Title: And Through the Woods Author: Rotem Shahar Feedback: LaughsR@prodigy.net Rating: PG Category: VA Keywords: Missing Scene, UST Spoilers: Firewalker Summary: Mulder leaves the cave... Disclaimer: The characters from The X-Files are not mine. They belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions and FOX. No money is being made and no infringement is intended. Notes: Written for the After_the_Fact Firewalker Challenge ~~~~ "Jesse?" Trepkos asked, wondering how she was doing - if she was still alive and well. He wanted to ask and find out, but wouldn't let himself. It was useless knowing that she's still alive. The spore would kill her soon enough; she'd just be alive to see everyone else die first. "Was she exposed to the spore?" Mulder inquired, needing to know if Scully was in danger. "They were all exposed. All of them," Trepkos replied sadly, not looking at Mulder. "I have a colleague - a friend - who's with O'Neil right now," Mulder said nervously, worried for Scully's safety. "Let me go to her," he pleaded. "She may already be infected." As Mulder walked towards the entrance to the cave, Trepkos pulled out a gun and pointed it at him. Mulder tensed and stopped walking, but didn't turn around. He needed to get out of there, to go see Scully, find out how she was doing, if she's okay. He twitched as he considered his options. Finally, he spoke. "Then you're going to have to shoot me. Because I'm walking out of here," Mulder said, his need to confirm Scully's safety grossly outweighing his sense of self-preservation. He walked out of the cave as Trepkos stood, gun still trained on him. When Trepkos realized Mulder had left and wasn't coming back, he grabbed something off the ground and ran after him, gun still drawn. Mulder ran through the trees as fast as he could, tripping and stumbling over twigs and roots, picking himself up again, the need to see Scully overwhelming him. He heard the crunch of leaves being stepped on behind him and he looked back. Trepkos was chasing after him. "You can't go back there!" Trepkos shouted. "They're infected! You can't go in there!" Mulder ignored him and kept running. Fleetingly, he wondered why Trepkos wasn't shooting at him; that thought quickly vanished as gunshots rang out, sending Mulder to the ground, flying for cover. He slithered along the ground as Trepkos fired shot after shot. Mulder called to him "Trepkos! Daniel! Stop!" and waited for an answer. None came. Just the sound of more shots being fired. He continued crawling through the trees, inching towards the clearing in which the station stood. There was a pause in the gunshots and Mulder looked around. He saw a figure toying with the gun. 'Oh, shit, he's got extra clips,' Mulder thought to himself as he continued creeping along the ground, hoping this was the only extra clip Trepkos had brought with him. After what seemed like hours the gunshots ceased and the crackling of twigs was heard again. Trepkos had started running again. Mulder quickly got up and brushed himself off, continuing his race to the station, to Scully. Trepkos cried out as he tripped and fell to the forest floor. Mulder sped up, taking the opportunity to put distance between them, hoping it was enough to get him to Scully. The station came into view and Mulder shouted, "Scully!" hoping to get some response. Frantically, he burst into the building and searched for his partner, his friend, his...something. "Scully!" he panted, out of breath, when she finally came into view. "I'm okay, I'm okay," she told him upon seeing the look on his face and the color of his eyes. Immediately, he was at her side. "Are you all right?" "I'm okay," she reassured. He put his hand on the side of her neck, feeling her heart beat, making sure she was alive and not a figment of his imagination. He caressed her cheek as he looked at her, searching her glittering eyes for confirmation of her well being. Fear, anxiety, nervousness and even regret were sprinkled in her eyes; but most of all, he saw relief. Relieve that she was alive - not infected - and relief that he was back, safe. Scully broke their eye contact and looked at the handcuffs. Rapidly, he dug through his pocket and unearthed a set of keys, quickly uncuffing her. 'Are you sure you're okay?' Mulder's eyes asked her. "Yeah," she replied to his unspoken question. Mulder opened his hands and she placed hers in his. With a gentle tug she stood, Mulder wanting to draw her into his arms, to never let go, make sure she was never in danger again. But he didn't, he was afraid to. Afraid of anything and everything that could go wrong, but most of all, afraid that Scully would push him away. "Look. She was infected. I don't know how," Scully said, as they looked at Jesse's body though the plexiglass window. Mulder hid his thoughts in the vault in the back of his mind, to be opened later, when the time was right, and then replied. They continued as they always do, like nothing had happened. ~~~~ The End.