***** Queen's Gambit 9/15 See part 1 for disclaimer, etc. ***** Monday, October 12 Ontario Mine, 1500 foot level 11:47 a.m. "Does anyone have any questions?" Mrs. McKeeley's sixth grade class shuffled their feet but no one raised their hand. At the back of the group two boys poked each other. "Ask him," one of them whispered. "No - you!" the other returned. "You said you would," the first boy fumed. The guide motioned for everyone to come towards him. "All right then, if you'll all follow me we'll work our way over to the #2 shaft room." "Hey," the second boy grew bold. "My dad says the police were here all day yesterday. And I saw lots of cop cars in the parking lot. What's that about?" "Ummm," the guide thought for a moment. He hadn't been here yesterday but he'd heard all about the excitement. "They're searching for a missing person. So as long as everyone sticks with the group, we won't have to send them looking for you. Okay, everybody follow me." "Cool!" the first boy exclaimed. A murmur went up from the class as they followed the guide into another corridor. "Here at the Ontario we have surveyed as deep as 3200 feet. There's still plenty of silver left in this mountain but the current price of silver is less than the cost of pumping the water out." There was the distant sound of running water up ahead. "This part of the mine yielded a huge payload of silver - until the day they hit an underground river." The group came into a small chamber. Three tunnels connected to it; the one at the far end was dammed up. Water spilled over the top of the three-foot high gate into a large drainage pipe. "So now the only thing we mine here at the Ontario is water. We have to pump the water on this level or else we lose all the equipment housed here, including the machinery for shaft #1, which we rode down to get here. We sell the water to some of the resorts here in Park City. That works out well for us - we sell them water, they make snow, the snow melts and next year we sell them the water again." Only Mrs. McKeeley gave an appreciative guffaw. The guide sighed to himself. He really needed to find another job, one with a little action. "Any questions?" he asked. The children all stared back with bored expressions. "Okay, let's all walk this way and we'll take a look at the #2 shaft room. It's not an true shaft since it doesn't go all the way to the surface but..." "Hey mister!" The boy who had asked about the police was pointing down the flooded shaft. "I think there's something back there." ***** Monday, October 12 Daly West Mine, 1500 foot level 12:31 p.m. Scully was a few paces behind Mulder when she felt the air stir behind her. She whirled around, training her flashlight on... nothing. Mulder stopped, his light joining hers in shining down the tunnel. "What is it?" he asked her. "Nothing," Scully shook her head. "It was nothing. Let's go." They resumed walking and a few minutes later the sensation returned. This time Scully felt an urgency, an unspoken plea that sounded in her ears. /Get out/ She sucked in air, turning again to find nothing but emptiness behind her. "Scully?" Mulder had stopped and was now walking towards her. "It's nothing." Nerves, she told herself. The dreams keeping her awake at night were starting to affect her judgment. /Leave/ Scully flashed the light behind Mulder and he noted that her hand was shaking. She swallowed hard and Mulder reached out to touch her elbow. "Why don't you go back up to the surface? There's plenty topside you can be doing." /You must leave this place/ A rushing sound filled her head and Scully leaned back against the wall, her stomach twisting in fear as last night's horrifying dream came back to her. She felt dizzy, as if she were falling. She looked up at Mulder, her eyes wide as the realization set in. "Scully?" Mulder bent to look more closely at her. "Agents?" Sheriff Huitt's voice echoed towards them. "Agents, come on back." "They found Rachel," Scully whispered. "It was her, last night. It was her. She fell." ***** Monday, October 12 Silver King Hotel 11:47 p.m. Scully opened her door to find her hotel room light on. Mulder was nowhere in evidence. She took her coat off before flopping onto the bed and kicking her shoes off. She lay there quietly for a few minutes, finally picking out the faint drumming of a shower in the next room. She heard the water go off. A couple of minutes later Mulder came out of his bathroom dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt. "Hey," he said softly, standing in her doorway. "Any preliminary results on the autopsy?" "Lots," Scully pushed herself up until she was sitting against the headboard of the bed. "Rachel wasn't strangled like the others. She drowned." Mulder's mouth twitched but he said nothing. "She had bruises all over her body, but no burn marks. I couldn't say for sure if a stun gun was used to subdue her or not but I would say that she was definitely taken from her home." Mulder bent his head, pressing his fingers to his eyes. "How do we know that?" "She was still wearing her pajamas." Mulder looked up. "Under her clothes? I saw her in the mine and she was wearing street clothes." "They were Karen's clothes. Huitt identified them a couple of hours ago for us." "She put them on to keep warm. Which means he took her to the same place he took Karen to kill her. He stripped her naked and left the clothes behind." Mulder walked to the chair by her window and sat down. "We used a recent survey of the mine, tried to figure out where the river is fed from, but there are just too many possibilities." Scully gave a nod. "I think he's keeping them near an abandoned shaft. Rachel tried to climb up the shaft and fell. She's covered with bruises and there were splinters in her hands and knees. She had a slight concussion on the left side of her head. My guess is she didn't really realize it when she hit the water. The temperature would have sent her into immediate shock and she drowned shortly thereafter." "Last night?" Mulder asked, watching her expression carefully. "Yes," Scully turned her face away. "Sometime last night." "You dreamed it." "No. Mulder, I..." Scully took a deep breath. "The dream I had last night was consistent with the dreams I was having before Rachel disappeared. That you see a connection between them is coincidence. Besides, I didn't dream about the water." "Oh, well, water. Sure." Mulder leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms and giving her an incredulous look. "Sometimes you amaze me, Scully." Scully glanced at the alarm clock. 12:03 a.m. She rose and picked her coat up from the foot of her bed, moving to hang it up in the wardrobe as she spoke. "I seem to spend a lot of time amazing you, Mulder." Mulder tilted his head, unsure if she was flirting with him or not. She turned to face him but neither one of them spoke. She took a hesitant step forward and then gave him a small smile. "Happy birthday, Mulder." He blinked at her, looked at the clock and then back at her. "I'd say for my birthday, I get to pick where you kiss me." She shook her head. "Not what I had in mind." "Ooooo, Agent Scully. Did you bring the handcuffs?" he asked as she crossed to stand behind him. Scully placed her hands on his shoulders. "I don't think I saw daylight at all today," Mulder mumbled, relaxing into her touch. Scully's hands squeezed his shoulders lightly, her thumbs kneading the ridge of his shoulder blades. "Mmmmm," he groaned, letting his head dropped forward as she massaged his neck. His hair was still damp from the shower; a tiny drop ran down the side of his neck. Scully bent and kissed it away. Mulder gave a small gasp, turning to glance back at her. Scully looked nearly as surprised as he felt. Taking a deep breath, he lowered his chin to his chest, waiting for her to continue. After a few long seconds, she did, her fingers gently stroking over the back of his neck. Silence filled the room, each of them thinking back on the night in Morgantown. Scully took deep, even breaths. She was going to do it. Tonight. She would kiss his lips. A quick kiss, to be certain, but it would be a start. Anything more would be too much of a start. But, oh, her breath caught - how would it be to make love slowly to Mulder? Not the frenzied rush of Morgantown, instead an unhurried, achingly slow seduction. Heat flashed through her belly before sliding out to her arms and legs. She closed her eyes, remembering the tender way he had kissed her afterwards. Slow and sweet, his hands stroking leisurely across her back, much the same way she was touching him now. With a sickening lurch of her stomach she remembered how she had reacted. The way she had left him. Mulder had told her what he had wanted from her that night - he simply didn't want her to leave. She realized now that she had wanted the same thing. She had wanted him back. He may have thought he was losing her but she had been losing him just as certainly. Not to Diana but to the rift that had sprung up between them after the X-Files closed. Scully felt a surge of gratitude for Mulder. For his dogged determination in saving her, not just from a distant frozen grave, but from herself. His beliefs, however irrational they sometimes were, challenged her and kept her from becoming a caricature of herself. He appealed to the nearly forgotten child in her. His sense of wonder in a world that had treated him so callously was reassuring somehow. She bent down, her heart aching with love for him and kissed his neck again. Mulder closed his eyes, giving himself over to the sensation as she placed a line of kisses along his jaw. She moved to stand in front of him, still softly kissing his cheeks, his nose, his chin. Mulder's hands reached forward and rested on her hips, urging her closer. "Tell me what you want for your birthday, Mulder." she whispered as she nipped at his earlobe. "Whatever you're planning is fine." "I wasn't planning this." Mulder guided her down and Scully came willingly, sitting on his left leg, her right arm around his shoulders. She raised her hand to comb his hair back. "I have been thinking, Mulder, that maybe I was being hasty when I said we were being hasty." "Scully, don't tease." Mulder kissed the join of her shoulder and neck. Scully wrapped both arms around him, holding him to her. "We need to set some new rules." Mulder lifted his head from her shoulder, meeting her eyes and nodded. "I'm fielding all suggestions." Neither spoke, their eyes searching each others, the implications sinking in. "So I guess there aren't any rules tonight, Mulder." His eyes darkened and she kissed the corner of his mouth, not daring to kiss his lips just yet. Mulder gave her a smile, "No rules?" Scully considered, swallowed, and then spoke. "I think my gift to you should be a moratorium on the one-kiss-a-day rule." "You're only saying that because you're over your limit." "What are you going to do about it?" His hand stroked along her side slowly, just missing her breast, and she fought the urge to move so his fingers would rest where she really wanted them. "I'm going to kiss you, Scully." Scully took in a shaky breath. "Anywhere interesting?" Mulder gave her a lazy smile. "Everywhere interesting." Before she could reply, he slid one hand into her hair, pulling her mouth to his. Yes, god yes, she thought as his lips angled slowly against hers. Her whole body thrummed with excitement as the kiss deepened. She shifted on his lap, moving closer to him. His tongue teased hers, intensifying the ache to feel him inside her. Mulder moaned, his arms tightening around her before he slid an arm under her legs and stood up. Cradling her against his chest he moved towards the bed. The room seemed to spin as her mind repeated his last words over and over. /Everywhere interesting/ He laid her carefully on the bed, leaning over her without putting his weight on her. He gave her a few soft kisses, barely brushing her lips with his. Mulder's fingers brushed the hair away from her face before tracing the outline of her jaw. Then he stood up, stepping away from the bed, just looking at her. Under his heated gaze Scully fought to keep her breathing even, anticipation making her heart hammer against her breastbone. His eyes wandered appreciatively over her body. Scully felt her nipples tighten, remembering the feeling of that mouth on her. "Come here, Mulder." She stretched her hand out. He chewed his lower lip thoughtfully. "I was going to impress you with my self-control and