One is the Loneliest Number

"Dana? Dana?" Walker gently shook Scully. "What happened?" He looked
wide-eyed at her
"I don't know, but you were right Mulder. These things, messages, what
ever they are, they are very direct. What division does Saunders work
within?" She sat upright, and looked up at Byrnes.
"I'm not sure exactly, he could be anywhere within the compound."
Byrnes stated.
"He was here." Said Scully defiantly.
"How do you know?" Mulder asked.
"I don't, but I could feel him. There is something not right here. I
know when he is around. I believe that I …that I can read his mind, if
that's the right sense to place it." She picked her self up from the
floor and sprinted out the door. Walker looked at Mulder for answers,
but he was as stumped as Walker was.
"When Scully arrives back, or whenever you next see her Mulder, inform
her that she'll be needing to prepare her self for a trip to the
forest, as I'll inform the Assistant Director of our whereabouts."
Byrnes also walked out the door, heading for Skinner's office. Walker
looked at Mulder once more.
"Are you feeling ok buddy? You don't seem to be speaking much today."
Walker said.
"I've had a bad day, I'm sure I'll sleep it off." Mulder began for the
door.
"If you think that'll do it then." He sighed, following off after
Mulder.

Mulder decided to waste his anger away in the basketball courts. As he
pounded the ball down along the court, heaving it into the air at the
steel ring, he'd unconsciously told himself that he couldn't be
bothered, and only pushed himself further and further until he was
exhausted, feeling as though he could collapse at any minute.
He imagined he was back in the hallway of Scully's apartment, and she
had collapsed for the second time. He seriously had believed that time
she would be gone forever. But when her eyes opened and she awoke
again to her former self, Mulder almost leaped out of his mind. It was
like experiencing a Nightmare for real.
The sound of the basketball bouncing upon the gravel of the court
could not be heard, as Mulder thought hard to himself. 'What was it,
what was the key, that had brought Scully back? Was there something
that perhaps could not be taken away from her, something so embedded
within her deeply, that the reaches of the darkness could not touch
it, rather hide it.' Mulder pounded the ball harder.
'Had I not crossed the path to her, in a means that had never been
explored before, had I not kissed her, would she have continued waking
to the world of the unknown day after day? If only I had not.."
Anger began to build inside Mulder, as he felt betrayed, yet with out
understanding. He had no reason to show his ignorance towards anyone,
except for his own selfish conquests. He was not only destroying
himself, but he was taking Scully along. Mulder kicked the ball hard
across the court, watching it sail through the air, before turning away.
He had searched for Scully when he had been at the Bureau, not
terribly hard though, as he was still coming to terms with what had
happened a couple of hours ago. It was as though the moment she spoke
those words  "Mulder..I can't do this." his whole
world was taken from beneath him, leaving him out in the open to
re-establish is way of life. Perhaps he didn't have feelings for her
in a way that he expected? Too much had happened in one day, and it
probably made him feel crazy, or over active. Either way, he felt as
though he was lying to himself. To live a lie you believe in, to
labour a lie, is like..is like….what? Mulder shook his head. He
slumped upon the sofa within his living room
Mulder could remember the time when Scully had told him she had
cancer, and when she had stayed in the Holy Cross-Memorial Hospital
Hospital, and how frail she appeared. And when he held her, it broke
him to believe that he may never see her the next day after, as he had
per usually done.
And for so many things they had been through together, he laughed to
himself sadly as he remembered the last time he had spent time with
her in a forest.
"I'm cold Scully," He'd said. "Did you know that the quickest way to
get warm is to get naked in a sleeping bag with someone else?" Or
something along those lines.
"Well, if it rains sleeping bags Mulder, you might get lucky." Cheap
one Mulder, you're sounding just as bad as Walker does, he told
himself. He decided to give Scully a call, just to let her know that
she had to prepare herself for a trip to the forest, where he had
spent so much of his time chasing the truth and the lies, just for
some answers. And he noticed that the red light was on, which meant
that someone had left a message on his machine. Mulder pressed the
button.
"Mulder? It's me. Listen, I have something to tell you,
". Scully sounded as though she was having trouble with
something. "After I left the room today, I went to visit Ivory
Nelson, and I discovered something strange Mulder. It's like I can
communicate with him telepathically. I don't know how to explain it.
But that's not all"  There was a pause.  "Call
me." The phone message finished.
Mulder sat for a moment, before picking up the phone and dialling
Scully's number. After several tries, he let the phone ring on,
receiving no answer, and decided that Walker would have told Scully
anyway about the field trip. Could it be possible that Scully could
read any other person's mind? 
Mulder couldn't imagine Scully being that evasive, as she had respect
for people's privacy. Mulder slowly let himself fall into a dark sleep
along the black sofa, as the night passed by.

