Title: SHODDS Unfinished Round Robin
Authors: Kimberly, Cassie, Mare, L.M. Shard, Dogg'N'Scull 
Date: May 6 - June 11, 2003
Distribution: SHODDS, CSFTDS, ATD
Rating: PG
Category: DSR
Beta: Mare

Summary: Scully receives a mysterious letter from Mulder and is kidnapped. 
Now John Doggett must find her. Will Scully’s love for John diminish now that 
Mulder has returned?


----------


Part One by Kimberly

Finding each other had been the last thing either had expected. Now,
forced to find security in a place where they could trust no one,
Scully and Doggett elected to keep their burgeoning relationship
discreet. That discretion was becoming increasingly difficult,
juxtaposing the growing time spent together against the need to be
with each other - even in a certain musty basement office. The
balancing act was starting to threaten their sanity. In fact, one
could say it was driving them mad.

They had arrived separately. Scully was already in the office, back
to the open door, when Doggett arrived. Very quietly, he snuck up
behind her and gently slid his arms around her waist. "Good morning,
Agent Scully, you certainly look nice today."

Scully leaned back against his chest as he kissed her neck in the
slow, methodical way he had learned somewhere but would never tell
his secret. "My morning didn't start 'til now," she whispered. "I
missed you."

"You know what I appreciate the most about this office?" he asked in
a low whisper.

Scully turned around and placed her arms around his neck. She loved
the way he smelled of aftershave and cologne and how the scent would
linger on her wrists for hours after being together "Tell me, Agent
Doggett, what do you appreciate the most?"

"That it's in the basement, where it's dark and you can hear the
moment anyone uses the elevator. It's especially helpful if one
wants to do this." Doggett dramatically backed her up against the
desk and kissed her passionately for several breathtaking moments.
When he finally released her, a sly grin crept across his face. "All
in a day's work."

"I... I'll say," Scully sputtered and then suddenly started
laughing. "You know if anyone ever saw us they would either think we
were nuts or they would turn us in to Skinner or Kersh."

"Why? There's nothing wrong with letting the Don Juan in me go wild
when a beautiful woman is right in front of me."

Scully laughed again. "Oh come on, John, you may be Don Juan, but I
am not that beautiful woman you're talking about."

He was silent, literally stunned by what she had just said. How was
it possible she could think such a thing? Yes, she had brains and
they certainly made her attractive, but she was so amazingly eye-
catching. "Dana, you can't really believe you aren't attractive?"

She sighed and glanced at him as she moved across the room. "You're
the first man I've actually loved in many years. I heard, from
several reliable sources, that the men here call me the Ice Queen.
Maybe it is because I refuse to let myself get close to anyone for
fear of getting hurt. It's just taken a very, very long time for me
to be willing to turn my heart over to someone."

Doggett crossed over to her and reached for her hand. "I'd like for
that someone to be me."

She kissed him softly, letting her tongue trace the outline of his
lips before hers touched them. "It is you," she replied.

****

They could trust each other. This had become abundantly clear and
the strength of their relationship proved it. If anyone else could
be trusted, it was uncertain who that was. Months earlier, Scully
had confided to Doggett that she had never been completely certain on
whose side Skinner worked. Though she often trusted him with her
life, she called the trust into question. However, both agreed that
Kersh was a lost cause. Regardless of their beliefs, neither could
have expected what they were about to hear as they were ushered into
the Deputy Director's office.

"Agent Scully, yesterday evening, the contents of a safety deposit
box once belonging to Agent Mulder were delivered here by courier
from Craddock Marine Bank. According to a letter from the bank
manager, Agent Mulder left instructions that you were to receive the
contents should he be unable to claim them."

Scully stared at Kersh for a moment before glancing at Doggett, who
seemed as puzzled as she was. "Well... sir, Agent Mulder has been
gone for over a year. Why did they wait so long?"

"The rental agreement for the box has only recently expired. Since
Agent Mulder did not say to release the contents on his death and he
does not have any next of kin to take them, the bank decided to wait
until the contract was up." Kersh folded his hands and leaned across
his desk. "Do you have any idea what might be included among the
items, Agent Scully?"

"Sir, if these are items that Agent Mulder believed I should have,
then they are obviously personal. If there is anything that would
have an effect on national security, I'll advise you at once, but I
can only make that determination once I have examined them."

Reluctantly, he took a manila envelope from a desk drawer and passed
it to her. "Be sure you do that. You're both excused."

****

"So, you don't know what it is?" Doggett asked her quietly as they
made their way to the elevator.

She shook her head in silent response. "I think we should do this
elsewhere."

Doggett glanced at the envelope, and then punched the button for the
parking garage. "Should we go to your place or mine?"

"It's closer."

****

She had a bad feeling about what she was about to see revealed before
her and she was not quite prepared. It was as if an inner warning
bell had gone off immediately. Why now? Why did Mulder have to
reappear in her life? Why, when everything was going perfectly?
Scully knew that Doggett fully accepted her past experiences with
Mulder, as she had the fact that he had been married and had
experienced the loss of his son, but neither had discussed their
demons at length. They simply acknowledged that the demons existed
and did their best to avoid them at all cost.

"You want me to stay while you do this or you want to be alone?"
Doggett placed a cup of tea on the coffee table in front of the couch
where she was sitting.

"Stay, John. I'm sorry if I seem a little distracted, it's just... I
didn't expect this and I don't know what to expect when I open it."

He sat next to her and placed his arm around her waist. "Maybe it's
nothing."

Scully merely glanced at him before focusing back on the envelope.
What if it was something important pertaining to Mulder?

