Kathleen A. Klatte
kat2000@bestweb.net
kawklatte@aol.com

"Lux et Veritas"

VRA - Vignette/Romance/Angst
Scully & Mulder, Scully & Doggett
Rating:  PG
Spoilers:  Saeson 8
OK, here's the deal.  When Fox pre-empted the show for the holidays, they
posted some pics from a future ep on their website.  This is my
interpretation/extrapolation of those pictures, which probably bears no
resemblance whatsoever to what Chris Carter is actually doing with that ep,
but hey - that's what fanfic is for, right?  .


Feedback and commentary are most welcome.

Disclaimer:  The X-Files is the property of Chris Carter, FOX, and Ten
Thirteen productions, et al;  this is a recreational endeavor, no profit is
being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to:  Jenni

******************************************
THE J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING
WASHINGTON, DC

"Agent Scully?"

Dana Scully looked up from the papers she'd been staring sightlessly at for
the last quarter of an hour.  "Hmm?"

"Are you all right?" Agent Doggett persisted.

"I'm fine," she answered quickly.

"Is there something about that report that I can help you with?  'Cuz if you
stare at that paper any harder, you're gonna burn a hole right through it,"
he teased.

Scully favored him with a small half smile.  "I'm sorry.  I guess I'm a
little distracted today.  I, um, have to go to the doctor's office later."
Unconsciously, she rested her hands protectively on her belly.

"Is everything all right?" Doggett asked, immediately concerned, knowing
that there had already been problems with his partner's mysterious
pregnancy.

She nodded.  "It's just a sonogram.  Perfectly routine."

"I see," he replied thoughtfully.  His expression softened as he took in the
worry lines etched deeply into Scully's countenance.  "Would you like me to
go with you?" he offered.

"Thank you, but I can manage by myself."

Doggett crouched down beside her chair.  "I know you can," he agreed, "but
the thing is, you don't have to."

Scully looked down at his hand as it lay on the armrest of her desk chair.
She smiled faintly.  "I know that you feel responsible for me as your
partner, but it's all right...you don't have to...take care of me."

Doggett smiled fondly at her.  "I know I don't have to take care of you, but
I want to, and not just because you're my partner.  Because you are a very
lovely, and courageous, and intelligent woman whom I greatly admire.  And
because you're my friend."  He reached out and gently took her hand in his.
"OK?"

Scully lip trembled slightly and her eyes shone softly.  "OK," she
whispered.

******

A.D. Skinner knocked briefly on the door to the basement office, then let
himself in.  "Agent Scully?"

"Yes, sir?"

Looking slightly uncomfortable, Skinner shut the door behind him.

Scully waited patiently for him to say something.

"Look, Agent Scully," he finally blurted out.  "What I'm about to say is
really none of my damn business, so if I'm out of line, just tell me and I'm
out of here."

"Sir, after everything we've been through together, I think you're entitled
to say pretty much anything," Scully prompted gently.

"Have you told your family about your pregnancy?" he asked quietly.

Now it was Scully's turn to frown.  "No, I haven't."

"I realize that your family has very strong religious convictions which
might be offended by this...situation, but -"

"It's not that, sir," she hastened to explain.  "I don't want anyone else
hurt by this.  You and Agent Doggett, even Byers, Langly and Frohike - you
have an idea of just how dangerous this really is, and you at least have a
fighting chance to keep yourselves alive.  My mother would have no chance at
all."

Skinner nodded gravely, recognizing the truth of her words.  "I just wanted
you to know that you're not alone.  I know you and Agent Doggett didn't
exactly hit it off right away, but he's a good man."

"I know that, sir," Scully answered with a small smile.

Skinner nodded again, suddenly recognizing another truth, and wondering if
Scully could see it for herself.

******************************************

Scully glanced furtively over the top of her magazine at her partner.  She
marveled at the ease that he radiated, sitting in the waiting room of an
obstetrician's office.  She realized abruptly that she didn't know all that
much of John Doggett's personal history...and she wondered if he'd done this
before.

Her musings were interrupted by a pink-smocked imaging technician who
cheerfully called her name.  Smiling gamely, Doggett rose to his feet and
gallantly assisted Scully.

The tech smiled brightly, thinking to herself what an attractive couple they
made.  "I'm just going to take Mom in the back now to get set up.  Dad can
come on back as soon as we're ready to look at the pictures, all right?"

