TITLE: To Destroy Us 
AUTHOR: aRcaDIaNFall$ 
FEEDBACK: arcadianfalls@yahoo.com.au 
RATING: PG 
SPOILERS: Two Fathers/One Son, tiny ones for Patient X/Red and the
Black 
CLASSIFICATION: post-ep, kinda MSR 
DISTRIBUTION: Gossamer and Xemplary are fine, anywhere else please ask first. 
SUMMARY: What happens when Mulder and Scully arrive at the smouldering
El Rico Air Force Base? 



To Destroy Us 
by aRcaDIaNFall$ 
  

They were gone by the time they arrived, leaving behind the smoking,
blackened corpses of men who had once had importance and power, and
their families, children and grandchildren, who they had hoped to save,
but had ended up only bringing to be slaughtered.  

As she, Mulder and Skinner all scrambled out of the car, Scully felt as
though she had been punched in the gut, the acrid smell of burnt flesh
assailing her nostrils, but, worse, the sudden images which flashed
before her, of faceless men striding toward her, flamethrower in hand,
intent on destruction. She let out a small cry which caught in her
throat and she bit her lip, willing the emotions down, and walked
unsteadily to join Mulder and Skinner as they stared disbelievingly at
the still-smouldering bodies, the utter devastation of the scene.  

"We're too late," Mulder muttered, taking a step back and almost
falling. Skinner caught his arm, gripping it for a moment as Mulder
regained his balance. 

"Agent Fowley... was she here?" he asked shortly. 

Scully turned her head away, not wanting her partner to see the
fleeting disgusted grimace that crossed her face. When she glanced
back, she could see that Mulder was having a hard time maintaining
composure. "I think so," he muttered.  

Scully felt a dull pain in her chest as she heard the utter misery in
his voice, wanting desperately to comfort him, but her pride holding
her back.  

"We can't do anything for these people," she said quietly, turning and
moving back toward the car. Once inside, she slumped down in the seat,
pressing her lips tightly together, as though willing herself not to
cry, and she pulled out her cell phone, reporting the situation clearly
and briefly. Only when she had hung up did she bring herself to look
out at Mulder, who was standing, shoulders slumped, shaking, as though
crying. Skinner's hand was awkwardly resting on Mulder's shoulder, an
attempt to comfort him.  
Skinner shot her a pleading look, and with a resigned sigh she climbed
out of the car, joining them on the asphalt. 

"Mulder..." she said softly, reaching down to take his hand and rubbing
it between her own. 

Mulder looked up at her, his eyes tear-filled, but he didn't shed any
tears - until Scully pulled him close to her in a hug, her face pressed
against his chest, her eyes closed tiredly. After a few moments she
pulled away, reaching up to wipe away the tears that trickled down his
cheeks, one by one. Mulder then pulled away from her, staring once
again at the gruesome pile of corpses.  

"We can't do anything here, Mulder," she repeated, tugging at his arm
for him to follow Skinner back to the car. He came reluctantly, his
steps slow and dragging.  

The three of them sat in the car in silence until ambulances,
firetrucks and unmarked vans came screeching, dozens of people piling
out. Mulder and Scully leant back thankfully as Skinner stepped out to
handle the situation, yelling directions and explanations - what few he
had - over the chaotic noise. 

"I don't think she was here, Mulder," Scully said slowly.  

Mulder looked across at her, his eyes dark. "How can you say that?" 

Scully stared out the window, drawing a deep breath as she searched for
words. "I just ... feel it." 

Mulder turned his head away and didn't respond. 
  
What seemed like hours later, Skinner returned to the car. 
"We're not needed here," he said briefly. "They're going to pack up the
bodies and sterilize the scene. We might as well go." 

Mulder thumped the window in agreement. "Then let's go," he said.  
Scully caught his glance, and winced when she saw the black emptiness
of his expression. Silently, she reached across to catch his hand,
squeezing it tightly, hoping to see some reaction. But there was none.
She released his hand. 

There was silence as they drove away. 
  

"Watergate apartments," Mulder said briefly, when Skinner asked where
they were going. 

Scully shot him a look. "Mulder, you've had a long day..." And I'm
scared what you're going to find there, she added silently.  

"It won't kill us to check it out," Mulder retorted with a sudden
anger. "Damnit, Scully, I need to see!" 

Skinner glanced back at the two agents in the back seat, well aware of
the tension between the two of them, and the cause of this tension. He
knew Mulder's history with Diana Fowley. 

"Fine, we'll see," Scully said in a choked voice. She turned away,
teeth clenched more to hold back tears than in anger.  
  
They reached the Watergate Apartments and Mulder was quick out of the
car, striding into the building and pressing the button for the
elevator. Scully caught up behind him, wishing Skinner hadn't chosen to
be tactful and remain in the car. 

"Mulder, slow down or you'll hurt someone." She tried to keep her tone
scolding but neutral - emotions were her worst enemy at a time like
this. 

