Title: Golgotha Author: Agent X Summary: When a boy is kidnapped in similar circumstances to Doggett's son, finding the man responsible gets personal for Doggett. Category: case, DSF, slightly DSRish Keywords: Doggett, Scully, Monica Reyes, Luke Doggett Spoilers: Invocation, TINH, possibly Empedocles (I wrote this before I saw it) Timeline: after Within/Without, with Mulder still MIA Rating: R for violence and language Disclaimer: The characters in this story are the property of the genius Chris Carter, 1013 and Fox Archive: anywhere you like, just let me know please Feedback: Good or bad, to aussie_xphile25@yahoo.com.au . Flames are encouraged - I do love a good fight! Dedication: This story is entirely dedicated to the wonderful Robert Patrick, who has inspired me to write this by bringing the character of John Doggett to life! _ * * * 8.45 am Outer suburb of New York A woman stood by the front door of her house, holding a kid's backpack and tapping her foot impatiently. ÒCome on Matthew! YouÕre gonna be late! Mick and Jesse have already walked past!Ó ÒIÕm coming mom!Ó called a voice and a moment later a kid of about 8 years old came bounding down the stairs. He had blonde hair that hung over his eyes, which were a brilliant sky blue colour. ÒHave you got your watch on today?Ó She asked. ÒYup,Ó said Matty, holding up his wrist to show a bright yellow Pokemon watch. ÒMatty, are you sure youÕre going to be okay to walk by yourself?Ó asked his mother, concerned. ÒI can walk you there if you like.Ó ÒMom,Ó Matty whined. ÒIÕm eight years old and itÕs only down the street; IÕll be fine.Ó ÒOk honey,Ó his mother said, giving his a kiss. ÒHave a good day. IÕll pick you up after school.Ó ÒBye mom!Ó Matty yelled as he ran down the path and disappeared down the street. * * * 9.30 am The phone rang in the hall near the front door of MattyÕs house. His mother ran in to answer it. ÒHelloÉ Yes, this is Mrs HirdÉ What?!É HeÕs not there?Ó she said over the phone, becoming frantic. ÒHe left almost an hour agoÉ Yes, okay, IÕll call a few people to see if theyÕve seen himÉ Call me if you hear anythingÉ Bye.Ó She took the phone into the kitchen and sat at the table for a minute with her head in her hands. She took a deep breath and raised her head; there were tears in her eyes. After a moment she picked up the phone again and started dialing numbers. ÒHi Betty, itÕs NatashaÉ Look, have you heard from Matty todayÉ No, he didnÕt turn up at schoolÉ No?É Okay, thanksÉ Yeah, IÕll call you when I know anythingÉÓ * * * Unknown place in heavily wooded hills Sometime after dark A man walks through the woods until he comes to a large clearing. He is carrying a spade in one hand and a big bag in the other. He drops the bag to the ground and begins digging. A short time later he has dug a hole about 4 feet long. He picks up the bag and throws it almost effortlessly into the hole, then starts to shovel the dirt back on top of it. The bag is almost completely covered, apart from one end, which is open. Sticking out of the open end is a small arm, on which there is a bright yellow Pokemon watchÉ * * * Two days later FBI conference room 9.30 am A woman wearing an FBI badge stood in front of a group of about twenty agents. She was of average height with dark hair and clear blue eyes. She would be about 30 years old. She was talking to the group while holding up a photo of Matthew Hird. ÒÉ Matthew Hird left his home at approximately 8:45 on Wednesday morning to walk to his school, which is about half a mile down the street. Somewhere between his home and the school he disappeared. So far, twenty people who were on the street at the time have been interviewed and nobody saw anything suspicious or out of the ordinaryÉÓ She walked over to a table covered in papers and held up a photo of another young boy. ÒÉ this is the second boy to disappear from the New York area in the past week, and the sixth in the north-east US. The other boy from New York, Robbie Perne, also disappeared a short distance from his home while walking to school. At this stage it appears we may have a serial kidnapper and possible killer on our hands. The current lack of motive and connection of the two victims suggests that the kidnapping may be a random act.Ó ÒDo we have any possible suspects at the moment?Ó asked an Agent in the front row. The woman flipped through some papers before answering. ÒAt this time we have no leads to suggest who may be involved in the kidnappings, however there is something I would like you all to look at.Ó ÒSome of you may or may not be familiar with a series of similar kidnappings which occurred about 6 years ago. There were nine victims in total, all boys aged between 6 and 8 who were taken from near their homes in broad daylight. None of them were ever found. There were no witnesses. I worked on this case and we never had any real leads as to who might be responsible. After the ninth boy disappeared in the New York area, the kidnappings stopped. Given the identical nature of the crimes, it is possible that whoever was behind the first series of kidnappings is also behind these latest ones.Ó ÒIÕm sorry,Ó spoke up another Agent. ÒI donÕt understand why the kidnappings stopped in the first place and why they are starting again now?Ó ÒNeither do I,Ó replied the woman. ÒBut perhaps to find the person responsible we first need to find out why they stopped taking kids six years ago.Ó ÒAny ideas as to why that would be?Ó asked someone. ÒWell,Ó said the woman. ÒIÕve been running a check through the Federal database of all known criminals with any case relating to child abuse, kidnapping and the like. It is possible that the kidnapper was unable to continue because he or she was put away for something else. Another possibility is that they left the country and have recently returned. IÕd appreciate if a couple of you would follow that up.Ó She turned to AD Skinner, who was standing near the door. ÒGood job, Agent Reyes.Ó said the AD, and turned to the rest of the room. ÒOne more thing though.Ó He walked over to the projector and flicked it on to show a photo of a young boy. ÒThis,Ó he said, pointing at the photo, Òis Luke Doggett. He was the last boy to be kidnapped six years ago. He is also the son of John Doggett who as you all know works here at the FBI. For that reason Agent Doggett has not, as yet, been informed of this case and I would appreciate it if you didnÕt mention the case or its details to him until I tell you otherwise. Am I clear?Ó People in the room nodded. ÒOK, youÕve had your briefing. You know what to do. Any developments in the case come directly to myself or Agent Reyes. Get to it.Ó There was a flurry of activity as people began leaving the room. AD Skinner walked over to Reyes as she packed up her papers and started talking. ÒDo you think we're right, Agent Reyes? I mean leaving Doggett out of the case? He may be able to help, you know.Ó Reyes set her papers down and turned to him. ÒAD Skinner, I have no doubt that Agent Doggett would be a great help in this case. But I worked with him when we were searching for his son. I saw what that did to him and I donÕt want to put him through all that again. IÕm going to have to tell him about the case, and if he wants to be a part of it, I don't have the heart to say no." AD Skinner sighed. ÒOK, if youÕre sure. You brief him about the case. I have a meeting with Agent Scully in 20 minutes so IÕll inform her of the situation with Doggett and brief her on the case too.Ó They both left the room. * * * 11.21 am Scully was sitting at her desk reading through some files when there was a knock at the door. She looked up to find a dark-haired woman wearing an FBI badge standing there. She was a little taller than Scully. ÒYes?Ó asked Scully, closing the file she was reading. ÒCan I help you?Ó ÒUhÉ actually I was looking for Agent Doggett. Is he around?Ó ÒHeÕs just gone upstairs for a minute, is there anything I can help you with?Ó asked Scully. The woman hesitated. ÒNo, thatÕs ok.Ó She seemed reluctant to say anymore. Just then they heard footsteps in the hallway and Doggett walked into the office. The woman turned to face him and he stopped in surprise. ÒMonica?Ó he exclaimed. ÒWhat are you doing here?Ó ÒWell hello to you too, JohnÉÓ she replied, amused at his look of surprise. ÒHi! I meanÉ how are you?Ó He asked and moved toward her to give her a hug. ÒIÕm fine, thanks.Ó She pulled back from his embrace after a minute and looked him in the eye. ÒBut how are you?Ó Doggett hesitated before giving a small laugh and said, ÒYeah, IÕm good these days.