Note:  This story is an X-Files/Twin Peaks crossover, a 
continuation of the story OUT OF THE WOODS.  As always, 
comments and suggestions are welcome.  I may be reached at 
madge@uclink.berkeley.edu
Enjoy!
<All usual disclaimers here>

THE VANISHED - by peggy li  Nov. 4-10 1994

	THERE WERE DONUTS.  Three dozen of them, all 
arranged neatly on a tray at one end of the long conference table.  
Sugary glazed, crumbly old-fashioned, dark rich chocolate, 
powdered donuts, white as an angels' wing.
	Dana Scully sat down across from this display, crinkling her 
nose at the sticky sweet aroma.
	"Everyone, take a seat."  Special Agent Dale Cooper sat 
near Scully at the head of the table.  Mulder sat beside her and 
Albert and Truman took seats opposite them.  As if he were 
presiding over a State dinner, Cooper sat only after everyone else 
had taken their seats.  They fidgeted quietly as Cooper folded his 
hands on the table.
	"Harry?"  Cooper gestured to the stack of cups that sat on a 
sidetable.
	"Oh!  Sure Coop."  Truman moved to give everyone a cup 
of fresh coffee from the thermos Albert had provided.  Scully tried 
hard to sit still and let her eyes wander around the room.  Rustic, 
sparse, it still had a woodsy, piney aroma distinct even through the 
odors of coffee and donuts.  Scully sipped at her cup and Truman 
returned to his seat.  She glanced at Mulder, whose face had fallen 
into an impassive mask.  Scully frowned and reached over to nudge 
him when Cooper began to speak.
	"I've been informed it's been seven days since my 
disappearance from Watmok Mercy hospital.  And I know  you all 
are wondering what happened to me over that week."  Cooper 
stared carefully at his coffee before taking a small sip and 
continuing.  "What transpired will certainly sound like a fantastic 
tale but I assure you it did occur somewhere in our time and space."
	Everyone waited expectantly, not saying a word.  Scully 
noted that even Albert paid rapt attention.
	"I have spent the last seven days in the Waiting Room.  
There, I confronted...Bob.  And sent him back to where he came 
from."
	Scully shivered, involuntarily, and Cooper noticed her 
movement.  He leaned towards her and said with a small smile of 
gratitude,
	"I couldn't have done it without your help, Dana."  He 
leaned back in his chair and addressed the table again.  "Without 
everyone's help."
	Scully spoke up, along with everyone else.
	"Dale..."
	"Coop..."
	"You are NUTS mister..."
	"DALE,"  Dana said again, louder, silencing the men.  "I 
don't understand.  Where did you go?  Where did you send Bob?  
How could any of us have helped you...?"
	Cooper sighed, "Dana, you were *there*.  Let me try and 
explain this to you all in a manner that is clear and direct.  Bob was 
in the waiting room.  He had drawn us all there through our fears.  
It was you, Mulder, finding Dana, that set the wheels in motion for 
Bob's demise."
	Mulder, who had been silent this whole time, murmured, 
"Finding the *real* Dana."
	"Yes,"  Cooper nodded, "The love you two share opened a 
door."
	Scully tensed in her seat and held out her hands.  She felt a 
blush creeping to her cheeks, "Hold on a minute here...Mulder and 
I?  Love?"  Dana wanted to deck Mulder for the smug smile that 
was creeping onto his face.
	Surprisingly, it was Albert who spoke up next.  "Everyone's 
love, Dana.  All the goodness and hope that goes along with it.  By 
binding together, Bob was overwhelmed and thrown back where he 
belongs."
	"Exactly, Albert!"  Cooper thumped his fist on the table and 
grinned at Rosenfield.	
	"That simple, Coop?"  Truman interrupted.  "I have a 
feeling he isn't going to take this lying down."
	Cooper sighed again and looked tired, extremely tired.  
"Harry, I faced things in that room that I hope never to meet ever 
again.  Let me just say that the big dice were rolled...and I fell out 
of the mix."
	"You fell into Twin Peaks."	
	Cooper lapsed into silence once again and Scully wondered 
if that was all he would tell them.  She was still confused and 
uncertain what to make of Cooper's experience, but the fact was 
that he was there and he seemed certain that Bob was stopped;  that 
was good enough for her.  Suddenly, there was a knock at the 
door.
	"Come in," said Truman.
	The door opened, revealing a tall man dressed in a deputy's 
uniform.  His strong, handsome features bore his heritage proudly;  
Scully surmised that this was Deputy Hawk.
	"Someone here to see you,"  he said, then stepped aside as a 
small middle-aged woman with red-rimmed glasses edged into the 
room.  Scully noticed something clutched in the woman's arms and 
thought at first that it was a child, but once the woman stepped into 
the light, she noticed with surprise that it was a log.
	"Margaret,"  Cooper said warmly,  "how nice to see you."
	The Log Lady moved crab-like to Cooper's side and he 
stood, placing an arm on her shoulder.  "What can I do for you?"
	"You *are* back,"  she said, glancing over at Scully and 
Mulder, obviously nervous around unfamiliar faces, "I knew 
because my log..." she fell silent and stroked the piece of tree with 
her fingertips.  Cooper looked concerned.
	"How is your husband today?"  he asked.  Scully felt her 
jaw drop and Mulder kicked her under the table.  She turned to 
glare at him and noticed that he seemed just as befuddled as she.
	"Ever since your return...my husband has been silent.  No 
more messages.  I thought- you should know."  The Log Lady 
moved to leave the room, but not without a backward, puzzled 
glance at Scully and Mulder.  Scully felt distinctly uncomfortable in 
her gaze.
	"Thank you, Margaret,"  Cooper called after her.  He turned 
back towards the table, and noticed the shell-shocked looks from 
Mulder and Scully.  
	"What?"  Mulder asked, as Albert began to laugh.
	"Welcome to Twin Peaks," he growled, moving out of his 
chair.  "I guess it's only fitting we end tonight on that lovely note."
	Sheriff Truman stood also and addressed Mulder and 
Scully.
	"I've got two rooms waiting for you in our finest hotel."
	"Wonderful."  Scully said, smiling doubtfully.  Mulder put 
his hand to her back and they all filed out of the room, Scully 
wondering if anyone else still felt as lost as she did.
	
[Great Northern Hotel]
	Scully slung the duffel higher up on her shoulder as she 
unlocked the door to her room.  Mulder was opening the door next 
to hers and he paused before going in.
	"Scully, Cooper and I are going to have a bite to eat 
downstairs later.  Would you like to join us?"
	"Yeah, ok."
	"Some place, isn't it?"
	Scully looked at the rich wood of the room and the plush, 
inviting bed, and had to agree.  "Beats the usual Motel 6."  Mulder 
laughed and moved to enter his room, but Scully grabbed his arm.	
	"Mulder."
	"Scully, what?"
	"I think we better talk later.  Alone."
	"I know.  We will.  After we talk to Cooper."
	"Mulder,"  Scully hissed under her breath, "that woman was 
talking to *a log*!"
	"Hey, you noticed that too?"  Mulder replied with mock 
surprise.  "We'll talk later."
	Scully pursed her lips and shut the door behind her, 
dropping her bag and plunging face-first into the bed.  She had a 
funny feeling that things were only going to get stranger the longer 
she and Mulder stayed in Twin Peaks.  She hoped they wouldn't 
stay for long.
	Technically, their case was complete, she thought as she 
slipped out of her jacket and shoes.  Stepping into the bathroom, 
Scully jumped at some movement out of the corner of her eye.
	"Just the mirror," she said to herself, staring at her 
reflection.  She took a good long look at herself in the mirror, some 
dark memory tugging at the corner of her mind, then  quickly 
undressed and stepped into the shower, drowning out her thoughts 
with the splattering of hot water.

	Mulder felt all shiny and well-scrubbed as he stepped into 
the lounge of the Great Northern.  His hair was still wet from the 
shower and he had changed into jeans and a flannel shirt.  A few 
eyes turned to him from the dance floor, a decrepit-looking band 
doing their best to look alive at this late hour.  Cringing at the 
straining melodies, he spied Cooper sitting at the bar, still in his 
suit, his attention focused on something in his hand.
	Mulder moved to sit next to Cooper and saw that he was 
staring at a photograph.  It was a grainy photo of a girl holding 
books in her arms and smiling.
	"Audrey Horne,"  Cooper said quietly when Mulder sat on 
the stool next to him.
	"She's beautiful,"  Mulder replied carefully.  He could hear 
the regret and remorse in Cooper's voice.
	"Her father used to own this hotel.  He's moved to Tibet 
and Audrey....is dead."
	"Cooper, I'm sorry.  I can see she meant a lot to you."
	Cooper turned to Mulder, his eyes misty, "We were friends, 
good friends."  Cooper shook his head, trying bravely to smile 
through his grief, "She was such a vital young woman, Mulder.  It's 
a damned shame."
	"What happened?"
	"There was some sort of explosion at the bank downtown. 
Twin Peaks lost a lot of good people there that day."
	Something dawned on Mulder,  "You didn't find out about 
this until today?"
	Cooper nodded his head and gripped his shot glass.
	"Coop...I'm sorry."  Mulder placed a hand on Cooper's 
shoulder and Cooper raised his glass.
	"To those...who are out there."  Mulder found a glass and 
sipped, nodding somberly.  Cooper then looked over Mulder's 
shoulder and added, "And to the living."
	Mulder turned to see Dana walk down the steps and make 
her way towards them.  He found himself smiling broadly and 
noticed Cooper doing the same.
	"Sorry I'm late, guys,"  Dana said as she reached them, 
sitting down on a stool between them.  She noticed the two of them 
grinning like fools.
	"What?"
	Mulder looked down at Dana, dressed in a flowing blouse 
and leggings and couldn't stop smiling.  "Nothing.  Glad you could 
make it, Scully."
	"How much have you had to drink?" she asked warily.
	"Dana, you are a sight.  What'll you have?"
	"Uh, thanks Cooper.  Nothing for me."  In unison, both men 
put down their glasses.
	"How are you two liking Twin Peaks?"
	"Oh...the scenery's very nice."  Scully replied, neutrally.
	"Something's bothering you?"
	"I don't think Scully's ever seen a pet log before."  Mulder 
joked.
	"Ah, Margaret."  Cooper replied, "Her insights have been 
invaluable to me."
	"She gets her information from a log?"  Scully asked, 
aghast.
	"She communicates through the log, Dana.  It was a gift 
from her husband before he died.  They have a table ready for us."
	Cooper moved off into the dining room, Scully and Mulder 
trailing behind.  Mulder noticed that look on Scully's face and 
murmured, "Curiouser and curiouser..."
	"Pinch me, Mulder, because I *must* be dreaming....ow!"
	"You're not dreaming.  Maybe you're delusional."
	"I'll deal with you later, Mulder.  But right now..."  Scully 
sat at the table, smiled at Cooper and spoke so he could hear, "I'm 
starved."
	Cooper didn't bother to open a menu and addressed the 
waiter immediately.  "I'd like a slice of pie and a cup of coffee, 
black."
	"What kind of pie would you like?"  the waiter asked, 
"Today we have..."
	Cooper held up his hands, "Surprise me."
	The waiter raised his eyebrows but did not say a word, 
"And you folks?"
	Mulder looked at Scully sideways and they replied together, 
"The same."
	"So,"  Cooper said after the waiter left with their orders, 
"what does the Bureau have planned for Twin Peaks?"
	Mulder shifted in his seat and said carefully, "I'm going to 
make a report tonight and they are supposed to get back to us in 
the morning."
	"Do you know who's in charge of this assignment?"
	"No, I don't.  We'll know tomorrow."
	Cooper nodded thoughtfully, then made room for the plates 
of pie that were being placed on the table.
	"We've got blueberry tonight,"  the waiter said snippily, 
"surprised?"
	Cooper took a bite of his slice and looked up at the waiter, 
his eyes wide.  "Young man, I never cease to be amazed at the 
miracle that is this pie."
	The waiter retreated hastily, leaving Mulder and Scully to 
stare at Cooper.
	Mulder watched Scully's mouth open and close, then get 
stuffed with a forkful of pie.  He had to admit to himself that Twin 
Peaks was beginning to make him feel a bit off kilter too.  Mulder 
watched Cooper and Scully chatting and wondered if Coop really 
was there, or if he really wasn't at another place.  The place with 
the red curtains, or...?
	A boy dressed in a porter's uniform approached the table 
with a silver slaver perched upon his shoulder.  Placing the slaver in 
front of Cooper, he stepped aside.
	On the tray was a small, black, handheld tape recorder.  
Cooper picked it up carefully and turned it over in his hands.  After 
a second he turned his head to look sharply at the porter.	
	"Who sent this?"  he asked.
	"Ms.  Horne, sir,"  the porter bowed, gesturing towards the 
lounge entrance.  All three heads swiveled at once and Mulder 
stopped breathing.
	Standing at the entrance to the lounge was a young woman.  
She had a shapely figure, deep raven hair, and perfectly arched 
eyebrows.  But it wasn't her marvelous beauty that had surprised 
Mulder;  whoever this woman was, she looked almost exactly like 
Audrey Horne.  She began to make her way towards their table.
	"Cooper,"  Scully asked, puzzled, "do you know her?"
	Cooper didn't reply but hit the play button on the recorder.  
The voice was young, sultry.
	"To my secret agent.  By the time you hear this, I will be 
gone."  Cooper hit the stop button fiercely and looked up to see the 
Audrey look-alike standing across from him.
	"Agent Cooper?  I'm Constance Horne, manager of the 
Great Northern.  Audrey's cousin."
	Cooper stood slowly and swallowed before replying, "Ms.  
Horne...where did you get this?"
	"Audrey wanted...before she died, Audrey wanted to make 
that for you."
	Mulder stood also and Scully followed his lead.
	"Cooper, I think Scully and I will turn in.  Goodnight, 
goodnight, Ms. Horne."
	The young woman smiled and nodded at Mulder as he 
snatched Scully by her elbow to steer her away.
	"Mulder,"  Scully asked under her breath, "what's going on?  
Who is she?"
	"Upstairs,"  Mulder replied tersely.

