From: GFYD84B@prodigy.com (Sarah Roby) Subject: New story - "Madness" 1/3 Date: 21 May 1996 02:59:14 GMT (**I'm posting this for a friend of mine who does not have newsgroup access. Please direct all comments to her address, not mine! **) Reader- This is a *definitely* R-rated story. There's a lot of cursing and violence. No graphic sex REALLY, but there *is* a pretty disturbing rape scene (I don't describe it) that is not suitable for younger readers. I scared myself writing this one. Send death threats to: XASJ82C@prodigy.com. All characters, used pretty crappily in this story, and the X-Files belong to Chris Carter. Now, you've been warned, so if you don't like disturbing stuff, don't write me telling me I'm an awfully sick person (I already know that!). (Submitted to the ATXC - 05/20/96) Madness 1/3 By Kerry Gallo aka Lil Fox * Nov. 28, 2:03 PM* He was close. Scully could feel him, sense his presence. Her body stiffened and she gripped her gun tighter. Sweat beaded on her forehead and ran into her eyes, but she ignored the stinging it caused. She'd chased him into this room of the abandoned ware-house, and there was no way out. He couldn't be far. That bastard. She knew from the first time she saw him he was nothing but a dangerous lunatic. She couldn't understand whatever had possessed her not to kill him long ago. Not doing so had been a mistake, but now....she would correct it. Scully was pale and thin, her hair was a mass of red tangles around her face. Her clothes were torn, streaked with dirt and blood, and a long scratch ran across her cheek. Her face was bruised and swollen, her eye blackened. She was breathing hard, low, rasping breaths. She looked like she had gone insane...which was not too far from the truth. She pressed her back harder up against the wall and took a deep breath. The incessant pounding in her head intensified, and she closed her eyes briefly. She would have to move slowly, for the slightest sound would echo inside the empty warehouse and give her away. And she was not about to let him get away or kill *her*, not after what he'd done to her. Scully inched slowly around the corner, barely breathing. She moved forward slowly, cautiously, all her senses alert. Her eyes squinted into the darkness, her gun held ready. The slightest movement, and she would shoot. She could hear him. A soft scuffling, scratching noise off to her left, down a narrow corridor. It was dark, but she could tell by the loud echo of the noise that it was a dead end. She turned and inched her way down the hallway, the musty, rotten scent of the old building in her nostrils. Her eyes were wide, searching in the darkness for him. He must be hunched down in the shadows in the back, she thought. She moved her gun down a little, so she would be able to aim and shoot quickly, the second she saw him. He was trapped. She knew he had a gun, but she did not care. He was hurt, and had lost a lot of blood from the gunshot wound in his back. He'd been running from her, and was in no shape to do so. He would be too weak to shoot. She stopped, halfway down the corridor. It was so narrow she felt like the walls were closing in on her and she felt dizzy. Her head throbbed mercilessly, but she ignored it. She would not give up now. She gripped her gun white-knuckle tight, and steeled herself to remain calm. She wanted to run at him and kill him with her bare hands, but that would be stupid. Ineffective. She took a deep breath. "Come out, you motherfucker," She hissed, eyes and gun aimed at the shadows in the back. The shadows were still, and he did not come out. "You sonofabitch, you can't get away from me," She said, her voice fiery. She peered harder into the darkness and could just make out a large, solid, motionless lump. Then a thought occurred to her. "Oh, don't tell me you're dead already!" She whined. "I wanted to *savor* killing you! That one bullet I put in you was just to whet my appetite. Don't ruin this for me!" Scully moved forward, quicker than before. When she reached the back, she looked closely at the shadows. "Just like you to do something stupid," She muttered. "And I was looking forward to blowing your brains out." Suddenly a shadow scuttled out at her. She jumped back, frightened and startled. But it only was a large rat, the source of the noise. She could see now, moving closer, that the lump was a sack of old rags. "God damn it!" She shouted. He wasn't there. "When I find you I'll rip your *heart* out!" "I'd like to see you try, bitch." She whirled around at the voice and cursed herself. She should've been more careful, but she hadn't, and now he was standing in front of her, his gun aimed at her head. Mulder was a horrible sight. His shirt was covered in blood. His eyes were bright red, sunken into his head, his face contorted in rage and pain. For a second, Scully was afraid. But then instinct kicked in, and she raised her gun swiftly. He was slow to notice, his body weak from the wound in his back. When he did, only a millisecond later, he hardened his stance and steadied his gunhand, which was trembling a little. The two partners stood, guns aimed at each other, black rage passing between them so heavily the air seemed thick with it. "Put the gun down, Mulder. It's no use, you can't even pull the damn trigger," She hissed. Her trembling arm began to ache from the weight of her gun. "No way," He answered, his