himself sprawled on the ground
and sliding across the small stones...sliding down.
   Scully frantically ran after him...hoping that he wasn't going to fall
off a ledge and plummet to the bottom of the canyon.  She pressed her hand
into her side, trying to keep her makeshift bandage in place.  She could
feel the blood flowing freely once again.
   Mulder threw his hands out, trying to grab onto anything that would
stop him.  Suddenly, the hillside fell away and he was falling.  His
horror was short lived as he hit a ledge about four feet down.  He grunted
as his momentum came to a very abrupt halt.  He rolled over slowly,
carefully making sure not to roll off the ledge.  He sat up and began to
brush his hands across his arms and legs.  He was sure that he had quite a
few scrape and bruises, but nothing that appeared too serious.
   He turned to listen as he heard small stones falling down around him. 
*Scully must be coming down after me,* he thought.  He wanted to call out
to her to let her know he was okay...and also to warn her that the last
step was a doozy.
   Scully hadn't realized that she had been holding her breath until she
saw Mulder, sitting up...and okay.  She gingerly crawled down to the ledge
beside him.
   Once again, Mulder found himself patiently waiting as Scully ran her
hands across him, reassuring herself that he hadn't gone and broken
something.  After a few moments, he felt her sit down heavily beside him. 
And then she did something highly uncharacteristic of Agent Dana Scully. 
She hugged him.
   Mulder had no intention of protesting.  He wrapped his arms around her
shoulders and returned the gesture.  He freely admitted to himself that he
was scared.  His hands started to slide down to her waist and she
flinched.  She quickly pulled back from his embrace.  Mulder was puzzled,
but he acquiesced and sat back.
   Scully stood.  It had been close.  Mulder had almost discovered her
secret.  Much as she needed some comfort right now, she knew they had to
keep going.  She looked back up the hill.  It was too dark to try and lead
Mulder back up.  The rocks were just too loose.  She walked around the
ledge, trying to see if there was a way down.  A sharp pain sliced through
her stomach and she put out her hand to lean against the wall for
support...but, the wall wasn't there.  She turned her head, even as she
fought the urge to double over.
   Her eyes widened.  There was a cave.

2100 hours

   Russell Tompkins surveyed the terrain before him.  His infrared goggles
were not helping him at the moment..and neither were the night vision
lenses.  On treacherous terrain, it was difficult to use them because they
hindered depth perception...and he needed that sense right now to keep
from plummeting down the side of the steep hill.
   Rose had instructed all of them to begin their search starting from the
summit and working down to the base.  Occasionally, one of the other men
came over the radio headset, declaring an area clear.  Tompkins had turned
his microphone to manual...no sense in letting everyone else hear his
grunts as he stumbled over the rocks.  He pulled out his flashlight and
panned it around him, keeping the beam low to the ground.  
   *There!*  He noticed a path of rocks headed down the side.  It looked
as though someone slid down the hill.  He reached for his microphone
switch and stopped.  He ran his hand across his still sore nose.  Agent
Mulder was going to pay for that right elbow to his face.  Tompkins
decided that he was going to take care of this himself.
   He steadied himself and began his descent.

   Scully sat with her back against the wall of the small cave.  She had
positioned herself just to the right of the entrance.  That way, she could
still see some faint outlines whenever the moon worked its way from behind
the clouds.  Mulder had stretched out beside her.  He wasn't
sleeping...just trying to work out some of the aches and pains.  She had
tried to lay down, but found it was more comfortable in a sitting
position.  The bleeding had slowed as long as she was in this position. 
Her head had begun to ache and she was definitely feeling the effects of
the blood loss.  
   She reached for her canteen and took a small sip.  Mulder had lost his
during his fall and there was no way she could search for it in the dark. 
She tilted her head back against the rock.  She tried hard not to feel
defeated, yet she knew that there was no way they were going to be able to
just walk out of this.  If they kept walking, she would be dead before
noon tomorrow.  And Mulder would never make it on his own.  She slammed
her hand down in frustration.
   Mulder almost jumped at the sound.  He quietly slid his hand toward her
and touched her leg, reminding her that he was there.  It seemed to relax
her.  He could hear her blow out a few breaths.  He was content for the
moment to just listen to her.
   Then another sound filled his ears.  The sound of rocks bouncing off of
the ledge outside.  Mulder sat up and motioned toward the entrance, hoping
Scully understood.
   One look at Mulder's worried face told Scully everything she needed to
know.  He heard someone coming.  She ran her hands across the dark floor
of the cave until she found a nice sized rock.  She grasped it tightly and
stood up, pressing herself against the wall.  She pushed at Mulder with
her foot, telling him to keep back.
   The seconds seemed like hours as she waited, holding her breath.  Then,
a small beam of light peered through the mouth of the cave.  She stiffened
and waited.

