Title:  Kyrie Eleison: Misericordia Dei (1/3)

Author: Xenith

E-Mail address: xenitha@yahoo.com

Rating:  PG

Archiving:  Sure, just let me know first.

Category: SA
	
Spoilers: Thru 6th season

Keywords: Mulder/Sc friendship, Mulderangst

Summary:  Mulder decides to go after Bailey and
arrest him, even though he is warned that to do so
will mean his death.

Feedback:  Yes! Yes! Please send me feedback!!!!! I
live for feedback!  I WRITE for feedback!!

DISCLAIMER:  I don't own the X Files or any of its
characters and make no 
profit from this story.  The X Files are Chris
Carter's.and 1013 Productions' property.  
Any resemblance between any character,
organization or evil mental health clinic cited herein
is purely coincidental and unintentional. 

Note:  The title is translated from the Latin as "The
Mercy of God".  This piece is the final part of a 3
part series:  Kyrie Eleison and Christe Eleison are
the first two stories.  They are both archived at
Muldertorture Anonymous
(www.muldertorture.com) and at Xemplary
(www.xemplary.com)--currently in the new stories
sections.  I'd advise you to read those first, because
this story begins immediately after Christe ends.

Misericordia Dei

PART 1


May 21
U.S.C. Hospital
9:30 p.m.

Mulder lay in his bed, rejoicing quietly.  The doctor
had finally confirmed it, his CAT scan readings were
normal.  He had been stuck in this hospital for days,
even though he had felt more or less normal within
24 hours of Scully's unorthodox "treatment", giving
him the antidote to the consortium's mind control
drugs.  But Scully and the doctor had argued that he
shouldn't be released until his brain activity showed
normal, so here he was.  Fidgeting.

His hyperactive mind wandered inevitably back to
the events of the past months.  God, how he wished
he could forget all of it.  He ran his hands over his
face, remembering  his time as Paul Bailey's victim. 
The physical torture had been bad enough, but after
the hospital, when Mulder had seemed to see Bailey,
everywhere, but nobody else did.  And nobody had
believed him, not even Scully.  

He turned the television remote to "off" and lay
back in the bed.  He'd been refusing the sleeping pill
offered by the nurse each night, still afraid to
sleep. 
The nightmares had gotten better, but they still
weren't gone. Mulder gritted his teeth.  That bastard
Krycek had set him up.  He'd staged all of Mulder's
visions and recreated his worst fears, recruiting
Bailey himself to help.  Mulder shivered.  Bailey had
been promised Mulder's death for his reward.  But
Krycek hadn't delivered, instead opting to kidnap
Mulder into a consortium mind-control project, as a
human lab rat.  Mulder still wasn't sure why the
consortium had wanted him out of their way,
preferably in a locked mental ward somewhere.  But
he was bound to find out just as soon as he finished
another errand.

"Hey, partner."  A bright voice called from the door.

Mulder looked up and saw Scully holding two large
sacks emitting a wonderful smell.  "If that's Chinese
food, I'm yours for life!"  he said fervently.

Scully grinned and pulled out a container of hot and
sour soup.  "Is that a threat or a promise?  I
couldn't
stand the face you made over dinner, so I thought
I'd give you a decent meal.  There's also mu shu
pork, fried rice and szechuan beef in here.  What do
you want first?"

Mulder grinned back.  "Whatever I can eat fast
before the nurses take it away... Gimme that!"  He
reached for the carton and began rapturously eating
soup.  Scully set the remainder on the side table,
removed some chopsticks from the sack and began
delicately eating szechuan beef.

"So, any more memories come back?"  Scully asked
between bites.

Mulder frowned and stared into his soup carton, his
appetite suddenly diminished.  "Yeah, some...."  His
voice trailed off into silence.

Scully examined him with veiled concern, but kept it
light.  "Well, you're bound to remember things
gradually.  It's only a few days you're missing, after
all."

"No, that isn't the problem."  Mulder set the carton
on the table.  "I remember it all.  And I don't want
to."

"What is it you don't want to remember?  You want
to talk about it?"  Scully put her own food down.

Mulder looked troubled.  "What I recall is being
scared, and running for my life from
everybody....running for my life from YOU. 
You...looked like somebody at the clinic who gave
me the treatments.  And when I saw you, I saw her. 
I'm sorry Scully."  

"I thought it must be something like that."  Scully
said calmly.  "Mulder, you weren't yourself.  So,
why don't you finish your soup.  You're still
underweight, you know."

Mulder smiled.  "Okay, Mom.  I'll eat my dinner." 
He began eating again, then spoke casually. 
"So...any word on Bailey?"

Scully eyed him sharply, but Mulder just kept eating. 
"No.  No sign at all.  They never found a body in the
ruins of the building, but they're still sifting
through
the wreckage.  He's probably dead, under tons of
concrete."

"No...he's not."  Said Mulder.  "I've been
remembering more about the time after the quake. 
There was a point where Bailey had me cornered. 
He was dragging me into an empty building, when
Krycek showed up and saved me."

"Krycek!"  Scully put her carton down and moved
closer to Mulder.  "What happened?"

Mulder gave a humorless laugh.  "Bailey started to
struggle and while they were busy with him, they
didn't pay attention to me.  I ran like all the demons
of hell were after me...." His eyes darted nervously
around the room. "I guess they were.  As I ran
away, they were all piling on top of Bailey.  Then
they started running after me."  He finally met
Scully's gaze.  "I know that Bailey is alive, and that
he's still out there, somewhere."  

He paused, then swallowed hard.  "I've been
thinking a lot about what it means, that he's still
out
there somewhere.  I feel like...I'm not really safe. 
Like I have to keep my gun with me just in case. 
The nightmares are dying down, but I still jump at
strange noises, startle at things I see out of the
corner of my eye.  I'm starting to wonder when all
this will end.  It's been weeks since I could just BE
somewhere without being on edge."

