Disclaimer part 1 The Brotherhood Chapter 14 By Vickie Moseley, vmoseley@fgi.net and Esther Walker, cenergy@earthlink.net 12 Miles from the Canadian Border 6:45 pm "No, son, you don't want to do this," a strong hand on his shoulder forced Mulder to turn around. Before him stood an older man, nearing 60, but with eyes that looked much younger. His receding hairline left only a fringe of grey around his head, but when Mulder looked closely, he could still see a hint of red there. Still, it was the man's eyes that struck Mulder the most-- they were the same eyes he had just looked into, the ones he searched for a thousand times a day. They were the eyes of his wife. "Captain Scully?" Mulder asked. He had never met Dana's father, had only seen a few candid pictures that Dana had on the mantel in their apartment, but this was definitely the partriarch of the Scully clan. His very bearing spoke of his years at sea, the men he had commanded, the risks he had taken and won. "Son, Fox, you don't want to leave her. I know. I didn't want to leave my Maggie and we had a much longer time together than you two." Bill Scully wouldn't let go of his shoulder, so Mulder put his hand on the other man's arm. "But even you have to admit that you didn't have a choice, sir," Mulder said sadly. "I don't want to leave her. I'll never want to be anywhere but right beside her. But I can't hold out any longer. I'm tired. I'm hurt. There's nothing that is my choice here. I just don't have the strength." "Let me show you something that might give you a little help in the strength department, Fox," Bill said with a gleam in his eye. "Follow me." Mulder didn't think they had walked more than a few feet, but he saw they were now in a yard. The backyard to a house. It had a large sycamore tree to the left, and an oak tree to the far right. Near the house were magnolia and dogwood with a small rose garden bordering a patio deck. In the center of the yard was a large wooden jungle gym complete with two swings and a circular slide. Three children, two boys and a girl, were playing happily on the swings and slide. The children were shouting at each other. Mulder listened closely and heard their names, Meggie, Willie and Sam. They were fighting over who was their parent's favorite. "Meggie is Dad's favorite," the older of the two boys said with a sneer. "He lets her get by with *anything*!" "Not true, Will-i-am," the little girl drawled out her brother's name in a taunt. "Besides, Sammy is Mommie's little angel. He never gets in trouble!" "Am not!" said the youngest boy, all of about 4 years of age. "Mommy loves us all. She says so when she kisses us 'night." That seemed to be all the evidence needed to support his claim. "But Meggie is still Daddy's favorite," Willie said with a triumphant smile. "It's a complexion." "That's 'complex' you doof," Maggie jeered. Now that he was looking closer, Mulder figured the girl was about 9. "And no it's not. Daddy loves us all. He always has. That's why he comes home to us every night. 'Cause he loves us and wants to be with us." Mulder's heart ached. Something inside him told him who these children were. They were his, his children. He wanted so much to run to them, take them in his arms. But then, he realized that unless he survived, he would never see this bright young girl, and the two boys would never even come to be. He closed his eyes against the pain at his loss. "You want to go back, don't you, son?" Bill asked. Mulder couldn't speak, he could only nod. "Then fight a little harder. You have it in you, Fox. Just fight a little harder. I know you can do it," the older man smiled and shrugged. "Starbuck wouldn't have given you a second look if you were a quitter." ************************************ 7:00 pm Dana was sobbing so hard, all the while trying to keep up the rhythm of CPR, that she didn't hear the all terrain vehicles making their way through the forest. It wasn't until she felt a small hand on her shoulder that she even knew anyone was near her. She looked up and into Tenille's face. "He's gone," she sobbed and started to go back to her fight to bring him back to her. Tenille gripped her shoulders and pulled her away, leaving room for the paramedic to take over. He went to work immediately, frantically taking up the efforts that Dana had already begun. "Agent Scully, here," Skinner said gently, enfolding her in a woolen blanket. He could see her shivering and noticed that her lips were tinted blue. "You don't want to catch . . ." He stopped himself from going any further with that train of thought. At that moment, he had no doubt that Dana Scully couldn't have cared less for what might or might not happen to herself. All her thoughts were on her husband. After what seemed like an eternity, the paramedic jumped back, searching through his bag. "I got a pulse, and some pretty faint breath sounds. Now, we gotta get him back pronto, before we lose him for real," he spat out to Skinner. "He's bleeding internally, his right kidney," Scully said, instantly moving over to help the paramedic. "And he has a concussion. Pneumonia's been a problem for a couple of days. I've been treating with, ah, some local remedies," she said, not expounding on what those 'rememdies' might be. Now that there was something to do, she shoved all emotions to the back of her mind and became the professional again. "How are you going to transport? Chopper?" The paramedic and Skinner both looked at the sky. Although the rain had slowed somewhat in the last 15 minutes, the wind was not abating at all. The two men exchanged dubious looks. "I don't think so, Agent Scully," Skinner said steadily. "Well, we sure