Out Of This World (X-Files/Twin Peaks AU)

3. The Trail Ride

Cooper had a large grin on his face as the car sped down the road, taking corners probably too fast. Sandra held onto the handle above her head with one hand and onto the seat with the other. Cooper looked over and saw her eyes closed, her hair and chest bouncing with every bump in the road. "Not a fan of roller coasters, Agent Flynn?" He asked playfully as he slowed his speed. Sandra took a breath and let her grips soften. She shook her head as she slowed her breathing. "Sorry about that." Cooper reached his hand over and patted Sandra on her thigh. "I get excited when we find leads."

"I can tell, Agent Cooper." Sandra looked out the window at the trees passing by. They drove for about twenty minutes before Cooper pulled the car to the shoulder of the road. Before he could reach her door, Sandra let herself out of the car. Coop motioned for her to follow him.

The dirt road ahead of them went on for quite some time. As Cooper got distracted by a small animal, Sandra pressed forward. Because of the rain from the night before, her heels pressed into the muddy ground. She tread lightly, trying to save what she could of her shoes. She turned a corner.

Laying on its side was a Harley Davidson motorcycle. One of the headlights was broken. Sandra called for Cooper and he came jogging to her. She found herself noticing his track-runner physique, but pushed the thought to the side when she saw his face light up again.

"That's James Hurley's bike." Cooper looked up at the sky and around him frantically. "Come on, we need to have the right conditions." He rushed to the bike and put it upright, straddling it.

"Cooper, that's evidence!" Sandra shouted.

"Oh, Flynn, you need to get used to my methods. Get on." Cooper patted the back of the bike.

"You want me to ride bitch?" Sandra pointed to her outfit. "I'm wearing tights and a pencil skirt."

"Just hike it up," Cooper said. "I promise I won't look...at least not too much."

"Do you even know how to drive a motorcycle?" Sandra asked, crossing her arms. Cooper gave her a wink and started the bike. She rolled her eyes as she pulled up the hem of her skirt just enough to keep her modesty and straddle the seat behind him.

"You might want to hang on, Flynn." Coop said as he revved the engine. Sandra slid her arms around his midsection feeling his toned muscles beneath his button-up shirt. Sandra gulped, hiding her face and clinging to Cooper.

The bike seemed to ride on for a long time. Cooper's confidence while driving gave Sandra the strength to look up from his back and open her eyes. The trees blew past them and she couldn't help but smile as she held onto him tighter. Soon, the sky began to darken and Cooper turned the motorcycle back around. They were on their way back to the dirt trail. Instead of stopping just before it, Cooper rode the bike straight into it. He stopped the bike right where they had first found it. Sandra, now wobbly kneed, climbed off the back. She nearly fell, but Cooper let the bike drop and caught her in his arms. "Got to get your legs back under you, Flynn." Sandra steadied herself and smiled.

"Now what?" She asked. Coop smiled back at her, holding her by the shoulders for a moment. He began to lean in when overhead they started to hear a low hum. Sandra's eyes grew wide as she looked up.

Slowly, Sandra began to follow the sound, continuing to look at the sky. She felt her heels sinking into the mud as she walked. But suddenly, she felt her step normalize. She looked down to see dry dirt beneath her feet in a wide circle. In the middle of the dry patch, she saw two large male footprints. "Agent Cooper?" She said, trying to get his attention. Sandra looked at her surroundings, seeing the trees around her singed. "Coop?" She shouted again. The hum above her was loud. As she looked up, the hum grew until she saw six warm-colored lights above her head in a circle. "Dale!" Suddenly there was a blinding, all-encompassing light. Sandra felt herself get swept up.

When the light dissipated, the hum disappeared. Sandra was on the ground. She opened her eyes and saw Dale Cooper above her. He was frantically tapping her face, trying to wake her up. She blinked her eyesight back and started to sit up. That was when the pain started.

Sandra screamed out as she looked at the second-degree burn marks all over her legs. Cooper then scooped her up, carrying her as best he could, to the car that was parked on the shoulder. He got her into the backseat. "You need a hospital!" He shouted to her. Sandra could barely move. Her tights had fused with some parts of the burns causing excruciating pain. Cooper sped through the roads until they made it to Calhoun Memorial Hospital. He once again carried her into the emergency room. A nurse came to them with a stretcher, saying "We'll take it from here, Agent Cooper."

Sandra's stretcher crashed through the double doors. She looked back to see Cooper placing his hands on his head as he took a breath. Then, everything went black.

---

Sandra looked down and saw herself in a blue silk gown. She stood on a black and white zig-zag floor. In front of her was a couch with a young blonde woman sitting there. She stood, her movements jerky as if she were going in reverse. She approached Sandra, caressing her face. The blonde then swept her arm, pointing to a red curtain. Sandra approached the curtain and parted it.

Behind it there was a clearing much like the one in which Thomasina disappeared. She went and stood in the patch of dry dirt, and soon she heard whimpering behind her. She turned. Sat on his knees was a nude James Hurley, whimpering and cold. Sandra tried to reach out to him but he backed away.

Stood behind James was the same man from her previous dream. His hair was gray and matted, the denim he wore was coated in mud. James clung onto his leg continuing to whimper. On either side of the dirty man were two other men, each with their back toward Sandra. Before she had time to realize who they were, the dirty man pushed James to the ground.

Almost in slow motion, the dirty man rushed at Sandra. She hiked up her long gown and started to run, her bare feet being cut up by stones. She turned to look back and saw the man rush her, grabbing onto her and pushing her down to the ground. "You...won't...save...them..." He growled in her ear. "They...have...them..." He began to laugh manically in her face. He laughed and laughed as he pulled his clenched fist up. It came down to hit her.

Sandra awoke screaming. The beeping sounds around her turned frantic as nurses ran into the room. "I can't save them!"

"Ma'am, you need to calm down." One of the nurses said.

"They have them, I can't save them!"

"Flynn!" Mulder's voice came from the doorway. Sandra was screaming and fighting off the nurses. Mulder ran to the side of her hospital bed, grabbing onto her hand and squeezing. "Flynn. Sandra. It's me, its Mulder. You're awake, you're okay." He shushed her as she started to calm.

"They have them, I can't save them." She repeated over and over.

"You're fine, you're okay." Mulder reassured her. "I'm right here, and I'm not leaving you, okay?" Sandra finally looked at Mulder. She nodded as she started to cry.