THE X-FILES: "Heart's Desire"

a teleplay by Abbie Anderson (amanders@att.net)
--the author's first X-Files fan fiction--
Originally completed June, 1994 (between seasons 1 & 2); last revision 7/30/99

Summary: A string of possible alien abductions takes Mulder and Scully to rural western Virginia, where they uncover an apparent experiment in the psychology of happiness.

Disclaimer: The universe of The X-Files and the characters therein are the intellectual property of Chris Carter, Fox Television, and Ten-Thirteen Productions, and have been used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended; I'm just having a good time. If you like what I've done, feel free to share it, but of course do give me credit for it and provide the sharees with my e-mail address. If it provokes a reaction, positive or negative, please let me know. Constructive criticism especially welcome.

Formatting reduced for posting to Internet. E-mail author to request hard copy in teleplay format.

Notes re: conventions of teleplay format:
"INT."="interior" (i.e., a scene set indoors)
"EXT."="exterior"
"V.O."="voice-over" (i.e., the line is not spoken by a character in the scene, but is heard superimposed on the action--as in a narrator's voice, a voice on the telephone, or when we "eavesdrop" on a character's thoughts)

I have not fully conformed with teleplay format standards (for instance, character's names in "stage directions" are not in all-caps; sound effects and special effects are not marked, for the most part), nor am I good with camera angles or other technical aspects that ought to be in a serious teleplay. I'm definitely an amateur, here, and it shows.




TEASER

FADE IN:
1. INT: SEMI-SEEDY MOTEL CHECK-IN COUNTER, NIGHT
Martinsburg, West Virginia. A male clerk stands behind the counter. A tall, thin man with short brown hair enters, carrying a blonde girl on his shoulder. The girl is apparently asleep; she looks seven or eight years old. The man seems nervous and distracted, and shifts the girl to rub at his neck as he speaks. His name is Clifford Bridges, as we will learn in Act One.

BRIDGES
Can you give us a room? My little girl isn't feeling well. Here, I have a credit card.

The clerk takes his card and begins the transaction. Both men have western Virginia accents.

CLERK
I'll put you down at the end there. You won't have any neighbors to disturb your little one. Just sign here, please, sir.

BRIDGES
Thank you.

Bridges signs the form; the clerk gives him the key and his card, and Bridges starts to go out.

CLERK
The maid will be in tomorrow about noon whether you're out or not. She doesn't like to wait.

BRIDGES
All right.

He exits, stroking the girl's head and singing softly:

BRIDGES
"Hush, little baby, don't say a word, Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird..."

The song continues as we FADE TO:
2. INT: MOTEL ROOM, DAY
The drapes are drawn and the room is dim. Bridges is sitting on the bed where the girl lies; all we can see of her is her hair, which Bridges is stroking while singing the lullaby. As the camera moves we see that all is not well: there is blood on the bed and on the girl's face, and her skin is a bit too blue; a bloody mess where one eye should be, an arm at wrong angles, burn marks.... We don't want to see the rest. We hear a knock on the door and a brusk female voice:

MAID
Housekeeping. Anybody home?

Bridges appears not to hear her. The maid tries again; then the key snicks in the lock, and she enters. She takes a beat to absorb the scene, then screams and dashes away past her cleaning cart. Bridges looks up vaguely, then sighs and lies down. A BRIGHT LIGHT wraps around him, and when it is gone, so is he. The girl's body remains on the bed. A moment later the maid returns with a man wearing a tie (the manager).

MAID
The man...he was sitting on the bed with her...he must have run away! He was just sitting there with her, singing something, he didn't seem to notice me at all....

MANAGER
Oh my God.... I'm calling the police. Don't touch anything!

The manager goes out, and the maid quickly follows.

FADE OUT.

ACT ONE

FADE IN:
3. INT: THE X-Files OFFICE
Mulder reads to Scully from a new case file.

MULDER
Clifford Bridges, age 37, sixth grade social studies teacher. Resident of Harriston, Virginia.

Scully looks over Mulder's shoulder at Bridges' PICTURE: a thin but pleasant-faced white man.

MULDER
On the afternoon of June 20 he abducted Amelia Brand, age 7, from neighboring Grottoes, Virginia.

PICTURE of the blonde girl.

MULDER
Later that night he checked into the Sands Motel in Martinsburg, West Virginia with the girl, over 100 miles away. Around noon the next day the maid entered the room and found Bridges sitting on the bed with Amelia, who was severely mutilated and had apparently died some time in the night.

PICTURE of crime scene, VIEWS of girl's body.

MULDER
The maid went to get the manager; when they returned Bridges was gone, but his car was still in the parking lot. The ensuing manhunt found no trace of him. The next evening Bridges was found collapsed outside his own home in Harriston. He was taken to the hospital, where it was discovered that he had suffered a stroke. He had no apparent recall of the events of the previous three days. He fell into catatonia a few hours after his interrogation by the sheriff on the 24th, and has remained in the hospital for observation for the last five days.

SCULLY
Is there a history of psychiatric treatment? Any previous contact with the girl or her family?

MULDER
Nope. And wait, it gets better. Ms. Beverly Harmon, age 42, night manager of a grocery store in Crimora, Virginia, the next town on the other side of Harriston.

PICTURE. Harmon is African American, with close-cut natural hair.

MULDER
On Sunday, June 26, she was checked into the same hospital by her son Jay, who found her that afternoon nearly prostrated with exhaustion and dehydration. She had apparently been playing her flute non-stop since she left work early on Friday. Her son says she hadn't touched the thing in years. During late-night rounds Ms. Harmon was found missing from her hospital bed. The next afternoon she showed up back at her house: completely recovered, still in her hospital gown, with no memory of where she'd been or how she'd gotten home. That's when they called us.

SCULLY
Is there any connection between Bridges and Harmon? Any regional environmental factors: a chemical plant or factory, toxic waste site?

MULDER
None that the local sheriff's department thought was significant.

SCULLY
Where are Amelia Brand's remains?

MULDER
The family had her cremated.

Scully doesn't have a lot to work with here along conventional lines, but she's going to try anyway.

SCULLY
Well, I guess the first thing is to go talk to the sheriff, and take a look at Bridges in the hospital. It would help to know Bridges' activities in the days leading up to the kidnapping. We'll want soil, water, and vegetation samples as well, in case this is biochemical.

MULDER
You go on without me. I want to do some digging in the Files. I'll meet up with you there tomorrow.

CUT TO:
4. INT: SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: HARRISTON, VIRGINIA
Scully enters and approaches the only stationary person in the room: a man in his mid-forties, seated at a desk. She holds up her badge.

SCULLY
Special Agent Dana Scully, FBI. I'm here about the Bridges and Harmon incidents. Sheriff Hinterburg is supposed to give me a briefing.

The man stands and they shake hands.

DEPUTY
Deputy Tom Fielding. I'm glad you're here. (pause) I'm afraid the sheriff isn't. Here, I mean. He called this morning to say he wouldn't be coming in.

Fielding hesitates, uncertain how to proceed.

SCULLY
Is something wrong?

