TITLE: "If a Frog had Wings.." AUTHOR: Dlynn RATING: PG CATEGORY: STORY,UST,SLIGHT MSR DISTRIBUTION: Xemplary, Spookys, gossamer yes. All others, please link to my site, and let me know so that I might visit. http://home.mpinet.net/laster/frog.txt FEEDBACK: dlynn1550@my-deja.com SPOILERS: Anything up through the Unnatural. SUMMARY: Mulder and Scully get pulled into a manhunt looking for alleged bomber Eric Rudolph. DISCLAIMER: I don't own Mulder or Scully or anything pertaining to the X-Files. I realize that all things X belong to Fox, Chris Carter and 1013. This and my other stories can be found at http://home.mpinet.net/laster "If a Frog had Wings.." 4:00pm "Where the Hell are they?" Scully screamed as she tore around the side of the rock outcropping. Avoiding a gaping hole in the ground, she scrambled frantically over to Robinson where he sat holding his bleeding arm. Robinson appeared dazed, his eyes not quite focused, as he attempted to answer her question. "I'm not sure," he whispered. "Corelli and Mulder were on the trail ahead of me. I heard Mulder say that something didn't feel right and the next thing I knew Corelli was shoving me hard. I landed behind this boulder. I think it protected me from the blast." "How badly hurt are you?" Scully rummaged in her backpack pulling out the first aid kit and radio. Taking the radio from her, Robinson answered, "I'll live. Now get going! Find them! I'll get help." Scully impatiently swept a hand through her hair urging it back behind her ears so that she could see better. She surveyed the scene in front of her; trees toppled, rocks let loose from unstable moorings, pieces of ground spewed about like lava from an active volcano. "Mulder! Corelli!" she frantically screamed as she clawed her way through the rubble spread out before her. Viewing each aspect she tried to determine which way to turn. Where should she begin looking? "Mulder, answer me, damn it!" Scully shouted, slipping and sliding down the small ravine next to her. So much of the debris seemed to have been propelled this way. Vaguely feeling the scratches to her skin as she tore through thorny pyracantha bushes and raked away small rocks and branches, Scully stopped to listen. The stillness was eerie. The sounds of small animals, birds, everything had stopped. It was as though nature was holding its breath. Fighting back tears, forcing herself to hold on to the control born of necessity, Scully methodically began to pick her way through the pile of rocks and tree stumps. How did this happen she mused? When did we lose control? xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 10:00am (several hours ago) "Hey Scully. What do you know about frogs?" From her crouched position Scully looked up at Mulder and saw him dangling from two fingers a desiccated, petrified shell of a frog. He was flipping it through the air in such a way that he reminded her of little boys who once tried to scare her with snakes and spiders. It never worked. On a gross factor scale of 1 to 10, a shriveled Kermit didn't make the grade. As she stood, brushing blades of grass from her blue jeans and straightening her FBI jacket that had hiked up over the handle of her weapon, Scully looked at her wayward partner. He was still swinging that frog around like a fool. "Come on Scully. You're a biologist. Talk to me about frogs," insisted Mulder in that fed up tone he gets when he knows their time is being wasted. Scully, using her hand to shade her eyes from the sun's glare, peered at over at her juvenile partner. "I know that if a frog had wings, he wouldn't bump his butt when he jumped," she retorted in her best lecturing voice. She dismissively turned her back, and began looking on the ground for her field journal. 'Ah, there it was, peeking out from under a pile of fall leaves.'Earlier, she had sifted through them thinking that she had seen something of interest. It had only been the shiny, aluminum edge of a tarnished beer can that some slob tossed away. "Hey Scully that's good," Mulder chuckled, tossing the frog into the splashing creek to the left of him. "What do you think would happen if I had wings?" "I don't know Mulder? Maybe you'd keep your butt out of the frying pan more often." Standing upon the embankment, overlooking the river's rushing waters, Mulder challenged, "You're mixing your metaphors." "You're lucky I have any metaphors left to mix. Your fascination with cliches and metaphors the last few weeks has given me brain drain. I can't keep up with you, Mulder. Don't you think it's time to give it a rest...to let sleeping dogs...." "...lie," he finished for her, reminiscent of their office convesation from several Saturdays ago. It was that conversation that started him on his cliche crusade. She knew what he was doing, trying to keep everything light and friendly, espcially after that whole episode with Padgett. "You're right, Scully. It's like beating a dead horse," he said, his expression contrite as she shot him an evil look. "Sorry, can't help it, the more I try to refrain, the more they just pop into my head. But in my defense, you have to admit that as a society, our cliches and metaphors have almost become a type of oral history." "Like a dead horse is a simile, Mulder." "Tomato, tomahto." Mulder waggled his eyebrows at her. "Come on. What the hell does "little pitchers have big ears" mean anyway?" Ignoring him, Scully began walking again. Mulder joined her and they resumed their hike along the edge of the creek, stopping occasionally to step carefully over rocks and water that formed little side eddies off the main stream. They could hear the quiet crackle of voices from their muted walkie-talkie as they peripherally kept track of the progress of other agents who were also