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Oh, and I give away who won the \par American Civil War. \par Archive: Anywhere, just keep my name on it, and let me know \par so I can visit. \par Summary: Scully spends a few days in 1862, meeting many a \par familiar face. \par Disclaimer: I do not own Mulder and Scully. Others in the \par fic, however, are mine, despite their resemblance to CC's \par characters. Also, any historical inaccuracies are my \par mistake, and I apologize for them beforehand. \par Acknowledgments: A big thank you to Heather Graham \par Pozzessere and her book 'The Last Cavalier', which was the \par inspiration for this story. The books 'Great Battles of the \par Civil War' by John MacDonald and 'The Illustrated History of \par the Civil War' by William C. Davis also helped to confirm \par places, names and dates, but most of my knowledge comes from \par Ken Burns' 'The Civil War', one of the most fascinating and \par beautiful movies ever filmed. \par \par ************************************************************ \par \par MANASSAS \par \par ***** \par \par "I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this \par guilty land will never be purged away but with Blood." John \par Brown-December 1859 \par \par ***** \par \par August 19, 1999 \par Manassas National Battlefield Park \par \par 'It's going to be one of those days,' Agent Dana Scully \par thought as she sidestepped another puddle, swaying ever so \par slightly on her heels. Why did Mulder have to be so damn \par tall, she wondered. She had never felt the need to wear such \par high heels before she started working with him. And it was \par her own fault; she knew Mulder didn't think less of her \par because of her height. Yet, she felt like she needed the \par extra inch or two around him. \par \par Now she found herself scurrying across the asphalt parking \par lot in the pouring rain, trying to get into the building on \par the other side before she got completely soaked. This wasn't \par easy to accomplish, as the wind was blowing along with the \par rain, making her umbrella pretty much useless. When she \par finally reached the doorway, she had to fight the wind just \par to get it open. Then she stepped inside the Manassas \par National Battlefield Visitor's Center. The warmth and dry \par air welcomed her. \par \par Though several people milled about, waiting out the storm, \par it was very quiet. Scully almost felt as if she had entered \par a church instead of a tourist attraction. She shook her \par head, sending droplets of rain water scattering. Folding her \par umbrella, she walked further into the room, her eyes \par searching for Mulder. She couldn't find him anywhere in the \par room. Glancing at her watch, she realized she was about ten \par minutes early for the scheduled rendezvous. It was still odd \par that Mulder wasn't here; he was always early for meetings \par like this. With a sigh, she began to wander. \par \par She had been here before, years earlier, with her family. \par Playing tourist. Being only a pre-teen at the time, she \par hadn't had much interest in history and had been \par sufficiently bored by the whole affair. But her curiosity \par about the two great Civil War battles that had been fought \par here almost 150 years ago had increased since then. She \par found her eyes drawn to the faces of the people in the \par pictures that were on exhibit. Pictures of real people whose \par lives has been turned upside down when a war was begun in \par their 'backyard'. She empathized with them now, having \par herself experienced her own kind of 'war'. \par \par She stopped in front of a display dedicated to the medical \par personnel who served during the four-year-long war. She eyed \par the instruments used by doctors that lined a shelf. She \par recognized many that were still used today. But some looked \par downright medieval. The most prominent tool sat near the \par front of the display. It looked like a small hand saw, and \par Scully knew that that was basically what it was. It was used \par for amputating the limbs of fallen soldiers. Amputation had \par been the most common 'cure' during the war. \par \par A picture caught her eye. It showed a woman stirring \par something in a large cup sitting between two beds with \par injured men lying in them. The placard underneath the old \par photo identified the woman as Ann Bell, a Union nurse. If \par Scully had lived back then, that was probably what she would \par have been: a nurse. Women doctors had been extremely rare in \par 1860's, and those that existed were given very little, if \par any, respect. \par \par A clap of thunder startled her. The lights dimmed, \par threatening to go out, then brightened again. Everyone in \par the museum breathed a sigh of relief. Scully turned to look \par out the glass doors. The rain was still coming down in \par sheets. \par \par Suddenly, a man rushed from the restroom in the back of the \par building, his lip bleeding, holding his arm awkwardly. \par Scully recognized him as the contact she and Mulder had been \par planning to meet here. He ran through the crowd, ducking and \par dodging, heading for the door. Mulder, his hair mussed and \par his expression grim, followed close behind. \par \par Almost as if he knew right where she would be, he looked at \par Scully over the people's heads and yelled toward her. "Stop \par him!" \par \par Scully immediately rushed for the exit, planning on cutting \par the man off. She didn't bother to consider why the man was \par running; Mulder had told her to stop him and stop him she \par would. Questions could be asked later. Unfortunately, the \par crowd, which had become restless, refused to part for her as \par it seemed to be doing for the man. He beat her to the door \par and ran out into the rain. With a groan, Scully followed, \par once again cursing her heels. She heard Mulder leave the \par building behind her. \par \par The two agents chased the man across the parking lot, away \par from the battlefield's main monument. They followed him into \par a clump of trees. Once the ground grew rough, Scully knew \par she was doomed. She was still startled when her ankle turned \par under her. She stumbled. Mulder, who had been close behind \par her, swerved, stopped and grabbed her elbow, turning \par concerned eyes on her. \par \par "Go!" she shouted at him, struggling to be heard above the \par pounding rain. The storm was becoming increasing violent \par around them. "Get him!" \par \par With one last assessing look, Mulder turned and continued \par after the subject. Scully limped over to a tree, placed her \par palm on the wet bark, and lifted her ankle up and back so \par she could grasp it with her other hand. It throbbed, but she \par consoled herself by deciding that it was only twisted, not \par broken or sprained. She set her foot down, lifted her head, \par brushed wet hair from her eyes, and looked toward where \par Mulder had gone. \par \par He and the man were nowhere in sight. Scully turned back \par toward the Center and began to move slowly through the \par trees. \par \par Then the world exploded. \par \par She felt it coming; the telltale tingling of electricity. \par She threw herself on the ground, bringing her arms up to \par cover her head, oblivious to the mud she was lying in. The \par tree next to her took the brunt of the bolt, and the air \par around her turned white. She squeezed her eyes shut, but the \par light refused to be ignored. \par \par Then it was gone. Scully slowly pulled herself off the \par ground and looked around. The tree was smoldering, but not \par on fire. The rain had decreased considerably, and even the \par lightning and thunder seemed to have petered out. With a \par deep breath and a silent prayer of thanks, she stood. \par Carefully, she made her way toward the parking lot. When she \par walked out of the trees the rain stopped. She looked up and \par saw... \par \par Nothing. \par \par No parking lot. No Visitor's Center. No cars or people. Just \par a field full of grass. And not the immaculate lawn that \par surrounded the battlefield memorial, but a sparse, \par grayish-green grass that looked well trampled. Scully turned \par a full 360 degrees, looking carefully at her surroundings. \par She was sure she had gone the right way, but she recognized \par nothing. \par \par "Mulder?" Her voice echoed in the still, heavy air. A \par distant rumble of thunder made her look up at the dark cloud \par above her. It was moving away, leaving a chill in the air. \par "Mulder?!" she shouted again, glancing behind her in the \par trees. Nobody. She decided to head back into the trees. It \par would be hard on her ankle to continue walking, but she \par wasn't getting anything done standing here, either. She \par started to turn, then saw the man. \par \par He was coming from over the small hill off to her right. He \par stopped suddenly and stared at her. She turned to face him. \par He seemed to take this as an invitation and began to walk \par down the slight incline. As he got closer, Scully felt her \par brow furrow in confusion. \par \par The man was dressed as if he were a 19th Century farmer. \par That alone wasn't odd; many locals dressed the part for the \par tourists, and Civil War buffs were constantly roaming around \par the area in period dress. What shocked her was WHO the \par person was. \par \par "AD Kersh?" \par \par The black man stopped at her question. His eyes widened, \par then her swept off his straw hat, exposing his graying hair, \par and bowed his head. "Ma'am? Can I help you?' \par \par Scully was speechless. She was sure it was Kersh, but Kersh \par did not speak with a thick Virginian accent! She took a deep \par breath. "Sir? Are you okay?" \par \par Dark eyes flashed up, then looked down again. "Ma'am?" \par \par Scully brought her hand up to her head. 'I know I hurt my \par ankle,' she thought to herself. 'I didn't hit my head, as \par well. Did I?' \par \par 'Kersh' spoke again. "Ma'am? Are you lost?" \par \par She realized how hard he was trying to avoid looking at her. \par And not just her eyes, but her legs as well. Suddenly, her \par simple, sedate skirt seemed miles too short. "The storm..." \par \par "Yes. It was a bad storm." He looked up again. "Are you \par hurt?" \par \par Scully nodded. "My ankle," she whispered. \par \par "Come with me, Ma'am. Missus Anderson's farm is just over \par yonder." He nodded toward the hill behind him. "She'll fix \par you up right." \par \par "Mrs. Anderson?" \par \par "Yes'm." \par \par Scully sighed. "Who are you?" \par \par Before he could answer, another figure appeared on the hill. \par A small, dark haired woman in a long gray dress began to \par make her way toward them. \par \par "Alfred?" Kersh turned to face the woman. "Who is this?" \par \par Scully felt her heart stop for just a moment. She knew that \par voice! And sure enough, as the woman drew closer, Scully \par recognized her face as well. She gasped. \par \par "Mom?!" \par \par The woman's eyes widened in consternation, and they looked \par her up and down, eyeing Scully's appearance with concern and \par slight disapproval. "Miss? Are you well?" She glanced at \par Kersh. "Is she hurt?" \par \par "She said something about her ankle, Missus. But I think she \par mighta hurt her head, too." \par \par Margaret Scully (or was it her?) eyed Scully again. "Miss, \par Why don't you come with me to the house. We'll get you \par looked after properly." Her accent wasn't as strong as \par Kersh's, but it was Virginian through and through. \par \par Scully started shaking her head slowly. "What is going on \par here?" she demanded. "Am I dreaming? What am I saying? I \par HAVE to be dreaming! There is no way the two of you even \par know each other." She took a step back from her two \par 'nightmare' creations, but she forgot about her ankle. Both \par 'Alfred' and 'Mrs. Anderson' grabbed her as she started to \par fall. \par \par "Miss! I think you musta hurt yourself somthin' terrible. \par Please, come with us." Kersh's voice was kind, worried. \par \par "I don't...." Scully started. She must be going into shock, \par she thought; her body was trembling horribly. "I can't..." \par An unbelievable idea formed in her head. Breathing hard, she \par asked the two people in front of her, "What's the date?" \par \par "The date?" Maggie asked, giving Kersh an odd look. "It is \par August 19th, I believe." \par \par Scully nodded. That much she knew. She took another deep \par breath. "What year?" \par \par Another look passed between her two 'rescuers'. "Eighteen \par Sixty-two." \par \par Scully couldn't help it; she fainted. \par \par ************************************************************ \par \par "We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be \par enemies...The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every \par battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and \par hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the \par chorus of the Union when again touched, as surely they will \par be, by the better angels of our nature." Abraham \par Lincoln-February 1861 \par \par ***** \par \par August 19, 1999 \par Manassas National Battlefield Park \par \par "This has to be one of the worst days of my life!" \par \par Mulder turned his glare on Nikky Harper, silently repeating \par the man's words in his head. Now was not the time to start \par sympathizing with the crook. Mulder was wet, cold and tired. \par His jaw hurt from when Nikky had punched him, and his right \par hand hurt from when he had thoughtlessly retaliated with a \par punch of his own. At least the rain was slowing down \par somewhat. Now, his only intent was to get this man in a \par secure jail cell, go home, take a hot shower, and settle in \par front of the TV for the night. Questioning Nikky about his \par involvement with the Russian Mafia could wait. \par \par He had been planning on meeting both his partner and Harper \par at the Visitor's Center that afternoon with the intent to \par get Nikky's information on a supposed shipment of 'weapons' \par that originated from Area 51. Instead, he had accidentally \par run into the man in the restroom, where the idiot had \par proceeded to threaten him. He wanted more perks than your \par average 'snitch'; he had demanded money, lots of it. His \par attitude had rubbed Mulder so wrong, that Mulder had decided \par to just arrest the man. Harper had hit him in response. \par Mulder had hit him back, then thrown him up against the \par wall. The blinking lights had distracted him, and Harper had \par pulled away. \par \par Following him out of the bathroom, Mulder hadn't been at all \par surprised to see Scully on the other side of the room, \par closer to the door than he was. At his yell, she had \par immediately raced to intercept Harper. The crowd had \par obviously been more afraid of the greasy looking man than \par the small redhead, because they parted for him and not her. \par Harper raced into the rain and both Mulder and Scully \par followed. \par \par Due to his long legs, Mulder was quite a bit faster than his \par partner, especially when she was in heels (though he knew he \par would never in a million years be able to run as well in \par shoes like that!). Yet, he hadn't gained on her much by the \par time they reached the trees. Then she had stumbled. Her gasp \par of pain startled him; she was usually so stoic. He swerved \par to avoid tripping over her, then grasped her arm as he \par stopped beside her. Her brilliant blue eyes had flashed at \par him through the wet hair that had fallen over them. "Go!" \par she had yelled. "Get him!" Mulder had let his eyes roam over \par her one last time, to make sure she wasn't hurt too badly. \par But she was upright and her glare insisted he go on. He knew \par without a doubt that if he asked how she was, she'd simply \par say "I'm fine." To avoid hearing those hated words, he \par }{\f36\fs20\insrsid1572959 turned and went after Harper. \par \par He hadn't been all that hard to catch. Mulder had tackled \par him not 200 yards from where he had left Scully. Now, with \par Nikky handcuffed, Mulder passed the tree he was sure Scully \par had been near the last time he had seen her. It was obvious \par something had happened to it. It was smoldering, and it was \par sporting a dark, jagged gash along most of its length. \par Struck by lightning, Mulder assumed. He hoped Scully hadn't \par been near it when it happened. \par \par People were milling outside the Visitor's Center when he \par arrived with his prisoner, and a police car sat in the fire \par lane in front of the building, its lights flashing. A \par Sheriff's deputy and a Park Ranger met him, questions in \par their eyes. Mulder answered as much as he could, his eyes \par occasionally drifting around the parking lot, looking for \par one person in particular. When the deputy was through and \par had taken Nikky into custody, Mulder entered the Center. He \par looked everywhere, even the women's bathroom, getting a \par nasty look from a matronly old lady in the process. Nothing. \par He finally started asking around, but nobody had seen who he \par was looking for. \par \par He went back into the parking lot, which was slowly emptying \par out. The park closed in less than an hour. Her car sat at \par the far end looking lonely. Mulder felt panic start to set \par in. He pulled out his cell phone, pressed the appropriate \par buttons, and stood in the chill early evening air. "We're \par sorry, but the cellular customer you are trying to reach is \par not within range of a cellular tower. Please try....." \par Mulder slapped the phone shut, his heart pounding \par erratically. 'Calm down,' he told himself. 'She can take \par care of herself. Stop worrying.' He decided to just wait a \par while longer, praying she would turn up soon. \par \par An hour later, the deputy was back with more men and the \par search for Special Agent Dana Scully had begun. \par \par ************************************************************ \par \par "You are green, it is true; but they are green, also; you \par are all green alike." A. Lincoln-July 1861 \par \par ***** \par \par August 20, 1862? \par Near Manassas Junction, Virginia \par \par When Scully woke, it was to an aching head, a throbbing \par ankle, and a wish that she could go right back to sleep. She \par opened her eyes, nervously looking around the room. She \par remembered what had been going on before shock had taken \par over. Her 'mother' had just told her she was in 1862. \par Sitting up slowly in the soft feather bed, Scully almost \par believed it. The room was small, with wood floors and \par furnishings. Furnishings that looked like brand new \par antiques. Lovely blue gingham curtains fluttered in the \par breeze coming in the window off to her left. The breeze was \par warm and the sun was shining; any remnants of the storm had \par long since blown away. It was a brand new morning. In 1862. \par \par 'Oh, come on, Dana,' Scully thought to herself. 