|
Title: Reunited II Summary: When Scully discovers who killed her husband, she decides to avenge his death in the only way she knows how--kill the murderer. The three C's (comments, compliments, and constructive criticism) can be sent to me at Please be honest! If you can dish it out, I can take it. On with the show... Abandoned Warehouse on the Atlantic Ocean Am I dead? Dana Scully opened her eyes slowly, carefully. The gunshots she had heard caused her to jump. She glanced around the room, which was suddenly brighter. She felt a release of pressure on her left hand and saw Fox Mulder running. Standing in the doorway, shaking like a leaf, was Samantha Mulder. The woman dropped the gun and embraced her brother, whom she had not seen in thirty-five years. Scully turned her eyes to the ground. There lay two men, both dead. She looked back up at Mulder and his sister. Convinced that she was not dead or in any danger, she dropped to her knees and wept in silent relief.
Samaritan Hospital The police arrived soon after and arrested Alex Krycek, charging him with kidnapping three people. The rest of them were taken to the hospital. "No, no, Mom, I'm fine, really." Scully sighed. Her mother, Maggie, was always overprotective. "No, just--Mom, li--Mom!" "Now, Dana, I just want to make sure you're okay," she declared wearily. "I know, and I'm fine. The doctors checked me out. I have a small concussion, and no one else fared much worse." Except maybe the dead guys. "How's Adam?" "He wants to know when Mommy and Daddy are going to be home." Scully could hear the smile in her voice. After four years, Scully had admitted to Mulder that he was the father of her son. She had expected Mulder to be upset, but he was ever-loving. Even cheerful, despite the dreary situation they were in. She didn't know what to do. "We'll be home soon, with his aunt, Samantha." "You found her?" Maggie asked. "Yes. And she's fine. A little weak--apparently, Krycek was pumping her full of morphine and other drugs, but she's recovering." "What are you going to do, Dana?" "I don't know." She spotted Mulder heading her way. "I'll be home soon. Tell Adam I love him." "Good-bye, Dana." She hung the phone back up, not immediately acknowledging Mulder's presence. Then she looked up at him. "How's your sister?" "Everything is a-okay. They're giving her a quick examination. We're supposed to take her back to Washington and have her undergo a complete physical. How's your mother?" "Nervous," she chuckled. "She was very worried. But everything is fine now." He kicked invisible dust up with his shoe. "They took Krycek to state pen. He's not even getting a trial. They're hoping he'll tell them how he got Samantha, but I doubt even he knows." "Oh, he knows, all right. He knows a lot of things." Her eyes narrowed involuntarily at the thought of Krycek ordering a man to kill her husband, Frank Kwan, two years ago. He knows who killed him. And I have to find out. I owe it to Kwan. She sighed. A hand rested on her shoulder, and she looked up at Mulder, his heart in his eye. "How's Adam?" She nodded. "Good. He wants to know when we're coming back." "Well, as soon as they release Sam, we'll head out," he paused. "Scully, I--" He stopped short of what he was going to say. What was I going to say anyway? I don't know what to say to her. She smiled. "We're all a little confused now, Mulder. What we need is some sleep." She walked down the hallway and disappeared around a corner. "I love you," he whispered softly.
Once she had rounded the corner, Scully stopped and let out a long breath. She didn't know why she was suddenly so afraid to be alone with Mulder. Less than two hours ago, she was madly in love with him. Was it because I was going to die? she wondered. No, don't say that, Dana. I love him, I just don't know what to do, how to act around him. She sighed once more and headed over to the small lounge area. She scrounged through her pockets for loose change and bought a cup of coffee from a vending machine. She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting, but when Mulder arrived, her cup was half empty and whatever coffee was left was cold. "Hi, Scully," he sat next to her on the couch. "How are you feeling?" "Fine. What's going on?" "I was going to check us into a hotel." "Why?" "They found one of our little silver implants in Sam's nose. They removed it and want to keep her overnight for observation." "So let me guess--you think it was an alien abduction?" "Where else could she have been for 35 years?" Scully sighed. She didn't really want to get into this. "Someone--like Krycek--could've kidnapped her." "And you think he would've kept her for that long? No, the only explanation is alien abduction," he paused. "Sam will remember in time." "Maybe someone brainwashed her." "I think someone brainwashed you," he replied defensively. "After all we've seen, and you still don't believe?" "Mulder... I've spent the last five years doing rational things. Having children, getting married, working as the FBI's director. I haven't had time to think about the paranormal because I've been basing my life on the here and now--what's on the earth at this present time. And those things I based my life on was Kwan and our son." She swallowed over the lump in her throat. "You're still chasing shadows. You still base your life on what you consider the truth. Mulder, you have to stop. The truth--the real truth--is right in front of you." She stood up and walked off, throwing her cup in the garbage on her way. He followed. "Scully... Scully, I'm sorry." She stopped and turned around, a smile forming slightly on her lips. "After all these years, you're still obsessed with aliens and Ufos. What compels a man like you to chase them?" "The same thing that compels a woman like you to be rational," he grinned broadly. "Birth order." "Oh, poor Adam! I hope he has my common sense." "He's already got my imagination." She nodded. "I noticed." He traced his finger along her jawline. "I'm sorry." "Me, too." He kissed her quickly. "Come on, let's go. I'll buy you dinner, and we'll go to the hotel and get some sleep, okay?" "Sure." She kissed him longer. "Now I'm ready." He hugged her fiercely, as if he was going to lose her. "I love you," he mumbled into her hair. "Good." "Good?" "Yeah, because I love you, too." She smiled and took his hand. "Come on, I'm starving. That food Krycek fed us in prison was hardly edible."
They drove the car graciously loaned to them by a police officer to a small diner just outside of Dover. They took a cozy booth near the jukebox and ordered a meal fit for a small army: two double bacon cheeseburgers with the works, a large order of cheese fries, two milkshakes (chocolate for Mulder, strawberry for Scully), a pitcher of diet Coke, a basket of mozzarella sticks, and a banana split for dessert. The petite waitress with the blonde ponytail gave them a disbelieving look upon delivering the food. "So tell me, Scully, what do you know about Adam?" She frowned, the cheeseburger just inches away from her mouth. "I birthed him. What do you want to know?" "Anything." He smiled slightly. "Everything. What's his favorite food, his favorite color, his favorite superhero, his idol." "Potatoes, blue, Superman, you." He raised an eyebrow. "Me?" he asked softly. "Yes. As soon as he was old enough to understand, he's known that Frank wasn't his father, that you were. He says that he's dying to meet you." She chuckled. "I'll bet he's dying for you to come home, too." "So what does he know about me?" "Everything." She rolled her eyes. "Whatever I could tell him. I showed pictures, old home videos--" "Oh, the ones we made that one rainy afternoon in March?" "The very ones." He smiled in recollection of the day. He had gone over to Scully's for lunch, and it had started to pour. Not wanting to go out in the storm, he had stayed with her. They had found the video camera her mother had bought her that had hardly been used and decided to see what they could do. It had turned out to be a humorous day, one that neither of them had forgotten. "He really looks up to you. You and Kwan were his only heroes." "What about you?" "Me? A woman hero?" "Well, sure. I'll bet that he looks up to you more than he does to Kwan and me put together. I bet he just can't tell you." "Mmm, a shame." She took a few bites before continuing. "Anything else?" "Well, geez, Scully... everything. Does he have many friends, does he like school, has he shown any signs of abnormal behavior?" "Are you suggesting our son is a serial killer?" she cocked her head. "Are you hiding a double life from me?" He grinned. "That's not what I meant. It was a joke." "Okay," she said slowly, frowning. "He has lots of friends, making and keeping them very easily. He loves school. Bill picks him up when I can't--which is usually. Whatever time Adam and I have together is treasured. Bureau life is tough." "So what about your brothers? How are they doing?" "Bill retired early so he could spend time with his wife. Charlie and Medley are still happily married. Harmony has gone off and gotten married to a rocket scientist in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Aria and Melody are in college now, they're both freshmans." "Didn't they have other children, too?" "Yes, four more." "Four?" "Well, Harmony, Aria, and Melody were all from Medley's first marriage. They had Valerie first, then the twins Jeremy and Matthew, and... Melissa." Mulder knew that she still missed her older sister, who had been murdered over ten years ago. "I'm sure she looks just like her." "Who, Melissa? No, she looks like Medley. She looks like Medley a lot." "So how old are they now? I remember them all... I think." "Oh, dear, let me think... Val's 11, Jeremy and Matt are 9, and Missy's 5. You haven't met Missy. Medley was still pregnancy when you left. Well, you'll have to visit them. They still live in Washington. Let's go sometime, okay?" "Sure. They are, after all, related to me." She frowned. "They are not." "Well, they're not, but my son is their cousin. So--kind of." She rolled her eyes. "You're awful. Your photographic memory is worse than mine." "You don't have one." "I rest my case." He shook his head. "That was low." She finished her cheeseburger without answering any more questions. But when she started on the basket of French fries, Mulder spoke. "Do you think Adam will accept me as his father?" She stopped, shocked. "What do you mean?" "I haven't been here for him since he was born and--" "I don't see how you can ask that." She made a face. "He loves you, Mulder. He wants you as a part of his world as much as--" She stopped before saying 'me.'"What?" She smiled slightly. "When I called Mom, she said that Adam couldn't wait for his mommy... and his daddy to come home." She made eye contact with him. "He wants to be with you." He grinned. "Then let's get a move on, shall we? Hurry up, eat." She frowned. "What about Samantha?" "I'm going to see if I can pull some strings and get us all home early," he shoved a few more fries in his mouth and went to hunt down the waitress.