Mortified, Scully opened her mouth to say something, but Doggett just smiled
and squeezed her arm reassuringly before sitting back down.

******

Scully was lying on a gurney when the nurse showed Doggett into the room.
She blushed slightly as the young woman indicated that 'Dad' should take the
chair near her head.  Not wanting to create a scene, she just smiled as
Doggett sat down and reached for her hand.

The doctor came in a moment later, flipping through her chart.  "Hello,
Dana.  Hello, Dad."

"John Doggett," he introduced himself with his usual courtesy, although he
didn't move from his seat.

The doctor paid the different surnames no heed, being well accustomed to
unmarried couples, or married couples who kept their own names for
professional purposes.  "OK, now that we've got you all hooked up, let's
take a look at Junior."

Unconsciously, Scully's grip on her partner's hand tightened as the doctor
and technician operated their equipment, gradually bringing a picture into
focus on the monitor.  Doggett slipped his free arm around her shoulders,
raising her slightly so she could see better.

"There you are, folks," the doctor announced happily.

Doggett squinted at the blurred and shifting image on the screen in
consternation.  "Is that a boy or a girl?"

The doctor laughed.  "Well, it's hard to tell right now, what with the way
the baby's facing, but I can tell you that he or she is exactly the right
size for this point in the pregnancy, and that everything appears to be just
as it should be."

"Hey, that's great!" Doggett exclaimed, squeezing Scully's hand tightly.
Tears of relief glistened in her eyes and he impulsively leaned in and
brushed a light kiss against her temple.

******

The drive back to Scully's apartment was silent for a while, then both
partners spoke at once.

"Agent Scully -"

"Agent Doggett -"

"Ladies first," he offered.

"I just wanted to apologize if I embarrassed you.  I should have realized
that if a man accompanied me to this appointment, people would assume he was
the baby's father.  I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to apologize for," Doggett assured her.  "I'm glad you and
the baby are doing all right."  A few moments later, Doggett spoke again.
"Can I ask you something?  You don't have to answer if you don't want to,
but with all the rumors -"

"I don't know if the baby is Mulder's," Scully replied quietly.

"I'm sorry...it's none of my business."

"It's all right.  It's just..."  Scully struggled to find the words.
"Medically, it's not possible for me to be pregnant.  I honestly have no
idea how this happened."

Doggett parked the car and turned off the ignition in silence.  He got out
and walked around to open Scully's door, offering her hand up.  "Agent
Scully...Dana...I can't even begin to imagine how much it cost you to say
that, or how scared you must be, but I want you to know that you're not
alone in this."

"Thank you," Scully whispered gratefully.

Doggett tugged on her hand gently, leading her towards the front door of the
building.  "C'mon, you've had a big day.  Let's get you inside."

Smiling tremulously, Scully dug out her keys and allowed her partner to lead
her into the building.  She led the way to her apartment and unlocked the
door.  Doggett opened it and politely ushered her inside.  He nearly walked
into her when she stopped abruptly, two steps into the room.

The moment seemed somehow frozen in time as both agents took in the sight of
a tall, dark haired man standing in the middle of the living room.  He was
dressed in a grey suit and tie and had a broad grin plastered on his face.
"Hi, honey, I'm home," he quipped.

"Mulder?!" Scully gasped.

She moved half a step into the room, but before she quite realized what was
happening, Doggett had shoved her behind him and had his weapon leveled at
Mulder.  "Federal Agent - keep your hands where I can see them!"

"Agent Doggett, what are you doing?"

"The last time I saw this man, he tried to kidnap a small boy.  Then he
jumped off a cliff and walked away without a scratch.  You're not going
anywhere near him until we find out just exactly who he is."

"Who's your new friend, Scully?" Mulder demanded acidly.

"John, please!"

"Agent Scully, get out of here and call for backup!" Doggett barked.

"Hey, Scully!" a voice called from the corridor, "You'll never believe how
much UFO traffic there is in this area tonight."

Scully half-turned to see Langly, Byers, and Frohike coming towards her
apartment.

"We tried to get in touch with you because we thought maybe we could get a
lead on..." Byers voice trailed off as he saw inside the doorway.
"...Mulder," he finished flatly.

"Cool!" Langly interjected happily.

"We don't know that for sure," Doggett grated out, "so take her out of
 here!"

"Don't shoot him!" Frohike warned.

"Look, I know that Mulder is your friend, but we don't know for sure that
this is Mulder!"