Ó Just then Scully cleared her throat and looked at Doggett with one eyebrow raised. ÒOh, sorry,Ó he said. ÒMonica, this is my partner Special Agent Dana Scully. Agent Scully, this is Special Agent Monica Reyes.Ó The two shook hands. ÒNice to meet you Agent Scully.Ó Reyes said warmly. ÒLikewise. I take it you two know each other,Ó she said, looking from Doggett to Reyes. ÒWe go back a long way,Ó said Reyes, looking at Doggett again. There was something in her voice that made Scully wonder just how well they knew each other. ÒWell,Ó Scully said. ÒI better go. IÕve got a meeting with AD Skinner in a few minutes.Ó ÒWhat, about a case? Am I supposed to be there too?Ó Doggett asked. ÒI donÕt know what itÕs about,Ó replied Scully. ÒIÕll fill you in later.Ó She turned to Reyes. ÒNice to meet you Agent Reyes.Ó She left the room, still wondering about the woman she had left in there with her partner. Doggett closed the door after Scully and gestured to Reyes to sit down. ÒSo,Ó he began. ÒItÕs been a while. What brings you up here to DC?Ó ÒActually IÕm going to be living up here for a while. IÕm working on a big case in the area with some other FBI Agents and AD Skinner.Ó He looked surprised. ÒYouÕre working a case with AD Skinner? How come I havenÕt heard about it?Ó ÒWell,Ó she said. ÒThere was a briefing this morning but I thought it would be better to tell you about it face to face. ItÕs a bit difficult to explain.Ó ÒOkayÉÓ said Doggett, not sure where she was going and pretty sure he wasn't going to like finding out. ÒFill me in.Ó ÒItÕs a kidnapping case,Ó she said, avoiding his eyes. ÒSix young boys in all, taken within close proximity to their homes in broad daylight. No suspects, no witnesses, no ransom notes. Seems to be a random act of kidnapping. First two boys lived in the DC area, one in Baltimore, two in New York and one in Boston.Ó She paused. ÒAnything sound familiar?Ó She looked at Doggett. He was sitting back, face pale, eyes closed. ÒShit,Ó was all he could say. Reyes continued, even though Doggett knew what she was going to say. ÒThe MO for this spree of kidnapping suggests that they are connected to those when Luke disappeared. It is possible that they are being done by the same person.Ó Doggett closed his eyes again and took a deep breath. He had been trying for six years to bury his feelings about his missing son, and now they had all come bubbling to the surface again. ÒSo,Ó he said. ÒAny ideas? Where do we start?Ó Reyes sighed at his enthusiasm. He wasnÕt making this easy. ÒLook, John,Ó she started. ÒI donÕt know if itÕs a good idea for you to be involved in this. YouÕve got too much of a personal connection to the case and I donÕt want toÉÓ He cut her off angrily. ÒNo! I am going to be involved in this!Ó He knelt in front of her and whispered. ÒWe have a chance here to capture the person who took my son; a chance to close the case. I have a chance to find out what really happened.Ó She looked at him, so desperate to find answers, to find the truth. She sighed. ÒOkay,Ó she said. ÒI need all the help I can get on this one, but just promise me you wonÕt do anything stupid. Please?Ó ÒI wonÕt,Ó he said, avoiding her eyes, hoping she couldnÕt tell he was lying. ÒJohn, promise me!Ó she said, grabbing his hand. He smiled at her. ÒYou know me too well.Ó * * * Scully had been waiting outside Skinner's office for about fifteen minutes when the door opened. ÒAgent Scully, come on in.Ó ÒThank you, sir.Ó She walked in and he shut the door behind her. ÒIÕm not sure what this is about, but if itÕs a case, I think Agent Doggett should be here too.Ó Skinner gestured to her to take a seat and sat down himself behind his desk. ÒThis is about a case, however when it comes to Agent Doggett this case is a bit complicatedÓ Scully looked at him curiously. ÒHowÕs that sir?Ó ÒYouÕve heard of the latest string of kidnappings on the East Coast, right?Ó ÒYes,Ó Scully replied and proceeded to tell him what she knew. ÒSix young boys in all, ranging from six to eight years old. Lived anywhere between Boston and Raleigh, and were taken a short distance from their homes in broad daylight.Ó ÒCorrect,Ó said Skinner. ÒThe case is being headed, under my direction, by Agent Monica Reyes, a specialist in ritualistic and serial crimes. Are you familiar with her at all?Ó Realisation dawned on ScullyÕs face. ÒYes, actually. I just met her a few minutes ago. SheÕs an old friend of Agent DoggettÕs.Ó ÒThatÕs right,Ó confirmed Skinner, nodding. ÒI sent her to tell him the details of the case, while I explain some things to you. I was reluctant to involve Agent Doggett in the case but Agent Reyes feels he may be helpful.Ó ÒIÕm sorry, sir,Ó said Scully, looking confused. ÒBut I donÕt understand why Agent Doggett shouldnÕt be involved. If IÕm correct he was previously assigned to a Child Abduction Task Force. He could be very usefulÉÓ Skinner cut her off by raising his hand. ÒSix years ago an identical series of kidnappings took place. Same MO, same area, no suspects and none of the boys were ever found.Ó ÒAnd?Ó asked Scully, still wondering what it had to do with Doggett. ÒThe last boy to go missing was Luke Doggett.Ó He placed a picture in front of her. ÒAgent DoggettÕs eight year old son.Ó * * * Scully and Doggett's Office 1.37pm Scully sat in her chair with the file Skinner had given her spread in front of her. She couldn't take her eyes off the photograph of the beautiful eight-year-old Luke Doggett. He had his father's eyes, she noticed. She had no idea Doggett had even been married, let alone had a son. And to lose him in such tragic circumstances! For the first time, since they had begun working together, she felt a wave of compassion for her partner. She never knew he had suffered so much. She laughed to herself. As if he would tell her about this, anyway. She had been less than welcoming since she met him. On occasions she'd been a downright bitch! No wonder he didn't tell her about it. She resumed going over the case, searching for anything that might lead them to finding who was responsible. After all Doggett had done for her to try and find Mulder, she owed it to him to do all she could to find out what happened to his son. She was so absorbed in the case she didn't notice him enter the room. In fact she didn't even notice him walk over to her desk and pick up the photo of his son. She jumped when he spoke. "What are you doing, Agent Scully?" he asked. She looked up to see him holding the photo of Luke. "IÉ I, uhÉ was going over some of the details of the case. Familiarising myself with it, you know." There was an uncomfortable silence so she kept talking. "I guess Agent Reyes was filling you in on the recent kidnappings." She watched him. "I assume you're going to be a part of the investigation." Doggett looked at the photo of his son a while before answering. "That's right, Agent Scully, I am." She looked at him staring at the photo. The expression on his face was sad, distant, like he was remembering better times. She knew he wouldn't want to hear what she was going to say, but she decided to say it anyway. "Agent Doggett, I totally respect your decision to want to be a part of this investigation, but that doesn't mean I agree with it. In fact, I don't think it is a good idea." Doggett was angry. "And why is that, Agent Scully? Could it be that you're worried about the effect the case will have on me?" He was being sarcastic. 'I don't think so. I think it's just an excuse to get rid of me. Let's face the facts, Agent Scully. You haven't wanted me as your partner from the word go, and here is your big chance to get rid of me. Well, tough luck. Because while there is the slightest chance that I can find the person who took my son, I'm not going anywhere." He stopped, knowing that he had gone too far, but also knowing it had to be said. Scully was taken aback. She couldn't believe Doggett thought she felt that way about him. Certainly, she had to begin with, but things had changed. She respected Agent Doggett, not only as an exceptional agent, but as her partner and a great person. She just had trouble showing it. She never realised her attitude had bothered him so much. "Agent Doggett, I'm sorry you feel that way, but you are very wrong." He looked at her with raised eyebrows, in disbelief. Scully sighed and motioned for him to sit down. "Agent Doggett, when you were first assigned to the X-Files, I was mad. Mad at Mulder for leaving and mad at you for thinking that you could replace him. I held you at arms length because I didn't want another partner. I wanted Mulder. But since I've been working with you, my opinion has changed." She stopped and he looked at her as if to say 'well?'