Panic is breaking out in the Oval Office as news reports of the abductions filter through. Nick DeAbalo and the Secretary of Defence are pressing President Bush for action.

Secretary of State Powell : 'Come on Sir. We need to act before they kidnap anymore of our citizens. Send our fighters in, show them we mean business.' Bush turns to Nick.

President Bush: 'What do you say Nick?' The others look at the President wondering why he bothers with them as the only person he listens to now is DeAbalo.

Nick DeAbalo: 'I say blow them out of the sky Sir.' replies Nick. Bush nods at the Secretary of Defence.

President Bush: 'Do it Don.' Nick rubs his hands in glee. Any moment now and nothing will stand in his way; just find some way to get rid of Bush, set himself up here in the White House and watch it all go the way it was prophesised. He goes over to O'Bannion.

Nick DeAbalo: 'Not long now Michael. Just another hour max and nothing will stand in my way, nothing.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Agents, CSM and Krycek are watching another group of people being transported into another ship. This seems to be the last group. The CSM lights yet another cigarette.

CSM: *to Mulder* 'Are you still sure you can defeat them? Serve them and you can see Samantha again.' As he says this a squadron of fighters appear and unleash a barrage of missiles. They inflict some minor damage to the UFO. 'FOOLS!!!!!!!They cannot be defeated. Why can't you accept it?

The UFO flies off after the fighters. As they bank to the left the UFO's fly into a shimmering heat haze and disappear. This happens to all the UFO's, everywhere. DeAbalo's plan has been a success. On the ground the rest of the population are staring in wonder at what happened - including the group at the Washington Memorial.

CSM: * shouts at Mulder* 'What have you done?!!!!' You fool, you're worse than Bill. You've been determined to ruin this; you've ruined fifty years of work, you've ruined any chance of getting our families back. YOU FOOL!!!!! They'll be back, you can't get away with this.'

Mulder: 'I had nothing to do with this. It was all the doing of your right hand man here, right Alex?' Krycek starts to laugh.

Krycek: 'Maybe you should have taken Mulder's advice and trust no one. I've been working for the resistance for years. They knew your plans and were one step ahead evey time. Did you really think you could get away with this and did you honestly think the colonists would honour their agreement to spare your miserable life?' The resentment in Krycek is building up now. 'You've been controlling my life since I was a kid and now it's time to break free - but not before you pay for what you've done.' Krycek pulls out his gun and points it at the CSM.

CSM: *sneers* 'You've had plenty of chances to kill me in the past, Alex. What makes you think you can do it now?' Krycek isn't really listening.

Krycek: 'You've taken away everyone that ever meant anything to me. I've been on the run for seven years thanks to you, now it's payback.' He points the gun at Mulder and pulls the trigger. The bullet catches Mulder in the temple and he goes down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For a split second time seems to stand still. Scully screams and Doggett moves to grab Krycek who points the gun at Doggett.

Krycek: *to the CSM* 'Now you know how I feel. Your family's dead just like mine. Now live my life, you son of a bitch.' He runs off into the crowd, Doggett follows him. Scully runs over to Mulder.

Scully: *screams to CSM* 'Call 911.' She crouches next to Mulder and tries to stop the blood flowing. 'Mulder, Mulder don't leave me, not now. Please don't leave me.' Doggett reappears.

Doggett: 'I couldn't catch him. He's disappeared; he could be anywhere.' He looks at the CSM and bends down to whisper to Scully. 'You know what I mean... anywhere.' Scully nods. She looks at the CSM and swears that she can see a tear rolling down his face as the ambulance appears.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Doggett is sitting outside the hospital. It's been six hours since Mulder was brought in. Skinner had been in a few hours earlier, vowing to hunt Alex Krycek down but Doggett knew he'd never be found - not in this reality anyway. Margaret Scully had been there, too, trying to persuade her daughter to eat and doing what mothers do best, just being there. He remembered being in this position before; waiting for news, preparing himself for the worst. The doors open and Scully comes out looking tired and drained. He gets up and crosses over to her.

Doggett: 'So?' Scully is having great difficulty keeping her voice steady.

Scully: 'He's alive. They were able to keep the bleeding under control and they were able to remove the bullet.' She takes a deep breath.

