I hope you enjoy this. I would really appreciate feedback. You can e- mail me at YRLD43A@PRODIGY.COM Thanks to everyone who e-mailed me encouragement. Note: A few have asked for a sequel to The Cavendish Door III. Thanks for all the kind responses, hope this is what you're looking for. Thanks to Bronwyn for her persistence. I do give permission for it to be put on atxc. Spoilers: None Rating: Strong R for sexual content. Classification : F,C,X,T,S, MSR Summary: Mulder can't leave the 'door' alone and crosses to Jake's world. Meanwhile, Scully battles a deadly virus in her own world, needing Mulder to bring the antiserum. Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the television program "The X-Files" are the creations and property of Chris Carter, Fox Broadcasting, and Ten Thirteen Productions, and have been used without permission. No copyright infringements are intended. This work is not to be forwarded or distributed to any newsgroup, FTP, or WWW site without the permission of the author. ******************** The Cavendish Door IV 1/5 By Patty Hayes YRLD43A@prodigy.com February 16, 1997 ******************** Four Months Ago It was cold and raining as Jake fell to his knees. The crossing hadn't been as easy this time. The door didn't open for him to just walk through, this time it jerked him back. Stella whined and licked Jake's face as if to assure herself he was all right. He sat flat and looked around, breathing heavily, seeing his own breath in the air as he expelled it. He had landed back at the spot in which he'd left. An old part of Seattle, empty red brick buildings with broken windows and deserted streets. The headache growing stronger each time he opened his eyes. Stella whined periodically, her master not responding. He sat for a long time, trying not to think of anything, trying to breath deeply, trying to alleviate the pounding in his head. Finally Jake reached out for Stella and ran his hand over her head. "It's all right, girl. We're home, I think. Let's get out of here." He stood slowly and after a few seconds he realized his footing was strong, so they began walking. He rounded the corner and the street was familiar to him. Two cardboard boxes covering the homeless from the cold and rain on his right, eyes peeking out from beyond watched him pass by. It took him and Stella another two hours to get home, dusk settling quickly around them. As he stood at the front door of his loft, he suddenly wondered if it was still his loft. He'd been gone for over six months, no one had known where he'd been. What if they had declared him dead and closed his business, packed up his belongings? For a moment, he didn't want to open the door. He feared it. Jake put the key in the lock and breathed a sigh of relief when it turned. He opened the door and went in. Nothing had changed, the loft looked just as it had when he left. Stella trotted in after him and went from room to room, no one else was there. The fruit in the bowl on the counter was bad and smelled and the bread was moldy, but he thought it funny that it wasn't as bad as he'd thought. The message light on his answering machine was blinking and he pressed the flashing red light. His secretary, Joan, had called, wondering where he was. John, the foreman on his last job needed a bid. A couple of calls from a friend. But that was all. No one seemed overly concerned and it saddened him a bit. He jumped as the ringing of the phone startled him. "Yeah." He answered. "Jake? Is that you?" A woman's voice. "Yeah, Joan, how's it going?" How was he going to explain where he's been? "Everything's fine, Jake. I sure hope you enjoyed your little vacation, you've got so much work stacked up, it's going to take you another three weeks just to get caught up." "Three weeks?" He was puzzled, he'd been gone for more than six months. "I wish you'd at least let me know when you go on these little jaunts, Jake. I can hold everyone off if you'd let me in on things." "Yeah, I'm sorry, Joan. It was the spur of the moment thing, you know?" How long was he gone, anyway? "Joan, when was I last in the office?" "Jake, are you all right?" She waited for a positive response before continuing. "It was a little over three weeks ago. You left on Thursday, called in on Friday, said you wanted a little time off and I haven't heard from you since. Where'd you go anyway?" "Look, Joan, I'll tell you about it someday. I'm still on vacation, if anyone's looking for me. I'll be in the office next week, you think you can hold them off for a few more days?" She was the best secretary he'd ever had. "Sure, Jake. Say hello to Stella for me and I'll see you next week." Jake placed the receiver down and looked down at Stella. "Joan says hi, girl." He knelt down and scratched behind her ears. "Three weeks, Stella, we were only gone three weeks." ***** Present Day Mulder sat at his desk and frowned over the file lying under his nose. It'd been several months since Jake vanished in a brilliant flash of light and it still bewildered Mulder. He needed to know what had happened. Too many people had vanished and never returned, save one. Scully. What was beyond this Cavendish Door? Where was this other world? Mulder had to find out, it was his nature. Anything beyond the normal realm of day to day life was his for the taking. He yearned for it. He'd been passe about this for fear of loosing Scully to it. She almost hadn't made it back. What did the second incantation mean, anyway? Could it be that Jake could never again cross to this world, or could he never make it back home and was now in some suspended universe. A state of being between here and there. Or could it mean Scully could never go back, having been there once. He read the two passages again. "End of thy time nears Thy paths forsaken As thy wish, thy want Thy shall begin again." "Choose thy path carefully Evil is at hand Thy door opens once To begin again Thy door opens twice To begin no more" Mulder knew he should let it go, but he couldn't. He had to find out. There were at least two 'doorways' that they knew of. Both in Dott, PA. One at the brownstone and the second in the field between Dott and Harrisburg. How many more were there? Mulder looked at his watch, 8:15, Scully should be in at any moment now. He placed the papers back in the folder and slipped it into the manila envelope. He would investigate later. As if on cue Scully walked into the office. "Morning, Mulder." She greeted him professionally. Their relationship was as strong as ever, but at the office they agreed to remain as professional as they had been before. "What are you up to?" She noticed the guilty look on his face. She could read him like a book. Mulder blushed slightly and tried to cover it up. "Nothing, Scully, I'm just glad to see you, that's all. " He said as he walked over to her and stole a kiss on the cheek. "Ok, now I know you're hiding something. Give it up, what is it?" She demanded. "You've been around me too long, Scully, you're getting paranoid." He grinned at her. Scully hesitated, watching him carefully. Maybe it was just her imagination. "You do remember I'm teaching a special class at Quantico this week, don't you?" He remembered, in fact he was counting on it. It would give him some free time to look into other things. He didn't want to deceive her, he just didn't want to worry her. Or make her mad. "Yeah, I remember." Mulder turned on his best puppy dog look. "I'm going to miss you." He pouted. She smiled. It was good that he'd miss her. "I'll be back on Friday, it's only three days." Scully was packing a few files into her briefcase. "I've left some things in the freezer if you get hungry and don't want to cook." She stopped and looked at him. "You can stay at my place if you want." She said hopefully, she wanted him there, she wanted to know he was near even if she wasn't there. Scully smiled. Mulder stared into her eyes for a moment, then walked to the door and turned the lock. As he turned back to her, he had a mischievous grin on his face and slowly came to her. "Mulder, we're at work now." She warned him as he put his arms around her. "Work is taking you away for three whole days. I'm just stealing a couple of minutes." He pulled her to him and lowered his head to kiss her. She tilted her head up but he pulled away slightly, the corner of his mouth turning up just a bit, knowing she wanted it. "Quit teasing me, Mulder, or you're going to be standing here alone." He knew that was right and leaned down and kissed her. ***** Mulder did stay at Scully's that night. And he did miss her. He could smell her fragrance on the bedding as he had laid staring at the ceiling. She would be so mad if she knew where he was headed. He was on his way to Dott to see if he could talk Elsa out of that book one more time. He felt a little guilty but rationed that it was for her own good. Once again he was about to ditch her. He borrowed the book and took it to the local library where he could copy some of the pages. He spent more than four hours reading the journal. There were more than the two 'incantations'. He noticed another one in particular. "Thy time is not mine Nor are thy laws of nature We have come from afar Only to further venture" His memory went back to the Kindred and he made the correlation's. The Amish appearance, 'Thy time is not mine'. The rituals of changing sex, 'Nor are thy laws of nature'. The circles in the crop fields, 'We have come from afar'. Their sudden disappearance, 'Only to further venture'. Were they involved in this 'door'? Jake certainly didn't say anything had appeared different from when he left. Of course he was only ten at the time. How much did a ten year old boy know about the world anyway. He was surprised at how he could have missed these passages. He was usually so thorough. Were they even here when he first looked? He began to wonder. He left the library and took the book back to Elsa. She led him to the room that held all the books. He stayed for a little while and rummaged through them. "What are you looking for, young man?" Elsa was so quiet coming into the room, he jumped at the sound of her voice. "Just a little more information about the Cavendish family, Elsa. I appreciate your letting me go through the records." He gave her one of his best smiles. Her bright blue eyes lit up. "Ah, yes, the Cavendish Clan. That's what you were after before, with your friends." He smiled and nodded again. "Where are your friends now, Mr. Mulder?" "They have other things to do. This is just an interest of mine." He answered, head down in another book. There was a long pause of silence as Elsa contemplated her next statement. "Thinking of crossing, are we?" She asked slowly and deliberately. Mulder looked up sharply. "Excuse me?" "I believe you heard me, Mr. Mulder. Be warned, it is very dangerous at this time." She said coyly. "What do you mean, Elsa? What do you know about it?" She knew, she was one. "Who are you?" "I'm an old woman, Mr. Mulder. Just a tired old woman who's seen a lot of life." She suddenly looked tired. Her bright eyes dimming. "What have you seen?" He wasn't letting her go just yet. Mulder stood and began to pace. "I've seen 'them', coming and going. The ones you seek." She was being very cryptic. "They don't age as quickly, oh, the ones they take age as we do, but the originals ...... " Elsa's voice tapered off, she was shaking her head and her eyes seemed to glaze over. "How many do they take?" Mulder asked. She looked up at him, debating whether to continue or not. "I don't really know, a few a year. I don't know why and I don't know how they pick them. I