FIELDING
Frankly, he didn't sound quite himself. He told me he had some important gardening to do. He said something about having a vision, and asked me to call his wife. She moved out almost a year ago, Jeff was about to file the divorce papers_must have been some vision to make him change his mind.

SCULLY
Can we go see him?

FIELDING
Sure, I'll take you. Maybe the FBI can make some sense out of him. You know anything about roses?

Reaction.

CUT TO:
5. EXT: JEFFREY HINTERBURG'S BACK YARD, DAY
Scully and Fielding come around the side of the house; Hinterburg is planting rose bushes. The yard has been completely and enthusiastically dug up. Hinterburg is a middle-aged white man going bald on top, probably in his mid-50's. He is positively beaming as he works with the flowers.

SCULLY
Sheriff Hinterburg? I'm Agent Dana Scully, FBI. I've been assigned to assist you in the Bridges and Harmon cases as per your request.

HINTERBURG
Hm? Hold onto this bush, will you?

Scully gingerly takes hold of a branch while Hinterburg stakes and ties it. He pauses to caressingly work the soil around the bush's base with his fingers.

HINTERBURG
You have to cherish them, you know, just like people.

The skeptical look on Fielding's face indicates that this is not a typical sentiment coming from Hinterburg. A car pulls up in back, and a middle-aged woman with an anxious expression gets out and comes toward them. Fielding intercepts her and takes her aside before Hinterburg can see her. Scully releases the rose bush and follows, unnoticed by Hinterburg.

FIELDING
Ruth, thank you for coming. Agent Dana Scully, this is Mrs. Ruth Hinterburg. Agent Scully is with the FBI.

The two women shake hands, Ruth looking past Scully to see what Hinterburg is doing.

SCULLY
My partner and I were called in to assist with some unusual cases.

Hinterburg has seen Ruth, and charges up. He grabs her and swings her in the air.

HINTERBURG
Ruth!! God, you're beautiful, do you know that? It came to me in a dream, Ruth, a vision! You were standing in the middle of all these roses, and there were flowers in your hair! I just couldn't get it out of my head all day yesterday, I started digging up the yard last night. Do you think you could stay a while, and help me make your garden just how you want it?

RUTH
Y-yes, Jeff, I can stay....

SCULLY
Sheriff Hinterburg, I was hoping you could give me a briefing on the Bridges and Harmon cases.

HINTERBURG
Hm? Oh, that. Tom knows all about that, you can talk to him. I'm in the middle of something very important right now.

Hinterburg gives Ruth an adoring smooch, and goes enthusiastically back to the rose bushes. Ruth does not yet follow him. Scully looks thoughtful.

RUTH
Oh my.

SCULLY
Mrs. Hinterburg?

She hands Ruth a card, which Ruth distractedly accepts.

SCULLY
This is a number where you can reach me. Your husband's behavior may be related to the cases I'm here to investigate.

Ruth looks at the card, nods and puts it in her purse.

RUTH
Excuse me.

Ruth goes to join her husband and stands back a little to watch him, briefly resting a hand on his back and starting to smile. Scully and Fielding exchange looks.

FADE TO:
6. INT: CLIFFORD BRIDGES' HOSPITAL ROOM
A woman is sitting next to Bridges' bed, where Bridges is propped up, staring vacantly into space, his mouth open a little. Scully enters and stands in the doorway a moment, watching. The woman reaches over with a handkerchief to close Bridges' mouth and wipe his chin.

SCULLY (gently)
Miss Bridges? I'm FBI Agent Dana Scully, I'm here to help the sheriff about your brother. May I ask you a few questions?

MISS BRIDGES
All right.

Scully pulls up a chair next to the bed and sits down.

SCULLY
Miss Bridges, have you ever known your brother to be an angry or violent person?

MISS BRIDGES
No, that's why this whole thing is so horrible. He's not what you'd call shy, but I've never known him to want to hurt anybody, not even to joke about it. And now that poor little girl....

SCULLY
Has Clifford ever met with a counselor or a therapist?

MISS BRIDGES
Well, there was one time. He was godfather to the daughter of some friends of his, but she died in a boating accident several years ago. It hit him pretty hard, and I think he was seeing someone for a while. He always wanted to be married and have a family, but it just hasn't worked out that way. Do you think that might have something to do with--with what he did?

SCULLY
Do you remember the name of the person who counselled him then?

MISS BRIDGES
I'm sorry, no. That was oh, four or five years ago, and Cliff never liked to talk about it. But I'm pretty sure I can find out for you.

SCULLY
Thank you, that would be a big help. Do you know if your brother was on medication of any kind?

MISS BRIDGES
No, I don't think so, unless allergies count. There's just no reason....

Miss Bridges takes her brother's limp hand, near tears as she watches his empty face. A young male doctor appears in the doorway.

DOCTOR (TRUITT)
Excuse me, Agent Scully? I'm Dr. Benjamin Truitt. Is this a good time for me to show you something? I think it might be important.

Reaction.

CUT TO:
7. INT: X RAY DISPLAY ROOM
Scully and Truitt stand in front of the display panel.

TRUITT
When they first brought Bridges in he was still functioning pretty well. A little vacant, maybe, but otherwise pretty sharp for someone who's had a stroke and can't remember what he's done for the last few days. His overall passivity bothered me, though, and what with all that had gone on I suspected brain conditions possibly unrelated to the stroke, so I held the sheriff off long enough to have a priority PET-scan done.

He puts the image up on the viewer.

TRUITT
They tell me you're a doctor. Have you ever seen anything like this?

SCULLY
It looks like somebody who's undergone brain surgery. There are streaks of inactivity in the pre-frontal area, as if he's been given some kind of lobotomy.

TRUITT
That's what I thought. But there's no tissue loss, and absolutely no evidence of surgery. This is more complex than any lobotomy I'm aware of; it's simply too selective. Frankly, I don't know how this effect could have been achieved.

Scully looks at him.

SCULLY
Is there anything else you think you should tell me, Dr. Truitt?

TRUITT
Yes, there is. When Bridges was brought in I saw a distinct red mark behind his left ear, as if he'd been pressed or poked there. It faded away while I was examining it, leaving no trace of what might have caused it. Another thing about this patient that I can't explain.

Reaction.

FADE TO:
8. INT: MOTEL ROOM, NIGHT
Scully sits at a table in pajamas and bathrobe, typing her report on her laptop computer.

SCULLY [V.O.]
There seem to be no connections between Bridges and Harmon, and now possibly Sheriff Hinterburg: no common element that may have instigated their obsessive behavior so different in effect but so similar in pattern. There is still no evidence as to how Bridges traveled from the Sands Motel to his home. While Bridges had no conscious recall of his actions in abducting and torturing Amelia Brand, it is possible that the suppressed trauma of the experience induced his catatonic withdrawal. Dr. Truitt's comments at the hospital while intriguing provide no direct evidence or leads.

Scully takes off her glasses, rubs her eyes, and shuts down her computer. She goes to the phone and punches in Mulder's number.

SCULLY
Hi, it's me. I've had an interesting day. We might have a third example of whatever this is: none other than the sheriff himself. When I got here he was deliriously planting a rose garden to get his wife back.