voice, usually soft and husky, was so grating it sounded like his throat was filled with sandpaper. "You raped me, you piece of shit," She hissed. "You tried to kill me!" He answered, eyes so wide she could see the whites all around his iris. A low growl of hatred came from her throat, and her finger tried to squeeze the trigger. But the throbbing in her head seemed to be changing into noise, a note rising in pitch until it became an unbearable screech. Her hand dropped, and she pressed her palms against the sides of her head. A moan of agony escaped her. Scully dropped to her knees, the pain in her skull resounding. It felt like her brain was being torn to pieces. No, no, get *up*, he'll shoot you! Her mind screamed. But she couldn't. She looked up, trying to raise her gun to protect herself, when she realized Mulder was being attacked by the same kind of pain. His gun had dropped to his side, and his other hand was pressed to his forehead. He was shaking, and a thin stream of blood was trickling from his nose. She looked up at him fearfully, and his eyes met hers. Mulder looked down at her, his eyes wide with confusion. For a moment, she could see he was absolutely clueless as to what was going on. For the briefest instant, she felt a flash of pity for him. *Pity*. For the man who had beaten and raped her. How could she feel *pity* for him? There was a time when you trusted him, A voice in the back of her mind whispered. You *cared* for him. You- "*NO*!" She screamed. No! She hated him! He was *evil*! He was one of *them*! No, he isn't, The voice cried. He's your *friend*! The screeching became a high-pitched wail. She raised her gun again at the same moment he did. Summoning up all the strength she could, she pulled the trigger. She was dimly aware of the other shot, the one from Mulder's gun, and didn't feel the bullet ripping through her. She saw him fall and a tiny smile of satisfaction appeared on her face as she slumped over. The pain in her head disappeared, replaced with a pleasurable feeling of light emptiness. That voice in her head had been wrong, she decided. He was evil, and she had destroyed him. Her only regret was that he had destroyed her too. *Nov. 27, 8:09 PM* "Scully, get your damn dog *off* my leg or I swear to God I'll kill it. " Dana Scully looked up from an infinite pile of paperwork and laughed. Her tiny Pekinese had caught Mulder on his way to the refrigerator and was indeed trying to indulge itself using her friend's shin. Mulder kicked at it, but the dog was persistent. "When are you getting this little troll neutered?" Mulder whined. He finally succeeded in prying the dog off his leg by getting his other ankle between his leg and the dog. The small orange canine fell over backwards, took the hint and ran off into another room. "Soon," She answered, looking back down at the forms left over from their last case littering her coffee table. "I've been too busy to take him to the vet." "Well, it better be soon or I'll take his balls off myself." She smiled at that. "Why did you name him after me anyway?" Mulder asked, walking over and sitting down next to her on the floor, long legs stretched out under the coffee table and his back against the couch. "Spooky? I dunno," She answered, grinning. "Reminded me of you." "When did *I* ever try to hump your leg?" He asked slyly, one eyebrow raised. "You haven't...not yet, anyway." Mulder threw back his head and laughed, and she joined in. After a while, she punched his arm. "Come on, we need to work." She said only half seriously, gesturing towards the papers. He nodded obediently. "Here, gimme the pen. I'll do some, you've been doing all the work," He offered. She smiled. "Thanks." He bent over the papers and set to work. Occasionally he pushed a stubborn strand of hair off his forehead, and ran his fingers through his cowlick. His brow furrowed as he got into the work. Scully watched him, smiling a little. He had been in an exceptionally good mood lately, and she wasn't sure why. He was always playful, but beneath his cool exterior, there was always pain and depression. His dark, tortured side. Not many could see it, but she could. Lately, though, he had been happy and cheerful, almost optimistic about life. They'd been having lots of heart-to-heart talks lately, and their conversations seemed to focus more on good things than bad, like Samantha's disappearance or various other misfortunes he usually talked to her about. He'd been so....*up*, it was strange for him. She wasn't sure what had come over him. It couldn't be her....Probably a girl, She thought with some ridiculous jealousy. She shook her head a little. So what if he has a girlfriend? She thought nonchalantly. It's not like he and I.... She rolled her eyes. There were times when she wasn't sure *what* their relationship consisted of. They were partners, and the best of friends, of course, but at times....there seemed to be more to it than either of them had ever seen before. She sighed. It would take years to sort through those aspects of it, but for now, she was content with their relationship the way it was. "Scully?" He said suddenly, not looking up from the forms. "Mm-hmm?" She asked, her thoughts interrupted. "I just...wanted to tell you...." He began hesitantly. "What?" she asked. His eyes were glued to the papers. "I just thought you should know how much I..." He finally looked up. "How