White Rabbits by Tasha Abrams First written: April 1999 Disclaimer: Mulder and Scully do not belong to me, but Wonderland itself does. Classification: SA, MSR, Alternate Universe Rating: PG-13 Spoilers: Pilot, One Breath, Anasazi trilogy, Memento Mori, Redux II, Patient X/TRATB, TF/OS Summary: Wonderland approaches, but is it the safe haven Mulder and Scully hope it is? Notes: This is a sequel to my story "Wonderland". To all those who wrote me, asking for more, this one's for you. You can find the original story at the ATXC Ephemeral Archive, or you can e-mail me at Syrinx42@yahoo.com and I will send it to you. **** The fires have gone out, and they walk onward. They have not gone far when the lights are suddenly extinguished, plunging them into utter blackness. Instantly they come to a halt, filled with fear. For years they have each lived with night terrors, but this is different. This dark is like nothing that has ever come before. There is no face, no label that can be hung on the terrors inhabiting this darkness. Their hands grope for and find the other; in the connection formed by touch, some of the fear is pushed back. In unison they take a deep breath and prepare to move forward again. Abruptly the earth heaves, rumbling a deep, protracted groan. The sidelong motion throws them to the left, and presses them body to body against the tunnel wall. "What is it, Mulder?" she asks. "I don't know," he says. The earth groans again, then is still. Humbled into quiet, they move away from the relative security of the wall and into the center of the tunnel. They walk forward, into the darkness, toward Wonderland. **** Eons ago, there was a young woman, full of naivete and an as-yet unshaken belief in science. She stepped into a strange setting, extended her hand and said, "Agent Mulder? I'm Dana Scully. It's a pleasure to meet you." That young man, cynical and mistrusting, yet desperately lonely, shook her hand. "Well, isn't it nice to be so highly regarded?" he said. Their eyes met, both posing, and accepting the mute challenges they threw at each other. They became partners then, in ways yet unimaginable. **** Their journey through the dark is terrifying. The blackness before them is unrelenting. Occasionally tremors rock the earth, and when this happens they glance upward, uneasily aware of the weight of rock and dirt pressing down over their heads. Twice there are bodies, soft stumbling blocks laid across their path. One time they hear a faint scream, from far behind, shrill and piercing, abruptly cut off; the silence that follows is more disturbing then the shriek itself. Trembling, but with no choice, they walk onward. At times the tunnel curves to the left, but nothing disrupts the smoothness of its walls. If there are signs pointing the way, they are lost in the blackness. After hours of silent travel, Scully speaks, and her voice rebounds loudly off the wall. "I wish I still smoked." "Why?" Mulder asks, whispering, to dampen the echo. "Because I'd have a lighter then," she replies, "and we could use it to see." Her voice cracks slightly on the last word. Mulder squeezes her hand but says nothing. **** When she lost three months from her life, she became a different person. She who had been trusting and open became guarded and secretive. She had lost too much -- she could not afford to leave anything to chance any more. For the man who was her partner, those months were a time of self-discovery. He realized how much she was needed in his life; when she had become such a necessity was unknown, but nonetheless inescapable, truism. Reunited, they resumed their roles, skeptic and believer, with only a little blurring around the edges. Their fates were now firmly entwined. **** By their best estimate, it is ten hours after their intial plunge underground when they finally come to a weary halt. Forced by necessity to stop, they still do so only reluctantly. "Evian water," Scully says wistfully. "Beer," Mulder says melodramatically, drawing a small laugh from both of them. "Iced tea," Scully says, after a small pause. "Root beer," Mulder says. They slide down the wall to sit on the hard floor, arms around each other, to sleep as best they can. **** During the dark days when she thought he was dead, she lost her belief, and momentarily lost her way. It took finding something in her own body to get her back on course. Suddenly things were personal, in a way they had not been before. In the desert heat he was without direction, and no navigator. Those who wanted him dead almost got their wish then. Defying time and space, he came to her in a dream, and then returned to her in person. Encircled by death and loss, they again were reunited. Grief was sublimated in the