MULDER [V.O.]
Did it work?

SCULLY
Yeah, she showed up. Not much else has turned up yet, other than an unusual PET-scan the doctor didn't put in his report. I'm going to see Beverly Harmon tomorrow. I sent environmental samples to the lab, but they won't be able to tell us anything 'til tomorrow night.

MULDER [V.O.]
Where should I meet you?

SCULLY
Oh--I'm at the Valley Inn, #8. It won't be hard to find me, I think I'm the only one here. Did you find anything at your end?

MULDER [V.O.]
A little. I'll tell you about it tomorrow. You sound pretty beat.

SCULLY (yawning broadly)
I didn't know I was this tired. I can hardly keep my eyes open. Good night, Mulder.

She hangs up the phone, takes off her robe and goes to bed with a sigh. A few moments later she is enfolded in LIGHT as Bridges had been, and disappears.

FADE OUT.

ACT TWO

FADE IN:
9. INT: DREAMSCAPE
Indefinite images of hands on bare skin, a man and a woman: Mulder and Scully in a jumble of kisses and caresses, brief but intense.

CUT TO:
10. INT: SCULLY'S MOTEL ROOM, MORNING
Scully startles awake, back in bed. The bedside clock reads 6:04. She sits up and shakes her head, a little in shock as she tries not to remember details. Her cellular phone rings, and she picks it up to answer.

SCULLY
Scully.

RUTH HINTERBURG [V.O.] (panicked)
Agent Scully? Agent Scully, this is Ruth Hinterburg. I--my husband, Jeffrey--he's gone! Just vanished!

SCULLY
What? When did this happen?

RUTH [V.O.]
I don't know, some time in the night. I can't find him anywhere!

SCULLY
Did he seem upset or troubled in any way last night?

RUTH [V.O.]
Upset? No, not upset. You saw him yesterday, he was so happy, so wonderful... and now he's gone. Agent Scully, I can't lose him now, not now! Where could he have gone?

Reaction.

CUT TO:
11. EXT: OUTSIDE HINTERBURG'S HOUSE, MORNING
Scully consults with Fielding at the front of the house. A few other officers are finishing up a search of the house and its surroundings.

FIELDING
There's no sign of anyone entering or leaving the house, and none of the neighbors noticed anything unusual last night. Neither of the cars has been touched. I'll post an officer to keep an eye on Ruth, but it looks like all we can do now is wait and see what happens next.

SCULLY
If this follows the pattern for Bridges and Harmon, Sheriff Hinterburg may make an unexplained appearance back here in the next twentyfour hours. We should be prepared for that.

Fielding is not very happy with that suggestion.

FADE TO:
12. INT: BEVERLY HARMON'S DINING ROOM TABLE, MORNING
Scully and Harmon are seated at the table, each with a cup of coffee. Scully's tape recorder is set up between them and is already rolling.

SCULLY
I understand you were a professional musician before your son was born.

HARMON
Well, professional would be a bit of an exaggeration, but yes, I played a lot in the clubs in Chicago, where I grew up. Jam sessions, you know. My husband was in the Army and we got stationed in various places, and what with taking care of Jay and being an Army wife I just let the flute get away from me. My husband was killed when some equipment malfunctioned during test maneuvers, almost ten years ago now. I moved here after that, I have family in the area. Jay's in college now, I'm on my own most of the time.

SCULLY
Had you done any playing lately?

HARMON
No, actually, I had hardly thought about it in years. I keep myself pretty busy. That's why the dream came as such a surprise.

SCULLY
Ms. Harmon, do you remember how this incident started?

HARMON
Like I said, I had a dream. In it I heard flute music, like someone was playing something that no one had ever heard before, just for me. And I felt my fingers move, and the breath flow, and the flute in my hands, and it was me making the music, following what I heard. Like the way Indians get their songs: they say the spirits teach them in their dreams. I'm part Seminole, so I liked that idea. I got up the next day thinking it was just a nice dream, but at work I couldn't keep my mind off my flute. It got to where I couldn't stand it any more, my whole skull was filling up with that flute, so I came home and got it out and started to play.

SCULLY
Ms. Harmon, you didn't stop playing your flute for two days. Your son had to take you to the hospital. Have you remembered how you got back here?

HARMON
No, ma'am, I have not.

SCULLY
Have you played your flute again since you came home?

Harmon smiles, happy and a little defiant.

HARMON
Oh, yes. I've got it back now, I'm not letting it go again.

SCULLY
You seem pretty comfortable after having such an extreme experience.

HARMON
I know the whole thing sounds crazy. I'm sorry I scared Jay, but I can't be sorry it happened. Listen, somebody helped me. I don't know if it was Jesus or little green men or the spirits of my ancestors, but somebody gave me something I thought I couldn't have, and healed me, and brought me home again. And I'm grateful. Do you understand what I'm saying, Agent Scully?

Reaction: she's not sure. At the moment, the idea of acting out one's dreams is a bit disquieting.

FADE TO:
13. INT: SCULLY'S MOTEL ROOM, DAY
Scully is seated at the table in front of her laptop, wearing headphones attached to her tape recorder on the table: transcribing her interview with Beverly Harmon. She stops a moment, her mind wandering. We see FLASHES of the dream from the night before. She snaps out of it and turns off the tape recorder, pulling off the headphones. Unsettled, she gets up and gets a drink of water from the sink in the kitchenette. We hear a knock at the door.

MULDER (through the door)
Scully, it's me.

Scully unlocks the door and he comes in.

MULDER
Hey, are you OK? You look like you've seen a ghost.

SCULLY
No, I'm fine. I guess I didn't sleep too well last night.

MULDER
Any news?

SCULLY
I got a call at 6:00 this morning from Ruth Hinterburg, the sheriff's wife, in a total panic because her husband had disappeared. When I got there with the deputy and his men there was no sign of anybody having entered or left the house.

MULDER
So the pattern continues.

SCULLY
That's what it looks like. I told Deputy Fielding we should be on the lookout for Hinterburg to show up unexpectedly. I tried calling Mrs. Hinterburg about ten minutes ago, but either she's gone out or she's not answering the phone. Fielding has an officer on the scene so it's most likely nothing, but we should probably start by going out there now and see if anything's happened.

MULDER
I've got to see that magical rose garden. On the way we can swap information. You show me yours, I'll show you mine.

Scully flinches: that metaphor hits too close to home.

CUT TO:
14. INT: SCULLY'S CAR, DAY
Scully is driving.

MULDER
Tell me about this mysterious PET-scan.

SCULLY
Dr. Truitt thought there might have been damage other than the stroke, something that might account for Bridges' behavior.

MULDER
And?

SCULLY
What he found would explain more about Bridges' passive, pliant state when he arrived at the hospital than about what he did to Amelia Brand. The PET-scan looks as if Bridges has undergone a highly selective lobotomy, with clearly defined areas of inactivity in the frontal lobe of his brain. But there's been no loss of tissue, and no evidence of surgery, either. I agree with Dr. Truitt that there is no known cause for that kind of precise alteration in the brain.

MULDER
The plot thickens. You know where this is heading, don't you?