leave." "There's more than one way to impress a gal." Mulder gave her the lopsided smile that always melted her resolve. "Not tonight," he said kneeling next to the bed as she rolled over to face him. "Not while on assignment," she clarified. Mulder nodded and leaned forward to kiss her forehead chastely. "But as soon as we're back in D.C., I'll be wanting my birthday gift." Scully smiled and gave him a small nod. Mulder ran his hand lightly across her shoulder and down her arm, giving her fingers a gentle squeeze when he reached them. Letting out a huge sigh, he stood and moved to leave her room. "Hey, Scully," he leaned back through the connecting doorway. "Yes?" "Lock this door tonight." "You don't scare me, Mulder." He gave her a wolfish smile and her stomach fluttered. "Lock it anyway." Scully's eyebrow lifted. He winked at her and shut the door. Heaving her own sigh, Scully crossed the room and locked the door. ***** End 9/15 ===== ******** "If I sit long enough it just comes to me." Phillip Padgett, 'Milagro' Is your mouse flabby and listless? Come work it out here http://alanna.net/sue ******** From: Suzanne Schramm ***** Queen's Gambit 10/15 See part 1 for disclaimer, etc. ***** Tuesday, October 13 Summit County Sheriff's Office 9:19 a.m. Adelaide's box sat in the middle of the conference table, its contents spilled out in front of Mulder, Scully and Antonelli. A t.v. in the corner played the video tape that had been found in the box. An interview with Collins by one of the local t.v. stations had been first on the tape; now it was showing the exterior of the prison from the night of his execution. Antonelli shook his head as Mulder rewound the tape. "I don't know what you think you'll find on there. Collins is dead and we're just wasting time playing with his junk." He threw the scrapbook in front of him back in the box. "If he's taking them all to the same place we need to be looking for it. He may have left more behind than just their clothes. He may have left fingerprints or something that will help us nail him." Antonelli continued to gather up papers, stuffing them in the box, his movements jerky. "We have officers searching in the mines," Mulder said. "Maybe you should take a couple of hours, go home, get some rest." "Dammit! I won't, you know I won't. I'll rest when we find him." Antonelli began to tremble. He pressed his lips together tightly as he fought for control of his emotions. "I'm going up to the mine," he said, picking up his coat. "I can't just sit here, waiting for you to start reading minds." Antonelli left the room just as the video of Collins began to play again. Mulder looked over at Scully, "I'm going with him," he told her. Mulder caught up to Antonelli in the parking lot, falling into step beside him. "Who is he?" Antonelli stopped walking, turning to grab Mulder's arm. "I don't want to hear your mumbo-jumbo about white male, 25-40, above average intelligence. I don't want to hear that bullshit. I just want you to tell me who he is and how we find him." "I think it's more complicated than that." "Shit," Antonelli resumed walking to his truck, calling out over his shoulder. "You don't have a fucking clue, do you?" "I believe that Collins set this whole thing up. But our killer is in it for another reason." Mulder followed him to the truck. "Collins is just a means to an end for him, a way to throw us off his trail." "So we're chasing ghosts and not the killer?" Antonelli climbed in the truck, leaning over to unlock the door for Mulder. "But you're the only one chasing ghosts, Mulder. The idea may have crossed my mind but I certainly wouldn't have taken it seriously." "I don't necessarily mean that he's using Collins as a cover for his identity. I meant that he's using Collins as a cover for his motive." "So what's his motive?" Antonelli started the truck. "It's a game to him. He's smarter than us, or thinks he is. This is his way of getting our attention." "Getting our attention?" Antonelli's knuckles turned white on the steering wheel. "He killed Rachel and Karen and those other girls simply to get our attention? What the hell did he plan on doing after he had it?" "Why did he want our attention in the first place? Let's get a list of everyone who was involved with the original investigation. We need to start looking for someone who feels they got slighted the first time around." ***** Scully was half-watching Collins' interview on t.v. as she slowly put away his possessions. After Antonelli's outburst there wasn't much left to clean up. "Dana, can I have a minute?" Scully turned around to see Lewis Scully in the doorway. "Certainly," she lifted the remote to turn down the volume on the t.v. "Come on in." Lewis ducked his head but didn't enter the room. "I won't be here long, I need to get going. I was going to call and talk to you but I felt like this should really be done in person." He cleared his throat and took a hesitant step forward. "What's that?" Scully prompted. "I'm sure by now you've looked at the list of Collins' visitors. I know that it must have looked like I was hedging on it." Lewis sat down next to Scully, reaching his hand out as if he meant to touch hers before pulling his hand back and cracking his knuckles instead. "I did visit Collins in prison. I didn't say anything at first because I didn't think it was relevant but I realized last night that it looks rather suspicious." Scully said nothing, waiting for him to continue. "Collins was my first big case. I know Mulder got all the kudos in the press but it certainly helped my cache around the office. It also broadened my horizons, got me interested in what creates monsters like Collins." Lewis paused, turning to watch the t.v again. "I've been going to school nights at the University of Utah to get a degree in psychology. Rumor has it that A.D. Logan is looking for new talent in the VCS. God knows I'm going nowhere here in Salt Lake. I went to visit Collins before he was executed to try and get a glimpse of the why and how of him for my thesis." "And did you?" Lewis looked Scully in the eye. "Only in the limited sense. Collins was a game player. He only showed you what he thought you wanted to see. If you wanted to see a psychotic lunatic, that's what he showed you." Lewis gestured at the t.v. "In the case of Adelaide Harrington, he was a 'dear boy' who somehow went horribly wrong." "You know Adelaide?" Lewis nodded. "I made this tape for her." They both watched as the interview ended. The picture rolled a couple of times and then showed the outside of the prison. "She asked me if I would, I don't know, sorta document for her the Collins that I saw." "Really? I met Adelaide. I got the impression that she didn't believe Collins was capable of such violence." Lewis shrugged and stood up. "I'm just telling you my impression. Look, I need to leave. We've had a family emergency," he cleared his throat. "I just didn't want you to get the wrong idea about me." ***** Tuesday, October 13 Summit County Sheriff's Office 5:43 p.m. Scully was opening her car door when Mulder and Antonelli returned. She paused, waiting in the opened door as Mulder jogged across the parking lot to talk to her. "Ditching me so soon?" He gave her a tired smile. "You should stay for the party. I found a pinata that looks just like Kersh's head." "I wanted to go talk to Adelaide again. I'll be back in an hour." Scully watched Antonelli trudging wearily towards the building. "How's he doing?" Mulder shook his head. "We still haven't found anything in the mines." "Lewis dropped by this morning just after you left. He admitted to visiting Collins but claims he was just doing research for his psychology thesis." Mulder raised his eyebrows. "You believe that?" "It's worth checking into. He had to leave in a hurry but, at the very least, we should look at the notes he made on those visits." Mulder glanced over his shoulder as Antonelli climbed the stairs. "Antonelli told me he had audio tapes from the visits he and Huitt made. I'm going to run through them tonight. Hurry back and I'll teach you the finer points of wire tap duty." Scully got into the car. "I'd rather bat that pinata around." "It's a date." Mulder shut the car door, giving her a small wave before he turned and went inside. ***** Tuesday, October 13 Adelaide Harrington's Home 6:04 p.m. "Why hello!" Adelaide smiled widely, all her teeth in place. "Did you decide to arrest me after all?" "No," Scully returned the smile. "I just wanted to ask you a few more questions. Do you mind? Is this a bad time?" "Come in, come in!" Adelaide seemed quite pleased to have a visitor. "I was just settling in to watch the news. There was a teaser about Park City, some girl they found in the mine yesterday. Do you know anything about that?" Scully looked down at the floor as Adelaide shut the door. "You knew that Rachel disappeared?" "Why yes, that was the day you came to visit me..." Adelaide trailed off, the realization sinking in. "Oh dear Lord," she whispered. "Not Rachel." Adelaide reached out, taking hold of Scully's arm for support. Scully led her to the couch, helping her to sit and taking a seat beside her. Adelaide continued to hold Scully's arm, her fingers trembling. "How is Jessie doing?" Adelaide asked, her eyes wet. "They were so close, those two. So sweet with each other." "He's hanging in there," Scully told her. "He's very determined to find the person who did this." "Oh heavens, yes. Jessie always did have a one-track mind. That boy, when he was younger, he never missed a trick. He was always two steps ahead of the rest of us." Adelaide gave her a watery smile. "What was it that you wanted to ask me?" "There was another FBI agent who came to talk to you? A man named Lewis Scully?" "Oh yes, Lewis. A very nice young man. He was doing a paper about Randy, but it was very hush-hush. He didn't want me to tell anyone." "He said that?" Scully leaned forward. "No, no. Well, not in so many words. He just seemed rather secretive about the whole thing. He wanted to hear about what Randy was like as a boy. He was looking for some kind of factor or something-or-other he called it. Reasons why Randy would turn out badly." Adelaide leaned back, resting against the back of the couch with her eyes closed. "I still don't see any reason for it. In my opinion death frightened Randy. He and Jessie had a close brush with it as children, there was an accident that claimed the life of one of their friends. The three of them used to play in the mines, despite stern warnings from their parents. One day the mine caved in and only Jessie and Randy made it out." Adelaide opened her eyes, staring across the room without blinking. "Randy was never the same after that. He became withdrawn and moody. At the end of that summer they began junior high and fell in with different crowds. Jessie was into sports, Randy started in with a rougher group. I didn't see the two of them together much after that." Adelaide gave Scully's arm a squeeze. "But where are my manners? A cold night like this and I don't offer you anything?" She struggled to her feet, waving off Scully's attempt to help her. "Let me just get us both a cup of tea, then you can ask your questions." ***** Tuesday, October 13 Summit County Sheriff's Office 8:40 p.m. After over two hours of listening to Randy Collins ramble and brag Mulder was ready for a break. God, he had hated wiretap duty. Truthfully his attention had begun to wander. Antonelli had been right, there wasn't anything useful on them. On the tape Collins had lapsed into silence, the sudden absence of voice snapping Mulder back to reality. What was the last question? He rewound the tape to hear Antonelli wearily asking where Sarah Fitzgerald's body was. "You're boring me, Jess. You're a one note tune. Borrrrr-ing," Collins sang. "Here we sit, old buddies..." Antonelli gave a snorting laugh. "No? Okay, well, we had some good times as kids, didn't we?" "That was a long time ago. Before you picked psychopath as your career." "I never gave much thought to a career. Guess that's how I ended up like I did. You, though, you always knew what you were gonna be. So what happened to that? How come you're still walking around Park City waving your little nightstick?" "I like Park City. It's home." "Yeah, you're a fucking pillar of the community, ain't ya? Bet you never tell anyone about how we was kids together, the stuff we used to do." Antonelli sighed. "Where did you put Sarah, Randy?" Collins hummed tunelessly