From picard1@execpc.com

Fri Nov 15 1996

(Author's notes: The characters of Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Walter Skinner,
Margaret Scully, Jeremiah Smith, the Cigarette-Smoking Man, and the
Well-Manicured Man are all property of Chris Carter and 1013 Productions, not to
mention FOX. Any others are mine. Thanks for the loan!)

(Warning: This story details Mulder critically wounded in the line of duty, and
Scully must cope with the realizations that she may lose her partner forever and
that her feelings for him are more than just friendship. Thus, this is an
MSR-against-the-odds scenario! This story is rated PG-13 for a little harsh
language and depictions of violence. Also get those hankies ready...expect a
lot of tears here!)

T H E X F I L E S:
"Do Not Go Gently..."

By: Scott J. Hauenstein

PART I
------

Dana Scully could barely sit still. She wanted to rush into that
emergency room...he wanted to be with her partner. He has to be in so much
pain...oh, God, how could I let this happen to him? The thought kept racing
dizzily through her mind.
She stood up and began to pace the length of the ER waiting area. It
had been almost an hour since she had come in with Fox Mulder by ambulance. His
blood was still damp on her clothes. "What is going on?" she whispered to no
one in particular. Doctors and medtechs were rushing in and out of the room
where Mulder had been placed. The looks on their faces spoke what words need
not bother with: Mulder was in trouble. Every time she was about to go to the
room, a medtech standing outside the door looked in her direction. He was the
same man who had kept her from entering when they had first arrived. She had
tried to argue that she was a doctor, but to no avail. She looked down at her
clothing...so much blood...she felt a wave of dizziness pass over her, forcing
her to sit down on the overstuffed fake leather couch once again.
She knew this assignment was a disaster waiting to happen from the
get-go. Mulder had rushed into his and Scully's basement office a day ago,
saying that he had a possible lead on the location of a warehouse that,
supposedly, may have been used by government scinetists as a facility in which
to perform cloning experiments on humans. Mulder believed this warehouse to be
the possible site of Samantha Mulder's clone creation.
When Scully asked him where he had obtained this information, he was
eerily quiet, not willing to say much except, "A new fork in the road, Scully."
She accompanied him to the site despite her better instincts. There was
indeed a warehouse there, but it was filled with office supplies. Scully had a
feeling something like that would happen, but when a Molotov cocktail flew down
from a darkened ramp to the floor, she knew, as did Mulder, that they had been
tricked. With all the paper goods in the warehouse, it didn't take long for the
fire to spread. Mulder, once deathly afraid of fire, was able to assist Scully
to the exit fast, but neither of them noticed the muscular frame step out of the
flames. By the time Scully did catch the man's movements, it was already too
late. She yelled to Mulder, who turned to see what she had spotted. The man
brandished his automatic and unloaded two shots into Mulder's chest and stomach.
The look on Mulder's face was one of shock and confusion, as if he couldn't
undewrstand what had just happened. Scully cried out, pulled her own sidearm,
and unloaded a round into the assailant as he attempted to escape. He crumbled
to the ground, and was left for dead in the blaze as Scully dragged Mulder
outside to safety.
The rest was a blur...the wind was hot around them...sirens could be
heard in the distance...Mulder spat out blood as he attempted to speak...more
blood stained her clothes a deep crimson...he managed one last word before
slipping into unconsciousness..."Dana.."
"Fox..." she whispered to herself now, feeling stinging tears well in
her eyes.
"Agent Scully?" A voice called out her name from just beyond view.
She immediately stood and ran to the emergency doctor, who was
attempting to meet her halfway. "I'm Agent Scully. How's Agent Mulder?"
"We're doing everything we can, but it doesn't look very good right
now," the doctor said somberly.
Scully's life seemed ready to self-destruct around her at this point.
She couldn't take much more of this. It seemed all too incomprehensible.
The doctor continued, as if sensing Scully's need to know more. "The
locations of the wounds, compounded with massive internal bleeding, are making
it very difficult for us. I promise you we will do everything we possibly can."
The doctor was about to say something else when a frantic call for help from a
medtech distracted him. "Excuse me, please..." He darted off to assist the
medtech, leaving Dana alone in the hallway of the emergency ward.
So many emotions filled Dana's mind, but she could not sort them out.
She wanted to drop to her knees and cry for her partner. She wanted to run out
of that hospital, hunt down the people responsible for the doublecross and kill
them with her bare hands. She wanted to throw her head back and scream in
absolute rage.
"Scully?"
A voice from the receptionist's desk caused her to swing around fast to
face the man.
Assistant Director Walter Skinner stood there, looking at Scully with
concern. "Agent Mulder..." he began, hoping Scully would fill in the blanks.