PART TWO
By Cassie

After taking a quick breath, Scully reached for the letter opener
that lay on the coffee table and sliced open the envelope. She
reached in and pulled out family photos of Mulder from his childhood,
most of which were of him and Samantha.

Much to Scully's surprise there was a photo of Mulder and Diana
Fowley. Scully's heart skipped a jealous beat upon seeing that in
this photo, Mulder had his arms wrapped around the woman's waist.

Feeling hurt and betrayed by Mulder, Scully flipped the photo to
check if there was any date written on the back. There was... April
4, 2000. Scully dropped the photo onto the coffee table, reached
back into the envelope, and pulled out a handwritten letter.

May 24, 2001

Dana:

So much has happened in the past year since my alleged abduction. I
didn't know how to tell you this in person but I feel obligated to do
so now. Several months after reporting that Diana was allegedly
murdered, an informant contacted and informed me that Diana was
alive, well, and asking for me to join her at an undisclosed
location. At the time I received the news you and I were well into
our relationship. Despite the love that I felt for you at the time
and still feel for you now, I decided that I needed to be with
Diana. My life in the X-Files division was spiraling out of my
control and I felt I needed to get away from it, live a more normal
life with Diana and have a family of my own.
Dana, I faked my abduction by aliens in order to run away from you
and be with Diana. I hope you forgive me for leaving you for another
woman, but I have chosen another path in life and I am sharing that
path with Diana and not you. Stop searching for me and live your own
life the way you have always wanted to live it

I hope you understand and accept my deepest apology. I hope you are
well and I miss you very much.

Mulder

Scully sat there in complete shock. Mulder had not been abducted.
He was living in an undisclosed location with Diana Fowley? She
could feel jealousy flowing through her veins. She and Mulder were
together and he chose to be with Diana? She had sacrificed a normal
life for his cause and now she was stuck living a dangerous life and
he was out there living the way he wanted to and with someone else?

Doggett coughed, easing his way into speaking to Scully. He hadn't
read the letter, though it would have been easy to do so from over
her shoulder. It concerned him the way Scully's body had tensed up
and she had gone silent.

"Dana?" He waited for her to respond. "Is something wrong?"

Snapping out of her thoughts as quickly as possible, Scully quickly
folded the piece of paper and stuck it back inside the
envelope. "I'm fine. It's nothing."

She lied to Doggett, but right now, she did not care. This letter
made her realize that she might still be in love with Mulder. It was
impossible to deal with this now. She needed to have time alone to
collect her thoughts and find the appropriate means of action. Maybe
she needed to find Mulder and speak to him in person about the letter
and the feelings she still had for him.

She stood up. "John, I think you should go now."

He looked up at her with questioning eyes, but Scully did not
elaborate. Understanding that Scully needed time alone, he stood
up. "I'll be home. Call me if you need someone to talk to." He
bent down and kissed her gently on the cheek. He could see
confusion, frustration, anger, and sadness written all over her face.

He grabbed his coat and head out the door, leaving Scully alone with
her thoughts.


PART THREE
By Mare

Despite his assertion that he would be home, Doggett found that he
could not leave. He'd left the apartment and gotten into his truck,
but just couldn't bring himself to start it up and drive away. He
sat behind the wheel and looked up at Scully's window. Mulder had
been gone for more than a year, but he still had an effect on her so
profound that it made him practically invisible. Doggett shook his
head. After all he and Scully had shared, after hearing just this
morning that he was the one she was willing to share her heart with,
after being lovers for all this time, all that mattered now was what
he was not.
He was her love and her lover, but he was not Fox Mulder.

Maybe, he thought, that was not a bad thing. Scully may have had
deep feelings for Mulder, but from what he'd heard, the man caused
her as much pain as pleasure. That was something Doggett would never
intentionally do. He would be there for her, whether she wanted him
to be or not.

He pulled the cell phone from his pocket and waited.

****

After Doggett left, Scully paced the apartment, her mind whirling.
Mulder left her for another woman. Mulder left her for *Diana
Fowley*. He'd said he loved her and he left. He'd robbed her of a
normal life, only to run off and live one himself. Her first
impulse, to find Mulder and talk to him about the letter; was quickly
supplanted by the desire to find him and punch his lights out.

That impulse was followed just as quickly by the desire to not find
him at all.

Why should she put herself through that misery? Why risk all the
pain and jealousy of seeing Mulder with Diana, just so he could tell
her to her face that he didn't want her? No, going to him was a bad
idea. If he wanted to live a normal life with Diana Fowley, they
were welcome to each other.

She stopped pacing and looked at the photos spread out across the
coffee table. Why did Mulder want her to have these things? What
was she supposed to do with them? On impulse, she scooped them up
and stuffed them back into the envelope with the letter. Kersh could
have it if he wanted. These things held no meaning for her. Her
partner should know that she was getting rid of it. She picked up
the phone and dialed.

****

Doggett flipped his phone open, hoping it was Scully. "John
Doggett."

"John, hello." Scully's voice came through the earpiece, and he
smiled. "I called your house first but you weren't there. Did you
run into traffic?"

"I didn't go home. I'm right outside, in the car." He saw the
curtains stir in her window, and Scully's lovely face looking down at
him.
"Why?" she asked.

"I thought you might need me. Is everything okay?"

She hesitated a moment, then said resolutely, "Everything's fine.
Would you mind coming back up?"

She didn't sound fine. "Be right there," he said, and clicked the
phone off. He was at her door in just a moment. As soon as he
entered the apartment, he noted that the contents of the mysterious
envelope were packed away again. "Got everything you need from
there?" he asked, gesturing toward it.