as hell aren't *walking* him out of here," she said with disgust. "Hold up, let me see if the cavalry can get here," Skinner said, pulling out the radio he had hastily clipped to his belt before taking off on the ATV. "Spence. This is Walt. We need an evac. I repeat, we need an evac. Do you read me? Over." There was static as he pushed the button and all four conscious people held their breath collectively. Then a voice burst through the static. "Walt! We're here, buddy! And it looks like it's lettin' up toward the west. We're down to a drizzle here. I got a chopper fired up and ready. Just give us your location and we'll be there in a jiffy." Skinner smiled as he heard the three others with him start breathing again. It took the chopper just 20 minutes to be at their location. Mulder was loaded on a stokes and placed in the chopper to be delivered to the nearest hospital. There was just enough room for Dana and the paramedic to come along. That left Skinner, Tenille and Bob to take the ATV's back to the compound. Thanks to the let up in the rain, they were able to push through to the compound in a little over an hour and a half. Once there, Skinner handed Tenille and Bob over to Spence Thornley, grabbed the first available rental car and took off for the hospital, over forty miles away by back country roads. Sawyer County Medical Center 2:14 am After much argument, Skinner and two nurses had convinced Dana to change into dry clothes and a blanket was now wrapped around her shoulders. Even in the warmth of the small hospital, she still couldn't get warm. A bowl of soup sat on the table between chairs in the waiting area, having gone cold without being touched. A cup of coffee, light, no sugar, was full except for the three sips Dana had taken before sitting it down and forgetting it existed. Mulder had been taken into surgery almost immediately upon his arrival and had been there for nearly five hours. The floor wax was showing signs of wear from her pacing. "Sweetheart. Dana, how are you?" Maggie greeted her as she took her into a big hug. "Not so good, Mom," Dana said and finally let the tears fall. "Fox. He's . . ." Maggie held her as Dana sobbed against her shoulder. "He's made it through before, sweetie. He's not going to give up on you, now. Besides, we're going to give him all the reasons we can to come back to us." She steered Dana over to a chair and sat down next to her. "I have something I want you two to look at when we get you back home to DC." ********************* 5:00 pm Dana had been curled up in the chair so long that her back was hurting. There was an empty bed just on the other side of his bed, but she didn't want to go even that far away from him before he woke up. So she squirmed a little and tried unsuccessully to get comfortable. The combined efforts of her mother and the Assistant Director had forced her into a 6 hour slumber after Mulder was moved to recovery. When she woke up, he was settled in his own room and she had been there ever since. She wiggled and tried to settle once again. A strange flutter hit her stomach. It was almost unnoticeable--if it had not been such a distraction from her discomfort. When it hit her a second time, she put her hand to her stomach. It felt funny. Like the flutter of wings on glass. "Butterfly wings," she said a loud, without realizing. She remembered a talk she'd had with her mother just a week or so before, after her monthly visit to the obstetrician. Finally, a knowing smile graced her lips and she bit her lip at the wonder of the experience. Beside her, the man lying so quietly on the white hospital bed moved and groaned softly. She reached over and took his hand in her own, smiling expectantly at his face. "Hey, sleepy head. Time to wake up. She watched as his eyelids fluttered slightly, but stubbornly refused to open. "C'mon, wake up, Fox. I have news," she said, tempting him to look at her. Mulder took a deep breath, then regretted the action. He hurt, all over. Even through the dull fog of pain killers, he was still very sore, from his ribs, his lungs, his arm and his back. He was almost afraid to wonder how long he would be hooked up to IV's this time. It had definitely been a close one. But there was a very good reason why he had come back and she was squeezing his hand, insisting that he open his eyes. He opened his left eye, it was blurry. He opened his right eye and discovered that, although it was clearer, his vison was still hazy. "News?" he croaked. He swallowed, but found there was no moisture in his mouth. Instinctively, Dana raised the water glass and drinking straw next to his lips and he drank, then nodded when he was finished. "Sure enough," she said with a smile. "Here, give me your hand, maybe you can feel it." She took his left hand, the one without the IV and stood up so that he could place it on her stomach. She pressed it firmly in place with her own. It took some concentration, and he had no idea what she was trying to get him to feel. Finally, he detected something. "You're hungry," he whispered in a raspy voice. "No way, Jose. Mom and Skinner have been bringing me food for hours. I'm not hungry." He closed his eyes and concentrated harder on the feeling of her warm stomach against his hand. There, he felt something. "Then you have gas," he reasoned, a little confused by her behavior. He was used to having her there when he woke up in hospitals, but she usually didn't act so strange. "There, feel that?" she asked excitedly. He seemed confused, but nodded, then shrugged. "That, you dear man, is your baby daughter," she said with a loving smile. "I felt her move, Fox. Just now. When you were waking up. I