Back at the hospital, Mulder was successful in getting the doctors to release his sister. Scully still wasn't sure it was the best thing, but with her medical expertise, she was able to convince the doctors that Samantha would be in good hands. Which was true, of course. But her house was far from the efficiency of the hospital. Scully glanced at her watch. It was nearing eleven-thirty. It would be a long drive home. "Scully." She turned to see Mulder and Samantha standing side by side. She was amazed at their similar appearance. Sam had dark brown hair. It was straight and went halfway down her back. Her eyes were triangle-shaped like Mulder's and were the same color. She was trim and tall, like her brother. But to Scully, anyone over her petite height of five-two was tall. Samantha must've been about five-ten. Her smile was friendly but cautious, much like Mulder's. Like brother and sister. "Hi, I'm Dana Scully. " She reached out her hand, and Sam took it. "Samantha Mulder." Her voice was pleasantly melodic. It was easy to listen to. "Thank you for taking care of Fox, more or less." She grinned. "Hardly. He never listens to me." "I do to," he scoffed. "Now don't give me a bad rep." "Bad rep? A little late for that, eh, Mulder?" Samantha raised an eyebrow. "Fox, you've been bad? You always seemed to be the one to turn out intelligent and strong-willed, always doing right." "But I am, Sam. Scully hasn't seen the new me yet." She shook her head with a chuckle. "I'll bring around the car." She walked off. Mulder hugged his sister. "I've missed you, Sam." "I've missed you, too, Fox." She took his hand, and they headed for the front door. "Dana seems nice." "She is. You and she are the only reasons I'm still here. She kept me level-headed. Without her, I'd--" He shrugged. "I don't know where I'd be." "Hopefully you'd be all right," she sighed. "Fox?" "What?" "When we get into Washington, what's going to happen to me?" "What do you mean?" "Well, from what you've told me, I was abducted by... " She swallowed hard, afraid to say the words. "... aliens. What are they going to do to me?" "They're not taking you away from me. We'll do whatever it takes, Sam," he embraced her again. "Whatever it takes until you remember what really happened to you."
Margaret Scully's home "Mom." Scully nearly fell into her mother's arms. "Oh, Dana, I'm so glad you're okay." She looked her daughter over. "You are okay, aren't you?" "I'm just really, really tired, that's all." "Mommy!" Adam Scully came running into the foyer in his pajamas. She dropped to one knee. "Hey, Adam." She hugged him tightly. "Are you okay?" "Yes," he kissed her quickly. She tousled his sandy brown hair, and he giggled. A few voices from behind made both of them turn. Mulder and Adam looked at each other. The older of the two dropped next to Scully. "I--" He couldn't find the words, felt the tears begin to sting his eyes. Tentatively, Adam put a hand on his shoulder. "Dad?" Scully began to sob, standing up as they hugged. She covered her mouth, embarrassed at her outburst but unable to stop. Margaret turned to Samantha, who was watching with a childlike awe. "You're Fox's sister, aren't you? I'm Dana's mother, Maggie." She glanced at her, then quickly looked back at her brother, who was also crying quietly. "That's his son?" "Yes," she replied quietly, noting that her daughter had left the room. "Why don't I make you some coffee, let them catch up on lost time, and I'll have Fox explain it when he's ready?" She smiled, feeling tears fill her own hazel eyes. "I'd like the coffee please." "Of course." She went into the kitchen and found her daughter crying miserably. "Dana?" "I don't know what to do," she whispered. "Mom, what happens now?" "Whatever feels right." She put a hand around her. "Go home, all four of you. Sleep it off. Call me in the morning."
Scully paced the living room so much she was worried about wearing a hole in the floor. Frank hadn't come home yet. He was always home before ten-thirty every night, or at least he called, saying he would be late. But not tonight. The phone hadn't rang, there was no message at the bureau or on the answering machine, and Frank wasn't home. "Oh, chéri, where are you?" Dana picked up the phone. Earlier that evening, she had called her husband's place of work, the U.N. building. 'No, we're sorry, Frank Kwan left a few hours ago, about nine-forty five.' That damn secretary. She dialed her mother this time. "Mom?" "Dana." It's four in the morning. "What's wrong?" "Mom, Frank didn't come home tonight." "Well, maybe he was working late." "I called already. There was no work at the bureau either. Mom, this isn't like him. Something wrong." It hit her, and she sobbed. "Do you think he's--he's cheating on me?" "Dana Kate, don't be foolish. Frank loves you more than life. He would never cheat on you." "Then where can he be... ?" It wasn't until two days later, on September 19, 2006, that they found him. He had been shot in temple and the heart, had been left in his car's trunk at the U.N. building. Identifying the body had been the hardest thing in Dana's life. And it wasn't even difficult. She knew that sable-colored hair, those small but cute facial features like she knew the back of her hand. But she would never forget the look of death on his face when they found him stuffed in the trunk. Thankfully his eyes were closed, but it didn't stop her from feeling horrible and haunted. Hollow inside. He was dead, and there was nothing left. The police said it appeared to be suicide--he was holding the gun. It was possible. 'No, it wasn't,' Dana had wanted to say. But she was so upset that she cried uncontrollably for five days straight. Adam, just three then, didn't know what was happening, but he was taken to grandma's for a few days, and Mommy didn't come along. He just assumed she was working as she often did. But it was much more. She fell into a pit of despair over his death. All she did was cry when she saw his picture, heard the amusing answering machine message they had recorded together, heard his name spoken, listened to their wedding song. Even when his face appeared in her thoughts. It had been Frohike, one of Mulder's kooky friends, who had brought her out of it. He appeared at her house, the day after his funeral--her worst day ever. He had an apple pie in his hand and a sorry look on his face. "Dana, how are you feeling?" he stepped inside and hung his hat on the rack. She sniffled. "As well as can be expected." "You know you can't go on like this forever." She glared at him. "Don't tell me how to run my life." "I'm not. It's just that... Adam has been with Maggie for nearly a week now. The only time you saw him was at the funeral, and I don't even think you saw him. You're so wrapped up in your own grief that you can't function any more. Kwan's death was a tragedy; it shouldn't have happened. But it's irreversible. Nothing you do will bring him back," he paused to study her expression. She was paying attention--still sobbing but listening. "I only knew Kwan for four years. He was a great guy. And I know that he wouldn't want you like this. He would want you to move on with your life. After you found out you were pregnant, Kwan helped you deal with the fact that Mulder wasn't there. You got over that." She soon realized that all he said was true. Frank would not want her to be this way--ever. She began to cry again, but it was not over Frank. It was over herself. "Oh, Frohike," she wailed, "what am I going to do?" "Cope." He took her into his arms gently, letting her cry. A few days later, Dana was doing much better. Adam returned home, no questions asked. He knew where his second father was, and no one knew where his first father went, but neither of them would be around for quite a while. Life went on as expected. Few changes occurred around their home. Adam did notice, however, that the answering machine message had been changed, and most of his second daddy's pictures had been turned over. One day, before school, he went into his mother's room where she slept and sat all of the frames upright. Then Uncle Bill came and took him to school. When Dana awoke, she sensed that Adam had been there. And when she saw the fixed picture frames, she was positive of it. It seemed like everyone was telling her to move on with life. So she did.>>
Scully flew upright in bed, panting heavily. She'd had that dream again, the one with Frank in it. In her dream, she returned to the day she had identified her husband's body. Only when she saw him, his beady black eyes that she once thought were gorgeous were open, gazing at her evilly. And then he started to move. She didn't know why she was still having the dreams-*-nightmares* was probably a more appropriate word. Frank's eyes were never open, and he wasn't alive when she identified his body. There was no way. Yet this dream plagued her night after night, month after month--she'd been having them since his death. They were torture, she was sure of it. She figured it was Kwan's way of telling her to avenge his death. Which was exactly what she intended on doing. A figure appeared in the bathroom doorway. She pulled the covers up to her neck, briefly frightened by the stranger in her home. Then she realized who it was. "Mulder, what are you doing up?" "I heard you scream." Scream? She gulped. "Oh." "Are you okay?" "Mmm hmm." "You're sure?" he crossed the room and sat next to her on the bed. "You sounded really scared." "It was just a bad dream." "What was it about?" She hesitated. She didn't want him to know, yet she needed some comfort. She gave him a quick hug. "Go back to bed, Mulder. How's Sam?" "Fine. She didn't even wake up. I guess this is the first good night's sleep she's gotten in 35 years," he kissed her forehead. "You're sure you're all right?" "Mulder--" "Okay, okay, I'm going. Get some sleep, all right?" he walked out of the room.
