::  All Saints Day  ::

Chapter Six

Dana had watched her mother walk into the elevator. She breathed a sigh of relief when the doors closed behind her, for now she could be alone with her own thoughts for a while. She had been glad that her mother had stopped by and had understood her mother’s need to return to her own bed. Dana herself seemed to spend so little time in her own apartment she didn’t usually feel the same need. Now Skinner’s bed - that I could get used to. The thought wormed its way to the fore of her thoughts so she luxuriated in it for a while. She thought back over how she had felt when she had woke next to him and a slow warmth spread through her warming her as she looked again through the glass at her partner. She had always known she was the stronger in the partnership; he the more needy. With Skinner she had felt that their needs were more equal; that they could take strength from each other.

She let her tired mind wander on its own for a while. She thought back to last night when she had been tied to that tree and the one thing that rested in her mind was the way his hand had felt covering her mouth and how his voice at thrilled her as he as whispered to her. Further back her memories ranged; through their years together. She remembered moments that stood out from the mistrust and the often, outright fear of him. She remembered how she had felt as the words, "You wouldn’t be lying to me would you Agent Scully," etched her senses. She grimaced at many of the memories; but smiled at others. She remembered that it had been his arm that reached down through the living muck that almost devoured her and Mulder in that forest and pulled her to safety.

Finally, she just accepted the fact that something had always been there between them. She would have allowed herself to continue on this path a while longer when she realized that it was foolish to remain here as tired as she was. Mulder was fast asleep and she needed to be too. She turned away to talk to the agent now on guard and saw he was not sitting where he was supposed to be. A second of panic hit her until she looked further down the hall and saw the young man was talking to someone in a tux. As she peered harder down the dimmed hall, she gasped when she realized just who it was. At the sound, he looked up into her gaze.

"Sir, Director Richards?" Her voice was incredulous and he looked at her with some amusement. He looked perfectly at home in the well-cut tuxedo and completely at ease in the hospital corridor.

"Agent Scully." As he approached her taking long strides, he reached out to shake her hand. "How is he doing?" Scully managed to shake herself out of her momentary stupor and took his hand briefly in hers, before they both turned to the window. He stood beside her, but did not presume to invade her personal space.

"His vitals are stable, the left middle lobe and pericardium were barely nicked by the knife. He has been conscious and oriented. His heart is fine. He does however have a small pneumothorax, which should resolve spontaneously over the next few days. The other chest lacerations are minor and most will only require suture tape. We will know more about the possible fracture of his tibia tomorrow; the leg has been stabilized in a cast in the meantime. He was very lucky, most of the force and direction of the knife was deflected by the sternum and adjacent ribs limiting the extent of his chest injuries."

"I see." As he replied he turned to her and gently took her by the arm to lead her away from the room and away from the agent on duty. "And you, agent Scully, how are you holding up?"

Well at least HE hasn’t it heard it yet the thought flashed through her head as she replied. "I’m fine, Sir." She was surprised at his snort.

"You don’t look fine, Agent." He briskly replied. "You look tired and embarrassed and ill at ease. You look like you are suffering from a lot of stress and I need to know the cause or causes of that stress."

Her eyes widened to the point that her hairline met her eyebrows. She was tired. Too tired to hold the sudden rage in check. "Yes," she bit off. "Yes Sir I am tired. I got very little sleep last night. My partner and I were almost killed and he is lying there in that bed severely injured and we are unsure how long it will be before he can walk again. So Yes, Sir I am under stress. I have been told that there is danger still to both of us from a group of satanic cultists. So yes I would say I am under stress. But.." Here her voice dropped several decibels and she leaned into his space and looked up at him with a ferocity that few besides Skinner or Mulder had ever witnessed. She continued in a clipped well-modulated tone, "I am not embarrassed. I have done nothing. NOTHING to be embarrassed at."

He never budged under her assault. He held his ground until she finished and then quietly asked. "Your relationship with Mr. Skinner?"

She spun from him and walked to the end of the corridor and stood in a small waiting room with windows overlooking the parking lot. She stood there staring at her reflection until his body blocked what little light from the corridor as he filled the doorway behind her. "How long Agent Scully?"

He barely heard her whisper, "How long what, Sir?"

He let out all the air he had in his lungs and then slowly filled them back. "How long has your relationship with Mr. Skinner affected his supervision of you and your partner? How long has he been protecting you and the X-files?"

She turned then and met his gaze. There was something in the wording. She looked at him closely. "You mean how have I benefited from sleeping with the boss, Sir?" She allowed a trace of bitterness to color her answer. She looked to see if she could catch anything from his eyes, but his repose never wavered. Continuing in a rye sarcastic tone, "Well let me see, there is of course the opulent office with such a lovely view. And the desk, don’t forget the desk. Oh, wait, I don’t have a desk. And, of course there are all the wonderful endorsements in our files commending us for helping the American Economy by single-handedly keeping Motorolaä cellular in business." Warming to her subject, she continued, "And the G-car oh yes, how many agents get G-Cars sir, especially a Taurus. Have you ever even read the files Sir? Do you feel that Mr. Skinner has gone EASY on us, on me? After six years have either of us received more than our step-raises. Really Sir, I don’t remember any performance bonuses. Was there one that I overlooked?"

Suddenly tired, she sat down. She looked up at him and more calmly, more dignified finished: "Sir, whatever Walter Skinner and I have felt for each other since first meeting, neither of us has allowed it to affect our working relationship." She paused and wondered if he had any idea, just how new this physical, ‘inappropriate’ aspect of their relationship was.

He finally stopped her by clearing his throat. "Actually Agent Scully, since assuming the role as Director, I have made it my point to take one of the X-File cases home on weekends that promised to be boring, or one where my mother would be staying over. They are really quite interesting reads." He smiled slightly at her then. "My favorite was the one.." He shook his head. He came up to her and held her look as he sat next to her. "And what about when/if it ends, Agent Scully? There are reasons for the rules."

"Do you think I will cry harassment, Sir? God!" At this exclamation she stood and walked toward the door. As she passed through she turned back a moment. "After everything that I have seen in these past years, I think I can take care of myself if a love affair fails." Richards watched her retreating back.

All the way home she berated herself for the fool. "God almighty Dana, you idiot. You don’t speak to the Director of the FBI like that. Maybe you should just keep driving until you catch up with Bill and Tara. Maybe you could live with them out in California. Watch the kids. Work at McDonald’s." She stopped her tirade and allowed the silence to engulf her. She wanted to talk to Walter again so badly, but knew he needed his sleep.

She came to her apartment and parked out front of the building. She walked up the curb and was so occupied with her own thoughts that she didn’t notice the shadow approaching her until it was too late. The large man reached her and pulled her to his chest holding her tightly to him so she could not move. He put the point of his long thin knife to her throat just above her shoulder blade and pressed the point steadily until she felt the skin break. She could do nothing with her face pressed to his chest and both her arms held by his mighty embrace. She could barely make out his sharp rasp. "Your people had better back off girl. There is too much at stake to allow your petty investigation to ruin it. You tell baldy to back off or I will kill you, your partner, your mother, and anyone else that gets in my way. You call him, bitch, and tell him or you’ll receive more than this." With that he pulled the knife blade up her long neck drawing blood all the way to her jawbone. He let her drop and by the time she had staggered to her feet he had gone. She managed to make it to the front door, trying to hold the gash with one hand and her keys with the other. She was bleeding profusely as she stumbled down the hall and by the time she made it to her door she was getting dizzy and could barely make it inside.

She reached for the first towel she found in the kitchen and then leaned against the counter trying to staunch the blood. She forced herself to remain calm and for the first time since joining the X-Files, academy training kicked in. She made it to the phone, picked up the receiver and dialed the emergency back-up number at the Bureau. "This is Special Agent Dana Scully," she was able to rasp out to the Agent on Desk Duty. "I have just been attacked outside my apartment. What? Yes, I am hurt. I’m losing blood. My address?" She gave the agent the necessary information and she could hear him on another phone dispatching a team and ambulance to her location. Right before she passed out, she managed one last request. "You better notify Director Richards. It concerns the …" Blackness then enveloped her.

