From: quim@qtp.ufl.edu
Subject: The Devil's Due

Title: "The Devil's Due I"
Author: Quim (quim@qtp.ufl.edu)

DISCLAIMER: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, The X-Files and all its characters
belong to Chris Carter, Ten-Thirteen Productions and Fox Network.
But everybody knows that. If they were mine, Mulder and Scully
would be busy making UberScullys. Since Mr. Carter insists in
torturing X-Files fans everywhere with mind games (yeah, I like
"Seinfeld" as well), I decided to play doll with them as relief
for my frustration, driven solely by the deep admiration and
affection that I feel for such characters. Other than that, I
am not making any money out of this experience. In summary,
No infringiment is intended.

Rating: PG for sensitive issue of religious character. There is some violence
and a couple of bad words, but nothing you won't see in the actual show.
I tried to make the weird stuff not so gruesome, to avoid a R rating.
However, some people might find some scenes disturbing. Be warned.
Classification: X (your usual, weird X-File. No conspiracy.)
Spoilers: Multiple spoilers for all seasons, especially the fourth one.
It ain't fun otherwise. People might easily recognize in special
"Zero Sum", "Gethsemane" and "Irresistible". Very mild references
to "Small Potatoes" and "Teliko". But this story stands alone.
I will assume that Mulder somehow has escaped alive in "Gethsemane",
because considering any option otherwise is downright stupid.
Keywords: Mulder/Scully UST, just hints of MSR. Non-shippers (is there still
anyone left after "Memento Mori" ???) should be fairly safe.
Summary : Mulder and Scully uncover the connection between a series of children
abductions and a satanic cult. M&S investigate the murder of a
teenage girl, in connection with the disappearance of babies.
Author's note: Thanks to Penny Daza for incentive. Feedback is welcome.

********** Chapter I ************

Countryside Baptist Church
Duluth, MN
May 19th
3:00 P.M.

Rev. Mark Shalinski stepped over the door of his small appartment and looked
outside to check the weather. The interminable streak of rain began to take
the toll on his nerves. Not only the humidity was bad for his goute, but also
his parish was too worried about dealing with the floods to be concerned with
spiritual matters. He was quite relieved when he received a call from an old
friend asking him to give some counseling on parenting affairs. At least I can
still be useful for someone, he thought. He opened his umbrella and started
to walk. About 100 m for the church, something called his attention. On the
margin of the road, a bunch of clothes lied close to the woods, partially
hidden by the bushes. Perhaps a homeless who had been caught in the rain and
was in need of help. He cautiously approached the scene and was horrified to
see a young girl, about 19 years old, covered with blood. In her back someone
had carved the letters "XXVII". Nearby lied a cardboard as
the only testimony to the tragedy, its words hanging like the spectrum of
death itself: "There is no way out. He cannot be stopped."

FBI Headquarters
Washington, D.C.
May 24th
8:30 A.M.

Special Agent Dana Scully approached the stairs leading to the basement of the
Edgar Hoover Building with an almost childish feeling of anticipation. In the
last three days, her work had consisted basically of paperwork referring to
expense accounts of last cases, plus the rewriting of field reports that she
knew would be deemed unacceptable by the Bureau higher-ups. Of course, she did
not want to take for granted any help from Assistant Director Walter Skinner,
since her partner Fox Mulder had told her that A.D. Skinner would be in a very
uncomfortable position due to some obscure maneuvering he had recently done.
The field reports presented an additional intellectual challenge to Scully:
turning the wild theories of Mulder, plus the weird, inexplicable forensic
evidence she gathered, into some resemblance of order. In the end, however,
the reports became as annoying for her as they were for Mulder. Once she got
rid the last one, there was this feeling that a new case with some field
activity would be almost welcome. Almost, because generally their cases
involved some tragedy, gruesome scenes and emotional toll on both her and her
partner.

It was not without surprise that she entered the small office on the
basement and found her partner already working with his slide projector.
He gave her one of his best smiles behind those glasses, which stirred
inside her feelings that she could not quite identify.

"Good morning Scully. How are you doing ?"

"I feel fine. What about you ? Did you have a good night of sleep,
for a change ?"

"Well, I expected to have one or two nightmares as usual, but surprisingly
enough nothing of the matter happened."

"What, did you watch one or two of those videos that don't belong to you
in order to exorcise your demons?"

"No. You had already done that. You know you do this to me, don't you, Scully ?"

She blushed and chose to go on with business.

"I see you have got a new case for us."

"Exactly. Are you ready for some action?"

"You may have reached a new low in your concept of cleanliness and order,
Mulder. What is this dirty cardboard doing in your desk ?"

Mulder reached over the desk and turned the cardboard. Even though the rain had
washed away some of the letters, it was still fairly easy to read.

"What does it mean? No way out of what? Who cannot be stopped?"

"I don't know. But this thing has appeared in a murder site just outside
Duluth, MN." Scully watched as Mulder turned the lights off and the slide
projector on. A picture of a young girl appeared in the wall.

"Evelyn Fowler, 19 years old. Last seen one week ago, when she was babysitting
for a friend. According to the Duluth PD, there was a 911 call from the house
while the couple had gone out for a movie or something of the sort. Evelyn
used to babysit for other couples in the region, so they let their baby girl
with her. When the police came to the house, everybody was there. They claimed
to know nothing about the call, including Evelyn. Her body was discovered five
days ago near a church outside Duluth by Rev. Mark Shalinski when he was
passing by the site. This cardboard was found close to the body."

Another picture showed the back of the body, with the letters carved.
"XXVII... Twenty-seven in roman numerals ?"

"Perhaps. Could be a message of some kind. Might be nothing."

"Still looks like a conventional murder to me, Mulder. The local police should
be able to take care of it. What does it have to do with an X-File?"

Mulder clicked on the control and another picture appeared. A baby smiled to
the camera.

"This is the baby Evelyn was watching before her disappearance. Amanda Arneson,
two months old. She disappeared two days ago, without a trace. The Bureau took
over the case because this is the fourth disappearance in the state last week.
After the investigations came to a dead end, apparently Agent Boggs pulled out
some favors and arranged for us to pay him a visit."

Agent Boggs. Minneapolis. The names brought haunting memories of the Donny
Pfaster case, but fortunately for Scully, they were so much in the past that
her intellectual framework could deal with the unpleasant perspective of going
back to the scenes of her would-be demise. Meanwhile, Scully watched, appalled,
as the faces of little babies were shown in sequence.

"Brenda Meader, three months... Marla Oakes, one month... Marianne Cassell, two.
All the families report similar stories. They were simply gone. Vanished."

Scully knew her partner long enough to guess what this was leading to.

"I hope you are not thinking of some weird liaison between these abductions
and your sister. Are you?"

"No, this looks like something I saw when I worked in the VCS. Serial killers
in general target adults. Even when there is a sexually derived motivation,
young girls. Babies, because they are so defenseless, are a different story."