SCULLY
Yeah, little green brain surgeons. I knew you'd like that part. What did you find in the Files?

MULDER
Nothing that good. In 1993 a man living alone in Wyoming holed up in his house and started obsessively writing letters to friends and family, long-lost acquaintances, old teachers, you name it. He collapsed on his way to the post office one morning and was taken to the hospital, but the next day he was fine and didn't remember a thing about the letters. A psychiatric evaluation revealed nothing out of the ordinary other than the memory loss. No one else in the area seems to have been affected. The guy was retired FBI, high-up, and an investigation was made into possible security breaches. They didn't find anything, so they stamped it with an X and handed it to me.

SCULLY
We don't have much to go on, do we?

MULDER
Not unless you want to consider this an abduction scenario. The Wyoming incident could have been a trial run for what we're seeing here, and Bridges could have been a case of alien scientists pushing the wrong buttons and then trying to clean up the mess.

SCULLY (tense)
Don't, Mulder.

Scully doesn't want to think about the possible connections between her recurring dream and Bridges et al, particularly if aliens are supposed to be involved. Mulder looks at her with concern and is about to say something, but they've arrived at the Hinterburg house. Scully parks and quickly gets out of the car.

CUT TO:
15. EXT: PORCH OF HINTERBURG HOUSE, DAY
Scully and Mulder come up the steps and Scully rings the doorbell. The door opens part-way: Ruth Hinterburg, wearing a bathrobe, with flowers in her hair.

SCULLY
Mrs. Hinterburg--you didn't answer the phone, so I thought I should see how you were. This is my partner, Special Agent Fox Mulder.

RUTH
How do you do. It seems it was a false alarm this morning, Jeffrey's here after all. You can go now. I sent Tom's officer home.

MULDER
Does he remember anything?

RUTH (lowering her voice)
No. Not about being gone. And I don't think he needs to. The rest he remembers, and that's all that matters to either of us right now. Can't this wait? Some things are too important, and too private.

Hinterburg's voice comes from inside the house.

HINTERBURG
Ruth? Ruthie?

RUTH
Excuse me, my husband needs me. I don't think there's anything wrong with being happy, do you?

Ruth closes the door and locks it.

MULDER
Who are we to fight true love?

SCULLY
Looks like we don't have much choice.

Mulder thinks this is funnier than Scully does.

FADE TO:
16. INT: SHERIFF'S OFFICE
Scully and Mulder sit across a desk from Fielding.

FIELDING
As far as I can see we have no case here. Jeff's been acting pretty strange the last couple days. For all we know he just decided to take a walk in his p.j.'s, and Ruth overreacted when she couldn't find him, which would be understandable given the circumstances. If he saw all of us at the house this morning I wouldn't put it past him to just wait 'til we were gone before coming home for some private time with his wife.

MULDER
You're not at all interested in why Sheriff Hinterburg might have wanted to spontaneously dig up his back yard and suddenly be in love with his wife again when he was just about to divorce her? And why he might have taken a "walk" like that, and refuse to talk to us now, when he's an officer of the law with an interest in these cases?

FIELDING
No, sir, I am not. That's all between him and Ruth. Nobody's been hurt, nobody's in the hospital. You two are here to investigate Bridges and Harmon, nobody said anything about Jeff Hinterburg.

Reaction.

CUT TO:
17. INT/EXT: SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT BUILDING
Scully and Mulder are on their way out (the usual arguing in the hallways bit), and get to the car by the end of this exchange.

MULDER
You can't beat his logic.

SCULLY
He's right, Mulder, we don't have anything substantial with Hinterburg. Maybe he just decided he needed his wife back.

MULDER
But you said he called it a vision: he had a dream about his wife in a garden. And Beverly Harmon described a similarly compelling dream in her interview with you this morning. A dream about the beloved object or person, and then not being able to get it out of your head, having to do something about it or bust. For obvious reasons we can't ask Bridges if he had a dream about a little girl, but it's even money that's the way it started for him, too.

Scully swallows an uncomfortable reaction to the dream idea, carried by the momentum of their argument.

SCULLY
I agree, we have a pattern here. But Fielding is perfectly correct that there's nothing concrete to pursue with the sheriff, and until something else happens we can't just override local authority. You know that as well as Fielding does. Hinterburg may come to us if he thinks his experience is related to the cases he called us in for.

MULDER
Yeah, right, and admit he's had a visit from Tinkerbell, too.

Reaction.

CUT TO:
18. INT: DINER

Scully and Mulder are seated and eating.

MULDER
You know what this reminds me of? Those nature shows where scientists dart lions in Africa, take blood samples and measurements, put radio collars on 'em and track 'em after they wake up and go home. I always wonder how it feels to be the lion.

Scully has been the lion herself, once. It's not something she wants to talk about.

SCULLY
Sure, Mulder, but lions don't play flutes or torture little girls to death in motel rooms. We're missing something here: some environmental factor, maybe a psychoactive substance these people have been exposed to that would incite this pattern of obsessive behavior. This could even be some new designer drug hitting the streets of rural Virginia, or a contamination of something like aspirin, who knows.

While Mulder speaks his next line Scully distractedly rubs her neck behind her left ear, her face going blank.

MULDER
All three of these towns fit on a 20-mile line, it's too close for coincidence. And it would have to be a pretty impressive substance that could give people their hearts' desire like this, even if the side effects are a little excessive.

He notices the look on her face.

MULDER
Earth to Scully: hey, you still in there?

Scully starts, visibly shaken, and reaches for her drink, avoiding looking into Mulder's face: she's just had another flashback to the dream.

SCULLY
I was just thinking about what Ruth Hinterburg said, about being happy. Bev Harmon said something similar, that she was grateful for what had happened and wouldn't question it.

She shakes her head to clear it

SCULLY
Both Bridges and Harmon have lost people they loved in senseless accidents, maybe that's a connection. Counting Hinterburg and your guy in Wyoming, all these people were living alone when the cycle started, that might have something to do with it, too.

MULDER
Makes it easier to abduct somebody if they're alone.

Scully tries to push past this.

SCULLY
Maybe it's not something personal at all, maybe it's just some freak misfiring in the brain. You're the psychologist: there's got to be a plausible impetus for this focus on repressed wants, suppression of inhibitions in pursuing them....

MULDER
I don't know of anything that promotes this specific an effect, not if you're talking current pharmacology, anyway. If you ask me, it looks like some kind of enhanced hypnotic suggestion.

SCULLY
Now why would anybody want to just collect people anonymously and apparently randomly in such a small area for something like that, and not expect to stir up a lot of attention? And that still wouldn't explain Bridges and Amelia Brand.

MULDER
Wouldn't it? There are rumors of the CIA experimenting with hypnosis for training operatives on high-risk undercover missions. That kind of thing can go drastically wrong if you make the wrong suggestion for the individual; it's hard to control the intensity of response.

SCULLY
Which do you want, Mulder, aliens or a government conspiracy? You're not going to tell me that Bridges, Harmon and Hinterburg are all undercover CIA agents at the edge of Appalachia, are you?

MULDER
Hey, whatever gets the job done. Right now we haven't found a plausible connection at all aside from geographical proximity.

