Scully smiled once more at Mulder sprawled asleep in his bed. He was so beautiful. She’d always seen him as physically attractive, but his face, as he had loved her last night, had brought tears to her eyes.
She tried to slip out of the bed without waking him, but he protested, pulling her closer.
“Mulder, I need to go home before work, so I can change clothes.”
“We could stay here forever.” He offered, still mostly asleep.
“I don’t think so.” She kissed him and he nuzzled her. “Mulder, go back to sleep. I’ll see you later.”
He made a grumbling noise and she smiled tenderly at him. She gave him one more kiss and slipped out of the bed. She dressed in his bathroom and stopped once more at the door, to look at him.
She stiffened her spine. The desire to crawl back in beside him was so strong, but she had to get away, just for a little while.
It had been a shock to her that they had ended up in his bed. She had known it was inevitable, but the timing was still a surprise. He had been stunned, and a little put out, that she had had an epiphany in a Buddhist temple while he was out of town, but it had freed her. It had been right. Nothing had ever been more right.
She had experience, not lately of course, but she wasn’t a virgin. However there had been a moment last night when everything had merged. They had . . . melded. She had honestly not known where she ended and he began. It wasn’t just her, she had looked up into eyes as wide and stunned as hers. She felt warm again just remembering that. It was something she would always remember.
Scully mentally shook herself after almost running a red light. She’d see him in a couple of hours. She eased up on the accelerator. No need to prolong the separation by being stopped for speeding either.
Having to act normally, keep her distance in the office, would be . . . stimulating.
At home, she tossed her purse on the couch and was unbuttoning her blouse as she headed toward her bedroom when the voice stopped her.
“I trust you slept well Agent Scully.”
She froze for an instant and the blood left her face. How? How had he gotten inside? She had thought he was gone. They hadn’t seen him since . . . since she had almost destroyed her relationship with Mulder.
“How did you get in here?”
Spender took a drag on his cigarette, “No pleasantries Agent Scully? Even after our nice trip to the country?”
“Get out of here.”
“I thought we understood each other - “
“You lied to me and used me. It didn’t work, he forgave me.”
The older man shook his head, “I wasn’t trying to interfere in your relationship with Agent Mulder. I needed that CD.”
“It was blank.” She cursed herself for responding. She wanted no conversation with this man.
He looked at her, then inclined his head slightly.
“Get out.” She moved toward the door to open it.
“I came here to warn you.”
She looked disgusted when she faced him. “I don’t want your warnings, your help or your advice. Just go.”
“They know.”
“’They’ know what?” She hated herself for asking, but she had to know.
“They know you were with Agent Mulder last night.” He watched as her face burned bright red with a mixture of fury and embarrassment.
“Get out.” She barely managed to make the words audible through her clenched teeth.
“They also know you’re pregnant.”
She blinked, that statement stunning her into silence for an instant.
“You’re crazy. I’m not . . . I can’t . . . “
He smiled, seemingly compassionately, at her. “You are. Only a few hours obviously, but never the less, it is true.”
She stared at him then, unable to move. Finally she took a step toward him. “Even if it were true, how would anyone know?”
“The chip.” He said easily, taking another draw on his cigarette.
Her hand went to her neck involuntarily.
“It wasn’t supposed to happen.” He continued, “Mulder was not to have children.”
She shook her head, as much to avoid him as to say no. “Go away.”
“I told you, I’m here to warn you. They don’t want this baby to be born and they’re going to be very unhappy with Mulder.”
“With . . . with Mulder?”
“They’re going to get rid of him this time. I’m not sure I can protect him once they all know.”
“No!”
“Yes.” He tapped an ash into her plant. “They will kill Mulder over this unless you get rid of the child.”
Her hand went to her stomach, instinctively protecting the few cells that might turn into her child, Mulder’s child.
Spender noted it and she saw the slight smile on his face. She stood up straighter, letting her hand fall back to her side.
“You do want it.” Her eyes narrowed at his words. “Forgive a grandfather’s indulgence.”
She ignored that. “I’ve asked you to leave.”
“I want to help you. If you leave, disappear, I believe I can keep him safe.”
“Safe? How? How if they already know?”
He shrugged. “I have some friends. Not all of them know, yet. If you’re gone, they won’t have to find out.”
“Disappear. You want me to just leave, without a word to anyone?”
“Yes. Or I can help you make arrangements to get rid of the child.”
She backed up then. “Why should I believe a word out of your mouth?”