"It's bad, sir..." she replied, her voice and body shaking with anger
and sadness beyond her control.
"Damn..." Skinner muttered softly as he approached Scully. "What the
living hell happened out there?"
"Madness..." was all that Scully could come up with. She scowled a bit
as if to wonder why that word popped up, but she understood all too well the
meaning hidden in it.
"What does that mean? Who did this?" Skinner asked, gesturing to the
bloodstains on Scully's skirt.
"Is there a Walter Skinner here?" A receptionist stood from her desk and
held out a phone as Skinner waved a response. "I have an urgent phone call here
for you."
"Shit...Stay here. I have to take this call. Agent Voss is at the
warehouse site now and I told him to contact me here if he found anything."
Skinner walked to the receptionist's desk and grabbed the phone from the woman.
Scully just stood in place, fighting back the urge to cry out loud in
anger. She felt out of control, which frightened her almost as much as Mulder's
condition. She had to let go of the feelings she was holding inside her...all
of them, or she was sure she'd lose her mind.
Suddenly, someone entering the Emergency ward and walking to the nurse
station caught her eye. Never at any time in her life did her heart and soul
fill with such hatred and rage. She knew alltoo well the older man talking to
the nurse on call. He was the "cancer man" that Mulder had always talked about,
the man responsible for hindering her and Mulder at every turn...and, as far as
she was concerned, the man responsible for Mulder's condition. She started to
walk to him...slowly at first, then speeding into a run as her rage ovewhelmed
her. The Cigarette-Smoking Man turned in time to see Scully ram into him and
thrust him into a wall. She pulled her gun and pointed it at his stomach. She
ignored the shouts of the nurses and medtechs as they tried to pry Scully off
the man. "I'm a federal agent!! Back off NOW!!!!!" She screamed, shocking the
staff into backing away.
"You won't accomplish anything this way, Agent Scully," the
Cigarette-Smoking Man said calmly, despite being out of breath from the
struggle.
"Shut the fuck up!!!! Right now, I can't think of anything more
satisfying than unloading this gun into your cancer-ridden body, you son of a
bitch!!!" Scully was out of control. Anger and hatred the likes of which she
had never felt before pulsed through her body. She never held the desire to
kill in cold blood at any time of her life...until now. "You set us up, didn't
you, you fucking bastard? You tried to kill Agent Mulder, didn't you? ANSWER
ME NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!" She screamed.
"Agent Scully!! Back away from him! Get a hold of yourself!" Skinner
called out, running toward them, only to be warded off by the ER staff. He
reluctantly stayed back, despite the overwhelming urge to not only pull Scully
away from the "cancer man", but to take his place and pull the damn trigger.
Skinner's voice seemed to open a window to reality for Scully. She
couldn't kill the "cancer man" in front of everyone here. Also she knew that if
she tried to accuse him of attempted murder and conspiracy, he'd find a way to
bury her due to lack of evidence. She had to let him go, but not without a
warning. She pressed the gun deeper into his abdomen and whispered fiercely,
"I'll tell you only this...if Mulder dies, if he so much as limps slightly after
this...you'd better pray you die of lung cancer before I track you down.
Understand?"
"You'd be wise not to threaten me, Agent Scully."
"I'm not, sir. I'm promising you." Scully slowly pulled her gun from
his stomach and stepped away but kept her eyes locked on him. All he could do
was reach into his pocket for his Morleys, pull one out of the pack, and put one
in his mouth.
The arrogance of that man, Scully thought furiously. She lashed out
with her hand and ripped the cigarette from his mouth, leaving a small gash on
his cheek from her fingernails in the process. He gave her a surprised look.
Suddenly, a nurse leaned out of Mulder's emergency room. "Get us some
help in here!! We're losing this patient!!"
A nurse and two doctors ran into the room. The others in the hall
mobilized as a ambulance pulled up to the doors. Skinner used the moment of
chaos and confusion to move towards the "cancer man", only to discover that he
had somehow disappeared in the shuffle.
It couldn't be, thought Skinner frantically as he cased the area
quickly. Where the hell did he go? How could he just vanish without a trace?
Scully went to the doorway of Mulder's room, seeing her partner for the
first time since he had been brought in. Doctors were surrounding him, trying
desparately to revive him. He looked so much in pain...there was so much
blood...
"MULDER!!!!!!" She cried out, praying that he would somehow hear her and
respond.
The sound of a flatline on the EKG monitor was her only response. "He's
crashing!! Shock up the paddles NOW!!" A doctor called out quickly.
Dana Scully could take no more. Her partner, her friend...lay dying in
front of her. No justice could be exacted for his suffering. Tears stung her
eyes and ran down her cheeks. She was losing everything, and that reality was
far too much for her to bear.
"Again! He's not responding!"
With all the strength, rage and pain she had left in herm she fell to
her knees and screamed, "NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Then, blackness.....