SCULLY
So you're looking for extreme possiblities.

MULDER
That's right. Aren't you?

SCULLY
All right, all right, I give. But I can still pick my extremes, and I can still insist on real evidence. We'll go see Bridges at the hospital, you can talk to Dr. Truitt. If you want we can talk to Bridges' and Harmon's neighbors, maybe there's something they didn't tell the sheriff's men. When we get back to the motel I'll go over the hospital tests from Bridges and Harmon, see if I missed anything before. You can go to town with my report and the Harmon interview.

MULDER
We'll see if those little green brain surgeons don't turn up.

Reaction: Scully is not amused.

FADE OUT.

ACT THREE

FADE IN:
19. INT: SCULLY'S MOTEL ROOM, EVENING
Scully and Mulder work with computer, files and notebooks spread out on the table. The remains of a pizza lie in a box on the kitchenette counter.

MULDER
Finding anything?

SCULLY
Nothing persuasive. (weary) Neither Bridges' nor Harmon's blood work shows your favorite indications of weightlessness, so if it's aliens, they've got gravity.

MULDER
Or limited exposure.

SCULLY
There are significant levels of endorphins and beta-blockers, too, but you'd expect that. We already knew they weren't feeling any pain and were intensely focussed on an assumedly pleasure-giving activity, but the chemicals in the system are the result, not the cause: we still don't know what got them started.

Scully takes her glasses off, rubbing at her neck.

SCULLY
I can't keep this up. I'm having a hard time concentrating.

MULDER
I wouldn't mind a break, myself.

He stands, pulls off his tie and throws it on the table, and goes to the kitchenette fridge to get a can of soda. Scully's eyes go big, fixed on his tie, and she reaches out a hand to finger its fabric; then her gaze jumps to Mulder at the "pop" of him opening the can, and lingers on him. He notices.

MULDER
What are you looking at? Any minute now I'm gonna turn into a big hot-dog and start running around the room, like those guys on the desert island in the cartoon. We just ate an hour ago, you can't be that hungry. If I didn't know better I'd think you were hot for my bones.

Scully quickly averts her eyes, not saying anything. Mulder's just teasing, he doesn't mean anything by it. He comes over and stands behind her chair, looking at the hospital reports she has spread in front of her.

MULDER
That's Bridges before the catatonia?

He stretches an arm in front of her to point at one of the sheets, and she jerks away from him. He sits down again to see her face, startled by the violent reaction. She is trembling, and can't look at him.

MULDER
Hey, are you OK? Something's been wrong all day. Look, you're shaking. Are you feverish?

He reaches out to check her forehead, but she pushes his hand away hard before he can touch her.

MULDER
What's going on, Scully?

Scully braces herself, fixing her eyes in front of her.

SCULLY
I had a dream last night. A very intense, vivid dream. You were touching me, I was touching you ...there's more to it than that, but that's the salient feature. (pause) It's been coming back to me all day long. Now I can't get it out of my head.

She clasps her arms around herself tightly and rocks a little. Mulder sits back, rubbing at his face.

SCULLY
I have never wanted anybody like this. And no offense, Mulder, but I don't think it's just you. I mean, it's you, it's definitely, specifically you, but this is not ...natural.

Mulder blows out his breath.

MULDER
Well, Agent Scully, it looks like you're our latest subject here.

SCULLY
The thought had occurred to me.

She shudders.

MULDER
What are you going to do?

Scully jumps out of her chair and starts pacing.

SCULLY
Either I abandon this case, leave you and drive away as fast as I can, and frankly I wouldn't trust my driving right now; or you leave and I lock myself in this room and wait to self-destruct; or so help me, Mulder...!!

She jabs an arm vaguely in the direction of the bed, unable to finish the sentence. She throws herself back in the chair and sinks her head in her hands. Mulder waits. Scully manages to look up at him.

SCULLY
Mulder, I hate this! You're my partner, I respect you, you mean a lot to me. It shouldn't come down to me being hot for your bones.

MULDER (quietly)
That's OK, I'm hot for your bones, too.

Something in his voice gets her attention.

SCULLY
Yeah?

MULDER
Yeah. And I've never felt that way about my best friend before.

Scully takes this in for a beat.

SCULLY
Thanks.

Mulder pushes slowly out his chair and kneels beside her, takes her hand and puts it against his face as he reaches up to hold her cheek, too. She slides out of her chair to face him on her knees, and he kisses her. She still barely has a hold on herself.

SCULLY
Mulder....

MULDER
Call me Fox.

The name comes from 'way deep as his kisses move down her throat, her hands working to find his skin.

SCULLY
Fox....

FADE TO:
20. INT: MOTEL ROOM, MORNING: THE BED
All clothing has been discarded. Scully is partly curled up on her side, her back against Mulder, who is on his back with one arm thrown up above his head and the other vaguely around her. Scully wakes, and remembers. She sits up and looks around the room, and hides her head on her knees. Then she turns and looks at Mulder, and a smile comes. She rolls over to face him, and places a hand on his chest. He stirs a little.

SCULLY
Mulder.

His head falls to the side: he's going back to sleep.

SCULLY (whispering)
Fox!

He opens his eyes, focusses on her and smiles, bleary but happy. He brings his hands to her shoulders.

MULDER
Hey, partner. Feeling better?

She nods, looking serious.

SCULLY
Yeah. How about you? You OK?

He touches her face, smiling.

MULDER
I'm great. Never better.

Scully turns her face aside, embarrassed.

SCULLY
Just remember I'm not normally like this.

Mulder laughs.

MULDER
Neither am I!

She turns her head to look at him again.

SCULLY
Fair enough.

She hesitates a moment, then kisses him softly.

SCULLY
Best friend.

She clambers over him and gets out of the bed, going somewhat unsteadily towards the bathroom.

SCULLY
I'm gonna get cleaned up. When are we supposed to meet that Deputy?

Mulder falls back onto the pillow, closing his eyes.

CUT TO:
21. INT: MOTEL ROOM, MORNING: TABLE
Scully is dressed now, and on the phone.

SCULLY
Well, thanks for trying. Yeah, I'll try to send you something more interesting next time. 'Bye.

She hangs up, looks at the table blankly a moment and then starts gathering folders together and putting them in her briefcase, automatically. A knock comes at the door; it's unlocked, and Mulder walks in, having gone back to his own room to get ready for the day.

SCULLY
I just talked to the lab. Those samples came up empty. We're running out of leads.

Mulder comes up thoughtfully behind her and puts his hands on her shoulders.

MULDER
It's going to be hard for me to stop thinking of you like this.

Scully stops what she's doing.

SCULLY
I know. Me, too.

She turns toward him, putting her hands on his sides.

SCULLY
But we're professionals, right? We can handle it.

She turns back and snaps the briefcase shut.

SCULLY
We have to: we have a job to do.

She picks up the case and starts toward the door, but Mulder turns her towards him with a touch on the arm.

MULDER
Dana: maybe we don't have to stop.

He puts a hand to her face and kisses her gently; she breaks into a big smile, suddenly tickled by the idea.

SCULLY
Maybe we don't, Fox!

