From: erinmblair@gmail.com   
      
   TITLE: The Train from Hell   
   AUTHOR: Erin M. Blair   
   E-MAIL: eblair@sonic.net   
   FEEDBACK: Yes, please.   
   DISTRIBUTION: OK to Gossamer, Ephemeral,   
   MSR Fanfic Cheerleaders, etc.   
   RATING: PG   
   CATEGORIES: SRA -- Story, Romance, Angst.   
   KEYWORDS: Mulder/Scully Romance.   
   SPOILERS: Existence then AU.   
   DISCLAIMER: Mulder, Scully, and William belong to   
   Chris Carter; Amtrak belongs to Amtrak.   
   SUMMARY: Mulder and Scully's travel by train to visit   
   Bill and Tara's new home in San Francisco. On the way   
   there, things get rather interesting as the train loses   
   electricity.   
   NOTES:  This story is based on my experiences on a   
   trip to Reno on Amtrak in early December 2004 with my   
   family. I would like to give special thanks to both Jen and   
   Lisa for beta reading this story.   
      
   ---------------------------------   
   The Train from Hell   
   By Erin M. Blair   
   ---------------------------------   
      
   Why did I let Scully talk me into going on Amtrak?   
      
   Now we're here, waiting to go on to San Francisco, okay,   
   Emeryville, at the tiniest Reno train station. I had   
   observed that the train station looked like two portable   
   classrooms, stuck together. I wasn't in the mood when I   
   woke up, having to hear that cute sound she makes. I had   
   often heard this sound whenever she falls asleep at our   
   stakeouts from awhile back. I wouldn't exactly say she   
   snores, maybe a light snore, but well - it does tend to   
   grate on my nerves when I'm already tired and cranky.   
      
   Did I mention how she told me Amtrak had been a quick way   
   to travel ever since 911? No? Well, she did say that. She   
   told me that she wanted to see America from a train, like   
   how I once told her years ago. I was joking at the time! I   
   really didn't mean it. Ever since that time that I was   
   trapped on that train car, I developed this aversion to   
   trains. I never wanted to be back on any other train. I   
   know I could have said no to her, but there are times when   
   you just can't deny her anything. We are in this together,   
   I told her that many times before.   
      
   I really hated the memory of being punched by that agent   
   from whatever shadow agency he'd worked for... I remember   
   having the scariest of headaches for weeks afterward. It   
   wasn't fun.   
      
   After that, I tried not to ditch Scully anymore. I guess I   
   noticed how my ditches affected her. She didn't tell me in   
   so many words, but I know how much I wanted to protect her   
   from the pain. When I came back to her, I vowed that I   
   would never leave her again. I remembered sitting by her   
   side on the sofa, thinking of those horrible memories.   
      
   I always loved looking into those clear blue eyes of hers.   
   Those eyes reminded me of a pool. All I wanted to do was to   
   dive right into her. She's very important to me. I keep   
   remind myself repeatedly that she's mine to love and to   
   cherish. I would die if anything happened to her and to our   
   son.   
      
   As I waited with Scully and our toddler son, William, I was   
   beginning to get nervous that it wouldn't get here on time.   
   I have heard rumors about how Amtrak didn't run on   
   schedule, that they would get delayed at certain stops.   
      
   "Mulder, I'm sure the train will get here on time," she   
   said to me. I was trying to hold a wriggly William, as he   
   was trying to slide off me. He is very active these days!   
      
   "I bet its four hours behind schedule," I told her. "When   
   we planned this trip to see your relatives in San   
   Francisco, I told you that Amtrak had been having   
   problems."   
      
   "I didn't want to go through that sickening felt up session   
   at the airport, Mulder. I told you that when we were   
   planning this trip."   
      
   I remembered what she told me at the time, but I wanted to   
   remind her that she wouldn't have to deal with that. "You   
   know that you could have flashed your FBI badge, Scully.   
   Most of the airport personnel know that we're FBI agents;   
   we traveled to numerous cities nationwide. They had seen us   
   on sight; and it wouldn't have been a big deal."   
      
   Scully sighed. "I know, Mulder. I wanted to do something   
   that I've never done before. It was important to me to be   
   on a train." She paused. "I wanted this trip to be   
   special."   
      
   William was still squirming in my arms. "Scully - I think   
   you need to hold him. He is trying to escape from me." I   
   paused. "It will be a memorable trip."   
      
   Scully nodded. "Give him to me."   
      
   I handed him to Scully. "I hope you can handle him, Scully.   
   He is mighty feisty today."   
      
   "I know," she said.   
      
   After we spent two more hours later in that dinky train   
   station, I was at my wits' end. All I wanted was to have an   
   extra day in Reno, but Scully wanted to go on to Emeryville   
   to see the family in San Francisco.   
      
   I reluctantly agreed. It turned out to be a mistake on both   
   of our parts. Although William was taking the long hours of   
   waiting reasonably well, I was getting crankier by the   
   minute. I wasn't taking it my stride, as Scully was.   
      
   Finally - the train arrived. We got out to the snowy train   
   tracks to board the coach car. A short while later, the   
   conductor announced there was no electricity. The heating   
   coils were not working to power the train. Everything on   
   the train seemed to render powerless: the dining car could   
   not cook and produce the meals; the rest room could not be   
   used at all because there were no lights, and there was no   
   air circulation at all. I looked at Scully and she looked   
   at me - why did we pay so much money for a lousy return   
   trip?   
      
   I wanted to scream. I wanted to throw things. I wanted to   
   bash someone against the wall for boarding us, human   
   beings, into a train like sardines. We deserved better   
   treatment than this. My Scully and William deserved better   
   than this and I deserved better too. As a federal employee   
   in Homeland Security, I could think of several violations   
   offhand by just looking around me.   
      
   This treatment was unforgivable; it's a disgrace. I had   
   this feeling that this train would be the train from hell.   
      
   Of course, I don't want to say that all of our vacation was   
   a total waste of our time. It wasn't at all. I thought this   
   trip idea of Scully's to San Francisco was a great idea.   
   All I wanted was for this trip to go on without any   
   problems.   
      
   Overall, I thought it was a great experience for all three   
   of us. We saw lovely scenery along the way. America really   
   does look gorgeous from the train. The snow on the ground   
   was breathtaking; the stars lit up the nighttime sky; the   
   afternoon sun heated me like a burning flame. I remember   
   kissing Scully on the lips as we watched the scenery fly by   
   while sitting together at the lounge car. I remember   
   holding our son as we watched the sunset, happy that we're   
   all together and well.   
      
   These memories make up for the bad, for the problems that   
   we are now facing on the train, on our journey to visit   
   Bill and Tara's new home in San Francisco. The air was   
   getting tighter. I was having problems breathing, probably   
   due to the time when the tobacco beetles infested my lungs.   
   "Scully? I'm not feeling so well," I told her. She had   
   William sitting on her lap and she turned towards me,   
   looking very concerned.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)