much I appreciate you," He finished finally. Scully was surprised. She hadn't expected that. "Why are you telling me that? I know you appreciate me-" "I know you know, I just...I've been sleeping really well lately, and I've been less depressed...ever since we started talking, more as friends than partners." He seemed uncomfortable. "I mean, we've always been able to talk, but never about the good things, only the bad." "Mulder...I really care about you, and I'm always willing to listen to you." She looked into his eyes, honesty in her voice. He seemed about to say something, but didn't. Instead, he just looked back at her. After a while, he said, "Thank you." "You're welcome," She answered. Then she smiled and looked at him seriously. "Hmm. And all that time I thought you were cheerful because you were getting laid." He stared at her for a second, then laughed. "Seems only your dog's interested in me," He laughed. After a minute, he said, "Well, I just thought you should know how I feel." "I do," She said, patting his arm. "Now let's finish this paperwork or we'll never close this damn case." He nodded, and they set to work. *11:23 PM* Scully stretched and yawned. It was past eleven, and she was exhausted. Mulder had left for home a half-hour ago, after they finally finished their paperwork. She'd taken a quick shower and was now sitting on her couch in her pajamas, drinking tea. She felt peaceful and calm, especially after what Mulder had said to her. She knew he cared for her, but the fact that he'd voiced his feelings (as he wasn't very good at doing) touched her. It seemed odd how upset she'd been when they'd first been assigned to each other. She knew he hadn't been thrilled either. But things had really changed since then. She trusted him more than anyone, and sometimes she wondered how she'd get along if she ever lost him. Scully shook that thought away quickly. She didn't want to think that way. Without Mulder...she'd be nothing. She needed him as much as he needed her, and his search for the Truth was hers as well. They were in it together. She closed her eyes, thankful that, for now, Mulder was happy. Oh, she knew he was still upset and guilty over Samantha, as he always would be, but at least he was laughing and smiling. .for the time being. Scully set her tea down on her coffee table and rubbed her eyes. She was so tired... She stood up and walked into her bedroom, stretching her arms over her head. She went to her bed, flicked the light on her nightstand off and got under the covers. After a moment, Spooky scuttled into the room and jumped up onto the bed beside her. Scully snuggled down under the blankets and closed her eyes. Silently, she thanked God that she had Mulder...and that he was happy. In a moment she was asleep. As she slept, a soft humming noise came from the vent in the wall above her bed. She did not awake when the clear, odorless gas came out and filled the room.... Across town, Mulder was asleep on his couch, a tiny smile of contentment on his face as pleasant dreams came to him. He did not wake up when the vent in the wall above his couch began to hum.... =========================================================================== From: GFYD84B@prodigy.com (Sarah Roby) Subject: New story - "Madness" 2/3 Date: 21 May 1996 03:00:28 GMT (**I'm posting this for a friend of mine who does not have newsgroup access. Please direct all comments to her address, not mine! **) Reader- This is a *definitely* R-rated story. There's a lot of cursing and violence. No graphic sex REALLY, but there *is* a pretty disturbing rape scene (I don't describe it) that is not suitable for younger readers. I scared myself writing this one. Send death threats to: XASJ82C@prodigy.com. All characters, used pretty crappily in this story, and the X-Files belong to Chris Carter. Now, you've been warned, so if you don't like disturbing stuff, don't write me telling me I'm an awfully sick person (I already know that!). (Submitted to the ATXC - 05/20/96) Madness 2/3 By Kerry Gallo aka Lil Fox *Nov. 28, 7:05 AM* Scully woke up with a headache. It seemed to come from just behind her forehead and radiate out around to the back of her head. It was awful- she noticed it the second she sat up in bed. "God..." She whispered, pinching the bridge of her nose between thumb and forefinger. She stood up and went into her bathroom to get some aspirin, but stopped when she saw her reflection in the mirror. Her face was pale, her eyes dark and sunken. She looked like she hadn't slept a wink all night, but she knew she'd slept the whole night through. I hope I'm not coming down with something, She thought. She tried to open the aspirin bottle with her shaking hands. She tried to make them stop trembling, but they wouldn't. Must be the flu, She decided. When she finally got the bottle opened, she was tempted to take more than two pills, but did not. It took a long time for her to get ready that morning. Her hands shook so hard she spilled her breakfast innumerable times, and they made it hard for her to get dressed. Spooky was another problem. He was in an awful mood. She offered him his usual breakfast, a half a can of wet dog food, but he refused to eat it. She tried to pet him, but he snarled at her and backed away. That confused her, and she wondered if he might be ill. He'd never snarled at her before, and now he was acting like she was