don't even know where else in the world they come into. I suppose they take our people to help populate their world." He saw tears forming in the old woman's eyes. "Who are the originals? Where did they come from?" "I can only guess, as you can. They come from 'afar'." She smiled. "Take that any way you want." Again, she looked off to the distance, her mind wandering. "Elsa, what did you mean, they don't age as we do?" He sat down, close to her, trying to keep her mind in the here and now. "They stay young, they look the same, they don't get old." She sighed. "I envy them, yet pity them at the same time." "Why is it dangerous now?" Her eyes darted to and away from him. "I can feel it. Something new is happening, I can't explain it. It's in the air, Mr. Mulder, I've seen it once before, during the war. There's always death and destruction surrounding it." Mulder ran his hand through his hair. "How long have they been here? " Elsa looked up into his eyes, fear shining though. "Mr. Mulder, 'they've' been here for a long, long time." He'd heard that before. ***** Four Months Ago "What do you plan to do, Nathan?" Thomas Anderson waited for his boss to respond. Nathan Lewis stared out the window of the high rise, arms folded across his chest. Nathan was a tall man, about forty five, dark eyes and dark hair to match his dark disposition. "If Mulder crosses, we have to destroy him." "Do you think that's wise, Nathan?" Nathan turned sharply. "Are you questioning my decisions, Thomas?" His voice deep and menacing. He was rather ominous in his dark, crisp business suit. Thomas knew it was a stupid thing to say. "No, no, Nathan, not at all. What ever you say, it's fine. We'll do it." "I want the other one, too. He's served his purpose. I'm getting tired of dealing with this problem." Nathan sat behind the huge desk, the window to his back. "Things are getting out of hand. Too many are aware of the doors, we have to close them for a while. Limit the access to only those necessary." "Yes, Nathan." That's all Thomas was, a yes man. He was there to do what Nathan told him to. "I'll see to it." "Do we have Casey in place?" "Yes, she'll be meeting him today." Thomas didn't like this plan, but there was nothing he could do about it. Yet. "Good." Nathan dismissed him with a wave of his hand. ***** Jake slept till noon the next day. He didn't realize he'd been so tired. Stella must have been, too, for she didn't attempt to awaken him at all. As he fixed himself something to eat, he wondered how he'd spent his life just living. Why didn't he notice anything odd about this place? Why didn't his adoptive parents tell him anything? What about Alex, where had she come from? It was mid afternoon before he left the house, Stella close on his heels. He wasn't sure where to start. The library was his first stop. He wanted to check out the history of the local area. Normally dogs are not allowed, but one smile from Jake and the librarian looked away and allowed Stella in. She was good dog, a good friend to Jake. Within two hours, Jake had a dozen books open and lying in front of him. But he wasn't sure what to look for, he'd know it when he found it. Something caught the corner of his eye and forced him to look up from his studies. A woman had entered the library. A small petite woman with fiery red hair cut just above shoulder length. She was the image of Dana Scully. He stared, mouth agape, his mind reeling. She was walking toward him. "Hi." She smiled demurely as she walked passed him. He was dumbfounded, this was obviously not Dana, but it was too close for comfort. He nodded as his eyes followed her. She glanced back at him once, a little blush crept over her face as he continued to stare. She stopped and slowly turned, then walked back to Jake. "Is there something I can do for you?" She smiled mischievously. Jake stood and turned a shade of red he'd never been before. "I'm sorry, it's just.., well, you look like someone I know." He'd never been speechless before either. Stella stood next to Jake and a low grumble came from her. Something wasn't right. The woman hesitated, staring at Stella. Jake reprimanded Stella. "Hey girl, it's all right." He patted her and said to the woman, "I'm sorry, she's not usually like this." The woman smiled, then pulled out the chair across from Jake and sat down. "My name is Casey. Casey Parker." "Hi, Casey. I'm sorry for being such an ass, staring and all." Jake felt a strong attraction to this woman. Was it just because she looked like Dana? "I'm Jake Saunders." "You're forgiven .... Jake." Her smile captivated him. "Are you finding what you're looking for?" She motioned to the stacks of open books. "Well, not really. What I need is an historian." He couldn't look away from those deep blue eyes and full red lips. "You're in luck, I have a degree in history and I grew up here. What are you looking for?" She began flipping through one of the books. Jake's sixth sense kicked in and he suddenly became wary. Did he want to trust this woman? God, he was more like Mulder than he cared to be. "Nothing really, just a little history about the founding fathers. I'm an architect and thought about a dedication for my current project." "Yes, you do wonderful things." She looked up at him and smiled. "So you've heard of my work?" Jake's work was well known but he stayed pretty much out of the lime light. "Yes, aside from being a history major, I'm a fan of great architecture." Jake smiled, still a little unsure of this woman. But she seemed to be able to hold his attention, he was still unable to look away. "Would you like to get a cup of coffee? Maybe I can help you with what you're looking for." She was seductive in her mannerisms. As unsure as he was, Jake couldn't refuse her. He seemed to be under some sort of spell. He knew something was wrong, but he couldn't turn her down. It was as if she was the puppeteer pulling all the strings and he could only follow. "Perhaps we could spend the day together." Her smile was almost evil, yet he suddenly wanted to cover that mouth with his own. ***** End of Part 1 From YRLD43A@prodigy.com Tue Feb 18 00:37:49 1997 I hope you enjoy this. I would really appreciate feedback. You can e- mail me at YRLD43A@PRODIGY.COM Thanks to everyone who e-mailed me encouragement. Note: A few have asked for a sequel to The Cavendish Door III. Thanks for all the kind responses, hope this is what you're looking for. Thanks to Bronwyn for her persistence. I do give permission for it to be put on atxc. Spoilers: None Rating: Strong R for sexual content. Classification : F,C,X,T,S, MSR Summary: Mulder can't leave the 'door' alone and crosses to Jake's world. Meanwhile, Scully battles a deadly virus in her own world, needing Mulder to bring the antiserum. Disclaimer: See Part 1. ******************** The Cavendish Door IV 2/5 By Patty Hayes YRLD43A@prodigy.com February 16, 1997 ******************** Present Day Jake stood in the bedroom, watching Casey turn down the bed. How the hell did he end up here? He'd only met this woman a few months ago. Did he really know her? Oh, he knew the body, the hair, the eyes, the mouth. They were Dana Scully. But this woman was not Dana Scully. Even with that knowledge, he couldn't refuse her. They had spent a lot of time together, it was as if he were with Dana again. But something wasn't right, Jake didn't like it, the strings were being pulled. Casey walked over to him and put her hands against his chest. It was as if he was watching from outside his body. His breath quickened, his body reacted even though his mind resisted. "Jake." She whispered. His eyes looked down upon her face, she was standing so close, running her hands over his chest, his arms. He couldn't resist any longer, he was being pulled to her. Jake lowered his head bringing his mouth to hers. Their kiss was strong and passionate. They were suddenly frenzied, tearing at each others clothes. His mouth still against hers, he pushed her to the bed and they fell together. Her mind was reeling, she was on assignment, but she was so attracted to this man. Had been for a long time. It took a lot of control to be with him for so long without being able to do this. She didn't mind this assignment at all. It took her two years of studying Dana Scully's mannerisms to get it down right. It was finally paying off. She smiled to herself at her ability to manipulate his mind, his body, his will. She'd had this ability for many years and it still amazed her. Suddenly, he felt in control of his actions, but he didn't want to stop what he was doing. He wanted her. She looked like Dana, she even smelled like Dana. He buried his reasoning deep down inside and let his emotions take over. Jake hovered over her, tenderly touching her shoulders and let his fingers tickle her arms. He felt her shiver and tremble beneath him. It excited him. She didn't release total control, but wondered if he really wanted her. She would never know with total control of his mind, she had to know that he would go willingly, but couldn't take the chance right now. She let go little by little and was pleasantly surprised to find him responding on his own. Casey started at the sudden movement from him. His forcefulness frightened her and excited her at the same time. He went from urgent to gentle in a brief moment. She sighed as his fingertips caressed her. He held her arms above her head and brought his mouth to hers, rubbing his body against hers. She arched upward and moaned. Jake released her hands and nibbled her neck before moving down. He teased her with his mouth, her body writhed beneath him. She urged him on with both her body and her powers, she wanted him. Their lovemaking took another turn for urgency and it was over almost as quickly as it began. Casey had to fight to retain control, he had left her breathless. She skirted out from under him and lay on her back. Watching him as he lay with his eyes closed, she reached out to him. His eyes were a bit glazed when he opened them to see her staring at him. A brief thought went through his mind. 