Scully nodded.  "Yes.  I know exactly what you
mean.  After Duane Barry, and especially since that
bridge and Cassandra Spender, I've
had...concerns...that they might decide that they
aren't done with me, that they want me back for
more tests."  Scully felt the back of her neck with
her right hand.  "I worry sometimes that I might go
to bed one night and wake up the next day in a train
car."  She put her hand on top of Mulder's. "I don't
think that you really get over it, but you learn to
live
with it."

Mulder grabbed her hand and laid the palm of his
other hand against her cheek.  "I wish you'd told me
about your...concerns...before this.  Scully, I can
promise you this.  If you ever do wake up in that
train car, just remember that I'll be coming for you. 
Nothing and nobody would stop me from finding
you.  Ever." 

Scully smiled tentatively and replied softly.  "Well,
the same goes for Paul Bailey, Mulder.  He'll have
to go through me and my gun to get to you.  I'll be
there to guard your back, any time you need it."  

Just then, Mulder heard the nervous sound of a
throat being cleared.  Both agents sprang apart and
turned to find A.D. Skinner standing uncomfortably
in the open doorway.  

"Good evening, Agents.  Mulder, I understand that
you're to be released tomorrow.  Congratulations.  I
stopped by to give you your plane ticket and to ask
whether you've reconsidered my offer of some extra
medical leave."  Skinner came over to the bedside
and put a one-way ticket to D.C. onto the
nightstand, next to the open carton of Chinese. 
"I've brought the leave request form, in case you
decide you'd like some more time off.  I think
you've more than earned it."

Mulder picked up the papers.  "Thank you sir.  I'll
considered it, but I'd really like to get back to work
if I can."  

"Well, Agent Scully and I will be here at 10:00
tomorrow morning to pick you up.  You can let me
know your decision then.  Otherwise, you should get
a good night's sleep.  I'm confident that your
backlog of cases hasn't diminished in your absence." 
Skinner grinned at his agents and walked through
the room door.

"Now that is an indisputable Truth, Mulder."  Scully
smiled, trailing after Skinner.  "I'll see you
tomorrow morning.  Good night."  Scully waved at
him as she left, closing the door behind her.  

Mulder was left alone with his dinner and his
thoughts.  Too bad the thoughts were so sour, he
considered.  He leaned back against the pillows and
mulled over all that he hadn't told Scully.  He
remembered everything, all right, especially a
conversation he'd overheard between two orderlies
early in his captivity at the clinic, while they
discussed the 'other' facility in Roseville.  Mulder
had spent the empty hours scouring his memories of
everything that he'd seen and heard after waking up
at the Harrison clinic, and would bet money that
Bailey was at that Roseville clinic.  

He grimaced.  How like Krycek to exchange one lab
rat for another.  You lose Mulder, well, you still
have Bailey to condition into the perfect consortium
killer.  In any case, that gave Mulder a place to
start
looking.

Yeah, Mulder concluded yet again, if I don't find
Bailey and know where he is, I'll be looking over my
shoulder for him for the rest of my life.  God help
me, I could shoot somebody by accident, I'm so
jumpy.  Gotta find him and put him away for good. 
And I can't let Bailey stay loose.  The old Bailey is
a
sadistic murderer, but who knows what Krycek and
his merry band will turn him into?  And if I have a
chance to shut down that whole damned
mind-control project, so much the better.

Mulder pondered his conversation with Scully,
realizing that he couldn't bring her along.  No, she'd
already done her time as a test subject.  The
possibilities, between Paul Bailey and Krycek were
just too dangerous.  And besides, he reminded
himself, I don't have a choice.  I have to do this, or
I'll never be free again.  Even without Paul Bailey
phoning me, or Krycek messing with my mind, I still
have trouble sleeping....and coping.  The panic
attacks are better, but not gone, and I still dream
about Bailey and what happened.  I just...can't let
this go on.  Scully'd just worry about me.  And if
anything happened to her...God, I don't think I
could stand it.  No, I go alone.


May 22, 10:00 a.m.
U.S.C Hospital

Skinner and Scully drove in together.  While Skinner
headed for the front desk, Scully sought out
Mulder's room, but found it empty.  She went back
to the front desk to find a bemused Skinner reading
something from an envelope.

"What is it, sir?  And where's Mulder?"  Scully
asked, beginning to be concerned.

"He left the papers asking for additional leave, and a
short note."  Skinner handed it to Scully, whose
eyebrows raised as she perused it. 

"'Gone camping.  Sorry for the last minute, but I'll
see you in two weeks.  Mulder.'"  Scully examined
the handwriting of the note.  Yes, it was Mulder's
and it didn't look written under duress.  "Excuse
me, but did you see who left this note at the desk?" 
Scully asked the nurse.

The nurse grinned.  "He said you'd say that.  Yes,
Mr. Mulder wrote that out in my presence at 7:00
this morning when he checked himself out.  He said
to tell you he wanted some time alone and not to
worry about him."

"That sounds like Mulder."  Said Skinner.  "Well,
Scully, are you ready to fly back to D.C.?"  Scully
was frowning and still giving the note suspicious
looks.  Mulder had never ditched her before to take
a vacation.  And as far as she knew, Mulder didn't
camp.

"Sir, if it's okay with you, I'd like to take some
vacation time as well.  I've been thinking about
visiting my brother and his family in San Diego." 
Scully looked up and found Skinner's face softening.

"Of course, Agent Scully.  This time hasn't been
easy for you either.  Take all the time you need. 
I'll
see you back in Washington when you're rested." 
Scully dropped Skinner at the airport and went to
return the car, then thought better of it.  Where to
go now?  She had a niggling feeling that Mulder was
getting himself into something over his head, but
maybe just this once he really was just on vacation. 
She really had no proof that he planned anything
else, and this kind of impulsive, last minute decision
was typical of Mulder.  She shook her head and
decided to go to San Diego after all.  She pulled the
rental onto Highway 101 and reached for her cell
phone to call Bill and Tara to let them know she was
coming.
May 22, 9:00 p.m.
Holiday Inn, Roseville California

Mulder let himself back into the room.  His
preliminary survey of the area surrounding the
Maidu Mental Health Center had been fruitful and a
bit disappointing.  This wasn't going to be easy. 
Roseville was about thirty minutes from
Sacramento, in a hilly, rural area.  The Center sat on
a rocky hill with no underbrush or tall grass, and
was surrounded by a perimeter fence topped with
barbed wire.  It was accessed by a secure gate
manned by two alert-looking security guards. 
Mulder had noted holsters at the hips of both men.

