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

12. The Morning

The halls of the Great Northern shined as if the wood were polished. Sandra moved in slow-motion toward the end of the hall. She turned into a room. Josie Packard sat on her knees on the bed, the gun outstretched in front of her. She was speaking, but Sandra could not hear. Behind her, she saw Dale Cooper speaking too. His eyes turned to Sandra, a look of knowing on his face, then he looked back at Josie.

Sheriff Truman came running through the door. When he saw Josie he lowered his weapon. She spoke again, but there was pounding from the walls all around the room drowning out the muffled voices. Her words were lost in echoing noise. She clutched the gun to her chest and fell on the bed next to Thomas Eckhardt.

Sandra glided to her side as Harry grasped at her, crying. She looked to Dale who was lowering his weapon. Before their eyes, they saw Bob appear on the bed, Josie's body now gone. "Where's Josie?" He asked, laughing demonically.

Dale looked at Sandra again, registering she was really there. He waved a hand in front of her, and she waved back.

"What are you doing here?" His voice was slow and distorted.

"I don't know yet." She responded, her voice much the same. The pounding on the walls began again. They both looked around the room. It changed before their eyes in a flash. They were stood in front of a stage.

"The Roadhouse." Dale said, realizing where they were. The stage went alight with hues of green and teal. Thomasina stood at the microphone, holding it out in front of her. She dropped it onto the ground, it's thud resounding through the room, and the feedback caused their ears to ache. Thomasina disappeared from the stage.

Sandra moved toward the microphone, but when she picked it up it became a revolver. She searched the room for Dale, but he was gone. From the corner of the room, she heard a hiss.

Out of the shadows, a figure emerged. His long gray hair could mean only one person. Sandra raised the gun, and pulled the trigger.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

The phone awoke her with a start. She breathed a sigh of relief. With the re-emergence of Bob in her dreams, she knew they were back on the right track. What that track that was, she was unsure. The phone rang again.

"Sandra Flynn."

"Agent Flynn, I hope I didn't wake you." Assistant Director Skinner greeted.

"No, Sir, I needed to wake up anyway." She sighed groggily. Those dreams took a lot of energy.

"Good. Unfortunately, this isn't a friendly chat. After reading your latest report, I had to call and ask about that substance you found. You said someone from the DEA was going to follow up with you. Have you heard from them?"

"Yes, it's Special Agent Denise Bryson. She calls it the Consumer Bacteria."

"That doesn't sound good." She could practically hear Skinner taking off his glasses and rub his temple. "How is James Hurley? He remember anything?" Sandra gulped.

"How do I put this lightly, Sir?" She took in a breath. "That wasn't James Hurley. It was a clone that has now turned to goo."

"You want to run that by me again, Agent?" His frustrated tone grew louder.

"That's what the consumer bacteria does. It collects data and turns into what can only be described as a clone. But it needs special circumstances to stay in that form. And it seems that as of now, it can't remain in this environment in that state."

"I'm going to pretend I understand what you just said. Find James Hurley, and find Jocelyn Packard. And if you don't, I'll send you two on another case so fast your head will spin." His voice was coarse. It would have sent a chill down any other agent's spine, but Sandra had known him a long time.

"Forgot your coffee this morning, Walter?" Skinner went quiet for a moment, then let out a growl.

"Thank you, Sandy. That will be all." And he hung up the phone. She hadn't heard him call her Sandy in a long time. She put the receiver back on the hook. The sun was already rising, and she hugged her knees to her chest. There was something she was missing. Something staring her right in the face.

---

Sandra exited the elevator. With her head turned toward the doorway, she missed the person walking toward her and smacked right into him.

"Excuse me!" He shouted at her.

"You're excused." She said, holding her ear.

"No thank you, I've just had some coffee."

"What?"

"Gordon Cole!" Dale Cooper came from around the corner, his hand outstretched. "Great to see you, old friend."

"Hi, Coop," He shouted again. "I was looking for you."

"This is Agent Sandra Flynn." He introduced Sandra as loud as possible.

"Sally, great to meet you!" He shook her hand vigorously. "Forgive me, lost my hearing. It's a long story. Got these babies cranked all the way up." He pointed to the hearing aids in his ears. Sandra simply nodded and excused herself. "She's very pretty, Coop!" He shouted at him. "You know how to pick 'em!" Sandra only laughed and continued around the corner, sitting at an empty table.

She ordered a coffee and a bagel with cream cheese. As she waited, a hand pressed into her shoulder. "Morning," Mulder said in her ear. He sat at the table with her.

"You look well rested, Mulder."

"I feel well rested." He unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat across from Sandra. "Sorry, but you look like you had a rough night." He spied the red around her eyes.

"Gee, thanks, partner. What a compliment." She rubbed at her eyes.

Mulder leaned into the table and whispered, "Were you dreaming again?" Sandra nodded. Dale came rushing from around the corner. He searched the room briefly before finding the other agents. He pulled a seat from the empty table at the left and placed it next to Sandra.

"You were in my dream last night." Coop beamed a bright smile. Mulder's eyes turned dark, and Sandra let a blush escape her cheeks. "I knew you had a gift."

"A gift?" Sandra laughed. "I thought talking to a twig was gift enough."

"You can dream jump." Coop looked as if he might burst at the seams. "You jumped into my dream last night."

"Well, how do you know you didn't 'jump' into my dream?" Coop looked down at the table, his smile faded. An 'oh' escaped his lips.

"How come you didn't jump into my dream last night?" Mulder asked with a wiggle of his brow.

"I fear if I jump into your dreams I'd come out traumatized." Sandra giggled. Mulder rolled his eyes and leaned back in the chair.

"What was the significance of the dream?" Mulder asked after the waitress brought the table coffee. He sipped it, eyes unblinking at Sandra.

"It has to be something to do with Josie Packard." She said. "I saw in the dream how she died, and then she disappeared off the bed. Bob stood in her place."

"Then it changed to the Roadhouse." Coop chimed in.

"What's the Roadhouse?" Mulder inquired.

"Local bar." Coop responded. "I'm going to have two of us stake out the bar today, and one of us can search Eckhardt's room."

"I vote you boys stake the place out for now. I'll meet up with you later tonight." Sandra stood and brushed off her pencil skirt. Mulder spied the edge of one of the bandages left from the burns on her legs. As she started to walk away, he rushed to her and grabbed hold of her arm. She turned to look up at his eyes.

"How you holding up?"

"Minimal pain. That's what ibuprofen is for." She smiled. "I'm fine, thank you."

"We haven't really talked, not since..." He trailed off, remembering their passionate kiss in the log lady's house. Sandra paused.

"I'll see you tonight, Mulder." She turned to walk to the front desk. Mulder stood there. Coop came up behind him, hitting his back with a thud.

"Ready to go, Agent Mulder?" Coop's smile was as bold as ever. Mulder nodded.