In the car on the way to Georgetown, Scully sat in silence. Thunder cracked through the car, followed by the blindness of the lightening that rippled across the black above. She sat trying to recall the events that had happened, when her silence was broken by Mulder’s voice.

“Scully?” Mulder hesitated.

“Yes?” She looked at her partner, while he was trying to keep his eyes ahead on the road, as the rain continued trickling down the windscreen.

“What happened today, well there are some things that I haven’t told you, which are related to this case yet.”

Scully now focused her full attention upon Mulder, just as the car pulled up to her apartment.

Mulder hopped out of the car to open the door for Scully. The rain pounded against his body, dripping from his jacket as he hurried Scully up the stairs. As they began for the elevator, Mulder spoke again.

“Well, as I told you, I had run some background history on all of the ten victims. I had their Identities confirmed, their residence, family, all the usual, but then I searched for something else, something that had to be related to all of them.” As Mulder and Scully stepped out of the elevator, and reached the apartment, Scully gave Mulder a questioning look.

“And I found it. The connection.” Mulder took a deep breath before continuing, as Scully continued to let her curiosity grow. Mulder looked away from Scully, avoiding her eyes, as he gazed towards the floor.

“They have all claimed to be alien abductees in the past.” When Mulder returned to look at Scully, she gave him a disbelieved look.

“Mulder…I” She was about to go on when Mulder interrupted. “But it doesn’t finish there.” Scully’s attention was yet again broken.

“There was something else that I didn’t tell you,…”

“Mulder, how many things haven’t you told me?”

“No, I think this is the last one.” Mulder gave Scully a ‘I’m sorry, never do it again’ look.

“An event which has also occurred effectively making all these victims connected is this. Each victim passed out when held for questioning.”

“Much like today…” Scully spoke her thoughts aloud. “There is an order of gender that each victim will be. I can already predict the next one will be female. However it is happening, it is following an order beginning from 1. Every third person after will be female.

Ike Munrow, Victoria Ashton and Iris Norton. Except that the first one wasn’t female. It was a man, who also claimed to be an alien abductee. But before he was abducted, or any abnormal activity began to occur, he had been terminally ill with brain tumours. After the amnesia took place, he began to hallucinate; his brain development was phenomenal. He began to grow extra tissue connecting to the separated sections of his brain. He disappeared, and no one knows what happened to him after he had been returned to Montreal. Basically he vanished off the face of this earth.”

“But Mulder, passing out may not be an exact connection. Yes, I can see the similarities, but they could be coincidental. I’m sure that every week, people turn up lost with memory shortage.” “Scully, these people were different.”

“In what way exactly?” Scully looked at Mulder, and realised that something was troubling him.

“Mulder?” There was a silence again, as the rain pounded against the building. Mulder slowly raised his eyes towards Scully, and held them there for awhile. Scully felt a tension flare between them. But something was bothering Mulder and it hurt her to see him this way. She took a step towards him, and he slowly responded.

“Scully, just before each victim passed out, they… they spoke a name. The same name of the next person along the line of victims.” Mulder dropped his head.

“Mulder…are you saying…” Scully looked at Mulder. He nodded his head lightly as he watched her recognising the fact. She turned around to face away from him, to hide her feelings about this, as her throat became tight. She could not, would not accept it, even though it was most likely undeniable. “Scully?” Her eyes were clouding with tears, as she tried to the blink them away, unable to acknowledge the thought of loosing…everything. She couldn’t allow Mulder to see herself in this state. Scully who was secure and strong. Scully, who had joined the FBI because of the percentage lack in female agents. From Quantico as a Medical doctor, to The X-files, she had seen and experienced of what most field agents could only dream of. But all of this amounted to nothing. The only thing that mattered at that very moment was Mulder.

Turning around to face Mulder, she embraced him, burying her head in his chest.

“Oh Mulder.” He stroked her head lightly, then rested his head against hers.

“I’m sorry Scully.”

For awhile, time seemed to stand still. Scully did not want to let ago of her partner. If she did, she was sure that she would loose him. Mulder was the most important thing to her, and she could not bare loosing the recognition of him. Of his habits, and personality. Or that dopey grin that always crept across his face at times. Or the way he refused to accept defeat, no matter what the odds.