TO BE CONTINUED

Let me know what you think! Write me at picard1@execpc.com with comments about
the story! :)

From picard1@execpc.com Sat Nov 16 23:30:19 1996
(See disclaimers from Part One.)

T H E X F I L E S:
"Do Not Go Gently..."

By: Scott J. Hauenstein

PART II
-------

Dana Scully woke suddenly from the smelling salts being waved beneath
her nostrils. She sat up quickly, eyes wide and breathing rapidly. "Mulder!!!"
she called out instinctively, the horror of her last memory frozen like a still
image in her mind.
"Agent Scully, just relax. You passed out, and you've been unconscious
for about fifteen minutes," a young doctor said.
"Fifteen minutes..." Scully repeated to herself. Then, as if suddenly
had flipped a mental switch, her mind became clear, and only one person was on
her mind. No one and nothing else mattered. "Agent Mulder?"
"He's in critical condition. We had a scare for a few moments when he
went into cardiac arrest, but we were able to stabilize him," the doctor
replied.
"He's alive..." Scully slowly lowered herself back onto the bed. She
wanted to feel sweet relief for that news, but she knew, from a professional
standpoint, Fox Mulder was not out of the woods yet. "If...when he does
recover, will he...will he be all right?"
"Well, he was extremely lucky. While the wounds were potentially
life-threatening, the organ damage he suffered won't impair him permanently.
However, though there seems to be no apparent sign of brain damage, the loss of
so much blood in so little time has caused the most problems for him. We're
hopeful that he will make a full recovery, but the ball's in his court right
now," the doctor explained as someone walked into the room where Scully had been
placed for treatment.
"Dana?" A soft voice interrupted the doctor's explanation.
"Mom..." Scully whispered softly, feeling fresh tears well in her eyes.
"I'll be going now...I'll let you two be alone. Just rest here a few
more minutes, then when you can leave as soon as you'd like. I'll be monitoring
Agent Mulder's status constantly. I'm Dr. Cohaegen. If you need me, just flag
me down or tell one of the nurses to page me." Cohaegen politely smiled at
Margaret Scully as he exited the room.
"Mr. Skinner called me and told me what happened. I'm so sorry, Dana,"
Margaret said as she walked to the bed. Scully sat up and embraced her mother,
letting her tears fall once more.
"Oh, Mom..." Dana sobbed.
"Dana, sweetheart, it's going to be all right. Fox will make it through
this. He's a very strong person," Margaret said soothingly, stroking her
daughter's tousled red hair.
"I know...but he almost died today, Mom. I almost lost him..."
"But you didn't, and that's what matters. He's fighting his way back to
life. You have to help him win this fight. Perhaps you already are..."
Margaret released Scully and gently wiped her tears away. "Did I ever tell you
what happened when you showed up at the hospital after being missing for so
long? Fox came in and demanded to know who hurt you. He went wild; the doctors
had to drag him away from the emergency ward. He didn't want to give up on you,
even after we agreed to your wishes to be taken off of life support. He stayed
by your side after the doctors disconnected you from the respirator. I had to
make him go home after a while, he was so worn out. He didn't eat, or sleep.
He just sat by you, holding your hand and...he cried for you. He wanted you to
live. He told me before he left that he would've given anything and everything
to bring you back."
Scully was taken aback by all this. No one had ever told her this, not
even Melissa in the months before her death. Imagining his anger at her
condition, agonizing with self-blame (she knew him well enough to know he
probably blamed himself), and exhausting himself while never leaving her side
filled her with an emotion she thought she'd never have the chance to feel
again.
"You love him, don't you?" Margaret asked gently, already knowing the
answer.
Scully was not surprised by her mother's accurate perception. She had a
talent for that. She smiled through her tears and said, "Yes...yes I do. I
love him so much, Mom...and that's what's scaring me so much. If he dies, I can
never tell him. If he lives, how can I tell him? How can we work together and
love one another that way? It complicates things, to put it mildly."
Margaret took her daughter's hands in hers and smiled tenderly. "If he
means so much to you, and I know you mean everything to him, then you both will
find a way to love one another. It's destiny, Dana. Don't push it away...the
cost of your heart and soul is far greater than the physical risks involved."
Scully considered her mother's words carefully, and found no good reason
to refute them. She was absolutely right. Scully could barely imagine life
without Mulder before, but now it was unacceptable to be without him. She loved
him. She knew that there was no more time to wait or deny that truth.
Scully swung around and slowly stood up. Margaret kept holding her
daughter's hands in case she needed steadying. "Where are you going, honey?"
"I'm all right, Mom. I have something to tell my partner." Dana smiled
and hugged her mother once more. "Thanks, Mom."
"You're very welcome, Dana. I want you to be happy. That's all I've
ever wanted for you."
"If I can be with him, Mom...I will be." With that, Dana grabbed a bag
of fresh clothes her mother had been so kind to bring to her and went into the
bathroom to change.

