Title: Paths That Cross (2/4)

Author: Hansome Alvin (hansomealvin@my-deja.com)

Genre: Slash/Suspense

Rating: NC-17 for sex, language and violence (not nearly as dark as the last one, I promise)

Fandom: X-Flies/Millennium/Twin Peaks crossover

Spoilers: The X-Files-episode "Millennium"/Millennium-episode "The Time is Now"/Twin Peaks-whole show

Summary: Sequel to "Angels in Dark Suits." Dana Scully and Lara Means team up to stop a vicious plot against Audrey Horne and Gersten and Donna Hayward.

Distribution: with permission of the author (hansomealvin@my-deja.com) This story will be archived at my website (http://www.oocities.org/hansomealvin/ThinkMeWicked.html)

Disclaimers: Characters from "The X-Files" and "Millennium" are property of Ten-Thirteen Productions. Characters from "Twin Peaks" are property of the Lynch/Frost Company. I imply no ownership of these characters, no do I profit from the use of them in this context. All original characters (including Darla Daley) and the story are copyright 2000 by Hansome Alvin. This is a "slash" story, which means it depicts scenes of a sexual nature between members of the same sex (women, in this case). If this offends you, do not read it.

Paths That Cross

by Hansome Alvin (hansomealvin@my-deja.com)

Part Two

"Shit," Audrey muttered.

"What?" Gale asked.

"The lines are down. I don't believe it, the lines are down. They're in danger and the lines are down. God, I hate Boulder!"

Audrey slammed the receiver into its cradle with an audible ring.

"I still don't understand quite what's going on." Gale was sitting on her desk, trying to get the story out of Audrey.

"All right, all right. About six months ago I helped out an old friend...actually, she's my half-sister. Anyway, I helped her out. Her sister had been kidnapped."

"So, your sister had been kidnapped?"

"No, it was her sister. I'm not related to Gersten."

"Oh."

"Anyway, I helped her. We got her sister back, but the woman who masterminded it got away. It appears that she wants revenge."

"Revenge? For what?"

"We killed her sister."

"You killed her sister?"

"No, I didn't kill her sister. Someone else did. But I was involved."

"So, you saved your sister's sister and had a hand in killing the sister of the woman who kidnapped your sister's sister?"

"And we killed her brother."

"And her brother."

"Yep, that's about the size of it."

"Wow."

"Yeah, wow. Now, I have to go Boulder and see if they're okay."

"Boulder? That's where your sister and her sister live?"

"Yes. Can you watch over things when I'm gone?"

"I suppose." Gale was flustered. She didn't know what else to say. "How long?" she finally got out.

"I don't know. Couple days. A week."

"Okay."

Audrey looked at Gale for a moment. She seemed to be asking something without articulating it.

"Go, it's okay," Gale said.

Audrey smiled, gave Gale a kiss and went into her office to grab what she needed for the trip.

"We have to get moving," Dana said, emerging from her bathroom fully dressed. Lara was just finishing getting into her clothes.

"I know, I know," Lara said. "Should we get backup?"

"Well, Audrey is probably already on her way up. The note wanted us all there, so I assume that Audrey also got one. I'll keep calling periodically on our way."

Dana had discovered what Audrey already knew, the phone lines were down in that area of Boulder. A large storm had moved in during the last couple of hours. Dana wondered briefly if she should call Mulder. No, better not to involve him. Then, something occurred to her.

"Did you pick up your mail recently?" she asked.

"Yes, I checked the P.O. Box this morning."

"You didn't get a letter?"

"No."

"How did Darla know you'd be with me?"

"That's a good question."

"I thought it was. Here's a better one: how did she know you'd be with me on the exact day I recieved the letter? You just came back."

There was a knock at the door. Both women froze. Dana pulled her pistol, while Lara ducked out of sight. Dana approached the door and peeped through the keyhole. She dropped her guard and sighed, shooting a glance at Lara. She opened the door.

"Happy Valentine's Day," Mulder said, holding up two bags from McDonald's. "I figured that you wouldn't want to take the time to make food or anything, so I thought..."

He entered the apartment and saw Lara.

"Maybe I should have brought another meal. Detective Shepard?"

He looked quizzically at her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"It's kind of a long story, Mulder," Dana said.

"Well," Mulder said to Lara, "I'm sure Scully would be willing to give up some of her fries. Do you wanna join us for this fabulous Micky-Dees feast?"

"No, thank you," Lara said.

"No, I insist. Rene, isn't it?"

"Actually, it's Lara," Dana said.

"Lara Shepard? That doesn't seem right."

"It's not," Lara said. "I'm Lara Means."