Or at times like this when he was always there for her. It was at times like these that had lead her to the thought that she had deeper feelings for Mulder than she really thought or expected.

The actual concept of loosing him scared her the most. He was too precious to her. Of all the things they had been through together. It was those things that had brought them close together. But how close is too close? She felt Mulder lightly kiss her on the head. She closed her eyes, her mind and let the world fly by.

When she awoke to her senses, she slowly let go and looked into Mulder’s eyes. Something had stirred her, deep inside her. As she reflected her feelings upon Mulder, she could feel the same immense feelings flowing back from him.

Yes, he was the most valuable thing to her, to her life. She loved him more than anything or anyone. And the realisation hit her, as that thought flowed through her mind, that she had loved him for a very long time.

She wanted nothing more than to tell him, but she faltered. She could not tell him, and yet wondered why. It was probably easier to have feelings for someone else and tell them so, but it would feel cheap.

Her feelings for Mulder were too much a part, to involved with her day to day life that she took for granted. Never considering that one day she would not have the chance to tell him, which for so long she had hidden from even herself.

She wanted to reach out and touch him, to hold him closer, but yet afraid of a non-returned venture. The thoughts burned through her mind, growing with each passing minute. She could not hold it back any more; it was bursting out of her, from being held in constraint.

“Mulder,..I…”

But the phone sitting on the coffee table interrupted her. It felt as though the fire, which had been coursing through her, had been put out, as a wave of calmness came over her. She knew that the moment was over, regretting silently to herself, she picked up the receiver. “Scully.”

Silence.

Then the other line clicked. Scully ended the call then thought in silence for a minute, wondering.

“Who was that Scully?” And remembered that Mulder was there. “No one.” She said half to Mulder, then half to herself. “Scully, I think it’s getting late, I’d better go.” Mulder began walking to the door.

Perhaps it was best that he left now, before anything did happen. She was too revealed, too exposed to the other nature raging inside her that was taking over her mind. If she let it go, it would have changed the whole percept of their relation ship. As partners, and as FBI Agents. And as friends.

“If you come up with anything else Mulder, then give me a call. I’ll be here.” She said dazed.

“Scully, you take care of yourself, ok?” Mulder spoke softly. He looked forlorn at her one last time, before he closed the door.

Mulder drove back to Arlington; he couldn’t help but think about Scully and what had happened back there. It was a similar scene that had happened when they were chasing the truth through Cornfields and Bee Swarms. When the Bombing in Dallas had blown and the truth be known from Dr Kurtzweil, Mulder knew that he had stumbled on to something big. Something that maybe even he hadn’t anticipated.

But what had happened also was someone was trying to divide him from Scully. Someone anonymous, from outside the FBI. A secret agenda.

In the Hallway of Scully’s apartment, he had come on to something close with her. Something that he had never anticipated or explored physically before. But it was always there, and was always thinking about it.

He doubted that Scully had any idea of the feelings he had for her. So it remained in his mind, hidden from the world. If only he could tell her. Tell her what? That he loved her more that anything in the whole world and that he was willing to die for her.

She had almost died because of Mulder’s desperate crusades, seeking the truth. Chasing Phantom Tanker trucks in the Middle of Nowhere, was Scully conclusion to it all. But because of him, she had been to hell and back, nearly to the ends of the Earth. Tonight, she seemed so fragile so different from her conservative form, Mulder didn’t want to let go of her.

His soul was slipping through his fingers every time he saw Scully like that. It made him want her more. To kiss her tenderly on the lips, emitting is entire life in her hands as the Earth rolled by or to touch her fiery red hair, curling it through his fingers,…

Mulder could not imagine life without her. His feelings caused him pain when he though about loosing her. And it was true. Scully had saved him, a thousand times over, with her goddamn strict rationalism and science. If not for her, where would he be? Maybe earlier on when Scully was assigned to the X-files to debunk his work, it would have been easier to have a quick affair, to avoid all this, which had built up over time.

He decided to distract himself from the thoughts of Scully, by thinking of the latest case, playing the moments in his mind over and over again. Something was missing though. There was a bigger picture here.