a complete stranger. It annoyed her. As a matter of fact, many things annoyed her that morning, things that she usually wasn't bothered by. When she was driving to work, someone cut her off and she had to grip the steering wheel tightly to keep from giving the driver the finger. She nearly screamed at an old woman who took her time crossing the road, and she snapped an obscenity at the friendly corner newspaper vendor who tried to sell her a paper when she was at a red light. She figured it was because she was getting sick, but still, it wasn't like her. Even when she was ill, she kept a good disposition. She decided to just take a few deep breaths and calm down. She was sure she'd cheer up when she talked to Mulder. But he was not at the office when she arrived. This made her very angry. He was late for work frequently, but he usually called her to tell her he'd be in later. Today he did not. She sat behind his desk for two hours, seething with unreasonable fury. She was pissed off at him, and she wasn't sure why. She'd never been this angry at him for being late before. When Mulder finally walked in the door, she had to shut her eyes and grit her teeth to keep from attacking him. When she looked up at him, she could see he obviously was ill. He too was pale, and his hands were trembling, as hers still were. "Sorry I'm late," He muttered tersely, setting his briefcase down on the floor and collapsing into a chair. His tie was askew and his hair stuck up at crazy angles. "I didn't feel well." "Neither do I," Scully spat, "But at least I came in on time. And if I was going to be late, I'd of had the decency to call you, especially if I thought you'd have to wait for me for two hours." Mulder looked up, surprised at her anger. "What the hell's wrong with you? Need some Midol?" He shot back. "If I did, I sure as hell wouldn't tell you," She said, her voice shaking with anger. Mulder saw what was happening, took a deep breath and stood up. "Scully, I think we're both sick, and I know I sure am tired. Let's just lay off. I didn't mean to-" "Oh, shut up," She hissed, and sat back down. She ignored him as she reached blindly for papers and scribbled on them. Mulder was hurt. He wasn't feeling well, his head hurt, he'd nearly throttled a fellow agent who wanted to stop and chat to death and *he didn't need this crap*. "Look, I don't know why the hell you're being such a bitch-" Scully stood up again, her eyes dark with fury. "You just shut up!" She said again, her voice rising. "No, I will *not* shut up. I didn't do anything, so why are you so pissed off a me?" "I- I just *am*!" She shouted, not caring who heard her. "Yeah, you seem to get that way, Scully. I bet it's because *you're* the one who never gets laid." He smiled when he saw he'd struck home. Her eyes widened and she moved from behind the desk to face him. She stood eyeball-to-eyeball with him- or rather, tried to, but she was a foot shorter and she wasn't very threatening to him. This only made her angrier. "I'm right, aren't I?" He purred, eyes wide with mock innocence. "You bastard...." She whispered. "Take that back." Mulder looked up at the ceiling and tapped his temple in contemplation. His headache was forgotten momentarily as he took pleasure in her impotent fury. "Mmm...no," He decided at last, grinning down at her. He next thing he saw was her fist coming at him. When he came to, he was lying on the floor, and Scully was gone. His jaw was swollen and ached violently, and when he tried to open his mouth it made an alarming clicking noise. He was furious. *Beyond* furious. He was so angry he wanted to find her and hit her back. Harder. *Much* harder. He wanted to hurt her. He wanted to make her suffer. *Nov. 28, 10:07 AM* Scully got into her car and drove away. There was a little smile on her face. That punch had felt *great*. But she was still seething from his snide remark about never getting laid. He was such a disgusting sonofabitch. He probably *did* have a girlfriend, and all that crap about appreciating her was just to make her think he didn't. I hope she gives him gonorrhea. She smiled bitterly. That bastard, She thought. He should be coming to soon. That punch would teach him to say things like that to her. For a moment, she debated going back to the office and *really* beating the shit out of him, but decided not to. Her head hurt too much. She was at a red light, and she was beginning to get tense. The light was taking too damn long to change. She would've run it, but there was another car in front of her. Her brow furrowed and she began to sweat. Her fingers clutched the steering wheel. Her eyes were fixed on the light. Finally she couldn't take it anymore. She put her palm on the horn and blared it for a full minute. It made her head scream with pain, but she didn't care. She saw the driver in front of her turn and yell something, but she ignored it. Suddenly she heard another horn, from the car beside her. The driver was a tough, husky young man in a convertible. She rolled down her window and stared at him, hand still on the horn, as he shouted obscenities at her. Scully felt something within her coiling tighter and tighter, like a clock spring, and when the young man reached the peak of his tirade, the spring snapped. She took her hand off the horn and reached for her gun. She pulled it from the holster and brought it up so that it was pointing