Finalysis - Part Three |
| At some point during the night, Dana awoke, and she nearly
cried out at the sensation of arms around her, until she remembered that she had asked
Skinner to stay with her. She smiled briefly, glancing over at the huge form sleeping
silently next to her, his arm still thrown over her stomach protectively. Dana moved
slowly and carefully to avoid waking the AD from his much-needed slumber, and proceeded to
disrobe, certain that he was out deeply enough not to be wakened by her movements. She
dropped her tired business suit from her pale body, stretching as she did so, and crossed
the room to her dresser, where she slid one of the drawers quietly open to fetch a black
satin nightie. She slid it smoothly over her body, the spaghetti straps resting gently on
her tired shoulders, the hem reaching to just above her knees. She tiptoed back to the bed
and crawled under the covers, stifling a giggle as she heard him snort in his sleep. She
tried to go back to sleep, but couldn't, the AD's presence too overwhelming...she wondered
if she should go ahead and loosen his shirt up for him.....perhaps even take off his belt,
so he would be more comfortable. No, Dana, just leave him be, her mind told her, but she
ignored the angel on her shoulder, and instead, heeded the little devil's
beckoning......she began to unbutton his shirt, slowly and carefully, so as not to wake
Walter. She had to fight against every fiber of her being upon seeing his bare
chest......the dark curling hair surrounding his nipples as she pulled the starched white
cotton open, his washboard stomach, the continuing trail of dark hair that led towards his
waist.....she shuddered to see him, this surly man that held her and Mulder's existence in
his hands everyday......he was beautiful, a perfect specimen, if Dr. Scully said so
herself. She pulled the shirt out of his pants and he stirred, slightly, as she undid his
belt buckle. She wished that she could go back to sleep....but it was too late; she wanted
to touch him, and she almost wished that he were awake to feel it...... Skinner was returning slowly to the realm of consciousness, desperately wanting to stay in his current dream state.....Dana was leaning over him, cooing to him softly, her hands running into the waist of his pants, and he was staring into the abyss of her indigo eyes, deep blue with wanton lust for him. He dreamt of her often, most likely due to the meetings upon meetings that Fox Mulder's caseload necessitated....she always sat across from him, so prim and proper, and he yearned to go right over his wide oak desk and bury his face in her fiery red hair, his hands creeping into her silk blouse to clutch breasts that he knew would be small and perfectly rounded...hardened nipples beneath his fingertips.....but that was all a dream. Much like the dream he was having now......except.....was that.......he felt a touch on his chest, and he squinted his eyes open just enough to see......Scully was leaning over him....her fingernails gently caressing the white t-shirt beneath his starched dress one....she had unbuttoned his shirt, and was tracing circles across his scantily clothed chest.......he made no movement, allowing her to think that he was still asleep. He could barely see her in the dark of the room, forcing his breathing to remain long and deep as though still in slumber. He feared she would stop if she sensed he was awake, and even though he didn't want her to know that he was awake, he longed to touch her pale skin, to return her caress. "Scully," he whispered softly, and Dana froze in her ministrations, looking up at his face, their eyes meeting in the dimness of the room. "Um, sir, I....Walter....." Scully was at a loss for words, unsure as to how he was going to react, quite pleased when he took her hand in his and held it to his chest, so that she could feel his heartbeat. "It's alright, Dana," Walter said quietly, sitting up against the headboard of the bed, still holding Scully's hand in his, yearning to take her into his arms and pull her close. He watched her face intently for some sign of resignation, but could see none there....even in the darkness of the room, he could see her eyes, and it wasn't denial that he found. "I couldn't sleep....I'm sorry, I just.....you looked so....handsome, lying there. I'm sorry I woke you." "I'm not, Dana," Walter smiled slightly, "I see you changed into something more comfortable." Gee, Walter, he thought to himself, that's not a bit facetious at all....shit. "Yes, well I don't usually sleep in my suit, and I just figured that maybe you'd sleep better if I loosened your shirt a little." Good one, Dana, wonder if that would explain touching him as well. "Thank you. If you don't mind, I'd just as soon take it off." Walter