'They were \par teasing you. They probably love to tease tourists.' She \par purposefully forgot that 'they' looked just like her mother \par and AD Kersh. Ignoring her aches and pains, Scully slid out \par of the huge bed. She was wearing a long cotton gown, \par buttoned up to her chin. Long sleeved and barely brushing \par the floor, the nightgown swallowed her up. Lifting the skirt \par slightly, she walked to the window, and moved aside the \par curtain to look out. \par \par Two men were working on a wagon in front of a barn. A couple \par of harnessed work horses stood hipshot, dozing in the \par morning sun next to the barn. Scully felt her eyes search \par the entire yard, but she saw no signs of civilization. No \par power lines, no cars, no paved roads. She looked back at the \par men below. Both were dressed in worn work clothes. One was \par the man Scully thought looked like Kersh. Alfred. The other \par was also a black man, but he was much bigger than Alfred. \par He, too, looked familiar. Scully squinted at him. \par \par No. It couldn't be. \par \par The door behind her opened and she swung around. Maggie/Mrs. \par Anderson walked in, carrying a tray of food. She smiled when \par she saw Scully. "Ah, you're awake. I was starting to get a \par little worried, but I guess you just needed the sleep." She \par set the tray down on the dresser. "I brought you something \par to eat, but if you like, I can find something clean for you \par to wear and you can come down to the kitchen to eat." \par \par Clothing would be nice. "Yes. Thank you." \par \par Mrs. Anderson went over to the wardrobe standing in the \par corner of the room and opened it. "I think my daughter's \par clothing will fit you, though she is a bit taller than you. \par If not, I can loan you something of mine. You and I are \par about the same size." She pulled out a gray dress. Simple, \par no frills, boring. Long sleeves, long skirt. A perfect \par mid-1800's farm girl dress. Draping the dress on the bed, \par Mrs. Anderson proceeded to the dresser, and began pulling \par out several white things Scully assumed were under-clothes. \par \par "Mrs. Anderson?" Scully started. \par \par "Oh, please. Call me Maddie." \par \par "Maddie. I really can't thank you enough for helping me. You \par know nothing about me, yet you took me in." Maddie had \par stopped to look at her. "I know this may sound strange, but \par I'm a little lost. I don't know how I got here or how to get \par home." \par \par "Where is home?" \par \par "D.C." \par \par Maddie looked confused for a moment. "You mean Washington?" \par \par Scully nodded. \par \par Maddie sighed. "Well, you are only about 25 miles from \par there, but I'm afraid it will be hard to get back. The lines \par around the capital are tight as can be. I suppose we could \par find an officer around who can escort you in, but it will be \par hard to prove to him you aren't a spy. Spies are everywhere, \par I understand." \par \par Scully stared at her. Maddie was talking about the war, she \par realized. And she sounded so casual about it. Of course, \par this close to the fighting, she was used to dealing with it \par every day. Scully shook her head again. How could she \par possibly believe this was happening? \par \par Another knock sounded on the door. "Miz Anderson? Alfred and \par I are going over to Bixby's to pick up that flour you \par wanted." The voice was frighteningly familiar. It was coming \par from the man she had seen outside the window. The man Mulder \par had simply called X. \par \par "All right, Jonah. Don't take too long." \par \par "No, Ma'am." They could hear his footsteps as he descended \par the stairs and left the house. \par \par Scully was struck with an idea. "Maddie, are Alfred and \par Jonah your slaves?" \par \par Maddie looked at her, her eyes quietly assessing. "No. Both \par Alfred and Jonah are free men. They worked for my husband \par and since his death, they work for me." She tilted her head. \par "You are a Union sympathizer, aren't you?" She shrugged. \par "Not that it matters to me. I try to keep my nose out of \par politics. And God knows there are enough mixed loyalties \par around here." Her eyes had become pools full of sadness. \par \par "How did your husband die?" Scully asked softly. \par \par "His heart gave out, five years ago, while he was working \par the fields." She smiled softly. "In a way, I'm glad. He \par would have hated this country and what it is doing to his \par sons." When Maddie noticed Scully's curious look, she \par explained. "Our oldest son, Todd, is a Lieutenant in the \par Navy. The Confederate Navy. Our younger son, Richard, is a \par Union officer." \par \par 'Brother Against Brother.' Scully had heard the phrase. She \par had always believed it meant countryman against countryman. \par Obviously, it was a literal term. She was sure Maddie wasn't \par the only mother of children with divided loyalties. \par Especially in the areas of Northern Virginia, Maryland and \par Kentucky. West Virginia had still been part of Virginia in \par 1862, though not for much longer. It would eventually secede \par from the rest of the state and rejoin the Union. \par \par Scully walked over to the dress and fingered the material. \par "Your daughter?" \par \par Maddie smiled. "Like me, Melanie refuses to choose sides. \par But she has, in a way, given her loyalties to the \par Confederacy. She works as a nurse." Her smile became sad. "I \par haven't seen her or Todd in months. And Rich.... I haven't \par seen him in over a year. I don't even know if he's alive or \par dead." She looked up. "I'll let you get changed. Just come \par downstairs when you're ready." With that, she turned and \par left the room. \par \par Scully turned and sat heavily on the bed. It was obvious she \par wasn't being teased by some history-loving locals, which \par left only two explanations for her current predicament. One, \par the lightning strike had knocked her out and she was lying \par in a hospital somewhere dreaming an incredibly strange, \par realistic dream. Or two, she was really in 1862. She knew \par which one she wanted to believe, but she was also afraid \par that what she wanted to believe and what was real weren't \par one and the same. \par \par ***** \par \par End Part 1/7 \par \par Manassas-Part 2/7 \par Summary and disclaimers in Part 1 \par \par ***** \par \par "It was the first Field of Glory I had seen in the May of \par life, and the first time that Glory sickened me with its \par repulsive aspect, and made me suspect it was all a \par glittering lie...." Henry Morton Stanley-April 1862 \par \par ***** \par \par August 20, 1862 \par Anderson Farm \par Near Manassas Junction, Virginia \par \par It was mid-morning when Scully finally made it to the \par kitchen. She felt strange in the long dress, mostly due to \par the plentiful under-clothes. Camisole, knickers of some sort \par that came to just below the knee, two petticoats, and \par stockings that came up to meet the knickers, tied with \par ribbon-like garters just above the knee. The shoes reminded \par her of lace-up Western boots, but narrower with higher \par heels. \par \par Maddie gave her another smile when Scully entered the \par kitchen, but it seemed strained. There was worry in her \par eyes, and though Scully was sure this woman had plenty to \par worry about, she was pretty sure this particular problem was \par because of her. The older woman began to talk about nothing \par in particular, and her nervous energy began to transfer to \par Scully, who stood to help her clean up the morning dishes. \par There was a sink, but no running water. Maddie used what \par water was left in a large porcelain pitcher to clean the \par dishes, and Scully dried them with a rough dish towel. \par \par Maddie suddenly turned to face her. "I don't even know your \par name." \par \par "Dana," Scully immediately responded. "Dana...Hale." She \par could claim to be the widow of George if anyone asked. A \par widow would be given more respect than an unmarried \par thirty-something in this day in age. She looked at her left \par hand, then at Maddie's. The older woman wasn't wearing a \par ring. Scully knew that wearing a wedding ring hadn't been \par that common a practice in the 1860's. Especially for farm \par women, who used their hands for hard labor and had no desire \par to worry about jewelry. \par \par Maddie sighed. "Dana. That's a lovely name." She paused, as \par if unsure how to continue. "Where are you from originally, \par Dana? Your clothing...it was..." \par \par Scully actually blushed. Yes indeed, if Maddie had undressed \par her last night, she would have been quite shocked by her \par under-clothes. While modest and simple in her world, the \par cotton and lace bra and panties would be scandalous now. \par "I...I am originally from..." What exactly did her generic \par accent sound like? "I'm from Minnesota originally, but I \par just returned from France." \par \par "France?" A look of curiosity crossed her face. "How \par interesting." Scully could only guess what Maddie was \par thinking about the country across the sea. 'Sorry, France,' \par Scully thought. 'Don't mean to bad-mouth you.' \par \par The sound of horses interrupted any more conversation, and \par both women moved to the small window next to the front door. \par Maddie gave Scully a glance. "Soldiers. They've moved into \par the area recently. I'm not sure I'm happy about it." She \par moved to the door. "We've already had more than our share of \par blood spilled here; we certainly don't need more." \par \par She exited the house, and Scully followed, understandably \par curious and unusually excited. She stepped out on the porch \par behind Maddie, wondering who she would recognize this time. \par She wasn't disappointed. Jeffrey Spender, looking amazingly \par young and boyish, despite his immaculate blue uniform, sat \par astride a tall bay horse. Three other men rode with him. \par \par "Lieutenant Wade, ladies." He doffed his hat. "Which one of \par you is Madeline Anderson?" \par \par Maddie moved forward a bit. "I am Mrs. Anderson. What can I \par do for you, Lieutenant?" \par \par "The General wanted me to invite you to a social tomorrow \par evening in Centreville, at General Parker's house. He has \par heard about your efforts for the Country, and wishes to \par thank you in person." \par \par Scully looked at Maddie questioningly. Maddie, her \par expression unchanged, replied, "What 'efforts'?" \par \par Spender/Wade smirked. "We are aware of your activities, Mrs. \par Anderson." He turned to look up the drive, where Alfred and \par Jonah were returning from their visit to the neighbors in \par the old wagon they had been working on earlier. He turned \par back to the women. "You and your boys have a reputation \par around here." \par \par Maddie stood silent. \par \par Wade looked at Scully. "Your friend is invited, as well. I \par am sure the General will approve. The more the merrier." He \par paused. "Lt. Richard Anderson may be there. If he and his \par men arrive from the Richmond lines in time." \par \par Maddie's eyes had widened in excitement upon hearing this \par news. "Of course we will attend, Lieutenant. Thank the \par General for the invitation." \par \par "Of course." Wade nodded, then spun his horse and cantered \par away, his men following. \par \par "I'm sorry for speaking for you, Miss Hale," Maddie said to \par Scully. "But I would greatly appreciate it if you would \par come." She smiled. "My son may be there!" \par \par Scully smiled softly back. "I think I'd like that. But I \par don't have anything to wear." Scully assumed a social meant \par a party of some sort. \par \par "We'll find something. In fact, I think I know what would \par look wonderful on you." \par \par As Scully followed Maddie back into the house, the thought \par passed through her head that she should really be trying to \par find a way back home. But a part of her was still convinced \par this was all a dream, and she wanted to enjoy the adventure. \par Too bad Mulder isn't here, she thought. He would be loving \par this! \par \par ************************************************************ \par \par "Well, General, we've had the Devil's own day." William \par Tecumseh Sherman \par "Yes. Lick 'em tomorrow, though." U.S.Grant-April 1862 \par \par ***** \par \par August 20, 1999 \par Manassas National Battlefield Park \par \par Mulder was not enjoying any of this. It had been slightly \par over 24 hours since Scully's disappearance, and there was \par absolutely no trace of her, dead or alive. Mulder hadn't had \par any sleep. He had helped the local officers in the search \par last night. Dogs had been brought in this morning, but they \par picked up no scent. At Skinner's demand, Mulder had returned \par home around lunch to eat and change into more comfortable \par clothes. He had been back within an hour to continue, but \par still there was nothing. It was like she had dropped off the \par face of the earth. He looked upward at the first stars \par beginning to glitter in the darkening sky. He felt a shiver \par run up his back. 'No,' he thought. 'Not again.' \par \par He stood from his seat on the porch of the Center and walked \par towards the stand of trees where he had last seen her. He \par had searched the area around the trees dozens of times \par already, but he was positive that if he was to find any clue \par of her whereabouts, it would be there. Several of the \par officers watched him go with pity in their eyes. They were \par all tired and frustrated as well, but it was obvious to \par everyone involved how much the FBI agent cared for his \par missing partner. Many of them were convinced she had been \par kidnapped, and that her body would be found nearby sometime \par in the future. But nobody was going to say that to Agent \par Mulder. \par \par Mulder had to use his flashlight to see when he entered the \par trees. He tried to retrace every step he had taken yesterday \par in the chase. Tried to picture exactly where it had been \par that Scully had stumbled. Where he had stopped to help her. \par Again, he found himself near that tree. He directed the \par light up the length of the trunk, eyeing the gash once more. \par If she had been here when the tree had been struck, if she \par had been struck as well, her body would be here. It wouldn't \par have disappeared. He flashed the light along the ground. It \par took his conscious mind a while to understand that he was \par unconsciously looking for her cross. That tiny object that \par had been his connection to Scully more than once when she \par was gone. But there was nothing. \par \par With a groan, he sank down on the ground, his back to the \par tree. He leaned his head back and once again looked at the \par stars. He knew what the deputies and other agents thought. \par That Scully had been taken and killed by an unknown \par assailant. But Mulder knew she wasn't dead. He would feel it \par if she died. He laughed at himself for the silly thought. \par But it was true, he realized. Half of him would be dead if \par she was, and yet he was here, alive. He closed his eyes and \par felt regret pour through him. Regret for so many things. \par Regret for not giving Scully more attention, more respect. \par Regret for not telling her he loved her. Regret for not \par being worthy of her love. Oh, yes. He knew she loved him, \par though she had never said the words. Why else would she have \par stayed a willing part of his miserable existence for so \par long? \par \par 'Oh, quit moping, Mulder.' Her voice was as clear as a bell \par in his ear. His eyes flew open, but he knew he was alone. He \par sighed. She would indeed be angry with him for sitting here \par wallowing in self-pity. \par \par But it was a hell of a lot easier than thinking about what \par might be happening to her. \par \par ************************************************************ \par \par "If McClellan is not using the army, I should like to borrow \par it for a while." A. Lincoln-April 1862 \par \par ***** \par \par August 21, 1862 \par Anderson Farm \par Near Manassas Junction, Virginia \par \par Scully was having the time of her life. \par \par She didn't really care if she was dreaming or not, the \par details of the world around her fascinated her to no end. \par She spent the rest of the day yesterday helping Maddie with \par her various chores, which included cleaning house, helping \par care for the few animals left on the farm, and checking the \par crops of tobacco and corn. It was getting close to harvest, \par but Maddie was worried they wouldn't get to keep what little \par they planted anyway. Both armies pretty much took what they \par wanted whenever they came through. \par \par Maddie also told how Major General John Pope, who was in \par charge of the Union troops in the area, had made more than a \par few enemies, even among the Unionists. He had established \par Martial Law in the area, not trusting ANY Virginian. It was \par a surprise to Maddie that he had even allowed the party in \par Centreville to take place. Obviously, 'the General' had more \par power. \par \par When Maddie mentioned the General, Scully couldn't help \par wracking her brain, trying to think of who this General \par might be. It couldn't be the famous Grant; he was still out \par west fighting at this point in time. Other famous generals \par names came to mind, but she finally decided to just ask. \par \par "Who is this General you talk about?" \par \par Maddie got a concerned look on her face. "General Wade." \par \par Spender's face came to mind. "Is he related to the \par Lieutenant of the same name?" \par \par Maddie nodded. "His father. He wields a lot of power in this \par area. Even Pope is afraid of him." \par \par Scully also struck up conversations with Maddie's two \par workers. Alfred she found easy to talk to, amazingly enough. \par But Jonah was intimidating, and always seemed to be watching \par her with distrust. Scully tried not to worry about it too \par much. \par \par This afternoon, Maddie was helping her to change into a \par dress much different than what she had worn before. It was \par made of silk, and Scully knew it must have cost a fortune, \par especially in this era. It was an incredible blue color, \par nearly matching Scully's eyes. Low cut, off the shoulder, \par with long, tight sleeves, it looked far to small for Scully. \par When she pointed this out to Maddie, the older woman gave \par her an odd look, then proceeded to pull out what Scully \par recognized as a corset. \par \par Something in her rebelled. Women had been forced to wear \par those torture devices for hundreds, even thousands of years, \par and Scully couldn't stand the thought of wearing one. But \par she also knew that she would not fit into that gorgeous gown \par without it. Feeling like Scarlet O'Hara, Scully had to grind \par her teeth together as Maddie pulled on the strings that \par tightened the whale-bone binding around her waist, nearly \par cutting off her breathing. She wore the chemise and knickers \par underneath, but they were no protection at all from the \par biting and pinching the device caused. The corset was \par followed by three petticoats and one very thick, almost hoop \par skirt-like starched petticoat on top of them. Then Maddie \par lowered the gown over her head. It fit Scully's now tiny \par waist to perfection. With a grimace, she turned to look at \par herself in the rough mirror. \par \par "Oh, my God!" \par \par Despite her use of the Lord's name in vain, Maddie smiled at \par Scully's reaction. Scully was staring. At herself. She knew \par the petticoats would make the skirt incredibly full, and she \par knew the corset would shrink her waist. But what she hadn't \par known was how the corset would 'boost' her, so to speak. \par Scully looked at her chest in astonishment. She, who had \par always been pretty much convinced her body was nothing \par special, just ordinary, had cleavage! And a lot of it! \par \par "Wow!" she whispered. \par \par Maddie simply nodded. She had gotten dressed in a much more \par sedate silk gown already, and had done her hair in a simple \par knot. But she had dressed up Scully's hair, which was much \par shorter than most women in this era wore theirs, in an \par elegant twist. Now, as she slowly swayed in front of the \par mirror, smiling at the lovely swishing noises the silk made, \par Scully forgot all about shoes that pinched and not being \par able to breathe. She was ready to party! \par \par The last thought she had before she and Maddie got in the \par old, but functional, carriage for the two hour ride to \par Centreville, was that she wished Mulder could see her in \par this get-up. She wondered what he would say. \par \par ************************************************************ \par \par "If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I \par would do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the \par slaves, I would do it; and if I could do it by freeing some \par and leaving others alone, I would also do that." A. \par Lincoln-August 1862 \par \par ***** \par \par August 21, 1862 \par General Parker's Residence \par Centreville, Virginia \par \par Maddie explained to Scully on the rough road to Centreville \par that General Parker was a good friend of fellow Virginian \par Robert E. Lee, but unlike Lee, he had chosen to stay with \par the Union. Many Virginian's called him a traitor because of \par this decision, and the Confederates had, when given the \par chance, looted and nearly burned the General's house last \par year. But now, with the Federals in control of the area once \par more, the house had been fixed up and was being used as \par Headquarters' for Wade and his men. Parker himself had \par retired from fighting, but still commanded a great amount of \par respect from both Northern and Southern troops. He was a \par wonderful man, Maddie said. Unlike Pope and Wade, whom \par Maddie seemed fearful of. \par \par Scully had to admit to being suspicious about Maddie's real \par reason for wanting her at this party. Scully was also still \par a bit confused about why she wanted to go. She should really \par try to figure out how she had gotten here in the first \par place. If she didn't wake up first. \par \par The sun was just beginning to set when they arrived at the \par Parker House. It was a lovely, two-story brick building with \par roses surrounding it in abundance. A dignified looking black \par man helped them from the carriage, which Jonah had driven, \par and the two of them walked up the porch steps and entered \par the house. Scully, who hadn't stopped looking for, and had \par not found, anything 20th Century, stood astounded. What she \par saw was straight out of 'Gone