Perhaps this wasn’t all coincidental, as Scully had stated. What if someone was purposely wiping people’s minds? Given that there was no explanation as to why someone would be erasing the minds of others. What was it that he was missing?

Then another thing hit him. It had seemed odd at the time that when scanning the reports of all the victims their name initials seem to be telling him something. Using words or letters he could remember, he tried making anagrams, much like M.F.Luder. He began to use the victims names, when he realised that the first six and half people made up IM YOUR VANISHING, except that the last one and a half made up MIN. The first two didn’t quite make sense.

IM YOUR VANISHING MIN… Scully.

Mulder sat in silent as he let the truth sink in. She was to be the next person. But how could he be so sure? It was surely a mistake. Thought it was true, she was an alien abductee. Hesitantly, he added Scully’s initials to the Anagram.

IM YOUR VANISIHING MINDS. Damnit.

But that was a bunch of bogus. It made no sense. What about that FBI Agent, what was his name? Agent Gyde Saunders? Scully was right. He did have something queer about him. Mulder turned the car around and began heading back to wards the Bureau.

When Mulder reached the entrance of the building, surpassing security, he couldn’t help but think to check the Federal Service Database, just to do a run on Gyde Saunders. Whilst doing so, he ran into Walker.

“Spo…Buddy. What are you doing here so late? And why are you so wet?” Walker looked at Mulder oddly, taking notice of his wet over coat. Mulder passed him a casual look. Oh Brother. “Oh I come here whenever is suits me, and if you hadn’t noticed it’s raining.” Mulder shrugged passed him, into the Federal Research compound.

“You working on the case? ‘Cause if you are, I could give you a hand if you’d like.” Walker called after him.

“Sure, if you want to.” A thought crept across Mulder’s mind. Perhaps the first victim with phenomenal brain development was different to the others. Maybe there was some connection between him and all the others. Walker slumped in the chair beside him. “Tea, coffee?” He asked.

ID: PASSWORD:

F-O-X M-U-L-D-E-R T-R-S-T N-O-1

Mulder clicked on the identity personal, to commence a search. Beginning with a set of Saunders fingerprints, accessed thorough the FBI Agent Database, he began a search through the Citizen section.

Nothing.

Mulder attempted the Criminal section. And yet nothing again. He tried the Military and the Government and both turned up the same response. He was almost out of ideas when the Health and Welfare Database showed up a match. As an X-file. That match was the answer to Mulder’s question.

MATCH SHOWED 100% responded to Ike Munrow. The same person who had been the first victim. Mulder began reading the file, which stated the cause of Ike’s brain development.

The Brain tissue development had reached the sternum, causing the brain to merge into one whole section, instead of two divisions. Apparently, this sort of development could lead to enhanced abilities and capabilities. Some suggestions included Mind control, Telepathy, the ability to read one’s mind…and the list went on.

The one that caught Mulder’s Interest was Mind control. Though the most unlikely hood of occurring, it enabled the enhanced mind to control another’s mind. Possibly even being able to cause a chemical reaction turning the mind into a state of amnesia. But maybe this still isn’t the bigger picture here. Perhaps there is something else to the story that no one has predicted yet. Whatever that it may chance upon, health and state of mind seem to be the issue here.

“Hey Fox, what do you think of Dana?” Walker up fronted with the question that had been on his mind since he had first laid eyes on Scully.

“You mean in what sense?” The question caught Mulder’s attention, as he swivelled around in his chair. “Well, as a woman, you know? Isn’t she something?” Walker smiled. Mulder turned around to face the computer screen. “Most people think that, and she is amazing, which is why I’m lucky to have her as my partner, but as regulations within the FBI…” Walker cut Mulder short.

“Yeah yeah, I know. Ever wish Dana was more than a partner to you though?” Walker inquired, pushing further. “We’re as close as anyone can get without being romantics.” Mulder shut himself off from the topic.

Yes, several times he had crossed that path before… in his mind, but that alone.

“Ever picture a girl like her and a guy like me…” “No.” Mulder interrupted abruptly. “So don’t go hitting on her. It’s a total turn off.”

Mulder suddenly noticed himself becoming protective of Scully. He tried to block it from his mind.