"This news is most disheartening," the Well-Manicured Man said, glaring
at his cigarette-smoking colleague. "Agent Mulder is vital. His death will
bring trouble."
"His status is critical, but stable. There's a strong chance he'll pull
through," the Cigarette-Smoking Man assured the gentleman.
"You had beeter be right, for all our sakes. We risk exposure because
of this. The actions of your men were absolutely inacceptable. It wasn't
justice enough for them to die in that fire," the Well-Manicured Man retorted.
"They were instructed to take care of any remaining materials at the
location. They acted on their own when they shot Agent Mulder," the
Cigarette-Smoking Man commented quickly.
"How can we be sure of that now? All this is being said after the fact.
We have no proof that they acted on their own volition," the Swarthy Man
explained.
"And what of Agent Scully? If Mulder dies, she will do everything in
her power to bring the culprits to justice. As I've been told, you've been made
very well aware of that fact," the Well-Manicured Man added.
The Cigarette-Smoking Man was not surprised to find out his actions at
the hospital had been observed. "Her threats are without consequence. She has
no proof, because there is nothing to prove that doesn't already confirm my
explanation of the events."
"That doesn't matter. No matter what she can prove or what she knows,
she'll come to you first, and that endangers the rest of us," the Swarthy Man
countered sternly.
"And that is a possibility we are not going to allow for. If it
requires us to take drastic measures, then, by all means, we will." The
Well-Manicured Man stood from his chair and faced his colleague. "Your grievous
errors of the past has cost us more than we care for, but we've overlooked them
for obvious reasons. That will no longer happen. If you know some way to solve
this dilemma, I suggest you implement it, lest you face a greater threat than
any FBI agent in the entire country can offer."
The Cigarette-Smoking Man glared at his colleague, but did nothing more
than take a puff from his cigarette. "The matter will be dealt with properly.
Rest assured of that. Good day, gentlemen," he said as he walked out of the
room, closing the door behind him.
"Do you think he was involved in Mulder's shooting?" The Swarthy Man
asked his colleague.
"It doesn't matter what I think. What happens from this moment on are
the matters at hand. You will remain here to observe events as they occur. You
will keep us apprised. I'll be returning to New York." The Well-Manicured Man
instructed as he walked to the door.
"And if Agent Mulder dies?"
"You know what you must do then. Be merciless and quick." With that,
the Well-Manicured Man left the room, his swarthy associate looking on with grim
determination.

Damn. His pack of Morleys were down to one cigarette, and he had no
time to replenish. He'd have to relish this last one while he proceeded with
his plan. Time was of the essence now.
The armed guard at the gate nodded sharply as the Cigarette-Smoking Man
passed him and walked to Building 601....the holding area. He smiled to himself
ever so slightly...he still was amazed at the circumstances behind it all. The
very idea that he came back into their hands...it seemed almost absurd. Never
did he think at that time that it would prove fortuitous.
Another guard opened the door for the Cigarette-Smoking Man. He walked
in and allowed his eyes to adjust to the darkness. He pulled out his last
Morley and lit it as he came to the bulletproof glass-shielded area. There the
prisoner sat, hooked up to diagnostic equipment and neural monitors. His head
was hung low, as if he was ashamed with himself.
"I have an opportunity for you. A chance to regain your freedom," the
Cigarette-Smoking Man offered the prisoner.
"You've come here to taunt me? Have all the other truths in the world
been forever silenced, requiring you to come here and silence the last one?"
"It concerns Agent Mulder."
The prisoner looked up into the face of deceit itself. "He's hurt."
"He needs your help to live."
"Why do you care? What possible motivation would cause you to show
compassion for his life?"
"My motivations are none of your concern. What should concern you the
most is the prospect of freedom."
The voice and image of Melissa Scully replied. "As long as you live, I
will never be truly free."
"I'm not required to give you any more explanations. You'll go to Agent
Mulder, and do whatever you can to save him."
"And if I cannot?" the male voice and image returned.
"Mr. Smith," the Cigarette-Smoking Man replied, blowing out a puff of
smoke, "That is simply not an option."

TO BE CONTINUED

Thank you for all your comments so far!! I've really enjoyed your thoughts on
my newest story. Please do not hesitate to write me at picard1@execpc.com
with more commentary!!

From picard1@execpc.com Wed Dec 04 21:03:04 1996
(See disclaimers and warnings from part one. "See that? So did I! Back to
you!")

T H E X F I L E S:
"Do Not Go Gently..."