Scully felt a chill run over her spine. For someone who was looking for a
new case, she was beginning to feel VERY uncomfortable about this one.
Whatever Mulder had in his mind, she was grateful he was sparing her of the
gory details, at least for the moment.

"The only lead we have so far is the only adult connected to one of these
babies. Evelyn Fowler. We have to interview the priest who found her, and
you are going to take a look at the body of the girl. I have got our tickets
already. We depart for the very plausible state of Minnesota at 2:00 p.m."

Duluth Regional Airport
Duluth, MN
May 24th
5:00 P.M.

Scully and Mulder reached the Rental Car Agency and were surprised to see
Agent Boggs waiting for them. He had brought all the forensics relevant to
the case from the Duluth Branch. As they shook hands, Boggs was relieved
to see the two agents in apparently good mood. Their body language during
their last case in Minneapolis, as well as Mulder's almost desperate drive
to save his partner from a serial killer, had given him the clear impression
that those two were connected in an almost cosmic way.

"It is good to see you again, Mulder. Agent Scully."

"What brings you here, Boggs? Are things boring in Minneapolis lately?"

"I wish they were. But with all this case with the babies, they pulled me in
because, You know, all that crap about being senior agent, having more
experience, etc... I was assigned as the agent in charge in this case.
When they showed me the evidence, or lack of, I said, I'll be damned if
this isn't a case for the Spooky Patrol." Mulder found quite amusing that
for the first time in years he heard the nickname spoken in a non-demeaning,
fond-of way. Agent Boggs was a good, simple old man, and he passed a strong
impression of honesty and almost innocence regardless of his work.

Scully didn't want to lose time, since autopsies are not exactly fun time.
"I assume you have arranged for me to check the girl's body."

"Yes, we kept the body in the Duluth morgue. While you proceed, Mulder and I
can interview the priest. He lives just outside the town. It should not take
more than one hour."

Countryside Baptist Church
May 24th
6:00 P.M.

"So, Reverend, did you know Evelyn Fowler before the incident?"

"Yes, I have known her parents since they started dating. Both families
attended the church regularly. Evelyn was saving some money to attend
College. Quite a girl. Very intelligent and generous. I was devastated
when I found the body."

Mulder noticed the priest shivering at the memory.

"Do you have any idea of what the words in the cardboard mean?"

Shalinski's face changed. Now his eyes did not show concern or grief,
but the shadow of absolute terror.

"Are you a religious man, Agent Mulder ?"

"Hummm, no. I am not. But I have had some... near-death experiences."

"Are you familiar with the Apocalypse or the Book of Revelations ?"

"Some of it. A lot of these new religions that have appeared motivated
by the end of the century actually use those texts as basic literature."

"Then you know that evil is close. I don't mean it in an apocalyptical
sense, but in the personal sense. There are people that lose their tracks
and choose a path of destruction. It is very easy for me to take care of
my flock, Agent Mulder. I see them every Sunday, at least. Other than that,
some of them call me for advice. I know when something is wrong with one
of them. But, if someone does not belong to a flock, if they don't have
anyone to watch over their spirit, the devil can take charge of such souls.
I believe that is what might happen to those girls. You have to find them,
before the devil can take charge."

Mulder felt distinctly uncomfortable. As a psychologist, he knew that he
could not take the priest's words at face value. The old man was in obvious
distress over the death of the girl, and worried about the missing babies.
Besides, Mulder had already a suspicion that the abductions might have been
driven by religious motivation. Perhaps some sicko wanting lambs for a
sacrifice. However, Shalinski's words were powerful and intimidating.
They would not leave Mulder's head for quite some time.

Duluth County Morgue
May 24th
6:10 P.M.

Scully adjusted her lab coat one last time for comfort and started the study
of the corpse. She had spent the last minutes reading over the original autopsy
from the original M.E., so she knew what she was NOT looking for. No need of
going over the bruises, lacerations and cuts that had already been detected.
She was looking for something that could lead to the babies. Something that the
original autopsy had not detected. Something weird or out-of-ordinary. God, I
am starting to think like Mulder, she thought.

"May twenty-fourth, 6:10 p.m. Subject is a caucasian female, 19-years old.
'Rigor mortis' already has taken over the body. The deceased's face is remark-
ably injury-free in comparison with the rest of the body. No cuts or bruises
whatsoever. We will begin the exam there. Examining now the ocular globe..."

Now THIS was weird. The eyes had a intense, bright red color. Scully was
reminded of the exam on Samuel Aboah, but that was different. The girl's
eyes seemed to be on fire. Scully was so focused in the corpse that she
didn't notice when someone came from behind and hit her in the head. She
lost consciousness almost immediately.

Duluth Regional Hospital
May 24th
8:00 P.M.

Scully woke up to see Mulder by her side, chewing sunflower seeds. Wherever
they were, it looked like a hospital. Mulder concealed his concern behind a
tentative smile.

"Hi. How do you feel ?"

"I was examining the corpse... Someone hit me from behind."

"Yeah, and you were found in the morgue. They brought you to the hospital.
When Agent Boggs and I reached the morgue, the guard told us you were here.
Ah, and by the way, the corpse was gone."

"Gone ??? How the hell does a corpse in a County Morgue disappear ???"

"It doesn't. Agent Boggs is checking the administration of the Morgue and
the night guard. Looks like someone who has free access to the building. As
soon as we have something of a suspect, we put an APB on him."

Mulder realized that his partner was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with
the idea of being in a hospital bed, so he reassured her. "Humm, listen, the
doctors told me it was not so bad. Not even a concussion. I was thinking,
maybe we could get out of here and go to our rooms. What do you think ?"

Scully felt relieved. She knew that Mulder probably had gone nuts when he was
informed that she was in a hospital. She put her best facade and nodded.

Agent Boggs was waiting for them outside the Hospital. "I have contacted the
Duluth PD and the morgue's administration. By the morning we should have
an idea of who attacked Agent Scully. For now, I am going back to the
Twin Cities. I'll be back as soon as possible. The case is all yours Mulder.
Take care you two. Good luck."

After they had reached the Motel, Mulder asked if Scully wanted to go
out for some italian, and she complied. The dinner itself was uneventful,
except for the surprisingly relaxing atmosphere and the lack of shop talk.

Mulder felt that it would be good for his partner to get away from the case
for few hours. This would give her time to psychologically recover from the
afternoon incident, and she would go back to her professional, detached self.
Strangely enough, he found himself enjoying just talk. It had been some time
since he had really appreciated the fact that he was fortunate to enjoy the
company of that beautiful, intelligent woman whom he cared more than anybody.
Perhaps Eddie was right, he thought. I should try to relax a little.

Naturally, this turned the usually harmless jokes and sexual innuendo into
a dangerous game. Eventually sensing the danger, both Mulder and Scully
silently agreeded that unpartnerlike thoughts that arose should be stored
for further reference. After he took her back to her room, the lovely night
was shattered by a quick nosebleed. Scully noticed in Mulder's eyes the
full range of emotions that she had instilled the last four years.