"Yes, we do," Mulder stated indignantly.

"No," Byers explained, "what he means is that if this is an imposter, one of
those shape shifting aliens, you can't break the skin.  Their blood is
poisonous to us."

"Great," Doggett retorted.  "Unless one of you geniuses happens to have a
two by four you can lend me, get the hell out of here right now!"

"What the hell is going on here?" Walter Skinner demanded, pushing past the
small crowd in the doorway to see one of his agents holding a gun on
another.

Mulder smiled ingratiatingly.  "Sir, will you please tell this overzealous
Boy Scout to back off?" Mulder asked.

"No," Skinner replied immediately, "not until I know for sure that you are
who you say you are."

"Sir, how did you know to come here?" Doggett asked without taking his eyes
from his prisoner.

Langly spoke up.  "When we couldn't get hold of Scully, we thought maybe we
should call her boss," he explained helpfully.

"I don't even want to know how they managed to bypass the main switchboard
and my secretary, but right now, I'm just glad they did.  Gentlemen, would
you please take Agent Scully in your vehicle?  You can follow us back to the
Bureau."

"Sure," Frohike said warily.  He wrapped an arm around Scully's shoulders.
"Come on.  They have to be sure it's him...you know that."

Byers came around and took her other arm, but Scully still managed to look
back over her shoulder.

"Scully!" Mulder yelled after her.  "Scully, wait!"  He moved as if to
follow her, only to find Doggett's gun still trained on him.  "What is it
you have to be sure of?" he challenged, "That I bleed red?"

"That'll do for a start," Doggett replied.

"Agent Mulder, you of all people should know what we're up against.  We have
to know that it's really you.  We have to be certain."

Mulder's shoulders sagged in defeat.  "All right.  Fine.  Let's go get this
over with."

******************************************
THE J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING
WASHINGTON, DC

John Doggett entered the small anteroom where Langly, Byers, and Frohike
were awaiting the news on Mulder.  His eyes went immediately to a gurney
that had been rolled into a corner of the room for Scully to lie down on.
The head had been cranked up and he could see her red-gold hair spread out
over the pillow.

Byers looked up and laid a finger over his lips.

"Is she asleep?" Doggett whispered.

"I think so," Frohike answered.

"She's pissed that you wouldn't let her do the lab work," Langly added.

Doggett's eyes narrowed dangerously.  "I don't care how pissed she is, as
long as she's safe.  Besides, A.D. Skinner wanted the tests performed by an
impartial third party so there wouldn't be any questions about the results."

"What exactly are those results?" Scully asked, propping herself up on her
elbows.

Doggett shot Frohike a dirty look, but the little man could only shrug
helplessly.  He followed Langly and Byers out the door as Doggett quickly
crossed the room to Scully's side.

"Man, he's got it bad," Langly muttered.

Frohike elbowed him in the ribs as Byers yanked the door shut.

"How're you feeling?" Doggett asked his partner cautiously.

The look she returned was flat with anger.  "My partner has been missing for
months and now when he finally turns up, no one will even let me speak to
him.  How do you think I feel?"

"Now hold on a minute," Doggett admonished, laying his hands on her
shoulders and gently pushing her back against the pillow, "we don't know for
sure that it is, in fact, Agent Mulder in there."

"Well then, who exactly is it?  It's been hours, you must know something."

"We're reasonably sure that it's just a normal human being.  As to whether
or not it's Agent Mulder...well, we're still working on that."

"How?" Scully demanded.

"Right now we're checking finger prints and dental records.  They're running
a DNA match, but that'll take longer."

"When can I see him?"

"As soon as we're sure it's safe," Doggett insisted.

"I can help identify him," Scully persisted.  "After seven years together,
there are any number of things that only Mulder and I know."  Despite her
best efforts, tears began to seep from her eyes.  "He'd never hurt me," she
murmured.

"I'm sure that you're right, but just give us a chance to be as certain as
we can, OK?"  Doggett manufactured a smile for her.  "Remember, you've got
someone else to worry about now."  He gently brushed her tears away.  "It's
been a long day, so you just try to get some rest.  As soon as we know
anything definite, I'll come and get you, I promise."

"OK," Scully agreed wearily.

Doggett smiled down at her, then lightly smoothed her bangs back from her
face before quietly leaving the room.

******

"Look, I told you already - I don't remember!" Mulder exclaimed in
frustration.

