Title: Paths That Cross (3/4)

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 Three

"The phones are down," Gersten said, emerging from her room and entering the kitchen.

"Oh, no," Donna said. "If there's an emergency, I'll have to use the CB. God, sometimes I hate the weather here."

"Ah, it's not that bad, at least it's not hot."

Gersten grabbed a box of Ritz crackers out of the pantry, sat down at the table and began eating them.

"Want some?" she asked, offering the box to her sister.

"No, thanks," Donna was looking out the window. It was getting dark out. "That car has passed three times."

"What?"

"This car, a white car, older model. I just saw it pass again."

"Probably lives around here."

"No, I've never seen that car before."

Donna sat at the table across from Gersten.

"So someone around here bought a new car!"

"I told you, it was an older model."

"So the guy's a collector! Don't worry about it."

Gersten's smirk was friendly, but genuine. She was annoyed. Donna got up and went to a cupboard, getting a bottle of pills. She shook out two and swallowed them dry.

"Donna!" Gersten yelled. "You promised to stop taking those! You don't need them."

"Just for tonight. I don't like the looks of that car, I'm gonna stay up."

"You need sleep. This is not Phoenix, you don't need to watch out for me all the time. You don't have to mother me like--"

"Yes I do!" Donna interrupted, hitting the kitchen counter. "Gersten, you were kidnapped. I had to save you! Now, I'm responsible for you. I have to take care of you."

"No, you don't, I'm an adult."

"Why do you think Mom and Dad were apprehensive about taking you in? Huh?"

"They were just not used to having someone living in their house. They'd been by themselves for a few years."

"No, they were afraid! They didn't want the responsibility of taking care of you. They didn't want to watch you. They're too old and have too many of their own problems to deal with yours!"

"No, they--"

"Yes, Gersten, yes. They gave the responsibility to me," Donna tapped her chest. "To me! I can take care of you."

"I'm an adult. I survived the kidnapping. There's nothing to be afraid of--"

"She survived!" Donna screamed. "That crazy bitch is still alive, Gersten. And she'll be back. She'll come to get us. I don't know when. But she will. And I don't care if I become addicted to these Goddamn things if it means that you’re safe." Donna threw the bottle of NoDoze pills onto the floor, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. "It's a small price to pay."

There was a long, unhealthy silence. Gersten looked at Donna, Donna looked at the floor. The younger sister finally got up from the table and walked back to her room.

"Gersten, wait," Donna called after her, but she was too late. Gersten's door had slammed shut and her piano was audible. A harsh, angry piece of music. Wagner, perhaps? Donna didn't know and began to sob silently. She sat down at the table and ate a few Ritz crackers.

Lara seemed incapable of sitting still. If she wasn't asking the flight attendant for another drink, she was flipping through magazines that she had skimmed more than once before. Dana hated to see her like this, so nervous and seemingly out-of-control. Mulder, of course, was already sleeping soundlessly, as he always did. They were on their way to Boulder. Dana put her hand on Lara's, looking at her.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

There was a long moment before Lara answered.

"I'm scared again," she said finally.

"What do you mean?"

"When I first started seeing my angel, he scared me. For a long time, that's how it was. His presence should have been comforting, but I was always scared. But, after I recovered from my last breakdown, I started seeing him less. And when I did see him, he didn't scare me anymore. No, it was before then. Now that I think about it, when I met you, that was the beginning. He wasn't frightening anymore. But, Dana..."

"It's okay," Dana said, caressing a strand of Lara's hair.

"I saw him again when we boarded the plane."

"You did?"

"Yes. I'm afraid of him. He's trying to tell me something. He's trying to warn me...he's trying to warn *us*. And I'm scared."

Dana leaned into the strong, beautiful woman, taking in her scent. Her scent was a mixture of sweat and Dana's shampoo, which she had used this morning. Dana kissed Lara's neck, trying to calm and soothe her lover.

"Not here, Dana," Lara said, smiling.

"Okay," Dana said, still kissing that luscious neck. "Get up and go into the restroom, leave it unlocked. I'll follow you a minute later."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"But, those things are so small, they--"

"You need this. I need this. We need this."

