TITLE:      DECEIVE, INVEIGLE, OBFUSCATE

AUTHOR:     DONNILEE

E-MAIL:     DONNILEE@SNET.NET

WEB SITE:   http://donnilee.tripod.com

CATEGORY:   MSR

RATING:     NC-17

SPOILERS:   Fight the Future (movie) Requiem, Within, 

Without, Emily, William,  Anasazi, The Blessing Way, 

Herrenvolk, Gethsemane, Providence, Audrey Pauley, and 

Patient X.

SUMMARY:    Desperate times bring old friends and old 

enemies together as they search for a solution to save the 

world from super soldiers.



DEDICATION:    Whoa!  Lots and lots of encouragement came 

to me to write this story.  Not only encouragement, but 

plot ideas, suggestions and opinions on what they wanted to 

see happen that didn't.  Without them, this fic would not 

have been written.  So I need to dedicate this story to a 

great bunch of gals who prop me up when I'm feeling low.  

Let's see.  In no particular order, Fmudler, Cathie, Song, 

Dani, Holly, Daniela, Sara M., Aloof, Dresa, and Sdani.

THANKS:        I bow to the Goddess Beta Reader, Sdani.  

Baby, you da bomb! We encourage NO RESTRAINT of pen and 

tongue in this neck of the woods!  Thank you, Sdani for 

giving me so much of your time and effort.  I really 

appreciate it more than you know. 

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  I've taken liberty with the facts in a 

couple of places.  One liberty was to place the VanDeKamp's 

in Arizona, close to the only known whereabouts of the 

alien ships in the New Mexico desert.  I know nothing of 

Colorado except that there are mountains there!  So I have 

neglected to place them in a specific place, hoping the 

audience will accept the convention.  

The third liberty was to create a history between Skinner 

and Covarrubias that we never saw on the show.  What can I 

say?  I like couples and happy endings!



PART 1 (PG)

MOUNT WEATHER COMPLEX

BLUEMONT, VA



I glanced sideways at Scully as she marched alongside me down 

the labyrinth of hallways leading to the holding cell.  We'd gotten a 

call earlier from Deputy Director Kersch that Mulder was being 

held on charges of murder.  The unfortunate thing was that I didn't 

have as much doubt about the veracity of the charges as Scully did.



I knew Mulder was a desperate man. Understanding his proclivity 

for getting himself in a jam did not invite my condoning his 

methods or actions, despite how valid I thought his intentions 

might be.  Unlike Mulder, I didn't always believe that gaining the 

truth justified breaking all the rules.



Scully's heels clacked loudly on the cement floor as we were led to 

the cell.  Mulder swung around as the cell was opened.  We 

entered and the guard shut the cell door.  I flinched hearing it lock 

behind us.  The guard stood there like a sentinel and I flashed him 

my dirtiest look.



He sighed and walked away.  I wanted as much privacy as we 

could possibly get.  I stared at the two of them as they eyeballed 

one another.  Finally, Scully's voice cracked around his name, 

"Mul…der!"



He smiled a slow, lazy smile and walked to her, cupping her face 

in his hands.  He didn't say a word, just looked into her moist eyes 

for a moment or two and then lowered his head.



The kiss was slow, but deep and passionate and I turned my head 

to try and hide my discomfort at witnessing such a private and 

intense moment.  I knew Mulder was the father of Scully's child, 

but I'd never been privy to any outwards displays of affection.  

They'd been very discreet.  His growing relationship with Scully 

was one of the few things over the years that Mulder had been 

discreet about.  Being a man that didn't give a shit what other 

people thought of him or his motivations, this told me that this 

relationship was of the utmost importance to him.  He was 

protecting her by being discreet, trying not to tarnish her with 

people's opinion of him.  Before she came along, he didn't give two 

shits about anyone's opinion.



In light of recent events, I guess the gloves were off. Neither one 

cared to hide their relationship anymore, not from me anyway!  I 

finally cleared my throat. Enough was enough, after all.  They 

broke apart, hands sliding down their sides and fingers entwining 

together.  They turned to look at me.  "Sorry," Mulder muttered, 

but he didn't back away from her.



Instead, he kissed her fingers as if loath to back off even that far.  I 

could feel the sentiment in the room, the pleasure they had in 

simply looking at one another and I swallowed with difficulty, 

wondering if I would ever find anything so deep and unblemished 

as what they shared.



"It's all right."



"How are you big guy?"



I rolled my eyes.  "I don't think you have time to be making jokes, 

Mulder," I said sternly.



He nodded and backed away from Scully a bit but still held one of 

her hands.  "How did you get in here?" he asked.



Scully answered.  "We got a call from Deputy Director Kersch."



Mulder raised his eyebrows.  "Surprised he'd give a damn."



I said, "I don't know which side he's on, Mulder, but I do know he 

doesn't like having his authority usurped and he's pissed that the 

military will not release you to the FBI for investigation."



"That makes sense.  He wouldn't like not having the reins on this 

one.  After all, he threw me out of the Bureau, so he's got to be 

laughing now.  Probably wants to gloat over me a bit."



"I wouldn't go that far," I replied.  "He does want you out of here 

though.  Do you understand what you're being accused of?"



"Pretty simple, I killed Knowle Rohrer."