“Hey, don’t get defensive Buddy, just asking.” Walker shrugged his shoulders before returning to his screen

Checking all of the victims records, each one seemed to correspond to a similar feature. Beginning with normal features: regular medical and dental examinations, the occasional mishap, but then it commenced.

Some began with psychiatric problems seeking medical help, others excluded this. Then there was the unaccountable time loss, which presumably was the abduction. The follow up included some claiming the truth, whilst others as mundane as Scully, refused to accept the Truth, trying to produce rational explanations.

Females all stated the loss of their ability to produce children. Everyone was found to have a metal implant shallow beneath the skin, which explicated as a catalogue device, all inevitably being removed.

Health Problems increased here onwards, leading to life threatening. All ending with miraculous recovery.

Then the next event was the allergic reaction to a bee sting. Submitted to a Hospital (which records remain unknown) and then yet again, another period of unaccountable time loss.

With Scully’s case, she had been placed in a frozen cyst, within the interior of a spaceship. Was that an explanation which applied for the others? Had they too been exposed to the plague, yet to have been emitted the vaccine?

Was the Secret Agenda within the Government erasing it’s tracks by wiping peoples memory, because they had seen too much? But what exactly had the victims or Scully seen that made them important?

Was it what they had seen before being placed in the cyst? If so, then why couldn’t Scully explain it?

Following after the reports of time loss, most people had psychotic episodes. Was it then that the memories return? Turning them with fear?

But how is it that Saunders is directly involved with a Secret Agenda? Perhaps posing as an FBI agent, but he could impose his thoughts across any sane mind to pass security or gain access to anything.

Too many questions.

Mulder shook his head.

But then how long afterwards was it that Saunders came after the following victim? It could be incalculable. And why would the victim be willing to accept a stranger into view? Being capable of controlling ones mind may create a scenario of being some else. Some one close.

“Listen, I’ll be back in a minute.” Mulder quickly exited the room. Of all the discoveries he had made, he didn’t think that Walker was ready to accept them. After all, he had nearly called him Spooky. Perhaps he perceived Mulder as Alien brainwashed as all the other Agents did. Mulder reached within is jacket and pulled out his phone, quickly punching in the numbers for Scully’s phone.

“Scully.”

“Scully, it’s me. Listen I know what is causing all of the related cases of amnesia. Scully, you have to listen to me. Don’t answer the door to anyone.” Mulder’s tone was urgent. “Mulder, but what if it’s you?” Scully asked.

“Look, I’ll tell you if I’m coming. But forget that for now. Look, I’ve been doing some research and I’ve discovered some things. Scully, all of these people have exactly identical Medical Files. Each beginning with an abduction, implants, the removal, cancer or a terminally ill disease, each ending with a miraculous recovery. Then the next part begins with an allergic reaction to a bee sting, an unknown destination that is presumably supposed to be the hospital. Then another time loss, which was when they were placed in a frozen cyst. Each exposed to the cure, and lived. But now someone is trying to destroy evidence because they have been exposed to too much Scully.” Mulder finished on an exasperated tone.

“But Mulder, why did they choose me? You’ve seen far more than I have.”

“That may be so, but I’m the one who generates the crap for them to hide the conspiracies behind. Scully, you may have seen more vital things than I.”

“Like what exactly?” Scully asked puzzled.

“What did you see before being placed in the Cyst Scully?”

“Mulder … I, I don’t remember..” Scully fumbled.

“Think Scully. Think back to when you were taken away from your apartment Hallway, when I called the paramedics. Except they didn’t come. Someone else intercepted. And then there was a gunshot,…”

“Mulder, I don’t know. Something like…it’s coming. I can remember being disorientated. I was on an aircraft of some sort, yet everything look disfigured. I was seeing the world through a glass coffin. I felt like I was watching myself, at my own funeral. But that’s as far as it goes. I was unconscious.” Scully stopped.

“Wait, something… I … Omigod…omi…”

“Scully?” Mulder had stopped breathing.

“Mulder…it’s like..nothing I’ve ever imagined. I.. can’t explain it..” Scully began fading.

“Try Scully.” Mulder said urgently.

