TITLE: Reunited I
AUTHOR: Keri
EMAIL: Keri40980@aol.com
DATE: August 1995 (between the 2nd and 3rd season, so expect a few discrepancies)
CLASSIFICATION: SR
SPOILERS: small scenes from ‘Squeeze,’ ‘Red Museum,’ and the pilot
RATING: PG-13
SUMMARY: It’s the year 2007, and Mulder returns to D.C. after being gone for five years to ask for Scully’s help in finding his sister, only to discover things about themselves that they never knew. Written as the series finale.
NOTES: Frank Kwan is a character I created quite a while ago in some stories I never posted. He’s an ex-KGB agent who fell in love with Scully while helping her escape death (she witnessed a government conspiracy). Unfortunately, the bad guys caught him in the end, but he escaped, and his whereabouts were not known until this point. Joe Stenwick is an old childhood friend of Mulder’s that I created. Sam Trask was the head of the bureau until Scully fingered him as a key player in the government conspiracy.
DISCLAIMER: The characters you recognize (Mulder, Scully) belong to Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen Productions, and Fox Television. No infringement is intended. I’m a college student for goodness sakes! The characters you don’t recognize belong to me. Feel free to distribute this among your friends as long as it stays in its full entirety and my name is still attached to it.

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FBI headquarters 
Washington, D.C. 
April 23, 2007 
2:00 P.M.

The J. Edgar Hoover building looked spectacular, much different than
when he left.

Fox Mulder stood on the sidewalk between a lamppost and a bright blue
mailbox, holding a bouquet of pale yellow roses. He sighed. <I hate
reunions.> Actually, it all depended on the person, and this was one
person he was dying to see. <It's been five years,> he thought. <Will
she remember me?>

"That's a stupid question," he told himself. "Of course she'll
remember you." He walked to the door and opened it. It was heavier
than he remembered; he must not be as athletically inclined as
before. It was a good thing he had gotten in touch with Walter
Skinner, the former assistant director, beforehand and received a
pass. He would have a hard time surprising Scully if he had security
officers following him around and alerting her of a visitor.

The front offices weren't the same as before. Desks were head to head
with portable walls separating sections. It was more organized.
<Leave it to Scully to get things systemized.>

Smiling, he recalled reading many articles on her in various
magazines and newspapers. All of them claimed she was the best
director the bureau had ever had. It was tidier, more sanitary, and
much more efficient. A few critics believe she had accomplished as
much as J. Edgar Hoover in five years, whereas it had taken him
forty-eight.

Mulder entered the elevator and pressed two, where he would find the
director. The doors closed, blocking his view of the front offices.
He sighed, reliving a moment in time, dating all the way back to
February 17, 2002 . . .

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
	 
FBI headquarters 
Mulder and Scully's office 
February 17, 2002

Scully entered the basement office, closing the door. Mulder looked
up at her from his notebook. He frowned. "Scully, what's wrong? You
look shocked."

"You would not believe it." She sat on the edge of his desk. "Both
Blevins and Skinner are retiring."

"At the same time? That's unusual."

Her voice, as well as her eyes, dropped. "And they've already picked
their successors."

"Really? Who--" He paused, realizing what she was going to say.
"You?"

She nodded slowly. "I will be Director Dana Scully."

He moved his mouth involuntarily but without sound. Then he stopped,
unsure of what to say. "When do you start?" It sounded as stupid as
he felt.

"March 30. My last day is the 23rd." She sniffed. It was obvious that
she had cried sometime between learning of her position and
confessing to him.

"Then here's what we'll do. That night, the 23rd, we'll go out. Have
dinner at the fanciest restaurant, bar hop, stay out until sunrise."

She laughed. "Okay." Then she leaned down and put her arms around
his neck. "I'm sorry . . ."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Mulder was startled by the elevator's ding. He walked down the
hallway until he found Scott Blevins' old office, where he assumed
his former partner would be. Sure enough, the brass plate on the oak
wood door read 'Dana Scully - Director'. He opened it, entering the
secretary's office.

The woman, a thin, middle-aged blonde, frowned at him. "Can I help
you, sir?"

"Is Director Scully in?"

"Yes."

"Is she busy?"

"I'll check."

His hand clamped down on the phone. "Don't. Please."

Her eyes widened. "Who are you?"

"An old friend." He held up the flowers. "See? Now don't say a word."
He headed to the door to her office.

"Don't go in there, sir. I'll have to call security."

<Security?> "Look, Miss--" He checked her name plaque. "Miss Johnson.
Sarah. Don't do that. I just want to surprise her." He put a finger
to her lips. "Ssshh."

She reached for the phone again, and he stuck a twenty in her hand.
"Just . . . please." He put the index finger to his lips again and
quietly opened Scully's door. The secretary simply sat there, staring
at him.

The radio in her office was playing a slow tune. Dana Scully sat
perched on a swivel chair, reading over a report meticulously, not
paying any attention to the outside world. Mulder shut the door
soundlessly and took a few steps closer to her desk. He launched the
bouquet in her direction, hitting her directly on the head.

"What the--" She froze, looking at the flowers that had fallen on her
polished desk. Few people knew her favorite kind, and only one person
would be clever enough to give her thirteen roses instead of the
usual twelve. Fox Mulder. And when she looked up, she realized she
had not been deceived.

He appeared almost the same as when she had last seen him. The same
boyish face, medium build. His sandy hair now had a few strands of
grey. Other than that, he looked wonderful. "Hello, stranger," she
greeted with a smile. Her heart prevailed, and she got up, enveloping
him in the longest hug she'd ever been a part of. "Oh, God, I've
missed you."

He rocked her back and forth, hand on the back of her head, tangled
in auburn hair--longer than before, it extended a bit past her
shoulders. She was no different than when he was last with her. "How
have you been?"

"Good. How about you?"

"Safe." He smiled as they parted. "You look great, Scully, you really
do."

"Thanks. You're not so bad yourself."

He looked around. "Nice office. And the bureau has changed quite a
bit."

"It needed a woman's touch." She grinned. "So what are you doing
here?"

"Oh, you know, same old, same old." He rounded her desk, flopping
into her chair and gazing at the pictures on the desk. "Scully." He
picked up one of the frames. "This must be twelve years old."

She stood behind him. The photo was of the two of them and had been
taken at a fund raiser. "I like that picture."

"I still have mine . . . somewhere." He put it back in its place on
the neatly polished desk and looked at the others. "Hey, it's Kwan.
What's he doing now?"

"Well, right now, he's in a box."

"A box?"

"Yes. He died last year."

He turned to her, surprised by her frankness. "How?"

She shrugged. "Murder, maybe. No one knows. That's one case I can't
solve."

"You? Why you?"

"Mulder, I--" She sighed, then smiled. "He was my husband."

"Husband? Wow."

She laughed. "Bet you never thought that possible."

"Possible, yes. Probable . . . no." He glanced at another picture.
"Children?"

"One boy. His name is Adam."

"What a cute kid. Looks like you, too." He lifted his head. "It's
amazing. It's been five years since I last saw you. You haven't
changed a bit."

"Not so much physically as mentally."

"I'll bet."

Her smile widened. "Come on; I've got something to show you." She led
him through the other office, where the secretary watched them
suspiciously. "Oh, Sarah Johnson, this is Fox Mulder, my ex- partner
but not ex-best friend."

Mulder smirked at her. "Remember me?"

Scully tugged him through the corridors, arm in arm. She was greeted
by every agent she saw in the hallway, and Mulder was amazed at the
amount of respect she received. She must've been very well liked.

They went all the way to the basement. "Where are we going?" When he
realized it was to their old office, he stopped her. "*Why* are we
going?"

"Be patient." She opened the door. "Everything you left, I kept here.
As a sort of memorial to us." She sat on the edge of the desk, and he
was reminded again of the time she said she was going to be the
director. "I come down here when I have nothing to do, and I just
think." She shrugged and let out a supressed chuckle. "I think about
you a lot. Wondering if you're all right, if you're alive. Wondering
if you ever think about . . ." She chuckled again, standing up and
hugging herself. "Me."

He sighed. "Every day. I'd often wondered the same thing."

"Oh, Mulder, why did you leave?"

"I had to, Scully." His answer wasn't as truthful as the previous
one, but it would have to do for now.

"Where were you?"

"All over. Alaska, Canada, England. Mostly in the continental U.S."

"Why?"

"I joined a UFO research team that traveled around, looking for sites
and historical information. We'll have a book coming out in the
summer."

She shook her head. "I'll have to read it."

"I'll even autograph a copy for you."

"Can't wait." Her voice was less than enthusiastic, and so was her
expression.

"I'm sorry my departure wasn't exactly well-timed. I had planned to
leave before, if that makes you feel any better."

"Before when? Are we talking hours or days? Mulder, your timing was
awful."

"But if I had stayed, what would've happened?"

She shook her head. "I don't know."

He cupped her face, forcing her to look him in the eyes. Her stare
was electric, and he resisted the urge to kiss her, hold her. "It
wasn't your fault."

"I know." She smiled, walking to the door. "Ready?"

He sighed inwardly. "Where are we going now?"

"Well, I hope you don't have a place to stay."

"Is this an invitation?"

"Of course. I live in a house."

"Ooh, splendid. Well, don't fret. I only have one suitcase."