'What am I doing?' Jake felt the feathery touch of her fingertips running down his back and arm. He shivered. The passion returned, he couldn't control himself, why was he doing this? This time he didn't feel the desperation, the need, so strongly. This time he moved slowly. He reached up and kissed her mouth, slow and hungry. His hand moving over her stomach, her breast. Jake felt himself moving but it didn't feel real, it was like a dream. His mouth moved away from hers as he began kissing her neck and moved lower. As he took her nipple in his mouth, he gently sucked, causing Casey to arch her back and moan loudly. He felt her tremble beneath him. It excited him to have this kind of power over a woman. She called to him. "Jake, I want you." Her hands working their magic over him. He moved above her and kissed her again as they merged. When Jake awoke he was alone in his bed. He groaned and rubbed his face. Stella came to the side of the bed and whined, licking her masters face. "What the hell happened?" Jake said aloud. He walked around in a daze, wondering where Casey was. It was close to dusk, he took Stella for a walk, he didn't remember when she'd been out last. Jake stopped by his favorite Chinese restaurant for take out as they headed back home. He felt his head would split in two as they worked their way back to his loft. Three aspirins taken with dinner might do the trick. ***** Mulder stood in the middle of the field and looked around. He was in the right spot, he remembered the landmarks surrounding it. The trees, the hills, they were all familiar. He wanted to go, he felt he had to go. What was stopping him? The possibility of not returning. Scully was all he had, he was curious, he needed to find out, but at what cost? The phrase would not come. As he looked around, he noticed the clouds forming overhead, the wind was picking up. It hadn't looked like a storm was coming earlier. Was he going to be dragged in like Jake was? No, Jake had spoken the passage. He took a deep breath and decided not to speak. It would have to be another day. Mulder turned toward the car and in the blink of an eye, it disappeared. He flinched at the bright light that flashed and swept over him. If anyone had been watching, they would've seen what might have been pain on Mulder's face. The next thing he knew, he was awakening in an alleyway of a deserted street, more than a million mil s from home. ***** "Damn it! Who brought him?" Nathan was furious. How the hell did he get here? He knew Mulder made the conscious decision not to come. Someone brought him anyway. "I want to know who's responsible!" Thomas didn't like it. Nathan was extremely unpredictable when he was angry. "Sir, I'll find out. We'll take care of the problem." "Do it! I don't want anymore trouble." Nathan turned away. "And close all the doors, no one comes or goes!" Casey smiled as she waited for Nathan in the outer office. She had always been afraid of Nathan, maybe by bringing Mulder here she could finally get away from this place. She wanted to go home. She hadn't intended to use Jake, she actually loved him. But her desire to leave this place was stronger than anything else. When the intercom rang, she became suddenly afraid again. Casey stood in front of Nathan's desk. She was standing firm even though her nerves were on edge. Nathan could kill her if he so chose. "Nathan." She couldn't control him. When she first arrived here as a child, they'd performed their experiments. Her mind became more useful, she developed powers. But as a child, she had been unaware that not everyone had these powers. Nathan had taught her how to use them, how to control them. He raised his hand, it meant silence. His silences could break down even the strongest of people. He sat back in his chair and looked Casey over. "You let me down, Casey. We put a lot of time into you. You said you could handle the job. We needed Saunders dead." His voice was too smooth. That had been her assignment and for the past few months, Nathan had been patient. He wanted to find out what Jake knew. Now it had been time to dispose of him, only she couldn't do it. "Nathan, it's not ...." The hand went up again and she bit her tongue. He pressed a button on his phone and Thomas came into the room. Nathan motioned to the two chairs and both Casey and Thomas sat down. Nathan stood and walked to the front of the desk and sat on the edge. His eyes went from Thomas to Casey and back. With a nod of his head, Thomas began speaking. "I've closed all the accesses, no one can get through. I've had a few complaints from the other side, but none of an urgent nature. The damage has been controlled." He looked to Casey. "We just have to take care of Saunders and Mulder, it's a workable situation." Nathan nodded, still processing the situation in his mind. "When our people opened these doors to travel to other worlds, they didn't intend on them being swinging doors and they certainly didn't intend them being used in the manner in which we use them. They have been kept hidden from the other worlds for thousands of years. They've brought us a hell of a lot of money and power. I don't intend for that to stop. This is not going to be spoiled by a couple of nosy paranoids." He began to pace, running his hand across his chin. "I knew we took a big chance when we brought Mulder's partner here. We took care of a few things for their government but they've gotten too cocky. I think we need to put them in their place, too." "Sir, if I might suggest." Thomas waited for the nod. "Maybe we can send something there way they can't control. We have a few experimental biological agents to be used in warfare, perhaps a small town as ground zero. We can contain it, issue the antiserum at the right time." "I like it." Nathan was nodding. He took his seat and looked at Casey. "I want you to deliver it." Casey had to fight from reacting. The assignment seemed simple enough, but Nathan would find a way to kill her. She had to take the first opportunity to get out. She gave a slight nod. Nathan waved his hand, that was her cue to exit. If she wasn't watched too closely she might be able work something out. She could kill Saunders and Mulder if she chose to, but somehow she knew she'd need them eventually. Now was the time. When the door closed, Thomas turned back to Nathan. "You want me to handle her?" "Yes, get it ready, I want it to go tomorrow morning." Nathan smiled. "And Thomas?" Thomas looked up again. "She'll be patient zero." ***** The sun had just gone down and Mulder had no idea where he was. His cell phone didn't work and the surroundings were unfamiliar. He began to have his suspicions. Mulder had walked a number of blocks before deciding he couldn't just keep walking. He spotted a phone booth at the corner and raced to it. The phone book was hanging from a chain and he tossed the book onto the small platform beneath the old style rotary pay phone. He found two listings, one for Saunders Architecture and another for Jake Saunders. There were plenty of Saunders, but only one Jake, he took the chance it was the same. Mulder picked up the receiver and began dialing. The corner was well lit and he was no longer in the deserted alleyway, there were a number of people passing him by. One in particular caught his eye. A petite red head. Small in stature, hair, a copper red, hung shoulder length. She wore a maroon business suit with a white blouse and sensible shoes. 'Scully?!' He replaced the receiver and ran after her. "Scully!" He called as he ran to catch up to her. Mulder grabbed her arm. "Scully?" "Excuse me?" The red head turned, trying to pull away from the tall man who had grabbed her. "I .... I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else." Mulder was out of breath and let go the woman's arm as he started walking back to the phone booth. He could have sworn that was Scully. But why would she be here? She was at Quantico. Wasn't she? Mulder tore the page from the phone book and tried dialing the number. He hung up when the answering machine picked up. Not really knowing where to go, he began walking. A diner sat a block away and he made his way to that. A cup of hot coffee would taste good right now. He went in a sat in a booth near the front window. The waitress was smiling as she brought a coffee pot and mug to him. "Jake! I haven't seen you in a while. What have you been up to?" This might be easier than he thought. "I'm afraid you have me confused with someone else. But actually I'm looking for a Jake Saunders, you know him?" "Yes, it's amazing, the resemblance between you two." She poured the coffee as he pushed the mug forward. "I hope you understand, I can't just give out his address to anyone." She smiled. "I have his address, I just need directions, if you can help me." He smiled, knowing most women couldn't resist his charm. ***** Casey was waiting on Jake when he got home. Standing outside the gate, smiling, but Jake saw something in that smile. "Hi, what happened to you this afternoon?" "I had a few things to take care of, I hope you weren't too disappointed." Casey smiled again. "You weren't feeling too well, so I let you sleep. Are you doing ok now?" Jake nodded, still eyeing her curiously. He unlocked the gate and motioned her ahead. Stella followed, she'd gotten used to Casey. She no longer thought of the woman as a threat. Jake set up the dinner he had picked up and they shared the cashew chicken. Casey didn't say much, just small talk. He was mystified by the woman, how much she looked like Scully. He'd grown very fond of her, but still didn't know much about her at all. "Who are you, Casey? What are you doing here? What do you want with me?" Casey was strongly attracted to Jake, not to mention, he was her ticket out. She knew Nathan would kill her the first chance he got. He would also set out to kill Jake, she wanted to stop it. She had to tell him tonight. Why would he believe her? "Jake." Her voice was but a whisper. How could she tell him how much she loved him, how she was supposed to have killed him but couldn't do it? She walked over to him and stood very close. Her breathing quickened just by being next to him. She searched his eyes and leaned up to kiss him. He was swept away again. Jake took her in his arms and kissed her. ***** He walked several blocks and came upon what looked like a warehouse section, near the railways. Mulder heard the train nearby. As he neared the door, he saw a dark figure coming from the gate. He pulled his gun as the man spotted him and took off. He followed him for a block then lost him to the darkness. Mulder went back to the loft and cautiously entered. The gate was open and he went up the first flight of stairs to the elevator. It was a typical warehouse lift, an open freight style elevator. He stepped in, pulled down the outer door and pressed the button. It opened directly into the loft. Stella was waiting for him as he entered the main room. She nudged him and whined and trotted across the room as if she wanted him to follow her. Then he heard a noise from the other room. Mulder had his gun out and was ready. The front room was dark, he noticed the miniature city with tiny white lights scattered about in one corner. He had to cross a large open area that surrounded a basketball hoop, he looked around and followed the wall to the door of the bedroom. Stella was at the door, whining, scratching. Mulder hesitated, after all he really didn't know that Jake was in trouble. The man in the front might not have been inside at all. He slowly turned the knob and pushed, the door swung open. Mulder called out. "FBI! Hands in the air!" Mulder lowered his gun when he saw the two in bed. Jake and a small petite red head. Scully?!. 