TITLE: Almost Within Reach (1/2) AUTHOR: Jennifer Lucas EMAIL: jenn@pipermaru.com DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: Anywhere as long as my name and addy stay with it. SPOILER: anything through the fourth season. RATING: PG CONTENT: Mulder/Scully Romance and mention of Mulder/Other and Scully/Other. CLASSIFICATION: S-story, R-romance, A-angst. SUMMARY: About a year in the future, after becoming involved with other people, Mulder and Scully reach a cross-roads and decide to go their separate ways, but destiny and a strange FBI case reunite them. DISCLAIMER: CC and 1013 Productions own the X-Files, characters, and storylines. All other characters are mine. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I want to thank two people. First of all, my cyber-sister Nicky C. for being such a wonderful friend. And Deborah Wells, her's was one of the first fanfiction stories I read and she inspired me to try my hand at writing fanfic. Debbie also helped me with this story. Thanks! Lastly, this story is dedicated to Jon...he is the inspiration behind it. Because of him I caught a glimpse of what was Almost Within Reach... *******************************************************************************
I was born when you kissed me. I died when you left. I lived a few weeks while you loved me. *******************************************************************************
*April 21, 1998* It was a cold, dark, overcast day. [Perfect] she thought, [it matches my mood.] This was her last day in Washington DC. Dana Scully was leaving on the evening flight out of Dulles International Airport for Los Angeles, California, the other side of the North American continent and as far away from *him* as humanly possible. She had put in her transfer request only one week ago, but Assistant Director Skinner approved it and just like that everything was final...everything that is except the "talk" she needed to have with him. The trouble was, she didn't know how. How could she tell him she was leaving. How would she say goodbye. The words were simple enough to utter, but then nothing was simple anymore. She spent her last day in DC tying up some loose ends and cleaning out her desk. The moving van had taken her belongings two days ago so she had been staying at her mother's place. Tonight though she found herself walking a familiar path, the one she had become used to after years of working so close to this area, she automatically parked her car and walked over to "their" bench, drenched tonight in the glow of the Jefferson Memorial Building. She wasn't the least bit surprised to find him there. He looked sad, dejected, and a little angry. He had every right to be angry, but it was tempered by the knowledge that she was leaving because of him. He had found out so unexpectedly and it took him by surprise, but he'd been sitting on this bench for hours and the more he thought about it...the more he understood her motives. She had to go, but knowing that didn't make accepting it any easier. The enigmatic Fox Mulder, for almost five years now her partner, confidante, and best friend. They had worked together for so long, they knew each other so well, and yet Scully still couldn't explain it to anyone. There was a connection between them, something that transcended the physical, tangible world and bound their souls together. It was something she trusted and believed in always and even though lately she and Mulder had done their fair share to weaken that bond, it only got stronger. Scully was struck by the irony of the situation. Here she was leaving Washington DC and there was Mulder sitting on their bench waiting to talk to her. Five months ago seeing him here would have made her heart race and her head spin, she would have run into his arms and kissed him and he would have taken her to his apartment and made love to her all night. But this wasn't five months ago, Mulder was engaged and Dana was...finally doing what she should have done a long time ago. Five months ago...[that's when it all started] Dana remembered, their timing was off then too. *November 14, 1997* *Five Months Earlier* "So Scully, what are you and James doing tonight?" Mulder asked, looking at her from across the basement office. They had been busy all day finishing reports. He looked so good in his glasses and his hair was just a little messy...that one strand that just wouldn't stay in place...it always made her smile. "Oh, I don't know. I don't think we have anything planned. How about you, Mulder?" "I was just going to stay home and watch some videos." Scully smiled, "OH...well then, I guess you'll have a good time tonight." Mulder feigned a hurt look and Scully laughed. It had been a long time since they had actually enjoyed each other's company this much...too long. They had been through so much in the last year: John Lee Roche, Scully's cancer, Mulder's trip to Russia, Mulder's faked suicide, and of course, there was the day Scully found out her cancer was gone...she still didn't fully understand that and she always wondered why Mulder didn't seem surprised. There were too many things that had hurt their partnership, but none of them as damaging as Eddie VanBlundht. It seemed to Scully that Mulder always doubted her after that. They never really talked about it, but Scully got the feeling that Mulder was always wondering why she almost kissed Eddie and how she felt about it...all he ever had to do was ask. Too bad he never did. "So Mulder, is Nicky out of town?" she asked. "Yes, she is giving a presentation in New York." Nicky was Mulder's fiance. She and Mulder had met last summer during one of his extended hospital stays. She was his doctor. Scully remembered they had been in Virginia following a lead on those small-pox carrying bees, when Mulder surprised their suspect and was shot twice. When they arrived at the hospital, Dr. Nicole Porter was the emergency room physician and while Scully waited outside in the waiting room, Nicky performed a miracle, not only did she save his life, but somehow she helped to heal Mulder's heart. Mulder fell in love with her and again Scully was hit by a pang of jealousy. She always thought that in the end she and Mulder would fall in love with each other, after all--they had all the ingredients of a great couple: trust, goals, the keys to each other's apartments, and they both loved their work. All the ingredients except one, Scully reminded herself, they had never even kissed. But Scully never seemed to think about that anymore, to her it was obvious that there was passion in their relationship, unfulfilled passion that would someday fill their lives with unspeakable joy. And then Nicky came along. It happened rather quickly, Mulder and Nicky fell in love and got engaged and Scully just sat by, she listened to Mulder go on and on and she just smiled. The ironic thing was she really was happy for him, he seemed so much happier and Scully thought that somewhere that dark place inside him where all the pain and anger lived, was overcome and overshadowed by the love that Nicky brought into his life and Scully was glad. It was something that Scully thought she had never been able to do for Mulder and she was glad that someone made him really happy. After Mulder got engaged, Scully wasted no time in meeting someone. His name was James Bateman and he was a police officer in Washington DC. Scully met him when she and Mulder were working on a case and when he started to flirt with her, she decided to return his advances. She often wondered if she allowed herself to be with James because Mulder was already engaged, but in the end she realized that he was a good man and that he could take care of her. The question was...*would* he take care of her. Scully tried not to think about it much and eventually, James moved into her apartment with her. She knew he loved her, and she cared about him, but to her something always seemed to be missing. Mulder and Scully left the office that Friday evening and went their separate ways, never realizing that that night was the beginning of something neither one of them would be able to control. Scully arrived home to find a note from James, he wasn't going to be coming home that weekend. He had decided to work some extra hours and take some time to think. He and Scully had been fighting a lot in recently...she wanted to just enjoy their relationship and take things slow and he wanted her to commit. [It is usually the other way around] she thought, but she just couldn't be sure that James was the right man for her...and somewhere in the back of her mind was the nagging thought that maybe...just maybe...things wouldn't work out between Mulder and Nicky. That night Scully decided to go back to the office and grab some paperwork to do over the weekend. She was surprised when she got there to see the light in the basement office already on. Slowly, Scully opened the door...with all she had been through in recent months, she was wary of anything out of the ordinary. "Hey, Scully. What are you doing back here?" It was Mulder. "So, I guess you didn't stay home and watch movies after all." "Nope, I didn't want to be at my apartment tonight. I've got a lot on my mind lately." "Oh really," she was curious, "like what?" Mulder took a deep breath and let it out very slowly. Scully had no idea what Mulder was going to say, but she felt something, something stirring deep inside of her. It was like Mulder was reaching out and touching her soul. "Scully, do you think that Nicky is the right one for me...you know the person I should marry?" Scully swallowed, her throat felt very dry all of a sudden. "Mulder, why are you asking me this? Has something happened?" "Well, no not really, but that is the whole point. I love Nicky, I really do, but I'm just not sure...something is missing that's all." [This sounds all too familiar] she thought. Mulder was looking straight at her, he was saying the words that Scully had always wanted to hear. She looked up and met his eyes and the electricity shot between them. They looked longingly, both thinking the same thing, but too afraid after all the years they had been partners to say it...[I want you]. The words were hanging there on the air, drifting to and fro, but never actually spoken. They left the office that night and went to a quaint little chinese restaurant near the river. They laughed and ate, they looked and hoped, they touched and teased. And then they were faced with that choice, that choice that changed their lives forever... "So Mulder, do you want to come over to my place for a nitecap?" "I would love to." He followed her to her apartment and walked her to the door. He placed his hand gently on her lower back...something he'd done a thousand times before...but it never felt like that. She turned and looked at him and her eyes were blazing with all the wanting and needing she had been feeling for the past few months. She reached out her hand to open the door, but Mulder grabbed it. He looked down at her and slowly pushed the door open, but he never let go of her hand. The air in Scully's apartment was thick, so thick she felt as if she couldn't move, words swirled in her head, but she couldn't make any sense out of them...so rather than rely on her mind, Scully listened to her heart and her soul. Everything in her soul told her this was the moment she had been waiting for...this was the right time. She wondered if Mulder felt the same way and she didn't have to wait long to find out the answer. He led her to the couch and sat down and pulled her down next to him. He looked at her and she saw all that she was feeling reflected in his eyes. "Scully, what is happening here?" "I...I..." "I've got all these feelings bottled up inside me and I was wondering if you could help me figure things out." "You mean things with Nicky?" "It's more than that. It's things with you." "Things...with me. What things?" "Lately, Scully, we've been getting along a lot better. The angry tension and animosity in our partnership has disappeared. Why do you think that is?" "Maybe it is because we both found something that makes us happy." "You found James." "And you found Nicky." "Then why do I feel like something is missing?" "Mulder, I...what exactly are you trying to say here?" "Do you love him, Scully?" She looked down at their hands, still wound together. She shrugged her shoulders. "Then why are you with him? Why are the two of you living together?" "Because he is a good man and we get along...sometimes." "But not lately?" She shook her head. "What about you, Mulder. You are having doubts about your relationship with Nicky, do you really love her?" Mulder looked at her, his eyes bore into her soul. She knew that he did love Nicky, but she could also tell that he was confused. She prayed that he would tell her what he was thinking. "I don't know, Scully. I mean...I thought I did, but I can't help wondering. I've been wondering a lot lately what would have happened if..." "If...?" "If you and I had gotten together." His eyes were pleading for some kind of reassurance from her that he hadn't gone too far. He trusted their friendship more than anything in the world and he did not want to jeopardize it, but he needed to know...he needed to know if there was a chance for him and Scully. "Mulder, I..." she couldn't finish. She looked down again. This was everything she had ever wanted to hear...well, not absolutely everything, but this was her chance...no--it was their chance. Their chance to be together, to explore the passion in their relationship, to discover what they really meant to each other, to go beyond their platonic friendship and become lovers. Scully let go of Mulder's hands and reached up and touched his face, she had never allowed herself to touch him like this before, though she'd always wondered what his skin would feel like. He let out the deep breath he had been holding in anticipation of her next move. She stroked her thumbs along his cheeks and then she combed her hands through his hair, making the most of this moment--memorizing everything. She moved forward desperately wanting to kiss him, but she was so scared of what his reaction might be. A tiny moment of hesitation and doubt seized upon her soul and she pulled back and dropped her eyes. "Scully, what's wrong?" "Nothing, Mulder, I'm...just a little frightened." "Of what?" She looked up again and he was so close to her, she let go of the doubt and her instincts took control and she moved her hands back to his face, her fingers gently brushing his eyes...his lips. "Of this...of us being so close and doing something we might regret." "I would never regret it, Scully." Suddenly his hands were wrapped around her waist, traveling up and down her back. He wanted to touch every part of her body and share everything with her. And like two lovers who had been apart for an eternity, they came together in a kiss. It was gentle at first, but quickly deepened and all the hunger and passion that had existed between them since the first day they met was finally being fed. They were seeking and exploring with every new and exciting touch. Mulder ran his fingers through her hair and pulled her head back and began dotting her neck with deep, slow kisses. Scully took a ragged breath...this was everything she had ever dreamed of. She pulled her head up and began suckling on his ear. Mulder gasped and she smiled knowing what she was doing to him. Before long they were undressing each other, their clothes