the following morning 6:45 a.m. "Come on, Fox, go on." Scully tried to push the Great Pyrenees out the door, but her dog wouldn't budge from its steadfast position, woofing softly. "Will you just go outside, please?" He jumped up on her, almost reaching her height. He licked her face and barked. She put his front paws back on the floor. "No, Fox. Just go outside." She heard someone walk into the room, and she turned. "Adam. Hi, honey." He smiled sleepily. "Where are you going, Mommy?" "I have to go to work. I'll be back later, I promise." "Okay. Is Daddy here?" "He's still sleeping but--" "No, I'm up." Mulder walked into the kitchen, yawning and stretching his arms above his head. Scully eyed him yearningly, then shook her head in dismissal. She watched as he bent down and swept Adam into his arms, the boy giggling. "And you're up, too!" "Yep, I'm up!" Adam reached the floor again and hugged Mulder's legs. "I think I need to go back to bed. Good night!" He hurried back up the stairs. Mulder looked down at the dog, whose tail was wagging uncontrollably. "No, don't you slobber on me again. I'm not making the same mistake twice." Fox finally decided to go outside, and Scully closed the door quickly to make sure Fox couldn't change his mind. She sighed. "Thank goodness." She went over to the now full coffee pot to pour herself a cup. "Do you want some?" He snaked his arms around her waist. "Not the coffee." She managed to turn to face him only to be pulled into a long and well-needed kiss. She could feel herself beginning to relax and forced herself to break away. "Mulder, we can't, not with Adam and Samantha here..." "It's not like they don't know what we're doing," he ran his lips along her jawline. "Adam's smart, and Sam probably still remembers the birds and the bees from grade school." "But--" She stopped trying to fight it, sighing softly. When he tried to slip her out of her coat, she cleared her throat, hands pressed firmly against his bare chest. "Maybe later. I really have to go." "Where are you going?" he asked, reluctant to let go, knowing she would put off any physical confrontation for as long as she could. "Work." All this lying would get her into trouble sooner or later. Then an idea came to mind. "I'll be unreachable." "What are you doing?" "It's classified," she lied carefully. "Ah, I almost forgot what fun bureau work could be," he released her. "Okay, but don't forget to come back." She raised an eyebrow. "'Don't forget to come back'?" "Well, yeah, in case you get sidetracked." "I'll be back later this evening. Try not to destroy the house. Being a single parent who works, cares for a child, and cleans house tends to be a pain." She smiled slightly, making her way outside.
Delaware State Penitentiary "You have a visitor." Alex Krycek sneered at the tall, large guard and steepled his fingers. The person who entered was very familiar looking. "Oh, it's you. I thought it might be someone important." Scully folded her arms across her chest. "Sorry to disappoint you." "Well, it's not too much of a disappointment... " He eyed her legs conspicuously. She glared at him, her eyes growing dark. "Okay, Krycek, here's the deal. You tell me who killed my husband, you get your sentence shortened." "From what? The death penalty to three life sentences? Uh-uh. No can do." "Right now," she began through gritted teeth, "you have twenty years with no parole for your confession of keeping Samantha Mulder hostage, assuming the judge isn't bribed. I think I can get it shortened to... ten without." "Five, and we have a deal." "F-*-five*? Are you out of your mind? No one would go for that, especially Mulder." "Who said Mulder would have to know?" he stood, pushing the chair back with his legs, and leaned across the table to face her. "You've lived with a mystery for a little over eight months now. Who killed Frank Kwan and why? Why would anyone want to kill your poor husband?" "You wanna answer that?" "Think about it, Scully. You're the director of the FBI, and you can't think of anyone who might want your husband dead?" She sighed. He was getting on one of her last nerves. "No. Can you?" "Let me think. He was a Frenchman who joined the KGB. There's one reason someone might want to kill him. Another--he turned his back on the KGB and worked against them. Plus he was a walk-in for the FBI and then had the nerve to return to Russia. There's quite a few." "You haven't given me names, Krycek." "You haven't given me five years, Scully." They stood there, their eyes locked in a hateful gaze. She was the first to break it. "I'll try to see what I can do." "I'll try to remember who pulled the trigger." He smirked as she walked out of the cell. Scully's home Scully balanced the heavy sack of groceries in one hand and tried to open the door with the other one. Finally she succeeded, only to be bombarded by her dog upon entering her house. The bag's contents spilled out all over the carpet. "Enfant de chienne!" She swiped her hand at the air, the sign that the dog understood as 'get the hell out of the way'. It whimpered, running off, as she bent to pick up the groceries. "Oh, merde." The loaf of bread had been smashed by the jug of orange juice, which had begun to leak onto the linoleum kitchen floor. Mulder came running into the room. "Oh, Scully, are you okay?" She looked up at him, rolled her eyes. "Fine, Mulder." "Let me help you," he picked up most of the groceries and set them on the counter, then helped her to her feet. "There we go. What happened?" "Fox happened. He gets excited when I come home and likes to jump on me when I walk in." "Ah, doggie troubles. Just thank yourself that he's housebroken." She didn't even want to think about it. She unpacked the groceries, abruptly stopping. "Where's Adam?" "He's teaching Sam how to swim. Well, maybe *she's* teaching him. I don't know." "They're swimming?" "Yeah." He looked a little sheepish. "We borrowed a swimsuit you had for Sam. Amazingly enough, you two are the same size." "We're also the same age and acquainted to the same infuriating man." "Why am I infuriating?" She smiled weakly. "You just are." She rummaged through the freezer and found some chicken patties. "You haven't eaten yet, have you?" "No, we wanted to wait until you got home." "You just wanted me to cook for you." "You distinctly told me not to destroy the house, which meant we couldn't cook," he grinned at her. "We went out for lunch." "Where did you go without a car?" "We walked to Adams Morgan, did a little shopping." "Where did you eat?" "Roxanne's," he nudged her. "Remember eating there one time?" "You mean when you decided to get drunk and drag me along?" "No, I mean for dinner." "No." "Oh, that's right. I have the photographic memory," he finally looked carefully at her. She looked awful. "Something wrong, Scully?" She frowned. "No, I'm a little tired, that's all." "Why don't you go to bed?" "Because it's only a little after five. Besides, I never get to spend any time with anyone any more." "So grab a suit, and let's go swimming." She smiled slightly. "Okay."