Lara offered her hand. Mulder set the food down and took it.

"Formerly of the Millennium Group," Lara said.

Mulder's eyes seemed to grow in his head.

"You've been keeping things from me, Scully," he said, looking at his partner.

Dana regarded the floor, a wry smile on her face.

"So, where we goin?" Mulder said, seeing they were dressed to leave.

The two women sighed. Mulder was going to be tagging along.

"Darla Daley," Reese said.

Darla looked at him, smiling.

"Darla Daley! I remember you. You're the one who escaped from that massacre at the mental hospital in Phoenix, right?"

Darla nodded.

"You were torturing some girl with your brother and your sister?"

Another nod. "Purifying," she said.

"Wow! I don't believe it." He looked at her. "You've changed. They had a picture of you and your sister in the paper. Gained some weight...I mean that in a good way!" He raised a hand, as if she was going to hit him. She didn't.

"I've been taking some hormone pills. I was *very* thin before. And, of course, my hair." She gestured to the new, short blond hairstyle.

That must have been why I saw her as a different person when she entered the restroom, he thought. I was remembering her old image. That was a perfectly good reason, except that it wasn't right. He knew this, but chose to ignore it.

"Wow. So, what's the plan?"

"I'll let you know what you need to know. Right now, all you need to know is that we're not alone in our quest."

She smiled at him. He looked at her, a queer look on his face.

"What d'ya mean?" he asked.

"You'll see. You'll most definitely see."

Burton threw the binoculars into the car and got behind the wheel. He didn't start up the vehicle, he just sat there, his hands on his head, thinking. Snow was falling outside and it was cold. He rubbed a hand through his black hair, sheared into a crew cut. It was a nervous tick, something he didn't even realize he did. His relief, Kurtz, had taken over just five minutes ago, and so he was in for a much deserved break. Burton looked down the road and observed the house. The Hayward's house was isolated from other homes by at least a few blocks. They obviously wanted privacy. He looked into the woods and saw Kurtz, dressed just as he had been, standing in an outcropping of trees. He was using his own pair of binoculars, holding them as a military general would, stiff and rigid.

Kurtz was dangerous, Burton knew that.

The whole damn thing was dangerous, actually. Why did he agree to this? He didn't know exactly. Archangel had first got his attention with a posting on a religious message board:

"Tired of the way things are? Do you wish things could be different? Do you want to wipe the heathen scum off the street? I am the sword that will cut the offending, diseased arm off. I am the doorway. Contact Archangel."

The message went on to give Archangel's email address. Burton was impressed with the confidence, so he got ahold of Archangel. That had led to a series of long, electric conversations with Archangel. After a few months, she (Burton was convinced that Archangel was a woman) had converted Burton to her way of thinking. He was given an assignment. He was to be a guard. A guard for the heathens in Boulder. Archangel had told him about the false profits, the liars. They were the first order of business.

So, swept up by Archangel's confidence and rhetoric, Burton had gone to Boulder. There, he met the others. Archangel had assembled a taskforce of like-minded individuals in one or two important centers across the nation. That was when Burton began to get worried. It was fun to talk with Archangel online. He did agree with her points, but he wasn't as radical as her, he supposed. He didn't know if he belonged in this group of religious zealots.

Burton finally started the car and began to drive back to their center.

So, why did he stay? Why didn't he just get into his car and drive home?

Well, there were two reasons for that. The first was Kurtz. Burton got the feeling that the man would kill for the cause. Most of them would. So, what would they do to someone who left the cause? It gave one pause.

The second was Annie.

He turned a corner and parked the car a discreet distance from the base. He would walk the rest of the way. The base was a run down, out-of-the-way, condemned hotel that they had commandeered. Snow was beginning to fall from the sky in clumps. Annie met Burton halfway to the hotel. A dazzling, alluring woman wearing a simple pair of pants and a sweater. Burton looked past her to the entryway to the hotel. He didn't like it. Something about the shadows.

"How did it go?" Annie asked.

"Fine," he whispered. "You need a jacket, it's freezing."

"We're just going to be outside for a few minutes."

Burton nodded.

"Hey," she said, taking him into her arms. "What's the problem?"

Burton looked around before answering.

"I don't know if I can go on with this."

"With what?"

"With...with all *this*." He gestured wildly.

"It's all a little heavy, isn't it?"

He looked into her eyes. She had the most beautiful, haunting deep green eyes. His eyes drifted to the small, half-circle scar just above her left eyebrow. It occurred to him that he never asked her how she had got that, but he wouldn't ask her. He pushed a long strand of dark blonde hair off her face and kissed her.