wondered what had come over him, figuring it had something to do with four years of wanting the gorgeous redhead in front of him, who just happened to be wearing a black silk negligee at the moment. Scully stared at him, suddenly finding herself with an incredibly dry mouth, but answered, "No, Walter, I don't mind." It felt so foreign to her to be using his first name, but hell, if you are in bed with your boss, should you still call him sir? Scully was pretty sure that there were no etiquette rules for the current situation. Walter leaned forward and pulled his dress shirt off, closely followed by the undershirt beneath. Scully gasped at the sight of his massive chest, dark hair curling every which way, in all the right places, trailing down to the waistband of his trousers, and against her better judgement, she reached out and touched him, his warmth instantly giving her goosebumps. Skinner grabbed Scully's hand and held it to his bare chest, feeling her tremble slightly at his touch. He released her hand and opened his arms, inviting Dana in, and his erection became painfully insistent when she crawled to him, straddling him on the bed, her head pressing into his neck, her strong, small arms wrapped around him, his large ones wrapped around her. He breathed in the scent of her, closing his eyes, the realization of what was happening finally sinking in; it wasn't a dream....she was here, he was here, and it was no dream. If it was, he never wanted to wake up. Walter felt dampness on his shoulder, and he pulled Dana just far enough back from him so he could see her face, and the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. "Dana, what is it?" Walter asked, wondering if maybe she really didn't want this, after all. "Walter," Scully whispered, her voice thick with emotion, "I just....I've wanted this for so long...and now....with everything else that's going on, it just doesn't seem quite right." She looked down, afraid of turning him away with her admission, but his gaze never left her, and he lifted her chin with two of his fingers so that she could see his eyes. "Dana, it's alright. We don't have to do anything that you don't want to do. I would never----" and suddenly, Dana pressed her lips to his, silencing him, tears still flowing down her face, her tongue pressing hungrily through his lips, grinding slightly against him with her hips. She moaned into his now partially open mouth, and he answered her with a groan of his own, bucking his hips up gently to meet her soft thrusts, holding her tightly to him, the silk of her slip almost as soft as her skin against his. Scully reached down and unbuckled Walter's belt, his hardness insistent against her touch, and she undid his pants and reached in, still kissing him forcefully. "Dana, I've wanted you too," he whispered, as he pulled his lips from hers and kissed her forehead, then her cheeks, softly licking her tears away with the tip of his tongue. Her hand found his cock as his hands slid inside the black silk adorning her body, toying with her nipples, pinching them to erection, and she sighed deeply as she wrapped her fingers around him, using her thumb to massage the tip of his penis, causing him to gasp slightly. Dana gripped him firmly in her hand, starting an up and down motion, Walter bucking up gently into her hand, the sensation almost too much for him to bear. He bit and kissed her neck, using his lips and tongue to soothe each place that he nibbled and sucked, careful not to leave a mark on her creamy white skin. He used his hands to hold onto her shoulders, massaging them as Scully worked his cock; he could feel her getting wet through her panties just from the feel of him; just from feeling him in her hand, and he smiled as he began to kiss her again, his tongue dancing with hers as he reached down with one hand to find her heated core. Scully groaned as Walter deftly slid two fingers inside the elastic of her panties and gently ripped them off, and she nearly came when he slid the two fingers inside of her, moving them in and out as she worked his cock up and down. She moaned at his touch, and was met with a similar sound from Walter. She was so wet, and she could feel his pulse in his huge erection, the thick vein pressing into her palm, and she suddenly withdrew her hand, and gently pulled Walter's hand away. She knelt on the bed in front of Walter, and took off the negligee, exposing the perfectly round breasts, the tiny rosy nipples that Walter had spent so much time dreaming of. He could only stare at her, licking his lips, his hands running over her perfect figure. She scooted down the bed towards his feet, and pulled on his trousers, murmuring, "Take these off. Now." Walter lay down and lifted his hips, allowing Scully to help him