“Okay, fair enough." He nodded at her, still so serene she wanted to scratch his eyes out. "Go away for a few weeks. You’re a doctor; you know how soon you can confirm a pregnancy. If I’m lying, come back, apologize. I’m sure all would be forgiven . . . again.”
He waited but she didn’t speak. She had gone inside of herself. He nodded slightly and moved toward her.
That startled her and she stepped back. “Here.” He withdrew an envelope from his inside coat pocket. “You won’t want to use your credit cards.”
“I didn’t say I was going - “
“Then use it for the procedure, or start a college fund from a loving grand - “
“Stop! Get out of here.” Her voice rose, bordering on hysteria now.
He dropped the envelope on the couch and moved to the door. “You need to decide Dana, save my son or try to save my grandchild. You have a number where you can always reach me.”
She looked at him puzzled.
“In the envelope. Call me, I have . . . connections. Dana, you do understand, you can't be with him either way. They wouldn't allow any more slip-ups.”
She said nothing, so he let himself out.
She heard the door close, but she couldn’t move. She stood for uncounted minutes before the sound of a door closing down the hall brought her back to the present.
She looked around wildly for a second. He was gone, the white envelope stood in stark contrast to the darker blue stripe of her couch. They would kill him; they would kill Mulder, because of her. She believed that much anyway.
She jerked toward the bedroom and pulled her large suitcase from the closet. She packed her clothes quickly after so much practice, then moved to the bathroom and packed a second bag.
Back in the bedroom she dug under her remaining underwear and pulled out the envelope Frohike had given her a while ago. At the last moment, she took the picture of Mulder she kept in her bedside table. It was framed, but she had never displayed it. He was unaware of it, another gift from Frohike. Then she removed the small gold cross from around her neck and left it on her dresser.
She carried the bags to her car, then returned for a few last minute items. Would she ever see this place again? She took her cell phone from her purse and set it in the charger, and after a moment’s hesitation, stuffed the thick envelope in its place in her purse.
She didn’t realize there were tears running down her face.
She drove to a coffee shop not far from her apartment and entered. It was busy this time of day, busier than she had thought it would be until she realized they were all just going to work. It was the time she would normally . . . No, there was no normal, not for a little while anyway.
She moved to the back of the shop, near the bathrooms and found the pay phone. She dropped some coins into the slot and dialed a number. She closed her eyes, hoping that Frohike would answer. She couldn’t talk to the others.
For once her luck held. “Lone Gunmen.”
“Frohike, don’t say my name.”
“Okay. What can I do for you?” He sat up in the chair. Her tone was wrong.
“Can you meet me? Alone?”
“Sure. Where?”
She didn’t want to stay here and it was too early for the tourist places. “The package store where you buy your bourbon.”
“When?”
“Now. As soon as you can get there.”
“I’m on my way.” He hung up the phone. Something was wrong, monumentally wrong, and for whatever reason, she didn’t want Byers or Langly to know. That bothered him badly.
*****
He only beat her there by a few minutes. She looked terrible. He took her arm and led her to the back of the store. “What’s wrong? Is it Mulder? Is he hurt?”
“I have to . . . I have to leave town. I’m, I’m going to use the ID you made me.”
“Katherine Hale?” He blinked at her.
She nodded. “Mulder doesn’t know about that ID, does he?”
He shook his head. “No one does.”
“You’re sure.” She demanded, her voice shaking.
“Yes. Dana, what is this about?”
“Don’t tell him. He can’t find me. You can’t tell him you’ve talked to me.”
“I don’t understand.” He had hold of both of her arms. “What happened? Did Mulder hurt you?”
“N-no. Please, don’t track me. I know you can, but please. I have to disappear. You’re the only one who knows about Katherine Hale. Don’t . . . please don’t tell anyone.”
“Dana, tell me what’s happened. You can’t go off like this. You’re not yourself. Come home with me, let us look after you for a little while, at least until you can calm down.”
“Will you keep my secret?” Her eyes were desperate. “I have to go away. They’ll . . . he would never be safe.” Frohike was even more shaken now that he’d talked to her.
“Who? Who wouldn’t be safe?”
She just looked at him, tears forming in her eyes. She didn’t respond.
“Where are you going?”
She shook her head. “I . . . I may not be gone long.”
He tried to look into her eyes, but she avoided him. “You don’t believe that.”
She closed her eyes then, “Promise me you won’t track me. You won’t tell . . . anyone where I am.”
“I . . . I won’t tell anyone, but I will track you.”
“Melvin - “
“You might need me.”