"And I've told you, Agent Mulder, there are a great many things that need to
be explained.  You've got to give me something to work with," Skinner
replied, trying very hard to keep a grip on his patience.

Mulder rested his head in his hands tiredly.

"Why did you try to kidnap that boy?" Doggett asked suddenly.

Mulder looked up sharply.  "I already told you, I don't know what you're
talking about."

Doggett rose to his feet and leaned over the table.  "I'm talking about
someone who looks exactly like you trying to kidnap a young boy, then
turning and jumping off a cliff.  I'm talking about someone who looks
exactly like you getting up and walking away from the bottom of that cliff.
And I'm talking about someone or something that could pick up Agent Scully
and throw her clear across a room and though a plate glass door.  That's
what I'm talking about!"

"Agent Doggett," Skinner said quietly.

Doggett gave Mulder another hard look, but subsided back into his seat.

"Look, you've already said that my fingerprints and dental records match.
Why can't I go home?  Why can't I see Scully?"

"You'll stay here until we get a DNA match," Skinner informed him.  "But I
will let you speak to Agent Scully, in here."

Mulder realized that the small room had two way glass and was probably also
wired for sound.  "What is it that you're trying to protect her from?" he
asked quietly.

Skinner paused in the doorway.  "I wish I knew."

Mulder turned his attention back to Doggett.  "I know you, don't I?"

"We've met," Doggett answered tersely.

"Did I offend you in some way, or I this just how you treat everyone?"  A
look of understanding lightened Mulder's features.  "This is about Scully,
isn't it?" he asked shrewdly.

Doggett leaned across the table once more.  "Yeah.  This is all about Agent
Scully.  And if you hurt her, I swear to God, I'll rip your heart out, you
got that?"

"Duly noted," Mulder muttered.

Both men turned toward the door as Skinner ushered Scully inside.

"You need anything, we're right outside," Doggett assured her.

Scully nodded her thanks, but her eyes were fixed firmly on Mulder.  He
looked a little worse for wear, with his tie at half-mast and his collar
undone.  A lock of unruly dark hair had fallen over his forehead and her
fingers itched to smooth it back into place, but she stood frozen until the
door closed, leaving them in some semblance of privacy.

"Hey," he murmured.

"Mulder," she whispered, her face crumbling as tears streamed from her eyes.

He crossed the room in two swift strides, enveloping her in a fierce
embrace.  Mulder held her for a long time, stroking her hair and feeling her
tears soak through the front of his shirt.

"I missed you," she murmured, so softly that he almost didn't catch her
words.

Mulder gently turned her face up to his.  "Scully what's going on?  How long
have I been gone?"

"Months," she admitted.

"The last thing I remember is being out in the field with Skinner.
Then.nothing.  I woke up in my apartment late this morning.  I dunno...I
guess I just figured we'd been working really late...  I tried to reach
you -"

"I was at the doctor's office.  John - Agent Doggett - was with me.  We had
to turn off our cell phones, because they interfere with the medical
equipment."

"Doctor's office?  Are you all right?"

Scully backed up half a step so he could see her slightly expanded
waistline.  "I'm pregnant."

Mulder laid a hand on her stomach gently, as if she were made of fragile
crystal that might shatter at the slightest touch.  "A baby?  You're going
to have a baby?"

Scully nodded.

Mulder's eyes drifted to the closed door.  "You said Agent Doggett was with
you.  Is it -?"

"No," Scully shook her head emphatically.  "I found out about the pregnancy
the night you disappeared.  Mulder, I shouldn't be able to be pregnant.  You
know that."

"But you are."  He grinned as he leaned down to kiss her forehead.  "You're
gonna have a baby," he said again wonderingly.

"Mulder, you don't understand!  I shouldn't be pregnant at all.  I don't
know how."

Mulder squeezed her shoulders reassuringly.  "I know that it's your baby.
That means it's going to be beautiful, and smart, and loved by a whole lot
of people," he whispered tenderly.

She smiled up at him, that patented Scully half-smile that he loved so much.
"You think so?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah," he agreed fervently, folding her tightly into his arms once
more.

******************************************
AGENT MULDER'S RESIDENCE

"I don't like leaving you here," Doggett insisted.

Scully's low tone matched his own.  "I think it'll help him to remember if
he's in his own home with his own things.  John, I'll be fine, really."  She
reached out and caught his hand.  "Thanks for looking out for me."

"You're welcome," he replied gruffly.  "I'll see you in the office Monday?"