	"Please, sit down."
	"Thank you."
	Cooper lapsed into silence, staring at the black tape 
recorder.
	"Aren't you going to listen to it, Agent Cooper?"
	He looked up sharply.  "Tell me about Audrey."
	Constance shifted a bit in her seat, her long lashes hooding 
her eyes.  "She stayed in the hospital for a month...she had lost her 
limbs in the explosion.  She didn't want to live that way."  
Constance looked up and into Cooper's eyes, "I'm sorry about being 
so blunt-  I just want to tell you the truth."
	Cooper reached across the table and put his hand upon hers, 
"That's all I want to hear."
	"She- she wanted to leave you something.  Her body was 
destroyed, Agent Cooper...except for her lips.  They remained 
perfect...she made this for you before she died.  To remember her 
by."
	"As if I could forget,"  Cooper said, quietly, putting aside 
the tape machine and focusing his attention on Constance.  On the 
living.  "Now, tell me about yourself."
	"Me?"  Constance smiled and ducked her head shyly.  "After 
Audrey passed away, Uncle Ben, Benjamin Horne, he wanted to 
leave so...he asked me to run the Northern."
	"And it looks like you're doing a fine job."
	"I'd like to think so."
	Cooper marveled at the great similarity between Audrey and 
the woman before him.  The resemblance intrigued him, but also 
pierced his heart with a sense of danger.  Constance smiled at 
Cooper's frank stare and Cooper felt his face flush.
	"Are you going to listen to that?"  she asked him.
	"Umm, I think I'll listen to it when I'm ready."  Cooper 
replied, discomfited.
	"Oh, I understand."  Constance stood and Cooper hastily 
rose also.  "I just wanted to meet you."
	"You did?"
	"Goodnight, Agent Cooper."
	"Goodnight, Ms. Horne."
	"Constance."
	"Constance.  And thank you, for this."  Cooper patted his 
pocket with the tape recorder.  Constance blinked slowly and 
smiled slightly,  
	"It's what Audrey wanted."  
	Cooper sunk slowly back into his seat as Constance 
departed, and drank the rest of his coffee, thinking.
	
	Scully pursed her lips after Mulder finished telling her the 
significance of the appearance of Constance Horne.
	"She is beautiful,"  Scully said, watching Mulder out of the 
corner of her eye as Mulder's eyebrows raised and he said 
appreciatively,
	"Yeah."  Then, catching his tone of voice, busied himself 
with the keys to his room.
	Scully laughed softly to herself and followed Mulder inside.  
She sat on a wooden chair and ran a hand through her hair as 
Mulder flopped onto the bed.
	"What are you going to say in your report, Mulder?"
	Mulder blew air out between his lips, sighing.  "What can I 
say, Scully?  It looks like Cooper is back."
	Scully rubbed the back of her neck wearily, "This is all so 
strange.  This whole town is so..."
	Mulder propped himself on his elbow and nodded, "I must 
admit that I find this place a bit more- colorful- than most places we 
end up at."
	"Colorful, Mulder?"  Scully replied, her eyebrows creeping 
upwards, "A regular box of Crayolas- a LARGE box."
	Mulder stifled a yawn as a reply and Scully pushed herself 
out of her seat.
	"I guess I'll leave you to write that report,"  she said 
unenviously, "we can discuss this further in the morning."  Mulder 
simply waved a hand at her in reply, his eyes having drifted shut.
	Scully smiled at his sleepy figure and moved to the door.  
Thinking of the darkness that was going to greet her in her own 
room, she hesitated upon the threshold.	
	"Goodnight, Scully,"  Mulder called out, startling her.
	"Goodnight, Mulder,"  she replied, turning gratefully at the 
sound of his voice.
	Mulder rolled off the bed and approached her, surprised to 
see her so unnerved.  "What is it?"  he asked, concerned.
	"I don't know Mulder,"  Scully replied, fidgeting with the 
door and glancing over to her own, "nothing.  Pleasant dreams."  
She gathered herself and pulled her key out of her pocket.
	"You too,"  Mulder replied, leaning against his door.  Scully 
didn't hear his door close until after she had shut her own.  She 
shook her head slowly.  She had heard the understanding in 
Mulder's voice- and also the tinge of warning.
	
[Great Northern Hotel, room 108]
	Cooper sat cross-legged on the floor of his room.  Dressed 
in his favorite blue pajamas, his eyes were closed and his breathing, 
even.
	He had listened to the message that Audrey had made for 
him.  She had told him of her feelings about him, about life, about 
death.  While everyone's grief in Twin Peaks had subsided over the 
years, Cooper felt the pain as if he had just seen her yesterday, 
alive, smiling.  For Cooper, the time in the Lodge had felt like mere 
hours;  he hadn't quite prepared himself for the changes he found 
now that he was back.  And there were so many changes.
	Cooper picked up the tape recorder, feeling its familiar 
weight and texture in his palm, and clicked the record button for his 
new tape.
	"Diane, it's twelve-oh-seven AM and I've just finished 
listening to the tape that Audrey Horne made for me before her 
death.  Now, I know I haven't spoken to you in quite some time..."  
Cooper hit the pause on the recorder and frowned;  yet another 
element of his life, missing.  "Diane, I trust that the Bureau has not 
overlooked your considerable talents and that you are still part of 
the team.  The first item on my agenda is to find a way to get these 
tapes to you.  But I digress;  Diane, it is very strange for me to be 
back in Twin Peaks.  So many things have changed since I've been 
away...but I am pleased to report that the pie is still heavenly..."  
Cooper sighed sleepily and decided to give in to his fatigue, 
"though the coffee has lost some of its kick."  he finished.  Cooper 
clicked off the recorder and placed it carefully on his nightstand 
before crawling into bed.  Immersed in the billowing sheets, he 
closed his eyes and wondered if he'd dream that night.

[Great Northern Hotel, 8:00 AM]
	Scully rubbed her eyes and knocked on Mulder's door.  To 
her surprise, Mulder appeared dressed much like he was the night 
before;  gone was the familiar suit and tie, Mulder was dressed in 
flannel and jeans. 
	"Morning, Mulder."
	"Good morning, Scully.  Want to grab some breakfast 
before we go to the station?  I sent that fax out pretty late last 
night, so we probably have plenty of time."
	"Sure.  The hotel dining room?"
	"Nope,"  Mulder steered her towards the exit after they 
emerged from the elevator, "I thought we'd go rub elbows with 
some of the local color this morning."
	"Mulder, you are the local color this morning!"
	Mulder smiled and replied, "Well Scully, when in 
Rome...besides, not only is this snazzy little ensemble more 
comfortable, it allows me to blend in with the natives and not look 
like..." he looked at Scully's conservative suit up and down, his 
eyebrows waggling ever-so-slightly for emphasis.
	"Like...a sore thumb?"
	"Stuffed shirt, that's what I would've said."
	"Ah ha.  Watch it, Mulder, you're beginning to sound like 
one of those manly men in the full bloom of their manhood.  Must 
be the flannel."
	"And you're beginning to sound like Rosenfield."
	Scully glared at Mulder, but the beauty of the outdoors 
distracted her as they stepped out of the Great Northern and 
breathed in the fresh mountain air.  "Just get me to some coffee, 
Agent Mulder."

[Double R Diner, 8:20 AM]
	Scully had to smile when the door jangled open at the 
Double R diner.  Stepping into the diner was like stepping into a 
time machine;  the jukebox in the corner, the vinyl booths, and 
waitresses dressed in robin's egg blue uniforms.  Mulder and Scully 
opted for a booth and an attractive, middle-aged woman glided to 
their table with menus.  
	"Good morning.  Would you two like some coffee?"
	"Just some juice for me,"  Mulder replied.
	"I'd like some hotcakes,"  Scully said, not opening the 
menu, "scrambled eggs, coffee, and juice please."
	"Certainly.  I'll be right back with your order."
	Mulder looked askance at Scully across the table.  
	"What?"  she asked.
	"This fresh air seems to do wonders for your appetite."
	"Well, this place looks like it could make a decent stack of 
pancakes, don't you think?"
	"It's very..."  Mulder struggled to find the words, "quaint."
	Scully glanced around the near-empty diner.  "Doesn't look 
like much of the local color has turned out today."
	"Maybe they're all stuck in traffic."
	Their food arrived and Scully dug into her hotcakes with 
relish.
	"Good as the pie?"  Mulder asked, looking hungrily at 
Scully's plate.
	"Sure," Scully replied, looking up at him, "don't you want 
anything to eat, Mulder?"
	"I'd like to ingest as little of the local food as possible," 
Mulder replied slyly, sipping his juice.  Mulder smiled at the 
reaction he got from Scully at that statement;  she plopped her fork 
down with a frown.
	"But, if you're not going to finish that..." he snagged her 
plate to his side of the table and proceeded to finish off her 
breakfast.  Crossing her arms, Scully smirked,
	"I suppose I'm paying for this, too?"

	"Norma, who are they?"
	"I don't know, Shelly.  They must be here because of Agent 
Cooper."
	"FBI?  You think they're FBI?"
	"Well, just look at them..."
	"I AM looking.  Hey, he's kinda cute..."
	"Shelly..."
	"Norma!"  the woman tossed her wavy hair and mocked the 
older woman's admonishing tones.  "It's just not very often we get 
new people in Twin Peaks.  This is kind of exciting."
	"Well,"  Norma Jennings replied, folding her arms across 
her slim body and stealing a glance at the agents' direction, 
"remember the last time we had FBI agents come to town?"
	The girlish smile faded from Shelly's face and she reached 
for a pot of coffee. 

	"More coffee, Ma'am?"
	"Yes, thank you."
	"I'm Shelly Johnson.  Norma and I,"  she glanced back over 
to the counter, where Norma was busy putting pies in the pie racks, 
"we couldn't help but notice that you are new in town.  Are you just 
passing through, or....?"
	Mulder smiled, amused at the woman's obvious small-town 
curiosity.  "We're FBI."
	"FBI?  There isn't any trouble, is there?"  Scully couldn't 
help but notice the nervousness in Shelly's voice.
	"No, we're here on a routine investigation." she said 
casually.
	"Oh," relief crossed Shelly's face and then the door jangled 
as a new customer arrived.  She gave the two agents a small wave 
and moved off.
	"Now you've done it, Scully."
	"What did I do?" she asked, dabbing the corner of her 
mouth with a napkin.
	"Fueling town gossip."
	"I didn't tell her anything."
	"Exactly."
	Scully shook her head at Mulder, placing a few bills with the 
check.  "Come on, let's get to the station.  Cooper and everyone 
should be there by now."

[Twin Peaks Sheriff's Station.  9:00 AM]
	Scully tried to ignore the wide-eyed stare the perky blond in 
the station booth was giving her.
	"Lucy!"  Sheriff Truman said pointedly, snapping the 
woman out of her reverie, "don't you have something else to do?"
	"Yes,"  her squeaky voice lisping like a child's, "I guess I 
do."  Lucy scooted out of the booth, files in her hands, and Scully 
smiled gratefully at Truman.
	"Sorry about Lucy, Agent Scully.  She's a bit...loopy, if you 
know what I mean."
	"Right,"  Scully replied, edging closer to Mulder.  Mulder 
was speaking to Cooper and he was not sounding pleased.
	"Cooper, I can't believe you went over my head on this.  
You have no jurisdiction..."
	"What is it, Mulder?"  Scully interrupted, alarmed.  Mulder 
whipped around to face her, his jaw muscles rippling in anger,  
"Cooper filed his own report this morning."
	"Cooper, you haven't even been reinstated as an agent.  
How could you...?"
	"Agent Scully, I had a disturbing premonition last night that 
compelled me to take action.  I'm sorry, Mulder, but I'm hoping that 
my re-surfacing will stir some of the higher brass out of their 
complacency."
	For the first time, Scully could see that Mulder was 
unsatisfied with one of Cooper's explanations, and wondered just 
how much professional competition went along with the admiration 
these two shared.
	"We'll see what you stir up, Coop,"  he said darkly.