for half a minute before asking softly, "Do you ever think about Bob?" There was a pause, lasting nearly a minute. As the tape hissed and scratched Mulder wondered if perhaps it had actually ended. Then Antonelli answered. "No." "I do," Collins sighed. "I think about him all the time. I guess I'll be seeing him soon, eh?" Antonelli didn't reply, instead there was a squeal as he pushed his chair impatiently away from the table. "Quit fucking with me, Randy. Where's Sarah Fitzgerald?" Collins laughed. "She's with Bob, man. We all will be before this is over." "She's in the mine?" "Bob ain't in the mine. Don't you get that yet?" Collins' laugh turned high-pitched and Mulder could hear him hitting the table in his glee. "He's out, man. He's out and he's mad as hell." "You should have plead insanity," Antonelli told him. "You're certifiable." There was a clatter as he picked up the recorder, muffling Collins' continued laughter. "Interview is terminated at, uh, 3:06 p.m." ***** Tuesday, October 13 Daly Avenue 8:54 p.m. Another storm had moved in, the wind blowing the falling snow so that it appeared to be coming down sideways. Scully realized she was hunched over the steering wheel and forced herself to sit back. Through the white fury beating down on the car she was able to make out a stop sign up ahead. She stopped, looked both ways and then pushed down on the gas. The back tires spun but the car didn't move. "Come on," she muttered, willing the car forward. She stepped harder on the gas and the car lurched into the intersection. There was a honk and she instinctively steered to her right, just missing the Suburban that seemed to have come from nowhere. She turned the wheel left to correct but the car continued to move to its right. She slammed on the brakes, sending the back end of the car off the road. When the car stopped its front end was at least three feet higher than the back end. Scully opened her door and tentatively stepped out. Her foot slid through the snow and she found herself skiing backwards down the side of a drainage ditch. She grabbed at the car door but missed, ending up face down for her trouble. For the briefest of moments she was grateful that no one was around to witness her pratfall. Pushing herself upright, she felt in her pocket for her cell phone but it wasn't there. Scully carefully climbed up the side of the ditch and opened the car door. No phone. Had she lost it in the snow? She looked back down the embankment and then turned to look down Main Street. There was a hotel half a block away. It would be faster, and warmer, to just walk there and call for a tow truck. Scully let out a small sigh and hunched her shoulders within her coat, setting out across the street. She had reached the opposite side of the street when a truck pulled up alongside her. The passenger side door came open. "Dana? Need a ride?" Gratitude filled her as she recognized the voice. "Thanks! What I really need is the number for a towing company." "Climb in, I'll take you. It's not a fit night for man nor beast." Scully climbed into the truck, slamming the door shut and settling back on the bench seat. At the click of the doors' locks her mind clicked over the niggling thought she'd been having all day. The prison footage at the end of Adelaide's tape. There had been a truck parked at the side of the Frontage Road when the van with Collins' body drove past. This was the same truck. At that moment Scully knew she had accepted the wrong ride on this snowy night. ***** End 10/15 ===== ******** "If I sit long enough it just comes to me." Phillip Padgett, 'Milagro' Is your mouse flabby and listless? Come work it out here http://alanna.net/sue ******** From: Suzanne Schramm Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2000 06:48:24 -0800 (PST) Subject: xfc: Queen's Gambit (11 of 15) Source: xfc From: Suzanne Schramm ***** Queen's Gambit 11/15 See part 1 for disclaimer, etc. ***** Tuesday, October 13 Summit County Sheriff's Office 9:03 p.m. "Those girls, they never noticed me. They never thought of me as anything special." Randall Collins gave the camera a nasty smile. "But you should have heard them, 'Oh Randy, please don't! Don't hurt me!' They were begging me, man! Begging..." he broke off into a chuckle. "They noticed me all right." Mulder looked down at the picture on the table. Three boys, probably only nine or ten, slouching against a low fence trying to look tough or maybe they were squinting their eyes against the bright sunlight. That had to be Antonelli in the middle, the tall tow-headed boy with a crew cut. The boy on his right was Collins, his arms crossed and his lips twisted in a sneer that was an early precursor to the malice in his future mug shots. The third boy was smaller and slighter but three decades had not dimmed his freckles. Mulder flipped the picture over but there was no clue as to the third boy's identity. Setting the picture aside, Mulder picked up the list Antonelli had drafted of all law enforcement agents involved in the first investigation. It ran to over a hundred names since Antonelli had been thorough and included everyone who had had even a peripheral role. Too many names. Too many years. Why wait until now to get even? On screen Collins began to howl and wail, enjoying himself immensely as he imitated one of his victims. Mulder hit the mute button, letting Collins continue his disgusting act in silence. The original idea had been Collins'. Somewhere along the way he had convinced someone else to play along. Someone who, unbeknownst to Collins, had his own agenda. Mulder looked up, watching Collins laugh silently. Collins had enjoyed killing those girls. He had done it because he had enjoyed the power it had given him. He had done it because he had craved the sexual rush associated with torturing the girls. He had enjoyed the fear that his crimes had sent through this small town. And he had enjoyed the idea that he could make Park City fear him again from beyond the grave. "Agent Mulder?" Mulder looked up to see Huitt in the doorway. "Do you need a ride?" "No," Mulder shook his head. "Scully called and said she was on her way back to the station." He glanced at his watch. "But that was half an hour ago." "The roads are pretty bad out there," Huitt said, giving Mulder a reassuring smile. "Where was she coming from?" "Adelaide Harrington's." "Empire Canyon," Huitt rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "She might be stuck in a snowbank. That's a tricky road, especially without snow tires. I'm going past there on my way home, I'll keep an eye out for her." Huitt lifted his hand in farewell and left. Mulder tilted Adelaide's box to get at the loose papers still on the bottom. He lifted out an 8 x 10 manila envelope, turning it over to see "Mulder" written on the outside. Mulder blinked. He knew what the envelope contained. Knew already that Scully wasn't coming back from Adelaide's. His fingers shook as he tore at one end to open it. The strong gods pine for my abode, And pine in vain the sacred Seven; But thou, meek lover of the good! Find me, and turn thy back on heaven. Nb3 Rc6; Nd4 Rc7; Nb5 Rc5; Nxc3 Nxc3; Rxc3 Rxc3; Rxc3 Qb2. On t.v. Collins stood up, silently shouting and pointing at the camera, his face contorted with fury. ***** When Scully awoke it was dark. So dark she wasn't sure for a few moments if she was awake or dreaming. She pushed herself to a sitting position, her muscles protesting from hours of inactivity and the cold, slightly damp surface she had been laying on. Her heart squeezed painfully at the realization that this wasn't a dream. She took a deep breath, trying to force herself to relax, to think. It didn't quite work, she could feel the fear bubbling up inside her. She stretched her hands out slowly in front of her. Nothing. She felt to her right and then to her left before connecting with a rock wall. Her hand pressed against it as she shifted to stand, her balance precarious in the dark. She stood slowly; her shoulders hunched and head tucked down as if she expected to meet up with the ceiling at any second. Her legs trembled beneath her as she rose. Her breathing sounded frantic and harsh in her ears as she gulped in air. Once she was standing erect she raised her right hand, tentatively feeling for the roof of the tunnel. She found it and judged that she had about eight or nine inches of headroom. Her eyes began to ache from straining into the blackness. She took slower breaths, listening for... anything. Anything to give her a clue. There was a distant drip of water and the ticking of her watch. Her watch! She touched her watch, pushing in the button. An eerie blue-green light shone out, seeming brighter than daylight in the inky air. 3:23. Morning or afternoon she wondered? The date read "14", giving no clue other than that it was already tomorrow. What time did she get in the truck? Just past nine? Closer to 8:30? She couldn't remember. Which way was out? Worse, was she near an open shaft? Would she fall into a shaft if she tried to walk out? How would she even know she was going the right direction? What if she wandered further into the mine instead of out? She had to be near the same place that Rachel and the other victims had been taken. Scully illuminated her watch face again. 3:24. She held the light on and moved her wrist around. It didn't help; there was no way to use the watch to see. Dejected she dropped her hands and then raised them again, frantically searching her coat pocket for the flashlight she kept in it. /Hey Scully, light?/ Mulder had it. She had given him the light when they checked out Karen's Explorer. "Damn," she leaned back against the rock wall, her mind racing. The dripping sound was coming from her left. She wondered if that was where the shaft was. For a few paralyzing seconds Rachel's dream came back to her, causing her stomach to twist in fear. Pushing her apprehension away Scully turned to her right and began to feel her way slowly in the dark. She counted off her steps, mapping out in her mind this prison as she cautiously inched forward. ***** Wednesday, October 14 Summit County Sheriff's Office 5:24 a.m. "Remember when you told me to get some rest?" Antonelli asked, trying unsuccessfully to smile. "Well, it's time I returned the favor." Mulder shook his head, pushing past Antonelli to enter the conference room. "I'm not tired." "Bullshit." Antonelli followed him inside. "You look like hell." "I wouldn't cast stones if I were you," Mulder gestured at Antonelli's disheveled appearance. "Do you even change your clothes anymore?" "I happen to like this shirt." Antonelli succeeded in drawing a fleeting smile from Mulder. "We're going to find her. We have three days and we've already ruled out nearly half the tunnels." Mulder picked up Adelaide's box, dumping its contents onto the table. "He was here. We all went through that box yesterday morning and that envelope wasn't in there." "Then we just need to narrow down the list to people who had access to this room." Antonelli picked up the list. "You said something last night about Lewis Scully? Was he in here yesterday?" Mulder began to pace in a tight circle. "He came in and spoke with Scully. To my knowledge he didn't put anything in the box, Scully would have noticed something like that." "But would Lewis really do it? I mean, sure we joshed around with him ten years ago, but that doesn't seem like the sort of thing that drives a man to murder." Antonelli gave a helpless shrug. Mulder stopped, shuffling through the papers on the table. "Where's that list?" "What list?" Antonelli shook his head. "The list of Collins' visitors. There's someone we're overlooking." Mulder found the list, running his finger over the names. "We have you. We have Huitt. We have Lewis. Hell, we even have Adelaide a couple of times. Some reporters." Mulder tossed the list to Antonelli. "Most of these visits are well documented. The only ones I doubt were recorded are the ones with Adelaide but I have a hard time wrapping my mind around an ninety year old woman subduing and strangling five young healthy women. Even if she did use a stun gun." "I've been trying to get in touch with Lewis ever since you called me last night - no luck." "Let's try again," Mulder said. "I'd like to hear what he got from his interviews with Collins." Antonelli picked up the phone to call Lewis, handing the visitor list back to Mulder. "Who are we missing?" Mulder muttered as he scanned through the names. ***** Scully could have sworn she had been creeping along for days but her watch indicated that it was only 7:56. Only four and a half hours since she had awoken in this dark hell. In that time she had worked her way down one long corridor only to find a large wooden door blocking her way. With anguish she remembered the splinters in Anne Wyman's hands. Chances were Anne had made it this far as well. For a couple of minutes Scully leaned against the door, alternately angry and despairing. Which way now? First things first. The mine no longer seemed cold, after walking so long it she was becoming quite warm. Scully took off her coat, tying it around her waist. Then she turned around and started counting her way back the way she had come, this time using the opposite wall. After five hundred and sixty-three steps she reached her starting point but pressed on. Twenty-nine steps later the wall ended. Scully drew back, her pulse racing. Her foot tapped hesitantly forward, meeting with solidity. She felt along the wall again, this time discerning a corner. She shuffled her foot around it, relieved to find the ground remained firm beneath her. Scully turned the corner and began counting again, starting over at one. Thirty-eight steps later she stopped. Scully turned, tilting her head to listen. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Scully was about to start resume walking when she heard the shuffling noise again. She swallowed hard, her hand reaching automatically for the weapon that should have been clipped on the back of her belt. There was a muffled clatter and then she saw a beam of light skip across the rock about twenty feet in front of her. It was coming from the junction she had turned just a few minutes earlier. She tensed against the wall, every muscle in her body shouting "run!". The light grew larger, the footsteps became more distinct. And then a boy rounded the corner, his flashlight shining into her eyes. She squinted and raised her hand to block the beam as her eyes watered. "Geez, lady, are you lost?" he asked. ***** End 11/15 ===== ******** "If I sit long enough it just comes to me." Phillip Padgett, 'Milagro' Is your mouse flabby and listless? Come work it out here http://alanna.net/sue ******** From: Suzanne Schramm ***** Queen's Gambit 12/15 See part 1 for disclaimer, etc. ***** Wednesday, October 14 Summit County Sheriff's Office 9:14 a.m. Mulder sat at the conference room table, tapping absent-mindedly on the picture of Collins, Antonelli and the unidentified boy. /I keep having this dream about a young boy, probably eleven or twelve, and he's buried alive.../ /Bob ain't in the mine, man. He's out.../ Mulder picked up the evidence bag containing the note found with Leslie Parker. His finger traced over Collins' writing, "They know not the subtle ways I keep, and pass, and turn again." Was Bob the boy in Scully's dreams? What if Collins was right and Bob really was out there? But if that were true why would he want revenge against the people who put Collins away? "Mulder?" Lewis Scully stepped into the conference room, setting a box down on the table. "I heard about Dana, I'm so sorry." Mulder blinked at him and then gestured at the box. "I see you've come bearing gifts." "My thesis," Lewis took a three-ring binder from inside the box, handing it to Mulder. "A Loner, A Killer: Socioeconomic Determinants in the Development of Adolescent Violence," Mulder read aloud and then tossed it back into Lewis' box. "I'm a little pressed for time here, suppose you summarize." "Collins has never felt truly in control of his life, even when he killed those girls. He was doing it to impress someone else." Mulder gave a nod, picking up where Lewis left off. "His father left before he was born. Collins spent his entire life alternately adoring his mother for raising him and hating her for driving his father away. He was constantly attaching himself to authority figures, looking for the father he never had." Lewis pulled out the chair next to Mulder and sat down. "It's my opinion that Collins looked at this as one last prank," Lewis gestured at the evidence bags on the table. "And to think my teachers said a cherry bomb in the girl's restroom was incorrigible," Mulder murmured. "There's someone I want you to meet," Lewis said. "A woman named Adelaide Harrington. She knew Collins as a boy. I think she can give you a different sort of insight into what drove him." ***** "How?" Scully sputtered, relief flooding through her. "Where did you come from?" "Back there," the boy gestured with the light. "What are you doing in here? Don't you have a flashlight?" Scully walked toward him, "You need to show me how to get out of here. It's very important." The boy didn't move, giving her a disgusted look. "And then you'll tell my dad and I'll be grounded. I don't think so. Besides, I'm waiting for someone." The boy stepped back, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed defiantly making the flashlight's beam point at the roof of the mine. "Look, you don't want to be in here." Scully pulled her coat from around her waist, searching the pockets for her ID. "I'm a federal officer and I believe this mine is a crime scene. You and your friend cannot be in here. Not to mention that it's just plain dangerous to be wandering around in a mine." The boy laughed. "At least I have a flashlight! Talk about dangerous." "What's your name?" Scully asked. "What's yours?" he snapped back. Scully held her badge close to his face. "See there, where it says 'Special Agent Dana Scully'? Now what's your name?" The boy pushed away from the wall, shining his light on her badge. His eyes widened when he realized that it was real. "Robert Elliott, ma'am. Am I in trouble for being in here?" "Do you come in here a lot, Robert?" He shrugged. "Me and my friends come here sometimes, but we're always very careful. You have to be. There are lots of shafts in here. And just call me 'Bob'. 'Robert' makes it sound like I'm in trouble." "I really do need to get out of here, Bob. Can you help me?" Bob gave a glum nod and shone the light down the tunnel in the direction he had come from. "Okay. But if my friend shows up we have to hide, it's a game we're playing." ***** Wednesday, October 14 Main Street 9:57 a.m. Lewis pulled over when they reached Scully's Taurus and the two men walked towards it to take a closer look. It was slanted down the drainage ditch, Scully's struggle up the embankment still visible in the snow. "Did he force her off the road?" Lewis asked. "I don't think so. I think she just slipped getting out of the car." Mulder pointed down to where Scully's footprints came to the side of the road. He walked across the road and pointed again. "See here? She came across the road and started down Main Street." "There's no struggle," Lewis mused. "She knew her abductor." Mulder gave Lewis a tired smile. "Until about an hour ago I thought it was you." "What changed your mind?" "Ralph Waldo Emerson." "Come again?" Mulder turned and headed back to Lewis' truck. "If the red slayer think he slays, or if the slain think he is slain. They know not the subtle ways I keep, and pass, and turn again." Lewis shook his head. "I'm not following you." "The poem has four stanzas. Four victims. Leslie, Anne, Karen and now Scully." "What about Rachel?" "Rachel didn't get a poem or any chess moves. I thought at first it was because she was found too early but now I think that Rachel was part of another agenda. Antonelli taped his interviews with Collins. In one of them Collins spoke of a friend from childhood who was looking for a revenge of his own. I think it's possible that this friend is working with Collins and went behind his back, so to speak, to get Antonelli too." ***** Scully wished Bob would walk a little faster. She had passed him and now was walking just beyond the glow of the flashlight, trying to get him to increase his pace a little. "Can you shine the light further down?" she asked him. "Sure," Bob replied unenthusiastically, tilting the light so that the beam illuminated far off down the tunnel. Far enough that she could see the wooden door that had stopped her the first time. "Does that door open?" Scully turned around to ask Bob. "Not from this side," he sighed. "You can't get out that way. I keep telling everyone that but they never listen to me." "Everyone? The other women who were here? Did you see them?" "Shhhh." He held a finger to his lips. "He's coming." "Who's coming?" "Hide!" he whispered urgently turning the flashlight off. For a few seconds Scully felt the darkness wheeling around her, disorienting her all over again. "Bob," she called. "Turn the flashlight back on." "Shhhh." His voice sounded far away. With her hand to the wall Scully took a few steps in his direction and then she heard the door open at the far end. She turned around and saw the outline of a man for a brief second. Her blood ran cold. Oh god. He's come back. ***** Wednesday, October 14 Adelaide Harrington's Home 10:36 a.m. "Oh my," Adelaide smoothed her fingers over the picture. "I haven't seen this in years. You say it was with Randy's things?" Mulder pointed to the third boy. "You know who this boy is?" "Bob Elliott," Adelaide looked out her kitchen window, her hands trembling slightly. "The three of them were thick as thieves." "He died in the mine?" Mulder asked gently. "Yes, years ago. I told you all this before," Adelaide said to Lewis. "There was an accident one day in the mine and Bob was killed seen again." /When I was a kid I used to play in them with my friends. One of them died in a cave-in.../ /Bob ain't in the mine. Don't you get that yet?/ "Which mine?" Mulder leaned forward. "Do you remember which mine they played in?" "Just up the canyon," Adelaide waved her right hand. "They filled the entrance with concrete after the accident." Mulder sat back, disappointed. Adelaide stared dreamily out the kitchen window again and Mulder turned to follow her gaze. There was an old shed, built directly against the mountain in Adelaide's small backyard. It was leaning wearily to the left on its foundation. Adelaide broke her reverie, smiling at Mulder. "Do you know that shed always scared Randy? He'd never go near it. He swore it was haunted." Adelaide shook her head and chuckled. "Haunted, I ask you, have you ever heard such a story? He told all the neighborhood kids and none of them would go in there. So Jessie has always mowed my lawn and shoveled my driveway. You can see what a fine job he does. He was out here just last night, moving something heavy into the shed. Probably another bag of salt." Mulder stood up abruptly, nearly knocking over his chair. "What time?" "Oh, I don't know. It was after 'Nova'. Maybe around nine o'clock?" Adelaide watched in bewilderment as Mulder raced for the front door. "My goodness," she told Lewis. "It's only a bag of salt." ***** End 12/15 ===== ******** "If I sit long enough it just comes to me." Phillip Padgett, 'Milagro' Is your mouse flabby and listless? Come work it out here http://alanna.net/sue ******** From: Suzanne Schramm ***** Queen's Gambit 13/15 See part 1 for disclaimer, etc. ***** Wednesday, October 14 Adelaide Harrington's Home 10:51 a.m. "Mulder!" Lewis ran across the driveway in pursuit of Mulder, bewildered, as he saw Mulder draw his gun and enter the shed. "What going on?" he asked after he followed Mulder inside and found him standing in the center of the shed, gun down at his side. "You see that?" Mulder gestured at a nearly empty bag of rock salt. "Yeah," Lewis nodded. "It's the same salt de-icing the driveway." "It's the only bag in here." Lewis looked around. The accumulated junk of a lifetime was stored in the shed. An old lawn mower, an assortment of gardening tools, a trunk, a lamp without its shade, and a rolled-up carpet were scattered about them but Mulder was right. There wasn't another large bag. "Antonelli?" Lewis nudged the bag of salt with his toe. "You think he carried Scully in here last night?" Lewis lifted the lid on the trunk, revealing moldering books and the stained test tubes and beaker from an old chemistry set. "But where is she now?" "Wherever he's got her, he also has an hour's head start on us," Mulder said, pulling a flashlight from his pocket. With a pang he realized it was Scully's. "He left just before you arrived this morning to go home and shower." The two of them began to search through the shed, shuffling boxes aside as they made their way to the back of the