. She sighed and continued, eyes downcast. "When I began working with you I realised that not only are you an exceptional Agent, but you are also an exceptional person. You have given up everything over the past few months to help me find Mulder. You have put your life on the line for me countless times. The only reason I don't want you on this case is because I am concerned about you, Agent Doggett." She kept her eyes down, not wanting to see his face. There was an uncomfortable silence. Doggett looked at the top of his partner's head with a mixture of surprise and annoyance. Maybe he had been wrong about Scully, maybe she was concerned for him. Even so, she had no right to keep him off this case. He sighed. "Agent Scully, I appreciate your concern, but I've worked this case before and I can handle my feelings. I can assure you they won't get in the way of the investigation." Scully had no doubt that Doggett could keep his feelings in check, as long as the case didn't get too personal. But she had seen Mulder lose someone, time and again, and she saw what that did to him. She didn't want Doggett to go through that. "Agent Doggett, can I ask you something?" He nodded. "What will you do if you find the person responsible for Luke's kidnapping? What then?" He looked at his hands and didn't answer. "What will you do if you find Luke? Find his body, I mean? You think you can handle this case, but can you handle that? Because that is what it may come to." Again, he didn't answer, but Scully saw by the look on his face that she had hit the nail on the head. The look on his face was one of fear, as if he could see Luke's body in front of him. When he turned to her there were tears in his eyes. "Agent Scully, when this case was closed six years ago, I felt like I had failed Luke. I didn't find him and I didn't find the person responsible for taking him. Not a day goes by when I don't think that maybe, just maybe there was something else I could have done to catch the bastard, or to bring my son home." He came over to her and grabbed her hands. "I'm being given a chance here to do this, Agent Scully. Please don't take that away from me." Scully looked up at him and squeezed his hands. "If you want to be a part of this, I won't stand in your way. But if it gets to be too much, please just step away. Don't beat yourself up. I'm sure you did everything in your power to get your son back home safe. You have to believe that, you have to believe he knows that too." They looked into each other's eyes for a moment. Just then the phone rang. Doggett let go of Scully's hands and went back to his desk. Scully picked up the phone. "Agent Scully.Éyes Assistant Director?É You doÉ okay, where are you now?" She scribbled something on a piece of paper. "We'll be there as soon as we canÉ" She put the phone down and looked over at Doggett. "What?" he asked. "What is it?" "AD Skinner's got a lead he wants us to check out," she replied. They both grabbed their coats and headed out of the room. * * * 9.01 am Next day Outer suburb of New York Scully and Doggett pulled up in a rental car outside the house where the last boy to go missing, Matty Hird, lived. They knocked on the door. Matty's mom opened the door, looking pale, tired and a little scared. Doggett spoke first. "Mrs Hird? I'm Agent John Doggett with the FBI. This is my partner Agent Scully. I understand there was something you wanted to show us?" "Yes," replied Mrs Hird. "Please, come in." She closed the door behind them and led them upstairs, talking as she went. "I didn't notice anything strange until last night, but to tell you the truth, I hadn't been in Matty's room until then." Scully and Doggett followed her into Matty's bedroom. Mrs Hird continued. "I found this lying on the bed. A page has been bookmarked and a section highlighted, but I know Matty wouldn't have done it." She pointed to a Bible laying closed on the bed. Doggett walked over to the bed, pulling on a pair of latex gloves and flipped open the Bible to the bookmarked page. He didn't read the section, but instead turned to Matty's mom. "Mrs Hird, may I ask if your family is religious, or if Matty went to a religious school?" "No, we're not really, Agent Doggett. We only go to Church at Easter and Christmas, and Matty's school doesn't teach religion." Scully walked over to Doggett and glanced at the Bible. "You are sure Matty wouldn't have highlighted this section?" she asked. "He wouldn't have just been playing around?" "Definitely not," Mrs Hird replied. "Matty has always been taught not to deface any books, and certainly not the Bible." "Do you mind if we take this with us?" asked Scully, gesturing to the Bible Doggett was still holding. "No, please do. Anything that might helpÉ" she trailed off. Doggett walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "Trust me, Mrs Hird. We are doing everything we can to get all the boys back safe and well." * * * Scully and Doggett didn't talk much on the way back to Washington. Scully wanted to ask her partner exactly what had happened with his son's case, but she didn't have the nerve. She decided to keep the conversation to the current case instead. "So, Agent Doggett," she asked. "Do you think this Bible has any significance to the case?" He thought for a moment. "I honestly don't know, but I think we should tell AD Skinner and Agent Reyes about it, just in case." * * * Late afternoon FBI building Scully, Doggett, Skinner and Reyes were all in Skinner's office. The Hird's Bible was laying closed on Skinner's desk. Agent Reyes was speaking. "It's possible that we are dealing with a type of cult, and that maybe the kidnapper is leaving this as a symbol of their beliefs, or even as a clue for us." Doggett cut in. "Hang on a second, something here doesnÕt fit. First of all, the Bible was found on the boy's bed, and he wasn't even taken from his home. Secondly, we haven't seen anything like this in the other kidnappings. The boy probably defaced the Bible himself." Agent Reyes looked annoyed, but then continued speaking. "Maybe we just weren't looking for this before, or maybe this kidnapping isn't even related." She paused. "But think of this, every time the kidnapper strikes, he has been leaving us a clue - it's not uncommon - but we haven't been finding them. Getting frustrated, the kidnapper leaves one in plain sight, hoping that now we will find the rest." Skinner and Scully both nodded in agreement. "That could make sense," said Scully. Doggett said nothing. "So what is the significance of the highlighted section, assuming we find more in other Bibles?" asked Skinner. "Clues," answered Reyes. "Clues to where the next boy will be taken from, or maybe clues to where we will find them." Agent Doggett spoke up for the first time. "So, what does it say?" he said, gesturing to the Bible. "And what does it mean?" Agent Reyes opened the Bible to the bookmarked page and read the highlighted section. "See that you don't despise any of these little ones. Their angels, I tell you, are always in the presence of my father in Heaven." Scully frowned. "That doesn't sound promising," she said. "What do you think, Agent Doggett?" They all turned to look at him. He was sitting bolt upright in his chair, knuckles white as his arms gripped the armrests. His face was pale, as if he had seen a ghost. "Agent Doggett?" asked Scully. "Are you okay?" He kept staring straight ahead for a moment, then snapped back to reality and jumped out of his chair. "I have to go," he said, grabbed his jacket and rushed out of the room. * * * When Agent Doggett rushed out of Skinner's office he ran straight to his car and headed home. It was dark by the time he got home and unlocked the door. He didn't remove his gun and holster as usual, but headed straight up the stairs and to the room at the end of the passage. He took a deep breath before opening the door. The room looked exactly the same as it did when he had closed the door last time, six years ago. The books were still strewn over the floor and the baseball glove was still lying on the end of the bed, waiting for another game that would never come. The thin covering of dust was the only thing that suggested the person who lived in the room was never going to return. Doggett turned his attention to the books still lying on the floor. He knew there was a Bible around here somewhere. Although his family had never been overly religious, Luke had loved to hear stories from the Bible about brave warriors and evil kings. His favourite story had been Jesus' Parable of the Lost Sheep. Doggett smiled sadly. A fitting story considering the circumstances. He found the Bible under