'Oh God!' His heart shattered like a bullet cutting through glass. He was dumbfounded, confused, angry, hurt. And mistaken. Mulder stared for a moment, his mouth agape. Then he turned and walked out of the room, not knowing how to take this. How the hell did she get here? When did she get here? He'd never get that picture out of his mind. Scully in bed with another man! He still had his gun in his hand as Jake came out of the bedroom. "What the hell are you doing? You shouldn't have come." He said to Mulder, pacing across the open floor. "How did you find me? I told you, you have no idea what you're dealing with. You just might not make it back, don't you understand that?" Jake wasn't as angry as he was concerned. "Yeah, well, I didn't exactly come of my own free will." Mulder replied, anger building inside him. "There was someone coming out of the gate, he ran when he saw me. I thought he'd broken in." He wasn't comfortable with Jake at all. In fact he wanted to do harm to this man, it was hard to keep his anger in check. "I want to talk to Scully." He said in a low menacing tone. Jake was frowning with a puzzled look on his face. Casey. "Mulder, that's not Dana." He turned to see Casey standing in the doorway. She was dressed in her jeans and his shirt, hanging to her knees. Her arms folded across her chest, her hair disheveled. Now was the moment of truth, it was time to tell them of the dangers. The two of them could get her home. Mulder did a double take. It was Scully. The hair, the eyes, the curve of her body, he'd had these things memorized. How could it not be her? He closed his eyes in an involuntary reaction to another flash of the scene of her and Jake, together. "Mulder, this Casey Parker." "Who are you?" Hybrid is the first thing that came to mind. A clone. What did they do? Jake didn't give her a chance to answer. "Why are you here, Mulder? What are looking for, why couldn't you just leave well enough alone? I've got enough to deal with without having to keep your butt out of the fire." Jake was mad. "I can take care of myself, Saunders." Mulder said sharply. Then he sighed. "I needed to know. I needed to know what this place was, where you went. I couldn't let it go." Jake nodded, he understood. "We need to get you back. Do you remember where you came in?" "I'm not going back just yet." "The hell you say! Damn it, Mulder, you're going to get us both killed!" "There are answers here, Saunders. Answers, I've been looking for my whole life. I'm not leaving until I find them." Mulder was yelling. Then he quieted and turned to Casey. "You know something, don't you? " "They'll be coming, we have to leave." Casey said. Jake turned sharply towards her in amazement. "Who, who's coming?" Mulder asked. "I have to get out now." Casey gathered her purse and keys. "I'll meet you back here in an hour. Maybe I can stop them." She ignored the pleading from the two men. Jake grabbed her as she stepped into the elevator. "Wait! Casey! What's going on?" "I have to stop them, Jake, they're going kill you and Mulder and me if I don't stop them." She pulled away. "I'll be back." They were silent as the elevator descended and she was gone. "Saunders, look...." "My name is Jake, I'm not you, Mulder. I have a first name, use it." Jake shouted, he was edgy. Stella ran up to him, worried about her master. "Who was she, Jake?" Before he had a chance to answer, a noise came from below. From the window, Jake saw two men in black exit a car and walk up to the gate. He motioned to Mulder to follow him. Stella was close behind as they headed for the corner of the room. Jake opened a tiny door in the very back, a staircase appeared in a dark stairwell. "I had this built in case the elevator quit working." He whispered to Mulder. The stairwell opened in the far corner of the loft behind the miniature city. The room had some light coming in from the windows, but was dark in this corner. They listened for movement, the two men quietly stepped off the elevator and seeing no one in the front room, headed for the rear of the loft. Mulder pulled his gun and stepped in front of Jake. They made their way to the open floor and crossed to the other side of the room. The two men came out of the bedroom talking, wondering where the hell their assignments were. Mulder stepped up and yelled. "Drop the weapons, hands in the air!" But that never really worked. One man raised his gun and fired, missing both Jake and Mulder, but hitting Mulder's gun, knocking it out of his hand. They jumped the two men, trying to wrestle the weapons away, each getting in solid hits. All four halted when a shot was fired across the room. The two men look a bit relieved when they saw Casey with a gun in each hand pointed at Mulder and Jake. They picked up their weapons and straightened themselves and spoke. "We had it under control. What are you doing here anyway?" They were pigs. More of Nathan's flunkies, his personal 'yes' men. It disgusted her. She looked from Mulder and Jake to the two flunkies, then as calm as they'd ever seen anyone, she turned the guns on the two thugs and fired. Silencers prevented any noise to escape as the two men dropped where they stood. In the blink of an eye, the guns were once more aimed at Mulder and Jake. ***** End of Part 2 From YRLD43A@prodigy.com Tue Feb 18 00:41:14 1997 I hope you enjoy this. I would really appreciate feedback. You can e- mail me at YRLD43A@PRODIGY.COM Thanks to everyone who e-mailed me encouragement. Note: A few have asked for a sequel to The Cavendish Door III. Thanks for all the kind responses, hope this is what you're looking for. Thanks to Bronwyn for her persistence. I do give permission for it to be put on atxc. Spoilers: None Rating: Strong R for sexual content. Classification : F,C,X,T,S, MSR Summary: Mulder can't leave the 'door' alone and crosses to Jake's world. Meanwhile, Scully battles a deadly virus in her own world, needing Mulder to bring the antiserum. Disclaimer: See Part 1. ******************** The Cavendish Door IV 3/5 By Patty Hayes YRLD43A@prodigy.com February 16, 1997 ******************** Scully left Friday morning for home. Her lecture had gone well, she actually finished ahead of schedule. She was anxious to get back to Mulder. She hadn't heard from him at all and kept getting the machines at their homes and office when she tried reaching him. The apartment was empty, in fact is was alarmingly quiet. It unnerved her. Scully unpacked first, then tried Mulder's cell phone. It was either turned off or the battery was dead, at any rate, she couldn't reach him. She tried the office, next, but he wasn't there and the receptionist said she hadn't seen him for a couple of days. Where the hell did he run off to now? The office was as still as the apartment. She sat at his desk, not touching anything, just looking. A slip of paper caught her eye. It was sticking out from under the desk pad, she pulled it out and read it. It was the first incantation from the Cavendish journal. "Damn it, Mulder! Don't tell me you did what I think you did." It was close to dark when she arrived at the field between Dott and Harrisburg. Mulder's car was sitting there out in the open. No one around it. She looked around, but knew she wouldn't find anything. Scully pulled the piece of paper she had found on Mulder's desk from her pocket and read the phrase. Nothing happened. She turned around. 'Maybe this isn't the location.' She thought to herself. No, this was the place. Scully was so mad and it kept building until she had to release it. "Mulder!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. She would kill him when he got back. If he got back. ***** Mulder and Jake stood perfectly still, waiting their turn, so to speak. Jake was in shock. How had she known these men? Casey lowered the weapons and walked to them, handing each of them a gun. Then she pulled a third from behind her back. They stared at her, waiting for some explanation. "Casey?" Jake spoke only her name. "Who are these guys?" Mulder jumped in. Casey lowered her head and Jake thought he saw her blush slightly. "They were here to kill you. I couldn't do it, so he sent them. You were my assignment, I had to get you away from researching. They don't want you to find out who they are." "Who are 'they'?" Mulder demanded. She sighed, she wasn't going to get out of this without some sort of explanation. But it didn't have to be the whole truth. "They're just a group of business men, Mulder. They want their investments protected." "I want it all, I want to know what the hell's going on and I want to know where the hell we are." Silence filled the room. "I'm listening." Mulder was adamant, he wanted answers. Casey hesitated, staring out the window. She finally turned to Mulder. "I'm just trying to survive, Mulder. I got mixed up with Nathan a long time ago and he's used me up. He's out to kill me now, too." "Who's this Nathan?" "Nathan Lewis. He's the head of a multi million dollar corporation, C. I., Cavendish Industries." Mulder looked at Jake, his head was lowered but he was listening. "What do they do?" "They create the future. They steal things from your world. Ideas, inventions, and the people they need to succeed. They've taken people to help populate this world as well. I was one of those people. I was six when I was taken. Just coming out of school, I only lived a couple of blocks away, a car pulled up and grabbed me. I was placed with Nathan's family, they wanted a little girl." Her tone became bitter and biting. "How did you find out about all this?" Jake finally spoke. He'd been here twenty five years and had never known any of this. Casey lowered her head and remained silent. She sighed deeply, remembering her childhood. The private hell Nathan put her through. "Nathan was four years older and didn't like someone stealing his parent's affection. He played me against them and them against me my whole life. I had no choice, he had me in so deep before I even realized, that I couldn't get out." "Why do you look like Scully?" Mulder asked softly. "They thought it would be the best way to get to you, Mulder. When she was here a few years ago ....." "A few years ago! She was here?!" Mulder grabbed Casey by the arm. "What did they do to her?" Once again, Casey hesitated, struggling to pull away from Mulder. It was all so complicated and she didn't have all the answers. "What did they do to her?!" Mulder raised his tone. Casey jumped at his voice and began pacing. "I don't know, I wasn't involved in that, I don't know!" Tears began falling. "All I know is that they held her for your government, as a favor. They performed tests on her, like they do some of the others they bring over. Radiation testing to produce superovulation, implants to help them keep track of her, like tagging them. They did this to a lot of women, to create their version of a perfect specimen. Their perfect soldiers. They're afraid of you, Mulder and I don't know why." He'd scared her, she turned inward, not saying anything or looking at anyone. Mulder hit a door facing in anger. Jake, at the moment, was the only level headed one in the room, other than Stella. "Look, Mulder, what do you want to accomplish here? She wasn't the one who took Dana, tone it down." "Where are we, what is this place?" Mulder looked defeated, tired, so tired. Casey took a deep breath and began again. "Best I can figure, a long time ago, the people of this world figured out how to 'transport' themselves to far off places. They were able to open gateways through the heavens, through the stars. We are on a world millions of miles from your earth. I don't know how many other worlds they travel to, if any. I know they had planned to colonize on your world. They have many of their kind there now. But Nathan's closed all the gateways. He controls them, no one is getting through and we're stuck here." Jake sat in silent astonishment. How could this be? How the hell could this have happened to him? Why did they want him? Casey looked from Jake to Mulder and spoke hesitantly. "Listen, I left without notice, they'll be looking for me and when Nathan can't find me, he'll know that I know. I was supposed to carry a deadly virus to your world tomorrow morning and I think I was supposed to be patient zero. They thought I was too stupid to catch on. When they don't find me, he might step up the project. If we don't get to them first, he could send someone tonight." She waited for that to sink in. "He has the antiserum and would release when and only when he felt your government buckle, but now, I just don't know what he'd do. " ***** "What do you mean she's gone? Damn it, Thomas! Do I have to do it all?" Nathan was pacing. "Find them! If they get away, it could ruin us. Do you understand! Thousands of years of work wasted, I'm not letting that happen!" Nathan's face was beet red, he was a madman. "I want all available people on this." He paced, murmuring to himself. "Sir." Thomas was afraid to speak. "Sir." "What!" "Nathan, they'll come here. Think about it. Casey knows that all access has been