Scully woke with a start. Ever since she had her memory taken away
from her, she always had the same re-occurring dream over and over
again. It began in the forest; rows of native pine trees rolling on
for eternity, as the world was still and quiet. A silent weapon for a
quiet war. A mind against a mind.
Mulder was there. But it was him that she was fending for. Fighting
for. Dark hands were sweeping across his mind, taking him from her as
she had been from him, and she was fighting against her will. But
against whom? It was a dark dream, never leaving her alone, until she
awoke suddenly. Voices in her head.
Scully was tired of having to face the day, with Mulder being left
behind some dark illusion. She felt responsible for his
destructiveness which she could see coming from deep inside him. And
it hurt her even more when he refused to face her. She felt her throat
tighten, and restrained herself from crying.
It was too much for her, and perhaps a trip to the forest would do her
good.

Yet again, it was one of those solemn trips along the highway; Scully
following the division lines with her eyes over again, curving out at
intersections. Mulder, keeping his utter concentration upon the road.
Byrnes and Walker sat quietly in the back, trying to come up with a
conversation. Scully had to admit they weren't doing so badly. They
had managed to get a few words out of Mulder, mostly yes, no, or I
don't know. Scully had even spoken a few sentences.
She was fed up with his ignorance. What the hell was wrong with him?
She could not display her attitude as widely as he was, it was as
though he had a sign pinned to him saying 'The world is full of peace,
love, and understanding and then there's shit. But I'll be leaving
soon.' Scully sighed, before flicking on the radio channel.

'One is the loneliest number to love or do,
Two can be as bad as one, 
It's the loneliest number since the number one.
No is the saddest experience, you'll ever know.
Yes it's the saddest experience you'll ever know.
'Cause one is the loneliest number that you'll ever know.
One is the loneliest number, even worse than two.
Yeah.

Scully moved uncomfortably in her seat, listening to the song, the
words, the sounds, wishing it would turn to the next song, which
predicability could be just as fitting.

It's just no good any more since you went away,
No one spend my time just making a rhymes of yesterday
One is the loneliest number, One is the loneliest number, 
One is the loneliest number, Since you went away…
Since you went away…