   The first thing she saw clearly was the short muzzle of the MP-5.  It
was followed by an arm and a head.
   She slammed the rock into the man's head.  Stunned, he dropped his
flashlight and the MP-5 and fell against the wall of the cave.  Scully
delivered a swift kick to his stomach and he doubled over.  As Scully
moved in to bring the rock down on the back of his head, he suddenly stood
upright.  In one quick motion, he had removed a large knife from the
sheath on his belt.  It flashed in the rays from the flashlight that still
rolled on the ground.
   He lunged at Scully and she knew she had no defense.  She dropped
painfully to her knees just as he reached her.  Tompkins' momentum caused
him to fall over her, landing hard on his stomach.  Scully quickly rolled
back to her feet and prepared for the man's next attack.  But, it didn't
come.  She stared at the prone form that lay still on the ground.
   She pressed her hand into her side once again as she staggered over to
the man.  She nudged him with her toe and he still did not move.  Scully
then pushed him over with her foot.  She soon discovered why he was not
moving.  The man had fallen on his own knife.  It was deeply embedded in
the center of his chest.  It must have gone directly into his heart.

   Mulder had listened to the entire scene with frustration.  He clenched
his jaw and fists.  The scuffling had stopped...but, who had won?  He
could hear someone's heavy breathing...it sounded like Scully.  He crawled
toward the noise.

   Scully's vision was beginning to fog up...her head was spinning.  She
grabbed at the wall to steady herself.  In the corner of her eye, she
could see Mulder moving toward her.  She took a few steps and bent over to
pick up the flashlight.  It took all of her energy and determination to
stand upright again.  She walked over to Mulder and put her hand on his
shoulder.  He had reached the side of the dead man and had found the knife
protruding from his chest.  Mulder let out a sigh of relief.  What he
really wanted to do was grab Scully and tell her how proud he was of her. 
But, she had moved away from him.
   Scully put her hand over her face as a wave of nausea swept over her. 
The flashlight beam was now swimming across the walls beside her.  She
opened her mouth, hoping that she could will her voice to produce some
noise...any noise...anything to call out to Mulder.
   Scully collapsed to the ground.  The exertion had finally taken its
toll on her.  Mulder turned at the noise of the flashlight crashing to the
ground as it dropped from her hand.

   "Scully?...Dana?"  
   He slowly inched his way to where he had heard the sound.  He stopped
as his foot bumped into something.  Something soft and unmoving.  His
mouth was dry as he bent over her.
   He found her arm with his hands and ran them up to her face.  He
carefully brushed the hair away from her eyes.  Her eyes were closed.  As
he felt her forehead he was shocked to find out how hot she was...she was
running a fever.  But why?  He began to methodically check her for any
signs of injury.  Something had to have caused this.
   He found his grim answer when his hands reached her small waist.  The
sweater that she had pressed into service as a bandage was soaked with
blood.  Mulder did not have to see the color of the thick liquid on his
hands to know what it was.
   "Damn it, Scully!  Why didn't you tell me?"  He yelled at the silent
walls around him.  He kicked himself for not being observant enough to
have noticed her injury earlier.  He should have picked up on the signs
she gave him.  He had written off her labored breathing and strain to the
heat and how tired she probably was from leading him around the desert and
through the rocks.  Why did she always have to be so stubborn?
   Mulder knelt over her, rocking back and forth in frustration.  He had
no idea what to do for her.  Finally a thought occurred to him and he
untied the jacket from his waist and folded it.  He gently lifted her head
and placed it on the new "pillow."
   He sighed.  If only they hadn't killed Rose's lackey.  He could have
forced the man to help her.  Suddenly, Mulder straightened.  The dead man
had to have some sort of supplies...water, maybe a first aid kit.  He spun
around on his knees and quickly crawled back toward where he thought the
man was.  A few moments later, he was rifling the man's pockets.  He
quickly found the canteen attached to the man's belt and removed it.  He
shook it slightly.  It sounded almost full.  He rolled him onto his side
and found the small pack on his back.