a pile of school books and flicked through it looking for any highlighted areas. He didn't think he would find any. Luke loved reading and had never drawn or written in books, not even as a toddler. When he saw a flash of orange highlighter he almost dropped the book. He flicked back, found the page and read the highlighted section in a whisper. "In the days after the time of trouble the sun will grow dark, the moon will no longer shine and the stars will fall from heavenÉ" Doggett sat down weakly on the bed. He had heard those words before. After a minute he left the room and picked up the phone, dialing Agent Scully's number. "Agent Scully, it's Agent Doggett," he said. "Agent Doggett, are you okay? Is everything okay? We were starting to worry about you." "There's something you need to see. Can you come over here?" "Sure. Where are you? At home?" "Yeah," he said. "And Agent Scully, tell Agent Reyes to come too." "We'll be there as soon as we can." She replied, and hung up. After hanging up the phone, Doggett sat down numbly at the kitchen table, staring at the Bible that lay open in front of him. In his mind, he saw another Bible, at the church he and his wife had gone to when Luke disappeared. He remembered sitting in the front row, holding his wife's hand while the priest read the sermon for the day. "É in the days after the time of trouble the sun will grow darkÉ" He remembered thinking how fitting the words were at the time. He was still sitting at the table half an hour later when Agent Scully knocked on the door. She had called Agent Reyes as soon as she hung up from talking to him, but Reyes was out of town, checking out the Bible lead at the other victims' houses. She had driven over to Doggett's house by herself. When there was no answer at his door, she tried the handle. It was unlocked so she cautiously opened the door and went in. "Agent Doggett?" she called. He didn't answer her. She walked through the house, into the kitchen, to find him sitting at the table staring at the book in front of him. She came up beside him and read the highlighted passage. "Where did you find this?" she asked. He didn't take his eyes off the Bible. "In Luke's bedroom, with all his stuff." She pulled a chair next to him, sat down and put her hand on his arm. "Are you okay?" she asked worriedly. He looked at her before answering. "For months after Luke disappeared, I searched for him. Followed the smallest, most insignificant leads and never found a thing. Now I find out that the clue I looked so desperately for was in my own house. If I could have found it soonerÉ maybeÉ maybe I could have gotten him backÉ" He took a deep breath and bowed his head to hide the tears that were threatening to spill over his cheeks. Scully kept talking. "You did everything you could at the time, Agent Doggett, I have no doubt of that. There was no way you could have known about this." She gestured to the Bible. "It was a fluke that Mrs Hird even noticed the passage in her Bible, and until we find the same thing at the other boys' houses, we don't even know it's related to the case." Just then Scully's cell phone rang. "Scully," she said on the phone. "Agent Scully, it's Agent Reyes. Are you with Agent Doggett right now?" she asked. "Yes, I am," Scully replied. "Why?" "I think you might want to go somewhere he can't hear you." Reyes replied. "Hang on," said Scully. She got up from the table. "I'll be back in a sec," she said to Agent Doggett. She walked out the front of the house and got in her car. She spoke into the phone again. "Okay, Agent Reyes, what have you got?" "I've had some other Agents visiting the houses of all the victims, checking on this Bible thing, and I think we're onto something." "Go on," said Scully. Reyes continued. "We found Bibles with highlighted passages at the houses of all the victim's from the latest kidnappings, and also at all but one of the houses of the victim's from six years ago. The one where we didn't find a Bible, however, the parents had packed up all the boys' belongings and given them to the homeless, but they did confirm the boy had his own Bible." "Wow," said Scully. "Do any of the passages mean anything yet? "Well," said Reyes. "When reading them separately, it seems they have been selected at random, however they all refer to loss, death, children or something related. A number of them also give reference to a journey and something to be found. It sounds like the kidnapper is playing with us. Giving us cryptic clues as to the whereabouts of the boys, but as to whether they lead anywhere or not, I don't know." Reyes paused for a moment. "We need to find out if Agent Doggett's son has one of these Bibles," said Reyes after a bit. Scully sighed. "He does. That's why Agent Doggett called me over here. He wanted to show me what it says." Reyes inhaled sharply. "And what does it say?" she asked. "Much the same as the other ones you've described. It's a passage about loss. Agent Doggett isn't taking it too well." "I knew he shouldn't have been a part of this investigation," sighed Reyes. "How's he going to react when he hears about this new stuff?" "I don't know," Scully replied. "Maybe it would be better coming from you. After all, you've known him a lot longer than I have." * * * Scully finished her conversation with Reyes and went back inside Doggett's house. Although she thought it would be better coming from Reyes, she had to tell Doggett about the latest developments in the case. She walked into the kitchen but he wasn't there. The Bible was still sitting on the table. She called out to him but he didn't answer. She headed upstairs looking for him. She found him standing in the middle of Luke's bedroom, holding a baseball glove. She stood there watching him for a moment before he noticed her. He put the glove down, embarrassed, and walked past her out of the room. She followed him back downstairs. "Agent Doggett, there have been some new developments in the case that I think you should know about." He spun around. "Tell me," he said. They sat down at the kitchen table again and she proceeded to tell him everything Reyes had told her. Doggett listened without a word. "ÉI told Agent Reyes what the passage in your Bible says, and she has people at the FBI trying to decipher what each passage means and what the connection is. They are also testing for a match on the highlighter. We'll have the results soon." Doggett nodded. "The sooner the better." He said, yawning and rubbing his eyes. Scully looked at him. "When was the last time you had any sleep, Agent Doggett?" she asked. He thought for a moment. "Dunno, a couple of days ago," he replied. "Not since we've been on this case anyway." "You really should get some rest. You're going to be no good to anybody if you're tired." He hesitated. She grabbed his arm, pulled him out of his chair and directed him towards the stairs with a gentle push. "Go on," she said. "We won't know anything else for a while and I'll call you when we do." He turned around to face her. "Promise?" he asked. "I promise," she said. "I'll see you tomorrow, Agent Doggett." She picked her keys up off the hall table and let herself out. * * * Sometime after dark Unknown place in heavily wooded hills The same man as before is walking through the woods holding a shovel and a heavy plastic bag. As before, he drops the bag and digs a large hole. He then puts the bag in the hole and covers it up again. He glances around the clearing at the 12 or so mounds of dirt, before picking up the shovel and walking off. He gets into a car that is hidden in the trees and drives off down a dirt track, headlights off. Dangling from the rear-view mirror is a large, gold crucifix. The track leads onto a main road. As he reaches the main road he flicks the headlights on. As he turns onto the main road, the headlights reflect on a sign pointing back down the track. It reads 'Golgotha: 12 miles'. * * * The FBI building was a flurry of activity as Scully made her way to AD Skinner's office. She arrived to find Reyes and Doggett already there. Reyes looked flustered, while Doggett looked as if he still hadn't slept. "Agent Scully, please come in," said the Assistant Director. "Thanks for getting up here so quickly." Scully sat down in an empty chair. "What's going on?" she asked. Agent Reyes spoke up. "Another boy went missing yesterday. Same circumstances as the others, but somebody saw something." "What?" Scully asked. "Two separate witnesses report seeing a suspicious car in the area, a white, early model Ford with a gold crucifix hanging from the rear- view mirror." "Did they get a plate number?" Scully asked