In the nine hours Mulder, hidden by a fortuitous
bush, had trained his binoculars on the entrance no
traffic had either entered or exited.  He had to
conclude that even a jack-rabbit would find it
difficult to get in.  

To make matters worse, the Center sat in a remote
valley off Highway 80, only reachable by a narrow,
two lane country road.  Nobody was likely to disturb
its occupants, or to be disturbed by the sound of
gunfire coming from the facility.

Mulder put the binoculars down on the table and
turned on the room light.  He jumped back and
reached for his gun when he saw the man sitting by
the window.  Then he stopped, recognizing him.

"What on earth are you doing here?"  He asked. 
The man grinned.

"Sorry I startled you.  It wasn't intentional, but I
can
see as well in the dark as in light, so I kinda forget
that others need the lights on."  Michael Bailey got
up and went to shake Mulder's hand.  To Mulder's
surprise, Bailey's ghostly (or angelic, or whatever he
was) hand was warm and firm.  Mulder let go
Mike's grip and examined his own hand as if
checking for spiritual residue.

Mike's amused grin broadened, then he sat back
down and motioned for Mulder to do the same. 
Mulder sat nervously at the table.

"Don't get me wrong or anything, but should I be
seeing so much of somebody who is...."  Mulder
groped for the word.

"Dead?  It's ok, Mulder, it doesn't embarrass me. 
And don't worry, I'm not an omen or anything. 
Actually, I'm here to help if I can."

Mulder gave Mike an innocent look. "Help with
what?  I'm on vacation."

Mike looked Mulder straight in the eye.  "Like Hell
you are.  You can lie to Scully and Skinner, but I
know you're here to find Paul.  If you aren't careful,
you're going to get yourself killed."

Mulder's eyes narrowed.  "So what else is new? 
You know the kind of monster Paul is.  He can't be
allowed to remain free, to hurt anybody else
again..." Mulder looked away from Mike's searching
eyes.

"But that isn't all, is it?"  Mike asked gently. 
"Paul
terrifies you.  And you know that you have to face
him, or live in fear of him for the rest of your
life."  

Mulder looked up.  "It just doesn't go away.  And
he keeps reappearing in my life, but always on HIS
timetable, when I don't expect him.  This time, I call
the shots.  And I'm bringing him back to stand trial."

"Or you'll die trying."  Mike said flatly.  "Is that
what you want?  Do you really want Scully laying
wreaths on your grave?"

"You leave Scully out of this!"  Mulder flared back. 
"This doesn't involve her, just me and your
brother!"

Mike gave Mulder a look of mixed exasperation and
incredulity.  "How can you think that anything you
do doesn't inevitably involve her?  How do you
think she'll feel when she finds out she's been
ditched again?  And don't you realize how much you
need her to guard your back? You're twice as
reckless on your own than when she's there to make
you focus on safety."

Mulder gritted his teeth and said very slowly and
carefully.  "You are saying that I should have told
Scully about this trip, recruited her to sneak into a
consortium test facility, ask her to risk being taken
and experimented on AGAIN, or maybe have Paul
take a stab at slowly torturing her to death."  Mulder
suddenly deflated, visualizing what he'd just said. 
"No, I can't do that.  If I do nothing else, Scully
stays safe."

Mike sighed.  "Mulder, the simple fact is, that you're
going to get killed unless she's here to pull your ass
out of the fire.   I don't know how and I don't know
why, I just know, ok?"

Mulder gave Mike a puzzled look.  "I thought you
guys knew everything?"

Mike smiled.  "Not everything.  Many more things
than I did, but I'm not omniscient.  This time I can
see the trend of future events, without specifics, and
this one doesn't look good."

"So why don't you play avenging angel and just zap
whoever's going to kill me?"  Mulder found himself
more fascinated than afraid by this conversation.

Mike shook his head. "Doesn't work that way.  I
can advise, listen, inspire, coach, teach, persuade,
but I can't act.  That would be interfering.  You
make your own decisions and your own life."

"Sort of like a heavenly prime directive, huh?" 
Mulder asked with a grin.

"Yeah.  It's a bitch, but it's necessary."  Mike
nodded. "I honestly can't say I'm sorry you're going
after Paul, for reasons of my own.  He wasn't
always the monster you've experienced."  Seeing
Mulder's attentive look, Mike went on.

"When we were kids, he was just my dorky little
brother.  We played, fought, we were normal, you
know?  But my dad died when I was eight and Paul
was five, and Mom re-married.  Wayne was...an evil
man."  Mike shook his head.  "And he hated Paul
from the first day he met him.  I think Paul looked
too much like Dad, while I took after Mom. 
Anyway, Wayne never missed a chance to torture
Paul, and I do mean torture.  One night Paul forgot
to finish his chores, didn't feed the cat...and do you
know how Wayne punished him?"  

Mike stopped and seemed to be gathering himself. 
He went on.  "Wayne took our cat, Paul's cat, and
strangled her while Paul and I both watched.  Then
he gutted her, skinned her and nailed the pelt to the
shed wall to show us that we wouldn't be allowed to
keep any possession we didn't take care of. 
And...to teach us to finish what we started."

Mike smiled ruefully at Mulder's expression.  "It
only got worse after that.  I tried to shield Paul,
but
Wayne worked nights and Paul was only in school
half-days.  Paul always had bruises and cuts and
later, burns.  I didn't report it because, well, you
just
didn't back then.  Everybody's dad whupped them
sometimes, you figured it was normal.  Except that
Paul changed.  As he got older, dead animals started
turning up over the neighborhood.  When I was 12, I
caught him torturing the neighbor's cat, treating it
just like Wayne had treated our cat.  When the
police came, I confessed, because I knew that
Wayne would kill Paul if the cops took him to
Juvenile Hall.  Wayne was mad at me, but he didn't
do anything to me.  Paul was his target."

