The Difference By Michele Blankenship AKA Phenyx 05/20/95 Dana tiptoed gently through the brush at her feet. The dew covered moss was cold against her bare soles. Early morning sunshine was just beginning to peek through the treetops to light her way in the mist enshrouded forest. Dana carefully pushed back a branch that blocked her way. She was not sure where she was, but felt the need to keep moving. A twig snapped beneath her foot and she jumped. For a moment Dana simply stood among the trees, hugging her bare arms. She was cold. The bright blue silk nightgown she wore was sleeveless, affording little protection from the elements. Although Dana's surroundings were beautiful, she was wary. An incredible sense of foreboding overcame her and she shivered. Blue silk rustled against her ankles as Dana forced herself to continue. Suddenly, Dana heard the sound of movement to her left. She turned quickly, but only saw a fleeting, dark shadow as it disappeared behind a tree several yards away. "Mulder?" she called hopefully. "Is that you?" Only a mourning dove's haunting call answered. Dana felt a sudden, dire need to find Mulder. Something was terribly wrong in this place. As she continued through the forest, the brush became more dense. Dana's progress was slowed as brambles began to pull at the silk of her long negligee. Again, Dana heard a sound coming from behind her. When she turned, she saw nothing. Goose flesh broke out on her arms. Dana sensed she was not alone. She called again, "Mulder? Where are you?" Dana gasped as she saw an ominous, dark blur move swiftly from one tree to another. Panic swelled in her chest with an unexpected ease. Dana turned and fled. The faster Dana tried to run, the more dense the forest seemed to become. Loud crashing branches told her that something was rapidly pursuing her. The surrounding forest seemed to try to hold her back and she fought to get away. "Mulder !" she yelled. Her own voice echoed back emptily, "mulder". Dana's heart thudded painfully against her ribs as she ran blindly through the forest. She abruptly found herself snagged on a large bush. Dana's fear began to overwhelm her as she yanked herself away. There was a soft whispering sound as the silk at Dana's thigh tore apart. Dana burst through a tangle of undergrowth and found herself in a small clearing. The tree tops were thick, allowing little sunlight to enter the glade. She ran to one edge of the clearing and crouched in the dense shadows. Dana forced herself to breath more quietly as she scanned the area for some means of escape. Dana's breathing stopped altogether as the dark form which had been chasing her emerged from the trees. It was a man, dressed in black. She couldn't make out his face in the dim light. He seemed to be a living shadow. For a moment she prayed that he would not be able to see her. However, the figure did see her and moved quickly toward her. Dana ran no more than a few steps before her pursuer caught her. She was flung to the ground and kicked in the side. Dana tried frantically to crawl away, but her attacker was relentless. He kicked her again, flipping her on to her back. Dana felt the warmth of the man's body as he straddled her. Dana screamed in renewed panic, "Mulder, help me!" She kicked and clawed at her assailant vainly. Rough calloused hands wrapped around Dana's throat and squeezed. Dana struggled, using every self-defense trick she had ever learned. The hands only squeezed more tightly. Dana glimpsed another form entering the clearing from beneath the shadows of the trees. She heaved a mental sigh of relief as she recognized Mulder striding forth. His overcoat billowed around him like a cape as he walked. Dana frowned in confusion. Mulder was calm, handsomely dressed in his grey suit and red tie. He looked as though he had just stepped out of a cab on Pennsylvania Ave. "Mulder!" she called. Dana watched in stunned fascination as Mulder nonchalantly crossed one ankle over the other. He reached calmly into one pocket and pulled out a cigarette and a lighter. As Dana's assailant began to bang her head against the damp earth, Mulder put the cigarette into his mouth and lit it. Dana felt the cold wetness of morning dew soaking through the blue silk at her back. The edges of her vision began to darken from lack of oxygen. Dana looked pleadingly toward her partner. Mulder took a long drag on his cigarette as he watched the scene before him. With the last of her strength Dana cried out, "MULDER, HELP ME!" Mulder exhaled a thick puff of smoke in her direction, and smiled coldly... ... Dana sat bolt upright in bed as she woke from the nightmare. Her body was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. For several moments, she just sat there, gasping for air. Her hands uncontrollably went to protect her throat. After what seemed an eternity, Dana calmed herself. She got up and splashed some water on her face. She pulled off the now damp T-shirt that she had worn to bed and donned a clean one. She smoothed out the twisted cotton sheets before finally crawling back into bed. For a while, Dana stared at the ceiling above her. The dream had left her with an increasing sense of uneasiness. Her hand was halfway to the phone before she stopped it. "It was just a dream, Dana." she told herself aloud. "Nothing is wrong. Mulder is fine." Dana glanced at the clock. It was 12:45 AM. Mulder might still be awake. She shook her head at her silliness. She refused to allow her actions to be ruled by a mere dream. Dana picked up a book from the nearby table and tried to lose herself within the pages of fiction. Ten minutes later, she gave up in disgust. She tossed the book on the bed beside her and grabbed up the