Someday-Part 5/7
Summary and disclaimers in Part 1
*****
St. John's Medical Center
Tucson, Arizona
It was shortly after noon when Mulder and Scully walked into
St. John's Medical Center. Scully hated it, but she was once
again looking over her shoulder, and she felt Mulder's
nervousness as well. It looked like the honeymoon was indeed
over. Silently, Scully lead Mulder to the 5th floor, where
Dr. Chloe Wood's office was located.
She swung around the corner and smiled when she saw her old
friend standing in the hallway talking to a couple of
people. Her smile faded when she recognized them. She
stopped and began to back up, hoping to slip back around the
corner before they noticed her. But Mulder, having been
walking several feet behind her, slammed into her back.
"Scully, what..?" The three faces at the end of the hall
turned towards them.
Scully felt Mulder's body turn to stone behind her, and his
voice, when he spoke, was ice tinged with fear. "What the
hell are you doing here?"
Cat, her dark eyes wide, took a step towards them. "Mulder!
We're here to help! Skinner sent us."
"How did you find us?" Scully demanded.
Cat glanced at Justin. "It was luck, really. We knew you
were in the southwest somewhere after the bar brawl." She
seemed to take note of Mulder's slightly blackened eye and
swollen lip. "We learned that Dr. Wood had taught at the
Academy at the same time as Agent Scully."
"It wasn't a brawl," Mulder commented. His voice sounded
tired, as if he had given up. "Why did you think we would
come to Dr. Wood?"
"O'Neil thought you guys might have a vaccine," Justin
answered. "Dr. Wood was the logical choice."
Scully felt a chill work its way up her back. Cat's
intuition was very similar to Mulder's, it seemed. He was
always making spectacular leaps in logic that proved correct
in the end. She looked at Cat. "Why did you think we have
the vaccine?"
Cat shrugged. "It was a guess."
Scully turned to look at Mulder, her eyebrows raised. He was
wearing a small smile, as if proud of his protege. He had
every right to be, Scully thought. Cat was almost a
feminine, mirror image of Mulder.
Scully looked at Dr. Wood. "Hi, Chloe."
"Dana." Chloe Wood nodded to her.
"Chloe," Scully continued. "We need your help."
Glancing at the younger agents, Chloe smirked. "So I
gathered." She motioned toward her office. "Shall we?"
************************************************************
St. John's Medical Center
Doctor Chloe Wood's Office
By reviewing the antibodies in Scully's blood, which she had
acquired when Mulder injected her with the original vaccine
a few years ago in Antarctica, Dr. Wood was able to confirm
that the content of the vial was indeed the vaccine. She
also confirmed that it would be easy to replicate. The five
of them 'camped out' in Chloe's office the rest of that day
and into the night. While Scully helped Chloe with the
replication procedures, Mulder and the others planned the
next step.
From what Chloe could determine, the vaccine had been
produced from the killed virus itself, the way many vaccines
were made. Nonetheless, this made Mulder and Scully nervous;
they didn't like the idea of being around the virus, dead or
otherwise.
It was well past four the next morning when Scully
determined they had enough made up. "Now what?" Mulder said
to no one in particular, but his attention was on Scully.
"Are we still going to go with my suggestion?" she asked
back.
"What suggestion?" Monroe asked.
"I thought Mulder told you," Scully asked.
"He told us we might have to split up, in pairs or
something, taking the vaccine and hiding it," Cat responded.
Scully shook her head. "Yes and no. We need to split up,
yes, but I think it's best if we all split up, *all* of us.
The more vaccine we hide away for future use, the better."
She looked at each one in turn. "It's also better insurance
in case one of us gets caught." She looked at Chloe. "I
don't expect you to help us anymore. You've done more than
enough already."
"Are you kidding?" Chloe asked. "I'm not going to stop now.
I know people in Mexico who can hide this stuff."
Scully nodded. "We can all hide it, tell a few trustworthy
souls about it, so that more than one person knows where and
what to look for when the time comes. Sort of like the
Navajo's way of passing down stories, huh, Mulder?"
Mulder nodded, but he knew his nervousness showed. "I'm not
sure it's a good idea to split up completely."
"Between the five of us, I think we can ensure that this
stuff stays safe," Scully argued.
But Mulder obviously wasn't convinced. "Scully, can I have
word with you?"
Scully followed Mulder over to the far side of the lab.
"What's wrong? You suddenly don't like my idea?"
"No. I think it's our best option if we want to have a life
after this is over. I just don't like being separated."