cautiously stepping through the North Carolina woods. Mulder and Scully were part of a larger task force of all available personnel that had been brought in to canvas the area near Mt. Laurel, NC, where there had been a possible sighting of Eric Rudolph. The suspected Atlanta bomber had been seen by a "reliable" source near Asheville. The FBI was betting a lot of financial resources and manpower that he might have headed this way. However, all in all, the week had been a bust, a romp in the woods with a hundred other agents making enough noise to alert even the most nefarious tree squirrel. The task forces' only accomplishment had been the apprehension of a 75-year-old bootlegger who had grown a little pot on the side to enhance his inventory and keep up with the times. He only got caught because he was deaf as a post and hadn't heard the hordes approaching. Mulder halted to examine the side of one of the trees, a rather large Sugar Maple. Scully noticing that he was lagging behind stopped and called over her shoulder, "Find something, Mulder?" Brushing bits of bark off his hands where he had been absently stroking the tree trunk, Mulder replied, "Nothing, just some kid with a pocket knife declaring his undying love." "Hey Scully can you read that?" Mulder motioned her over to get a better look at the tree trunk. "I think it says, 'Bobby loves Erica'," she said, running her finger over the outline of an engraved heart. Mulder bent over bringing his head next to hers so that he could peer more closely at the engraving. Scully reached across and gently removed something from his shoulder, spending an inordinate amount of time trying to pull something from his collar. "What, Scully! What's so fascinating about my jacket that you can't keep your hands off me." "Don't get your hopes up, Spooky Boy. It's just a sandbur stuck to your collar. Paranoia reighns when it comes to me and collars these days. You never know what's going to crawl out of one," she joked, alluding to the bee that hid in her shirt last year and wreaked major havoc in their world. "Things do seem to crawl out at the most inoportune times don't they," he acknowledged. Apparently, not wanting this to turn into a major angst fest, Mulder quickly turned his attention back to the tree. Finally, pulling himself up to his full height, Mulder turned and leaned against the tree. Unconsciously he had started rubbing a small itchy spot on his shoulder against the rough bark while digging in his pocket for his sunflower seed stash. "Shall I call you, Smokey?" Scully pointed out, drawing Mulder's attention to the pose he had assumed against the tree. Cracking a shell with his teeth, and spitting out the hull, Mulder smirked with an off-handed smile, "Not even as a joke, Scully. I'm just scratching an itch. You offering to help?" "In your dreams," they parroted in unison. Each stood in companionable silence for several moments, listening to the babbling brook, hearing the gentle rustle of small twigs and leaves falling from the overhead canopy to the heavily carpeted forest floor. Other than the sounds of a gentle breeze blowing through the branches and their view of Agents Robinson and Corelli across the creek from them, it was effortless being lulled by the beauty around them. "What are we doing out here, Scully," Mulder pondered removing his eyes from the water's mesmerizing flow and searching out her face. As he viewed her coming back into herself from wherever her daydreams had taken her, Scully wondered what he was thinking. If only she knew how he silently reflected again on how beautiful she was. Not only lovely to the eye, but the epitome of the adage that "smart was sexy". "Just look at it as another walk in the woods. At least this time we've avoided the mothmen," she responded, puzzling over the intense look he was giving her. Just then sounds of laughter and singing drifted across the stream. Scully could just pick out the familiar childish tune and lyrics. "Mulder and Scully sitting in a tree...K I SS ING... comes love,... comes...marriage, then comes Mulder with a green alien's carriage." "Hey, Corelli, don't quit your day job," Mulder hollered back across the water. "And, Robinson, you need to get your facts straight," Scully shouted. "They're gray! The reticulans are gray." Both men good naturedly waved in surrender, heading back up stream towards the base camp. Mulder looked down into the sparkling eyes of his partner, his expression puzzled. As if reading his mind, Scully spoke,"They're going to believe what they want about our relationship, no matter what we say. I'm tired of wasting my breath. Besides..." Gesturing to the carved tree graffiti, Mulder interrupted. "Scully, I think we've got something here!" "What, Mulder, a lothario woodsman?" Scully bent over once more to look at the etchings in the bark. "No. I'm serious." Mulder pulled out the walkie-talkie. "Hey, Suarez, it's me, Mulder. Get me the name of Rudolph's militia buddy. You know, the one from Asheville." "Ya, I know he's already been checked out, but humor me, and get me his name. I think it was Michael something," Mulder said, glancing over at Scully who was beginning to see where he was going with this. "That's it. Michael Robert Freedman," Mulder grinned. 