ALEX? Part 5 (Disclaimer and headings in Part 1)
Mulder pressed his lips together, and handed Marita the gun.
She walked over, and handed it to Alex. "What do you want to do?"
Alex thought for a moment. "Put him on the balcony."
Once outside, Alex ordered Mulder to sit down. He turned to Marita. "Watch him, I'll go finish up."
When Alex went back in, Mulder looked up at Marita. "I thought you were better than this."
Marita didn't say anything. She stood still, with her gun aimed.
"Why are you doing this?" He asked.
"Shut up."
"I mean, what are you getting from this?"
She started to laugh. "Getting?"
"I just want to know. Is it money? What is he offering you to make you go this far?"
She shook her head. "This has nothing to do with what I'm getting, it's about what I'm not losing."
"I don't understand."
"I don't expect you too."
He was quiet for a moment. "It's him, isn't it? You want him back. You know that can't happen don't' you? You know this is wrong."
"Wrong? What do you know? Tell me Mulder, are you enjoying your new life with your partner and the baby. Enjoying playing daddy, with church ceremonies and family gatherings? You seem to be fitting in to the vastly populated world of illusions, aren't you?"
He didn't respond.
She smiled. "Don't feel guilty. I'm glad for you. I can't live in that world. I don't belong there. I live in a different world, and Alex is the only one who shares it with me. He's all I have."
"But if you want to save him, then you have to stop this. He needs to move on, he doesn't belong here anymore. You need to move on too."
She shook her head. "I thought once that I could move on. It cost me everything. I won't make that same mistake again. So save your breath. You won't convince me otherwise."
"You're doing more damage to him by letting this continue."
The door slid open. Alex walked out carry a set of handcuffs. He turned to Marita. "All done." And just in time too, he thought, the sun was starting to set.
He cuffed Mulder to the railing.
"I already called Scully. Told her you were having a sleepover."
Mulder didn't look at him. He kept staring at Marita.
Alex motioned to Marita and left. She stood, staring at Mulder for a few seconds, and followed Alex out.
Several hours later, Mulder began to doubt his decision to wait for Scully to come looking for him in the morning, when he didn't show up to babysit. He initially decided against yelling for help, fearing the police would come, and he had no idea how to explain this. Now, he was cold and uncomfortable, and a warm bed at the psyche ward was beginning to appeal to him. He opened his mouth to start screaming when Skinner appeared.
He looked at him, mouth still open. Skinner looked awful. Every blood vessel on his body looked like it was about to explode. He'd seen him like this before.
"Can you hear me?" Mulder asked
Skinner nodded.
"Can you get me out of these?"
Skinner looked at the closed sliding doors and shook his head.
Mulder slumped his shoulders.
Skinner opened his mouth. Nothing came out.
He closed his eyes and opened his mouth again. After several second, he croaked, "Help me."
Mulder looked at him, and nodded. "I'll try."
Around 10:00 the next morning, Scully entered Skinner's apartment.
Mulder started hollering. "Scully! Out here!"
Scully rushed out on the balcony.
"Mulder! What happened? Who did this to you?" She looked at the cuffs, and went inside to find the key.
"It was Krycek."
She came back out, frowning, key in hand. "Krycek? Mulder, Krycek's dead."
"Yeah? Well, apparently that's not a big deterrent for him."
She unlocked him form the railing, and felt his forehead.
"I'm fine Scully." He went into the apartment, and grabbed his phone.
"Mulder, what are you doing?"
He started dialing. "Calling someone who can help."
"Help with what? Mulder would you put the phone down, and tell me what's going on."
Mulder closed his phone. "I don't have all the details yet, but somehow Krycek managed to take over Skinner's body. It happened during his so-called heart attack. He was here last night with Marita Covarrubias. They've probably left town by now."
Scully crossed her arms, and looked at Mulder's phone. "And you're calling?"
"A medium. He's an expert in spiritual phenomenon."
"Mulder, I know it's been an adjustment for you, leaving the X-files, and-"
"This has nothing to do with that. That's not all I saw last night. I saw Skinner. He looked horrible. When Krycek took his body, Skinner's soul became trapped here somehow. He needs our help, Scully." He started to dial again.
"Mulder, even if what you saw was real, you're not going to be able to help Skinner unless you figure out where he," she sighed, "I mean his body is."
"That's a good idea. Try to trace back Skinner's movements since the time of his heart attack. Find out if he did anything at the bureau. Maybe we can find some kind of lead about where Krycek's going."
Before she could respond, Mulder was already talking.
"Hello, Mr. Stevens? It's Fox Mulder, I spoke with you a while ago regarding a friend of mine."
Scully grabbed her purse, and shook her head. As she was leaving she heard Mulder.
"Let me know as soon you find something!"
"Yeah, whatever." She called back, as she shut the door.
By the time Mulder picked up Randal Stevens, Wednesday afternoon, his suspicions had grown. It didn't take long for Scully to find the records for the extraction of Krycek's body. She also found the name of the doctor who took samples from it, Francis Cornwall. He was waiting for her to call back with more information on the man, but if his suspicions were right, it would mean she wouldn't find much. It would also mean they were running out of time.
Stevens was a small, quiet man, who possessed none of the flamboyant qualities so often seen with people, who claim to have his abilities. As they drove back from the airport, he listened quietly, while Mulder gave him all the details about the situation. When Mulder was done, Stevens pushed his glasses up, and shook his head.
"I don't know Mr. Mulder. This is very unusual. I considered it my job to help souls move on, and leave behind their bodies, not get back into them."
"Yeah, but in this case, the body isn't dead. Are you saying you've never seen this before?"