Mulder moved for the radio and flicked it off, abruptly turning the
car back to silence. Though such a simple action, it moved Scully, it
hurt her. And it made her want to flare out at Mulder. She hated him.
She loved him no; she hated him, what's the difference? Why did it
have to be so hard? 
Byrnes peered out the car window before calling to Mulder to halt.
"Agent Mulder, I do believe that this is the western side of the state
Virginian Forests." Walker and Scully hopped out of the doors out onto
the road, feeling the slight chill in the air.
"I hope you all brought your hiking boots!" Mulder said in a cheerful
tone, as he stooped to the ground for inspection. 
"Scully, you sense anything?" Walker cocked his head in her direction.
"Sorry to say so, but this is going to be like searching for a needle
in a hay stack. Where do we begin? We have not barely enough
information to be even vaguely considering searching, and yet here we
are chasing ghosts." Scully looked around out into the endless pine
trees. Byrnes peered out, to the horizon. "You're right, this will do
us no good."
And yet again, Scully found herself being taken aback by the wave of
dizziness, it's sweeping hand reaching for her mind. She held her head.
"He's close, I can feel him." Scully reeled back in alarm. "And he's
not alone. But neither is aware of the other, just reaching a
destination by some unseen force." Scully opened her eyes, scaling the
shadows.
"Where exactly?" Mulder's voice sounded hollow.
"Hard to say exactly, perhaps seven miles that way." Scully pointed to
the direction of the sun, as it finally lay to rest.
"Mulder, keep an eye on Scully." Byrnes called back, as she and Walker
began heading through the forest.
"What?!" Scully exclaimed, as she realised she had said that a bit too
loud for her liking. Mulder turned to look at her, as she looked back,
before trudging her way through the forest. 
For what seemed like hours of walking, and silence, Scully decided to
strike up a conversation.
"Mulder?" She hesitated.
"What?" Mulder snapped back. She could feel him staring her down from
behind.
"Mulder, I need to talk to you. I'd like some answers."
"On what exactly?" He said shallowly. Scully grew more anxious. She
had already anticipated his lack of self-control.
"Mulder, when were in the elevator, I didn't mean to, no what I meant
to say is. Wait. Just let me rephrase this." Scully took a deep
breath, knowing that Mulder was purposely trying to make her feel as
uncomfortable as possible, pushing his hurt feelings onto her.
"Mulder, what happened to you? Why are you being so ignorant towards
me?" She turned around to face him.
"Scully, how can I spell it out to you? The moment I burst into your
apartment the night your mind was taken from you, to see you sprawled
across the floor, I knew that things would never be the same. I was
alone, and I was afraid. But I was afraid for you." Mulder closed his
eyes, as if picturing the whole scene. "And you had vanished. Leaving
me with nothing." Mulder looked into her eyes. "It pained me to see
you that way…" 
"Mulder! I was there, you know." Scully interrupted, trying to bring
him to the point.
"But when you fell for the second time, it was as though I was there,
with you. And I knew that for the last time, had you not awoken, I
would be gone. You had taken me with you." Mulder paused.
"But that was only because I cared for you, far more than any words
can express. You had me."
"And what do you know of my feelings on this issue? I'm just as
involved in this as you are?!" Scully took a step forward, holding her
stance. "Ever since I told you,.." She paused, her throat tightening.
"That I couldn't go through with it, it was a lie! And I have been
labouring a lie against you, and against myself!, and if only you knew
how I.."
"You showed no insight whatsoever, on how you affected me Scully. I
thought that I could see you, and I died that night because of you."
Mulder looked into her eyes.
"Mulder! Don't do this to me, don't!" Scully's eyes were edging with
tears.  "I can't do this without you, and if you refuse to end showing
your ignorance continuously as you have been, then I don't believe I
can be with you here, now, or ever after." Scully flared out at
Mulder, her final showdown, bursting with hurt and anger, striking him
across the face.
And the whole world ceased in silence.
Mulder did not move an inch, as he watched Scully turn away from him.
But acting on impulsion, he reached out and grabbed her by the arm,
pulling her forcefully towards him, passionately kissing her on the
lips, as he embraced her.
Through her tears, she let go of herself, falling back upon Mulder
reaching for him, as she had so wanted to do for a long time. She
pushed against him, kissing him harder, over and over, as though there
was no tomorrow as they fell to the ground in a heap, struggling over
each other in a wild sprawl.
She ran her hand through his hair, as their worlds merged into one.
Possessed by the other, reunited, in the earthly knowledge of
existence, against the forces of time. Mulder seductively kissed her
lightly upon the neck, as she lay their in the grassing, holding to
him close. She held his face in her hands, staring deeply into his
eyes, before embracing into yet another fiery kiss. 
Then suddenly, unexpectantly, they both halted, feeling the force of a
mind, rip through them both, discretely searching. Scully buried her
head in Mulder's chest to block out the pain, as she felt Mulder grip
tightly to her. Until she realised what was happening. Mulder was
slipping from her. His mind was being taken.
Scully willed herself against the pain, blocking it out, as she
extended her own mind into that of the other, fighting. And then she
knew that this moment was already set. She had foreseen it coming,
every night. It was the same dream, except now it was too surreal.
'And among the darkness, there was a light. Another mind
within the struggle, to protect the unseen. It called to me, telling
me to find Mulder, to bring him back before he left the earthly
existence, as he was the only person that could save me, as I had to
him. And I knew that my job was finished here, that I surrendered to
the battle, despite my own judgement.'