Scully sat down on the couch. "I don't need anything from there,"
she said flatly.

Obviously, there was something very upsetting in that envelope.
Doggett sat down next to her, trying hard not to touch her. "What's
in there anyway?"

She picked up the envelope and just held it for what felt like a long
time, before finally opening it and withdrawing a sheet of paper.
Wordlessly, she offered it to him, unable to look him in the eye.

He took a deep breath before unfolding it. The note was short, but
it had to have packed a punch. He read the note three times before
he really understood it. "That's it?" he finally asked.

"Isn't that enough?" Scully asked quietly. "Mulder faked his
abduction and ran away with another woman. Isn't that enough?"

Her words surprised him. "You're takin' this at face value?"

"How else am I supposed to take it?"

"How about like the investigator you are?" He waved the sheet a
little. "He loves you and misses you, but he runs off with some
other woman? What kind of crap is that?"

Now Scully looked up at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Dana, think. Does this sound like Mulder? Did he ever even call
you Dana?"

Her brow furrowed slightly. "Twice. When my father died."

"That was a long time ago, wasn't it? And what about this: 'My life
in the X-Files division was spiraling out of my control and I felt I
needed to get away from it and live a more normal life'. From
everything I hear, the X-Files *were* his life. The search for the
truth was his life. Now he wants to chuck it all to shack up with
this Diana person. Does that sound like the Mulder you knew all
those years?"

Now Scully turned away. "I'm starting to wonder if I ever knew him
at all."

"You do know him." Doggett gently took her by the shoulders and
turned her to face him again. "He's tryin' to tell you something
here, Dana. What is it?"

His words finally seemed to have an effect on her. "John, what are
you saying?"

"I'm sayin' there's something wrong with this picture. There's some
kind of code in this letter; has to be. We have to figure it out;
find out what Mulder's trying to tell us. Maybe it'll help us find
him."

Scully dropped her gaze. "I... don't think I want to find him."

He almost couldn't believe his ears. "Why the hell not?"

She bit her lip, but after a moment came out with her reason. "John,
I couldn't stand seeing him with that woman!"

Her words stung, but he ignored it. The action he proposed could
ease her pain, but it would only serve to add to his. Still, Doggett
didn't hesitate. "And he won't want to see you with me either, so it
evens out. We got to try to figure this out, find him, find out
what's goin' on."

"John, I --"

"There were pictures, weren't there?" He dumped the envelope's
contents out on the coffee table again and pawed through them,
finally coming up with the photo of the adult Mulder with a dark-
haired woman. "This can't be real. She's dead, right? There's got
to be something in here, some clue."

"John --"

"Got a magnifying glass or something?" he interrupted, peering
closely at the photo.

Scully said nothing for a full minute, then sighed and retrieved a
magnifying glass from the desk drawer. "John, it's real," she said
softly. "You won't find anything there."

"Maybe, maybe not," he admitted. "Doesn't hurt to look, though, does
it?" Suddenly something caught his eye, and he looked closer,
amazed. "Damn, what's *that*?"

PART FOUR
By L. M. Shard


"What's what?" Scully asked, wondering what in the world he could be
seeing in that photograph besides the obvious.

"This," he said, offering her the magnifying glass and pointing to a
spot on the photo. Scully took the magnifying glass from his hand
and looked where he as pointing. Diana's face stared back at her
with a grin that looked very smug to Scully, as if she were mocking
her for having snagged Mulder. Then, just as another pang of
jealousy shot through her body, she saw what Doggett had discovered.
At Diana's neckline, there was a tiny, oh-so-faint line, as if the
head and body were not of the same person.

Scully looked up at Doggett, their eyes meeting in mutual
realization. "The photo's been doctored!" Scully exclaimed for them
both. "That's not Diana, but her head superimposed on someone else's
body!"

Doggett nodded in agreement. "That's what I think, but why would
somebody want you to believe that Mulder and Diana are alive and
living together?"

"Mulder is alive," she said simply, knowing with her whole being that
her declaration was true. She could feel it in her bones; a feeling
that she had had for the whole time that Mulder was missing. "I want
to bring this to the lab and have the handwriting analyzed, but I can
assure you it will be Mulder's," she said confidently, the picture of
what was going on becoming clearer by the moment.

Doggett looked at her with loving concern. He knew that finding
Mulder alive was Scully's utmost desire, but he did not want her to
get her hopes up just to have them come crashing down later. He had
a feeling there was a lot more going on with this photo than they had
already discovered. After all, it was just as possible that the
picture of Mulder was superimposed as well. Tenderly he took her
hand into his and gave it a little squeeze as he asked softly, "If
this is Mulder's handwriting, why would he ever write something like
this to you?"

"He wouldn't," she stated as Doggett looked at her questioningly, his
raised eyebrows pronouncing the deep lines on his forehead. She
continued, "You said it yourself: Mulder almost never calls
me 'Dana'. I think he was forced to write this by someone... maybe
even the person in the photo who is trying to convince me that she's
Diana. Mulder calling me 'Dana' was his way of giving me a clue, so
I would know there was something wrong with all this."

"Maybe you're right," he said. "We've got to get the photograph
analyzed as well as the handwriting." Doggett looked into Scully's
eyes and saw apprehension. He knew what she was thinking and
said, "I know someone outside the Bureau who can do this for us. He
can be trusted."

"Good," she said, quickly gathering up all the contents and placing
them back in the envelope. "Let's go."

"I think you better stay here," Doggett said. "If we're being
watched I want them to think everything's business as usual."

Scully reluctantly nodded her head in agreement even though she
desperately wanted to go with him. At least this time alone would
give her the opportunity to sort through the million thoughts racing
around inside her brain.