Worry. Concern. Guilty. Respect. Affection.
And something else she couldn't quite define...

Although he did not push after she talked him out of his usual guilty trip,
she knew that the issue would resurface, and she decided to be considerate
and not to avoid the topic. She trusted him with her life. A little
overprotectiveness was something she could handle.

Motor Lodge Motel
Duluth, MN
10:13 P.M.

Scully left the shower and put her blue silk pajamas, ready for tucking
in the bed. Although her head was still a little sore, a good night of
sleep should help. She heard a knock on the door and knew exactly who it was.

"Who is it ?" She asked already knowing the answer.

"Steven Spielberg !" The playful, almost childish way he said it always
managed to bring a immensely delightful smile to her face.

Mulder felt very awkward, but managed to blurt out, "Hi. Just checking on
you. How is the nose ?

"After I washed, the nosebleed stopped. Nothing extraordinary happened after
that." She could not avoid adding, "Thanks for the lovely evening. What are
you doing ?"

"There is no basketball game tonight, and there is nothing else worth
watching in the TV, so I felt like reading a little."

"What, they don't have the Playboy Channel here ?"

"I don't need it after seeing you in these silk pajamas."

"What are you reading ?"

"There was one of these old Bibles in the drawer, so I started reading it."

"You surprise me, Mulder. Since when do you read the Bible ?"

"I may not have a Catholic upbringing like you, Scully, but I have no
problem with reading. Especially if it can be work-related."

"Do you look for clues in the Bible ?"

"There was something bugging me about the numbers in the girl's back. Twenty-
seven. What could it mean ? Besides, in my interview with the priest today..."

Scully sensed Mulder's words trailing. Something bothered him. She did not
know how to proceed, so she let him decide.

"Hum, I... didn't tell you before because I was not sure if it was the case,
and I didn't want to upset you. I think these abductions may be religiously
motivated. Sorry, I realize I should have not kept you in the dark."

She did not answer. He knew she would become angry by the minute if he did
not explain his motivation.

"You told me how uncomfortable you felt in the last dinner with your family,
they pushing you to talk to your friend... Father McKeown. And I know how you
were shaken by the Kevin Kryder case one year ago. I may not have shown back
then, but I did notice."

She didn't know if she should be infuriated for him being overprotective,
or grateful for him sparing her feelings.

"So you decided to spare my feelings of unwelcome confrontation with the
Church ? Is that why you didn't tell me ?"

"No, I wanted to tell you. But if my hunch had no foundation, it would be
unnecessary. Now it is necessary. I am telling you now, and I want you to
know that I value your insight even if it might be clouded by personal...
problems. I need you, partner."

Scully realized that proceeding in this awkward path would just make them
both more uncomfortable, so she decided to postpone the issue for the sake
of the practical. She sat on the bed by his side and looked idly at the files.

"What did you find that made you sure ?"

"Look at the picture of the carving in the girl's back. Don't you notice
anything unusual ?"

"Huummm... I don't know. The letters are not very regular, but I would not
expect 'handwriting' to be good in a mobile support like human skin. Other
than that, the only thing I notice is that the second 'X' and the 'V' are
sort of separated. Perhaps he didn't want to write on the vertebrae."

"That's what I thought the first time I noticed it. Don't you see Scully?
This is not one number. It is two numbers ! Twenty, and seven."

"How do you know? Why can't it be twenty-five and two?"

"This is where my chat with the priest enters. He was quite upset, and
tried to talk me into assuming a role of saviour for the babies. He said
something about evil being close, and quoted the Apocalypse and the Book
of Revelation. When we came back from the Hospital, I found that Bible
and took a look. It was not difficult."

Scully went to a drawer in her room and found another Bible. She felt strange
in opening the book after such a long time.

"Revelation, Chapter 20... Verse 7... And when the thousand years are
expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison."

Scully felt a chilling run down her spine. This was becoming more than the
usual, creepy X-File. This was becoming sinister.

"Mulder, I... I certainly feel strange saying this, but there was something
weird I found in the corpse before I was attacked. The girl's eyes... They
were bright red. They seemed... on fire."

"I know. I heard your tape recorder while I was waiting for you to wake up
in the Hospital."

Seconds passed as Scully came to the full realization of the implications.
However, her analytical mind refused to accept that all was real, and not
something out of some cheap horror comics.

"There is something else, Scully. How many months do we have until the End of
the Millenium ?"

"Hummm... Two years... 24 months. We are in May, so... 31 months."

"Not quite. According to Nostradamus, the World will end in August, 1999.
The Moon will get away from its orbit giving rise to a series of cataclismic
events. I know it is a leap, but this is also the 27th month before the end
of everything. Regardless of us believing the profecies or not, whoever is
behind this, he has quite a good sense of timing, doesn't he ?"

"I can't believe you really just said that! Do you think that whoever took
the babies will slain them in order to let the Devil loose ??? That's crazy
Mulder !!! There is no physical evidence supporting that !"

"Of course it is crazy. I don't believe it more than you do, Scully. But we
still have to figure out where the babies are. In order to catch a nut, you
have to think like the nut. What if this guy has read the Bible, made a couple
of calculations and decided that this is quite a convenient moment to carry
on profecies? This is not about what I believe. This is about what he believes."

Scully let out a sigh and looked down at the files. She hated to admit it,
but it made sense. And wacky clues were better than none.

"If this is true, then we don't know how much time we have. The babies might
be already dead."

"Exactly. In any event, we should start think about hurrying. Tomorrow morning
we will interview Evelyn Fowler's family. We might get a break then. Come on,
try to get some rest." He gave her a small rub in the back, as to reassure
her that he trusted them to succeed.

She pursed her lips and nodded. His touch was always wonderful to feel.

Mulder got up and headed towards the door. Scully tried to ease the tension
a little, so as to let him know he was forgiven. She gave him one of her
enigmatic smiles.

"Aren't you going to tuck me in the bed ?"

"Nope. You are too dangerous in those pajamas, and I don't want to be tempted.
I'll see you in the morning. Bright and early. Good night, Scully."

"Good night Mulder."

************************** End of Chapter I ************************************

Title: "The Devil's Due II"
Author: Quim
Disclaimer: see Chapter I.

Rating: PG for sensitive issue of religious character. There is some violence
and a couple of bad words, but nothing you won't see in the actual show.
I tried to make the weird stuff not so gruesome, to avoid a R rating.
However, some people might find some scenes disturbing. Be warned.
Classification: X (your usual, weird X-File. No conspiracy.)
Spoilers: Multiple spoilers for all seasons. It ain't fun otherwise. People
might recognize in special "Revelations", "Zero Sum", "Gethsemane",
"Home". Mild references to "Unruhe" and "Paper Hearts" in this one.
I will assume that Mulder somehow has escaped alive in "Gethsemane",
because considering any option otherwise is downright stupid.
Keywords: Lots of Mulder/Scully UST. However, non-shippers should be safe.
Summary : Mulder and Scully uncover the connection between a series of children
abductions and a satanic cult. Two interviews, a pile of corpses and
an unbelievable MulderLeap later, they find themselves in a race
against time to avoid a tragedy of apocalyptical proportions.
Author's note: Thanks to Penny Daza for incentive.