remove his trousers and briefs at the same time. His cock sprang straight up, and it was Scully's turn to lick her lips. "I want you to take me from behind, Walter. Will you do that for me?" Scully gazed at him through the darkness, her blue eyes seeming to glow at Walter, and it took him a moment to find his voice. "Yes, Dana, I'll do that for you. Whatever you want." He sat up and moved towards her, but she hopped off the bed and leaned over it, her breasts dipping down into perfect points, her arms braced on the mattress. Walter moved off the bed and stood behind Dana, rubbing his stiff cock against the silkiness of her ass, pressing himself in between her firm pale cheeks. She waggled her butt against him, urging him on, and he reached around and took her breasts in his hands, grinding his prick against her, biting her gently on the back of the neck. Dana was lost in sensory overload, drowning in the feel of him, and not wanting to be rescued. "Oh, god, Walter," Scully said breathily, "please, do it, do it now." "Do this?" Walter questioned quietly, slipping three fingers inside of her, making Dana cry out beneath him, her soft bottom bucking back against his twitching cock. "Or this," he said again, this time using his index finger to rub her clit in tiny circles, turning her legs instantly to jello. He recognized her weakness and bent his legs so she could support herself by resting on his knees, using his hand to continue pleasuring her. "All of it," Dana gasped, thrusting on his hand, her orgasm starting to grow somewhere deep inside of her belly, and Walter stopped everything he was doing with his hand, withdrawing it in spite of Dana's disappointed groan. "I know what you want," he growled at her, making her shiver, and he clenched his teeth as he took his cock in his hand and rubbed it against her clit, between her nether lips, coating himself with her moisture so he wouldn't hurt her when he finally took her, "are you ready, Dana?" he hissed, and she nearly sobbed to him that she was, her body quivering in anticipation. "You want this, don't you," he said, punctuating the word with his first thrust into her, just the tip of his cock encased in her damp silkiness. Dana moaned aloud, struggling to thrust back onto him, but he wouldn't allow her as much just yet. "Yes, yes, please," she moaned, her body tingling all over, hungry for the feel of him inside of her, buried in her to the hilt. Walter didn't speak again, instead grabbing her hips and pushing himself fully into her, holding her so that she couldn't move, impaled on his prick so that his balls grazed her ass. He held her there for several moments, allowing her to adjust to his size, and then he began to move, slowly, drawing himself out, then pushing himself back into her, her moans and breathy cries driving him enthusiastically on. Scully was on the verge of orgasm, as she had been since they had begun kissing, and she reached down to try to touch her clit, but Skinner stopped her hand halfway there, supporting her weight with one arm wrapped around her waist, his other hand snaking down the front of her, finding her with his thumb and forefinger. Scully cried out, every muscle in her pulling and contracting around Walter, coming hard as he squeezed the center of her, his fingers deliciously rough on her tender moist flesh. Walter felt Scully contract around him and he thrust into her as deep as he could, burying himself firmly, not withdrawing, feeling her muscles twitch around him. He ground into her several more times, prolonging her orgasm until he joined her, his semen flooding into her, reaching further than he could with his flesh. They stood together, both trembling slightly, their bodies pressed tightly against one another, until they had regained oxygen and blood flow to the normal parts of their anatomies, separating only when Skinner was soft once again. He released Scully, still in his arms, and gently let her fall to the bed. He rolled her over and kissed her, their sweat mingling, running in a small cascade over Dana's breasts, the hair on his chest scratching her skin pleasurably. "Thank you," Dana said, smiling up at Walter, tears in her electric blue eyes once again. Walter gazed lovingly down at Dana, his eyes deep brown with passion and adoration, "thank you," he said, and took her hand to help her up, leading her towards the shower. They washed and held each other under the spray of steaming hot water, washing away the remnants of their lovemaking, kissing tenderly when they had finished. Dana and Walter dried off, and Walter walked into the bedroom, where he began to get dressed. When Scully entered the room, he was pulling on his undershirt and tucking it into his pants. He stopped in mid-tuck as she sauntered out of the