piling up on the floor of Scully's living room. Mulder stood up and swung Scully up into his arms and carried her to her bedroom. As he set her down on the bed, he stopped for a moment and looked into her eyes, and her eyes told him everything he needed to know. *December 13, 1997* *One Month Later* "Scully, what exactly are we doing here?" "You mean here in your apartment, laying on your couch?" "You've been answering my questions with questions a lot lately. I don't know if I like you working so closely with a psychologist." He smiled and she laughed. They had been spending time together whenever they could for almost a month now. Tonight they rented a couple of videos and stayed up late watching them. They had just laid there on Mulder's couch, their bodies entwined. Mulder stroked her neck and ran his fingers through her hair, sometimes capturing a strand and twisting it around and around his finger. Scully pressed her head to his chest and listened to his heartbeat. She wished they could stay like this forever. When the last movie ended they made love--like it was the first time...it was always like that. Scully knew someday that would end, but for now they did not get much time together, so they cherished every second they had--drinking it up, not knowing when they might be together again. Scully's relationship with James had ended soon after she began seeing Mulder. It hurt James when Scully broke up with him and Scully felt bad about that, but she told him that she had met someone else, though she didn't tell him who...she and Mulder had decided it would be best to keep their *involvement* a secret from everyone, especially the FBI. James did his best to try and understand and he moved out of her apartment as quickly as he could. In another life she and James could have been very happy, but this was her life with Mulder. Scully had always wondered why she waited so long to become involved with a man...she'd had quite a few opportunities, but for some reason her thoughts and desires always came back to Mulder. Even with James, she would find herself thinking of Mulder, and at the most inappropriate times, too, she reminded herself with a smile. "What are you smiling at, Scully?" "Oh, nothing really. I was just thinking." "Scully, I was thinking maybe we could talk." "About?" "About us." "Actually, Mulder," she said trying not to sound too nervous or excited, "I've been wanting to talk to you about us too, but I didn't want to push you. I wanted to wait until you were ready." "I just don't know what to do. I know what I *want* to do." She lifted her head up and looked at him--almost afraid to ask. "What do you want to do?" "I want to stay here with you, like this, forever." He smiled...she loved it when he smiled like that. It warmed her soul--when she saw that smile she knew everything would be OK. "Mulder...do you think Nicky knows?" "No. I don't think so. I mean, she probably recognizes that our relationship has changed over the last month. But she is so wrapped up in her cancer research and conventions that she is hardly ever around." This was the hardest thing for Scully to understand...Mulder's devotion to Nicky. Even though she had broken up with James, Mulder still stayed with Nicky. They didn't see each other that often, but that didn't ease the confusion that Scully felt. She tried to understand Mulder's sense of devotion and could only figure that it came from his goal-oriented lifestyle. Once Mulder committed to something it was hard to get him to let go. He was committed to finding his sister, committed to proving the existence of extra-terrestrial life, and he had committed to Nicky. "Do you feel guilty?" Scully asked. Mulder looked away. Scully knew what he was thinking and that he needed time to answer this question...it was the same question she'd asked herself a hundred times in the last month and she was pretty sure Mulder's answer would be the same as hers. Mulder shook his head. "No, Scully. I don't feel guilty...I really don't and in a way it bothers me." "Because Nicky doesn't know, and you should be worried about hurting her, but you're not." Mulder nodded. "That is what I thought." "Really?" "Yes. I've thought about this a lot lately. That is exactly the reason that I ended things with James. I did want my relationship with him to work out, but that was before you." He understood exactly what she was saying, even though she didn't say it directly. He had been turning it over and over again in his mind. He knew he should call off his engagement to Nicky, but he didn't know how and he knew Scully was questioning his motives. "Scully--" "Mulder, let me finish. I ended things with James because of how I feel when I'm with you, because of how I feel about you. I always knew our partnership, our friendship, was special, and I'll admit...I was curious to know what it would be like to kiss you...and make love to you, but--" "You were only curious? I was a hell of a lot more than curious." "Mulder, stop it, I'm trying to be serious here." "No, I am serious. I always trusted in our friendship and I was afraid of what would happen if we became lovers, but I still thought about it *all* the time." "You did...*all* the time?" "I did." "When did you start thinking about it?" Scully asked. The seriousness of the conversation had passed and they were once again enjoying the moment...as if they were the only two people in the world...no Nicky, no FBI, no Consortium...only Mulder and Scully, two young people mad about each other. It didn't matter that no one could know, it only mattered that they knew and somehow that made it so much more real. "Oh, well...let's see. The first day we met," he said with an innocent smile. "Oh my God. Really, Mulder?" "Yep. When did you first become *curious*?" "The...ah...first day we met." He started laughing and he pulled her into a tight embrace...he whispered in her ear, "You see, Scully. It was destiny that we ended up here." "So what are we going to do, Mulder?" "Well, I do have one particular thing in mind," he said mischieviously. "Oh really? And what would that be?" "Let me show you." ******************************************************************************* Scully and Mulder had continued *seeing* each other for another month and a half. They didn't talk much about Nicky, but she stayed very active in her cancer research and medical conventions, and Scully began to feel as if Mulder had made up his mind, he just hadn't had the opportunity to talk to Nicky about it yet. And then of course there were the trips Scully and Mulder took out of town on assignment. During the day they were Agents Scully and Mulder, FBI partners, but at night they were passionate lovers who could not get enough of each other. It often amazed Scully how well she and Mulder were able to work together. Somehow they managed to separate the days from the nights, yet everytime Mulder placed his hand on her lower back like he had always done, she felt for sure that anyone looking would know how she felt about him. ******************************************************************************* *January 26, 1998* Scully was on her way home from another routine day at the office. And though the day was routine the night promised to be anything but...Nicky was out of town and Mulder had promised to come over and he mentioned that he had something important that he wanted to tell her. Scully was anxious to know what that was, she knew what she wanted him to tell her, she had wanted to hear it for a long time, but she had never wanted him to rush this decision. Mulder had been through so much in his life and Scully wanted him to take all the time he needed to figure out what he really wanted to do. Her cell phone started ringing. "Scully," she answered. "Scully, it's me. Listen, I'm not going to be able to make it tonight." She tried to keep the disappoinment out of her voice. "What's up?" "I have to go out of town, that's all. I'll talk to you soon." "Allright." He hung up...the conversation was over. And Scully's life would never be the same. Mulder didn't come into the office for a week and when Scully called his apartment all she ever got was his answering machine. As each day passed, a pit grew larger and larger in her stomach and she knew something had happened, something that would forever change their relationship. End of Part 1 TITLE: Almost Within Reach (2/2) AUTHOR: Jennifer Lucas EMAIL: jenn@pipermaru.com *February 5, 1998* *One week later* Scully awoke to the sound of pounding on her door. She got up and grabbed a robe and rushed to the door. She looked through the peephole, but deep down...she already knew who it was. It was Mulder. And as much as she wanted to see him and talk to him, she was equally as angry. After three days of calling Mulder's apartment and leaving messages on his machine she decided to stop. He knew where she was and he had her number and if he wanted to talk to her then he would call. The minutes turned into hours, hours into days...more days than Scully would like to recall and with each passing second her anger grew. Tonight it was a hot caldron almost ready to boil over. "Mulder, hi," she said coldly, opening the door. "Hi, can I come in." "I don't think so, Mulder. I'll see you at the office," she said hastily. She started to shut the door, but Mulder quickly placed his hand up to stop her. "Scully, please. It's important." "I suppose," she said turning her back to him and walking away from the door. He walked in and shut the door and in three quick steps he was standing in front of her. He pulled Scully up into his arms so quickly that she lost her breath. In that instant all the anger melted away. She wrapped her arms tightly around him...so happy to be with him again...so happy he was finally here. "Scully, we really need to talk," he said setting her down and walking over to the couch. "Ok," she said, following him and sitting down. "I want you to know where I've been for the last week. Nicky was in Seattle speaking at another conference and she was in a car accident." "Oh, God, Mulder, I'm so sorry. Is she OK?" "Yes and no. She is alive, but she is paralyzed from the waist down and the doctors don't think she will ever be able to walk again. As you can probably guess, she is incredibly depressed and having a hard time right now. I just wanted to be there for her." "I understand, Mulder. Don't worry about me, I know everything will work itself out." "Scully, I *have* to be there for her. Nicky is coming back here to Washington DC and she is going to stay at a rehabilitation facility and I'm going to help her recover." The weight of his words sunk in. He didn't mean for a day or a week or a month...he meant permanently. Mulder was engaged to Nicky, he had committed to her, and he had made his decision. This was it, that terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach that kept growing and growing...tears threatened...he was choosing Nicky. "Mulder, can I ask you something?" she said as a single tear slid down her cheek. "You can ask me anything, Scully." "Last week when you said you had something important you wanted to tell me...what we're you going to say to me?" "Scully, it really doesn't matter now," he said looking down. "It does to me, Mulder." "I was going to tell you that I wanted to break my engagement to Nicky and be with you," he choked on the words and Scully knew what this was doing to him. He couldn't look at her. One minute, one second, a careless driver and an event on the other side of the United States changed his whole life and ended his chance at pure happiness. Scully was crying. She reached out and put her arm around Mulder and pulled him close. He laid his head on her shoulder as the tears began to fall. He wrapped his arms around her waist and enveloped her...they held onto each other like that until she finally broke away. Scully put her hand under Mulder's chin and lifted his eyes to meet hers. She could always know just what he was feeling by looking in his eyes. "I'm going to miss you," she choked. All he could do was nod his head. He pulled her face close to him and he kissed her gently. Then he stood up and was gone. ******************************************************************************* Gone but never forgotten, gone but always missed. Scully tried to keep working, but her heart just wasn't in it anymore. Mulder had taken an indefinite leave of absence to care for Nicky and honestly, the Bureau was glad to have him gone. Scully helped out with some cases in the Violent Crimes Section and soon she would be teaching again at Quantico, but everything around her reminded her of Mulder and all that had happened between them. The smiles in the hallway, the slight touches in the office, the verbal arousal during the day that led to passionate nights, and ultimately to the knowledge that she had lost him. It didn't help that a couple of weeks after Mulder left her, they bumped into each other in their basement office.... "Oh, hi, how are you?" he asked stiffly. "I'm doing OK and you?" she said without looking at him. "Fine." "Good....how's Nicky doing?" "Well, she is settled here in DC and she seems to be feeling a little better, I think coming back here helped to raise her spirits." "Good. I'm glad." "How about you? What are you doing with yourself?" "Well, I helped out on a few cases with the VCS and next Monday I start teaching again at Quantico." "That is really good, Scully." "Really?" "Yes, Scully, I think it is good that we are both moving on." "Moving on," she asked, her voice cold and harsh. If he only knew that she would never be able to truly move on, she only wanted to spend every day and every night reliving her memories, recalling every word and every moment she had spent with Mulder. "Yes," he said, "Remember when I told you I didn't feel guilty for being with you and not telling Nicky. It all caught up with me...Nicky's accident made me realize that I had made a committment to her and I should not have been seeing you. I've been thinking and I think what you and I had was never meant to be. I think we just put off the inevitable by being together." "And the inevitable was...?" "That Nicky and I are supposed to be together and you and I weren't. I mean, look how everything has turned out." "So what are you saying? You think we shouldn't have gotten involved." "Scully, I think it was a mistake for us to get involved. I'm not sorry and I'll never regret it, but I don't think it could have worked." "I can't believe that I'm hearing this." "Look, Scully, I'm sorry. It's just that..." "Save it, Mulder. Goodbye." And she walked out. That was the last time she had seen him. For a while everything was OK, but there was only so much work she could do to keep her mind off Mulder. She decided to leave DC and get a fresh start, the trouble was that she had put off the really important things until the very last minute. She had never contacted Mulder and told him she was leaving *April 21, 1998* She was leaving DC tomorrow, but tonight she found herself walking that familiar path, the one she had become used to after years of working so close to this area, she automatically stopped her car and walked over to "their" bench, drenched tonight in the glow of the Jefferson Memorial Building. She wasn't the least bit surprised to find him there. He looked sad, dejected, and a little angry. This was the moment destined to come that Scully had been endlessly avoiding. [You can't escape your