Title: Family II Author: Kelly Mullins e-mail: Musicgrl72@excelonline.com Spoilers: Any thing about the conspiracy, War of the Coprophages, Momento Mori. I know this is an AU after about Emily but there is a slight spoiler that you probably won't even notice for 3 of a Kind ('Miller's ep!). Rating: PG-13 Classification: XRA - X-File/Romance/Angst Keywords: S, Mulder/Scully Romance, Skinner/Maggie Scully Romance, Krycek/Teena Mulder Romance, and M/S/S friendship, Slight humor, and a smidgen of character(s) death. Summary: Mulder and Scully are married, now what? They have company over for dinner (and breakfast), people die and that's just the beginning of their Trials. (Warning!!! This one is centred on the conspiracy and gets pretty serious, and remember Marita's motto "Not every thing dies.") Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully, Skinner too they all belong to you know who. Aack...I don't own the Muppet Babies or Oprah or Mary Poppins or any thing else you might notice...If I did do you think I'd have the time to be writing fanfic?? Oh and if you've ever read any thing else written by me you know I=FFhave some sort of obsession with Vodka, hey I=FFcould include other alcoholic beverages...but that wouldn't be any fun now would it. Authors note: This is the second story in the Family Series, Although this one is a little more centered on the Conspiracy. Oh and I'm sorry for the way I just exit Ms. James out of the story, this was not my intentions but I really had no place for her. Formidable- Adj. /1.Arousing fear, dread, or awe. 2. Difficult to surmount. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* FAMILY II- TRIALS ST. JOHN'S SCHOOL NOVEMBER 9, 2000 "William Mulder," Said the teacher. "will you please explain your picture to the class." Will quickly scampered to the front of the room with his freshly painted artwork. "During my weekend I said good bye to my sister because she moved into my Daddy's old room." He said pointing to the boy waving to the girl in the picture. "Good, " Ms. James commented. " Katherine Mulder, your turn." "My picture isn't from this weekend it's from when my family went to Disney World, my Mommy and Daddy got married then and I only saw pictures of it so I made my own." "Good, Angela Wright." She called the next child up, a knock at the door made her turn her thoughts as the door opened. "Excuse me Miss. James, could I speak with you?" The short woman asked. Miss. James stood up and invited her to an empty corner of the room. "You remember me right?" She asked. "Ms. Scully, yes you're William and Katherine's mother." "I'm Mrs. Mulder now." "Oh yes, your daughter told us." "Mulder and I would like to set up a conference about our children." "How about tomorrow at 5pm?" "We have dinner plans tomorrow, but you could come and eat and we could talk about the kids. My Mom's cooking so you won't have to eat my husband's meat-loaf." She smiled and tried to sound as personable as possible. "Okay, I'll need directions, and what time should I arrive?" Dana picked up a piece of paper, wrote her address, her and Mulder's cell phone numbers and handed it to Miss. James. "We should eat around five." She left quickly waving to her children. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* RESIDENCE OF FOX AND DANA MULDER NOVEMBER 10, 2000 4:45pm Fox Mulder put his arms around his wife who was patiently stirring noodles on the stove. "Don't you think Mom and Skinner are cute?" Dana commented softly, leaning back into his warm embrace. "He'd better pop the question soon or he's going to lose the opportunity." Skinner came into the kitchen and looked a little embarrassed. "Oh come on Skinner, you've seen us in far more embarrassing situations before." "Like our wedding morning." Dana added. At the mention of that particular moment in their lives Skinner's face(and bald head) turned a lovely red color. Then the door bell rang and Fox and Dana made their way to the awaiting door and it's caller. "Oh hello Miss James, come on in." Mulder said trying to be as cordial as possible while ushering in the teacher. "You can go wait in the living room while dinner finishes cooking." "Where's Katherine and William?" "They're at a friend's house." Dana said as Skinner came rushing out of the kitchen. "Scully, Maggie needs your help in the kitchen." "I'll be right back." She hustled off into the kitchen with Skinner close on her tail. After successfully rescuing the food from the oven Dana returned to the living room just in time for the door bell to ring... again, and once more everyone scampered to answer it. The sight that awaited those gathered stunned and amazed them. "Mom?" Mulder asked flabbergasted. "Krycek!" Dana exclaimed. "I thought you and Jeffery ran off to some island together." Mulder commented at the sight of 'him' with his mother. "Nope, Jeffy went off with Diana and Marita." "Mom what are you and Krycek doing together?" "We're engaged!" She answered happily and held her hand out to her son and daughter-in-law. "Oh my goodness!" Maggie came into the hall. "Oh Teena this is so wonderful!" She added. "Come on in to the living room, I guess, everyone's welcome as long as nobody kills anyone." Dana tried to be amiable, even towards Krycek. "Miss James, this is my mother Teena, and... Krycek." Mulder introduced. Skinner came out of the kitchen looking at Krycek as though he were a side dish he hadn't ordered, he immediately reached for his gun. "Hey Skinner, calm down, believe it or not my mother is marring him." Mulder warned. "Okay, you're right, you shoot him." He joked. "Come on Walter, I need your help in the kitchen." Maggie pulled the AD out of the room to save every one the blood shed. "Can I please use your rest room?" Miss James queried. "Down the hall to the right." Some one responded. Miss James disappeared down the hall leaving the strange group of people in the living room to their ministrations. She walked past a room and took a second glance, the walls were covered in pictures of the Mulder's, mostly of Mr. and Mrs. Mulder covering a time span of about 8 years. The pictures of Will and Kat seemed to only go back about 3 years, She thought. < There's no baby pictures or any thing where Mrs. Mulder looks even slightly pregnant and I know the children are theirs, the resemblance is uncanny to both of them.> She then saw another picture, this one sitting on the coffee table waiting to be framed and put up. It was of a small girl with blonde hair, she looked like Mrs. Mulder and was in a hospital bed, although she looked very sick she was smiling most likely because she was in Mr. Mulder's arms, Mrs. Mulder holding her hand. Miss James turned over the photograph and in handwriting she recognized as Katherine's she read: Mommy and Daddy with Sissy Emily- Dec. 26, 1997 She thought. Then remembering her previous urge she put the photo down and quietly left the picture filled room. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* MEANWHILE... Everyone was debating who would sit where at the big dining table. "I'm not sitting next to Krycek in my own home." Mulder stated. "Well don't look at me." Dana replied. "I'm sit next to him." Teena said lovingly. "And we can make Miss James sit on the other side of him." Miss James returned as if on cue and everyone commenced eating. "So Miss James, where are you from?" Maggie politely asked between bites. "Oh please call me Clara." She started glancing at everyone. "I'm from Maine." "Nice place." Krycek commented. "What is it exactly that you wanted to discuss about William and Katherine?" "How they're interacting with the other children." "They seem to only be interested in speaking to adults. The other kids do not understand their large use of vocabulary, do they interact with children outside of school?" "They don't like other children. We've tried to put them in play-groups; but nothing seems to work." "Did they have contact with babies, when they we're babies?" She questioned. "We don't know." Mulder said and looked over at Krycek. "Krycek, you were there, did they?" Mulder demanded. "No, only each other and adults, I can't say any more." "Mother! You're going to marry him! He kept our children away from us for 3 years! They're anti-social towards people their own age." Mulder protested. "It wasn't him that kept your children away Fox, it was the 'company' he works for." Teena defended Krycek who seemed to be amused by this whole outburst. "You didn't even know they existed, it wasn't like you'd been searching for them for 20 years!" "You have not been searching for Samantha for 20 years, and remember it was also his 'company' that took her, so don't even bring Samantha into all of this." Clara sat there not only dumbfounded but flummoxed. "He killed my sister!" Dana burst out. Krycek glanced sheepishly in her direction, surprised at her outburst. "That was an accident. It was supposed to be you." "Well that makes it all better then." She retorted sarcastically. "Dana honey please just leave it alone, Teena is in love and nothing is going to change that." Maggie interjected. "So..." Clara started. "is there another happier subject we could discuss?" "Walter and I are engaged!" Maggie announced- Walter's face took on a vermilion color. "Go Sergei!." Mulder joked. "Congratulations." Proclaimed Clara. "Two weddings, how exciting." Dana said flatly. "Oh come on Scully, just think, Skinner'll be your new daddy." Mulder ceaselessly joked. The door-bell rang and a few seconds later they heard the euphoric voices of Katherine and Will. Then the voices of Frohike, Byers, and Langly as they drew closer to their location. "Miss James!" Kat squealed. "Hi guys." Mulder greeted the Lone Gunmen. "Mulder we got your kids home right at 7:00 as promised." Langly announced proudly. "Everyone done eating?" Skinner asked. Various 'ugh huhs' where echoed across the table, so the dishes were cleared off the table. Krycek and Teena escaped out the front door after they did a round of hugs with Kat and Will. "Mom." Dana stopped her mother and Skinner's escape. "Mom I really am glad you're getting married, even if it is to my boss." She added the joke and Skinner maintained a crimson look. "Bye honey." She said as she hugged and kissed her daughter. Dana walked back to the living room to find the Lone Gunmen pouring over Clara. "Come on guys we'll call you tomorrow, we've gotta talk to Miss James." Mulder said pushing his three friends out of the front door. "Okay kids bed time." Dana said. "Can Miss James come too?" They asked. "I don't think so, but you can ask." The kids got on their bed clothes and brushed their teeth, every one soon gathered in the 'picture room' where the children were instructed to select a picture for a bed-time story. "This is an interesting room." Clara who had decided to stay commented. "Yeah, we decided that photo albums are too inconvenient so this way if any body wants to see pictures they can just sit on the couch and gaze around." Mulder said. "We've decided on 3 pictures." Kat declared. "Three?" "Please?" The children begged. "Okay, which ones?" Dana asked. "This one of you and Daddy covered in poop." Will showed everyone the picture. "And this one of you, Daddy, and Sissy Emily." Kat gave the second picture to Will. "The last if of us when we moved into this house." Kat finished. "Okay go get in Will's bed, we'll be there in a moment." "Do you want me to stay here or go with them?" Clara asked. "We've just got to get our stories straight." "I guess I'll follow them." "Okay Scully, you do poop, I'll do moving in and we'll both do Emily." "No Mulder, you do poop, I'll do moving in, and we'll both do Emily." He kissed her and ran his fingers through her hair before they made their way to Will's room for 'story time'. When they arrived they found Clara in a chair across from the bed and the kids in the middle of the bed. "Mulder why don't you start?" Scully suggested. William and Katherine Mulder stared intently at the picture while their father started the story of it. "Well I was working alone because I was on vacation, and Mommy was at home, I'd assume she was bored out of her mind because every time I would call her she answered the phone with zest. "Well Bambi, remember I told you she was the reason we went to Florida, I worked with her and I was cockroaches that were doing all of the bad things. "So your mother came to 'help' me and a fertilizer- poop importing building blew up on us covering us in well... poop." Mulder finished his story. "Mom's turn." Kat exclaimed pulling out the next picture with the four of them in front of the house. Clara looked at this seemingly normal family, that she was finding out was nowhere near normal. She thought. "Do you remember when you first met Daddy and me?" Dana started. "You were both so scared and so were we, Emily had just died and we missed her but we loved you, so we all went to court and Uncle Skinner helped us and we got the two of you for forever. "You two moved into my apartment and Daddy slept on the couch , so we decided we needed a house where everyone could have their own bed. So we packed every thing up threw away some of Daddy's videos, and that is the story of moving into our house." She finished with a sigh. "Good story Mommy." "Time for the last story, me