She nodded.

"If you need anything - anything at all - no matter what time it is, you
call me, all right?"

"I will.  I promise."

"He doesn't like me much, does he?" Mulder commented with wry amusement as
Scully closed the door after Doggett.

"I can't imagine two people with more different ways of looking at things,"
Scully admitted, laughing fondly.

"Well, there's one thing we agree on, at least," Mulder chuckled as she sat
down beside him on the couch.

"Oh?  And what's that?" she asked lightly.

He reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.  "You, Scully."

She blushed slightly and looked down at her hands.

"Are you and he...?" Mulder asked curiously.  He ran his finger down her
cheek and under her chin, tilting her face up to look at him.

"Agent Doggett was assigned as my partner shortly after you.disappeared.  I
didn't care for him much at first - I think it was mutual - but he's a good
man, and we've become...friends."

"I'm glad," he said sincerely.  "I know I always seemed to be dragging you
into the middle of things, then leaving you to fend for yourself.  I'm glad
you haven't been alone through all this."

"Do you remember anything at all?" Scully asked.

"Not a thing."

"You know you could tell me," she prompted, "no matter what it is...you can
tell me and I'll listen."

Mulder slid his arm around Scully's shoulders.  "I know...you may not agree,
but I know you'll listen to me.  Problem is, I just don't remember
 anything."

Scully pressed her face into his shoulder, and when she spoke again, her
voice was low and muffled.  "When you were gone, I'd have these nightmares.
I'd see you in some kind of lab and...things...were being done to you..."
She shivered and Mulder wrapped his other arm around her.

"Hey, it's OK," he soothed.  "It was just a dream.  But I know how vivid
those nightmares can be, because the same thing happened to me when you were
kidnapped."

"You never told me."

"I never saw the need to burden you."

"You never saw the need to tell me that you were dying, either," Scully
admonished.

Mulder's hands tightened on her shoulders.  "Who told you that?"

"Assistant Director Skinner and Agent Doggett.  It was one of the first
pieces of evidence they turned up when we were searching for you.  Why didn'
t you tell me?" she demanded accusingly.

Mulder heaved a heavy sigh.  "Because I kept telling myself that it had to
be a mistake - that if I went to another doctor, they'd tell me that there
was nothing wrong with me."

"Mulder..."

"And because I didn't want to worry you.  I figured, whatever time I had
left, I wanted to spend it doing my job...I wanted to spend it with you, not
cooped up in a hospital some place."

"Well, you've got me," Scully whispered softly.

Mulder twisted around to se her face.  "Why Miss Scully, are you
propositioning me?"

"Something like that," she replied impishly.

"Well, bearing in mind that the last thing I want is to be accused of taking
advantage of a pregnant lady, what do you say to the idea of you finding us
a good movie, and me calling out for a nice, greasy, artery-clogging pizza?"
Mulder suggested.

"I'd say that sounds just about perfect," Scully smiled.

******

The end credits of an old black and white Audrey Hepburn movie were rolling
and Scully lay drowsing in Mulder's arms.  Her shoes were discarded
somewhere under the sofa and he'd long since made himself comfortable in a
dark gray tee shirt and a rather disreputable pair of sweat pants.

"Scully?"  He nudged her gently.

"Mmm?"

Mulder smiled at her.  "I think it's time for all good little Federal Agents
to get some shut-eye.  C'mon...you take my room."

"I'm fine right here," she responded sleepily.

"No, your back will get all funny if you sleep here."

"What about you?" Scully murmured as he maneuvered them both to their feet.

"I'm fine.  This couch and I are old friends."  He gave a low whistle as he
got a good look at his bedroom.  "On the other hand, it is kinda messy in
here."

"It's all right," Scully reassured him.  "I used to come here, sometimes,
when I needed to feel you close."

Mulder shut his eyes and tried to swallow past a lump in his throat that
threatened to choke him.  "I am so sorry for putting you through all of
this," he whispered brokenly.

Scully stretched up on her toes and caressed his cheek gently.  "It's all
right Mulder.  It's not your fault, and anyway, you're here now."

Mulder caught her hand and tenderly raised it to his lips. "I love you, you
know that, don't you?"

Scully nodded, her eyes filling with tears once more.  "I know."  She leaned
into him and he obligingly wrapped his arms around her and held on tight.

******************************************
THE LONE GUNMEN NEWS OFFICE

"What is this, another full moon or something?" Langly muttered.