"And later?  Did you know about the serial killings? 
The children Paul killed?"   Mulder asked quietly.

Mike shook his head.  "No, I didn't.  When the cops
arrested me for the killings I knew it had to be Paul,
but I just couldn't turn him in.  I told the police it
wasn't me, and left it at that.  I just couldn't do
that
to my brother.  And I had his promise that he'd
never, ever do it again."  

Mike looked at Mulder with regret.  "Obviously I
was wrong, Mulder.  I'm so sorry all this had to
happen to you.  And I'm even sorrier that it isn't
over yet."

"Do you mind my wanting to take Paul to jail?" 
Mulder asked gently.

"No, not at all.  Besides, you know that the greatest
danger isn't that Paul goes to a jail.  I saw what
they
were trying to do to you.  What kind of monster do
you suppose Paul will become at their hands?  He
never asked for this, any of this.  He's sick, and
tormented, but they'll take away what's left of the
little kid who tagged along behind me."  Mulder
eyed Mike's solemn expression.

"Well, all the more reason for what I'm doing, then. 
But I'm not involving Scully.  Absolutely not.  She's
been through Hell because of them, and I won't drag
her in for another round.

Misericordia Dei

PART 2



May 23, 1:00 a.m.
Residence of Bill Scully, Jr., San Diego


Scully awoke abruptly, conscious that she was not
alone in the her brother's guest bedroom.  She
tensely recalled that she'd left her gun in her
suitcase, and cautiously propped up one eyelid.  A
glowing figure of a man sat at the foot of her bed. 
Even though the room was dark, she could still see
his face clearly as he studied her with a pleasant
expression.

"I know you're awake, Dana.  You might as well
open your eyes.  Don't worry, I'm not here to hurt
you."  Scully opened her eyes wide and sat up,
scooting back in the bed as far as she could.

"Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my
bedroom?  And how do you know my name?"  She
studied him carefully, with the feeling that she'd
seen him somewhere before.

"I'm a friend of Mulder's.  My name's Mike Bailey." 
As Scully's eyes widened, he added, "Yeah, THAT
Mike Bailey, Paul's brother."

"But...you're dead.  Aren't you?"  Scully felt a sense
of unreality that she was having this conversation at
all.  Must be dreaming...gotta be a nightmare, these
things just don't happen.  Do they?

"Well, yeah, I'm dead but it isn't as bad as you'd
think.  Look, I know that all this is making you
really uncomfortable but I wouldn't have bothered
you unless it was important."  Mike began, but
Scully interrupted.

"Mulder really was talking to you that night in the
Westin, wasn't he?  It wasn't just some fake
apparation provided by Krycek and his buddies?" 
Scully was beginning to get the feeling that maybe,
just maybe this really was happening.

Mike gave her a look of compassion.  "Yes, I really
was there, and we really did talk.  Not that he
listened much to what I had to say.  I can understand
your frustration with him.  He really is a stubborn
man.  Which brings me to the purpose for my visit. 
Mulder needs you, or he's going to get himself
killed."

Scully became all business.  "Why?  What's he
done?"

"He isn't really on vacation.  He's determined to
locate and arrest Paul.  Trouble is, Paul is at the
consortium's new test facility in Roseville, under
heavy security.  Mulder's been surveilling the place
all day, and refuses to let anybody help him."  Paul
shrugged helplessly.

"I take it, you've already spoken to Mulder about
this"  Mike nodded.  "What's your involvement? 
Excuse my bluntness, but if, as you say, you're dead,
why do you care?" Scully gave Mike her best FBI
interrogator's glare.

"Dana, just because I'm dead doesn't mean I stop
caring about the ones I love.  Paul's my brother and
I don't want him to become a consortium assassin. 
And Mulder...well, I kind of keep an eye on him. 
And with his track record, he needs somebody
watching out for him."

"And the danger?  Why am I so important?"  Scully
leaned forward, then lurched suddenly at Mike,
trying to throw him off the bed and restrain him.  To
her suprise, she dove forward, passed through his
body and landed on the floor in a pajama'd heap. 
She pulled herself into a sitting position and looked
up incredulously at Mike who was obviously trying
to restrain his fit of laughter.

"Believe me now?"  He asked.  Scully nodded
dumbly.  He went on.  "Well, I can't read the future
exactly, but there's a nexus point coming up when
Mulder will lose his life unless you're there to
protect him.  I don't know the details, just that he
won't survive unless you're there.  And I know
Mulder.  He doesn't take adequate safety
precautions when he's working a case alone.  He'll
be more careful with you along, if only to safeguard
your well-being."

"Okay.  I'm convinced.  Where is he?"  Scully got
up and turned on the light.  She pulled her suitcase
off the floor and, opening it, began to pack.

"In Roseville, California, at the Holiday in. 
Roseville's near Sacramento.  You should get there
as fast as you can.  As soon as he figures a way in to
the facility, he'll be trying to break in.  I know he
plans to go back tomorrow morning."

Scully heard a tap at the door.  She went over to
open it, and found Bill standing there with a baseball
bat in hand.  He stepped into the room, examining it
for intruders and looked through Mike Bailey.

"Dana, are you all right?  I heard a noise.  You ok?" 
Bill put down the bat and noticed the suitcase.

"I'm fine, Bill, but I have to leave.  I'll call a
taxi to
take me to the airport.  Could you or Tara return the
rental for me?  I have to get the next flight for the
Sacramento area."

Bill's eyes narrowed.  "I didn't hear a phone ring. 
Is
that idiot partner of yours dragging you into
something again?  Can't you just let him go it alone
this time without bailing him out?"  And
endangering yourself, he added silently.

"No, the phone didn't ring.  I just have
a...feeling...that I need to be there.  I'm sorry,
Bill,
but I guess I'll have to cut the visit short."  Scully
looked searchingly at her big brother, pleading for
understanding.