and Mommy are going to do this one." "Your sister Emily was very sick and she lived in the hospital for the last few months before she died." Scully said once again starting. "She looked a lot like your Aunt Melissa." Mulder added to the obvious description. "Emily was the exact same age as the two of you, you three were all born on the same day and in the same place." "And she had a lot of fun playing games and talking with us those last few months. Her favorite game was Candyland." "And that was the story of your sister Emily." Dana said hurrying her children off to bed. "Okay every-one time for sleep." Mulder announced. Everyone assisted in Will's sleep ritual and the Kat's in her room. "Let's go into the picture room." Mulder directed their location. Everyone sat down and after a few minutes of idle banter they released they had nothing to discuss about Kat and Will. "Bye, thanks for coming." Mulder said as he and Scully stood at the door waving 'adios' to Clara. "Ready for bed." Mulder asked kissing her head. "Uh huh." She murmured as they closed the door. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ONE HOUR LATER "Mulder, it's hot in here." Dana whined. "I'll go open a window." He said rolling out of bed. "You know it is November, it's really kind of cold out." He reminded. "Well maybe I should kick you out of my room, I bet that would solve all of my problems." She joked. "If I left you'd have to sleep all alone and I know you enjoy having me with you." He got back in bed and took Dana in his arms. They fell into a peaceful sleep together. NOVEMBER 11, 2000 THE NEXT DAY 7:00AM "Mommy, Daddy!" Will and Kat jumped on the bed. "Good morning guys." They said tiredly. "Somebody's at the door." Mulder got up and pulled on his pants. "I'll go see who it is." When he left Dana got up, put on her robe, and closed the window. She walked into the foyer where Skinner and her mother were standing. "Morning mother." "Hi honey." Maggie greeted. "We're here to make breakfast." "Both of you?" Mulder questioned. "Walter's quite the chef." Maggie stated. "Well you are welcome to any thing we have in the kitchen, which isn't much." Mulder put his arm lovingly around Scully. "We've got some stuff in my car, I'll go out and get it." Skinner said, he then turned and went out the door. "I'm going to put on some more clothes." Mulder said, he kissed Scully and Walked down the hall towards their room. "Dana honey, lets go see what you have." Maggie put her arm around her daughter and pulled her through the kitchen door. "Dana you and Fox certainly seem to be a little more comfortable." "Yeah, but what's going on with you and Skinner? You didn't sleep with him did you?" "Oh my goodness no." Maggie paused her groping in the refrigerator. "Honey, Walter and myself may be getting married, but we will not be having sex until after that, I'm Catholic as are you and that's the way it should be." "Well that's the way it was with Mulder and Me." "Glad to hear it, Walter and I have been debating that for the last couple of months." She resumed her quest for unable food. "Mother!" Dana shrieked. "you've been debating my sex life with my boss!?!" "Mommy what are you and Grandma talking about?" Kat came up behind her mother. "Nothing honey, go get dressed." "Okay," The child pranced happily out of the kitchen followed by her brother. "Completely did not notice they were in here." Dana gasped "It's okay, they're quiet children." "Mom I'm an FBI agent, I'm supposed to have keen skills of observation." She paused. "Mulder would have noticed." She had gotten herself really worked and tears were running down her cheeks. Maggie placed her arms firmly around her daughter. "Dana, why do you do this to yourself? You should know that Fox loves you and he always will, I was very insecure with my first couple of kids." "Mom I'm just worried I'll let Mulder and the kids down because I'm not the perfect mother." "You're getting better, remember the day you and Fox brought them to your apartment? You two were clueless!." They both laughed. "But look at you now, you're so good with them." "Thanks Mom." Skinner walked in carrying an inhumanely number of shopping bags. Scully quickly whipped away her tears and returned to her usual self. "I'm going to go get dressed." She muttered. When Dana arrived in her room she lay on the bed and cried. She thought. She could hear Mulder in the shower, the water shut off and the bathroom door opened. "What's wrong?" He queried concerned. She just lay there, he climbed into bed and put his arms around her. "Come on Dane, talk to me." "Mulder, do you really think I make a good mother?" She asked quietly. "Oh yes, of course! You're better at all of this than I am." "I don't know what's wrong with me, but I didn't notice the kids in the kitchen earlier and I just kind of fell apart." She was calming down. "Skinner saw me cry." She commented shyly. "Oh come on he's going to be married to your mother, he's going to be seeing a whole lot of tears." He released her and stood up helping her up too. "you gonna get dressed?" "That's what I came in here to do, but I've got to take a shower first." She kissed him and walked towards the bathroom. Fox Mulder dressed and walked the short distance down the hall to his son's room, he opened the door and found Will and Kat peacefully chatting and playing with big building blocks. "Hey Daddy!" Kat jumped up. "I'm hungry when are we going to eat?" Will asked. "Soon, I'm gonna go interrogate Gramma and Walter." He closed the door and continued his journey down the hall. When he walked into the kitchen he saw a very odd sight- Skinner in a white (and pink) frilly apron. "Oh my goodness." He both whispered and yelled. "Hello Mulder, food's almost done." "Where's Dana?" Maggie asked. "She's in the shower." "Is she okay?" "Yeah, we talked." Skinner just stood there confused but not wanting anyone to know. The food was soon finished and a Jean-clad Scully came into the kitchen. "You okay?" Mulder asked. "Mulder, I'm fine." She answered using her usual FBI woman voice. Mulder concluded. "Food's all ready kids!" Maggie yelled and soon there were six people sitting at the table. "Skinner I never knew you could cook." Scully commented. "My ex-wife taught me," He said of his ex-wife who had recovered from her coma to run away with her 28 year-old OB/GYN. "and your mother continues to show me new things." Maggie smiled at him, and Mulder and Scully exchanged uncomfortable glances. Will and Kat ate their food immaculately, no food on them selves, or the table. Soon breakfast was over, the children went into the backyard to swing, Maggie was cleaning