Doggett: 'But.'

Scully: 'His frontal lobe was scarred quite badly... and they don't know...' A tear starts to run down her face. '... they can't say if he'll... if he'll...' More tears start to fall.

Doggett: 'If he'll wake up.' Scully nods. He puts his arms around her as she starts to cry.

Scully: 'Why?! Why Mulder? After all we've been through I can't lose him now. It's... oh God, it's just not fair.' She breaks down and lets the pain of the last eight years flow out. Doggett knows the last thing she needs to hear are meaningless, comforting words so he just lets her cry.

In the hospital the CSM is by Mulder's bed. He looks at Mulders heavily bandaged face.

CSM: 'I never meant to hurt you. I never meant to hurt Teena, either, but I had no choice. Bill wanted to send you instead of Samantha but I couldn't let him send my son to the project so I made him send Samantha. I know it sounds heartless but you are my son, I couldn't lose you and Cassandra. I thought no one could touch me, that I was so tough that no one could hurt me the way I hurt others. It seems that Alex knew me too well. He always said he'd have his revenge and now he has. I will help you get through this. With all the years of medical research we've done something must be able to help. You are all I have left, I am all you have left.' He settles in the chair and watches the machines keeping his son alive.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nick DeAbalo and Michael O'Bannion are watching the celebrations in the streets. O'Bannion is smiling.

O'Bannion: 'It's finally begun. Everything we dreamed of will start.' Nick is puffing on his cigar and his grin is begininng to become more demonic.

Nick DeAbalo: 'Now it will start. Now there is no one left to stop us. The world is now ours.' DeAbalo starts to laugh. As his demonic laughter carries on the wind a jet liner falls from the sky into the river Jordan, a car bomb explodes in Belfast, a gunman opens fire in a school in Texas, an earthquake hits St Petersburg, a fire ignites in the Austrailian outback. In London a tube train crashes into another killing hundreds of people in the rush hour.

The Devil is here to stay.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Margaret and Dana are sitting at the kitchen table. A coffee pot and a plate of cookies are between them. A radio is playing in the background.

Margaret: 'So, Dana, what are you going to do?'

Scully: 'I don't know Mom. He's got no one left, now. I'm not sure I can do anything.' She pours some more coffee into her cup.

Margaret: 'Are you going to leave him the way he is? You know he fought us every step of the way when you were in a coma.' Scully smiles.

Scully: 'I know, but I had a living will. He doesn't have anything like that. I don't know what to do, I'm not family.' Margaret pushes the cookie plate towards her.

Margaret: 'He doesn't see it like that. To Mulder you are his family and to me too. He's always been welcome here. I think your father would have welcomed him into the family, too. I know I'd like him to be my Son in Law.' She grins at her daughter, Scully blushes.

Scully: *moans* 'Mom.'

Margaret: *slyly* 'I'm your mother, I know about these things. The signs are all there.' Scully is letting her mind wander and is listening to the song on the radio. It's Justin Heywood's Forever Autumn. The line 'my love will be Forever Autumn now you're not here' makes the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

Margaret: 'Dana, Dana are you ok?' Scully shakes herself out of it.

Scully: 'Yes, Mom I'm fine. I was listening to the radio. I'm going to leave Mulder the way he is. I want him to be here with me.' Margaret smiles at her.

Margaret: 'Good, I knew you'd do the right thing.'

John Doggett is sitting in the X Files office a blank computer screen in front of him. Somewhere in the distance a radio is playing breaking the uneasy silence. He has lost count of how many times he's started to write this report then deleated the whole thing. Skinner has been down to see him telling him he was on his own for the forseeable future as Scully was on an indefinate leave of absence. Kersh had been to see him, too, wanting to know what was going into his report. He'd laughed and asked Kersh how he was supposed to cover up something that was witnessed by the whole world. He looks at the 'I Want To Believe' poster behind Mulder's desk and then at Luke's picture on his desk. The song on the radio catches his attention. It's Justin Heywood's Forever Autumn. He hears the words 'now you're not here' and looks back at Luke's picture. Maybe the one consolation in this case is that somewhere, out there, his son is still alive. That's what he wants to believe. He picks up the phone and dials.