PART III
-----------

Dana Scully never felt more sure of herself than she did at the moment she
stepped into
Fox Mulder's room. I've waited far too long to do this, but I'll be damned if
I'm going to wait
any longer, she thought to herself as she pulled the curtain around his bed.
When she looked upon her partner, she almost began to cry again. He looked
so pale, so
weak...so much in pain. The heart monitor beeped in a steady rhythm, and
Mulder's chest rose
and fell with slow breaths. His breathing and the beeps of the EKG were the
only noises in the
room as Scully reached Mulder's bedside.
"Mulder?" She called to him quietly, almost choking on the name because of
the tears she
fought back. She had to be strong now. Her strength had to be enough to not
only keep her
going, but to inspire Mulder to fight for his life. "Mulder, it's me, Scully.
I know you can hear
me if you choose to...I want you to hear me now."
Scully took a deep, shaky breath and began. "Three years ago, when I first
met you, I
thought you were...well, a bit of an oddity. I had a lot of trouble getting
used to you and your
wild theories. Friends in the Bureau kept telling me to get the hell out of the
basement because
"Spooky" Mulder would have me seeing little green men and ghostly apparitions
before too long.
But I was sure I could learn a lot from you...and I did. You opened my eyes,
Mulder. You gave
me the opportunity to see beyond the walls of science and logic. No one but you
could do that.
"And, you changed my life in another way, too, Mulder. For the first time
in my life, I
didn't feel alone. I never got the chance until now to tell you how much I
liked hearing the sound
of your voice in the middle of the night when you'd call. I never minded the
wake-up; in fact,
sometimes I stayed up and waited for the phone to ring. I felt like I could
tell you anything,
Mulder, and I feel that way even more now. You've always been there for me to
listen, to help,
and to make me smile when I thought there was no reason to."
Scully took Mulder's hand in hers and fought back tears as she continued.
"God, I wish I
could look into your beautiful eyes and say these words. Mulder...I can't
imagine my life without
you. I've never felt that way about anyone before. When I was in a coma, I saw
my family watch
over me, trying to lead me back to life. I was ready to give up...until you
came to me. Your
strength, your beliefs helped me find the way back. But, I never told you the
other reason I
wanted to live...

"Mulder..." Scully began, choking back tears that were becoming harder to
restrain. "I
came back because I love you. When the Bureau shut us down, I felt lost.
Someone had torn us
apart, and I hated them for it, because I had become closer to you than anyone I
ever knew.
When I saw you in that parking garage, I wanted to just pour my heart out to
you...tell you I
loved you, run into your arms and office etiquette be damned. But I knew I
couldn't then,
because we both needed to find our way...we needed to realize we had lost the
fight. But when I
came back...I felt all those hopes of mine come back, and despite everything
we've been through,
I still wanted you in my personal life."
Scully scowled a bit and squeezed Mulder's hand as stray tears ran down her
cheeks.
"Fox, don't you leave me. Please. I love you, and I want you back. Fight to
live, Mulder.
There's so much left for us to do. We can't let them win, Mulder! The "cancer
man",
Krycek...they will win if you give up. Everything you've fought for will be
lost. Fight, Mulder,
please... I need you so much...don't you die on me..."
To Scully's shock, Mulder's eyes flickered and the squeezing of Mulder's
hand was
answered by his squeezing her hand ever so lightly. "Mulder?!?" Scully's eyes
were wide with
shock as he tried to focus his eyes on her. The heart monitor's beeps were
becoming faster and
less rhythmic, and Scully wanted to get up and call for someone to assist her,
but she couldn't
bring herself to let go of Mulder's hand.
As Scully stood next to Mulder, clutching her hand and trembling with fear
and confusion,
he parted his lips and spoke. "Scully.....Dana...help me...."
Suddenly, his eyes shut, his breathing ceased and the rapid beeping of the
EKG went to a
flat tone.
"Oh, God.....Mulder, no!! NO!!! Don't give up on me, damn you!!! Mulder,
fight!!!"
"CODE BLUE, CODE BLUE TO ROOM 701!! CODE BLUE!!" a voice called out over
the loudspeaker as doctors and nurses rushed in with a crash cart. The doctors
quickly ushered
Scully away despite her protests. As the nurse led her out into the hall,
Margaret Scully turned
the corner and ran to her daughter, taking her in her arms.
"Oh, Mom, no...not Mulder...not now...please...please don't let him
die....God, please
don't let him die..." Scully sobbed uncontrollably, leaving nothing more for
her mother to do but
hold her tight and pray...
Pray for Fox Mulder.