********** Chapter II ************

Fowler family residence
Duluth, MN
May 25th
10:00 A.M.

Harry Fowler observed as a blue Ford Taurus stopped in front of his lawn.
A well-dressed couple using black coats left the car and approached him.
Their faces were serious. Mulder approached him and flashed his badge.

"Good morning Mr. Fowler. My name is Fox Mulder, and this is my partner,
Dr. Dana Scully. We are with the FBI. Can we come in ?"

The man didn't seem to look forward to the next few minutes, but he obliged.
"Mark called us yesterday. He said we should expect the FBI." He was clearly
upset, and decided to cut the chase. "Have you found who killed my daughter?"

Scully noticed the anger in the old man's voice. It was quite understandable.
"No, sir. We were hoping that you could provide us some information that might
help us determine what happened. Did Evelyn have many friends? Schoolmates?"

"Very few. You know, she always had her mind set on grandeur dreams. She
wanted to go to Wisconsin or Michigan to study medicine, and perhaps go
to Europe later. She always said she wanted to discover the cure for cancer
or something like that... Do something to help mankind... Oh God..."

The man was in the verge of tears, and Mulder noticed it in his voice. After
giving Fowler some time to recover, Scully spoke.

"We are very sorry for your loss Mr. Fowler. Do you remember if Evelyn talked
to someone on 19th, or the day before that ?"

"Hummm... No, except for Elijah Varney. He is a young man who lives three
blocks from here. He and Evelyn were dating for a while, but they broke up
months ago, when she decided to leave town and go to College. Evelyn never
gave me details, and I wouldn't intrude. I assumed it was the normal teenage
stuff."

Mulder and Scully looked at each other. Questions and answers flew between
then in the space of seconds.

"Did they end their association in good terms ?"

"Yeah, Elijah really liked Evelyn. He understood her very well."

The rest of the interview was little productive. In the end, Mulder asked:

"Mr. Fowler, do you know where we can find this kid... Elijah ? He might
have seen Evelyn prior to her demise, or he might have some further
information."

Fowler nodded and gave them Elijah's address. They went back to the car
and left. Scully looked curiously at Mulder.

"What is going on Mulder? Do you think the boy might have done it ?"

"No, Scully, Fowler was genuinely fond of the boy. It looked like he really
trusted Elijah Varney. But we have to check anyway. There is something else
bothering me."

"Like what ?"

"Like how in Mr. Fowler's first interview by the local P.D., the name of
Elijah Varney is not mentioned even once."

Scully took the folder and opened the page where Mr. Fowler had given his
statements. Mulder was right. How could any officer miss that ? One of
the misconceptions in law enforcement is that, whenever the murder victim
is a female, it is automatically assumed that the husband or boyfriend is
one of the suspects. Scully knew that such an attitude carried a lot of
sexism. But any detective knew the drill. So the name of Elijah Varney
should be in the first interview. Either the local P.D. had made a really
sloppy job, or... She saw it in Mulder's eyes. Someone might be trying
to cover up evidence. No matter how paranoid Mulder was, the whole ordeal
started to make sense.

Varney family residence
Duluth, MN
11:10 A.M.

They stopped the car in front of the address. They rang the bell but nobody
showed up. That was when Mulder saw with the corner of his eye someone
leaving the house in a hurry from behind. Mulder jumped like a cat.

"FEDERAL AGENT !!! STOP !!! RIGHT THERE !!!"

The guy gave no sign of intending to stop. Using his longer legs,
Mulder sprinted towards the suspect and knocked him down. While
Scully caught them up, he was handcuffing the guy. He turned him.
It matched the description of Elijah Varney.

"Sorry dude. You will miss your appointment with the dentist."

Mulder turned his head to see Scully's nose bleeding again. She had not noticed.

"Scully..." She saw in his eyes what was going on.

He handled her his handkerchief. She accepted it. She was embarrassed,
but was grateful he didn't make any comment. She quickly started to clean,
always looking at the boy. Her eyes grew wide with what she saw.

"Oh my God... Mulder, look at that... His eyes..."

The kid's eyes were bright red. Scully coudn't believe it. He
started to suffer convulsions. Mulder tried to hold him still.

"How is it possible ? Is it any allergic reaction ?"

"I... I don't know, it looks like he is high on some kind of psychotropic."

Mulder would not let it go easily. As a psychologist, he knew that people
high on drugs might be susceptible to suggestion. He decided to give it a
shot. He forcefully took Elijah's head in his hands and made him look at
him.

"Elijah! Listen to me. What can you tell us about what happened to Evelyn ?"

"Evelyn... They killed her. She didn't want to take the babies..."

At last a break. The murder WAS connected somehow to the babies.

"Elijah... Did you take Evelyn to meet your friends ?"

"Yeah... We spent one or two nights high on drugs there... It was cool.
But Evelyn wanted to stop. She told me it was no life. I was afraid, too.
They were weird... They wanted to do bad things to Evelyn... She would
not let them... So we got away from them. Away from the Church..."

"Do you know what they intended to with the babies ?"

"Kill them... To set the Devil loose... Destroy everything as we know..."

Scully was not liking this. She tried to catch the boy's pulse.

"Mulder, his pressure is dangerously low. I can barely find his pulse.
He is our only witness. We have to take him to a hospital."

Surprisingly, Elijah managed to say,

"It doesn't matter. You cannot stop them. You cannot stop Him."

He was interrupted by the sound of a shot. Mulder and Scully jumped back
as Elijah's chest exploded, leaving him in a puddle of blood.

The shot had gone straight to the chest. Mulder quickly got his cell
phone and dialed 911, while Scully tried to stop the bleeding.

Duluth County Morgue
3:30 P.M.

"May the twenty-fifth, three-thirty p.m. Deceased is a caucasian male
in his twenties. Cause of death was a gunshot through the left lung. No
distinct marks except for a tattoo of the number twenty-seven in roman
numerals, located at the chest. This suggests a connection to the
previous murder of Evelyn Fowler."

"The pupils are severely constricted. Both the iris and the conjunctiva
are bright red. The veins in the neck are showing, suggesting a powerful
vasodilating reaction. This is suggestive of some kind of drug abuse."

Mulder was in a corner chewing sunflower seeds and talking on his cell
phone. They had already lost one body, and there was no way in hell he
would let it happen again. He let her finish the autopsy, and spoke.