'Bingo' thought Scully. "Bobby loves Erica." We've got a winner. Her reverie was interrupted as Mulder continued talking to Suarez. "Find the SAC will you, Suarez, and get him on the horn. I think I've got something. No, we don't need back up, at least not yet. We haven't run into the guy, but I do think he's here, and I need to speak with SAC Mickler ASAP. Right...Thanks." Mulder looked over at Scully, who had been carefully examining the tree trunk. She had found a small, barely visible arrow next to the heart. She was using her compass to determine the correct direction. "The arrow's pointing east, Mulder. You think it's Rudolph?" she asked, sensing his excitement. "It's him, Scully. I feel it. He's a master with camouflage. He's hiding in plain sight. This may be a system set up with his contacts, a means to get supplies or messages. I think if we look around we'll find additional hearts." "Ok, Mulder we'll go with your gut," Scully pulled the plastic bag of topographical maps from her backpack. She dropped down on her haunches, spreading the map out in front of her. She was vaguely aware of Mulder back on the line with the SAC. He was trying to explain his "gut" and how he knew that Erica and Eric were one and the same. As she got her bearings, and oriented herself with the terrain around her, Scully noticed the sunlight suddenly dimming. Mulder was bending over her, examining the map, telling the SAC which area he should deploy the most agents. "Yes, Sir. The markings are fresh. No, there's no way to tell for absolute certainty. but I do feel that this is our best bet. Ok, we'll concentrate in sector 44, east of here...Tell them to look for "Bobby loves Erica". Oh, and Sir, would you tell Robinson and Corelli I got the idea from them. They were a tremendous help. I never could have done it without them... Fine we'll keep an eye out for them. Thanks," Mulder chuckled as he closed down communication. "Michler ok with this?" Scully queried as she packed up the maps and placed them back in the backpack. She pulled out a bottle of water and handed it to Mulder, watching as he took a long, thirsty drink. "Thanks", he said, handing her back the water and allowing her to quench her thirst. "Well if he had any doubts, he was good about keeping them to himself. Frankly, I think everyone is so frustrated and tired of chasing dead ends that they'll even listen to the Spooky Patrol if it means half a chance of bringing this guy down. Hey, we're even getting back-up. He's sending Corelli and Robinson to join us in sector 44." "Now that is scary, Mulder. We're joining the mainstream." Scully secured the flap on the backpack where she had just replaced their water. She stood, hefting the canvas bag up on her shoulder, and surveying the area east of them. She had been subject to enough bad experiences in the woods that she had insisted that she and Mulder each carry a backpack with supplies, i.e. first aid kits, flashlights, compasses, water, snacks and MATCHES. Pragmatic as always, Scully was hoping that this over kill might work in the same way it never seemed to rain when one actually remembered to carry an umbrella. Setting out like an Eagle Scout might ward off famine and pestilence. Scully moved into point position. She was tired of getting whacked in the face when Mulder got careless pushing aside branches across their trail. Looking back she saw Mulder, pack thrown over his shoulder, taking one last look at the stream. His countenance seemed almost content. It was a good look on him. "Come on Mulder. Let's put a wiggle in it!" Pulled from his wool gathering, Mulder looked over at her, catching her eye and her full-blown grin, and bit back an obvious retort. She knew he was pleased to see her smile. Xxxxxxxxxx 11:30am After an hour of consistent hiking, Mulder and Scully stopped to check their coordinates. "We should wait here, Scully. Corelli and Robinson should be along anytime. They were going to have to ford the stream down by the base camp and come up parallel to this position. It shouldn't be much longer," he voiced, digging in his backpack for something to eat. Handing her one of the sandwiches, he unwrapped his own, shoving a quarter of it into his mouth at once. "Now that's gross, Mulder." "What?" Rolling her eyes at him with affectionate condescension, Scully pointed out, "Didn't your mother tell you not to talk with your mouth full?" "She also told me to never be alone with a pretty girl in the woods. Something about lascivious thoughts and temptation. But you know how well I listen, Scully," he deadpanned, taking another enormous bite out of his sandwich just to goad her. With a comment on her lips, Scully stopped and listened. Significant rustling in the underbrush disturbed their quiet seclusion. Simultaneously drawing their weapons, Mulder and Scully stood back to back as they searched the flora for its source. "Hey, Mulder, it's only us. You can drop the Grizzley Adam's routine," chuckled Corelli as he stepped from behind a large thicket of pyracantha. "Come on Robinson, I've found them," he hissed over his shoulder at the large, dark haired man currently disentangling his jacket from the bush's sharp thorns. "You'll have to forgive Robinson, folks. The closest he ever comes to the woods is watching the Discovery Channel. Nature's not his thing," laughed the gregarious Corelli. Scully noticed that Robinson had finally removed his jacket from the brambles and was scowling at his partner. She felt a comfortable camaraderie between the two as they continued to give each other a hard time, almost like father and son she mused as she looked at the gray haired Corelli and the boyish Robinson. "Just because I don't choose to be Daniel Boone doesn't mean that I can't handle myself in the forest," Robinson griped, sucking hard on the end of one finger where he had gotten jabbed by the pyracantha thorns. "Mulder, you really think you've got something here with the tree markings?" asked Robinson, wiping his wet hand on his blue jeans. He reached into the pocket of his nylon FBI jacket and pulled out a piece of paper. "This is from Michler. He said to give it to you when we caught up," Robinson stated, handing Scully the folded paper. "It's a copy of the