This time she kisses him, and now they're both smiling. [Bear with me, it's not the end of the story yet....]

FADE TO:
22. EXT: ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PARKING LOT, DAY
Scully and Mulder pull in and park, Scully driving. In the background we see Fielding with his sheriff's car and a group of children and teachers. A large banner reads, "Kids Camp Welcomes Officer Friendly".

CUT TO:
23. INT: SCULLY'S CAR, DAY
Scully looks pensive.

SCULLY
I want to talk to Bev Harmon again.

MULDER
Are you going to tell her what happened?

SCULLY
Maybe. She seems to have a real handle on this thing. Maybe she's remembered something. (pause) I think it would be better if you weren't there.

MULDER
OK. There's plenty I can do on my own. (serious) Just promise me you won't be disappearing just yet.

SCULLY (gently)
Mulder, I'm not your sister. She was only eight years old when she was abducted. I'm a big girl now.

MULDER
It doesn't matter how big you are. You know that.

Scully looks out the side window a moment, deciding something, and looks back at Mulder.

SCULLY(slowly)
Mulder.... Last night, the last time: it was mostly over by then. That was for me, because I wanted to. Because of you. That's the main reason I haven't run screaming. I wanted you to know that, in case anything happens.

Mulder looks at her, swallowing hard. Fielding comes up to Scully's side of the car and taps on the window.

CUT TO:
24. EXT: ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PARKING LOT, DAY
Mulder and Scully get a little stiffly out of the car; Mulder comes around to stand next to Scully.

FIELDING
Good morning. Any progress?

MULDER
So far it's data-gathering. We haven't reached any conclusions.

FIELDING
Well, I've got news for you. The sheriff called me this morning. He wants to talk to you after all.

SCULLY
I'd planned to re-interview Ms. Harmon this morning; she told me she would be free at this time. Deputy, could you take Agent Mulder to see the sheriff, and then bring him to meet me in Crimora?

FIELDING
That would be alright, I guess. The car's over there.

As Fielding turns away Scully laces her fingers in Mulder's, keeping her arm straight to hide the gesture.

SCULLY
See you later.

MULDER
Yeah.

He turns back once to look at her as he follows Fielding to the deputy's car.

CUT TO:
25. INT: SCULLY'S CAR, DAY
Scully is driving on a relatively deserted road. She yawns, and shakes her head; she's suddenly having trouble keeping her eyes open. She pulls the car over, cuts the engine, and lays her head on her arms over the steering wheel with a sigh. The BRIGHT LIGHT encloses her as before, and she is gone.

FADE TO:
26. INT: SHERIFF HINTERBURG'S OFFICE
Hinterburg is in uniform now and seated behind his desk, Mulder opposite him.

HINTERBURG
So, what have you found so far?

MULDER
Not much that's conclusive, yet. We haven't found anything new to link Bridges and Harmon except similar blood tests at the hospital. Environmental samples from the area didn't turn up anything unexpected, either. Agent Scully still thinks our best shot is a biochemical trigger for the obsessive behavior.

HINTERBURG
You don't sound too positive about your prospects.

MULDER
I don't think we're likely to find a recognizable physical cause. (pause) I was hoping you might have some insight into the situation.

Hinterburg tenses, but maintains his genial surface.

HINTERBURG
I don't follow you, Agent Mulder.

MULDER
Your dream, sir, the roses, your disappearance. Surely you've noticed the similarity in pattern to the Bridges and Harmon cases.

HINTERBURG
I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just a man who's had a lot on his mind, and what happens between a man and his wife is not yet FBI business, I hope. To be honest with you, I'm beginning to regret calling you folks in. It looks like Bridges and Harmon were isolated incidents. Nothing else like that has been reported in the area, isn't that right?

Mulder realizes that he's not about to volunteer his own experience of the pattern. Hinterburg continues.

HINTERBURG
As far as I can see it's time to put this thing behind us and stop scaring people with questions that lead nowhere. It's my job to keep the peace around here, and I like to think I know my job pretty well.

MULDER
Yes, sir, it seems that you do.

Mulder gets up and leaves.

CUT TO:
27. EXT: BEVERLY HARMON'S FRONT DOOR, DAY
The sound of flute music can be heard through an open window. Mulder and Fielding come up to the door and knock. The music stops and after a moment Beverly Harmon opens the door. Mulder holds up his badge.

MULDER
I'm FBI Agent Fox Mulder, Agent Scully's partner. We didn't see her car here. Has she already left?

HARMON
Left? Was she supposed to be here? I haven't seen her since yesterday.

MULDER
Her plans must have changed. Sorry to bother you.

HARMON
Tell her I said hello.

Harmon nods and closes the door. Mulder turns to Fielding as he heads quickly back toward the car.

MULDER
What road would she have taken from the school?

CUT TO:
28. EXT: ROAD BETWEEN HARRISTON AND CRIMORA, DAY
Mulder and Fielding approach Scully's car from the other side of the road, and turn to pull in behind it. Mulder jumps out. Looking in the window of the car he sees the keys in the ignition, and Scully's briefcase still sitting in the back seat.

FIELDING
Maybe she decided to take a walk and think or something. We haven't been all that long.

MULDER
No, the doors are unlocked and the keys are still in the ignition.

He makes a fist and slams it on the roof of the car. He looks up at the sky, blinking hard.

FADE OUT.

ACT FOUR

FADE IN:
29. INT: THE MOTEL ROOM, LATE EVENING
Mulder sits cross-legged on the bed in the dim room, Scully's tape recorder in his hands, listening to the interview with Bev Harmon. He's not looking too good. We hear the tape recorder:

HARMON [tape]
Listen, somebody helped me. I don't know if it was Jesus or little green men or the spirits of my ancestors, but somebody gave me something I thought I couldn't have, and healed me, and brought me home again. And I'm grateful. Do you understand what I'm saying, Agent Scully?

Mulder clicks off the tape, hits the rewind button and hangs his head. A LIGHT flashes in the window: maybe car headlights, maybe not. A little later there is a weak pounding at the door, and Scully's voice calling his name, and in a huge adrenaline rush Mulder is instantly at the door, letting her in and closing the door behind her. She is weak and confused, and he half holds her up, shaking a little himself.

SCULLY
I was on my way to see Bev Harmon....

MULDER
You never got there. We found your car by the side of the road. What do you remember?

SCULLY
I felt really tired all of a sudden, so I pulled over. I laid my head down for just a minute ...and now I'm here.

MULDER
How do you feel?

SCULLY
Fine, I think. A little dizzy. What time is it?

Mulder has to look at his watch.

MULDER
8:30.

He remembers something and brushes her hair aside to look at her neck, finds a pink spot behind her left ear that disappears as he watches.

SCULLY
What is it?

He folds her abruptly in his arms and lets out a tense sigh. A tear comes down his cheek; Scully reaches up to wipe it away, and leaves her hand on his face.

SCULLY
Mulder? What has happened here?

FADE TO:
30. INT: HYPNOTIST HEITZ WERBER'S OFFICE
Three days later. [Werber helped Mulder remember his sister's abduction, referenced in the series pilot and in "Conduit".] Scully is relaxed in a big chair, her eyes closed. Mulder sits off to the side, watching pensively.