"You're going to be a great houseguest."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Scully's home 
4:00 P.M.

"Mommy!"

Scully kneeled to catch her son in mid-flight, so to speak. She
picked him up and held him. "Hi."

"You're home early." Melissa Scully, her older sister, padded into
the foyer. "I was just making him a snack." She noticed Mulder coming
in the door and did a double take. "Well, look here!" She gave him a
hug. "Look, Adam, it's Fox Mulder."

He grinned, shaking Mulder's hand. "Nice to meet you."

"How do you know me?"

"Mommy," he replied with a giggle. "Aunt Missy, are the sandwiches
done?"

"Yep. Come on!" She raced him to the kitchen.

Mulder chuckled. "He's adorable, Scully. How old is he? Three, four?"

She looked away. "Something like that."

He shrugged at her vagueness and glanced around the house. It was a
lot larger than her apartment, with a staircase across from the front
door and to the right. Past it was a living room and fireplace. To
the right was a bar and, beyond that, a kitchen. "Very tasteful."

"Thank you." She hung up their coats. "You can stay anywhere except
upstairs. That is--"

"My room," Adam hollered, running to them with a ham and cheese
sandwich.

Scully lifted a hand. "See? It's his room. And he doesn't like anyone
to touch it. Not even me," she growled, tickling him. She caught the
sandwich before it plummeted to the floor. She handed it back to her
son after taking a bite. "Good sandwich, Melissa."

"Thank you." She grabbed her windbreaker. "Well, I'm off. Have a nice
afternoon. Good to see you again, Mr. Mulder." She patted Adam's head
and left.

Scully pointed to a door next to the fireplace. "You can have that
room. Melissa stays there sometimes, so it has several closets and
dressers. But it'll be comfortable." She led him there, followed by
Adam. "That door is to the bathroom--it's the only one on this floor
so knock first. You have a patio door. And . . . that's about it.
Drop your suitcase; let me show you around."

He followed her through the bathroom door. "This is the bathroom, I
presume."

She grinned. "How'd you guess?" She gestured to a nearby towel rack.
"This will be yours. If you run out of toilet paper, it's under the
sink. Now onto . . ." They walked through the opposite door. "My
room. It also has a patio door. And the door near the bed leads to
the dining room." They headed that way. "Dining room, complete with
grand piano. And if you go through the sliding door you come to the
kitchen." They arrived in that room. "You can explore the cabinets to
find the silverware, dishes, et cetera. The door over there near the
refrigerator leads to the garage."

Adam tugged on Mulder's sleeve. "We have a pool."

"You do!" he exclaimed, not sure whether or not to believe such a
small child. But when Scully nodded, he frowned. "You do?"

"And a jacuzzi. It's--" She thumbed over her shoulder. "--in the
back."

"And this house cost you--how much?"

"I don't know, really. Kwan bought it as a wedding gift, so to
speak."

He shook his head. "That's some gift."

She chuckled. "Well, downstairs is another bedroom and a rec room.
Upstairs is--"

"My room!" Adam finished happily. "Come on; I'll show you."

Mulder raised an eyebrow as the boy pulled him up the stairs. "This
is a nice room."

He nodded, dropping to his knees near a pile of toys. "These are my
superheroes."

"Really?" He knelt as well. "Who's this?"

Adam giggled, looking up at him with a frown. "That's Spiderman.
Mommy says you know who Spiderman is."

"Yeah, I guess I do." He laughed at himself. It had been a long time
since he'd been with a child. He turned when he heard the stairs
creak, and Scully appeared, smiling sweetly.

"And this is Superman," he continued, picking up figures at random.
"He died, though."

"He did?"

"Yeah. I read it in a comic book."

"Did you?"

"Yeah. He was in comics for sixty or seventy years. Maybe longer. But
I know something you don't know."

"What's that?"

"The day of the week that each number of the calendar is on."

"You do?" He rubbed his hands together. "What day did the year start
on?"

"Monday."

"And what day was your mother's birthday?"

"Friday."

"And what day of the week was your mother born on?"

"Sunday." He returned to naming his superheroes.

Mulder looked back at Scully. "Is he right?"

She nodded. "He could tell you anything dating back to the first
calendar year."

"He's autistic?"

She shook her head. "No. He--he has a photographic memory. He
remembers every little detail. He once memorized an entire episode,
word for word, of 'Unsolved Mysteries.'"

"Wow!" He turned to Adam. "Did your dad have a photographic memory?"

"Yep."

"So do I. Small world, eh?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 
7:00 P.M.

"Voila," Scully announced, putting a dish on the table. "Eat up."

Adam grinned at the stack of meatloaf. "Yummy." He reached for the
top piece with his fork and brought it carefully to his plate. Mulder
watched in awe.

He grabbed the mashed potatoes and was dishing them out when his
mother cleared her throat. "Why don't you pass some of the food to
Mulder?"

He shrugged, giving him the creamed peas. He whispered loudly, "I
don't like them."

He chuckled. "You'll learn to like them. When I was your age, I hated
all vegetables from A to Z."

Adam froze for a moment. "Even potatoes?"

"Even potatoes."

"What did you eat?"

"Sunflower seeds."

Scully snorted. "Not surprising."

"I like those," he admitted. "Mommy thinks they're messy."

"They are, but that's why they're so much fun."

"Yeah," Adam agreed with a grin.

They finished their meal, and Mulder helped Scully with the dishes
while Adam went to watch television.

"He is so cute," he raved. "Makes me wish I had kids."

She smiled weakly, scrubbing the plates with a rag.

"So how did you do with labor?"

She shrugged. "A few hours, nothing terrible. The amount of pain was
. . . unexpected. But, hey, here I am."

"Who delivered?"

She thought back to her very first fiance. It was a doctor she had
worked with when she and Mulder had been separated by force. That was
also when she met Frank Kwan. She smiled. "Steve."

His eyebrows rose. "Steve Michaels? Oh, I'll bet he loved that,
seeing you married *and* giving birth. Jealousy, jealousy."

"You know, I think he's finally gotten over me." She nodded quickly.
"Yeah. He has."

"You'd think so."

She put the dishes in the dishwasher and turned it on. "There. Oh,
excuse me." She went into the living room. "Adam, you have to take
your bath and get to bed soon."

"Can I watch the rest of this?"

"Yes. But then go. I'll start your water."

"Okay." He settled back into the chair. Mulder took the other one.
"What are you watching?"

"'Unsolved Mysteries.'"

"That's still on?"

"Didn't you watch T.V. while you and Mommy were far apart?"

He smiled faintly. "No. No, I didn't have enough time. Besides that,
we didn't have a T.V. Just a slide projector, and you can only look
at pictures of Yellowstone so many times."

"Then what did you do for fun?"

"Well, I have a scrapbook--don't tell your mother this either--with a
whole bunch of pictures of her and me in it. I'd look through it."

"Did you think you'd forget what she looked like?"

"Never."

"Then why did you look at pictures?"

"To . . . to remember the good times. To cheer myself up, knowing
that she was still there. Somewhere."

Adam hugged him. "I have to take my bath now." He got up and walked
past Scully, who was standing by the bathroom door, a faraway look in
her eyes.

"Hey, Scully." He got up to meet her halfway.

"You're so good to him," she said. "Thank you. He needs some father
figure in his life. After Kwan died . . . I don't know. I just
haven't been able to provide enough."

"You're a great mother. Look at how well he's turned out. You're
doing fine." He paused for a subject change. "Why do you still call
him Kwan?"

She shrugged. "Old habit. He's kind of like you. A lot like you,
actually. Just one of those people you don't dare call by their first
name."

"You've called me by my first name."

"Well, just that once . . ." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~	

"Tooms hasn't come out of his house all day. I sat through a Phillies
game, an Orioles game, and four hours of Ba-Ba-Booey. When it got
dark, I took a walk around the block." His eyes fell on her. "Do you
have that sandwich I asked you to bring?"

She rummaged through the sack, pulling one out. She wished he would
take better care of himself. She wished he would let her help.
Nevertheless, she handed it to him. "It's liverwurst."

He took it, tossing his head back with a flat chuckle. "Ha ha."

She turned to him as he unwrapped the sandwich, taking a bite.
"Mulder, you know that proper surveillance requires two pairs of
agents, one pair relieving the other after twelve hours."

He glanced at her, still chewing. "Article 30, paragraph 8.7?"

"This isn't about doing it by the book. This is about you not having
slept for three days. Mulder, you're gonna get sloppy, and you're
gonna get hurt. It's inevitable at this point."

"A request for other agents to stake out Tooms would be denied cause
then we have no grounds."

She gazed at him warmly. Her voice softened. "Well, then I'll stay
here. You go home."

He looked straight ahead with a sigh. "They're out to put an end to
the X-Files, Scully." He licked his lips in thought. "I don't know
why, but any excuse will do. Now I don't really care about my record,
but you'd be in trouble just sitting in this car." He turned to her.
"And I'd hate to see you carry an official reprimand in your career
file because of me."

She stared at her hands, a confession long overdue. "Fox--"

He chuckled at her, and she looked up at him, annoyed by his
interruption. "And I . . . I even made my parents call me Mulder. So
. . ." He couldn't bear to watch her anymore. "Mulder."