Scully scrunched her brows. "I don't think that's possible, Mulder."



His head snapped around to look at her.  "Why not?"



I answered for her, "Because according to Agent Doggett, he's a 

super soldier."



Mulder's eyes widened slightly but otherwise he was still and 

silent.  "They said they had a body," he finally said quietly.



Scully responded. "They may have a body, but funny thing, 

nobody's seen it or being given access.  They won't allow the FBI 

to do an autopsy.  Agent Doggett has been trying to get 

information and he's getting stonewalled, can't even get pictures."



Mulder swallowed heavily.  "We have to see the body."



"We're working on it," Scully said quietly.  "In the meantime, we 

need to find a way to get you transferred out of here.  What 

happened?"



"I got caught," he said calmly, shrugging his shoulders.



"What were you doing?" she asked.



"I was sent a key card for here, anonymously, of course."



"Of course," I repeated sarcastically.  "And you blindly followed 

the anonymous gift."



He looked down a little sheepishly.  "Knowle Rohrer chased me 

and I fought on the catwalk with him.  I ended up flipping him 

over the railing.  Dumb luck, he was one strong son of a bitch.  He 

was electrocuted by the equipment he fell into."



"We'll get you out of here, Mulder," Scully repeated.



"That may not be possible," Mulder offered.  "They're trying to 

brainwash me.  They've forced a confession from me and I don't 

doubt that they have it on tape.  I'm playing the game for now of 

the little submissive inmate, but I won't fool them forever."



"You've been beaten?" I asked.



He nodded, frowning.  Scully was instantly in doctor mode. "Let 

me see."



He shook his head. "I'm all right.  I'm bruised, but nothing's 

broken."



"I want to see for myself."



He shook his head again.  "Please, Scully.  I want to spend what 

little time we have here talking. They'll be back for you two soon."



Her eyes were misty but she said, "Just promise me you're not 

lying to me about how bad you're hurt."



He looked her right in the eye and said, "I promise. That's why I 

confessed; to prevent being physically disabled in case I found a 

way to get of here, I wanted to remain mobile and ambulatory.  If 

they kept at it, they would have broken something, heaven forbid, 

my leg or something and then I wouldn't have been able to run 

even if I had the opportunity.  They want a military trial.  It's a 

sham.  They'll never acquit.  I killed one of their own.  They're 

worse than cops the way they cover for each other.  No jury of my 

peers.  It will be a railroad straight to the electric chair."



"It was an accident!"



"I broke in, Scully!  I broke the law."



"Not to kill someone, Mulder.  To find out information. Big 

difference between stealing and murder.  The punishment should 

fit the crime," she said.



I thought that was a bit naοve on her part, but Mulder was the one 

area where she wasn't rational anymore.  I looked at him.  "You 

think this cell is bugged?"



"I don't know, probably.  I've seen no evidence of that, but I'm sure 

it's well hidden if it's in here."



I nodded and pulled a small pad and pen from my inside pocket on 

my suit jacket.  I always carried it with me.  I wrote a note and 

handed it to him. Scully looked over his shoulder and read with 

him.  It said, "I'll try to come back with Agent Doggett tomorrow 

night and see if we can get you out of here.  Be ready to go.  Have 

anything you want to take with you on your person."



He looked up at me, his eyes wet with gratitude and he nodded.  "I 

don't have anything.  They took everything.  Thank God I didn't 

really have anything on me anyway but the clothes on my back."



Without moving his head, he looked down, and slipped his shoe 

off.  I looked down and saw the magnetic key card lying in the 

sole.  I stooped and grabbed it out, sliding it quickly into my 

pocket.  He slowly slipped his shoe back on.



Scully looked on the verge of tears as well.  "Did you find 

anything, Mulder, before they chased you out?"



He nodded.  "Yes."



"What was it?" I asked.



He reached for my pen and I handed it to him.  He wrote, "A 

Date."



I raised my eyebrows in question and he whispered, "Get me out of 

here first and then I'll explain.  Nothing is imminent."  He handed 

me the pen and paper and I stuffed it deep in my front pocket. 

Didn't want to be leaving that behind.



Scully and I exchanged glances, neither of us happy about having 

to wait for an answer, but realizing that the place was probably 

bugged.  We should have taken that into account before we started 

talking but that hadn't been on my mind at the time.   Mulder 

turned and cupped Scully's face again.  He placed a soft kiss on her 

lips and then whispered, "How's our boy?"



Scully did cry now, silent tears spilling over her lashes. "He's safe, 

Mulder.  He's safe."



Mulder nodded and kissed her again.  This time a little deeper.  I 

looked away again.  They separated and he hugged her tight and 

then let go, stepping back.  "See you soon."



"Without a doubt," she said quietly.  "I hate this situation but I 

can't tell you how glad I am to see you in one piece.  There were 

rumors you were dead."



"The accounts of my death have been greatly exaggerated," he said 

with a pithy tone.



She smiled, "I think Knowle Rohrer's are too!  And we'll find him, 

Mulder."



We all smiled then.  I added, "If he is a super soldier, he will 

regenerate and we'll see him again. And when that happens, they 

will have no choice but to acquit.  All we have to do is find him 

and take some verifiable video footage. There will be no way they 

can refute that evidence."