"Oh, God..." Fox Mulder was in another place now.
"Fox...." A voice echoed inwardly and outwardly.
"Dad?" the response was.
"My son... I did not want to see you again so soon."
"Dad...I've missed you."
"And I you, Fox. But this is not your time."
"But I'm so tired..."
"You cannot give up the struggle now. If you do, the consequences will
cling to your soul
for eternity, and my death will have been for nothing."
"I've failed...I couldn't save you...Mom almost died because of me..."
"And for you, she lives on...for your sister..."
"Samantha..."
"The answers await you there...the truth that you seek and hold so dear
cannot be found
here. You must return. You are my champion in the search for the truths that
are out there,
waiting to be uncovered."
"Fox..." Another voice now.
"Melissa?"
"My sister is hurting for you. Her soul is enshrouded in sadness and pain.
She longs to be
with you."
"Scully..."
"She loves you, Fox. You must know now. Her love for you is stronger than
anything
I've ever known. You must gain strength from her love to go on."
"Dana...loves me?"
"Fox....your heart has lost its direction." His father's voice returned.
"You seek the truth
and you pursue justice, which is right, but you keep yourself isolated from the
one thing that can
benefit from that pursuit...love beyond all things. My demons caused me to
lose the woman I
loved. You cannot let the same thing happen to you."
Mulder heard Scully's cries from another place. "Scully!" he cried,
wanting to be as far
away from where he was as possible. He only wanted to be with her.
"You cannot answer her now. Your body must regain its strength."
"Let me go back."
"That's not for me to decide, Fox. Only you can decide whether your life
is worth living.
I can only advise you. Fight death. Go back, my son. Go back for your sister.
Go back for your
mother, for yourself...and for Dana Scully. I will be here when your true time
comes. Goodbye,
Fox." His voice was gone.
"Father!!"
"Go back, Fox. My sister needs you..." Her voice drifted away.
"SCULLY!!!!!!!!!!!"

TO BE CONTINUED...

So....comments? Queries? I'd like to hear them so I know my work isn't
being ignored.
E me at picard1@execpc.com if you'd like to drop me a virtual line about my
story!

From picard1@execpc.com Thu Dec 12 23:09:54 1996
T H E X F I L E S:
Do Not Go Gently..."

PART IV
-----------

Freedom. Or so they claimed.
Jeremiah Smith felt no freedom despite the release from his confines. He
knew that he
was being watched, most likely through the targeting scope of a sniper's rifle.
More than once,
Smith considered escaping his observers and hiding out....but he knew he could
not. A life hung
in the balance, a life he felt needed to continue for the benefit of the greater
good.
He had to admit to being surprised at the Cigarette-Smokng Man for
instigating this
operation. There had to be an ulterior motive for his request. Why would he
want Fox Mulder
alive? Smith had sensed a tension in the Cigarette-Smoking Man's voice when he
spoke to him,
and found out from that tension that he was under extreme pressure to carry out
this assignment
or face extreme consequences. But there was something else, something so deeply
hidden, that
Smith could not penetrate and expose it. What could it be?
He reached out with his mind and searched Mulder out. He closed his eyes
and
concentrated.
Suddenly, it all caught up to him, and he staggered backward and nearly
fell over from the
tumult of emotion. Fox Mulder, clinging to life as the doctors attempt to bring
him back....his
partner, Dana Scully, in such deep emotional pain...another man...their
superior, Smith
determined, full of anger and a desire for revenge...
There was very little time left. Fox's essence, his life force, was barely
present...he
seemed ready to let go. Jeremiah decided he would go to the hospital and bring
Fox Mulder
back from the brink.
But not for the people responsible for his release. Jeremiah Smith would
only revive Fox
for two reasons...
The truth that is out there...and his partner who loved him.

Dana Scully felt lost and alone. She felt very fatigued, but couldn't
fathom sleeping now.
She had to stay awake in case Mulder woke up...or in case he....
No!! She thought, shutting out the very notion of any option other than
the one she most
hoped for.
The doctors were able to save Mulder from what had been cardiac arrest
brought on by
unforeseen complications from the emergency surgery. The doctors weren't
willing to give too
many details on what exactly those complications were, but Scully knew they were
not caused by
any fault of their own. Mulder was stable once more, but his condition remained
unchanged, if
not somewhat worse. The doctors determined they had done all they could; it was
up to Mulder
now.