With The Wind'! \par \par The men in the room outnumbered the women by at least five \par to one, but the women made up for their lack of numbers by \par standing out. Gowns of every color and fabric decorated the \par room. And Scully was instantly aware her cleavage wasn't the \par only one being displayed. The men were all in uniform. All \par in blue. Gold buttons flashed and silver dress-swords \par rattled. Several male eyes turned her way, and she couldn't \par help but blush. With her red hair and blue dress, she must \par stand out. \par \par Almost immediately, an older man approached them. Scully \par felt her heart speed up as she recognized him, even with the \par broad mustache he wore. Deep Throat. \par \par "Ladies! Welcome! Mrs. Anderson, I am honored that you could \par join us." He sent a glance Scully's way. "And I heard you \par were bringing a guest." \par \par "Yes," Maddie answered. "This is Dana Hale, a friend of my \par daughter's." She lied with ease, Scully saw. \par \par Deep Throat took her hand in his, bowed over it, and touched \par his lips to its back lightly. "Miss Hale. General Parker. \par Welcome to my home." \par \par "Thank you," Scully responded with as much dignity as she \par could muster. "And it is Mrs. Hale. My husband passed away \par several years ago." \par \par "And you never remarried? I lovely woman such as yourself?" \par \par Scully shook her head. "No. I could never replace him in my \par heart." Now why had Mulder's face popped into her head just \par then? \par \par "I understand completely. If my Doreen passes before me, I \par know I'd never look at anther woman." He bent his elbow in \par an age-old gesture the Scully understood right away. She \par grasped his elbow lightly with her hand. "Come, let me \par introduce you." \par \par He escorted her to a group of officers on the other side of \par the room. She recognized Spender/Wade, who gave her an \par appreciative glance up and down. Rather blatant, Scully \par thought, for an 1860's man. The tall man next to Wade turned \par when he heard them approach, and Scully felt an sudden \par desire to reverse her direction and go the other way. It was \par him. The General. The man who seemed to have more power than \par Pope, who had been put in charge of the Union forces by the \par President himself. Cancer Man. \par \par "General Wade. I'd like to introduce you to Mrs. Anderson's \par guest. This is Mrs. Hale, from...?" \par \par "Minnesota. Although I've been living in Washington for \par several years." \par \par "Mrs. Hale." Wade nodded his head in acknowledgment. He was \par almost unrecognizable, sporting, as he did, a mustache and \par sideburns. It was the most common style among mature men, \par Scully knew. And instead of a cigarette, he carried a cigar. \par But he was still frightening. "Mr. Hale?" \par \par "Dead." Her answer was sharp. Too sharp. Wade's eyes \par narrowed. \par \par "The war?" \par \par "No. He died several years ago." \par \par "I'm sorry if I brought up any bad memories, Mrs. Hale. But \par I am sure many men here tonight will be asking about you, \par and I would like to give them an answer." \par \par "Oh, admit it, Cleve. You're just nosy!" The speaker was \par another tall man, but he wasn't in uniform and he spoke with \par a British accent. Scully took in a deep breath. Was she \par destined to meet everyone from her past here? \par \par The man came up to her, kissing her hand as Parker had done. \par "Patrick Louder, at your service, Madame. I am a journalist \par for the London Times, but I have also known this old man," \par he nodded toward Wade, "for far too long. Long enough to \par know when he is playing bloodhound." \par \par "Bloodhound?" Scully asked. \par \par "Sniffing out spies, Mrs. Hale," Wade's son answered. "But I \par hardly think a lady from Minnesota would be spying for the \par Rebs." He and the other men around him laughed. \par \par Scully smiled politely and said, "No. Of course not." \par \par "And, of course," Wade Sr. continued, "Mrs. Anderson would \par not treat her so kindly if she approved of the slave issue." \par \par A flurry of activity across the room attracted the attention \par of the small group Scully stood with. She turned to see \par Maddie being swung around happily by a tall, redheaded \par soldier. When the man pulled away, Scully smiled. Charlie. \par \par "Richard Anderson, I presume?" She spoke to no one in \par particular, but the General answered her. \par \par "Yes. He and his men were marched up here to join Pope's \par troops." \par \par Scully looked around the room, pretending to look for Pope. \par She'd never met a historical figure before. "He's not here, \par Mrs. Hale. He is still licking his wounds from his defeat at \par Cedar Mountain two weeks ago." \par \par Scully nodded and started to turn back toward the group when \par a man caught her eye. She couldn't help but feel her heart \par speed up. \par \par Like all the others, he was in blue. Another General. He \par also displayed facial hair, but only a modest mustache, and \par Scully had to admit his broad shoulders filled out the blue \par uniform he was wearing quite splendidly. She had always had \par a thing for men in uniform. She saw him glance her way, and \par she gave him a small smile, realizing she probably \par shouldn't; it wasn't something a decent lady should do. But \par if there was anybody Scully felt she could trust enough to \par help her out of this unbelievable situation, it was him. \par There was only one other man she trusted more. The soldier \par began to walk her way, and Scully tensed. \par \par "General Rollins," Wade said to the man, and Scully was sure \par she heard distaste in the man's voice. Hmmm. So Skinner \par ticked him off in this time, too. \par \par "Sir," Skinner/Rollins said, but his brown eyes never left \par Scully. "Ma'am." He took her hand, kissing it as the others \par had, only he seemed to linger over it a bit longer than the \par others. "General William Rollins." \par \par Scully smiled slightly. Was he flirting with her?! \par "General." \par \par Before any more words could be said, a young private rushed \par into the room, heading straight for Wade. "Sir! I just \par received this." The boy (he was far too young to be \par considered a man) handed a small sheet of paper to Wade. \par \par Wade read the message. Then he looked at the men surrounding \par him. "Confederate cavalry are in the area tonight. Wrecking \par havoc, as usual. I think it's best we disperse, gentlemen." \par \par David Wade asked his father nervously, "Is it Stanton, do \par you think?" \par \par Wade's eyes glittered in the light from the many gas lamps. \par "I do hope so. I really do." \par \par Scully suddenly felt an uncontrollable fear for this \par Stanton, because whatever Wade had in mind for him, it \par wasn't good. \par \par ***** \par \par End 2/7 \par \par Manassas-Part 3/7 \par Summary and disclaimers in Part 1 \par \par ***** \par \par "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a \par punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly \par convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any \par place subject to their jurisdiction." 13th \par Amendment-Ratified December 1865 \par \par ***** \par \par August 21, 1862 \par Virginia Countryside Between \par Centreville and the Anderson Farm \par \par Traveling at night in 1862 was no easy feat. There were no \par street lamps to guide the way, and there were no headlights \par from other cars. In fact, the only light Scully could see \par came from the two lanterns attached to the sides of the \par carriage. And the stars. Wow, were there a lot of stars! \par \par The trip back to the farm was taking much longer than the \par one to Centreville, as the horses had to move slower because \par of the dark. General Parker had invited both Scully and \par Maddie to stay at his house for the night, but Maddie was \par insistent they go home. Parker agreed, but only if they \par allowed an escort. Maddie's son, Rich, had only a three-day \par pass and had to return to his men further south, so Parker \par asked Rollins to accompany them home. He would stay the \par night at the Anderson farm, then continue on to Pope's camp \par the next morning. The General rode his horse quietly next to \par the carriage, occasionally putting in a word here and there \par as Maddie kept up her usual chatter. Scully also found his \par eyes on her more than once. Shadowed as it was in the dim \par light from the lanterns, she couldn't read his expression. \par \par Suddenly, the night noises around them became silent. Maddie \par quieted, obviously feeling, as Scully did, that something \par was not right. A loud, high-pitched howl emanated from the \par trees off to their right, and another one echoed it from the \par left. Soon, the carriage seemed surrounded by the eerie \par noise. Rollins drew his pistol, his horse dancing nervously \par underneath him, and Jonah pulled the carriage horses to a \par stop and began looking around with a fearful expression. \par Scully realized she was listening to the infamous Rebel \par Yell. \par \par A crash sounded off to the left, and Rollins swung his horse \par back and around to shoot into the darkness. Almost \par immediately, a rifle shot followed from the other side. \par Rollins grunted in pain, dropping his pistol and grabbing \par his right shoulder with his left hand. The movement spooked \par his horse, and the gelding reared up, lost his balance, and \par stumbled, half falling onto his side. He didn't go all the \par way down, but it was enough to dislodge his rider, who \par tumbled to the ground. The horse rose and galloped off. \par \par Scully jumped from the carriage and rushed to Rollins' side. \par He was trying to sit up, still holding his shoulder. Scully \par kneeled beside him, moved his hand away from the wound, and \par placed her own hands on it; it was bleeding profusely. \par Scully stared at the blood seeping past her fingers. 'My \par God,' she thought. 'This is no dream!' The yelling had \par stopped, both the Rebel soldiers' and Maddie and Jonah's, \par who had been hollering at Scully to stay in the carriage. \par For a while, all she could hear was the beating of her own \par heart and the rush of blood in her ears. \par \par The sound of a horse behind her caused her to tense up. \par Rollins looked up and past her to whoever was there, fear \par and anger mixing with the pain in his eyes. The horse \par stopped almost directly behind Scully. \par \par "Well, General. Looks like your reflexes aren't what they \par used to be," a deep voice drawled from behind her. Despite \par the rich Virginian accent, Scully recognized it almost \par immediately. She knew that voice as well as her own. "But, \par of course," it continued, "I'd probably be a little slow to \par respond, too, if I had this lovely vision to distract me." \par \par Scully slowly turned her head and looked up. He sat his \par horse like he had been born in the saddle, with his arms \par casually crossed over the pommel, and he was slouching, as \par if he had just woken up from a nap. But despite his relaxed \par appearance, Scully noted a tenseness that told her he was \par ready for anything. The rifle that lay across his lap was \par within easy reach, as was the pistol at his side. He wore a \par threadbare uniform, a dirty gray in color, with yellow \par piping, and his hair was long, his face unshaven. A battered \par gray ostrich plume decorated his hat. But his eyes, which \par were almost glowing in the lamplight, were the same. \par \par Mulder. \par \par She felt the urge to laugh, to jump up and tell him to get \par off the horse before it moved and he fell off. To tell him \par that she had had enough of this game and wanted to go home. \par The blood seeping through her fingers as she held Rollins' \par shoulder was far too real for a dream, so this must be some \par big practical joke. Everyone in her life must be in on it. \par She felt tears well up in her eyes, but she refused to let \par them fall. What the hell was she going to do now? \par \par "You have something I want, Rollins," the horseman said. \par \par Rollins shook his head. "I have nothing. I'm simply \par escorting these women back to their home. Tomorrow, I'm \par heading back to my command. That is all." \par \par 'Mulder' looked at Maddie. "Mrs. Anderson. Lovely evening \par for a party, isn't it?" \par \par Maddie nodded, her expression blank. "Colonel. Yes, it is a \par lovely evening." \par \par "Helped any slaves to Canada lately?" he continued. He \par glanced at Jonah, who sent him a glare full of venom. \par \par Scully looked at Maddie, who had lowered her eyes at the \par question. So that was her secret. She helped runaway slaves. \par Not a very safe job to have, especially in a slave state. \par She must be part of the legendary Underground Railroad, and \par that was why Wade had wanted to thank her. The more trouble \par the slaves caused in the south, the more the south was \par weakened. For months now, the Confederacy had been demanding \par that they were NOT fighting for slavery, but for states \par rights. The slaves, and Scully, knew better. This war would \par end up being all about slavery. \par \par Scully turned to look at Rollins. Even in the dim light, she \par could tell he was getting pale. She turned to look up at \par 'Mulder'. "Look, Colonel. This man needs medical attention. \par Could we have this little 'pow wow' some other time?" \par \par His eyes met hers. "Pow wow? What do you know of pow wows?" \par \par Oops. "I'm from Minnesota." \par \par He nodded, and Scully breathed in a sigh of relief. \par Minnesota was still part of the Frontier, and Sioux Indians \par still resided there. \par \par "Miss, I'd like it a great deal if you would move away from \par the General and step back over to your carriage. Please." \par His voice was pleasant sounding enough, but she detected the \par hint of steel underneath. \par \par She looked at Rollins, who nodded to her. He placed his hand \par on his shoulder again, which was bleeding much less now, and \par Scully stood. She glanced off behind Rollins and spotted the \par pistol, which he had dropped in his fall. It was too far to \par try to reach it. And even if she did, what then? She wasn't \par about to shoot Mulder...again. She walked over to stand \par beside the carriage, noticing as she did the shapes of other \par horses and riders standing just outside the circle of light \par the lanterns produced. \par \par 'Mulder' dismounted, then strode over to Rollins, his stride \par loose-limbed and lazy. He extended his arm down toward the \par wounded man. "The papers, Rollins. Then I'll let you and the \par ladies go." \par \par "What papers?" Rollins' voice was getting weak. \par \par 'Mulder' reached down, grabbed Rollins' right arm, and \par jerked him forward, causing the General to wince in pain. \par "I'll have those papers now, General." His voice had become \par dark, as it only did when he was very angry. Scully had \par rarely heard it that way. She felt a shiver run up her back. \par \par Rollins continued to glare at the soldier for a while \par longer, then he reached into his uniform jacket with his \par good arm and pulled out a leather packet. 'Mulder' took it \par from him and stepped back a bit. He opened the packet and \par pulled out several papers. Slowly, he walked toward the \par carriage, toward the light it provided. Toward Scully. \par \par He stopped next to the lantern, reading intently. A small \par smile became visible, even through his beard. Scully felt \par her gaze fix on his lower lip, her heart thumping wildly in \par her chest. He was close enough for her to feel his body \par heat. She breathed in. He smelled of horses, leather, fresh \par air, and a hint of tobacco. Nothing familiar. But underneath \par it all, she smelled Mulder, and that scent was more than \par familiar. She felt his gaze on her and looked up. He was \par staring at her in a way Mulder rarely did. Slowly, his eyes \par moved downward, raking her body from head to toe. She \par shivered. He saw it. His smile widened. Slowly, he backed \par away. \par \par Without a word, he moved back to his horse and mounted. He \par tucked the papers in his own jacket and looked back down at \par Rollins. "General. It was a pleasure seeing you again." He \par looked at the carriage. "Jonah. Mrs. Anderson." He touched \par the brim of his hat. He made eye contact with Scully again. \par "Ma'am. I surely do hope we meet again." \par \par Scully stayed silent, but her eyes never left his. \par \par As he started to turn his horse, Rollins called out to him. \par "Stanton!" \par \par Scully felt herself start in surprise. This was Stanton? \par \par He had turned back to look at Rollins. The General was \par trying to stand. "Wade knows you're here." \par \par Scully saw how Stanton's body stiffened at that name, and \par she almost felt the hatred emanate from him. He nodded \par stiffly at Rollins, then spurred his horse into a gallop. \par Three other men set off after him. Scully felt herself sag \par against the carriage. She looked at Maddie, who had also \par drooped in relief, then she set about helping Jonah get \par Rollins into the carriage. \par \par Within the hour, they were back at the Anderson farm. Scully \par had cleaned and wrapped Rollins' shoulder and gotten herself \par ready for bed. But it was a long time before she was able to \par sleep. \par \par ************************************************************ \par \par "May God have mercy on General Lee, for I will have none." \par Joe Hooker-Spring 1863 \par \par ***** \par \par August 25, 1999 \par Manassas National Battlefield Park \par \par One week. \par \par It had been a full week since Scully's disappearance. And \par still nothing. The Bureau hadn't given up; they still had \par agents working on the case full time. Even Nikky Harper had \par been questioned by more than one agent in the hopes that he \par had an accomplice who knew where Scully was. Mulder hadn't \par been allowed to talk to him. Skinner feared he would become \par too aggressive in his questioning. Mulder didn't argue; he \par would like nothing more than to pound Nikky's nose in. Even \par if he wasn't quite convinced the man had anything to do with \par Scully. \par \par He hadn't worked on anything else since the incident at the \par Battlefield. It was like her abduction several years \par earlier, only worse. He had cared for Scully then, had begun \par to realize at the time that he loved her, but it was more \par than that now. He was still convinced she was still alive, \par but that was no guarantee that she wasn't suffering or \par scared, or that he would ever see her again. He had taken to \par sitting in the dark at home, meditating, every night. Hoping \par something would happen that would tell him where she was. \par Hoping their connection was that strong. But other than some \par strange dreams, he had felt nothing. \par \par The dreams were his only hope, but they were vague, unclear. \par He always awoke feeling terrified and exhilarated at the \par same time, with the remnants of explosions, strange yelling \par and the smell of gunpowder in his mind. \par \par He had the Gunmen working on their own investigation. He \par hadn't had to ask, as they had been more than willing. All \par three of them had come to care for Scully in their own way. \par But they, too, had come up with nothing. \par \par Mulder had visited the Battlefield every day. The Park \par Rangers knew him by name and watched him with sad eyes. \par Mulder hated it, but he knew he must be a pathetic sight. \par His searches always brought him to the tree. \par \par Today it was hot out, and Mulder had already ditched his \par jacket and tie, leaving them in the car. He stood in the \par shade of the trees with his shirt sleeves rolled up gazing \par around at nothing. Why did he keep coming here? It was \par almost as if he was 'called' here, but he had yet to figure \par out why. As he had many times in the past week, he lowered \par himself to the ground and leaned back against the tree. He \par closed his eyes, listening to the occasional bird and the \par chirping of the insects in the grass. \par \par He never heard the man approach, but he sensed him \par nonetheless. Slowly, he opened his eyes. An old man stood \par staring down at him. \par \par "You won't find her, you know." \par \par Mulder jumped up, coming face to face with the man, his eyes \par wild. "How do you know?" he demanded. \par \par The man was completely calm, undisturbed by Mulder's \par reaction to his words. "She is in a place that no one can \par reach from here. If she was lucky enough to have survived \par the journey; not many do." \par \par "What the hell are you talking about? Who are you?" \par \par "I work