"I'll call you as soon as I know anything," he said as he looked
deeply into her anxious pools of blue. A change had come over her
and she suddenly looked vulnerable.

"He's just got to be alive," she said in an almost whisper, the waver
in her voice betraying her emotions.

"If he is, I'll find him. I promise," he said. He wanted nothing
more than to scoop her up and kiss her passionately right then and
there, somehow sealing his promise to her and sealing their love in
one emotion-filled gesture, but the distant look in her eyes made him
reconsider and instead he took the envelope out of her hands and
walked toward the door.

"I'll call you," he said, turning the doorknob, an odd sadness taking
a hold of him.

"John..."

He turned around, blue eyes meeting blue. The distance in her eyes
was gone, replaced by love and a certain desire. "I love you," he
breathed as he claimed her lips with his in a fiery, ravenous, almost
possessive kiss. She clutched him tightly, needing the kiss as much
as he did, letting all her fears, uncertainties, and emotions melt
into her lover.

They parted, both breathless, and with a wink and a lopsided grin, he
strode out of the apartment.

Scully immediately locked the door after him. She settled down onto
the couch, bringing her knees up under her chin and hugging them
tightly. The contents of the envelope, especially the wording of the
letter, whirled around in Scully's mind. She was scared yet excited
at the same time.

Mulder was alive!

She knew it and the possibility of being with him again stirred up
countless old emotions, ones that she had first repressed when she
thought she had lost him forever. Those feelings were later buried
when her feelings for Doggett became so strong that even the queen of
denial had to admit that she was head over heels in love. Moreover,
she did love Doggett, more than she ever thought she could love
anyone. He made her feel whole and secure, he respected her, and he
gave himself to her completely in a way that Mulder never could or
would. She trusted him and he gave her a happiness she had never
before experienced in life.

She sighed heavily. If she was so in love with Doggett, then why was
she jealous when she had believed that Mulder and Diana were a
couple? It wasn't true, thank God, but had it been, why did that
bother her so? Closing her eyes tightly, she tried hard not to let
the truth take hold of her mind, but to no avail. She loved Mulder
too. She had never actually stopped loving him, even though her love
for him had brought her so much heartache throughout the years. With
Doggett, her heart never ached, at least not in pain. It ached in
desire, need, and love, but never in pain.

Doggett drove quickly to his destination, uncertainty plaguing his
heart. He wanted Mulder to be alive, for Scully's sake, but why did
that thought scare him so much? Was it because she was saddened at
the idea of Mulder being with Diana? Was it because he could have
sworn he saw jealousy in her gorgeous eyes when she looked at the
photo of Mulder with her? He knew that she loved Mulder; that she
would always love Mulder, dead or alive, but he thought that she
loved him more. Their relationship was passionate, not lacking in
any department, and he loved her with every molecule of his being.

It had been hard for him to open himself up to love again after the
death of his son and the subsequent divorce from his wife. He had
wanted his life to be over and had thrown himself into work, letting
it take up most of his time. However, the moment Scully had appeared
in his life, via a cup of cold water thrown in his face, he knew his
heart belonged to her and the dark clouds of pain that followed him
wherever he went parted and let in a ray of sunlight, warming his
heart and opening his mind to life again. He loved her completely
and to lose that would be something his heart could not take, not
again.

It was getting late and Doggett had still not called her. Scully was
getting more and more anxious by the minute and started pacing the
floor. When the telephone finally rang, she lunged at it, tripping
over the edge of a rug in her haste.

"John?" she asked, gearing herself up for whatever information he had
to tell her. Instead of hearing his low, rumbled voice on the other
end, all she heard was slight breathing, an unidentifiable noise, and
then nothing.

"Who is this?" she asked, losing patience. She was about to hang up
when she heard another faint sound. "I can't hear you," she said,
suddenly getting the feeling that this would be a very important
phone call.

Then she heard it, in a voice that was so incredibly faint, a whisper
would have been a scream in comparison. "Scully..."

Her heart raced at the sound of her name and a tingling shot through
her body. "Mulder? Mulder, is that you?" she cried out. She
strained to hear a response, but all she heard was the rushing of her
blood in her ears.

Across the room, her cell phone rang.


Part 5
by Dogg'N'Scull

"Mulder? Mulder?!" she called frantically into the phone, her eyes
locked on the ringing cell phone across the room.

"Scu... don't--" The line went dead.

"No! Mulder!" She stood frozen in indecision for a moment, and then
lunged across the room for her cell phone, running back to her
landline as she turned it on. "John! I need to run a trace--!"

"Listen very carefully, Agent Scully," interrupted a voice,
electronically altered. "Do not attempt to trace this call if you
wish to see your partner again - alive."

Cold fear lanced into her heart. Which one? She almost wondered
aloud, but caught herself. Was this about Mulder or was John in
trouble now too?

"Who is this?" she demanded, trying to keep her voice controlled.
She needed to get that call traced.

"Allow me to explain how this will proceed, Agent Scully. I will
relay my instructions to you. You will obey them, without fail, or
your partner will die. You will not attempt to trace this call, or
your partner will die. You will not attempt to contact the
authorities, or your partner will die. You will come alone, or your
partner will die. Do I make myself clear, Agent Scully?"

"What do you want?"

"You will ask no further questions, Agent Scully. You will answer
mine. I trust I do not have to reiterate why. Again, do I make
myself clear?"

Scully swallowed. "Yes."

"Very good. You will not disconnect this call. You will listen for
my instructions at all times."