Mulder hung his head. "I'm sure they could find a way."



"Maybe," I replied.  "We have to go, Mulder."  The guard had 

returned and was simply staring at us.



"Bye, thanks for coming."



We walked to the exit and the guard unlocked the cell.  I made my 

way through the door.  Scully, however, stopped in the door frame 

and turned to look at Mulder again.  She said, "I love you, Mulder.  

Don't do anything stupid.  I want you around."



He smiled, blinking rapidly.  His bottom lip quivered and then he 

said, barely above a whisper, "I love you too, Scully.  Whatever 

happens, never doubt that."



She nodded, pleased with his response and turned on her heel and 

followed me down the hall as we heard the guard closing and 

relocking the door.  It was odd the way they had said that.  I 

wondered if it was possible that they had never said that to each 

other before.



I waited until we were in the car again to talk.  As we pulled away, 

I asked, "How did he seem to you?"



"A little too calm and resigned to his fate."



"Why didn't you tell him about William?"



"Not enough time to explain.  That will be a long discussion.  He's 

got enough to worry about right now.  I couldn't lay that on him 

too.   He needs a clear head."



I nodded.  "I agree.  I think you're afraid of his reaction though."



She glanced at me and away again.  "Maybe I am."



"I'll tell him if you want," I offered.



"No, it's something I need to tell him.  I don't want to do it while 

he's sitting in a jail cell, that's all."



"All right.  Look, I think we should go by the Lone Gunmen's 

place first."



"Why?"



"All their equipment is still there."



"It is?"



"Yeah, I paid the rent for another month until I can get in there and 

put the stuff in storage.  I figured it would come in handy."



"I thought they sold it all."



"Not all of it.  I looked the place over and found a hidden trap door 

in the floor.  The basement was still full of stuff.  Most of it is 

broken and in need of repair which is why they probably couldn't 

sell it.  But all of it can be fixed I think.  One thing that wasn't 

broken, however, was the device they used to detect bugs.  Being 

as paranoid as they were, they probably couldn't part with that."



"They had reason to be paranoid," she said defensively.



"I didn't say they didn't," I responded calmly.



"Sorry, I'm a little on edge."



"Understandable," was all I said.



After a few moment of silence she said, "That was a nice thing you 

did.  Thank you."



"Paying the rent?"



"Yeah."



"Yeah, they were almost three months behind too.  The landlord 

was getting ready to evict them when they died."



"I miss them," she said with odd quirky smile on her face, her eyes 

brimming with tears.



"Me too."



"Really?" she asked, sounding surprised.



"They grew on me," I said acerbically.



She laughed then and the sound was wonderful.  I smiled wide at 

her and chuckled, then brought my eyes back to the road.  We 

pulled up outside their lair and made our way to the building.



"How are we getting in?"



"The landlord gave me the keys when I paid the rent.  I told him 

they had been killed in a freak accident and he sounded genuinely 

dismayed.  I think they lasted this long here because he did like 

them."



I unlocked the door and she followed me in.  I quickly disarmed 

the alarm on the keypad next to the door.  I'd called the company 

and asked how to reprogram it when I found it since I had no idea 

what their code was.  The cavernous room had a hollow ring to it 

as we made our way across the floor to the back of the room, 

where I kicked a old rotting throw rug aside and pulled open the 

trap door.



She chuckled. "All the elaborate security and they hide their trap 

door with a throw rug.  It's classic."



I smiled at her amusement.  "Go figure," was all I said as I lowered 

myself down the few stairs to the basement.  The ceiling was low 

and I had to bend over, but Scully could stand up.  I figured it was 

only six feet high in here.  I pulled the chain on the bare bulb that 

hung at the foot of the stairs and illuminated the area."



"Jesus!" she exclaimed.  There was computer equipment and 

electronics of all shapes and sizes stacked haphazardly all over the 

basement.



I went to a free standing cabinet in the back and opened the door.  I 

carefully pulled out the bug detector and held it up.



"Why are we getting this?'



"I want to check the car out."



"You think …?" she trailed off.



"Wouldn't surprise me if they bugged it while we were inside."



She nodded and followed me back up the stairs after I turned off 

the light.  I secured the door and put the rug back and made my 

way to the door.



I reset the alarm and we went to the car.   Scully opened all the 

doors and the trunk.  I went over it carefully and we found one bug 

in the trunk and one under the hood and one in the passenger side 

door.



"Holy shit," Scully said.



I nodded.  "We'll take them to the lab and have them disable them, 

but I think I'll hang onto them. They could come in handy."



She raised her eyebrows but said nothing.  I dropped them in a zip 

lock bag.  I always carried them in the glove box.  And we made 

the rest of our trip back to D.C.  It was a long drive and we decided 

to wait until tomorrow to go to the Hoover Building.



XXXXXXXXXX

J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING

BASEMENT OFFICE 

THE NEXT DAY



We entered to find Monica and John in the office.  Monica was 

studying some papers and John was on the phone.  They both 

waved us to the extra chairs and we waited until John was off the 

phone.



Once we had their attention, we filled them in and told them about 

the bugs I'd dropped off at the lab upstairs.  Then we spent a 

couple hours making plans to rescue Mulder.  I was truly afraid 

that there would be an unexplained accident and Mulder would 

disappear, them claiming he had escaped.