Scully tried very hard to look like she was having fun, and she was, but her mind was elsewhere. She couldn't stop thinking about what Krycek had said that morning. No judge in his or her right mind would let him out in five years, especially after he confessed to keeping Samantha against her will. Unless, of course, he pleaded insanity... She was torn between two forces: avenging her husband's death and Mulder. If he found out what she was planning on doing, he would never speak to her again. Which is exactly why he won't find out. She smirked. "Hey, Scully," Mulder sat next to her along the water's edge. "So what seems to be the problem?" "Hmm?" she frowned, looking at him. "What?" "What are you thinking about so hard?" "Oh, nothing." She turned her attention to Adam and watched him swim for a while. "You can't fool me, Scully, you never could." She glanced at him again. "It's just this case that came across my desk this morning. Sounds like an X-File, and it brought back thoughts of old times." She was surprised how easily lying came to her. "Ah, I see. Well, you don't have to be so sidetracked all the time. Come on, get in the water." She followed his light orders and splashed around with her family for a bit. My family, she thought warmly. Yeah, I guess they really are my family. It wasn't long after that the rest of her family showed up; both brothers and their families and her mother. All of them were in the pool soon enough. "We hope you don't mind," Mulder told her later. "We invited the whole clan." There was Scully's oldest brother, Bill. He was a naval captain like his father, married a pleasant woman named Tara. They had a teenage son and two younger children. The youngest Scully, Charles, was a district attorney for the city of Washington, D.C. and the metro area. His wife, Medley, was also a lawyer. They had four children living with them, three living away from home. Valerie was 11, the twins Jeremy and Matthew were 9, and little Melissa, named after Charlie, Dana, and Bill's deceased sister, was 5. "I finally convinced Harmony to come up," Medley was explaining to her sister-in-laws while they sat in the hot tub. "She and Jason agreed to fly in this weekend. Jason had some vacation time coming up. They'll be here soon." She smiled at Dana. "They're gonna be glad to see Fox. He hasn't seen Harmony since graduation." "Yeah, I know," Scully said softly. "How are they doing down in Cape Canaveral?" "Oh, splendidly. Harmony's expecting." Tara scoffed jokingly. "Already? Bill and I have been married longer than them, and we aren't pregnant yet." "Yet being the operative word, Tara." Medley smiled. "It took Charlie and I quite a while, and now we're happy with what we have. What about you, Dana?" "Hmm?" she looked up. She had been thinking about Kwan and Krycek. "What? I'm sorry." "I just wanted to know if you were happy with your life." I will be once I finish with Krycek and the bastard who killed my husband. "Yes, I'm fine, thanks. Excuse me." She climbed out of the hot tub and headed inside. Maggie was making lemonade in a large, clear pitcher. She looked up, startled, when the patio door shut. "Oh, Dana, hi. What are you doing?" She entered the kitchen. "Nothing. Are you making a mess?" "Me? Dear, I'm your mother. We're messless people." She chuckled softly. "Mom?" "Yes, dear?" she started mixing the lemonade with a wire whisk. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it. "Never mind. I'm going to my room and change." "Okay." Scully headed for her bedroom and flipped on the light switch. After a moment, she turned it back off and peeked out the patio door. Mulder and Samantha were chatting in the shallow end of the pool. Her brothers were playing volleyball. All of her nieces and nephews, along with Adam, were playing some sort of game. Her sisters were still in the Jacuzzi. She saw her mother bring out the tray of lemonade, and she closed the shade. She changed into a pair of plaid, flannel pajamas and headed downstairs with the basket of dirty laundry. When she opened the basement door, Fox began to pant, his tail wagging furiously. "Hey, boy." She patted his head. "Sorry about earlier." He woofed quietly and followed her down the stairs. She entered the spacious den and headed for the laundry room. Just before entering, she looked to her right: the spare bedroom. She knew what she kept in the spare bedroom, which was all the more reason she didn't want to go in there. But, within moments, she found herself reaching under the bed for the scrapbooks, Fox resting beside her. The first one was her wedding album. Inscripted in gold calligraphy on the cover was "Frank Kwan and Dana Scully" for one line and "January 28, 2003" for the next. Tears came to her eyes as she flipped through the pages of time. *Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue*. She had fulfilled the old wedding adage. She had worn her mother's old dress; it was simple and elegant. The dress itself was white silk without much of a train. The sleeves were lace. The new object was the veil. It was made of chiffon and French lace. She had borrowed quite a few things because everyone had offered something. She ended up wearing Medley's pearl necklace. In her hair, she wore Missy's favorite barrette that was given to her in the will--she still insisted that it had been borrowed, wanting to keep her sister's spirit alive on her special day. It was a pearl barrette she had used to sweep all of her hair up into a low bun. The ends had then been curled tightly. Her friend, Keri Evans, had fixed her hair and makeup, as she had done for Medley and Tara. Blue was her lace garter--"something had to be blue," she had declared upon showing it to her family. Frohike had ended up catching it. All in all, the day had been much more than perfect. Someone up there had blessed her with good fortune. The best thing was that she had only thought of Mulder once that day. Once, and that was it. That was when Walter Skinner, former assistant director of the FBI, had given her away. She and Mulder had often joked that he would give her away on her wedding day "unless, of course, I'm the one marrying you." So naturally, he came to mind as Skinner walked her down the aisle. But she would never change a thing. With or without Mulder, the day went wonderfully. The night even better, she thought wildly, thinking back to their honeymoon in the Caribbean. A smile came to her lips at that. And all nights thereafter. She finished flipping through the album, smiling through her tears. The next book she grabbed was the one of Adam. She went through all of the pictures: before his birth-- God, I was huge!--to his delivery and how weary she looked, to his first birthday and first Christmas, up until the current year. He really was a wonderful boy. The last photo album was one of pictures complied before she joined the FBI. Wow, she thought, looking at herself as a baby, it's amazing how much I look like my mother. She came across a picture of the family. Dana herself was five. Bill Jr. was 8 then, Missy was 6, and Charlie was 4. Her parents were smiling over them. She sighed, remembering the times when Dad and Missy were still alive. Holidays were livelier, days fun-filled, life genuinely better. But look how far I've come. I'm doing fine. She finished the book and slid it back under the bed. Another photo album caught her eye. Funny, she didn't remember that one. She reached for it and held it in her hands. Oh, my... These pictures were from her bureau days; graduation, first assignment, new partner. She eventually found ones of she and Mulder, when they were together. No other influences. Now there's Samantha. True, she was jealous that Samantha was taking up so much of Mulder's time. But it's not my place. We both love him, want him in our lives. I've had him longer, yes, but I want him back. She sighed. Selfish, that's what you are, Dana Kate. Very selfish. She closed the book before finishing it. She didn't want to think about Mulder or Samantha or Adam or Frank. She wanted to forget all of the bad things. No, of course not. "Scully!" She stood up, pushing the albums further underneath the bed. It was Mulder, bounding down the stairs. Fox barked once, then again, warning Scully of an intruder. "I know, Fox," she said quietly, entering the den. "What?" He was wearing a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt a size too small. All the better, Scully thought. "Where were you?" he asked. "Your mother said you were in your room." "I came downstairs to do laundry." He glanced down at the still-full basket of dirty clothes. "Oh. You got a lot done." She picked it up and entered the laundry room. "I got distracted." "Hey, you've got a whole other house down here!" He wandered into the bedroom. "And another Jacuzzi. Gee, Kwan treated you well." She smiled faintly as she heard him rummaging through the bathroom. She started up the washer and sighed. Housework was tiring, even for her. She left the laundry room, turning off the switch on her way out. She glanced towards the bedroom. Mulder was sitting on the floor, photo album on his lap. He touched a photo fondly. Her heart fell. Oh, he found the pictures. She didn't know why it bothered her so much that he found her photos. Maybe because she was still a little upset about his leaving for five years. He looked up, tears in his eyes. "Scully, he--Adam looks like me." She entered the bedroom and knelt beside him. She eyed a picture, one where she was holding an infant Adam in her arms the day after she returned from the hospital. True--he did look a lot like Mulder. "I know." "He was a beautiful child. Still is," he sniffed, turning the page. "I'm sorry I missed all of this," he whispered quietly, taking Scully's hand. "I'm so sorry." She gulped. "It's okay, Mu--" He interrupted her. "Like hell it is. I missed the first four years of Adam's life. He's my only child, the only son I have and probably ever will have. I haven't been there for you or him. I've been nonexistent. Then I come back, and you take me in as if I've never been gone. I should've told you where I went. I should've said something. I... I missed out on something important, Scully." "You missed out on four years of his life. You don't have to miss out on any more." She paused, and he looked up at her, his eyes glistening with tears. "Stay here. You and Samantha can move in with us. You can leave whenever you want, and she can go when she's ready. But for now just stay here. Adam needs you, I need you. I don't want you to leave again." He held her tightly in his arms. And then they both began to cry.
Nearly a half an hour later, Mulder and Scully finally made their way upstairs. For that time, they had cried together as they turned through the two photo albums that pertained to the two of them: the one of Adam and the one with pictures of their bureau days. Everyone was still outside in the pool, splashing and laughing. Adam had just come inside. "Where were you, Daddy?" He knelt to his son's height. "Your mom and I had to have a little talk, okay?" The boy nodded. "Are you going to leave again?" Mulder shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere." Adam hugged him, then went to his mother. "I love you, Mommy." She smiled, her eyes filling with tears again. "I love you, too, Adam." "Can I still go swimming?" "Of course you can." She touched his cheek softly. "Go on." "Are you coming?" he asked both of them. Scully shook her head. "I'm not, dear. Mulder?" "No, Adam. I'm going to get something to eat. I might come out when I'm done, though." "No, Daddy, you can't. Mommy said you shouldn't swim for at least twenty minutes after you eat because you might drown. I don't want you to drown." He grinned. "Okay, I'll wait for twenty minutes. You better go out there and watch your aunt Samantha. She might need help." "Okay!" He hurried back outside. Scully chuckled softly, and Mulder turned. "What?" She raised an eyebrow. "Like father, like son."
Delaware State Penitentiary Krycek stood up as Scully entered the cell. "Did you get it?" She sighed, folding her arms across her chest. "They won't go for five, but they will go for ten with parole. Now what do you say?" He sucked in some air. "Gee, you know, Director, I can't quite remember the name of the guy..." She grabbed him by the collar. "You listen to me, you bastard. I'm doing you a favor. No judge in his right mind would give you ten with parole. But I have connections, and I got it for you. Now you tell me the name." He laughed, an insane, high-pitched giggle. "Nothing you do or say can make my life any more miserable than it already is." She smirked. "Oh, yes I can." She released him and began to slowly pace the cell. "How does life in prison sound? Not miserable enough for you. Let's see... solitary confinement in a dark, rat-infested hell hole in the middle of Alaska with no heat? Huh? That sound fun, Krycek? You know, I'm sure there are some men up there who are just dying to get their hands on you. I'm sure solitary confinement is lonely. How about being locked in a cell with the biggest, meanest Jeffrey Dahmer wanna-be who's spent 25 years alone with no... companionship? Oh, yeah, that's it." "You couldn't." "I got you ten years with parole, didn't I? I can get you this." He was beat; Scully would make sure his food was crawling with cockroaches and his cell full of rats and other creepy, crawly creatures with sharp teeth. She could get anything she wanted; she was the female counterpart of J. Edgar Hoover. She and the President were good friends, and she could persuade him to do anything. Krycek was sure that if she ran for president in the next election, she'd get it hands down. "All right, all right, I think I remember the name." "You'd better." "Go to 900 West Georgia Street tomorrow morning at eight o'clock. He'll be there at that time." "You better hope that your information is accurate because if you're lying..." "I'm not! I swear!" "Why at eight?" "Tomorrow at eight is what time I was supposed to come had I gotten the job done of killing you and Mulder." She nodded curtly. "Who is it, Krycek? Who did you pay to kill my husband?" "I didn't pay him. He wanted to do it. He's always hated traitors to any organization and has done his best to kill anyone--and he's always hated you." "Who is it?" she repeated. "You have to promise that you won't tell him you got the information from me." "Who i--" "And you have to make sure I get ten years with parole." "Yes. Yes, you will. I promise. Now what's his name?" "I don't know." She couldn't believe her ears. "You don't know his name." "Well, he never told me. But he's been around a long time," he paused. "It's the man Mulder calls Cancerman."