structure. There was a long workbench with tools scattered across the top at the far end of the shed. Its left end was pulled away from the wall a couple of feet. Mulder came closer and saw two large hooks high on the wall. There was also a metal ring hanging about four feet off the ground in the center of the wall. Shining his light into the corner he saw three rusted hinges. It wasn't a wall, Mulder realized, it was a door. A long heavy board leaned against the leg of the table - the door's crossbar. He gestured to Lewis and the two of them silently advanced on the door. Lewis took up a position at the end of the workbench and gave Mulder a nod. After a silent count of three Mulder pulled on the ring. The door creaked open and Mulder stepped inside. Lewis came to stand behind him, leaning to look around him into the blackness. "What's back there?" Lewis asked. Mulder shone the light around, finding only a silent tunnel. "Ten bucks says it ain't Elvis." ***** Scully flattened herself against the wall, moving as quietly as she could in the direction Bob had gone. She flinched, biting back a surprised cry, when she felt a cold hand take hers. "This way," Bob whispered, tugging her forward in the dark. Her coat slid from where she had draped it over her arm but she didn't stop to pick it up. A flashlight's beam began sweeping toward them. "Daaaaaaana..." her name echoed in the cavern. "Did you miss me, sweetheart?" Bob pulled her into a small alcove just before the light reached them. They both stood pressed against the wall as the light shifted back and forth, relentlessly searching. Scully felt certain her breath was whistling loudly in the stillness around her. He had to hear her, she tried to take deep slow breaths, straining to hear his footsteps in the dark. Bob let go of her hand. "I'm sorry," he whispered near her ear. Scully reached out to touch Bob, to reassure him, but her hand met with only rock. Startled, she slid closer to where Bob had been standing but found no one there. Had Bob crawled away? She crouched down, her hands finding cold damp rock but no sign of Bob. The light grew brighter in her peripheral vision. "Come on, Dana. I'm warning you, if you jump out at me I'll be really pissed. Why make this harder than it has to be?" He was nearly there. Scully froze, trying to make herself as small as possible. If he just went past her and deeper into the mine she could get out. The door must have been locked from the other side earlier when she found it. But it would have to be unlocked now. Her heart stuttered when the flashlight stopped a few inches away from her. "Why is it that you all hide in the same damn place?" Antonelli laughed. "I was hoping you, at least, would be more challenging." The light moved to shine into her eyes, blinding her. Scully lunged at his legs, succeeding in surprising him enough that he lost his balance. The flashlight clattered to the floor, casting large shadows against the rock wall. She scrambled away from Antonelli and began to run towards the door, her footing uncertain in the dark. Antonelli recovered fast, chasing after her. He tackled her, bringing them both down hard onto the floor of the mine. The wind knocked out of her, Scully tried to gulp in air, panicking when the weight of his body restricted her movements. She struggled, finding one of the rail tracks that ran through the mine and used it as leverage to pull herself forward. Antonelli grappled for her in the dark, seizing a handful of her shirt and yanking her backwards. Scully kicked out, catching Antonelli in the knee. He fell forward, sending them both back to the ground. Scully rolled away, breaking Antonelli's grip on her shirt. She rose again, scrabbling towards the door. Cursing, Antonelli chased after her, catching her arm and pulling back hard, causing her to stumble sideways. Light flashed in pounding waves through Scully's head as she slammed into the rock wall. Dazed, she continued forward, still trying to free her arm from Antonelli's grip. He roughly pulled her right arm behind her back, twisting it painfully. "You can't leave now, Dana. We have unfinished business, you and I. If you get out of here alive it sort of ruins the whole effect for Mulder." Antonelli pushed her forward, back toward where the flashlight lay. "I liked you, Dana. If it hadn't been for Rachel, I might have left you alone and gone after Mulder personally." "Why Rachel?" Scully gasped. She could taste blood in her mouth from where she had met up with the wall. "I've been asking myself the same damn question. Why Rachel?" Antonelli bent down to retrieve the flashlight, pulling Scully along with him and she whimpered as her arm twisted higher against her back. "Did she find out about you?" "You think I killed Rachel?" Antonelli let out a small anguished laugh. "It wasn't me, it was your fucking partner." "Mulder?" Scully shook her head. "It wasn't Mulder." Antonelli walked deeper into the mine, pushing Scully ahead of him. "Of course it was Mulder. He figured it out - finally. But instead of confronting me he decided to play. Queen's gambit, Dana. Do you know what that is? He captured my queen hoping that I'd confess but he was wrong. It's check mate now." "No," Scully tried to pull away but Antonelli didn't loosen his grip. "You're wrong." "We'll see." Antonelli turned the same corner she had made her way around just before Bob found her. Scully fervently hoped that Bob was on his way to get help. "Do you know what happened to me? Do you?" Antonelli shook her, sending spikes of pain down her arm. "No," Scully's shoulder was beginning to go numb as the nerve was pinched tighter. Her stomach growled and she could feel the shakiness starting in her legs as the initial adrenaline rush left her body. "You think I didn't know from the beginning who it was killing those girls? I knew it was Randy. I goddamned knew it. But I let it go, let it build. You know why?" Keep him talking, Scully told herself. Get him off guard. "Why?" "I needed a big case. That's how careers are built. If the body count went high enough the case would go national. I figured I'd let Randy go until we had a decent body count and then I'd be the fucking hero. But guess what happened instead?" Antonelli let go of her arm, grabbing her neck and pushing her up against the wall. Scully tried to take a breath but found that she couldn't, his hand was pressing down on her windpipe. She clawed at his wrist, trying to free herself. "Your fucking partner comes out of nowhere and wham, bam, thank you ma'am - he's a goddamned hero. He goes back to DC with all the accolades, gets his own department, a pretty partner and I get shit! I get worse than shit! I get treated like a goddamned imbecile for not spotting Randy sooner! Can you believe it? But it's not like I can tell them I knew the whole time. Fuck!" Antonelli tightened his grip. Scully could feel her trachea begin to crush. She gasped desperately for air, her eyes swimming with tears. Bright arcs of light flickered through her vision and she realized she was losing consciousness. She tried to kick, tried to push away from the wall but Antonelli didn't relent, leaning his weight against her. "It wasn't him." A young voice called out. A beam of light bounced across the wall, surprising Antonelli into relaxing his hold as he half-turned to find the source. He went still for a long moment when he caught sight of Bob and then he let go of Scully. She slid to the floor, nauseated and dizzy, her limbs shaking uncontrollably. "Bob, run!" Scully wheezed, her throat on fire. "Who the fuck are you?" Antonelli took a menacing step forward. "Leave her alone." "Go!" Scully's voice was barely above a whisper. "Get out of here!" Antonelli took a menacing step forward, "You picked the wrong place to play, kid." Bob gave him a curious look. "You picked this place." "Leave," Scully gasped. "Go get help." Bob glanced at her, but stood his ground as Antonelli slowly walked towards him. "How did you get in here?" Bob shrugged. "I forget." "Don't mess with me, kid. I asked you a question." Bob broke into laughter. "You don't remember me, do you?" Antonelli paused in his advance, shifting his weight indecisively. "I remember you." Bob stopped laughing abruptly, his face hardening. "I've never forgotten you." Scully blinked. With Antonelli's light shining directly on Bob's face he looked a lot like the boy in the picture with.... No. That wasn't possible. Bob must be that boy's son. Antonelli took another hesitant step, stopping about six or seven feet from Bob. "I know you," his words were thick. "You can't keep hurting people, Jessie. It's wrong." "Bob?" Antonelli's voice was a hoarse whisper. "Oh my god. Bob." Bob smiled. "You should never have left me here. Did you think I wouldn't find a way out? Randy knew I was out. Knew you needed to be punished. You should never have let Randy hurt those girls. They blame you." Antonelli checked behind Bob with his flashlight, looking to see if there was someone else with him. "Who are you really? Is Mulder behind this?" Bob shook his head. "You're the only one to blame. I should have stopped you sooner." Bob took a step forward and Antonelli stumbled backwards. Scully pushed herself up so that she was sitting against the wall, her eyes darting back and forth between the two of them as Antonelli retreated towards her. "I used to be afraid of you," Bob took another step. "But I'm not anymore. I thought you might stop when you lost Rachel. When you saw what it felt like but you just don't get it." Antonelli shook his head vigorously. "You expect me to believe that you," he shone his light up and down Bob's small frame, "were responsible for Rachel? You little shit...." Antonelli grabbed Scully's arm, pulling her up and dragging her with him as he walked backwards, his light wobbling a little as he kept it fixed on Bob. "You're scared now. You should be," Bob was smiling slightly as he followed them. "You, you don't scare me." Antonelli sputtered, his voice unnaturally high. "I tried to warn Rachel. I called to her, the same way I called to Dana," Bob gave Scully a nod. "But when she wouldn't listen to my warnings, I brought her into the mine and showed her what you did." "You killed Rachel." Antonelli stumbled as they turned a corner, his fingers gripping Scully's arm so tightly her arm began to go numb. "You killed her. You and your secrets. You should never have left me here. But it's your turn now." Bob came around the corner after them, his face twisting malevolently. "You should never have left me here!" ***** End 13/15 ===== ******** "If I sit long enough it just comes to me." Phillip Padgett, 'Milagro' Is your mouse flabby and listless? Come work it out here http://alanna.net/sue ******** From: Suzanne Schramm ***** Queen's Gambit 14/15 See part 1 for disclaimer, etc. ***** As Mulder stepped into the mine a chill draft blew past him, sending a shiver down his spine. The door creaked on its hinges behind them as Mulder and Lewis began advancing in the darkness, each of them straining their eyes and ears for a clue. Lewis stumbled, then bent down to pick up a coat. "Hey," he held it up for Mulder to shine the light on. "Is this Dana's?" Mulder reached out and took the coat from Lewis, giving a grim nod. "I think so." "Should we call for backup?" No sooner had the words left Lewis' mouth than they heard a distant shriek. Dropping the coat, Mulder took off in the direction of the scream with Lewis fast behind him. They stopped abruptly when they came to a fork in the mine. Breathing harshly, Mulder illuminated first one passage, then the other. Lewis gave him a helpless shrug. "It's over!" a young voice shouted from their left. "It's your turn!" The two of them rushed in that direction. There was a bellow of anger. Another scream, higher pitched this time. At the far end of the corridor a light bounced erratically off the walls and ceiling. Mulder ran faster as he realized it was Antonelli who was howling and cursing. Hope surged through Mulder when he recognized Scully's voice, albeit strained, "Bob, no!" There was a rising screech. The light disappeared abruptly with a scream that sent fear pounding through Mulder as it faded. Mulder tightened his grip on his weapon, skidding around the corner. "Scully?" He shone the light around. Scattered clothing. An open shaft. And then, in a corner, Scully lying motionless on the ground. "Scully?" He ran over to her, kneeling down and shaking her shoulder. She