directly at the young man's head. She saw him go stark white and his jaw go slack. She smiled sweetly at him and said, "Big mistake, motherfucker." The man floored his convertible and shot away, as did the driver in front of her, who must've watched in his rear view mirror. Scully smiled and put her gun back in its holster. She shot through the red light and sped away, nearly killing several people before she got home. When she reached her apartment, she parked and calmly got out of her car and walked into the lobby. She decided to take the elevator for a change. Her head hurt and she wanted to get home and rest. A fat, middle-aged man reached the elevator before she did. He politely held the door for her, and she stepped in. "Up or down?" He asked. "Up." "Oh, I'm going down. Is that all right?" He asked. Scully looked wearily at his fat, red face. The spring snapped. "No, it's not all right," She said. She moved behind the man swiftly, and before he knew what happened she kicked him hard in the back. She knocked him clear out of the elevator and onto the floor. He tried to stand up, an astonished look on his face, but fell back again. She laughed as the elevator doors closed in his face. She wasn't sure why she did it, he hadn't been rude. She'd just....*wanted to*. When she reached her apartment door, she was angry again. She didn't know why, she just felt furious. She wanted to....what? She wanted to go back to the office. She wanted to find Mulder. She wanted to.... No. Her head was throbbing violently, and she was exhausted. In no shape to do what she wanted to do to him. She opened the door, yanking the key so hard it snapped off in the lock. She cursed and threw the keys back into her purse. She stepped into the apartment and slammed the door hard. She took off her coat and threw it over a chair, and was taking her holster off when something attacked her. For a moment, she didn't know what the strange thing was that was biting and jumping on her. It snarled and made a horrid, harsh screeching noise. It startled her so that her gun flew out of her hand. She kicked the creature, out of instinct. The small orange dog flew across the room, hit a wall, fell to the floor and was still. His neck was bent at a strange angle. Scully stood, breathing hard, staring at Spooky. Her leg was bleeding from where he bit her and she cursed. What the hell was wrong with him? She looked around. For a little dog, he'd done a lot of damage. There were holes in her furniture. Things were knocked over. And there was blood streaked on the walls. Then, for no reason at all, she began to laugh hysterically. She dropped her purse and she laughed. Tears poured down her face and she laughed. She reached up and clawed at her throbbing head and she laughed. Then she collapsed. ********* She wasn't sure when she woke up. But the next thing she knew, she was standing by the door, a knife from the rack in the kitchen clutched in her hand. She could hear footsteps, familiar footsteps, just outside her door. She knew who it was, and she was ready for him. Scully's entire body tensed and she went into a crouch. Her head throbbed in painful waves, undulating throughout her body. She tried to ignore it, but it felt like fingers were digging and twisting into her brain. The footsteps stopped, and she could just make out a faint shadow beneath her door. She waited, eyes fixed on the doorknob as it turned slowly. The door swung open, and she hid behind it as she watched Mulder step in. She smiled maliciously at the bruise on his cheek. "Thought you'd never get here," She crooned softly. Mulder turned sharply to face her, and she brought the knife up. Things happened fast then. "You bastard, They sent you here to kill me!" She screamed. He slammed the door shut and smashed into her, pinning her against the wall. "Just like They sent you to spy on me!" He screamed back. She tried to bring the knife down but he caught her arm and held it. His other hand hit her in the face, again and again. She screamed as he knocked her down and tried to wrestle the knife from her. She bit and scratched, punched and kicked, but he knocked her down and pinned her beneath him. Mulder managed to pry the knife out of her hand and had it at her throat in a second. Scully's eyes darted around for her gun. She saw it in the middle of the living room, where it flew when Spooky attacked her, but she could not get out from under him to reach it. She stopped struggling when she felt the sharp point of the knife dig into her throat and warm wetness trickled down her neck. Her head was shrieking in agony, the pain intensified by his blows. She looked up at him, his face inches from hers. His eyes were narrowed and filled with pure evil. "So you want to get laid, huh?" He hissed. Her eyes widened in terror, and hatred for him filled her entire being. "You motherfucking *BAS-*" Her words were cut short as her smashed his fist into her face, knocking her out. When he saw that she was unconscious, a slow smile spread over Mulder's face. He wasn't sure *why* he wanted to hurt her anymore. He just *did*. He wanted her to be in *agony*, and he knew this would hurt her far more than taking her life would. And he would enjoy it. Oh, how he would enjoy hurting her. *1:05 PM* She came to some hours later. Her clothes were torn and bloodied, and her entire body ached. Mulder was gone. She knew what