"I understand," Scully said. She wrapped her fingers over the mic on
her cell and turned on her cordless phone. "I would not do that,
Agent Scully," the voice warned. Scully started, real fear beginning
to take hold now. "You can see me." It was a statement, there was
no question.

"That was your first and only warning. Do not disobey again. There
is a car waiting for you outside your apartment. Go there. Now."

With a sense of helplessness and the aching realization that she was
losing what might be her only chance of finding Mulder, Scully set
the cordless phone back in its cradle. She reached for her keys and
her jacket, pausing momentarily as she considered taking her weapon
as well. Knowing she was under surveillance from an unknown vantage
point, she decided not to take the chance. She left the gun behind.

**********

He was disgusted and annoyed with himself.

Doggett was careless, too preoccupied with Scully's letter and what
it could mean, so they were able to surprise him. His instincts
warned him something was wrong, but he reacted too late, and now, he
was trapped. He paced the perimeter of the room restlessly. There
were no windows. No structural cracks that he could see. One air
vent in the ceiling beyond his reach; a single light bulb, also
beyond his reach. And one smooth, steel reinforced door - locked.
He had no idea who had taken him, or why. No idea where he was and
no way of contacting Scully - his phone was gone, along with his
wallet, keys, pocket knife, watch, tie, belt and shoelaces. And, of
course, his firearm. Worst of all, so was Scully's letter.

Losing her first real evidence relating to Mulder's disappearance was
like a physical blow, knowing he'd lost what could be her only chance
to find her former partner... her former lover. A man he knew she
still had feelings for - her reaction to the letter and picture were
evidence enough of that. He couldn't stop himself from wondering who
she would pick were she forced to choose between them. He wasn't
sure he'd be strong enough to accept it if she picked Mulder.

But then again, if he didn't figure a way out of this situation, it
might not matter anyway.

*********

The steady thrum of tires on asphalt accompanied the rapid pounding
of her heart as Scully strained to hear anything of importance, tried
to compensate for her loss of vision. She had been blindfolded the
moment she arrived at the car, had had only a moment to register that
it was some type of dark sedan. She did not even know how many
people were in the vehicle with her - not their age, height, sex -
nothing.

The situation was far from safe. She had no idea of their
destination, no weapon to defend herself, no backup. No one even
knew she was doing this. It was crazy and she knew she could end up
dead, but the alternative... there was no alternative. Unless...
Scully groaned inwardly as she realized she had no real proof that
Doggett was in danger. All she had was the mysterious voice on the
phone and its warning. She was distracted by the phone call from
Mulder - she was sure it was Mulder now - and had not reacted quickly
enough to gain control of the situation. She wished she had thought
to demand that she speak with him in the beginning, but it was too
late now. She could not put his life at risk, even if she did not
know it really was.

A short time later, she felt the car stop, and then she was moved to
another vehicle, still blindfolded. They were being very careful,
whoever they were. That alone was enough to make Scully believe they
were serious. She wished she knew what the hell it was they wanted.

*********

The man stared at the photograph, anger boiling within him. He
controlled it though. He had to be sure. Had to be *safe*. In his
ear, he could hear Agent Scully's worried breathing over the phone.
He was scaring her, he knew. However, it was better for her to be
scared and to realize how dangerous things really were.

The man's gaze moved from the photograph to the security monitor and
to the person on the screen. Agent Doggett. The new guy. The
Bureau's replacement. The man had many conflicting emotions about
that. Dislike was at the top of the list, but he was going to need
this Agent... Scully especially was going to need him in the time
coming, far more than she could ever imagine. He hoped Doggett would
be up to the task-for all their sakes.


Part Six
By Kimberly

Almost idly, the man wondered about the current state of his
captive. In fact, you might say he felt sorry for him - stuck in a
small windowless room with no link to the outside world. It was sad
really. Then again, the man thought, being cooped up really did
build character.

He pushed a button on a small device that would allow him to
communicate with his prisoner. "Let me apologize, Agent Doggett, and
please don't take any of this personally."

Doggett had been startled by the sudden voice but tried to maintain
his composure. "Don't take any of this personally? For cryin' out
loud! You've kidnapped me, done who knows what to Agent Scully. Is
this what you did to Mulder? You wanna explain this stuff to me so I
don't take it personally?"

"You're a clever man so I thought you would have figured it out by
now -"

"Figured what out?"

The man sneered. He hated being interrupted. "The bond between
Agent Mulder and Agent Scully was always troublesome. I was one of
several people who sought to break that bond due to the influence she
could have on him. You see, Agent Scully was the only one who could
break through the walls Agent Mulder had built up around himself."

Doggett sighed heavily and slid to the floor. "What does that have
to do with me?"

"We succeeded in pulling them apart," the man continued without
acknowledging Doggett's question. "We staged an abduction,
discredited Mulder, and disposed of him without any fuss."

"So... he's dead?"

"The one thing we didn't count on was you. You gave Scully the
strength and passion to continue Mulder's quest. You filled a void
in her life." There was a long pause as the man let Doggett react to
this. Then he continued, "You have made Agent Scully a liability."

Doggett's heart pounded in his ears as the words seemed to echo
through the room. "You son of a bitch! If you do anything, I swear -
"

"You swear what? That you'll hunt me down? That finding and
destroying me will become your life's quest?" The man cackled as he
pulled black leather gloves over his hands. "You can be certain that
I look forward to a challenge from you and I will make it
interesting. You see, right now Agent Scully is heading to a
destination of my choosing. You will be released soon in order to
make this little game more intriguing. Of course, I do have the
advantage." A clock sounded in the hall and the man grinned. "There's
my cue. In ten minutes, a door will open into an alley. You will
step through it and then the real fun will begin. I hope to see you
soon."