[9:12 AM]
	The group sat once again in conference room two, Scully 
wondering what exactly they were waiting for.  Mulder still wore 
an unhappy look on his face and Scully wished she could figure out 
what he was thinking.
	The door opened and in walked Deputy Hawk, a small 
device in his hand and wires trailing from it.  He placed it in the 
center of the table and Scully saw it was a small speaker.  It 
crackled static for a moment, and then a voice shot out, the person 
obviously yelling into his end of the line.
	"COOPER, ARE YOU THERE?"
	"YES Gordon.  We're all here."
	"ALL?  WHO'S ALL?"
	"Sheriff Truman, Albert, and Special Agents Dana Scully 
and Fox Mulder."
	"WHAT'S THAT, COOP?  A FOX'S MOTHER?"
	"Fox Mulder, Gordon!"
	"FOX!  LONG TIME NO SEE."
	Mulder's unhappy expression was now positively sullen, 
"Hello, Cole."
	"GLAD YOU COULD MAKE IT TO OUR LITTLE 
SOIREE.  THAT'S FRENCH, YOU KNOW.  NOW, ENOUGH 
WITH THE CHIT-CHAT.  COOP, YOUR RETURN IS 
CERTAINLY A BLESSED EVENT."
	"Thanks, Gordon.  I'm glad to be back."
	"YOUR REPORT SAID YOU SHUT THE DOOR ON 
THAT LODGE PLACE.  THE BOYS UPSTAIRS WANT YOU 
TO MAKE SURE THAT IT STAYS THAT WAY.  HASTA LA 
VISTA.  CIAO.  GONE.  FINITO.  CAN YOU DO IT, COOP?"
	"Gordon, I don't..."
	"GOOD MAN, COOPER.  I'LL BE DOWN THERE IN 
TWO SHAKES.  THEN WE CAN PUT OUR HEADS 
TOGETHER, SO TO SPEAK."
	"See you, Gordon."  The static from the speaker stopped, 
indicating that Gordon Cole had finished.  Everyone remained silent 
until Truman spoke up, shaking his head.
	"I dunno, Coop..."
	"Harry, there is no task that is insurmountable.  I'm living 
proof of that.  And Gordon's right;  no one should be allowed to 
find the key to the lodges.  The power that lies therein is too 
dangerous."  Cooper noticed Mulder pursing his lips and remarked, 
"Something you'd like to say, Agent Mulder?"
	Mulder looked at everyone's faces and replied, "You got 
Gordon Cole involved in this?"
	"I trust Gordon implicitly."
	"Yeah, well I don't."
	Cooper was clearly taken aback by this statement.  "What's 
eating you, Mulder?"
	Mulder put a hand to his lips and replied, quietly, "I can't 
believe you are considering  destroying the entrances to the lodges.  
For one thing, you don't even know if that's possible.  For another, 
you don't even know what these places are, what they represent.  
There are so many possibilities..."
	"Look mister Creepy, Freaky, whatever they call you,"  
Albert interrupted,  "you may be Howard Cosell of the Wide World 
of the Paranormal, but I believe Cooper has seniority here."
	"He's right, Mulder,"  Dana added, weathering the glare he 
shot in her direction, "Cooper has more experience with this 
phenomena than you do."
	"All right,"  Mulder replied, closing his hands into fists, 
"we'll try it your way.  I just don't believe that it will be so easy or 
so prudent to try and shut the door on what is possibly another 
dimension, or even a gateway, to realms of our unconscious or 
beyond."
	"Agent Mulder,"  Truman said carefully, in that tone Scully 
recognized people used to try and placate Mulder at his most 
adamant, "don't you think it's best that we don't allow anyone, and I 
mean anyone, access to this kind of power?"
	"I'll speak to Gordo when he arrives,"  Mulder replied 
tightly.

	"Mulder,"  Scully whispered as she pulled him towards their 
car, "what is wrong with you?  Why are you so against Coles' 
plans?"
	Mulder piled into the driver's seat of the four-by-four and 
answered only after they had left the parking lot, "Just a hunch, 
Scully.  These places...they've been part of the woods around here 
for hundreds of years, talked about in local legends, historical 
accounts.  I think an effort to understand them is what we should be 
doing, not trying to destroy them."
	"But aren't you worried about the power these places seem 
to possess?  Look at Windom Earle and what he tried to do...it's 
only natural to fear that kind of place."
	"Oh, I am the first to admit my fear, Dana.  But you know 
what scares me more?  The idea that we will be trying to mess with 
forces that we still don't fully understand.  Cooper wanted to stir 
things up, well...who knows what will happen."
	Scully frowned and wrapped her coat more tightly around 
her shoulders as they sped along the tree-lined road.  She felt her 
confidence in Cooper waning;  she wanted to trust him, but 
Mulder's words had definitely made her uneasy.  Perhaps this was a 
Pandora's box that they simply should not be toying with.

[Great Northern Hotel, 11:40 AM]
	As Scully and Mulder entered the lounge to the Great 
Northern, they were approached by Constance Horne, who was 
dressed very stylishly in a soft brown angora sweater and long, slim 
black skirt.
	"Agent Mulder, Agent Scully.  I'm glad I caught you.  We're 
putting on a bit of a welcome back party for Agent Cooper here 
tonight, and I wanted to make sure you would come."
	"Whose idea was this?"  Mulder asked, surprised.  
	"Sheriff Truman's and his wife's.  But they are having me 
arrange it."  Constance smiled winningly, "It will be a formal 
gathering, downstairs, around eight?"
	"We'll be there," Scully replied, unable to think of a way to 
refuse politely.  	Constance flashed another smile, "Great.  I'll 
see you there."
	After she had moved off down the hall, Scully leaned over 
to Mulder, "'Formal gathering'?  Did you remember to pack your 
tux, Agent Mulder?"
	"As a matter of fact..."  Scully glared at him and he grinned 
good-naturedly.  "It sounds like the natives are just itching for a 
chance to party.  It shouldn't be a problem for me to pick up some 
duds.  How about you, Scully?"
	"I thought I'd just go the way I am."
	"Come on, Scully, live a little."
	"Mulder..." she began, warningly, her reluctance quickly 
melting into a sigh.  "Maybe."

[6:00 PM]
	"Diane, it's six PM.  After lunch Mulder and Scully returned 
to the station, where we spent the rest of the day going over maps 
of Twin Peaks and the surrounding countryside, plotting points that 
are suspected "hot spots" of activity.  Per Mulder's suggestion, 
we've targeted Glastonbury Grove as the first site to be destroyed, 
in hopes that it would perhaps create a sort of chain reaction that 
would shut down all the minor disturbances once the main outlet 
has collapsed.
	Study of the cave map was also renewed in hopes that not 
only does it provide the answer of how to enter the lodge, but also 
how to close it.  I've insisted we have detailed astrological charts, 
but the materials needed won't be arriving until tomorrow morning, 
so the group has called it a day.  Right now I am on my way to the 
airstrip to meet Gordon Cole;  then I must get ready for this party 
Harry and Annie are throwing in my honor.  While touched by the 
whole gesture, I still am feeling a bit...hesitant, about seeing Annie 
again.  As with Audrey, I find the memories...too close."

[Sheriff's station, 6:10 PM]	
	"Mulder, none of this is making much sense to me."
	"I never said it was making sense to me, either,"  Mulder 
mumbled dejectedly.
	"Do you really think that cutting down trees on the night 
when Jupiter and Saturn are in conjunction will stop 
this...this...madness?"  Scully was beginning to be frightened by 
Mulder's downcast attitude.  "Mulder, tell me the truth."
	"Scully..."  Mulder began, taking her arm and sitting them 
down on the log railing outside the Sheriff's station.  "I think you 
just said it yourself.  This is a madness...something that cannot 
occur without a victim.  And as long as people will be on this earth, 
there will be a lust for the power that the Black Lodge represents.  
I'm not sure that anyone can stop it;  not even Cooper."
	"And what about you,"  Scully said, searching his eyes, "are 
you looking to shut down the power of the lodge- or to gain it."
	Mulder looked away from Scully's suddenly fearful gaze, 
and squinted his eyes.  To her surprise, he did not reply angrily, 
"Scully...this is something that I have never encountered before.  A 
threshold...to another world.  Maybe it has the answers I'm looking 
for."
	"Mulder,"  Scully said forcefully, grasping his arm, "I won't 
let you.  It's...not for that.  Don't you see?  It's not your time..."  
Dana struggled with the concepts that threatened her ideals, 
threatened her logic.  "Cooper said that to go into the black lodge 
and emerge, victorious, at the white, you had to face...what was 
inside.  With perfect courage, or else have it consume your soul."
	Mulder turned towards Scully, eyes glimmering with an 
inner pain he usually kept so well hidden from even her, "Do I have 
a soul to save, Scully?"  It wasn't a challenge, wasn't a question.  
His eyes hardened, determination filling his being, "I have the 
courage."
	"I know you do,"  Scully said gently.  "Mulder, please.  You 
are not the 'dweller on the threshold'.  Don't let this idea of a 'bridge 
between two worlds' cloud your judgment...stay objective, Mulder."
	Their voices had descended into whispers as the light of day 
faded upon the horizon of treetops.  Scully felt the night chill but 
was washed with a warm feeling of relief as Mulder's face lost it's 
look of darkness.  He stood, pulling keys out of his pockets.  
	"That's why I have you, Scully,"  he said simply, moving off 
towards their parked car, the final rays of the day just touching the 
top of his head and giving him an unearthly glow.  Scully sighed 
and followed, putting up a hand to shield her eyes from the glare.

[Great Northern Hotel, 7:10 PM]
	Scully put down the file and took off her glasses to rub her 
eyes.  She had been reviewing the transcripts of Cooper's tapes, 
marking down any reference to the lodges, Bob, and, for her own 
curiosity, Gordon Cole.  She hadn't heard of the man until she and 
Mulder had gotten involved with Cooper and wondered who he 
was, exactly.  Her laptop glowed at her elbow, the cursor blinking 
as data was being transferred into it's memory.  Scully had dug up 
as much information as she could on Cole, but still found the 
information wanting.
	There was a knock on the door and Scully checked her 
watch.  She was supposed to meet Mulder at 7:50 to go 
downstairs, so she didn't know who it could be.  Opening the door, 
she was surprised to see Constance Horne.
	"Ms. Horne.  What can I do for you?"
	Constance fiddled with her hands and looked at Scully up 
and down.  "I wanted to see if you needed anything...for tonight.  
Agent Mulder,"  she gestured to the room next door, "had called 
down for a tuxedo, and I thought I'd see how you were doing."
	"HE didn't put you up to this, did he?"  Scully asked 
suspiciously.
	"No!  Oh no, Agent Scully.  I just thought, well...that maybe 
you'd want to dress up tonight, and I'd figured you hadn't brought 
anything with you.  I understand how last-minute this whole thing 
has been.  And I know *I* hate being caught with nothing to wear."
	Scully was about to refuse when she saw the plain eagerness 
to help in Constance's eyes.  "Sure,"  she sighed, resignedly, "What 
do you have in mind?"
	"Come with me,"  Constance said happily, taking Scully's 
hand, "you can borrow something of mine."
	Scully barely had time to close her door as Constance pulled 
her towards the elevator at the end of the hall.

	She sat on the edge of a large bed as Constance Horne 
began opening the huge closets lining one wall.  While not a frilly 
bedroom, the place had a distinctly feminine feel.  There was a 
dressing table with some beautiful silver implements, all kept with 
obvious care.  Scully wondered just how old Ms. Horne actually 
was;  she wondered how she had let herself get dragged into this.
	"I think I have some stuff that would just fit you,"  
Constance said, flinging open some more double doors.  "Choose 
anything."
	"Ms. Horne,"  Scully began.
	"Constance, please, Agent Scully."
	"Dana,"  Dana smiled thinly, "I thank you for your 
generosity, but I don't understand why you're doing all this.  You 
hardly know me."
	Constance turned up her nose slightly, as if wondering if she 
should reply truthfully.  She began twisting a corner of her brown 
sweater with her fingers, "Agent Scully, I- I don't get to associate 
with very many people my age in this business.  I've always had to 
be 'more mature'."  She laughed, a bit embarrassed.  "This is a small 
town...and you looked like you'd understand.  And you'd have great 
stories to tell, being an FBI agent!"  She looked up into Scully's 
eyes, and Scully was struck at how old and young she looked at the 
same time.  Constance smiled girlishly and shrugged, "And it 
looked like we had the same dress size."
	Scully sighed and thought of herself as a young girl, looking 
for friendship on the various military bases her family happened to 
be situated at.  It always seemed she never could find anyone her 
own age.  She got off the bed and moved towards a dress, fingering 
the lush fabric.  "Let's see if I do," she smiled.