up, and Scully and Mulder soon found them selves in their living room with Skinner holding a file. "I have a new case for the two of you." "An X-File?" "No, not really, it's a lead on that Cigarette Smoking Lovable Guy." "My and Jeffy's father." Mulder corrected. "He goes by 'Bob'." "Okay... We have a lead on 'Bob' and his associates. We believe they now have a serial killer in their employ. This guy has been killing all over the country, one person every 12 hours." "How do you know he works for the Syndicate?" "All of the people killed have been assumed to work for them." "So where does this leave us?" Mulder asked. "Some-one called in a tip saying only an address and a time, and that tip was for agents Mulder and Scully at the FBI." "Great, and we don't even know if it's a set-up." Dana said leaning against Mulder. Skinner thought to him self. "So when and where is all of this going down?" Mulder seemed to be the only one asking questions for a change. "I know this sounds odd, but noon today at a warehouse by the docks, a fish importer if I remember correctly." "I'm glad we're already dressed." Maggie walked into the room. "Mom could you please watch the kids?" "Yes honey of course I will." "Skinner, you coming?" Mulder asked. "Yes, are you ready to go? We can all go in my car." "I'll go talk to the kids, tell them where we're going." Dana said. She went out the back door, while Mulder went to their room in search of his shoes. "Walter, please make sure they come home safe." Maggie begged. "You know as well as I do how much their work means to them, they will live, they have to. They've lost too many things through all of this but they have each other and the kids. If they don't come home, I won't either." He embraced her. Mulder walked in and turned around and walked out. He didn't want to see Mrs. Scully and Skinner like that. He heard the sound of Dana and the kids coming inside and decided it was safe so he joined them at the sound of the door closing. "Bye Daddy." Kat said. "Bye baby." "Ready to go?" Skinner inquired one last time. "Yup." Everyone went outside, Mulder sat in the back of the car while Skinner drove and Scully sat in the passenger seat. "This should be interesting." Mulder commented. "What do you mean?" "We pull up all nice and cozy in Skinner's car- with Skinner." "Well just more stuff for the rumor mill, we're still hearing about Disney." "We're here." Skinner said in a very Poltergeist esque way. "Oh brother." Every-one got out of the car, Skinner did notice one of his 'lower' agents staring at Scully, he gave him a look that said, 'Stay away from my soon-to-be daughter'. "We've seen some activity inside, but that was nearly 3 hours ago, no one's gone in, as ordered." The SAC informed Skinner. Mulder surveyed the scene there were agents and police every where. "Mulder," Dana said grabbing his arm. "We need to move in now, it may already be too late. We were sent here to find some thing, not some-one, if there were people here they were cleaning some thing or they were warned." Mulder turned to Skinner who was still involved with the SAC. "Skinner we're going in." "What?" "Dana has a theory and she's right, we need to go in, now." "Okay. I don't even want to know, go get suited up and I want both of you and your team wired." Mulder and Scully quickly scurried away. The SAC turned questioningly to Skinner. "Sir you're just sending them in there like that, on a theory? They could get killed and you'd be blamed." "I trust them, and I know they'll come out of this alive, they always do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* TEN MINUTES LATER Eight people stood suited up and ready to go. "I sure hope you're right." "Have I ever been wrong?" Dana asked with mock hurt in her voice. "Oh be quiet!" Mulder joked. "You ready to go in?" Skinner questioned. "Yes." They answered in unison. They entered the building to find it deserted. "Well nobody's home." Mulder commented. "But look at the Morley droppings over there." "Morley droppings?" Mulder thought his wife had defiantly lost it this time. "Oh sorry, it just looks like 'Bob' opened his Morleys in haste, the paper from the box is every where." "So at least we know the syndicate is involved." "By a few wrappers from some cigarettes?" The young 'lower' agent that had been staring at Scully asked aghast. "Those 'wrappers' are very important evidence, and along with other classified evidence; and that is how we came to our conclusion." Scully said. "You go girl." Mulder said to her through her head set. "Do you guys see any thing else in there?" Skinner asked. "Nope I think it's time for the evidence guys to come and see if there's any thing salvageable." Mulder said and everyone turned and left the dark, empty building. "Mulder, there's some-one on the phone." Skinner handed him a cell-phone. "Mulder." He answered. "Hey Mulder, it's Krycek." "Oh yeah, my soon-to-be stepfather." Mulder said sarcastically. "Isn't it weird? Well the real reason I called you is because I called in the tip, again, and I heard that you didn't move in until every-one had gotten out." "Yeah, we did wait too long." "Well now I've been ostracized from the group." "They're going to kill you?" "Yup, I've gotta get out of here." "Why don't you and my mother come over to our house. We'll be there in about an hour." "Okay, thanks Mulder"-'click'. The phone was hung up. "Was that Krycek." Dana asked. "Yeah, he's going to be killed, he's coming to our place tonight so we can work on getting him hidden away on some remote locale." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* THE RESIDENCE OF FOX AND DANA MULDER 45 MINUTES LATER "Mulder, I'm worried about your mother." "So am I." He said putting his arms around Dana as she looked out the front window. "Mulder," Skinner interrupted. "my phone's for you." He handed over the cell. "Krycek?" Pause. "Calm down, what's wrong?" Pause. "We'll be right there, don't go anywhere." "Fox, what's wrong?" Dana could tell that what ever Krycek had told him had to have been some thing horrible. "My mother is dead." He said after a moment of hesitation. "Where's Krycek?" "He's at the hospital, we've gotta go get him." "Okay, let's get going." They walked out to the car as Mulder's eyes started to tear. "Krycek where is she?" Mulder, who had regained his composure after a slight breakdown in the car, asked. "Down in the morgue I guess; I've been laying low for the last two hours." "I'll get down there," Scully said. "and I'll call Skinner on my way." She walked toward the elevator taking out her cell-phone and boarded it bound for the basement. "What happened?" Skinner answered