She was unphased by his embarrassment, dismissing her own. "Mulder, I
wouldn't put myself on the line for anybody but you."

His head swiveled around to see her again. Her expression held a
truth that he hadn't seen on a face in years. He wasn't quite sure
what to say until his eyes dropped to the bag on her lap. "If there's
an iced tea in that bag, it could be love."

She was somewhat startled by the abruptness of his statement. She
opened the sack. "Must be fate, Mulder." Picking up the straw and
drink, she gave them to him. "Root beer."

He arched his neck, letting out a disappointed gasp.

She failed in hiding a small smile. "You're delirious. Go home and
get some sleep."

"Here, take my sandwich. I only had one bite. You're gonna want it
later, believe me. And you'll call me," he added quickly, "if
anything happens immediately. I'll be here."

She had one foot in the door when he spoke again. She turned to him.

"Oh, oh and 11:30, station 790--Pete Rose late night radio show." He
nodded eagerly with a boyish grin on his face.

She gave him a weak and disdainful smile, got out, and shut the door.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Scully chuckled. "That was an interesting experience, if anything."

"You know, now that we're on the subject of Tooms . . . I told you
so."

She frowned. "What?"

"Remember when we first ran into him?"

"Yes."

"Well, we were going through the microfilms to find his residence in
1903. You said that it must've been his great-grandfather, and I
disagreed."

"Oh, *now* I remember . . ." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~	

"Well, what do you think?" Now she knew how he felt when she threw
out all of *his* ideas.

"I think what we have to do is track Eugene Tooms. There's four down
and one to go this year. If we don't get him right now, the next
chance we're gonna get is . . . uh . . ." He hated doing math in his
head.

Luckily, Scully had done it for him. "2023."

"And you're gonna be head of the bureau by then. So I think you have
to go through the census. I'm gonna plow through this century's
marriage/birth/death certificates and . . ." He sighed. "You have any
dramamine on ya by any chance cause these things make me seasick."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I knew you were going to be the director."

"But you were twenty-one years off."

"No, no, I said *by* then."

She shook her head. "You're amazing."

"I know." He grinned. "Listen, I'm going to unpack. You . . . do
whatever it is you do."

"Okay." She smiled as he left the living room.

 
An Hour Later

"Did you get Adam put to bed?"

Scully looked up from her book to see Mulder in boxers, his hair
damp. "Surprisingly. You know, you shouldn't take a shower when it's
lightning outside. You could get electrocuted."

"I finished my shower before the storm." He sat by her on the
loveseat, glancing at the fireplace. The flames licked the brick
walls, red and orange tongues protruding from a yellow mouth. He had
long since gotten over his fear of fire, and now he appreciated its
beauty, however grotesque. "Do you have pictures of Adam when he was
younger? I'd like to see them sometime."

She opened her mouth, then shut it. "Sometime."

"You've made quite a life for yourself," he remarked. "I'm proud of
you."

She looked at him, bewildered. "You are?"

"Of course. It's not every day your best friend becomes the director
of the bureau *and* marries a guy whose wedding present is a house.
What did you get for your anniversary? Matching cars?"

She slid off the couch and sat on the floor in front of the fire,
flipping on the radio to mask the silence. "I missed your humor,
however smart assed or crude it may be."

He knelt by her side. "I missed you. Every part of you." He kissed
her temple.

She gazed up at him, the firelight dancing off her features. "When
you left, you broke my heart. Now you're back and . . . I don't know
where I stand."

"I do." He stroked her hair almost longingly. "I thought about you
every day. Honestly."

"But that doesn't mean anything in the here and now."

"Why not?"

She sighed. "I'll bet you just sat in bed every day and thought up
ways to get me brooding."

"I sat in bed thinking, and you were in the thoughts, but it was
*not* about ways to get you brooding."

She raised an eyebrow. "What about?"

"The last night we were together."

She blushed. "Funny. I did the same thing." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
	 
March 23, 2002 
5:45 P.M.	

Mulder took a deep breath. He never thought he was good at dates,
especially those with close friends. But then again, it wasn't really
a date. And she wasn't just a close friend; she was his best friend.

He looked down at the bouquet of yellow roses once more and made sure
he gave her thirteen. Satisfied, he rapped lightly on the door.

"Come in," came Scully's voice, sweet and melodic. "I'll be ready in
a second."

He went inside and stood behind the couch, waiting for her to appear,
anxious yet afraid. <Why do I have these fears?> he wondered. <It's
just Scully.>

His partner of ten years stepped out of the bedroom and posed for
him. "What do you think?"

His jaw nearly got rugburns as he ogled her with surprise. She wore a
short--very short--black, low cut dress that shimmered in the light.
It had spaghetti straps and a matching purse that she held in her
hand. Her auburn hair was in a French roll with curled strands
hanging down, tickling her neck and cheeks. Her smile was dynamic;
she would either kill them with her dress or her grin. "You look . .
. fabulous. My *God*, that dress is short."

She laughed. "You told me to."

"I did. When?"

"The other day at work. You asked me what I was wearing, and I said I
wasn't going to tell you. You said, and I quote, 'It'd better be
short'."

"I was only kidding."

"Would you like me to change?"

"No," he answered a little too loudly, a little too quickly. "What I
mean is--you've already spent so much time getting ready. You might
as well just go out in that."

She raised her eyebrow and chuckled. "Okay. You look handsome
yourself."

"Thank you." How could she compare herself to him? She still had the
same glorious figure that she did when he first met her, and he was
getting . . . flabby. *Better get out to the gym, Mulder,* he
repeatedly told himself, but it never worked. "Oh, by the way, these
flowers are for you."

"Thanks." She took them out and put them in the vase. "There's
thirteen. You're being awfully creative."

"Hidden talent." He crooked his arm. "Your limo awaits."

"Limo?" She linked arms with him while frowning. "Oh, you can't mean
it."

"Complete with refrigerator and driver. But we have to have it back
by midnight. If we don't, it'll turn into a pumpkin."

"I doubt we'll be out that late."


She couldn't have been more wrong. After a four course meal at Le
Pavillon, the most expensive restaurant in town, at six o'clock, they
headed out to Adams Morgan. It was definitely the liveliest place
after hours in Washington. Since they had no need for a designated
driver, they bar-hopped until one in the morning, not getting drunk
but dancing everywhere they went. The limo driver had done nothing
short of dragging them out by their ears then. Mulder paid him
extra--<What is he, made of money?> Scully had wondered all
night--and apologized. She offered to take Mulder home after coffee.

They entered her apartment, flipping on the lights and some classical
music. She walked over to the counter where the roses were and
sniffed. "I love that smell." She proceeded to make the coffee while
Mulder pulled two mugs out of the cabinet. She turned to him. "Thanks
for everything this evening."

"Sure. Anything for you."

"I'm just sorry that it had to come down to this." She shrugged one
shoulder. "It's March 24. We're no longer partners."

"That's right." He let out a martyred sigh. "Well, it was good while
it lasted."

"Yeah." She smiled slightly, then poured the coffee and handed him
his cup. They walked to the couch single file.

For a reason she didn't fully understand, Scully stopped in
mid-stride and spun around. Mulder looked at her, startled by her
halt. Their eyes met, and she felt her head swoon. He took the cup
from her and set it on the small desk next to him. Then he placed his
hands on the back of her head and undid her hair, watching it fall
down like a cascading waterfall. He pulled her close to him, kissed
her earlobe tenderly. Her heart pounded like a fast drum, skipping a
few beats. She put her hands on his chest, sliding them upward until
they reached his neck.

He turned his head to her, smiling sanguinely. She couldn't help but
mock his expression. Both of their faces turned serious as they drew
closer. Their lips welcomed each other, cautiously at first. It was a
new venture they were undertaking, the road less traveled, bridges
burned as soon as they were built and crossed. But as their kiss grew
deeper, more passionate, they were glad the journey was taken
together, where they belonged.

Mulder picked her up off the ground once they had parted, cradling
her like she was a child, knowing that she was anything but. He gazed
into her blue eyes, destined to be lost forever. "You're so
beautiful," was all he could whisper before carrying her to the
bedroom. She kicked off her shoes along the way, kissing his neck. He
sat her down on the bed and looked at her, memorizing her every
feature.

She leaned to the nightstand and opened the drawer. After rummaging
through her things, she slid out a small foil package and placed it
near the lamp. "Better to be safe than sorry, no matter who you
trust." She stood, one calf still on the bed, and undid his bowtie.
"And I trust you."

"I trust you," he muttered as she pulled him down on top of her.
Their tongues wrestled playfully as Mulder struggled to get her dress
over her head. Frustrated, he pushed himself off and frowned.

With a laugh, she rolled onto her stomach. "Might want to try the
zipper."

"Good idea." He eased it down, and she turned over again, scooting up
to the pillows so her feet wouldn't hang off. "Wait. Would you go
unplug my phones?"

"How many do you have?"

"Three. I'll get this one."

"Right." He hurried on his way, throwing his jacket on the couch and
returning when he was finished. Scully sat cross-legged on the bed,
her straps slipping down. He hopped up next to her and tipped her
chin. She began to unbutton his shirt. He took her hands and held
them, looking her in the eyes. "You're really sure about this?"

She nodded, a smile broadening on her face. "Yes. Under one
condition."