destiny] she thought. How true. "Is this seat taken?" she asked him, hoping to at least make him smile. No success. "Scully, we need to talk," he answered. From the sound of his voice, she knew that he really was angry, but she also knew she couldn't change that...she couldn't change anything and that was why she had to leave. Leave everything she cherished and...loved. "OK, Mulder," she said sitting down, "let's talk." "Not here," he said, "I can't talk to you *here*." He stood up and started walking along the path around the river. She had no choice-- she stood up and followed him. They walked for a long time, without talking, without looking, without touching. Each knowing somehow where they were going, the place where it all began over five years ago. They needed to be someplace quiet, secluded, familiar, so they could talk...really talk. A half hour later they stood in front of Mulder's office. He opened the door. Painfully, he looked around, it was half empty. It smelled musty and stale--no one had worked there in a long time. Scully stepped inside the door, she noticed the look on Mulder's face and she knew what he was thinking. Regret seized her soul...a regret she would live with forever. "How did you find out I was leaving, Mulder?" "I came in yesterday to talk to Skinner about my leave of absence and he told me. Scully, you need to tell me why you're leaving. You put in for a transfer, don't you want to work on the X-Files anymore?" "I don't think I can, Mulder. Besides you are never around anymore." "Yea, but that is just temporary until Nicky gets up and around." "I have to go, Mulder, and you know why." "But you never even told me. You pack up your desk and your apartment and make all the arrangements, and when I heard from Skinner, I went by your apartment and someone else is moving in. Why are you doing this? I thought you loved it here in DC and I thought you really liked teaching at Quantico?" "Nothing is the same anymore and I just need a change that's all." "Come on, Scully, talk to me, please." "I'm leaving. That is all there is to it." "You are leaving because of me?" She nodded. "I'm tired, Mulder. I'm sad....hell, I'm profoundly sad." "Profoundly sad," he said with a little smile on his face, "that sounds like a therapy term to me." It was so good to see him smile...so good. "Stop it, you know what I mean." she answered trying to enjoy this fleeting moment. "I really wanted to stay here and teach, but it is obvious to me now that it isn't going to work." "Scully--" "No, Mulder. It just isn't going to work. I've made up my mind and leaving is the best thing for me right now. Please try to understand," she pleaded for support. She turned to look at him, for the first time. In the low light his eyes looked smokey and beautiful and she wished she could get lost in them just one more time...their eyes locked and her breath caught in her throat. It was so hard for her to look at him and she wondered if he had any idea how difficult this was for her. She ripped her eyes away from his. He reached out and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "I understand, Scully. I know what you've gone through. I know how much you've been hurt. I know how sad you are." Confused by his words, she wondered who he was talking about--her or him. He stood there, his hand on her shoulder, and watched her for a second. He thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He moved his hand up the back of her neck and then into her hair, running his fingers through it. "I don't want to agree, but I think you're right. You should...leave... but do you have to move so far away from DC?" He couldn't breath, he couldn't think. All there was was her, her hair, her eyes, her voice... "Don't. Please don't." She reached up and pushed his hand away. "Why? What's wrong?" "You can't do that to me. You just can't touch me like that...not anymore." "Scully, please tell me. What did..." "You just can't do that." she pleaded, sounding like a little girl, lost and confused. "Why?" "Why? Why...you have to ask why?" "No, I guess not. But we both agreed that it was a mistake." "No, *you* agreed it was a mistake." She was almost yelling. She was hurting...dying...inside. "I fell for you." The words came out unchecked and they scared her to death. She promised herself months ago that he would never know how she truly felt, but now he knew. She looked at him, searching his eyes for some sign of what he was thinking. "You what," he stuttered. "I fell in love with you. So in love with you. I'm sorry." She turned to leave. "I'm so sorry." He couldn't let her go...not yet. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her around to face him. He forced her to look at him. He gently cupped her face and lifted her eyes to meet his. Her eyes were shining, filled with tears. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked quietly. "Because, I couldn't. I was too scared." She took a deep breath and reached up and took his hands into hers and gently lowered them. But she couldn't let go of them...not yet. "What we had, even though it didn't last very long, changed my life. I love you like I never dreamed I could love anyone, and that will always be with me. Forever. That's why I couldn't stay with James, because I compared him to you and it wasn't fair to him or to me or to you." She stopped talking for a minute and she looked down at his hands clasped in hers, feeling this would be it...the end...the last time she would be with him, hold him, talk to him. "How come you never told me you felt like this? We talked all the time. We were together so much." "Because in the end it wouldn't have changed anything and I knew that. I knew going in that you were engaged and that you had to make a choice and I knew that night you came over to my apartment you had made that choice. I knew, after the accident, that you would never leave her, no matter what." "But, Scully..." "But what," she interrupted. "If I told you that I loved you, you would have left her. Or maybe you would have thought about leaving her. You know that isn't true. And it hurt me, it destroyed me. So I decided to move on as best I could and count myself lucky for having found you and for having shared part of my life with you, and loving you." "So you are just going to move away. Just like that." "Yes, Mulder, just like that. I need to go on with my life, I need to get away from here, and I would like to try and find someone I can settle down with." Her words stung. She told him she loved him and in the same sentence practically told him she wanted to find someone else to love and share her life with. "So you don't want to love me anymore?" "I will always love you, Mulder, but you've made it very clear that we will not be together and that you think our relationship was a mistake. I'm not really thinking about falling in love with someone, I'm just thinking of moving on with my life and finding someone to share it with." "Scully, it's not right to spend your life with someone you don't love." He knew it the moment he'd said it what was coming next. "Oh, that is rich coming from you. And let's see...why are you with *her*, because she was in a car accident and she needed you. Do you love her? Do you really love her?" she yelled. "Yes but..." he hesitated and looked away. That hesitation, that little catch...that said it all. "Is that fair to her?" she asked quietly. "Maybe you think it is, but it isn't. Trust me, I know." "Scully, you don't understand. You don't know what this is like for me. You don't know how hard it is for me to be with you, to be talking to you about this." "Why, Mulder, because you want to kiss me. To run your fingers through my hair, to hold me. A little thrill, a little fun, a walk on the wild side." "No, because I love you, too, Scully." She stared at him in disbelief. She couldn't speak, she couldn't move. The anger was gone and tears threatened again. In one fast move he was there, his arms around her, lifting her up so her face would meet his. She put her arms around his neck. They stood there like that for what seemed like an eternity, looking at each other, their eyes saying more than mere words could ever express. The bond between them was still just as strong...no matter what they put each other through, or how much they hurt each other, they were entwined in a never-ending love. Then slowly he leaned in to kiss her. It started so softly, but quickly became more intense, more needy. Their lips met hungrily, wanting more, trying to make up for all the time they had spent apart and all the hurt they had caused each other. Mulder lifted up her shirt and ran his hands up and down her back. Her breath caught in her throat remembering how much she loved his touch and the heat it raised in her body. Their hands were everywhere trying to feel and memorize every last inch of each other, to save this memory forever. The kiss seemed endless, as if time had stopped just for them to be together like this, two lovers reunited, but only for an instant. They lived an eternity in that instant and all too soon it was gone. Mulder gently lowered Scully's feet back down to the ground. She put her hands to his face and pressed her lips to his one last time...one long, slow, deep kiss. "I love you so much," he said. "I know, Mulder," she said. "I love you, too...but that doesn't change anything, does it?" She peered into his eyes, searching for some sign of hope, but knowing all along there was no hope, no hope for them. He shook his head. "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry, too," she let go of him and took a step back. It was only one step, but a canyon deeper than anything either of them had ever felt or seen before, sprung into existence between them. "I better go." "Ok. What are you going to do?" "I'm going to go to my mom's, finish packing, and head to the airport." "Will you let me know where you are when you get settled?" "No, I can't. You know that. You have a life, a committment. And I can't interfere with that anymore. I have to let go of you...somehow. I have to try," she choked on those last words. "I'll always remember you," he said, tears stinging his eyes. "Don't please. It will only make things harder. Just be happy," and with that, she turned and walked away, up the stairs and out the door to her car. She drove away, never feeling more empty before in her life. ...he watched her go. He didn't want to believe he would never see her again, but deep down he knew this was the end. They had been partners, best friends, and then lovers. And now that was gone. He sat down, put his head in his hands and cried. He cried for her and for him and for everything they were loosing. And for the memories he had to live with...forever. End of Chapter 1. To be continued.... TITLE: Almost Within Reach Chapter 2 (1/1) AUTHOR: Jennifer Lucas EMAIL: jenn@pipermaru.com *******************************************************************************
I was born when you kissed me. I died when you left. I lived a few weeks while you loved me. ******************************************************************************* *January 13, 1999* *Nine Months Later* Agent Dana Scully was walking along the beach near her condo. It had become a daily ritual of sorts. Taking her shoes off and letting the salt water and sand squeeze between her toes, run over her feet and ankles and soothe away the aches of the day. It was something she needed to do to clear her head of all the sadness, of the loneliness...of the love. It had yet to work. Because even here...in Los Angeles, California, a town where Scully had never traveled with Mulder, there were still memories...a soft song on the radio, a movie they had seen together, the smell of chinese food, the way his hands felt caressing her back when they made love. She thought she heard his voice sometimes...in a crowd, at the office, whispering in her ear [I'm sorry]. Sometimes, she actually turned around and looked for him, but he was never there. Scully had moved to LA thinking that the distance between her and Mulder would help her get over him...that eventually the intense, overwhelming, burning love she felt for him would die down to nothing but a smoldering ember, never dying but becoming something she could control because there would be no Mulder in her life to feed the flame. She didn't think it was possible, but even after all this time she loved him more now than the day they had first made love...more than the day she left him. [I should have known this was the kind of love I could never run away from] she thought sadly. It had angered her at first, that she couldn't put her relationship with Mulder in the past and move on with her life. She tried to--she really did, but she found that with the least bit of success she missed Mulder immensely and for some reason that was more painful than forgetting him. So she continued to dream, to hope, to pray, and to remember...it comforted her...it gave her some sense that her dear Mulder was still a part of her life and that he still loved her and that someday they would be together again. She took comfort in knowing that somewhere in time, she and Mulder had been together, they had been in love. Sometimes though that knowledge made her daily existence all the more difficult because it had been real...it was real. But it had slipped from her grasp, she had felt it, touched it, and seen the extreme possibilities--it was almost within reach and now it was only a memory...one she relived in its entirety night after blissful night. Scully had been working for the Violent Crimes Section since she got to LA. Many of the cases were gruesome and the ones involving little children really bothered her, but she tried to do what she did best...detach herself from the victim and simply look at the scientific facts of each case and work to solve it from that angle. She studied the forensic evidence and performed endless autopsies and prepared criminal profiles--always searching for clues. For the first few months work was really difficult for her...there were times when Scully reached for her cell phone and started to dial Mulder's number. [Mulder, it's me]...but then she would remember where she was and what had happened and why she was walking on the beach. *January 14, 1997* *The Next Day* *8:45 am* "Hi Dana!" "Hi Cindy. How are you?" Scully asked, always knowing the answer to the question. "I am just great...and you?" Cindy replied, but Scully wondered why she always asked when Cindy knew the answer and knew by now that it was a lie. "I'm fine," Scully looked at her and smiled. Cindy Hudson had been Scully's partner since the day she had arrived at the FBI Branch Office in LA. Cindy was a few inches taller than Scully, she had strawberry-blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She turned every male head in the office and she knew what they were thinking, but she didn't let them get away with it. For Cindy was first and foremost a professional FBI agent...she was well-educated, strong-willed, dedicated, and held her own with the best LA field agents. When Scully had first been introduced to her the tension was palpable. Cindy felt that the younger DC agent was here to encroach on her territory, to try and compete, but it didn't take more than a long lunch and a few hours of talking and Cindy let up and ever since then she and Scully had been the best of partners. Scully considered herself very fortunate being paired with another