She was startled briefly back to consciousness as her door was pushed in and armed agents swept through the apartment. She immediately felt the ambulance attendant kneel next to her assessing her injuries. He called for the stretcher as he continued to work on her. As she felt them lift her to the gurney, she heard Richards questioning men as he approached her. As he got as close to her as he could, she managed to whisper to him the threat made against her and her loved ones. She never heard the orders he gave.

The sun streaming in through the slats woke her and as she tried to raise her head and look around her she panicked because she could not move her arms. She began to struggle; tried to cry out but found she could make not sound. She was nearly insane with fear when she felt strong arms hold down her shoulders and she looked up and thought damn does the man never sleep.

Richards spoke to her in a calming voice and released her arms and rang for the nurse all in one fluid movement. As the nurse on duty ran in Dana realized that her arms were held in restraints and she looked at Richards and then the nurse willing them for details. The nurse soothed her and told her than she had been restless during the night and they did not want her stitches being pulled. Doctor Dana Scully forced herself to relax and assess her situation. Breathing deeply she tried to speak again but nothing, not a squeak would come out.

She heard from the doorway, "It’s the local I used." The calm, but weary voice soothed her almost as much as the nurse finally releasing her wrists from the restraints. A tall, good-looking man of around 40 came up to her and smiled. She could see the tiredness in his eyes. Dr. Morton took her hand and explained that he had been at the hospital when they brought her in last night. He himself stitched her six-inch long gash expertly, freeing her from the necessity of going through life with a wicked scar or having to endure corrective surgery later. He went on to explain that the local anesthesia he had used would wear off in an hour or so. The good news was her voice would return, the bad, so would the pain. He patted her hand, told her that he would prescribe Demerol for her pain and left her.

She sat up in bed wincing at the other aches and pains that the local hadn’t affected and looked at Jeff Richards. She didn’t need her voice; he knew the questions she wanted answered. Before he could start, from the closet in the room they heard the tinny chirp of her cell phone. Both of them knew who it was.

::  Chapter 7  ::

Since the room faced east, Walter Skinner awoke early in the morning on November 2. He lay on his back on the too narrow twin bed trying to remember something important. He recalled his conversation with Maggie Scully, but nothing in it explained the vague unease he felt in the pit of his stomach. He shook his head, got out of the bed, making it before pulling on his trousers and walking to the hall bath to do his daily ablutions. He could hear Maggie Scully moving about the master bedroom as he closed the door. After a quick shower and shave he cleaned up after himself and walked back to the room. Dressing quickly but carefully, he did not fail to hear her walk past his door on her way to make a huge breakfast he was sure. After clipping his gun to his belt he hurried down the stairs to forestall her. As he stalked into the kitchen he was stopped by the look on her face. She was watching the morning news broadcast from DC, her hand to her mouth and her face a mask of horror. He listened to the newscast and all color drained from his face.

The newswoman stood outside a building that both of them recognized as Dana’s. Behind the reporter, Skinner could make out agents wearing the regulation windbreakers with "FBI" blazoned on the backs. He went to stand behind Maggie and turned his attention to the broadcast.

"No word on who the assailants were that attacked the FBI agent last night. We have no official word on the identity of the agent, as officials are not saying if the family has been notified as yet."

At those last words, Maggie Scully’s knees gave out and Walter gently lowered her to a chair. As he bent he looked out the window as movement beyond caught his attention. He straightened and peered into the back yard and saw two agents standing guard just beyond the fence. He touched her shoulder and said, "Stay here I have to check on something." He then hurried to the front of the house, flung open the door and saw two cars, one empty and one with two more agents watching the front of the house. As he stepped out onto the covered porch, the doors opened and the occupants began to walk toward him. He kept his face under the same control that had made him a legend at the Hoover.

The first agent to reach him extended his hand. "We got here around one. We saw that your car was already here and that the lights were out. We assumed you had gotten the word about what was going on and that you were staying behind to protect Mrs. Scully. I'm sure she was relieved to hear that Agent Scully is all right."

Skinner locked his knees so that they wouldn’t buckle and merely nodded. He surprised himself yet again when he heard his own voice come out as steady as it did. "Yes, but we haven’t heard anything more this morning." He knew he had to get back to Maggie and abruptly said, "Would you excuse me for a minute I forgot something." He closed the door on them and returned to the kitchen to find Maggie sobbing into her hands. He reached her in two steps and grabbed her up and hugged her close. "Shhh, Shhh. Maggie, she’s okay. I just heard from the agents outside, She’s okay. I’ll call right now and get all the details."

Maggie raised her face to him, finally registering what he was saying. She strove to regain control but Skinner knew she wanted details and wanted them now. "Is that coffee I see over there?" Hoping to distract her further, he continued "You know I’m pretty hungry and I bet the agents outside would appreciate a cup of coffee to warm them up."

Grateful for something to occupy herself with, she hustled over to the coffee maker and poured him a cup, then found a thermos. She poured the coffee into it and started for the front door. She had accomplished all this in the time it took for Skinner to realize that his cell phone was dead and he would have to use the phone on the counter top. As he reached for it he noticed her opening the front door. He put down the phone when he heard the commotion out on the porch. He raced to the front door and heard the agent say, "Please Mrs. Scully, you can’t be out here." He came up behind her and glared at the agent who returned his look quizzically. "Sir, please the Director said not to let her outside. Not with the perpetrator still on the loose." With that one statement, everything fell into place.

He gently pulled Maggie back in the house. "Uhm Agent, uhm?"

"Willis, Sir." The young black agent reminded him.

Taking Willis’ partner in his gesture, he waved the two of them in, "Yes, sorry, Willis why don’t you and Agent, Cramer isn’t it, come in? I’m going to run upstairs to make a couple of quick calls then I’ll be back down. Maggie why don’t you make a fresh pot of coffee; Cramer please make sure the agents still outside get some." Skinner turned away from the slightly startled trio and made his way up the stairs two and three at a time. He paused outside of Dana’s room remembering that it held a telephone on the nightstand. He pushed open the door and reached for the receiver before allowing himself to sink onto her bed. His hands trembled as he dialed the number from memory. He heard it ring 4, 5 and then 6 times before someone flipped open the phone.

When he heard Richards’ voice, his heart turned to ice. He paused for a long time, before he bit out, "How is she? Where is she? Why the HELL DIDN’T YOU CALL ME?" He struggled for control. After a moment he heard his boss say in a tone that left no doubt about how he felt about subordination even from someone as upset as Skinner.

"Mr. Skinner you forget yourself," he barked.

For a while both thought the other would hang up; then Skinner who desperately needed to know what was going on, "blinked" and said, "I’m sorry, sir. But, Mrs. Scully and I just saw a report that lead us to believe that Agent Scully was dead." Skinner no longer cared whether or not the Director or anyone knew where he was anymore. Skinner never saw the small smile on Richards’ face but heard the more calm tone in his boss's voice.

"I see. Well, she was cut on the throat. She will heal and there should not be much of a scar, but the anesthesia that the doctor used numbed her vocal cords and she won’t be able to talk for about an hour. She is at Washington General two floors down from her partner who, by the way, doesn’t know that she was hurt last night. I did try to reach you last night but your cell phone…"

"Was dead," Skinner finished for him and sighed deeply.

Richards continued in the same brisk tone, "I called Inoki to see if he knew where you were but he only had your cell phone number. Sloppy Skinner, you should have told him where you were. I ordered him to pull four of the agents and send them to Mrs. Scully’s house and wasn’t surprised when he told me your G-Car was already parked in the driveway. I don’t like tap dancing Skinner." He finished in a huff.

Skinner thought back on all the times he had to do the same thing for the dynamic duo and knew the feeling. "I know sir and you are right. I should have told him. Can you fill me in?"

"I would, but I think you want to at least say good morning to Agent Scully." With that he put the phone to Scully’s ear.