"What's that?"

"I get to be on top."


Oh, the blues will be blue and the jealousies green But when love
picks its shade it demands to be seen Oh, the red strokes Passions
uncaged Thundering moments of tenderness rage Oh, the red strokes
Fearlessly drawn Burning the night like the dawn
 --"The Red Strokes" by Garth Brooks

	The sheets and blankets lay tangled around their feet. They had made
love for the majority of the night, with few stops and short ones at
that. Mulder had an energy she'd never seen before, even afterwards,
when they talked about everything they had neglected to discuss
before.

When all had been said and done, they wrapped themselves around each
other, covered only by the blanket of passion. Sun poured through the
window while Scully yawned as big as her mouth would allow. Mulder
laughed. "You don't have any manners. Cover your mouth."

"My hands are preoccupied," she replied with a grin. She stretched
her legs and looked over his shoulder. "Oh, my God!"

"What?" He shot up, shocked, expecting the worst.

"It's six o'clock!"

"So?" he muttered, laying back in bed.

"We've got to go to work." She reached for the sheet and pulled it
around her, sliding out of bed. "Oh, God, I don't think I can walk."

He chuckled. "I'm sorry. I'll take all the blame."

She crawled back, planting a kiss on his lips. She stopped and sat
up, stradling him. "Oops, I forgot. Morning breath."

"Nonsense. We didn't sleep, so this isn't morning. This is a
continuation of the night." He grabbed her and tickled her, giving
her a little peck on the cheek. "I don't want to go to work."

"Easy for you to say," she quipped, staggering to the bathroom as she
tried to walk, eventually waddling her way there. She reached the
door and turned. "You don't have to be the director when you get
there." The door closed, half of the sheet still in it.

"Yeah," he muttered, speaking to her but glad she wasn't there, "but
you didn't resign."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~	

Scully frowned at Mulder. "You said that?"

He nodded. "I said a whole lot more, practicing for the goodbye
speech, calling Skinner to tell him that I quit, but you were
showering."

"I had to get pepped somehow. I hadn't slept for twenty-four hours."

"How long until you slept again?" he asked gently, stroking her hair.

She sighed. "After you told me goodbye, it was a long time . . ." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
 
March 24, 2002 
7:30 A.M.	

They ate breakfast in her favorite coffeshop, halfway between her
apartment and the bureau. She was positively glowing. She couldn't
believe the way Mulder made her feel; ten years of bottled up
feelings had come in a rush, and now she was in seventh heaven. She
knew he wasn't as carefree as she was, but she couldn't imagine why.
She soon found out.

Mulder held her hand as they walked up to the front doors to the
bureau. At one point, she kept going, but he had stopped. When she
noticed, she turned. He wore an expression of such sorrow that she
dropped her briefcase and threw her arms around him, finally
understanding his distance. "Mulder, what's happening to us?"

He shook his head. "I have to go, Scully."

"Where?"

"Wherever I can. I can't be here now. Can you understand?"

She looked at him, her cheeks tearstained and her mascara dribbling.
"The reason is unclear."

"I can't explain it. Not now. Maybe someday." He released her and
started walking away.

"So that's it?" she called after him. "You're just going to leave me?
Mulder . . ." She thought he paused for a moment, but her eyes had
deceived her. "Dammit, Mulder, don't go."

He turned and headed back to her. She frowned, surprised. He cupped
her face and kissed her for what seemed like an eternity but wasn't
long enough. "I won't forget you, Dana."

She watched him go, her knees shaky. He flagged down a taxi and,
after opening the door, glanced in her direction. Their eyes met,
both sad, and then he was gone, heading down 9th Street in a yellow
and black cab . . .

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~	

"One of the worst days of my life," she admitted. Then she reached
for a cassette and put it in her tape player. "I was driving home
that night, and I heard this song on the nineties station. It made me
cry, but in an odd way it made me feel better, too." She pressed
play. A piano intro started off for a woman's voice.

 
Every now and then we find a special friend Who never lets us down
Who understands it all, reaches out each time we fall You're the best
friend that I've found I know you can't stay A part of you will never
ever go away Your heart will stay

I'll make a wish for you And hope it will come true That life will
just be kind To such a gentle mind If you lose your way Think back on
yesterday Remember me this way Remember me this way

I don't need eyes to see the love you bring to me No matter where I
go And I know that you'll--
 --"Remember Me this Way" by Jordan Hill



Mulder pressed stop. "I get the idea."

She sighed. "Why did you leave?"

"I'm not ready to tell you yet."

"Then why did you come back?"

"I'm not ready to tell you that either."

"Can you tell me anything?"

"Yes. That when I *do* tell you, and if they're at the same time, I'm
not buttering you up."

She frowned. "What do you hide, Fox Mulder?"

"A secret."

"Don't we all." She gasped. "Oh, my God. I forgot to let the dog up."
She hurried to the basement door and opened it. A large, white dog
jumped out. Mulder's eyes bulged out of his head. *Large* was an
understatement. This dog was humongous, standing about three feet
tall on all fours. It was big around, too, but he had no guess as to
the weight of the beast. The dog jumped up on Scully, her height on
its hind legs as it licked her face cheerfully, nearly knocking her
down by its enormous size. It plopped back down and eyed Mulder.

He stared at it. "What the hell is that? A Pinto?"

She chuckled, patting the dog without bending over. "No, this is my
dog. He's a Great Pyrenees. It's the royal dog of France." Her eyes
glowed. "An anniversary gift."

"How much does it weigh?"

"More than me."

He frowned up at her, then returned his attention to the dog. "I can
see that. What's its name?"

She paused hesitantly. "Fox."

His eyes shot up. "You named your dog after me?"

"No, no, I named it after the animal."

"I'm an animal."

"Yes, you were."

He knew exactly what she was talking about. "Well, if you weren't so
damned attractive, I might've been gentler."

Her face turned mischievous. "Go get him, Fox."

The dog made a beeline for Mulder, jumping on him, nearly crushing
his ribs, and licked his face generously. "Ah, ah, dog slobber! Get
it off of me! Get it off of me! Scully, this is not funny!"

She made kissing noises, and the dog ran over to her, sitting down
and panting. Mulder struggled to get up, wiping his face. She
grinned. "Let me get you a towel." She disappeared for a moment and
returned with a dishcloth. She knelt by him and wiped his face off.
"There. All clean."

"I seem to remember myself doing that to you once . . ." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~	

They were eating in Clay's BBQ, the best restaurant in Delta Glen
according to the sheriff. The ribs were messier than need be, and
Scully picked up her napkin, wiping her fingers. "You know, Mulder,
ribs like these--I'd say the Church of the Red Museum has its work
cut out for it."

He was wiping his own hands but reached out to wipe some sauce off of
her lip.

She smiled at him. "Thanks." She couldn't take her eyes off of him
and tried to hide the fact by changing the subject.


"You were turned on?" he questioned a moment later.

She shrugged. "You didn't give me much choice."

"Wow," he remarked, taking the cloth to do his own clean-up job, "I
never knew I could do that." He shrugged with a grin. "I'm proud of
myself."

"Now I feel stupid." She got up and coaxed the dog to go up to Adam's
room. "Go on, Fox."

Mulder stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Don't
feel stupid," he whispered, his breath hot on her neck. "You've
turned me on plenty of times before."

"Really?" she asked, her voice higher-pitched from curiousity.
"When?"

"Every time you look at me."

She turned around and did that very thing. "You feel guilty, don't
you? For leaving?"

He nodded. "Yes, I do. But I had to go."

"Why?"

He turned away in frustration, walking to and plopping on the
loveseat. "It's too difficult to explain."

She sat next to him, her hand on his shoulder. "Whatever it is,
Mulder, you can tell me."

He sighed, gazing at her and becoming as lost as he had the night
they had made love. He couldn't help it; he kissed her long and hard,
pulling her down so that she was in her favorite position.

However, after a moment, she broke the kiss. "What is it that you
fear most, Mulder?"

It came out of his mouth before he even knew he was saying it. "You
ridiculing me."

She sat up and stared at him, her face displaying a look of terrified
shock. "I would *never* make fun of *anything* you say that comes
from the heart. *Ever.* How can you even think that I--"

"I don't. It's just that . . ." He sighed. "Back in high school, I
fell in love with this girl. When I told her how I felt, she laughed
at me, called me names, asked me how I could think anyone would ever
love me. I guess that's scarred me for life. Now every time I become
involved with a woman, I can't tell her how I feel because I think
back to high school and what that girl said."

Scully's breath caught in her throat at the realization of his
statements. She stared into the fire. "Tell me, Mulder."

He looked at her, discerning what he'd just said. "I love you,
Scully." It sounded so odd; he hadn't said it to anyone for so long .
. . "I have for some time now. Well, maybe longer than I thought. I
dismissed it as infatuation. We were partners; that's all we're ever
allowed to be. That's why I buried my feelings as deeply I had my
pain over Samantha. But those emotions surfaced. I should've known
the others would, too. So that's why I left. After making love to
you, it all started to make sense. What I did wasn't an impulse. It
was all of my feelings, bubbled up until they could finally be
released. And I never had to say a word. I thought that was enough.
And then I figured out that I could never be in love with you because
you were going to be the director. So I quit." He took a deep breath.
"I had to; I couldn't stay. If I had, the truth would have come out
some time or another, and it's worse to be in love with a superior
than a partner. Terrible consequences. And I didn't want to see you
get fired from something you've wanted for so long because of me."