of the FBI's finest. "Dana, did you get the message from Assistant Director Adams?" Cindy asked, looking up from her computer screen, studying Dana. She had her back turned to Cindy, straightening her desk and all the reports and messages. Cindy always noticed that Dana's shoulders were slumped just slightly, like she hadn't slept well, but didn't want anyone to know. [She never seemed to sleep well] Cindy thought. She couldn't help but wonder what it was that Dana thought about at night that made her so tired in the morning. But it was more than just Dana being tired, it was a sadness and a heaviness that always seemed to be with her. Cindy had tried to pry the information out of Dana on many occasions, she had even searched the government database for information, but Dana's previous assignment was classified. Cindy had never gotten anywhere. All she knew was that Dana had a mother and two brothers and that her father and sister had died. The only reason she knew that was because last month during her Christmas vacation, Cindy had surprised Dana at her apartment and brought her a gift and she saw the family pictures Dana had scattered around her apartment. The only thing Cindy could figure was that something or someone had hurt Dana...and was still hurting Dana, so much so that she couldn't tell anyone about it. "No, Cindy. I didn't get the message, what does the Assistant Director want?" Scully turned around. "He wanted to see you in his office as soon as you got to work today." Scully swallowed the lump that instantly formed in her throat, she hadn't even met the Assistant Director here in LA and that suited her just fine. No special assignments, no special meetings, no cigarette-smoking men or consortiums pulling her strings. That was part of her deal with Assistant Director Skinner when she asked for the transfer. She knew that without her the Bureau would most likely close down the X-Files because without her or Mulder there to work on them, there was no point in keeping them open. Scully had asked Skinner if he would classify her involvement in the X-Files and he did. He understood that where she was going she wanted to be considered *just another agent*...she didn't want to be called Mrs. Spooky, and though Skinner didn't understand why, he had been willing to help Scully. So as far as anyone in LA knew, Scully had taught at Quantico, worked for the VCS, had been involved in a classified project and that she was a fine agent with a good record. "Well, I guess I better get up there then." And Scully walked out the door to the elevator. The ride up to the AD's office seemed terribly long, it gave Scully too much time to think about what was going on and why he wanted to talk to her. Her questions would be answered soon enough, but she couldn't help but think that there was something going on here...something she wasn't ready to face. She knocked on the heavy wooden door. "Come in Agent Scully," she heard. She reached down and turned the knob. She slowly pushed the door open and looked around the room. It looked a little like Skinner's office. There was a long conference table, a few comfortable chairs scattered around the room, and a couple of table lamps in various corners, but they probably didn't get turned on except late at night because the corner office was mostly windows. There was only one familiar object in the room and that was a picture of Janet Reno hanging on the wall near the AD's desk. Scully looked at the picture and smiled and she turned her attention to the burly, grey-haired man behind the desk. "You wanted to see me, sir?" she asked, as confidently as she could. "Yes, Agent Scully. Please...have a seat," he said motioning her to sit in one of the comfortable chairs across from his desk. She sat down, crossed her legs, and folded her hands neatly in her lap. "Agent Scully, are you at all familiar with the case Agents Johnson and Andrews are working on?" "No, sir." "Well, I would like you to become familiar with the case, right away." He reached across the desk and handed her two thick folders. "Here is all the paperwork we currently have and here are all the autopsy reports. I would like you to look at the latest autopsy results, it is the first report in that folder." Scully opened the folder and began reading. Her eyes darted about the page trying to gather all the information she could, trying to understand...[Oh, no. Not again], her mind was screaming, but outwardly she was the picture of calm, trying to ignore her inner demons. Then she turned the page and looked at the photo and the stoic look on her face disappeared. "Oh my God," she said looking up. "I see that you *do* recognize him," the AD asked, very curious, "I was told that you would." "Told by who, sir?" "You will find out soon enough. All that is important right now is that you know this man." "Yes, I know him. When did he die?" she asked, gulping back that lump in her throat. "Yesterday afternoon. I am assigning you to do the autopsy right away, before the body degrades." "Degrades?" "Let me explain. His is the fifth body we've found in as many weeks, but about three days after death there is very little, if any, of the bodies left." "I don't understand sir." "It is a detail I have been ordered to leave out of the report, Agent Scully. These bodies begin to decompose, but not like any body I've ever seen before...they turn into a strange, oozing, green fluid and seem to...melt." Scully stared at him, not wanting to believe what she was hearing. The details were all too familiar to her. "Agent Scully, I did some checking and I found that you have had some experience with other cases like this. It that true?" "Yes, it is sir, but that information--" "Is classified. Yes, I know that and I will keep it classified, but it is important that we have you working on this case. I was given your name by Assistant Director Skinner. I hope that is allright." "Yes, of course, sir." "Good. I'd like you to meet with Agents Johnson and Andrews right away and they will fill you in on all the other details of the case and answer any of your questions. I want you to tell them what you know about cases like this and then I want that autopsy performed." "Yes, sir. Right away," she said standing up. "Oh, and there is one other thing. When I called the DC office and talked to Skinner, I found out that there is another agent who is an expert on this sort of bizarre phenomenon. He will be flying in tonight to take over the case. I want you to work with him, Agent Scully, since you have seen this sort of thing before, as well," AD Adams was staring at her now, trying to gauge her reactions. She needed to ask the next obvious question, but already knew the answer and she knew she didn't want to know. "Who is this agent, sir?" "His name is Mulder." Scully's legs swayed beneath her and she had to reach forward with her hand and steady herself against the AD's desk. What could she say to get out of this assignment...[Sir, I'm sorry, Agent Mulder and I had an intimate relationship about a year ago and I don't think it would be wise for us to work together]. It was no use. Scully looked up at the AD. "Thank you for the assignment, sir. I'll get right on it." She turned and started walking for the door, but was interrupted by one last question. "Agent Scully, do you know who the man in the photo is?" AD Adams said motioning to the autopsy folder she carried in her hand. She turned around and faced him. "Yes, sir. His name is Kurt Crawford," she said and then she turned and left his office. The phone rang. AD Adams took a deep breath and steeled himself against the voice on the other end. "Yes," he said. "You gave her the assignment?" the caller asked. "Yes." "You told her about Mulder." "Yes." "What did she do?" "She pretended as if she didn't know him." "Good. Just as I expected." End of Chapter 2. To be continued... TITLE: Almost Within Reach Chapter 3 (1/2) AUTHOR: Jennifer Lucas EMAIL: jenn@pipermaru.com DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: Anywhere as long as my name and addy stay with it. SPOILER: anything through the fourth season. RATING: PG CONTENT: Mulder/Scully Romance and mention of Mulder/Other and Scully/Other. CLASSIFICATION: X-x-file, S-story, R-romance, A-angst. SUMMARY: About a year in the future, after becoming involved with other people, Mulder and Scully reach a cross-roads and decide to go their separate ways, but destiny and a strange FBI case reunite them. DISCLAIMER: CC and 1013 Productions own the X-Files, characters, and storylines. All other characters are mine. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I want to thank two people. First of all, my cyber-sister Nicky C. for being such a wonderful friend. And Deborah Wells, her's was one of the first fanfiction stories I read and she inspired me to try my hand at writing fanfic. Debbie also helped me with this story. Thanks! Lastly, this story is dedicated to Jon...he is the inspiration behind it. Because of him I caught a glimpse of what was Almost Within Reach... *******************************************************************************
I was born when you kissed me. I died when you left. I lived a few weeks while you loved me. ******************************************************************************* *January 14, 1999* *9:09 am* Scully closed the door of Assistant Director Adams office and stifled her desire to scream. This was her worst nightmare and her wildest dream all rolled into one. The nightmare was once again being assigned to a case involving alien clones--she would be standing in the Consortium's spotlight and she would have to investigate and sort through facts that had no known scientific basis. But she would come face to face with her wildest dream, she would get to see *him* again...Mulder was coming to town to spear-head the investigation. She knew how Agents Johnson and Andrews would *love* that, this had been their case for over five weeks. They had spent countless hours struggling to answer questions and explain the unexplainable. But by Bureau standards not enough was being done, not enough progress had been made, and in the time it takes to make a phone call the case was taken from them...Scully expected they would be very upset at the news. No one liked to be second-guessed, to be overthrown, and nobody in law enforcement liked to have their case taken away...and even worse...having *Spooky* Mulder assigned to the case. Scully had often thought about what it would be like to see Mulder again. After all, Los Angeles was a big place, something bizarre and "X-files-ish" was bound to happen someday. Scully imagined Mulder coming to town, solving the case, and then he would walk into her office and ask her out to dinner. Against her better judgement, she would go but instead of dinner, they would spend the next few days tucked away in her condo making love and making up for lost time. But it was only another of Scully's dreams and as much as she wanted it to be real, in reality she knew that Mulder would rush back to Washington DC to be with Nicky. Like a robot, Scully moved herself out of the AD's waiting room and down the hall. The office was busy and people flocked everywhere, but she didn't notice them. As she walked down the hallway it was as if she was lost in the fog, she could hear only faint voices and she could see shadowy images and sometimes feel them as they brushed past her. But she couldn't concentrate--she couldn't focus, for every ounce of strength and will she had was being used to force herself to walk straight ahead and continue to work, though she desperately wanted to run to the safety and solace of her home, her bed where she could ride out this storm of emotion and anticipation. She knew she was expected in Johnson and Andrew's office, but she needed to go to the ladies room first, she needed to compose herself. She walked inside and found the restroom empty. It was a blessing straight from heaven...Scully entered the farthest stall, leaned her back against the closed door, hung her head and cried. It was the first cry she had allowed herself in weeks and it allowed her the emotional release she needed to keep going and to clear her head. Scully had become so used to living with her memories, so used to facing them in the privacy of her home, her bed, but now she was being asked to face reality...the reality of aliens, clones, and Mulder. *January 14, 1999* *9:22 am* She knocked lightly on the door. "Come in," she heard. She opened the door and took a step into the office. To say it was cluttered was an understatement--papers and photos were strewn everywhere. Scully quickly counted about 12 coffee mugs scattered about the office, some empty, some half-full. There were some ties and a couple of suit coats draped over chairs and Scully even noticed a pair of gym shorts laying in the corner. The two agents in the room barely looked up. They looked tired, confused, and Scully figured they probably hadn't slept well since their case began five weeks ago. Everything these agents had ever believed about humanity had been turned on its ear when they watched the first body melt into a mass of green goo. It wasn't an easy sight to live with and she guessed that sight probably invaded their dreams much as it did hers. She only hoped that someday it would become easier for them. "Hello. I'm Agent Dana Scully. I've been assigned to work on your case with you." "For as long as it is our case, Agent Scully. I'm afraid we won't be working on it much longer. A big-shot from DC is flying out to take over," the man said as he stood up and walked over to her, his right hand out-stretched. Scully shook it and noticed he had a tight grip. He was about six inches taller that her and he had light blonde hair and dark green eyes. Scully thought he looked more like the poster boy for a surfboard company than an FBI agent, but she knew better than to say that out loud. "Oh, forgive me, " he said. "I'm Agent David Johnson and this is Agent Robert Andrews." Agent Andrews looked up and smiled only for a second and then went back to reading his reports. He was a very studious looking man. He was short and stocky, though Scully couldn't be absolutely sure because he was still seated behind his desk. He had dark brown, almost black, hair that was clipped very short, in a military haircut and he had brown eyes and wore glasses. "Sorry, Agent Scully," Agent Johnson said, "Andrews is very upset about losing this case, it was his baby in the first place. He found the first body. Unfortunately, we didn't know anything about the victim and the corpse sat in the morgue for over three days. When forensics finally got to it to do an autopsy there was very little left. Andrews has been hard at work ever since, making the most out of every new body we find and trying to put together the clues." "AD Adams said you have seen this kind of thing before, Agent Scully?" Andrews finally spoke, "What do you think is happening to these bodies?" "Well, first of all, let me clarify that anything I say about this case is purely speculation on my part. I have never been able to find any hard, scientific evidence for what I'm about to tell you," Scully said. If Mulder was standing in the room he would have rolled his eyes...this was typical Scully, basing all knowledge on the known facts. "But there must be some scientific reason why these bodies turn green and well...melt," Andrews asked, clearly frustrated. "I'm sure there is," answered Scully, "but I haven't had any opportiunity to analyze a clone *body* in the lab...I've only been able to run tests on the green substance left after the body..." she smiled, "for lack of a better word...melts." Scully looked at both agents very carefully, something about them had changed...they way they were sitting and the way their eyes glazed over, they seemed to be staring at her...no, they *were* staring at her. Then they glanced at each other and broke out laughing. They practically doubled over and everytime they looked at each other, the rounds of laughter renewed. Finally, they got themselves under control and Agent Johnson started to speak. "Ah, excuse me, Agent Scully...but did you say....