here. Have for years. I've seen it happen before." \par \par "You've seen what happen?" Mulder was getting desperate. He \par leaned into the smaller man, hoping his size and anger would \par intimidate him. \par \par It didn't. "The Time Surge." \par \par "The what?" \par \par "Time Surge. At least that's what my father called it. He \par worked here before me. He saw it happen a few times as \par well." \par \par Mulder took a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts \par together in the wake of this man's confusing words. "Where \par is she?" He lowered his voice, angry now. \par \par The man seemed to finally understand the dangerous position \par he was in. "You mean 'when' is she, don't you?" \par \par Mulder stepped back, startled into silence. \par \par "I'm not sure when, every surge is different. They only \par happen during very powerful storms, and only in this group \par of trees. I know of only one person who returned, and he has \par since died, but he ended up in the 1700's." His craggy face \par lit up with a huge grin. "He said he had nearly been scalped \par by Indians!" \par \par Mulder's mind was racing. "Are you trying to tell me that my \par partner has gone back in time?" He didn't know why he had a \par hard time believing this, as he himself had done something \par similar last year. He watched as the old man nodded, the \par grin still on his face. "Why are you just now telling me \par this?" \par \par "I don't tell everybody what I know," he said. "I'd end up \par in the loony bin. But you seemed so sad. I've seen you here \par every day since she was taken. I kept my fingers crossed \par that you would believe me." He looked down. "Only, Bradley \par said it wasn't really like 'history'. He met people he knew \par in this time while he was there. People that he felt \par couldn't really have existed back then." \par \par Mulder nodded. That had been what had happened to him. \par Skinner, Cancer Man, Spender, Kersh and of course Scully, \par had all been there in his 'surge'. But in order to get home, \par he simply had to leave the ship he had been on. This \par 'surge', this alternate universe portal, must have a \par different source of power. "You said your friend made it \par back alive. How?" \par \par "It was quite simple, actually. He simply had to want to \par come home." \par \par Mulder stared at him for a while, then he started laughing. \par "Oh, I see! So all Scully has to do is click her heels \par together and say 'There's no place like home'?" \par \par The old man shook his head. "Nothing so silly. She just has \par to convey to whoever is in control that she wants to come \par home." \par \par "And who exactly is in control?" Mulder was finding it hard \par to get his breath back. \par \par The old man didn't say a word, he just smiled and pointed \par skyward. \par \par To Mulder, this was a gesture usually reserved for pointing \par out aliens, but he had a feeling that wasn't what the man \par was talking about. Mulder looked up, past the swaying \par branches of the trees, to the blue sky above. And he prayed \par to a god he wasn't sure he believed in to bring Scully back \par to him...alive. \par \par ************************************************************ \par \par "Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the \par trees." Stonewall Jackson's dying words-May 1863 \par \par ***** \par \par August 26, 1862 \par Anderson Farm \par Near Manassas Junction, Virginia \par \par On August 25th, General Lee split his army, sending General \par Jackson north while he and General Longstreet remained \par camped on the Rappahannock River. Lee had hoped that Pope, \par who was watching him, would follow Jackson. But Pope, who \par was never considered to be the most intelligent of men, \par ignored Jackson, not seeing him as a threat, and kept his \par full attention on Longstreet. That was his first mistake. \par \par Jackson and his men arrived at Manassas Plain, just seven \par miles from the Junction, on August 26. He sent J.E.B. \par Stuart, his commander of cavalry, to capture the Junction. \par Stuart succeeded. \par \par Scully was completely unaware of the drama unfolding so \par close by. She was too busy trying to find a way home. Maddie \par continued to treat her as a guest, never questioning how \par long she planned to stay. Scully assumed that Maddie \par believed she was too frightened to try and travel back to \par Washington with both armies so near. Scully let her believe \par this. During the day, she helped Maddie with the chores. In \par early evening, before the sun set, Scully took long walks \par around the area, trying to find where she had last KNOWN she \par was in 1999. There had to be a way back. But she had found \par nothing. And twice now, at night, she had helped Maddie, \par Jonah and Alfred as they fed and re-supplied runaway slaves \par who were on their way farther north. They had to reach \par Canada to reach freedom. The Fugitive Slave Law did not \par allow safety even in free states. If caught, they must be \par returned south. Scully knew President Lincoln would get rid \par of that law with the passing of the Emancipation \par Proclamation, but that wouldn't pass until January 1863, \par several months from now. \par \par General Rollins had only stayed for a day recovering from \par his shoulder wound, then he had ridden out to rejoin Pope's \par men. During his stay, he had told Scully the papers that \par Stanton had taken had been orders from Wade to Pope about \par the assault on Richmond. Rollins himself hadn't been sure \par what exactly they had contained, only that Wade did not want \par anyone but Pope to see them. Scully had asked him why Pope \par was taking orders from Wade when Pope was supposedly in \par charge of the Union Army. Rollins shook his head sadly and \par said, "Lincoln can't find any General who isn't afraid of \par Wade except for McClellan, who Lincoln does not get along \par with. And Lincoln WILL NOT put Wade in charge; he's too \par smart for that." \par \par "Why is everyone so afraid of Wade?" \par \par "He's a powerful man with a lot of money and a lot of \par influence in Washington. But not everyone is afraid of him. \par Lee isn't. And neither is Stanton." \par \par When Scully asked about Stanton, trying to be casual about \par it, he said only that the Colonel had once been a student of \par his at West Point. His best student. "If Lee, Stuart and \par Stanton had all stayed with the Union, this war would be \par over," he said. "Lincoln has got to find a General willing \par to fight." \par \par "What about you?" \par \par Rollins laughed, but there was no humor in it. "My dear, I \par think you overestimate my position in the chain of command. \par There are many generals, but only a few are really born to \par lead whole armies. Though there is a general out west that \par might manage to lead these men to victory." \par \par Scully tensed. "Who?" \par \par "A man named Grant." \par \par Scully resisted the urge to smile. Rollins knew his stuff \par after all. Every American worth their salt in her time knew \par Grant would indeed be the general who would fight Lee with \par persistence and win this war. \par \par Rollins had ridden out the next day, his arm strapped \par loosely in a sling. Scully was sorry to see him go and \par wondered if he would survive the war. \par \par On the afternoon of the 26th, Scully caught her first sight \par of Confederate troops. A large force of mounted soldiers \par could be seen in the distance, kicking up dust as they \par moved. A neighbor boy arrived about an hour later with news \par that Stuart had captured Manassas Junction with his cavalry. \par Stuart and his cavalry were already legends. They literally \par ran circles around their enemies, proving that they not only \par knew the lay of the land far better, but that they were far \par better horsemen as well. \par \par Scully found herself constantly looking in the direction of \par the Junction, knowing that Stanton was most likely back with \par the rest of the cavalry, back with his commander, Stuart. \par She shook her head ruefully at one point. Who would have \par thought that she, who had always been a supporter of human \par rights, would find herself attracted to a Confederate \par soldier? Even in 1999, many people considered the \par Confederate flag a symbol of slavery and its horrors. \par \par But then again, who would have thought Mulder, who was \par probably even more against racism than she herself was, \par would appear as a Confederate soldier? Scully had to remind \par herself that most of the southern soldiers that fought had \par never owned a slave in their life. They were fighting \par because they believed in the principle of 'states rights'. \par Later, when Lincoln finally freed the slaves, these same \par soldiers would continue fighting simply because their \par 'homeland' was being invaded. In a way, they truly believed \par THEY were fighting for freedom. \par \par Later that night, Scully found herself laying in bed \par listening carefully to the night sounds. Maddie wasn't \par expecting any 'visitors' tonight, but with the Confederate \par army so close by, Scully was nervous. She had grown up \par believing the Confederacy was the enemy; the wrong side. She \par feared them. Or was it something, or someone, different that \par she feared? \par \par She dozed for a bit, then woke suddenly. There were horsemen \par outside. She jumped out of the bed and pulled on a thin \par dressing gown over her long nightgown. Barefoot, she exited \par the room and moved quietly down the stairs. Maddie was \par already in the parlor, looking cautiously out the front \par window. Jonah and Alfred, who shared a cabin with Jonah's \par aged father on the far side of the barn, stood on the porch, \par rifles in hand, ready to guard their mistress with their \par life. About thirty horsemen stood in the yard, some carrying \par torches to light their way, all of them in gray. \par \par "Well, well. Looks like we have some loyal niggers \par protecting their home," a man near the front called out. \par "Where are your owners, boy?" he asked Alfred. \par \par "We own ourselves," Alfred replied, his chin raised. \par \par "Oh, really?" the man continued sarcastically. "Well, we \par could change that. We need a couple more hands on that \par latrine detail, don't we, Sergeant?" He looked at the man \par behind him. \par \par Maddie had had enough. She rushed out of the house, Scully \par close on her heels. "I will not let you make slaves of free \par men!" she demanded as she got to the porch. \par \par Alfred immediately moved to put himself between her and the \par bad-tempered soldier. "Now, Missus. You get back inside. Let \par me and Jonah take care of this." \par \par "I will not!" Maddie argued. "I've heard them do this \par elsewhere. Take free men and force them to work." She \par directed her gaze past Alfred to the man. "It's men like you \par that make me ashamed to be a Virginian!" \par \par Scully had to agree. All the bad things she had ever \par imagined about the southern soldier were exhibited in this \par man. Her fingers twitched; she wished she had her weapon. \par But it, along with her cell-phone, had disappeared when she \par entered this world. \par \par "Why you little..." Scully was sure the soldier would have \par continued, but a commanding voice from the other side of the \par yard stopped him in mid-sentence. \par \par "Mitchell!" \par \par The men, who until now had been silent, began to murmur \par among themselves. Two horsemen rode through the group and \par stopped next to the man named Mitchell. One was unfamiliar. \par He wore the rank of Major General. Like most of his men, he \par had a full beard and mustache, his hair slightly long in the \par back, his hat pulled low on his head. Scully took a guess \par that this was James Ewell Brown 'Jeb' Stuart. \par \par The man next to him was familiar. Stanton. \par \par "Mitchell, I know you're tired and hungry. We all are. But \par that is no reason to treat a respected member of this \par community with contempt." His voice was hard, and it was \par obvious Mitchell wasn't about to argue with his commander. \par Stuart turned to Maddie and Scully. "Ladies. We apologize \par for our late visit, but we are in need of all the supplies \par you can give us." He said it politely, but Scully knew that \par it was not a request. He and his men would take what they \par needed, leaving little for Maddie and her neighbors. \par \par Stuart turned to the men, and with a sigh, nodded. The men \par immediately dismounted and began to swarm around the \par farmyard. Stuart again turned to Maddie. "I am sorry, Mrs. \par Anderson." Then he turned his horse away from the house. \par "Stanton. Look after the men. Make sure no hot-head gets \par overzealous and burns the barn down." \par \par Stanton gave him a snappy salute. "Yes, sir." \par \par Stuart saluted more tiredly in reply, then rode away from \par the farm, several aides following. \par \par Scully followed Stuart with her eyes, a chill snaking along \par her backbone. She looked at the tall man still on his horse \par in front of her. He was watching her, his eyes dark. She, \par Maddie and the others had just been left in the charge of \par one Colonel Stanton. \par \par Scully didn't know whether to be grateful...or terrified. \par \par ***** \par \par End 3/7 \par \par Manassas-Part 4/7 \par Summary and disclaimers in Part 1 \par \par ***** \par \par "If I had Stonewall Jackson at Gettysburg, I would have won \par that fight." Robert E. Lee \par \par ***** \par \par August 27, 1862-Just after midnight \par Anderson Farm \par Near Manassas Junction \par \par Scully stood on the porch of the house watching the \par activities around her in amazement. Here she was, standing \par in the middle of the state of Virginia, in the middle of the \par United States of America, watching men in tattered gray \par uniforms loot an occupied home. It was unthinkable. That \par something so sinister, so violating, could be happening to a \par resident of what many people considered the most free \par country in the world. And yet it was happening in front of \par her eyes. \par \par Maddie had gone inside with the few soldiers that had \par entered there. Scully knew she would not be able to stop \par them from taking what they wanted, but she supposed Maddie \par would at least try. Once more, she found herself looking at \par the man in charge. \par \par "How can you do this?" she asked, her voice low. "They have \par so little already." \par \par Stanton was silent for a while, then took a deep breath and \par closed his eyes briefly. "Mrs. Hale. This isn't Washington. \par This is war." \par \par "How did you know my name?" \par \par "Oh, come now. Did you actually think I wouldn't ask around \par about you after our previous meeting? I'm sure you asked \par around about me." Scully felt her face heat and was thankful \par for the darkness, lit only by the burning torches, which \par cast an orange glow. Stanton continued."You are a mystery, \par Mrs. Hale. It was hard to find someone who knew anything \par about you. Alexander, who I dislike speaking with, was the \par only one who had caught your name. He was at Parker's the \par night you were there. The ladies think he looks dashing in \par blue. If they only knew." \par \par "This Alexander is a spy?" She wondered if she had met him \par that night. \par \par Stanton nodded. "And a good one." He dismounted, and Scully \par instinctively wrapped her arms tighter around herself, \par suddenly aware that she was not quite dressed appropriately \par to greet strange men. Stanton looped the reins over the \par porch railing and slowly made his way up the steps. Scully \par felt her heart beat faster and cursed herself for it. What \par had happened to her? Suddenly, she had turned into a wimp \par around men. Or at least around this man. \par \par "What's the matter, Mrs. Hale?" His voice was low, almost \par inaudible. He stopped in front of her. "You're trembling." \par \par "I'm cold," Scully whispered. It had to be nearly 80 degrees \par and steaming on this late August night. \par \par Stanton's eyes darted downward, toward her chest. "Yes. I \par can see that." He wore that irritating smirk again. \par \par Scully glanced down and realized what he was staring at. \par Neither the dressing gown or the cotton nightgown she wore \par were very thick. With embarrassment, she wrapped her arms \par around herself tighter, not realizing that the movement made \par what Stanton was observing that much more obvious. \par \par "Alexander never heard about Mr. Hale," Stanton continued. \par "So tell me about him." \par \par "He's dead," Scully said softly. "He died several years \par ago." \par \par Stanton nodded, and lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry." Scully \par felt herself relax a bit. Surely this man was a gentleman. \par Surely he would leave her alone if she exhibited sorrow over \par her 'deceased' husband. But then his eyes came up and met \par hers again, and their intensity stunned her. "But life does \par go on, does it not?" \par \par Maddie came out of the house, breaking whatever spell \par Stanton had been about to cast. He stepped away from her and \par faced Maddie. "I'm very sorry for this, Mrs. Anderson. \par Jackson's men are starving; their supplies ran out days \par ago." \par \par "Jackson? He's here?" \par \par Stanton nodded. "He'll be in Manassas by morning." He \par paused. "Melanie is with his troops. If it's any \par consolation, what we take here will help her as well as the \par soldiers she cares for." \par \par Maddie's eyes had gone soft. "Thank you, Jason." \par \par One of the soldiers that had gone into the house spoke to \par Stanton. "Sir, we left enough provisions to last these folks \par a few days." He looked at Maddie apologetically. "And it is \par almost harvest." \par \par Stanton nodded. "Thank you, Hopley. Mount up and lead the \par men back to camp." The man nodded, then left the porch. All \par the others had mounted and they began to form up behind \par Hopley, leaving the farm undamaged, but not whole. \par \par Three riders stayed behind; waiting for their Colonel, \par Scully presumed. Stanton had walked off the porch to where \par Jonah was standing and was talking quietly to the man. Jonah \par watched him with anger in his eyes, but respect as well. And \par whatever Stanton was saying to him made his expression \par relax. He nodded at something the Colonel said, then turned \par and headed back to the barn, Alfred at his heels. \par \par Stanton stood watching him for a while. \par \par "Colonel?" \par \par Scully jumped at the voice, not because it startled her, but \par because she recognized it. She turned to look closer at the \par men waiting for Stanton. Her eyes widened in utter \par astonishment. She almost began giggling. \par \par They were a ragged trio, these three men. One tall and dark, \par his beard as full as his commander's. Another tall and fair, \par with only slight fuzz on his chin. And the third, short and \par stocky, his face nearly hidden behind hair and his hat \par sitting at a jaunty angle. \par \par The Lone Gunmen? On horses? She bit the inside of her cheek \par in an effort not to smile. The thought of Mulder riding a \par horse was astounding enough. That these three should be a \par part of Stuart's cavalry was...unthinkable! \par \par Stanton had mounted again, and he touched the brim of his \par hat with his fingers. "Mrs. Anderson. Mrs. Hale." With only \par a subtle touch of his left spur to his horse's side, he made \par the big roan spin on its haunches and canter away, the other \par three following, looking amazingly adept in the saddle. \par Scully shook her head. Not a day went by when she wasn't \par shocked by something in this place. \par \par "You seem to know him well," she said softly to Maddie. \par \par "His father used to own the plantation down the road," \par Maddie said quietly. "He and Todd went to West Point \par together." \par \par "Plantation?" Scully asked. "Do they own slaves?" \par \par "His father did, yes. But when the old codger died, Jason \par freed them. Jonah and his father included." She sighed. \par "Caleb, Jonah's father, helped to raise Jason and his \par sister. Jonah has never forgiven him for leaving the army \par and joining the Confederacy." \par \par "Why did he?" \par \par Maddie was silent for a while. "Because he's a Virginian. \par Virginia is his home. And he would not fight against her." \par She sighed. "General Lee is the same way. Men with too much \par pride. Too much heritage. Fighting a war they hate for a \par cause they don't believe in." She turned to face Scully. \par "Did you know that President Lincoln offered command of \par ALL the Federal troops to Lee the day Virginia seceded? \par He turned Lincoln down. He refused to fight 'his \par country'." She shook her head sadly. "It has gone on for \par too long, this war. Too long." She turned and walked \par into the house. \par \par Scully looked out into the night, depression hitting her in \par the gut. The American Civil War had begun in April of 1861, \par almost a year and a half ago. It would not end until April \par of 1865. So far away. So far. "Oh, Maddie. You're not even \par halfway there, yet," she whispered. The worst battles were \par yet to be fought. Antietam, which was less than a month \par away. Chancellorsville. Chickamauga. Wilderness. The fall of \par Atlanta. Of Richmond. Sherman's 'March to the Sea', which \par would devastate Georgia. And Gettysburg, one of the greatest \par battles ever to be fought. There was so much more to come. \par \par 'How did we do it?' she asked herself. 