and Reyes shook her head. "So without a plate number how do we find this car?" Agent Doggett spoke up. He looked alert, now that they finally had a break that might lead somewhere. AD Skinner spoke first. "WeÕve informed all local and federal police of the situation and we have a warrant out for the arrest of the owner of the vehicle. There's not a lot else we can do until we find the car. We need to concentrate on these quotes from the Bible and find out what their significance is." "Do we have a quote from the latest kidnapping?" asked Doggett. "Yes, we do," confirmed Reyes. She pulled a Bible out of her bag, flipped it open and handed it to Doggett. "What does it say?" asked Scully. Doggett read the passage aloud. "They beat him over the head with a stick, spat on himÉ then they led him out to kill him." They were all silent for a while. Doggett stared down at the book, not wanting the others to see the fear in his eyes. If this passage was true, it could mean only one thing: his son was dead. Finally Scully spoke up. "It says they led him somewhere, so maybe we need to figure out where the kidnapper is taking them." Agent Reyes was looking over a list of the other quotes they had found. She realised something. "Of course," she muttered more to herself than the others. "What is it?" asked AD Skinner. Reyes stood up and began pacing. "Although none of the quotes directly mention a place, the words around the quotes themselves speak of places." Doggett looked confused. "Those places are all in the Middle East, though," he said. "They have nothing to do with finding the kidnapper." Reyes frowned in thought. "Wait a minute," said Scully. "Maybe they do." "What do you mean?" asked Skinner. Scully was beginning to put the pieces of the puzzle together. "All the places described in these part of the Bible could be cryptic clues for a place around here. Come with me," she said, and headed out of the office. She led them down to the office in the basement, where she pulled out a map of the North-East US. She spread it out on the desk and started explaining to the others. "This passage here occurs outside the city of Jerusalem, which could be representative of New York or Washington. This other passage speaks of a rocky area that is right next to an oasis. It then says that if you pass the oasis you will come to the hills and finally the home of the King." Skinner looked unconvinced. "This could be anywhere in the North-East. How can we find this place?" he asked. Scully shook her head. "I don't know. We need a miracleÉ" "Or another clue," said Doggett. * * * Late that night Church of the Resurrection 30 miles from Golgotha "ÉGod will give orders to his angels about you; they will hold you up with their hands so that not even your feet will be hurt on the stones. So saith the Lord. Amen" People began filing out of the church while the priest retreated to the room behind the altar. He pulled off his robes and left the church in a pair of jeans and a sweater. He unlocked the trunk on his early-model white Ford and opened it. He looked at the shovel and large plastic bag inside for a moment before shutting the trunk and driving away. From the shadows near the carpark, a police officer stepped out, watching the disappearing car while speaking into the radio. "Base, this is Southgate 314, suspect is heading east on Ridge Road. White Ford, DC plate Alpha-Tango-Zulu, Six Eight FourÉ" * * * 1.39 am Doggett's house For the first time since the case had begun, John Doggett was sound asleep. The ringing of the phone jolted him to consciousness as he flicked on the light and answered it. "Yeah?" "John? It's Monica Reyes," said the voice on the other end of the phone. Doggett sat up in bed, blinking at the clock by his bed. "Monica? Is anything wrong?" She took a moment to answer him. "I thought you'd like to know that I'm down at the Southgate county police station. We have a suspect, John." He almost dropped the phone. "John? Are you there?" "UhÉ yeahÉ I'm here," he replied, still trying to absorb the news. "I'm coming down there." "I thought you'd want to. Pick Agent Scully up on the way. She's waiting for you at her house." He hung up, pulled on his jeans and a jacket, grabbed his gun and left the house. He picked up Scully a short time later and they headed out to Southgate. He was very quiet on the way. If fact, he'd hardly said a word to Scully since she got in the car. She kept glancing at him sideways, trying to think of something to say but coming up with nothing. She could only imagine what was going through his head right now, with the possibility of finding out what happened to his son so close. "Agent Doggett," she began quietly. "Agent Reyes is waiting until you arrive to begin questioning the suspect, but I don't think you should be in the room for the questioning." "The hell I won't be in there," he said sharply, taking her by surprise. "I've got a few questions to ask this fucker myself." Scully persisted. "Look, Agent Doggett, Agent Reyes and I will ask him everything we need to know. Who's to say he'll say anything though? He may not even be the right person." She waited for Doggett to argue back but he didn't. When she looked across at him, his jaw was set in a hard line and his knuckles gripped the steering wheel tightly. "We'll see," was all he said. * * * 5.34 am When they reached the Southgate police station they were directed to an observation room where Agent Reyes was waiting for them. "Who is the suspect?" asked Scully. "The man's name is Cain Johnson, a 42 year old priest from the local Church. Local police arrested him when they saw him driving a car matching the description of the one witnesses described in the last kidnapping." "Any priors?" Scully asked. Reyes shook her head. "This guy is a saint. Not even a parking ticket on his record. According to locals he keeps to himself and spends most of his time at the Church or the library, reading religious books." Doggett nodded. "That would explain the quotes," he said. Doggett was rummaging through the papers on the desk. All of a sudden he froze, eyes wide, mouth open. Scully looked at him, then at Reyes. "Agent Doggett?" she asked. "What is it?" He was staring at a photo. He swallowed and held it up for Reyes to see. "Is this the guy?" he managed to ask. Reyes nodded. "Where is he?" asked Doggett. Reyes pointed towards a window that looked into an interview room. "He's in thereÉ wait a minute, Agent Doggett!" she cried as he left the room and headed for the door to the interview room. Scully and Reyes ran after him just in time to see him enter the room. Cain Johnson turned in surprise as the door burst open. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!!" Doggett screamed, grabbing Johnson and shoving him up against the wall. Johnson was surprised, but he fought back, landing a right hook on Doggett's jaw. Doggett didn't even blink. He shook Johnson as hard as he could. "Where are they?" he yelled. "Where is MY SON?" "Agent Doggett, stop!" Scully called, as she and Reyes tried to pull him off Johnson. It took both of them all their strength just to pull Doggett away from the other man. Even as they pulled him away, he fought them. "Let go of me!" he yelled, trying to twist out of their grip. They managed to drag him out of the room and slam the door behind them. They dragged him back to the observation room. Once inside he yanked his arms away from them and turned to them, eyes flashing. "He is not Cain Johnson," he yelled. "His name is Peter Spencer. I knew him. LUKE knew him. He did it." "Agent Doggett, calm down," said Scully. "This isn't the way to go about it." Doggett stared at her defiantly for a moment. "Oh, fuck it," he said, throwing himself into a chair and wiping at the blood running down his chin from his bleeding lip. Suddenly the suspect spoke through the glass. "It's been a long time John," he said with a sick grin. "I wondered why you hadn't returned to the Church after your loss. I never realised it was because you didn't like me." Doggett opened his mouth to say something, but then thought better of it. Agent Reyes spoke up. "Mr. Johnson, is it? Do you mind if I come in and talk to you?" The man smiled wryly. "I don't think I have a choice." Reyes turned to Scully. "Will you stay here with him?" she asked, gesturing to Doggett. Scully nodded. Reyes turned to Doggett. "John, don't do anything else stupid, okay?" He ignored her so she left, went into the interview room and sat down opposite the other man. "Cain Johnson," she began. "Or is it Peter Spencer? Which one do you prefer?" He laughed a bit. "You may call me what you