Skinner had no idea what to say and finally fell back on the time honored macho response, "Whoever did this Dana, we will get him, I promise." Only ragged breathing broke the silence on the other end of the line and what he suspected was noiseless sobbing. "Dana, honey I …" his voice broke before he could tell her how much he loved her and then it was too late.

"AD Skinner, when she can speak again, I will have Agent Scully call you. Now, to what we know about what happened last night. It seems that a man attacked Agent Scully outside her apartment with a very large knife. He threatened her and her family if we did not drop the investigation. It seems a strange way to insure secrecy, but perhaps he thought she would be too afraid to go to her superiors. They have underestimated her haven’t they Mr. Skinner?"

Skinner smiled briefly and thought that anyone who thought that after years of conspiracy, grey aliens, flukeman and a giant skin eating fungus, Dana Scully would be frightened by a mere knife-wielding human, was to stupid not to be caught. He suddenly considered the very fact that the Director of the entire FBI was at the bedside of one agent. He asked, "Sir, exactly why are you there, has something else occurred?"

"No, Mr. Skinner. Nothing else. I stopped by myself last night to check on Agent Mulder’s condition and Agent Scully and I had a long talk."

Shit "Indeed, Sir." Skinner gulped out.

Skinner heard the Director’s amusement, "Yes indeed, Mr. Skinner. Afterwards, I had just made it to my front door when the Backup Desk called me with the news of Agent’s Scully’s attack. I was at the apartment when the paramedics took her away and she reported directly to me. It was then that I TRIED to call you." Abruptly, Richards turned completely professional and all amusement at the predicament that his AD and Agent found themselves evaporated. "I want extra care taken out there. I suspect that there will be incidents to either throw you off the trail or even attempts on the lives of the investigators, including your own. I want this cleared up, Skinner."

"Yes, Sir. Is there anything else that we have gotten from Wilson?" Skinner was aching to slam the phone down and go to Dana but knew that it was best that he bring this end of the investigation to fruition.

"I’m going to stop in at headquarters to check it out and then I am going home to bed. I’m too old for this shit, Skinner."

"Yes Sir, I know the feeling well. One last thing, I know Mrs. Scully will want to be with her daughter…"

"I know." Richards interrupted him before he could continue. "However, until we can fully assess the danger involved, I don’t want to risk two agents to bring her into town. It will be easier to protect her there in her own house. The guards are there." The last was not a question.

"I understand and I can’t say I disagree but Mrs. Scully is stubborn." Skinner's obvious awe of Mrs. Scully’s determination came through loud and clear.

"Do you need me to talk to her Mr. Skinner?" Amusement crept back into the Director’s voice.

"Not yet Sir," Skinner responded gravely.

"I expect a report before noon." And before Skinner could reply, Richards disconnected.

Skinner stood for a long time staring out the window, he knew that he wanted to go to Scully, to hold her, to never let anything happen to her again. But he also remembered his promise of retribution and he knew the best place to achieve that was here. He shook himself out of his reverie and rubbed his hand over his head. Skinner then checked his notes and called Agent Inoki and received a full report on what was planned for the beginning of the day. He then remembered Mrs. Scully, sighed deeply and went downstairs to answer all her questions.

He was not really surprised to see both Cramer and Willis eating pancakes at the table or to see Maggie fussing about them as she refilled their mugs with coffee. Skinner smiled briefly as Willis tried to field Maggie’s relentless questions. He also knew that Maggie would get to find a use for her spare bedrooms after all.

::  Chapter 8  ::

Dana woke from the medication-induced sleep around four o’clock that afternoon. As groggy as she had been earlier, the numbness gradually wore off. Clarity and a desire to know more of what was going on returned. She rang for the nurse to help her, and more importantly to try and get some information. Angie, the nurse, bounced in and perkily asked, "How are we doing?"

Scully was pleased beyond measure that she could at last reply even in a whisper, "Well the me of we is doing better, how about you?" The nurse missed the sarcasm. Scully then began to question her and Angie seemed more than happy to oblige and began to give her the lowdown on the security measures being taken not only on this floor but two floors up as well.

As the young nurse bustled around helping her get into a hospital ‘robe’ she offered, "They are having trouble with that partner of yours, Agent Scully. The ICU nurses didn’t know he had turned on the TV and then he caught the news report. Well! It took two orderlies to hold him down. The doctor and the agent on duty had to assure him that as soon as you could talk you would call him." The nurse concluded, assuming that Scully would get back into bed and reach for the phone. Instead she was surprised to hear a deep groan come up through the tiny body next to her.

Scully silently cursed all television reporters everywhere. She made her way back to the bathroom and asked, in an almost normal tone, "Could you find me a comb?"

When the nurse started to protest, Scully had given her ‘the look’ and the nurse ran for the doctor. When he arrived, Scully was leaving the bathroom and heading for the door. He had heard of her stubbornness and was happy that she had gotten as much sleep as she had. "Get a wheelchair nurse." When Scully looked like she was going to protest he added, "Or Agent, should I have her get restraints?" Scully had known she could not make it up to Mulder’s room without a wheelchair but had begun to argue out of habit. She sighed and waited patiently while Angie got the chair. She also made no protest when the young agent stationed outside of her room followed along beside her and even grinned when he kept two people on the next floor from getting on the elevator with them.

She reached Mulder’s room and wheeled herself in. Her two attendants joined the agents guarding him and turned away from the doorway to give them a little privacy.

Mulder had been asleep when she had come in, but awoke almost immediately when she touched his hand. He looked at her and saw the huge bandage covering her neck and groaned "Oh God Scully, I am so sorry. It’s all…"

Scully cut him off. "Don’t, Mulder. Okay! Just don’t. It’s not your fault. You had nothing to do with this."

"But if…"

"No, damn it! It is not your fault. It was a valid avenue of investigation and we stumbled onto something big. I was attacked because I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings and the man wanted to get to me. So don’t take this on. I mean it, Mister." She had started out mad because she knew he would try to take the blame for this as he always did when anything bad happened. It was an old dance between them, but by the time she had finished she was merely exasperated with him.

"Damn G-woman." Mulder shyly smiled at her. "So fill me in. Anything to go on."

She looked at him with her head cocked. She desperately wanted to talk to him about Skinner but was unsure on where to start or how much to tell him. Instead she gave him a quick rundown of what had happened at the apartment building and started to remember little details about the man that had attacked her. She welcomed the questions he followed up with and soon they were hashing out the entire case, as much as they knew about it. Mulder then mentioned that Skinner had called him earlier in the day.

Scully flushed at the news of Skinner's call. Some coherent thought tried to work its way forward. But what came out instead was, "S-So S-Skinner, uhm w-what did he have to say?"

"Huh?" In all the years they had worked together, Mulder had never heard Scully stutter. Mulder searched her face, "You know. How are you holding up? Are the nurses treating you okay? Stuff like that. Why what did you expect him to say?"

Scully's blush was almost darker than her hair and she had hemmed and hawed for a while and then said, "Oh nothing, look I have to get back, I’m really feeling a little tired and want to get back to bed."

"You want to share mine?" The innuendo was standard Mulder, but the look was penetrating.

"Yeah, right." She took his hand and suddenly got serious, "Mulder really, I’m fine. It hurts a little but the doctor did a good job," She got a funny little grin on her face and continued, "Besides, now when people ask about the tiny white scar I can say I got it in a knife fight and I’ll be telling the truth." With that she spun around neatly in her chair and left him staring after her knowing he was going to have a lot to think about as he lay in his bed.

::  Chapter 9  ::

They had done a full sweep at the pumpkin patch and found very little evidence that could be used to prove that the Halloween incident was more than an isolated occurrence. This setback had far-reaching ramifications at headquarters, causing the suspects’ attorneys to advise their clients to completely clam up. The only person still talking was Norman Wilson and rumors had begun to surface casting light on young Norman’s psychiatric history.

Skinner was driving himself to exhaustion. He wanted only to return to Dana’s side, but knew that he was needed at the crime scene. As the days had wore on he was into every part of the investigation, even going out on one or two of the follow-up interviews; interviews that in the end got them no closer.