denied. They'll have to come here to override it." Nathan perked up, this was promising. They'd be walking right into his hands. They had to get ready. "Get the virus. I want it over there immediately. And I want them to know why, Thomas. Find a way." Nathan sat back down, his fingers strumming on the desk. "And get the chopper ready, I'm going to the compound." ***** Casey gave directions to Mulder and they drove in silence for a while. It would take a good three hours to get to the main plant. Casey kept glancing at Jake. He finally asked the question burning in his mind. "Why me, Casey? Why am I involved in all this?" "You were in the wrong place at the wrong time, Jake. Once you met Dana Scully, you were targeted. Then you became a little too curious. " "Why didn't you kill me?" Casey sat next to him and turned in her seat to look at Jake. It amazed her how much he and Mulder looked alike. Her resemblance to Dana Scully had been surgical, theirs was natural, coincidence. How could she tell him? How could she tell him she'd been in love with him from the moment they met a few years ago. They'd even gone out once. But he was too distraught from the loss of Alex. When she had killed herself, Jake had shut himself off from everything and everyone. His secretary, Joan, had set them up on a blind date and she had fallen in love immediately. Jake was so vulnerable and even in his state of mind, he treated her like a queen. Casey opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't. It wouldn't come as the tears flowed down her face. She turned away and laid her head against the window and sobbed silently. Mulder glanced at her, but left her alone. After a couple of minutes, Jake placed his hand on her shoulder. "Casey." He spoke in a low voice. When she didn't respond, he turned to Mulder. "Mulder, can we stop? I need to let Stella out for a minute." Jake opened the door and Stella climbed out, he followed. He walked around to the other side of the car and opened the door, holding out his hand to Casey. She took his hand and got out. They walked a little ways from the car, Stella running from tree to tree. Mulder stood at the car, stretching his legs. He didn't like this. They needed to be ready for anything, it seemed that Casey might be a bit unstable. After a moment Jake asked her again. "Why didn't you kill me, Casey? " She took a shuddering breath before speaking. "I met you a couple of years ago, Jake. It was shortly after Alex died. Joan set us up. I followed your career, I ... " Casey sighed then the words flow quickly. "I couldn't. I know we only went out once, but I fell in love with you Jake. These last couple of months have meant everything to me. You mean everything to me. I could never hurt you. " She looked up into his eyes, tears falling down her face. He put his arms around her and pulled her to him, holding her tightly. Reveling in her soft red hair. His thoughts went back to the times they'd been together. He remembered being with her, how good she felt, how long it had been since he'd made love to a beautiful woman without thinking of Alex. He made a decision, he hoped he'd be able to keep it. "We're going back home, Casey and you're coming with us. We don't belong here, this is not our world. We were both ripped from our homes, our families. It's not your fault, but you can help us. We have to be strong if we're to get out of this alive." He pulled away from her. "Are you ready for this?" "Yes. Yes. I want to go home, Jake." He nodded. Mulder watched them from the car. Once again, he felt a pang of jealousy, anger. The vision of Scully with this man was something he couldn't get rid of. A few months ago, he'd almost lost Scully to this man and it had shaken him to the core of his being. He suddenly wanted to get back to her, he needed to see her again. Stella came up next to him and whined. He stooped down to talk to her as he petted her. "What do you think, girl? Can we trust her?" Stella licked his face in response. "Is that a yes?" As they drove on, Casey filled them in on how the security worked at the compound. Who would be around, who they would need to avoid. As they set outside the compound, Casey went over the layout with them. "How does it work, Casey? How do they transport people?" Mulder asked as he surveyed the scene through binoculars. "I'm not completely sure. It has to do with electromagnetic fields. Nathan has sensors everywhere. They're set off by a number of things. Some use a phrase, a computer activates it based on key words. Other times, Nathan plays his little games and activates it just to see who comes through. He can also control it through a 'window'. He opens it for a brief moment and can see what's going on. " Casey lowered her head. "Who in our government is involved with this?" Mulder wanted to know. "I don't know, I never met any of them. I wasn't allowed that close to the operations." Casey shook her head. "We're going to shut it down, Casey. The doors close forever tonight. Can we do that?" Mulder asked. Casey sighed. "I think so. There's a main control room, but it's tightly guarded. If we shut it down, we can't leave. How are you going to do that?" Mulder shook his head, he didn't know. "There has to be a door on the compound. They've got to have a secluded place for themselves to cross." The compound sat on several acres a hundred miles outside the city. The building was a two story, half office space and half laboratory. It covered about half the land area, leaving the rest open space for security. It was going to be hard getting into the compound. Surrounding the perimeter was a brick wall with electric wiring running along the top. They needed a diversion. "All right, I'm going to get a closer look and see if I can work out some sort of plan, stay here and stay out of sight, I'll be back." Mulder slid out of the car and took off toward the compound. Jake took Casey's hand and looked into her eyes, the moment was awkward between them. Casey was blushing, she tried to avoid Jake's glances. He placed his hand under her chin and lifted her face to him. She couldn't stand the silence anymore. Her voice was soft and quiet. "I'm sorry you got caught up in this, Jake. I truly am. I'd give my life for this not to have happened." He nodded, not knowing how to respond. Jake didn't even remember the 'date' they'd had a couple of years ago. He didn't even know what she had looked like then. He was so distraught after Alex had died, he blocked out quite a bit of his life. But then Dana walked into his life and he couldn't get her out of his mind. Here he was staring at an exact replica of Dana and he didn't know what to feel. Even her voice was Dana's. He watched her mouth move, not hearing the words, just following the lips and the movement of her jaw. He remembered her seductions and he shivered. Was it just a job to her or did she truly feel something for him, like she said? Could he love her for her or was his feelings really for Dana? Casey knew he was staring at her. "Please, Jake, just say it." "When we were ..... together, was it just an assignment?" She turned suddenly and looked right into his eyes, her eyes full of tears. "No! No. I could've gotten you away from the library without .... " She lowered her head. "God! I know you don't know me, but I know you." Casey sighed. "And I've wanted you to love me for a long time. It was wrong, I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He hated to see her break down, to cry. Jake kept remembering how she felt in his arms, the fragrance of her hair, her silky skin, her soft and luscious lips. He wanted to know more about her. Everything happens for a reason, he believed that. Maybe this was fate. 'There are more mysteries in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our imagination.' "I don't even feel this is real any more." He reached over and took her in his arms. "When we get out of this, I want to get to know you again. Do you think we can do that?" He couldn't see the smile on her face as he held her, but he felt the nod of her head below his chin and he felt her tremble in his arms. Casey said a silent thank you as she answered him in a whisper. "Yes. " ***** Thomas stood in a level five biological safe suit and watched the small man enter the chamber. When he left, they would wash down the chamber to be on the safe side. The man didn't know the vial he was carrying had a timer on it. In less than a half an hour after he arrived, it would explode and the airborne virus would be released. They picked a small city, comparatively, Frederick Maryland. It was close to both Washington, DC and Baltimore. Two of the largest cities in the area. 'They should be sweating bullets in a little while.' Thomas thought to himself. Nathan had an office downtown but tonight he was here, at the compound, waiting. They would be coming and he would be ready. He'd sent most of the personnel home, this was something he had to do himself, with very few witnesses. Thomas was in place and he had two others standing by. No one would get by tonight. He was actually looking forward to meeting the infamous Fox Mulder. Nathan found it quite humorous that this man was feared by his own government. It was a weak government by his standards if they couldn't contain one man. ***** Mulder made his way back to the car and climbed in the seat to report his findings. "As far as I can see, there's only one entrance with a guard. The rest looked to be secured with a key card entry. Do you have access?" He asked Casey. Casey smiled. "Yes, but they'll looking for me. I planned ahead, I have someone else's card. Someone they won't expect." "It looks too suspicious to me. If they suspect we're coming, they'd have this place well staffed. No, they're waiting for us." He studied Casey, wanting to be sure she could be trusted. There's that word again, trust. Here he was, once again, looking at having to trust a total stranger with his life and maybe the life of millions at home. "Ok, here's the plan." ***** End of Part 3 From YRLD43A@prodigy.com Tue Feb 18 00:45:57 1997 I hope you enjoy this. I would really appreciate feedback. You can e- mail me at YRLD43A@PRODIGY.COM Thanks to everyone who e-mailed me encouragement. Note: A few have asked for a sequel to The Cavendish Door III. Thanks for all the kind responses, hope this is what you're looking for. Thanks to Bronwyn for her persistence. I do give permission for it to be put on atxc. Spoilers: None Rating: Strong R for sexual content. Classification : F,C,X,T,S, MSR Summary: Mulder can't leave the 'door' alone and crosses to Jake's world. Meanwhile, Scully battles a deadly virus in her own world, needing Mulder to bring the antiserum. Disclaimer: See Part 1. ******************** The Cavendish Door IV 4/5 By Patty Hayes YRLD43A@prodigy.com February 16, 1997 ******************** The man appeared in the set of woods on the outskirts of Frederick. He knew his assignment. It would take an hour by foot to get downtown, but he got lucky. A few minutes after appearing, he found the road to town, a car stopped and gave him a lift. They made Main street in twenty minutes. He had one foot out of the car when the vial exploded. It made very little noise, like a small glass breaking, but Roger Gosset knew what it was and suddenly he knew that he'd been sacrificed. Roger got back in the car immediately and slammed the car door. He turned to the driver, a look of panic on his face. "You have to take me to local hospital, now. We both could die in a matter of twenty four hours if we don't get help." He saw the confused look in the man's eyes. His voice became loud. "Now! I'm carrying a deadly virus and it's just been released, we have to get help, now." With each breath they took, they expelled air that was dangerous to the populous. This virus was an airborne pathogen, he had to keep exposure to a minimum. This wasn't supposed to happen, he was supposed to leave it and go home. He'd been betrayed and he wasn't going to let Nathan get away with it. The driver pulled into the emergency parking. "Keep your hand on that horn!" Roger told him. Then he pulled out paper and began writing. Damage had to be kept under control. The problem was, he didn't know much about the virus, he was just the delivery boy. As the technician reached the car, he saw the sign in the window and had to get close to read what Roger had written. 