wish, it matters not to me." "Well then, Mr Spencer," she continued, opting for his real name. "I have some questions for you about some missing boys." "Ahhh," he said. "You are here to receive the word." "Pardon me?" asked Reyes, looking confused. "I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believeth in me shall not perish but have eternal life. Heard of it?" Agent Reyes glanced at the window behind which Scully and Doggett were standing. Her look simply said 'he's a crackpot'. She turned back to Spencer. "Yes, I've heard them. They're from the Bible. As are the quotes you have given us to help us find you. Why did you do that?" "I know nothing about helping you find me, but I assure you I know quotes from the Bible. Would you like me to give you one?" "Thanks, but I'm not here for the sermon. IÕll ask the questions," said Reyes. In the other room, Doggett stood up. "No!" he said. "He's trying to tell her the next clue to find the boys!" Scully stood up too. "Agent Doggett, stay there. I'll go and tell her." Scully was about to leave the room when Spencer began speaking quickly. "I am not responsible for the death of this man. It is your doingÉ They spat on him and took the stick and hit him over the head. Then they led him out to Golgotha to crucify himÉ Ask and it shall be given unto you, seek and you shall find." As suddenly as he had begun, he stopped and was silent. After another hour of questioning Reyes came back into the observation room. She looked tired. "Local sheriff says we can't hold him any longer without good reason." Doggett was angry. "What the hell do you mean 'without good reason'. The man is a kidnapper and probably a killer! He quoted the same passage from the Bible we found at the victim's house!" Reyes put her hand on Doggett's arm to calm him down, while Scully tried to reason with him. "Agent Doggett, the man is a priest. Of course he can quote the Bible. And you have to admit, those passages are quite common." "What about the witnesses who saw him at the scene of the kidnapping? How does he exÉ" Scully cut him off. "Local PD confirmed Spencer used to be a priest at a Church in the area. He still visits some of the parishioners from time to time." "Oh, bullshit!" Doggett spat. "What about changing his name? How do you explain that?" "It's not unusual," Reyes spoke up. "It's certainly not criminal." Doggett looked at both of them for a moment before he spoke. "HE is the one," he hissed. "I KNOW he is, and I'm gonna prove it." Without another word he left the room. * * * 9.30 am When Scully and Reyes arrived back at the motel they had booked into the night before, they found both Doggett and his car gone. They had been forced to release the suspect due to lack of evidence, and Doggett had been very pissed off about it. He was convinced Spencer was guilty. Scully and Reyes had both been up all night and were very tired. Scully yawned as they got out the car. "I think a few hours sleep would do me good," Reyes said, yawning herself. "Mmm,' Scully agreed. "Me too. Maybe Doggett will be back by then and we can figure out what to do next." They both headed off to their rooms. * * * Doggett had been shadowing Peter Spencer since he was released from the police station that morning. So far, he hadn't done anything remotely suspicious, let alone incriminating. Still, Doggett wasn't giving up. He knew when a man was hiding something, and there was definitely something shifty about Peter Spencer. As Doggett sat in his car down the road from Spencer's house, he thought back to the day he first met the man. It was a couple of days after Luke had disappeared, and Doggett's wife had begged him to come to church with her. Although he'd been living in the area for almost nine years, due to work he had never been to the church. His wife and son, however, went fairly often. He remembered the priest's words during the sermon that day, so relevant yet offering no comfort to either him or his wife. He remembered Father Spencer coming to speak to them after the service, holding their hands and telling them, godwilling, their boy would be back soon. Doggett never imagined that same man could be responsible for taking his son away. After six long years Doggett had almost accepted the fact that he would never see Luke again, that his son was dead. As much as he knew that in his head, his heart ached to hold his son again, to smell his hair and kiss his face as he slept. A small tear trickled down Doggett's face. He was jolted back to the present when he saw Spencer's car pulling out of the driveway. He glanced at his watch. It was 2.30 in the afternoon. He started his own car and slowly followed Spencer. He left a good half mile between himself and Spencer so he wouldn't know he had a tail. When they reached the main area of Southgate, Doggett lost him for a few minutes. He was just cursing his bad luck when Spencer's car shot across the road at the t-junction in front of him. Doggett accelerated and rounded the corner just in time to see Spencer's car disappearing down the road. Doggett followed Spencer until he pulled into a driveway. Cursing again, Doggett realised they were back at Spencer's house. He drove past the house, turned around and parked further down the street. Spencer put the car in the garage and went into the house. * * * Scully awoke from her sleep to someone banging on her door. "Hang on," she called, pulling some decent clothes on. She opened the door to find Agent Reyes standing there looking worried. "What is it?" Scully asked. "Have you heard from Agent Doggett?" Reyes asked. "No," Scully paused. "IsnÕt he back yet?" Reyes shook her head, then gestured to Scully's room. "Can I come in?" she asked. "I have something to show you." Scully stepped back allowing the other woman to enter the room. Reyes was carrying a pile of papers and maps that she dumped on the small table. They both sat down. "I've been going over some of these maps in relation to the locations the passages from the Bible describe," Reyes began. 'And I've found some striking similarities between an area just south of here and what we figured out the other day. Look at this." Reyes spread a map in front of Scully and pointed out some features. "Here is the rocky area mentioned in the first passage," Reyes said, pointing to a place on the map. "And just to the south is Hoover Dam. That could be the oasis described in the Bible." Scully sat back from a moment and thought. "What about the hills and the home of the King?" she asked. Reyes studied the map for a moment. "Well, just south of where we are now, there's a large wooded area covering about 20 square miles. It's very lightly populated, so it would be a good place to hide peopleÉ or bodies," she finished. Scully glanced at Reyes when she said that. Both women were thinking the same thing: good thing Agent Doggett didn't hear that part. Scully studied the map again. "So," she murmured to herself. "All we need now is to find out what the home of the king is." Reyes sat back in her chair with a sigh. "Well you've got me there," she said. They sat there for a while without speaking, both puzzling over the problem in their minds. Suddenly Scully sat bolt upright. "I've got it!" she exclaimed. "The home of the King is Washington!" Reyes looked confused so Scully explained what she meant. "In the times of Jesus, Jerusalem was the home of the King. He was the most powerful man in the world. Now, the President of the United States is the most powerful man in the world and he lives in Washington." "Of course," Reyes agreed. "But without the next clue, where do we go fromÉ" Scully raised her hand to cut her off. She reached for the tape recorder and played the tape of Spencer's interview earlier that day. "Then they lead him out to Golgotha to crucify himÉ" Scully stopped the tape and turned to Reyes. "Golgotha was a hill just outside the city of Jerusalem where they crucified Jesus. He's just given us the next clue." Reyes was beginning to understand where Scully was going with this. "So there is a place just outside DC that is representative of Golgotha. It's where he killed the boys he kidnapped," Reyes realised. "Oh, shit. He is the one." Scully reacted first. "Get on the phone to Doggett," she told Reyes. "Get him back here and whatever you do, don't tell him Spencer is the guy." Reyes nodded and reached for her phone. Scully turned her attention back to the maps. "Where are you going?" she whispered, trying to find the right place on the map. Reyes put her phone down. "I can't reach Doggett. He's turned his phone off." "There!" Scully said suddenly, jabbing a point on