"Whassa matter?" Frohike mumbled in response.

"I'm getting reports of UFO activity all up and down the East Coast."

"Again?" Byers demanded, suddenly intent.

"Yeah," was Langly's troubled response.

"Maybe we should call Mulder and make sure he's OK," Frohike suggested.

******************************************
AGENT MULDER'S RESIDENCE

Something woke Mulder from a deep sleep.  The apartment was quiet.  He could
see his and Scully's cell phones sitting in their chargers with the power
light on, but he was sure neither one had rung.  He recalled Scully's
confession about the nightmares and he went to check on her.

She was sleeping serenely in his room.  A small smile seemed to play over
her features as she lay amidst his tangled bedclothes.  A thin ray of
pearlescent moonlight lay across her pillow, making her look even more
angelic in his eyes.  Even the sight of his discarded dress shirt, dropped
forgotten on the coverlet, couldn't diminish her beauty.  He stood there for
a long time, just watching her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

He was strapped into the chair again, his limbs restrained and his mouth
pried open.  His eyes rolled with terror, and Scully knew that he'd be
shrieking for help if he could.  But he couldn't, and try as she might, she
was helpless to assist him.  She screamed his name.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Mulder!"

Strong hands restrained her gently.  "Agent Scully!  Dana, can you hear me?"

Scully fought wildly against his grasp until she recognized her partner's
face.  "John?  What are you...where's Mulder?"  She felt something in her
hands and looked down to see that she was clutching the dress shirt Mulder
had worn the day before.  She vaguely recalled seeing it dumped at the foot
of the bed when she went to sleep, but had no memory of retrieving it.

Doggett ignored her question in favor of one of his own.  "Are you OK?  Do
you know where you are?"

"I think...I must have been dreaming."

"Yeah," Doggett nodded gravely.  He brushed her hair out of her eyes
carefully.

"I saw...they'd taken him again, and they were performing some sort of -
where's Mulder?" Scully demanded.

"Is she al right?" Skinner inquired urgently from the doorway.

"I think so," Doggett answered uncertainly.

"Where is he?" Scully asked again, her voice cracking with anguish.  She
heard more voices in the other room and moved to get out of bed.

Doggett was there to steady her on her feet.

"I don't get it," Langly said, "I've got a dial tone on his regular line and
both these cell phones are charged and turned on."

"Agent Scully, did you hear any phones ringing at all last night?" Skinner
asked.

She shook her head in mute misery as the reality began to sink in.  "He's
gone again, isn't he?"

Doggett wrapped a supportive arm around Scully and guided her to the couch.
"We don't know," he offered.

"We were tracking a lot of UFO reports last night and figured we ought to
give you a heads up," Byers explained, "but when we couldn't get hold of
either you or Mulder, we tried to get in touch with Agent Skinner."

"I didn't get your message," Skinner continued, "but I was on my way over
here anyway.  The DNA test was positive - that was Agent Mulder - but there
were some questions about the blood chemistry reports.  I was on my way over
here to suggest that he get a complete medical work up."  His gaze dropped
to the floor guiltily.  "I was too late."

"Agent Doggett, we never called you.  How'd you know to come here?" Langly
asked curiously.

Doggett shifted uncomfortably.  "I...uh...had a bad feeling, a hunch, I
guess you'd say."

Scully looked down the shirt in her hands and her eyes filled again.

"Agent Scully, I'm truly sorry," Skinner said quietly.

Her voice trembled when she answered him.  "There's nothing you or anyone
could have done."

Skinner sighed heavily, looking suddenly very much older.  "This is more
heartache than anyone should ever have to deal with.  I wonder, sometimes if
it would be better if -"

"Don't say that," Scully implored, "don't ever think that.  There are so
many new ways I've learned to look at things and think about them...don't
ever be sorry for bringing us together."

Doggett tightened his arm around her.  "Hey, Mulder was here.  We know for
sure now that he's still alive.  He's out there somewhere and we'll find him
again."

"But his medical condition.we don't know for sure how much time he has,"
Scully objected.

"We will find him," Doggett assured her.  "That's a promise."

"From all of us," Byers added.

Scully looked around the room at these friends who were willing to risk so
much to bring Mulder home and she managed to smile for them, even though her
eyes were filled with tears.  He was out there...and they would find him.


Fin.


Copyright  2000 Kathleen Klatte
All Rights Reserved