"Seems that we have some answers. The detective who did the original
interview with Fowler has disappeared. Also, he matches the description
of the man who took the body, according to composites obtained from the
testimony of janitors and night guards of the morgue. Looks like someone
is really interested in covering up what's going on in this town..."

That was the easy part. Mulder decided to venture into more obscure paths.

"What do you make of what he said before he was shot ?"

"About the cult ? Release of the Devil ? He was tripping, Mulder.
You saw it. We cannot take anything he said into consideration."

"You said yourself he was our only witness Scully. We can not simply
dismiss him. What can you tell about the drug that was found in his blood ?"

"I sent a sample to the laboratory. We should have the results tonight.
However, I suspect it was an allucinogen of some kind. This might explain
Varney's delusions and the red color in the eyes."

"How ?"

"The use of certain drugs is associated with strong variations of pressure
on the capillaries, giving rise to hemorragy of the ocular globe. If the
reaction is strong enough, this might account for the bright red color in
the conjunctiva. I cannot explain the red color in the iris and the pupils,
but it is conceivable that some new kind of drug could produce such an
effect."

Motor Lodge Motel
Duluth, MN
6:15 P.M.

Mulder walked back and forth in his room. He frantically spoke to his
cell phone, growing increasingly aware of the passage of time.
Scully was worried about her partner. She had seen Mulder like this before,
when he desperately had hunted and killed John Le Roche before the sicko
could add another paper heart to his macabre collection. In times like
this Mulder was tortured by a feeling of abandon and uselessness. He
had to DO something, and not wait for more clues to appear.

Meanwhile, Scully was occupied with her own cell phone, talking to the
laboratory and taking notes of the results. Finally, they were finished.
They turned towards each other. Mulder spoke first.

"The detective was found dead in a motel room thirty miles from here.
The bullet that killed Elijah Varney matches the caliber and the marks
of the detective's gun. The detective's eyes were bright red, if you
are interested."

"This makes sense. The detective probably was part of the whole operation.
He was in charge of cover the evidence, and that's why he stole Evelyn's
body from the morgue. He might have killed her himself."

"As he did with Elijah Varney. What did you get from the lab ?"

"Toxicology analysis revealed a high concentration of a substance
identified as a powerful allucinogen related to phencyclidine. This
seems to match the boy's reaction, because phencyclidine may cause
hypotension. However, the drug's onset time was unusually short, if
compared to phencyclidine or even fentanyl. The final psychotropic
effect is similar to that of heroine."

"These guys are really in for a trip. I bet they watch 'Fantasia' in
video every week to get in the mood."

Scully immediately knew which sequence he was referring to.

"And what do you suggest we do now ? Call an exorcist ?" He chuckled
when she quoted her favorite movie.

"Nothing so gross, but similar. I have to call The Lone Gunmen. I asked
them to see if they could find any clues about this group." He dialed the
familiar number and waited.

"Hello ? Who is this ?" The voice of Byers sounded as paranoid as always.

"You can turn off the tracer boys, it's me. Did you find anything ?"

This time Mulder recognized the cheerful voice of Langly.

"Hi Mulder. Took some time, but we got something. You will love this.
The Creators of Tomorrow. They are nuts who founded a new religion two
years ago. Quite organized. They even have a web site with several mirrors.
The things they claim are enough to give you the creeps. Real fanatics.
Their activities reportedly involve teenage rape and satanic cults. Ick."

Byers took over the report, looking for something more practical.

"The leader, Chester Harron, was in the blacklist of the IRS for sonegation
for years. Later he got support from some misterious group of international
investors and was let loose. One year ago, he disappeared in a fire near
Council Bluffs, Iowa and was supposed dead. However, the group doesn't seem
to have lost cohesion."

"Does the name of the group have any special significance ?"

It was Frohike's turn to answer.

"Their philosophy, if you can say they have any, is based on profecies
about the Apocalypse. Looks like they are preparing the world for the
arrival of their messiah or something like that. I thought this kind
of thing only happened in California."

"Thanks guys. Frohike, you can choose any one of my videos. Personal gift."

"Gee, thanks. Can I choose that one with the petite redhaired girls ?"

As Frohike asked, Mulder turned back to see Scully taking off her high
heel shoes. Her shining auburn hair was falling to one side, and as she
leaned down, her usually modest cleavage gave Mulder glimpses of her silk
underwear. His view was drawn to her legs. She didn't notice his stare.
This vision would keep him awake for weeks.

"No, that one is off limits. Bye guys. See you in the weekend."

Mulder turned his cell phone off. Scully observed him suspiciously.

"What is off limits ?"

"Ahh... Nothing, it was just a joke. Listen, there is something wrong here.
We know that Elijah was in contact with this group, and that Evelyn was
killed because she didn't want to collaborate in the group's activities."

Scully slowly began to feel the puzzle pieces falling into place.

"That could explain why Amanda was the last baby to disappear. They were
planning to take all the babies at once, but something went wrong."

"I think that Evelyn might have chosen to babysit that night on purpose.
When the would-be abductors reached the house, she was gone with Amanda.
It was probably Evelyn who had made the 911 call, to scare the abductors.
When the parents returned, she was already back there with the baby. When
the police came, the parents themselves didn't know anything about it.
But Evelyn lied, perhaps wanting to spare them."

Not everything matched, but Scully had to admit it was a good story.
Mulder continued.

"They discovered that Evelyn had ruined their plans for that night, and
ensured she would not do it again. They returned three days later, and
took Amanda."

"Still this is all speculation Mulder. And it is based on the testimony
of a suspect, while high on drugs. Why did Elijah try to run away when we
went to talk to him ?"

"He might have been afraid that we were members of the cult coming after
him... It is even possible that he killed Evelyn while high on drugs. But
he seemed in a lot of pain when he told us..."

Scully felt Mulder's voice trail. For a moment he seemed oblivious to her
and everything around him. Mulder's eidetic memory started to replay Elijah's
testimony inside his head.

"The Church ! He said they got away from the Church ! Evelyn was found near...
The Church ! The detective lived in this town ! The babies are in the Church !"

Mulder reached for his coat and headed towards the door. Still surprised,
Scully hadn't quite grasped the logic, but she knew that no matter how
weird, Mulder's leaps were in general more accurate than any forensics or
profile. She distinctly remembered how, months earlier, he had saved her
from Gerry Schnauz with no clue other than a snapshot. The memory still
gave her the creeps.

She grabbed her gun and her cell phone.

"Go ahead and start the car. I will call the Duluth Branch and ask for
backup. We don't know how many of these people are there."

************************ End of Chapter II ***************************

Title: "The Devil's Due III"
Author: Quim (quim@qtp.ufl.edu)
Disclaimer: see Chapter I.