She was sitting in Mulder's room in a chair next to his bed. It was
getting late, close to
two o'clock in the morning. She and Skinner had been able to persuade the
hospital staff to let
them stay with him through the night; not that they had much of a choice,
considering their status
as agents of the federal government. Skinner went back to the office to go over
reports on the
incident, but she stayed by his side since her mother left at eight o'clock P.M.
She didn't even
leave him when the medtechs and nurses moved him to an intensive care room. She
couldn't
think of leaving him...now or ever. She longed to be able to embrace him, to
take him in her arms
and make all the pain disappear and comfort him with her love.
She reached for the cross on her necklace and let it rest in her palm. She
closed her hand
and her eyes...and she prayed.
"God...I need you now, more than I ever have before. I can only look to
you now;
I've run out of options.
I love this man, God. I love him more than I've loved anyone before. He's
given me the
faith in myself I thought I'd lost so long ago. I cannot be without him...I'm
incomplete whenever
he's away from me. I've looked forward to every moment I've been with him, no
matter what the
situation, because his strength, his courage, and his caring have protected
himself...and reached
out to protect me.
But now...he's losing strength. I'm afraid he's ready to give up, and I
don't want that to
happen. I want to tell him how much I love him...I want to show him that I'd
give up anything
for him.
I wish I could turn back time and tell him sooner, when I first knew,
without a doubt, that
I was in love with him. I'd do it in an instant...then we'd be together, and
none of this would be
happening...or would it? I've kept myself in check because I knew a working
relationship can be
adversely affected by a romance. We'd put each other at risk, I said to myself.
If anything
happened between us, it would affect our abilities to do our jobs. Overall, I
knew the risks were
great.
But I cannot let those things keep me from the man I love anymore. The
knowledge that I
loved him so and could not express it will hurt me more than anything else
could.
Help me...please. Help him...give him strength to take life back...oh,
God....I beg of
you...show me that miracles do exist."
As she opened her eyes, tears fell down her cheeks. More tears clouded her
vision,
making her unable to determine the identity of the form standing in the doorway.
Nonetheless,
she jumped up and reached for her sidearm.
"Agent Scully...there is no need to fear."
"Who are you? Step into the light!" She ordered, wiping her eyes quickly
as he did so.
When she saw who the person was, she almost pulled the trigger.
"I'm here to help Agent Mulder," Jeremiah Smith said calmly.
"Help him? HELP HIM?!?" She shouted, anger burning inside her. "He's
dying because
of you!! He followed your instructions to that god-forsaken warehouse!!! He
nearly died twice
today!!! DAMN YOU!!!!!"
"You must believe that I would never want to hurt you or Agent Mulder.
Those who
wish to destroy me and hinder your efforts are the ones responsible."
"How can I trust you after all this?"
"I cannot force you to. Only you can allow yourself to have faith in me.
Let me help him,
Agent Scully."
"What do you think you can do?"
"I can revive him."
"How?!?" Scully asked incredulously.
"Let me help him, Dana. I have the power to bring him back."
"No...no..." Scully repeated, faltering from her defensive stance. "You
can't just will
someone to recover...you can't..."
"You had the faith to pray to your God to help you. I am no god, but I can
help if you let
me. He needs the chance to return to this life. His will is strong, but his
body cannot match that
strength as fast as he needs it to. You know that the doctors cannot help him
anymore. They've
run out of treatments. I can give him his life back. Now...please, let me give
you back the man
you love so dearly." Smith pleaded, stepping closer to the bed.
"How?" Scully asked again.
"By giving him all my remaining strength. I shall give myself for him.
You see, there are two
ways we can perish. The puncture wound at the base of the neck, and
transference of life force."
"You can't...."
"I must, for the greater good, Dana. I will die anyway; I just cannot give
my life for those who
wish to silence Agent Mulder. Please...allow me to proceed."
Scully slowly stepped out of Smith's way and watched as he approached
Mulder's still
form. Smith looked serenely at him for a moment, then reached out, putting his
hands on
Mulder's chest. He closed his eyes and reached out for the soul of Fox Mulder.

"Agent Mulder?"
"Jeremiah?!?"
"It's time for you to come back, Fox."
"Come back..."
"Wonderful things await you...there is no need to fear..."
"I'm not sure I can..."
"I will help you."
"How?"
"Look deep inside yourself...grab a hold of the most important things in
your life, the
things that drive you and make you whole. They and I will be your guides."
"Scully...."
"Yes. She is here, waiting for you."
"My sister..."
"The truth is still out there, Fox. You will find it. Of that you can be
assured. Come
now, Fox. Come back to us."
"Goodbye, Dad..."

Scully watched, awestruck at the scene before her. A light, brighter than
one she had ever
seen, began to glow from under Jeremiah's hands and illuminated the room.
Jeremiah thrust his
head back as he gave out all his strength. Finally, the sheer spectacle of all
she was witnessing
combined with fatigue compromised Dana Scully, and her mind spun from light to
dark.