*clone*?" Scully smiled, she knew what they were laughing at and she knew how funny it must have sounded. It was ironic how quickly the tables were turned. She was Mulder and Agent Johnson was her--she was the believer explaining some wild phenomenon and he was the skeptic. Scully knew explaining her encounters with the various clones would not be easy, so she decided to start at the beginning. She was all business when she said, "Excuse me, gentlemen, I didn't mean to get ahead of myself. May I sit down? This is a long story, some of it may seem outlandish and hard to believe, but I promise you it is the truth as far as I know it to be." "Yes, of course, Agent Scully. Have a seat," Andrews said, stifling a little giggle. Scully sat down and began to fill the agents in on the incredible events that happened during her time with the X-Files. She told them about Mulder and his little sister, Samantha, and how Samantha came back, but that she was actually a clone. She told them about the Alien Bounty Hunter who had the ability to morph into anyone and who was sent to Earth to destroy the clones. She told them about the cloning projects, the alien DNA, their plans for colonization, Jeremiah Smith, Kurt Crawford, the alien weapon that could kill them, purity control, and the blood thickening reaction humans had to the clones. The words just poured out of Scully's mouth and at first, her story was interrupted by more fits of laughter. At times, it seemed to her that Agent Andrews was going to faint, but by the end he quieted down and just turned a dark shade of green. What started out as a gag, the stuff of science fiction, quickly became their case. It had to be hard news for these men to take. Alien life was an easy enough concept to grasp, but that the governments of the world were combining human DNA and alien DNA and creating clones...well, that was almost too much for these agents to wrap their minds around. "So, you think that this...Alien Bounty Hunter has returned again to earth to destroy more of these clones?" Agents Andrews asked. "I don't know if he has returned to earth, he might never have left, but yes, I do think he has been ordered to destroy the clones," Scully answered. "Ordered by whom?" Johnson asked. "I don't know the answer to that question," Scully said. "I have another question, Agent Scully," Andrews asked. "You said that the clones you encountered began to melt right after they were killed, yet our *clone* corpses last for up to three days. Why do you think that is?" "My only thought would be that the scientists developing this technology are getting better at perfecting the clones they create." "That would make sense. If they have been doing this for as many years as you say they have Agent Scully, then it only stands to reason that they would get better at it," Johnson said. "And speaking of that, I had better get to the lab and begin the autopsy. Would either of you like to join me?" Scully asked. "Actually, we have a few leads we need to run down, but we'll check in with you later," Andrews said. "What time do we have to meet...ah, what is his name again," Johnson said as he began rummaging through his desk for the message that gave the details of Mulder's arrival. Scully stayed silent, not wanting the agents to know that she knew Mulder. "Agent Mulder?" Andrews asked. "Yea, that's him." "I think about 7:30 this evening." "Well, that gives us a little time to investigate and get all the reports ready to turn over to him." "Let's go then." Agents Johnson and Andrews gathered some paperwork, their briefcases, and their jackets and they were out the door. Scully followed them out of their office and watched them walk away, when almost as an afterthought Johnson turned around and said, "Bye Scully. We'll call you later." And they were gone. Scully walked back to her office, grabbed her briefcase and left a note for Cindy explaining that she had been temporarily reassigned and would call later. Then she headed once again for elevator and down to the FBI parking garage, she walked out and got into her car and drove over to the lab where the body was being kept. The familiarity of this case was bringing back a flood of memories and again Scully was struggling to maintain her professional composure. She remembered sitting with Mulder at the hospital in Alaska, the look on his face when he traded his sister in order to get Scully away from the bounty hunter, and how, when she was in a Pennsylvania hospital being treated for her cancer, Mulder hugged her after he had returned from finding the Kurt Crawford clones. The memories were almost more than Scully could bear and as odd as it sounded she was looking forward to the autopsy to keep her mind off of Mulder and his impending arrival. *January 14, 1999* *4:04 pm* "...all evidence available to me right now indicates that the subject is human. His DNA analysis shows him to have one hundred percent human DNA, yet his physical features are that of Kurt Crawford, who is known to be part of the cloning project I once investigated. At this time I can only speculate that the subject is in fact the real Kurt Crawford or that the cloning project has become so advanced that making a distinction between an alien/ human hybrid and a human being is all but impossible." Scully turned off the tape recorder and slipped it into her lab coat pocket. She opened the door of the autopsy room and was headed to the locker room to change when a young woman tapped her on the shoulder. "Excuse me, are you Agent Scully?" the young woman asked. "Yes." "There is phone call for you at the main desk. Down there," the woman said pointing Scully in the right direction. Scully walked over to the phone, but not before checking her watch...it was only 4:10 in the afternoon, too early for the caller to be Mulder. He wasn't in town yet. She figured it was probably Agent Andrews calling to talk about the autopsy results. She figured wrong. She reached down and picked up the receiver. "Scully," she said. "Agent Scully?" "Yes, who is this?" "We have never met, but I have information that would be useful to you and your current case." "What kind of information?" "I can't tell you over the phone, but if you will meet me I promise I will tell you everything." "How do I know you are telling me the truth?" Scully was extremely skeptical. "Because I know you performed an autopsy today on a man you call Kurt Crawford and I know about the clones and I know what is killing them." "Who are you?" "My name is Kurt Crawford." Scully had her doubts about the caller's identity, after all, she had just autopsied Kurt Crawford, but she recognized his voice and if he was indeed a clone then perhaps he could answer some of her questions and help her figure out the hybrid technology used to make these clones. She weighed the pros and cons in her mind...it was risky to meet this man, yet it could prove valuable to the case if he had the information he said he did. She decided to take a chance. "Where should I meet you?" she asked. *January 14, 1999* *6:01 pm* Scully's nostrils were assaulted by the smell of oil, fish, salt water, and other assorted chemicals. She had followed Kurt Crawford's instructions and made sure she wasn't followed, she thought Kurt was being paranoid at first, but then she noticed the black car following her, she drove in circles for a few minutes and it had taken some wild driving but she had managed to loose her tail about 15 minutes ago. She was now standing outside a large, run-down warehouse on the waterfront in the industrial district of Los Angeles. It didn't look like there was any electricity in the building so Scully grabbed her flashlight from the trunk of her car and she headed in the door. The inside of the building was damp and musty. She heard rats scurrying around trying to get away from her and she heard the sound of water dripping into an old, empty oil drum. There were holes in the roofing of the building and seagulls flew in and out. She walked down the large open hallway and through the next door, she was expecting to see more of the same, but instead was shocked to see a sophisticated laboratory. The room was filled with row after row of large tanks. The water was light green and there were bodies submerged in each one. Each tank had a computer attached to it, recording the temperature of the water and the stability of the body. Mulder had seen something like this once before, but when he got Scully back to the storage room in DC, the room was empty. Scully understood now the sense of awe Mulder must have felt at seeing the beginning of a new species. Scully was witnessing the end of human life, the end of natural childbirth, and the end of the divine origins of man, and she was witnessing the beginning of a new race. For them there would be no God, no great divine power who controlled the universe, for them science would be their God and it would control their universe. "It is amazing, isn't it?" the voice said from the shadows. Scully turned to see who was speaking. He was taking refuge in the darkest corner of the room, but his voice carried and Scully felt like he was standing right next to her. "Yes, it is incredible," she answered. "Thank you for coming, Agent Scully. I have a lot to tell you." "I have my doubts, but I am willing to listen." The man walked out of the shadows and started for Scully. She stood her ground and waited to see who he was. She recognized him right away. "I am Kurt Crawford." "Are you the real Kurt Crawford?" "No," Kurt said shaking his head, "the original Kurt died over five years ago. We are what remain of him." "We?" "All the bodies in these tanks and the others living in various parts of the world. There are twenty-five of us all together." "Twenty-five, don't you think it is dangerous to have so many of you out at one time?" "Yes, *I* do, but we are simply following orders and our orders were to multiply as quickly as possible." "Who ordered you to do this?" "We do not know. That is why we need your help. It is too dangerous for us, we are being destroyed." "Who is destroying you?" "Not who...what." Scully shook her head, "I don't understand." "The project has been designed to make us more human, but as we become more human we are all becoming susceptible to a common human disease, a disease that is killing us." "What disease?" "Small pox." "Oh, my God." Scully stood there trying to process all this information. It didn't quite make sense, but the bees in Canada, the clones that lived there, and the Cancer Man pulling the strings. It was all tied together somehow...it had to be. Scully had no idea how to prove this theory she was developing, but for the first time all day she found herself genuinely excited that Mulder was coming to town. She would have a lot to talk to him about, after all. "Agent Scully," Kurt said, pulling her out of her thoughts. "Yes." "There is more." "More?" she could hardly believe her ears, what more could there possibly be. "I know where Samantha Mulder is." The End of Part 1 TITLE: Almost Within Reach Chapter 3 (2/2) AUTHOR: Jennifer Lucas EMAIL: jenn@pipermaru.com Throughout time, the humble masses have always taken comfort from and trusted in their kind and wise leaders. The philosophy had been passed down through the ages that everyone could trust in their benevolent governments to do what was best for them. But what happens when the seemingly kind government leaders take that trust and twist it and turn it into something ugly...Scully had always doubted in the profound goodness of the United States government, but now she was learning the whole sorted truth. It was a simple explanation...so simple that it was almost unbelievable, but for some reason it seemed to make sense. Kurt told Scully that actual alien bodies were recovered from a spaceship crash in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947 and the US government made a deal with those aliens to begin an experiment to create an alien/human hybrid. Over the years that one hybrid being led to the creation of hundreds upon hundreds of these creatures who were meant to colonize the earth. But in order to keep the project going, more *raw materials* were needed and that was the reason that young children in the 1970's were taken from their homes, under the guise of an alien abduction, to fuel the DNA requirements for such a colonization... children like Kurt Crawford and Samantha Mulder. Somehow, Scully found this theory easier to grasp than the theory that aliens came to earth and abducted people for no other reason to perform tests on them. Scully found herself believing that the US government and other world governments were involved in the cloning project and were using the alien abduction scenario to cover up their diabolical plans, after all...Mulder's father and her sister had died in order to preserve the project. Kurt Crawford had explained everything to her and she knew that he was telling her the truth. When Kurt Crawford was nine years old he was playing in his bedroom with his little brother when a bright light and a loud noise filled his bedroom. He seemed to be paralyzed instantly and he felt his body being lifted up and gently floating toward the window. He remembered hearing his mother screaming and pounding on the other side of his bedroom door and he remembered the look on his little brother's face as he drifted out of the window. For days and weeks on end, Kurt thought of his family and harbored the hope that one day he would be returned to them, but eventually he gave up hope and surrendered himself to the tests and the men who were performing the tests. He spent his first two years alone, but then one day the men brought him a friend, a girl who was three years younger than him. Throughout the rest of his life, Kurt's only comfort came from this girl. Her name was Samantha Mulder. Scully and Kurt were still standing in the warehouse. Kurt had been walking around, from tank to tank, checking the computers and the clones and making minor adjustments. He told her it was part of the project that they keep the memories of the *original* donors, after all, if it weren't for the humans used in the project...they would not exist. Scully had followed him around and listened to his story. She had tried not to interrupt him very often, but now found herself with a fast-growing list of questions. She decided to wait and let him finish telling his story and then ask. Kurt explained that at first the only clones *they* made were drones, they didn't talk and they didn't age, they were only grown in the tanks to their full size and then used in various ways. Most of the time they were used as subjects in more tests, but as the years went on and the project expanded, they were taken to large bee farms