   Mulder started when he heard a soft gasp from Scully.  He ripped the
pack from the dead man's back and scurried back to her.  His hands sought
out her face.
   At first, Scully did not want to open her eyes.  It was much easier to
just stay there...to give in.  But then, Mulder was there, his hand on her
forehead.  She opened her eyes and stared at him.  His brow was furrowed
with worry.  She focused on his eyes...wondering how two eyes that could
express so much could be so blank now.  His mouth was moving.  Was he
trying to talk to her?  It was still too dark to really see.  She moved
her hand out...trying to find the flashlight.  She could see the beam. 
She just couldn't reach it.
   Mulder felt Scully moving.  What was she trying to do?  He ran his hand
down her arm.  She was reaching for something.  He followed the direction
of her hand and soon came upon the cold aluminum flashlight.  He grabbed
it and placed it in her hand.
   Scully let her head fall back on the jacket once again.  She held the
flashlight to her chest like a cherished object.  She saw the backpack
beside Mulder and she fumbled for it.  Mulder could hear the zipper on the
pack being opened.  He tried to help her by holding it up in front of
her.  If there were any medical supplies in it, she would find them.
   Scully rummaged through the pack, constantly having to squeeze her eyes
shut, trying to clear the blurriness.  She realized that she was running a
high fever.  She needed to find something to bring it down.  At the bottom
of the pack she found a small first aid kit.  It didn't look very
promising.  There were no useful bandages, only small gauze pads.   She
only managed to find one thing that could help her.  A small packet
containing two Tylenol #3s.  They might help with the pain and fever.  The
codeine might make her a bit disoriented, but at the moment, she wasn't
going anywhere.
   She continued to rummage through the pack.  The only other useful items
were two candy bars.  She tossed the pack aside with frustration.  They
weren't much better off than they were before.  Of course, they did have a
gun now...but Mulder couldn't see to shoot it and she didn't think she was
going to be around long enough to use it. 
   Mulder sat back on his heels, waiting for a sign from his
partner...hoping he could be of some use.   He was not used to waiting
like this.  
   Scully looked at the anger in his face.  She hoped he knew how much
better she felt because he was there with her.  She reached out and
grabbed his hand, pulling him closer.  She would need his help now.  She
needed to tend to her wound.
   She pulled his hand to her mouth and motioned as if she were taking a
drink.  Mulder understood and felt around her for the canteen he had
recovered from the dead man.  He found it and handed it to her.  She
pulled on his arm and he understood that she wanted to sit up.  He moved
behind her and pulled her head up against his chest, supporting her back
with his knees.
   Scully opened up the packet of Tylenol and popped one into her mouth. 
She took a swig from the canteen and swallowed the pill.  She debated
whether or not she should take the second pill.  A stab of pain convinced
her that now was as good as later.  She popped the second tablet into her
mouth and swallowed it with another mouthful of water.
   Then, she turned to the business of redressing the wound in her side. 
She looked around.  She needed something to replace the sweater that was
now blood soaked.  She would have to use Mulder's shirt.  She tugged at
his hand and pulled at his shirt.  Mulder figured out what she needed
without too much difficulty.  He had felt the sweater...he knew what she
intended to do.  In a selfish sense, he was glad that he was blind and
couldn't see how bad the bullet wound really was.
   He removed his shirt, being careful not to jostle Scully too much in
his lap.  He handed it to her.  As he returned his hands to her shoulders,
he couldn't resist brushing his hand across her forehead.  He left it
there.
   Scully loosened the belt around her waist and slowly lifted the
sweater.  She grimaced as another shot of fire ran through her.  She would
have rolled onto her side, but Mulder held her steady.  She was getting
dizzy looking at the blood still oozing from her side.  She quickly
decided that she would not be able to examine the wound.  She grabbed the
shirt and stuffed it around the wound.  She then positioned the belt over
it and pulled it as tight as she could stand.  She was too weak to buckle
it and her hand began to shake.  Mulder felt the tremors in her body as
she tensed.  He ran his hand down to her waist and grabbed the belt.  He
quickly buckled it.
   Scully fell back against him.  The flashlight rolled from its perch
beside her and illuminated the far side of the cave.   Scully followed the
beam with her eyes.  She saw something she hadn't noticed before...across
the cave...about twenty feet away.  *What is that?*
   She squinted her eyes and the object came into better focus.  It was
some sort of skeleton...but it wasn't human.  Was this the proof that Rose
had spoken of?  Scully tried to pick up the flashlight...she wanted to
tell Mulder what she was seeing.
   The world became filled with spots.  Where was Mulder?  She had
something she needed to tell him....
   Mulder tensed as Scully went slack in his arms.  He shook her, trying
to rouse her.  She didn't move.