Dana had stopped kissing Lara and was now looking into her eyes. Lara looked back for a few moments, then got up and headed towards the rear of the plane. Dana cupped Lara's right buttock as the brunette got up. Lara shot her a mock look of outrage then continued on her way. Dana sighed to herself as she watched her lover's round, luscious ass as she walked down the aisle.

She waited almost a full minute, got up and found the bathroom. She pushed it open and froze, her insides melting as she gazed upon her lover. Lara's arms were spread, her hands resting on either side of the mirror against one wall. She was posed, as if for a photo shoot, her behind stuck out, the lovely curve accentuated. She was still fully clothed, but that hardly mattered. Dana entered, rubbing up against the other woman's body, closing and locking the door behind her. The bathroom was so small, it was impossible for them not to touch, so they were all over each other, kissing and caressing, loving. Dana unbuttoned Lara's pants and slid one hand inside, under her lover's panties to the soft, downy hair between her legs and inside her. Lara leaned against Dana, her head buried into the FBI agent's shoulder, whispering slurred accolade's of love in her ear. Dana pushed her fingers in and out, wanting Lara to return the favor, but not pushing the issue. Lara was distressed, nervous, this act was about her, not Dana. But...it would be nice.

As if reading the FBI agent's mind, Lara undid Dana's pants and slipped her hands inside them. She didn't enter by way of the front, however, but from behind, cupping Dana's ass and tracing her fingertips down the cleft and finding her lips, entering, loving. Dana gently bit Lara's ear, flicking it with her tongue. Lara was bringing her lover close to orgasm even though she had just entered her. Dana was confused. Wasn’t this about Lara's comfort? Wasn't it? If so, why was she already so close? Lara pulled one hand out of Dana's pants and brought it to the FBI agent's mouth, replacing her ear. Dana sucked eagerly on her lover's fingers, greedily lapping up her own taste.

Watching this wonderful, gorgeous act, Lara began to climax, gritting her teeth so as not to scream out in pleasure. One of Dana's hands was busy in her lover's crotch, the other fondling her left breast through her white dress shirt. She pinched Lara's nipple as she came, making small, crying noises, clenched teeth or not. Watching Lara orgasm, her mouth full of her fingers, Dana also climaxed, having to remind herself not to bite down on her lover's fingers.

They collapsed against into one of the corners of the stall, kissing and breathing heavily. They cleaned themselves up, looking into the mirror. Lara ran her fingers through her luscious light brown hair while Dana pushed a strand of her luminous red hair out of her eyes. They kissed once more, then left the stall, each looking and feeling much more relaxed and satisfied than before. Neither of them noticed Mulder watching them as they returned.

The doors burst open, snow and cold, freezing air blowing in. Darla, Burton, Annie and all the rest of the recruits turned to see who it was. A grinning madman entered, carrying a bundle of long sticks under his arms. He stopped dead center of the lobby, eyeing all the faces present.

"So," he said, "this must be the rest of the crew. Already met one of ya', down at the cabin."

Reese threw the sticks onto the ground. There were ten of them, each very tall, each end carved into a fine, sharp point.

"Reese!" Darla said, running to him and throwing her arms around him.

The madman jumped back slightly, not expecting the move. He's afraid of her, Burton thought, terrified, but not surprised. This madman is afraid of this small, blonde woman.

Reese reluctantly encircled his arms around the woman. For a moment, he considered taking her head in his hands and snapping her neck, severing her spinal cord and her strange pull over him. He decided against it. What distressed him was this: What if she didn't die? What would she do to him then? He kept on hugging her, putting on his smile once more.

They broke the embrace, smiling at their audience.

"What are those for?" Burton asked, finally breaking the silence.

"Hmm?" Reese asked.

Burton indicated the long wooden stakes.

"Oh," Reese said. "Those...are a surprise."

"For the Haywards?" Burton asked. "Or for us?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Reese's smile was a corpse's grin.

Burton looked at the two of them. Their smiles were similar, both seeming to regard him from the Abyss, from the Pit. They made a good couple, he thought.

"Uh," Burton said, "do we have any information on the FBI agent?"

"I haven't heard from Caleb," Darla said. "Which probably means they nailed him. He was a little flaky, if you ask me."