[7:55 PM]
	Mulder thumped on Scully's door with one hand, 
straightening his tie with the other.
	"Hey, come on Scully."  He glanced at his watch and said 
helpfully, "If you're looking for your shoes they're still on your 
feet."  He was about to pound on the door again when he heard the 
chime of the elevator.  Turning, he felt his eyebrows rise at the 
figure that emerged from the doors.
	She was dressed in a column of black, her hair softly 
framing her face, her arms bare.  She smiled at him broadly and 
walked to his side.
	"Agent Mulder, I came down to tell you that Agent Scully 
will be meeting you downstairs."
	Mulder regained his poise but couldn't keep the smile from 
his face.  "Ms. Horne, you look lovely this evening."
	"Thank you.  You don't look so bad yourself."
	Mulder grinned sheepishly.  "Thanks."  After a beat, Mulder 
realized he was still staring, and hastily offered his arm.  "Shall we 
go down, then?"
	"Why thank you, Agent Mulder,"  Constance smiled.
	They entered the elevator and Mulder remembered to ask, 
"What happened to Scully?"
	"She got a spot on her suit and went to get it cleaned."
	"Ah."
	"Agent Mulder, can I ask you something?"  The two of 
them stepped out of the elevator and moved towards the bustling 
lounge.
	"Sure."
	"Are you and Agent Scully....?"
	Mulder looked down at Constance Horne's dark eyes and 
ruby lips, taken quite by surprise;  he had an answer formulated for 
just such a question but he could see it was too late- his hesitation 
had already given him away.
	"I see."  Constance said archly.
	"No,"  Mulder laughed, shaking his head, "I don't think you 
do."
	Constance smiled up at him with understanding, "You don't, 
either."
	Before he could reply they had made it to the steps into the 
lounge and Constance melted away from his arm and into the 
crowd, flashing a sly grin behind her.
	Mulder rocked on his heels for a moment, trying to pick 
Scully out from the crowd.  Failing to see her, he walked down the 
steps and towards Cooper.
	"Coop, who are all these people?"
	"Mulder, I have no idea."  Cooper was fidgeting nervously.  
"Where's Agent Scully?"
	"Got held up back there.  She'll be down in a minute.  Have 
you seen Truman?"
	"Err.  No, not yet."  Cooper replied quietly.
	Mulder swallowed his words and reached for a glass of 
champagne.  He had spotted Truman entering from the dining 
room, on his arm a very beautiful woman.  Mulder had to deduce 
that she was Annie Blackburn and understood Cooper's 
nervousness.  They were making their way through the crowd 
towards them.
	"Mulder, I don't think I'm ready for this..."  Cooper said 
suddenly, but then Truman and Annie were upon them.  
	"Dale,"  Annie said immediately, disengaging herself from 
her husband's arm.  "Thank God!"  She embraced him gently, as if 
he would break.  Cooper looked dumbfounded, his head tilting 
slightly towards Annie's tumble of blonde waves.  He hastily pushed 
her away from him and simply drank her in with his eyes.
	"Harry,"  Annie paused at her words, as if unsure.  "Harry 
has told me what happened.  What you think happened.  I'm so 
sorry, Dale.  We-  I-  thought you were dead."  Tears had begun to 
form in the gentle woman's eyes, and she brought a hand to her face 
to stifle the sobs.  Cooper and Truman both moved towards her at 
the sight.  Annie turned quickly into the comforting arms of her 
husband.  Cooper shrank away, eyes lowered.
	"This was supposed to be a happy occasion, Coop."   Harry 
said, rocking Annie back and forth in his arms gently.  "She really 
wanted to do this for you."
	"Thank you, Annie.  Annie..."  Cooper pulled at her 
shoulder gently, and she lifted her face, brushing away her tears.  "I 
thank you, for everything.  I'm very happy for you and Harry."  
	Annie gripped Cooper's hand gratefully and smiled like an 
angel.
	"MULDER, YOU OLD DOG!  OR SHOULD I SAY 
'FOX'?"  Gordon Cole pressed through the crowd, Albert in tow, 
reaching out to shake Mulder's hand.
	"Gordon.  Still deaf, huh?"
	"WHAT WAS THAT?"  Gordon tapped the small device 
hooked around one of his ears, "THIS IS A NEW DOOHICKEY 
THE BUREAU IS USING ON ME.  HAVEN'T QUITE GOT 
THE HANG OF IT, YET."
	Mulder reached over to the amplifier in Cole's pocket and 
flipped a dial.
	"How's that, Gordon?"
	"NOT A PRAYER, MISTER.  I'VE ALREADY TRIED 
THAT ONE."
	Mulder gave up and shrugged at Rosenfield, who moved 
next to him and handed him a fresh glass of champagne.
	"Rosenfield, I wasn't finished with that other one."
	"This is Cole's.  He's already had a snootful, Mulder, and 
believe me you don't want him getting anymore."  Albert glanced at 
Mulder's attire, "Aren't we looking hot tonight.  Jesus, Mulder, you 
look like a paragon of intellectual snobbery and blue blood.  
Stepped right out of a damned GQ!"
	"Like your tie, Rosenfield,"  Mulder replied, flipping the 
tangled mess that was Albert's bow tie with a finger.  Albert didn't 
even flinch.
	"I know that my clothing is usually of the most orderly and 
impeccable nature, but when I get to these wining and dining 
events, I firmly believe that a man's tie should make a statement 
about the personality it's strangling."
	Mulder laughed and sipped his drink, wishing Scully was 
there to bail him out.
	"STOP THE PRESSES!  COOP, TELL ME, WHO IS 
THAT LOVELY WOMAN STANDING ON THE 
THRESHOLD?"
	Mulder casually glanced at whoever had caught Gordon's 
attention and nearly dropped his drink.
	"WOWZY WOW WOW!  LET ME TELL YOU COOP, 
THERE'S JUST SOMETHING ABOUT A REDHEAD."

	Dana stood a bit breathless at the entrance to the lounge, 
grateful for the few stairs that descended so she could get a good 
look into the room.  People were dancing and the band from the 
previous night played lurching tunes from a small raised stage on 
one end of the floor.  She quickly spotted a group of suits and 
Mulder's head poking out amongst them.  Gathering her skirt, she 
ventured out into the room of milling people.

	Mulder swallowed, his throat suddenly dry, and placed his 
glass on the tray of a passing waiter.  He had glimpsed her for only 
a second before she descended the stairs and disappeared into the 
crowd, but what he had seen...
	"Gordon, that's Special Agent Dana Scully."
	"SPECIAL AGENT IS RIGHT!  MY GOODNESS, 
COOP.  SHE'S HEADED THIS WAY!  HOW DO I LOOK?"
	"Fine, Gordon, just fine."
	Mulder put his hands in his pockets coolly, trying 
desperately not to look as expectant as he felt.
	She slid past a few people, both hands full of her trailing 
long-sleeved dress, a rich burgundy velvet that sloped in a gentle 
curve off of her shoulders and clinged just tightly enough in the 
right places.  Her auburn hair was piled in curls atop her head, 
trailing wisps framing her full face.  Mulder noticed with relief that 
her makeup was the same as usual;  if one more thing about her had 
been different, they'd probably be scraping his jaw off the floor with 
a spatula.
	Dana smiled a bit shyly as she approached them, seeing their 
stares, and a few steps away from Mulder, tripped in the most 
inelegant manner.  Mulder shot out a hand and caught hers, holding 
it firmly as she regained her balance.
	"Whew.  Thanks Mulder.  This dress is a bit too long for 
me."  She pushed a wisp of hair out of her eyes and smoothed down 
the wrinkles in her dress, obviously enjoying his speechless 
reaction.  He cleared his throat and tried to think of something 
safely neutral to say. 
	"Scully, you have a neck!" he said suavely.
	She only smiled at him, amused.
	"Really, you look great, great" he said, desperately trying 
not to sound desperate for words. Constance appeared at his elbow, 
smiling broadly at Scully, who gave a small flourish to her outfit.
	"Constance helped me.  I couldn't have done this without 
her."
	"Agent Mulder, you've got a puddle of drool on your 
shoes!"
	Both women laughed merrily at Mulder's expense, which he 
took gladly upon hearing the sound of Dana's uninhibited laughter.
	"EXCUSE ME, AGENT SCULLY.  I DON'T BELIEVE 
I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE."
	Scully smothered her laughter and shook Gordon's hand 
politely, "Gordon Cole?"
	"YOU KNOW MY NAME!  FELLAS, STAND BACK.  
I'M GONNA NEED SOME AIR."
	
	Scully felt like a little girl again;  the little girl who snuck 
into Mother's closet and tried on her favorite clothes, smearing 
lipstick and blush everywhere then proudly walking into public, 
feeling like a movie star.  She had to admit to herself that she felt a 
bit glamorous...even a bit sexy.  It was freeing and delicious, and 
she could feel the relaxation easing into her bones with each passing 
minute.
	"Quite a transformation, Agent Scully, quite a 
transformation."
	"Thanks, Albert."
	"You know, formal wear is a tricky thing.  Either people 
bring it down to their level-  look at Mulder here, he slouches even 
in a thousand dollar tux..."
	"Rental,"  Mulder informed him.
	"...or people 'dress up' to their level.  Now, I've seen some 
Bureau women, all dolled up for some shindig or another, but 
without that stiff Bureau regime, that Bureau authority, they were 
like a mass of spineless, formless jelly.  I'm saying unabashedly that 
you, Dana, have turned my knees to jelly this evening."
	"Yes Dana, you look like a vision."
	"Thank you Cooper, you look very handsome yourself.   
How is our guest of honor?"
	"Wondering who all these people could be."
	Harry Truman stepped over to Dana, "Agent Scully, I'd like 
you to meet my wife, Annie."
	Scully looked at the woman on Truman's arm and 
recognized not her appearance, but the aura of goodness about her 
that Cooper had described in his tapes.
	"Nice to meet you, Annie."
	"Agent Scully."
	"Dana."

	"LIKE THE WOMAN IN THE PAINTING."
	"What painting, Gordon?"
	"YOU KNOW THE ONE I MEAN, COOP.  SEASHELLS, 
RED HAIR DOWN TO KINGDOM COME.  BOTTLE-
SOMEBODY!"
	"Ah, Botticelli.  BOTTICELLI'S BIRTH OF VENUS, 
GORDON?"
	"EST-CE QUE VOUS DESIRER DANSER AVEC MOI?  
THAT'S FRENCH, YOU KNOW, MS. SCULLY.  DIDN'T 
SPEND THE LAST FEW YEARS IN EUROPE FOR NOTHING.  
I CAN SAY A LOT MORE BUT I THINK I BETTER GET TO 
KNOW YOU A BIT BETTER FIRST."
	Mulder could see the top of Dana's lip curling as she tried to 
smile convincingly at Cole and seized the opportunity.
	"She can't hear you, Gordon,"  he said smoothly, taking 
Dana up in his arms and steering her towards the dance floor.
	Scully peered around his shoulder as they wandered 
amongst the other couples and looked gratefully at Mulder, who 
murmured, "Twinkletoes."
	Scully struggled, trying to gather the loose folds of her 
dress and still follow Mulder's lead.  "Where have I heard that 
before?"  she managed to smile.  She got a handle on her situation 
and then nodded fractionally towards Gordon.  "He's quite a 
character."	
	"Yeah, Gordon's a classic."
	"He seems harmless enough."
	"That's what worries me."
	"Mulder," she began carefully, "does this animosity towards 
Cole have anything to do with his connection to the 'Blue Rose' 
cases and Project Bluebook?"
	Scully felt Mulder stiffen in her arms and he steered her 
closer to the stage where the band was playing.  He leaned in close 
and spoke under the cover of the music.
	"What do you know about it?"
	"Um, just what I read from Cole's profile and Cooper's 
notes.  I also have a case file I just downloaded from the FBI 
database that I haven't read yet;  the murder of a Teresa Banks?"
	"You've been doing your homework,"  Mulder said 
appreciatively.
	"I try,"  Scully replied.  "Care to let me in on what you 
know?"
	"I've been meaning to discuss this with you Scully, but was 
afraid that-"  he paused, his lips pursing.
	"What?"
	"I was afraid you wouldn't believe me,"  he said quietly.
	Scully sighed, giving Mulder's shoulders a small shake, 
"When has that stopped you before?"
	Mulder looked down into Dana's eyes, smiling at their 
lovely clarity and openness.  "Project Bluebook was looking for 
evidence of E.B.E.'s , a military operation.  I believe that Gordon 
Cole's 'Blue Rose' cases were to find proof of the existence of the 
Black Lodge.  They both found what they were looking for;  here in 
Twin Peaks."
	"And the connection is...?"
	"I'm not sure.  Maybe there is no connection."  Mulder saw 
that his words did not make Scully very comfortable and attempted 
to lighten her mood.  "Hey, this is a party.  We can discuss this 
tomorrow, after you've read the Banks case.  You were supposed 
to live a little, remember?"
	"Let my hair down?"  she said with mock incredulity.
	"You've got a gravity defying 'do, Agent Scully,"  Mulder 
observed matter-of-factly.
	Scully looked upwards, as if contemplating the dynamic of 
her pinned curls.
	"The night is still young, Mulder,"  she said finally.
	Mulder fought to keep a straight face and retaliated by 
giving Scully a low dip, rewarded by her small gasp of surprise and 
burst of laughter.  As they settled into an easy rhythm, Mulder felt 
the room slow into a sluggish pace.  A spotlight framed his head as 
the rest of the crowd was plunged into darkness.  He turned his 
head to scan the room and saw Cooper, his face also illuminated by 
a light.  In his arms, Dana seemed frozen in time, unaware of the 
changes in the room.  There was movement out of the corner of his 
eye and Mulder looked to the stage.
	A tall, gaunt man in a bow tie, shirt and slacks, also 
illuminated by a harsh spotlight, stood on the stage.  He was 
waving his arms as if in warning, his mouth moving with unspoken 
words.  Mulder turned his head to look at Cooper, who was staring 
fixedly at the giant.  Lights began to flash and then the room was 
thrown into complete darkness, a few screams being heard during 
the split second it took for the lights to return.
	"Mulder!  What happened?"  Scully cried as the brief panic 
ebbed out of the crowd.  Truman hurried towards the stage, Annie 
trembling with fear behind him, as he soothed the crowd.
	"Everyone, stay calm.  Just a hiccup in the power, nothing 
to be alarmed about."
	"Harry!"
	Mulder and Scully rushed to the stage where Cooper stood, 
bending over a body that lay exactly where the Giant had stood.
	"Cooper, what is it?"  Truman asked as they gathered 
around the inert form.
	"HOLY COW!"  Cole said as he also made his way to 
Cooper's side.  "COOP...MEET SPECIAL AGENT CHESTER 
DESMOND!"
	