and used there. "We never understood why the scientists who made us were so interested in bee hives and bee husbandry," Kurt said, "but we came upon the knowledge by accident that those bees were carrying small pox and the reason *they* used the drones was because, genetically, they were immune to small pox." "So you do know about that?" Scully asked. "Yes, I do. But I don't know why the scientists involved in this project would perpetuate a disease that has all but been eradicated." "I don't know that either, but I have a theory." "What is it?" Kurt asked, turning to look at her. He and the others had tried for years to discover the ultimate mission of the project and they had developed many, many theories, but were never able to gather enough evidence to prove them. "Well, those small-pox carrying bees were released on the human population a couple of years ago," Scully explained, "I think the scientists that created the clones and are in charge of the colonization project are attempting to get rid of the human population, and what better way than to orchestrate the re-emergence of the deadliest plague in the history of mankind." Kurt nodded his head, it made complete sense to him, but there was one thing the creators of the project were unprepared for. "But Agent Scully, that small-pox plague is killing us. Why would *they* want a disease to spread that is also killing all the clones." "I have no idea...the most recent clone I examined seemed one hundred percent human and because these clones that have died recently are able to maintain human form so much longer after death..." "They are actually so close to being human, that they are now more susceptible to contracting small pox." "Yes," Scully added, "and the clones have never had a small pox vaccination, so not only would they contract this disease very easily, but they would highly likely die from it as well. Much more likely than the human population." "That is exactly what is happening." Kurt appeared to be shaken by this latest news. He had some of the clues, but didn't know the whole story and Scully had just filled in the blanks for him. The project and the people that had been his entire life were turning against him and the others. "Kurt, I do have one other question for you," Scully said waiting for some sign from Kurt that it would be OK to ask. He looked at her and nodded. "Where is Samantha Mulder?" Kurt quickly glanced around the room, making eye contact with all of the tanks. Then he looked back and met Scully's gaze and said, "I'll show you." *January 14, 1999* *7:35 pm* The Los Angeles FBI office was settling down for the night. Only a few straggling agents stayed behind in their offices, Agent's Johnson and Andrews were among them. The two agents had interviewed as many people as possible connected with their case and then spent the afternoon in their office typing up and sorting through their final reports. Assistant Director Adams called them into his office late in the afternoon, checked over all their paperwork, and officially relieved them of the case. They were told to wait for Mulder to arrive and deliver the paperwork they had on the case to him personally. They were sitting in their office waiting, when they heard the knock on their door. "Come in," Andrews said. The door opened and a tall, dark-haired man in the standard Bureau trenchcoat walked in. "I'm Special Agent Fox Mulder," he said. Mulder was rather uncomfortable, he had been in this position before, and sometimes he even enjoyed it, but he knew how difficult it could be to step into another agent's case and take over. "I'm Agent Andrews. And this is Agent Johnson," Andrews said and then he added sarcastically, "Did you have any trouble at the airport? You know they've been losing people's luggage lately." Johnson just sat at his desk and stiffled a grin. "Oh, I don't have any other luggage, just what is in my carry on here," Mulder said smiling. Johnson and Andrews looked as each other, all Mulder carried in his hand was a small bag, not much bigger than a briefcase. They wondered why a man would travel to another city and not bring any more than one change of clothes... either he was incredibly confident he could solve this case in a day or he just didn't care about his personal hygiene. Andrews, in his animosity toward Mulder, figured it was the latter and made it a point not to stand too close to Mulder after a couple of days. "OK, then," Andrews said with a smirk on his face. He stood up and picked up the large file box on floor by his desk, "Here is all the paperwork we have on the case." "I was told that an autopsy was being done today, do you have the paperwork for that as well?" Mulder questioned. "Actually, Agent Mulder, I haven't heard anything yet," Andrews answered coldly. Mulder watched as Andrews looked at Johnson, who just shook his head and picked up the phone. Mulder could feel the tension in these men. It was a feeling he had become accustomed to over the years. He was often sent in to help on those most out-of-the-ordinary cases and though a few people were relieved to have his help, most were angry at having their case taken away. But beyond the emotions of these two FBI agents, Mulder was dealing with his own inner turmoil. He was in Los Angeles, city of angels...city of Dana Scully. Somewhere amidst the millions of people who lived and worked in LA was his dear Scully. There had been so many times when he had wanted to call her, especially when he broke up with Nicky, he had even found Scully's phone number in the government database of employees. He wrote the number on a small piece of paper and kept it in his wallet, determined someday to gather the courage to call her. But he never did, partly out of respect for Scully and partly out of fear that she had moved on with her life and found that other person she wanted to spend it with. He didn't want to know that, he didn't want to call and have a man answer her phone...for him ignorance was bliss. Just before Mulder left Washington DC, he had gathered Scully's home address and work address and office number off of the computer. He knew this was his chance, his opportunity to make things right, he just hoped Scully would forgive him. Mulder was still lost in his thoughts when Johnson put the phone down and he and Andrews began talking. "You still can't reach her," Andrews asked, looking very worried. "No, her phone is not turned on," Johnson said. "That is odd, she said she would have it on. What did the lab say?" "They said she received a phone call after she finished the autopsy and she left to meet with someone." "Do you thing something happened to her?" "Ah, excuse me," Mulder spoke up, "but what's going on?" "We can't get a hold of the agent who was doing this last autopsy," Andrews said, "Agent Scully---" "Wha...Agent Dana Scully?" Mulder asked, his voice almost squeaking. "Yes, she's been assigned to work with you on this case, Agent Mulder," Johnson said, "Why? Do you know her?" "Yes, I do. We knew each other in DC." "Oh, that's odd," Andrews said, "We told her about you, but she never mentioned that you knew each other." [That figures] Mulder thought. She probably hadn't told anyone about him. Scully had come out here to get away, to rebuild her life. She probably didn't even want to work with him on this case. Mulder looked out the window at the passing scenery. He found himself again lost in thoughts of Scully...he had missed her so incredibly much and he thought about her all the time. When he had first reopened the X-Files, he brought all the casework home with him because he couldn't stand to be in the basement office without her. He couldn't take looking over at the desk he'd requested just for her and see it empty. When he finally did start working in the office again, he would often look up and expect to see her walk in the door, [Good morning, Mulder]...but she never did. And as he realized that she never would, his life grew more lonely. He broke up with Nicky a few months after Scully had left town. He knew Nicky depended on him, but with each passing day he missed Scully more and he became so lost in his regrets, he was drowning in them. Nicky noticed the change in him and she kept asking him what was wrong and finally, he told her. He told her he was sorry, but that when she was working so much and traveling so much, he and Scully had fallen in love and that he still loved Scully...more now than the day she had left. Nicky was heartbroken and Mulder felt terrible, but in a way part of his burden was lifted, for now he could miss Scully and think of her and love her, without feeling guilty for hurting Nicky. After that day, Nicky would not allow Mulder to visit her. He had tried a couple of times to smooth the waters and let her know how sorry he was, but the nurses at the physical rehabilitation clinic wouldn't let him in to see her and they wouldn't give her the flowers he brought for her. So Mulder accepted the inevitable and buried himself in the X-Files, always regretting the day he had let Scully slip away and always remembering her last words to him...[just be happy]...but that was the one thing he couldn't do for her. He could love Scully, he could devote his life to her, but he couldn't be happy, not *without* her. "Agent Mulder?" Johnson said, breaking his reverie. "Hmmm?" Mulder replied. "We are going to go now. We'll call you at your hotel when we hear from Agent Scully." "OK. I'll go spend some time looking over all the paperwork for this case." Mulder picked up the box from off of Andrews's desk and walked out of the office. *January 14, 1999* *9:45 pm* Scully and Kurt Crawford were standing in the grass, underneath a very large oak tree. "There is Samantha Mulder," Kurt said pointing. Scully bent down and looked. She was gazing at a beautiful headstone in one of the busiest cemetaries in Los Angeles. The headstone read: "Here lies Jane Smith, beloved daughter and friend. Born 22 January 1964. Died 13 June 1993." She turned around and looked up at Kurt who was pointing to the headstone next to Jane's. "And there is Kurt Crawford," he said. Scully moved over and looked at the second headstone. She wiped some of the dirt and leaves off of it and read the inscription: "Here lies Kevin Smith, loving son and friend. Born 12 October 1961. Died 24 August 1994." Scully found herself staring at the birthdate...one day before Mulder was born...it could just be a coincidence, but she didn't believe there was such a thing anymore. Everything in her life and in Mulder's life had been guided and directed by *them*...the people who used them in order to further *their* work. It made her stomach turn. Scully stood up and faced Kurt. "I'm going to call the FBI and request permission to have these bodies exhumed. Is that OK with you?" Kurt simply nodded his head and turned and walked back to her car. As Scully watched him go, she looked at her watch...it was way past time for her to call Johnson and Andrews. *January 14, 1999* *10:02 pm* "Hello, Agent Johnson. It's Scully." "Hi, Scully. Where the hell have you been? We were calling you for hours." "I know, I'm sorry. I had to go meet someone, but I have some new information. Where can I meet you?" "We would like to meet with you, Scully, but I'm afraid that this is no longer our case. Agent Mulder is in town; you need to contact him." "Agent Mulder?" she said trying to get the words out without choking. "Yes, he's at the Best Western Hotel by the Bureau office. Room 312. Do you want the phone number?" "No, I'm close by. I'll just go directly there." *January 14, 1999* *10:34 pm* Mulder was sitting on the bed reading the case reports. He had just gotten comfortable, when he heard the knock on his door. He let out a sigh and walked toward the door. Expecting it to be Agents Johnson and Andrews, he was barely able to speak when he saw her. She looked more beautiful than he remembered. He knew memories blurred around the edges over time...eventually the glistening of the eyes and the smoothness of the skin and the silkiness of the hair become faded and time worn, darkened and misty, tucked away somewhere in the recesses of the human mind, like an old photograph sitting in an attic. Mulder prided himself on his memory, but realized at this very moment as he was looking at her, that his memory could never recall with perfect clarity her absolute beauty. "Scully, hello." "Hello, Mulder." "How have you been?" "Good. Listen Mulder, I brought someone with me. Someone who has a great deal to tell you." Scully turned and looked to her left. Mulder followed her gaze and watched at Kurt Crawford stepped into view. "Hello, Agent Mulder. My name is Kurt Crawford." "Yes, I know. Scully, what is going on here?" Scully looked up at Mulder, looked into his eyes and though she was afraid of what she would see, she had to face him...had to work with him...and she had to let him know what she had found. This was the man she loved beyond all reason, and even though he had caused her such terrible heartache, she had to be there to comfort him when he found out his sister was dead. Scully pushed Mulder's hotel door all the way open and she motioned Kurt inside. Then she moved past Mulder, shut the door and locked it. "Mulder," she said, "you'd better sit down." End of Chapter 3. To be continued... TITLE: Almost Within Reach Chapter 4 (1/1) AUTHOR: Jennifer Lucas EMAIL: jenn@pipermaru.com *******************************************************************************