Scully awoke with a start, almost jumping out of the chair she had been
placed in.
"Damn," she whispered after the initial shock of awakening had passed. She
noticed that she was
still in Mulder's room, and the chair had been moved to face the window.
Morning was beginning
to break, allowing a beautiful view of the sunrise. She smiled a bit at the
wondrous sight, wishing
Mulder was awake to see it.
"Beautiful as always..." came a weak voice from behind her.
Scully's eyes widened in shock, then welled up in joyous tears as she
realized whose voice
it was. In barely a shaky whisper, all she could say is, "Oh, my God..." as she
slowly turned
around.
"So is the sunrise..." Fox Mulder added, smiling.
"Fox..." Scully stood up and moved to the bed, allowing her tears to flow
freely as she
rested her head on his chest.
"Oh, Dana...if there was anyone I wanted to wake up and see, it was you."
"Fox...Jeremiah Smith...he..."
"I know, Scully...I know. I heard him, saw him...as I was unconscious. He
helped me
find my way back." Mulder ran his fingers through her tousled hair, took a
shuddery deep breath,
and said, "I was ready to give up, Scully."
Scully turned her head and looked into his eyes as he continued. "I saw my
father...your
sister. I felt ready to let go of life... but they convinced me to continue,
that my life was not at its
end. It didn't take me too long to figure out what I had to live for."
"The truth..." Dana offered.
"Yes, there is that...but something so much more precious. Dana, I came
back because of
you. I'd give up everything else if it meant keeping you in my life. You've
restored the one thing
I thought I could never have...my faith in love. My only regret is that I never
told you this
sooner.... I love you, Dana Katherine Scully."
Scully lifted her head from Mulder's chest, leaned forward, smiled, and
kissed him ever so
gently on the lips. "I love you too, Fox William Mulder....I always have, and I
always will."
Mulder looked at her, the rising sun giving her frame a heavenly glow.
"So...angels do
exist," he said with a smile.
Scully returned a smile and was about to say something when a knock on the
door
distracted her.
"Agent Scully?" Walter Skinner, looking very fatigued, stood in the
doorway, looking at
Mulder in disbelief. He had heard that Mulder had made a startling recovery,
but was still
shocked by how healthy he looked.
Good morning, sir...look who's awake," Scully greeted, indicating Mulder.
"Yes, so I heard. Welcome back to the land of the living, Agent Mulder,"
Skinner replied,
his voice as calm and collected as ever, but his face showing distinct relief.
"Good to be back, sir..." Mulder said weakly. "Mind if I take a few days
off? I'm not
feeling quite up to par..." Mulder requested with a smaller version of his
familiar smirk.
Skinner smiled a bit and said, "Sounds reasonable to me, Agent Mulder.
I'll leave you
two alone, but there's just one thing...Two orderlies reported they saw a man
that matches
Jeremiah Smith's description stagger out of the hospital shortly after midnight.
Can either of you
speculate on what he was doing here?"
Mulder was about to answer, but Scully interrupted with "We didn't see him,
sir...perhaps
their description was incorrect."
Skinner kept his eyes on her for a few seconds, then replied,
"Perhaps....well...I'll be
waiting downstairs, Scully, whenever you're ready. Take care of yourself,
Mulder."
"You too, sir.."Mulder replied, slowly sitting up a bit.
"I'll be right there, sir," Scully called out as Skinner left the room.
"Why didn't you tell Skinner about Smith?" Mulder asked, puzzled.
"He wanted to be free, Mulder. He would rather die for you than die for
them. He gave his
life for you." Scully squeezed his hand gently. "I would've done the same for
you."
"Let's pray that you never have to consider that, besides, together, we're
damn near
invincible," Mulder said gently, feeling sleepiness claim him once again.
"I'll let you rest, Mulder. I'll see you this afternoon."
"I look forward to it with bated breath, Scully. And, Dana?"
"Yes, Fox?" Scully turned and said as she was walking out of the room.
"I love you."
"You can't know how beautiful that sounds, Fox....I love you, too. Rest
well." With that,
Dana Scully left Fox Mulder's room, allowing relief, happiness, and love to once
again fill her
soul.

"Over here, sir," the sharpshooter called out, prompting the
Cigarette-Smoking Man to
run to the scene. He nearly dropped the cigarette from his mouth when he saw
Jeremiah Smith
laying on the ground, his eyes only half-open.
"I....I've succeeded....he lives....not for you....for the truth.....you'll
never stop
them...you'll never win..."
"I've already won, Mr. Smith. You've done exactly what I wanted you to do.
Mulder is
alive and I have you to thank for it," the Cigarette Smoking Man said calmly,
taking a puff from
his Morley.
"He...they...are stronger...than all of you. They will find...the
truth...the truth
has...set...me...free.................."
Jeremiah Smith let his last breath slip away...then his body was still.
Slowly, a hissing
sound turned into a sizzling noise as Smith's body began to deteriorate.
"Clean this up...no traces," The Cigarette-Smoking Man ordered to the
sharpshooter as he
walked away, puffing his cigarette. "So much for the truth...."

Here, in the physical world, two people finally shared love long-hidden,
thanks to a
miracle...and somewhere, in a spirit plane far beyond those we can comprehend,
an entity formerly
known as Jeremiah Smith was finally free........

T H E E N D

Well, there you have it!!! I hope you enjoyed this story, and I do apologize
for the length of time
it took to complete it. I will be posting less for a while, until I can begin
to post my newest X-Files epic....the sequel to Crescendo In Blackness.
Please write me at picard1@execpc.com with comments!!