Rating: R for violence and the scene of the MulderAngst trip. Some people
might find such scene (as well as the final standout) disturbing.
I did scare myself. Be warned.
Classification: XA (your usual, weird X-File. No conspiracy.). Lots of Angst !!!
Spoilers: Multiple spoilers for all seasons. It ain't fun otherwise. People
might recognize in special "Revelations" and "Gethsemane". Mild
references to "Demons", "Never Again" and "Clyde Bruckman's Final
Repose". I will assume that Mulder somehow has escaped alive in
"Gethsemane", because any other option is downright stupid.
Keywords: Mulder/Scully UST, borderline MSR. However, non-shippers should be
safe with a slight exercise of their famous denial abilities.
Anti-shippers in general should bail out and go see a psychiatrist
to figure out what's wrong with them. However, some might want to
stay depending on their sensibilities. This X-File is worth it.
Summary : Mulder and Scully uncover the connection between a series of children
abductions and a satanic cult. Mulder faces the Big Bad Guy himself.
This is a cliffhanger (literally!) not suitable to people with
heart conditions. Be warned.
Author's note: Thanks to Penny Daza for incentive. Feedback is welcome.

********** Chapter III *************

Countryside Baptist Church
Duluth, MN
May 27th
7:20 P.M.

Mulder and Scully were speeding along the streets of Duluth heading to
the Church. The weather was miserable, and the rain was growing stronger.

"Mulder, are you sure you don't want to wait for backup ?"

"There is no time for that, you said yourself that the babies might be
already dead. You already called the Duluth Branch. They will reach
Agent Boggs, and he will get the cavalry here. We just have to make sure
they arrive in time to save the babies."

"You are still thinking that it is your responsibility to protect them,
aren't you ?"

Mulder didn't answer. Scully let out a sigh of frustration. If he was
going to do this anyway, he had better have her by his side.

The blue Ford Taurus stopped in front of the Church and Mulder and Scully
stepped outside, already handling their guns and looking for cover. They had
no idea of which kind of reception they would meet.

As they entered the Church, the lights were off. Both noticed the organ
playing at full blast.

"Looks like we just made it to the midnight mass."

As Scully slowly advanced toward the altar, her legs tripped in some large
obstacle. She pointed her flashlight to the floor to find Rev. Mark Shalinski
covered in blood. She called for Mulder.

"Oh my God. The reverend is dead. Watch out Mulder."

Mulder acknowledged and proceeded. While they approached the altar,
Scully saw a large table. There lied the babies, apparently unharmed.
Always the doctor, Scully carefully checked each one of them. She
suddenly became aware that they were not alone.

"Mulder..."

They found themselves surrounded. Several men, wearing ugly masks and red
robes, cut every possible escape. It didn't matter nonetheless, because
they both wanted to run, but neither could find in the heart to leave the
babies. One of the men hit Mulder from behind. Scully turned her gun
towards him and fired, but two other men grabbed her.

"Mulder !!!"
"Scully !!!"

Both struggled fiercely, but they were by far outnumbered. Suddenly
everybody in the room stood still and the door of the parish opened.
They faced Chester Harron. He was dressed in a red robe. His eyes
were glassy, and it seemed like he was on drugs.

"Now it is the time for the Creation of Tomorrow. He is coming."

Harron's face was dark. He was handled a syringe by one of the cult's
members. I am not going to like this, Scully thought. Harron spoke again.

"You have attempted to stop us. Now you must face Him."

Mulder struggled, but the guys holding him were too strong. He felt a
stinging pain as the needle penetrated his arm. Scully called him, trying
not to sound desperate. One of the Creators turned towards Scully, but
Harron made him stop. He looked at her neck and caught a glimpse of her
golden cross. He looked at her face and saw disbelief.

"No. Not her. We will keep her for our blood sacrifice. After the babies
are gone, the Master will have to be appeased. Nothing better than a non-
believer. The terror of the realization in her face. It will be better
than raping her body. He shall rape her mind."

Scully couldn't believe this was happening to her. This was supposed to be
the 20th Century, not the Middle Ages. Only God knows what they would do if
they saw that stupid tattoo on my back, she thought. She knew that in this
situation, panic was equal to death. She tried to regain her composure.

"Mulder... Remember that this drug will give you an allucination.
You just have to hold on for some minutes." She knew her advice would
not help him in any way, but she felt like reassuring him somehow.

The Creators took them to a another room. Mulder felt dizzy. He was
bracing himself for the trip. At least that stupid experiment with
Dr. Charles Goldstein had given him some recent experience.

Scully's voice was the last thing he caught from the real world.

"MULDER !!! LISTEN TO ME DAMMIT !!! IT IS NOT REAL !!!
REMEMBER IT IS ALL AN ALLUCINATION !!! MULDER !!!"

But his mind had already started to adrift.

****************************************************
* *
* Ecce spectaculum dignum, *
* Ad quod respeciat Deus. *
* Ecce par Deo dignum, *
* vir fortis cum mala fortuna compositus. *
* *
* (Seneca, 'De Providentia.' Sec. 4) *
* *
****************************************************

Mulder suddenly felt like drowning in a sea of fire. Crap, I hate fire,
he thought. Strangely enough, he felt cold. Colors changed and whirled
and flowed around him like a surrealist dream. He tried in vain to move.

"Noooooo... I can't... Give up..."

Mulder was confronted by the ugliest face he had ever seen. He didn't know
if it was really the Devil or some construction of his twisted imagination.

"Why do you resist ? You know you will die anyway."

"Not before you get your ass back to where you belong."

Mulder watched, terrified, as the monster's face morphed into his own.
He was smiling, and his red eyes made him look... plain evil. Somehow
he was not surprised when the monster spoke with his own voice.

"You know you can't stop me. You are weak. Worthless. You were no good for
your sister. You were no good for the babies. They will be killed, and I
will reign again. It is inevitable. It is over."

"No... You are lying... I have to... fight... It is not... over !"

"You know I am right. You were no good for your father... You were no good
for your partner. Ahhh, I see... You find her attractive. She is the only
one you trust. She is your strength. She will be killed, too. And I will
enjoy to tear her body and her soul apart."

Mulder saw an image of Scully floating above him. Her eyes were closed.
Her face had never been so beautiful, so luminous, so peaceful. The Monster
extended his arm. His hand morphed into horrible, deformed claws, and he
slowly reached to her face. Like cancer itself.

The horror of Mulder's anticipation took over him.

"NOOOO !!! LEAVE HER ALONE !!! GO BACK TO HELL !!!"

Coming out of nothing, a gun appeared in Mulder's hand. He used his last
strength to point it at the monster and shoot. Once. Twice. Three times.
He lost count.

With a horrendous cry, the monster was sucked by a vortex of light.
Everything that remained was darkness. Scully had disappeared. Fox Mulder
was, again, alone. Lost in his own darkness. To conquer it or to be swallowed
by it. For the moment, he felt victorious. He took his head on his hands
and sobbed, powerless, completely overhelmed.

"You can have me asshole. But not her. Go back to Hell where you belong."

"Leave us alone. Leave me alone."

