TITLE: Horizon
AUTHOR: Heather G, aka Miss Spooky
RATING: PG
CLASSIFICATION: X, M/S friendship, MulderAngst, ScullyAngst
DISCLAIMER: NOT MINE, CHRIS CARTER'S...
FEEDBACK: Please! ;-)

The girl ran down the street as fast as she could. She had to get away. Away from them. She had to keep going, but
she couldn't go any further. She was too cold, tired and hungry. Her knees gave out from under her and she collapsed
to the pavement.
* * * *

The patrol car slowed to a stop. The patrol woman was making her last round when she saw a young girl laying on the sidewalk.
"Simons to base, I got a girl about thirteen, looks like she needs medical attention. I'm taking her to the hospital."
* * * *

When she regained consciousness, she noticed she was moving. She sat up wearily and looked around. How did I get here? she wondered.
"You'd better take it easy," a voice said. It was a woman�s voice. �What�s your name, honey?� the voice asked. The girl blinked in the darkness. It was hard to focus.
�Samantha,� she answered the voice. �Samantha Mulder.�
�Do you have anybody we can contact to let them know where you are?�
Too many questions She said to herself. People who ask questions like that are usually dangerous. �My brother.� She was feeling weak again. It was hard to talk. �My brother. His name is Fox Mulder.�
She dropped off to sleep in the car. She knew it wasn�t a good idea. The voice could work for them. It could be taking her anywhere. But she didn�t care . She had to sleep.
* * * *

He was awakened by the shrill ringing of his phone. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. Who could it be this late? he wondered. �Mulder.�
�Is this Agent Fox Mulder?� the voice on the other end wanted to know.
�Yeah that�s me� he answered groggily.
�We have a Samantha Mulder here at the hospital, she said we should contact you.�
Samantha?! He was overjoyed. But no. That was impossible. She had been missing since he was twelve. One night she just disappeared, and he never saw her again.
�Sir, are you there?�
�...Yeah, I�m on my way.�
* * * *

Her cell phone was ringing, she didn�t know how long it had been. She climbed out of bed to find it. Ouch! She bumped into the coffee table. Stupid phone! She fumbled in the pockets of her jacket that lay on the back of the sofa.
�Scully.� Special agent Dana Scully was not fond of late night phone calls. �Mulder, slow down. Samantha? Alright, Mulder, I�m on my way but I - Mulder? Mulder?� She sighed and began to gather up her clothes.

She stood with her partner outside room 731. �Are you sure this is the right room?� she asked him.
�It�s the right one.�
�Because all I see is a thirteen - year- old girl.� By all accounts, Samantha should be thirty - two.
* * * *

When she woke up, she was in a strange room. It frightened her. It made her remember... Someone knocked on the door. A woman came in, followed by a man, who looked familiar, and another woman.
�Samantha, these people are from the FBI. They want to ask you some questions.�
More questions . �No! I won�t answer any stupid questions!� she yelled, then began to cry. �Where�s my brother? Where�s Fox?!�
Scully glanced at Mulder who looked uncomfortable. �We�ll leave you alone,� she whispered to him as she and the nurse left the room.
�Where�s Fox?� she sobbed.
�Samantha, I know this must be hard for you, but I need you to tell me where you�ve been.�
The man was familiar. Especially his eyes. She suddenly felt comfortable talking to him. She stopped crying so she could answer his questions. �I - I don�t know. Some men came and took me away. I want to see my brother.�
Mulder felt his stomach knot. Could this be his sister? She should be much older now. Was it her? He moved a little closer. �Samantha? It�s me, Fox.� He knew she wouldn�t believe him.
�No. You can�t be.� She felt alone and was on the verge of tears again.
He wanted her to believe him. He wanted to make everything okay. He took out his badge and showed her that he was indeed Fox William Mulder. He had the same name as her brother. But this couldn�t be him. He looked strangely familiar, though.
� O.K. Fox would know this. How old was I when they came and took me?�
�You were eight years old. We were in Chilmarck Massachusetts, our parents were next door at our neighbors�. We were arguing about a t.v. show just before they took you.�
�Fox? That�s really you?� Her eyes overflowed with tears. She knew he�d find her.
He came and sat on the edge of the bed. �Samantha, what happened the night they took you?�
She was shaken with fear at the thought of the night the men came. � I was so scared, Fox! I knew they were going to hurt me.� She started to cry again. He saw that she remembered something. Something that frightened her very much.
� No, no. It�s okay. Nobody�s going to hurt you any more.�
Samantha looked into his face and through her own tears, saw his eyes fill with them as well. She couldn�t tell if he was glad to see her, or if he was hurting. He pulled her into his arms and held her.
� I was so scared!� He cradled her and tried to comfort her.
�You�re safe now. Everything�s alright.�
He looked into her eyes and saw the little sister he lost. He stroked her face and kissed her forehead. �Samantha,� he said finally, �I have to go now, but I�ll come back soon, o.k.?"
�O.k.� She smiled at him and he turned to leave. �Fox? I love you.�
* * * *