"What about the private detective?" one of the others, Nails, asked.

"Oh, I know exactly where she is. I made some calls, via pay phone, on the way here. We'll have her."

Mulder had been looking at them funny ever since they got off the plane and insisted on driving, thereby splitting up Dana and Lara, since it would be inpolite for both of them to sit in the backseat. So, Dana sat in the passenger seat, eyeing Mulder, trying to read him. They were on their way to the police station, since the phone lines were down. The storm was raging full on by this time and visibility was getting steadily worse.

"So," Mulder said, not exactly looking at either of them, "what were you two doing on the plane?"

"What do you mean?" Dana said after a moment.

"You were acting rather *friendly*."

"Well, we are *friends*, Mulder," Lara said, acid in her voice.

"Sure, sure, I can tell. Nothing else going on?"

"Well--" Dana began.

"That's none of your business," Lara broke in.

Mulder turned his head and looked into the backseat at her.

"Okay," he said, turning his attention to Dana. "If that's how it's gonna be."

His eyes returned to the road.

Dana looked at Lara, communicating without words. She seemed to be saying, "Be gentle, he *is* my partner."

Lara shrugged and looked out the window.

Audrey had to ask a lot of people around Boulder before she was able to obtain Donna's address. Driving down the snow-covered roads in the middle of this storm was like trying to walk through thick gauze and by this time, it was dark. She nearly crashed three times. And after looking around for a while, she thought she'd finally found the house.

"I think I see the street," Audrey said into her phone.

"You found it?" Gale asked, on the other end.

"Yes, I'm going to have to call you back, Gale."

"But--"

But Audrey had already hung up the phone and turned down the street. She had driven almost two blocks when she saw the house in the distance, perhaps another block away. She didn't know why she thought it was the house, she just knew. Returning her eyes to the road, she jammed on the brakes. A car stretched across both lanes. Where the hell did it come from? Audrey's vehicle came to a halt almost on top of the other car, a white '69 Camaro in good condition. The private detective opened her door and got out of the car, furious.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" she demanded, approaching the Camaro. She could see through the windshield now. It was empty.

"The hell?" she muttered, spinning around just in time to catch a fist in her left eye. She dropped to the ground, a pained scream emitting from her lips, her eyelid swelling shut, her hand grasping for her pistol. She grabbed it, raising her arm. Her hand filled with pain as the gun was kicked from her hand. She managed to look up. A tall, strong man with light brown hair stared down at her. His piercing eyes marked her, seemed to brand her. She opened her mouth to speak to him, demand to know what was going on, but before she could begin, the tall man with the eyes delivered a swift, deadly kick to her face, knocking her unconscious.

Donna opened her door and looked into the night. She thought she had heard a scream. She saw nothing. Well, not exactly. A strange object was left at the door. It was a small stick lodged up into the air from one of the cracks in the concrete. Impaled on the stick was a snowball, marked with two small black stones to signify eyes. Donna looked around once more, again saw nothing and kicked the small object, destroying it. She slammed the door, locking it in a panic. What did it mean? Was there someone stalking the two of them? One thing was for sure: she wasn't letting anyone in tonight. She double-checked all the doors and windows in the house, thinking about the CB she kept in the basement next to her computer.

Mulder almost got the three of them killed when rolling around a bend in the road, the snow coming down in sheets, the wind deafening, even inside the car. There was a loud cracking noise and suddenly a tree was blocking there way. "Shit," Mulder said, still holding onto his calm and cool exterior, and spun the wheel, letting his foot off the gas. Lara bolted up in the backseat, where she had been sleeping. She was thrown against the right windshield, her shoulder whimpering in pain where the gunshot wound had never fully healed. The car finally came to a halt and Mulder said, "Goddamnit."

Dana took a long look at the fallen tree that was blocking there way.

"There's no way we can get around that," she said.

"We're wasting time," Lara said.

"What do you propose we do?" Mulder asked. "We have to get to the police station. We'll turn around and get off at that off ramp just back there."

"Sounds like a plan, but here's my thing: We've wasted enough time already. Let's get off that ramp and go straight to the Hayward house. No way of telling if anything's happened to them."