WERBER
Now, Dana, I want you to go back to that morning in Harriston when you left Agent Mulder and the deputy at the school and were driving by yourself. Are you in the car now?

SCULLY
Yes.

WERBER
Where are you going?

SCULLY
I'm going to see Bev Harmon again.

WERBER
Do you get there?

SCULLY
No. I start feeling very sleepy, so I pull over and park the car, and I put my head down to rest.

WERBER
What happens next?

SCULLY
I'm asleep. Then there's a bright light, and I feel like something's pulling on me, and I can't move. Just like last time....

WERBER
Has this happened to you before?

SCULLY
Yes. In the motel, the night before Mulder came.

Werber looks to Mulder, who shakes his head.

WERBER
Let's stay with this second time, when you were on your way to see Bev Harmon. What happens next, after the light and the pulling?

SCULLY
I'm in the room again. I'm lying on a low thing like a couch. I sit up and look around. It's warm. The air smells funny; maybe that's why my head feels strange. The light is dim, I can't see much. Too bad: Mulder will be disappointed.

WERBER
Is anybody with you in the room?

SCULLY
I don't see anyone. People are talking to me. They say they're ready to start.

WERBER
What happens next?

SCULLY
The cap thing comes down from the ceiling and sits on my head like before. Part of the cap plugs into that thing they put behind my ear. Then somebody tells me to remember.

WERBER
What are you supposed to remember?

SCULLY
Everything that's happened since the last time I was here.

WERBER
You don't have to remember everything now. What happens after you finish remembering?

SCULLY
They thank me for my time. They're very polite, it's kind of funny.

WERBER
Do you feel any pain or fear?

SCULLY
No. They tell me to be calm and at rest, and I believe them. I don't know why. I should be asking questions or trying to get away. If it's something in the air, there's not much I can do about it.

WERBER
Do they say anything else to you?

SCULLY
They say they've learned a lot from me. (pause) They ask me how I feel.

WERBER
What do you tell them?

SCULLY (smiling)
I'm great. Never better.

Her smile fades, and she tenses in the chair.

SCULLY
Then they ask me how Mulder is.

WERBER
What do you say?

Scully moves as if to get up, her voice rising.

SCULLY
It makes me angry! I want to tell them it's none of their business, but it's a little late for that.

WERBER
Remember, Dana, nothing can disturb you here. You are completely comfortable. What happens next?

Scully obediently relaxes.

SCULLY
They say they know I have mixed feelings about what they've done. They urge me to consider the value of happiness. Then the thing pulls out from behind my ear, and the cap lifts off. They say they won't be monitoring me any more. They ask me if I want to keep my memory of what's happened.

WERBER
What do you answer?

Scully's hands grip the chair arms.

SCULLY
Yes. I want to keep it. (sigh) Then they tell me I won't be able to remember this room or this conversation. They say goodbye. They tell me to go to sleep. When I wake up I'm at the motel, and I don't remember where I've been.

WERBER
Let's stop there. Now I want you to go to a very quiet, comfortable place and go very deeply to sleep. You will not hear or think or feel anything at all until I call your name three times. All right?

SCULLY
OK.

Scully sighs and settles deeper into the chair. Werber turns to Mulder.

WERBER
That was interesting. Did you take her to someone else before me?

MULDER
No. She's been staying with her Mom for the last couple days. She agreed to the appointment before she left Harriston. Why?

WERBER
It was too easy. She knew how to do this, as if she'd been hypnotized recently. That would connect with what she describes experiencing as well, of course. I almost lost her, though, with that part about you. That really seemed to hit a nerve.

Mulder gets up.

MULDER
Can I take the tape?

WERBER
Of course.

MULDER
And Dr. Werber: thanks for not asking.

CUT TO:
31. INT: SCULLY'S APARTMENT, EVENING
Scully clicks off the tape and takes it out of the machine, having just listened to it. She and Mulder are sitting at her dining table, not touching. The tape player is on the table in front of them.

SCULLY
So according to this, since we started the Bridges case I've been abducted twice, and what happened to me--what happened to us--was part of somebody's wierd psychology experiment. Or at least your hypnotist friend got me to say so.

MULDER
I don't think Dr. Werber did anything that could be called leading or suggestive.

SCULLY (reluctantly)
Maybe not....

MULDER
I knew you needed time to think, but I didn't expect this. You've seen so much, you've come so far in your beliefs, but when it happens to you, you can't accept it!

SCULLY
I'm sorry if I disappoint you, Mulder, but this isn't as easy for me as it is for you! I have been trained to look for answers from known possibilities; even if known possibilities expand, I can't just jump to extremes every time.

MULDER
No, I don't buy it. Not any more.

He pushes his chair back from the table.

MULDER
Good things can come in extreme packages, Scully.

She avoids his eyes, looking down at the floor. He gets down on his knees to make her look at him and rests a hand on her chair, but still doesn't touch her.

MULDER
Dana, I meant what I said that night: best friend. And I know you heard me because you said it back to me the next morning.

He realizes his position, and laughs.

MULDER
Look at me, I'm on my knees here.

Scully jumps up, suddenly angry.

SCULLY
I don't want you on your knees! You're my partner, Mulder, I work with you. And you're not supposed to go to bed with people you work with!

Mulder stands up.

MULDER
We didn't exactly go to bed. If I recall we went to floor to wall to bed to floor to bed.

She starts pacing angrily, ending up near the sofa.

SCULLY
Oh, right, this is great for you! Your reputation might even improve after this! "Spooky Mulder got it on with Dana Scully!"

MULDER
Hey--sit down with me a minute.

She grudgingly joins him on the sofa, not too close.

MULDER (serious)
Sex wasn't all that happened that night. For that to be all it was, for that to be the end of it...that's not what I want.

SCULLY
"Want" is not a good word to be using with me right now. I'm not prepared to act on something that got started when I was out of my mind. (pause) Mulder, I got picked up by God knows who. Somebody did something to me--they made me do something. Even if it was something I might have chosen, I didn't get to make that decision! I was forced.

MULDER (quietly)
I didn't rape you.

SCULLY
No, you didn't. But I was beyond consent at that point, you knew that. You could have made me sweat it out, you should have--

MULDER
--and have you come back like Clifford Bridges?! Uh-uh. I didn't want to lose you.

SCULLY
And I don't want to lose you! Mulder, I love this job. I don't think I've ever wanted to get up and work the way I do being your partner. It's not just about solving riddles, it's about the truth. Our mission in the X-Files is much more important than anything that could happen between us. How long do you think the Bureau would let us stay together if they knew this had happened?

MULDER
They probably thought it did before now. You've defended me above and beyond the call, you know, and I wasn't exactly calm and cool after Duane Barry got you last year.

Scully shakes her head and tries again, less angry now than simply struggling with herself.

SCULLY
Think about it, Mulder. Even if the Bureau didn't shut us down or split us up, we wouldn't last three months. I've seen this kind of thing before. It changes everything, even if you think it won't. I'd be mad at you because you didn't bring me flowers, and you'd be mad at me because I wouldn't let you go bowling with your buddies. We'd just end up hating each other, all we'd do is ruin a great partnership.