After furious negotiations about who was going to do what, the 

girls decided that they would be the diversion and Doggett and I 

would go in to extract Mulder.



"Do we go to Kersch?" Monica asked.



Scully and I exchanged glances.  "I wouldn't," I suggested. "We 

still just don't know where he stands.  And even if he wanted to 

help us I doubt he could or would.  I think somebody controls him, 

whatever his personal beliefs may be."



We all agreed to go it alone, knowing this could ruin all our 

careers.  Scully and I were committed, long since past caring about 

our careers.  I only cared to the extent that I could use my position 

to help them.  I was a believer now.  I'd seen the aliens and I feared 

colonization. Next to that threat, my career didn't seem very 

important; not like it used to anyway.



However, we gave John and Monica one last chance to back out 

and save their backsides from involvement in this charade.  They 

refused and said they were behind us all the way.  If this stuff was 

going on, they didn't want to be a party to it, and if they could 

prevent it, even better.  I don't know about Scully, but I was 

relieved beyond measure.  I hadn't wanted to do this alone.



XXXXXXXXXX

MOUNT WEATHER COMPLEX

BLUEMONT, VA

LATER THAT NIGHT



I felt odd wearing all black from the knit cap, turtleneck, jeans and 

boots.  I was getting too old for this cloak and dagger bullshit.



We'd brought a black jumpsuit for Mulder to put on over his 

clothes.  We met with surprising little resistance.  They must be 

confident in their security.  We didn't try to disable the cameras but 

just draped them one after another with handkerchiefs as we made 

our way down the halls.  It was crude but effective.  I was wishing 

for the Lone Gunmen's hacking genius.  Without it though, we had 

to make due.



I was slightly surprised to find that John Doggett was unusually 

good at picking locks.  I was afraid we would run into a bunch of 

elaborate electronic locks, but they were all standard issue iron bar 

lock and keys except for one.  That one accepted the keycard 

Mulder had managed to smuggle away into his shoe and pass to me 

earlier that day. This facility must be old, although you could see 

where upgrades and renovations had taken place.  The further you 

went into the maze you could see it giving way to the old 

architecture. It was built into the side of a mountain, meant to be 

secure for the military in the event of a nuclear holocaust.



We ran into one guard outside the section of cells that Mulder was 

in.  Doggett distracted him briefly and before he could raise an 

alarm, I had clapped chloroform over his nose and mouth. He 

slumped into his chair and we breathed a sigh of relief. John 

unlocked the last set of doors and we trotted to Mulder's cell.  He'd 

heard the scuffle and was waiting by the door to his cell. John 

quickly picked the lock and I pulled the jumpsuit out of the 

backpack I was wearing.



Mulder nodded and pulled it on quickly over his clothes, hopping 

on one foot. We left the cell open, not wanting to make any noise 

that we didn't have to and began the long trek back.  Since there 

had been no one visible to distract outside, the girls had just draped 

the camera over the door and stood guard outside, watching for 

anyone approaching.  Both had their weapons and taser guns on 

them.  We didn't want to hurt anyone in the process and make the 

situation worse than it already was.  They would merely stun 

someone if they could rather than open fire on them.



The girls looked edgy, relieved, and excited as we emerged in a 

heated, silent shuffle and we ran for the van we'd left parked at the 

back of the lot. We sped away into the night, wondering if there 

was someone inside that had wanted Mulder to get away.  At this 

point, though, we couldn't worry about it.



XXXXXXXXXXX

MONICA REYES' APARTMENT

FALLS CHURCH, VA



We had decided it was too risky to go to Mulder's or Scully's 

apartment, so we ended up at Monica's.  We listened while John 

spoke to his ex-wife on the phone.



"Barbara you know I wouldn't ask if it wasn't really important.  My 

friend is in trouble and it will just be for a couple of days.  We'll be 

in and out and nobody will be the wiser.  You know as well as I do 

that nobody's up there this time of year, not even the rangers.  They 

won't show up till Memorial Day and we'll be long gone by then." 

He paused. "A week on the outside, but probably only two days.  

Please."



He waited, casting a glance at us.  Then he let out the breath he 

was holding. "Thank you, Barbara.  I really appreciate it.  I'll be 

there in an hour or so to get the keys.  Thanks again.  Bye now."



He hung up the phone and turned to us with a triumphant smile.  

Monica said, "You're a good weasel, John.  I'll have to remember 

that."



He waggled his eyebrows at her and we all chuckled.  Mulder said, 

"I'll go with you?"



John nodded.  "I'll get him settled in the cabin and you guys can 

come tomorrow."



"Sounds good.  We have some serious planning to do," Monica 

said.



We turned our heads while Mulder and Scully kissed and then we 

watched as John and Mulder left the apartment, heading for the 

back stairs.  We had to get Mulder away from D.C. as quickly as 

possible.  They would discover him missing within hours. John had 

asked his wife for use of a hunting cabin in the Adirondacks that 

she owned.  She had finally agreed, although reluctantly.



I was trying to sort out what my next move would be.  I wanted to 

keep tabs on everyone.  I was a control freak by nature.  It was a 

good trait for an Assistant Director, and especially now, I wanted 

to know all the details.



Monica asked Dana, "Did you tell him?"