The investigators were starting to cause no little stress and strain among the townspeople. People were beginning to clam up or get vocal in opposition to the outsiders. Incidents had begun to occur. Skinner himself had found four slashed tires on his government car. It had angered him so much that even agents that previously been subjected to his outbursts were impressed with his tirade; agents unfamiliar with the AD would talk about it for months. What none of them knew was that the evening the slashing occurred was the one time he had felt he could slip away for a few hours and get into see Scully at the hospital. By the time the reports had been made, he knew it was too late and had to contend with yet another frustrating phone call.

Early on the morning of November 3^rd, AD Skinner found himself once again overlooking the field that just three days before had been the center point of the epiphany of his life. He found himself questioning everything that had happened as he watched the forensic team starting to dig core samples down further. He stood there knowing it would be futile, but he couldn’t understand how he knew. He hadn’t been sleeping well. One of the reasons was that Maggie had moved him into Dana’s bedroom so that he could have privacy from the agents now doubling up in the two spare bedrooms. That had done little for his libido. He found himself having more and more erotic dreams involving the beautiful redhead and often found himself standing and staring out the window instead of sleeping in ‘her’ bed. He shook himself in an attempt to rid himself of those thoughts, and focused again on the task at hand.

As he stared across the field his eyes came to rest on the little rise further to the East. Skinner suddenly felt nauseous and a sudden compulsion to go to the rise. He stared at the spot for a long time and suddenly felt afraid. Ideas half-formed niggled at the back of his brain. Memories that he knew he did not possess came and went with such speed he could not grab on to one and examine it. The urge to move finally won out and he walked slowly down the hill he was on and across the line of investigation.

Agent Inoki and Sergeant Benson had been talking quietly comparing notes and swapping suggestions for the meeting to be held that afternoon when Benson noticed the ‘Big Guy’, as he privately called him, walking almost in a trance. He pointed it out to Inoki who elected to follow his boss. He was about 50 yards away from Skinner by the time the AD made it over the small rise. By the time Inoki reach the top, Skinner was standing in the middle of the next field; a field that had obviously lain fallow for the season. Inoki looked at his boss in amazement; he had never seen such a look of horror associated with such a peaceful place.

When Skinner had finally reach the next field, his dreams came flooding back to him. He tried to force himself to be calm but he could feel them all around. He tried to shake himself out of his trance but found himself enraptured by the feel of so many souls. He would later swear to Dana and Mulder (but only to them) that he had actually heard them whispering. After several long minutes, he found he could slowly rotate in the spot he was in and gaze around him. Finally his eyes lit on an area that was, to the naked eye, just like the rest of the field. He walked to it and stared down for what seemed like an eternity. Even when he felt a hand on his arm and heard the strangled "Sir?" from Agent Inoki, so engrossed was he that Skinner never even flinched. He finally looked the young man in the eye and then squatted down on his haunches. His hand reached out and swiftly tore away some of the dead growth from the summer. Finally he reached soil and started clawing at the earth which while not really hard was very well packed from a year of rain and no tilling.

Agent Inoki stared at him in wonder and not a little fear. He quickly turned and ran back to the site and grabbed a trowel that he found laying near the border of the field. He turned and ran back to find Skinner on his knees using both hands to pull at the dirt. It took a moment for him to get Skinner’s attention but when he was able to, Walter took the trowel and began digging in earnest. Inoki had bent over Skinner to watch in fascination as a small spot of white began to appear under the man’s now gentle manipulation of the dirt. It was then that he heard a twig snap from outside the perimeter to the north. As he looked up Inoki saw the glint of sunlight bounce off something not of nature and a sixth sense caused him to cry out and push Skinner out of the way.

The knife caught Inoki in the shoulder. Skinner had hit the dirt, rolled and grabbed his gun in one swift movement. Before he could see where to aim a shot rang out and man staggered into the field clutching his chest. Skinner looked around him and saw Benson rushing down the rise toward the shooter; followed closely by other agents and state troopers alerted by the shot.

Skinner yelled for one of the men approaching to call an ambulance and went to cradle Agent Inoki in his arms, gently keeping the man from pulling the knife out by the elegantly carved handle. As the crowd approached, Skinner held up his hand and told most of them to go check the north for more assailants and for the rest to direct the ambulance and to stay out of the field.

When Inoki and the badly wounded assailant had been taken away, Skinner turned back to his original goal. He knew now. He took two of the forensic men with him. As they approached the field, he pointed to where he had begun to dig. "I want you to start there and work your way out." They had looked at him in surprise but as they bent down and saw the bone fragment, excitement finally overtook them. One man bent down and continued what Skinner had started. He had only been at it for 2 minutes before he gently removed an entire leg bone. Skinner looked at the man. "Can you be sure?"

The tech replied, "Well I can guarantee you this isn’t a cow or deer bone. Whether or not…" Seeing the darkening look on Skinner’s face the young man suddenly decided that going out on a limb was the least of his worries. "Yeah I can be pretty sure."

Twenty minutes later they found the skull and then they began in earnest. Two hours after that, Skinner was able to call the Director with reports that the scope of the crime scene had been expanded and that arrest warrants needed to be issued for the owners of the farm.

While Skinner had been making his discovery, Dana Scully was preparing to leave the hospital. She had been up to see Mulder and had been very pleased to tell him that the doctors had concluded that no further surgery would be needed to repair the leg. At his grin, she had cautioned him that much rehab would be needed for the full use of his leg to return and that he would be walking on a cane for a while. His grin grew. "Oh yeah! A cane! That ought to be quite the chick magnet!"

She had raised her eyebrow at him. "Yeah and I got Frohike to agree to move in with you while you recover." Horror and glee mingled on his face as he concentrated on what he and the little troll could get into while he recovered. Scully snorted at the look and returned to her room to finally change out of the hospital garb.

As she approach the bed, she noticed that there were all new clothes and new running shoes and socks still in their store hang tag package, neatly laid out waiting for her. She glanced at the female agent who sat in the chair next to the bed. The agent, Cassie O’Malley, could not meet her gaze. Finally Scully asked casually, "why the new clothes? Why didn’t you just bring me some of my stuff?"

O’Malley had worked on a couple of cases with Scully and had liked what she saw. She dreaded explaining the rest of the details of Scully’s attack to her. Scully studied the now blushing woman and waited patiently. Understanding finally dawned on her, without the older woman saying anything. "How bad?" Dana somehow managed a studied indifference.

O’Malley’s voice hitched slightly as she related the destruction at Scully’s apartment. "We can’t figure out why they did it, Dana. It was just so over the top. Either have you come home and find the destruction; or, attack you like they did. But why both?" she stopped and looked at Scully. What she had yet to tell sickened her. Dana’s steady gaze asked the question. O’Malley straightened and took on the same dispassionate tone that Scully herself had used. "The front room had been left untouched. But the bedroom; everything was smashed or slashed. And all your clothes were…uhm…" O’Malley swallowed and finally looked Scully in the eye and said as fast as she could. "Anything that wasn’t urinated on had semen on it. We figured from the initial testing that there were at least four men who took part. Everything was ruined. Your jewelry was strewn about the place and the books were torn apart. I’m sorry, Dana really. Director Richards told us to take you to a safe house and to get you anything you needed." Her voiced dropped "He even gave me his own bureau credit card."

As she listened to the other agent, a rage started somewhere deep inside Scully. A rage so powerful that it scared her. She began changing clothes; completely ignoring the fact that the door to her room was wide open. O’Malley had to rush to close it before her partner, the leech, got an eyeful that she would have to hear about for a year. O’Malley didn’t even try and help Scully, but watched her closely. She waited and when Scully managed to put on the tennis shoes and tie them without passing out, O’Malley realized that it would be a long time before they saw the safe house, if they ever did. She could only follow the now terrifyingly mad agent down the corridor. Even O’Malley’s macho partner, Ted Andrews, knew that the best thing would be to shut up and follow. As Scully passed the doctor, he tried to stop her but the look on her face froze him. He realized that protocol or not, he would be filling out the last of the paperwork and pity the poor fool that tried to insist on her sitting in a wheelchair to exit the hospital.