deployment map; each sector is divided up and there's a list of which teams are where. Michler said that we should all be converging on Sector 45, right Corelli?" Robinson looked to the more senior partner for confirmation. "That's right, I guess after his discussion with you, Mulder, he's tried to implement a wheel pattern for searching in this area. We're all situated like axles on a wheel heading for the center, section 45. He's interspersed the dog teams among us. I think the closest canine team is two units over, south west of our current location. Michler's asked for periodic updates from each team just to keep track of our coordinates with reference to each other. He doesn't want any "friendly fire" situations. We're supposed to check in every two hours, making our next contact about 2:00pm. Of course, if we catch any new Romeo carvings before then, we're to let him know. Each team has been told to watch for the hearts." "I guess that's all," finished Corelli. "Any questions?" "I don't suppose either of you have a pepperoni and mushroom pizza in there. I called Dominoes a couple of hours ago, but we haven't connected," Mulder shoved the last of his sandwich into his mouth. As she finished going over the sector list, Scully inquired, "What are these "code" words beside the various teams?" "Oh, right," spoke up Robinson, pulling a sandwich out of his own pack. "Those are reference names in case of contact. We are to establish verbal communication, if at all possible, to avoid accidental confrontation with one of our own teams. Those are the call names for each group of agents." "So what are we, Scully?" Mulder took the paper from her to familiarize himself with the strategy. His eyes scanned the list, coming to rest on sector 44. He looked up at the bemused expression of his partner. "So much for joining the mainstream," she chuckled. "Ok, guys, let me officially welcome you to the Spooky Patrol." Xxxxxxxxxxxx 1:45pm "Come in Spooky, this is Bravo," crackled a voice on Scully's radio. "Roger, Bravo. This is Spooky." Scully answered and motioned for the rest of the team to take a breather. "Tell Mulder we think we've found another carving. It says, "Bobby loves Erica" and it's enclosed by a heart," informed the agent from team Bravo. Mulder walked over to Scully and leaned into her as he spoke on the radio. "Bravo, this is Mulder. Any other symbols just outside of the heart?" "There's a small arrow pointed NE from this location." "Ok, Bravo, what's your 20?" Mulder examined the sector map that Corelli had spread on the ground in front of him. "We believe we're probably two miles west of you, heading towards sector 45." "Copy that, Bravo. Alert the SAC and tell him to update the rest of the teams. Tread lightly, Bravo." Mulder closed communication. Robinson finished examining the map. "I'd say chances are the next locator should be just North of here, somewhere between Bravo team and us." "I agree," said Corelli, "but how is Rudolph or his contact determining distance between markers?" Scully re-established contact with Bravo team. "Bravo, check for other symbols. Go around the tree trunk if you have to, but make sure that we aren't missing something," she instructed. As she waited for their reply, she noticed that a pensive Mulder had separated himself from the group and was resting upon a large, decaying log. He had his seeds out again and absentmindedly was spitting the shells into the underbrush. "Spooky, we think we've found something! There's a small triangle with seven hash marks inside it. There appears to be a small, round spot dug out directly in front of the hash marks. However, I'm not sure if that's part of it or just a knot in the tree." "Scully," interjected Mulder. "Tell them it's probably a decimal point. It probably stands for seven tenths of a mile. They should find the next locator, 7/10ths of a mile, NE of their location." "Roger that, Spooky. We'll keep our eyes peeled. Bravo, out." "Keep their eyes peeled. And you think my cliche's are bad?" Mulder asked as Scully put the radio in the pack. Corelli and Robinson had seated themselves several feet away. Each had placed his back against a tree. "Hey, Corelli, where do you know these two from?" "I worked with them on a horrible case out of Baltimore several years ago. Mulder was brought into profile this serial killer. He and Scully were loaned out from their own division-something called the X-files. Those two are amazing, not only was Mulder's profile dead on, but Scully is the best forensic pathologist I've seen in 30 years. In fact, it was her catch that gave us our big break." Robinson mulled it over. "They seem...uh...particularly close. You know, always touching." He watched Mulder and Scully conferring over the topographical maps. Mulder had reached up and pushed an unruly strand of Scully's hair back behind her ear. The act was intimate, a sign of closeness that transcended speech. In this day and age of political correctness, it could probably be considered sexual harassment. "Robinson, if you're asking if they're together, there's plenty of rumors, but I couldn't say for sure. So how's Denise? You two been seeing the counselor?" "Yeah, things are getting better. We've still got a ways to go, but we're working on it," Robinson replied. "That's good, Son. Life's too short to waste with guilt and recriminations. I'm glad to see you getting on the right track." Robinson looked back at Mulder and Scully. They seemed to be on the right track. Apparently there was no problem with their communication skills. He noticed Mulder patting the log next to him. "Take a load off, Scully." Arching her eyebrow, she sat next to him, their shoulders touching. She scrunched around so that she could look him in the