Only In Threes (The End Of The World Remix)
1. You Watch Them
In the dream you watch them. You wonder why they've been dragged into this. After all these years, you always thought it would be Mulder here with you, at the end. But the foreboding lights and the everpresent shadow stole Mulder away, and even after he returned, you were alone. You're not alone now, but with Doggett and Reyes--you can't help but feel that this is not their fight. Even though you know defeat means their deaths and the end of humanity.
You fight because you have to fight. Because it's personal. You marvel at the fact that they fight when they don't have to. They haven't seen everything you and Mulder have seen; haven't spent eight full years getting here. You know this is not their fight, and you're hoping they don't suddenly realize that.
But after all the nuclear attacks and paranoia have set in, at some point you feel like this must be the end. The three of you retreat into an empty hotel room. You watch their interactions, with each other and with you, and you think how easy it would be to take comfort in them and leave the world to be detroyed.
And it's just so easy, so you give in. At first, only with John, while Monica watches, captivated. You know she wants you, wants this. And you want it too. It's his name you're calling, but it's her you're looking at. She moves to join you; you smile and lick your lips.
As she kisses you, you notice another cigarette burning on the opposite side of the room. A searchlight shines in through the window and from the corner of your eye you see enough to recognize the face.
He laughs. "Not with a--"
Bang.
2. She Wakes Up
She wakes up in a cold sweat, as usual. The dreams are becoming more and more vivid. And troubling. She's always felt an attraction to Monica Reyes - she's not frigid, after all - but she's never let things get out of hand, never even wanted to until last night. She's suspected all along that Agent Reyes had an unhealthy attachment to her, but it's just now dawning on her how much she enjoys it, how much more she could enjoy it.
She wanted it.
On some basic level, she wanted John and Monica, even if it meant the end of the world - especially if. She tries to dismiss it as nothing, but in the cold dark of the early morning, she can still feel herself surrender.
She shakes it off, and steps into the shower.
By the time the steam lifts, she's ready to get to work, if not quite ready to see them.
3. I See Her
She watches with interest as I take a tentative sip of coffee. I've made a point of ignoring her all morning as a protective measure.
She doesn't say anything, but John does. "Everything okay, Dana?"
"Fine," I say, turning back to the coroner's report for our latest case. In the light of day, I can pretend not to see them for what they offer, what they could mean.
John peers over my shoulder. "Interesting," he says, and I wish he weren't so interested.
still, we have a job to do, so I ask for more information about the man who never aged. Ten minutes later, I notice that Monica appears to be in a trance.
I try to get her attention. "Agent Reyes?"
"Where's John?" she asks, disoriented.
"He went to get the missing persons reports," I say, troubled by her distractedness.
"I'm sorry--I wasn't paying attention." It's a boring case, but I doubt that's the only reason her mind is wandering. Still, there's no point in opening whatever Pandora's Box lies within Monica's psyche.
I start over. "Well, as I was saying, there's no 'Cosimo Boadicci' listed in Italy either, but there's always the possibility... Of course the facist regime made many Italian citizens persona non grata..."
She interrupts me suddenly. "Agent Scully?"
"Yes?" I worry about what she'll say next.
"Have you ever had a prophetic dream? I mean - have you ever had a dream that came true?"
The question shocks me, and I skillfully sidestep it. "Is there something you want to talk about, Agent Reyes?"
"No... I had a strange dream last night," she admits.
"Have any of your dreams come true?" I'm pushing her to say it, knowing she'll back down but hoping she won't.
Of course, she plays it safe. "They're usually nonsensical - places I used to live, people I knew... What about you?"
"I dream about the end of the world," I say, and I hold her gaze just a bit longer than I should.
John returns, oblivious, and drops a file on the desk. "Here you go."
"My god," I say. "That's him." Even after all these years,
"What is it?" she asks, obviously struggling to forget about dreams.
"That photo was taken in 1952," John says.
We discuss some rational theories, but I duck out at the first opportunity to do so politely. After the conversation with Monica, I know that it's not safe for me to stay here. Not worth the risk.
I return to Quantico and wait for Mulder to contact me. Of course, there's no word, and I sink into bed alone just after midnight. It's always possible that staying with Doggett and Reyes might be a good thing. But it's just as likely that it would be the end of the world.