the map with her finger. Reyes looked over Scully's shoulder to see her pointing at a section of the map showing heavily wooded hills and steep terrain. A small dot and tiny letters marked a place in the middle of the woods called Golgotha. * * * It was well after dark when Spencer left the house again. Agent Doggett hadn't seen anything of him all afternoon, except once when he carried some garbage out to the shed in a large green bag. Doggett was just about ready to give up when he noticed Spencer's car slowly backing out the driveway. Doggett waited until Spencer's car had left the street before starting his car and following. He left his headlights off and kept as close as he dared. Spencer had his headlights on, but switched them off as soon as he was out of the populated area. Half an hour later, Spencer turned onto a dirt track that lead to a heavily wooded area. Thirty seconds later Doggett did likewise. He glanced at the signpost as he turned onto the track and his blood ran cold. It said 'Golgotha 12 miles'. All of a sudden the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Golgotha was the place where Jesus died, outside the big city, on a hill. Everything made sense and Doggett knew, in that instant, that Spencer was the man who had taken and undoubtedly killed his son. Doggett went against his better judgement and continued to follow Spencer alone. He knew he should call for back-up, or at least let Scully or Reyes know where he was going. There was something inside him that stopped him from doing so; a little thing called revenge. For six long years he had dreamt of the day he could kill the man who had taken away the little boy that was his life. Doggett wasn't about to risk letting this man get off with 10 years in jail because of some bullshit technicality. Doggett was going to finish this now, once and for all. Twelve miles up the track he came to a dead end. Cursing, he stopped the car and got out. He found Spencer's car hidden in the bushes but there was no sign of Spencer himself. Doggett heard the snap of a twig behind him and spun around, reaching for his gun. Before he could pull it from the holster, something hit him across the side of the head and he fell to the ground, unconscious. * * * Scully drove 20 miles above the speed limit along the deserted country road. She cursed Doggett for going off by himself, but at the same time she prayed that he was alright. After she and Agent Reyes figured out where the kidnapped boys would be found, Agent Reyes headed to the police station to explain the situation, get back-up and wait for AD Skinner, who was on his way down. Scully headed off for Golgotha by herself, hoping that her partner wouldn't do anything stupid before she got there. She almost missed the turn-off onto the dirt track and had to double back to find it. She killed the headlights as she headed into the dark, heavily-wooded area. * * * Doggett woke up in a cramped dark space. His hands and feet were bound with thick rope and he was gagged at well. His head hurt like hell and he could feel sticky blood in his hair. Shifting around a bit, he realised he was in the trunk of a car, a moving car. He had no sense of time in the dark trunk, but after what was probably twenty minutes the car stopped. He heard footsteps and the click of the trunk being unlocked. The face he saw when it opened was that of Peter Spencer, grinning devilishly, the moonlight glinting on the barrel of Doggett's own gun. He reached in and cut the ropes on Doggett's feet with a knife. "Get out," he said. Doggett slowly pulled himself up and out of the trunk. His surroundings spun in a slow circle as his tried to stay on his feet. Behind him, Spencer pulled something else out of the trunk and slammed it shut. "Pick it up," said Spencer, motioning to the large plastic bag laying on the ground. Doggett obeyed. Immediately he realised what was in it. A body. Spencer motioned for him to start walking up a narrow track. With no choice, Doggett did as Spencer said, well aware of the gun constantly trained on his back. They had been walking for about ten minutes when they came on a large clearing. "Stop," said Spencer. "Put it down." Doggett obeyed. Spencer reached over to Doggett, pulled off his gag and undid the ropes on his hands. He then handed him the shovel. "Start digging. Right here." Now free of his gag, Doggett thought he should try reasoning with Spencer. "Look," Doggett began. "This is stupid and you know it. My partner has already figured out your clues and it will only be a matter of time before she and all the local police are up here." Spencer laughed. "Look around you, Johnny boy. No one has found this place in six years. They're not going to find it now." For the first time, Doggett glanced around the clearing. He was horrified to see, in the dim moonlight, that it was covered in small mounds of dirt. Some freshly dug, some overgrown with weeds. There were about ten that he could see, and probably more in the distance. These were all Spencer's victims. Without warning Doggett turned on Spencer. Spencer had lowered the gun when Doggett stopped digging, and didn't have a chance to bring it up before Doggett crashed into him, knocking him to the ground. The gun went flying across the clearing. "You son of a bitch!" screamed Doggett, punching Spencer with everything he had in him. "Where is my son? What did you do to him? Where IS he?" Even as he was punched in the face, Spencer laughed. "You want to know where he is?" Spencer spat. "He's here. Right in this clearing. Buried in one of those pathetic little mounds. He's DEAD!" Doggett stopped for a second. Stunned at the realisation of what Spencer had just said. A second was all Spencer needed. He heaved himself from under Doggett while landing a solid punch to his jaw. Before Doggett could react Spencer was on his feet, kicking him in the ribs with his heavy boots. Doggett fell to his knees, gasping for air. It wasn't until the last minute that he saw the moonlight flash on the blade of a knife as it swung toward him. Then everything went black. * * * Scully reached the end of the dirt track and got out the car. Doggett's car was parked off to one side, and she could see tire tracks from another car leading into the bushes. She listened but couldn't hear any sounds. She was about to head on up the hill when something on the ground by Doggett's car caught her eye. She crouched down and touched the dark patch. It was sticky and red. It was blood. * * * Doggett opened his eyes to the sight of a pile of dirt. He blinked a few times and tried to sit up. He inhaled sharply as he felt a sudden pain in his stomach. He put his hand to his shirt and it came away sticky and wet with blood. He groaned. Spencer appeared from behind the pile of dirt. "Oh, you're back," he said casually. "Pity. I was just digging your grave." Doggett managed to sit up, just as Spencer tossed something in his direction. He caught it. It was a skull; a child's skull. The empty eye sockets stared at him without seeing. He shuddered and dropped it. "Why are you digging it up?" he asked Spencer. "Like father like son," Spencer replied with an evil grin. "I thought you'd like to be buried with your boy." The clearing spun in a dizzy circle and there was a roaring sound in Doggett's ears. Somehow, he managed to stand up, picking up the skull as he did. "Are you trying to tell meÉ" he choked out. "Éthat this is my son?" Spencer took the skull from Doggett and placed it on the ground between them. "Sure is," he replied. He casually lifted his foot, bringing it down heavily on the skull, crushing the thin bones into fragments. Doggett stared at the broken skull. "Yep," continued Spencer, tauntingly. "That's the little bugger. Sure was a pain in the ass trying to get him up here. Kept asking questions. 'Where are we going?' 