�You ok, Mulder?� Scully looked over at her partner in the passenger seat. He was staring out the window at nothing in particular.
�That�s her, Scully ,� he said after an awkward silence.
�Mulder, she�s only thirteen. Samantha would be thirty two now.�
� I can�t explain that any better than you can, but I know my sister.�
She sighed. Knowing the emotional state he was in, she didn�t push the issue. They drove the rest of the way in silence. When they stopped in front of his apartment, he said �Come with me, Scully. I want you to meet her.�
She sat in thought for a moment, but never answered. �Good night, Mulder.�
He watched her drive away before turning to go inside.
* * * *

Dead silence had descended on the hospital except for the occasional night staff. She lay wide awake staring all around the dark room. She began to wonder about her brother. Who was the woman he was with? Why was he so much older than her - they were only four years apart. She hoped he would come see her soon. She dropped off to sleep in the midst of her thoughts.
* * * *

He woke up in the morning wondering if it was all a dream. It couldn�t have been. He got up to get dressed and noticed he had never undressed the night before. He grabbed his car keys and flew out the door. Scully had to meet her.
* * * *

Scully checked herself in at the front desk and waited for Mulder outside Samantha�s room. He arrived just a short time after. Mulder poked his head inside the door.
� Hey. Can I come in? There is someone I want you to meet.�
Samantha looked at the newcomer critically. �That your wife?�
He laughed. �No, she�s not.�
�Girlfriend?� she asked hopefully
. �No. My name is Dana. I work with-� she hesitated and glanced at Mulder. �- Fox at the FBI.�
�That�s too bad. She�s awful pretty, Fox.�
He laughed more, a little harder this time, his face flushing with embarrassment. It was apparent to Samantha that he thought Dana was pretty too.
�Yeah. Yeah she is. Anyway, I wanted you two to get to know each other.�
Scully felt herself blush. She certainly wasn�t expecting that. �I�ve heard a lot about you,� she said at last. �If you don�t mind my asking, how did you get away from the people that took you?�
�Samantha, are you sure - �
She cut him off. �No. I�m okay. I don�t remember exactly how, but I remember running for a long time. I got into the city, but I was so cold and tired. That�s all I remember.�
� Did they hurt you?�
� I - I can�t do this yet. I�m sorry. Fox, I don�t like it here. It makes me remember...� Her voice trailed off.
� I�m sure you�ll be able to go soon. Listen, we�d better go. I�ll come back to see how you�re doing.�
�Sure. I�m sorry about yesterday. I�m just so sick of questions. They would ask me things and...�
�Don�t worry about it. I�ll see you later.�
When they stepped out into the hall, Scully said �Don�t you think it�s odd that she can�t remember much?�
� She was terrified. She probably tried to repress it.�
�If she was eight twenty - four years ago, why is she only thirteen?�
� I don�t know. Maybe some kind of cryogenic preservation. We�ve seen it before in the Yucatan. Why not now? Nothing is too advanced for these people.�
�Exactly. This could be just a trap to reel you in. Mulder, don�t let your willingness to believe blind you from the truth. Just...take care. I have to go finish my field report, Skinner wants it by Monday so...�
� I know. I�ll see you later, Scully.�
She left the hospital and walked out toward her car. She thought about the young girl claiming to be Samantha. She felt so protective of her partner, she didn�t want to see him hurt. She wished there was something she could do.
* * * *