   "Scully?!"

===========================================================================

CHAPTER SIX

Monday
0530 hours

   Rose sat atop the hill, waiting for the sun to peek over the horizon. 
The first faint rays of light were already reaching for the sky to the
east.  It had been a long and very unfruitful night.  One of his men,
Tompkins, was missing.  Rose had already assumed that Mulder and Scully
had somehow dispatched him.  And if that was the case, they now had his
radio and his weapon.  He had to admit that he was impressed by the
agents' ingenuity.
   He looked down the steep hill into the canyon below.  He had posted his
remaining men at intervals of 100 yards along the crest.  They would have
been able to see any movement below with their infrared goggles.  There
had been no movement.  This had to mean that their prey had holed up
somewhere.  Perhaps there was a cave or they were below an outcrop
somewhere...staying out of sight.  
   No matter.  They would have to come out into the daylight.  They would
need water...and Scully would need medical help.  She had lost a lot of
blood on the plateau where she was shot...and he knew that she had to have
lost more traveling over this rough terrain.  He was a patient man.  He
would wait until daylight, then he and his men would begin their sweep
down the hill.

   Mulder was not aware that he had fallen asleep until he moved.  Scully
was still a slack weight in his lap.  After she had fallen unconscious, he
had spent several hours monitoring her fever.  He had decided to use some
of the water from the dead man's canteen to cool her forehead.  He ripped
off a piece of his undershirt and sprinkled some of the precious liquid on
it.  Then, he would dab at her brow.  The sand and dirt streaked across
her face as the water did its work.  After a while, the water and the
Tylenol she had taken had done their job and her fever seemed to come
down.  All the while, Mulder had held his left hand over the entrance
wound, trying to help staunch the flow of blood.
   As his mind slowly awoke and shed its cobwebs, Mulder suddenly
remembered what had happened.  He jerked slightly, in panic.  He had
fallen asleep at his post.  What if Scully....
   He slid his hand across her chest and sat still for a moment, listening
for her breath, feeling for her heartbeat.  He sighed as he found that
both were still there.  Her breathing had become more labored, even raspy,
and her heartbeat was not as strong as it had been...but she was still
alive.
   Mulder leaned his head against the wall.  He tried to come up with a
plan, any plan, that would get Scully to safety.  Could he possibly work
out some kind of deal with Rose?  He shook his head.  He knew that would
never happen.  He rubbed his eyes.  They were beginning to burn again.
   He wondered what time it was.  Was it morning yet?  He decided to
venture out to the opening of the cave.  Maybe he would feel the sun...or
hear a noise that would tell him where their hunters were located.
   He carefully lowered Scully from his lap onto the floor of the cave. 
Then he stood up stiffly and began to feel his way towards the opening.