"If we don't get the authorities," Mulder said, "we won't stand a chance. Not if what Carr said was true."

"Yeah," Lara countered, "and if we don't get to them now, they won't stand a chance. I can feel it."

Mulder looked away, frustrated.

"She's right," Dana said.

"What?" Mulder said, shocked.

"We have to get to Donna and Gersten," Dana said, calmly.

They started off. It was now full dark.

"Wake."

The voice was demanding, but still soft.

"Wake up!"

No longer soft, all disquieting pity had left the voice. It was now cold and angry. Audrey stirred, eyes trying to open. She had an idea that her eyes were having trouble responding because they were seriously bruised. Pain surged through her head, through her whole body. She wanted to cry out, but she wouldn't give her captor the satisfaction. She managed to get her eyes half open despite the mind-numbing pain.

Who she saw standing over her, the owner of the cold, angry voice, was Gale.

Audrey flinched. She was actually sinking deeper into the uncomfortable, wood chair that she was tied to.

"How...?" Audrey asked through a mouth that, to her mind, seemed to be stuffed with cotton balls.

"You should have looked over the phone bill more carefully," Gale said, producing a cell phone. "Then you would have seen that all incoming calls to the office are routed through my cellular."

Gale smiled.

"Good thing you kept in contact with me, huh?" she said.

"You know," Gale continued, "for a private detective, you're pretty stupid. You didn't even check to see if you were being follow from the office. I watched you get on the plane, Audrey! More stupidity. Didn't you think it was, oh, I don't know...odd that I just happen to show up looking for a job and, 'Say!', I look a little a like Donna Hayward! Long, dark hair, pale, thin as a rail, you know the type. Archangel knew that you couldn't resist me."

"Archangel?" Audrey asked, confused.

"Darla Daley," Gale said. "Stupidity showing again. Before you go rushing off to save your sister--Oh, excuse me--half sister, you have to stop and check the facts. If you had, maybe you would have discovered that an online community with ideas and causes a lot like Darla Daley's was massing together. Planning something. Real detectives check on those kinds of things. I bet the two FBI agents and that mysterious woman are already aware of this. You know why?"

Audrey just stared at Gale.

"Because they're REAL detectives," Gale said. She paced back and forth in front of Audrey.

"God!" she continued. "I mean, didn't you think it was a little strange that the letter from Darla didn't even have a post mark? That's because I put it there. You probably didn't even notice. I left hints for you the entire time I worked for you and you were too stupid to even notice them."

"Why?" Audrey managed.

"Why am I doing this?" Gale asked. "Is that what you're asking? It's simple. I want to be part of the action. My whole life has been one boring phase after another. I'm an 'extra' in the movie of life. All right, maybe I had a few lines, maybe I was the hero's useless girlfriend who nags after him, or her, the whole movie. But that wasn't good enough. I wanted a starring role. Even if it meant being a villain. And why not? Huh? Why not? Villains are always more fun, anyway, right? Darla offered me that role."

Darla Daley stepped out of the shadows. Audrey was taken aback. Darla had more weight on her and her hair was blond and short.

"Gale fit the role well," Darla continued. "She's the surprise. Every story needs a surprise. What do you think about her?"

Audrey's head rolled over to look at them. Blood trickled from her nose, her eyes almost completely shut from bruises.

"Amateur," she finally said.

Gale countered with a right hook that put the private detective out again.

"So, now what?" Gale asked.

"I have plans for her," Darla said. "Don't worry about that. Meanwhile, it's time to move."

Donna finally decided to use the CB. She had a feeling. Now was one of the times to use the hated machine, it seemed. The phones were out and she was still stewing over the little ball of snow stuck on that piece of wood outside the door. She sat down at the little table that held the machine, glancing briefly at the computer which stood on a desk right next to the CB. She hadn't been able to write in quite some time, not since "Sacrament". She shrugged it off and turned on the CB.

"Station 54," she said into the radio, "station 54, this is Donna Hayward, come back."

Static for a moment before a voice spoke from somewhere far.

"This is station 54, Donna, over," the voice said.

"Carl?" Donna asked.

"Yeah, that's what they tell me. You in trouble out there, Donna? Over."