phone. She used the memory dialing button and was rewarded mere moments later by a ringing as the connection went through. The first ring hadn't yet finished when Dana heard a voice say, "Mulder." "Hi. It's me." she answered. She could hear Mulder's television in the background. "What's up?" "Nothing really," she stammered, feeling stupid. "Just wanted to see if you were okay." "I'm fine, why?" he asked with concern. Dana felt her face flush with embarrassment and she was suddenly glad that Mulder wasn't in the room with her. "Nothing. I just... well, I had a dream." "A nightmare, huh?" Mulder asked with understanding. "Yeah." Dana half laughed. "A real doozy. Totally strange." Dana heard the volume on Mulder's television decrease. "*The third night, when my own loud scream Had waked me from the fiendish dream, O'ercome with sufferings strange and wild, I wept as I had been a child;*" Mulder recited. Dana smiled. "Who is that, Tennyson?" "No. Coleridge." Mulder corrected. "You can rest easy, Scully. I'm fine, honest." There was no condescension or harassment in Mulder's voice. He was taking Dana's concern very seriously. She suddenly didn't feel so silly anymore. "What do you do when you have nightmares, Mulder?" Dana heard a crunching that was probably popcorn before Mulder answered, "Me? I don't have nightmares." "Right." Dana smiled. "How do you manage that small miracle?" "I don't sleep." he deadpanned. Dana stifled a snicker. "I'm serious, Mulder." "So am I." he teased. "Well," he paused, "maybe I'm not imaginative enough to have dreams." Dana laughed. "Fine, don't tell me, Liar." After several minutes of comfortable silence, Dana began to think that she should hang up. She found that she didn't want to so she instead asked, "What are you watching?" "'Cat People'" he answered simply. "Which version?" she asked, trying to start some sort of conversation. "The one with Malcolm MacDowell and Nastasia Kinski." he said. He then added "Nudity, murder and incest all in one flick. It doesn't get any better than this." "You are one sick puppy, Fox Mulder." Dana scolded him. She could hear the laughter in Mulder's voice as he said "Are you going to make me better, Doc?" his voice dripping with innuendo. "Jeez!" Dana gasped in false shock. "I'm going to hang up on you and go back to my book." "What are you reading?" Mulder asked. Dana glanced guiltily at the nearby book, sighed and answered, "'White Shark' by Peter Benchley." "Hey, that's a good one. A real Xfile." Mulder said excitedly. "Oh, please." Dana said in frustration. "It's *fiction*, Mulder. I've managed to get about halfway through the book. You can't make me believe that this is anything but fiction." "Well, you never know, Scully," he said defensively. "the Nazi's did a lot of genetic experimentation on the Jews in concentration camps during the war. They could have found a way to create a soldier who could breath underwater." "Well, thank you so much, Mr. Sunshine." Dana griped. "How am I supposed to relax and finish this book now?" Mulder laughed, "Think of it as research, Scully." "Sick. You are sick, Mulder." Dana complained. "Like I said, you're the doctor." he purred again. "I'm going back to sleep." she sighed in frustration. Mulder smiled. "Have sweet dreams about me this time okay?" Mulder laughed as Scully hung up on him. Mulder had barely replaced the receiver when the phone immediately rang again. Smiling broadly, he answered, "Change your mind about that prescription, Doc?" Unfortunately, it was not Scully's voice on the other end of the line. Mulder instead heard four distinct tones beeping through the phone line. The sounds resembled those of a pager, but Mulder knew that he wasn't accidentally hearing someone else's beeper go off. Mulder hung up the phone and sighed. Then he turned off the television, grabbed his gun, coat and keys, and left the apartment. Twenty minutes later, he stood quietly on the fourth level of a darkened parking deck. He didn't have to wait very long. "Agent Mulder," a familiar voice came from the darkness. Mulder's contact stepped from the shadows and glanced about furtively. "What do you want?" Mulder asked angrily. "I've come to warn you, Agent Mulder." the other man said. "Your life is in great jeopardy." Mulder's shoulders slouched visibly. "What have I done this time?" "There are certain factions involved who do not find your role as valuable as we do." the man stated bluntly. "You've been slated by these members for termination." "I always wanted to be popular." Mulder quipped. "This is no laughing matter, Agent Mulder. An operative of the highest caliber has been given the assignment. He will stop at nothing to find you. Someone *will* die." The older man paused for a moment for emphasis. "If you are to survive this ordeal, it will have to be the other man who dies. Only one will be permitted to walk away from this situation. Do you understand me, Agent Mulder?" "He has been assigned to kill me. And you're giving me the assignment to kill him." Mulder reiterated. "You could interpret it in that manner." Mulder turned angrily, "What happens afterward? If I kill this man, won't They simply send someone else after me?" Mulder's contact smiled ominously, "I doubt that you will be the victor in this case, Agent Mulder. Your talents don't include the ruthlessness that will be necessary to succeed. It is this precise deficiency in your personality which has rendered you expendable. If you should survive, you will have proved your value and termination will no longer be regarded as an option." "You mean, because I'm not a murderer, I am to be murdered instead?" Mulder said, shocked. "It is a dangerous game we play, Agent Mulder." "I don't want