 "I had to, he isn't with me.  He wanted to know where he was, who 

was watching him."



Monica nodded in sympathy.  "How did he take it?"



"Not too good.  He understood why I did it, but he doesn't agree 

with my decision.  I could tell."



"What's his argument?" I asked.



"Sir, he says no one can protect him better than we can, especially 

now that we know what destroys them … the super soldiers.  He 

didn't like that the parents knew nothing of him, but understood 

why we couldn't tell them.  They wouldn't have believed us 

anyway."



Monica asked, "Did you tell him about Spender injecting him with 

the magnetite?"



"Yes.  He said that only backed up his argument that he was safer 

with us than with strangers who would have no clue what to do if 

they went after William.  If the aliens did and his blood is now 

volatile to them, an exploding person would definitely be reported 

by the adoptive parents and we could risk exposure of everything."



"Would that be such a bad thing?" I asked.



"I just don't know anymore.  It could go either way.  The story is 

so fantastic that I doubt the people would believe it and if they did, 

they would panic. He also pointed out that if William were found, 

the aliens wouldn't hesitate to kill the adoptive parents.  I could 

have put them at risk."



Monica asked, "Is that really your responsibility?"



"I don't see how it could be anyone else's."



"We can't cover every eventuality, Dana," Monica reminded her.



"I know."



"Did Mulder seem angry with you?" I asked.



"No, he seemed … disappointed."



"In you?"



"In me … and at not being able to see William.  He missed him … 

so much."  Her voice cracked on the last two words.



Monica walked to her and held her in a loose embrace of comfort.  

"He'll come around, Dana," Monica said softly.



Scully nodded and hugged her tighter.  Then a plaintive cry rose 

from her throat, "I miss him too!"  She sobbed once, and then said 

again, "God, I miss him too.  I'm afraid I made a horrible mistake!"



"You did what you had to do," Monica encouraged.  "And Mulder 

will see that.  Just give him a little time.  He was focused on the 

reality that he couldn't see him right now and that colored his 

response."



Scully sniffled.  "I hate this, all of this.  Why can't anything ever be 

simple for us.  Not one god damned thing is ever easy for us!'



I grunted, not knowing what to say.  I know disappointing Mulder 

was one of Scully's biggest fears.  He trusted her to hold down the 

fort.  He wouldn't easily accept that he couldn't see his son, even if 

he understood her motivation.



Mulder had filled us in on the date of colonization he had found in 

the computer.  December 22, 2012.  That gave us ten years to 

figure out a way to stop them and Mulder thought he might already 

know how.  He wondered if the magnetite was lethal to more than 

the super soldiers.  He wondered if it would affect the regular 

aliens and bounty hunters the same way.  He wondered if it would 

destroy their ships.  We were going to try our best to figure it out.



He also wanted to talk to Gibson Praise and find out what the kid 

might know about it.  It was a long shot, but it was a place to start.  

The kid might be able to lead us to their ship locations in the 

desert, where we knew they were hidden.  He always seemed to 

know when they were near. We could test our theory.  Of course, 

we ran the risk of abduction again, which none of us wanted to 

face.



It was not going to be easy.  Nothing worthwhile ever was, I 

wanted to say to Scully, but I knew she wouldn't appreciate the 

sentiment at this point.



I glanced at Monica sitting next to me in the car.  Scully was 

sleeping in the back seat, completely exhausted from the events of 

the last 24 hours. Mulder and Doggett called us when they were 

settled in the cabin and gave us directions.  In order to avoid 

suspicion, we were only taking one other car up there.  A convoy 

would attract attention since the trails and parks were supposed to 

be closed.  The girls decided to go up and when they arrived, 

Doggett would return to join me in trying to locate some people.



We needed to see some people and make some solid plans. Marita 

Covarrubias was on the top of our list, along with Gibson Praise.  

Next, we needed to locate Jeffrey Spender who had disappeared 

shortly after his run in with Scully and the baby.  We'd let him go, 

and now were kicking ourselves for not having kept an eye on 

where he went to.  Like Monica had said, you just couldn't cover 

all the bases, no matter how hard you tried.



For the moment Mulder was safe with Monica and Scully to help 

guard him.  The military would come gunning for him, no doubt.  

But first they had to find him and for a couple of days at least, we 

hoped he was hidden well, until we could make arrangements to 

hide him elsewhere. Doggett had some ideas about that too.



Me, I was worried about seeing Marita again.  It had been a long 

time since we'd fallen out.  I wondered if there were a snowball's 

chance in hell she'd help us.  Maybe Doggett should talk to her 

alone.  As soon as I thought it, I knew there was no way I wouldn't 

be there.  If I was honest, I wanted to see her again.  Damned if 

that woman didn't still haunt me.



XXXXXXXXXX

THE NEXT DAY

ARIZONA DESERT



The little girl continued to run, even though the muscles in her 

thighs burned with the effort.  Her lungs were seared by the hot, 

desert wind as she sucked in ragged breaths, feeling the sand coat 

the inside of her mouth.  She pulled her tee shirt up over her 

mouth, holding her hand above her upper lip and continued to run.



Just a little further and she would have shelter.  She couldn't 

believe they hadn't discovered her missing yet.  They would soon 

though.  She hadn't detected any signs of being followed and she 

could always "feel" them when they were within a mile of her.  