"C'mon, c'mon...." Mulder tapped his fingers on the metal impatiently
as they waited for the elevator. It arrived, empty, they both stepped
in. The doors closed and they started moving upwards. 

"What are you expecting to find here?" Scully asked finally. 

"I don't know," Mulder answered indistinctly. 

"What if she didn't die? What happens then, Mulder?" It was impossible
to keep the anger and the hurt out of her voice now. 

"Then she's alive," Mulder answered, not looking at her. 

"What happens to us, Mulder? What happens to us if she's alive?" Scully
prodded with growing anger and desperation. She grabbed his arm and
pulled him to face her. 

"Nothing happens to us. She doesn't affect us," Mulder answered in a
monotone, as though reciting a learnt line. 

"Dammit, Mulder!" Scully slapped his face frustratedly. "Wake up! She
does affect us. She has affected us. And I'm not going to put up with
it anymore!" 

Mulder took a step back unsteadily, wincing at the stinging in his
cheek. "You're not going to put up with what anymore?" 

Scully gestured frustratedly. "With *her*! Mulder, you've made yourself
blind to the situation. You just don't see. Either that, or you don't
care. But I do care. And if you want to trust Diana, that's fine, but
don't expect me to stay by your side." 

"Scully, you're being unfair," Mulder protested. "Diana and I..." 

She cut him off. "Mulder, you're the one whose being unfair. I feel
like I'm in competition with her, and she's winning because she
believes. Mulder, if you no longer believe that you need my science to
keep you grounded, to make you a whole person..." she took a deep
breath, finishing more quietly, "then you no longer need me." 

Mulder looked shocked, disturbed. "Scully..." he began shakily. "I do
need you, I do..." 

"But you don't trust me anymore. You believe her lies over my truths.
You're believing the lie, Mulder, and you're ignoring the truth because
you just don't want to hear it. The truth about her." 

"Scully, I do trust you," Mulder said pleadingly. 

The elevator bumped to a stop and they both lost their balance.  

Mulder grabbed Scully's arm. "I do trust you," he repeated softly, his
gaze meeting hers. He released her arm and turned away, striding down
the hallway. 

Scully followed slowly, catching up with him only as he got the lock
picked. She pushed past him into the room angrily, doing a short but
efficient search of the room, pulling out drawers, checking  closets. 

"She's gone, Mulder," she said finally.  

Mulder, sitting on the edge of the bed, glanced up. "Her stuff's gone?
Everything?" 

Scully dropped down beside him, nodding. "She packed up and left,
Mulder." 

"So she's alive..." Mulder said quietly. 

"So what does that mean to us?" Scully met his gaze, her lips set.
Mulder swallowed, dropping his gaze to the floor mutely. 
"Mulder, you said that you trust me," Scully said gently. "And if you
honestly do trust me, trust me on this. Diana isn't on our side. They
brought her back now to destroy us. To destroy the x-files." 

"Scully, I know Diana..." Mulder argued, his eyes meeting hers
pleadingly. "She wouldn't do this to me. She wouldn't betray me like
this." 

"You're not listening to me, Mulder!" Scully jumped up angrily and
paced across the room. She turned and looked at him accusingly, hands
on hips. "You're not listening to me, and you're not trusting me. And,
Mulder, after everything that's happened, I just thought that you would
trust me a little more. And I don't just mean when it comes to the
x-files." Her voice softened and she came closer to him, crossing her
arms as though giving herself comfort. "I mean everything that's
happened to us. Between us. I thought that all meant something. That
you would trust me. But you don't." There was now bare emotion in her
voice: she was revealing everything to him. "And I just can't continue
to work with you when I know that you trust her over me." 

"You're jealous," Mulder said slowly, incredulous. "You're jealous of
Diana." 

"Good God, Mulder!" She flung her arms up into the air in disbelief.
"Of course I'm -" She cut herself off suddenly as though lacking the
courage to finish the sentence. She sighed. "Mulder..." She shook her
head, unable to find the words. "You can't tell me that you didn't
know." 

Mulder nodded slowly, eyes downcast. "Scully," he began, a catch in his
voice. "I came here tonight... because I wanted Diana to be dead. I
know that sounds terrible, but I wanted her to be dead. I need her to
be dead. Because I want to feel some sort of closure about my
relationship with her. I knew... that you didn't like her. That you
were suspicious of her. But Scully, I just didn't want to believe...
that she would betray me in this way. That someone I used to love could
turn against me and try to destroy me like this." 

Scully sighed again, reaching up to massage her temple with her thumb.
"Mulder, let's go." 

Mulder stood and caught her hand, squeezing it tightly. "You're my one
in five billion, Scully. My only one in five billion." He spoke the
words earnestly, with intense feeling. 

Scully smiled wryly, gripping his hand tightly in response. For the
moment, that was enough. "Come on, partner. Let's go home." 
  

fin. 
  

arcadianfalls@yahoo.com.au  
http://www.geocities.com/arcadianfalls/