happened, but she was not saddened. She did not cry. It only added to her fury. When she found him, she would make him *suffer* before she killed him. She would show him how it felt to be helpless and afraid. Scully pulled her clothes, what was left of them, back on and picked up her gun. Then she walked calmly down to the lobby, ignoring the stares and frightened cries of the people when they saw her gun and the blood. She didn't care if they called the police. She wasn't going to let anything stop her from killing Mulder. She got into her car and drove to his apartment. If he was there, she would knock him out and tie him up. Then she would wait until he came round and pull a few of his fingernails out, maybe burn him a little. A little cut here, a little cut there... She grinned. It would be fun. When she reached his building, she got out of the car and ran inside. The lobby was empty, and she took the stairs up to his apartment. When she reached his door, she pulled the key out of her pocket and opened it. She stepped in cautiously, gun held ready. He was not in the living room, and the apartment was quiet. She went slowly into his bedroom and looked around. No sign of him. She stuck her gun into the closet and opened the door slowly, but he wasn't there. Suddenly she heard footsteps pounding through the apartment and she heard the door slam. "God damn it!" She shouted, racing out into the living room. He must've been hiding in the kitchen, she decided. She ran out the door after him and sped down the stairs. She was too late, though. By the time she reached the lobby he was in his car and speeding away. She ran outside and jumped into her car, tires screaming as she drove after him. They tore through the traffic, barely avoiding the other cars as she pursued him. Several times she nearly lost him, but always managed to catch up. Her bloody hands gripped the steering wheel for dear life. Mulder seemed to be driving down into the poorer part of town. He took a narrow, dirty old road that ended as a dead end. Scully could see several old, dank buildings, deserted from the look of them. There were small, burned-out stores by the street, and the owners came out to watch as they shot past. Mulder braked his car when he reached the end of the road, and it spun around in a one-eighty. She saw him leap out of the car and race to the nearest deserted building, an old warehouse, as fast as he could. Bastard, she thought, I've got you now. She braked her car and jumped out even before it stopped, vaguely aware of it smashing into Mulder's Mazda. She ran after him, seeing him disappear into the warehouse. She reached the door as it swung shut and was assaulted by the darkness. She could not see, and there were several hallways that she could take. She took out her gun, peering into each hallway to see where it led. Mulder must've taken one of them... She chose randomly and followed the hall cautiously, ready to shoot at a moment's notice. The one she took led into another network of corridors. She stood, indecisive, when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. There! Running through one of the halls was Mulder. She raised the gun and fired twice. She heard him grunt and knew she'd hit him. He slowed for moment, and she could see one bullet had entered his back. He began to run again, and she followed. She chased him into a large room, once used for storage, and hid behind a wall. She heard movement in a dead- end corridor and followed it, only to find a large rat. Mulder snuck up behind her, and they stood, guns pointed at each other. The unbearable pain started in their heads again, but it was not enough to overcome their rage and hatred, and they shot each other. As Scully lay on the ground, she found herself wondering *why* they had done this to each other. Why had she punched him in the office? Why had he raped her? Why had she followed him and why had she wanted to kill him? Why had they shot each other? Why? *Why?* They would never do that to each other, she realized. She didn't want to hurt him, and he didn't want to hurt her. Then why *had* they? Suddenly, nothing made sense, and Scully had the feeling she'd made a terrible mistake. She had to talk to him, but she could not. Her voice died in her throat, and spots swam before her eyes. There was a white-hot burning sensation in her chest, and she could not breathe. She seemed to settle into a red fog and everything went black. =========================================================================== From: GFYD84B@prodigy.com (Sarah Roby) Subject: New story - "Madness" 3/3 Date: 21 May 1996 03:01:51 GMT (**I'm posting this for a friend of mine who does not have newsgroup access. Please direct all comments to her address, not mine! **) Reader- This is a *definitely* R-rated story. There's a lot of cursing and violence. No graphic sex REALLY, but there *is* a pretty disturbing rape scene (I don't describe it) that is not suitable for younger readers. I scared myself writing this one. Send death threats to: XASJ82C@prodigy.com. All characters, used pretty crappily in this story, and the X-Files belong to Chris Carter. Now, you've been warned, so if you don't like disturbing stuff, don't write me telling me I'm an awfully sick person (I already know that!). (Submitted to the ATXC - 05/20/96) Madness 3/3 By Kerry Gallo aka Lil Fox *Dec. 2, 5:19 PM* "She's coming 