She'd been running for hours, nonstop.  She'd only stopped once to 

catch her breath, let her muscles recuperate and drink an entire 

bottle of water from her knapsack that was still bouncing on her 

back as she ran.



She was not fast now.  Her run was more like a trot, but she knew 

she couldn't stop.  She was close.  She knew this from the 

information she had gotten from the computer.  The internal 

compass in her head told her she was approximately a quarter mile 

from the house.  They knew, damn it.  They knew where he was 

and she had to warn them. She was determined.  If it was the last 

thing she ever did, she was going to help him.  It was the least she 

could do.  Her life was meaningless anyway.  If she died trying, at 

least she would die "trying", instead of sitting back in fear and 

waiting for the world to come to an end.



Not anymore.  This was her one chance and she was going to take 

it.  She continued to run, her legs wobbly and her gait unsteady, 

but she refused to stop. She knew when she did, it was all over, she 

would collapse.  Just a little further.  She repeated the words over 

and over like a mantra.  "Just a little further, just a little further."



She swung her knapsack to one shoulder, not stopping but slowing 

a little.  She pulled out another bottle of water and bit off the top.  

She tipped it to her mouth and drank deeply as she continued to 

trot.  She coughed and sputtered when the cold water slid down her 

throat and she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.  Her 

hair was plastered to her head, the sweat pouring down her neck in 

rivulets, wetting her tee shirt. Her legs were sunburnt and 

beginning to blister.  She should have worn pants, but didn't think 

of it at the time.  She saw her opportunity and she'd bolted.



She took the last swig of water and dropped the bottle carelessly 

into the sand, continuing to move.  She had slowed to a fast walk 

now and the heat was making her dizzy.  Despite the five bottles of 

water she'd drank on the run, she knew she was dehydrating.



Her vision swam and when she opened her eyes, she saw the 

farmhouse looming large in front of her. It gave her a new burst of 

energy and she picked back up to a trot.



She was only about five hundred yards away when she saw a 

woman's face appear behind the screen door, a concerned crease in 

her brow.  "Ma'am," she called out, alarmed at the scratchy quality 

of her voice.



The woman didn't appear frightened as she stepped on to the porch 

and tipped her head to one side, only curious.



The little girl knew she looked like hell, and breathed out, "Oh 

thank God.  I made it." Then she felt the world spin around her as a 

wave of vertigo gripped her.  She cried out, "No!  Hee …elp!"



Then everything went black.



XXXXXXXX

VanDeKamp RESIDENCE

ARIZONA



The woman gasped and ran toward the girl that had suddenly 

swayed on her feet and collapsed into the sand several yards 

beyond the front walk.  She ran to her and dropped to her knees. 

She was a young girl, four years old, maybe five.  The woman 

wondered how she had come to be here in the middle of nowhere 

all by herself.  Something horrible must have happened.



She picked the girl up and carried her inside.  It was times like 

these she wished they didn't live so far away from everything.  Of 

course, that was what had prompted her to learn nursing.  She 

settled the girl on her couch, noticing that she was soaked and 

probably dehydrated.  She lifted her and pulled the knapsack off 

her back, dropping it on the floor, forgetting about it for now.



She went to the bathroom and gathered towels and other supplies 

and went back to the living room.  She dipped the wash clothes in 

a bucket of cold water and placed them on the girl after stripping 

her out of her clothes.  One on the forehead, one on each arm, one 

across the stomach and over each thigh.  She needed to cool her 

down.  Her skin was burning up.  If she didn't cool soon, she would 

have to put her in an ice bath.  She stuck a thermometer under the 

girl's tongue.



She unfolded her I.V. pole and placed a saline solution bag on it.  

She prepared the I.V. and then wiped the new needle with an 

alcohol pad.   As she pressed the needle to the inside of girl's 

elbow, searching for a vein, the little girl's eyes suddenly popped 

open.  She sat up quickly, spitting out the thermometer, and flailing 

her arms.  "No, don't puncture my skin!" she shouted.



The woman reeled back on her heels and then plopped onto her 

butt in the middle of the living room floor.  She held up her hands 

in a universal sign of surrender.  "Don't worry, child.  I won't hurt 

you.  I'm a nurse.  You're dehydrated.  I was just going to start an 

I.V. to hydrate you."



The girl was silent a few moments and said, "That won't be 

necessary.  If you could just give me water, I'll be fine."



She nodded, and said, "Well, now that you're awake, we'll try that 

first."



As she went to the kitchen to get a glass and a pitcher of ice water 

she paused.  There was something odd about the small girl.  First, 

how many four or five year olds knew the word "puncture".  Now 

that she thought about it, the girl was exceptionally articulate for 

her age, speaking like an adult almost.  No, not almost, JUST like 

an adult.  She furrowed her brow, feeling uneasy but finished her 

task and made her way back to the living room.



The girl sat, naked as a jaybird, and totally unselfconscious of this 

fact.  She looked at the woman and shivered.  "Do you maybe have 

a dry tee shirt I could put on, Ma'am?" she asked politely.  "Now 

that my sweat is cooling, I'm afraid I'm a bit chilled."