quest, and the pursuit of the truth. Sharing a burden, they again stumbled forward, bowed but not broken. **** The muted groan of shifting rock wakes them from uneasy sleep. They leap to their feet as dust settles on their anxiously upturned faces. Without words, they clasp hands and run. The earth rumbles again, then shakes violently. They cry out as they lose their footing; their hands are ripped apart as they are thrown to their knees. "Scully!" Mulder shouts, his voice swallowed by the roar of collapsing earth. "Mulder!" she yells, scarcely able to hear herself under the cacophony surrounding them. Rocks and dirt shower down on their huddled forms, and from somewhere ahead the ground splits open with a cracking noise that momentarily deafens them. Time draws to a standstill while the earthquake continues. Above them, on the surface of the planet, entire cities are destroyed in seconds, and flood waters ravage formerly peaceful coastlines. Ignorant of the destruction aboveground, they lie under the earth and pray to the heavens. **** She had signed her own death sentence by removing the chip, but by the time they discovered that, it was too late. Given only months to live, she threw herself into her work; it was all she had. When her weakening body refused to allow her to carry on, she drew strength from faith in her God, and unspoken love in her partner. He became driven by the need to save her, and the terror of what failure meant. That she should be so terribly punished because of him was unbelievable, and to reverse her inevitable fate, he killed, lied, cheated and stole. Along the way he refused temptations of the cruelest kind, and in the end, success was theirs. She looked Death in the face and turned her back on it. Their search became more intense then. They were more involved now, closer than ever to finding the answers to their questions. The bond between them was as strong as it would ever be. **** An eternity passes before the earth falls still for good. They crawl out from underneath mounds of dirt and debris, coughing and crying. Blind, they fumble for each other, calling out, more frantic with every passing second. At last there is a tentative brushing of fingertips. Seconds later, they are embracing, sobbing hopelessly, tasting blood and tears. For the first time, they think that maybe they should not have tried so hard to survive the invasion. **** The irony of their years together was that it took a brash young agent and his mother to finally reveal the truth. She didn't want to believe it, but she could not deny her own memories and still believe in herself. He had no trouble believing; but he railed against surrendering to fate. That he finally knew the truth, but could do nothing about it, was a bitter pill to swallow. In a restless stasis, they waited, knowing the day would come, hoping only that when it did, they would face it together. **** Their internal clocks point to morning when they stagger to a halt. Ahead the air is cooler, holding the promise of journey's end. Behind them lies a wasteland of cracked earth and jagged rubble. Slowed by the necessity of navigating this minefield in the dark, it has taken them two days to reach this point. Pain and thirst, hunger and exhaustion combine to sway them on their feet. They have abandoned speech long ago, and concentrated on moving forward, and on the sensation of their clasped hands. The darkness has not lifted but they do not need eyes to feel the air moving against their faces. They have arrived at the end; the door to Wonderland must lie straight ahead. They have hoped and strived for this; the thought of achieving the goal has sometimes been the only thing keeping them going. Now they are here, and it seems unreal to their shocked minds. They can not quite grasp the concept of the end. "Scully," Mulder says, his voice a weak whisper. "Mulder." Her reply is barely audible. "I still have the pistol," he says. Her hand squeezes his in unspoken agreement. If Wonderland has been destroyed, overrun by faceless Mad Hatters, they still have an escape, a much more final one. "I love you, Scully," Mulder whispers. "I know," she says. "I love you too, Mulder." They breathe deep, then walk forward together, toward that door, toward Wonderland. As they take the final step, the door opens, and light spills outward, blinding them who have lived in darkness for so long. Hands reach out and a voice says, "They're here." Together they step inside, into the light, into Wonderland. **** END Well, was it all you'd hoped for? Please let me know your thoughts on this. I think it works, but you, the readers, are the final judges. Send me your comments! All feedback will be replied to: Syrinx42@yahoo.com