any part of your game." Mulder hissed. The other man began to walk away into the darkness. "You've been a part of the game ever since you joined the Bureau. I sincerely doubt that we shall ever meet again, Agent Mulder." "I've heard that before." Mulder griped, but the other man was gone. Mulder returned home and spent the next several hours sitting in his darkened apartment, thinking. Eventually, he decided on a course of action. It was a plan that just might keep him alive. The first step was to make sure that Scully wouldn't be used as bait against him. Mulder raked one hand through his hair as he realized what he was about to do, "Just do it, Mulder." he grumbled at himself. "Learn to live with it later." Just before noon the next morning, Mulder and Scully were walking down the halls of the federal building. Scully had to nearly jog to keep up with Mulder's longer strides. He had hardly spoken to her all morning and Scully wondered what was wrong. "Watch it!" Mulder snarled at an agent who had been unfortunate enough to bump into them. They were near the building's cafeteria. The halls were crowded with other agents and office personnel on there way to or from the midday break. "Mulder? Are you okay?" Scully asked him with concern. "I'm fine. Why are you always asking me that?" Mulder responded loudly. Scully glanced at the people nearby and tried to lower her voice, hoping Mulder would catch her hint. "You just seem a little edgy today that's all." "What is that supposed to mean?" Mulder pounced at her. Scully grew wide-eyed at his unexpected turn and started to stammer,"Nothing, I..." "Nothing," Mulder whined mockingly. "Nothing. It must be SOMETHING!" He nearly roared. "Mulder," Scully tried to calm him. She could feel the eyes of everyone staring at them. "Let's go somewhere and talk." "You just don't want a lot of people seeing me 'flake out' ." he growled. "You don't want them to see you hanging out with the 'ghostbuster' when he goes 'spooky' on you." "Mulder," Scully gasped in shock, visibly uncomfortable, "you know that's not true." "Isn't it ,Scully?" Mulder asked, leaning in close. "For the past two years you've just made the best of a bad situation, haven't you?" There seemed to be no other sound around them. Scully felt her own anger rising as she realized that the people around them were openly watching the show. Mulder went on, "You got assigned to be 'Spooky Mulder's' partner. So rather than complain about it, you try to be a martyr. Don't let anyone else know what its been like working with the wacko, eh?" His voice got louder. People in nearby rooms began to peek around corners to see as well. "Mulder, I've tried to ..." Scully began. But, Mulder cut her off, "You've tried to cover up our cases so that people wouldn't think that you were flipping out too. You're trying to get promoted by debunking my work. Who gets all those reports you write, Scully? What do you do with all the little notes you jot down in that notebook of yours?" Scully stuttered, "Mulder, you know me better than that. What's happened, why don't you trust me?" "Trust YOU?" Mulder suddenly laughed humorlessly. "Why would I ever trust you, Scully? All you've ever been concerned about is your career. You try so hard to keep me out of trouble so that *you* don't look bad." Scully reached out to place one hand gently on Mulder's arm,"Come on, Mulder. Let's just..." As she spoke, Mulder swatted her hand away viciously. "Don't touch me." he hissed. "Just leave me alone. And butt out of my life!" he yelled. As Mulder turned to leave, Scully tried half-heartedly to stop him. However, Mulder simply grabbed her by the shoulder and shoved her away hard, knocking her into the wall. Mulder strode quickly away. Physically unhurt, Scully stared after him in shock and confusion. "Are you alright?" a young blonde with too much make-up asked. Scully straightened and answered, "Yes, I'm fine." She then calmly headed back toward her office, hoping fervently that no one could see how close to tears she really was. Mulder left the building and leaned sadly against a light post for a moment while he caught his breath. He had just alienated the best friend he'd ever had. It had been hard. He silently promised to somehow apologize to her later. But first, he had to survive the next few days. Mulder pushed away from the pole and stepped toward the street to hail a taxi. He had a lot to get done before Scully came looking for him. Scully didn't actually go looking for Mulder until the next morning. She had spent the evening, alternately furious then worried about Mulder. Scully had tried to imagine what could have possibly set Mulder off but, she hadn't a clue. She had called his apartment half a dozen times during the evening, to no avail. Scully would have driven over to Mulder's if she weren't half afraid that maybe- just maybe- he had really meant some of the things he had said earlier. When Scully did finally go to Mulder's, she knocked several times at the door. She waited patiently for Mulder to answer, even long after she knew that he wasn't home. Finally, Scully put her key into the lock and pushed open the heavy oak door. Scully looked around the room in stunned silence. The place was a shambles. The couch had been overturned, the cushions torn apart. Picture frames and a mirror were crushed on the floor. The skeletal remains of the bookcase teetered awkwardly in the corner. Books and torn pages had been tossed across the entire length of the room. Mulder's fish tank lay broken on the floor, fish carcasses littered the sodden carpet. Nothing had escaped the destruction. The desktop computer screen was smashed. Square grey floppy disks had been ground into the wet rug