'What are you doing?' He stopped asking though, as the rope tightened around his neck and I strangled him to deathÉ" Spencer was enjoying himself. "É Can still see the look on his face when he died. Cried like a girl, he did." Doggett didn't have a gun, a knife or even a stick. He was already hurt and not moving well, but all of a sudden he didn't care. All that mattered was to kill this bastard, whether he died with him or not. Doggett launched himself at the man who killed his son. Even injured as he was, pure hate was driving Doggett and he was a trained Marine. Spencer fought like crazy but Doggett was getting the better of him. Doggett punched him again and again, until Spencer's face was a mass of bloody bruises. Spencer fell to the ground. The tears were falling down Doggett's face, and he screamed at Spencer as he began kicking him with every ounce of strength he had left. As Spencer was lying on the ground his hand brushed something sharp and he found his knife lying half buried in the dirt. With Doggett off balance, aiming a kick at his ribs, Spencer lashed out with his foot, tripping Doggett up, at the same time leaping to his feet. He threw himself at Doggett, aiming the knife directly for his chest. Doggett saw the knife coming, but could do nothing to get out of the way. At the last minute he jerked to the side, and it was that movement that saved him. This knife sunk into his shoulder, and even through the intense pain, Doggett's eyes registered the gun lying on the ground next to him, where it had been flung minutes before. He grabbed for it, pushed it between himself and Spencer, and pulled the trigger. * * * Scully was half a mile from the clearing when she heard the gunshot. "Doggett!" she screamed, and started running towards the sound. As she ran she pulled out her cell phone and rang Agent Reyes. It was all she could do to catch her breath and tell Reyes to call an ambulance, tell her where she was, and to hurry. She hung up and kept on running. She had to get to him before it was too late! * * * The gunshot almost deafened Doggett, and for a second he thought he was the one who had been shot. Then he felt the dead-weight of Spencer on him and realised it was all over. He pulled himself up from under Spencer and tried to stand up. The pain in his shoulder and stomach forced him to sit down again. He was bleeding quite badly but he didn't care. Glancing around, he saw the broken skull of his son lying on the ground near him. As he reached out for it a wave of realisation hit him. It was over. The bastard was dead and he finally knew the truth about what happened to his son. Holding the broken skull to his chest, he collapsed onto the ground and began to cry. * * * Scully reached the clearing breathless and exhausted. The sight she saw was one she would never forget. The clearing was covered with small graves. Near a pile of dirt in the centre, Spencer lay flat on his back, dead, with a gunshot wound in his chest. A short distance away, her partner lay on the ground clutching something to his chest. Her heart stopped for a moment, seeing no movement, thinking he was dead. She ran towards him, calling his name. "Doggett?" she called. "John? Are you alright?" She knelt down by his side and rolled him over onto his back. "My God," she whispered. "John? Can you hear me?" She wasn't sure if he was conscious. His eyes were open but he wasn't responding to her. His shirt was covered with blood and she pulled it open to find deep knife wounds to his stomach and shoulder. He grimaced as she put her hand over the wound on his stomach, trying to stop the bloodflow. "Scully," he whispered weakly. "I did it." "Shhh," she whispered, as she gently pulled him into her lap. "Don't try to talk. The paramedics will be here soon." He moved his hand to hers and placed something in it. She looked down to see it was a child's skull. "Scully," he whispered. "My son, LukeÉ" His voice trailed off as he began to sob. Scully held him, stroked his hair and prayed the paramedics would hurry. * * * The next day Southgate County Hospital Scully sat outside Doggett's hospital room while the doctor was in there. Last night the paramedics had arrived just in time. Scully shuddered as she thought what would have happened if they had been a few minutes later. As it was, only she knew how close Doggett had come to losing his life. Agent Reyes and AD Skinner arrived a few minutes after the paramedics. After the initial shock of the scene, they began to make arrangements to have the bodies brought up. They were still out there now. Scully was jolted from her thoughts when the doctor called her name. "Ms. Scully?" he said. She stood up quickly. "How is he?" she asked anxiously. "He's doing okay, all things considered." She sat down, relieved. The doctor continued. "There was quite a lot of blood loss from the knife wounds. He has a slight concussion and a few broken ribs. Apart from that, and a lot of bruises, he will be fine." Scully felt like crying with relief. "Can I see him?" she asked. "Sure," the doctor replied, and excused himself. She opened the door and quietly slipped into his room. He was asleep. She silently pulled up a chair, took his hand and sat down next to the bed. There were thick white bandages covering the knife wounds on his torso, and she could see stitches in his head, just above his hairline. She winced as she looked at the nasty bruises on his face and ribs. She reached out and touched his face. For the first time since she met him, she was finally seeing her partner for who he really was. He wasn't a man sent to do the FBI's dirty work, to keep her from finding Mulder or to cover up the truth. That's what Kersh intended for him, but he took the other path. The left-handed path. The selfless path that would end his chances of a career at the FBI. He gave up everything to find Mulder for her, a man he never knew. Now she knew why. Because of Luke. He had failed to find his son and he couldn't bear anyone else to go through the same pain as him. Scully knew he would be glad that he had found Luke's body, and his killer. As Scully stared at her partner, she realised not only did she respect him as a partner, but her feelings for Doggett were growing stronger every day. When she ran into that clearing last night she was terrified that she was too late. As much as she missed Mulder and wanted him to come back, if John Doggett had died in that clearing last night, a large part of her heart would have died with him. Still, she wished it could have ended another way for him, a happier way than finding his son's body. She sighed and squeezed Doggett's hand. Nothing seemed to end happily anymore. She started with surprise when she felt Doggett squeeze her hand back. She looked over at him. He was waking up, blinking in the light. She squeezed his hand again. "Hey," she said softly. "John, how are you?" He looked over at her and gave a tiny smile. "I've felt better," he whispered. "You gave us a bit of a scare," she said. "Going off on your own like that." "Sorry," he whispered. "What happened to Spencer?" "He's dead," Scully replied. Doggett closed his eyes again. Scully wasn't sure if he was asleep again, so she waited. He opened his eyes again after a while. They were bright with tears. He gestured for her to come closer. She felt his warm breath as he spoke. "Thank you so much for helping me find him," he whispered to her. She smiled. "After all you've done for me I owe you that, and more," she replied. "I can finally sleep at night, because I know," he said, tears starting to roll down his cheeks. "And I can finally bury himÉ" "Shhh," Scully whispered. She carefully wiped the tears from his cheeks with one hand and kissed his forehead. "You need your rest now. Everything will be okay." He closed his eyes. Gradually his breathing evened and his face became peaceful again. She waited a few more minutes before pulling back, only then realising his hand was still tightly gripping hers. He opened his eyes again when she started to pull away. "Please stay," he murmured, half-asleep. She sat down again. "Okay," she whispered. "I'll be here when you wake up." She stared at him for a moment, before resting her head on the pillow next to his own. ~the end~ Author's note: You're still here! Must mean you liked it. _ You donÕt understand how seriously I was considering having Doggett die at the endÉ <> I actually wrote the first page or so of this back in April, so it's about bloody time I finished the damn thing. My muse gave me a major kick up the ass at 4.30 this morning, so I thought I better start writing before I lose the thread. Okay, it is now 10.30 at night and I've finished. I canÕt believe I just wrote basically for 16 hours straight. And yes, I as you can see from the disclaimer, I think CC is a genius. I don't care if he has made a few silly mistakes this season , he is still the person who gave us The X-Files in the first place. Without him, John Doggett wouldn't exist and you wouldn't be reading this right now. CC, for giving us the best show in the universe, I am eternally grateful! This story, although only finished at the end of May, was conceived and mostly planned out in early April, before I knew the events of Empedocles. Any similarities between the story and that ep are purely coincidental, since I haven't seen the ep as yet and this story is just my idea of resolving Luke's case.