bathroom, slightly alarmed to find him getting ready to leave. "Walter?" Dana asked quizzically, cocking her head to one side, pulling her towel more closely around her. "Dana, I have to go find Diana Fowley. Mulder's life depends on it, I'm certain." He finished with the undershirt and pulled on his dress shirt, much to Scully's dismay. "Krycek gave me that....thing.....for a reason. I need your help. Can you fill me in on what he was talking about?" Scully padded across the room to her dresser, pulling out yet another silk ensemble, dropping the towel to the floor, picking it back up after she had dressed. "Of course I'll help you. Will you.....I mean...." Scully struggled to find the words, wanting so badly not to sound needy, but wanting more than anything to know Walter's intentions, "Will you come back after you find Diana, Walter?" She stared at him, waiting for a response. "Of course," Walter said, crossing the room to hold her in his arms, his tie hanging loosely around his collar, "Dana, I haven't waited for this moment for four years to just leave....come on," he said, his hands caressing her back. "Walter, I'm......I'm afraid enough for Mulder. I know he's being well guarded now, thanks to you. But Krycek helping you? What if.....it's some sort of trap? What if he turns SR-819 back on......" Scully felt a lump rise in her throat; she closed her eyes briefly and cursed herself silently for her emotional turmoil. "Scully," Walter said, pulling back so he could look Dana in the eyes, "We don't have much of a choice here. Diana was the last one to be with Mulder before this mess started. Whatever she did to him.....we have to undo. Besides; he only threatened to hurt me again if I don't go after Agent Fowley. I don't have much choice, and at this point, well, let's just say I'd die a happy man, anyway," he said grimly, smiling slightly at Dana's frown. "That's not funny, Walter," Scully chided, holding him close again. "Now, tell me about this so-called weapon. How will I know when to use it?" "Mulder used it on....Skinner, I really don't think......." Scully was embarassed to admit that she believed Mulder on this one, but because she had seen it with her own eyes, she couldn't discount it. "It's alright, Dana, just tell me what Mulder used it for." Walter was patient, but he was itching to get to the bottom of whatever the Consortium had done to Mulder. The sooner he could get on Diana Fowley, the sooner he could come back and be with Dana again. Scully took a deep breath, and began to explain, "Mulder used that weapon on a man that was chasing Jeremiah Smith a couple of years ago. The man was, according to Mulder, some sort of bounty hunter, sent down to kill Smith." "Sent down from where?" Skinner asked, instantly regretting doing so. "From an alien colony." Scully was afraid to look Skinner in the eye, but she finally did, grimacing at the look of disbelief on his face. "Go on," Skinner said, teeth clenched. "The black oil.....that Agent Mulder purports to be some sort of living being.....gets inside of certain people, and it takes them over. If you stab them in the back of the neck with that weapon, it kills them.....they just, kind of......turn green and disintegrate." Scully finished quickly and walked across the room, wrapping her arms around herself and turning her back to Skinner. "Jesus Christ, Scully, do you know how that sounds? You expect me to believe.....how?" Skinner was incredulous, nearly yelling at Scully. "Skinner, I am just telling you what I saw......Mulder stabbed that man in the back of the neck with a weapon just like the one Krycek gave to you, and the man bled green. I can't explain it. I never would have believed it either.....if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. If Krycek wants you to go after Diana Fowley, then she must have that......substance....inside of her. She must have gotten out of control with the Consortium, and now they're having you take care of the problem.....using you as the patsy, to do their dirty work." Scully began to cry again, her back still turned to Skinner, and he crossed the room and placed his hands on her shoulders. She wheeled around and wrapped her arms around his waist, her tears soaking into his shirt, "I don't want them to kill you, Walter. Not you, and not Mulder, either. If you can help Mulder, do it. Please. Then, maybe we can find a way......together....to stop this SR-819 virus, and set you free, too." She gazed up at Skinner, ashamed by the doubt that still showed so clearly in his face, but certain that he was taking her quite seriously. "Let this be the last time.....let it end here." "Scully, I'll do what I can," Skinner said quietly, returning her embrace, finally pulling away and heading out of the bedroom. Scully chased