I was born when you kissed me. I died when you left. I lived a few weeks while you loved me. ******************************************************************************* In a hotel room in Los Angeles, California...a seemingly ordinary place...the extra-ordinary happened--two people destiny had separated were brought back together. They sat not far from one another, within the sound of a whisper, and after months of agonizing separation, guilt, and pain...this closeness comforted them. They didn't speak to each other, instead they listened and they put the pieces together. Scully had heard the story already that night and as interesting as it was, she was more interested in Mulder's reaction. She watched him intently...his eyes as they connected with Kurt Crawford's and his body as he hung on every word that came from Kurt's mouth. Scully noticed Mulder's hair was a little shorter, his face a little thinner, and his eyes a little darker. She dreamt of him the way he was the day she had left and it was only now while gazing at him and noticing the small, subtle changes did she fully comprehend the reality of how much time had passed...nine long and lonely months. *January 15, 1999* *12:49 am* "Scully, what do you think we should do now?" Mulder asked her when Kurt finished speaking. He had listened to the news about his sister's death rather calmly and when Kurt was done talking, Mulder had forged ahead with questions, but not about Samantha. Scully knew he would have to face it sooner or later, but she knew Mulder and he would much rather face it later. "I think we need to check the cemetary records and see what we can find out about the names on those headstones. And I think we should try to find out who owns the warehouse where I met Kurt tonight. Someone has to be financing that lab." "I agree, and I think we should find out all we can about Kurt Crawford." "I'll start on it first thing tomorrow morning--" "Actually, I have a better idea," Mulder interrupted her. He got up, walked to his coat, and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. He punched in some numbers and then looked at Scully and smiled. "Hi, it's me," he said into the phone. "Hi, Mulder. What are you up to?" Frohike said. "I'm in LA working on a case and I need a little help. Can you put me on the speaker so I can talk to all of you?" Scully knew then who he had called, the Lone Gunmen. They were always willing to help Mulder and they never turned down a challenge. "You are already on the speaker, Mulder. What do you need help with?" Byers asked. "Well, I need you guys to do a couple of background checks, but they won't be easy," Mulder said. "Not a problem. Just give us the names," Langly said, "It might take a little time, but we'll get right on it." Mulder read the Lone Gunmen the names of Jane Smith and Kevin Smith and their birth and death dates. And then he asked them to find out anything they could on a young boy named Kurt Crawford who disappeared from his home in 1970. "Hey, Mulder isn't that the guy you who helped you on a case a couple of years ago?" Frohike asked. "Yes, it is. He's involved in the case I'm working on right now and I need to know as much as I can about him," Mulder explained, looking over at Kurt to gauge his reaction to all this. Kurt just sat there, he didn't seem disturbed at all. His entire life had been lived under a microscope and this was no different. "Thanks guys, call me when you get something," Mulder said as he hung up his phone. "Well, Mulder, that ought to do it for now. It's late. We'll start in again on this in the morning," Scully said. She stood up and walked over to her coat. "Kurt," Mulder said, "There is one more thing I'm not very clear about." "What is that, Agent Mulder?" "Why haven't you come down with small pox?" "I don't know. I don't think *they* know either. It won't be long until they come for me." "What do you mean?" Scully asked. "Those of us that do not die from small pox are being eliminated," Kurt explained. "By whom?" Mulder questioned. "By the same ones who have tried to eliminate us in the past." "OK then," Mulder said, "You can stay here with me and either Scully or I will be with you at all times to make sure you are safe." "That will not be necessary. I have become very good at taking care of myself and I do not wish to risk your lives as well," Kurt said. "I am going to go now. Scully, you know where to find me and if I need to contact you, I will." Kurt walked to the door of the hotel room. He looked out the peep hole to make sure that no one was near the door and then he opened it, but before he left he turned to Scully and Mulder and said, "Good luck." And then he was gone. Scully picked her coat up off the back of the chair and put it on, then she reached down to pick up her briefcase, "I'd better be going, too, Mulder. It's been a long day and tomorrow promises to be just as long." "Scully, wait. I'd like to talk to you." She stopped, she hadn't expected this. She couldn't be sure if he wanted to talk about the case or if he wanted to talk about them. Either way what she needed now was some fresh air. "Mulder, I don't think that is such a good idea." "Please, Scully? I have a lot I want to tell you." "And I have a lot I would like to tell you, but this isn't the time or the place." Mulder knew she was right. It was after one o'clock in the morning and they only had a few hours left to get some sleep and be ready to tackle this case again in the morning. "I understand," he said. "We'll talk soon, Mulder," Scully said. She turned and walked to the door and just like Kurt she looked into the hallway to make sure the coast was clear and then she opened the door. "Scully?" She stopped, but she couldn't bring herself to look at him. "I'm not seeing Nicky anymore. I told her about you. And I just wanted to say I am *so* sorry that I hurt you." He took a deep breath, it felt good to say the words he had wanted to say to her for months. He stared at Scully's back, her hair falling gently on her shoulders and he wondered what she was thinking and if she could ever forgive him. Then she turned to him and he saw the tears filling up her eyes, but she was still unable to meet his gaze. As much as it meant for him to finally tell her he was sorry, he realized that it meant even more for her to finally hear it. He was standing there wanting to run over to her, take her in his arms, feel her body pressed against his, and cover her face and neck with kisses, but he doubted that she was ready for that. He searched her eyes for some sign of what she was thinking and then she looked up at him, their eyes locked, and she smiled...a quick, tiny, loving smile--his heart skipped a beat. It was a first step for him on the road to making up for hurting her so much. He knew it would be a long road and he prayed that it would be well worth the trip. "Good night, Mulder." "See you in the morning, Scully." *January 15, 1999* *8:10 am* "OK...yes...I understand that, but I don't think you understand the seriousness of this situation..." Scully was on the phone trying to gather information for the case. Mulder was walking to Scully's office and from the sound of her voice, she wasn't having very much luck and Mulder knew she was getting fed up. He approached her office and looked in. "No, I won't hold...." Scully said her voice getting louder, "OK, fine..." "Morning, Scully. You have any luck?" Mulder said, a twisted little smile on his face. "Shut up, Mulder." He opened his mouth and almost said sure, fine, whatever, but he turned and noticed that there was someone else in the office with them. He walked over to Cindy's desk, held out his hand, and smiled. "Hi, I'm Special Agent Fox Mulder." "Hello, I'm Agent Cindy Hudson. Are you working with Dana on her new case?" "Yes. I just flew in from Washington DC last night." Mulder could hear Scully talking again on the phone. She sounded a little more calm...maybe she was finally getting some answers. "Oh," Cindy said, "you're from DC. That's where Dana transferred from. Did you know her when she lived there?" "Yes, actually. *Dana* and I were partners." He could see the shock and interest spring into Cindy's face. Again, Mulder realized that Scully had not mentioned him or her life with him to anyone here in Los Angeles. But Cindy seemed like a resourceful woman and he was sure now that she possessed this little tidbit of information, she would put two and two together and figure everything out. Scully realized this as well. She was watching the conversation between Mulder and Cindy and when she saw the look on Cindy's face she knew it was time to take control of the situation. "Thank you very much," she said, hanging up the phone. "Good news, Mulder. I know who owns that warehouse...I got a name and address. Let's go check it out." Mulder turned to see Scully grab her coat and briefcase and rush out the door. He was surprised to see her so anxious to get going. He looked at Cindy, "Well, then---" "Mulder, come on!" Scully peaked her head back into her office. She was obviously in a hurry. "See you later, Cindy," she said quickly and she was off again. Mulder just looked at Cindy and smiled weakly, then he took off down the hallway after Scully. *January 15, 1999* *10:25 am* Mulder and Scully had been sitting in their car for almost an hour. They were watching the residence of Henry Louis Nelson. He lived in a large house in an upscale neighborhood in Beverly Hills. They knocked on the door when they arrived, but the housekeeper told them that Mr. Nelson was at the gym and he would be back shortly. They decided to sit in the car and wait for him to come home. While they waited, Mulder called the Lone Gunmen again to give them the information on Henry Nelson and see what they could dig up on him. And the Lone Gunmen had some information for him in return... "I'm glad you called, Mulder. We have found something." Langly said. "What?" Mulder asked. "Well, those names you asked us to look up. There were hundreds of Jane and Kevin Smiths." "That's probably why they picked those names. They are so well-known and well-used..." "Yes, but we did find a set of twins named Jane and Kevin Smith who were born in June 11, 1993. They both died shortly after birth." "The death date for the Jane Smith at the cemetary was June 13, 1993. I don't think that's a coincidence." "Mulder, there's more. We found out something about Kurt Crawford. There was a young boy named Kurt Allen Crawford reported missing in 1970. His mother told the police he was kidnapped and and his younger brother said that Kurt flew out the window. The police arrested Kurt's mother, but couldn't gather enough evidence against her to prosecute and Kurt's younger brother was placed in a mental hospital where he spent the rest of his childhood." "Do you know where either of them are now?" "Kurt's mother died about ten years ago. And his younger brother is in prison in Illinois. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life." "God, that is terrible." "Is that all, Mulder, because something strange is happening to our communication equipment and we need to find out what it is." "Yea, that's all. Thanks guys. I appreciate all your work." "No problem, Mulder." Mulder relayed all the information to Scully. Even though the Kurt Crawford they knew was not the real Kurt, he was still emotionally attached to the memories. They knew this information would hurt him, so they decided not to tell him unless it was absolutely necessary. Then they sat again in silence, waiting and watching the house, until the black, Mercedes Benz convertible pulled into the driveway. ******************************************************************************* "Mr. Nelson, there are some people here to see you," the housekeeper said, showing Mulder and Scully into the large, dark den. There were shelves on every side of the room, filled to over-flowing with books, pictures, and other knick-knacks. Directly behind Mr. Nelson the shelves were covered with photographs and plaques. Henry Nelson was looking through some files when they walked in. He was sitting behind a beautiful oak desk. To Scully's surprise, he was a young man with very chisled features, high cheek bones, and ice blue eyes. For a brief moment Mulder thought he looked familiar, but couldn't place where he might have see him before. "Hello, Mr. Nelson. I'm Special Agent Fox Mulder, this is Agent Dana Scully. We're with the FBI. We'd like to ask you a few questions, sir." "Has something happened?" Nelson asked. "No, sir," Scully replied, "We'd just like to ask you a few questions about the warehouse you own on Foster Street in the waterfront district in Los Angeles." "I don't know how I can help you. I have never been to that property," Nelson said. "It was given to me by my father after he passed away." "Did you know there is a laboratory inside the warehouse, sir.?" Mulder asked. His eyes darted around behind Mr. Nelson, looking at all the pictures and plaques, trying to find any little piece of information...[I know I've seen this guy before] Mulder was thinking. It was fairly obvious that Mr. Nelson did not recognize him...but that didn't really mean very much to Mulder. "A laboratory, I had no idea. I thought that building was empty. I own so many commercial properties it is hard to keep track of them all. I do have an office staff that help me run things. Perhaps you should contact them." "Thank you, sir," Mulder said. He looked to Scully who seemed to be studying Mr. Nelson's face, too, and he wondered if perhaps Nelson looked familiar to her as well. Scully looked up and slightly nodded to Mulder, the unspoken signal that it was time for them to leave. "Mr. Mulder," Nelson said as Mulder and Scully were almost out of the den. "Yes?" Mulder said, turning back. "Would you like the phone number for my business office. I'm sure my secretary would be happy to help you." "That won't be necessary, Mr. Nelson," Mulder answered, "We already have that number." Nelson opened his mouth to say something, but found himself at a loss for words. He waited patiently for Mulder and Scully to leave the house, get in their car, and drive away. Then he picked up the phone. "Hello, it's me.... yes, they were here.... they just left.... no.... I don't think they know that.... OK.... Let me know," and he hung up the phone. ***************************************************************************** As Mulder and Scully pulled away from Mr. Nelson's house, Mulder's phone rang. "Mulder," he said. "Mulder, it's me. I've some information for you." It was Langly again. He sounded rushed. "I've got to talk fast. Whoever it is you are investigating knows you are calling us." "How do you know?" Mulder asked. "We figured out what is wrong with our equipment. Someone is trying to tap into our phone lines and hack into our computer," Langly answered. "I managed to get a secure line, but only for 30 more seconds." "Go ahead then." "Henry Louis Nelson is more than a wealthy land owner, he is also a doctor. A microbiologist to be exact. He teaches at UCLA and he has a laboratory at a private facility. Here's the address..." ***************************************************************************** Mulder hung up his phone and looked over at Scully. She was watching him and he knew she was waiting for him to tell her what that call was all about. He turned and faced straight ahead, navigating the busy LA street, but he still felt Scully's gaze on his cheek, and for a moment the case was lost and he couldn't think about anything else but Scully sitting in his rental car, looking at him. He marveled at how wonderful it felt to be near her and to be working with her, he just wished he could forget about the case for five minutes and.... "Mulder?" Scully asked. She had been waiting for him to talk, but he seemed to fade out. "Oh, that was Langly. It seems that Mr. Nelson is also a microbiologist. He has a private laboratory. I thought we'd run over there and check it out before lunch. OK?" "Yea, that's fine." "Scully, did Nelson look familiar to you at all?" "Now that you mention it, he did. There was something different about him, but I couldn't put my finger on it. That was probably it." "Do you think he was telling us the truth?" "It is tough to say. He obviously owns a lot of property, he might just have been too busy to ever get to that warehouse." "Well then, why would he keep it, Scully? He thinks it's been abandoned. Why wouldn't he just sell it?" "I really don't know, Mulder." They drove the rest of the way in silence, both thinking the same thing. They had to work on this case right now, but eventually they would need to talk...really talk. They needed to talk about their relationship and about Nicky and about what they wanted to do. Scully knew what she wanted to do. She wanted to tell Mulder to stop the car and reach over and grab him. She wanted to tell him that she still loved him and how much it meant to her that he told her he was sorry. She wanted to touch his face, run her fingers through his hair, and touch his lips to hers and convince her heart that he really was here and that he really was sorry, but her heart was so afraid...afraid of being hurt again. In the end, Scully decided it best to look out her window and watch the buildings as they passed by and try and keep her mind off of the man sitting next to her in the car. *January 15, 1999* *11:59 am* "Scully, over here," Mulder said tilting his head in