The Legend Series. . . V
The Dying Legend
By: Jenn Nistor

Disclaimer: The characters Fox Mulder, Dana Scully and Walter Skinner are the property of Fox, Chris Carter and 1013 productions. No copyright infringement intended. The song "My Legend" has also been used with out permission it is the property of Harper Records, written by JJ Black, Sung by: Melt. The characters Michael "Kicker" Cameron and Danielle "Dani" Chase are of my own creation. If you ever wish to use them in a future story please e-mail me and let me know, I would be glad to let you borrow them. I like Kicker myself.

SUMMARY: There are now two pairs of agents in the X-Files division. Mulder and Scully, Kicker and Dani. Feeling unstoppable, Scully agrees to remain with the division, pushing her end to the back of her mind. But in an attempt to free herself of her burden, the truth slips out and the phrase "Love is never having to say you're sorry." brings life to a whole new light.

T H E X - F I L E S ~present~

***The Legend Series***
The Dying Legend 1/?
By: Jenn Nistor (Jenn6092@aol.com)

~~Love means never having to say, "I'm sorry."~~

Dana Katherine Scully's Journal
March 7, 1999

Someone once said that love is never having to say your sorry. I often ponder
this idea. I always find myself apologizing to Mulder for trying to protect him. . . .for
doing things because I love him. Is that love? If I really didn't love him I wouldn't have
to be sorry for the things I do. The idea of loving Mulder altogether is a hard idea to
concept. Loving him for who he is entirely and not just the pieces of him I find attractive
is something I lack all together.
I'm dying; it's hard to find the words to tell him. "Mulder I'm sick." I constantly
find that phrase running through my head. I open my mouth to tell him but the words
get lost somewhere between my thoughts and my speech. I just don't know how I
am going to tell him.
Do I apologize for being sick again or do I just tell him? But how do you tell
someone that you love, that their cure didn't work and that you're dying. There is no
easy way to do such a thing. He'll blame himself and pretend not to care. But my illness
will become his reason to live, to avenge the people who gave me my disease. He'll
die trying to save me and in the end it won't be worth it. I don't want to be his reason
to go forth. I don't want to be his reason to die. I want to be his reason to believe,
his reason to live.
____________________

March 8th, 1999
FBI Headquarters West Conference Room
Washington DC
11:30 AM

"Granted that Agent Kraut hasn't left the country yet he should be easily obtainable." Scully paused and touched her burning forehead. There were at least seventy other agents watching her, now was not the time to break down into a fit and cry about how badly her head was hurting her. Pushing her pain aside she focused her attention on an agent in the back of the group and continued. "Agent Mulder has a preliminary suspect profile to run by you so please focus your attention on him." she motioned for her partner to take his place on the podium then she quickly jumped down and headed towards the door.

She was nearly out when Kicker stopped her. "Come with me." he whispered and gently lead her down the hall to an empty conference room. Then pushing her down in a chair, he grabbed a cup off the table and poured her a glass of water. "Drink this and tell me what's wrong."

Scully excepted the cup gratefully and quickly drank it. Once she was done, she leaned back and stared up at him. She knew he what he was going to say and it scared her. If a complete stranger was noticing how ill she looked there was no doubt Mulder soon would. "Nothings wrong." she lied. "I just have a headache."

Kicker shook his head, "I've been watching you, Scully. I've seen you run out of the office in a panic then return a few minutes later as white as a sheet." he kneeled down in front of her. "Dani has noticed it too. A couple of days ago she asked me if you were pregnant. . . . she seems to think that you are but that's not what I think. I know it's more."

"Your right." she answered truthfully, with out a hint of hesitation. "I'd take pregnancy over this anytime." she sighed. "But I'm not that lucky. Luck has never been on my side."

"You can't hide what ever is ailing you from your partner for much longer." he gently touched her cheek. "I've been covering for you. I know you don't want Mulder to know so I've kept his attention off of you for about as long as I can. You should see a doctor and talk to Mulder."

"I've seen a doctor, Kicker." she told him. "And I really don't have to see a doctor to know what's wrong." then as if on cue a thick stream of blood ran from her nose down past her lips and to the white of her blouse. The bitter taste of blood filled her mouth.

"God!" Kicker grabbed a wad of tissue from his pocket and quickly pressed it against her nose. "Dana, what's going on?"

Tears filled her eyes as she took the tissues from him and gently dabbed her nose. It had already stopped, but the bitter taste of blood remained. "I'll be honest with you." she said softly, and after a long pause she looked up into his eyes. "I'm dying."

Kicker lowered his eyes to the ground. "No one knows?" he asked.