"You're not like them, are you?" he asked after the kiss. "You're like me. You can't believe what you've gotten yourself into?"

She nodded, frowning.

"I'm afraid of some of them," she whispered.

"Kurtz."

She nodded again.

"Archangel," she said.

"When is she coming?"

"Soon. She contacted Kurtz. He said that she needed to pick up a 'special' recruit on her way here."

"So, we're sure she's a woman?"

"I think so."

"So do I. I'm scared of her, too."

"Can we get away?"

They had stopped where they met, not approaching the hotel. A car turned the corner and started down the road they were on. They stopped talking and moved out of its way.

"I think Kurtz and the others would kill us," Burton said.

Annie nodded once again.

"Do you think they're going to kill those two women? The ones we've been watching?"

"Yeah, I think they are. They are 'the enemy'. We can't let any harm come to them. Christ, this is not righteous. How did I get swept up in this."

"Maybe we *could* get away. We could take your car, maybe mine, and--"

"Even if we got away from Kurtz and the others, what if Archangel's got soldiers across the country. We wouldn't know who to trust."

"So, we just stay here and let them kill these two women?"

"No. We'll find a way. We'll stop them."

They embraced, readied themselves, and started towards the hotel. Burton stole a glance at the sky as they did so. The storm was beginning to rage.

Audrey boarded her plane, unaware of anyone around her. She had given Gale a hasty goodbye and drove like a madman to Sky Harbor.

She had called Donna's a few times on the way. No luck, the lines were still down. She assumed that the lines went down often during the winter in Boulder. Of course, she had forgotten that it was winter, since this season had hardly seemed like winter in the Valley of the Sun.

Now, sure they were in trouble, she boarded her plane, meaning to save her sister and Gersten. She didn't notice the onlooker. The person watched her leave and then went to the phones to call the base.

"Here's my thing:," Lara said to Dana, although Mulder was also listening, "we should take the next flight. We can't do anything from here."

Dana opened her mouth to speak.

"Great idea," Mulder piped up before she could say anything. He went and stood next to Lara. "So, Lara, you're a member of Millennium?"

"*Used* to be. And you can call me Means."

"Woah, sensitive area there, I guess."

"Yeah, sensitive," Lara said, looking at Dana. Dana raised her eyebrows, as if to say, "Don't look at *me*."

"Well, it's a great idea," Mulder was saying. "Shall we go?"

They did.

Darla was thinking. She was looking at Reese and pondering something.

"Where are the heads?" she asked.

"What?"

"The heads. All the bodies that are attributed to you are missing their heads."

"You've been following my case," Reese smiled.

"Yes, I have. So, where are they?"

Reese's smile turned into a grin. He looked into the backseat. Darla followed his gaze. On the floor of the backseat were two red ice chests.

"I have another two in the trunk. I can fit two into each chest."

"Filled with ice?"

"Yep."

"You're a sinner," Darla said, her face split in two with her grin. "You're baaaddd." She looked away from him and returned to looking out the window. It was much colder now as they approached Boulder.

Reese was getting more scared of the woman every minute.

Caleb put his cigarette out, seeing the FBI agent and the other woman. There was a man with them who also appeared to be an agent. He had been told just to watch them, make sure they matched the description he was given, and then report in.

But that wasn't his style. He didn't come all this way just to be a watchdog.

If they're such a problem, he reasoned, I might as well take them out here. I'm willing to die for the cause. At least I'll see some action.

He approached the three of them, who were making their way from the parking lot to the terminal.

"Here, here," he said, his voice betraying his heavy British accent. "Give us a donation to the Church of Millennial Consciousness, luv."

Lara Means stopped and turned to look at him. Dana and Mulder also stopped.

"The Millennium's over," Lara said.

"The Church of Millennial Consciousness believes that catastrophic events will be unleashed upon the world on New Year's Eve of this year."

He held his hand out to accept a donation if one was forthcoming.

"I can't believe you people," Lara said. "We all get bent out of shape about the Millennium, even though the mathematicians are telling us that 2000 is not the actual Millennium. Then, when nothing happens, you all start believing the mathematicians. What is it, do you want the world to end?"

"Now, luv, the Church of Millennial Consciousness has always known that New Year's of this year will bring about chaos. We were never involved in any of that bollocks last New Year's. So, what'd ya say?"

"Go find another sucker," Lara said and began walking.

"But you're my girl, luv," Caleb said. "And Archangel doesn't want you interfering with 'er plans."

Lara was grabbed from behind and yanked backwards. A knife appeared in her field of vision, but she was quick enough to block Caleb's arm with her right hand. Dana and Mulder whirled around, pulling their sidearms. Lara brought her left elbow backwards, slamming it into the Englishman.

