Scully sat there for hours, holding her partner close. His body was pitted with long claw marks and bite wounds. Most of the more serious bites and claw marks she had bound up using the silk cloth from her pajama pants. The wounds weren't life threatening yet, but if Mulder were to be wounded again by the animal tomorrow night.. How did they get in this situation anyway? If Scully could have her way, she'd build a time machine and stop her past self from going to Greenville. Mostly to stop herself from feeling the pain, but also so Mulder wouldn't get hurt. She sighed sadly and watched as the shadows of a nearby tree fell across the window. It was getting darker and soon, it would be her turn with the "Doctor." Great.

Mulder stirred in her lap and she bent down quickly to check on him. Sweat shone on his forehead and he twitched again. Bad dream maybe? Scully watched as his face contorted in fear. Before he could scream, Scully placed a gentle hand on his cheek and started to wake him up. His green eyes blinked open, full of fear. The fear subsided as he felt Scully's hand on his face. "I-I thought... Scully, please. Don't leave me." He breathed. Scully's heart melted at the pain in his voice. His wounds must be getting infected.

"I won't, Mulder. Of course not." Then the door banged open, revealing a man of medium height, just a bit taller than the woman yesterday. He had shoulder length blonde hair and green eyes.

"Get out!" Don't make me drag you down!" Scully looked down apologetically before standing to leave. Mulder's hand shot out.

"Please, Dana." She pried her hand away and smiled reassuringly at him.

"It's alright Mulder. I won't die." Scully left the room, fighting the feelings of panic which were threatening to overwhelm her. She was led down the stairs and into the dark space Mulder had described. The man left without a word, leaving her in the darkness. As expected, a dark shadow moved at the edge of the lighted space provided by the candles. Something swooped over her head and Scully raised her arms to protect her face. A glinting talon flashed above her and the bird attacked.

***

Scully woke in Mulder's arms. He was cradling her against him, trying to bind the deep scratches along her arm with strips of cloth from his now torn pjs. "Mulder, let me." She bound the bleeding scratches on her arms and took the extra cloth. "Can you um..." Scully lifted the side of her shirt to reveal a large chunk of skin that had been torn off. Mulder nodded and ripped a length of cloth from his shirt. She leaned forward, holding her shirt up. His large, gentle fingers brushed the skin of her stomach as he bound the wound up tightly. The cloth soaked through with Scully's blood. "Let me redo yours too," She said as he finished hers. Mulder moved so that she could bind a bad bite in his side.

"Thanks." Mulder breathed a sigh of relief. "What attacked you Scully?"

Scully tried to remember what kind of bird it was exactly. All she could remember was the flash of its blonde wings. "I... I think it was a Harpy Eagle. Mulder, have you noticed the color of these animals?"

"Yeah, they're all shades of blonde and yellow, with green eyes. Like the Man and Woman." Of course, he had a photographic memory.

"Mulder... Where are you going with this?"

He looked down. "I know you might not appreciate this right now, Scully, but it may be a shapeshifter." Scully scoffed at his theory, though it did make a lot of sense. How else did these animals and humans look so much alike? The man and woman could be twins but eagles weren't known to be blonde or were lions known to have green eyes. Mulder laughed and wrapped his mostly uninjured arm around Scully's shoulders. "I knew you would say that."

Despite their situation, Scully smiled. True, they could very well die in this room as they were both starving and thirsty. There was no sign that help would come, and it was doubtful they could escape. Except...

"Mulder! I've just remembered!" Mulder removed his arm from Scully's shoulders.

"What?" Instead of answering, Scully reached into her pants where a long, sharp yellow claw lay hidden. She held it up and it glinted in the light. Mulder's eyes widened in surprise and his eyes swooped down to the thick braided rope around Scully's ankle.

"What would I do without you?!" Mulder leaned forward, and in his euphoria he kissed her.