shivered, pushing herself up weakly. Mulder touched her cheek gently and she flinched. There was a thin trickle of blood at the corner of her mouth and he wiped it away with his thumb. "Are you okay?" Scully gave a mute nod. "Antonelli?" "He fell," Scully took a shuddering breath. "And Bob, oh god, he fell too." "Bob?" Mulder stood, shining the flashlight down the shaft. Lewis peered into the dark maw with him, letting out a low whistle. "I don't think we're going to find them alive. How deep does this one go?" Mulder shook his head, turning back to Scully, who was struggling to her feet. "Here," he reached to help her but she waved him off, wobbling just a little. "I'm okay. I just want to go home." ***** Friday, October 16 A.D. Kersh's Office 4:23 p.m. "Perhaps I should have noted that I wished to see you return unscathed as well, Agent Scully?" Kersh gave a disapproving frown as he took in her bruised appearance. "Yes sir," Scully looked him straight in the eye. Mulder's eyes flickered over to Scully before returning to Kersh. "Suppose you sum it up for me, Agent Mulder." Kersh glanced at his watch. "Make it fast." "Among the personal effects sent to Adelaide Harrington after Collins' execution was a journal. In the summer of 1972 Antonelli set off a dynamite charge in the mine that killed their friend Robert Elliott. Fearing repercussions if it was discovered they had been playing with explosives, Collins was coerced by Antonelli into never revealing that they were responsible." Mulder glanced over at Scully again before continuing. "As they grew older the secret began to eat away at both of them in different ways. After he was convicted of murder, Collins began to look for ways to make Antonelli pay. He blamed Antonelli for the way his life had turned out." Kersh took off his glasses and began cleaning them slowly. "You expect me to believe that Collins had his revenge from beyond the grave after all?" he spoke without looking up. Scully cleared her throat. "No sir. We believe that Collins persuaded Antonelli that killing those women would be the ultimate mind game, hoping that Antonelli would be caught and punished." Kersh put his glasses back on. "And so an officer with an excellent record decided to just start killing people because a childhood friend wanted to play a sick joke?" "Not so excellent a record," Mulder said. "After being passed over for a promotion in 1991 Antonelli believed that he was looked on with suspicion for not suspecting Collins sooner in 1989. The truth was that he became volatile after Collins went to prison. Acting out on his fear and guilt he had severeal altercations with Huitt and his fellow officers. He also had run-ins with both Penny Wyman and the District Attorney over other cases. When Collins approached him he saw it as a way to wreak his own vengeance." "And his fiance?" Kersh asked. "Agent Scully, did he also take her into the mine?" "We believe she wandered in there on her own, sir." Kersh looked at the report on his desk, his eyebrows raising. "In her pajamas? After a winter storm that left several inches of snow?" Mulder gave a resigned sigh, causing Kersh to glance at him briefly. Scully's lips thinned as she wondered just whose version of events Kersh was willing to believe. "Yes sir." "Agent Mulder, I assume you have a differing opinion?" "Rachel was lured into the mine by Bob Elliott..." Mulder began. "The friend who died in the mine?" Kersh sat back, unimpressed. "Yes," Mulder gave a decisive nod. "He wasn't killed?" "He was." Kersh leaned forward, turning his attention to Scully. "Agent Scully?" Scully took a deep breath as she considered her words. "There was a boy in the mine. He confronted Antonelli," she paused and Kersh raised a questioning eyebrow. "He... he did bear a resemblance to the boy in the photograph. But I was disoriented at the time." Mulder stood up straighter, opening his mouth to speak. Kersh held up a hand to forestall him. "What happened to the boy?" Scully's gaze flickered over the open report in front of Kersh. It was all in there. Surely he had read the report, why then was he making her reiterate it? Mulder gave a soft sigh of impatience. "Antonelli and the boy..." "Bob," Mulder murmured. "Bob," she conceded. "Bob followed us into the mine, making threats before apparently turning back. Antonelli was very agitated. He was making accusations against Agent Mulder, Sheriff Huitt and even Randall Collins. He took me to the same location where he had killed Karen Huitt and the other women. Bob returned and the two of them struggled, coming very close to the edge of a shaft." "I'm getting the impression that this child put up more of a fight than you did." Kersh said blandly. Scully stood up straighter. " As I stated earlier, I was very dizzy and disoriented. But he did seem to have an advantage over Antonelli." "How so?" "Antonelli also appeared to be frightened of Bob, he would swing at him, but he was still keeping his distance. At least that's the way it looked, but you should note that it was dark and I was incapacitated. Bob had dropped his flashlight and the only light to go by was from the one Antonelli was waving around." "Go on," Kersh gave a nod. "When they reached the edge of the shaft it appeared that Bob pushed Antonelli, who then pulled Bob with him. Shortly after that Agent Mulder and Lewis Scully arrived." Kersh steepled his hands. "Neither body has been recovered?" "No sir. That shaft bottoms out at 2900 feet, but with over 800 feet of water it's considered far too cold and cramped to risk sending in divers. Hopefully they will be caught by the same current that brought Rachel's body to the surface." Kersh was silent, staring at the wall behind them thoughtfully. After a few seconds he gave them a curt nod and a dismissive wave. "That will be all, Agents." He shut the file on his desk. "Have a good day." They both left the office. Once they were in the hall Mulder let out an exasperated sigh. "I was incapacitated?" Scully's chin snapped up, "What are you implying?" Mulder shrugged. "Nothing." Scully turned away, ignoring Mulder's dissatisfied look. ***** Friday, October 16 Mulder's Apartment 7:48 p.m. Mulder sat on his couch, eyes closed, debating the merits of accepting the Lone Gunmen's invitation to join them for an evening of hacking into the White House home page to plant Easter eggs. He turned his head, eyes still closed, when he heard the soft shuffle of familiar footsteps in front of his door. After a long pause there was a loud knock. Mulder opened the door to reveal Scully standing in his hall with her hands behind her back and a solemn expression on her face. "I brought you a belated birthday gift." "Why Agent Scully," Mulder leaned out to look over her shoulder, causing her to take half a step back. "What did you bring me?" "May I come in?" "Certainly." Mulder stepped aside, allowing her entrance. He shut the door, turning to find Scully holding a box out to him. Mulder took it, giving it a shake and hearing a rattle inside. "Hmmm." He shook it again. "Whatever it is, it's not what I was expecting." Scully flushed but didn't look away. "Just open it already." Mulder tore off the wrapping paper, revealing a shoebox. He lifted the lid and his eyes went wide with wonder. He gave Scully a small smile as he pulled out a rusted flashlight. "Bob's flashlight," he said softly. Scully looked at the flashlight for moment before she met his gaze. "It's rusted solid, Mulder. The batteries in it have been dead for years. But... I thought that you might appreciate it." "I'm not Kersh, don't hedge with me. For my birthday, Scully, be honest. Bob was the boy in the picture, you saw him. This flashlight worked perfectly." Scully looked down, giving her head a slight shake. "After the dreams I kept having, and Adelaide's stories, it's entirely possible that it was all just a hallucination of some kind." "What about Antonelli? Was he hallucinating too? What about me? What about Lewis? We could hear all three of you in the mine." Scully shrugged, lifting her hands helplessly. "Hey," Mulder sat down on his couch, patting the cushion next to him. "I'm not asking you to change your beliefs, Scully. I just want to hear what happened. Regardless of how it sounds." Scully wavered for a moment and then sat down, turning to face Mulder. "I don't really know what happened, Mulder. Like I said, it was dark and I was disoriented. If you ask me whether the boy in the mine could be the same boy in that photograph I would have to admit that the resemblance is quite striking." Mulder said nothing, turning the flashlight over in his hands while he waited for her to continue. "He, Bob, he said something that struck me as odd. I don't know how he could have 'called' Rachel into the mine but he as much as admitted to me that he had seen Karen and the other women in there. When I asked him to help me find a way out and he told me that the door I had found earlier wouldn't open. He said that he told 'the others' that but they didn't believe him. He also implied that hiding from Antonelli in the mine was a game to him." Mulder tilted his head, encouraging her to continue. Scully shifted on the couch, facing forward as she voiced aloud a story she still didn't quite believe. "When Antonelli came into the mine, Bob pulled me into an alcove, trying to hide us both. Antonelli knew that I'd be there, it was so strange. And Bob just...," Scully paused, shaking her head. "It was like he just disappeared." Scully leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees as she toyed with her keys on the surface of his coffee table. "He crawled away, Mulder. Maybe he was going to get help but came back when he saw Antonelli choking me." "Then how do you account for Antonelli's reaction to him?" Scully said nothing, her gaze fixed on the table in front of her. "Was Bob the boy in your dreams?" Mulder set the flashlight down on the coffee table. Scully sat back, crossing her arms protectively. "I told you before, I never actually saw the boy in those dreams, I just sensed him. Almost like I was him." "I think he was, Scully. I think you had a link with him somehow. I think all of Antonelli's victims did, that somehow Bob tried to warn them or tried to help them. I think Bob played out that game of hiding from Antonelli each time, until he finally got the courage to confront him." "Mulder, that isn't possible." "There are more things in heaven and earth..." "Than are dreamt of in your philosophy." Scully finished for him. "I can't imagine that there are many possibilities out there that you haven't dreamed of Mulder." Mulder shrugged. "I'm sure there are quite a few I haven't entertained yet. I'd go through them faster if you didn't constantly demand empirical evidence." Scully was silent, a distant look on her face. "Hey," Mulder nudged her knee with his. "I'm not saying that having proof is a bad thing. I've told you before that I need you to keep me honest." Scully frowned, smoothing her fingers across her knees. "You nervous, Scully?" She gave him a shake of her head. "No, of course not. Why would I be nervous?" Mulder took her hand, squeezing her fingers. "I was wondering the same thing. After all, you only dropped by to give me a belated birthday present, right?" "Mulder," Scully licked the corner of her mouth as she shifted to face him. "I love it when you do that," Mulder's voice had dropped in register. Anticipation fluttered through Scully's stomach. She looked up to see his dark eyes watching her lips. Without meaning to she gave her lips another nervous lick. Mulder's lips parted and lethargy washed over Scully, dissolving her intention of leaving. Mulder leaned closer until they were nearly touching. Scully's eyes closed, her upper body swaying to close the distance between them. His lips brushed across hers, sending a wave of heat to melt the tension in her shoulders. "That's one," he whispered. His fingers traced the bruises left by Antonelli. Then he bent to kiss the hollow of her throat. "Two," he said softly. "Or do I still get unlimited kisses for my birthday?" Scully's breath caught in her lungs as her heart lurched in her chest. She stood abruptly, her eyes apologetic. "I don't think I'm ready for this." Mulder stood up too. "You're leaving?" She reached out, touching his wrist briefly in apology. "I still have some errands to run. I'll see you on Monday. Have a good weekend, Mulder." Mulder watched as she walked to the door. "You'll be back!" he