[Great Northern Hotel, 11:30 PM]
	"This is incredible, Mulder!"  Scully, still in her fancy dress, 
read about the Banks case from her laptop as Doc Hayward 
attended to Special Agent Chester Desmond.  The group had 
assembled in an empty conference room as Constance Horne and 
Annie Truman took care of the other guests.  "This man has been 
missing for over seven years!  This Banks case and it's obvious ties 
to the Palmer case..."  she shook her head, "unbelievable."
	Doc Hayward stepped away from Chet who was propped in 
a chair at the head of the long table.
	"I can't find anything wrong with him.  Not a thing.  But I 
say we get him to the hospital to make sure."
	"Certainly, thank you."  Cooper said, looking at Chester 
Desmond with deep concern.  Mulder stood against the wall, his 
eyes narrowed.
	"CHET.  CHET."  Gordon moved close to Desmond's side.  
"CHET, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?  IT'S ME, GORDON.  
THIS IS SPECIAL AGENTS COOPER, SCULLY, AND 
MULDER.  YOU REMEMBER ALBERT, OF COURSE."
	Desmond sat dazed in his seat.  He had a narrow face 
topped by a soft wave of brown hair, with full, expressive lips, and 
was dressed in a timelessly conservative suit.
	"Theerze...buuurds,"  he slurred, his eyes rolling.
	"What Desmond?  Birds?"  Cooper said eagerly.
	"Aiiiie...came to heeelp.".
	"He sounds drugged,"  Scully suggested.
	"I'vvve been there!  I went da-dancing but it was t-too cold.  
He's right behind me!"  Desmond leapt out of his chair, surprising 
everyone.  A strange smile crept across his disoriented face, "Not 
the face of God!"
	"What does he mean?" asked Truman.
	"S-saw Judy.  But did not, did not!  Follow...  Let me tell 
you about Philip..."
	"Philip?  Jeffries?  Agent Desmond,"  Cooper took the 
man's face in his hands, "What about Philip?  Have you seen him?"
	"Oh, he's here all right.  But he's baaaaaaad."  Desmond's 
right arm began convulsing, then soon his whole body began to 
shake. 
	"Let's get him to the hospital,"  Mulder said tightly, helping 
Truman and Cooper restrain Desmond
	"MULDER, SCULLY.  I THINK THE FOUR OF US CAN 
HANDLE THINGS HERE.  HOW 'BOUT WE MEET 
TOMORROW MORNING AT THE HOSPITAL AND WE'LL 
SEE HOW CHET IS THEN.  RIGHT NOW THE GUY IS JUST 
GOING TO GET HIMSELF AN ARMFUL OF VALIUM AND A 
FREE TRIP TO LA LA LAND."
	"Yeah, that's just what he needs,"  Albert sneered, 
Desmond's head lolling on his shoulder.
	Scully nodded to Cole, touching Mulder's arm.  Mulder 
nodded reluctantly in agreement and watched the group exit the 
room.
	"This is an interesting development, Scully."
	Scully folded her arms across her chest, her gold cross 
flickering in the lamplight.  "He has incredible timing."
	"Exactly.  Now, is he here to help...?"
	"Or is he here to....?"
	Mulder and Scully locked eyes for a moment, then Scully 
gathered her dress and stood.  
	"Where did he come from, Mulder?"
	"Maybe he's been hiding under the stage all this time."  
	Scully frowed and let her hands fall from her hips.  "Let me 
say goodnight to Annie and Constance and I'll meet you upstairs."
	"Ok, give them my goodnights too.  I'm going to call 
Albert."
	"Call Albert?  Don't you trust them, Mulder?"
	Mulder rolled the question around in his brain for a second, 
then said casually, "Not like I trust you,"  and hurried out the door.

	Dana found Constance and Annie standing together in the 
now-empty lounge.
	"What happened?"
	"We just sent everyone home after all the excitement,"  
Annie replied.
	"I'm sorry it had to end so early.  In fact, Mulder and I have 
some work to do, but I wanted to thank you both, for the both of 
us.  Constance, I'll have this dress back to you..."
	"Dana, it looks great on you.  Just keep it."
	"I couldn't..."
	"Please."
	"Thank you.  I love it."  Dana smiled gratefully at 
Constance, too tired to argue any further.
	"Agent Scully, is there something wrong?"  Dana could see 
the worry in Annie's eyes and said more assuredly than she felt,  
	"No, nothing we can't handle."

	Dana stopped leaning against the elevator wall and got off 
on her floor, her heels dangling from one hand and her laptop in the 
other.  She noticed with a frown that Mulder's door was still open 
and picked up her pace a bit.
	Stepping into his room, she realized that he had just been to 
lazy to close it behind him.  His jacket lay on the floor and Mulder 
lay sprawled on his bed, cellular phone to his ear.  Scully dropped 
her shoes on the floor and eased herself into a chair, reaching up to 
undo her hair.  She shook out her curls, scratching her head.
	"Well, looks like we did it."
	"Did what?"  Scully asked, giving her hair a final shake.
	"You let your hair down."
	Scully sighed tolerantly at Mulder, to weary to laugh.  
"How's Agent Desmond?"
	"Soon to be counting sheep.  I've asked Albert to put a tape 
recorder by his bed, just in case he says something in his sleep."
	"If they drug him..."
	"Just a hunch, Scully."
	Scully rubbed the bridge of her nose with her fingers.  
"Now, who is Philip Jeffries?"
	"Jeffries was another agent, like Desmond, working on 
Cole's Blue Rose cases."
	"Do you get the feeling that we're being left out of this 
operation?"
	Mulder sat up and placed his hands on his knees, brow 
furrowed.  "There's a lot we don't know about here, Scully.  I'm 
tempted to get on a plane and leave this place to Cooper."
	"Why?"  Scully asked, flabbergasted.
	"It..." he looked up and grinned mischievously at her, "it 
gives me the creeps."
	"You?  'Creeped'?  Let me mark my calendar...I thought you 
didn't get 'creeped.'"
	"Don't you mean 'spooked'?"
	"Seriously Mulder, what do you think is the significance of 
Desmond's reappearance?"
	"I think...he may be Mike.  The One-Armed Man who has 
been chasing Bob, trying to destroy him.  Did you see his arm 
shaking?"
	Scully nodded, still not quite sure what to make of the 
evidence she had seen.
	"So where's Bob?"
	Mulder only shook his head and shrugged slightly.
	"I'd like to take a look at Agent Desmond tomorrow 
morning, "  Scully said, getting up from the chair and retrieving her 
shoes.  "Get some sleep, Mulder.  You look beat."
	"G'night Scully."  He paused and a smile began forming on 
his lips.  "You know, I had fun tonight."
	Scully smiled wryly, "Only you would, Mulder."
	He sat up and followed her to the door.  "I mean it."  
	Scully stared at him out of the corner of her eye and said 
warily,  "I know you do."
	His eyes held her, and he opened his mouth as if to say 
something, then decided against it.  He slid the door shut behind 
her, murmuring, "Goodnight."
	"Goodnight,"  she called through the now-shut door.  "The 
party never stops," she murmured to herself sarcastically, turning to 
her own room.

[Twin Peaks Hospital, 9:00 AM]
	"Where's Gordon?"  Mulder asked as he and Scully met 
Cooper, Truman, and Rosenfield in the hospital lobby.
	"He had to fly back to Washington this morning.  Urgent 
business."
	"I'm sure," murmured Mulder under his breath, then louder, 
"they must've gotten him a new hearing aid."
	"Left without so much as a good-bye?"  Scully queried with 
sarcasm.
	"Disappointed?"  Scully shot Mulder a glare and lengthened 
her strides.
	"He's been asking for you,"  the lab-coated doctor said to 
Cooper as they walked into the wing where Desmond was being 
held.
	Mulder saw Scully's eyebrow rise and watched her make her 
way through the door first, scooping up the medical chart at the 
foot of the bed immediately.
	Chester Desmond was sitting up, looking completely 
changed from the night before.  His eyes were clear and he 
recognized familiar faces.
	"Agent Rosenfield,"  his voice had the tinge of a friendly 
southern drawl, "I bring you important information."  He looked 
around at the unfamiliar faces with curiosity.
	"Agent Desmond.  These are Agents Scully and Mulder, 
and Agent Cooper, who's been following your case for quite some 
time.  Local law, Sheriff Truman."  Desmond nodded at each 
introduction.
	"I thought Cole was here..."
	"He had to go to D.C."
	Cooper interjected into their little reunion firmly, "Agent 
Desmond, where have you been?  What is so important that you 
need to tell us?"
	Desmond regarded Cooper for a moment, then replied 
quietly, "I know of your plan to seal the gateways.  I know how 
you can do it."
	"Is that where you've been?"  asked Mulder, "Inside the 
Lodges?"
	"Where have you been?"  Desmond countered.
	"That's enough of the back-talk, flyboy,"  Albert snapped, 
placing his hands on his hips.  "You've been gone damn near seven 
years, I wanna know what happened to you in that time."
	Desmond turned and looked Cooper directly in the eyes,  "I 
don't believe we have time to go into this right now."
	"Why not?"  Cooper asked, his brow furrowing with 
concern.
	"Because...he's following me.  He knows what you're 
planning on doing."
	"So it can be done?"  Scully asked, drawing Desmond's 
attention.  He nodded affirmative.  "How?"  Scully demanded.
	"I'll have to show you."
	"Who's following you?"  Mulder asked, his face curiously 
intense.  "Bob?"  Mulder leaned in close to Desmond, looking at 
him as if he was searching him with x-ray vision.  "Are you Mike?" 
he asked carefully.
	A look of anger rippled across Chester Desmond's face, 
then one of restraint.  "I am Special Agent Chester Desmond.  I 
don't know who you are, mister, but I've made my way back...from 
that place, to come and help you."  Desmond's gaze became distant 
and he intoned, "I've traveled...Through the darkness of futures 
past..."
	Cooper picked up the familiar line as the rest of the group 
fell silent, "...The magician longs to see..."
	"One chance out between two worlds..."
	Dana found herself mouthing the frighteningly familiar 
words as Cooper and Desmond's voices blended together, "Fire, 
walk with me."
	All were silent, until Desmond added ominously,  "He's 
coming."  A chill ran down Dana's spine.
	A silence fell upon them again, until Truman placed a hand 
on Cooper's shoulder.  "Why don't we let Chet rest a bit before we 
head out?"
	"Good idea, Harry.  Sound good to you, Chet?"
	Desmond nodded, looking wan and spent.
	They all shuffled out of the hospital room, grim-faced but 
determined.
	"Mulder, Harry and I will keep watch here.  Why don't you 
and Scully and Albert go grab our gear from the station,"  Coop 
suggested.
	"Sure,"  Mulder replied, "let me give you mine and Scully's 
cellular numbers.  Call us the instant anything happens."
	"At last!  The joys of modern technology,"  Albert 
commented, looking pointedly at Sheriff Truman.
	"Old habits die hard,"  Truman replied gruffly.

	Scully and Mulder rumbled along the road back to the 
station;  Albert had optioned to drive his own car, mumbling 
something about how he had a cellular, but nobody ever used it to 
call him.
	"Mulder, you're quiet."
	"Hmm."
	"What are you thinking?"
	"I dunno...I have a question for you- was Desmond 
drugged?"
	"If you're asking if he had Haliparidol in his system, the 
answer is no."
	"I just have a funny feeling, Scully..."
	"Have you seen any dancing midgets?"
	"No."
	"Then it's just a feeling, Mulder."
	"Ha."
	"I'm actually looking forward to seeing what Desmond has 
planned."
	"I don't think 'looking forward to' is quite the right way to 
put it."
	