"There have been a couple cases of souls taking another person body after a near death experience, they were all done by coincidence, both victims were utterly confused by the situation. This is the first time I've heard of it being done deliberately. For it to occur, the spirit must be in the exact the position at exactly the right time. Whoever this Krycek is, he must have had some kind of knowledge that this procedure was possible."
"I had a case 8 years ago involving this same type of body switching. It's a good probability that Krycek had access to my."
"That seems likely. I'm betting he was quite an adaptable person in life."
"What makes you say that?"
"Those souls, who don't move on right after death, are stuck here by a range of emotions they can't let go of. Fear, regret, denial, rage, these things can manifest themselves as actual entities that hold a soul back. Not only do they hold them back, they can trap them in one place. Normally it's where they died, sometimes their own house, sometimes the home of someone they refuse to leave. The experience is quite terrifying, and that strengthens the negative emotions, more fear, and more rage, which further hinders any ability to move from their self-imposed prison. Without help, it can take years for a soul to learn how to focus away from these things, and be released. Your Mr. Krycek did it in a matter of weeks."
"You'll excuse me if I don't share in your awe. You said without help, can you teach my friend how to move around? Help him find Krycek?"
"Yes, if he's willing, which you said he was, I can help."
"How long will it take? I don't think Krycek intended on keeping Skinner's body permanently, I have a feeling he's making plans to take over a new one. We have to find him before that happens."
"It all depends on him. If all goes well, I'd say about a week, but understand, once Mr. Skinner finds him, somebody still has to be there. There's only one way for the spirit to leave the body, Mr. Mulder. Your friend's body will have to be killed and then brought back."
"I know. I'm prepared for that."
"You should also know that, even if you manage to get your friend 's body back to him, he's still going to need help afterwards. Those who've had the spirit leave their body never come back the same, and these incidents normally last only several minutes, hours in some rare cases. Mr. Skinner has been away from his body much longer. It's going to have lasting effects on the man."
Mulder nodded. "Let's just worry about getting him back first."
He's in the silo. It's dark. He's alone. He can't get out.
He realizes he's not alone. That thing is in here with him. It's shapeless and dark.
He pounds on the wall, screaming. It's useless. He can't escape.
He keeps pounding, and looks down. He's sees his body.
He's not in the silo anymore.
He's in the parking lot. It's dark. He's alone. He can't get out.
He realizes he's not alone. These things are in here with him. They're shapeless and dark.
He pounds on the wall screaming. It's useless. He can't escape.
He hears laughter. He turns around and sees Skinner. He screams.
Skinner stops laughing.
"I want my body back."
Alex screamed as he sat up in bed.
He looked over to Marita. She was sitting up, with the same worried face she had every other night.
He looked down to the floor." Nightmares, again."
"Want me to get you a glass of water?"
"No, I'll get one myself."
He went to the bathroom. Marita stared at the spot he was sleeping in, and bit her lip. He'd had these nightmares ever since he came back. She thought they'd subside, but this last one seemed worse. She thought of Mulder's words.
"You're doing more damage to him by letting this continue."
She watched him come out with his water, and stand at the window. He'd spent a lot of time in front of that window, since they arrived in Seattle. Standing for hours in silence.
He looked back at her. "One more day. One more day, and this will all be over."
"And then what?"
"What do you mean, and then what?"
"I mean," she paused."Is it really going to be over? Everything will be better?"
He looked down at the body he was in, "Well they'll be a lot better than they are now? What's gotten into you anyway? You're still with me, aren't' you?"
She didn't answer
"Marita? Tell me you're still with me on this. I can't do this without you."
"You died Alex, not almost died, you died. I keep thinking that we do all this, and then what? What happens next time, and there will be a next time, eventually. What's going to happen to you then?"
He didn't respond.
"I just want to know that you'll be okay after this."
He turned back to the window. "I don't get it. What brought this on?"
"Mulder said I was doing more damage to you by-" She stopped herself, realizing that what she said would open old wounds, but it was too late.
He turned around. "Mulder! Mulder said? And you believed him?"
"I'm not saying that! I just want to know you're going to be okay!"
"We've been through this before, Marita. I had your word, never again! Never again, and yet, here we are! I need your help more than ever, and you're going to abandon me, again, because Mulder said?"
He threw his glass against the wall.
"Alex, Please!"
"Why is it okay for him, and not me?" He yelled. "Why is it perfectly normal for him to crawl out of the grave, three months after he died? Ever think that maybe I'm not supposed to go back? That maybe Mulder isn't the only one who gets a second chance?"
She went up to him and tried to touch him, "Alex, please! I never said I was-"
He pulled away. "You don't know what I went through! You don't know what it was like for me there! And the golden boy says a few words, and you're ready to send me back?"
"No, that's not it. Stop it! Please, listen-"
"To what? To you arguing Mulder's case? So what? I can decide to just quit, and go back? I'm not going back there. I don't care what anyone say's I'm not going back to that prison, with those-"
He stopped, turned away and went back to the widow.
She went up behind him, and touched his shoulder.
He didn't turn around. "Those things." He whispered. "They're still there, waiting for me to return. I swear I can see them sometimes in the shadows. Every time I look out the window I expect to see them coming to take me back. I won't go, Marita. Whether you're with me, or not, I won't go back."
He allowed her to turn him around, but he still wouldn't look at her.
" Alex, I'm sorry. I'm with you. Okay? I'll do whatever you need me to do. It's not like before."
He stared at her.
"I promise." She said. "I'll do whatever you need me to do. Whatever it takes. I won't let you go either."
He stood there for several seconds, and nodded.
She wrapped her arms around
him. He looked over at the shattered glass, and hugged her back.