When he looked at her, she was crying. He put his arms around her.
She weeped for a moment then sat up. He wiped her eyes.

"You okay, Scully? I didn't mean to shock you."

"No, you didn't shock me. I saw it coming for quite some time now. I
don't know how. It was just an instinct. I'm crying because you're so
wonderful to me. Always thinking of me first. You know the right
things to say all the time. But at this moment, my feelings for you
are so jumbled, I don't even know if I like you."

He cracked a grin. "Well, that's okay. You can hate me."

She punched his shoulder weakly. "I can't tell you how I feel. If I
said I loved you, I might be lying. But if I said I didn't love you,
I might be lying, too."

"That's okay. Don't say anything. Just getting it off my chest makes
me feel better. It's been there for nearly fifteen years." He smiled.
"When the time is right, you'll know." He kissed her forehead. "Good
night." He walked into his room and closed the door.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
 
the following morning 
10:00 A.M.

Mulder hadn't slept that well in five years. He frowned as the sun
glared a 'good morning' into his eyes. He smiled at the wall by his
bed and sighed. His stomach growled impatiently. He pushed the covers
away with his feet and sauntered into the kitchen.

Adam was perched on a chair, reading the back of a cereal box while
eating. He looked up. "Hi! I beat you up."

"Did you?" he asked jokingly.

Scully was standing by the island, gazing at him stolidly. "Good
morning."

He raised an eyebrow at her expression, and she refused to perk up.
He sighed inwardly. *Great. Now what have I done?* "What do you serve
for breakfast?"

"Anything you can find." She headed to the refrigerator and began
preparing lunch. "Breakfast got over an hour ago."

"Oh." He sat in one of the two remaining chairs. "Hey, Adam. Where
did you get the cereal?"

"From this box."

"Where'd you get the box?"

"At the store."

Why did he feel like he was getting the runaround from everybody?
"Where did you get the box this morning?"

He pointed to the cabinet with a grin. "Bottom shelf."

"How about the bowl and spoon--and *don't* tell me from the kitchen
store."

"I'll get them for you." He retrieved the proper dishes and left
after putting his cereal away. "Mommy, I'm going to take Fox outside
before we go."

"Okay, sweetie," she called, not really hearing him. She shut the
refrigerator and opened the freezer.

Mulder was glad the boy was gone for the moment. He walked up behind
Scully.

She put her hands out in front of her, leaning towards the appliance
on her tiptoes, searching for something. "Oh, great," she muttered.
"I can't find what I looking for."

Suddenly, Mulder appeared before her, between her outstretched arms.
"I can."

With an exasperated grunt, she nearly shut the door on his head and
went over to the island, sulking. *Why am I treating him this way? He
doesn't deserve it. It's my own fault.*

"Okay, Scully. I know that you're as cold as your freezer's
temperature towards me. I just don't understand the reason."

She closed her eyes and counted to ten in three languages. Then she
opened them and saw Mulder peering at her. "Why did you come back? I
mean, come on. It wasn't just to talk about old times."

"You're right. I guess I should tell you." He rested his forearms on
the countertop, watching her. "My sister's on earth."

She frowned at him. "Samantha? Wait--how do you know?"

"I've kept tabs out. I have friends with power. One of them notified
me."

"Can you trust your contact?"

"I don't know. That's why I'm here. Remember the unofficial channels,
Scully?"

She sighed. "You need my help to confirm the claim."

"I hate to ask you to do this, but you know how important Samantha is
to me. I need you. Even if you weren't the director, I'd still come
to you. There's no one else I'd want with me."

"What about your mother?"

"I don't want to raise her hopes. Besides, what is she now--70? She
couldn't handle the roughness this might have involved."

"And you think I can? I'm not exactly young anymore, Mulder, and
neither are you."

"This is *Samantha* I'm talking about, Scully. Not some close friend,
my sister. I have to find her."

"What if this turns out to be false? Just some sick joke played on
your vulnerabilities. What will you do then?"

"Keep searching for the truth."

She sighed. "Mulder, I don't know . . ."

He put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll understand if you don't want to
do it. You have a family, a job. I have neither. If you don't want to
come with me, then at least consider looking around for some evidence
that she's here."

"How would I do that?"

He smiled. "My source said that she arrived two weeks ago here in
Washington. I don't know where she's being kept. I was hoping you
could find that out for me."

"I might."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
 
somewhere in Washington, D.C. 
12:30 P.M.

Mulder recognized the building that Scully pulled up in front of.
"Hey, the Lone Gunmen are still here?"

"Yep," she replied, stepping out. "They're gonna *love* to see you."

He and Adam followed her to the door. She knocked, and a middle-aged
man that Mulder found slightly familiar answered. He had greying
hair, was cleanly groomed, and was wearing a suit and tie. "Dana! Oh,
it's so good to see you! Come in, come in. I haven't seen you since
Kwan died. How are you holding up . . ."

Mulder frowned, looking down at her son. "Who is that?"

He grinned, walking in. "Frohike."



The reunion was interesting. Mulder learned quite a few facts.
Between the time he left and the time Kwan came, Scully had dated
Frohike. Nothing had ever evolved out of the relationship except a
better understanding of each other. After she married, they continued
their friendship. Byers and Langly hadn't changed, except they
weren't as paranoid as before.

"So, Mulder, have you learned of any new government cover-ups?" Byers
asked.

"No. I've spent my time *away* from the government."

Langly ruffled Adam's light brown hair. "Tell Mulder he's crazy.
There's no *way* you can hide from the government, no matter how hard
you try."

Mulder pointed. "Don't listen to him, Adam. He'll give you brain
damage."

"Thanks for your support."

Frohike and Scully sat around a small, round table, drinking coffee.
"So what does Mulder know about . . . well, you know?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

"How long will it go on?"

"Until I can tell him."

"And when will that be?"

She sighed. "If I tell him, he'll go on a rampage. I don't want to
hurt him."

"Don't you think that lies are hurting him more?"

"I haven't lied to him. Not once since he's been here."

"Then why doesn't he know?"

"He never asked." Her grin broadened. "And I doubt he'd even think
to."

Frohike smiled, patting her hand. "You're probably right about that."

"There was something else I wanted to ask you. Mulder thinks that
Samantha might be here, in Washington. What do you know about it?"

He frowned. "Honestly, nothing. How did he hear this?"

"Secret sources. Do you think you could find out for me the validity
of this claim?"

He rolled the chair over to a nearby computer. "I could try." He
typed in a few commands. "I wonder what she looks like."

She shrugged. "I only know her from childhood."

"Maybe she looks the same."

"No. Could you check hospital records?"

"Sure." He scanned a file. "There were two Jane Does admitted to
Samaritan, one in her mid- sixties and one in her mid-twenties."

"No. Samantha would be my age. Neither of those fit."

"Maybe she didn't go to the hospital."

She sighed. "Maybe she didn't go to D.C. Maybe they left."

"I'm sorry." He smiled at Mulder and Adam. "They *are* great
together, aren't they?"

She nodded weakly. "Yeah. They are."

 
nearby grocery store 
2:00 P.M.

"That was fun."

Scully smiled, pushing the shopping cart forward. "They enjoyed it."

Mulder put his arm around her shoulders. "I'm glad you're speaking to
me again."

She chuckled. "You're hard to ignore." She paused. "Is there anything
you need or want?"

"Well . . ."

"Food wise, Mulder. That you can purchase in this supermarket."

"Nope."

"I didn't think so." She bagged some fruit and turned down an aisle.
"Where did Adam go?"

"Right here, Mommy," came his voice. He appeared, holding a heavy bag
of dog food. "Fox is hungry."

Mulder hurried to him and picked it up. "How did you get this all the
way here?"

"I'm strong," he growled, flexing his muscles.

"I see that." He grinned and put the bag into the cart. "But next
time, get our help, okay?"

The boy nodded. "I will."

Scully bit her bottom lip to keep it from quivering. She shook her
head to clear it. "Ready to check out?" she asked.

"Yeah," the boys answered, grasping hands and walking down the aisle,
Scully close behind.

They got in a checkout line. Mulder glanced at a tabloid. "Oh, wow!
The winning lottery numbers for the next game are the President's
birthdate numerically."

Adam tugged on her skirt. "Better buy a ticket, Mommy."

Scully sighed. "Reductio ad absurdum."

"My Latin's rusty," Mulder complained. "What's it mean?"

"'Reduction to absurdity.'" She piled the goods on the counter,
smiling politely to the woman behind the register.

Her son's eyes lit up. "Mommy, can I have a gumball?"

She raised an eyebrow with a small smile on her lips. "Sure." She
gave Mulder a twenty. "Will you pay for this, please?"

He nodded and watched them walk off.

The cashier grinned. "Your son is cute."

He turned to her, startled. "Oh, that's not my son."

"I'm sorry. My mistake."

He dismissed her error with the wave of a hand. "It's easy to confuse
a cute boy with an even cuter adult."

She giggled. "10.73, please."

He paid her, got the change, and retrieved the bags. "Have a nice
day." He gave Adam the sack of fruit. "Here's something easier to
carry."