"Ok, Dana.  Have it your way.  But I'm driving you
to the airport.  At least that way I can be sure you
get there safely.  Let me know when you're ready to
go."

Scully nodded and turned to see that Mike Bailey
had disappeared.  She shrugged and resumed her
packing, mentally wondering at her own apparent
comfort with extreme possibilities.

May 23, 8:00 a.m.
Holiday Inn, Roseville

Scully knocked on the door to room 23.  She waited
for several minutes, then quietly checked to be sure
that she wasn't observed, and picked the lock.

Inside the room was a typical Mulder-mess. 
Clothing was draped on the chairs and the remains
of a cold pizza languished on the table, but he was
gone and so was his weapon.  Scully looked for
more clues to his whereabouts but found nothing. 
Mike hadn't given her the name or location of the
new facility, and she found herself at a loss.  

"He's gone off to the clinic to watch it some more." 
Mike Bailey's voice came from behind her.   Scully
jumped and turned around.

"Damn, you startled me."  She said breathlessly. 
"Do you know where he is?  Can you help me find
him?"

Mike nodded.  "I always know where he is.  Get in
the car.  I'll show you."

Scully got into her rental car and began following
Mike's directions, taking Highway 80 east into the
hills.  She vaguely found it funny, not to mention
weird, that she was taking directions from a
ghost...She looked at Mike in the passenger seat,
out of the corner of her eye...ghost or something,
she amended.  Mike directed her to a turn off and
soon she found herself at the end of a long driveway. 
She saw a car parked off the driveway, hidden by
low trees and underbrush.  She slid the rental in next
to it and walked over to the other car.  Empty.

She found Mike standing next to her,
disconcertingly transparent.  "Come on, I'll show
you where he is."  Mike said and led the way up a
narrow trail.  Scully checked her holster for her gun,
and followed as quietly as she could.

She came upon Mulder, crouched behind a bush,
intently watching a building on a hill through
high-power binoculars.  The leaves under her foot
crunched as she approached and Mulder jumped as
though he'd heard a gunshot.  He was turning and
reaching for his weapon when he saw that it was
Scully.  He grinned in relief and sank back.

"Scully.  God, you had me scared."  Then he looked
at her more suspiciously.  "Why are you here?  How
did you know where to find me?"

Scully slid in next to him, behind the bush.  "A
friend
of yours came to visit me and insisted that I come
along."  She turned to stare at him.  "Why didn't
you tell me about Mike Bailey?"

Mulder's face turned an interesting shade of
crimson.  "Uh, because I didn't think you'd believe
me?"  Scully glared at him and Mulder continued. 
"Well, yeah, you generally don't believe me
anyway...but this was just too much.  When
I...died...in the hospital I had a near death
experience, and Mike was there."  Mulder's eyes
went distant. 

"He offered me a choice, you know, heaven and
every question answered, or my life back, with all its
complications.  You can figure out what my choice
was.  I didn't realize just how...complicated... my
life was going to get.  Afterward I was too wrapped
up in recovering and physical therapy to tell you
about it.  Later, in the hotel you already were having
some serious doubts about my sanity and I couldn't
see any point in adding to your worry."  Mulder
smiled, hurt and pain in his eyes.  "And after I ended
up in the hospital with abnormal CT scans, it didn't
seem the right time to discuss it with you."

Scully was silent for a bit.  "I'm sorry, Mulder.  I
know it's been hellish these past months.  It would
have been easier to just give up the fight.  But I'm
glad you didn't.  So, let's end this.  How do you
propose to get Bailey out of there?"  

Mulder sighed.  "Damn it Scully, I didn't want you
along on this.  Bailey's a torturing, murderous
bastard and I can't face the thought of him
endangering you."

"So that's why you ditched me with that fake
camping story?"  Scully smiled gently.  "Mulder, you
know I can't *not* be there if I think you're about
to do something stupid.  And I'd rather be with you
trying to prevent it, rather than calling the
ambulance for you after you've already done it.  I'm
not going anywhere.  Besides, remember the
promise I made you in the hospital.  It still stands."

Scully reached out a hand. Mulder gave her the
binoculars in resignation.  "It looks quiet."  She
said
after a few minutes.

Mulder sighed.  "That's the trouble.  It is quiet.  No
traffic at all yesterday and none today.  The fence is
electrified and has no openings and there's so little
underbrush, a ground squirrel couldn't make it up
that hill unobserved.  And that doesn't account for
the internal security."  As they watched a blue car
climbed the long driveway.  Scully gave a low
whistle.

"Well, there's activity now.  Guess who's driving
that car?  Our old friend, Krycek."  They watched as
Krycek was stopped at the gatehouse, then waved
on through.  Mulder grinned and borrowed the
binoculars back from Scully. "I think I know how
we're getting in there."

12:00 noon

Mulder's Taurus had been moved to the end of the
Center's driveway, partially concealed by trees. 
Mulder sat in the rear passenger seat, training the
binoculars on the gatehouse while Scully, in the
driver's seat, munched on one of the sandwiches
Mulder had brought.

"Scully.  It's time."  Mulder said tensely.  "He's
coming through the gates."  Scully put the sandwich
down and started driving slowly along the road
leading back to Highway 80.  

Soon a blue car moved in behind them.  Scully could
see that it was driven by Krycek and that he was
alone.  

"Now!"  Said Mulder and Scully firmly turned hard
left and braked so that both lanes were blocked. 
Before the car came to a stop, Mulder jumped out
from the passenger's side door and ran to the
driver's window of Krycek's car.  Krycek found
himself looking into the nose of Mulder's gun and
then up, at Mulder's wolfish grin.

"Ok, give me the keys."  Said Mulder.  Krycek
quietly complied.  "Now slide over."  Krycek moved
into the passenger seat.  

Scully parked the Taurus at a wide spot and got into
the blue car, taking the seat behind Krycek. 
Mulder's grin became even more feral when she
pulled her gun and held it firmly at the back of
Krycek's neck.

