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The moment I see Mulder in the hallway, I know he's petrified. He doesn't know what to expect. Scully trails behind him, trying to keep up as best she can in her high-heels. The hallway reeks of smoke.

"Mulder-" I start as he nears me, but he shakes his head and walks past me. The elevator door opens and firemen come out, pulling a cart of burnt items. And everyone in the room sees Mulder's horrified face as he stares down at the charred remains of his life.

Mulder whirls around and heads for the stairwell.

"Mulder!" Scully calls, quickly following him, but he doesn't react. Even as their boss, I still feel sorrow and regret for this pair of agents. Especially Agent Mulder. That man has been working his ass off since 1991, risking his reputation, his life, his job. Just for the truth. Or what he believed was the truth.

I head for the stairwell myself after a few moments of self-negotiation. As I round the corner, I don't know what I expect to see inside the blackened remains of the former X-Files office. Scully is gripping Mulder's upper arms, looking up into his eyes. I stand in the doorway, wondering what I should do. Instead, I just stare at the two lost, broken agents before me. These two have been through hell and always come out on top. But now, I'm not sure if it will ever be the same for them.

Scully leans against Mulder, resting her head on his chest. Mulder doesn't react. After a few moments, I watch Scully pull back and peer up into her partners eyes. She raises a hand up to his face and smoothes his cheek.

" It's gonna be okay, Mulder," I hear her say softly. " I promise. We're going to get through this."

I see Mulder shake his head, and his shoulders begin to sag. His head drops down. Scully immediately moves to wrap her arms around him tightly. " Its all right...... its okay to let go of that tough act you put on......"she says. At that, Mulder arms are around her in a death grip, his muscles tense, his biceps are defined in the shadows of the red and blue police lights outside the building. I hear his soft sobs and his partner's constant murmurs of comfort, despite her own tears.

"It's okay to cry, Mulder........ just let it all out...... it's okay...."

" Its gone, Scully," Mulder chokes out. " Its all over, and-" he gurgles and I watch as he trembles and loses his voice.

I am dumbstruck.

I'm in shock.

Its all hits me at once in an overwhelming, breath-taking realization. My gut begins to ache. He was right. Everything was gone. His sister's file. Scully's files. Everything that Mulder and Scully had ever accomplished was gone. He had nothing left. Nothing expect his partner who would remain at his side even when he was lying bloody, broken, and defeated on the streets in the City of Life. No one stops to help him to his feet in this world, no one but Dana Scully. She, too, has crawled on hands and knees through the fire and ice of obstacles and just when all seemed hopeless, Mulder would appear, offering her a hand to help her get off the dirty ground or bending down to scoop her off the rough terrain into his arms and carry her to safety.

And as I watch the two of them sink to the floor, engulfed in grief, I realize that the reason they're so successful is because their relationship is so closely mended together that they think and feel the thing. The weak thread that was used to bring them together in the first place had turned into steel and iron. And now the very government that put sewed them together to form a bomb is becoming the rust that is forming on the unexpected indestructible weapon that was made. It was something I should have known the first time I saw Mulder and Scully hug at Agent Scully's hearing after Mulder returned from Russia. It had taken me by surprise, and I quickly broke it, telling them to continue it "another time."

I look at the despaired pair, crying together in a desperate embrace on the floor, and I turn away silently, walking back to the stairs. They need this time together. Alone. I know that if I want to see them on their feet together again, they need this time to heal one another.

Right after I come out of the door of the stairwell and head down the hall, I hear the door open behind me. I turn around and see them approach. Mulder is looking down, I can see his tearstains as they glare in the fluorescent lights of the hallway. Scully's eyes are puffy, her mascara is running.

" Are you all right?" I ask them. Scully looks up at Mulder, and he raises his head to look at me. His face is tortured and long.

" I think that we're both a little overwhelmed right now," Scully says, putting her arm around Mulder, gently rubbing his back.

" I can understand it. You can have a few days to yourselves until we sort out this matter and we can talk about reassignment. I'll keep you updated."

" Thank you, sir," Scully says. Mulder nods at me and they start down the hall, Scully's arm still around his waist.

" Agents?" I say. They turn around.

" I'm sorry," I say. "And don't worry. I have a feeling everything will turn out."

" Thank you," Mulder says, though it sounds like he can barely muster his own voice. They turn and walk down the hall to the exit. And they're off, starting their new beginning. Off their knees. On their feet.