after him, beating him to the front door, and blocking his path. "Scully, please," he said, exasperated, his mind swirling with everything she had just told him, "I have to go." "There's something else you need to know, Walter. If Diana is to blame for this...if she is the one that did this to Fox, and she has the oil in her....you'll see it in her eyes. Look into her eyes, and you'll find the truth." Scully moved away from the door, and Skinner followed her, bending down to hold her and kiss her once more. "I'll be back as soon as I can, Dana. Thank you for your......explanation. I'm sure that I can trust what you've told me. I also hope that, just this once, I can trust Krycek, too. He wasn't always a rat bastard." Skinner reached for the doorknob, and Scully beat him to it, opening the door for him. He glanced at her once more, and then he was gone. Scully shut the door behind him, locked it, and walked to her sofa. She had a chill, and she didn't think it was because of the temperature in the room. She sat on the couch in the darkened room and cried; for Mulder, first, and then for Skinner, silently praying that he would be back. Soon. Walter Skinner unlocked his car, which was currently parked just a block away from Dana Scully's apartment. He couldn't seem to wipe the slight smile off his face, unsure of the last time, if there ever had been one, that he had felt so fulfilled. After buckling himself in, he dialed the number to the hospital, and checked on Mulder's status. Not surprisingly, there had been no change; Fox Mulder was still temporarily out of order, and Skinner turned his phone off and pulled away from the curb. "Hang in there, Mulder, I'm on it," Skinner grumbled to himself, trying to shake the image of Dana Scully bent over the bed underneath him out of his mind; it was proving to be quite difficult to forget. Don't want to forget, he thought to himself, just need to focus on the issue at hand - Diana Fowley. As Walter attempted to forget the last couple hours' activities, his cellphone trilled from the passenger seat. "Skinner," he growled, not too exhausted to revert immediately to AD mode. "Meet me at your apartment in half an hour," the digital voice instructed, and Skinner got a chill down his spine at the sound. "Krycek," he hissed, "what the Hell....." "Half an hour, Skinner. Don't forget. I have you." The line went dead; Skinner could feel his heart pounding in his chest, unsure if the slight tingling he felt was just from nerves, or, heaven forbid, something else. "Goddammit," Skinner yelled, white-knuckling the steering wheel as he spun the car around into a one-eighty in the middle of the deserted road, now heading for home, "son of a bitch." He shook his head, the anger boiling up inside of him as he pressed the gas pedal to the floor; he was a good forty five minutes from home at the moment, but due to it only being 6 a.m., there was little traffic to contend with. Walter figured that the DC cops must be in Dunkin' Donuts (TM alert) as he pulled into his parking garage with three minutes to spare, having sped home in excess of 100 mph with no red and blue in sight. He ran through the garage to the elevator, and managed to make it halfway up the building to his penthouse before a familiar pain seized him, causing him to double over, leaning against the smooth metal wall for support. "Fuck," he screamed through clenched teeth, wondering why in the hell Krycek would get him all the way home to kill him like this. He reached into his trenchcoat pocket and found the metal weapon, hiding it securely between his palm and his stomach, unable to stand up straight as the elevator doors opened. He stumbled to his front door, which was conveniently cracked open in anticipation of his arrival, and shoved it open, falling to his knees in the process. Walter looked up, finding not Krycek, but Diana Fowley in front of him, holding the SR-819 activator in her hand. She smiled at him wickedly, "Mr. Skinner, how nice of you to be so punctual. Alex and I have been waiting for you." Skinner glanced quickly around the room, teeth clenched against the agonizing pain in his abdomen, and saw Krycek unconscious on the floor behind Diana. "Agent Fowley, what the hell is going on here?" Skinner hissed, wondering how she had managed to gain control of the virus remote; screw that, how had she gotten control of Krycek? "All in good time, sir, all in good time," Diana smirked, snapping the cover of the remote closed. Walter breathed a little easier, assuming that, for now anyway, he wasn't going to be internally annihilated in his own home. He continued to scan Diana's face for some sign of what Scully had described to him......but he saw nothing out of the ordinary, aside from the fact that she and Krycek were