'Deadly virus, airborne. Notify CDC and get us secured. Less that 24 hrs to live!' The technician turned ghostly pale. "Holy shit!" Six hours later Dana Scully was home pacing the floor, cursing Mulder, when the phone rang. She jumped to get it. "Mulder?" "Dana, it's Carrie. We've got something you might be interested in. It might have something to do with your partner." Carrie Westerly had been a college friend of Dana's. While Dana was recruited by the FBI, Carrie was being recruited by the Center for Disease Control. "What is it, Carrie?" Her voice anxious. "We've got a virus of unknown origin. It's airborne, it's fast and it's deadly. According to who I think is our patient zero, it was released intentionally. He's carrying a letter that says Agent Mulder is to blame for this. Only he says it's a ruse." A part of Carrie was excited by this virus. The thought of a new strain being discovered fascinated her. But she hated the fact that something so small, a billionth our size, could destroy the human race. "Where are you, Carrie? I'm coming." Scully was half way to the door. "No, Dana. I told you it's airborne, it's too dangerous and besides USAMRID won't let you in. They've got a net over the entire city." "I'm coming anyway, Carrie. I'm a doctor, you know I can help. Where are you?" She respected USAMRID, the United States Army Medical Research of Infectious Diseases, but knew how tough they were to get around. "I'm in Frederick Maryland, Dana. Let me get you cleared. They'll get you properly suited. To be honest, Dana, I could use some help getting the cure for this one. We have to work fast with this, patient zero says he'll be dead in about twelve hours." Her voice was bitterly serious. Scully watched the troops lining the streets as she was escorted to the hospital. It had been turned into a base station. The last news she received, there were the two original men ill and four others had been admitted. In no time, she had been suited up and was standing next to Carrie. Scully brought along a friend, someone that she knew could help. Agent Pendrell was suited up next to her, ready to go to work. He went right to work after Carrie briefed them, brought them up to date. Scully wanted to see the man with the note. "The note's gone, Dana." Carrie informed her. "What do you mean, it's gone?" "USAMRID came in and took over, we're assisting on the antiserum, but they're handling the questioning. They took all the evidence and won't talk to me." She stopped and looked at Scully. "I'm hoping you can get through. If we can find out where this came from, Dana, it'll be a big help in finding the cure." They left Pendrell working at testing serums. Scully pushed her way into the ward and looked at the man inside the walls of sealed plastic. She felt comfortably safe in the level five safe suit, but it was still unnerving to be in the middle of a deadly virus. Knowing that one tiny rip, one minuscule opening in the suit would mean certain death. "Mr. Gosset?" She surveyed the damage the virus had already done to this patient. The virus was apparently similar to the Ebola virus, as he was bleeding from his eyes, nose, ears and mouth. Open red sores on his body were starting to bleed. Scully shut her eyes and took a deep breath. Then fear hit her as she thought about that breath and expelled it quickly, as if trying desperately to rid herself of the enemy. Roger turned his head slowly to look at Scully. His voice was just a whisper, but he made himself be heard. "They did this. To teach you a lesson. They can't be destroyed or controlled." His breath was shallow and shaky. "Roger, what about Agent Mulder? Your note said he was involved. How? Where is he?" Scully asked. "He's .... not here. ..... I don't know ...... if he's still alive." He could barely get the words out. Scully's heart jumped to her throat. Carrie touched Scully's shoulder in sympathy. Scully could feel the pressure through the suit and looked up at her, acknowledging the support and consolation. She turned back to the patient. "Where is he?" "He's crossed .... " A commotion behind them caused both Scully and Carrie to turn around. Three soldiers bearing weapons had entered the room with force. "You are here to work on the antiserum, Agent Scully. You will exit the room and return to your assigned location or you will be escorted to the brig. Do you understand?" His voice was calm and matter of fact. He didn't wait for an answer. "Doctors?" He held the plastic covering open for them. Scully and Carrie looked at each other and left the room. As they followed the soldiers to another wing of the hospital, they didn't noticed a man in a similar suit standing at the opposite end of the hall. He watched the two woman turn the corner and disappear. He stared at the note again and wished he could smoke in this damn suit. He couldn't wait to get out of here. He had to report his findings. He had this situation contained, or so he believed, but it angered him for them to pull a stunt like this. He hoped Mulder was dead on the other side of the universe. ***** Casey used the fake pass card and opened one of the side outer doors. There were cameras in every hallway. The first thing she did was cover this camera. Then she stuffed paper in the latch opening so that Jake and Mulder could enter with ease. She'd drawn them a map of the interior, showing where the computers were and where the labs were. Mulder wanted that antiserum. He couldn't take the chance that Nathan hadn't sent it over. Then she headed for Nathan's office. Jake and Mulder waited and watched. No one came to the door and after what seemed like forever, they made the decision to move in. Stella was close on their heels, she was going with them, Jake wouldn't leave her behind. Nathan met Casey at the end of the hall heading for his office. She'd been watching and no one was around to stop her. She knew it was a trap, but it was part of their plan also, to make them think they were easy pickings. As she stepped around a corner, she'd almost ran right into him. "Hello, Casey." Nathan stood with his arms across his chest, looking a bit smug. Casey tried to look scared, truth be known, she was scared. "Hello, Nathan." "Well, well, well." He smiled. "That's an awfully deep subject for someone so shallow." She provoked him. The smile faded. He hated to be made a fool. His face turned beet red and she could almost see the steam coming from his ears. He moved so quick, she didn't see it coming. He slapped her hard, knocking her against the wall. It was something he'd done before. She reached up and placed her hand over her face, where he had struck her, feeling a trickle of blood coming from her lip. "You shouldn't have done this, Casey. After all we've done for you, to betray me like this." He paced in as much space as the four foot wide hallway would allow. "After all you've done for me?" She raised her voice. "You son of a bitch! You stole me, you stole my life and I'm supposed to be grateful?" He reached out and backhanded her again, this time so hard she fell to the floor. Casey felt the knot rising on the side of head, she silently wished Jake and Mulder would hurry. She stayed on the floor, antagonizing him was the plan, but there was no need to get beaten to a pulp in doing so. Her mouth had gotten her in trouble more times than she cared to admit. "What are you going to do, Nathan? Kill me? I can still be useful, Nathan. You know Saunders and Mulder will be here tonight. I can control them for you, you know I can." She faked the pleading, the begging and she hated it as she hated him. "Casey, Casey." He grinned, shaking his head. "You shouldn't have betrayed me. I could never trust you after this. I'm sorry to lose you, but you have to die." "Nathan, please, please. I can help you." 'Where the hell were they? ' She pulled herself to stand. She saw movement in the airvent a couple of feet behind Nathan, she had to back him up a little. She suddenly attacked him, hitting his chest, pushing as she did. He grabbed her arm and twisted it to her back, shoving her face forward into the wall. As he did, Mulder dropped from the ceiling above, knocking Nathan to the ground. Jake ran to them, Stella on his heels. Mulder had Nathan turned over and cuffed, before he knew what had hit him. Nathan knew they would attempt to escape, but he didn't think they'd be so blatant as to come for him immediately. "Ok, now we're going to do this the way I say, or you're going to die. Do you understand?" Mulder spoke sharply. "You think I'm going to help you?" Nathan almost laughed. "I'll kill you right now, I don't care. We can find our way out of here some other way. I'd just as soon shoot you here and now." He looked at Jake and nodded toward Casey as he pulled Nathan to his feet. "She ok?" Jake nodded. "I think so, but she might have a concussion. We'll be all right, let's just get out of here." "Let's go." Mulder pointed. "This way." Jake held onto Casey, she was a little disoriented from the beating, her head pounding. They made their way through the corridors to the laboratories. Casey had been right on the mark with the diagrams. It was too quiet when they entered the main office and all three jumped when Stella began growling. The room was like an open warehouse, the upper level open to the lower floor. They could see the catwalks hanging from the ceiling above. The hair on Mulder's neck stood on end at the growl. Normally, he hated this, but now it was a blessing. Both Jake and Mulder were looking around when suddenly a man appeared from behind a door and Stella attacked. The man's gun went off and ricocheted around the room, but missed everyone. Stella had the man on the ground, her teeth cutting into his arm, the gun outside of arms reach. Jake grabbed the gun. "Stella! Heel!" The dog backed off and gave Jake the room to approach the man. He jerked him to his feet by grabbing the collar and the front of his shirt. Blood dripping from his arm where Stella had hold of him. Jake shoved him against the wall, drew back and hit him hard with the butt of the gun. The man fell like a sack of potatoes. "Damn, Mulder." Jake was breathing heavily, then he chuckled and shook his head. "Do you have to do this a lot?" Mulder smiled. "Only when I have to." He turned to Nathan. "Who else is here?" Nathan refused to answer. Mulder pushed him into a nearby chair. "Where is it?" He had the gun to Nathan's head. Nathan smiled. This is what it came down to. They wanted the antiserum. They might know how to get out, to get home, but they didn't know where the antiserum was. Nathan's eyes turned dark as he stared at Mulder. His ability to control minds had never been anywhere near as strong as Casey's but he did have the ability. Now was the time to use it. He forced Mulder's mind open. It was easy, Mulder wanted to know