"Well, now everybody's here."  Said Mulder.  "You
are going to help us get into the clinic and if you so
much as breathe wrong, Scully will shoot you."

Krycek's eyes flickered to the rear-view mirror and
saw Scully's determined look.  "Scully wouldn't
shoot me.  She wouldn't kill in cold blood."

Scully grimaced.  "Like you killed Missy?  And who
says my shooting you would be in cold blood?"  She
cocked her gun and pressed it against the back of
Krycek's head.

Krycek winced.  "Ok, I'll get you in.  By why do
you want to go in there?  You only just managed to
escape from one just like it."  His eyes widened. 
"You want Paul Bailey, don't you?"  Krycek flashed
a look at Mulder, who had started the car and was
turning it around.
  
Krycek began to grin. "You just can't live with the
fact that he had you screaming for mercy and you
haven't been able to face him since.  Kinda does
something to your manhood, doesn't it? 
Powerlessness?"

"Shut up."  Said Scully in a low voice.  She pushed
the gun hard against Krycek's head.  Mulder said
nothing but continued driving, his face set and eyes
unreadable.

They rode in silence to the gatehouse.  The guard
looked disinterestedly at Mulder and Scully once
Krycek's credential had been examined and Krycek
ahd glibly explained that he had run into his old
colleagues and brought them back to tour the center.

They parked the car and began walking toward the
main building.  

"I have a gun on you and so does Scully, so don't
try anything."  Mulder said.

"Wouldn't think of it."  Said Krycek and led them
through the door. 

After more glib explanations from Krycek at the
desk they took the elevator to the basement where
they found Paul Bailey's room.  As they approached,
Mulder could feel his stomache knot in anticipation. 
No, he reminded himself, gotta face him.  Gotta be
free of this...

"You want Paul Bailey?  Well, here he is."  Said
Krycek and opened the door.  The room was
windowless, made of featureless cement block and
bore a disturbing resemblance to the place Mulder
had been kept at the Harrison Clinic.  

Mulder forcibly set aside the memory and flipped the
light switch.  A rumpled Paul Bailey tried to sit up
in
his hospital bed.  Bailey turned confused and
childlike eyes toward Mulder.

"Please...I don't want another treatment....I'll be
good.  I promise."  Baily whispered softly and edged
back against the headboard.

"So Mulder, here is your monster.  You want to kill
him now?  Or save him for later?"  Sneered Krycek.

Mulder handed Scully the gun and walked slowly
into the room.  He crouched by the bedside and
spoke softly.  "Hello.  I'm not here to give you a
treatment; I won't hurt you.  Do you remember how
you got here?"

The man in the bed shook his head.  "I don't
remember anything before I was here. Just being
here and having the...the treatments.  I don't like
the
treatments...They hurt."

Mulder studied the man silently for a few seconds. 
"What do they call you?"

"My name's Paul.  I remember that much.."  The
man smiled anxiously.  "You sure you're not gonna
make me take a treatment?"

Mulder stood up, decided.  "No, Paul, we aren't. 
How would you like to leave here and not have any
more treatments?  Would you like to go with us?"

"Oh yeah, I'd like that a lot.  But what's your
name?" Paul got out of bed and reached out his right
hand to shake Mulder's.  Mulder slowly returned the
gesture, then clasped Paul's hand firmly.

"Mulder.  My name's Mulder.  And this is my friend
Scully."  Mulder gestured toward Scully.  She
flashed a reassuring smile at Paul and made sure her
gun was hidden behind Krycek's back.  When Paul
saw Krycek, he drew back in alarm.

"No, I know that man.  He's bad!  He's the one who
took me here."  Paul backed away from Mulder and
climbing back onto the bed, began to huddle against
the headboard again.

Mulder approached carefully.  "That's fine, Paul. 
He isn't my friend either.  We're making him get  us
out of here.  Do you want to go with us?"  At Paul's
nod, Mulder went to the closet and found street
clothes.

"Here, get dressed and we'll go."  Mulder turned
away and moved close to Krycek."How many
treatments has he had?"  

Krycek stared at Mulder with a bland expression.
"He's had all but the final one, which will imprint
the
new personality.  You know he'll die if he doesn't
get either an antidote or the completed treatment." 
Krycek paused and folded his arms.  "Or do you
care if he dies?  Here's the man who tortured you
for what?  Twelve hours?  And he's at your mercy,
Mulder.  No more fear.  No more nightmares.  No
more checking the crowds to see if he's there.  If he
dies, you're free."  Krycek's voice lowered to a
seductive murmur.

Mulder jerked.  He grabbed the front of Krycek's
shirt. "And just what do you get from this, you
bastard?  I become a murderer, just like you!   Well
it doesn't work that way.   I don't work that way." 
Mulder backed away from Krycek and walked over
to Paul.

"Paul, are you ready to go?"  Mulder asked gently. 
Paul nodded and preceded Mulder from the room.  

In the hallway Mulder held his gun on Krycek and
demanded. "Where are the chemicals for the
treatments and Paul's file?"   Krycek shrugged and
pointed to the door across the hall.  At Mulder's
nod, Scully went inside.  She soon came out with a
manila folder, a handful of diskettes and a paper
sack.  She packed them into her briefcase.

"I've got it, and their research on imprinting
personality.  Krycek's right, Paul is at the final
stage
of the treatment, when the last dose is given and the
new personality is impressed."

"Good." Mulder grinned. "That's one less killer our
friend Smokey has at his beck and call.  Let's get
out of here."

Mulder's gun on Krycek got the four of them past
the front desk  Mulder was just beginning to breathe
easily as they walked toward the car, when Krycek
threw himself backward against Mulder, yelling and
grabbing for the gun.  Mulder began to struggle with
Krycek, never letting go of the gun.  Scully ran
towards them, Paul following close at her heels.

She could hear shouting from the gate area and saw
a guard, gun in hand running toward Mulder and
Krycek, taking aim at Mulder's exposed back.  

"Mulder!  No!!!"  Scully propelled herself forward
and pushed Mulder away just as the bullet ripped
into her body.