in his home. He closed his eyes and sat down on the floor, his secret weapon still hidden from Diana's view. Georgetown Memorial Hospital - Same Time Dana Scully hadn't been able to sleep. She wasn't certain whether it was due to Mulder's condition, or the fact that she had just done the nasty with Assistant Director Walter Skinner in her very bed, but she had an idea it was a lot of both. Unsure as to Skinner's current location, Dana decided to go and sit with Mulder for awhile, hoping that perhaps he would improve if she spent some quality time with him. She was, after all, the queen of sleep deprivation, with Mulder being the king, and she supposed Skinner was close behind in that particular hierarchy. She drove to the hospital and flashed her identification at the guards surrounding Mulder's room, and persuaded the guard in the room to give her some time alone with Fox, who was in no better shape than he had been the previous night. Shit, Scully thought, same night, I guess....it's been one looooong day since all this started. "Mulder," Scully whispered to him, and he stirred from his fitful state long enough to squint over at her, smiling ever so slightly at her presence. "Scully," he whispered back, "you're here." "I couldn't sleep," she said quietly, "I'm too goddamned worried about you, and now, Skinner." She caught a wince cross Mulder's tired and too-pale face, and continued, "he's gone off to find Diana, Mulder." "Diana," Mulder croaked, "she....she's....." his voice trailed off, and he turned his face away from Scully. "Mulder, I know that she did this to you, and - " "NO," Mulder screamed, "NO, DIANA, DON'T......" he began to mumble incoherently, and Dana swore that she heard him say Skinner's name, causing her to become suddenly alarmed. "Mulder, what - " Scully started, but she heard Mulder repeat Skinner's name, and now he was mumbling something about Krycek, as well, "Oh God, no, not Krycek...shit, the virus...." Dana closed her eyes and shook her head, desperately hoping that Mulder was dreaming, but knowing that he had a finer sense of what was going on than anyone else because of...."Mulder, let me see your neck," Scully said, leaning over him to check on the scar she had found there earlier. Mulder had gone into another hallucinatory state, and Scully took the opportunity to gently roll him over and inspect the mark. "It's smaller, Mulder," she said aloud, "I swear, it's smaller than it was yesterday." She continued to run her fingers tenderly over the spot, now just a slight speck, no larger than a mole, where a nickel sized mark had resided hours ago. Scully jumped out of the chair next to Mulder's bed and ran down the hall to the nurse's station. "Nurse, I need a syringe, please, quickly," Scully said excitedly, "and I'll need access to a microscope as well." Crystal City - Skinner's Apartment "How are we feeling, Mr. Skinner," Diana chided as she stood over Skinner, now slumped against the wall of his living room, allowing her to believe that he was too weak to fight, waiting for her next move. "You know how I'm feeling, don't you, Agent Fowley," Skinner muttered, disgusted that he had actually supported her being brought in on the case, "you're holding my life in your hands. You must be feeling very proud of yourself about now." "Oh, sir, you have no idea," Diana laughed, and just for a moment, her eyes turned black as night; if Skinner had blinked, he might have missed it, the tell-tale sign of what he was truly dealing with, and he instantly cursed himself for ever doubting Fox Mulder's reports....well, that one, anyway, he thought grimly. His grip instantly tightened on the weapon curled in his right hand, and he tried to breathe deeply, fighting the dizziness that increased his nausea by the second, waiting for just the right moment.....Scully was right, the truth was in Diana's eyes. All he'd had to do was look. "How long have you been involved with the Consortium, Diana?" Skinner growled, jaw clenched, wanting more than anything at the moment to jump up and strangle the....whatever it was....in front of him. "From the very beginning, Skinner. They brought me in to tame Mulder - a feat that only I could accomplish, given our history together. I was more than happy to oblige; I owed Fox a little payback, and now look at him." "You're destroying one of my best agents, Diana. How can you possibly be content with the knowledge of what you're doing to him? Or what you're doing to me? And Krycek? He's on your side, for God's sake," Skinner spat, and Diana pulled out the remote and turned the virus up to just above halfway, causing Walter to gasp for air immediately, his body slowly breaking down. He wasn't so sure anymore that he would be able to do what he had been sent to do....he was getting