things, he wanted to believe. He was open to anything. Casey noticed Mulder's arm lowering and knew what was happening. She jumped up and moved between them. "Mulder, look at me!" She shouted. "What the hell is going on?" Jake started at the sudden movement. "He's trying to get to him, Jake. He's not as strong, but he can weakened Mulder's mind." She turned back to Mulder and concentrated, forcing her powers to overtake Nathan's. Mulder was confused, his head hurt, he heard two voices screaming inside his mind. He put his hands on either side of his head. "Enough!" He shouted. He moved Casey aside and placed the gun against Nathan's temple once more. "It's not going to work, you son of a bitch!" "You can kill me, Mulder, I'm not going to help you." His voice was unnervingly calm. Stella, once again, growled. Someone else was coming. Mulder hated the noise, nothing disconcerted him as much as a growl. It meant certain but unknown danger. They all tensed and ducked down, waiting. Mulder heard the snap of a gun barrel, a round being inserted in the chamber. He turned in the direction of the noise and saw the barrel peeking out from behind a stack of boxes on the level above them. When the man's head appeared, Mulder shot. The gun fire was returned and the battle was on. But it didn't last long. One man fell from the catwalk, a second dropped a few feet away. They hadn't seen the second man. They hadn't fired upon the second man. Thomas appeared with his hands in the air. "Stay calm, gentlemen. I'm not here to do you harm. I have something in my pocket, I think you're looking for. May I?" He asked. Mulder nodded, his gun aimed straight at the man. "Slowly, with two fingers!" "This is the antiserum I believe you're looking for." He held up the vial. Mulder grabbed it and stepped back, gun still aimed, he glanced at the vial, then back at the man. "Who are you?" "I know who he is." Casey said from behind Jake. "What are you doing, Thomas?" "Same thing you are, Casey. Trying to get out, to make things right. " He shifted his stance and turned back to Mulder. "Take it and go. I'll take care of Nathan." Nathan's voice was venomous. "Thomas, I'll kill you." Thomas ignored him, Nathan's time was over. It was his turn now. He'd been waiting for this day for a long time. "What about the 'doors'?" Mulder asked. Thomas shook his head. "I can't promise you that, Mulder. I need these doors. This is our way of life." "Your way of life is stealing ours! I can't let you do that anymore. " Mulder shouted. "You don't have a choice. Now I can promise you that I will restrict the use of them to your world. It's a promise I can guarantee will be kept. We don't desire any more meddling from your government." He smiled and moved a little closer to Mulder. "But, Agent Mulder, I know for a fact, your partner needs that antiserum." Mulder stood stunned. Then snapped to. "What the hell does that mean!?" Thomas smiled. "It means, Mulder, that a lot of people will die without it and she could be one of them." He didn't like it. He didn't like having anyone hold Scully over his head. His passion for her clouded any and all of his senses. All reasoning went out the door when it came to her safety. He especially didn't like the smirk on this man's face. Thomas sensed Mulder's anger and backed off, losing the half grin. "This is a highly contagious, deadly, disease. It moves fast and kills all. You have the opportunity to stop it. Take it, Mulder. Take it and go. You can kill me now, but you won't get back and they will die." Mulder stared at him. He had no choice. The answers were here and once again, they were unattainable. At the moment he didn't care, he had to get back to Scully. "If you're lying to me, so help me, God. " "I'm not lying, Mulder." Thomas looked to Casey. "Casey knows me, she'll tell you I don't play games." Mulder looked to Casey, as did Jake. She nodded. "What about Samantha?" Mulder asked of Thomas. If Scully had been brought here, then maybe Samantha was too. Maybe she's still here, living a solid life, not knowing who she really is. "My sister, did you have anything to do with her?" His voice was low, but they could detect the hope. Thomas searched his eyes. "No, I don't know anything about your sister." Was it the truth? Mulder just didn't know, couldn't really tell. He sighed heavily, suddenly tired of it all. Finally, he nodded. "All right. Give me the rest of the antiserum." He didn't release tension on the gun as Thomas reached into his pocket and passed Mulder a second small vial. ***** End of Part 4 From YRLD43A@prodigy.com Tue Feb 18 00:49:46 1997 I hope you enjoy this. I would really appreciate feedback. You can e- mail me at YRLD43A@PRODIGY.COM Thanks to everyone who e-mailed me encouragement. Note: A few have asked for a sequel to The Cavendish Door III. Thanks for all the kind responses, hope this is what you're looking for. Thanks to Bronwyn for her persistence. I do give permission for it to be put on atxc. Spoilers: None Rating: Strong R for sexual content. Classification : F,C,X,T,S, MSR Summary: Mulder can't leave the 'door' alone and crosses to Jake's world. Meanwhile, Scully battles a deadly virus in her own world, needing Mulder to bring the antiserum. Disclaimer: See Part 1. ******************** The Cavendish Door IV 5/5 By Patty Hayes YRLD43A@prodigy.com February 16, 1997 ******************** Scully sighed as she looked through the microscope. "I've never seen anything like it, Carrie." She looked up, shaking her head. "It's growing too fast. At this rate they'll be dead in a just a few hours. " "I'm not getting any success from this batch either." Pendrell reported. "I know, Dana. That's why I called you, I needed someone to help me with this. This is out of our league." Carrie paced as she spoke. "USAMRID is doing what they can, but they're not telling me anything, Dana. Now, you're government. You think you can get a few answers? " Scully grinned at Pendrell behind the level five safety suit and lowered her head. Always running interference. Then she looked at Carrie. "Yeah. Let me see what I can find out." Scully stepped into the clean room after going through the chemical wash. No one went anywhere without a safe suit. They weren't taking any chances. Scully went through the hallways, looking the man in charge, they'd pretty much kept to themselves treating Scully and Carrie as if they were the carriers. She found a Major John Russe in the bio testing area. "Major? I'm Special Agent Dana Scully with the FBI. I'm here helping the CDC." "Yes, I know who you are Agent Scully. We're doing fine without you. You can go back to Washington." He replied without even looking up. He didn't much care to discuss the situation with Scully. Russe continued to work on his paperwork. "Major Russe, I'm not going anywhere until this thing is resolved. Now, I want some answers. Have you found out where this came from yet?" There was no response, but Scully continued. "I want to talk to the first man infected. He apparently knows what this is, he could provide valuable information .... " "No one will be talking to him, Agent Scully. He didn't make it." "What? It's been less that twenty hours, Major." "Yes, I know." He nodded slowly. "I want to perform the autopsy, we may be able to find out more about this bug." "That's not possible right now, Agent Scully. We're doing all we can. The driver of the car is still alive, in fact he's progressing slowly. They were affected at the same time, so we feel this is progress." Russe stood up and came around the desk. "Look, I know you want to help, but there isn't much we can do beyond what we are doing. I will try to keep you informed. In the mean time, I know of your reputation, Dr. Scully, and I need your help exactly where you've been." Scully nodded, trying to read between the lines. She decided he was being sincere. "The autopsy could provide valuable information." "All right, I'll set up as soon as I can. I'll let you know." "Thank you, Major." She said and left the room. She stopped by the patient room on her way back. They weren't doing well at all. The driver looked bad, she didn't think he'd last the hour. The other four didn't look as bad, but they were doomed none the less. Unless they could find the cure. She turned to leave as a man in a safe suit passed her. Scully turned back to look at him but he was not visible in the suit. She didn't think she recognized him and made her way back to the research lab. She didn't feel the pin prick that punctured her suit. Another man, still craving a cigarette, leaned out the doorway as she passed. He nodded to the other man coming from the patient room, who returned the nod. As Scully stepped through the chemical wash the prick turned into a slit and the opening widened, allowing outside air to penetrate her armor. Pendrell and Scully discussed possible antigens that could react favorably. "The testing reports that AL32 is alleviating some of the symptoms, Agent Scully." He had the bug on a platelet, projecting it onto the computer screen facing them. "This is it, I've never seen it before." "Neither have I, although it looks like a strain of Ebola." Carrie stood close to the screen. "See these spikes? That's one of the differences." Pendrell paced as they talked. "Maybe if we stepped up the dosage." He stopped suddenly and his eyes widened with dread. Scully turned to look at him when he suddenly stopped talking. "What? What's wrong?" "Your suit, Dana, there's a tear!" Pendrell was looking at a small rip in the suit. It was less than a half an inch in width. But still big enough to nullify the safety of the suit. The fear and dread on his face showed clearly through his face mask. Carrie rushed over to them. She grabbed Dana's arm and pulled her out to the wash area and turned on the nozzles. Scully closed her eyes and turned a circle in the small enclosed cubicle. "Dana, you might be infected. We need to get you treatment right away." Carrie had tears in her eyes. She'd brought Dana here and she felt responsible. She'd never be able to live with herself if something happened to Dana. "Take it easy, Carrie. It might not be anything. Tape it up, let's keep working and see what happens." Scully was unbelievable calm. "Dana, she's right. We need to do something." Pendrell had gone ghostly pale. He was already preparing the needle. "Dana!" Carrie pleaded with her. "Please." "Carrie, all right, give me a dose, but I'm going to work. If I am infected, I'm not going out laying in a bed, waiting to die." Scully was scared but she couldn't show it. This virus killed fast. She didn't know what it was. She searched her mind, trying to figure out how the suit was damaged. The only thing that got close was the soldier who had bumped into her. Could he have done something? Could she recognize him again? Did she even see him the first time? Where was Mulder? She wanted to see him now. Scully had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She might never see him again. ***** Jake had hold of Stella's collar as they stood in the enclosed chamber. He would go through with Stella and Mulder would follow with Casey. Mulder watched with awe as Jake disappeared in a flash of light. He turned to Thomas as Casey entered the chamber. "I'll say it one more time, Anderson, you cross me and I'll find a way back. " He was deadly serious. "This antiserum better work and Scully better be all right. If something happens to her, you're a dead man. I'll do it." He spoke softly, deeply, and matter of fact. It wasn't a threat, it was a promise. Thomas nodded as Mulder closed the glass door. Mulder looked