[Twin Peaks Sheriff's Station.  11:01 AM]
	"Hey Lucy,"  Mulder said in passing, heading for the 
conference room where they had left their maps and plans.
	"Hold on a second, Agent Mulder.  Agent Mulder!"  Lucy 
called out, but Mulder had already gone into the room.  Scully 
walked up to the service window and asked,
	"What is it, Lucy?"
	"Oh, Agent Scully."  Lucy Moran's eyes widened and she 
lisped, "There's someone here to see you."
	"Who?"  Scully prompted when Lucy did not go on.  She 
continued to give Dana a strange look.  "Ms. Moran, is there 
something wrong?"
	Lucy started and lowered her eyes.  "No..."   she looked up 
again into Dana's annoyed eyes, "...well...yes.  The FBI have 
women agents?"  she asked carefully.
	"Yes!"  Dana replied, exasperated at such a simple question.  
"Obviously, they do."
	"Well, the LAST time it wasn't so obvious," Lucy replied 
crossly.
	Scully didn't even bother to try and understand Lucy's 
comment.  "You said someone was here to see me.  Me as in me, or 
as in Agent Mulder and myself?"
	A confused frown formed on Lucy's forehead.  "Well, I 
imagine he's here to see you and Agent Mulder.  I didn't really ask, 
because he came in here in such a hurry, I just told him to wait in 
room three and told him that you'd be back here really soon, but I 
suppose since he's also an FBI agent that he could see you or Agent 
Mulder, or even Agent Cooper, if he were here, but since he's not I 
guess..."
	"Lucy,"  Scully grated, placing her hands firmly upon her 
window sill.  "Who is here?  Gordon Cole?"
	"Cole?  No, I didn't say anything about him.  You have an 
Agent Jeffries waiting for you in room three.  I almost didn't think 
he was an agent because he was wearing..."
	Dana left Lucy rambling and burst into the conference room 
where she found Mulder struggling to fold a large map.
	"Hey Dana, it's about time.  You're a doctor, a physicist, 
and a woman.  You hafta be able to fold one of these things..."
	"Mulder!"
	"What?"
	"I think we need to go next door."

[11:11 AM]	
	Mulder and Scully peered cautiously into room three, as if 
worried they would frighten whoever was inside.
	A gaunt figure sat slumped in one of the chairs by the 
windows, his face angular and his hair a shock of blonde that stood 
straight up from his head in an outrageous buzz cut.  He wore a 
loud Hawaiian shirt and black slacks.  He didn't hear Mulder and 
Scully enter the room.
	"Agent Jeffries?"  Mulder asked, his hand hovering over his 
sidearm.  "I'm Agent Fox Mulder and this is Agent Scully."
	The man swiveled in his seat to face them.  His expression 
was one of malice and of fear.
	"HE'S HERE!"  Jeffries screamed, a howling laughter and a 
maniacal cackle.  His arms began to flail wildly, and Scully moved 
forward to help him.
	"Scully,"  Mulder warned, reaching for her arm.
	"My god, Mulder!"  Scully replied, grabbing Jeffries' arms 
and trying to calm him, "Help me."
	Mulder moved forward quickly and together they got 
Jeffries to stop thrashing.
	"I'm going to call the hospital,"  Mulder said hurriedly, 
reaching into his coat for his phone.  He flipped it open only to find 
it crackling with static.  Scully heard the noise and produced her 
own phone, only to find that it was inoperable as well.
	"He- he knows...he knows!"  Jeffries was obviously 
extremely agitated.  "You can't let him...stop.  The one who wears 
the ring knows the way!"
	Mulder and Scully heard a noise behind them, and saw 
Albert enter the room, his hands full with cups of coffee.	
	"What the hell are you two doing in here...?"  Albert looked 
beyond them and his mouth opened and closed.  "Jesus, they're 
coming out of the damn woodwork!"
	Mulder and Scully turned back to look at Jeffries, only to 
find an empty chair.
	"Mulder!  Where'd he go?"  Scully jumped to the windows 
and peered outside, scanning the bushes beyond for any movement.
	"I don't think he went that way,"  Mulder said grimly.  

[Twin Peaks Hospital, 11:11 AM]
	A loud crash brought Cooper and Truman quickly into 
Desmond's hospital room, where they found him standing at the 
window, panting, shattered glass all over the floor.
	"He's found me!  It's time to go, now...beyond the fire."
	Cooper and Truman looked at each other, unsure.
	"Let me call Mulder and Scully,"  Truman said, moving 
back towards the nurses' station, "get him ready to go."
	Cooper nodded, stepping gingerly towards Desmond who 
was bare-footed and only partially dressed in a hospital gown.
	Truman picked up a phone at the nurses' station and dialed 
Mulder's cellular number, only to receive a hissing static.  Cursing, 
he quickly dialed Scully's number, also with no connection.  "So 
much for your high-tech," he mumbled as he struggled to remember 
Albert's car phone number.  It crackled in his ear and Truman felt a 
knot of dread forming in his stomach.  He dialed the station, but 
couldn't get through.
	"Well?"  Cooper asked as he emerged from Desmond's 
room, supporting Chester gently from the right side.
	"I can't reach 'em, Coop.  I don't know what's going on."
	"We'll just have to go without them."
	"But Coop!"
	"Harry, if Agent Desmond is correct in saying that Bob is 
back in Twin Peaks, I believe it is of grave importance that we do 
not delay for a second."
	Truman's mouth became a thin line, but he nodded curtly.  
"Let's go."
	
[11:24 AM]
	"I can't get through,"  Mulder said angrily, slamming the 
phone back on it's cradle.  Lucy flinched and replied defensively, 
"Well, don't blame me."
	"Let's go back,"  Scully said, moving towards the door.
	"No, I'll go.  You and Rosenfield stay here in case Jeffries 
reappears or if Cooper and Truman show up.  They may be 
experiencing the same phenomena as we are."
	"Mulder..."  Scully began, but Mulder was already out the 
door.  She folded her arms in annoyance.  "I don't believe this."
	"I'm starved,"  Albert replied, seemingly unconcerned.  "I 
didn't have any breakfast.  I'm heading down to the Double R to get 
some grub while we wait for hot-shot to call.  You want anything?"
	"I'll go,"  Scully said distractedly, "you stay here."
	"I'll go,"  Lucy volunteered, but they ignored her.
	"Agent Scully..."
	"Agent Rosenfield, your keys, please?"  Albert opened his 
mouth to argue, then thought the better of it, fishing his keys out of 
his pocket and handing them to Scully.  "Thank you."
	Albert brought his hands up and began instructing Scully.  
"I'd like a grilled cheese sandwich.  Now, I don't want it on rye or 
on white, just wheat.  And not that processed American cheese 
crap, I want one slice of cheddar, just cheddar, and two, and I mean 
two, slices of Swiss, ya got that?"
	"Got it, grilled cheese,"  Scully replied, rolling her eyes.  
Albert sighed, disgusted, and shot a withering look at Lucy.
	"What are you staring at?!"

[Twin Peaks Hospital, 11:48 AM]
	Mulder turned into the hallway, his heart pounding;  there 
was no sign of Cooper or Truman.  He opened the door to 
Desmond's room, only to find a nurse turning down the empty bed 
and a pile of broken glass around the shattered window.
	"Where is Agent Cooper or Sheriff Truman?"  he asked the 
woman.
	"I don't know, they just left..."
	"Glastonbury Grove?"  Mulder hazarded.
	"They didn't say,"  the nurse replied, shrugging.
	Mulder slapped his palms on the door in frustration as he 
exited and reached for his cellular phone.

[Sheriff's Station,  11:50 AM]
	"Agent Rosenfield, phone for you, it's Agent Mulder."
	"Yeap."
	"Rosenfield, where's Scully?"
	"Went to the Double R, why, what's up?"
	"Damn it, Albert!  Cooper and Truman are gone, they took 
Desmond with them."
	"What?!  Where are they going?"
	"I think they may be headed to Glastonbury Grove."
	"I'll try and raise Scully again."

[RR Diner.  12:10 PM]
	Scully eased onto a stool and mustered a smile for Norma.	
	"Grilled cheese, coffee with cream, no sugar, to go please."
	"Coming right up."
	Scully drummed her fingers on the spotless Formica 
countertop, exasperated.  She felt as if she were trapped in some 
sort of hazy dream...bad choice of words, she thought to herself 
wryly.  
	An elderly gentleman sat a few stools down from Dana.  
The bright, antiseptic white of the counter paled his translucent skin 
even further;  the creamy white of the coffee cup he held in his 
wrinkled hand seemed to hold a black hole of coffee, the blackness 
contrasting harshly with it's surroundings.  It looked as if he were 
trying to consume a limitless pit of black;  Scully heard him sipping 
loudly in the tomb-like silence of the diner and shuddered 
involuntarily.  Just then, the door jangled open and she felt a 
presence at her elbow.  Turning slowly, she felt her skin crawl;  it 
was Margaret, toting the ever-present log in her arms.
	"Your phone is ringing,"  she told her, pushing her 
eyeglasses further up her nose with a finger.
	"Excuse me?"  Scully replied, confused.  The diner remained 
unnaturally quiet.
	"The phone in your pocket- it's ringing," the Log Lady 
insisted.  "Answer it."
	Scully kept her eyes fixed on Margaret's as she reached into 
her coat and, disbelieving, opened her phone.
	"Hello?"  
	"Agent Scully!  I've been ringing your phone for the last 15 
minutes.  Where have you been?"
	"Albert!  Right here at the Double R,"  Scully looked wide-
eyed at Margaret, who smiled sagely and stroked her log.  "What is 
it?"
	"Mulder's taken off after Cooper and Truman.  They've 
taken Desmond."
	"What happened?"
	"Looks like Desmond freaked out.  Mulder said his window 
was broken."
	"I'll be right there."  Scully closed down the line.  
"Dammit!"  she swore as she scrambled to find cash to leave on the 
counter.  She slid off her stool, nearly ramming smack into the Log 
Lady.
	"Oh!"
	"We have something for you,"  the Log Lady said, reaching 
into her pocket with her free hand.
	"What is it?" Scully asked with trepidation.
	"We found this under the stage last night."
	Scully took the object the Log Lady held out in her hand 
and felt the chilly smooth contours of a metallic surface.
	"It's a ring!"  Scully exclaimed.  The Log Lady only nodded 
slowly.  Scully turned it over in her hand, noting the strange 
hieroglyph that was carved into its surface.  Scully looked up 
searchingly at Margaret and asked, urgently,  "What does this 
mean?"  Margaret clutched her log closer to her chest and brought 
an open palm to her mouth.
	"Whoop.  Woowoowooowoooowoowoo!"
	Scully felt the hairs rise on the back of her neck at the sound 
and jumped when Norma called her name.  "Agent Scully, your 
order is ready."
	Scully turned and picked up the brown paper sack hastily, 
trying to recover her frayed nerves.  When she spun back around, 
Margaret had vanished.  Scully rushed out into the parking lot, but 
the Log Lady was nowhere to be found.  After spinning three-sixty, 
Scully yanked open the car door and left the Double R, tires 
squealing.

[TP Hospital, 12:40 PM]
	Mulder ran a hand down his face, thinking of the fastest way 
he could catch Cooper and Truman, when he remembered 
something.
	"Stupid, Mulder,"  he hissed under his breath as he re-
entered Desmond's room and spied the small black recorder the 
nurse had left lying on the night stand.  Mulder reached for it and 
noted with relief that it was still running.  He rewound it a bit, then 
played it back.
	"We need to go..."  Desmond was saying.  Mulder could 
hear the crunching of glass underfoot in the background.
	"We're going, Desmond."  Cooper was with him.
	"Where?"  Mulder asked the tape.
	"Where?"  echoed Cooper on the recording.
	"Water, water, water."  Mulder frowned;  this was 
unexpected.  "The waterfall."
	"Well?"  Cooper's voice faded out and Mulder hit the stop 
button.  He raced out of the hospital, a sense of urgency hastening 
his steps.

[TP Sheriff's Station,  conference room two.  12:45 PM]
	"'Bout time, lady!  The phones are going intermittent on us.  
I haven't been able to contact Cooper or Truman."
	"Where's Mulder now?"
	"On his way to the Great Northern-  we're supposed to meet 
him there, let's get moving."
	"No."
	"What?!"
	Scully whipped out her phone and held her breath until it 
began to ring.
	"Mulder."
	"Mulder, it's me."
	"Scully, get yourself and Albert up here."
	"No, Mulder.   Listen to me;  you've got to stop Desmond 
from whatever he plans on doing."
	"Why?"
	"Just listen!  He is not who he says he is!  The woman with 
the log...she met me at the Double R.  She found something last 
night at the Great Northern;  a ring, Mulder.  With a glyph on it."
	"Desmond..."
	"Desmond may be Bob."  Mulder was silent on his end of 
the line.  "Mulder, are you there?"
	"Yeah, yeah Scully.  You and Albert get down here.  
They're headed for the waterfall near the Great Northern.  If he's 
not here to help close the gateways...he's here to open them, 
permanently."
	"We'll meet you there as soon as we can."  Scully closed the 
phone and Albert moved for the door when Scully hesitated.
	"What is it now, Scully?"  
	Scully ignored Albert;  her attention was focused on the 
chalkboard at the far end of the room.  She approached it, slowly, 
the ring she had clutched in her hand was forgotten, sliding from 
her fingers and across the floor.
	She stooped quickly and picked it up where it had fallen, 
near the board.  She held the ring carefully, studying more closely 
the symbol carved on its' surface.  As she held it, her hand began to 
tremble- then to shake.  Scully looked at her hand with horror as 
the convulsions continued and she found herself powerless to stop 
them.
	"Albert!" she shouted as he leapt to her side, steadying her 
hand with his.  Then, just as suddenly as it had began, the trembling 
ceased.  Albert and Scully exchanged looks and then Scully turned 
once again to the chalkboard, her mouth open in revelation.
	"I've got it, Albert...I'm going to Glastonbury Grove."
	"WAIT a minute.  We need to help Mulder at the Great 
Northern!"
	"No,"  Scully sifted through the maps spread on the table, 
"I'm going to Glastonbury Grove.  Look at the cave drawing!"  
Scully pointed at the board, as if stating the obvious.  "Here's the 
owl glyph on the ring, which is represented by the fire in this 
picture."
	"Uh huh.  The Owl Cave."
	"Which is situated between the falls here,"  Scully traced the 
drawing with her finger, "and the twelve sycamores here.  And 
inside the circle of trees, is a ring."
	"Agent Scully, we already know that this is only a map..."
	"No, Albert, I believe it's more."  Scully gestured with her 
hands, the pieces falling together in a whirl in her brain.  "That's 
why Agent Jeffries was here.  He was trying to warn us!  He said, 
'The one who wears the ring knows the way.'"
	"I need a better explanation!"  Rosenfield demanded, 
pushing his face close to Scully's.
	Scully ground her teeth and said low in her throat, "I can't 
give you one.  It's just a- just a hunch."
	"Wonderful!"  Albert snarled,  "You're battier than Cooper 
and Mulder!"
	Scully glared at Albert, resolute.  "Tell Mulder I'm at 
Glastonbury Grove and tell him to do what he can with Desmond."  
Scully headed for the door, Albert hesitating for only an instant 
before following.