his phone. "Well, Teena Mulder is dead." "How's Mulder?" "I think he's in shock, Krycek is the one I'm worried about at the moment. I'm no psychologist but I think our little rat boy is not only severally depressed at the loss of his lover but he's getting increasingly paranoid." "Where is Mulder?" "He's with Krycek." "Is that such a good idea to leave the two most paranoid people ever, alone... together?" "What else was I supposed to do? I'm on my way down to view the body and I don't think either of them is ready to see it." "I'm on my way to the hospital now, don't do any thing until I get there, unless you can get your hands on the body for an autopsy." "I'll try but... I'm going to call some extra people in on this." "Go ahead Scully, just don't get your self into any trouble." He said a distinct fatherly note entering his voice. "Tell my mom Teena probably died of a heart attack. Bye." She hung up and dialed another numbered. "The Lone Gunmen." The telephone was answered. "Langly it's me." There was a 'click' and for once Langly turned off the recorder. "I need your help, Mulder's mother just died, could you three come down here and help Mulder, and me. I'm about to do the autopsy, you don't have to join me for that, you can send Byers down as soon as you get here though, to assist me." "Okay Scully, we'll be right there." "Thanks." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 25 MINUTES LATER "Scully." Byers said coming into the pathologist's 'lounge'. "Wow, you got here fast." "We were in the neighborhood." "Well let's get you suited up." She said pulling off his suit jacket. Soon Byers and Scully were both suited up in approiate autopsy attire. "Ever assisted an autopsy before?" Dana questioned. "No, but I think I'll do better than Langly." "I sure hope so." She said and pushed open the door to where Teena Mulder was patiently waiting. " It's odd, she was my mother-in-law, and she was marrying Krycek, but she did give birth to my husband so it feels strange that I'm going to be 'slicing and dicing' her in a few minutes." "Hello Agent Scully, I was called by Assistant Director Skinner, and I'm here to help you with any thing you may need." Said the scrub-clad morgue attendant. "I don't think there's any thing I need right now, I have an assistant." She said nodding toward Byers. "Okay then, I'll be in the lounge if you need any thing." "Okay Byers, let's get this going." Scully said snapping on a pair of latex gloves. 45 MINUTES LATER "Well Byers I believe our cause of death is clear." "What is it?" He asked looking puzzled at how anybody could get anything get any thing from the bloody insides that were everywhere." "Autoerotic Asphyxiation." "Auto what?" "Well I know it sounds...odd, but I've looked all over her inside and out, and she seems to be your average healthy 56 year-old woman." "I'll go get that assistant guy." Byers snapped off his latex. "I'm gonna change and go try to find Skinner." Once up-stairs Dana noted there was a lot of commotion. She wandered to where most of the people were going and found crime scene tape. There she saw Mulder standing over a body, there were also several other FBI agents scurrying around trying to move people away. Mulder started to speak when he saw Scully. "I want this body bagged up and in an ambulance with this woman," He pointed towards Scully. "and headed to the FBI academy at Quantico." There was immediate movement as the body was put into a body-bag and on a stretcher, Mulder pulled Scully aside. "Who's the body?" "Krycek, at least that's who you're going to ID the body as, even Skinner agreed to this." "So why are we going to Quantico?" "You're not, just go along with every thing, everybody knows what they're supposed to be doing." He started to walk away. "Mulder, wait." He walked toward her. "So, where's Krycek?" "Skinner took him some where safe." He whispered back. "Well I've gotta get to Quantico, see you at home, bye." She squeezed his hand. "Bye." Scully walked out of the hospital and got in the ambulance. "Hey Scully." Langly greeted her arrival. "Hey, so are you guys my drivers?" "Yeah, Byers and Frohike are in the front. I don't see why I get shoved in the back with the stiff." "Oh shut up 'Gangly', we don't want to hear it!." Frohike yelled from the front. They drove to the LGM's lair. "So what are you going to do with Mrs. Mulder and 'Krycek'?" "Burn 'em." Langly and Frohike lifted the bodies out of the back. "So who's taking me home?" Dana asked pacing the alley. "There should be someone out front to get you now." "Okay thanks." She walked toward the front of the building and saw Skinner leaning on his light blue Crown Victoria. "Hello Sir." "I guess you've got a whole lot of questions." He said unlocking her door for her. "Where are we going?" "To your mother's house." "Is that where every body is?" She asked once he started the car and drove away from the curb. "Yeah, we're all meeting there to talk and make future plans for Krycek." "Where's Will and Kat?" "They're also at Maggie's." "Is that such a good idea? People are trying to hunt down and kill Krycek." "The people that want Krycek dead are the same people who think Krycek killed himself at the hospital." "I sure hope they believed that little drama that you and Mulder made there." "That wasn't Mulder, or me, it was those three weird friends of the two of yours." Scully smiled. When they walked in to Maggie's house, Maggie was sitting on the couch watching Oprah. "Mom, where's' the kids?" "In the back." Margaret answered simply. "You left Krycek alone with my children?" She asked. "Honey he's great with them, and he's depending on us so he's not going to do any thing stupid." "Mom! He's Krycek, he killed Missy!" "Honey go on in and check on them, every thing'll be fine." Skinner sat down next to Maggie, Scully went into the bedroom, which also served as Will and Kat's playroom. The kids were asleep and Krycek was sitting on the floor watching what appeared to be the Muppet Babies. "Krycek, you watching intellectual television?" Dana whispered. He turned his face to her and she could see the tears streaming down his cheeks. "Do you know where Mulder is?" She asked, quietly once again. "No last I heard he was going to see those three weird guys from the hospital." Scully pulled out her cell phone and pressed speed-dial #4. "The Lone Gunmen." "Langly its' me, turn off the recorder." There was once more a click as the recorder was turned off. "is Mulder there with you guys?" "Yeah, we'll bring him to Mrs. Scully's in a couple of hours." "Is he all right?" "No, he's having a hard time dealing with all of this." Byers said coming on the phone. "Do you want me to come? I should really be there for him." "No Scully, he'll be fine, we'll drive him home and he'll be safe and sound." "Okay thanks, take good care of him." She turned her phone off and turned back to Krycek who had returned to watching the television with the tears coming more rapidly upon his face. "Krycek, I really am sorry about Teena." She said soothingly. "Spare me Agent Scully, listen I promise not to run to the consortium or any other government agency, just please leave me alone, we can talk about your future plans for me in the morning." "You know I really do care, she was my family too." She retorted. Scully picked Kat then Will up and took them to Maggie's bed. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* MARGARET SCULLY'S HOUSE 9:30pm Fox Mulder knocked lightly on his mother-in-law's front door. He heard scuffling around and the door was then slowly opened and he stared into the face of Walter Skinner. Soon Walter's face was replaced by Maggie's' and then Scully's. He couldn't really understand what they were saying to him, he knew he was drunk because his whole world was hazy, he never should have let Frohike and Langly talk him into going to that bar. Since he'd been living with Dana and the kids the only alcohol he'd drunk was wine. His mind kept screaming through his alcohol induced euphoria. "What's wrong with him?" Skinner asked Scully as Mulder collapsed onto him. "He's drunk, the guys must have taken him out some where." Dana stated assisting Skinner in dragging her husband into her old bedroom. Maggie came and stood next to Walter and they watched as Dana slid off Fox's shoes and jacket. She then pulled the sheets over his lanky body, and led the way back to the living room where she spraled her self out in one of the huge over-stuffed blue chairs she had bought because she had liked the identical black ones at Skinner's apartment. "So... what are we going to do about this situation?" "I think we should all just go to bed and deal with it all in the morning." Maggie stated. "Sounds like a good idea to me." Skinner resounded and headed straight for his jacket. "No one's leaving, we don't know who could be after any one of us." Scully warned. "Okay, so... where's every body going to sleep?" "Of course I'll take the couch." Skinner offered. "The kids can share my bed with me, and Dana honey of course you're with Fox, Alex is already asleep so he'll have the guest room." Maggie informed and soon everyone had said their good nights and were ready for bed. As the door opened Fox Mulder looked up, weary of the pounding in his head, and saw his beautiful wife. "Hey Foxy Boy, feeling better?" "I don't know if better is the right word, I'm alive though." He tried to stand, failed, and ended up sitting back down on the bed. " Well I'd forgotten what this feels like, to think I used to go through this almost every night. "Mulder our lives are different now, we're different now." She smiled and motioned toward the pain killer tablets and the water on the night stand. "Thanks." He gulped down the pills and all of the water in one quick motion. "Krycek's asleep in the guest room, Skinner's on the living room couch, and the kids are sleeping with mom... if you were wondering." "So we're all snuggled up in this picture esque little house like the perfect little family we're not." He lay back down and smiled up at her. "Oh I think we are a 'perfect little family'." She said taking off her robe to reveal their favorite pair of green silk pajamas. "Par-Tay." He commented tiredly as she curled up next to him. "Think about it Mulder, if you can. Our kids have Mom and Skinner for Grandparents, Krycek as a psudo- Grandfather, all though he's more of an Uncle, and then there's Frohike, Byers, and Langly- they do every thing for the kids, they're the baby-sitting trio of Uncles. We have a wonderful family, we're just a little different than most 'normal' families." "We're unique," He pulled her as close to him as possible. "and besides, who wants to be normal?" They were soon lost in each other and found peaceful sleep in each other's arms. Fox Mulder was roused awake by an odd sensation, he opened his eyes to reveal Dana tracing feather light circles on his chest and arms. "Morning Mulder." She ceased her ministrations and put her arms around him laying her head on his chest. "I've got one hell of a hang over, other than that I feel pretty good." He pulled her head towards hers lightly kissing her mouth. "Ah, I see." She slipped out of his warm embrace and pulled on her pajamas. "I'll go get you some more pain killers, if you want them." "That'd be nice." He smiled lovingly at her as she turned and departed. Scully walked through her childhood house in silence, she first passed Krycek's room and saw he was sleeping peacefully with tear-tracks down his face, she closed the door and moved to her mother's bedroom, there she could see her children asleep in her mother's arms. She walked through the living room quietly trying not to wake Skinner who was lightly snoring on the couch. She poured a glass of water and took 2 pain pills out of the bottle, she made her way back to her old bedroom with out incident. She opened the door, Mulder was sitting wearing his boxers. "Here." She handed him her bounty and lay back down pulling the sheets over herself to block out some of the chill. "Anybody up?" "Nope, everyone's sleeping." She reached down and pulled the blankets over the sheets from where Mulder had kicked them off the foot of the bed. Once she had done so he embraced her and they once again found peaceful rest in each others arms. Walter Skinner awoke to the sounds of glass breaking and the love of his life- Maggie Scully screaming. He quickly located his gun and sprinted into Maggie's room, Krycek arrived slightly behind Skinner and slammed into his back because he had paused to stare at the sight before him. Maggie Scully's room was in ruins, her picture window had no glass in it and she stood at the end of the bed sobbing. The kids were no where to be seen. Maggie started mumbling, " They came while I was in the bathroom, I heard my window break. I...I came running out and there were three of them, they were too fast, they're gone." She started crying uncontrollably. Skinner went to her and took her small frame in his strong arms. "Oh no, this is all my fault." Krycek slumped to the floor. "I'm gonna go call the guys, the police, and the FBI." Mulder said as he pulled Scully out the door with him. "Mulder, who would do this? Is it because of Krycek or is it because we took the kids from them?" She questioned as they made their way to the kitchen. Skinner realizing that the area was about to be swarming with cops he decided to stash Krycek some where. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* TWO HOURS LATER Skinner arrived back at Maggie's house just in time to hear Mulder growling at a local police officer. "Whats' going on here?" He bellowed in his AD voice. "They're separating us! They think we'll get our stories all messed up! We're FBI agents, we didn't do any thing to our kids!" "Calm down Mulder, I'll handle this." He motioned for Mulder to go check on Dana and Maggie, while he returned to the officer. "This is a joint investigation, and I'm in charge here, these people are my agents and I expect you to treat them as such." He turned around and headed toward the trio of people staring at him. Mulder had his arms around Scully's shoulders and Maggie ran to Skinner and clung to him, he reassuringly rubbed his hands up and down her back. "They wanted to take all of us to the police station, in separate cars, to interrogate us!" Maggie wailed into his chest. "I know, they're just worried about how they'll look to their FBI partners they've been assigned to work with." "Skinner, we wanna be on this case." Mulder announced. "Mulder you're too close to all of this." "But Scully and I know these people that did this, we've been dealing with them for almost a decade. We might actually have a chance for finding our kids." "All right Mulder, but I'm in charge, don't forget that." They walked into the house and everyone sat down at the kitchen table. The myriad group of law enforcement officers milling around the house cleared out of the assistant directors path once he got up and headed toward the living room. "Mom, are you okay?" Dana questioned putting her arm around her shoulder for comfort. "Mom, every things' going to be okay, we're just having a bad week." "Dana, I'm sorry I couldn't keep them from taking your children, I know this must remind Fox a lot of his sister." She was staring in the direction Mulder had gone in search of Skinner in. "I don't think he's really related the too yet, nothing has really sunk in yet, for any of us." She put her head down on the table as Maggie started to make tea. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* UNDISCLOSED LOCATION UNDISCLOSED TIME Two children sat calmly at a hard steel table in a cold steel room. They both remembered this place from before they had been discovered and now they just waited for the man knowing he would come. "This had better be good!" Someone yelled from out-side the door. "I was having a wonderful vacation with Marita Covarrubias." The door opened and the man the children had been expecting entered. "Hello Rugrats." "Hello Uncle Spender." They answered in the bleak, dark, hopeless voices they had used before they had a family. From behind mirrored glass a cigarette was lit and a man gave a slight smile at having his family back together once again. THE APARTMENT OF WALTER SKINNER CRYSTAL CITY, VIRGINIA "I'm gonna call Dana." Mulder said as he and Skinner readied for departure. The Lone Gunmen had called and said that their 'friend' (Krycek) thought he knew where Will and Kat were being held, and so the five of them were about to set off on a rescue mission, their only goal- to get the kids out alive, no matter what the cost. Mulder picked up the phone and began a non-explanation as to why he and Skinner would not be coming home that night. "You ready to go?" Mulder peeked into Skinner's bed-room to find him unlocking a cabinet and pulling out various weapons. "Yeah Mulder, come on in." Skinner loaded himself and Mulder up with more fire power than was probably needed and they departed for the Lone Gunmen's' lair. ORONOCO STREET ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA 10:45pm "This is a secret government installation?" Langly asked as they drove past the two story house in the historical district. "Looks more like some where you'd see Mary Poppins." "Trust me guys, this is the place." Krycek motioned for them to continue past the building. "Why would the government want to kidnap children and hide them in the historical district?" Byers questioned. "I don't know." Krycek muttered as Langly and Frohike got out of the van. Their plan was to use Frohike and Langly on the security and electrical systems as they came to them much like they had when they broke into Scully's doctor's office all those years ago. They were able to break in and get past the sleeping security guard in a matter of minutes. Skinner, Mulder, Krycek, and Byers slowly went through the renovated halls that now looked like some sort of hospital, with most of the doors locked. They followed Krycek up to the second floor, because he seemed to know where he was going. Everyone ended up in an area labeled "NO UNAUTHORIZED PERSONNEL" and equipped with an impressive electronic lock. "Okay guys, we're gonna need your help." Mulder said to Frohike and Langly who were some where with the main power source. They gave them their location and soon there was a 'click' as the locks disengaged. "Yes we're in." Mulder said as he pulled Krycek through the door with him, Skinner and Byers soon followed. "What is this place?" Skinner inquired. "This is one of those 'Top Secret' labs the government doesn't want you to know about." Krycek led the way through the mysterious room with cylinders filled with green gel and some form of developing 'life'. They came to a halt outside another 'AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY' door. "Another one?" Mulder muttered. "Yeah, they're really anal about, 'Authorized Personnel', every body's authorized, it's just a little reminder for people like us who break into places like this." Krycek answered. Skinner had been speaking with the LGM and after a few minutes the locks popped again and in they went. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* MULDER AND SCULLY'S HOUSE MIDNIGHT Dana Scully stared at the vermilion flame in the fireplace and wondered if she would be seeing her children soon, she couldn't help the feeling that some thing wasn't right but she just attributed that to the fact that her children had been kidnapped, Mulder's mother had died, and her own mother seemed to be in a state of depression at the loss of her grandchildren. She took her attention off the blazing fire and focused it on the sleeping form of her mother. Her face was ragged and sullen, it was hard for her to believe it had been just yesterday that her mother had happily cooked breakfast for her and her family. She wished she could go back and change all that had happened, she had still had her children, her mother had been happier than she had been in a very long time, and Krycek had still been the basic bad-guy. They didn't need all of these changes their family had been perfect only yesterday. Dana had tears streaming down her face, she knew that she couldn't change the past no matter how much she wanted to but the pain at how much her life could change in one day was immense. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back as sleep engulfed her ending her silent lament. ORONOCO STREET (THAT GOVERNMENT PLACE) MIDNIGHT The shots were fired even before they got to the last to where the kids were supposed to be being held opened. "Come on guys!." Mulder yelled to Frohike and Langly distressed. "Mulder they're headed this way." Byers stated alarmed. There was a 'click' as the lock once again disengaged, they pushed open the door to reveal Kat sitting on a bed. "Daddy!" She squealed. "Hi baby, it's so good to see you. Where's Will." "Uncle Spender took him to the 'playroom'." "What's that?" "They do the tests there." "Tests?" Mulder asked picking her up. "Mostly intelligence, some chemical type blood things." Krycek answered. Another gunshot rang out, Byers peeked out the door. "Frohike what's going on?" He questioned into his headset. "Oh no, hey Mulder we've gotta get out of here." "What's going on?" "They're just killing people, randomly, whoever they want." Byers was quite alarmed. 'I've still got to get Will." Mulder handed Kat to Skinner. "You guys take her, get her out safe." "Good luck Mulder, grab Will and get out as soon as you possibly can." Skinner gave his warning before turning out the door with Krycek and Byers who had pulled their guns to protect the small child that was their top priority. Mulder drew his weapon and departed Kat's room, he continued down the hallway in search of the room Kat had spoke of. He came to a halt outside of a suspicious room marked 'TESTING', he opened the door and found himself face to face with the business end of a Sig. Saur P-225. "Oh sh.." Mulder's curse was drowned out by the shrill bleeping of an alarm. "What's that?" Spender. the one with the gun, questioned his father 'Bob'. "The bomb has been activated." he answered simply. "Bomb, what bomb?" Mulder questioned. Will came over and put his arms around his father's legs. "It's a safety system, if there's an intruder in the lab it self distructs." "No!" Came out of Mulder's mouth as CSM smiled and his vision disappeared in a fiery ball of flame. Skinner turned around as the building exploded, he had heard Mulder scream, heard the small cry that was issued from Will as his short life ended much too soon. "Guys, did Mulder and Will get out?" Byers questioned. "No, we lost 'em." Frohike answered softly. "Daddy!" Kat cried, Skinner tightened his grip on the small girl and pulled his arms protectively around her. They all heard the sirens in the background of the roaring sounds of the burning building, heading in their direction. Walter pulled out his cell-phone, shooing away Krycek and the Lone Gunmen to go back to their hideout. This was his problem, Mulder's death was on his hands, he decided. He ordered a team of agents, sat down on the ground, cradling Kat in his arms as the police arrived. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* THREE DAYS LATER The funerals had been lovely, all of the FBI's top brass was there, Skinner knew nobody had any respect for Mulder, it was all because they were curious to see an assistant director cry. Scully had seen him, the day after Mulder had died, Skinner had sat in Kat's room watching her sleep as he silently weeped for his dear friend, almost like a son to him, and the small child he was unable to save. Dana looked over at Skinner, he look all right, she looked down at her daughter who was silently chewing on the food the waiter had just delivered. Scully herself didn't know if she was hungry of not, she really had no feeling, she missed her husband's arms around her, she wished to see Will's smile, she longed to see Kat happy again, and also to see Skinner and her mother as loving as they used to be. "I'm going to resign." She blurted out. Skinner cocked his head and smiled. "You're not running away from the bureau are you?" She knew he was trying to break through the bleak air of depression that was hanging over them, she decided to answer him with a smile, and an explanation. "I don't want a new partner, and the X-Files have been closed again, there's no reason for me to stay if there's no future there for me. I've decided to devote myself fully to Kat, we've got a long hard road ahead of us and I want to be with her when ever I can." At the mention of her name Katherine looked up from the food she had been eating so intensely, she received a smile from her Grandmother and her Uncle who was slowly becoming her Grandfather, satisfied every thing was okay she returned to eating. "I'm really going to miss you, but I have one more year before I can take early retirement, and at that time I fully intend on taking it and running." "What are you going to do?" Maggie spoke for the first time since she had ordered her food. "I don't know, I may not work, or maybe just part time if I do decide to get a job, we really don't need the money." They ate their food and had the best conversation they'd had in days. Kat even joined in talking about her memories of Will and her Daddy, Skinner added his thoughts on times when Mulder had come into his office and he had to yell at him when all he had wanted to do was tell him what a good job he had done, Maggie shared how Mulder had cared so much when Dana had been taken and had spent most of his time searching for her, Dana shared about Mulder's meat-loaf and how Will had once been forced into eating it, he had attempted to, but had ended up throwing it in the garbage and offering to do the same for everyone else. They all ended up laughing at the great memories that had accumulated in just three years. One week later Dana submitted her resignation to Skinner, he hugged her warmly and gave her his fatherly best. She had tears in her eyes when she picked up Kat from school and found out the Miss James had inexplicably disappeared and that no records of her remained. She idly thought of an X-File, but banished all thoughts. Taking her daughters small hand they departed the school heading in the direction of the Lone Gunmen's lair. Once inside they both received a hug from Krycek while Byers and Langly prepared the details of their new life, Frohike came out of the back with car keys and a license plate that boasted Delaware as it's state of origin. The End