On the drive home, Scully's mind wandered to the meeting with Krycek. Cancerman. She remembered him. She remembered everything Mulder had ever told her about him. He was evil. She arrived in Washington a bit after nine o'clock. She headed for the bureau to check in. "Hi, Sarah." Sarah Johnson, her mild-mannered secretary, looked up at her. "Good morning, Director Scully. Can I get you anything?" "How about the New York Times and a cup of coffee?" "Right away. That nice man was here again." "Who?" "Fox Mulder." "Really? What did he want?" she fished for the key to her office. "He just wanted to put something on your desk. I let him in. I hope that's okay." "Always, Sarah." "Good. I'll go get your things." She headed out. Scully opened the door and saw a single yellow rose sitting on her desk. She sighed, smiling, and picked it up. Underneath it was a simple note--"I love you." Sarah returned and saw Scully holding the flower, a far-away look in her eyes. "Director?" She jumped slightly and looked at her. "Oh, thank you, Sarah." "I don't think they'd mind if you only worked half a day today. After all, Adam is at school, you'd have the whole house to yourselves." She raised an eyebrow at her. "Sarah!" She sighed. "I'd already thought of that, but his sister's there, too." "She has a mother she can visit." She chuckled. "I'm sorry to pry, Director. Please excuse me." Scully laughed once she had gone. Sarah could be funny. There was a light knock at the door, and Assistant Director Joe Stenwick stepped inside. "How are you?" "Oh, fine, thanks." She headed to the bathroom to fill a vase with water. "What's on your agenda today?" "I figured maybe we could make a round of the offices, then you could head home early. I can handle things here." "Have you been talking to Sarah?" she scolded, putting the vase on her desk and submerging the flower gently into the water. "Look, I appreciate the thought, but it just isn't like that with us." "Dana." He took her hands. "When Fox came in this morning to put that flower on your desk, he stopped by my office. He told me that he'd never been happier in all his life, being with you." "I think you misinterpreted me with Samantha." She eased out of his grip. "He's happy that she's back, safe and sound. That's all. It has nothing to do with me." "Oh, I think it does. See, he asked me for advice on getting you to ease up. He said you'd been very distant lately." "He said that?" "Yes. He also said that he didn't know how to talk to you any more. He misses the closeness you once shared." She shook her head. "No, he would tell me." "He doesn't know how," he sighed, rubbing his mustache thoughtfully. "I want you to go home and talk to him, Dana. Tell him how you feel." "Joe, I--" "No. Go home. We'll make these rounds, and you'll leave. You're off tomorrow anyway. Just think of this as an early birthday present." "My birthday was two months ago." "So? Christmas then! Just go!" She glared playfully at him as he pushed her towards the door. "Con." He sighed. "I really have to learn French to get along with you, don't I?" "Oui." He groaned, closing the office door behind him.
Scully's house "Hello?" Scully felt very strange coming home to someone. The only time she'd ever come home and have someone be there was when Kwan was sick or Adam was home. But that hadn't been for a long time. Samantha entered the kitchen. She smiled. "Fox didn't say you were coming home for lunch." "Actually, I'm home for the rest of the day." The dog padded into the kitchen and woofed happily. She patted its head. "Hey, boy!" "How come?" Sam asked. Scully looked up at her. "Joe--uh, that's my assistant director, he told me to go home." "Oh, that was nice of him." She studied Samantha's appearance. Her brown hair was so flat and straight. Her face was pale and plain. With a little beauty help, she could be really attractive. "Samantha?" "Yes?" "Could I... " She reached out and took a few locks of hair into her hands, rubbing them between her fingertips. "I have a little knowledge. Would you mind if I did you hair and makeup?" Samantha actually looked relieved. "No. Please do. It's nice of Fox to take me shopping and get me some clothes but... he really doesn't know much about women, does he?" "He spent the last five years with four men. Unless one of them was a transvestite, I don't think so." She giggled. "What about before he disappeared? When you two were partners?" "Oh, I taught him a thing or two. I doubt he really paid much attention." They went into Scully's bedroom. She rummaged through her bureau and found some scissors, makeup, and a two-inch curling iron. "I hope you don't mind if I give you a complete makeover." "No. I really need to look more... alive." "Good." She grabbed her scissors and began to cut. "Wait--music. Don't move." She headed for the stereo by her bed. "What should we hear... how about this? This is a tape Mulder made me a long time ago." She popped it in, hit play, and returned to cutting Sam's hair. The song 'One Sweet Day' came on. "Sorry, I never told you All I wanted to say And now it's too late to hold you Cause you've flown away, So far away..." Scully bobbed her head up and down slightly to the beat of the music. She cut Samantha's hair very carefully. "My sister taught me how to cut hair when I was 15." "Is she a hairdresser now?" She hesitated. "No, she--she died over ten years ago. She was murdered." "I'm sorry," she apologized sincerely, aware that she hit a soft spot. "It's okay. Missy did do hair for a while. She was trying to get some clothes she had designed picked up by Calvin Klein at the time she died. She also ran a jewelry store downtown." "Gee, she was really busy." "Yes, she was. They did end up buying her clothing designs, and we used the money for her funeral," she finished cutting her hair. It now went down to the bottom of her shoulder blades. "There we go. It's a good thing I put a towel down before I started. You have a lot of hair." She plugged in her curling iron and excused herself, taking her makeup case out of the bathroom and bringing it back into her room. "Here you go. You can pick some colors that will look good on you while we wait for the curling iron to heat up." Samantha picked out a mocha rose blush and ivy eyeshadow. "Is this okay?" Scully smiled. "Yeah, I think so. The iron is probably hot now." She took Samantha's hair and tied it into a ponytail on top of her head with a ribbon that matched the color of the blush. "For looks." Then she took it out and began to curl sections of hair tightly into ringlets. "Dana?" Sam began a few long minutes later. "Yeah?" "Can I ask you something? I'll understand if you don't want to tell me, but..." She paused, sensing the question. "What?" "Will you tell me about your husband? Fox mentioned something, but when I pressed him for answers, he said he didn't know." "What do you want to know?" "Well... everything." Scully smiled softly. "I'll be right back."
For the next hour, while Scully did Samantha's hair, they looked through old photo albums and discussed her life. "It was mid-September, and... Frank never came home." Scully sighed, starting on the last strand of hair. "A few days later, they found his body stuffed in the trunk of his car at the U.N. building. It looked like a suicide--it was very believable." "But you knew he didn't kill himself." She nodded. "It wasn't like him. Which led me to believe it was murder, but I had no proof. We'd never been threatened, and the KGB had been out of his life for seven years. I couldn't come up with a list of suspects, so there never was an investigation. I've lived with the mystery for eight months, and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about it. When I find the man who did this to him... I swear I'll kill him." Her voice had long since grown to a whisper, and she began to sob. Samantha turned around and gave her a hug. "It's okay. There was nothing you could've done." She nodded and sniffed. "I know. It still haunts me, you know? I still have nightmares, and I think I always will. Until I avenge his death." The face of Cancerman entered her thoughts viciously. She pushed it out of her mind. "I wish there was something I could do." She smiled, squeezing her shoulder. "You and Mulder are so wonderful. Always helpful." Sam gazed at her. "He loves you so much." "And I love him." She glanced at Sam's reflection in the mirror. "I think I like it that way." She took a long look at herself. "You did such a nice job, Dana. Thank you." "I've been out of practice. Thank you for letting me." Scully took several of the curled strands and moved them so they fell along Samantha's cheek. On the other side of her face, she clipped them back. "Now for the makeup." Coincidentally, the moment she finished with Samantha, Mulder arrived home. "Sam? I'm back!" He heard footsteps coming into the kitchen and turned. His breath caught in his throat. "Sam?" She giggled. "Do you like it?" she was wearing jeans and a T-shirt that matched the color of lipstick Scully had given her. Her hair was gorgeous, a gothic style right out of 'Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.'"Sam... you look beautiful." He gave his little sister a hug. "I can't believe how much you look like Mom." "Well, sans the grey hair, I do." She grinned. "I owe it all to Dana." They looked at Scully, who leaned casually against the wall, arms folded across her chest, her smile big and bright. "I never knew you were so talented," he told her. "Me, neither." She glanced at Sam. "You do look nice." "Thanks, both of you." She looked at her watch. "Hey, it's almost three-thirty. I'm kinda hungry." "Help yourself," Scully told her as the woman practically skipped into the kitchen. Mulder went up to her. "You did that?" "Well, she needed a little boost in her appearance." "You made her so happy, Scully. " He smiled. "Thank you." "You're welcome." He kissed her. "You're the best." "I know." He chuckled. "Scully, I have to tell you that I... I love you so much," he stroked her cheek. She grinned, repeating, "I know." She patted his arm. "Go talk to your sister." He entered the kitchen, where Sam was pouring a can of chicken noodle soup into a pan on the stove. She looked up and grinned. "Hi, Fox." "Hi," he hugged her again. "What do you say we go visit Mom tomorrow?" "In Greenwich?" "Yeah. We can bring Scully and Adam..." "Why do you still call her Scully?" "It's just an old habit of affection." "Well, try to make a new habit by calling her Dana." Scully walked into the room. "I'm off to pick up Adam now." She grabbed her keys from the table by the door. "I'll be back in a little bit." In no time, she was gone. Mulder frowned. She was still shy when it came to physical contact between the two of them. He wondered why but wasn't looking to lose any sleep over it.