Scully shook her head. "That's why I wanted you to replace me." she explained. "I had my monthly blood panel done and the results came back positive. I'm sick again." she frowned. "I don't know how to tell Mulder. The first time this happened he was the first person I told. He nearly got himself killed trying to save me and I made a vow then, that if my cancer relapsed I'd keep him out of it."

Kicker didn't know what to say. As much as he liked Scully he thought what she was doing to Mulder was terrible. He could see how much they loved each other, hiding the truth from each other was stupid and he hated being the one that always had to deal with the news first. "You shouldn't have told me." he mumbled. "I just may end up with my gun pointed to Mulder's neck again while he stands there crying for you."

Scully cringed remembering the night Mulder had shown up on her doorstep blaming her for almost getting his head blown off for jumping Kicker out of jealousy. "What are you saying. Kicker?" she asked. "Are you going to tell Mulder and get him killed trying to save me? Or are you going to let me handle this on my own." she looked him directly in the eye. "If you tell him and he gets killed, his blood will be on your hands."

"Scully, you don't get it. If you get sick and collapse in front of Mulder and I have to tell him what happened, why it happened or if he comes to me telling me what's wrong, asking me if I knew anything, that's going to put me in a tight spot. He's my friend and colleague. I've only known him for a couple of months, but I respect him. I respect his idea, his opinions and his feelings for you." he shook his head. "If he thinks, for even a minute, that you trust me over him. . . everything you two have gone through will be over. Every thing you've built, from the tiniest hint of passion to your mutual trust for one another will be gone. It'll kill him, Dana."

"I know!" she grabbed at the sides of her head. "Don't you think I don't know that? I've been his partner for six goddamned years! But this is my choice! If he knows that the cure he threw so much away for wasn't working he'd be devastated. I can't do that to him. . . not now, not when everything is going so right for him." tears poured down her fiery cheeks. "I love him, Michael. I don't know how to tell him I'm dying."

"But Scully. . . " Kicker whispered. "If you don't tell him losing you is going to be harder when you do die. You have to think of him." he reached out and touched her cheek. "It's time that you trust yourself enough to stop being afraid to tell him what ails you. I know you think that keeping this from him will save him, but it won't. I know."

"It's so hard." she replied. "It's hard to tell someone you love, that there is nothing they can do to save you from an inevitable death, that they have tried so hard to protect you from since the beginning. He gave up so much for me, I'll be failing him." tears clogged her throat as she continued. "His sister, his life, everything has been because of me. I just wish I could finally do something to repay him, and once again getting sick has just given him another reason to hate everyone and everything."

"Then tell him the truth for once instead of hiding it from him. If you want him to stop hating everyone and everything. maybe his own partner should start the process of helping him. You are the one who has to make the first move. If you wait for Mulder to do it, it's going to be to late."

"He's already lost so much, it's not fair." Scully stood up. "If only one thing could go right for a change."

"I know how you feel, Dana." he took her hand in his. "My last partner died because I waited too long to tell her how I felt. Everyone thought she was murdered. . . " he shook his head. "She wasn't."

"What happened?"

He sighed. "When I got there that night, I found a note, addressed to me. She killed herself. I'm not going to let Mulder share her fate because you are to chicken to tell him."

"You can't tell him." she pleaded. "I can't do it, Kicker. Mulder won't understand, he never understands. He'll blame himself. Things happen. . . .they unfortunately happen to me and he blames himself. I just can't let him blame himself again."

"Give him a chance." he urged. "If you sit him down. . . ." he paused. "You don't even have to tell him when you found out about your relapse. All you have to do is sit him down and be honest with him. From what I've heard, you two have never been honest with each other. Who knows. .. . he may surprise you and be very supportive of your condition."

"There's nothing to be supportive of." Scully mumbled. "I've decided against treatment and all Mulder will do is get angry at me for it."

Kicker shook his head. "You'll never know if you don't try."

Scully didn't want to hear it. Without another word, she grabbed her back and left.

************

Washington DC
Reflecting Pool
12:20 P.M.

Scully started out into the crystal water, silently pondering her conversation with Kicker. As much as she hated to admit it, he had been right, she wasn't being fair to Mulder an if it came down to the end where someone else had to tell him about the cancer over her, she would be very sorry. She had lost his trust more than once, and it was about time that she gave him a chance. After being with him for five years, the fact that she was finally leaving him, seemed unimaginable.

A dark cloud had suddenly fallen over the reflecting pool. . . .and the faint odor of rain hung in the air. Shivering slightly, she pulled her jacket tighter around her frail frame. The image of Mulder searching for her flashed before her eyes and a sudden wave of fear gripped at her heart. She had to tell him the truth before it hurt both of them beyond the point of no return.

"Everyone comes here to think." a deep voice rang out from somewhere behind her.