   Rose and his men began their descent.  Rose had assigned himself to the
sector where Tompkins was last seen.  He studied the ground before him. 
After walking several meters, he came across the same spot where Tompkins
had begun his own descent.  He quickly spotted the area where Mulder had
fallen down the side of the hill.  He cautiously picked his way down the
loose rocks.  Soon, he had reached the ledge where Mulder had landed.  He
turned just in time to see Mulder emerging from the cave.
   Mulder realized his mistake when he heard the sound of a safety of a
gun being switched off.
   "Good morning, Agent Mulder," Rose leered.
   Mulder stood still.  He tried to think of something to do...some way to
disembowel the man whose voice he had come to hate.
   "And how is Agent Scully this morning.  Or is she still with us?"
   "As if you cared..."  Mulder began.
   "Au contraire.  I do care.  My project isn't complete unless I plot all
of the results.  Now, where is she?  Is she still in the cave?"
   "Go to hell,"  Mulder spat.
   "Not just yet.  Now, why don't you just back up into the cave there and
let me see for myself."
   Mulder didn't budge.
   Rose walked up to him, leveling his gun at his chest.  Mulder stood
straight.  Rose would have to go through him before he let him hurt Scully
any more.  Rose looked at the young man's set jaw.  It wasn't often that
he had any admiration for his prey.
   Finally, and with a slight sigh, he raised his foot and kicked Mulder
squarely in the chest.  Mulder was thrown back into the cave by the
force.  He lay on the ground, trying to recapture some of the breath that
had been jarred from him.
   The sun had risen well above the horizon, affording Rose enough light
to see inside the cave.  He stood just inside the entrance and stared down
at the limp figure of Dana Scully.
   "Well, I must say that I am surprised that she's still with us.  From
the amount of blood we found, I thought she would have died last night."
   Mulder scowled as he managed to get on his hands and knees.
   "She was well enough to take care of one of your highly trained men,"
Mulder retorted.  If only he knew where Tompkins' MP-5 was...he would
empty several clips into Rose right now.  Several bolts of pain stabbed
his eyes once again.  He reflexively began to rub them again.
   Rose was too preoccupied to notice Mulder.  He was now staring at
Scully.  He raised his gun and pointed it at her head.
   "This really is a shame.  But, I shouldn't let her suffer anymore.  Say
goodbye to your partner, Agent Mulder."
   Mulder lifted his head to scream, but was interrupted by a loud
disturbance outside.  The roar of two helicopters and a hail of gunfire
made Rose jump.
   "What the..." Rose started.  He grabbed his radio and began to yell
into it, calling his men.
   After a few moments of receiving only static, the radio came to life.
   "We're under attack..." one of the men screamed.  The radio went dead.

   Rose turned his back to Mulder and peered out the cave, trying to see
who was mounting the attack.  Mulder looked up and discovered why his eyes
had been hurting.  His sight was coming back.  He couldn't make out
anything really, just shadows and light.  But that was all he needed. 
Rose was standing in the light of the cave entrance.
   Mulder jumped up and threw himself headlong into Rose's back.  The two
men fell in a heap and rolled out of the cave onto the ledge.  Rose was an
old man, but the adrenalin rush from the hunt had sharpened his
reflexes...and had given him strength that he had not had in many years. 
He pulled his knees up and planted his feet in Mulder's stomach, pushing
him off.  Mulder sprawled across the ledge.  He caught himself on the
rocks before he rolled off.
   Rose lifted his foot and stomped down hard with his boot on Mulder's
thigh.  Mulder cried out as he heard and felt his leg snapping in two. 
Rose then delivered a vicious backhand that sent Mulder reeling.  Rose
lifted his gun and aimed at the incoherent agent.
   A helicopter arose behind him.  The wind whipped sand and rocks around
Rose's head.  He tried to shield his face and turned toward the chopper. 
He began firing blindly at it, backing up against the rocks behind him.
   A barrage of gunfire ended the battle.  Rose's body was riddled with
bullets.  He staggered forward and stepped off the ledge, his body
bouncing across the rocks to the canyon below.
   Mulder rolled over, dimly aware that the helicopter had moved up the
hill.  He heard several more distant gunshots.  Then the world faded. 

EPILOGUE

Albuquerque Memorial Hospital
Tuesday
0900 hours

   The two nurses stood outside the hospital room, staring in at the two
patients.
   "You should have seen that guy yesterday.  He woke up in the ED and all
he did was yell and scream about her.  Dr. Reiten was finally able to calm
him down by promising that they wouldn't be separated."
   "Is it true that they are federal agents or something?"
   "I think someone said that...considering their injuries...they must
have been up to something.  Who knows?"
   "Well, I don't wanna be around when that guys wakes up.  They ended up
having to sedate him.  He actually wanted to get out of bed, cast and
all.  He was absolutely delirious."
   "Speaking of being around...we better get moving.  Time to deliver meds
to 372 and 374."
   The two nurses scurried back to their duties.