Mulder landed flat, Scully on top of him.  He rolled
over and found himself looking into her startled blue
eyes.  She mouthed something, but no sound came
out.  He was conscious of blood flowing through her
clothing, soaking the fine cotton of her blouse. 
Before the shock set in, he noted that there was no
exit wound.  The bullet must still be lodged in her.

Mulder felt the ground beneath him squirm...no,
he'd landed on Krycek.  Good.  Mulder lifted the
gun and hit Krycek on the back of the head.  Then
put his arm under Scully's shoulder and began to
drag her toward the car.

"Here, let me help."  Said Paul, and scooped up the
fallen briefcase, then helped support Scully's other
shoulder.  Together, they put Scully and Paul into
the back seat.  Mulder started the car and gunned it
toward the gates.  Guards scattered as Mulder
plowed through the closed gates.  He didn't slow
down until they were well on their way to the
freeway.

"Paul, how is she?"  Asked Mulder anxiously.

"She's still alive, Mulder, but she's bleeding pretty
bad.  Poor lady."  Paul had taken off his shirt and
held it to Scully's back to stanch the blood flow. 
Mulder tried desperately to remember what hospitals
there were in the Roseville area.  He didn't think
there were any big ones close by, certainly none with
a trauma center.  He glanced back in the rear-view
mirror at Scully's pale, still face.  And at Paul's,
filled with concern.

Well, the closest big city likely to have a trauma
center is Sacramento.  He pulled his cell phone from
his jacket and dialled 911.  Gotta get some help
here, but I don't dare stop driving; Gotta get her to
a hospital, can't wait.  Scully might die...Oh God, if
she dies it's because of me.  She took my bullet. 
She took my bullet...is this what Mike meant when
he said she had to be there?

Misericordia Dei

PART 3


May 24, 6:00 p.m.
Sutter Hospital, Sacramento

Mulder sat quietly in the chair he'd made his
own, a growing pile of sunflower seed shells
gathered on the floor beside him.  Scully had
been whisked into surgery when they arrived and
he hadn't seen her since.  As it had turned out,
Sacramento was the closest trauma center;
Mulder was grateful he'd made the right decision
and kept on driving.

He glanced over to the chair opposite.  Paul
slumped in his chair, asleep.  He'd been
unwilling to leave Mulder's side, seeming to find
comfort in Mulder's presence.  Mulder sighed. 
Great.  He had just adopted a serial killer...but
try as he might, he just couldn't see the demon
of his nightmares in Paul's bewildered face.  And
he just couldn't hate him, or fear him any more.

"How's he doing?" Asked a voice next to him. 
Mulder turned to find a familiar figure in the
next chair over.

Mulder shrugged.  "As well as can be expected. 
I called Dr. Dietzel.  He's the closest thing we
have to an expert on these 'treatments'.  He's
coming out and bringing a friend who's a
psychiatrist.  They'll take the files, the chemicals
we got and will try to help Paul somehow."  

Mike leaned toward Mulder.  "Well, I have to
thank you for saving my brother.  You didn't
have to do it.  I'm grateful to you."

Mulder turned cold eyes on Mike.  "I wish I
could say the same to you. I've been sitting here,
waiting to find out whether my partner will live
or die.  And the only reason she was there in the
first place is because you talked her into it.  She
was safe until you sought her out.  You forced
her out there, to take my bullet!"  Mulder got up
and folded his arms, then began to pace.  "Is my
life worth so DAMNED much that she has to die
for me?"

Mike was quiet for a second.  "Mulder, I told
you everything I knew.  I only knew there was
danger to you and that she could save you.  I
didn't know anything more than that.  I...don't
know why things like this happen.  I only know
that she came of her own free will.  Yes, I
persuaded her, but it's no different from the
other times she's come after you and pulled your
ass out of the fire."

Mulder stopped, inches from Mike's ethereal
face.  "Yes, this time it's different.  This time she
got shot and I had to hold her in my arms while
she started bleeding to death.  This time, I had
her safe but she ended up in danger anyway." 
Mulder turned away.  "My f***ing black cloud. 
Everybody I care about dies, or gets taken away. 
The best I can do for her is try to keep her out of 
danger.  And see what a great job I did today!"

"You didn't chase her away."  Mike said calmly.

Mulder grimaced.  "That never works.  Once
she's on a case she's stubborn.  The best I could
do was give in gracefully and try to watch her
back.  But you knew that."  Mulder stopped his
pacing and stared at Mike.  "So, I'll tell you
what you are going to do for me. I've read about
miraculous healings all my life.  You say you're
grateful to me about Paul?  You're my guardian
angel or something?  I say all this is your fault,
for interfering.  You owe me one."  Mulder
pointed toward the double doors where they'd
wheeled Scully.  "You caused this, you cure it."

Mike's face looked troubled. "I don't know if I
can do anything, this isn't my usual sort of..." 
He sighed.  "Okay, I'll try.  But you know it's
not up to me."

"Yeah."  Mulder's smile was a grimace. "It
never is."  Mike evaporated and Mulder took his
seat again, wondering if he should pray.  No,
why start now?  If anything, he was pissed at
God, at the consortium, at the justice system, at
every power on the goddamned planet that
conspired to make Mulder's life a torment.  If
Scully could just be okay....
Mulder looked up to see two men enter the
waiting room.  Dr. Dietzel he recognized from
his own stay in the hospital.  Mulder rose to
greet him.

"Mulder, I'd like to introduce an old friend of
mine, Dr. Arthur Jennings.  He's the psychiatrist
I told you about."

Dr. Jennings shook Mulder's hand.  He was a
paunchy man in his late fifties, balding, with a
short fringe of reddish hair.  "I'm pleased to
meet you, Agent Mulder.  With Dr. Scully's
permission, I read over your medical file and was
fascinated by effects of these so-called
mind-control treatments.  I'm looking forward to
trying to help this young man."  Jennings looked
at Paul with interest.  Paul opened his eyes and
stared back, warily, at Dr. Jennings.