slightly weaker by the moment, and he knew it would take all of his strength, physical and mental, to carry out what might prove to be his last duty....he shoved that thought aside and straightened up a little, noticing that Krycek had begun to come to behind Diana. Walter made sure that his gaze didn't catch Alex for too long, fearing that Diana would do something else to him......he had a feeling that, for some reason, Alex was going to help him. "Mr. Skinner, Fox Mulder has had adequate time to solve his little X-Files. Frankly, the Consortium is bored with his antics; one more reason that I was dispatched to help with this project. Aren't you tired, Skinner? Tired of being yanked around, tired of being everyone's bitch? Tired of being made to answer for all of Fox's ranting and raving? I can stop all of that for you; right here, right now." Diana's thumb toyed with the cover of the remote, and Skinner closed his eyes, gathering his resolve. It was almost time, and Krycek was staring directly at him from behind the thing that now inhabited Diana Fowley, waiting for just the right moment........ Georgetown Memorial Hospital Scully had drawn a vial of blood from Mulder's neck, barely disturbing him in his current state, and had run to the lab that was reserved for her. She placed several drops of Mulder's blood on a slide, dropped a cover on it, and placed it under the magnifying glass. Dana gasped as she saw what was going on in the specimen, drawing back from the microscope momentarily to blink several times, then glanced back into the eyepiece; they were obviously nanocytes, but these were different......they were......."shrinking," Scully gasped, fingering the gold cross around her neck, "my God, they're shrinking....but that means that.....Skinner......Mulder.....SHIT," Scully yelled as she grabbed the vial of Mulder's blood and placed it in the laboratory storage unit. She ran back to Mulder's room, not surprised to find Mulder sitting bolt upright in bed, two agents trying to restrain him as he struggled to get away. "SCULLY, SCULLY," he yelled over and over again, "Skinner, you have to go to Skinner, Scully, he didn't lie to us....he's with it.....it's got him, and Krycek....you have to go...at his apartment," Fox was drenched with sweat, and Scully pressed the call button, summoning a code blue, just to make sure the doctors came running, which they did, surprised to find Mulder very much alive, if not mentally sound. "Doctors," Scully said, "I don't have time to explain. I have to leave right now, but please trust me when I tell you that Mr. Mulder is going to have a complete recovery, most likely sometime in the next few hours. I'll be back as soon as I can." Scully turned and left the room, eschewing the elevator and heading directly for the stairs, nearly flying down them and out to the parking garage, where her black FBI-issued Ford was parked. Dana peeled out of her parking space and out of the garage, heading directly for Crystal City, hoping that she would get there in time, but not even sure of how much time she had left, if any. She shunned the thought from her mind and drove as fast as she could, praying to a God that she almost believed in to help her one more time. Crystal City - Skinner's Apartment "Mr. Skinner, what do you say? Would you like me to make this all go away? I can, you know. Krycek knows, too, but he's too weak to do anything about it. The Consortium knows that; one more reason to send me instead. They always say that women are stronger than men. Perhaps not physically, but psychologically, definitely. I can do this, Skinner. I'll do it for you, to show my gratitude for bringing me in. I do owe you, don't I?" Diana had closed the remote once again, toying with Walter's life as if it were some sort of video game. Skinner watched her face as she spoke, and once again, longer this time, her eyes went black as coal. He shuddered to see it, the black liquid that he had heard Mulder go on and on about, pure evil reflecting in Diana Fowley's eyes; no, Skinner thought, it's not Diana anymore; it's not her, she's gone, and this thing has replaced her, and Krycek and the Consortium know, and they want it gone too....it's out of control. "I'm not supposed to die, Diana," Skinner growled, tiring of the thudding pain that was taking over his entire torso, "if the Consortium wanted me dead, they would have done it themselves long ago. You've made an error, and it's about to be corrected," he said, taking Krycek's thumbs-up cue and springing painfully up from the floor, lunging at her with all of his dwindling strength, enough to knock her screaming to the floor, where Krycek pinned her and flipped her over in a flash. "Do it NOW," Krycek yelled, "I can't hold her for long, come ON," he