"Thank you," he mumbled, his mouth full of gum.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After they returned home and put the groceries away, Scully called
her mother. Mulder waited until her call was finished. "What was that
all about?"

She looked up at him. "I know this is going against my better
judgement, but I've decided to go with you to find your sister."

He grinned. "Thank you, Scully. You don't know how much this means to
me."

"I find it difficult to turn down my best friend."

 
Annapolis, Maryland 
6:30 P.M.

"Hi, Mom." Scully hugged her mother briefly and walked inside.

Margaret patted her grandson on the head and smiled at the man
following him. "Hello, Fox."

"Mrs. Scully." He shook her hand. "Nice to see you again."

"The feeling is mutual."

Scully kneeled. "Adam, you be good for your grandma, okay?"

"I will, Mommy."

She kissed him. "I love you."

"Be careful, Dana," her mother warned. Then she whispered, "Take good
care of her, Fox."

"I promise."

They left after bidding goodbye to Adam again, getting in the car and
driving to the bureau.

"So where do we look first?" Mulder asked.

"I'm going to check out work. I can ask my assistant director if he's
heard anything."

"Who's that?"

"You wouldn't believe it."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

J. Edgar Hoover building 
7:10 P.M.

"Joe Stenwick!" It was not a face he had expected to see. He and Joe
grew up together in Chilmarc. They both decided to join the FBI, but
Joe went to college in Massachusetts whereas Mulder shipped himself
off to England.

The dark-haired man looked up and gasped. "Fox! Long time, no see,
buddy. I didn't even know you were in town." He cocked his head at
Scully. "Where have you been hiding him?"

"In the basement with my . . ." She smiled slightly. "Pinto."

"Oh, Fox?"

"What?" Mulder questioned.

Joe chuckled. "No. I meant Fox, the dog."

He sighed at the director. "You're going to have to rename that
thing."

She shook her head. "Anyway, we came down here to ask you if you've
heard anything."

"On what?"

"Samantha," Mulder answered.

"Samantha? What do you mean?"

"Do you know where she might be located?"

"No. What's this all about?"

"I heard from one of my sources that she's in town or in the
vicinity. If this is true, we have to find her. We were thinking that
maybe someone has tried to contact us on her whereabouts."

He shrugged. "I haven't heard anything. Dana, have you checked your
mail or phone messages?"

"No. I'll be right back."

When she was gone, Mulder winced. "You call your boss by her first
name?"

"We've been through a lot these past five years. It's allowed when no
one is around."

"You must've been. I was her partner for ten years, and we never got
to that stage."

"You should've come back sooner. There were a lot of changes
involved."

"I can imagine. Scully has given me a rundown of everything."

"She's done a great job. Everything works more smoothly, the people
are happier, and--this is the biggest shocker--no one's afraid to ask
for a raise because she usually grants it."

His eyes widened. "Do you think she'd rehire me?"

Scully walked in. "I think this is something you're going to want to
see." She handed Mulder a piece of computer paper. The perforated
edges were still intact. Mulder ripped them off as he read the
following:

	Dear Director Scully,
	We know that Mulder must be with you--we tracked him to your
location. Both of you, come to Arlington National Cemetery at
midnight on April 24 for the answers you seek. You won't believe your
eyes.

It wasn't signed, which puzzled Mulder. "How can you send E-mail
without signing your screen name to it?"

"I don't know," she answered, her voice suddenly smaller. "But they
obviously figured out how."

Joe shook his head slowly. "I don't like the sound of that."

"I don't care what the risks are," Mulder announced. "I have to find
Samantha."

Scully sighed but said nothing. Joe was about to protest, but she
held a hand up to silence him. "I'll still come with you. I have to
get a loaded gun, though. There's no way I'm going to a cemetery at
midnight without protection, especially when they say 'you won't
believe your eyes'."

He nodded. "Will you loan me one? I seem to have turned mine in five
years ago instead of keeping it as a souvenir."

"If I loan you a gun and you shoot somebody, not only will you be
arrested but so will I."

"Joe?"

He held his hands up. "Sorry. My ass is in enough hot water as it
is."

Scully chuckled. "He did some field work against my orders."

"Joe, you should know better than to ignore Scully."

"So should you," she replied hastily. "Anyway, thanks, Joe."

"Sure. Nice to see you again, Fox. Promise you'll come to *me* first
next time. Scully keeps you hidden from all view."

"I promise."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
 
Scully's home 
8:00 P.M.

"I don't get it."

"Get what?"

Mulder shrugged. "How you can afford all of this on an FBI director's
salary." They were sitting outside by the swimming pool. Scully was
wearing a swimsuit, dangling her legs in the water. Mulder was still
fully clothed.

"I told you that I didn't buy it. Kwan did."

"Well, how come he had so much money?"

She shook her head. "Skinner had paid him for being a walk-in with
the FBI. And I'm sure that he got paid a pretty penny from the KGB,
up until it collapsed, that is."

"Even though he was a traitor?"

She shrugged. "The world works in mysterious ways. He had more money
than he knew what to do with." Her voice softened. "He told me he had
nothing else to do with it except spend it on me. I was the only
person he ever loved." She slipped into the water, turning around to
look at him. "What?"

"You two had one of the strangest relationships." He smiled, flopping
onto his stomach. "Let's go over this. You meet accidentally, when
you witnessed Trask and Skinner exchanging blueprints with the KGB.
He told you when people were going to kill you. He testified in your
trial. The only thing he wanted from you was a kiss."

"So?"

"So the second time, he tells you that Trask is out of jail with the
help of his friend, the warden, Bertram. They lure you and all of
those involved in the trial by kidnapping your friend, Keri. Then I
kill him, and we swim into the Tidal Basin. Skinner offers him a job,
he declines, and you part again.

"Third time--the KGB agents get out of jail and want Kwan. They
kidnap me, Kwan exchanges himself for my life, and he disappears
*again,* only to be seen on 'Unsolved Mysteries' as a missing person.
Then--what? I wasn't here. I don't know."

"Then he showed up at the bureau. He had gone back to Russia to clear
a few things up with their government and was gone longer than
expected."

"I'll say. When did he arrive?"

"May 7, 2002, I believe. Anyway, he apologized for leaving. We got
reacquainted, he started working at the bureau, and we got married
the following January."

"How did he propose?"

"Funny you should ask. It was Christmas eve, and he asked me if I was
putting a stocking up. He convinced me to because he said that Santa
knew I had been a good girl that year. So I did. The next morning, I
got up, checked the stocking, and found an engagement ring. So I went
to his apartment, he dropped on one knee and proposed, and--well,
history speaks for itself."

He chuckled. "He must've been a romantic guy."

"Not really. He just had a funny way of expressing his feelings." She
nodded knowingly. "Yeah. Much like you."

"Should I be flattered?"

"I married him, didn't I?"

He shrugged. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She went under water and came back up, smiling.
"Now what?"

"Nothing. You've . . . changed, that's all."

"Really?"

"You're not as straightforward as I remember you being."

"Straightforward?"

"Yeah. Like the time we first met." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Scully stepped out of the elevator and headed for a door at the far
end of the hallway. In her two years at the bureau, she had never
been into the basement. She read the sign on the door, making sure
she had the right room and at the same time wondering how anyone
could have such a desolate and unwelcoming office, and knocked. A
male voice from within called out, "Sorry, nobody down here but the
FBI's most unwanted."

Unperturbed, she pushed the ajar door open, seeing a form hunched
over at a desk, preparing slides. She looked up, captivated by the
countless photos and documents on UFOs and aliens. A poster stood
out, one of a UFO with the caption 'I want to believe' underneath it
in bold, white letters.

The man at the desk looked up, startled. <What's wrong? They usually
go away when I answer like that.> Nevertheless, he sized the woman
up. She had red hair, shoulder length. Her eyes held a promise as she
smiled down at him, but he didn't like the feeling she was giving
him.

"Agent Mulder." She approached him, arm outstretched. "I'm Dana
Scully. I've been assigned to work with you."

He shook her hand weakly. "Oh, isn't it nice to be suddenly so highly
regarded? So who did you tick off to get stuck with this detail,
*Scully?*" he asked, saying her name scornfully. <Maybe she'll go
away.>

"Actually, I'm looking forward to working with you. I've heard a lot
about you."

She was different; unphased by his sarcasm. Maybe she'd be all right.
However . . . "Oh, really? I was under the impression that you were
sent to spy on me."

She raised an eyebrow. "If you have any doubt about my qualifications
or credentials--"

He cut her off. "You're a medical doctor. You teach at the academy."
He dug through a stack of nearby papers and pulled out a portfolio.
"You did your undergraduate degree in physics. 'Einstein's Twin
Paradox--A New Interpretation.' Dana Scully's senior thesis. Now
that's the credential: rewriting Einstein."

He was really grating her nerves. "Did you bother to read it?" she
questioned, keeping her voice as steady as possible.

"I did. I liked it." He loaded the slide projector. "It's just that,
in most of my work the laws of physics rarely seem to apply."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Scully chuckled. "I remember that. You were so annoying, I could
barely stand it."

"And you were so goody-goody."

She nodded, understanding what he meant. "But we got better."

"Sure. We bonded."