at Casey, wondering if this was the last time he'd be looking into a fair skinned face framed by the fiery red hair. He closed his eyes briefly, trying to burn Scully's image into his brain, as the light overtook them. The image was already there, many images, in fact. He remembered her smiles, the times she'd made him smile. The times he felt he'd have gone over the edge if it hadn't been for Scully. God, he needed her. As the light disappeared, he heard Jake calling to them. Casey was unsure of her footing and grabbed Mulder's arm. He steadied her and they went to find Jake. "I heard a truck go by in that direction. There must be a road." He told Mulder. "This has to be where the other came through. It has to be in this area, Jake." They headed in the direction of the traffic noise. The four found the road in just a few minutes. Mulder found out from Thomas what city was to be targeted and knew which direction to take. They followed the road for almost an hour when the lights from the edge of town appeared. Then they saw the military and CDC protective equipment along the perimeter, keeping a tight quarantine. "Bingo!" ***** Nothing seemed to work. The AL32 slowed the progessiveness of the virus but only slightly. Scully tried to blink away the tiredness that was quickly stealing her energy. She was hot in the suit, sweat falling into her eyes. She reached for a platelet and stumbled, her breath coming in short gasps. "Dana!" Carrie cried out and grabbed her arm, steadying her. Pendrell came to her side and helped her to sit. "You need to rest, Agent Scully." He took a deep sigh. He couldn't lose her to this. Not Dana Scully. He admired her, respected her, felt something for her he hadn't ever felt for any other woman. He'd always been shy with women and he was with Dana Scully, but with her, he tried. He wasn't going to stand by and watch her die. "I'm all right. I just need to catch my breath." Scully placed her hand to her chest and took a couple of deep breaths. "Dana, you're exhibiting signs already. It's dangerous for you to be up and around, we have to get you to a bed." Carrie was up and heading for the phone. Pendrell helped Scully stand and together they followed the hallways to a private room. Carrie unzipped Scully's suit and aided her in removing it. Scully suddenly felt a strong fear, a vulnerability she hadn't felt earlier. She suddenly felt naked, open to the enemies invading the air she breathed. She remembered the driver and the other patients and it caused her to tremble as she climbed into the bed. Pendrell held her hand as Carrie hooked the IV to her arm. Scully smiled at Pendrell. "Don't look so worried, I'll be out of here in no time. Probably nagging you to hurry some sort of test on another piece of evidence Mulder drags back with him." She patted his hand. "I'll make sure of it." Pendrell tried to smile, his face went from flush red to ghostly pale again. He'd seen so many things since getting involved with Mulder and Scully. They'd opened a whole new world of investigation to him. But he felt a pang of anger at Mulder for what he'd put Dana through. Deep down, he knew it wasn't Mulder's fault, but he had to blame someone. She looked bad and he knew how much worse it would get. Her face had the beginnings of red blotches covering her cheeks and nose. Her eyes were red and swollen and her beautiful luscious lips were become dry and cracked. So quickly. It had happened so quickly. He had to fight to keep the tears hidden as he left them and went back to research. This is were she needed him now, to save her. ***** "I know what's going on! I have the antiserum!" Mulder yelled at the soldier. "I'm sorry sir, I can't let you pass. I have my orders." The soldier stood his ground. Mulder looked at Jake as he quickly pulled his gun and had the barrel two inches from the soldiers face before he knew what was happening. "Get out of my way." Mulder's tone was deep and menacing. The soldier was clearly shaken but retained his ground. Within seconds four more soldiers appeared with guns all aimed at Mulder. "Sir, lower your weapon now!" One called to him. Mulder didn't move, but he did hear the unit's radio and one soldier left the group to take the call. He came back a moment later. "Sir, I've been ordered to escort you to the holding center." His voice strong and stern, like any good soldier. Mulder lowered his gun and yelled back to Jake and Casey as he followed the soldier. "Stay here, I'll be back as soon as I can." He was in the Jeep and pulling out. He saw Casey and his thoughts turned to Scully, wondering what she was doing, whether she was all right or not. Fifteen minutes later, Mulder was pacing in a room with a table and two chairs. He ran his hand through his hair and closed his eyes. 'Where the hell are they?' A few minutes later, Carrie walked in. "Hi, I'm Carrie Westerly, CDC. I'm also a friend of Dana's." She didn't have time to smile. "They said you had a vial with the antiserum." "Yes." He pulled the two vials out of his pocket. "This is all there is. Where is she, is she Ok?" His concern showing strongly. Carrie looked up at him, the sadness in her eyes told him everything. "She's been infected. It's in the early stages, but it works fast. If this doesn't help .... " She shook her head, but didn't finish her statement. It wasn't necessary. He knew what would happen. Carrie turned to leave and Mulder reached for her arm. "I want to see her." "You can't, not now, it's too dangerous, you'll become infected too." Carrie had to leave. "Every minute I spend here, it's a minute closer to her death. Please. I'll let you know as soon as I can." Her eyes pleading with him. He let go of her arm and watched her walk away. He stood with his hands on his hips, eyes closed. When he looked up, he could see Carrie stepping into a changing room. In there she would suit up again, go through the chemical wash and proceed to the other side of the building. ***** Jake and Casey sat under a tree near the barricades. Stella was nearby, running through the field. Dawn was breaking. It had been two hours since Mulder had left and no word had come. All they could do was wait. Casey had been extremely quiet since returning. "What's up, Casey?" Jake asked. She shook her head. "I can't believe I'm here. It doesn't feel real, like I'm going to wake up any minute now and the nightmare will continue." Jake pulled her to him. "The nightmare may be just beginning if that serum doesn't work." He felt her head fall against his chest, his hand stroking her hair. Together, they watched the sun rise and both wondered what the new day would bring. ***** "I've got it!" Pendrell shouted to Carrie. "It's working." "Let's get it started now. I'll take this batch, work up as much as you can." Carrie headed for the door. "And Pendrell, thanks." He smiled at her and nodded. Relieved that finally something was going right. Pendrell closed his eyes and said a silent prayer for Dana Scully. Carrie worked quickly. The six patients, including Scully, received inoculations, then the staff, including herself and Pendrell. Within an hour, their fevers were reduced. It was a good sign. She sat with Dana, waiting for her to awaken. Scully had fallen asleep almost immediately upon getting into the bed. She'd been up for more than a day. Carrie smiled when she opened her eyes. "Hi, you're looking better." Scully returned the smile. "Yeah, I feel better. What did you find? " "Your partner." Carrie watched Dana's eyes light up. "He brought good tidings with him. And the antiserum. I don't know where he got it, but it seems to be doing the trick. I thought I'd let him in here in just a while. He's been driving everyone crazy." Scully laughed. "Yeah, that's him all right." "I think it's over, Dana. Thank God, it's over. If he hadn't brought that serum, it could've spread throughout the States in no time." She let out a deep sigh then smiled again. "I'll go get your partner." Then she thought again. "Are you up to seeing him?" "Yeah, I'd like to have a word or two with him." She suddenly remembered the fact that he'd run off and left her again. Actually, she was needed to see him. ***** Three months later Jake poured two glasses of white wine and took them along with the bottle out to the terrace. Casey sat with her feet curled under her on the bench swing, with Stella's head in her lap. The night sky covering the city like a blanket dotted with rhinestones. It was cool, breezy and quiet. She couldn't believe how her life had changed over the past three months. She moved into a small apartment and Jake bought a house, both in Baltimore. They spent most of their free time getting to know each other. Jake had finally found someone to take the place of both Alex and Dana. Casey worked at getting a degree in education. She wanted to teach. Her life was complete with Jake and they hoped to have a real future together. "Come on, get down." Jake coaxed Stella off the swing and he sat next to Casey. He eased his arm around her and pulled her close. Her head fell back on his shoulder and they sipped the wine, looking out into the bay. "God, it's so beautiful here." Casey whispered. She felt Jake nod and turned her head to look up at him. He was staring at her. Jake smiled at her. "Yes, it is beautiful." Then he leaned down and kissed her. ***** Mulder lay on his back, Scully sleeping next to him. He sometimes just watched her sleep. It was so peaceful, she looked like a child, a beautiful, innocent child sleeping. Other times, he saw the pain on her face as she slept. Unspeakable nightmares invading her peace of mind. She could never escape them and he wanted nothing more than to rid her of these things. He knew his nightmares were enough for both of them. He thought of the pain she had incurred because of him and the X-Files. Mulder would give anything for them not to have happened. But they did and it had brought the two of them together. He slid out from under the covers and stood at the window in her bedroom. The virus had no long term effect on Scully, he was grateful for that. He wondered if Thomas had kept his word and kept the doors closed. Mulder had wanted to spend more time there, to find out what they'd done to Scully. If it was possible his sister had been there. To find out where this other world was and how they were able to travel through space. Then he turned to look at Scully again. Suddenly, he knew he had everything he needed. Everything he could ever want. Just a couple of feet away. And it was enough. ***** The young couple bought the Bed and Breakfast just a couple of months ago. He'd actually bought it for his wife, his time was spent in the office most days. He was the newest genius to work for the Defense Department. A program he developed that would revolutionize the nuclear arms race was a well kept secret. He'd heard of the B&B through his superior and as his wife had always wanted to have one, he bought it with the bonus they'd given him. He didn't like the man who attended the meeting that day. He was an older man, standing in the shadowed corner, smoking cigarette after cigarette. But he was pleased that they recognized his work. He didn't know what had awakened him this night, but for some reason, he couldn't go back to sleep. Maybe some hot milk would help. He walked barefoot to the kitchen, wearing only his pajama bottoms. His wife slept almost too peacefully lately. He noticed it was getting harder to disturb her. As he stood at the stove, waiting for the milk to warm, he took a look around the kitchen. His brow furrowed as he saw a door he hadn't remembered. THE END