Countryside Baptist Church
May 27th
10:13 P.M.

Mulder's eyes opened with some difficulty. It was still dark. Trying to
focus, he blinked twice. His vision cleared and he saw Scully holding him.
He had tears in his eyes, and she was gently rocking him like a baby.

"What... What happened ???"

"Shhh... It's ok Mulder... You had a violent reaction to an allucinogen
they gave you."

He reached out to touch her face. He was still afraid. Confused.
"Scully... Thank God you're ok. Where are we ?"

"Locked in a room in the Church. They left us here after you were drugged."

"Drugs... Yeah... I remember. I had an allucination."

"So I figured. I have never seen you yell like that. You had seizures, and
you wrecked the room as if you were fighting something. I had to take cover
myself not to be hit. It must have been horrible. Wanna talk about it ?"

"I would rather not give you details. Maybe later. Suffice to say, I most
likely will not sleep for one week. What happened to the babies ?"

"Nothing so far. You were right, this guy has quite a sense of timing. Today
is May, the twenty-seventh. They intend to kill the babies at midnight."

"Twenty-seven... What time is it ???"

"Huummm... Past ten. You were unconscious for almost two hours after the
seizures stopped. I think you were in shock. Heavy trip Mulder."

"We have to do something Scully. We can't allow them to kill the babies."

He was right, and she knew it. The question was, could they do it ?

"Yeah, but... Are you up to it ? You look exhausted."

"We are the last chance the babies have. We have to break loose somehow."

May 27th
11:00 P.M.

The Creators of Tomorrow started the final preparations. This would be
a night to remember.

Chester Harron motioned two of the members to go get Mulder and Scully.
They would witness the end of everything. The beginning of everything.

As the assistants reached the room, Mulder and Scully set their minds
into taking any opportunity. They knew they were running out of time.

They were never given a chance. Two of the Creators immediately knocked
Mulder down, while two others held Scully. They were both injected with a
drug, that Scully recognized not to be the same that Mulder had been given
before. The color was different. One of the Creators approached her.

"Don't worry. This will just paralyze you. You will be able to watch every
step of the cerimony. After all, you are expected to participate."

Somehow, she was afraid he was not lying.

Mulder noticed that they were all more relaxed after the injections. The
drugs could start to work at any moment. Now this is really my last chance,
he thought. Running on pure adrenaline, he managed to knock down one of the
nuts. Scully promptly attacked the one who was closer to Mulder, so as to
give him some extra seconds. She succeeded. Mulder immediately caught one
wooden chair and viciously smashed it on the third guy's head. The next few
seconds, Scully managed to put into good use the karate lessons she had had
at Quantico, while Mulder punched the remaining Creator.

"I can't believe we were outnumbered and still got out of this. What now ?"

"I don't know, but I don't intend to stay here for the communion. Let's
try to go back to the altar. If something is going to happen, it is
happening there."

They cautiously examined the corridor ahead. Nobody at sight. They
advanced, step by step, towards the Church. Mulder scanned the path
ahead looking for any trouble, while Scully covered his back.

Scully realized she had to use her brain while she still had control
over it. So she started to analyze their odds.

"Mulder, we don't know how much time we have until these drugs paralyze
us. Could start at any minute. And we don't have our guns. Whatever we
have to do, we had better do it fast."

"That's what I love about you Scully. You are always thinking positive."

They reached the altar, and Mulder peeked around the corner of the door.
The altar was empty. As they entered, Scully saw the babies on a large
table. She held her breath as she feared the worse, but one of the babies
moved. Thank God, she thought.

"We have to get out of here before they discover the others, or someone
comes back here. Thank God they were waiting for midnight."

"Talk about seeing too many horror movies. And people call me Spooky."

Scully reached for the babies. She caught Amanda and Brenda in her arms
and stared at Mulder. For a moment he was not sure what she meant him
to do. Then he understood.

Trying to look as little clumsy as possible, Mulder quickly caught Marla
and Marianne and headed towards the exit of the Church. Scully followed.
When they reached the outside, both noticed the rain was harder. And...

"Crap." It was all Mulder could say. The car was gone.

Scully heard noises coming from the Church. They were quickly running out
of options. She was also starting to feel slightly dizzy.

Mulder realized they could not stay there as sitting ducks, storm or no storm.

"We have to save as much time as we can Scully. Agent Boggs must be
arriving at any minute. Let's climb the hill and get as far as possible
from this place."

She nodded. Together, they traveled under the storm.

Five minutes later, Scully was beginning to feel really dizzy.
As they walked, she looked up to Mulder. He didn't look much better.

"Mulder... Do you know where we are going ?"

"No. And I don't care. I just want to go on as much as I can. Ooooops !!!"

"MULDER !!!"

Suddenly Mulder felt his feet loosing ground. Perhaps the drugs were
already beating his resistance. He looked down and saw the threatening
sight of a deep cliff. Barely managing to keep his balance, and
hanging the babies for dear life, he managed to go back just enough
to face a terrified Scully.

"We can't go on Scully. Don't move. We are trapped here."

A lightning bolt stroke dangerously close. Seconds later, a thunder rumbled.

Mulder looked back and saw lights leaving the Church. Torches.

"Shit", it was all he could say. Now they were really in trouble.

11:21 P.M.

They were trapped on the top of a cliff. There was no way out.
They had no guns to defend themselves.

Scully was afraid she would lose consciousness at any moment. She knew this
would not end without loss of life. Instinctively, she gathered all the
strength that was left in her and embraced Amanda and Brenda more forcefully,
taking care not to hurt them. Mulder realized what she was doing. Although
he was growing more and more dizzy, he managed to do the same with Marla and
Marianne. The babies were surprisingly quiet, even though the rain and the
lightning grew stronger by the minute. Protected by the coats of the two
adults, they were kept from soaking despite the rain.

So that's how it ends, Mulder thought. He knew neither he nor Scully would
survive the next half an hour. He didn't give a damn about his own life, but
the babies... It was not fair, they should have a shot at a life. With his
balance beginning to fail him, he only could drop to the floor. The drugs were
starting to blur his vision and reality and allucination were no longer
discernible.

My God, Clyde was wrong, Scully thought. She knew neither she nor Mulder would
survive the next half an hour. She didn't give a damn about her own life, but
the babies... It was not fair, they should have a shot at a life. With her
balance beginning to fail her, she only could drop to the floor. The drugs were
starting to blur her vision and reality and allucination were no longer
discernible.

As they both collapsed, their senses lost in the fury of the tempest or
impaired by the drugs, Mulder and Scully found themselves facing each other.
For each one, the vision of the partner was one last reminder of who they
were, where they were and their purpose. They managed to slowly get closer
and closer to each other, until the babies were protected from the rain.

Another lightning bolt. Thunder.