"Mulder, just because we're sleeping together now does not
mean I can't take care of myself as I have always been able
to do. This is a very good reason why we shouldn't have let
this relationship change!" She was whispering, but her voice
sounded sharp anyway.
Mulder grimaced. "I know very well you can take care of
yourself. That is one of the reasons I love you so much.
Your strength, your confidence. But I have a bad feeling
about this!" He sighed. "Contramundum, remember?"
"Mulder, we stand a better chance of succeeding if we
separate. And when we succeed, we can be together."
"You promise?" His heart started beating harder. The idea of
spending the rest of his life loving this woman thrilled
him. But the fear remained. "Why do I feel like you're
leaving for good, again?"
She moved in close, looking him in the eye. "Not for good.
Never for good."
"I just have a bad feeling about this."
"You sound like a character from 'Star Wars'." Scully joked,
then paused. "Someday is almost here, Mulder. It's almost
here."
************************************************************
The five of them separated after a quick breakfast around
six in the morning. Chloe was taking a quick trip south of
the border, to a doctor friend in Mexico. Monroe and Cat
headed north, planning to split up in Nevada the next day.
Mulder and Scully retraced their steps east. Well, not
exactly the same route, Mulder thought wryly. They managed
to avoid going near a little road house just outside Truth
or Consequences, New Mexico.
At dusk, they stopped at a motel somewhere in Texas. The
plan was for Scully to take a flight out of Dallas the next
day, destination unknown to all but her. Mulder was not
anxious for the separation.
Late that night, he lay awake, staring at the ceiling, his
arms wrapped tightly around a sleeping Scully. He and Scully
had been through so much, what was one more trial? When this
was over, when all the samples were well hidden, maybe they
could get their lives back. Not the same lives, of course.
He knew without a doubt that this little escapade would cost
him his job. Finally. But, he didn't regret it. He was
content to let Cat take over the X Files. Imagine that! But,
then what was he to do?
He turned his face into Scully's hair, breathing deeply. If
he searched deep down in his heart, he knew what he wanted
to do. Marry the woman sleeping beside him and start
producing red-headed, green-eyed babies. But that was most
likely impossible. Even if Scully would settle down and
marry him, she couldn't have children. Not by conventional
means, anyway. His thoughts drifted back to the ova he had
secreted away with the help of the Lone Gunmen. There was
always that option.
He closed his eyes and pictured it: He and Scully, always
together, never apart, no matter what the situation. He
could see her, smiling, her belly round with his child. He
felt his heart literally ache. God, how he wanted to make
her happy!
She was starting to wake next to him, her hand sliding along
him, fingers playing with his chest hair. Mulder's mind,
still on his fantasy vision, asked before he could stop
himself, "Do you know what I wish?"
She lifted her head, giving him a sleepy look. "What?"
He took a deep breath. "Nothing. Never mind."
Scully gave the hair she was fingering a sharp tug.
"Ouch!"
"What?" she repeated. "Don't get me all curious and then
back off!"
Mulder sighed. "I wish we had made a baby tonight."
Scully stilled, her eyes wide. Then she smiled. A sad smile.
"Really?"
"Yeah, really."
She lowered her head and gently kissed him. "I do, too."
"What if.." he paused. "What if I told you that you *could*
have children."
She tilted her head in curiosity, but remained quiet.
"Scully, I've kept something from you. I know I shouldn't
have, but.."
"My ova?" Scully interrupted in a soft voice.
Mulder felt shock sweep through him. "You know?"
She nodded. "Frohike told me."
For a moment, Mulder felt anger replace his shock. Scully
noticed. "Don't get mad at him. I knew he was hiding
something important from me and I forced it out of him. You
know very well that *he* can't lie to me."
Mulder felt his face heat. "And you're not mad?"
"Oh, I was a bit ticked for a while, yes. But not anymore.
And who knows; Maybe I'll have need for them in the future."
She lay her head back on his shoulder.
"Scully?"
"Hmm?"
"If you do decide you have a need for them..." He stopped.
"Don't worry, Mulder. You'll be the first to know." He felt
her smile. "You'll have to be if you're going to be the
donor."
Mulder smiled, feeling incredibly relieved.
"Scully?"
With a soft laugh, she replied, "Hmm?"
"Be careful. I want you to have those babies in the future."
"A future we're helping to protect with this vaccine," she
reminded him.
"Just promise me you'll be careful." His voice had become
hard.
"I promise," she sighed. Then she moved up on his chest so
she could face him. "You're really worried, aren't you?"
He brought his hand up, brushing hair from her face. Then he
cupped her cheek. "Yes." His voice was soft, but deadly
serious.