"Daddy!" "Well, hi, Adam." Mulder picked his son up off the ground and hugged him. "Did you have fun at school today?" "Yes. I can't wait to go back!" He frowned. "You're the only kid I know who likes school." "I know," he giggled. "Wow, Aunt Sam, you look pretty." She smiled softly. "Thank you, Adam. Hey, would you like to show me your superheroes?" "Yeah," he started up the stairs. "Adam!" Mulder called. "What?" "Where's your mother?" "Outside." "Thanks," he headed outside and found her picking cherries off a tree in the backyard. "I never knew that you planted fruit trees." "I don't." She waited until he was next to her. "It was Frank's. He loved cherries. He loved all fruits." She pulled a stem off and ate the cherry. "Mmm, perfect." She grabbed the basket on the ground and started to pick cherries off the tree. "What are we doing?" "They're ready to be made into pie. I figured that could be this afternoon's chore." "Did he teach you this?" "No, my mother did. He taught me about the tree and how to care for it. I was never very good with plants." "Really?" "Mulder, I killed plastic flowers. You can't get much worse than that." "You are a woman of many talents." Once they had picked enough cherries for a pie, they carried the basket into the house and began to bake. Soon enough, the whole family was there, helping to roll the dough and clean the cherries. Finally, it was in the oven and baking. All four of them wiped the counters and piled dishes into the dishwasher. Sam started on dinner. Maggie had come over one afternoon and taught her how to cook. Adam went to take a bath, and Mulder and Scully retired to the living room. She spread the papers from her portfolio out on the coffee table and plopped down on the floor, sighing deeply. He frowned. "What are you doing?" "Bureau stuff," she answered simply, crankily. "I have to read over some paperwork that some of the younger agents did. Make sure they're all right." "Need some help?" "I don't really know if there's anything you can do about it. I mean, it has to be signed by director or assistant director." "Well, I'll read it, you sign it," he grinned and knelt behind her. "I'll just massage your shoulders instead." "Thanks," she started reading, but his massage made her mind wander. She felt bad about dismissing his physical signs of affection. She was still a little nervous when it came to his touch. They had never been lovers before their last night together, only friends. Sure, at times, she had wished they were more, but neither of them had ever made much of a move to change it. She thought back to when she had told him she loved him. "I don't know how or why, but I do." And it was true: she did love him. Even more so now. But why do I still get a little scared when he touches me? And then she knew. Am I still too broken up over Kwan to let myself fall in love again? Maybe. What if I let myself fall in love again? Then what? Why not find out? She turned around and planted a kiss on Mulder's lips. Then she looked at him. He smiled. "Didn't realize I was that good a masseur." She raised an eyebrow. "Oh. Sorry." He chuckled. "Don't be sorry," he opened his arms, and she cradled herself in them, much like she had before they had made love. "You weren't thinking about the paperwork, were you?" "You know me so well." "What were you thinking about?" "You mean you don't know?" she grinned. "I love you." "I love you, too," he returned the favor by kissing her. Sam walked into the room and cleared her throat. Startled, they both readjusted their positions and faced her. She giggled. "Dinner is served, but I can see you're already having dessert." "Well, Sam, you know," Mulder began, his arm around Scully, "life is short. Eat dessert first." Adam came into the living room. "Dessert?" Scully laughed. "He has your love for dessert, Mulder." "No, as I remember, you could down three hot fudge sundaes before I could." She groaned. "Oh, I forgot about that." Adam sat down by them. "Mommy? I thought you said it wasn't good to have more than one dessert." She covered her face with her hands. "Can you forgive me, Adam?" "Yeah," he said, hugging her. "Can we eat now? I'm hungry." Sam clapped her hands together. "Yes, it's ready. Come on." Adam raced into the kitchen after his aunt. Mulder kissed Scully again. "Let's go." She took his hand and followed him to the dinner table.
9:30 p.m. Krycek looked at the person entering his cell. "Oh, what now?" "Why are you in jail, Alex?" the man inhaled the smoke from his Morley and blew it out of his mouth. "Because I am." "That's not good enough. Mulder and Scully aren't dead, are they?" "What do you think?" The man grabbed his neck. "Don't mess with me, Alex. You tried it once, but I gave you another chance. This was your last chance, Alex. No more," he snapped his fingers, and three men entered the cell. Krycek's eyes grew wide at the sight. He had never smelled death before. And the stench was too much to bear.
Meanwhile... Adam yawned. "Bedtime. Mommy, will you tuck me in please? You come, too, Dad." Samantha departed for her room in the basement, wishing every sweet dreams, while the others made their way upstairs. Adam was almost asleep by the time he reached his bed. Scully knelt down beside the bed and softly began to sing. "Goodnight, my angel, time to close your eyes and save these questions for another day. I think I know what you've been asking me; I think you know what I've been trying to say." Mulder joined in, and their voices blended to put their son to sleep. "I promised I would never leave you, and you should always know. Wherever you may go, no matter where you are, I never will be far away." Scully stood and whispered, "He's asleep. Come on." Once they had reached the foot of the stairs, he grinned. "You still remember that song?" "How could I forget? Every time I had the flu, you'd baby me and play that song until I fell asleep. It's the only lullaby I like." "Your parents sang you ones you didn't like?" "I was never sung to. Well, I was, but I don't remember anything." "Why don't you ask your mother?" "Because that song was another way of linking you and Adam. He's grown up with it. When he wants me to sing to him, that's what I sing." He hugged her quickly. "I'm going to get a glass of water. Want anything?" "No. I'm going to take a shower." She headed for the bathroom and disappeared.