Doggett cringed as the intercom shut off. Even if he were released,
how would he ever find Scully? How could he get to her on time?

Part 7
By Cassie

Twenty minutes after leaving John Doggett alone, frustrated and at a
loss as to what he should do, Alex Krycek drove to the location he
was to meet Marita Covarrubias. Alex trusted Marita more than he
trusted any other associate he had with the Syndicate. He and Marita
had planned to kidnap Scully and use her to lure Mulder out of his
hiding place. But what Krycek was about to encounter was unexpected.

He pulled off the road at an abandoned rest stop where Marita was to
meet him after having kidnapped Scully. However, she was not there.
Krycek pulled out his cell phone and dialed her number. He waited
through several rings, but no one picked up. Either he had been
screwed over by the one person he thought he could trust the most, or
their plans had been destroyed by some unexpected obstacle. At this
point it was unclear what had happened, but he knew was that he did
not have Agent Scully in his possession. This was an interesting
turn of events in his so-called "game" with Agent Doggett.

Maybe it was a good thing that he didn't know where Marita had taken
Scully. That way, if Doggett happened to find him, he could honestly
say he couldn't tell him Scully's whereabouts. He would succeed in
separating those two and further weakening their ability to fight
against the inevitable alien colonization of the planet. A smirk
formed on his face as he got back into his car and drove away. He
was sure Agent Doggett would find him, but he himself wouldn't be
able to do anything to help.

*******

Scully must have passed out or fallen asleep at some point during her
kidnapping, because upon awakening, she did not find herself trapped
inside of a moving vehicle. Instead, she was surprised to discover
she was lying comfortably in a bed, covered with a warm blanket. She
opened her eyes to complete darkness. The digital clock on the
nightstand read 9:47 p.m.

What day was it? How long had she been unconscious? Had she been
saved by John?

She heard voices: a man and a woman were speaking quietly elsewhere.
Needing to understand where she was, who brought her to this place
and for what reason, she strained her ears to pick up any useful
information. Did she recognize either one of the voices? Yes; that
of Diana Fowley. Although some years had passed since she learned
that Diana had been found dead, it was not enough time for Scully's
memory to erase the calm, confident, yet manipulative voice of the
woman.

Scully's heart sank. It now seemed that she would have to face Diana
Fowley alone. Maybe the photo of her and Mulder hadn't been a fake.
If it was real, did that mean Mulder was near? God, she didn't know
if she could face the two of them, especially if they were together,
as Mulder's note had suggested. She couldn't handle this, not
without John. He gave her the strength she needed to face situations
she would otherwise be unable to handle alone.

If Diana had kidnapped her, why was the phone call so menacing? If
Mulder were with Diana, why would he have taken part in scaring her?
No, Mulder could not be here. No matter what Mulder's feelings for
Diana had been, there was always a stronger connection between him
and Scully. He had told her that she was his touchstone. The moment
Mulder had said that to her was the single most loving and intimate
moment of their entire relationship, and it had happened before they
had even become lovers. Well, lovers for one night, anyway. She
would have traded that one lovely night for a million moments of him
telling her she was his touchstone. Those words made her feel
important, loved, respected, and cared for.

Now that she was with John Doggett, she felt as if she were living
that moment day to day. John always made her feel good about herself
and about their relationship. With John, she knew that she was
important, and that he loved, cared for and respected her. He always
would.

Scully's thoughts drifted back to John. Was he in danger or was
Mulder the "partner" the voice on the phone was talking about? There
was so much she didn't know but was determined to find out. She
hoped John was safe and that he was doing everything in his power to
find and save her. Scully felt sick thinking that it was Diana who
had kidnapped her. If she had good intentions when she helped to
save Mulder several years back, she surely didn't have them now.
Threatening her partner's life, perhaps even her own? It was a
typical Diana Fowley thing to do.

The doorknob turned, startling Scully. She rolled over to face the
visitor, squinting her eyes at the silhouette of the person who had
just entered the room.

"Agent Scully?" whispered Diana Fowley. "Are you awake?" Scully sat
up in bed, blocking the light shining in with her hand. Diana
stepped closer to her. "Don't be alarmed, you're safe now."

Scully felt the back of Diana's hand touch her forehead, as she sat
down next to her on the bed.

"You've been out for quite some time. I brought you a glass of
water; we don't want you to get dehydrated."

"Where am I?"

"Fox had you brought to me through alliances he made years ago. We
brought you here for your own protection."

Scully doubted her words. "Protection from whom?"

Diana reached over and turned on a lamp. "Protection from the men
who are searching for Fox with the intention of killing him. They
feel threatened by you now, because you have the strength to continue
Fox's quest, a strength that they didn't anticipate." Diana paused
before continuing. "Agent Scully, I apologize for the manner in
which you were taken, and it's best you don't know where we are."

"Who wants Mulder and me dead?"

"The man who heads the consortium, C.G.B. Spender, and a man I'm sure
you know well, Alex Krycek." She paused again, trying to find the
best way to tell Scully what she had learned. She spoke softly, with
an emotion Scully thought her incapable of. "Dana... John Doggett
was taken by Alex Krycek. We're unsure of his intentions, but we
believe it has something to do with breaking you down and weakening
you to disrupt Fox's quest. Alex knows Fox tried to contact you the
other day. We had to get you out of harm's way."

"You keep referring to a 'we'," Scully said, still distrustful.

"Marita Covarrubias, Deputy Director Kersh, myself and Fox."

"I've never trusted them. How can you be sure I'm safe if they are
involved?"