She didn’t smile. This little man cared for her and he had a point. Someone should know, just in case. “You promise, just between us.”
He nodded solemnly. “What do you need?”
“References. You made Katherine a physician’s assistant. That works well. I’ll go somewhere they need a doctor, but don’t have enough access. Maybe they’ll need me enough not to check too deeply.”
“You have some place in mind.” It wasn’t a question.
Reluctantly she nodded.
“Tell me.” He said it gently, but he was serious.
She hesitated a long time, but he waited. She wasn’t leaving until he knew something. Finally she gave in to his patience. “Remember Albert Holstein?” He nodded, “Their reservation needed doctors. He . . . no one would look for me there.”
“Dana, what happened?”
She shook her head. “I have to go. How can I get the references from you?”
“I’ll set up an email just for you.” He scribbled an address on a receipt from his pocket, and handed it to her. “Send me a one-liner, ‘ready’ and you’ll have them.”
“Tha. . . thank you.”
“I want to do more.”
She shook her head then, unable to speak and hurried out the door. He started to call out after her, but didn’t want to call attention to either of them. This was bad.
She drove to Richmond, unwilling to take a flight out of D.C. She was too easy to trace and Mulder was an expert. She flew to Chicago, then left the airport. A taxi took her to a motel so like the ones she had frequented with him. She purchased some things from a nearby drug store and returned to the room.
For the first time she was glad to have been too busy to schedule a haircut. Now, dyed blonde and styled differently, she felt more secure. She needed to buy a used car, that way she could be more mobile, not at the mercy of an airline's schedule.
She stopped suddenly in the middle of the room. Why did she believe this? Spender had lied so many times to them over the years. Why should she trust him now? Why should she believe his word that she was pregnant?
Scully looked at the pregnancy test she'd bought. Too early, much too early, but she hadn't been able to leave the drug store without it. In a few days . . .
Now for the chip. She couldn't remove it. It had never been scientifically proven that it had anything to do with her remission from cancer, but Mulder believed it. Therefore she did as well. Would anything block the signal? If only it were kryptonite. She actually smiled for an instant. Lead? She would have no way of knowing, but why not try it.
She returned to the store and wandered around. What had lead in it? Then she spotted the small bags at the film display. Lead lined sacks for protecting film from airport x-rays. What the hell. She grabbed it up and a pair of wire cutters. At least it was something to try.
*****
She pulled up to the house. She was completely exhausted, physically and emotionally. It had taken her nearly three weeks to get here after she had left Chicago. She still wasn’t showing, wouldn’t be for a while. No one could tell . . . at five weeks she was mostly just exhausted. The route she’d taken probably couldn’t be duplicated, even by her. There was no way to know if the small sliver of lead she wore under the bandage on her neck was helping, but it was all she had.
She took a deep breath and opened the car door. The heat slammed her in the face and seemed to take what little energy she had left. The door to the house opened and a Native American man walked toward her. She recognized Albert’s son, Tomas.
“Agent Scully. You are welcome.”
“You . . . did you know I was coming?”
He smiled slightly, “My father told me you were on your way. He said to tell you, ‘the desert and the rocks will protect you’.”
Tears came to her eyes as she nodded. He took her arm and led her into the relative coolness of his home. “This is my wife, Naomi.” A Native American woman with a broad face and laughing eyes brushed her long braid over her shoulder to her back.
Scully gave the taller woman a tentative smile. Naomi came over to her as she dried her hands on a dishtowel. “I’m glad you’re here safe.” She took Dana into her arms and held her. That was all it took, Scully broke down in her arms, sobbing.
Naomi just held her, patting her back and humming to her. When Scully began regaining her composure, she started to apologize. “It was what you needed, Dana. Don’t think of it again. Your room is ready. Come with me.” Keeping her arm around Scully, she led her back to a familiar room. This was where she had tended Mulder when he was recovering from his drugging and her gunshot wound.
As she was looking around, remembering, Tomas joined them carrying her bags.
“Dinner’s not going to be ready for a while. Why don’t you lie down. I’ll come get you.”
“Th-thank you.”
Naomi gave her shoulder another squeeze and let herself out of the room. Scully turned to look at the bed again. She could see Mulder lying there.
She turned away and found the bathroom, then returned to the room quietly.
Finally she sat on the bed and toed off her shoes. She hadn’t slept, really slept in days and didn’t expect to now. Finally she lay back and rested her head on the pillow, her hand on her stomach. She was asleep before her eyes closed fully.
*****
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