'How did we survive \par to become the country we are in 1999? Or is it because of \par this war that we are they way we are in 1999?' \par \par ************************************************************ \par \par "It was all my fault; get together, and let us do the best \par we can toward saving which is left us." Lee to Longstreet \par after the failed Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg-July 1863 \par \par ***** \par \par August 28, 1862 \par Manassas Junction, Virginia \par \par Pope finally got a clue. \par \par Realizing what was going on behind him, he quickly moved his \par men toward Manassas Junction. He hoped to surround the \par Confederates, not really realizing the whole movement was \par basically a trap. Lee and Longstreet set out to follow and \par join Jackson. \par \par When Pope arrived at the Junction, it was to find...nothing. \par \par The farms in close vicinity had been looted, and the \par supplies at the Junction itself were either gone or \par destroyed. There were no signs of Jackson. Where were they? \par \par Unbeknownst to Pope, the Confederates had moved just a few \par miles north, almost on the exact spot where the first Battle \par of Bull Run had taken place. Almost on the Anderson Farm. \par \par Scully and Maddie stayed inside, trying as best they could \par to ignore the army outside their front door. Maddie \par remembered the first battle that had been fought here, a \par little more than a year ago. It was what had gotten her \par daughter Melanie interested in nursing. She recalled how the \par Federals had been so confident. Rich businessmen and \par politicians from Washington had even driven out in their \par carriages to watch their men 'womp the rebels'. \par \par By days end, the Federals were running as fast as they could \par for Washington and safety, as were the spectators. The first \par major battle had been a tremendous Southern victory, and \par everybody began to realize this would be no two month war. \par \par Around noon, a group of riders appeared in front of the \par house, one of which was a woman. Scully felt her heart leap \par when she recognized her and had to hold herself back as \par Maddie rushed out of the house and into her daughters arms. \par Melissa. She should have known. Scully looked at the men who \par had accompanied her. Her smile grew bigger. They looked even \par sillier in the daylight. \par \par "Ma'am," 'Byers' said, nodding to her and touching the \par brim of his hat. "The Colonel sends his regards." \par \par "Oh, he does, does he?" Scully asked, still smiling. \par \par Melissa/Melanie turned toward her. "So you are the woman who \par has Jason all wound up." She stepped up the stairs to shake \par Scully's hand. "Melanie Collins." \par \par "Collins?" Maddie hadn't mentioned a son-in-law. \par \par "Collins?!" Maddie exclaimed from behind them. \par \par Melanie blushed and turned to her mother. "I'm sorry, \par Mother. It was kind of hurried. He's a doctor with Jackson's \par troops. You met him last year, remember?" \par \par Maddie stood with her mouth agape for a moment. "When? And \par why the rush?" \par \par "Two weeks ago and..." Her blush deepened. \par \par "Oh, Melanie." Maddie's voice sounded disappointed, but was \par still full of love. "When?" \par \par "Mid January, we think." \par \par Maddie's mouth was in a tight line. "Do you love him?" \par \par "Oh, yes! Yes, I love him." \par \par Her mother nodded. "Well, then." She turned to face \par Melanie's three escorts. "Congratulate me. I'm going to be a \par grandmother. Again." \par \par "Again?" This time it was Melanie's turn to be surprised. \par \par "Yes. Todd wrote me last month that he married a girl in \par Charleston several months ago. Strangely enough, they too \par had a child quite soon after their marriage. A boy. His name \par is Justin." She shook her head. "I guess even in war, we \par still manage to find happiness." \par \par Scully had stood silent listening to this exchange, but then \par her eyes caught sight of a dust cloud coming closer. \par "Maddie." \par \par The three horsemen and the three women all turned to watch \par the approaching rider. Alfred and Jonah, who had been \par walking toward the house from the barn stopped in the middle \par of the yard. "It's Jason," Jonah said. \par \par Sure enough, Stanton was riding in what Scully would term a \par 'hell-bent for leather' fashion toward the house. He \par thundered up to his men, his big roan lathered with sweat \par and foaming at the mouth. "Bowers," he shouted before he \par even brought his horse to a stop. "Take Fraiser and Larson \par and get back to Stuart. I'll see Mrs. Collins back to the \par medical tent." \par \par "What's wrong, Colonel?" Frohike/Fraiser asked. \par \par "Pope has reached Manassas Junction. He hasn't figured out \par where we are, yet. But he'll find us soon." The three men \par spurred their horses away. \par \par "Jonah!" \par \par The big man ran up to Stanton. "Yes, sir?" \par \par "Do you have enough ammunition?" \par \par "Yes, sir." \par \par "Then get your father, and you and Alfred stay in the house \par with the women. I don't think the fighting will move this \par way, but we can't take any chances. If you ever feel in \par danger at all, get them to my house. You know where the \par cellar is if the artillery gets too close." \par \par "Jason," Maddie interrupted. "We've been through this \par before. We know what to do." \par \par "I just want to make sure you're safe." He was looking at \par Scully as he said it. \par \par Melanie gave her mother a quick hug, then mounted her own \par horse, tucking her skirts around her legs to keep them \par covered. She glanced at Stanton. "This is going to be bad, \par isn't it?" \par \par He nodded, his jaw hard. \par \par "What do you mean, 'bad'?" Scully asked. Suddenly, she \par didn't want to just sit and wait for something to happen. \par "Let me help. I'm a doct- I've trained under doctors." \par Melanie and Maddie were staring at her. \par \par Stanton was glaring at her. "Absolutely not!" \par \par "What! You'll let a pregnant woman go, but not me?!" \par \par "Melanie is used to it. You are not. You couldn't handle \par it!" \par \par Scully felt rage pour through her. And it felt good. "How \par dare you! You don't know anything about me! None of you do!" \par She glanced at Maddie as she spoke. "This," she gestured to \par her clothing, "is not me! Sitting around doing nothing is \par not me! None of you know the real me!" She stopped, \par breathing hard. \par \par Stanton was wearing that smirk again. \par \par "Jason," Maddie said quietly. "She did patch up General \par Rollins quite well." \par \par "Oh, yeah. Thanks for that, by the way," Scully snapped \par sarcastically. "I needed the practice." \par \par "If Pope had gotten hold of those papers, this battle would \par have happened days ago, when our men were tired and hungry. \par Wade was warning Pope to not ignore Jackson." He shook his \par head. "I won't apologize for shooting Rollins." \par \par Scully stood staring at him. "Take me with you." \par \par He sighed. "Maddie?" \par \par "I'll be fine." She looked at Jonah and Alfred. "WE'LL be \par fine." \par \par Another sigh. Then he moved. \par \par Scully was more than a little surprised when he backed his \par horse up to the side of the porch steps and held out his \par hand to her. "Get on." \par \par She glanced one last time at Maddie, then walked up to him, \par grasping his left arm with her left hand. She swung up \par behind him on the horse, trying to emulate Melanie and tuck \par her skirts around her legs. She didn't quite succeed, and \par her calves remained bared except for the stockings she wore. \par 'Scandalous,' she thought jokingly to herself. Stanton must \par have known what she was thinking, because he laughed softly. \par \par "Hang on, Mrs. Hale. From here on out, there's no slowing \par down." \par \par The horse jerked forward. She quickly wrapped her arms \par around the man in front of her, trusting him to maintain \par control of the now speeding animal. Other than the \par occasional trail ride when she was little, Scully had never \par really ridden, and the power of the animal beneath her \par frightened her. But with that fear came excitement. \par \par Very similar, she guessed, to the way she felt about the man \par in front of her. \par \par ************************************************************ \par \par "Send us something to eat, Massa Jeff. I'm hungry." Private \par Sam Watkins to Jeff Davis as he reviewed the Confederate \par troops-October 1863 \par \par ***** \par \par August 28, 1862 \par General "Stonewall" Jackson's Camp \par Near Manassas Junction, Virginia \par \par As it turned out, the Union army lead by Pope didn't find \par the Confederates that day. Jackson's camp was quiet, the men \par relaxing as much as they possibly could with a battle in \par their near future. Scully spent the afternoon and evening \par following Melanie around. They learned upon their arrival to \par the camp that Melanie's husband, Sean, had left with several \par troupers to acquire much needed chloroform, morphine, and \par other necessary medical items from a local doctor. Scully \par helped Melanie as she set about tearing up linen sheets. \par They would later use these strips as bandages. \par \par When Sean Collins arrived, Scully felt tears in her eyes. \par She hadn't seen this young man in years, for in her world, \par he was already dead. The man she knew as Pendrell had had a \par huge crush on her, something that Mulder had loved to tease \par her about. This Pendrell, however, only had eyes for his \par wife. \par \par That evening, the fighting began. \par \par Jackson sent some of his now rested troops to attack Union \par Brigadier General Rufus King's division, and they fought \par hard until sundown. Scully saw none of the battle, but she \par heard the artillery in the distance. And she saw the \par aftereffects of the battle almost immediately. \par \par Men began pouring into the medical tent around 5 P.M. Some \par were standing, most were not. Scully found it hard to \par overcome the rustic facilities in her attempt to help Sean \par and the other doctors, and more than once she was on the \par receiving end of some deadly glares from the other nurses. \par But within 30 minutes, she had gotten the hang of things. \par Orderlies, mostly young soldiers who were recovering from \par injuries of their own, would look at the wounded men and \par determine how serious their injuries were. The most serious \par were brought to the first available doctor. The doctors, \par four in this part of the camp, ran around wildly, \par determining who would go into surgery and when. Due to the \par large number of wounded coming in at once, the doctors had \par no time for long surgeries. What couldn't be saved \par immediately was cut off. \par \par Scully was horrified. Of course she had read about the many \par amputations, but she had never thought to be amongst them. \par While the chloroform used to sedate was plentiful, it didn't \par always knock the patient out completely. Screaming and \par swearing, from both doctor and patient, was constant. Scully \par was not allowed into the tent where these 'operations' were \par performed; she hadn't yet proven she could handle it. She \par wasn't really sure she could. \par \par By dusk, Scully had earned her 'stripes' on the battlefield, \par meaning she hadn't passed out or become sick once. But the \par smell of blood, gunpowder, chloroform and sweat was \par imprinted in her mind forever. As were the screams. She and \par Melanie helped care for the recovering patients until well \par past midnight, when Sean ordered them to get some sleep. \par Scully knew she wouldn't be able to. The image of the pile \par of legs and arms she had seen outside the surgery was still \par too clear in her head, as were the many blank eyes of dead \par and dying men. \par \par Lying in the cot next to Melanie in the Collins' tent, \par Scully did sleep. But her dreams were not pleasant. In these \par dreams, Colonel Jason Stanton was one of those blank eyed \par men. Only suddenly, he wasn't Jason, but Mulder. \par \par ***** \par \par End 4/7 \par \par Manassas-Part 5/7 \par Summary and disclaimers in Part 1 \par \par ***** \par \par "I can't spare this man. He fights." A. Lincoln, regarding \par Grant-1864 \par \par ***** \par \par August 29, 1862 \par Near Manassas Junction, Virginia \par \par Dawn arrived, and with it work. Scully and Melanie were \par immediately at work near the medical tent, helping to change \par bandages and feed the recovering men. Several were still \par near death, facing infections that would leave them sick and \par in pain for days. Morphine was used sparingly, with the \par amputees getting the most. And no penicillin, Scully \par thought. It hadn't been discovered yet. \par \par Scully was busy trying to explain to a nurse why it was \par better to use a clean sponge for every patient (they had no \par idea what she meant when she talked about 'germs' and \par bacteria), when Darlene Montgomery made an appearance. \par Melanie had mentioned her the other day. She was one of the \par more experienced nurses, and Melanie had been upset that she \par had been gone yesterday; on personal business, she had been \par told. But now, the war-widowed Mrs. Montgomery was back. \par Scully took one look at the tall, dark-haired woman and felt \par an uncompromising anger fill her soul. \par \par Diana. \par \par Yes, Scully knew the woman had saved Mulder's life. And yes, \par she felt a tinge of regret every time she thought of the \par woman's murder. But this Diana was very obviously alive and \par well. And Scully was sure she was up to no good. \par \par Melanie introduced them. Diana/Darlene, who had been polite \par and friendly upon meeting Scully, turned more than a little \par 'bitchy' after Melanie left them alone together. \par \par "Mrs. Hale," she said, her voice smooth, her eyes venomous. \par "There are rumors going around that you were caught spying \par in Washington and had to run or else be put into prison. I \par imagine you would have attracted a great deal of attention \par locked up like Rose Greenhow. Oh, how these southern boys \par would have loved you then." Rose Greenhow was a very popular \par Washington widow who had been convicted of spying. It was \par through Rose that the Confederates had known to prepare for \par the Union attack at the First Battle of Bull Run one year \par ago. Scully was sure Darlene had not meant the statement as \par a compliment. \par \par "Yes," Scully answered back just as smoothly. "But I'm \par content with the affections of just one southern 'boy' right \par now." \par \par Darlene narrowed her eyes, and Scully was sure Darlene knew \par she had been talking about Colonel Stanton. It was at that \par moment that the Colonel arrived, riding his horse into the \par camp. "Well, speak of the devil," Scully whispered. Darlene \par turned to look, and Scully saw her eyes get bright. As had \par happened so many times in the past...er, future...Scully \par felt jealousy. 'Great,' she thought. 'Not again.' \par \par Stanton had dismounted and was walking toward them. His eyes \par were hidden in the shadow caused by his hat, so she couldn't \par read his expression well, but he seemed rather grim. He \par touched the brim of his hat as he approached. "Ladies." \par \par "Hello, Jason." Darlene smiled. Scully tried her best not to \par roll her eyes. "Chris was looking for you earlier. Did he \par find you?" \par \par Stanton cleared his throat, as if he was discussing \par something, or someone, he disliked. "Yes. He did. But I \par don't think we need to discuss that now." He glanced at \par Scully, and she felt a sudden surge of anger at his \par distrust. \par \par Darlene laughed. "Oh, Jason! I was practically accusing her \par of spying for the South and you're afraid she's working for \par the Yanks!" She looked at Scully. "I guess it's your manner. \par It seems so odd to us. No one can quite decide what you \par are." \par \par "That's quite all right," Scully responded. "I know what I \par am, and that's all that matters." She looked at Stanton and \par said, frost coating her voice, "Colonel, excuse me. I have \par to get back to work." She turned on her heel and strode back \par to the medical tent, hoping there were more sheets to rip \par up. She felt like destroying something. \par \par "Dana!" He was following her, and his voice sounded just \par like Mulder's at his most petulant. "Dana, wait!" \par \par She spun around to face him. "Excuse me? Dana?" \par \par He stopped, bowed his head and took his hat off, running his \par fingers through his hair, which was just as thick, but \par longer, than Mulder's. "I'm sorry. Mrs. Hale." He sighed. \par "Darlene doesn't mean anything by her remarks. She doesn't \par trust anybody." He laughed softly. "Neither do I." \par \par Scully was standing with her arms folded in front of her. \par She bit her lower lip, the said softly, hesitantly, "It \par wasn't HER remarks that made me angry." She looked at the \par ground by his boots. When he made no comment, she looked up. \par His eyes were on her, intent and curious. \par \par "Who are you, Dana Hale, that I can meet you on a dark night \par in the middle of an ambush and feel like I"ve known you \par forever?" \par \par Scully shrugged, avoiding his gaze once more. "I don't \par know." She licked her suddenly dry lips and met his eyes \par with her own. "But I do know that you can trust me. I'm no \par spy. I can guarantee you I will not involve myself in this \par war outside of helping to save lives." She sighed. "Think of \par me as an observer." An observer who already knows how this \par war will end, she added to herself. \par \par He was silent for a while. Then, with that familiar, \par endearing, smirk on his face, he said, "I believe you." \par \par "Jason!" \par \par A man in civilian clothing ('Great,' Scully thought. 