"Marita was send by Krycek to take you to him. What Krycek didn't
know was that Marita has been working closely with Fox and me for the
past year. Marita took you and then handed you off to Kersh, who
brought you to me." Diana could tell that Scully was unsure of this
story, though it was the truth. "Dana, Fox wouldn't have asked them
to get you if he wasn't one hundred percent positive they were on our
side."

In a silent moment between the two women. Scully knew that Mulder
wouldn't endanger her life, and he did have odd ways of protecting
her, typically using his infamous ditch. Her gut instinct now told
her to trust Diana. Scully sighed, giving in.

"So where are we anyway?"

"Canada."

Scully needed to clear up a few more facts for herself. "Several
years ago, I was told you had been found dead. How is it you happen
to be standing before me now?"

"I was forced to fake my death and disappear to stay alive; much like
Fox has been doing for this past year. I have information that is
vital to his quest. I sent for him when you two were in Oregon in
the spring of 2000. I had Marita contact him for me. Through
Marita, we arranged his alleged abduction to convince Krycek and the
Consortium that he had been taken and was no longer a threat."

"A.D. Skinner saw the spacecraft that abducted Mulder."

"A.D. Skinner saw what he was meant to see. He was the one that
reported Mulder's abduction to Krycek and the group. He cannot be
trusted."

Scully's mind was overloaded with information. "Marita Covarrubias
is an ally of Alex Krycek and has ties with the Consortium," she said
slowly. None of this made any sense, and was very hard for her to
accept at face value.

"She has her own agenda, the same agenda as Fox. One that she no
longer shares with Krycek, now that he is being prepared to head the
group. That is why she has helped us."

"How can you be sure she won't turn her back on you and give away our
location?"

"Fox and I are still alive."

Scully couldn't deny that. Diana Fowley, a woman she once believed
was killed by the Consortium, now sat next to her, alive and well.
Scully takes in a deep breath. "Where's Mulder now?" A part of her
feared that Diana would say he was there with her all the time.

Diana gave Scully a warm smile and stood. "He's in the living room.
He said I should speak with you first and explain the situation. He
knows you don't have the faith in me that he does. He thought that
if I explained everything to you, you might change your mind.

Diana walked out of the room and motioned to someone in another
room. Moments later, Mulder stood in the doorway.

"Didn't I tell you she could be trusted?" Mulder gave her a warm
smile.

Scully jumped out of bed and ran straight into his arms, wrapping her
arms tightly around his waist. He leaned down to kiss the top of her
head.

"Mulder..."

He placed his index finger over her lips. "Scully, so much has
changed this past year, I don't even know where to begin." He led
Scully back to the bed and they sat down.

"Why didn't you find a way to contact me earlier?" Scully
asked. "Agent Doggett and I have been working our asses off to find
you. To bring you back to me."

"I can't go back."

"What about the X-Files, your life's work?"

"I can continue my search for the truth better without the
restrictions placed on me by the Bureau. The X-Files aren't enough
anymore. Now that Diana and I are together, and with the connections
she has made, I've made considerably more progress than if I had
remained with the Bureau."

Tears welled up in Scully's eyes. She wanted -- no, she needed
Mulder back in her life. Even more, she wanted Mulder to leave Diana
and return to her. A part of her couldn't believe that there had
been some truth to his note

"What about us, Mulder? Didn't you care about how much I hurt when
you disappeared?" She was trying her best not to cry in front of him.

"Scully, you received the envelope from Kersh, right? I made sure my
instructions said to deliver it to him and for him to deliver it to
you. Did you not read my letter?"

Scully was not only getting more upset, but feeling twinges of
anger. "I read your damn letter, Mulder." She was crying now. "How
dare you tell me you still love me but that you left me for another
woman? That you decided you needed to be with her and not me! Why
didn't you want to be with me anymore?"

Mulder sighed. He should have known that writing a letter like that
was going to upset Scully. "Scully listen... Diana and I are working
together. Her knowledge of the conspiracy has only been useful in my
quest. I couldn't turn down the opportunity to be with her."

"Why didn't you tell me? Didn't you love me? After everything we've
been through, you still felt the need to ditch me." Scully wiped
tears from her face and tried to compose herself.

"I did love you. I always will love you, you know that. I couldn't
drag you along because I didn't want to take you away from living the
life you wanted. If I had told you what I was doing, regardless of
what you wanted to do, you would have followed me, giving up your
dreams, your life. I couldn't let you do that. You deserve better."

"Why did you take me now?" she asked in a whisper.

"John Doggett."

"You know about John?"

Mulder nodded his head and looked away from her.

"Do you really think I'd leave you and not keep an eye on you? Why
do you think Kersh is suddenly so interested in the X-Files? I have
him keeping tabs on you, so I know that you are safe. When we found
out that Krycek was planning to take you, we acted immediately to get
you out of there and to a safe place."

"What about John? Diana said he had been taken. What could Krycek
possibly want with him?"

"I don't know, but knowing Krycek... we're bound to see some action
in the next few weeks. I hope this Doggett guy isn't easily
manipulated, and that he's smart enough to keep out of a situation he
knows nothing about."

"John won't rest until he finds me. Regardless of his common sense
and gut instinct that he shouldn't get involved, he will. I know
him."

Mulder put his arms around her, sensing her worry for John. "Good
guys always come out on top in the end, Scully." Mulder tried to
brighten her mood. "Even if sometimes it's a goddamned long path
you have to walk down to get there." He smiled at her and stood
up. "You must be starving. Diana's making chicken with mashed
potatoes and cooked carrots for dinner."