by someone's heel. Mulder's desk had been not only searched but also physically dismantled. Bits of wood and plastic mingled on the floor with shards of glass. Scully touched nothing as she made her way through the apartment. In each room, she was greeted by similar signs of ruin. The contents of the refrigerator and cabinets had been emptied onto the kitchen tile. Boxes of cereal and pasta had been opened and dumped haphazardly. In the bathroom, an entire tube of toothpaste had been squeezed into the sink. The medicine cabinet had been emptied and the mirror broken. Even the mattresses in the bedroom had been shredded. Scully searched the place meticulously. Much to her relief, she didn't find a body or any blood. She found Mulder's clothes in his room and his toothbrush on the floor. As far as Scully could determine, Mulder had not taken much with him when he had left. Scully became even more concerned when she found Mulder's wallet on a table. Credit cards were scattered on the floor as well. The only object that she could not find was Mulder's gun. "Mulder." she whispered to the desolate room. "What have you gotten yourself into?" She quickly made a decision and called the police on her cellular phone. It was time to report Mulder as a missing person. Dana tried her best to walk calmly down the street. It was Monday, mid-afternoon, and there were a lot of people milling about, providing a small sense of safety. Scully didn't quite fit in with the rest of the well dressed business crowds. She was wearing a cotton blouse and a pair of jeans under her long over coat. Scully's mind was racing. Mulder had disappeared, without a trace, three days ago. The police had found no clues in Mulder's destroyed apartment. The only fingerprints they had found had been Mulder's and her own. Scully had even made a point of having the water tested but found nothing. The authorities were insinuating that Mulder had wrecked his place himself and then left. After all, it wouldn't have been the first time that Mulder had taken off without telling anyone. At first, Scully was half able to believe the theory that Mulder had simply taken an unscheduled vacation. However, early Friday afternoon, she had spotted the stranger for the first time. The man was young, no more than thirty, and terribly attractive. He had very blond, almost yellow, hair that drooped roguishly across his forehead and into his eyes. He was tall and muscular. He wore a dark brown leather coat and tight blue jeans. At first, Dana had not thought twice about the good looking man. However, Dana had proceeded to see him twice more that day. By the time she literally bumped into him in the grocery store on Saturday, she was sure that she was no longer imagining things. "Pardon me, Ms. Scully." his deep voice murmured at her as she collided into him among the fresh vegetables. "Excuse me!" she had whispered. Scully had quickly turned a corner, abandoned her cart in the bread isle and immediately vacated the premises. Now, Scully was really frightened. She was convinced that the stranger was still following her. He had made it obvious that he was toying with her. She saw him only when he *wanted* her to see him. Scully had done her best over the past day and a half to lose her unwanted companion, to no avail. She had even seen the young man in the well guarded halls of the federal building earlier in the day. Although Dana couldn't currently locate her pursuer, she knew that he wasn't far away. Now, she felt that she desperately needed help in finding Mulder. Scully knew that Mulder wouldn't have told anyone where he was going. The fact that she was being so closely followed told her that Mulder had not been found by his enemies. Assistant Director Skinner had made it quite clear, he wasn't going to let her use the Bureau's resources to find Mulder either. There was only one other option available to Scully at the moment. Dana quickly stepped off the sidewalk and hailed a passing cab. After giving the driver a destination, she tried to crouch low in her seat so that no one would see her. Twenty minutes later, Dana stood anxiously in a dark hallway. She knocked quickly on the door. "Please." she begged softly. "I'm being followed. Please hurry." She knocked again, then again. No one came to answer the door. After waiting a very long time, Dana turned away in discouragement. Her last hope was smashed. As Scully left the building, a boy carrying a newspaper ran up to her. "Here's your paper, Ma'am." the child chirped. "That'll be a dollar, please." Dana frowned in confusion, "A dollar?" "Yes, Ma'am. One dollar." The boy stared up at her with large intelligent eyes. Dana reached into her coat pocket and found a bill and handed it to the boy who scampered off without another word. Scully opened the paper and found one sentence, written in blue pen, in the spaces among the headline. "Go to the Bakery around the corner." the instructions said. Scully turned the corner and found a cozy little pastry shop. A small bell chimed as she entered. She was greeted by a large bellied man. "Good day, Miss. You look like you could use some chocolate." Scully stared at him warily. The man ambled up to her and took her gently by the arm. "Just come with me, Miss. I think we have some special chocolate, just for you." Scully felt a pang of uneasiness as the rotund fellow led her behind the counter and into a back room. She gasped when she found herself suddenly thrust into a large refrigerator. "Hey!" she cried out just as the door was slammed shut behind her. "It doesn't matter." a voice said. "No one can hear through these walls." Scully turned and sighed with relief. "Frohike," she said "I never thought I'd ever