'I'm \par thinking like the military!') ran up to them. He was clean \par shaven, which was unusual in a mature man of this time, and \par he looked well-off. As he got closer, Scully recognized him. \par She almost expected Stanton to attack him, but the man \par beside her stood still, keeping his hatred in check. \par \par The man Scully knew as Krycek stopped in front of them. He \par smiled at her, his handsome face almost boyish. "Mrs. Hale. \par What a pleasure 'seeing' you again." \par \par Scully knew she must have looked confused, because Stanton \par explained. "Dana, this is Chris Alexander. Formerly a \par Lieutenant in the United States Army." \par \par "Now a Confederate spy," Scully concluded. "Yes, Mr. \par Alexander. I understand you were at the party I attended at \par General Parker's residence. Funny how we both ended up here, \par in a Confederate camp." \par \par Alexander laughed. "Yes, indeed. I find there are many \par amusing coincidences in all of life if you just look for \par them." He looked at Stanton. "For example, the Colonel here. \par He was one of West Point's best and brightest, swearing \par loyalty to the United States of America, yet he chose to \par fight against them. Some would question where his real \par loyalties lie." \par \par "I'm not the one risking execution by being caught as a \par spy," Stanton said, his voice dark. "I would watch my back, \par if I were you, Alexander. Next time you go under as a \par Federal, someone might just let it slip that you really \par belong south of the Mason/Dixon." \par \par Alexander glared at him. But then he grinned again and \par looked at Scully. "See what I mean? Loyalty. It's \par questionable." He bowed his head to Scully. "Mrs. Hale. I \par hope to see you again soon." He turned away and left them, \par but before he got too far, he spun around again, walking \par backwards as he spoke. "Oh, and Colonel? As a professional, \par I feel obliged to tell you that you have a spy in your \par midst." His smile broadened. "But I'm sure you knew that \par already." He turned again and walked away. \par \par Scully looked at Stanton, her brow furrowed. "Is he lying?" \par \par Stanton looked at her, a small smile of his face. It didn't \par reach is eyes. "No. I've been trying to find the leak in \par this camp for months. And I'm sure he knows who it is. But \par he'll never say." \par \par "But I thought he was on your side!" \par \par He shook his head. "This is all a game to him. He's a rich \par boy playing a dangerous game. I don't think he really cares \par who wins." \par \par "Colonel!" Sergeant Bowers sat on his horse nearby. "General \par Stuart would like to speak with you." \par \par Stanton nodded and looked down at Scully. "Well, Mrs. Hale. \par I guess I'll see you when this battle is finished." \par \par "You'd better," she said softly. \par \par His eyes softened. "I'll find you when it's over." \par \par Scully couldn't stop the next words, though she tried. "What \par about Darlene?" \par \par There was that smirk again. She wished she could hit him to \par get it off his face. Or maybe kissing him would work, too. \par "Darlene is a lonely widow in desperate need of a man to \par keep her in line." He paused. "I am not that man." With \par that, he turned and walked back to his horse. Scully watched \par him until he disappeared behind the camp tents. \par \par Three hours later, the Second Battle of Bull Run, also know \par as the Second Manassas, began. \par \par ************************************************************ \par \par "There will never be peace in Tennessee until Forrest is \par dead." Sherman, speaking of Nathan Bedford Forrest-1864 \par \par ***** \par \par August 29, 1862 - mid-afternoon \par Near Manassas Junction, Virginia \par \par Jackson hid his Confederates behind an unfinished railroad \par grade. It was the only advantage they had against the \par advancing Union army, as Pope's Federals outnumbered them \par three to one. But unknown to Pope, General Longstreet, who \par had followed him with 25,000 men of his own, positioned \par themselves on Jackson's right flank; Pope had apparently \par forgotten about the Confederates to his rear. \par \par Jackson's men fought gallantly, and managed to distract Pope \par long enough for Longstreet to slip his men in without \par notice. The fighting ceased at sunset; night battles were \par extremely rare. But the work of the doctors and nurses would \par continue on until dawn. \par \par Scully found that this night was far worse than the night \par before. Last night's battle had been a skirmish compared to \par this. Sean and the other doctors were coming to slowly \par respect her judgment, and she was able to do more in the way \par of doctoring. By evening, she was taking her turn in the \par surgery. She began to realize the necessity of the \par amputations. They weren't just done because the doctors \par lacked time; the limbs of many of the soldiers were \par completely destroyed, and many wouldn't have been saved even \par had they been in the care of 1999 doctors. Scully realized \par it was because of the new, 'modern' weapons these men fought \par with. \par \par Rifles were slowly replacing muskets, and other more \par powerful firearms were coming into play. But while the \par weapons were 'improving', the way the men fought were not. \par They still lined up in formation and marched across open \par fields toward their enemy. It would take a long time for \par them to realize how suicidal this method was. With muskets \par and bayonets it had worked fine. But not anymore. Now, it \par meant shattered legs, arms that hung by only tendons to \par shoulders, and abdominal wounds that meant a long, painful \par death. Scully swallowed her horror, and worked as best she \par could among the screaming and crying. \par \par Despite the many dead and dying men, she felt like she was \par indeed doing good. She wondered what else she could do, \par especially with her knowledge of major future events. Even \par though she had told Stanton she was an observer, sometime \par during the long night she wondered what she could change \par about upcoming events that might change history. They were \par dangerous thoughts, but she couldn't stop thinking them. By \par morning, she had decided what she could do to make 1999 \par better. \par \par For years, Scully had believed that if President Abraham \par Lincoln had lived, things would have been better for both \par the North and the South. Lincoln would be assassinated by \par John Wilkes Booth only a few days after Lee would surrender \par to Grant in April of 1865. He had just begun his second term \par as president. The North had been upset because, while he had \par been ridiculed in the past, he had won the war, and they \par loved him. The South became upset because they had believed \par Lincoln would treat them fair and welcome them back to the \par Union with open arms. They had reason to be afraid after his \par death; reunification had not been easy, for the white \par residents OR for the newly freed blacks. It would be another \par 100 years before civil rights would be won. If Lincoln had \par lived, would it have happened sooner? Would the South have \par retained their contempt for their 'conquerors' for as long \par as they did? It was a big question, but one that Scully had \par plenty of time to contemplate. \par \par One thing she didn't question was Lincoln's brilliance. The \par man, who had been extremely sensitive and caring, had \par managed to win a war to keep his country together. That had \par been his only goal. Everything else, including the abolition \par of slavery, had been icing on the cake. And he had \par succeeded. Scully wished she could meet the man. Who knew? \par Maybe she would. If she did, she would tell him how much she \par admired him. She would tell him how proud she was of him. \par \par And maybe she would advise him not to go to a play called \par 'Our American Cousin' at Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865. \par \par ************************************************************ \par \par "Sunday a soldier of Company A died and was buried. \par Everything went on as if nothing had happened, for death is \par so common that little sentiment is wasted. It is not like \par death at home." Private Elisha Hunt Rhodes-1864 \par \par ***** \par \par August 30, 1862 \par Near Manassas Junction, Virginia \par \par August 30th proved to be a very hot day, making the fighting \par that much more difficult. At dawn, Pope mistook the \par Confederates realignment as retreat. He continued to hammer \par away at the Confederate lines, completely oblivious to \par Confederate General Longstreet's presence. Longstreet liked \par it that way. He let Jackson's men fight off attack after \par attack, watching as the Union soldiers tired. \par \par Scully was exhausted. She had slept for about two hours that \par morning before the artillery woke her. She left Melanie, who \par was sleeping fully clothed next to her husband, who was also \par still in yesterday's clothing. Scully looked down at her own \par soiled dress and thanked God the daily wearing of corsets \par had pretty much been obliterated during the war. Slowly, she \par moved toward the medical tent, vaguely wondering how many \par gallons of blood she would see today. \par \par Though the fighting had started, the camp itself was quiet. \par Few people moved about, and those that did moved with a \par slow, tired pace. So the woman running furtively across the \par ground several feet in front of Scully caught her attention \par immediately. Darlene. \par \par No quite knowing why, Scully began to follow her, as quickly \par and quietly as her long skirts would allow. When the woman \par took a saddled horse from the picket line and mounted, \par Scully had second thoughts. As Stanton's roan had proved to \par her, these horses were not quiet trail mounts. Trained to \par ignore gunfire and artillery, and fit enough to travel miles \par on end day after day, these horses, like the people, were \par unlike anything she had encountered in her time. But she had \par to know where Darlene was going. \par \par She walked up to a small chestnut mare who stood hipshot, \par eyes half closed. She looked quiet enough. Scully untied the \par mare, then ran her hand under the girth of the saddle to \par insure it was tight, as she had seen the men do. Pushing her \par skirts out of the way, she mounted, again thanking God for \par finding her a short horse. The mare was immediately awake, \par ears back towards her rider, waiting for a command. \par Tentatively, Scully touched the mare with her heels and \par neck-reined her away from the camp. The mare understood and \par was prompt in her response. Her ears flicked forward and \par Scully knew she had seen the horse and rider in front of \par them. "That's is, girl," Scully whispered. "Follow that \par horse." \par \par While Scully followed Darlene, staying as far back as she \par could to avoid detection, she and the mare learned what to \par expect of each other and Scully relaxed a bit in the saddle. \par When Darlene stopped her horse and dismounted, Scully \par stopped and got off as well, tying her horse to a tree. She \par started after Darlene on foot. They had moved away from the \par battle, and the sounds of the cannon was distant, sounding \par like thunder. The air was heavy, the sun hot. The shade of \par the trees was welcome. Scully heard voices ahead of her and \par began to slowly move forward, keeping herself hunched and \par low to the ground. She wished she had remembered to bring a \par pistol. \par \par Carefully, she peeked through the underbrush. What she saw \par startled her, but didn't surprise her at all. It appeared \par she had found the 'leak' Stanton had been looking for. \par \par Darlene was meeting with Wade and two other men in blue. She \par was standing, arms folded, talking to the tall man in \par earnest. Scully could barely hear the words. "...Pope is \par completely ignoring the fact that there is a whole enemy \par army on his left flank. He's concentrating all his energies \par on Jackson. He's left Porter in charge of his left, and \par Porter is more of an imbecile than Pope is. You have to get \par men on the Rebel's right or Longstreet will walk right \par through when the time comes." \par \par Wade was silent for moment. "Darlene, I am not in control of \par this battle. I personally don't care if Pope is destroyed. \par Lincoln will take his command away from him, then." \par \par Darlene laughed. "Oh, come now, Cleve! Does it matter? \par Lincoln will never put you in charge! He may be a baboon, \par but he's not that stupid!" \par \par Wade's hand shot out, striking Darlene across the cheek with \par enough force to knock the woman down. Scully, startled by \par the swift movement of the man, jumped back, tripped on her \par skirts, and fell flat on her behind. \par \par Knowing the others had heard her, she jumped up and raced \par back through the trees, but Wade's men caught her. Taking \par her arms, they lead her back to the clearing. \par \par "Mrs. Hale," Wade said with an evil curl to his lip that \par Scully assumed was a smile. Darlene had risen and glared at \par her from beside him. "Don't you know it's dangerous to be \par roaming these woods while a battle is being fought nearby. \par Deserters would kill you, or worse, in a heartbeat." \par \par Scully said nothing. If Wade got the information Darlene had \par given him to Pope, which he might or might not do from the \par sound of it, the Union could win this battle. They weren't \par supposed to. Scully suddenly knew how wrong it would be to \par change history; she might inadvertently make things worse. \par Much worse. \par \par "I had an idea, from your friendliness with Mrs. Anderson, \par that you were a Unionist. Surely you don't mind that this \par information is being exchanged?" \par \par Scully sighed. "Of course not," she said sarcastically. \par "There is nothing I would like more than to watch thousands \par of Confederate soldiers slaughtered." She turned her glare \par on Darlene. "Isn't that so, Mrs. Montgomery? I have a \par feeling you'd love to see those men in gray bleeding on the \par ground." She felt satisfaction as Darlene's expression \par turned even angrier. \par \par "If you're trying to make me feel pity for those dirty \par farmers, you can't. The Union will win." \par \par "Oh, I don't doubt that," Scully responded. "But at what \par cost? The price of blood is the most expensive price of \par all." \par \par Darlene stood fuming for a while, then she turned and \par marched back into the trees without a word. \par \par Scully looked at Wade, who had stood smoking his cigar, \par looking amused. "Mrs. Hale. I'm afraid you'll have to come \par with us." With a nod to his men, he turned toward the other \par side of the clearing. They were halfway to the trees when \par the gunshots rang out. Wade's men immediately let her go and \par pulled their pistols from their holsters. Scully dropped to \par the ground, and both men soon fell next to her, dead. Only \par one had fired a shot. Wade had made a run for the trees and \par had squatted down behind a fallen log. He fired his weapon \par in the direction of the enemy fire. They, whoever they were, \par shot back, but the log protected him. \par \par Scully reached for the pistol that one of her former guards \par had dropped after being hit. It was cocked and ready to go. \par With a steady hand, she lifted the heavy weapon up and put \par Wade in her sights. She knew she was taking a risk, possibly \par changing history, but she 'felt' that this man had to die. \par She fired. Wade, who had not expected an attack from Scully, \par spun to face her as the bullet entered his left shoulder. He \par stood, aiming his pistol at her, fury in his eyes. \par \par A rifle fired from the trees off to his right. Scully fell \par flat on the ground as Wade's gun went off at the exact \par moment his head exploded. Scully could swear she heard his \par bullet sail by overhead. \par \par As Wade's body crumpled to the ground, Scully slowly rose to \par her knees, looking off to the trees with trepidation. Four \par men stepped out from behind the undergrowth, Stanton in the \par lead. Without realizing what she was doing, she jumped up \par and ran to him. Without hesitation, he dropped his \par rifled-musket and caught her in his arms. \par \par "How did you find me?" she whispered against his shoulder. \par \par "Larson saw you leaving camp when he went in to pick up some \par ammunition." He didn't have to tell her Larson had told him \par and he had followed without giving it a second thought. He \par grasped her shoulders and pulled back to look at her. "What \par were you thinking?" \par \par "I saw Darlene leave. I knew she was up to something. I had \par to see what." \par \par Stanton narrowed his eyes at her. "You little minx. Can't \par you stay out of trouble for just a little bit?" \par \par Scully smiled. "This is war. Of course not." \par \par "Colonel," Fraiser interrupted. "We have to get back." \par \par Stanton nodded and stepped away from Scully. He looked at \par his men. "We have to find Darlene first, before she finds \par another Union soldier to tell her story to." He glanced down \par at Wade. "Why did you shoot him?" he asked Scully. "I \par thought you were trying to stay out of this war. Be just an \par observer." \par \par Scully shrugged. "I just knew I had to. He's caused enough \par pain." \par \par Stanton's brows furrowed, but he said nothing. "Let's go." \par \par The five of them found their horses (the men had tied theirs \par quite close to Scully's chestnut) and rode back to camp. The \par heat was becoming almost unbearable, and the four cavalry \par men stopped for water after seeing Scully safely to the \par medical tent. Once there, Stanton lead Scully to a quiet \par place behind the tent. \par \par "Please, Dana. Promise you won't leave camp alone like that \par again." \par \par Scully smiled at him. "Jason, thank you for your concern, \par but I can take care of myself." \par \par "Oh! Yes! It looked like it when we found you being held by \par Wade and his men." He voice had a definite sarcastic edge to \par it. \par \par "He wasn't going to kill me!" Scully argued. "I would have \par been taken to Pope's camp, and then back to Washington." \par \par "Home." \par \par Scully sighed. "Yes. Home." She looked at her feet, or where \par her feet would have been if her skirt hadn't blocked her \par view. \par \par "Dana. I can't help but worry about you." He took her chin \par in his hand and lifted her face up, lowering his own head to \par look directly into her eyes. "Please, stay with Melanie." \par \par She knew his concern for her was real, and that if he \par continued to worry about her, he could get distracted and \par killed. She knew cavalry units were rarely used in direct \par combat, but they were often used for reconnaissance and \par other dangerous jobs. She nodded. It was the best she could \par do for a promise. \par \par He sighed, as if he knew she could offer him no more. Then \par he lowered his head that final inch and touched his lips to \par hers. She responded by bringing her arms up and around his \par neck. His own arms wrapped themselves around her, bringing \par her body flush against his. His tongue coaxed her lips open, \par and she slowly let her tongue meet and tangle with his. \par \par How long had she waited for this? she wondered. To be kissed \par by this man. But then the truth hit her. She pulled away, \par shoving on his shoulders slightly. She backed away from him, \par her breathing harsh, her eyes wide. She shivered when she \par saw the desire in his eyes, and the confusion that overtook \par it at her withdrawal. \par \par "Dana?" His voice was husky, erotic. God, she must be crazy \par to refuse him. But she had to. \par \par "You're not him." Her whispered words were soft, but Stanton \par heard them nonetheless. \par \par He lowered his eyes and backed away, leaving even more space \par between them. "I'm sorry." He looked up, and Scully flinched \par at the pain she saw in them. This man might be more \par forceful, more commanding than his 1999 counterpart, but \par inside he was just as sensitive as her Mulder. He nodded in \par acceptance, then turned to go back to his men. To find the \par spy Darlene. To go back to war. \par \par Scully took a step after him. "Jason!" \par \par He turned and gave her a sad smile. "He was a very fortunate \par man, your husband." Scully stopped. He thought she was \par talking about her 'deceased' husband. She decided to let him \par think that. "Very fortunate indeed." Without another word, \par he left her. \par \par Scully returned to work. To the blood. The sweat. The \par swearing. \par \par But her thoughts were of home, and the man waiting there for \par her. \par \par ***** \par \par End 5/7 \par \par Manassas-Part 6/7 \par Summary and disclaimers in Part 1 \par \par ***** \par \par "Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead, Drayton!" David \par Glascow Farragut to his flag captain, Percival \par Drayton-August 1864 \par \par ***** \par \par August 30, 1862 \par Groveton, Virginia \par Near Manassas Junction \par \par The Confederate army was in trouble. \par \par It was mid-afternoon on the 30th of August. Jackson and his \par men had held their position behind the embankment of the \par unfinished railroad for almost two days. But they were \par tiring and the Union army just wouldn't quit their assault. \par Ammunition ran out, and the soldiers began throwing rocks at \par the men in blue. Jackson finally called on Longstreet, who \par had been waiting patiently on Jackson's right. \par \par Longstreet responded immediately. The Yankees were \par completely unprepared for the attack on their left. \par Longstreet bombarded the Union troops with artillery, \par breaking their lines three times, then sent his men in for a \par full attack. Pope, who had never realized Longstreet was \par even in the area, had been concentrating all his men on the \par north side of the battlefield. Longstreet's attack from the \par south caught him off guard, and he tried desperately to send \par men to meet Longstreet's forces. They were able to put up a \par bit of a fight, but it was no use. The 5th New York Zouaves \par fought back the strongest, and they suffered for it. One \par surviving Zouave described the battle as 'the very vortex of \par Hell'. \par \par The Union was driven from the field. \par \par Scully found herself elbow deep in blood, and never had time \par to wash it off. Wounded Union prisoners were brought it, and \par Sean did his best to see that they received adequate care, \par but another of the doctors wasn't so generous. He often \par purposely overlooked a seriously wounded man in blue to help \par a less seriously wounded man in gray. Scully could only \par shake her head in disdain and do her best to help whoever \par she could, no matter what the color of their uniform. \par \par She had already determined that their was no good or bad \par side in this war, only good and bad people on both sides. \par \par By late afternoon, it was determined that the south had won. \par Injured men coming into the camp were singing joyously, \par despite the pain of their wounds. \par \par ***When Johnny comes marching home again, Hurrah! Hurrah!