think she's trying to get your attention," she added, tears glistening in her eyes. "I knew there was a reason to live," he said as a single tear slid down his cheek. "Much better than a video, Scully. Thank you." Sawyer County Medical Center two days later Mulder was shaking his head fiercely. "That's not what I said, sir. I didn't say the Indians burned the compound. I said the *spirits* did." He was emphatic. And he was convinced he was right. The Assistant Director of the FBI looked woefully at his agent. "Well, I'm sorry, Agent Mulder, but I won't accept that in your report. We've had arson teams go over that compound with a fine tooth comb. We might not be able to determine the cause, but it's obvious that John Jacobs followers are likely to want to torch the place. I mean, after all, their leader is gone, what use do they have for it?" Mulder crossed his arms and winced when he hit the bandages still covering his burns. "Fine. Think what you want. The place is in ashes and if everybody is smart, they'll leave the place alone in the future. It's better left undisturbed." He shifted and then took on a less combative stance. "Did you have any one go look for Dixie?" "To be perfectly honest with you, Agent Mulder, we have been more concerned with rounding up the few remaining 'living' members of the Yeoman Brotherhood. We did find a mine entrance, but there was no *body* in the vicinity. Of course, it might not have been the same mine entrance you were at." thought Mulder. He had already decided that he was going to go back and look for her the minute his doctor/wife let him. "Speaking of which, what's going to happen to Tenille and Bob? They saved my life, you know," Mulder said pointedly. Skinner nodded. "I'm well aware of that fact, Mulder. And Agent Scully has already made a formal statement to that effect. I'm sure the judge will take that into consideration when he hears their cases. The fact that Bob is willing to testify to exactly what Jacobs was doing in there will go a long way to help his cause. I see very little jail time for him, none at all for Tenille. For that matter, I think Bob has plans." "Plans?" Mulder asked. "Yeah, career plans from the sound of it. I overheard him asking questions of the EMT that helped bring you out of the forest. Apparently, the young man sort of enjoyed all this search and rescue activity. With his survival knowledge and his natural abilities, he would be perfect for the job. With the proper training, of course," Skinner added. "We wouldn't know of anyone that might help him out on the score?" Mulder asked, half jokingly. He had been pretty much out of it, but at one point, when Bob and Tenille had snuck in to visit, Tenille had mentioned how helpful Agent Thornley had been to them since they had arrived back at the compound, finding them shelter and clothing, taking their statements. Even Bob had seemed grateful for his assistance, quite a step for a young man who had spent the last several years dispising his government. "Spence seems to have taken them under his wing, you're right on that one," Skinner assured him. He got up to leave, looking down at the prone young man before him. "Agent Scully tells me you'll be able to leave here in four or five days. But I've spoken to your doctor and you're on medical leave for a month to six weeks. At the rate your going, Mulder, you are going to have to live to be 100 to make up all your sick days." "I've figured that out, sir. I've decided that Dana and I are going to enlist all our kids in the academy and I'll just use their sick days. They're not going to get banged up as much as I do. Hopefully they'll have their mother's good sense." "*All* the kids, Mulder? More than the one I know about?" Skinner asked. Mulder grinned a Cheshire Cat grin. "Three of 'em, sir. One girl, and two boys. And watch out for Sam, the youngest. I have a feeling he's going to be a handful." 'With one half your genes in him, I have no doubt of that, Mulder. None at all." BWI Airport a week after their rescue Maggie waved at them as they departed the gangway. They were moving slowly, in deference to Mulder's pace and the cane that he was leaning on heavily, but they both looked happy to be home. Maggie swept them into a hug and kissed them both before taking Dana's hand and leading them through the airport to her car. Their luggage had flown out earlier so they avoided the baggage claim area. Mulder sighed as he lowered himself into the car seat. He was still sore, and had been told to take it easy for a while, but he was feeling better than he had in a long time. "Are you all right, Fox? Do you need a pillow to support your back?" Maggie asked him with concern. "No, thanks, Mom. I'm fine. Now, what was this surprise you kept talking about all the time you were out with us in Montana?" he asked, catching Dana's smile in the rearview mirror. "Yeah, Mom," Dana chirped in. "You promised to tell us when we got back. What is it? Bill Jr. and Karen expecting again?" Maggie laughed. "No, sweetheart. Nothing like that. Only one little grandbaby in my immediate future, at least that I know of . But I would love to show you my surprise, if you are up for a drive." Dana put her hand on Mulder's shoulder and he shrugged in approval. "We're game," Dana said and settled back to enjoy the scenery. 