say this but, I'm really glad to see you." The trollish little man grinned at her. "I knew you'd see things my way eventually." Dana followed Frohike through a door that had been carefully concealed in the rear of the freezer. They entered a very narrow passageway and began weaving their way through a maze-like route. Dana quickly realized that they were actually walking between the walls in the area usually reserved for wiring and insulation. The available space was so narrow that Frohike had to squeeze through at some places. Frohike indicated to Dana to quietly ascend a wooden ladder when they reached the end of the passage. The two continued in another walkway in silence. Scully had completely lost her sense of direction and smiled. Her young blonde shadow would have a difficult time tracking her here. They finally reached their destination. Scully found herself entering a cluttered room from behind a bookshelf. "We apologize for the cliched entrance, Agent Scully." Byers said seriously. "No worries, we lost him." Frohike answered the unspoken question. "How did you know that I was being followed?" Scully asked cautiously. The three Lone Gunmen in the room just smiled at her. Scully couldn't help but smile back. Amazingly enough, Dana now felt safe. She began to get some idea of why Mulder held these strange people in such high esteem. "You want to know if we can find Mulder for you, right?" Langley asked. Scully nodded, "He's been missing since Friday, perhaps longer." Frohike sat down in front of a computer and began typing frantically as he spoke. "We heard the police call on the scanner. Did you find anything at the apartment?" Scully sat down on the small couch and said sadly, "No. I found his wallet and credit cards though." "Good." Byers said appreciatively. "What about his weapon?" "No. It was gone." she answered. "What about cash?" the thin brown-haired man asked. Scully thought for a moment before answering, "No." Frohike looked to his companions and smiled approvingly. "He's gone under." "What?" Scully asked in confusion. "Underground, Agent Scully." Langley pushed his glasses up on his nose and explained excitedly. "In a recent issue of our publication we detailed some of the do's and don'ts of hiding-out in our society." Byers stepped forward and interrupted, "The biggest mistake some people make is in using their credit cards. The simplest way to track a person's movements is to follow their charge slips." "But why is Mulder hiding?" Scully asked. "He's obviously trying to keep away from the same person or persons who are currently following you." Byers said simply. Scully nodded. "He's going to need help. Can you find him?" Langley scratched his head and stated, "If he had wanted your help Agent Scully, he would have given you some clue as to his where-abouts." Scully stood and stubbornly crossed her arms across her chest. "Well, *I'm* going to help him, regardless of what Mulder wants. What about you?" Frohike shrugged and turned his attention to the computer screen. Langley simply asked, "This will take some time. Would you like some coffee or herbal tea, perhaps?" Several cups of coffee later, Frohike resigned from his task. However, rather than sounding perturbed, Frohike's voice held a tone of admiration as he spoke. "That's it." he said, throwing his hands in the air emphatically. "I've looked everywhere I can think of." "What did you find out?" Scully asked as she crossed the room to look over the little man's shoulder at the computer screen. "Not much." he smiled. Byers picked up a ream of paper that had spewed from the printer earlier and began, "We do know a few facts. At approximately 12:30 P.M. Thursday, Mulder caught a cab outside the Federal building and went home. Mulder made a call from his apartment at 2:45 P.M. to Assistant Director Walter Skinner at the Federal building. At 3:18 PM that same day, Mulder made a withdrawal of $200 from his savings account at an automated teller machine two blocks from his apartment." Langley interrupted, "The maximum withdrawal permitted from that ATM." Frohike then added, "He was wearing a leather jacket, blue jeans and Nike tennis shoes." "Well?" Scully prompted when the three stopped volunteering information. "What happened next?" Langley shrugged and glanced at his companions, "He fell off the face of the Earth?" he suggested. Byers quickly tried to explain, "Mulder vanished. There has been no trace of him since Thursday afternoon. Nothing at the bus station or airport. Nothing at any of the hospitals or the morgue. " Frohike grinned broadly. "He hasn't even been inside a convenience store." The Lone Gunman pushed up his glasses and added approvingly, "Mulder's good. Very slick. I couldn't have done it better myself." A full week had past since Dana had last seen Mulder. She had spent the morning staring at the paperwork on her desk. Unfortunately, Scully couldn't seem to get much work done. She was worried about Mulder. Her gaze kept leaving the words on the pages in front of her, drifting toward the empty chair on the other side of the office which Mulder and Scully shared. Dana's only relief was that she had seen her blond friend again this morning. She had seen the young man's reflection in a picture window as she walked into the building earlier. Scully's *tail* hadn't tried to get any closer to her, nor had he spoken to her again. But the eerie presence of the man following her told Dana that no one else had seen Mulder either. Scully sighed heavily, put the dull papers aside and began to look through the day's mail. She desperately wished that Mulder would call. Dana needed to know that he was alright. She felt incredibly helpless and frustrated. To make