'round," A far-off voice said. "Dana? Can you hear me? Dana?" Scully opened her eyes. She was in a hospital bed in a small white room, and there were two doctors standing over her. "Dana? How do you feel?" Asked one, a middle-aged, balding man with kind eyes. She could barely read his hospital ID, which identified him as Doctor Greene. She looked up at him uncertainly. "I- what happened?" She asked, confused. There were machines all around her, tubes in her arm, and her chest hurt. "Dana, you were shot by your partner. The bullet punctured your lung, but we managed to fix the damage, and you should be all right," The other, younger doctor with blond hair said, "Tell me- do you remember what happened?" He seemed uncomfortable. Her lips moved, but no sound came out. She was confused, and felt horrible. She knew something bad had happened, but she could not remember... Dr. Greene swallowed. "You and your partner shot each other, Dana. And..." He glanced at the other doctor. "-Agent Mulder raped you. He told us he did. And we did find evidence of this. Do you remember him raping you, or was it someone else?" That hit like a ton of bricks. Tears of confusion and pain filled her eyes. She could not understand any of this. Mulder was her partner and her friend...why would he rape her? She *trusted* him, and the Mulder she knew would never do that. But she knew it had happened, she remembered it now. She nodded slowly, feeling like she might throw up. "It was Mulder...." Why had she shot him? She did not know, and that only made her feel worse. Why had he hurt her? Everything was so jumbled up, and her head was aching so.... Suddenly fear clutched her heart, and she tried to sit up, but the doctors gently kept her down. "Mulder, where is he, is he all right?" She cried, tears rolling down her cheeks. If she'd killed him, she could never forgive herself..... "Yes, he's all right, he's all right..." Dr. Greene said gently. "Please lie down, it's okay..." "You shot him in the back and in the shoulder," The young doctor explained. "We were concerned at first that the bullet may have lodged in his spine, but it hadn't. He'll be fine, don't worry." Scully lay back, and closed her eyes, thanking God. "Dana-" She opened her eyes at Dr. Greene's hesitant voice. "We believe we know why you and your partner did these things to each other. " Her eyes widened. "Based on what we were told by your families and work partners, you two are very close and have never displayed violent tendencies toward each other, so we knew something had to be wrong. We sent samples of your blood to our lab and found trace amounts of a dopamine in your bloodstream, and the same drug was in your partner's. It accounts for the psychosis both of you experienced, and it also caused the headaches..." Dr. Greene looked behind him. "There's someone here who can explain it better than I can, and he provided us with some information on how the drug got into your systems." Scully looked past the older doctor and was surprised to see AD Skinner in the doorway. "May I speak with you, Scully?" He asked gently. Scully nodded, and the doctors left the room. Skinner came in and sat down in the chair beside her bed. "How are you feeling?" He asked, a little awkwardly. "Not too good," She answered honestly. "Confused." He nodded. "Some shop owners heard the shooting in the warehouse and called the police," He explained. "They found you two and took you to the hospital. " Scully nodded. "I didn't believe it when I first heard it," Skinner continued. "I know how deeply you and Mulder care for each other, and I didn't think you would ever hurt each other. But that was what it seemed like...especially when the doctors called and said you'd been raped. Mulder woke up for a while on the way to the hospital and during that time, all he did was cry and say he'd raped you." He stopped, watching her closely. "The drug...." Scully said weakly. Skinner nodded. "I knew something had to be wrong, you never would've turned against each other like that. I had a forensics team examine both of your apartments, and they found trace amounts of a dopamine gas. They think it got in through the vents. Scully-" The AD paused. "-It was a gas form of the drug that you found in Mulder's water a few months ago." Scully gasped. "My God...no wonder I hated him so much..." Her eyes glazed over. "And Spooky...that's why he attacked me, he was exposed to the gas too." Skinner looked sad. "I think...." He was hesitant to say anything, knowing that telling her the details would put him at risk, but he thought they should know the truth. "I think They did it to get you to kill each other...and even if it didn't work, They hoped they could drive you apart." Scully shook her head, in a daze. "No," She said. "We didn't want to hurt each other, they made us do it. " She looked up at him fearfully. "Will they ever do anything like this again?" Skinner saw the desperate look in her eyes and took her hand. "I don't think so, not if they're smart. And believe me, I'm doing everything I can to keep both of you safe." Scully smiled a little, and Skinner squeezed her hand. "Thank you," She whispered. He nodded and stood up. "I hope you get well soon," He said. "And...if you want to talk to Mulder, ask the doctors... I've already explained all of this to him, and he might like to see you." Scully nodded and watched him leave. She