MULDER
Remember who you're dealing with here, Scully. I'm not known for going by the rules. Besides, I don't bowl. Have you considered the value of happiness?

SCULLY
What you want is that night again. I can't give you that--I can't give myself that! That wasn't me.

She has to be honest:

SCULLY
Not 'til the end, anyway.

She grapples once again with the implications of this, and buries her head in her hands, turning away.

SCULLY
Oh, Jesus.

Scully is not used to thinking of herself as overtly sexual: she doesn't have the time for it, and can't afford the distraction, especially when working so intensively with Mulder. To have behaved so radically, with a person she cares for but would normally consider off-limits, all because somebody examined her and decided that was what she needed to be happy, is just too much to handle. Even if the level of passion was articially induced, the knowledge that she's capable of such powerful feeling--and with Mulder--is more than a little frightening, and the aftershocks of delayed reaction register pretty high up the scale. Mulder sees this now, and despite his own feelings he's not willing to hurt her by pushing at those barriers.

MULDER
Dana, that's not why I'm here. I think you mean more to me than I realize myself. A lot of couples don't have the level of trust and commitment we operate on every day. If that's where you want to leave it, fine. I'm still your partner. But I am not going to forget how it felt being close to you.

She doesn't answer, and still won't look at him. He puts a gentle hand to her shoulder, but she remains unwilling to let herself respond. After a moment he gets up, picks up his coat and goes quietly out (I would trust Duchovny and Anderson to do this moment stunningly well). When the door closes Scully lifts her head, letting a tear fall.

SCULLY
Neither am I, Fox. Neither am I.

FADE OUT.

OR:

SCULLY
Neither am I, Fox. Neither am I.

Scully gets up, goes to the kitchen and reaches into a cabinet. She brings out a shotglass and a bottle of rum and sets them on the counter. After a moment's hesitation she opens the bottle, pours herself a drink and tosses it back, feeling the burn and waiting for the anesthesia to set in.

FADE OUT.

THE END


I originally wrote a "romantic" ending, where Scully accepts a romantic/sexual relationship with Mulder and they decide to make a go of it. I decided later that the scene as written was on the corny side, not to mention unacceptable to the X-Files producers and the current trajectory of the show (I was trying to write something that might work as an episode). I think I managed to "fix" things reasonably well. I suspect, however, that as a viewer I might find this "no" ending to be an annoyingly contrived and cheap way to get our heroes in bed without it having to "mean" anything: to do it without doing it. I tried to make it "mean" something, though, and to make the story have more sense to it than just the sex. I can only hope my effort shows. This encounter could set the stage for a later commitment between them--or could be the warning shot that convinces both of them it's not a good idea, with an implicit understanding of how much they mean to each other that only strengthens their partnership. Ambiguity suits an X-File.

I recycled some of the dialog ideas in this story (mostly in the arguments about whether or not they should be together) in my later story "Emergence". If you experience a deja-vu sensation between the two stories, that would be why.

In my head I have sketched an aftermath to "Heart's Desire" in which Scully turns to alcohol to try to neutralize her ongoing emotional struggle. There have to be personal consequences for such an extreme experience; you can't just ignore it and be normal when you've been through (and done) something so intense and then rejected it. Scully doesn't want to stop working with Mulder, but it's increasingly difficult to shut out the memories of their encounter in Harriston, not just in terms of the physical but of their emotional, personal bond. Mulder respectfully and tenderly gives her room, just scared enough himself to let the issue go if that's what she wants. Scully starts drinking herself to sleep; coming to work with a hangover one morning she lies about having gone out with friends and overdone it, and likewise covers up her drinking. We see this in brief allusions over a few episodes, so that we're aware of these repercussions without focussing on them. About six-eight weeks after Harriston Scully begins to suspect that she's pregnant, and stops drinking. When her ob/gyn confirms the pregnancy, she decides to terminate (all, of course, without telling Mulder) and starts drinking again. He finds her out when they're on the road on a case one or two weeks after the abortion, and, drunk, she tells him the whole thing.... Getting corny again (my personal specialty) on top of being melodramatic, I have them decide to be in love after all (groan). They go to Skinner for special dispensation, which he grants with the acknowledgement that splitting the two of them up certainly didn't work last time, and they'd probably have to be posted to separate continents to prevent them working together. And so it goes in Abbie's personal X-Files universe.

However, The X-Files is an action-suspense/pseudo-sci-fi drama, not a soap opera, and my propensity for strong feeling may just come off as overdone, maudlin, and out of character.


APPENDIX

--what happens between Scene 29 in Harriston (Scully returned) and Scene 30 (hypnosis); omitted from teleplay for reasons of rhythm, length, and not spelling everything out.

29. INT: MOTEL ROOM, LATE EVENING
SCULLY (half-whispering)
Mulder? What has happened here?

Beat.

MULDER
Will you do something for me? There's someone I think you should see. Dr. Heitz Werber. He helped me remember my sister's abduction.

Gulp. She nods assent.

CUT TO:
29A. INT: MOTEL ROOM, NIGHT
Going to bed. Scully comes out from the bathroom, having changed into pajamas. Mulder is wearing shorts and a T-shirt (somehow I can't see him in p.j.'s), standing next to the bed. They both seem serious and a little awkward.

MULDER
Is this OK with you?

SCULLY
I think so. Ask me again tomorrow.

She gives him a small smile and puts a hand on his arm as she moves past him to get into bed.

CUT TO:
29B. INT: MOTEL ROOM, MORNING
Scully startles awake: she's had another dream, not alien-inspired this time. Her eyes go back and forth as she thinks a moment, flushing and starting to be angry.

SCULLY
...No...

She scoots out of bed.

CUT TO:
29C. INT: MOTEL ROOM, MORNING
Scully is at the table finishing a hasty packing job, dressed now. Mulder wakes up.

MULDER
Dana?

She doesn't really look at him as she speaks, continuing to angrily shove things in her bag and finally zipping it shut as she finishes.

SCULLY
I'm getting out of here, Mulder. You can go ahead and make an appointment for me with that Dr. Werber or whoever he is. I don't think I'm going to come into the office for a couple days. I've got some leave time, I'll go stay with my Mom for a while.

She scribbles something on the end of a piece of paper, tears it off and leaves it on the table.

SCULLY
Here's the number. Call me about the appointment. And after what's happened we should both probably get tested.

Mulder gets up and comes to the table, and touches her on the arm; the angry/frightened look she gives him makes him take his hand away.

MULDER
Do you have to do this?

SCULLY
Yeah. Yeah, I do.

She hesitates, feeling like she owes him a little more than that, quietly wavering on a knife-edge between tears and fury.

SCULLY
I wish to God I could pretend nothing happened here, Mulder. But I don't have that option. Abduction or no abduction: I made love to you. That part was me. I don't know what the hell to do with that.

Mulder reaches a tentative hand to her face, and she lets him brush her cheek with the back of his hand.

MULDER
I made love to you, too.

Scully turns and flees (it's either that or kill him, and she doesn't want that on her conscience, too).

FADE OUT.


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