   Mulder woke up to a terrific pain in his right leg.  He grimaced, his
eyes still closed.  
   "Hey, stranger.  I guess you don't want to dance."
   He knew that voice.  That very welcome voice...raspy and thin though it
was right now.  He turned his head toward the voice and slowly opened his
eyes.  The room was dark and slightly fuzzy.  The blinds were apparently
still closed, blocking out the sunlight.  Finally, his eyes settled on
their target and began to focus.  He was rewarded with a rare prize. 
Scully smiling "that" smile that she only used for him after one of their
death defying acts.  She had been neatly deposited in the bed next to his
own.
   "So, do I still get to talk about you...or do I have to keep my
mouth shut?"
   Scully laughed.  Mulder found her smile contagious.  Her laugh actually
caused a lump in his throat.  He had missed her voice.
   "Mulder, you have free reign today.   For once, I welcome anything you
have to say."
   "That could be dangerous, Scully."
   Her smile softened and her eyes drifted toward her own pillow.
   "What is it?" Mulder prodded.  He knew that look.
   "How did we get here, Mulder?  I don't remember anything after going
into that cave."
   Mulder frowned.  "I'm not sure, Scully.  I remember hearing a
helicopter.  but that's about it. The next thing I knew, we were in the
hospital.  You were getting a lot of attention, I might add."
   "Well, from what I overheard from the nurses...you were being pretty
rude.  And I want to thank you for that....But, what happened to Rose?"
   "Rose is dead.  Someone shot him..."
   "But who?"
   Mulder sighed.  "I wish I knew.  But, I have a feeling that we won't be
getting any answers on that one."
   "Do you think there's anything left back at Rose's compound?"
   "I doubt it, Scully.  We'll check as soon as we can talk to
Skinner...or better yet, Frohike...but I doubt it."
   It was Scully's turn to sigh.  She winced slightly as she tried to turn
onto her left side to get a better view of her partner.  She almost wished
that their beds were closer to each other.  She had an unexplainable urge
to hold his hand...just touch him.  Mulder noticed her grimace.
   "So, what's the damage?" He asked.
   "Well, I think you've noticed that your leg is in a cast.  You've got a
fractured femur.  Add to the list a bunch of bruises and lacerations and a
nice case of dehydration."
   "And what about my partner?"
   "Just your standard gunshot wound, blood loss, dehydration, etcetera,'
Scully replied.
   "Did they get a line on the drugs that Rose used on us?"
   "Not really.  The doctor could only say that appeared to act almost
like novocaine...deadening the nerves temporarily.  They took extra blood
samples.  I'll have them sent to our labs...."
   "Just another day's work in the X-Files."
   Scully stared at the door.  She really hated hospitals.  Really.
   "Tell ya' what Scully, let's grab two wheelchairs and make a break for
it.  I'll race ya'."
   Scully laughed again until she began to cough.  Her vocal chords were
still sore.
   "I was going to suggest something a little more mundane...like... 
`I've got a bigger scar than you'."  She sputtered between coughs.  The
coughs rather ruined the faux sultry look she was trying to give.
   "Scully, don't make promises you don't intend to keep."  Mulder teased.
   The two agents fell silent again.  Mulder wanted to tell her how glad
he was to be able to see her...to hear her voice again.  Instead, he just
stared at her hair...her face.  That smile.
   Scully watched her partner.  It was such a relief to see the light in
his eyes once again.  To read the words they contained.  And to hear his
voice.  
   Their silence was interrupted as an orderly came in and plopped down
their breakfast trays before them.  He lifted the lids and exited the room
without uttering a word.
   Mulder carefully eyed the fare before him.  It definitely looked
bleak...definite roadkill.  He glanced over at Scully.  She stared at her
liquid meal.  They shook their heads.
   "You think Domino's delivers to this room?"  Mulder queried as he
reached for the phone.
   "Make it a supreme...with extra anchovies," Scully replied as she
pushed her tray away.
   "Whatever my partner wants...."  Mulder pulled the receiver to his ear.

   The two hungry FBI agents never did find out what happened to their
large supreme pizza with anchovies.  But, two nurses spent the rest of the
day and evening swilling down multiple doses of Maalox.

An office in Washington, D.C.

   The room was engulfed in its usual halo of smoke.  The man spoke
quietly into the phone.
   "The target was destroyed.  All buildings have been razed.  There will
be no evidence to be traced.  Our `friends' were safely delivered and are
recovering."

Somewhere in the New Mexico Desert

   A solitary skeleton sat in a deserted cave, hidden in the shadows.  The
creature had found a lonely resting place.  It would remain there,
undisturbed.

THE END