called out. She left, shutting the door behind her with a soft click. Mulder sat down, propping his feet up on the coffee table, and smiled to himself. "She'll be back." He listened to the soft hiss from his radiator. There was a muted thud above him as his neighbor shut a door. The fish tank burbbled in the corner. He waited, his ears straining for the sound he was certain would be coming. His smile widened at the unmistakable rattle of his front door. ***** End 14/15 ===== ******** "If I sit long enough it just comes to me." Phillip Padgett, 'Milagro' Is your mouse flabby and listless? Come work it out here http://alanna.net/sue ******** From: Suzanne Schramm Queen's Gambit 15/15 See part 1 for disclaimer, etc. According to Susanne (who acts as my own personal Hayes Commission) this section gets the stronger NC-17 rating. If you're underage I'll spoil it for you. Scully comes back. They talk and maybe they even grope a little. At least, something happens to change the rating. You've been warned. ***** Friday, October 16 Mulder's Apartment 8:03 p.m. "Mulder," Scully left the door open behind her. "If you knew I left my keys behind, why didn't you just say so?" Mulder shrugged. "This way seemed a little more satisfying." Scully flashed him a look as she lifted her keys from where she had left them on the coffee table. "Are we ever going to talk about this?" Mulder asked softly after she turned to leave again. Scully froze. There was no point in asking what he meant. "It doesn't have to be tonight. But I would like to have that discussion, whenever you're ready." She still didn't move to leave. Mulder watched her shoulders tense as she stood up straighter. The night in Morgantown flashed through his memory, the way he had stopped her at the door. Tonight, if she stayed, it would have to be her choice, not his. "What changed, Scully? Did nearly getting killed convince you that you'd be better off alone?" Scully shook her head. "It's not that, Mulder." "Tell me." Scully took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as her mind raced. "Nothing has changed, Mulder." She looked at his open door, torn between staying and leaving. Her eyes closed, wishing they were past this moment, that time would speed up and they had already finished this conversation. Couldn't he see that it was better to leave things as they were? They couldn't allow things to change, it could only complicate their quest. "Then you'd better go," Mulder's voice shook ever so slightly on the last word. Sorrow shot through her, this was how they had been after Morgantown. Did she really want them to become courteous strangers again? Scully realized that they had already changed. Tonight was just another change, one way or the other. She reached out and pushed the door shut, her heart hammering painfully in her chest. Scully turned around, her eyes seeking out Mulder's, wanting reassurance that this was the right direction. His eyes were calm, hopeful even, so she gave voice to her fear. "Becoming lovers won't fix anything." Lovers. Mulder's head was pounding, completely out of synch with the slow and uneven beat of his heart. "What is it that you think needs fixing, Scully?" "Mulder, you've accused me before of taking a disagreement with you personally. If we take this to the next level, how are we going to differentiate between work and...." Mulder stood up, ready to disagree, but Scully continued speaking. "Let me finish. You said in Park City that you felt my leaving the X-Files was the same thing as leaving you." "I told you that your leaving the X-Files was the same as leaving me, that's true. You then explained the subtleties of that action so I won't make that mistake again. Your coming here tonight obviously isn't part of your job description." "Mulder...." "We already know that we can work together after the fact. No matter how much we pretend otherwise, that line has been erased. We can't go back to how things were before Morgantown, Scully. We can go back to how they were afterwards. But I can't ignore what Morgantown meant to me." Scully took a quick breath and her hand trembled, rattling the keys she was clutching. Mulder walked slowly towards her as he spoke, his voice dropping. "I would never do anything to jeopardize our working relationship, Scully. What we have is more than just a working relationship. We have the foundation that people spend a lifetime building." "I don't want to go back," Scully admitted in a whisper. "I'm just not sure how to go forward." "It's easy," Mulder touched her fingers and she released her keys into his hand. "You just stay. The rest we make up as we go along." "Just stay," Scully repeated, unsure if she was agreeing or giving herself a pep talk. "Just stay," Mulder confirmed. Scully closed her eyes as a flush of arousal swept through her abdomen and then spread across her cheeks. Mulder laid one cool palm against her face and she closed her eyes. "And we'll talk?" Scully murmured. "Yes," Mulder dropped his hand from her cheek. Scully looked up at him. His eyes were dark - dilated from the poor lighting, she wondered. Or something else? A pleasant flutter started in her stomach at the thought of where talking might lead. She stepped around him, returning to sit in the middle of the couch. Mulder followed, seating himself in the corner to give her space. "Mulder, about what happened in Morgantown," she paused, bowing her head as she thought. "It was unexpected. I believe that if we had talked about it first, it would never have happened." "Are you sorry that it did?" Scully started to ask him if he regretted it, but then stopped. She already knew the answer to that question. "We can't go back and change it, Mulder. It happened. And now that it has, no, I'm not sorry." Mulder gave a slight nod. "But you're not entirely convinced that it's a mistake worth repeating?" "I think 'mistake' is a little harsh. I'm questioning where we go from here, how much we want to complicate matters." "Complicate what, exactly?" "Mulder, my commitment to the X-Files is a separate entity from my feelings for you. Last summer when they took everything away from us, I quit so I could stay in D.C. Don't you remember all those years ago when they shut us down? We still kept working, just covertly. I wanted to stay here and keep working." "With me?" "I can't imagine working with anyone else on the X-Files. But if it came down to a question of having to choose between you or the X-Files..." Scully stopped speaking, a faint anxious line appearing between her eyebrows. "Are you afraid that if they shut us down again you'd be staying for different reasons?" Mulder prompted. "No, that's exactly what I'm *not* saying. That's what becomes complicated. I would stay because the X-Files are important to me, not because we're romantically involved. If you had to choose between me or the X-Files, which would you pick?" Mulder gaped at her, unwilling to entertain ever having to make that choice. "You'd choose the X-Files," Scully answered for him after a short pause. "I'd be disappointed in you if you didn't." Mulder shook his head, letting out a soft chuckle. "I've always known you were dedicated, Scully. But it's touching to know that even if you can't believe in the X-Files, you'd toss me aside for them." Seeing her frown he touched her wrist and added, "It's one of your better qualities." "I'd toss you aside because you're a real pain in the ass." Scully smiled to show him she was only half-kidding. "I know, it's one of my better qualities." "That's not entirely true." Scully sat back on the couch, her smile turning into a mischievous lilt at the corners of her mouth. Mulder inched closer until his hand rested near her knee. "You wanna tell me about my better qualities?" "That might require some thought," Scully cautioned. "I'm not going anywhere." Mulder poked her knee with one finger. "Take your time." "You have an amazing capacity for belief," Scully glanced at the flashlight lying on his coffee table. "I often wonder what, besides organized religion, you don't believe in." Mulder grimaced. "I was hoping you'd tell me how brilliant I am. How I've broadened your horizons, enriched your life, opened your mind. Or, at the very least, you could say I was 'devastatingly handsome'." Scully cocked an eyebrow. "Devastatingly handsome?" she repeated skeptically. "Someone certainly has a high opinion of himself. Mulder, if you were devastatingly handsome I would never have been able to work with you." "Too much of a distraction?" he teased. "Too much of an ego. You have an ego, don't get me wrong. In fact, sometimes you are downright frustrating..." "Frustrating?" Mulder interrupted. "You think I'm frustrating? You can be just as frustrating." His hand cupped her knee, giving it a playful shake. For a split-second Scully felt her temper rise - *she* was frustrating? Then she recognized the tease in his touch and his eyes for what it was. "In what way do I frustrate you?" she asked quietly. Mulder blinked. He had realized at the same moment she did that they were moving into potentially volatile territory. He felt a pang of regret at telling her she was frustrating. It was the truth, certainly, but he feared it had been the wrong thing to say. "You're a constant source of frustration, Scully." Mulder leaned closer to her, near enough that she could feel the puff of air from his words. The weight of his hand on her knee had her wishing he would touch her or do something besides just leave it resting there. "Give me an example," she challenged him. "Just one?" Mulder squeezed her knee. "Because I could probably go on all night." "Limit yourself to one within the last few months." "Okay then," Mulder stroked his thumb lightly over the inside of her knee, watching with delight as her eyes darkened. "Reneging on a promise." "What promise?" With Mulder so close the memories of Morgantown that she had so assiduously suppressed were nearly overwhelming. She could recall with perfect clarity the sensation of Mulder shuddering towards climax above and inside her. "As much as I love the flashlight, it's not what I had my heart set on." Their eyes met, neither of them looking away until Mulder leaned in to brush his lips softly over hers. Scully closed her eyes then, taking a slow deep breath that did little to steady her. "What?" she whispered. "What did you have your heart set on?" "Finishing what we started." He kissed her again, his lips moving slowly against hers in gentle exploration until she opened her mouth to deepen the kiss. Mulder reluctantly pulled away, his thumb briefly caressing her bottom lip. "I know it wasn't technically a promise," he said. "But it sure was frustrating." He took his hand from her knee, its loss increased the ache building inside her. "There are other ways to frustrate you," Scully decided it was time to tease him back a little. She reached out and let her hand rest just above his knee. Mulder glanced down, giving a contemplative look to her hand on his leg "This could very well alter my views on religion.". "Try very hard not to annoy me," Scully cautioned. "Scully," Mulder stroked his hand up her leg until it came to rest low on her hip. "Are you saying I annoy *and* frustrate you?" "Shut up, Mulder." This time he didn't move away when she deepened their kiss. Instead he pulled her closer, tightening his arms around her until her breasts were pressed against his chest. He remembered all too well how they fit in his hands, how sensitive her nipples had been, and the sounds she had made when he touched her. Scully broke the kiss this time, leaning her head back to gulp in air. Mulder's eyes were drawn to watching the simple act of her breathing. The top button on her shirt was undone, exposing a glimpse of skin and he couldn't resist giving it a kiss. He kept his lips there, closing his eyes to savor the smell and feel of Scully. His tongue darted out and he gave a soft moan at the taste of her skin, sending a thrill through them both. This was nothing like she remembered, Scully realized. How could she have forgotten the urgent heat of his mouth? Her hand smoothed over the back of his head, pulling him closer, but Mulder resisted. They both watched as Mulder counted off the buttons on her shirt, his finger tapping each one to where they ended just below her navel. "It was a promise, Mulder," Scully whispered. He looked up from the hem of her shirt and she gave him a shy smile. "Aren't you going to unwrap your present?" "Is