was so tired, and everything that had happened was still confusing and unclear, but she felt a strange sense of relief. Mulder had not wanted to hurt her, the gas had made him rape and try to kill her. And she had not wanted to hurt him. She only hoped this would not come between them as friends and partners. But she had faith in their relationship and knew everything would be all right, in the end. Dr. Greene soon came back, and she asked him if it was possible for her to see Mulder. "I think so, the drug is out of your systems by now." He said. He took the tubes and wires out of her arm and helped her into a wheelchair. He wheeled her down a hallway, and into another ward. Scully could feel her heart pounding, and she knew she was afraid...not because of what Mulder did to her, but because of what she did to him. She knew she was not to blame, but the guilt was still fierce. Would he still think it was her fault and be angry at her...? Dr. Greene wheeled her to the third room and stood in the doorway as she inched her way towards the bed. Mulder lay asleep, pale and weak. He had dark circles under his eyes, and she could see dried tears on his cheeks. "Mulder?" She asked softly, her voice shaking. She saw his eyelids tremble a little and open. He lay still, staring up at the ceiling. "Mulder, it's me..." She was unsure of what to say, of how he would feel about her after what had happened. Slowly, his head turned and he looked at her with the saddest eyes she had ever seen. Scully knew then that he was not angry with her at all, but that he blamed himself for what he'd done to her. "Hi..." He whispered. "Hi," She whispered back, smiling a little. "How do you feel?" She saw him open his mouth to answer her, but tears filled his eyes and he looked away. "Mulder, please- don't do this to yourself..." She began, her voice breaking. "Myself? What about what I did to *you*?" He answered bitterly, not looking at her. "*You* didn't do anything to me....the *gas* is at fault, not you. Mulder, I still care about you, and I still trust you, more than anyone in the world." She was speaking the honest truth, but she knew he didn't believe her. "Nothing has changed between us." "Nothing's changed. I beat you and raped you and shot you, and nothing's changed." He was on the verge of sobbing. "Nothing's changed." She repeated. "It wasn't our faults, They are the ones we should be blaming." "But in the end, *I* was the one who hurt you. Maybe subconsciously, I *wanted* to do those things to you-" He protested. "Mulder, I know you better than anyone, and I *know* you didn't want to hurt me." She was speaking directly from the heart, and she prayed she was getting through to him. But he seemed to be ignoring everything she said, convinced he was at fault. "I want to blame myself for what I did, but I know I shouldn't. I don't want you to blame yourself either, Mulder. Can't you understand that no matter what They do, They can't make me feel any different about you? They can make you rape me and shoot me a thousand times, and I'll never stop caring for you because I'll *know* you're not the one who wants me to suffer. And *that's* why They'll never win." Her voice was steadier now. "They'll never be able to come between us, no matter what." For a moment, she thought he'd stopped listening to her. Mulder lay still, his eyes closed, unmoving. But after a long, long time, his head turned and he looked at her. He seemed to be searching for words, but they wouldn't come. But the look in his eyes told her what he wanted to say. She reached out and took his hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "It's okay," She whispered. "It's over now." Tears rolled down his face, and she could feel her own tears welling up. "I love you, Dana...you know that...." He whispered desperately, his hand gripping hers tightly. "I know you do, Mulder...I love you too." Her voice was filled with honest emotion. "Shh now...it's all right, everything is okay..." She moved her wheelchair closer to the bed, and gently laid her head against his chest. "I love you...I'll always love you..." She heard him whisper, his voice shaking. His arms wrapped around her tenderly, and she felt herself drifting off. Soon she was fast asleep. ********** When the young doctor came to ask Dr. Greene how things were going with the two agents, he found the man standing in the doorway of agent Mulder's room, crying. Later on in the lounge, he asked Greene what had come over him. The older man sighed. "Mike, those two kids were the closest human beings I've ever seen. You can tell, just by looking at them, that they've been through a helluva lot together and stuck with it. You're too young to know how rare relationships like that are." Mike sat quietly for a moment. "I guess you're right," He said slowly. "You think they'll still feel the same about each other despite what happened?" Greene smiled. "I wouldn't be surprised if we get invited to their wedding in a year or two." He sighed. "Come on, let's go patch up the drunk in 9D." Mike nodded and obediently followed his supervisor out of the lounge. On their way down the hall, he stopped by Mulder's room again, and saw the two friends asleep in each other's arms. To his surprise, he felt tears in his own eyes, and realized just how right Greene was...when two people are that close, nothing could ever come between them. The End