She was alone again in the cold, sterile room. She was supposed to be resting. Too much rest can�t be good for a person she thought. She wasn�t sure if she trusted Fox�s partner. She seemed reluctant. She was nice enough, but not trusting. She finally managed to catch a light nap, despite all her thoughts and questions.
* * * *

She was asleep when it came. She began to remember the things that happened to her while she was missing. Her eyes snapped open and she sat up. She tried to push them out of her mind, but they kept coming. She became so frightened that she began to scream, which brought the night nurse running.
�Samantha, are you alright?�
�Where�s Fox?! Please, I need to talk to him. Please!�
Sensing the urgency in Samantha�s voice, she told the woman at the front desk to call Mulder.
* * * *

Mulder drove back to his apartment and took out an old photo album as he often did when he thought of his sister. He poured out a handful of sunflower seeds and ate them one by one, leaving a pile of shells. He saw pictures of Samantha, just a tiny little girl. Pictures of his father. He felt pangs of regret and guilt as he stared at a young Bill Mulder. He mourned the loss of his father, and then turned the page. He fell asleep on the couch thinking about his family. He was shaken out of his slumber by once again, the phone.
�Agent Mulder? Your sister is absolutely hysterical. She�s demanding to speak to you. I think you should come down here.�
� I�ll be right there.� He hung up the phone, pulled on his black jacket and rushed out the door.
* * * *

When he arrived, the tears were streaming down his sister�s face and she looked at him with an expression of fear and pain that made him ache.
�Samantha, what is it? What�s wrong?!�
�They�re hurting me! Please Fox, make them stop!�
He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Scully�s number. �Scully, you�ve got to come down to the hospital!�
�Mulder? What�s the matter?� he sounded like he was in trouble.
�It�s Samantha.�
* * * *

By the time Scully arrived at the hospital, Samantha was screaming at the top of her lungs. �Stop! Stop them, they�re hurting me! Stop, please!�
� She needs to be sedated, or she�s going to hurt herself.� It took two nurses to hold her while Scully injected the sedative.
�Stop! No !� She fell back against the pillow and began to cry softly. Scully turned to the nurse in charge and questioned her.
Mulder walked over to the bedside and held Samantha�s hand.
� What caused her to go off like that?" Scully asked the nurse.
� I don�t know. She had been sleeping and then she started screaming about Agent Mulder.� She made nod in Mulder�s direction. �She wanted to speak to him right away. Just before he got here, she started yelling that �They� were hurting her.�
�Thank you.�
�Scully, I�m going to stay with her. If you want to go, you can.�
�No. I think you need someone to stay with you.�
* * * *

�How are you feeling?�
She recognized the voice, but couldn�t see his face. She blinked a few times until he came into focus. �My head hurts,� she said quietly.
�What happened last night?�
�I was remembering, Fox. Remembering what happened to me, what they did to me.� She looked up at him. �But I don�t want to remember.�
�We can talk about this later. You should try and get some sleep. Dana and I will be right here.�
�Maybe you should get some sleep too, Mulder. You�ve been up all night. I�ll be here if she needs anything.�
�Thanks,� he said again, then smiled sheepishly. He had been saying that to her a lot lately...

When she felt she had enough sleep she looked around and saw that only Dana was awake.
�Can I get you anything?� Scully asked.
� I... I need to talk to someone.� She felt the words come in a rush. She wasn�t sure if Dana was the right person. �You don�t know what it�s like. To be taken from your home, your family...�
Scully sighed and shifted uneasily in her chair. �Actually, yes I do. I was taken by a group of men like you, and I was missing for three months. When I came back, I had been diagnosed with inoperable cancer.�
�You don�t talk about it, do you? You�re afraid.�
Scully was taken aback. She had never really told anyone about her experience.
�Last night,� Samantha continued, �all that came back to me. I felt like it was happening all over again, you know?�
�Yes, I know.�
� Is Fox - or should I call him �Agent Mulder� ?� She said mockingly. �Is he alright?�
�He is afraid for you. He has been looking for you for years. He doesn�t want to lose you.�
�Oh. Thank you, Dana.�

When Mulder woke up, Samantha was sleeping again. �How�s she doing?� He asked worriedly.
"Better. We had a little talk..."
�Look at her, Scully. She�s beautiful. We got along like a brother and sister, but I never really told her I loved her.�
Scully put her arm around him, hoping to comfort him. �I�d better go. I�ve got some work to do.� She slipped quietly out the door.
He waited until Samantha woke to tell her he was leaving.
�O.k. Tell Dana hi for me -and tell her I said thank you. Oh, and Fox? I want you to have this.� She dropped a small silver ring her mother gave her into his hand. �Keep it safe for me, please.� She smiled at him. �Bye.�
�Bye.� He lingered in the doorway for a few minutes before closing the door.
* * * *

They came for her that night. They must�ve thought she was asleep. But she couldn�t sleep. Someone grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth so she couldn�t call for help. She struggled and tried to get away, but two men had her tight and carried her out. When they reached the lot where their car was parked, she yelled as soon as she got a chance.
�Fox! Help me!�
�He can�t help you now,� said one of the men, whose name was Alex Krycek. She knew that they would send Krycek after her sooner or later. She had hoped it would be later. She was put into the back seat of the car and they drove off into the darkness.
* * * *

He woke up in the middle of the night, sweat beading on his face. In his dream she had called to him, her voice distant. He flicked on a light and sat down at his desk. He rubbed the bridge of his nose as though it would take away all of his uneasiness and worry.
When he went to see her the next day, Scully was already waiting. She looked depressed, her face blank as he approached. �Scully, what�s going on?�
She was hesitant, making sure that what she said would make it somewhat easier for him. �Mulder I know..� she sighed tiredly, choosing her words carefully. �I know that you cared for her very much, which is why this is going to be hard.�
He froze, trying to read her expression. She was very good at hiding what she felt.
�Samantha is gone. She was taken from her room last night.�
He looked like someone had hit him in the stomach. His heart sank and he felt sick. �I�m sorry.� she said.
He pushed past her to look through the glass window in the door. The bed sheets were all out of place, a table was overturned. There was no little girl to be seen. He pounded on the door in anger and frustration, then sank into a chair. He didn�t want to allow himself to feel the loss. He felt that he should have seen it coming. But there was no stopping it. He put his head in his hands and tried to make sense of it. Scully sat beside him and put her arm around his shoulders. He tried to be strong, tried to conceal his emotions, but he found that he couldn�t. He rested his head on his partner�s shoulder and let the tears come. Anger. Loss. Defeat.

When he recovered, he was more angry than anything. He knew just who was responsible.
� You should go home.� Scully suggested.
� No! I am not going to sit and feel sorry for myself, Scully. I have to find her.� His voice was harsh and cold.
�Mulder, these men don�t leave trails of bread crumbs for you to follow! I think you�ve done all you can.�
He thought about this for a moment. After a long pause he said, �No, but they do leave trails of ashes!�
* * * *

He knew as soon as he entered his apartment that he wasn�t alone. He also knew exactly who was visiting him. A man shrouded in cigarette smoke was standing in his living room.
�I should have known you were behind this!�
�Why, Agent Mulder, it�s nice to see you too.�
� Cut the Crap! Where is she?!�
�She�s in good hands�.
�What did you do to her?!
�I can�t possibly begin to know what you are talking about,� the man said.
�You show her to me and then take her away. Why?!�
�Her coming back to you had nothing to do with me. She did that on her own.�
�Give me one good reason why I shouldn�t just shoot you right now!� he shouted as he drew his gun. The situation was very familiar to both men, as Mulder had threatened to shoot the Cigarette Smoking Man before.
�If you shoot me, you�ll never know where she is," CSM said simply.
Mulder held his gun on him for a few minutes then put it away. �Get out of here, now!�
The Cigarette Smoking Man ground out his cigarette and left the apartment.

Mulder sat down on his couch and pulled out the tiny ring. He looked at it and prayed that she was ok. He got up and typed a summary of his thoughts of the past events. He considered this as much as anything to be an X-File.

**I don�t believe we are in control of our own lives. We are pawns in someone else�s game, manipulated for whatever purpose they choose. Maybe that girl was my sister, and maybe she wasn�t. I may never know. I am certain now more than ever, that I want to believe. I want to believe that she is alive somewhere, that she is safe. I want to believe that I will see her again someday. But it seems th