It was dark where I was, and I knew now what Scully had experienced.
The hopelessness against the power. To know your fate was set before
you, and there was nothing you could do to better it. It was there
that I knew I would die. Not of my physical state, but of my mental
state, where I would go, I knew not.
All that I could think of was the feeling of being deceived, but not
due to anyone's cause. And then there was a mind, the shadow had been
lifted. A strong secure feeling had reached me, I was sure it was
Scully. I tried to reach it, but within moments it had left me. And I
felt myself slip away, blinded by a brilliant white light.'

"Mulder!" There was a voice. "Mulder!" And I knew that I must leave
the place where I was, to return. A hand reached out and pulled me,
thrusting me into the earthly body, and I knew who it was. It was not
Scully, but rather the other female whom I had known that day, and yet
I found myself in a state of confusion. "Forget what you have seen,
for your eye's are deceitful, Trust no one and Deny everything.
"Mulder!!" And I opened my eyes.
"Jesus Mulder!" Scully exclaimed. She forced me to sit up right, and
began placing her hands against my forehead, and then my throat,
checking for the pulsating rhythm.

"Scully, your hands are cold!" Mulder exclaimed, before pulling her
closer to him.
"What happened?" Scully asked with concern. Mulder smiled.
"You were there." And then he knotted his eyebrows. "And so was
someone else." He said thoughtfully.
"Byrnes?" Scully said suddenly. 
"Who is that Scully?" Mulder looked at her with surprise.
"I don't know Mulder, it just came to mind. Speaking of which, I do
not believe that my abilities are there any more Mulder. They're gone.
Oh Darn! Now I can't read your mind any more, things were getting
interesting." Scully she said before raising her face to peer deep
into Mulder's eyes. "I'm sorry Mulder." She said softly. He smiled
before kissing her gently on the lips.
"Mulder, can you hear something?" Scully said abruptly, straining her
head forward. Mulder stopped short to listen for a sound. 
"There is a voice.." He began, listening harder.
"Agent Walker!" Scully exclaimed. "It totally slipped my mind." Scully
turned, as Mulder began walking in the direction where the voice was
coming from, imagining Walker flailing aimlessly through the forest.
"C'mon Scully, we've got to go find him!" Mulder called back.
"Mulder!," Scully hissed, chasing after him. "Mulder! How many times
do you think that we would get the opportunity to leave Walker here,
alone in the forest by himself? After all he has done, I think her
deserves a bit of solitary confinement." Scully said coyly,
remembering all the sleazy passes he had made at her. Mulder smiled in
return.
"One is the loneliest number to love or do, Two can be as bad as one,
but personally I think that's crap." Mulder said aloud thoughtfully
frowning, as she playfully hit him. Drawing him closer she gave him a
long hard kiss, grabbing his hand tightly, pulling him along after her.
"That's not how it goes." Then she frowned. "Mulder, Nothing Vanishes
without a trace."

http://www.oocities.org/Hollywood/Picture/6294 - Scully eXtremis

==
Fight the Future X Dana Scully X Fox Mulder X Fight the Future