They reached the lobby and Dana stalked out, O’Malley and Andrews following behind her in battle formation. Andrews reached the doors and proceeded them out and held open the backdoor to the car for both women. Scully angrily got in his face and hissed, "Where do YOU think we are going?"

O’Malley grinned brightly at her partner, who gulped deeply and replied shakily. "Where would YOU like us to take you Agent Scully?"

Scully's grin never reached her eyes. "Good. Take me to the Hoover. Now." She reached down and opened the front passenger door and said to the young agent who was driving and who had heard everything that had been said, "Is there a problem?"

"Nope. The Hoover it is. You don’t mind if we call ahead and tell them we are coming do you?"

Staring straight ahead she countered, "Nope. You gotta do, what you gotta do."

Twenty minutes later, Scully found herself back at headquarters, striding through the lobby. Agents that knew her stayed out of her way. As they reached the elevator banks she turned around to Agent O’Malley and said, "Where are they Cassie?"

"Where are who Agent Scully?" They had not noticed that when the elevator doors had opened only one man was on it and that one man was Director Richards.

Scully had whirled around at the sound of his voice and through shear willpower did not swoon from the dizziness. She met his gaze. And said, "Wilson and the other men. I need to see them. Is there a problem with that sir?"

Richards stared at her a long time, debating whether to allow her what she wanted. Whether to tell her now of what he had just found out from AD Skinner. He chose the former. "Very well then Agent Scully, if you will come with me." He led the three agents to the elevator and pressed the down button to the 2^nd lower level where the interrogation rooms were.

Scully pushed so hard against the door that it slammed into the wall. The agents surrounding the suspect jumped back instinctively reaching for their weapons, pausing only upon seeing the Director himself behind the small furious woman.

As the group separated Scully finally got a good look at Norman Wilson. She allowed herself no reflection on his pinched features; his wispy almost white hair or his eyes, so pale brown that he could be albino.

Instead she focused on the tick at the corner of his nearly non-existent lips. Ignoring everyone, as she neared, she placed both hands on the table between her and Wilson and leaned to where her face was a mere three inches from his. She forced herself to ignore the fetid smell coming from between his lips and lock her eyes into his. "The man that attacked me; he was at least 6’ 6", my nose was pressed into his lower ribcage. I don’t know anything other than that and the fact that he smelled of a mixture of very heavy cigar smoke and Opium; the women’s perfume not the drug. Who is he?"

The room was silent except for the murmuring of the lawyer telling his client to keep quiet. Norman Wilson tried hard to maintain the stare, but the simple description told him who had attacked this tiny, angry woman and his eyes betrayed that knowledge. He began to shake almost uncontrollably. The lawyer’s admonishment got louder and Scully felt Richard’s directly behind her. Before either of them could say anything, they both turned to the sound of a chair scraping along the floor; they were equally surprised to see Senator John Henry Wilson slowly rise from the chair and walk to his brother.

Senator Wilson was the complete antithesis of his younger brother; it was almost as if the entire family gene pool has gone into his strong jaw, full head of silver white hair and strong clear blue eyes. He stood staring down at his brother for a moment, perhaps remembering all the other times that he had tried to save this frail castoff from torment and persecution. He sighed deeply and said, "Jarod. Jarod is involved in this?"

Norman Wilson suddenly stood and faced his brother. The lawyer grasped his arm trying to return him to the seat. The agents of the FBI as a group stood back to watch the scene play out. This might be the only true break in the case they got.

"Tell me, Norm. Tell me, or so help me God, I will walk out this door and you are on your own. For good Norm." Norman Wilson tried to meet his brother’s gaze and couldn’t.

Suddenly he turned toward Scully and spat out, "You couldn’t leave it alone. Why were you there even? Everything was going so good. Jarod said we would only sacrifice a dog this year. He promised me that we wouldn’t have to kill anybody this year. But then and your damn partner showed up. It’s all your fault. Now Jarod is going to hate me. It’s all your fault." As the agents stood and stared at him, he slowly broke down and sat sobbing on the floor.

Before anyone could say or do anything, Director Richards looked at the Senator and asked quietly, "Senator, do you have information we can use regarding this Jarod?"

The Senator never took his eyes off his brother. "His name is Jarod Osgood. He was the chief of security for my family’s company in Eddington. I let him go and threatened him when some of his more distasteful habits came to light. I thought I had really scared him. I guess I didn’t." The Senator turned back to the wall, but Richards was not yet satisfied.

"I need it all Senator."

Anger flared within the man as he turned on these people. How dare they question him? He had given 30 years of his life to these people. As he allowed his anger to swell he looked down on his pathetic wreck of a brother and suddenly knew that they did have a right to question him. That as always, part of this mess was his. He sighed and told the whole ugly story.

One of the agents sat down and quickly began taking notes while another ran to the next room to get the necessary tape recorders set up. Scully retreated and allowed the others to question where needed. The adrenaline rush had worn off and she would need all of her concentration to stay standing. She felt a hard edge push against the back of her knees, forcing her to sit. She managed to shift her very stiff neck just enough to know it was Richards who had forced her to rest. She let the Senator’s story of depravity, cruelty and child molestation fade to the background as she tried to grasp what was going on. It was unheard of for someone as high up as a Deputy Director to take such intimate interest in any investigation; for the Director himself to do so, when there were no cameras and no chance of any spotlight was damn near history-in-the-making. She thought back on the last three days and tried hard to get a handle on this enigmatic man. The only thing that she realized was that she instinctively trusted him and that alone surprised her. She trusted few men and the ones that she did trust had to work long and hard to earn it.

She nervously looked over at Richards and saw something that she hadn’t seen before. Concentration was there but so was something else, something alien – loathing. The look of loathing was so intense it was almost painful. She tried to make sense of it, but before she could, he sensed her gaze and quickly smoothed his emotions to the same somewhat bland look he usually presented to the press.

Finally one of the agents, Tessa Ortez asked the one question that the Senator could not answer. "Sir, do you know where to find this man or any of this associates?"

The Senator looked at her like she was something distasteful. "Young woman, if I knew the man was even in town, let alone associating with my brother, I would have killed him myself." With that all eyes turned to the now silent Norman. The Senator said wearily, "Tell them Norman. Where is he?"

It took another 20 minutes of cajoling, threats and promises before the once again hysterical man gave them the information that they needed.

Three hours later as Scully and Richards watched from the back of his car, 20 agents from the Hoover and 3 field offices converged on a farmhouse 30 miles from Martin’s Corners. Three senatorial aides, one white house security policeman, four of the missing Martin’s Corners policeman and one US Marshall were among the 15 suicides that the force discovered. Jarod Osgood was not among the dead.

::  Chapter 10  ::

Suddenly, with resolution in sight, the team swarmed over the parameters of the new field. Skinner watched and even helped to move equipment to the correct location. Using a modified grid formation, the team worked out from the spot that Skinner had first pointed out. It soon became clear that at last they were on the right track. Within three hours, they had identified no less that five different corpses. All of them recent burials that in no way could be considered "relics" from old burial grounds, either early settler or earlier native.

At precisely 1:00 o’clock his cell phone chirped and when he answered, he was surprised to hear, "Sir, its Scully." At first surprised at her official tone, he surmised that she was not alone. "Director Richards asked me to call you to give you an update from this end," She continued.

He then recognized the familiar noises in the background that cried ‘The JEH’ and since there were no prying ears nearby he went ballistic, "Just what the hell do you mean on this end? What end exactly are you at? Why the HELL aren’t you at the safe house?"

The silence was eloquent. He could hear the sounds slowly fade away and knew she was attempting to find some privacy. He finally heard, "Excuse me, SIR. But I felt that I had something to contribute to the investigation and I came here instead of going to the safe house. And while we are on the subject, when did you know about the safe house? Did you know what was done to my apartment? Why weren’t you the one to tell me?" Her tone was icy and Skinner’s heart chilled over 60 miles away. He sighed and knew he was busted.