"My favorite." She stood as well and followed Mulder to the dining
room. Scully stood in the doorway and watched as Mulder wrapped his
arms around Diana's waist as she set the table. Mulder kissed her
neck, much in the same way that John kissed her. Watching their
interaction, Scully was consumed with jealousy. So it was true,
Mulder and Diana were involved. Mulder doctored that picture and
worded his letter the way he did to raise suspicion in Scully's mind
regarding the situation. Perhaps he meant to alert her to what was
going to happen so she wouldn't worry.

"Don't be shy, Scully. Have a seat and prepare your taste buds for a
killer meal." Mulder sat down and tucked a napkin in the collar of
his t-shirt.

Scully took a seat, reluctant to speak for fear that a snide remark
about Mulder and Diana's relationship would slip out. Why did she
feel the need to be with Mulder? Why didn't she find herself more
worried about what could be happening to John? It was these feelings
that confused her most, and she had to find out for sure if Mulder
had any intention of giving himself to her once again. , If he did,
what would she tell John?

Diana placed the food on the table and joined them, oblivious to
Scully's confusion.

*******

A couple of days had passed since Doggett had been released into an
alley from an unmarked building. Returning to Dana's apartment to
search for clues to her current location, he. found nothing. Scully
was missing and there was nothing he could do about it. As a last
resort, Doggett arranged a meeting with A.D. Skinner. Maybe all he
needed was some outside help.

Doggett kept trying to remember details of his abduction. He had
been blindfolded, gagged and placed in the trunk of a car. He
remembered two men speaking in what sounded like Russian; one man was
obviously more fluent than the other. His mind raced back to an X-
File he had read about vaccination tests done to Mulder near Tunguska
in Russia. In that report, Mulder named Alex Krycek as
his "interpreter" and a man that could not be trusted. Doggett was
damn sure this Krycek was one of the men in the car. If he had been
mixed up with Mulder and betrayed him before, why wouldn't he do it
again?. He certainly seemed like the kind of person who would get
off on playing "games". He was also sure Krycek's intentions were
not good and it scared him to death to think that he had taken Scully.

Dammit! Why did he have to leave Scully alone when he decided to get
the handwriting analyzed? If he hadn't left her alone, perhaps she
wouldn't be missing now. He blamed himself for what had happened.
If what he was told by the kidnapper was true, that he gave Scully
strength to continue Mulder's quest, it was very possible that this
person intended on separating for good as well. That separation was
something that Doggett would not accept. He knew he could not
continue the X-Files on his own;, he needed Scully. If he gave her
strength, she had the same effect on him.

"A.D. Skinner will see you now." Kim Cook, Skinner's assistant,
smiled at him. Skinner was sitting behind his desk as Doggett
entered the inner office, looking as if he knew the reason for
Doggett's visit. Immediately Doggett's suspicions were raised.

"Agent Doggett. Have a seat."

"Sir, Agent Scully is missing."

"Do you have any idea where she could be?"

"No, but I suspect Alex Krycek is behind this."

"Alex Krycek? That's ridiculous. The last I heard of him, he was
locked away in some Tunisian prison."

Doggett's eyes were drawn to Skinner's nameplate. 'Walter Sergei
Skinner'. Sergei, that was a Russian name. Doggett's suspicions of
the Assistant Director escalated

"Look, Agent Doggett, the best I can do is assemble a task force to
search for Agent Scully."

"No need to do that, sir."

"All right, but if you happen to find out where she is, you let me
know ASAP."

Doggett nodded. As he was leaving the office, one last thing occurred
to him. "Sir? I have a niece whose father is Ukrainian. I notice
your middle name is Russian and I thought maybe you'd know some of
the language."

"Yeah...?"

"My niece, Sasha, she's beginnin' to speak. She points to things and
says 'die, die', and it gets weird looks from people. I was
wondering if it means anything or if I should tell my sister that her
daughter could be the youngest human being alive to have a
fascination with death."

"Give." Skinner translated. "Die, means 'give'. It's a common first
word spoken by infants in Russia." Skinner smiled.

"Thank you, sir."

Doggett left. He got in the elevator, heading for the basement. He
figured there was only one person he could trust for sure to help
him, and the contact information was in his and Dana's office.

The elevator doors opened; the basement was too quiet. Scully's
absence made this musty place feel less alive, less vibrant. His
heart sank as he entered their office, to be greeted not by Dana, but
rather Deputy Director Kersh.

"Don't play his game, Agent Doggett," Kersh stated as if giving him a
direct order.

"Excuse me?"

"Agent Scully is safe, John. Don't risk trying to locate her. It
will only put her life, as well as yours, Agent Mulder's and Diana's,
in more danger."

Doggett couldn't believe what he was hearing. Kersh knew where Dana
was. "You know where she is?"

"All I can say is that she's safe." Kersh's look was serious. "Let
her go, it's the only way to know she will survive." As Kersh walked
to the door, he turned to Doggett before leaving. "John, I know what
Dana means to you, and I know that all you want is for her to be
brought back. It can't happen now. You are being watched. If you
try to locate her, he will likely get to her before you can and he
will not hesitate to kill her, you, or any others involved."

Kersh exited, leaving Doggett much to ponder. There wasn't much to
think about. There was no way he would not search for Dana; he loved
her too damn much. She needed him; he could sense it.

He sat down at his desk, picked up the phone and dialed. Seconds
later, the friendly and familiar voice answered.

"Monica Reyes"

"Monica, it's John Doggett. I need your help."

END PARTS 1-7

--------------------------------------------------------

Note: This is an unfinished story. It most likely will not be finished. Consider 
this the final draft.