eye. It was harder for him to get things by her when she forced direct eye contact. She was either reading him better lately, or he was finding it harder to obfuscate when she invaded his space. Either way, the jig was up; it was time to talk. "Ok, something's spooked you, Mulder. What is it?" Scully coaxed as she reached over and placed her hand on his arm. Mulder nodded in her direction. "Scully, I think this is no longer a little jaunt through the woods. I have a "feeling", a sinking in my gut kind of feeling, that this guy is playing us. For months these woods have been searched. There's been nada, zip, zilch in the way of clues. Now all of a sudden we have a "sighting" in Asheville and frigging street signs pointing the way." He possessively placed his hand over hers where it still rested on his forearm. "The hair on the back of my neck is standing straight up, and I don't like the feeling." Scully reached up and gently stroked the back of his neck. Feeling the tightness caused by stress, she kneaded his muscles while talking soothingly to him. "Mulder, we all know there's a chance that he could be out here. I'm sure the teams are being careful. I really wouldn't worry." "No, it's more than that," Mulder got up from the log and began pacing. "I think that he's setting us up. Think about it, he's been quiet for months, but he had no qualms trying to blow people up at the Olympics. That's not including the other bombings where he's suspect. This is not a man who's content sitting out the rest of his life in the woods like some hermit. He has an agenda, statements he wants to make." Anxiously looking towards her partner, Scully replied, "And you're worried that he might try and make one of those statements here, with a couple of hundred law enforcement officials on alert." Mulder stopped pacing. "The man builds bombs Scully; he has no concern for life. He knows these woods like the back of his hand. And I think he's inviting us to a party, and I'm afraid the surprise may be on us." "And the worst part, Scully. I sent the damn invitations. These teams are all following my lead on this. What if I helped set them up?" "Mulder, no," Scully admonished as she stood in front of her partner, placing both hands on his arms. "You are not responsible for us being here. You just relayed information to the SAC that we found. You have been doing your job. There's no reason for you to feel culpable." "That's right," Corelli interjected, overhearing the last part of the conversation. He and Robinson had moved over to stand beside Mulder and Scully. "We have to check this out. Like you said, we've had nothing for months. We have to take advantage of every lead," Corelli continued. Robinson decided to put his two cents in, "Mulder we've been attached to this case from the beginning. We've seen the devastation this guy's left behind. I assure you that we are not oblivious to the danger, but we don't have any other choice. "Look it's time to check in with the SAC; I'll alert him to your concerns," Corelli offered. "But frankly, Mulder, I don't think it's going to make a difference. We've got to find this guy. His cavalier attitude towards killing, his means of blending into the woodwork, make it all the more imperative that we stop this now." Just then static from the radio alerted them to an incoming transmission. "Come in, Spooky, this is Michler. What's your 20?" Responding, Corelli informed the SAC of their co-ordinates and alerted him to Mulder's concerns. "Hey, Michler," Corelli said. "Mulder's concerns are valid. Make sure the teams are appraised of his take on things. I don't want anyone getting needlessly sloppy out here." "Sure thing, Corelli. I'll pass the info. along. Watch your back man," the SAC instructed. "Don't I always. It helps when you've got good partners," nodding to Mulder and Scully, including them in with Robinson. "Talk to you in two. Spooky Patrol, out." Mulder looked at Scully, Robinson and Corelli. "Ok Spooky's. Let's PAR TAY!" XXXXXXXXXXXX 4:00pm A walk in the woods, right? She shook her head as she continued shoveling dirt and tree limbs. Mulder had been right. They had walked right into a dynamite party. They had been heading toward sector 44, cautiously keeping an eye out for any further "Bobby loves Erica" markings. Scully had stopped to check in with the SAC as Mulder, Corelli and Robinson had started on ahead. She had thought it was the perfect time to kill two birds with one stone, update Michler and take advantage of a little privacy. This was one of those times she envied the male of the species. For her there was more involved than finding a nice tree. She grimaced as she remembered Mulder's smirk. She had cut off the "So you gotta see a man about a horse" remark midsentence. She'd hate to think that was the last thing he would ever say to her. Giving herself a mental shake, Scully reached into her backpack for her flashlight. It was 4:00pm, way too early to be getting dark, but with the cloud cover and shadows in the woods, it was getting hard to see. And she needed visual because she sure wasn't getting any help from Mulder on the verbal part. "When I get my hands on you, I don't know whether I'm going to kill you or kiss you," she muttered as she continued to pick through the rubble. She wouldn't allow any negative thoughts to enter her brain. He was alright. This was just a little walk in the woods. No aliens, no monsters, no consortium of old men, just one violent, unpredictable anarchist. Pushing that notion aside, she began shouting again. "Corelli, Mulder! Answer me!" As she moved one very large rock aside, not even contemplating the fact that it was probably way too heavy for her to move under normal circumstances, Scully stopped and listened. She