"I spoke to the agent in charge at your apartment, right after I spoke to you that morning. He didn’t hold anything back. God, Dana I was so sick. All I wanted to do was get to you and tell you in person, but when I finally got a little time the damn tires on my car were slashed and I couldn’t. I wanted to be the one to break it to you but not over the phone." Even alone, his voice had dropped to a whisper. "I swear to you we will make this right."

"Yes Walter." Dana interrupted him before he could continue. "WE will make it right, together." All the anger had dissipated, but Skinner heard the resolve in her voice. "I am a doctor remember. I know my own limitations. I came in because I wanted to be the one to strike back at the men who did this to me. I love and need you Walter Skinner. I didn’t know how much before all this happened. But I am still the woman that I was before I realized my feelings. Do you suddenly think so little of me that you expect me to sit back and let someone else protect me? Is that the woman…."

"that I fell in love with?" Skinner finished for her, glad to finally get a chance to say the words that he had longed to say for the past three days. "No it’s not, but…"

"But nothing…darling." Dana let the endearment hang between them for a moment before returning to a more brisk tone "To business. We finally have a location on the main meeting place for the cult members; it is in Bishop, about 30 miles northwest of your location. Agents from the Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington field offices are converging on it now. I am riding out with Director Richards."

"Damn it, Dana!" his voice rose in frustration.

Overriding him she continued as if he had not spoken, "I need to be there. I am the only one that can recognize the man that assaulted me, Walter. I promised Richards already that I would stay by his side and not participate in the actual arrest."

"Richards? He asked, suddenly alert to something that had been bothering him for the last two days, "The Director is going out on a arrest?" Skinner hadn’t heard of anything like that happening since J. Edgar himself had set up the arrest of a high profile gangster all those years ago. It just wasn’t done. "What’s up with that?"

Dana’s voice dropped again. "Walter, I don’t know. But something is going on and I can’t figure it out."

Almost smelling the cigarette smoke, Skinner became wary "Do you trust him? Do you think he is part of…" his voice trailed away. The conspiracy was still a sore point that would have to be hashed out in the days to come.

"That’s just it," Dana said more confidently, "I do trust him. I don’t know why but I’ve been around him now for the last couple of days and he seems so intense and sometimes I think there is something going on, but I can’t put my finger on it. Look, I have to go. I’ll call you as soon as we are done there."

Not wanting to miss another chance, Walter took a deep breath and said "I love you Dana Katherine Scully, please be careful."

Softly she replied, "I know you do and I will."

Three hours later at 4:00 PM she had called back with the word that everyone at the Bishop farm was dead but that no one remotely reaching the size of her assailant had been there. She told him she would go back to the hospital and then go on to the safe house. He had so wanted to tell her to use his Crystal City apartment, but knew what that would look like so he sighed deeply and resolved to get to the safe house to "officially check up on an agent under his direct supervision" as soon as he could.

At 7:00 she reached him once again as he was sitting down with Benson and a few other agents, going over the days results and sharing a KFC dinner. As soon as he heard her voice he knew something was wrong. He abruptly stood up and the other men watched him stalk to a corner.

"What’s happened?" He demanded.

She had known that she couldn’t hide it from him. She would have preferred to wait until she had completely calmed down before she called, but she knew that reporters had been on the scene and she wanted to be the one to tell him before he heard about it on the TV. She took a deep calming breath before starting. "We dropped Richards back off at the Hoover and proceeded on to the hospital. Since Osgood hadn’t been at Bishop, Andrews and O’Malley insisted upon coming with me. As we got off the elevator on Mulder’s floor I looked towards his room and saw a large orderly going in. Agent Patterson was on guard duty and he had suddenly gotten up and followed him in." Here Dana’s voice broke. "God, Walter the s-s-sound. The shotgun blast sounded like an explosion and the next thing we knew Patterson was flying through the air and hitting the wall. There was blood everywhere." She paused, sniffled and continued, "Andrews took off and O’Malley and I drew our guns and followed."

Skinner was shaking so hard by this time Benson got up from the table and started to approach him. "Go on," Walter managed to get out.

"Andrews got to the doorway and crouched down and went in low. Osgood must have been waiting right inside the door because…" by now Dana was crying openly, "…he must had used both barrels of the shotgun because he cut Andrews’ throat; sliced it from ear to ear, before we could reach him. O’Malley was able to pump three bullets into him and I tried to stop the bleeding but I couldn’t. Doctors came from all over the hospital and tried to save both Andrews and Patterson, but..." She took a ragged breath to get some control and finished, "Agent Dick Patterson and Agent Ted Andrews were declared dead on the operating tables 20 minutes later."

Wanting only to be there and dying inside because he wasn’t he snapped, "Osgood?"

Scully’s voice was icy, "From that range, O’Malley sent him straight to hell."

Finally whispering the question that had been there all the while, "Mulder?"

After a long deep sigh Dana replied, "He wasn’t even in the room at the time, Walter. He was down getting more X-rays on his leg."

Relief that she and Mulder were safe warred with grief over the loss of two good agents. "So it’s finished?"

"Seems like."

"Come home."

Wearily she replied, "Soon, I promise, but I have to stay here and help clean up the paperwork and I don’t want to leave Cassie alone. Once I get her settled and make sure that Mulder is okay, I’ll need to get some sleep. I will try and get out there sometime tomorrow. I love you, Skinner."

Skinner’s hand was pressed against the wall, his head against his upper arm, the phone held tied against his ear, but not caring whether any of the men behind him heard, "I love you, Agent Scully. But, if you don’t get here soon, I don’t want to think about what your mother is going to do to the both of us." Scully gentle snort was the last thing he heard before she disconnected.

Skinner sat on the back deck of Maggie Scully’s house not focusing on anything but the stars in the cold night air. He had been almost too tired to sleep so he had come out here to sit in the padded chair and to drink the scotch Maggie had left out for him before she had gone up to bed. It was now after 2:00 AM and he knew he needed to go to bed but the day’s events kept coming back to him. He sighed deeply and listened to the silence around him. The four agents that had been stationed at Maggie’s house had departed. Earlier in the week, the reporters had gotten discouraged almost immediately and left town. As they did so, Inoki had been able to secure enough rooms so that every agent could at least share a room. Now that Osgood was dead, there had been no reason for them to stay. Skinner was glad that Maggie had her house back. He figured he would soon be able to supervise the site during the day, and yet still get home at night.

Even in the cold, he had started to nod off to sleep. He didn’t hear the car pull up to the front of the house; nor did he hear the front door softly open and close. When the noise of the back door opening nudged him back awake, he sighed, "Yes Maggie, I know. I do need to go up to bed."

"She really does scare you doesn’t she?" Scully walked up to stand behind him and gently put both hands on his shoulders.

He sat frozen for a moment thinking that he might be dreaming until he caught her light scent. He waited patiently for her to come and stand in front of him. When she finally did, he looked up into her eyes and saw everything he would ever need to see for the rest of his life. He took her by the hand and tugged at her until she was in his lap, straddling him. Slowly she lowered her face to his. The kiss started out so softly but quickly escalated into more. All the passion that had been frustrated since that morning in the shower engulfed them. He roughly pulled her to him, the exhaustion suddenly gone. She kissed and bit and licked his lips, his chin and then buried her lips to his neck right where it met his shoulder blade.

"I have wanted this for 3 days," she whispered, her breath against his skin nearly driving him over the edge.

He gently pushed her away and off him. She looked at him questioningly. He grinned down as her as he got up out the chair. "Oh baby, someday I will make love to you in this very chair, but tonight I want to make love to you in your bed."

She grinned lopsidedly at him, "In my mother’s house?"

"She might scare me sweetheart, but not making love to you tonight scares me more." He looked at her for a long time, allowing her to make the final decision.

She shyly took his hand and led him through the door and up the stairs. When they reached her room, Dana looked at him for a moment and smiled. "Go in, I’ll be there in just a second." Walter watched her go to her mother’s door and open it. Skinner heard the "Oh honey I’m so glad you’re home," before he closed the door and went to get into Dana’s double bed.