He could tell by her expression that she recognized his very
real fear. She nodded, then brought her lips down on his. He
knew she was trying to distract him, and he decided to let
her. In the back of his mind he began to pray, yes pray,
that this would not be the last time he made love to her.
************************************************************
Somewhere in Virginia
"Well, have you found them, yet?" CGB Spender was angry. He
had learned , only a week ago, about the vaccine Dr.
Hendrickson had produced, and by the time he was able to do
something about it, Mulder had the vaccine. Mulder. He felt
a twinge of pride at the thought of the young agent, but
anxiety as well. He had hoped that Mulder's obsession had
been forgotten in Scully's absence. Evidently, it hadn't.
Alex Krycek stood before Spender, his eyes never leaving the
old man's. "I thought I had them in Tucson. They met up with
a Dr. Wood there. But by the time I arrived, they were gone.
I think O'Neil and an agent called Monroe are with them as
well."
"Shit!" Spender cursed softly, then started coughing. "Where
did they go?" he asked when he had his breath back.
Krycek sighed, for the first time showing his frustration.
"As far as I can tell, all five of them split up."
"What?" Spender leaned back in his chair. "If they all have
samples of the vaccine..." He shook his head. This was not
good. 'They' would not be happy to hear about this. "We'll
never find it all." He looked at Krycek.
"Do you want me and the others to keep looking?"
Spender sighed again. "No." He glanced at the gray haired
man standing towards the back of the room, who had stood
silently through the entire exchange. "No, but I do want you
to find *one* of them." He turned back to Krycek. "I want
you to find Agent Scully and bring her to me." He glanced at
the quiet one again. "To us."
************************************************************
Scully had been mad at herself plenty of times in her life,
but she couldn't recall being this pissed at herself before.
She had made it far too easy for them. Why had she believed
that just because she wasn't carrying the vaccine anymore,
she was safe?
She had made it as far as the National Airport, and had
decided to call Mulder and tell him she was okay. Standing
at the pay phones, she had called his apartment, getting his
answering machine. She had told him she would meet him and
the others as planned that night at Headquarters. With a
quick 'I miss you', she hung up and turned away from the
phones.
And she had literally run smack into Alex Krycek. "Hello,
Dana. You are a hard lady to find, did you know that?"
She'd been unarmed; she'd had to leave her weapon with
Mulder in Texas in order to board the plane. Of course, she
didn't know what she would have done with a gun in a crowded
airport anyway. Now, here she sat, in the back of a dark
sedan, Krycek holding a gun on her. She didn't bother asking
him where they were going; he wouldn't tell her anyway.
They finally arrived at an old farmhouse in what Scully
believed must be the Virginia countryside. She followed
Krycek into the building and came face to face with *him*.
"C.G.B. Spender." she commented. "What a surprise. I can't
say that I've missed you."
Spender smirked. "Ah, but I have missed you, Dana." He
walked toward her and touched her hair. The blonde color was
slowly fading after every wash she gave her hair: thank
goodness for temporary hair color. "I never pictured you as
a blonde before."
She jerked away from his touch. "Exactly."
Spender turned and walked to a chair, sitting facing Scully.
"Your friend, Dr. Wood, is already back at work acting like
she never left. O'Neil and this Monroe are also finished
with their 'duties' and are back in D.C." He tilted his
head. "Quite a plan you and Mulder devised. I had hoped that
more than a year of separation would have weakened your
bond, but apparently I was wrong.
"You may have won this round with your vaccine, but you and
Mulder have become too much of a problem with the people in
charge now. They want both of you dead, no excuses. They're
tired of you always getting in the way. I can do nothing to
change their mind. Your friends are safe, for now, but you
and Mulder are not. They WILL kill you both."
Scully let out a humorless laugh. "Aren't you a part of the
'they' you're talking about?"
Spender shook his head. "No, Dana. Not in this. We want you
and Mulder to live."
She glanced at Krycek, who stood without speaking by the
door. "We?"
"Yes," said a voice from behind her. "We."
Scully spun around, her eyes widening. The man standing
before her was supposed to be dead.
Mulder had told her that he had died in a car bombing, just
after he had given Mulder the original vaccine that had
saved her life in Antarctica.
"I heard you were dead," she whispered.
"Yes," the Well-Manicured Man said. "It isn't as difficult
as it seems to make the world believe you are dead." He
stepped closer, and Scully was surprised to find she wasn't
as fearful of this man as she was Spender. His grey eyes
were flashing with amusement. "We want to help you, Agent
Scully."
"How?"
He smiled. "We want to help you and Mulder 'die'."
*****
End of 5/7