matters worse, she felt as though she was missing a fundamental piece of herself. *I wonder if this is how he felt when I disappeared* she thought to herself for the third time in as many hours. Scully continued to flip blindly through the various envelopes. There were a couple of magazine subscription renewals, Mulder's cellular phone bill, as well as the persistent jumble of handwritten letters. Dana never knew how so many people had found out about Mulder and the work that the two of them did with the X-files, but Mulder's reputation had leaked somewhere. Each week, Mulder received at least a dozen letters from assorted crack pots from across the country. Scully wondered idly, how many of the letters Mulder actually followed-up on when she wasn't around. Dana's browsing stopped suddenly when she came across a square white envelop with a typewritten label addressed to Dr. D. Scully. The return address, stamped in the top left corner, was for The Frederick Institute of Behavioral Medicine. Scully carefully inspected the envelop before she finally opened it. A folded, yellow piece of paper, four by six inches in size fluttered from the envelop to land on Scully's desk blotter. Dana cautiously picked the paper up by one corner, using a pencil eraser to unfold the document so she could see the wording. The paper read, " I, Simon Chase, hereby authorize all prior medical records concerning my psychological or behavioral diagnoses while under the care of Dr. D. Scully be released to Dr. Michael Tillman at The Frederick Institute of Behavioral Medicine." A mailing address was typed at the bottom of the page. The short note was a type written form letter with the names hand written in the blank spaces available. Dana frowned. She had no one's medical records. She was not a practicing physician. It was not until she recognized the scrawled signature at the bottom as Mulder's handwriting that Scully remembered the name of Simon Chase. Chase was the name of the main character in the Peter Benchley book she had been reading last week. Scully snatched up her coat, the envelop and the yellow slip of information and dashed from the room. Frederick was a two hour drive away. Dana wanted to get started as soon as possible. Three and a half hours later, Dana walked boldly into the main lobby of the Frederick Institute. She had dressed very carefully in preparation for this trip. She wore an expensive sky blue rain coat that her mother had given her on her last birthday. Scully's blouse was a simple yet elegant white cotton blend, worn beneath a finely knit cashmere sweater. To complete her ensemble she wore a pair of faded jeans and a good pair of running shoes. She was trying to give the appearance of a hard-working but well-paid physician. Scully reached the front desk and flashed her medical identification card at the elderly woman sitting there. "Hello," Scully said in her most business like voice. "I'm looking for Dr. Michael Tillman?" The woman smiled and replied helpfully, "The doctors offices are on the second floor. Walk down this hall until you see the elevators. Go to the second floor and turn right. Each office is identified by a small sign on the door. I believe Dr. Tillman's office is about halfway down the hall." Dana thanked the lady and headed briskly toward the elevators. Once she found Dr. Tillman's office, Scully was given another set of instructions in order to find the doctor as he did his rounds. After several false leads, Scully finally found the man, standing in a hallway scribbling frantically in a patient's chart. "Dr. Tillman?" Scully asked. "Could you spare a moment?" The young, bookish man, pushed thick glasses up his nose as he carefully appraised his visitor. He smiled broadly as he answered, "Yes, of course. How may I help you?" Scully again whipped out her medical identification as she shook hands with the young doctor. "I'm Dr. Scully. I understand that you currently have one of my patients under your care. I've been dealing with your patient, Simon Chase, for nearly three years. I was hoping we could discuss his case. Perhaps I could even speak with the patient?" "Certainly. Chase is quite an interesting case, isn't he?" Tillman reached over a nurse's desk and plucked a chart from the wall. "He walked in to the lobby several days ago asking for help but he has been a bit uncooperative since that time." Dana nodded with understanding as she took the chart that Tillman offered her. "I can imagine. He has been difficult in the past as well." Scully began flipping through the chart, ignoring the doctor for a moment. According to this information, Mulder had simply strolled into the hospital on Monday morning. *The patient is a white male in his mid thirties* the chart read. *Patient is a poor historian, refusing to answer several pertinent questions. Patient has an old scar on the right thigh. An additional bullet-type scar on left shoulder. Patient will not give age or birth date. States 'They are trying to kill me.' Patient is unable to articulate who 'They' are.* Dana continued reading. *Patient is nervous at times. Calmer after medication. Patient repeats concerns about attempts on his life by unknown sources. Patient claims that he works for the government-will not state nature of exact duties. 'I know too much' pt says.