Catherine: *sleepily* 'Hello?'

Doggett: 'Hi, Catherine, it's me.' He looks at his watch. 'Oh my God, I'm sorry. I didn't realise it was so early.'

Catherine: 'S'ok. I had to get up. The phone was ringing. What can I do for you?'

Doggett: 'Can I come and see you for a couple of weeks?' This suprises her a little.

Catherine: 'Sure. Are you ok? I mean, did you have anything to do with what happened a few days ago? I assume your friend Mulder was in the middle of it. This is his thing, right?'

Doggett: 'Yes, Yes and of course he was.' Catherine laughs 'I just need to get out of here and I need a friendly face.'

Catherine: 'So what happened?' He sighs.

Doggett: 'I don't know where to start, but you are not going to believe what I found out a few weeks back...' He begin's to tell her about the Alternative Reality he visited.

Alex Krycek is sitting under a tree enjoying the late autumn sunshine. He's enjoying the freedom he has now. No one is trying to kill him, no one is hunting him down. He spots a woman walking down the path and smiles to himself. She sees him and smiles back as she walks up to him.

Woman: 'If I was the paranoid type I'd swear you were waiting for me.'

Krycek: 'What makes you say that?' She leans forward and whispers.

Woman: 'This is the third day I've seen you here.' A voice calls out behind her 'Marita, I'm over here.' She turns around and waves at her friend.

Woman: 'I'll be there in a moment.' She turns back to Krycek who is getting up. 'So will you be here tomorrow?' Krycek starts to walk away.

Krycek: 'Maybe.'

Woman: *calls after him* 'Hey, what's your name?'

Krycek: 'Alex. I'll see you around... Marita.' Marita's friend joins her.

Friend: 'Nice.'

Woman: 'Bad boy, rough stuff, just my type.'

As Krycek passes a news vendors' stand a radio is playing Justin Heywood's Forever Autumn. He stops to listen for a minute and hears the words 'my life will be forever autumn, now you're not here.'

Krycek: *mutters* 'But you are here and so am I, now. Maybe I can do it right this time.'

Vendor: 'Say what, buddy?'

Krycek: 'Nothing.' He walks around a corner and points the Alternative Reality Device at the wall. 'Oh yeah, I'll be here tomorrow.' He walks through the wall.

The CSM is still sitting in the chair. He is talking to Mulder.

CSM: 'I don't regret what I've done. I thought I was doing the right thing, I thought we could preserve our race. I've worked on this project for fifty years and now it's over I don't know what to do with myself. What can I do? I've got no one who needs me, no one who cares whether I live or die. All I have is you, Fox. I'll find a way to help you, it's the least I can do. As much as I hate to admit it, I need you back at the X Files. You and your partners are the only ones who can stop Nick DeAbalo. Yes he's the Devil, but I can't tell them about it. He knows I know who he is. You may think I made a deal with him long ago. Maybe I did and now he wants payment. Would life under the colonists be better? I wish I could tell you.'
He stops as he hears the words of a song on the radio. It's Justin Heywood's Forever Autumn. He hears the line 'My life will be Forever Autumn, now you're not here'. 'Yes, how true. My life will be forever autumn now.' He closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep.

Mulder's Room, 30 minutes later

Scully tiptoes into the room. The CSM opens his eyes with a start.

Scully: *apologetically* 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you.'

CSM: 'No, Dana, it's ok. I must have dozed off.'

Scully: 'The nurses say you haven't been home in three days. You can't stay here forever.'

CSM: 'I know, Dana, but what else do I have now? I was once a powerful man, now I have nothing.'

Scully: 'In the eyes of the law you are his next of kin. What are you going to do?'

CSM: 'Everything I can to restore my son's life to the way it was. Don't ask me to turn the life support off.'

Scully: 'I won't.' She looks at the broken man she once despised so much and can't help but pity him. She takes his arm. 'Come on, I'll take you home.' He nods.

CSM: 'Thank you, Dana.' As they prepare to leave a doctor comes in. His badge says Dr Baumbach. As Scully and the CSM pass him they fail to notice his eyes glow red.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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