"Hughh," he said and dropped the knife.

Lara spun around and kicked him in the chest, sending him into the pavement to smack his head. Dana was at Lara's side, making sure her lover was all right. Mulder had the cuffs on Caleb before he could get up.

"Bloody ‘ell," was all the Englishman said.

"I miss you," Gale said.

"I miss you, too," Audrey said, not really paying attention.

She had just gotten off the plane and was off to get a rental. She figured it would be a good time to call Gale, see if anything had transpired. And now Gale wouldn’t hang up.

"How long are you going to be gone?" Gale asked.

"Uhh, I...I don't know, a while."

"What do I tell our customers?"

"Fuck our customers!"

There was silence.

"I'm sorry, Gale, I didn't mean to yell," Audrey said after a moment.

"This is obviously very important to you."

"It is."

"More important than me."

"No, no. That's not true."

But it was true. That was the devil of it, it was true. She was more concerned whether her sister was safe than if Gale felt comfortable with the situation.

"I'll call again, soon," Audrey said, hanging up before Gale could get another word in. It took her under ten minutes to get a car.

There were five of them. They were sitting and standing around the control center, the condemned hotel, just relaxing and passing the time waiting for more instructions. Burton and Annie were among the five, separated from the group, off in their own corner, ignoring the rest of them. The two lovers were about to ditch the others and head up to one of the rooms when a small woman with a good tan and short, blond hair walked in the front entrance. The cold came in with her, swirling and encircling the stale air in the building. The other three men had their guns up in no time at all. The woman smiled and gestured the men to put them down. There were some smirks, but after a moment, they did. Somehow, they knew that this woman was Archangel. Burton looked on, admiration, anxiety and horror overcoming him.

"My children," Darla Daley said, small patches of snow on her shoulders and head.

"Archangel," one of the men, Hadley, said.

"Yes. I have arrived."

"You're early," Burton blurted out.

All eyes turned on him. It was as if he had blasphemed in church. Perhaps that was just the case.

"We made good time," Darla said, looking on Burton with a large, winning smile. "Is there something wrong, Burton?"

Burton had to stifle a scream. She knew him! Where did she get off knowing who he was? She had never seen him before. The others also looked shocked.

"How...how did you know who I was?" Burton asked.

"I know who all of you are."

She walked the room, passing each person. And as she did so, she said their names, "Hadley. Vernon. Nails. Burton. And Annie Wilson."

She had stopped in front of Burton and Annie, staring at them as if trying to read some valuable information in their eyes. Burton looked away.

"Where's Kurtz?" she asked. And when Burton didn't answer, Annie responded.

"He's on point, guarding the heathens," she said.

"Oh, he hides well."

"What?"

"Well, we drove by there."

"Who's we?" Burton asked.

"My special recruit and I, we drove by there. He dropped me off here and went back to check it out for himself."

"He's not--" Burton began.

"No, he's not going to get rid of them yet. I've trained him too well. He's just going to mark them."

"Mark them?" Burton didn't like Archangel. He had a feeling that she just wasn't right. He looked at her, faking a smile. The snow on her shoulders and head had not melted, even though it was fairly warm in the building. Burton also noticed that her expression had not changed since she had arrived.

"She contacted you online," Mulder said.

"Yeah," Caleb said after a moment. "Yeah she did."

They were sitting in a private room in the airport, around a table. Mulder was sitting down at the table, facing Caleb, while Dana and Lara stood, arms folded, exchanging glances from time to time, waiting for the chance to jump in and hammer on the Englishman. It didn't take long for the three of them to get as much information out of Caleb as they could.

"What was her handle?" Lara broke in.

"Handle?" Caleb asked.

"Her online name."

"Archangel, but I know 'oo she really is."

"Who is she?" Dana asked, knowing the answer. "And how did you find out?"

"She's Darla Daley." A big smile was plastered on Caleb's face.

"And how did you know it was Darla Daley?" Lara asked, enunciating each word, her large, imposing shadow falling over the short Brit.

"Well, I'm really into the porn, right?" A smirk.

"Go figure," Lara said.

"Yeah. So, like, I really got into the Daley sisters story, right? And in one of their films, Darla, I think it was, said something strange. When she was common off, you know, she started whispering, almost chanting."

"What was she saying?" Lara asked.

"She was saying things like 'I am the first and the last, I am the Alpha and the Omega,' stuff like that."

"So?" Mulder asked, trying to reinsert himself into the interrogation.

"Well, Archangel used that same phrase. She was a real talker, she was." His smarmy grin dominated his face.