* Scully bit hard on her lower lip to keep from laughing as she read the admitting interview. Mulder had told them the truth, holding back very little. He had told them about his contact and about the assassin. He told them that he had seen monsters in the sewers. He had even mentioned Samantha's abduction. As a result, the doctors had diagnosed him as having paranoid delusions and acute depression. Scully looked up at Tillman, hoping that her amusement wasn't obvious in her eyes. "Would it be possible for me to see Mr. Chase?" she asked professionally. "Certainly. Follow me." Scully followed the doctor to an outdoor recreation area. There were several patients resting in lounge chairs on a sizable patio. There were flower gardens and a spacious lawn where other people sat or strolled under the supervision of medical orderlies. Dr. Tillman ushered Scully onto the patio saying, "He's over there," indicating to the right. "If you will excuse me, I do have several appointments this afternoon." "Of course Doctor, thank you for your help." Scully shook his hand. "Perhaps we could meet later and talk some more?" the doctor asked. "Perhaps later. Thank you." Scully turned away, effectively dismissing the man, and scanned the area for Mulder. She spotted him, sitting alone at a small table about fifty yards away. As Dana approached, she saw that Mulder was playing both sides of a game of chess. Scully walked up behind him and watched for a moment while Mulder's white pawn took one of his black knights. Dana smiled. "Are you having a good game?" she asked. Mulder looked up at her and returned the smile. "Sure. I'm beating myself of course." Scully's smile broadened as she sat in the chair facing Mulder, "Careful. You could go blind that way you know." Mulder merely snorted once as he reached across the board and moved a black bishop. Dana smiled again and asked, "How are you going to get out of this place? You've convinced the doctors that your certifiable, you know." "Amazing what the truth can do isn't it?" Mulder shrugged. "I'll get out the same way I got in." Scully studied his movements for a moment. Mulder was wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans. A denim jacket hung across the back of his chair. He moved slowly, almost jerkily, without his usual grace. His eyelids seemed hooded and sluggish. Scully wondered what kinds of medications the doctors had been giving Mulder. "It's good to see you, Scully." he said, his eyes suddenly darting to meet hers. As Scully met his gaze, she saw the same alert look that he always had when on a case. "I was worried about you." she answered. He shrugged again. "Couldn't be helped." At that moment a nurse came up to them. "I'm sorry to interrupt you with your visitor, but it is time for your medication Mr. Chase." The nurse handed Mulder a small cup of water and his medication. To Scully's astonishment, Mulder took them both without hesitation and gulped the pill down. After the nurse had moved on to her next patient, Mulder inconspicuously popped the pill out of his mouth and palmed it. Scully saw him slip the capsule into his shoe. Scully shook her head at herself. She simply *had* to stop underestimating her partner. Mulder suddenly asked, "Were you followed?" "I'm not sure. I took a lot of precautions but this guy is good." Dana told him. "How long as he been following you?" Mulder asked. "Since you disappeared." she answered simply. "I assume you've seen him?" Scully nodded, "Several times." "I need a description." Mulder stated. "He's young, late twenties, perhaps. Slim, good looking. He has shoulder length, golden blonde hair. My guess is he's about six feet one inch tall." "Anything else?" Mulder asked as he moved another chess piece. Scully shook her head, "No, but he is very good. I only saw him when he wanted me to." Mulder glared intently at the game board as he spoke. "When you leave, I want you to follow the main road. Go west for about four miles. You'll see a fire road. Park the car and follow the path through the trees until you reach a small utility shed. I'll meet you there in ninety minutes. Make sure he follows you." "What have you got planned?" Scully asked with concern. Mulder's smile sent a shiver down Dana's spine. "A little surprise party for our friend." Dana glanced nervously at her watch. She was late. Finding the fire road had been easy. Following the path through the woods was a different matter. Scully held her coat close to her body. The trees and surrounding shrubs made for think undergrowth that caught on the blue nylon easily. Dana continued carefully on what *may* have once been a path. She began to worry about the approach of sunset and trying to find her way in the dark. Scully heard the rustle of dry leaves to her left. She strained her eyes to find some small scurrying animal or bird that may have caused the sound. Dana saw nothing. She turned back in the direction she had been heading and found herself caught on a thicket of brambles. There was a whispering sound as the blue fabric of Scully's jacket ripped open on the thorns. Dana felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up as an eery sense of deja vu came over her. For several moments, Scully stood transfixed, heart thudding in her chest. Nerves stretched as tight as piano wire, Scully jumped spasmodically when a dry twig snapped behind her. Scully turned slowly and called, "Mulder? Is that you?" Goose bumps crawled up Dana's arms as silence answered her. Scully swallowed hard, her dry throat clicking audibly. Dana heard the rustle of more leaves as soft footsteps edged closer. Without further hesitation, Scully bolted. She ran, head long through the trees, heedless of branches that slapped against her arms and face. When her long jacket once again caught in the tangled vegetation, Dana pulled her arms from the sleeves and abandoned the garment. Scully could hear her pursuer, no longer trying to hide, as he crashed through the brush behind her. Dana gasped for air as she ran blindly. Scully unexpectedly burst through the trees into a small clearing. She fell to the ground as she lost