Mulder handed Dr. Dietzel the briefcase.  "All
the data we've been able to gather is in here." 
Dietzel took the briefcase and both doctors went
to the far end of the room and were soon
absorbed in its contents. Eventually Mulder
wandered over to see what they'd found.

"Well,"  Dr. Jennings summed up.  "You have a
choice.  Either we administer an antidote and the
suppressed memories and personality return, or
we give the final treatment and impose a new
personality."  He looked at Mulder.  "I'm not
certain of the ethics in this case.  I see from the
Maidu Center file that Paul has a criminal past,
and was quite disturbed."

Mulder nodded. "You should also know that in
his previous life Paul was a serial killer with over
ten people on his slate.  I can provide the
criminal files if you need them, but it won't be a
kindness to him, or the the rest of society,  if you
restore his old memories."

Dr. Jennings frowned.  "Agent Mulder, are you
asking us to program this man with a socially
acceptable personality?  That doesn't seem much
different that what his kidnappers were
planning."

Mulder was silent. "That's...not a question I can
answer.  I was one of his victims, but I was
rescued before he could kill me.  I also know
what it's like to lose yourself, bit by bit, through
those treatments.... Does a sadistic murderer
have the right to remain a sadistic murderer,
even if a way can be found to involuntarily
change his proclivities?  He doesn't have living
family to make this decision for him.  But do I
have the right?"  

Mulder looked into the distance, then laughed a
little.  At the doctors' questioning looks he
added "I just never thought I'd be making
medical decisions for Paul Bailey."  Mulder
looked over at the bewildered looking man, still
seated in the chair.  "Give him back himself, as
much as you can.  But try to cure the homicidal
monster.  I don't think it was ever his choice to
be that way."

The three men walked back to Paul and both
doctors were introduced to him.  At Jennings'
suggestion, the two doctors and Paul went to the
far end of the waiting area and talked quietly. 
Mulder could feel Paul's eyes on him, begging
for reassurance.  Mulder nodded at him and
smiled, then resumed his wait.

A few minutes later, a doctor with a chart came
into the waiting room.  Mulder immediately rose
to meet him.  "How is she?"  Mulder begged
anxiously.

The doctor smiled.  "It's amazing how well she's
recovering.  Although she was in shock and
bleeding severely when you brought her in,
miraculously the bleeding slowed and we were
able to bring it under control very easily.  The
bullet's out and although we anticipated some
severe internal damage, we actually found very
little when we performed the surgery.  She's a
very lucky woman."

Mulder grinned.  "Can I see her?"

"She's in recovery.  When she's moved to a
room, we'll call you and you can go sit with
her."  Smiling, the doctor went back the way he
came.

Mulder gave the news to Dr.'s Dietzel and
Jennings.  

Paul was overjoyed. "I'm glad she's getting
better.  I owe her one for getting me out of
there.  And you too, Mulder."  Paul added shyly. 
"The doctors say you called them, to help me
with my memory, that I should go with them. 
Should I?"

Mulder felt vaguely uncomfortable. "Paul, before
you were at the Center, you were very mentally
ill.  The same treatment that took your memory
seems to have helped the illness.  If you could
choose to be well, but have no prior memory,
would you do it?"

Paul looked troubled.  "Did I have family?  A
wife? Kids? Do you know who I was?"

Mulder took a deep breath.  "Yes, I know who
you were, but you don't want to know.  You
have no living family, and when you were sick
you hurt a lot of people, me included.  If you go
back to what you were, you could start to hurt
and kill people again, then you'd have to go to
prison.  This is another chance for you."

As Mulder finished, he was vaguely aware that
Mike had reappeared and was standing next to
him.

"Come on, Paul.  Go for it!  You can have a new
life, finally get a chance to do it right!"  Mike
urged.

Paul stared into space and through Mike, then
answered thoughtfully "I think I can lose the
memories, if they're that unhappy.  I don't want
to hurt anybody."

Mulder added  "Paul, you have to know, this
means one last treatment.  But I can promise you
it's the last, and you won't be strapped down."

"Will you be there?"  Paul asked quietly.

"Yes, if you need me to be."  Mulder was quietly
amazed at the direction his life had taken, but
suddenly he felt as though a hundred pound
weight had lifted off his soul.  He wasn't afraid
anymore.  And he had a feeling he'd seen the last
of these nightmares, at least.

"Mr. Mulder?"  Mulder turned to find a nurse at
his elbow. "Ms. Scully is in her room and awake. 
She'd like to see you."

Mulder spared a glance at the group of three, no
four men clustered in the corner of the waiting
room.  Mike was listening closely to Dr.
Jennings' explanations to Paul.  Mulder waved
to Mike, who waved back, followed by an absent
gesture from Dr. Jennings.



Mulder felt, as he usually did in hospital rooms,
like a St. Bernard dog touring an antique store. 
He moved carefully to Scully's bedside, dodging
equipment and finally landed in the side chair
with relief.  Scully watched him with a glowing
smile.

"Hey, how ya doin'?"  Mulder asked.  "I was
going to bring you some sunflower seeds, but
the nurse frisked me on the way in."

"That's ok." Scully grinned.  "It would clog the
tubing, and I won't say which."  Scullys
stretched.  "I must say that I feel much better
than I usually do when I land in the hospital. 
The doctor says I'm making a very good
recovery thus far."

"Oh, I'm confident that you'll have a very swift
recovery."  Mulder smiled mischievously.

Scully frowned.  "Your friend Mike didn't have
something to do with this, did he?"

Mulder nodded and smiled even more broadly.
"Yeah, I blackmailed him into healing you.  I
gave him an ultimatum in a language that a
Catholic angel has to understand."

Scully looked puzzled.  "Love?"

Mulder's smile grew soft.  "Guilt."

Scully grinned.  "Come on, Mulder, you admit
he's an angel.  Does this mean I'll be taking you
to mass on Sundays now?"

"I dunno, Scully...Maybe if you go with me to
the strip club on Saturday night we could work
something out?"


FINIS EST.