"Like the time we were stuck in the Arctic, and we thought you had
gotten the worm."

"And when our fathers died."

She chuckled. "How about after we met, when I thought that I had
those marks?"

"Oh, admit it, Scully," he teased. "You just wanted to come to my
room in your bra and underwear."

She raised an eyebrow. "Believe what you want, Mulder."

"I tend to."

She smiled, gazing at him. "One thing. I'll try not to be too
sentimental. I just want to thank you for protecting me through all
those years."

"You're welcome." He shrugged. "My pleasure."

"You were overbearing at times, but, if you hadn't been, I wouldn't
be here."

"Scully, you--" He paused. "You don't owe me anything. Just . . .
you're welcome."

"Another thing." She pushed herself onto the wooden deck and stood.
Mulder did as well. "I wanted to give you something."

He couldn't help but grin. "Maybe you *do* owe me something."

"Yes, I do. This one is *long* overdue." She put a hand on his arm
and leaned closer to him. "And you deserve it *so much.*" With that,
she shoved him sideways, watching him splash into the twelve-feet
deep water. Shaking her head as he thrashed around like a fish out of
water instead of in it, she walked inside her bedroom, locking the
patio door behind her.



When Mulder finally got inside--she had left the door by the garage
unlocked--he vowed revenge. He didn't know what to do; he just knew
he should do something. It couldn't be violent. He wasn't in that
type of mood. Just something . . . practical--for him at least. And
fun. But he couldn't figure out what.

Since he was already in the kitchen, he decided to see what type of
food he could have for a snack. An idea caught him as he picked up
the container of Cool Whip and smirked.

Scully picked up her pajamas from the floor. It was time to take a
shower. She walked into the bathroom and started up the water. She
stepped inside and shut the curtain.

Mulder made his move. He spooned the whipped cream into her socks. He
was seriously considering putting it in her underwear but decided
against it. He wasn't looking to lose an arm.

He had disappeared when she got out of the shower. She put her
underwear on, then her large nightshirt. She slipped one foot in a
sock. Something didn't feel right, but she put the other foot in
anyway. When she started to walk, she screeched, wrestling with her
feet on the floor as she frantically tried to pull them off.

Mulder opened the door and laughed. "The score is one to one, Scully.
Why don't you say we call a truce?"

She groaned at him. He stuck out a hand. She shook it . . .
regretting it the instant she did.

He grinned. "Now it's two-one, and we made a promise to stop. I win."
He waved the grape jellied hand at her and left.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 
11:45 P.M.

Scully hung up the telephone. "Mom says she'll keep him for however
long it takes."

He nodded. "Good."

She finished washing the dishes. "I hope this doesn't take too long.
I'll miss him."

"He'll be fine. Your mom raised you well enough. I'm sure he'll have
the etiquette of a prince by the time you return."

"He already does. And it was all my mother's doing."

"What did you contribute?"

She grunted. "I birthed him. That's contribution enough."

He chuckled. "Yep. You've definitely changed."

She slipped her shoes on. "Ready?"

"Yes."

"Let's go."

The drive to the cemetery was quiet. She pulled up along the gates,
and they headed inside after she flashed her badge to the guard and
made up a phony story. "Did it say where we're supposed to meet?"

She frowned at him. "You're the eidetic one. You tell me."

"The answer would have to be no. But if you were an alien, where
would you go?"

"No aliens here," came a voice. They turned around. "Well, well,
Director Scully, *Mr.* Mulder, it's been a long time."

"Krycek. We just keep running into each other, don't we? You're
looking dapper. Is that Armani?" Mulder questioned. He really wished
Scully had given him a gun.

"Very good," Alex Krycek answered. "Now--shall we?"

Realizing that they were surrounded by many vicious-looking, mob-like
henchmen, they followed Krycek to his car. "Where's Samantha?" Mulder
demanded.

"Oh, she's here on earth. I have her." He sneered. "And now I have
you."

 
1:15 A.M.

Mulder had no idea where he was. Krycek had locked Scully and him in
the trunk, cramped together for an hour. He had finally stopped
driving and let them out. They were by the ocean, going into a
warehouse by some docks. He shoved them through the entrance. "Keep
going. Where's your gun, Director? I think that I should have it now.
Slowly."

She pulled it out and handed it to him. Mulder sighed. <If I was her,
I would've shot him on the spot.>

Krycek tucked it away. "Now, if you have one, Mulder, I suggest you
hand it over."

"I lost my license."

"Of course. The retired FBI agent. Well, no matter."

A woman was heading towards them in the hallway. Krycek opened a door
to push the duo into. The woman met Mulder's gaze. "Fox?" she uttered
in shock.

"Samantha," he whispered. Krycek booted him into the room.
"Samantha!" The door shut after Scully had stumbled in. He banged on
it. "Let me out!"

Krycek ignored the pounding, turning to the woman. "What are you
doing out here? Your medication hasn't worn off, and we agreed that
you wouldn't get up."

"Was that Fox?"

"Samantha--"

"Was that my brother?" she demanded.

"Yes. But will you--"

"What are you going to do to him?"

He sighed. "I really hate to do this." He held out a needle. "Hold
still."

After a weak struggle, she slumped to him, and he dragged her back to
her room, locking the door.

His best assistant, Ripley Bell, approached him. "Alex, what are you
doing to her?"

"There's only a certain amount of freedom you can offer a woman."

"They told us not to hurt her."

"I didn't hurt her. Besides, I don't care what They said. They aren't
here anymore."

"But, Alex, They are watching."

He sighed. "How can you even believe that UFO stuff? God, you're as
bad as Mulder."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Mulder pounded on the door with the remainder of his strength, then
slid down it. "Dammit."

Scully glanced at him. "I'm sorry, Mulder."

"There's nothing you can do. There's nothing *anyone* can do."

"Except hope." She smiled, but he wouldn't lighten up. "Well, at
least you know that she wasn't harmed. That the Voice wasn't lying."

"What do you know about it?" he yelled bitterly. Mad at himself for
his outbreak, he got up and sat on the wall opposite her.

The room they were in was completely bare . . . and dark. He hoped
Krycek would bring a flashlight or some sort of illumination. The
walls were wood; the ground, cement. The door was made of a thick
metal. He wondered what type of warehouse this was.

Krycek opened the door and handed Scully a lantern of sorts. "Here."

"What are you going to do with us?" she asked him.

"Kill you." He smiled evilly. "Synchronize your watches everyone; the
death bells that I've been longing to hear ring at dawn." He left,
the light burning brightly for such a little contraption.

He stared at Scully. She was hugging her folded legs to her chest,
cheek on her knees. A bloody spot on her head clumped part of her
hair together. "Hey, Scully?" he called several lonely minutes later.

She looked up. "What?"

"Come here."

She crawled across the room to him, hugging him instantly. "What are
we going to do?" she whispered sadly.

"Hope," he replied, kissing her head, rubbing her arms.

They sat there for quite some time, eventually dozing off. When
Mulder woke up, he immediately checked his watch. Sunrise was at
6:42; it was 4:23. He sighed. <Not much time left.>

Scully awoke with a start, sitting up quickly. "Oh. I had this
crazy--" She looked around. "It wasn't a dream."

He shook his head. "Nope. We're stuck in a warehouse, God knows how
far from Washington, ready to be eradicated by Alex Krycek." He
frowned. "I'm going to haunt him."

She regarded him for a long time, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Mulder, there's--there's something I have to tell you."

He nodded, prompting her to continue.

"That night we made love--you gave me something no man ever had
before."

He felt slightly flushed. "You weren't so bad yourself."

"No, no, what I mean is . . ." She struggled with the words, choosing
them carefully, enunciating them slowly. "You gave me . . . a son,
born December 12, 2002, named Adam William Scully."

His hold on her broke, and he stood, backing up from her a step. "I
did what?" His voice was surprisingly calm.

"I--I got pregnant. I don't know how; there must've been a small tear
that we didn't see. But I know it's yours. And so does everyone
else."

"Everyone as in who? Your family? Your friends?"

"No, I mean *everyone.*"

He sighed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldn't. When I first had him, I was helped by Kwan. I wanted to
tell you, but I didn't know where to reach you. And when you came
back . . . I was afraid. It seemed like I could tell anyone except
you. I wasn't ready." She sobbed. "I'm sorry. Now we'll never see him
again."

He knelt to her, his heart warm and his face smiling. "No, Scully, I
don't mind. I mean, sure it's a shock. It must've been to you."

She looked up at him. "You're not mad?"

"No. Why would I be? It was no one's fault. We used protection. We
were just one couple out of the three percent that it didn't work
with. I'm not upset. I love you. Or is it still hard to accept that
fact?"

"Yeah. Hard."

He hugged her. "It's amazing. No wonder that clerk at the grocery
store said that Adam and I looked alike." He paused. "Oh, I see. I
don't know why I didn't see all the signs. You wouldn't give me his
exact age. I couldn't see the baby pictures. The photographic memory.
It all fits."

"Oh, he's so smart. The teachers at the preschool were amazed by his
memorization skills. He can read at a second to third grade level.
The principal at the school he'll be attending in the fall recommends
that he skip two grades after kindergarten."

"Ah, the dynamics of sex."

She giggled, then frowned. "Why are you taking this so lightly? Is it
because death is imminent?"