Mulder sat on Scully's bed, looking at the pictures of Adam that he now had in his possession. He still couldn't believe it; he was a father! He'd never felt so wonderful in his life. And Adam was a wonderful son. And Scully would make a wonderful wife, he found himself thinking before he even knew it was happening. No, that would be too... weird. I still call her Scully, for Christ's sake! Just then, Scully walked into her bedroom. Her white, terry cloth robe was loosely tied around her waist, her auburn hair dripping slightly with water. She jumped when she saw Mulder. "I thought you'd have gone to bed." "No. I was just looking at these pictures of Adam and... reminiscing." But he couldn't bring himself to tell her what he was reminiscing about. "You were in there a long time." "I was very dirty," she replied with a small smile on her face when she noted him looking a bit lower than her face. She turned to the dresser to pull out some clothes. "What did you decide?" He frowned. "Decide?" "You know, while you were... *reminiscing*." He swallowed. "Oh, nothing really. I was just letting my thoughts wander." "Of course." But they both knew she didn't believe him. He watched her from behind as she decided what to wear. He crossed the room and put his arms around her waist, resting his head on her shoulder. "Oh, Scully." She trembled slightly. "What?" "Thank you for letting Sam and me stay here." "Certainly. You are Adam's father, and she is Adam's aunt." The smell of his aftershave began to go to her head; she wondered how a smell could cling to a man for such a long period of time. "And Scully?" "Yeah, Mulder?" He reached for the knot on her robe. "I can't get you out of my mind." He pulled one of the pieces through, kissing her neck. "But I don't understand why." "You've been in my mind as well," she answered in a whisper, her hands caressing his. "But I know why." "I'm glad one of us still has common sense." She shook her head, smiling. "No. We both have it because this ... this makes sense." She turned around and faced him, the robe sliding off her shoulders once the knot had become undone. He looked at her almost sadly. "You're still gorgeous." She smiled, tears in her eyes. "I still love you." He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her with the most passion he could possibly give to her. With that one kiss, they both knew that no matter how far apart they were, for no matter how long, they were still, and always would be, together. He guided her to the bed and eased down next to her. "Well, Dana Katherine Scully, what happens now?" "Just you wait, Fox William Mulder, just you wait." She crossed the room and, with a mischievous smile on her face, turned off the lights. And then the night began. "So we're okay, we're fine Scully sighed dreamily, staring at the heap of clothes on the floor. Then she turned to Mulder, who was laying in bed beside her, still sleeping. She smiled slightly. Their lovemaking had been so much like the first time, yet still very different. Probably because we had to keep it down, she chuckled. With Adam and Samantha around, we couldn't enjoy ourselves too much. Mulder stirred, nuzzling his nose in her cheek. Then a smile formed on his lips, and he opened his eyes. "Mmm... I wasn't dreaming." "I certainly hope not." She smiled and kissed him sweetly. "Sleep well?" "Mmm hmm," he grinned sleepily. "You know, Scully, I'm not worthy." "Worthy of what?" "Worthy of you. You're too good for me. How ever did you fall in love with a guy like me?" "Hmm... " She propped herself up. "Well, let's see. You're very loving, very polite. Your sense of humor is corny, but it never fails in making me laugh after a bad day. Gee, I don't know, Mulder... just because." He nodded as if he understood, then chuckled, pulling her down into a long kiss. They were interrupted by the telephone ringing. Mulder put a finger to her lips. "Hold that thought," he picked it up. "Hello?... Yes, this is he... What? Are you sure?... Okay, I'll be right there," he hung up the phone. "Dammit." "What? What is it?" Concern clouding her face, she sat up in bed. "Mulder, what's going on?" He pulled his jeans on and sighed. "It's Krycek. He was moved to a Washington hospital." "Hospital? Why?" "Someone used his head for a punching bag last night. Well... not just his head." She frowned. "Is he dead?" "Not yet. Funny thing, though. He wants to talk to me. Care to come along?" She glanced at the clock. It was 7:50. Today was the day. But she still didn't know what to do. "Scully? You coming?" She knew he expected her to come. He figured she would because Krycek never asked for people who hated him unless it was something very important. And Mulder surely hated him. But she had other business to take care of. It was almost 8:00. "Scully! This isn't a difficult question." She looked up at him, distracted by the glowing red numbers on her alarm clock. "Yeah. I'll meet you there." "Okay," he bent and kissed her forehead, then headed out of the house, still putting his shirt on, shoes in hand. Scully watched him leave, then mustered herself out of bed. She put on her normal day-off attire, all except for one thing. To her belt, she attached her gun holster and, after making sure it was fully loaded, added her gun.
Good Samaritan Hospital Mulder rushed to the nurses' station. "Excuse me, I'm here to see an Alex Krycek. I'm Fox Mulder." The woman nodded. "He's in ICU. Go to the second floor, hang a left, you can't miss it." "Thank you," he headed back to the elevator and was on the next floor in no time. He discovered ICU and walked inside. After learning of Krycek's room number, he arrived there and saw the man lying on the bed. IVs went in and out of his body. He was on a respirator. His skin was grotesque-looking with bruises of every color. His eyes were puffy and black and blue. One of them was swollen shut. Mulder frowned. "Who did you piss off this time?" "Always full of wit, aren't you, Mulder?" His voice was hoarse and raspy. "Because of you, I'm here in this hospital." He sighed. "What do you want with me? You gonna jump out of bed and beat me up?" He probably would have, but the slightest movement caused him great pain. "Take a look at my chart, Mulder. I pose no threat to you. Doctors don't think I have much of a chance to live. Which is why I had you come." "Want me to be in charge of your funeral?" "No. I want you to shut up and listen to me. It's about Samantha." "My sister?" he felt the pit of his stomach begin to ache. "What did you do to her?" "Did you have the doctors do extensive testing when you sent me to jail and had her examined?" "That doesn't concern you." "Like hell it does!" He grunted as pain shot through his head. "Just listen to me. Your sister has a rare illness, which is what the medication was for. Within a few years, she will be fully cured, but if she's off of it for an extended period of time..." "How did you learn this?" Krycek sighed. "Director Scully was wrong all along. The testing done on Samantha was not at all done on earth." He sat down slowly. "She was abducted?" "Yes. And They returned her to me. Well, it wasn't really Their doing. Someone else assisted in this." "Who?" Krycek dismissed his question. "Overall, They treated her very well. They followed up on human culture so when she returned she would be just like everyone else. But your sister still needs a thorough examination," he sighed. "She has given birth to two children. Two... alien/human hybrids. This illness was a result of the pregnancies." "You're lying." "Look at her neck. She has the same mark as Director Scully. Samantha has several scars that you may not notice right away. Chances are the doctors who initially examined her did not see them." "Why are they giving her medicine to cure her then?" "It's not Them that's doing it. It's the humans who were involved. She is the only one who has ever successfully given birth and survived. They'd like to keep it that way." "But why her?" "Because she was chosen by the human team who assisted the aliens," he sighed. "It's all too confusing for you to understand fully." "Why doesn't she remember anything?" "Because the medicine that will save her life will also block and eventually erase her memory of the incident. That's why the implant is still in her brain. You can't allow anyone to remove it. It's the only thing that's keeping her alive." Mulder swallowed hard. "They... they removed an implant that was in her nose at the hospital. Will that--" Krycek shook his head slowly. "No. It was there for cataloging purposes. It's okay," he paused. "The only thing that you can do is get the medicine." He started to nod, then stood up. This is crazy. Why am I listening to him? "I don't believe you." "Mulder, she'll die." "Why should I believe any of this?" he yelled. Krycek whimpered softly as more pain ripped through his body. "You have to," he whispered. "It's all true." "Give me one good reason I should believe any of this." He cried out in pain. Mulder, concerned, headed for the door. "Nurse! Can we get some help in here?" "Mulder... " came Krycek's weak voice. He approached his bedside and bent down. "What?" he hissed. Nurses bustled into the room, preparing medicine. "Sir, you're going to have to leave the room," one of them told Mulder. "No!" Krycek called out. "Mulder, you have to believe me." Mulder waved the nurses away for a moment. He had to know... "Why should I believe what you've just told me about Samantha?" "Where's Scully?" "What do you mean--where's Scully?" "Tell me where she is." He frowned. "She told me she'd meet me down here." He sneered. "Wrong."
Scully's home Samantha wandered up the stairs, followed by Fox. She sent him outside and started making breakfast. Adam came down, all dressed for school. "Hi, Aunt Samantha," he greeted cheerfully, grabbing a box of cereal from the lower shelves. "Hi, Adam." She smiled warmly, then scoffed at his choice of breakfast. "Is that what you're going to eat?" "Yeah. It's what I always eat." "How would you like it if I made you French toast?" He nodded. "Did you know that French toast isn't French?" "It isn't?" she pulled a skillet out from underneath the stove. "Nope. My second dad, Frank, was from France, and he said that neither French toast nor French fries were from France," he paused. "Where is Mom and Dad anyway?" "I don't know." She spotted a note on the refrigerator. She read it silently. "Oh, your uncle will be by to pick you up for school. Your mom didn't say where they were going." "Oh. Okay." Sam frowned when Adam wasn't looking. Something just didn't feel right.
Good Samaritan Hospital "'Wrong'? What do you mean 'wrong'?" Mulder had a feeling that Krycek was just playing games with him. What would he want with Scully? "Scully isn't here yet because she isn't coming." His eyes grew wide. "What?" "Do you remember how I told you that her husband was murdered, and I knew who did it? We made a little deal... " He smiled evilly. "She's getting her revenge as we speak." "Where the hell is she, Krycek?" There was a loud beeping noise coming from one of the monitors. Krycek's heartbeat increased, and he started to wheeze. His eyes began to close. He was slipping away. Mulder grabbed his shoulders. "Krycek! Don't die on me now, you son of a bitch. Where is she?" "Sir, you have to leave!" the nurse shouted. "No! Not until I found out where she is!" "This man is dying! You're in the way!" He looked down at Krycek, whose lips were moving. He leaned over to listen. Krycek whispered, "900 West Georgia Street," and then he was gone. The beeping stopped abruptly. A straight line appeared where there had been a jagged one earlier. A long tone started up, coming from another machine. Krycek's face, however battered and bruised, had never looked more at peace. Mulder glanced at the nurses. They were all wide-eyed and speechless. He looked out the window. It was dark and gloomy, rain coming down in sheets, thunder and lightning occurring frequently. He looked back at Krycek and wondered why the man had confessed. Suddenly frightened, he ran out into the storm.