"Well..." Donna didn't know where to begin. Or continue for that matter. "I...think we might be in danger, Carl, over."

"Danger? What kind of danger, Donna? Over."

"Uuuh. I think we were given a warning tonight. Over."

"Warning? Over."

"A message or something. You see, someone left a...strange object on our doorstep. Over."

"Object? What was it? Over."

"It was a...a kind of snowball. It was impaled on a stick...over."

"And you think this was a threat? Over."

"Yes. Over."

There was a long sigh on the other end of the radio.

"Donna," Carl said, "do know how many times you've called us thinking you and your sister were in trouble? Over."

"No. Over."

"Nineteen times. I've kept track. Are you sure you're in danger this time? Over."

"The phones aren't working, Carl. If anything happens, this radio is the only way I can get any help! And I don't like to be patronized when I'm just looking out for my sister. Over!"

"And yourself. Looking out for yourself. Right? Over."

"Yeah...myself. Over."

Another long sigh from Carl.

"All right," he said. "I'll send a patrol car out there. But you gotten understand that it's pretty heavy out there. The storm's raging. It may take the car a while to get out there. Over."

"Understood, just send somebody. Over."

"Will do. Over and out."

"Over and out."

Donna leaned back in her chair. The desk with the radio was down in the basement, which was small and dark. Donna only descended these stairs when she needed to use the hated communication device.

She shook two more NoDoze pills out of the obscene little medicine bottle and dry-swallowed them.

"You didn't bother them again, did you?" Gersten asked from the stairs.

Donna jumped, surprised and caught.

"Jesus! You scared the shit outta me."

"Well, did you call them? No, don't answer. I know you did. God, why can't we have a normal life, Donna?"

Donna was furious and concerned with her sister at the same time. She turned her head, resisting the urge to scream at the girl, to tell her that she, her sister, was doing all this for her own good, so shut up. It was a powerful urge, but Donna managed.

"Something's happening tonight, Gersten, but don't worry," she said. "I'm taking care of it."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Gersten said, bitterly sarcastic. "I'll just go back to bed because big, strong Donna is 'taking care of it.' How stupid of me. And how typical, right? Typical of my naïve, childish ass. Right? Say! You have any downers to go with those fucking little pink pills? I might need some. You know, just to help sleep come easier? Fuck you, Donna. Fuck. You. Do you think this is 'helping' me? Do you really fucking think this is fucking helping me?"

Tears by this point. Then she was gone, up the stairs, heading to her room once again.

"Well," Donna said to herself, "really fucked that one up, didn't I?"

"We have to do something," Annie whispered to Burton.

"What can we do?" Burton whispered back.

"We have to help her."

Darla and Reese had just come back from dealing with Audrey, the new arrival, Gale, close behind them, occasionally chuckling to herself.

"It's barbaric," Annie said. "What they did to her. Where they...put her."

"I know," Burton said. "I know."

"Time to move!" Darla shouted to her minions. "Get everything together, people!"

People began to move in every direction, grabbing their knives and weapons.

"Hey," one of the men, Nails, yelled at Burton and Annie. "Go out back and get your car. We'll need it."

The two of them got moving.

"All right," Annie said. "Now's the perfect time. I'll go get my car, you get her...out." Annie could barely manage the last word, she was still reeling from the horrendous thing Darla had done to the private detective.

"Okay," Burton said. "See you in a few minutes." He began to move, but Annie stopped him. She kissed him one last time.

"Make that a promise," she said.

"I promise," Burton said. Then he was off.

The air was heavy.

Audrey coughed loud and deep as she regained consciousness. She opened her eyes slowly. She couldn't see. Was she blind? She didn't know. She was on her back, lying helpless. She outstretched her arms and felt her surroundings. There were wooden walls on all sides, wooden walls that were cold and damp. She was in some kind of box. A very small box by the feel of it. She began to pry at one of the planks of wood directly above her head. After a few minutes of hard pulling, in which she broke two fingernails completely off, she managed to work one of the planks somewhat loose.

Cold earth fell out of the crack in the wood and onto her face. She shrieked in surprise. What the hell? She thought for a moment or two, then began screaming in terror as she realized the truth.

She had been buried alive.

To be concluded...