Barely five minutes later Dana returned to her childhood room and her new lover. Moonlight flooded about her as she stood before him. He had already stripped and lay in the bed with the sheet barely covering his legs and lower stomach. Even in the moonlight, Dana was able to see the tent his huge erection made. Keeping her eyes locked on his she began to sensuously strip. She teased him as she took her shirt off. Skinner never took his eyes off her as her breasts nearly spilled out of her bra as she raised each foot onto the bed and bent forward to remove her shoes and socks. She took them to her closet and slowly bent down to place them on the floor there; wiggling her jeans clad ass at him. Skinner groaned deep in his chest and longed to get out of the bed and take her as he had that morning the in the shower. But he remained where he was. She straightened and looked at him over her shoulder and still facing the closet, removed her bra and then unzipped her jeans. She slowly pulled them and her panties down to her ankles bending at the waist allowing Skinner to view her glistening sex. She heard the sheet rustle and then heard a low growl, "Dana."

She straightened back up again and slowly turned, she looked at him so seriously for a moment, allowing her hand to slide along her pubic hair, now slick with her juices. Skinner reached out his hand to her and slowly she crossed the room to stand by the bed. As she approached he had turned and swung his legs to the floor and then pulled her to him. She took his head in her hands and as she caressed it pulled him to her parted lips. As their lips met, he flipped her and she found herself lying across the bed underneath him. He continued to kiss her, finally letting his lips trail from hers along her jaw. He paused a moment, finally acknowledging the bandage still wrapping her throat.

As his eyes met hers again she whispered, "It’s okay, I’m okay, now that I’m here."

He allowed his forehead to rest briefly on her chest and then slowly began kissing her again. He covered her breasts with tiny kisses and then took each in turn into his mouth, suckling and licking and nipping. He continued down her stomach and came to rest on his knees on the floor in front of her. She raised herself up onto her elbows to watch him looking at her. His intensity suddenly made her bold and she raised her dangling foot and gently caressed his back. The feel of her broke his concentration and he lowered his mouth to taste her finally. He licked her long and deep and her orgasm came so suddenly she barely had time to lay back and press a pillow to her face to contain her scream. Skinner sat back on his heels and looked at his handiwork and chuckled softly. "Agent Scully, you sure make a lot of noise when you come."

As she got her breathing back under control, she glared at him. "Oh yeah, come here and lets see how quiet you are."

Skinner stood up, his cock slowly bouncing in the effort. He gazed at her and then turned and sat down. Scully got out of his way until he was sitting against the headboard, his legs outstretched before him and his cock ready for her. She slowly crawled up to his lap and straddled him. Placing her hands on his shoulders she rose up and slowly impaled herself on him. His groan overwhelmed the sound of her contented sigh. They stilled, savoring the moment. Then Dana, with a grin of satisfaction began to ride him; raising herself nearly off of him and then plunging back down. He allowed her to tease him like that for a while, moaning in pleasure. When he could finally no longer stand it, he took control and grasped her hips and began to pump into her in earnest. He sat up to embrace her and began kissing her head and her eyes and finally her open lips. His tongue plundered her mouth and she began to mew softly now as she once again approached climax. When her inner walls tightened around his cock he buried his mouth into her shoulder blade and gasped his release.

He scooted down the bed, trying to stay inside her as long as he could. She reached behind her and pulled the covers over them as he reclined back into the pillows. He pulled her head to his chest and as they drifted off to sleep he whispered "I love you."

::  Epilogue  ::

Mulder’s specialist had advised that even with intensive rehabilitation, he would be off for at least three months, maybe four. Scully was officially assigned to assist in the evidence evaluation at Martin’s Corners. Skinner moved into one of the hotel rooms and they were both careful to avoid any appearance of impropriety. They agreed to stay out of each other’s beds while in Martin’s Corner and only broke the rule occasionally. But every Friday night, he would pick her up at her mother’s house and drive her into DC, ostensibly to see Mulder. And they would visit each Friday night, listening to Mulder or Frohike’s most recent lead off the Internet. They would then go to Skinner’s apartment and blissfully make love through the night. Saturdays were spent cleaning and repairing Scully’s apartment and in shopping for new clothes for her. Something that he found he enjoyed. This surprised him until he realized that he just enjoyed being with her, seeing her happy and not worrying for even a few hours.

In the end the task force was able to find remains dating back over 200 hundred years. Journals found in the farm house in Bishop, revealed an ancient secret society that met on every full moon to sacrifice something living to the demon they worshipped and held responsible for the success in their lives. On the eve of all Souls Day they had always sacrificed a human being.

Unfortunately, the most recent records, dating back some 40 years, had been burned just before the suicides at the Bishop farm. In Martin’s Corner’s the small morgue was soon overwhelmed by the incoming remains and the pathologists were forced to expand into an unused warehouse. Scully and the others began to glean some information, at least about the most recent victims. From what could be made out, most of the victims were transients, each showing signs of poor or little health care. Only a few of the victims appeared to be in better health at the time of their death.

Scully was bent over the makeshift autopsy table speaking into the tape recorder giving her findings. She sensed she wasn’t alone and looked up. She hadn’t seen or heard from him since the day of the raid in Bishop and obvious surprise colored her voice when she said, "Mr. Richards."

Richards held a nearly flat manila envelope in his hand and he shyly approached her. "How is your neck agent?"

Scully fingered the healing scar and smiled at him. "The doctor did an excellent job. Thank you."

Richards stared at his feet for a while and then raised his eyes. She suddenly realized that the look on his face that she had seen there was, and always had been, intense sadness. She walked up to him and looked up into his eyes. He gulped and said. "I’ve been out to the site and Skinner assures me that the bones they are pulling out now date back over 100 years with some even older."

"That’s correct." She searched his face and tried hard to fathom what was going on with this man that held her future in his hands. Suddenly the hairs on the back of her head stood out and she shivered. She did not want to hear what was to come but strove to remain calm.

"How will you go about determining the identity of the victims?" he asked. Scully noticed that he was nervously fingering the envelope.

"Well, we are searching missing persons reports, but as you know, in the case of transients, if the person was reported missing in another state, then the chances of matching up victims that way are slim. There are no fingerprints. We have thought about doing plastic reconstruction but that will take a very long time. We have taken dental records from skulls that showed obvious dental care and will use them where we can. " She involuntarily looked again at the envelope between them.

Seeming to change the subject, Richards then asked, "How many of the victims were women."

"Of the recent victims, we’ve been able to identify 10 of them as being female. Sir, why are you asking?"

Suddenly Richards shoved the envelope into Scully’s hands and stalked out, not turning when she called out to him. Scully turned back to the table and fearfully opened the envelope. As she read, tears began to fall down her cheeks. "Oh damn, damn, damn." She was so upset by the contents she did not hear the footsteps behind her until he gently pull her back into his chest. Skinner reached around her and took the report from her and quickly glanced over it.

"Dear God." He murmured as he rested his chin on her forehead.

It had taken three more days to find and identify the body. Dana went to Skinner first and then together they drove into Washington, the day before Thanksgiving. He had called the Director’s secretary and arranged a 3:00 PM meeting. They hoped to be done with their task and still have time to go and pick up Mulder and get back to Maggie’s house. Maggie had insisted that Skinner and Mulder join them for Thanksgiving. Since only Dana, Charlie and his family would be there Walter had agreed.

As they entered the office of the Director, they found him standing at his window overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue. "Sit down please. What do you have for me, Doctor Scully?" Scully had steeled herself for this moment but still found her voice cracking. Walter, gently reached over and grasped her hand as she began, "Sir, I’m sorry, but the dental records of your daughter are a perfect match of one of the victims."

Walter watched the back of the man and was prepared to go to his aid, but Richards kept his back straight. He turned to them then and noticed Dana’s hand in Skinner’s. Skinner met his eye and left his hand where it was. If the man wanted a showdown now then he was as ready as he ever would be.