"How do you know that Archangel didn't just see the same movie that you did?" Dana asked.

"I don't know. It's a feeling, almost a vision. I have visions, sometimes, you know?"

"Don't we all?" Lara said morosely, turning and leaving the room. Dana followed.

"We have to get moving," Lara said, letting Dana catch up to her. "If what this guy says is true, that crazy bitch has soldiers all over the country. For all we know, she's already killed the Haywards and is just leading us into a trap. Fucking fanatics!"

Lara punched the wall, eliciting looks from weary travelers going to or coming from their planes.

"Hey," Dana said, "hey, calm down. Sit down, over here." Dana led the woman to a bench sitting along a wall in the huge terminal. "We'll get her. Don't worry."

"We can't kill her," Lara said under her breath.

"What?" Dana said, kneeling down to look into her lover's eyes.

"I...I have a feeling, a sense, something, I don’t know. We can't kill her."

"We'll arrest her, or put her in the hospital or kill her, I have no doubt about that."

"I'm not sure. I think she's here to destroy us."

"Us. Who do you mean? Catholics? Normal people?"

"No, us. You and me. She's here to destroy our relationship."

Dana touched Lara's cheek, sending her messages of love and comfort with her palm.

"That will never happen," the FBI agent said.

Lara smiled.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything," Mulder said, startling both women.

"No, nothing," Dana said, standing up. Lara also stood.

Mulder was holding a piece of paper, which he seemed to be taking great interest in.

"What's up?" Lara asked.

"Got that fax from the OSC in London," Mulder said. "Caleb Carr has multiple arrests for destruction of property, vandalism and assault. He's been a member of several right-wing, extremist religious groups and been a suspect in two murders. He's a loser. I think we've got everything we need out of him."

"All right," Dana said. "Local police can take care of him now. We have get down to Boulder."

"Yeah," Mulder said absently, tapping the fax into one palm.

Kurtz hated waiting.

He considered himself a man of action, someone who was sent in to do the dirty work, the wet work, the clean-up. He was the Ice Man. All this waiting was getting on his nerves. The Haywards hadn't gone anywhere or done anything noticeable since he had gone on point. Now, the sun was beginning to set. How much longer were they going to just watch the heathens? When were they going to strike?

He never heard the man come up behind him. He was taken completely off guard when a hand closed around his mouth. He tried to twist around and contain whoever had him, but the man was too strong.

"Shhhhhh," the man whispered. "I'm a friend."

Kurtz stopped resisting.

"Don't scream, now," the man said and slowly removed his hand from Kurtz's mouth.

Kurtz swirled around and looked at the man who had subdued him. He was tall, with light brown hair and piercing eyes. Kurtz had intended to chew him out, possibly kill him, but now he only stared, interested in who he was and why he was here.

"Who the hell are you?" Kurtz asked.

"I'm Reese, the newest member of the team," the man said.

"You're Archangel's special recruit?"

"Archangel?"

"Archangel. The reason we're all here."

"Oh, you mean Darla. Yes, she recruited me."

"Her name is Darla?"

The name didn’t seem to gel with the image of Archangel his mind had conjured up.

"Darla Daley," Reese said. "She's a legend."

"A legend?"

"Yeah," Reese was uninterested in this avenue of conversation. "You hide well, little man, but you're no guard."

"What?" Kurtz was beginning to hate this guy.

"Well, you didn't see me."

"Fluke. You snuck up on me."

"You never saw me at the house."

"The house?"

"I checked the whole outside. Wish I could get in there, check it out from the inside."

"You checked the perimeter? You checked out the house?"

"Yep. They're real beauties, aren't they?"

"I haven't really got a look at them."

"Oh, you're missing out. The older one's got long brown hair and these wonderful eyebrows, it's haunting. And the younger one, ohh, my God, the younger one. She's got luminous red hair, gorgeous red hair. I can't wait to do them in."

Kurtz was starting to back away from the madman. This madman was the real deal. Kurtz had never really thought their group would go through with it. He thought they would end up just scaring the Haywards, and that would be it. But this man was *real*. He was constructed from Shadows and Nightmares, from The Pit and The Darkness. He was a Skinwalker, a boogyman, a dark dream villain brought to tenebrous life.

Reese laughed.

"Don't be afraid of me, man," he said. "I won't do anything unless Darla tells me to. I'm going to the hotel. Just keep your eye out and do a better job."

The madman patted Kurtz on the back and walked back into the woods, disappearing into the snow and sleet that was beginning to really flow down from the sky. Kurtz breathed a sigh of relief and went back to his job, wondering what the future held for him...and all the others who crossed paths with that shadowy figure.

To be continued...