thought that she heard something. Faint, but yes, there was something. Pulling at the branches of a large oak tree that was splintered like so much kindling, Scully knew that it was not her imagination. "Mulder! Can you hear me," she shouted, peering over the oak stump into a crevice of rocks, clay and lumber. "Scully, we're here. We're wedged down here. I can't move. Corelli's on top of me. It's hard to breathe." Mulder began coughing. "I'm coming Mulder. Hang on. Robinson's called for help. It should be here soon." Continuing to dig at the small boulders and limbs that she could move, Scully thought that help should be here by now. Where were they? "Talk to me Mulder. How's Corelli? Is he conscious?" "No. I think he took the brunt of the blast. He protected me with his body. Now he's unconscious on top of me, and we're trapped under some large tree. There are boulders around us, but the tree seems to be protecting us--uh, like a bridge, you know? We're under it, but part of the weight is on Corelli." "Has he got a pulse, Mulder? Is he alive." Mulder reached for Corelli's arm and located his wrist. It was slippery with blood but he could feel a faint pulse that at least indicated life. Hope was still there. "Scully, there's a pulse. It's weak, and I can feel blood from somewhere, but he is alive." "Agent Scully!" Scully turned to see Robinson hobbling up to her. He had gauze wrapped around his left forearm, a nasty looking gash to the forehead and a definite limp, but his eyes were less glazed than the last time she had talked to him. "Robinson, where the hell is that help?" she asked as he tentatively made his way down the side of the hill to join her. Jumping in with both arms he began lifting more debris and rock to the side. "They're coming. Bravo group should be here any minute. They were the closest, but Michler was going to get some emergency personnel up here. He's looking to bring them in by helicopter. Apparently, there's a clearing large enough to land about half a mile ahead." "If that blast had been any stronger, there could have been a clearing right here," came a tired voice from below them. "Hey Corelli, is that you." "Yeah, apparently I've been taking a little nap. Nothing against Mulder here, but I'd really like to get this show on the road." Mulder grimaced and responded, "Corelli, I can assure you when I think of getting up close and personal, you're not the one I'm thinking about." As Scully listened to the interchange between the other three agents, she squirmed her body into one of crevices. Taking her flashlight and shining it beneath her, she thought that she could make out the blue color of an FBI jacket. She wriggled her body even farther down, taking notice of how tight the area was becoming even for her small frame. "Hey, I see light," Mulder said to Corelli. "It's me, guys, I think I can just about reach you," Scully informed them. "Mulder reach your left hand forward, directly in front of you." She saw him wince as he slowly brought his arm forward. He was lying on his stomach with his head turned to the left. She could see streaks of blood marring his cheek. However, other than his head and arms she couldn't see much more of his body. Corelli was draped over the top of her partner, his head lying on Mulder's upper back. Corelli's face was turned in the opposite direction. Panning the flashlight through their little bubble of space, she could see that a very large tree trunk was lying across Corelli's back. Between that and the various rocks and mounds of dirt, they were pinned underneath and there was no way she would be able to pull them out herself. She could see why Mulder was having trouble breathing, between the weight of Corelli and the tree, he had to feel trapped as though he was in a vice. Scully stretched her arm as far as she could. She felt Mulder's fingers brush hers as he blindly moved his arm out. Giving herself an extra push she was able to grasp a hold of his left hand. She needed that touch. She had to feel him. For all their reticence about romantic intimacy, they were always very tactilely aware of each other. For her own peace of mind, she had to get her hands on him. "Hey partner," he whispered as he felt her clasp on to his fingers. "Remind me that next time you have to use the ladies room, I think I'll come along. Now I know why women always go in pairs. It keeps 'em out of trouble." Scully tightened her grip, putting all the depths of her emotions in that grasp of welcome. Mulder slowly loosened her hold, and placed his hand gently on top of hers. Caressing her fingers as he enclosed her small hand with his, he said, "I'm alright, Scully. I'm alright." Hating to let go, but knowing that had to be enough to emotionally hold her, Scully released Mulder's hand. She swung the flashlight beam in his direction and fell right back into doctor mode. Forgiving herself that one small distraction, she went immediately into a barrage of questions. "Corelli, you still with us?" "Yeah, right, like where would I go?" he grumbled. "Ok, I need to know as much as you can about the extent of your injuries. I can obviously see the most major cause of distress." Scully looked up at the tree trunk. "Well, I think my right arm's cut pretty good. but nothing life threatening there. My ears are still kind of ringing but that's not as bad as it was. I, too, am having some trouble breathing and uh, I guess that's about as much as I can tell," Corelli said cataloging his injuries. "Corelli, what about movement? Can you move anything or are you pinned too tightly?" Corelli began flexing his arms, wiggling his fingers and shifting his head on Mulder's shoulder. "Hey watch it Corelli. Remember the guy on the lower bunk," Mulder groused as Corelli