The woman noted an odd accent to her speech and couldn't place 

it.  She was still trying to get beyond the articulate speech pattern.  

"I'll get you a tee shirt, but then you must answer some questions."



The girl nodded, offering no protest.  The woman left and returned 

with a tee shirt and a bathrobe.  Both were huge on the little girl 

but she wrapped up in them gratefully, tucking her feet under her 

on the couch.  She was still guzzling water, glass after glass.



"Careful, you'll get sick if you drink it too fast."



"I'm fine now, thanks.  You're a life saver," the girl replied.



The woman nodded.  "Want to tell me how you came to be out 

here in the middle of nowhere all by yourself?"



"I escaped."



"Escaped?  From what?'



The girl eyed her, as if choosing her words carefully.  "I ran away."



"From your parents?"



"Sort of, not really.  I was in an … abusive situation and I needed 

to leave."



The woman felt a wave of sympathy wash through her.  The girl 

was obviously grown beyond her years.  Abuse could do that to 

you.  "How old are you?" she asked.



The little girl smiled.  "I'm seven."



"Seven!"



She smiled wider.  "Yeah, I'm real small for my age."



"I guess so."



"I have some … relatives that can help me, I think.  An … aunt and 

uncle.  I was hoping maybe you could help me get in touch with 

them."



"I'd be happy too.  You should probably let you're parents know 

you are all right though."



The girl looked at her with a stare that sent a chill down her spine.  

"I won't be speaking to my parents ever again.  They won't care 

anyway.  Please just help me find my aunt and uncle."



The woman swallowed, totally unnerved for no particular reason 

she could name.  "I'll help you," she whispered.



The girl nodded, smiling and the cold look disappeared from her 

eyes.  The woman wondered if she'd imagined it.   "Thank you, 

Ma'am.  I'll be forever in your debt."



The woman nodded shakily and then the sound of a baby was 

heard through the open door to the hallway.  "I have a baby," she 

said quietly.



The little girl looked at her again and said the oddest thing.  "I 

know, that's why I came here."



"What's your name, child?"



PART 2 (NC-17)

HUNTING CABIN

ADIRONDACKS

NEW YORK STATE



Monica had gone out for a run, winking conspiratorially at me.  

She knew I wanted some time alone with Mulder and I was 

grateful for her understanding. She had turned out to be a good 

friend.  It was nice after all these years to have a female friend I 

felt that I could trust.



I walked into the back bedroom in the cabin to find Mulder sitting 

on the bed with pillows propped behind him.  He was reading a 

book with his glasses perched on his nose. His chest was bare and 

his boxers clung snugly to his muscular thighs.  I drank in the sight 

of him, whole and healthy.  He glanced up and smiled, setting his 

book aside and held up his hand.



I practically ran to the bed and jumped on it.  He smiled wider at 

my playfulness.  I didn't feel especially playful but I was 

enthusiastic.  Kneeling, I peeled off my tee shirt and tossed it over 

the side of the bed.  My bra followed the same path.



His eyes were riveted on my chest and he licked his lips, sending 

my body into shivers of anticipation.  I crawled up as he scooted 

down some and placed myself between his legs.  I lowered my 

torso to his and he groaned softly as my skin touched down on his.



"Where's Monica?"



"She went for a run."



He mumbled, "Oh, it's been so long.  I missed you so much, 

Scully.  I missed being able to just … touch you."



I hummed in agreement and placed soft kisses on his salty skin, 

suckling his nipples gently and moving up to his neck.  He gasped 

and squirmed as I made my way up to his ears.  They were 

sensitive.  I remembered that from last time.



Last time.  My God, it had been so long.  It had been nearly a year 

since that one wonderful night together in my apartment when 

William had been conceived. Then he was abducted.  He was there 

for William's birth, but had abruptly gone into hiding.  And I'd 

been in no shape to be intimate immediately following William's 

birth, so it had been a long time.



His hands rubbed gently up and down my back, cupping my butt 

and sliding over my skin.  I shuddered at the sensation and he 

lowered his mouth to mine.  We kissed slowly but deeply for 

several long moments.  I could feel him hardening against me.



Finally, he pulled back and coaxed me onto my knees again. He 

reached down and removed his boxers, freeing his erection to the 

cool air of the bedroom.  It stood up proudly as though reaching for 

me and I put out my hand to grasp it.  He caught my wrist gently 

and said, "If you do that, this will be over way too fast."



I smiled and flopped back on my rear end, taking off my 

sweatpants and letting them slide over the side of the bed as well.  

He guided me down onto my back and kissed me again, moving to 

my neck and down to my breast.  The first touch of his warm, soft 

lips on my nipple nearly sent me into orbit.  I arched off the bed 

crying out, "Ooohhhh!"



I felt his lips smile against me but he continued his attention and 

then moved to the other breast.  A few minutes of this was all I 

could take.  I grasped his shoulders and tugged up.



He raised his head and looked down the length of my torso to the 

juncture of my thighs.  I was wet and leaking already, my thighs 

damp with arousal.  I shook my head.  "Not now.  I want you 

inside.  It's been so long."



He nodded and repositioned himself atop me.  His glans probed my 

moist opening as he took his weight on his elbows.  He kissed me 

again and then stared at my face, his expression solemn as he 

began to slide inside.  My mouth dropped open on a gasp at the 

first push of his hardness inside my long unused tunnel.