[Great Northern Hotel, 1:00 PM]
	Mulder parked his car next to Truman's and leaped out, 
weapon drawn.  The roar of the waterfall in the distance drowned 
out any other possible sounds.  He called out anyway, "Cooper!  
Sheriff Truman!"  with no answer.  He spotted a trailhead leading 
towards a waterfall vista point- and hit the ground running.
[Ghostwood Forest, 1:12 PM]
	"Right here, turn off right here,"  Rosenfield instructed as 
Scully pulled the car off the main road and onto a service road.  
Albert jumped out of the car as soon as it stopped, map in hand.  
"This way."
	Scully grabbed a flashlight and dove into the dark forest 
without hesitation;  it was calling to her, beckoning.  She could feel 
the ring, still held tightly in her fist, like a live thing in her hand, 
growing warmer.

[Vista Point]
	Mulder saw Truman's large frame sprawled along the 
wooden boards of the overlook and quickly knelt to check his 
pulse.
	"Sheriff Truman, it's Mulder.  Where's Desmond?!"
	"Uuugh.  Agent Mulder..."  Truman struggled to sit up, 
slipping on the mist-covered platform.  The sound from the rushing 
water made it impossible to speak without shouting.  "Down, they 
went down!"  Mulder followed Truman's pointing finger with his 
eyes, incredulous.
	He peered over the slick railing, down the maw of the 
raging water, just able to make out a path carved along the side of 
the cliff.  Half-way down the path were two figures- locked in a 
desperate struggle.  One man was Special Agent Dale Cooper.  The 
other was...Bob.

[Glastonbury Grove]
	Scully and Albert emerged from the forest into a small 
clearing that was hushed and still.  
	"This must be the place,"  Albert murmured, nodding 
towards the stand of twelve spindly sycamores, arranged in a circle.  
In the center of this circle of trees was a circle of rocks, ashes filling 
its center.  Scully responded only with a nod, giving herself a 
minute to catch her breath.   Albert folded up the map with precise 
sweeps of his arms and turned towards her, asking with a raised 
eyebrow, "What do we do now?"

[Vista Point]
	Mulder drew his weapon, trying to find a clear shot of 
Agent Desmond/Bob.  The two agents were partially obscured from 
Mulder's view by a rocky overhang;  the mist from the waterfall 
also making visibility difficult.
	"How do I get down there?"  Mulder demanded.  Truman 
joined him on the rail, staring down into the abyss.
	"Cooper's gotta do this, Mulder!"  Mulder stared at the 
sheriff, aghast.  "We can't help him."  Mulder pushed himself away 
from the rail, disgusted, feeling helpless.  He stared at the rushing 
water, the familiar effect of slow-motion movement in it's midst 
giving Mulder a momentary feeling of disorientation;  then he 
fancied he could see the sheets of water, turning into swaying bolts 
of cloth.  Curtains.
	"Maybe we can't help him here,"  Mulder blurted.  "There's 
another way!"
	"Sheriff Truman!  Agent Mulder!"  Deputy Andy and 
Deputy Hawk were sprinting down the footpath.  Hawk called out 
again, "Agent Mulder, Agents Scully and Rosenfield are at 
Glastonbury Grove.  They told us we were to restrain and contain 
Agent Desmond."
	"That's it!"  Mulder exclaimed.  "Truman, I'm on my way to 
Glastonbury Grove.  Whatever you do, don't let Bob out of your 
sight!"  He reached for the man's hand and shook it firmly, adding, 
"And take care of Coop."
	"I'll do what I can,"  Truman replied, returning Mulder's 
grasp.  Mulder holstered his gun and sprinted back up the path to 
the parking lot.

[Glastonbury Grove]
	"Well,"  Scully began, unsure, her voice trembling.  "'The 
one who wears the ring knows the way.'"  She opened her palm and 
stared at the silver ring.  "There's only one way to find out,"  she 
picked up the ring with her fingers, feeling every element of her 
body crying out a warning, and moved it towards her ring finger.
	"NO!"  Albert grabbed at the ring, causing Scully to start in 
shock and back away.  She saw the intensity and fire in Albert's 
eyes and felt a panic rise to her throat.  He grinned at her, crazily.  
"Oh no you don't."
	Dana wanted to scream, but realized that not a single soul 
would be able to hear her.

[Glastonbury Grove]
	Mulder heard sounds coming through the trees;  it was a 
voice, loud, threatening.
	"STAY BACK.  I'M WARNING YOU!  KEEP AWAY!"
	Mulder pounded through the underbrush, his breathing 
coming in short gasps, finally coming upon an open clearing;  
Glastonbury Grove.
	Dana was standing, her arms outstretched towards the circle 
of trees, her posture one of acquiescence.  She turned her head at 
the sound of Mulder's arrival, a look of relief crossing her face for a 
fleeting moment.  "Mulder!"  the concern in her voice was 
unmistakable.  "It's Albert..." 
	Mulder reached Scully's side and placed a hand on her 
shoulder.  "Scully, what is it?"  Even as the words left his lips, he 
could see why she was afraid.
	Albert Rosenfield stood within the circle of the twelve 
sycamores,  his jaw firm with determination, his eyes tinged with 
fear.  Behind him, above the circle of stones, the swaying of the 
leaves from the trees beyond blended with the ephemeral image of 
swaying red curtains.
	"Albert, what are you trying to do?"  Mulder asked, 
drawing a step closer to him and the circle.
	"Mulder, stay back.  The both of you.  STOP!"  Albert 
barked, and Mulder and Scully stopped advancing.  
	"Please, Albert.  Get out of there," Scully pleaded, her voice 
tensed with concern.
	"Actually Dana, you were right about coming here.  This is 
it; the conjunction- Bob, at the waterfall and this, the ring,"  
Rosenfield held up the ring, gleaming in his hand, "here, at 
Glastonbury Grove.  His power, divided."
	"Albert,"  Mulder said sharply, "what are you doing?!"
	"Just this, flying saucers for brains."  Albert, in one fluid 
motion, slipped the owl ring upon one of his fingers, grimacing.  
"The wearer of the ring knows the way."  He began to back 
towards the center of the circle, towards the ring of stones and the 
curtains to the Beyond.  He murmured softly, as if to himself, "I 
know no fear."
	"No, Albert!"  Scully cried, tears forming in her eyes, "You 
don't know what you're doing!"
	Albert paused in his tracks, for the first time a look of 
confidence crossing his harsh features.  "On the contrary, Dana, I 
know exactly what I'm doing.  What do we fear most in this 
world?"  Scully shook her head, her mind a blank, and gripped 
Mulder's arm.
	"That love is not enough,"  Mulder replied quietly.
	"And what does He fear the most?"
	"That love is enough,"  Scully answered, wiping a tear from 
the corner of her eye and feeling Mulder's protective arm around 
her shoulders.  "That love is enough, Albert."
	"Exactly.  And as you both know, I believe in love.  That's 
right boys and girls. There is no revenge, there is no fear, there is 
no death;  as long as there is Love.  I'm the perfect soldier."   He 
crossed his arms over his chest and sighed heavily, then 
straightened up and said gruffly, "I don't know when I'll be seeing 
you all again-  give,"  his face fell into an uncharacteristically goofy 
grin, "give everyone my love."  Albert closed his eyes and parts of 
his body began dissolving away as invisible arms wrapped around 
him, yanking him off his feet and into the curtains behind him.  
Scully gasped in surprise and started towards the trees, only to have 
Mulder pull her back, shaking his head slightly.  They watched the 
image of the curtains sway silently, until they too disappeared, 
leaving only the trees and the sound of an owl, hooting in the 
darkness of the forest beyond.

[Vista Point]
	Cooper was bent over, his hands on his knees, his breathing, 
ragged.  His clothes were soaked with mist, a small trickle of blood 
running from the corner of his mouth.  Even though his hearing was 
dimmed by the constant crashing of the waterfall beside him, 
Cooper could hear Truman's muffled cries from somewhere above, 
calling his name.  He could not, however, tear his attention away 
for an instant from the foe standing before him.
	Desmond stood, his clothes also soaked through.  His hair, 
dark and slick with wet, resembled Cooper's as they stood facing 
each other, mirror images.  He smiled at Cooper, wickedly-  
Cooper knew he wasn't just fighting for his life;  he was fighting for 
his very soul.
	"I will not go back," Cooper stated flatly, straightening up.  
"Desmond..."
	Desmond's face turned into a snarl, his features flickering 
between his own and Bob's, in and out like breathing.
	Out of the corner of his eye, Cooper saw movement on the 
cliff face above him;  Deputy Hawk and Harry were making their 
way to his position, carefully trying to find handholds along the 
treacherous path.
	Desmond rotated his head to laugh at their approach.
	"It-is-too-late." he said, his voice heard clearly by Cooper 
over the roar of the rushing water, as if the words were spoken 
directly in his head.  "Too late for your friends- too late for-"  
Desmond/Bob snapped his fingers, once- and flames leapt from his 
fingertips.
	Cooper swallowed, steeling himself for the journey, when 
he heard something clearly in his mind;  the sound of a door 
unlocking- unlocking and opening.  To his amazement, the sheet of 
water falling behind Desmond became the red curtains, the sound of 
the waterfall fading away into silence, a crackle of static and the 
swooning melodies of a singing voice reverberating in the 
background.  There was only him and Him;  Cooper knew what he 
had to do.

	"Cooper!"  Truman cried, as he saw his friend leap at 
Desmond with inhuman fierceness.  His momentum carried them 
both off their feet, tumbling off the path and down the cliff face.  
Truman watched, helplessly, as the two agents hurtled towards the 
churning black waters below, a tangle of limbs.
	And the sound of the rushing water continued...

[Glastonbury Grove]
	"Mulder, we can't leave him."
	"Scully, he's gone!"
	Mulder and Scully stood in the clearing, waiting for a sign 
that Albert Rosenfield was still there.  A rustling began in the trees, 
a feeling of doom settling over the forest.  The wind began to howl, 
and Scully pushed wisps of hair from her face, squinting.  Her voice 
betrayed her fear.
	"Mulder!  What is it?"
	Mulder raised a hand to shield his eyes, the two agents 
edging closer to the ring of trees.  In a burst of light, they were 
thrown backwards as flames shot up from the circle of stones.  The 
heat was intense and the plume of fire climbed upwards, towards 
the skies, raging.
	Scully pushed herself up with her hands, reaching over to 
Mulder to see if he was all right.  The both brought up their arms to 
shield themselves from the blistering heat, as small twigs and leaves 
all around began to kindle, smoke filling the air.  They pulled each 
other to their feet, coughing, when Mulder froze and pointed, eyes 
wide.
	"Look!"
	There, within the ring of trees stood Bob, his face a knot of 
anger and frustration.  The trees that were his gateway were now 
his prison bars and he paced within them like a trapped animal.
	"The ring,"  Bob hissed, the cords standing out of his neck 
and arms, "The ring!"
	The heat and smoke was becoming too intense and Mulder 
and Scully had to back away from the horrific sight.  They heard a 
muffled explosion and the ground rocked beneath their feet, hot 
embers flying.
	Scully yanked a dazed Mulder away from the clearing, eyes 
stinging and ears ringing, while hot pine cones sizzled by them like 
missiles.
	"Come on Mulder!"  she cried, hearing the scream of the 
forest as the fire began sucking away the air itself.
	They stumbled out of the woods, the forest ablaze in their 
wake.  Mulder regained his focus and raced to the drivers side of 
the four-by-four, Scully jumping into her seat as he revved the 
engine to life.
	They drove off the service road and onto the asphalt, still 
hacking from smoke inhalation and their faces streaked with soot.  
Scully touched a burned patch on Mulder's shoulder where a pine 
cone had struck, and he gasped in pain, flinching.  Dana only smiled 
at his reaction, her eyes red and watering, as he turned to her and 
grinned;  they had made it, together, alive.  Scully chanced a glance 
behind them, and her happy expression fell.
	"Oh my God, Mulder,"  she said hoarsely.