Slowly Richards sat and looked at them both. He closed his eyes as he started, "She was just 16 when she ran away three years ago. It was the old story, she and my wife suddenly couldn’t get along. We were stationed in Norfolk at the time. We searched everywhere, but she had just dropped out of sight. We never heard from her again." He sighed deep within himself before he continued, "My wife couldn’t handle it. She felt I didn’t do enough. She left me a year later. The divorce was final two months ago." He looked at Skinner who could see that the man obviously still loved his wife. "Do you have any idea of what I did to find her?"

Skinner met his gaze, "After Scully came to me with the identification, I checked the case file, and yes sir, I know what you did, and what resources you used. No one could have looked harder."

"The last private detective I hired a year ago was able to trace her movements to Baltimore and even found a truck driver who remembered dropping her off. I checked into him too. There was nothing he was hiding. Hell, I met the man and he told me he had tried to talk her into going home. I just wish he had." At this Richards shook himself, opened his eyes and reached out his hand to Scully for the report. As she handed it to him, Skinner let his hand drop to his lap.

Richards eyed them both and said, "You know I loved my wife, but it wasn’t enough. She still left because I guess she just couldn’t stand being around me. She is trying to rebuild her life and I don’t know what this information will do to her."

Scully spoke up; "You have to tell her, Sir."

Richards snapped, "I know that." He quickly calmed and said softly, "I’m sorry Agent Scully, I thank you for your help and discretion in this matter. I plan on telling her. I called her and asked to see her tonight, neither of us celebrate the holidays anymore. She must know why because I think I heard her start to cry as she was hanging up."

"Would it help if I came with you, Sir." Walter looked at Scully in amazement, but kept quiet.

Richards merely said, "No thank you agent, but thank you for the offer."

Skinner began to stand when Richards’ voice stopped him. "Not yet Mr. Skinner we still have some unfinished business."

Skinner clinched his jaw but remained calm and Scully gently touched his arm. The look she gave him said ‘You knew we would have to face this.’

Richards leaned back in his chair and faced them. "I could wait on this. But consider it my early Christmas present." He smiled slightly as his subordinates’ reaction to his wording. "From everything that I have read and everything that I have seen I can find no misconduct in the way you have conducted yourselves while on the job. This past case has highlighted the point. But, rules are rules and I cannot have one of my Assistant Deputy Directors flaunting them. Can I?" Here he paused and waited for them to reply. When they both kept quiet, he continued. "So this is what I propose. Agent Scully, I must tell you that I have been impressed with the way you have handled yourself over the past three weeks. You have kept your head and been an asset to both the investigation and to me. I need a person I can trust to look into matters for me; someone who will report to me." He smiled slightly at the startled look on both their faces.

"I have discovered since taking over this job that I do not entirely trust the information that has been obviously filtered before it reached my desk. Several of the X-files are a good case in point. By the time that Mr. Skinner hands his report to his Deputy Director and then he hands it to me, well lets just say that someday I would like your take on a case that you and your partner worked early on, something about a fluke-like human?"

Scully forced herself not to look over at Skinner who in turn was valiantly trying to keep his composure while maintaining eye contact with his boss.

The Director continued, "In this capacity I am sure that you will spend a great deal of time with Agent Mulder, since he tends to have the bulk of the cases that would require such, unfiltered, information. Mr. Skinner, I know that this may appear to be hampering your supervision of the X-Files, so if you have any concerns or complaints..."

Skinner thought for a long while before he spoke, "In truth Mr. Richards, I have trusted Dana Scully with my life and I know her dedication to not only the X-Files in particular but the truth in general. I can see no problems arising from Agent Scully reporting directly to you. But I want to understand one thing, Bureau policy clearly states that no agent can go out into the field without a partner. Will Agent Scully be that partner and if so exactly how is that going to work?"

Richards looked at them for a long minute before continuing, "Understand this both of you. I am not doing this merely as an aid to your love life. I had every intention of assigning an agent to the position that I have outlined. This agent will be at my beck and call, not Agent Mulder’s; nor will it be a matter of Agent Scully self-directing her own cases. Agent Mulder will be assigned another partner for the X-Files. Agent Scully will assist THEM on such cases as I see fit. Agent Scully do you understand this?"

Dana sat back in her chair ignoring both men. She chewed her lower lip as she contemplated this unexpected resolution to their problems. She knew that if she wanted to, this could be an important step in her career. It would allow her to step out from behind Mulder’s shadow, but still play an important part in his search for truth. For the first time in many years, Dana decided to do what was best for Dana; not for Mulder’s often crazy search for the truth, not for the X-files, but for Dana Katherine Scully. She took a moment to look at Skinner's profile, saw the tension and hope there and then looked at the man she would now be reporting to. "Well sir, if you can stand my occasional outspokenness," Skinner could not contain his snort but Dana continued, "then I would be honored to accept your offer." From the corner of her eye she saw Skinner slightly relax.

Richards too seemed more relaxed now that she had made the only decision possible without throwing the entire Bureau into a frenzy. He then turned his entire attention to Skinner, "Mr. Skinner, Agent Mulder will not be back full-time before nearly Easter of next year, is that correct?"

Skinner who had already received several nebulous reports on various avenues of inquiry from Mulder, merely grunted, "not full-time, no sir."

Richards eyes narrowed slightly, "I have heard though that he has been calling research and asking for various files about voodoo cult activity in New Orleans. Have either of you heard of a group called ‘The Lonegunmen’. "

Skinner, with years of experience at hiding his true feelings was able to get out an admirable "No Sir." Scully merely shook her head.

"I see," he replied not really believing either one of them. "In as much as he seems tied to the computer and a desk for a while I think that assigning a new partner right away, would allow both of them to get used to each other without either of them getting into a lot of trouble. Agent Scully, what is your assessment of Agent O’Malley? "

"Cassie O’Malley, Sir?"

"Yes, since she lost her partner she has been assigned to background checks. She has been requesting a transfer back out to the field. Do you feel that she would make a good fit with Agent Mulder?"

Scully thought for a moment about the feisty agent, then a slow grin spread across her face as she thought, Oh Mulder, you are so in for it now. "Yes sir, I think she can handle the caseload and Agent Mulder."

"Mr. Skinner?"

Skinner looked thoughtfully at Dana for a moment, then back at Richards, "Sir I worked with Agent O’Malley in the past. She seems quite capable of taking care of both herself and her partner. What happened in the hospital in no way reflects upon Agent O’Malley’s abilities. She also seems to have an open mind in regards to extreme possibilities. Yes, Sir I think Agent O’Malley would be a good fit."

"Good, I will let you interview her and offer her the position." Richards then stood and turned his back to them to gaze out over the now dark November cityscape. Scully and Skinner rose to go.

"One more thing AD Skinner, if you could stay." Dana looked questioningly at Skinner and then turned and went through the door and shut it behind her.

Skinner returned to his chair but didn’t sit down. Richards watched his reflection in the glass and then said, "Skinner, to have that woman love you makes you one lucky son of a bitch, and if you screw this up then I hope you are damned to hell." Skinner was startled at his frankness, but held his tongue. Richards had just made life so much simpler. He only wished there were something he could do for the man who now had to face a task that Skinner could not imagine taking on; explaining to the woman he so obviously still loved that their daughter was never coming home.

Skinner finally said "You know Sir, it isn’t often that any of us get a second chance at happiness. I am going to try my damnedest not to screw it up as you say. I hope you and your wife can find some peace and perhaps some happiness of your own after you see her tonight."

With that he turned and left the office. He found Scully waiting by the open elevator. He pulled her in and as the doors closed, embraced her roughly to his chest. He then raised her face so he could see her eyes when he asked, "Are you sure you are okay with this?"

Dana smiled slightly, "Walter, it’s time. Time for us and even time for Mulder to be able to refocus his energies. I think that Cass will keep him in line, watch his back and yet, follow him where ever he leads them." Besides from things I have heard about her, she just might show him a thing or two, especially about this voodoo stuff." At hearing this, Walter groaned, after all he still had responsibility for the X-Files. Then he brought his forehead down to hers before kissing her thoroughly.

As the elevator doors opened he looked at her once again and said, "Come on lets go get the demon seed and get back to your mother's."

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