Mulder's face touched Scully's. Now, he no longer cared about what was real
or not. He was going to die. Worse, she was going to die. His last thoughts
had been saved for her. His noble, stubborn, brilliant, skeptical partner.
The woman whom he trusted more than he trusted himself. She would not live
to fight the cancer. She would not live to see her mother or her brothers
again. She would not live to enjoy motherhood, as she wanted so much.

He would never have her.

Scully's face touched Mulder's. Now, she no longer cared about what was real
or not. She was going to die. Worse, he was going to die. Her last thoughts
had been saved for him. Her noble, stubborn, brilliant, crazy partner.
The man whom she trusted more than she trusted herself. He would not live
to fight the Consortium. He would not live to see her mother or The Lone Gunmen
again. He would not live to find his sister, as he wanted so much.

She would never have him.

"Hail Mary, full of grace... The Lord is with thee..." Her words left her
mouth, almost a whisper, so faint that she didn't knew if he was hearing.

"Blessed art thou among women... And blessed is the fruit of thy womb..."

Mulder knew the pray would probably not help. But he didn't care.
He just made sure he heard every word she was saying.

Thunder. Another lightning. Another thunder swallowed her words.

"...Pray for us sinners... Now and at the time of our death... Amen." It was
a pray for herself and Mulder, as much as it was a pray for the babies.

Mulder couldn't move. His legs failed him as the drug slowly overhelmed
his senses. He was afraid he would drop one of the babies at any moment.

"I love you Scully. I am sorry..." The fury of the thunderstorm devoured
his tears, and he didn't know if she was hearing.

Scully didn't know if she was allucinating. She no longer cared.
"Don't be sorry Mulder. I love you. See you in Heaven... Soon."

Mulder didn't know if he was allucinating. He no longer cared.

Lightning. Thunder.

The Creators of Tomorrow finally approached the scene, certain their preys
were defenseless. They raised their guns and pointed them at their targets.

Now it was the time of Creation. There was no way out. He was coming.

BANG!!! BANG!!! BANG!!!...
BANG!!! BANG!!! BANG!!!...

Both Mulder and Scully lost consciousness almost immediately.
Everything turned black.

************************************************
* *
* E venni dal martirio a questa pace. *
* *
* (Dante, 'Paradiso'. Canto xv, l. 148) *
* *
************************************************

Duluth Regional Hospital
May 28th
8:00 A.M.

Scully slowly regained consciousness several hours later. Although she
was still confused, the sunshine outside, plus the fact that she found
herself in what looked like a hospital bed, gave her enough evidence that
she was not dead.

She turned her head to see a nurse walking past her room. She attempted to
get up, but a stinging pain held her to her original position.

Minutes later, another nurse entered the room and noticed she was awaken.
She quickly exited the room and returned seconds later, followed by Agent
Boggs. Now I know for sure that I am not dead, Scully thought.

"Agent Scully. Good to see you are recovering. I trust you have an idea of
what happened to you ?"

"We were drugged... We were followed by those fanatics... I must have lost
consciousness. Why have I not been killed ???"

"We arrived at the Church and immediately saw the light of torches. When
we climbed the hill and approached the scene, we heard several shots. There
was a shootout. Some of those thugs committed suicide, others escaped in the
woods, but we will catch them soon."

So it was really over. Nevertheless, Scully still felt a little tense.

"We found you and Mulder, each hit with three shots, in the top of the cliff.
You both were seriously hurt, but luckily I had brought a team of paramedics
with me."

Again she tried to get up, and again the stinging pain precluded her.
With her head clearing by the minute, realization and fear stroke her.

"Mulder... Where is Mulder ??? Is he alive ??? Where is he ???"

Boggs remembered when Mulder had led the investigation one year ago in
Minneapolis. His concern for his partner. He knew he had to reassure Scully.

"Relax Agent Scully. He is in another room. You were lucky, two of the
shots just scratched you. He was hit in one leg and twice in the back.
He lost a lot of blood, but he's out of the woods now. The doctors already
extracted the bullets. He is now sedated for the pain, but he might be
waking up at any moment."

"The babies... What happened to them ???"

"They are safe. Not a scratch. We took them to the nursery of this hospital,
under heavy guard. They will be returned to their families in the next hours.
Meanwhile, Assistant Director Skinner asked me to tell you and Mulder to
take at least two weeks off and rest. But he expects you to turn in your
field report as soon as possible. He is a tough man. I for myself have talked
to the governor. I tried to make sure you and Agent Mulder will receive the
due credit for saving the babies. I can see two condecorations in the future.
Another score for the Spooky Patrol."

Scully felt like laughing, but the latest events had her still too terrified
to allow anything besides a smile.

"Thanks Agent Boggs. I am sure Mulder really appreciates your support."

"He had better, because every time you guys come up here I have to mobilize
the state police, paramedics and fireworkers to get you. Not to mention the
damn press running after me. Please, tell Mulder that next time we'll just
have lunch and chat over football, ok ? I am getting too old for this."

Duluth Regional Hospital
May 28th, 10:13 A.M.

Mulder woke up to see the beautiful face of Dana Scully smiling at him.
She was sitting by his bedside, wearing just a white hospital gown and
her golden cross. Her face had never been so beautiful, so luminous,
so peaceful. He was reminded of his allucination and started to
wonder if it really had happened. Perhaps he had really gone off the
deep end this time.

"Wow. I see an angel. Now I know for sure I am dead."

"Hey you. How are you feeling ?"

"Happy that you made it."

"Made it ? What do you mean ?"

"You asked me for a date, remember ? Although I never expected Heaven to
smell of ether like that. Looks like a Hospital."

Scully chuckled. Her wounds still hurt, but having Mulder all for herself
for some minutes was worth it. He noticed the pain in her face.

"Are you ok ?"

"Yeah, I just got sore muscles from gunshots and emergency surgery. I am
getting used to the pain."

Only then Mulder realized he was not feeling pain. Or anything else in his
body, for that matter.

"How many holes did they put in me ?"

"Three. Nothing that some rest and lots of chicken soup won't fix. Looks
like my mother will have two patients to take care of for two weeks,
with cumpliments from Skinner."

He had still problems in separating reality and allucination.

"And the Devil ?... Is he gone ?.."

"You sent him back to Hell, where he belongs."

Scully reached out and took Mulder's hand. She didn't know if they had
any future, but at least for the moment, they were safe. And together.

She would not have it any other way.

***********************************************
* *
* Felices ter et amplius *
* Quos inrupta tenet copula nec malis *
* Divulsus querimoniis *
* Suprema citius solvet amor die. *
* *
* (Horace, 'Odes'. Book i, ode 13, l. 17) *
* *
***********************************************

T H E E N D

************************ End of Chapter III ******************************

Although I bear a Catholic upbringing like Scully, I did not mean in any
way to impose my religious beliefs (whatever they are) upon anyone...
It is simply my understanding that critical events in anyone's life,
especially life-threatening situations, make people more fragile and
with tendency to turn to God (whatever God you believe in).

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