49th Street, NW, Washington, DC Just one block from Tenley Circle Maggie pulled up in front of the two story house. A 'for sale' sign stood in the yard. Smiling, she ushered the couple up to the front door and produced a key from her purse. She opened the door and let them in. The door led to a hallway, with a staircase leading to the second floor to the left. To the back, they could see a formal dining room and into a large, eat-in kitchen. Off to the right, through a large archway, was the living room complete with a big bay window that let in the late afternoon sun. Dana walked through the hall and opened a closet in the dining room. It was nice and spacious, recently outfitted with a closet organizer unit. On the opposite wall, between a second archway to the living room and the hall, was another closet. "Lots of closet space," she said to Mulder. His eyes twinkled merrily. He stepped into the kitchen and opened a door to the left of the windowed back door. It was a pantry and laundry room. "Lots and lots of closet space," he shouted back and heard her laughter ring against the bare walls. It was a wonderful sound. "Let me show you the upstairs," Maggie said with a huge grin. At the top of the stairs was a full bath, done in reds, blacks and whites. The club footed tub had been renovated to enclose a shower head. There was a small, built in linen pantry behind the door. Turning to the right, and going to the front of the house, there was a good sized bedroom with windows that looked out on the front yard and the side. Directly across the hall from the bathroom was a slightly smaller bedroom with another bay window, this one with a window seat. To the back of the house was the master bedroom with a bathroom containing two sinks. All three bedrooms contained walkin closets. "I love it," Dana sighed. "Mom, it's perfect. But what are they asking?" "I already thought of that, sweetie. I asked the realtor. They're only asking 2 thousand over your target price and she thought they might go lower. Seems like the owners are transferring out of state and need to get this one sold before they can buy their next home." "Mulder, what do you think?" Dana asked. When she got no reply, she looked behind her and saw that he was nowhere in the room. "Mulder?" she called and searched the top floor, then through the first floor. Finally, she went out the backdoor and found him standing on the deck, admiring the roses planted around it. "Mulder? I asked you what you think of the place. I mean, it's only 2 over what we were thinking of. Of course, you wanted 2 and a half baths . . ." "I'll make an offer when we get back to the apartment," Mulder said confidently. "Are you sure? Don't you think we ought to look around a little first?" Dana asked, now not quite so sure she liked the look in his eyes. It was like he knew something she didn't and that bothered her. "Nah, I'm done looking," he said cryptically. "The only thing this place needs is a swing set." And with one glance at the sycamore and the oak trees, he took his wife into a hug and kissed her deeply. "It's just what I've always wanted," he sighed when he released her. All Dana could do was smile. The Montana Forest, three weeks later Dana rubbed her back and stretched. It was a beautiful summer day, and she finally had a chance to view the area they had been in just over a month before without the terror of that moment clouding her vision. Mulder had made his usual rapid recovery, which was good, considering that they would be moving to the new house immediately upon their return from Montana. Logically, Dana knew that they probably would never find Dixie's body. It had been six weeks since the murder and in the wilds of Montana, any number of scavangers would have already disposed of the old woman's body. The searchers had personally assured both Mulder and her that they had found no trace of a body near any mine entrance. All of these facts did nothing to deter her husband from making the long journey to give his 'guardian angel' as he now called her, a proper funeral. They had made the majority of the journey on ATV's, but the last mile they had decided to walk, so that they didn't miss any clues. Finally, Dana recognized the mine entrance and soon found the boulder that Jacobs and thrown Dixie against. She shut her eyes tight against the painful memories. ** None of that, child** a soft, sweet voice whispered in her mind. **I'm happy, Dana. Make no mistake of that. I'm happy and I'm at peace.** Dana opened her eyes and smiled at the image of Dixie that swam before her tear filled eyes. Then, in a blink, she saw them. "Mulder. Look. Over there by the boulder." Moving quickly, she got to the boulder almost before he had a chance to see where she was pointing. She knelt down and reached out to cup a small white flower in her hands. The tears were flowing freely now, but she had a smile on her face. "Lady slippers," Mulder said softly, kneeling beside his wife. "You know the legend?" he asked, putting his arm around her shoulder. "Every Girl Scout knows that legend, Fox," she smiled at him. "The Indian maiden who was so beloved of her tribe, but got sick and died on the trail. They couldn't give her a proper burial, so they vowed to return as soon as the winter broke. When they came back in the spring, they didn't find the body. Just these little white flowers, that looked like the slippers she wore on her feet." She let a quiet sob escape her lips. "Dixie was truly a 'lady'," Mulder said softly. "I never got the chance to thank her for taking care of me." Dana pulled him into an embrace, and felt his own tears wet against her shoulder. "She knows, Fox. She knows. And she's happy now. She's with Jeremiah." He pulled back a little and wiped the tears from her cheeks, but they were quickly replaced. He nodded, not having any words, just expressing his agreement with his eyes. Together they cried, sad for their loss, but happy that Dixie was where she wanted to be. the end. Let us know what you think!