shifted his upper body. Finishing his inventory Corelli replied, "I think I can move everything except my legs. They seem to be pinned good. In fact they don't really hurt too much. I think I'm becoming numb to the pain." Scully swept the flashlight once again down Corelli's body. The tree was not only securing his legs but was firmly in place on his lower back. Dr. Scully knew that Corelli was not becoming numb to the pain, but that he had in all probability broken his back. Feeling the cold grip of fear in her stomach, Scully asked Mulder to run through his list of injuries as well. Momentarily grasping her hand again and giving it a squeeze, Mulder assessed his own damage. "Well, I think I've clobbered my head, probably a slight concussion but I don't remember losing consciousness. My breathing's difficult because of leadbutt Corelli up there, and I think that even my eyebrows hurt. I can wiggle my toes and flex my legs, but my left leg hurts. It feels like something's jamming into it from beneath me. All in all, I feel like crap," he finished. "Ok, I'm going to finagle my way back up top, and see if that rescue crew's arrive. Just hang on, I'll be back soon." Scully began backing out the way she had come. "Wait, Agent Scully, how's Robinson?" "From what I could tell, he's got some minor cuts and abrasions and a gash on his left forearm, but other than that he's doesn't appear to be any worse for wear. He said you pushed him out of the way. You probably saved his life, and Mulder's too from the look of things." "I didn't do anything. I just reacted. Corelli appeared uncomfortable with the praise. "Either one of them would have done it. I just happened to see the guy..." "Guy, what guy?" Mulder and Scully asked in unison. Mentally kicking himself since that was the only kicking he could do at the moment, Corelli answered, "It was Rudolph; I saw him in the instant just before the blast. He was bending down messing with something by the trail. We barely caught eyes before all Hell broke loose. I remember the look of surprise on his face. I don't think he expected us yet." "I can't believe I forgot that. I must have jostled some brain matter when the blast occurred," Corelli apologized. "Hey Corelli," Mulder admonished. "Don't take it so hard. You know what they say: it's hard to remember the objective was to drain the swamp when you're ass deep in alligators." "And, Scully," "Yes, Mulder." "I'm making that face." "Which one? The annoying one you've had every time you tell me another cliche?" "No, the panic one. Scully, I really am starting to have trouble breathing," Mulder wheezed. "Hold on! I'm outta here," Scully said, backing out as quickly as she could. Xxxxxxxxx 8:00pm Agent Scully accepted another cup of hot coffee. She'd lost track of how many she had downed in the last few hours. The woods were ablaze with lanterns and flashlights. The sounds of nature had been replaced by buzz saws and crowbars. Everybody was focused, had a job to do, and she was fuming. She'd been pushed to the sidelines as soon as the rescue crew had arrived. They'd gotten oxygen masks down to the two men, and she was getting periodic updates on their condition, but it was not the same thing as being there. Logically she understood. They didn't need another casualty as they moved timber and rock, but it was small consolation to her churning stomach as she sat twiddling her thumbs on the sidelines. She had already bandaged Robinson and informed the SAC about Rudolph, but she was tired of the wait. Even the news that one of the rescue team's dogs had found Rudolph's body didn't make up for the fact that her partner was down in that precarious shelter, and that chances were that Corelli would not be able to walk again. Pacing back and forth while zipping up her jacket against the cooling temperatures, Scully studiously watched the rescuers. She had been told it would only be a few more minutes till Corelli and Mulder were lifted out. She had already informed the EMT'S that she was a doctor, and that she would be a participant in the next phase of the operation. Ok, technically she was a pathologist. but what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them. She smiled as she thought of that cliche. She didn't care if Mulder regaled her with dozens more. She just wanted him out of that hole. Enough was enough already. She had endured the endless questions about what had happened, the solicitous comments about her partner's physical well-being, and the surreptious glances from some as they tried to figure out what her relationship with Mulder was. Frankly she just didn't care anymore. "Agent Scully!" Scully took off running toward the shout. She saw the guerney being pulled up from the hole. Corelli was stabilized on a backboard, bruised and bloody, but turning his head and looking for her. "Agent Scully," Corelli said. "I'm here." She grasped the hand he held out to her. "Dana, don't let him eat himself up over this. I know he's going to. I could already tell when he realized that I can't move my legs." Corelli continued, "I don't blame him about any of this. I know who the culprit is here, and at least I have the satisfaction of knowing that I'm the last one he'll ever hurt. And I won't be one of Rudolph's victims. I'll make it through this. I've got too much to live for. And so do you and Mulder." Scully squeezed Corelli's hand. "It's complicated. He's my partner." "Right, and there's the FBI, and issues, and globabl conspiracies, and 'what if it didn't work out?', and any number of other excuses I've already heard from him. I'm sure that you could also come up with them if I gave you half a chance," Corelli admonished as she tried to speak. "It's time to take a chance, Agent Scully. The