Samantha had just waved goodbye to her nephew when the rain had began. That's strange, she thought. There wasn't a call for rain on the forecast. And when I woke up, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. She was shaken out of her thoughts by the telephone. She picked it up. "Hello?" "Sam, it's me." "Fox ! Oh, Fox, where are you?" "Krycek's dead." She gasped. "Oh, no." "And you're... You're supposed to take these pills or something..." "I know; I have them." "Sam, did he... treat you well?" "Yes, Fox, he was very nice to me." She frowned at the pause. "What else? Where's Dana?" "She's gone, Sam." "Gone? Gone where?" "No, that's not what I mean. She's gone off her rocker. She went to kill the man who murdered her husband." "She knows?" "Krycek told her," he sighed. She made a deal with the devil. "I'm going over there to stop her now." "Be careful." "I will." "Where is she?" "Uh, 900 West Georgia Street. Take care, Sam. I'll call later." "Okay." She hung up the phone and reached for her coat and an umbrella. There was something she had to do. She began to rummage through Scully's room. Halfway across town, Mulder stepped more forcefully on the gas pedal.
900 W. Georgia St. "You're crazy." Scully scoffed. "Crazy? You killed my husband, you son of a bitch." She clicked off the safety and took aim. Cancerman, as he had been called ever since Mulder had met him, had never faced an insane woman before. He couldn't get to his gun; she had him pinned to the wall next to the door. "I don't know you or your husband." She cocked her head quizzically. "Frank Kwan. Frenchman. Worked for the KGB but assisted every government office in Washington, including the FBI, where you frequently visited. He worked at the United Nations building as a diplomat--I don't know how he got that job. And one day, he never came home." She sniffed. "Because you shot him, made it look like a suicide, and stuffed him in the trunk of his car. Now tell me you don't remember that." "I never did it." "Oh, yeah? I suppose you didn't beat up Alex Krycek either, did you?" she glared at him. "No, you didn't. You must've hired someone else to do it. But you pulled the trigger with Frank, didn't you? Tell me something. What did he say to you when you killed him? Anything? Anything at all?" "As a matter of fact, he did." That was not an answer she expected to hear. She raised an eyebrow. "He said, 'Why?'." Her scowl deepened. He was just messing with her head, trying to make her feel sad, make it seem like he was suffering from a guilty conscience. But it wouldn't work. Not this time. She owed this to Frank, to herself, so everyone could rest easier. And then the door flew open. She quickly changed her aim and shot at the wooden facing around it. The person who had opened the door slowly stepped inside. "Mulder!" She sighed. "What in the hell are you doing here?" "I came to stop you from doing something stupid." "What's that?" she asked, adjusting her aim at Cancerman. "From wasting a bullet on this guy," he went up to her side. "Scully, don't do it. It's stupid. He's not worth it. You'll go to jail for the rest of your life." "But I'll be rid of him." "No, you won't. You'll just be giving in. Scully, listen to me." She didn't even look at him, still staring at Cancerman. Mulder noticed her stance; it was exactly the same one she used over five years ago while preparing to shoot at a target. Only this target was live. "Dana, Krycek's dead," he noticed both Scully and Cancerman's expressions change. "Dead?" she repeated. Her new expression did not last long; the angry scowl returned. "You killed him, too," she said quietly to Cancerman. "No, don't," Mulder pleaded. "Just listen to me. Jail is not where you want to be. It's not where I want you to be. I want you to come home every day after work, come home to Adam, Sam, and me. Don't do it. Just call the police and have him arrested." She thought about his words. She wasn't really sure if killing Cancerman would ease her conscience, cause the nightmares to cease. Adam really did need her, Samantha could use a woman figure in her life, and Mulder... in all actuality, she needed him. And Frank... what would he say to her if he was still alive? She didn't know for sure, but she was absolutely positive that he wouldn't tell her to kill him. "This is for you, mon cher." Mulder held his breath. What's she going to do? Please, please don't kill him. Scully clicked the safety back on and lowered her gun. "Call the police." 10 minutes later The police arrived, and Sgt. Hutchence asked Scully a few questions. She and Mulder stood under an umbrella, his arms wrapped around her, while she watched Cancerman being led in handcuffs to the police car. Suddenly, two gunshots rang out, and everyone ducked. Police pulled out their guns, and Scully stiffened, recalling the incident merely five days ago. She looked back out into the rain, but Cancerman was no where to be found. Angered, she ran out into the storm, Mulder calling something out. And then she saw him. Red blood mixed itself with the rain as Cancerman lay fallen on the sidewalk. The officer was checking for a pulse. He looked up at Scully as she stood over them. "He's dead, ma'am." She felt no remorse. She was glad he was dead, glad that someone had avenged her husband's death... but who? Who had fired the two shots? Who had fired the two shots before? Scully turned to see Mulder standing beside his sister. The woman shivered in the rain, a gun being taken away from her and handcuffs being slapped on. She hurried over. "What happened?" she saw Samantha, her face emotionless. "Oh, Sam... " "Why did you do it?" Mulder asked. Scully could see him getting upset, but he was holding it in very well. "He was... he was there," she whispered. "He was there, while Alex held me captive. He came and did... *horrible* things to me." She shuddered at the thought. "And I remember him in other places, too... He was everywhere, Fox." "But how did you know it was him, that this was his house?" She let out a long breath. "I did it for Dana." Scully covered her mouth. "Sam--" "I did it for you because I knew you couldn't do it yourself! This man who killed your beloved husband deserved his death. He should not have caused you so much pain. I couldn't stand to see you suffer. So I went to your room, found your spare gun, and came here." "You didn't have to, Samantha," she replied, sobbing softly. "He was going to go to jail." "But he'll get off! He will be released eventually. You would never be free of guilt until his death." Scully knew it was true. She never would feel like she had avenged Kwan's death until the murderer was dead, too. "Sam... " But she didn't know what to say. The officer grabbed her arm. "Come on." Samantha looked at her brother as she was led off. "Fox. . . please don't hate me." "I could never hate you," he whispered quietly, his face tightening as he tried not to cry. Scully watched the car drive off with Samantha in the back. She looked up at Mulder and took his hand. His tears fell as hard as the large raindrops, landing in puddles on the ground. two months later Scully unlocked the door and stepped inside, Mulder and Adam close behind. They had just returned home from visiting Samantha. When she was arrested for killing Cancerman in early May, she had given a statement saying why she had done it. The prosecution read over her case and decided that jail was not the answer; a rehab center was the best option. "They just think she's insane," Mulder had commented sourly afterwards. But that was not the case. The center Scully had hand-picked for her was wonderful. The doctors and nurses were the best in the country, and the facility was comfortable. Sam would be there for a year at least, and whether or not any longer would depend on her progress. Adam ran up to the answering machine. "Oh, there's a message." Scully smiled. "Well, press the button and see who it is." He pushed it and listened for the voice. "Hey, Mulder, this is Fred Robbins. They want us in New York City for the release of our book on Monday. Think you can fly up here in a hurry? Call me when you arrive, and I'll book you a room. Bye." The dial tone appeared. "Daddy, are you going to leave?" Mulder nodded. "Remember how I was writing that book on Ufos?" "Yes." "I'm going to have to leave to be there when it first gets on the shelves at the bookstore." He looked at Scully. "Think you can come?" She shook her head. "No. I have to work. Do you want to take Adam?" Adam's eyes lit up with glee. "Oh, please, can I?" "Well... " He weighed the decision and grinned. "I'm sure it'd be okay." "Yea! I'm gonna go pack," he raced up the stairs, the dog on his heels. Mulder smiled after him, then turned to Scully. "I'm sorry you can't go. I really would've liked you to be there with me." "I know; I would've liked to go," she sighed. "Better make your flight reservations." When he was finished, he found her sitting on the couch, looking... upset, maybe? Nervous? He wasn't sure. "Try not to miss us too much." She grinned and took him into her arms. "Promise to call me every day." "I will," he squeezed her tighter. "Something bothering you?" "Well... there is something I need to tell you." "What's that?" She took a deep breath before continuing. "Mulder, I'm... I'm pregnant." His eyes grew wide with surprise and lit up like lightbulbs. "You, pregnant?" he put his hand gently on her abdomen, and a grin spread across his face. "A baby?" "Not a baby... two babies." He nearly fell off the couch. "T-two babies?" he stuttered. She tried not to laugh at his shocked expression. "My mother is a twin so there was always the possibility that Missy or I would have twins as well." His lips moved, but no sound came out. Then he kissed her. "We're going to have babies," he laughed joyously. "Adam!" he yelled. While he waited for him, he thought about the situation. I'm going to be a father--for the third time! Maybe now would be a good time to ask Scully to marry me. He saw Adam coming. No... I want to make it special. And it might help to have a ring when I ask her... He grinned at the thought. "What is it, Daddy?" She looked at her son with a smile. "Adam... pretty soon, you might have a baby brother or sister." "Or both!" Mulder added cheerfully, hugging Scully tightly. Adam hurried to his parents and plopped on the couch between them. "I hope it's a boy." "I'm having twins," she told him. "Oh, I hope it's two boys!" He kissed both of their cheeks, and the three of them joined in a large hug. Scully felt the tears rush to her eyes. Her family was together now, as a whole, with more coming on the way. She could finally go on living. And, in a way, she had Samantha to thank for all of it. The End
|