the direction of the door. The words "Gregor Laboratories" were neatly painted on the glass. "Oh my God," Scully whispered. "Mulder, remember...the Gregors?" "I remember," Mulder said, "I can't believe they'd be that obvious." The first time Mulder and Scully had heard of the Gregors was in 1995. They had been investigating the deaths of identical doctors in the eastern United States, when they learned of the existence of the Gregors, the clones developed by the Russians. The Gregors had been the first clones, followed by the Jeremiah Smiths, Samantha Mulders, and Kurt Crawfords and there were probably dozens more faces and names for the clones living around the world that they still didn't know about. The inside of the office was dark and Scully watched as Mulder slipped a small, metal wire into the door lock. "Mulder, shouldn't we wait until tonight?" Scully whispered. "Why? The office is empty," Mulder answered. The door clicked and he pushed it open. "After you," he said, motioning Scully to go in. Scully frowned at Mulder disapprovingly, but she entered the office anyway. There were computers at various work stations, each running programs, Scully recognized some of the biological compounds flashing on the screens and she could tell that whatever it was they did in the lab, the equipment they used was very sophisticated. Mulder walked over to the computer at the main desk. He turned it on and waited for it to power up. "Scully, can you tell what they are doing here?" "Not really, Mulder. Some of this equipment I've never seen before, not even at the FBI labs. They do seem to be running some kind of biological scenerio on the computers here, though." "Scenerio?" "You know. Where they input all the data and then set the computer on a test run at rapid speeds to see what the result would be. Essentially, they are running an experiment without actually *running* the experiment." "Oh. Scully, look here," Mulder said pointing to the computer he had just turned on, "It's a database and registry of some kind." Mulder placed his fingers on the keys and typed in the name Samantha Mulder and pressed enter. The files were password protected. In a flash of intuition, Mulder remembered that he had been in this position before, staring at a computer screen, trying to access information, and not knowing the password. He looked at Scully and flashed a mischievous smile. Then he typed the word VEGREVILLE and on a hope and a prayer, he pressed enter. He was in. Samantha's name popped up on the screen. "Mulder, how did you know--?" "Never mind, Scully. Look at this." The lights flipped on. Mulder and Scully straightened and found themselves looking right down the barrel of a gun. "Actually, Mr. Mulder, neither one of you should be looking at that. You have accessed federally protected research and I must ask you to stop." It was Henry Nelson. He motioned for Mulder and Scully to move away from the computer and he walked over and placed himself directly between them and the screen so they couldn't see any of the information. "Federally protected my ass!" Mulder said, the anger building in his voice. "I know what you are doing here and I would venture to guess that the federal government has no idea that this lab even exists." "That is beside the point, Mr. Mulder," Nelson answered. He reached behind him and turned off the computer. "The government will thank us for our work here someday." "Sir, I assume this means that you *do* know about the laboratory in the warehouse?" Scully asked. She knew what was happening here and she knew she had to ask the questions because she knew Mulder couldn't do it. They had been in this position before. Mulder was being sucked down into the oppressive darkness that was his personal self-torment. He had spent his whole life searching for clues about his sister Samantha and having the doors slammed in his face and it had just happened again. Mulder saw her name on the computer screen, proof that she had existed and was used in some project, but again like always, just as he was about to find answers, someone got in his way. Scully had to keep the investigation going. She had to think straight and help pull Mulder through this one, just like she had the other times. "Why yes, I do," Nelson answered, "but that laboratory does not exist as of a half hour ago." He was smug, too smug. "And what about the clones that are dying of small pox? What are you doing about that?" Scully asked. "Miss Scully, you've been well-informed. I'm impressed. I'm sure you have figured out that we made the clones a little too human this time. The delicate balance between alien and human is something we've been trying to perfect. We've been working on some new formulas, unfortunately, the results were not what we had hoped." "What are you doing about that?" "We are eliminating the mistakes." "Mistakes," Scully almost yelled. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She took a step forward and trying very hard to control her temper, said, "But these *mistakes* are alive." "Ah, but Miss Scully, they are alive only because I developed the technology to make them so. I gave birth to them, in a sense, and I am ending their life." "So you are their God?" "Of course." Scully wanted to punch Nelson, she wanted to pull out her gun and blow him away, but she knew if she did that she would be no better than he was. "Why did they take Samantha...why did they take my sister?" Mulder asked quietly. He hadn't moved and he still had his head down, staring at the black computer screen that for a brief second held all the answers to his lifelong questions. "The reason is simple, Mr. Mulder. She had DNA that was highly compatible with the project." "That's all?" Scully asked. She knew that Mulder wanted to know about his sister, but she also knew this wasn't the answer he wanted to hear. He had always believed that it was about him, that somehow it was all tied to him...it was his way of punishing himself. He would not be the same Fox Mulder she knew and loved if it weren't for the intense self-blame he had always carried with him for his sister's *abduction*. It was a part of Mulder's character that she had never quite become used to and one she didn't understand, but she loved him and that was enough for her. She turned to Mulder and stepped a little closer to him, she wanted to reach out and comfort him, but decided that just the feeling of closeness would be enough right now to let Mulder know that she cared about his loss. Mulder looked up, his sad, almost blank expression changed to surprise as he watched a tall, grey-haired man in a dark coat enter the lab. Scully followed Mulder's eyes and saw the man, too, and then she knew why Nelson looked so familiar. "Nelson, I believe that you have told them enough," the man said. Scully couldn't believe who she was seeing. "Oh my God. It's you!" End of Chapter 4. To be continued.... TITLE: Almost Within Reach Chapter 5 (1/2) AUTHOR: Jennifer Lucas EMAIL: jenn@pipermaru.com DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: Anywhere as long as my name and addy stay with it. SPOILER: anything through the fourth season. RATING: PG CONTENT: Mulder/Scully Romance and mention of Mulder/Other and Scully/Other. CLASSIFICATION: X-x-file, S-story, R-romance, A-angst. SUMMARY: About a year in the future, after becoming involved with other people, Mulder and Scully reach a cross-roads and decide to go their separate ways, but destiny and a strange FBI case reunite them. DISCLAIMER: CC and 1013 Productions own the X-Files, characters, and storylines. All other characters are mine. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I want to thank a few people. First of all, my cyber-sister Nicky C. for being such a wonderful friend. And Deborah Wells, her's was one of the first fanfiction stories I read and she inspired me to try my hand at writing fanfic. And Lynn Spirelle for helping me with Los Angeles geography. Thanks! Lastly, this story is dedicated to Jon...he is the inspiration behind it. Because of him I caught a glimpse of what was Almost Within Reach... *******************************************************************************
I was born when you kissed me. I died when you left. I lived a few weeks while you loved me. ******************************************************************************* "Yes, it is me. That'll be all, Nelson," the man said. "but I..." Nelson stammered. "Nelson, you are my nephew so I have to be kind to you, but don't push me...I *said* that will be all. Mr. Mulder and Miss Scully and I have a lot to catch up on. We haven't seen each other in quite some time." "Fine," Nelson said "I've played by your rules, but just remember this is my lab. And if it weren't for me this entire project wouldn't exist." "Thank you for reminding me *again*, Nelson. Now please go." Nelson put his gun back in his coat pocket. His shoulders slumped a little and he physically looked defeated, but Scully saw the hatred in Nelson's ice blue eyes. He glared at the man standing before Scully and Mulder and, if he could have, Scully felt that Nelson would have killed him right there. But instead he turned and left. Scully watched him leave and then focused her attention on the man before her. She had seen and talked to him only a few times many years ago. The first time was at William Mulder's funeral, [I'm a member of a kind of consortium], he warned her then that *they* would try to kill her...[they'll kill you one of two ways]. If it hadn't been for his warning, she would be dead...but her sister would be alive...it wasn't something she liked to contemplate. The next time she'd seen this man she'd been with Mulder in Victor Klemper's greenhouse. He had explained the hybridization project and the small pox vaccination program...but only in very vague terms. "Oh my God. You told us what was going on here years ago, didn't you," Scully asked. "My dear Agent Scully. You are well on your way to putting all the pieces together. I can offer you no new information except to say...to warn you to leave this alone." "We can't do that. We were assigned to this case--" Scully said, but he interrupted her. "Who do you think had you two assigned to investigate these murders?" Scully and Mulder looked at each other. They had been used again, their actions had been orchestrated. "Why?" Scully asked, the anger brewing behind her voice. "Only so you would both see. We wanted you to see the labs, see Mr. Crawford, see the tanks. Only so you would know that the project continues. That is enough to keep you searching for the answers," the man explained. He seemed to harbor no remorse for his manipulating actions. "You mean the answers about my sister," Mulder spoke up. "You have the answers to your sister's abduction. Her DNA was compatible with the project," the man said. "And that's the only reason she was taken," Mulder asked, his voice getting louder. "Yes." "That's a lie," Mulder yelled. "You told me my father was forced to choose." "Oh dear. Did I say that?" the man said, sounding all too innocent, "Mr. Mulder, I have said a great many things. I can't be expected to remember them all." "You bastard!" Mulder screamed. Scully reached her hand out and placed it on Mulder's arm. She needed to keep him from doing something he might regret. "Mulder," she said quietly. "I think it is time for me to go. Good day Miss Scully, Mr. Mulder." He nodded his head and turned towards the door, but Mulder interrupted his retreat. "Was she OK, Samantha, I mean. Was she happy? Did you take good care of her?" Mulder questioned. "Mr. Mulder, your sister was a delightful young woman. She missed you and she talked about you often. I was very sorry when she passed away." Mulder nodded at him in understanding, he wanted to say thank you, but he couldn't speak, he was too filled with emotion, he could only stand and watch as the man walked out the door. Scully looked up at Mulder. She knew how devastated he was. Someone who knew Samantha, saw her, and cared for her in her absence had confirmed their suspicion that she was dead. "Mulder, I'm so sorry," Scully said, "I know how you must--" "I almost had her, Scully. If I'd started on the X-Files sooner, maybe I could have found her and saved her." "Mulder, you have no way of knowing that." "I know but..." he couldn't finish the sentence. He started to cry, tears spilled out of his eyes and ran down his cheeks. Without thinking, Scully moved to Mulder and put her arms around his neck. She tried to envelope him, to cover his body with hers, to take away some of his pain. He wrapped his arms around her back, buried his head in her shoulder, and sobbed. "Scully..." "I know, Mulder. I know..." They stood in the office holding each other, comforting each other for a few minutes, but after Mulder stopped crying he realized what was happening. The mood changed from one of comfort and sadness to electric and filled with desire. Mulder started to trace the curves of Scully's back with his fingers and he could hear her breathing change...he smiled. Then he laced his fingers through her hair and pulled her face back to meet his. He gazed into her eyes, they were a little glassy and brimming with love. He had always been able to know what she was thinking and feeling just by looking in her eyes and he was happy that after the months of separation that had not changed. He was so overcome with love for this woman, his soulmate, and how she was willing to risk so much pain and suffering to be near him and hold him, he couldn't contain himself and guided by instinct he moved his face closer to hers and brushed her lips with his own. He couldn't breathe and Scully moaned softly, but then the moment was gone. Scully pulled away. "Mulder," she whispered breathlessly, "we'd better get going." He shook his head, trying to clear the fuzziness and he had to physically pull himself up from the depths of her eyes. He didn't want to make the effort, but he respected the fact that she needed time. "OK, Scully. Let's get going." ****************************************************************************** *January 15, 1999* *2:17 pm* "So, Scully, what do you think we ought to do now?" Mulder asked. They were back in Scully's office. They made the journey there in silence, each lost in their own thoughts of the events of the morning and....the kiss. They stopped at a little diner near the Bureau office and grabbed some lunch, but even then they didn't say very much to each other. "I think we ought to get a search warrant for Henry Nelson's house and his lab. And I think we should put a tail on him," Scully answered. "I don't think we need to do all that, Scully. I think we should just check on the lab where you found Kurt Crawford." "Why? You heard what Nelson said...that lab has been destroyed." "Yea, but we might be able to find some evidence, something to go on." "Mulder, how many times in the past have we found evidence after a sight has been destroyed by *them*?" Scully stopped talking, the seconds passed...she was waiting for Mulder to answer her because she had a point to prove. Mulder looked at her, not saying a word. The first time he saw the tanks and the clones was in a storage room outside of Washington DC. He brought Scully back and tried to show her, but the place was empty...not a sign that the project had ever been housed there. He knew that Scully was right, he wouldn't find anything this time either, but he didn't want to give in. Scully got tired of waiting