there any kind of exchange policy I should be aware of first?" Mulder slipped the bottom button free. "No returns allowed," Scully told him. "You open it, you keep it." "Fair enough." A second and then a third button were loosened. Despite the rapid beat of her heart Scully felt herself sinking into lassitude as Mulder finished unbuttoning her shirt and opened it to his view. He gave her bra a delighted smile. "Why Agent Scully, however do you run in this?" He traced the flimsy strap on her left shoulder. Scully smiled back at him. He knew damn well this wasn't an everyday bra, and certainly guessed why she would have chosen to wear it tonight. Mulder's hand cradled her breast, his thumb sliding over the tightly drawn nipple outlined beneath the opaque black fabric. "Happy birthday to me," Mulder murmured, giving her a soft kiss on the lips. "It's just what I always wanted." "Is it?" Scully nipped at his chin, enjoying the sensation of stubble rasping against her lips. "God, yes. Let's see how it fits." Mulder pulled her onto his lap but this time Scully was the one who resisted. She stood up, shrugging to get rid of her blazer and shirt. Mulder caught on quickly, standing up to shed his t-shirt. They both hurriedly removed pants and shoes and socks. Mulder was faster, stripping to his boxers before she could finish kicking away her pantyhose. As Scully pulled her ankle free Mulder looked down, catching sight of Bob's flashlight on the coffee table. It was a start, he told himself. It was a damn good start. Not only was she willing to take him on as more than a working partner, as evidenced by the pile of clothing on his floor, but she was also open to the *possibility* of extreme possibilities. With Scully, that was definitely a start. When Scully stood back up she found Mulder watching her with a wry grin. "What?" she asked, feeling suddenly self-conscious. Mulder shook his head, pulling her into a hug. She put her arms around him, her cheek resting against his bare skin as his hands slowly stroked up and down her back. It should have been sexual, Scully thought, standing there in their underwear with Mulder's erection prodding her belly. But somehow, it wasn't. "Scully," he murmured into her hair. "I just want you to know now, before anything else happens, that you've already given me the best birthday present. The rest is just frosting." He cradled her head in his hands, smiling gently down at her. Scully looked up at him, wishing that she could see his eyes better. "Mulder, are you saying that sex with me is like frosting?" "Not as sticky, but certainly as sweet and addictive." Mulder kissed her forehead. "Giving me the flashlight was enough." "Mulder, the flashlight was the frosting." Mulder kissed her, his mind swimming with the realization that she was right. In Morgantown he had made love to her out of desperation, seeking for a connection between them. He had wanted a way to make her believe in him without realizing that she always had. She might not believe in his theories, but she had always believed in him. He kissed her deeply, overwhelmed with emotion. Without words he used his mouth and tongue to tell her how much he loved her and needed her. Scully kissed him back with the same urgency, surprised herself by how fiercely she needed him. It wasn't the sex, it was Mulder himself she desired. She had always craved a challenge and he was constantly providing one. It was why she hadn't stopped him in Morgantown and why she had come back tonight. She was wrong - the sex was the frosting. Everything else between them, whether work or friendship, was what really counted. She wanted to tell him that but telling him would mean she'd have to stop kissing him and there was no way in hell she could do that. Minutes later when Mulder dropped to his knees before her, she tried to remember what it was she was going to tell him. Something important, if only he wasn't kissing her stomach while his hands rose up her back to unhook her bra. He pulled her down so that she was sitting on the couch and slid her bra off. Leaning in he took one nipple into his mouth, elongating it with his tongue so that Scully shuddered against him. "I was wrong," she gasped. "Mmmm." He supported her breast with one hand so that he could tap his tongue lightly against the sensitive nub. "This is the frosting." She let out a small groan as he gave the second breast the same treatment. Her fingers tightened in his hair. As his mouth flexed on her breast Mulder tried to follow her logic but she was employing his own circular approach. He couldn't make sense of it when all the blood in his body was heading in the wrong direction for an argument with Scully. Mulder lifted her instead, sliding her back along the couch so that he could lie down with her. She gave a small gasp as her bare back met up with cool leather and arched up against him. Mulder bit her shoulder softly, groaning his pleasure at the way she had shifted against his cock. Bracing himself on one arm, he used the other hand to tug at her panties. Take it slow, he told himself. Morgantown had happened so fast, this time he was going to make it last for her. His head lowered to tease one nipple while he divested her of that one last bit of clothing. Scully moved her legs so Mulder could settle more solidly against her. The cotton of his boxers did little to assuage the flood of moisture he had caused. He shifted slowly, letting the fabric and the heated ridge of his erection stroke over the cleft between her legs until she felt nearly frantic to get him naked. His mouth continued to tug on her breast, sending spikes of pleasure down her spine to meet up with the thrills generated by the caresses his hand was making across the back of her thigh. Her hands pulled at the waistband of his boxers but Mulder didn't rise up enough to be able to slide them off. Scully tugged again and Mulder stopped moving, his erection pressing directly against her clit. She shifted, desperate for the release that was so close. She groaned his name, her hands clutching at his lower back. Mulder's tongue circled her nipple one last time before he raised his head. "Yeah?" his voice was a ragged whisper. "Please," her eyes were squeezed shut, her lips parted as she gasped for breath. Mulder was sure he had never seen anything as intoxicating. "Mulder, you're frustrating me." "You said it was one of my better qualities." He bent to take her other nipple into his mouth but she shook her head vigorously. "No. Show me another." Her hands pulled at his boxers again. "I know you have diverse talents, Mulder. You've competently demonstrated frustrating. Let's move on." "Whose birthday is this?" But he shifted anyway and the two of them worked his boxers off. The couch squeaked beneath them as he settled between her legs again. Mulder tried to lean on one arm, using his other hand to guide himself towards her but he lost his balance, his bare damp skin sticking to the back of the couch when he fell against it. "You're doing that on purpose." Scully laughed, pushing on his chest. "Sit up." Mulder sat up as Scully untangled her legs from around him. She kneeled on the couch next to him, giving him another light push. "We'll switch places," she told him, arching up so that he could lie down. She straddled his thighs, bracing herself with one hand on the back of the couch. She took him in her other hand, stroking softly along the length of him until he thrust into her hand. Her fingers tightened and he hissed in gratification. His eyes were closed but he opened them as soon as he felt the wet heat of her begin to envelope him. He watched, every nerve in his body screamingly aware, as she slid down his cock until he could feel the pressure of her cervix against the tip of him. Her inner muscles quivered against him as she rose a few inches and then settled again. Scully looked down at him, now physically as much as part of her as he had been spiritually for years. Their eyes met and held as she began to lift and dip, taking him in a little deeper as her body adjusted. Mulder's hips began to thrust up slowly each time she retreated, sending a wave of heat through her. Not only did he prolong the fullness of complete penetration when he lifted, she could swear he also was brushing against every pleasurable nerve she had. Groaning, she tried to lift a little higher, bracing her hands against his chest for leverage. That slight change in position sent another, stronger wave crashing through her. Mulder held her hips, smoothly gliding into her even further than he had before. She shuddered, increasing her pace as she tried to catch up with the glittering promise of release she could feel closing in on her. She closed her eyes in concentration until the rise and fall of her body against his was the only sensation in the world. When Mulder's thumb circled her clit she cried out, trembling as her body leapt in pleasure. Mulder let out his own hoarse cry as Scully's vaginal muscles held him fast. Her pace slowed as she fought for control. When she found it again she quickened her movements. Mulder felt nearly frantic, he was so close and it felt so incredibly good and he was sure that if it weren't for the way the couch was sweating beneath his ass, or maybe it was him that was sweating, but it didn't matter, and if she would only come down hard on him again, like, oh god, like that, then he was sure that he would and then she did it again and he let out a wail as a long rising pulse broke loose from deep inside him and the world went up in a flare of electric blues and yellows and the only thing that mattered was that she was here and that was the frosting on the cake and it tasted even better than he remembered. His last conscious thoughts were to wonder if he would be stuck to the couch forever. But Scully was spooned in front of him, tucking the blanket from the back of the couch around them and he realized that he would be quite content to be a permanent part of the furniture if Scully could be there too. He mumbled his thanks, patting her hip as she settled more heavily against him. ***** It was the kind of darkness the eyes never grow accustomed to. He wondered if it was the kind of darkness they never recover from either. How long had he been here? Trapped somewhere between death and life, clinging to wooden beams that only revealed their existence after an excrutiating search. He pressed on blindly, feeling for the beam above until it materialized. He pulled himself up, cursing when his grip faltered, stealing precious inches from his escape. His muscles shook and protested but he didn't stop. Grim determination drove him. Determination and the vow that vengeance would yet be his. He lifted his hand once more, straining towards salvation. ***** End 15/15 Whew! Finished! If you have comments, critiques or no one else to talk to, write me at sister_suze@yahoo.com Roll credits... I just want to take up a few more minutes of your time to thank all the people who stood behind me during the writing of this fic. Actually, "thanks" doesn't even come close to what I want to say to all the wonderful people involved. It's a very tall order to save me from myself, but my betas all did this effortlessly. Any mistakes you see are my own. Thank you to all of them - Susanne, Sharon, Laney and M for all the time and effort they freely put into reading for me. I also want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who took the time to send me feedback while this was a WIP on my page. I'd still be staring at part 7 if wasn't for your encouragement. Park City is a real place, as are the majority of the locales in this story. (Snaps to Barb who knew the name of the grocery store Karen disappeared from.) The history given for Park City and the Ontario mine are real. I was informed recently that you can no longer take a tour through the Ontario (which is a shame, since that tour gave me the idea for this story in the first place). Susanne - I wouldn't have finished this story, hell, wouldn't even still be writing if it weren't for you. Time and again you poured over this story with me, never complaining even after reading the same part multiple times. You are my cheerleader, my sounding board, my swift kick in the ass and everything I want to be when I grow up. ===== ******** "If I sit long enough it just comes to me." Phillip Padgett, 'Milagro' Is your mouse flabby and listless? Come work it out here http://alanna.net/sue ********