biggest x-file you two may ever explore is the one that exists within your hearts." Corelli chuckled as they carried him away, "And in case you're wondering. I just gave Agent Mulder the same advice. The question is, how much more time are you going to waste?" "Scully!" Agent Scully turned and saw Mulder climbing out of the pit. He was supported on both sides, but he was walking under his own power. On his head was a large bandage, his jeans were slit from knee to ankle, and she could see a large dressing just below his left knee. He looked awful but then his face broke into the biggest, most beautiful smile. She could almost imagine that it lit up the darkness around them. Mulder turned and said something quietly to one of his rescuers. They released his arms, walking away just as she approached. She stood for a moment looking at him, basking in his love, and then resolutely walked toward him. He enfolded her in his arms, pulling her in as tightly as he could without hurting his sore ribs. She embraced him around his waist and lay her head on his filthy chest. She could hear his strong heartbeat and marvelled again at how they had once more cheated death. In fear of tempting fate by dwelling with those thoughts too long, Scully stepped back a little, and looked up into Mulder's exhausted face. "So partner, what took you so long?" she asked. Reaching to her, he took the back of his hand, delicately tracing her face from her cheek to her lips. He stroked their trembling outline as he searched her face for even the merest hint that this was what she wanted. Down in that ravine it was obvious that Mulder had come to a decision, but like everything else about them, this too would require partnership. She watched him hesitate, searching her face for some small clue that this would not be some terrible mistake on his part. Agents were milling around them. It was sure that they were being observed, but they were both past caring. Mulder's life was one gigantic fishbowl. As long as people wanted to keep tabs on them, privacy was only an illusion. They were never truly alone. Neither was naive enough to think that their private lives were t heirs and theirs alone. She knew he wasn't sure that she was in the same frame of mind. Just as he was about to drop his hand, Scully reached up and clasped her hand on top of it. Mimicking his movements from earlier in the ravine, she caressed his fingers. She met his eyes, and almost imperceptably nodded her head forward. She was tired of the games, tired of having a life that seemed to vascillate with the whims of others. This time was theirs. and she didn't care if the whole world was watching. In fact she thought, as his head began to descend towards hers, she hoped they were. She hoped that before the night was over that the phone lines would light up with the news. After all this was only a culmination, not even really a beginning. They'd loved each other for so many years that this kiss was just the exclamation point on their partnership. Probably not the most sane thing she had ever done, kissing her partner in full view of dozens of agents, but the moment their lips met, all reason fled. All Scully could comprehend was the passion with which Mulder was kissing her back. She was a woman unleashed, and all of it was directed at him. Not that Mulder was complaining, but he gradually seemed to become aware that more than voyeuristic spectating was going on around them. Pulling back slightly, and breathing against her lips, Mulder whispered, "Scully, I think we're a hit." Opening her eyes and gradually coming back within the reality of time, Agent Scully heard the beginning of clapping. She dropped down from her toes, unlacing her arms from around Mulder's neck, and turned within his arms to face the growing tumult of merriment. My God, they were getting a standing ovation. You would have thought they had just won an Oscar with the overt display of emotion that was surrounding them. "Mulder, I really think that we need to take this party somewhere else," Scully laughed. "I concur, Agent Scully. It's becoming much too crowded around here." Xxxxxxxxx 9:00am (the next morning) Agent Scully placed her suitcase in the trunk of their rented car. She pushed the lid down sharply, and turned looking for her wandering partner. She spotted him nearby, standing at the edge of the hotel parking lot, with his back leaned up against a large oak tree. The pose was reminiscent of yesterday, just before he had found the first "Bobby loves Erica" heart. Heading towards him, she pondered all that had happened since then, almost more than she could wrap her brain around this morning after a night with so little sleep. At least Corelli was recuperating, the visciousness of Rudolph's crime would leave a good man paralyzed. but she knew deep in her heart that Corelli would not let it keep him down. He had too much to give the world. Mulder smiled, catching Scully's eye as she approached. From the grin on his face, it was obvious that he was up to something. She had seen him slip something into his pocket, and she knew that look. Reaching up to kiss him, Scully tried to distract him as she reached her hand into his front pocket. "Uh, Scully, don't you think we should take this inside," he chuckled as he nibbled his way down her neck. Triumphantly pulling a pocket knife from his jean's pocket, Scully broke their embrace. Gently pushing him away from the tree, she bent to examine the small heart that he had engraved. Inside it were the words Mulder loves Scully. "So, Scully, who says it's got to be a Hallmark?" Mulder came behind her and circling her waist with his arms. Scully just laughed as she turned into him. "Mulder, we've become a cliche!" FIN ~dlynn, Nov. 1999