*** \par ***We'll give him a hearty welcome, then, Hurrah! Hurrah!*** \par ***The men will cheer, the boys will shout!*** \par ***The ladies they will all turn out!*** \par ***And we'll all be gay when Johnny comes marching home!*** \par \par Scully was finally able to take a break and curiosity drove \par her to a rise that overlooked the battlefield. What she saw \par astounded her. \par \par Thousands of men waged war in the field below her. She saw \par Jackson's men behind the 'safety' of the railroad embankment \par to her left. Almost directly below her and a little to the \par right were Longstreet's men, the artillery still pounding \par away at the slowly retreating Federals, who were beginning \par to scatter far across the field. The houses that made up the \par tiny village of Groveton became shelter for the retreating \par Union army. Men and horses lay dead and dying around the \par field. Several orderlies risked their own life to retrieve \par injured men who couldn't move off the field themselves. \par During every charge, the Rebel Yell, that frightening, \par high-pitched keening that had so terrified the union troops \par at the fist Bull Run, could be heard from Longstreet's \par troops. Jackson's men were quiet; they were too exhausted to \par make much noise. They could do little but defend themselves. \par \par Scully knew the fighting would continue tomorrow, but the \par battle itself was nearly over. The army would leave soon, \par and head into Maryland. It would be Lee's first of two \par invasions of the north. Both would fail. This one would lead \par to Sharpsburg, where a huge battle would be fought on \par Antietam Creek next month. Next year, Lee would get as far \par as Pennsylvania, to a little town called Gettysburg. It \par would be the beginning of the end for the south. \par \par Just before sunset, the wounded were loaded up into wagons, \par as were the supplies and everything in the medical tent. The \par camp was being broken down, and the army was preparing to \par move. Because Jackson's troops had been so tired, pursuit of \par Pope and his men hadn't been accomplished. The Federals had \par a strong, hard-fighting rear guard that enabled them to \par escape. The Confederates were determined to follow. \par \par Scully was helping to pack things up, anticipating more \par fighting and more wounded in a different location, when she \par suddenly realized she couldn't go. Something inside her told \par her that in order to get home, she had to stay in the area. \par The grove of trees not far from the Anderson farm was the \par key. She just had to figure out how to use it. \par \par She found Melanie helping make a seriously wounded man get \par as comfortable as possible on one of the ambulances. Despite \par her own exhaustion, the woman turned and smiled at Scully. \par Scully felt a lump form in her throat. Could she really \par leave? Melissa was here, in a way. And Pendrell. They were \par no longer alive in her world. But they may not survive this \par one either, she told herself. Could I really watch them die \par again? \par \par "Melanie," Scully started. "I have to go back to your \par mother's." \par \par Melanie's smile disappeared. "Why?" \par \par Scully shrugged. "Personal reasons." She sighed. "I want to \par go home." \par \par Melanie gave he a sad smile. "I understand that feeling. And \par I know that, despite the wonderful help you've been here, \par that you want to help the side you believe in. I wish I \par could, too. But I won't leave Sean." She came forward and \par hugged Scully. "I'll miss you." \par \par Scully brought her own arms up to wrap them tightly around \par her. "I'll miss you, too." \par \par Slowly, they disengaged. Melanie smiled again. "You know, I \par had a little sister. She died when she was only five of \par Scarlet Fever. She would have been about your age had she \par lived. I'd like to think that she would have been as brave \par and caring as you." \par \par Scully felt the tears in her eyes. She had wondered if she \par had a counterpart in this world. \par \par "I'll tell Sean your plans, and he can find you an escort to \par my mother's. But please, let me write a quick letter that \par you can take to her." \par \par Scully nodded and Melanie ran off to find her husband. She \par was sick of the dead. Sick of the blood. Sick of this war. \par Despite this, she would willingly stay and help these people \par through the coming years. But she knew she couldn't. She \par knew that it was time to go home. \par \par ************************************************************ \par \par "I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of \par Savannah, with one hundred and fifty heavy guns and plenty \par of ammunition; also about twenty-five thousand bales of \par cotton." Telegram sent to Lincoln from Sherman-December 1864 \par \par ***** \par \par August 30, 1862 \par The Anderson Farm \par Near Manassas Junction, Virginia \par \par The sun was low in the western sky when Scully dismounted \par from her mare in front of Maddie's house. Maddie ran out to \par meet her, her arms open, a huge smile on her face. Scully \par welcomed her embrace. \par \par She pulled away and turned to look at the young man who had \par ridden to the farm with her. He was too young to be fighting \par a war, not even old enough to shave yet. But Scully had seen \par so many boys like him die over the past couple of days. As \par she thanked him, she wondered if he would survive. Chances \par were good that, even if he did, he would be missing an arm \par or a leg by the end of the war. He took the reins of her \par horse, then turned and rode back towards the battlefield. \par \par All was quiet on the farm; it was very obvious the battle \par had come nowhere near. Scully was thankful for that at \par least. Maddie began her usual chatter as she lead Scully \par into the house. She learned that 'the boys', meaning Alfred \par and Jonah, had gone to the neighbors to procure some smoked \par ham they had hidden away from the troops of both armies. \par Scully smiled. A home cooked meal certainly sounded \par wonderful. But she felt too anxious, too nervous. Something \par was about to happen, and she wasn't sure if it was good or \par bad. She shook her head. Wouldn't Mulder be amazed by her \par 'second sight' of late? Feelings, premonitions. When had she \par developed a sixth sense? Or maybe she should be asking \par herself when she had learned how to read that sixth sense. \par \par Scully went upstairs to change clothing, thanking Maddie \par with another hug and a kiss on the cheek when the older \par woman brought up a pitcher of hot water. Scully gave herself \par a sponge bath, desperately trying to rid herself of the \par stench of blood, sweat and death. Finally satisfied that she \par was as clean as she was going to get, she changed into \par another of Melanie's old dresses and made her way \par downstairs. Alfred, Jonah and Caleb were there, sitting at \par the table and talking quietly among themselves when she came \par down. They quieted when she entered the room, and Maddie \par turned worried eyes on her. \par \par Caleb stood, his old body hunched, his face wrinkled, but \par his eyes bright. Scully figured he must be near 100. That \par was a great age in her time. In the 1800's, it was \par unbelievable. "Mizz Hale," he said. "We've been talking. We \par think it's time you went home." \par \par "That's why I came back here instead of going with Melanie. \par This is closer to Washington." \par \par "Yes'm. It is," Caleb nodded. "But that ain't what I'm \par talking about. I'm talking about your real home." \par \par Scully stood, speechless. She looked at Maddie, who wouldn't \par meet her eyes. "What...what are you talking about?" \par \par "You don't belong here, Mizz Hale," Alfred said. "Caleb. \par He's seen people like you before. Now, we wouldn't normally \par believe in something so...silly. But we got to thinkin', and \par we think that maybe he's right." \par \par "About what?" Scully was getting very nervous. \par \par "When were you born, Mizz Hale?" Jonah asked. \par \par Scully did the math quickly in her head. "1827." \par \par Jonah shook his head. "No, Ma'am. When were you really \par born?" \par \par Scully breathed in deeply. "How did you know?" she asked \par without giving an answer to the question asked. \par \par Caleb, still standing, his dark eyes flashing, smiled. "I've \par seen people like you before. People from the future. I even \par tried to help one get back home, but he died before he \par could." \par \par "How?!" Scully was surprised at how desperate her voice \par sounded. "How do I get home?" \par \par Caleb sat down again. "You need to find the place you \par arrived. Then you need to think about home, about the people \par waiting for you there." He smiled brightly again. "And a few \par kind words to God wouldn't hurt." \par \par Scully shook her head. "That's it? No magic spells? No \par conjuring of smoke? No lightning flashes?" \par \par "Lightning is how you arrive, but you need an even greater \par power to get home." \par \par "God?" \par \par "Our good Lord may be that power, yes. But it will be your \par desire to get home that will convince Him to send you back." \par \par "There's no place like home?" Scully mumbled, not quite sure \par about Caleb's answer. It wasn't that she didn't believe in \par God. It simply sounded too easy. "What's the catch?" \par \par "Catch?" Caleb looked at the others in the room. They all \par shrugged, not knowing what she meant either. \par \par "Nevermind." Scully brought a hand out to brace herself \par against the wall, suddenly feeling faint. "What if I wanted \par to stay? What if, knowing the future as I do, I want to stay \par and try to change things?" \par \par Caleb's eyes became serious. "Others in your situation have \par tried," he said softly. "They never return." He paused. "I \par always believed that they were brought here for a purpose, \par and once that purpose is fulfilled, they want to go home. If \par they don't listen to that 'call', they get themselves in \par trouble. They most likely died." He looked at her intently. \par "You have a strong desire to go back now, don't you? You \par musta already done what you were meant to." \par \par "What?" Scully asked. She got another shrug as an answer. \par \par Scully's head was beginning to ache. "When do I do this?" \par \par Caleb stood again. "I think now would be as good a time as \par any." He walked up to her. "Hey! You never answered our \par question. When were you born?" \par \par Scully swallowed. "1964." \par \par "Wow. You gotta 'nother 100 years before you even get born?" \par Caleb laughed. "I bet you know a lot about what's gonna \par happen in the years to come, don'cha?" \par \par Scully nodded, but said nothing. \par \par "Too bad we'll never know," Caleb finished, and Scully \par sighed in relief. He wasn't going to ask her anything she \par would be afraid to answer. \par \par ************************************************************ \par \par "With malice toward none, with charity for all, with \par firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let \par us strive to finish the work we are in, to bind up the \par nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the \par battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may \par achieve and cherish a just and a lasting peace among \par ourselves and with all nations." A. Lincoln-March 1865 \par \par ***** \par \par August 30, 1862 \par Near Manassas Junction, Virginia \par \par The sun was sitting low on the horizon when Scully and Jonah \par walked out to the tree grove. She had quickly said her \par good-byes to Maddie, who had had tears in her eyes, Alfred \par and Caleb. Then she had let Jonah, who carried a musket, \par accompany her not far from where Alfred had found her more \par than a week earlier. It was still very hot, and the sound of \par cannon-fire could still be heard far in the distance. Scully \par knew they would go silent after dusk. And they would \par probably continue elsewhere tomorrow. \par \par When they reached the grove, Scully's eyes automatically \par searched the ground under the trees. In the faint light, she \par spotted the glimmer of metal and rushed toward it. Pushing \par away some leaves, she picked the object up. And started to \par laugh. It was her cell-phone. The 'low battery' light was \par faintly blinking, and nothing happened when she pressed the \par 'on' button. Her laughter grew louder, almost hysterical, \par and tears formed in her eyes. She looked off to the side and \par saw her gun right at the foot of the tree. She had scoured \par this area for days after her arrival and found nothing. Now \par suddenly, in near dark, she found these. She looked at \par Jonah, who was watching her with an unreadable expression. \par She lifted the phone up. "Home," she said simply. \par \par A branch snapped off to her left, and Jonah immediately \par raised his weapon to his shoulder. Scully quickly reached \par down and scooped up her own gun. A dark shape appeared, the \par low sun giving his face a red cast. \par \par "Jason!" \par \par "What are you doing, Jonah?" Stanton asked. \par \par Jonah, who had lowered the musket upon recognizing Stanton, \par said, "Mizz Hale wants to go home. I'm making sure she gets \par there safely." \par \par "Here? In the middle of a grove of trees?" Stanton's voice \par was incredulous. \par \par "It's a long story, Jason," Scully said softly. She looked \par at Jonah, who gave her a nod and turned away to go back to \par the farm. She turned to Stanton. "What are you doing here?" \par \par "Melanie told me you had gone back to her mother's." He \par stepped closer. "Do you want to tell me why you are standing \par in the middle of the countryside at sunset with Jonah?" he \par glanced down at the gun in her hand. "And armed?" \par \par "Didn't anyone tell you there's a war going on?" Scully \par smiled. When he didn't smile back, she sighed. "I can't tell \par you much more than this: I'm not from this time. I'm from \par the future." \par \par The silence after this statement was deafening. \par \par "Jason? No smart remark or joke? No...anything?" \par \par "What do you want me to say?" His voice was strained. "That \par I believe you?" \par \par She smiled sadly. "Yeah. I guess I did expect you to believe \par me. As crazy as it sounds, Mulder would have believed me." \par \par "Mulder?" \par \par She hesitated. "The man I know you as in my time. The reason \par I can't stay here in yours." \par \par "Me? In your time?" \par \par "Yes." \par \par "Is he who you were talking about earlier, when you said..." \par He didn't go on. \par \par "'You're not him?'" she finished. "Yes." She shook her head. \par "You are him, but you aren't. It's so confusing! All I know \par is that he needs me. And I have to go back." \par \par "You love him?" \par \par Scully nodded, trying desperately to swallow the frog that \par had suddenly appeared in her throat. She did. She loved \par Mulder! \par \par "Well, well, well," a low voice said off to Scully's left. \par She turned her head, startled. Stanton, too, was caught off \par guard. "Jason, my love. Please put down the rifle." Darlene \par Montgomery stood there, a pistol in her hand. It was aimed \par at Scully. \par \par "Darlene!" Stanton's voice was harsh. \par \par "Obviously, you never caught her," Scully said. She couldn't \par help but smile at the very Mulder-like, exasperated look \par Stanton gave her. \par \par "Do shut your mouth, Mrs. Hale," Darlene purred. \par \par Scully had no intention of obliging her. "Actually it's \par Scully. Dana Scully. And I'm not, nor have I ever been, \par married." She looked at an astonished Stanton. She shrugged. \par "Where I come from, unmarried women are quite common. They \par have careers, own land, vote. They've even served in combat \par in the armed forces. In fact," she continued, as she \par carefully grasped her skirt in her left hand and rearranged \par her grip on the weapon she held hidden behind her skirts in \par her right. "My job is in defense of the great and wonderful \par United States of America. All fifty of them!" With a well \par trained, but slightly rusty move, she spun to her left and \par brought her right foot up in a roundhouse kick that \par connected with Darlene's pistol and sent it flying through \par the air. Smoothly, she brought her weapon up and pointed it \par directly at Darlene's shocked face. \par \par Stanton was obviously just as shocked, but not so much that \par he didn't remember to retrieve Darlene's gun from the \par ground. Then he looked at Scully, a slight smile on his \par face. "Fifty?" \par \par "Ooops," Scully said, but she really wasn't sorry to let \par that slip. \par \par Scully kept her gun on Darlene as Stanton tied the spy's \par hands behind her back with a leather strap. "Do you know \par what they do to spies, Darlene?" he whispered menacingly to \par the dark haired woman. "I certainly won't argue when they \par decide to stand you up against a wall and shoot you." \par Darlene looked dazed and didn't respond. \par \par Scully looked to the west and saw that the sun had nearly \par disappeared behind the horizon. It was time to go. \par \par "Jason," she said. "Why don't you take Mrs. Montgomery back \par to your men; I'm sure they must be around somewhere close." \par \par "And leave you here?" Stanton asked, his voice hard. "I \par don't think so, Dana." \par \par "This is where I need to be, Jason. Please. Leave." \par \par Leaving Darlene tied and still in a daze, he walked up to \par Scully, grabbed her by the shoulders, and kissed her. Hard. \par \par "Does this Mulder kiss you like that?" he demanded, when he \par pulled away. \par \par Scully found it hard to catch her breath. "No," she \par whispered. \par \par "No?" \par \par "He's never kissed me at all." \par \par "Never?!" Stanton was astounded. \par \par "Not really," Scully told him, a smile playing on her lips. \par 'But I intend to change that if I ever get home,' she \par thought to herself. \par \par Stanton shook his head. "Then stay," he whispered. \par \par Scully felt the tears come. She swallowed hard. "I can't," \par she moaned. "I don't belong here." She blinked rapidly and \par looked down. "Please, Jason. Let me go." \par \par A chorus of shouts and gunfire distracted them. Stanton's \par men, who had indeed been keeping watch a short distance away \par had run into a small unit of Federal cavalry. A small \par skirmish began on the edge of the treeline. Stanton \par instinctively turned toward them, but was stopped by a \par familiar voice. \par \par "Don't move, Stanton." He had come from behind them, using \par the sounds of the battle to hide his approach. \par \par "Rollins." Stanton's voice was flat, empty of any emotion. \par \par "All we want is Mrs. Montgomery, then we'll leave you be. \par Mrs. Hale can come with us as well, if she so chooses." He \par looked weary. Dirt streaked his face and his uniform was no \par longer spotless. He showed no signs of the injury that \par Stanton had inflicted days earlier. \par \par "Mrs. Montgomery is under arrest for espionage, General. You \par can't take her anywhere." Stanton lifted his arms and \par casually gestured around him. "How will you get back to your \par men? You are in enemy territory now." \par \par Darlene, who had not moved a muscle, or so Scully thought, \par since Stanton had tied her up, suddenly lunged forward, her \par hands free and a knife in her grip. She grabbed the closest \par person to her, Scully, and held the knife to her throat. \par Stanton drew his pistol, despite Rollins' warnings to hold \par still. \par \par "Don't do it, Jason," Darlene said, her voice high pitched \par and desperate. "Drop the gun, or I swear I'll slit her \par throat from ear to ear." \par \par Scully, who had admittedly been caught off guard, could not \par find any leverage, and her struggles were useless. But \par Stanton hadn't dropped his gun. Instead, he met her eyes \par with his own. She stilled her movements. With no words \par spoken between them, Scully knew exactly what he was telling \par her. At his slight nod, Scully lunged back, away