urged, the thing that used to be Diana Fowley yowling beneath him, an unearthly mewling sound that didn't resemble anything human escaping her lips. Walter pushed the button and the steel needle slid out, Diana's thrashing becoming more intense as Skinner knelt down and pressed her head to the floor, plunging the needle into the back of her neck immediately after immobilizing her. Krycek jumped back and grabbed Walter, pulling him backwards and away from Diana, whose arms and legs had begun to flail uselessly, a steaming, green, viscous goo bubbling out of the back of her neck where the weapon still protruded. "Jesus Christ," Walter muttered, and Krycek half-smiled at him, as they both stood and watched what used to be Federal Agent Diana Fowley disintegrate into nothing more than so much neon green muck that settled into Skinner's white carpeting, the black business suit the only indication that any human form had been there at all. "You've never seen one before, have you, Skinner?" Krycek asked, for once not a shred of sarcasm in his voice. "Hell NO I've never seen one," Skinner growled, vaguely wondering if Dupont Stainmaster (TM alert) could combat alien sludge from outer space, a faint smile crossing his lips at the humorous thought, before being harshly reminded of his current health situation in such a way that he was forced to grasp Alex Krycek for support. "Skinner, you'll be fine. Agent Scully should be here anytime, and I believe that she'll have some good news for you, regarding Mulder's condition." Skinner gasped in amazement as Krycek bent down and helped seat him on the floor once again, back resting against the wall. He watched Alex cross the room to where Diana Fowley's remains were and pick up the pointed steel weapon AND the remote for the virus, wincing as Krycek placed the steel weapon in his pocket. He waited to see what would become of him, of the SR-819 unit....would Krycek kill him now? "I have to go now. I was never here, you never spoke to me, you never saw me. Do you understand?" Krycek glared at Skinner from across the room. "Yes. I understand," Skinner replied tersely, certain that he would remain at Krycek's beckon call. "You do good work, Skinner," Krycek said, walking towards Walter, and Walter closed his eyes, preparing for the worst, "I must admit, I didn't think that you could pull it off, I really didn't. You're old, and cranky, and you ride a desk for a living now," Krycek continued, still advancing on Walter. Walter opened his eyes to find Alex Krycek standing directly in front of him, his one good hand holding the remote out to Skinner. Walter reached up and took the small metal box from Alex, speechless, his mouth open, but no words coming out. Alex stood tall and saluted Walter, turned on his heel, and ran out the front door, not looking back as he left. Skinner was in pain and in shock, but still very much alive, holding in his own two hands the key to the SR-819 virus that months ago had nearly killed him. Tears formed in his eyes as he opened the small metal box and turned the virus down to inactive status, and he let the device fall to the floor, too exhausted to sit up any longer. He lost consciousness, and fell the rest of the way to the floor. Ten minutes later, Scully came bursting through the front door that Krycek had so thoughtfully closed behind him on his way out, out of breath, excited to tell Walter about Mulder, and terrified that she might be too late. Immediately, her worst fears were confirmed - she saw Skinner slumped down on the floor, and a single scream ripped from deep within her, "NOOOO......" Scully nearly flew across the living room to where Skinner lay, slumped against the
wall. "Walter," she cried, tears forming in her already tired and puffy eyes,
"Oh my God, Walter, no......" she knelt down beside him, feeling for a pulse,
gasping with relief when she found it strong and steady with her fingertips pressed
against his throat. She hung her head down and put her face in her hands, sobbing with
exhaustion, unable to contain her emotions any longer; with Mulder in the hospital, and
now Walter in his current state, she wasn't certain she would be able to handle much
more.....she lay her head on Walter's chest and cried into his shirt, grabbing fistfuls of
the fabric as she clung to his motionless form, desperately wishing that he would wake up
and hold her. Within seconds, as though he had read her mind, her wish came true. Strong
but trembling arms closed around her small form, pulling her close, and a deep voice
rumbled in the broad chest beneath her, "Dana." Scully raised her head slowly,
not believing that she had really heard him speak, tears flowing down her cheeks and
dropping onto his shirt, "Walter?" she whispered, looking up at him cautiously. |