"No." He shook his head, sure of himself. "It's just that . . . I
don't know. I'm happy. Tell me everything about him, Scully.
Everything." He held her in his arms. "Starting with the day you
learned that you were pregnant."

She took a breath. "It was the day Kwan returned, in May. I had
already skipped once in my oh- so-timely monthly cycle, but I figured
that it was because I was so keyed up on being the director. That's
happened once before. But we went out to lunch. I ate like I had been
starving for years. He knew something was wrong."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
 
May 7, 2002 
12:45 P.M.

"Dana?"

Scully looked up from her banana split. "What?"

"Can I tell you something? Take no offense."

"Sure." She managed to ignore the dish for a few moments.

"Aren't you eating a little too much? I mean, I haven't seen you eat
this much the whole time I've known you."

She frowned at her dessert. "You know, I've noticed that, too. Also,
I've been sick to my stomach lately and really tired. But the only
thing with all those symptoms is a preg--" She stopped short of the
word. "Oh, God. And I've skipped." She threw some money on the table.
"Come with me."

They ran to a nearby store, where she bought a home pregnancy test.
She followed the intsructions and waited, her eyes red and puffy.
Kwan held her, offering as much support as he could.

After three minutes, she took a deep breath and read the results. She
hiccupped. "I'm pregnant. There must be some mistake." She
frantically searched for the directions. "We took the necessary
precautions. I must've read it wrong. Maybe I--"

"Dana." He grabbed her shaking hands. "You didn't read it wrong."

She began to weep again. "What am I going to do? I can' t have a
baby."

"First off, you have my support. I'll help you. I was planning on
staying in Washington for quite a while anyway."

She kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

"Next you have to call the father."

"But I can't. I don't know where he . . ." Her voice trailed off when
she realized just who the father was.

"Who is it, Dana?"

"Mulder."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~	

He sighed. "That month, I was in England, visiting my old alma
mater."

"I was so unprepared. And what a time--I get a new job, and I have to
go have a baby."

"I suppose you were upset."

"Upset, yes, because you weren't there. But I was never mad at you
for getting me pregnant. After all, it takes two. And since having
sex was my choice, too, I had to live with the consequences."

He smiled. "You grew. That's why you're not as straightforward as
before."

"Yeah. But anyway." She shrugged. "The birth was painful, of course,
but I was so intent on having Adam that I pushed and pushed. I really
wanted to get out of there. I couldn't live with having Steve stare
at me like I was some cheap callgirl. I was planning on having my own
doctor deliver. But the labor came unexpectedly; we were out at
dinner, nearby the hospital, and my water broke. So Kwan rushed me
right over, and Steve just happened to be in E.R."

"He must've been surprised and angry."

"He was--when he found out you were the father." Steve could handle
Kwan--he had saved her life for which he was grateful--but Mulder was
definitely a problem.

Mulder laughed. "Oh, it had to have been a Kodak moment."

"It was. But afterwards, I had Adam, using the middle name William
for a simple reason. It was both of our father's names. The only way
I could link Adam as 'our child' without having you there."

He smiled. "Interesting. So he's smart? I could tell."

"How can he have a photographic memory if you do?"

"The ones in our family are odd. They go two generations, then skip
two. Don't ask me how or why. I won't pretend to know. It just
happened that way."

She smiled the only smile that belonged solely to mothers of every
form. "I'm so proud of him. He's wonderful."

"Like I said, the dynamics of sex. It's amazing."

Someone opened the door, pushing two plates of food in and leaving.

"Do you think it's poisoned?" she asked.

"No. Krycek is liable to have us go out with a bang."

She sighed, bringing the dishes to them. "Eat up. This could very
well be our last meal." However, she hardly touched it.

He looked at his watch. "It's five already."

"Mulder?" she began cautiously.

"What?"

"I have something else I need to confess."

He enclosed her in his arms, but she pushed away. "No, wait. I've
been thinking a lot about what you said when you told me you loved
me."

He took her hand. "And what did you decide?"

"I thought about all the times I was without you. I was . . .
different somehow. You taught me how to lighten up a little. So I had
to make myself believe that you were still here."

He nodded. He wasn't quite sure what she was getting at, but he had a
feeling he was going to find out soon enough.

"When I was with Frank," she began, using his first name
affectionately, "I felt very safe. He was never overprotective. Best
of all, he was always there. Whenever I needed him, he knew how to
make me feel better. I was the only woman he ever loved so I felt
special. There was no competition. To him, I always came first. And I
loved him so much. Yet . . ." She sighed. "There was something
missing." She paused for a long time before continuing, unsure of
what she had to say. "I think what you said pretty much sums it up
for me, too."

He frowned, then realized that she was talking about his confession.
"Which part?"

"All of it. My feelings were buried so deep that *I* didn't even know
they were there. That's why they never interfered with my feelings
for Kwan; I didn't know I had them. I knew that I felt something for
you, but I hadn't been sure what it was. Once, I figured it was just
infatuation because it was easy to have those types of feelings for a
close friend. So I dismissed them. But after you told me you loved
me, I had to stop and think." She smiled briefly, faintly. "I've been
thinking all this time. And, yeah . . . I think I love you. I don't
know how or why, but I do."

He squeezed her happily until she nearly gagged and let go. "Thank
you."

"I didn't do it for your benefit. I had to do it for my own. If I
hadn't, I would have . . ." She grinned. "You're welcome."

He leaned into her and kissed her the same way he had on their first
night together. Then he rocked back on his heels and gazed at her. "I
love you."

She smiled. "I love you, too."

The door opened again, and Krycek stepped in. "Hello."

Mulder sighed. "Do you just come in whenever you want, or do you plan
this?"

"I come in whenever I want, and, yes, I planned this." He picked up
their plates. "I've planned to kill you for a very long time. And
then I was given the perfect opportunity."

"Really?"

"Yes. These people came to me, told me that if I wanted you to take
your sister. So they gave her to me. I swore not to harm her, and I
won't." He shrugged. "But I *also* swore to kill you the two of you
and look! I got you at the same time, which makes my job a whole lot
easier." He glanced at his watch before leaving. "Just under an hour.
I'm glad the sun is one thing you can count on being on schedule." He
left.

Mulder frowned, pulling Scully to him. "I dragged you into this."

"No, you didn't. I agreed to come."

"I still think it's my fault. If there is a chance that one of us can
escape, you go."

"Me?" She sat up. "I'm not going to leave you here alone."

"But you have a son."

"So do you."

"I also made a vow to find my sister."

"You found her. Krycek said he wouldn't hurt her; he's under oath, so
to speak. You'll find her again. Mulder, I can't leave you."

"If the opportunity presents itself, and you don't go, I'll . . ." He
smiled at her overly serious expression. He kissed her quickly.
"Don't look at me that way."

"I outrank you."

"Don't pull rank either."

"I could hurt you."

He sighed. "You always get your way, you know that?"

"Not always, but lately." She smiled. "I leave with you or I stay
with you."

"It looks like you're going to have to stay with me. There's about a
half an hour left."

She read the watch and leaned against him. "I wouldn't die with
anyone else."

Krycek came in fifteen minutes later. "Hello once more. This will be
the final time you see me before you get killed."

"Why do you want us dead so badly?" Scully asked.

"I was ordered to kill you." There was a pause. "I was also ordered
to kill your husband."

She gasped. "You son of a bitch." She tried to get up to strangle
him, but Mulder held her down. "Why?"

"I can't tell you. But I can leave you with this, Director Scully. I
did not pull the trigger."

"Who did?"

"That I cannot tell you either. It was done to look like a suicide,
but I knew no one would believe it. He was very happy with you." He
sighed. "But that was then. This is now." He bowed and stepped out.

Mulder stroked Scully's hair. "I'm sorry."

"I'll haunt him with you."

He smiled. "For anything I ever did, I'm sorry."

"I am, too, for all of my sins."

"Okay. Now that we've apologized and confessed--what is there left to
do?"

She sighed, her voice strained. "Hope."

 
6:42 A.M.

Bell and another man entered the cell. He held up a gun; the other
man was unarmed. "Would you please stand up? The sun has risen."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Meanwhile . . .

"What are you going to do to my brother?"

"Samantha, you're confused," Krycek declared. "You're still on your
medication."

"I may be on medication, but I know what I'm talking about." She
pushed a lock of copper hair behind her ear. "Tell me what you're
going to do to him."

He sighed; he had grown rather fond of her and couldn't lie. "I had
them killed."

She frowned angrily, her voice rising. "When?"

He glanced at his watch. "Now, actually."

"How could you?" She grabbed the nearby lamp before he knew what was
happening and hit him, knocking him to the floor, unconscious. She
pulled his gun out of its holster and ran down the hall. She knew
exactly which door it was . . .



Mulder rose, holding Scully's hand and pulling her up. They remained
linked and glanced at each other. Emotions surged between them, and
they turned to face the assassins. Bell cocked his gun . . .



Samantha saw the door. It was just within her sight. She reached for
it and turned the handle, flinging it open . . .



Following a tense silence so thick that it could be cut by only the
sharpest knife, a pair of bullets shot out of a single gun, taking
two lives and leaving the night behind.

The End

**Send comments, flames, praise, etc. to: Keri 40980@aol.com d:^)