from the \par knife, and then sideways. Just as her upper body cleared \par Darlene's, Stanton fired his gun. His aim was perfect. \par \par The shot echoed in the coming night, then all was silent. \par Even the skirmish had ended in the distance. Scully stood \par with both Stanton and Rollins, looking at the body that had \par once been Darlene Montgomery. "Well," Stanton drawled. "I \par guess you can have her now." \par \par Rollins glared at him, but there was no hatred in the look. \par "I was only planning on arresting her anyway." \par \par "For what?" Scully asked. \par \par Rollins sighed. "Spying. She was playing both sides." \par \par Horses could be heard now, crashing through the underbrush \par towards them. "Colonel?" It was Byers/Bowers. \par \par "Get out of here, Rollins," Stanton hissed. "You were never \par here!" \par \par Rollins wasn't about to argue. With one last glance at \par Scully, he turned and ran off through the trees. \par \par Stanton turned to Scully. His eyes held a question. One \par Scully couldn't answer. \par \par "Go," she said softly. \par \par He nodded, then leaned down, taking her lips once more with \par his. Then he backed away. "Don't forget me." \par \par "As if I could." \par \par "Sir!" Stanton's men had ridden up to them. "We have to get \par back, sir," Bowers said. He was leading the roan. \par \par Stanton took the reins from him and mounted. Then he looked \par down at her. "Fifty?" \par \par Scully nodded. \par \par "Is one of them Virginia?" \par \par She hesitated, then nodded again. \par \par With a smile, Stanton turned his horse and rode away, his \par now confused men following. \par \par Scully watched them until they disappeared in the growing \par darkness. Then, she silently fell to her knees. \par \par She looked up at the dark blue sky, watching the first stars \par of the evening appear. Then, quietly, she began to pray. \par \par ***** \par \par End 6/7 \par \par Manassas-Part 7/7 \par Summary and disclaimers in Part 1 \par \par ***** \par \par "Thank God I have lived to see this. It seems to me that I \par have been dreaming a horrid dream for four years, and now \par the nightmare is gone." A. Lincoln-April 1865 \par \par ***** \par \par August 30, 1999 \par Manassas National Battlefield Park \par \par The sun had set, but there was still tremendous activity in \par the camp. Cookfires and small bonfires burned brightly in \par the darkness, the men surrounding them laughing, singing, \par playing cards and telling stories. Their shadows danced on \par the white canvas sides of their tents. A small group of \par horses stood nearby, tails moving in a gentle rhythm as they \par swept away mosquitoes. A few women walked about, their \par skirts swaying as they moved. They smiled and flirted with \par the men in gray. And the men in blue. \par \par Mulder walked through the camp, fascinated despite himself. \par He had avoided the Park for the last two days because of the \par re-enactment's going on. It was the 137th Anniversary of the \par Second Manassas, and hundreds of people had turned out. \par Dressed in authentic uniforms and clothing, these men and \par women lived for the days when they could come and see their \par fellow Civil War buffs and pretend, for awhile at least, \par that it was really 1862. He had hoped that, seeing as the \par battle had officially ended on the 30th, these people would \par be gone. But they were in no hurry to break camp. \par \par The F.B.I. and the local sheriff's department had not given \par up on Scully, but they had begun to focus on other cases \par now. Mulder hadn't. He had come here every day, until the \par re-enactment's started, and searched. He still wasn't too \par sure if he could believe the old caretaker, but it was \par better than thinking like everyone else did: That Scully was \par dead. Her mother, Maggie, had even come out with him once. \par She, too, wanted to believe the old man. But they had found \par nothing. \par \par He had planned to come out this evening and sit beneath the \par trees, just because it made him feel closer to her. He \par hadn't anticipated the people. He walked among them, feeling \par desperately out of place in his jeans and T-shirt, wondering \par why these people felt the need to re-enact one of the \par country's worst moments. Yet, he admired them and their \par dedication to historical detail. You could do worse things \par on a weekend, he thought. Like chase aliens. Or search for \par your missing partner. \par \par He had stopped to listen to a group soldiers singing a slow, \par moving version of "Battle Hymn of the Republic" when he saw \par her. \par \par She was walking slowly down the alley between the tents, \par watching the men and women around her with a small smile on \par her face. She was dressed as many of the other women, in a \par long, full dress, sky blue in color. It looked more worn \par than those the others were wearing. Her hair was tousled, \par and she walked with a slow, but steady, step that betrayed \par her exhaustion. She stopped to watch the same group of men \par he had, and her smile widened. He looked at them again. Some \par where in blue, and some where in gray. Though the different \par sides stayed apart during the actual 'battle', they tended \par to mingle afterwards. \par \par He looked at Scully again. She had spotted him. \par \par With what looked to be a huge sigh, she walked up to him, \par not stopping until her body was only centimeters away from \par his. She wasn't wearing heels, he thought as she looked up \par at him. His mind was so numbed he couldn't think much else. \par She smiled suddenly, her eyes glowing in the firelight. She \par reached up between them and placed her hand on his cheek, \par gently tracing his lower lip with her thumb. "Hi," she \par whispered. \par \par Her touch, as it usually did, sent his nerve endings aflame. \par With a groan, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her \par tightly against him. She buried her head in his shoulder \par and held onto him just as tightly. He felt her body began to \par shake, and didn't know whether it was from laughter or \par tears. Probably both. Finally, he grasped her shoulders and \par pushed her away, just far enough for him to see her face. \par \par "Where have you been?!" \par \par She was indeed laughing, but there were tears in her eyes. \par "It's a very long story." \par \par "I've got time, believe me." His eyes widened when she \par giggled at his statement. "That's where you've been, isn't \par it? Through time?" \par \par Her own eyes widened. "I don't know why I'm surprised," she \par said. "I should have known you would know what happened to \par me. Even when I'm not sure of it myself." \par \par "You've been missing for almost two weeks, Scully. People \par think your dead." He took a deep breath. "Now, I know what I \par was told. But I want to hear it from you. Where were you?" \par \par "What were you told?" she whispered. \par \par "That you had gone back in time." His voice sounded \par tentative, as if he was afraid she'd laugh at this \par statement. \par \par She didn't laugh. Instead, she simply smiled again. "I \par suppose we'll have to make up some silly story to tell \par everyone about where I've been, because you are the only one \par who'll believe the truth." \par \par Mulder stood there, astounded. The he smiled back at her. \par "Then the old man was right?" \par \par Scully shrugged. "I suppose I could say that it was a \par dream..." \par \par "Don't you dare!" Mulder interrupted her. \par \par "Mulder." \par \par "Yes." \par \par "As much as I love standing here watching these men in blue \par and gray relaxing TOGETHER, I really want to go home." She \par took his hand and started leading him in the general \par direction of the parking lot. "I'll call Mom tonight, but \par we can wait and tell everyone else tomorrow. Tonight, I just \par want to take a nice, long bath, eat a great big meal and \par fall asleep in front of the TV." She turned to look at him. \par "And I'd greatly appreciate it if you joined me." \par \par "Even for the bath?" Mulder asked teasingly. \par \par Scully let go of his hand and gave him a wicked smile. \par "Especially for the bath." With that, she turned and headed \par for home. \par \par Mulder wasn't far behind her. \par \par ************************************************************ \par \par "With an unceasing admiration of your constancy and devotion \par to your Country, and a grateful remembrance of your kind and \par generous consideration of myself, I bid you all an \par affectionate farewell." From Lee's final orders to the Army \par of Northern Virginia-April 1865 \par \par ***** \par \par Scully's Apartment \par Two Weeks Later \par \par Scully's disappearance was still causing people to shake \par their heads. Apparently, the lightning strike had caused her \par to fall and hit her head, causing temporary amnesia. She had \par wandered, confused, until some Civil War re-enactors had \par found her. Feeling the need to keep her \par real-but-as-of-yet-forgotten ID a secret, she had lied to \par them and told them she too was in Virginia for the \par re-enactments. They took her in without question. On the \par evening of the 30th, her memory had returned and Mulder \par found her among the other campers. \par \par It was a completely unbelievable story, but seeing as it \par came from Mrs. Spooky, everyone believed it; strange things \par always seemed to happen to the Spooky family. \par \par Only Mulder knew what had really happened. \par \par The Bureau had given her a two week leave from her duties, \par in order to make sure she recovered from her head injury. \par She had taken the break without complaint. While Mulder \par continued on in her absence (though he called to check on \par her more than once every day) she did research. She searched \par the old libraries and museums scattered throughout Virginia, \par the National Museum in D.C., and the Internet. She found in \par these records many of the people she had met in 1862. \par \par Neither Stuart nor Jackson would survive the war. Jackson \par was accidentally shot by his own troops at Chancellorsville \par in May 1863, and Stuart would be killed a year later at \par Spotsylvania. After his embarrassing loss at Second \par Manassas, Pope's command of the Union army was taken away, \par leaving McClellan in charge once again. She found mention of \par a General Wade, who was supposedly killed during the battle \par at Second Manassas, and his son, who had survived the war to \par become a New York politician. She found nothing on Madeline \par Anderson, or her family, but that was really no surprise. \par She did, after a long search, find information on two others \par she had met. \par \par General William Rollins survived. The widower remarried in \par 1866 and settled down just north of the capital, raising \par three children. Scully could find no pictures of him before, \par during or after the war. She wondered if any of his \par descendants would marry a Skinner. \par \par Colonel Jason Stanton did not survive. He was wounded at \par Gettysburg and taken prisoner. He died two weeks later of \par infection at Old Capital Prison in D.C. Scully had cried \par when she read this. She wondered, for a bit, if she could \par have changed Stanton's fate had she stayed with him. But she \par knew she most likely wouldn't have changed anything, even if \par she somehow knew what that fate was to be. \par \par Though depressed by this news, Scully was happier now than \par she had ever been before. After all, her visit to the past \par had made her present quite wonderful. It had woken her up in \par a way. It had taught her to open up, at least around the \par people she cared about. It had made her realize that life \par was far too precious to wait for what you wanted; you had to \par go out and get it. Now, here she was, standing in her \par kitchen making an omelet, wearing nothing but Mulder's \par shirt. \par \par Ah, yes. The past two weeks since her return had definitely \par been interesting. \par \par She heard him come up behind her just as she flipped the \par omelet on the plate next to the stove. She had already eaten \par when he had arrived at her apartment, tired and stressed \par after a day of rushing to complete "paperwork from Hell" \par before the weekend. She had offered to make him dinner, but \par before she could even ask what he wanted, he had started to \par strip. By the time he got his shirt off and started working \par on his belt buckle, she had forgotten what she was asking. \par That had been well over an hour ago. \par \par Strong, bare arms encircled her from behind and she leaned \par her head a little to the left, giving him access to her \par neck. He took the invitation and gave her a wet, \par open-mouthed kiss where her neck met her shoulder. She \par shivered and felt a sudden tightening between her legs. How \par was she going to work with him now? she wondered. Monday was \par the day she was due back. If she reacted this strongly... \par 'Oh, who are you fooling, Dana? You've always reacted this \par strongly to him. You've just managed to keep it under \par control so he didn't know. You'll just have to keep doing \par that so no one else knows.' She was not going to risk her \par partnership with Mulder just because they had become lovers. \par She was sure he felt the same way. \par \par "Hmmm. Smells good," Mulder drawled, his voice reminding her \par of another one, similar but different. \par \par "I figured you'd be hungry. Hope you don't mind an omelet." \par \par "Omelet? I was talking about you." He kissed her neck again. \par \par She laughed and pulled away from him, turning and handing \par him the plate. "Eat. You need to keep your strength up. It's \par going to be a long weekend." \par \par "Promise?" \par \par She laughed again and moved to sit down at the table. He sat \par opposite her, wearing nothing but a pair of unbuttoned \par jeans, and dug into the omelet with enthusiasm. She watched \par him eat for a while. "You know, of you keep eating my food \par like that, you're not going to stay thin like you are now." \par \par Mulder didn't respond, and she knew it was doubtful that \par with his metabolism and energy level he would ever have to \par worry about gaining weight. She, on the other hand, had to \par work at staying slim. Her visit to the past had helped her \par loose quite a bit of weight, but she was quickly gaining it \par back. \par \par Thinking of her excursion from two weeks ago, Scully decided \par to bring up the subject. Mulder hadn't asked her much about \par the experience, but she sensed that he was anxious to hear \par about it. She had told him bits and pieces, but nothing too \par elaborate. Now, she felt she needed to talk to him about it. \par \par "I'm thinking it was Wade." \par \par Mulder looked up from his meal. "Huh?" \par \par "Why I was sent back." Her voice was steady, but soft. "I \par think it was to help kill Wade. I think that if he had \par lived, something horrible would have happened." \par \par Mulder's eyebrows shot up, but he didn't say a word. He \par didn't have to. \par \par "I mean, something more horrible than the war itself," she \par explained. \par \par Mulder finished cleaning off his plate and sat back in the \par chair. "Was he really that horrible a man?" \par \par She smiled slightly. "I think so, yes. Everyone I met either \par feared him, hated him, or both." \par \par Mulder nodded. "And you said it was after this Stanton \par brought you back to the camp afterward that you felt a \par strong desire to go home. Before that, you had been enjoying \par yourself too much." \par \par "Well, I wouldn't say I was enjoying myself," Scully argued, \par remembering the blood. The screams. "But, yes. I wasn't as \par anxious to get home while Wade was alive." \par \par She looked at Mulder, searching his face. She had finally \par told him just a couple of days ago that Stanton had looked \par like him. He had looked worried, then he had demanded if \par that was why she was sleeping with him now. She had admitted \par that her attraction to Jason had been a catalyst, but that \par she had wanted Jason only because he was, in her mind, \par Mulder. And she had wanted Mulder for years. \par \par He had accepted her admission without any surprise, as if he \par had been convinced it was inevitable they would end up \par lovers. His confidence had irked her somewhat, but only \par until he had told her, later that night, about his own \par experience aboard the 'Queen Anne'. Scully remembered her \par reaction to his claims after they had fished him out of the \par sea. She felt slightly ashamed. \par \par "He died," she whispered. \par \par "Who?" \par \par "Stanton." \par \par "Well of course, he died, Scully. It was over a hundred \par years ago that he lived." \par \par She shook her head. "No! I mean he died during the war. A \par little less than a year after I knew him." \par \par Mulder looked at her, his eyes challenging. "Do you expect \par me to mourn him?" \par \par "No." She sighed. "I just find it sad. That he died fighting \par a war I basically told him couldn't be won." \par \par "How did you tell him?" \par \par "I told him there was still a United States and that \par Virginia was still a part of it." \par \par Mulder took a deep breath. "Maybe, even if he had known for \par sure, he wouldn't have stopped fighting. After all, he had \par men depending on him. Hell, the state of Virginia was \par depending on him. I think Lee knew he'd lost the war early \par on, too. But he kept fighting. Why?" He shrugged. "Maybe \par we'll never know." \par \par Scully felt her lips twitch. "You've been reading up on the \par war, haven't you?" \par \par He shrugged again. "So? I was curious. The U.S. is what it \par is because of that war." \par \par Scully nodded. "Do you realize how that sounds? The United \par States IS? Incorrect grammar." \par \par Mulder stared at her for a while. "You're going to lecture \par me on grammar, now?" He sat up in the chair. "That's how \par everyone says it!" \par \par Scully held up a hand in her defense. "I know! I know! \par Because to us, the United States is one country. But do you \par realize back before the Civil War, people said, 'The United \par States ARE'?" She smiled. "I heard some historian say once \par that that was what the war did. It changed us from an 'are' \par to an 'is'. It made the collection of states we started as \par into a real country. So however horrible and violent that \par war was, it did, like you said, make us who we are today." \par \par Mulder sat still for a while, staring at his empty plate. \par "Do you feel like you want to go back?" he finally asked. He \par lifted his hazel eyes to hers. They were filled with \par curiosity, fear and love. Scully felt her heart leap when \par she recognized the latter. \par \par "Not if it means leaving you," she said softly. \par \par He smiled, then stood. He held out his hand to her and she \par took it. Without a word, he lead her to the bedroom. \par \par ************************************************************ \par \par "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on \par this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and \par dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. \par \par "Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether \par that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can \par long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. \par We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final \par resting place for those who here gave their lives that that \par nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that \par we should do this. \par \par "But in a larger sense, we can not dedicate-we can not \par consecrate-we can not hallow-this ground. The brave men, \par living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, \par far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will \par little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can \par never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, \par rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which \par they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is \par rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task \par remaining before us-that from these honored dead we take \par increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the \par last full measure of devotion-that we here highly resolve \par that these dead shall not have died in vain-that this \par nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom-and \par that government of the people, by the people, for the \par people, shall not perish from this earth." \par \par A. Lincoln-November 19, 1863 \par \par THE END \par \par \par }{\f1\fs20\insrsid1572959 \par }}