[TP Airport, 4:21 PM]
	The airstrip parking lot was filled with refugees, cars, and 
people spread along the asphalt while just over the horizon Twin 
Peaks glowed, afire.  Helicopters and fire-fighting planes buzzed 
overhead continuously, trying in vain to stop the blaze.
	Mulder sat on the bumper of an ambulance, getting his 
shoulder attended to.  Scully stood by, sipping a cup of water, a 
blanket around her shoulders.  Mulder was arguing through his 
pain.
	"No sign of them?!  You're telling me you don't know where 
the sheriff of this town is when there is a major crisis going down 
here?"
	"I'm sorry, Agent Mulder."  The weary fireman responded, 
obviously categorizing Mulder's question as the least of his worries 
at the moment, "No one can reach the Great Northern....the river..." 
the man wiped an arm across his brow, "I ain't never seen anything 
like it.  The river itself is on fire!"
	Scully sank to the ground at Mulder's feet, limp, as the 
scope of the day sank into her mind.  Mulder fell silent as well, 
giving a small nod of thanks to the paramedic, who moved on to his 
next patient.  They sat in silence, absorbing the sounds of sirens and 
airplanes zooming overhead.  Scully wordlessly handed Mulder her 
cup.
	"Thanks,"  he murmured.
	"Hey,"  Scully said, touching Mulder's shoe, fighting the 
tears welling in her eyes, "They'll be okay."
	Mulder shut his eyes and bowed his head, shoulders 
slumping.
	Scully felt tears etching tracks along her grime-smeared 
face, and swiped at it roughly.
	The ground shook with another tremor, but this time it was 
from the direction of the road.  Cries were raised and Scully 
glanced in that direction.  "I don't believe it,"  she gasped, climbing 
to her feet.  Mulder looked up and his mouth fell open at the sight.
	The sheriff's four-by-four careened down the road and into 
the parking lot, tires on fire, and paint smoking.  Deputy Andy was 
at the wheel, his hair singed and his eyes bulging with adrenaline.
	They brought the disintegrating vehicle to a halt next to the 
ambulance, Deputy Hawk jumping from the passengers side, pulling 
Sheriff Truman out gingerly from inside.
	"Sheriff Truman!"  Scully moved to him and began checking 
his injuries. "Medic!  We need a medic here, now!  Easy,"  Scully 
helped Hawk move Truman to a seat as a paramedic group rushed 
and took over.
	"What the hell happened?"  Mulder asked, noting with his 
eyes the missing people from this group.  Hawk threw aside his 
jacket and stomped out the embers that clung to it before replying.
	"We stayed and helped evacuate the Great Northern;  many 
have fled over the ridge while we got others loaded into choppers."  
Hawk paused to cough, wiping smoke from his eyes.  "We saw 
what was happening and rushed to make it back here."
	"Where's Annie?"  Truman demanded between hacking 
coughs.
	"She's fine,"  Scully soothed,  "she's helping the 
townspeople get ready for evacuation.  I'll let her know you're 
safe."
	Andy stood to one side, crying silently.  The unsaid question 
hung in the air, thicker than the cloud of smoke hovering over their 
heads.
	Annie burst onto the scene, her face a frozen mask of terror.  
"Harry!  Oh my God,"  she buried herself in his arms, weeping for 
joy.  After a moment, she settled on his lap and looked around;  a 
dark expression settled upon her delicate features.  "Harry..." she 
asked quietly, "not Dale..."
	All eyes were on Sheriff Truman as he coughed again and 
jerked his head once, affirmative.  "Coop...didn't make it."
	Scully felt light-headed and swayed for an instant, opening 
her eyes to find herself supported by a tight-lipped Mulder.  He 
wasn't looking at her but was staring, out at the forest, the flames 
licking the treetops, ever closer.
	"We found this,"  Truman pulled out Cooper's tape recorder 
from his pocket, handing it to Scully.  Dana cranked up the volume 
and rewound the tape.  Taking a deep breath, she pressed play.
	"Diane, I've made a mistake of astounding proportions.  
Special Agent Chester Desmond has just accosted myself and Harry 
and is now climbing the path down the Twin Peaks falls.  I have no 
idea what he plans on doing, but I know that I must follow."  
Everyone strained to hear Cooper's words, faint behind the sound 
of the water in the background.  "This terrible situation has been 
orchestrated from the beginning by Bob..."  Cooper's voice became 
steeled with resolve,  "Diane, it's time to put a stop to it."  The tape 
ended with a squeal.  Andy continued to cry.
	"They went together, over the falls."  Truman said 
tonelessly.  No one could have..."
	"Medics!  Medics!"  The shouts were coming from the 
direction of the river;  the huddled group held their breaths.  A 
medic came running to Truman.  "Sheriff!  A body, down by the 
river!"  Truman stood, clutching Annie's hand tightly in his.  "Who 
is it?"
	"Why, I believe it's Agent Cooper, sir!"
	Scully felt galvanized, dropping her blanket and sprinting 
across the runway towards the water in the distance.  Mulder was 
shouting close behind her, "Bring the ambulance!"
	
	Scully saw him first, floating face up on the water, his eyes 
closed peacefully, his skin an icy blue.
	Medics raced past her shoulder and pulled him out of the 
water, applying emergency resuscitation.  Scully reached for his 
wrist and held her breath;  but it was there, faint, pulsing.
	"Scully!"  Mulder called, kneeling at her side and grasping 
her arm.
	"He's alive, Mulder."  The medics began loading him onto a 
stretcher, inserting an IV and wrapping his body in blankets.  Scully 
grabbed an orderly's arm.  "How is he?"
	"We've got to evac him right now;  his body core 
temperature hhas dropped dangerously low.  We have multiple 
fractures here, extreme hypothermia, let's go people!"   He brushed 
Scully aside, leaping into the back of the ambulance, beckoning the 
others to lift the stretcher inside.
	"COOPER!  COOPER!"  Gordon Cole raced, breathless, to 
Cooper's side, putting a hand on the stretcher to stop the medics.  
"COOPER MY LAD!  ARE YOU OK?"
	Scully stared, fixed upon Cooper's face, when to her 
amazement his eyes opened.  She reached for his hand, speechless, 
and saw his lips moving.  She leaned in close, feeling the chill rising 
from his pale skin.  "Cooper, what is it?"
	"Aa-  aaa-" he murmured, struggling to form the sounds.
	"DALE, YOU'RE GONNA PULL THROUGH THIS, NO 
QUESTION ABOUT IT.  YOU JUST HANG ON!  WE'VE GOT 
ALL THE EVACUATION PLANES HERE AND READY TO 
TAKE EVERYONE OUT OF THIS INFERNO."
	"Dale,"  Mulder said, leaning in next to Scully.  "What is 
it?"
	"Ah, ah..."  Cooper's brows nit, a look of sorrow twisting 
his features, "Albert" he sighed finally.  Scully closed her eyes, grief 
washing through her, grateful for the powerful arms that soon 
encircled her.  She wept silently in Mulder's arms.
	"Look people, we have to move!"  The medics shoved 
everyone away from Cooper's stretcher and loaded him in, the 
sirens shrieking as it headed for the first of the evacuation planes.  
The group stood together, dumbfounded for a moment, when 
Truman spoke up.
	"I've got to see to the evacuation.  I'll see you all later,"  he 
cradled Annie in his arms protectively, wearily heading back 
towards the tarmac.  Cole stopped him with a gesture.
	"SON, THIS IS A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.  I'D STAY 
HERE AND WAX PHILOSOPHICAL ABOUT IT, BUT I CAN 
FEEL THAT FIRE NIPPING AT MY NOSE-  WE GOTTA GET 
OUT OF HERE.  BUT LET ME ASSURE YOU THAT THE 
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO DO 
EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO GET THIS TOWN BACK ON 
IT'S FEET ASAP."
	"Thank you Gordon,"  Truman replied, giving the man a 
small smile, then turning again towards his townsfolk.  Deputy 
Hawk moved to Mulder and Scully's side, his eyes following their 
gaze;  towards the blaze in the forest beyond.
	"My people,"  he began, his voice hushed and solemn,  
"...they say that fire is the ultimate cleanser- the ultimate purity.  It 
will sweep this forest clean."
	"Fire is also a sign of renewal,"  Mulder murmured, "a sign 
of- rebirth."  Hawk nodded gravely, his eyes respectful of the 
implied hope- and implied fear.  
	"Yes, Agent Mulder;  there is life in fire;  but there is also 
complete destruction."  
Hawk took the crying Andy by the shoulders and steered him away 
to join Truman with the crowds.
	Scully sniffled defiantly, running her hands through her hair.  
She closed her eyes and felt her body give way to the shakes.  
Mulder gently put a hand upon her shoulder and she opened her 
eyes and looked up into his.
	"It's coming closer,"  she remarked, nodding to the angry 
red blaze that they could now hear crackling and snapping as it 
burned.
	"Yes,"  Mulder replied, gingerly steering Scully towards the 
nearest evac plane.  "It's coming."
	"YOU KNOW WHAT, AGENT SCULLY?  THERE WAS 
THE MOST REMARKABLE VIEW FROM THE SKY WHEN 
WE MADE OUR APPROACH.  I COULD'VE SWORN THAT 
THE FIRE WAS SHAPED LIKE A BIRD!"  Cole flapped his arms 
for emphasis.  "WEIRD, ISN'T IT?"

[Memorial Hospital- Seattle, Washington.  Four days later.]
	Scully sneezed at the bouquet of flowers she held in her 
arms, prompting Mulder to smile.
	"What's with women and flowers, anyways?"
	"What's with men and monster trucks?" she retorted 
amiably.   Scully entered a bright and airy hospital room, where 
Dale Cooper lay strapped to his bed, an arm and a leg suspended in 
plaster.
	"How are you today, Cooper?"
	"Always better after you visit, Dana."  His brows knit into a 
puzzled expression, "We seem to have more conversations in 
hospitals then we do elsewhere."  Scully smiled warmly and placed 
the flowers where Cooper could see them.  
	"You're just terribly accident-prone,"  she teased, seeing the 
desired result of her words as his frown melted away.  Various get-
well cards lined the mantle, Scully noting Andy's, Constance's, and 
Annie's names, among others.  She folded her arms and regarded 
Cooper;  he was looking a bit better.  A little color back in his 
cheeks and the old light in his eyes.  He leaned back on his pillows. 
"What's the news?" he prompted.
	"Well, the fire is still burning in parts of Ghostwood-  but 
plans for rebuilding Twin Peaks are already being made."
	"Good old Gordon, true to his word."
	"Amazing,"  Mulder murmured, sitting down near Cooper's 
left leg and inspecting the now eye-level leg cast of his right leg.  
"He even writes loud."
	Scully laughed at the huge scrawl that proclaimed, 
"GORDON COLE WAS HERE," emblazoned upon Cooper's cast 
in bold ink strokes.
	"Any word on Albert?"  Cooper asked as casually as he 
could after they settled into silence.
	"No,"  Scully replied, her eyes sad, "nothing."
	"Cooper, Scully and I have to head back to Washington- but 
we won't give up the search."
	Cooper nodded gratefully, his eyes crinkling at some past 
memory, "Albert's path was always a strange and difficult one."
	Scully patted Cooper's shoulder in understanding, then 
stood to go.  Mulder touched her shoulder and they smiled at 
Cooper.  "If there's anything..."  Mulder began.
	"ALBERT AHOY!"  Gordon Cole swept into the hospital 
room, a fax dangling from his hand as he shouted excitedly.  
"AGENTS, ALBERT HAS BEEN SPOTTED!"
	"Where is he?"  Scully asked eagerly, joy and relief filling 
her heart.
	"DANA, THAT'S WHERE IT GETS TRICKY.  HE'S 
BEEN SPOTTED;  NOT FOUND."
	"Gordon,"  Cooper strained in his confining straps, his 
familiar patience evaporating.  "WHERE IS ALBERT?!"
	Gordon scanned their eager faces and referred to the 
printout in his hand.  "WELL...THERE WAS A REPORT FROM 
TIBET..."
	"Tibet?"  Mulder exclaimed, incredulous.
	"ALBERT'S ALSO BEEN SPOTTED IN ROME, AT THE 
VATICAN.  AND AGAIN, IN SALT LAKE CITY.  JUST A FEW 
MINUTES AGO HE WAS SEEN IN THE LOBBY OF TEMPLE 
SHIAO-SOMETHING IN JAPAN..."
	"I don't believe it!"  Scully exclaimed, turning to Mulder.  
"How can that be?"
	"I dunno, Scully,"  Mulder was shocked, but a smile also 
was appearing across his face.  "Maybe he wants to accumulate 
some frequent flier miles."
	"Albert,"  Cooper exclaimed, a grin spreading across his 
features, "got to love the man."
	"But where is he?!"  Scully demanded, knowing that she 
probably wouldn't like the answer.
	"As soon as I'm out of this,"  Cooper gestured to his broken 
body, "I'll let ya know."

the end.