Without having to turn around she knew the man that voice belonged too. The hairs on the back of her neck began to stand and the stale scent of recently dowsed cigarettes filled her nostrils. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?" she asked coolly.

The man laughed and sat down on the bench next to her. "Surely you didn't believe a mere rumor like that." he asked, lighting up a fresh cigarette.

Scully cringed at the sight of the flame. "One can hope the rumors are true." she replied, shrugging away from him ever so slightly. "But my luck hasn't been the best so I can see where unfortunate deception is inevitable." she focused her attention on a recently fallen branch. "So if you aren't dead, where have you been this whole last year?"

"Preparing." he answered. Once simple word left so open and plane. He offered no more information, instead he turned to her and studied her more closely. "I'll make you a deal." he began. "That is unless you rather sit here day by day wasting away in your own self pity."

"What kind of deal?" she asked.

He grinned. "Well that depends. . . . " he exhaled a think cloud of smoke and flicked the butt of his cigarette onto the pavement. "I know about your condition."

Scully raised her eyebrows and turned to face him. "My condition?" she asked innocently. "What condition would that be, sir?"

"Your cancer." he replied. "It has returned but sadly you have decided against the doctors menial treatment. I can make you a deal that will increase your rate of survival to a hundred and ten percent, without any chance of future relapse or any of the tragic complications chemotherapy and radiation can cause."

"What makes you think I want to get well?" she questioned. Her eyes locked with his briefly and for a moment she almost felt sorry for him, but his deals always had there catches. "Your last cure didn't work and I'm not about to sell you my soul for something that isn't full proof. I'm not sure I'd ever want you to cure me, I'm afraid that you'd always feel like I owed you something. I don't want you to own me. . . .no one can control my life like you want to. I can't even control my life like I want too."

"You think I'm the devil." he mused. "Very probable but highly unlikely. It's quite unlikely due to the fact that I'm offering you a chance of survival."

"Even so. . . .what would I have to do?"

"Let me tell you a story." he replied, dismissing her last question. "I once offered a man a chance to know the answers to every question he's ever wanted to know. I even gave him a couple of freebies. I let him see his quest and I gave him another chance with something that meant so much to him." he paused. "All I wanted in return was his work. . . . I wanted his to work for me. He refused and now the wrath of his actions are taking it's toll."

"So in other words. . . " Scully said. "Mulder was this man, you pretended to give him his sister, he wouldn't buy your BS and I'm the cause and effect of his actions."

"No." he corrected. "I gave him his sister. . . I brought her right to him. They even sat down and talked about their lives, he would have gone with me if it hadn't been because of his feelings for you."

"What?!" Scully asked. "When did Mulder see Samantha?"

"When you were sick." Cancer man replied studying the young woman carefully. "He knows what happened to her and why. He simply chose not to believe. It's strange that he never told you. I guess deception comes naturally to him. Just as deception comes naturally to you. You both deceive one another and now I ask you to make a choice for your deception."

"What?"

"I'll give you a cure. . . .you'll never have to tell him about the cancer if you get him to work for me." he lit up another cigarette. "Your health for him, it's an even exchange."

"Never." Scully cried as she climbed to her feet. "I'll die before you get to him." and with that, she headed off towards her car.

The man chuckled. "And you will." he whispered. "Only it wont be your choice."
_________________

March 8, 1999
Arlington National Cemetery
Washington DC
5:35 P.M.

"Secrets of the grave." Skinner said, leaning over his fathers grave. The day had turned dark and cold. . . .but it had been five years since his fathers death and the visit was necessary.

"His secrets are well protected." his companion said, letting out a breath of smoke. "All of *there* secrets are well protected."

Skinner grunted and turned to face the other man. "Protected maybe, but hidden is more like it." he paused. "So what do I owe this annoying visit?"

"I have a secret and a deal to offer you." he replied as he searched his pockets for his lighter. "Are you game or do you want to pass?"

"That depends on what you are going to offer."

The Cancer Man flashed one of his devious grins and motioned for Skinner to follow him. "One of your agents is very
ill. . . . possibly dying. What I can offer you will save this agents life."

"Scully. . . " Skinner said thinking aloud. "You are talking Dana Scully, aren't you?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. . . ., are you ready to hear my proposition?"

"It depends on the agent." he replied.

"You mean you don't care about all of your agents the same?" Cancer man asked, laughing slightly. "Walter, there may be hope for my winning your soul yet. I must admit I am shocked at what you have just said. I expected you to bargain on any of your agents behalves."

"I won't sell you my soul for just anyone!" Skinner growled, grabbing the man by the top of his tie and collar. "If it's Agent Scully I will listen, if it's anyone else I won't make a deal."