her footing. As Scully began to roll into a standing position, she drew her weapon and took aim towards the trees behind her. The blonde man moved fast. Scully only got off one wayward shot before he tackled her to the ground, knocking her gun into the grass. Dana lunged her body upward, throwing the young man forward. She punched him hard across the face and he grunted in pain. She tried to elbow him in the groin but he moved too quickly. Her assailant hit Scully mercilessly across the jaw and Dana saw nothing but stars. Scully continued to try and fight the man but her efforts were too random. He punched her again. Tears streamed freely down Dana's bruised cheeks as she found herself helpless. The man grabbed a handful of her hair, yanking her face close to his. Scully reached up abruptly, scratching three long red tracks into the skin on his neck. "Bitch." the young man growled at her as he pulled his gun. For a split second, Scully found herself staring down the barrel of the man's weapon. There was a sudden roar as Mulder crashed onto the scene and threw himself at the other man. Scully began searching frantically through the grass for her firearm. She tried not to heard the sounds of flesh against flesh as she stumbled toward the metal lying nearby. When Scully, weapon ready, turned to face the two men, she saw that Mulder had already overcome the younger man. The man was on his knees, Mulder had his gun pointed directly his captive. Both men were bruised and bloodied. Mulder motioned with his gun and the younger man started to put his hands on his head. "Slowly, Blondie. Very slowly." Mulder hissed. For a long moment, no one moved. The younger man finally growled, "Well, get it over with." As Mulder leveled his weapon carefully, Dana realized his intentions. "Mulder!" she ran to him and put one hand on his extended arm. "We've got him. Its okay, Mulder." "Its either me or him, Scully." Mulder explained dryly. "You can't kill him, Mulder." Scully soothed. "Why not?" The flat look in Mulder's eyes chilled Dana's soul. After a pause she answered quietly, "You are not a murderer." Several minutes passed before Mulder finally lowered his gun and sighed in loud disgust. Dana began to breathe easier. Mulder took several long strides away from Scully while he collected his thoughts. With the quickness of a viper, the young blonde man pulled a second gun from the waistband at the small of his back. Scully happened to be the person closest to the assassin at that moment. Mulder turned. As if in slow motion, Mulder saw Blondie pull the trigger. Mulder imagined he could see the bullet as it left the gun and sped toward his partner. Scully made a small whimpering sound as the lead struck her chest, directly over her heart. Mulder stared helplessly as Dana's petite frame was thrown backwards forcefully by the impact. There was no time for anger or grief. Mulder's mind was blissfully void of all thought and emotion. His reaction was purely instinctual. Mulder's own gun came up and whirled on the blonde man. The other man was similarly bringing his own weapon down to bare on Mulder. The golden haired assassin was fast. Mulder was faster. The younger man's shot veered into the air above Mulder's head. The marksman's aim had been altered by the bullet Mulder had sent into his bright blue eye. The younger man's head jerked backward suddenly. For a moment, the man's body swayed on it's knees. Then, he crumpled in a heap on the grass. Mulder calmly walked over to the man. Without hesitation, Mulder put his gun within inches of the smooth skinned face and again pulled the trigger. The gruesome result was an unidentifiable mass of blood and brain, surrounded by a halo of blonde hair. For several moments, there were no sounds. Then, Mulder gasped as his mind suddenly filled with conscious thoughts once again. He whirled and nearly fell in the blood dampened grass as he rushed toward Scully's unmoving figure. He knelt at her side a heartbeat later. Mulder whimpered like a frightened animal as he peeled away Scully's sweater. Buttons flew in all directions as he tore open her blouse in search of her wound. Mulder ceased to breathe as his trembling fingers abruptly met with a familiar dark blue kevlar vest. At that moment, Scully moaned. "Dana?" Mulder's voice quavered. "God. Are you all right? Dana?" Scully moaned again. Her hands came up and fluttered above her for a moment as she struggled toward consciousness. She breathed deeply and grimaced in pain. "Ug." she said as she began to sit up. "Christ, Scully. You scared me. Are you hurt?" Mulder was still trembling. Dana moaned again and reached around her body to peel off the protective vest. Mulder helped remove the kevlar and swallowed hard as he saw the large mark on her skin. There was a large round welt, already beginning to bruise, visible on Scully's left breast just above the cotton of her brassiere. "Is anything broken?" Mulder asked gently. Scully shook her head. "I don't think so." she panted. Mulder probed her ribs and side in search of further damage. "You should have let me kill the bastard before he could hurt you." Mulder growled. Scully patted his shoulder reassuringly. "There's a big difference between self-defense and assassination, Mulder." "Both have the same result." he said coldly. "But one is Wrong, Mulder. You know that. It is what makes you different from guys like him." Scully gestured toward the body in the grass. "You know right from wrong." Mulder shook his head sadly. " Not always. You're my conscience, Scully." He tenderly cupped her face in one hand, brushing the tip of his thumb acrossed her bruised cheek. "Sometimes, the only difference between me and Them, is you." end.