The Loop

Chapter Twelve

Blinking away the harsh light, Scully turns around and rushes towards Mulder, ready to tell him what she thinks they should do next. As she gets to him, she notices that he's scrunching his face up again, though as he hears her approach, he takes in a deep breath and opens his eyes, looking to her and flashing a small smile as if to say that everything is fine.

"Mulder, really, what is wrong? Why won't you tell me? I know something is wrong, and I would really like to know what-"

"Scully, just stop. I'm fine. Now, what do you think we should do?" Mulder interrupts her, quickly changing the subject. Glaring at him because of his stubbornness, she lets out a huff of breath, then speaks.

"Well, I was thinking if we just go now, maybe we'll catch him before he gets to the- Mulder!" Scully is staring in horror at Mulder, who was now on his knees in front of her, having just suddenly fallen to the ground. Scully hurried down next to him, pushing him up a bit so that she could see what was going on. He just sat there, his face scrunched up, his eyes screwed shut, and his jaw clenched. He was also gripping his chest very tightly with his right hand. "Mulder, oh my god, what's wrong?" Scully asked frantically, panicking. He just shakes his head, then turns his face towards her, opening his mouth to speak.

"Go - go to Donnie." he chokes out between short intakes of breath. Wanting nothing more than to stay by his side, Scully begins to argue.

"Mulder, no, I can't just leave you here-"

"GO!" Mulder yells with all he could muster through clenched teeth. Startled, Scully begins to get up, very reluctant to leave. She looks down at him, a lump forming in her throat.

"I'll be back, Mulder. I'll be back a-and then we can get you some help. We'll be out of here and I'll be able to get you some help." she tried to reassure him, her voice faltering a bit. Then, with one last worried and guilty glance, she turned around and began to run as fast as she could to the bleachers, in hopes of stopping Donnie and getting them out of this damn loop so that she could get Mulder some help.

Scully arrives at the bleachers just in time to see Donnie making his way to the top. With a sudden burst of hope, she begins to run up the bleachers, nearly tripping a few times. She's only a few steps down as Donnie reaches the top, getting ready to climb over the back.

"Donnie!" Scully yells, reaching out and just barely brushing his shoulder as she comes to a stop only one step away. Donnie immediately stops, his body going stiff. Slowly, he begins to turn around, finally coming face to face with Scully. His mouth was slightly agape while his eyes were widened with shock, his eyebrows furrowed down in confusion.

"Y-you can see me?" he asked in a low, disbelieving voice. Scully nodded. She was slightly ecstatic at the fact that she had finally managed to stop him.

"Yeah."

"You can really see me?" he asked again, as if he didn't believe her. Scully nodded again in reassurance.

"Yes, Donnie. I can see you."

"H-how?" he asked. Scully drew in a deep breath. She spent the next minute giving Donnie a short summary of what had happened to him.

"I know it sounds crazy, but we're stuck in this loop with you." she finished.

"We're?"

"My partner and I."

"Your partner? Miss, you're all alone." Donnie noted. Him having mentioned that, Scully's mind immediately snapped back to Mulder. She had been in so much shock from having finally stopped Donnie that she had temporarily forgotten about him. This made her want to speed things up, panic and worry beginning to fill up inside of her again. She gulped.

"He's - um - not up here at the moment."

"Oh." Donnie answered. They were silent for a moment, when suddenly Donnie stood up straight, something having caught his attention. He began to turn towards the edge of the bleachers, which caused Scully to stomach to drop a bit. "Do you hear that?" he asked. Furrowing her eyebrows, Scully stared at him.

"Hear what?"

"That noise. That-that... that gleaming noise." he replied. Listening hard, Scully could hear it too, though faintly.

"What is it?" she asked. Donnie looked down and cocked his head a bit. Confused yet interested, Scully made her way next to him at the edge of the bleachers and looked down at where Donnie was staring, and couldn't believe her eyes. Right there on the ground where Donnie had landed every time he had jumped from the bleachers was a large hole, though it was glowing and shining brightly like the sun. Scully squinted her eyes a bit as she looked from it back up to Donnie, who was staring down at the it in a mix of confusion and wonder. Suddenly, a smile breaks out onto his face, and at the same time Scully realizes what it is. It's the light. His light. His way to the other side.

Donnie looks up at Scully, the smile still on his face as he gives her a small nod.

"Thank you." he says, then begins to climb onto the other side of the bleachers. Scully watches in astonishment as Donnie let's go and falls into the hole, the light immediately engulfing him. As soon as he was gone, the hole closed up and disappeared. Scully stared at the spot with wide eyes, her mouth agape. She couldn't believe what had just happened. Donnie had just crossed to the other side, and she had witnessed it. If only Mulder could have seen it as well. He would have been so amazed. Once again, panic and worry immediately flooded back into Scully, along with a small amount of fear.

"Mulder," Scully whispered, her breath hitched as she remembered what state she had left him in. She turned around and began to run back down the bleachers, hurrying as fast as should could to get back to Mulder. Hopefully it wasn't too late.