“I can’t…it’s too..I don’t know Mulder. I can remember beings of a kind, placing me in the Cyst and I was naked, revealed to them. I felt sick. And then liquid began to seep in. My whole world was slipping from me, and I was cold. Icy needles ran up my spine, as I screamed out silently. I was sure they knew what I felt, but it seemed as though they had committed the process a thousand times Mulder. I was sure I would never see anything, I was dying.

The tube through my mouth was suffocating me, stealing the last drop of life from me. And as the water began to creep above my neck, I froze with fear,…Mulder I …I can’t…” Scully took a deep breath.

“ I don’t want to talk about it right now. It was as though my worst fears were multiplied a thousand times over, I just couldn’t do it.”

“Scully, just stay where you are, I’m coming over.” Mulder clicked the phone off. Then quickly redialling Skinners Number, he began to wait till the Assistant Director received the phone.

“Assistant Director’s Office, how may I help you.” The Sectary spoke as though she had said the same line over and over again. Bland and boring.

“Listen, I must talk to Assistant Director Now!” Mulder’s tone was urgent.

“Please hold.” Mulder impatiently began walking fast towards his car.

“Skinner here.” The familiar voice sounded on the other line.

“Listen, I need a S.W.A.T team at Scully’s apartment Georgetown, immediately! Don’t ask questions. You know me well. And if you don’t want to lose a valuable Agent then I suggest you hurry.” Before Skinner could reply, Mulder ended the Call.

Scully held her head in her hands, repeating the scenes over and over again. The only sound that could be heard was the echoing of the rain, trickling down the window. Squeezing her eyes tight, as if to block out the pain, her hands clenched tight.

Then the light seeped through, and the water flowed out. She heard a voice in all the darkness of death, and Mulder was there. But that was as far as it went. A silent thought entered her mind. She opened her eyes, and tilted her head, as if ready for the anticipated arrival.

A fist pounded against the door and then a voice sounded through. “Scully, are you there?” But something was not right. It was dreadfully wrong.

Hesitantly, she backed away from the door, but as if compelled by some unseen force, regretfully she edged closer to the door. “Scully, open up, it Mulder.” Mulder? But how could it be, he had only just…

And then her mind was gone. Thoughts were clouded by a voice. ‘Reach for the door.’ Scully placed her hand on the door, slowly turning the handle, forgetting to peek through the hole into the outside.

As the door creaked open, it revealed a dark figure in the doorway. Lightening blinded the room reflecting a brilliant flash, enhancing the figure through the doorway. Thunder boomed in an echoing call, as the ground shuddered.

Scully’s eyes opened with fear, as she buckled over. Holding her stance, she remained with two feet firmly on the floor. But her mind was not with her. It did not recognise the figure with in her reach.

“Mulder?”

Mulder’s image crept towards her, as she took a step back. Silently the door closed behind him, cutting off all escape. But there was no need for escape, because after all, it was Mulder. “Scully, what’s wrong?” the voice asked.

Scully felt her whole mind, as though the person standing opposite her could read her every thought.

She was seduced into believing a lie, betraying Mulder’s line “Trust no one”. But at the moment she felt miles away from anyone. She was stranded alone.

“You…you told me not to answer the door to anyone.” Scully spoke without any hesitation. But it was not her words. They were forceful. Her mind was fighting against a power, which was sweeping over her. She felt on the edge of reality, lost in the darkness. “Who…are..” But she was not in reach of finishing.

Images of what had happened to her back in the Cyst came flowing to her, as if re-occurring for the second time. She shrouded against then, clenching her fists and holding her head. And yet her mind was finally opened to the world. And all the answers to everything that the victims before her had experienced. Scully knew she was about to have taken from her essence of life. Helpless. She closed her eyes to shutting out her vision, as she let her mind flow. And then she opened her mind to one thought, the last thought she would ever remember… Mulder.

And then an invisible hand reached in, taking away from her everything that was of her worth. Slipping from her grasp forever, her life stolen before it had endured to the end. “MULDER…!!!” Scully screamed out, as if she could reach him. A tear streamed down her face, as she accepted defeat and fell to the floor.

And her life as Scully ended, as she vanished from the world she knew.

- Scully eXtremis To be continued...