He was hot, hard, and painfully ready for me.  He moaned but kept 

sliding in until he was pressing on the door to my womb, stretching 

my cervix.  He stayed still a moment.  Our eyes met and his were 

damp.  He whispered, "There were nights … I didn't think I'd ever 

be here again."



I nodded, feeling tears sting my own eyelids.  "Me too," I 

whispered.



"Not a day went by, I didn't think of you, Scully.  You and 

William."



My face scrunched up with regret.  "I'm sorry I gave him away, 

Mulder," I squeaked out, ashamed of how upset I was getting.



He pulled back and stroked into me slowly, coaxing another moan 

from the back of my throat. "It's all right, Scully."



"I let you down," I whispered.



"No, Scully.  You've never let me down.  I know you must have 

done what you needed to do."



Stroke.



"I know you felt you had no choice or you never would have done 

it.  I know how much our baby meant to you … still means to you.  

You must have been so scared."



He began a slow, steady rhythm as he whispered to me.  His words 

were reassuring, calming, and filled with love and compassion.  "It 

will be all right.  I just missed him so much."



Stroke.



"I looked forward to holding him again.   Holding you again.  

Knowing you were waiting for me to come home one day was 

sometimes the only thing that kept me going."



Stroke.



"I love you so much, Scully.  I wanted to find a way for us to be a 

family.  We didn't ever have time to just enjoy loving each other."



A low hum erupted from the back of my throat and we kissed as he 

continued to make love to me.  I could feel all his pain and misery 

fading away with every push into my body and I gladly took it in 

and gave away mine.  All those nights of loneliness were over.  In 

between gasps of slow, waving pleasure I said, "I can't do this 

again."



His expression was stricken, and I realized he'd misunderstood 

when he stopped and held still.  I locked my heels behind his low 

back when he would have pulled away.



"No, Mulder.  I mean I can't be separated from you again. We have 

to find a way to beat this thing … together.  If we can't be together, 

it isn't worth it."



He smiled sadly.  "Scully …"



"Later, we'll talk later.  Just make love to me now.  We don't have 

much time."



He nodded and resumed his stroking, speeding up and driving me 

toward my peak with every crash of his hips against mine.  I felt 

my orgasm coil low in my belly and he sped up again, grunting 

with every impact as he buried himself deep inside me.  "I'm so 

hard for you," he whispered.



He murmured in my ear.  "Missed you so much.  Was afraid it'd 

been too long … you wouldn't want this anymore.  Oh Lord, 

Scully, you feel so good. Come for me, Love.  Come for me."



It struck with the force of a hurricane and the speed of lightening.  

My climax rolled over me with tremendous force, my womb 

contracting to just this side of pain.  My vagina clutched at his 

rigid member with blinding force, trying to hold it inside.



He howled, "Awwwww, Gaawwdd!  You're squeezing me so tight. 

Ohhhh, Christ yes!"  I felt his essence fly into me, filling me and 

coating my walls with slick warmth.



We lay still for several minutes afterwards.  When our breathing 

returned to normal, he rolled off me and tugged my hand, standing 

me up off the bed.  We went to the shower without a word. We 

soaped one another and reveled in just being together and being 

able to touch.



After we had dried off and made some tea, we sat cuddled in the 

corner of the couch.  He lit a fire and we sat in silence for a while.  

"We should talk, Scully."



"Yeah, I don't know how much private time we're going to have 

for a while."



"Nice of Monica to make herself scarce."



"She's been a really good friend, Mulder."



"I see that.  I'm glad you had someone to turn to."



"I think she and John have something going, or want to have 

something going."



"Must be that office," he deadpanned.



I chuckled and he looked down at me with such a look of affection 

and tenderness, I had to blink rapidly to hold back another display 

of waterworks.  I'd been crying way too much lately.



I cleared my throat and he kissed my forehead tenderly.  "I was 

thinking of going back to New Mexico."



"Why New Mexico?  Wait a minute. BACK to New Mexico?"



"That's where I was hiding."



"Where in New Mexico?"



"With Albert Hostein's grandson."



"Oh.  I wondered.  I wasn't sure you would go back there."



"I wasn't sure at first either.  I was afraid that might be one of the 

first places they looked.  But then I realized that Albert was gone 

and he was the real threat to them down there.  He was the last 

code talker.  And they'd destroyed the boxcar with the corpses, so 

they thought they'd cleaned the area.  I figured they wouldn't go 

back unless something else gave them a reason to. I was in Canada 

until I could get a hold of the Navajos and ask for permission to be 

hidden there."



"They agreed, obviously."



"Yes, I got in touch with Eddie, his grandson."



"I thought you were dead … a couple of times."



He held her tightly and kissed her temple.  "I'm here now, that's 

what matters."



"We need help, Mulder.  We can't do this alone anymore."



"I know.  Doggett and Reyes are obviously willing to help. And we 

know we can trust Skinner. We now have three people on our side 

that we can trust. That's more than we've ever had."



"We had the Lone Gunmen," she said quietly.



Mulder's face scrunched into an expression of despair. "Doggett 

told me on the way up.  I mentioned calling the boys for help and 

he told me they were dead."  He paused for a moment and then 

cried out, "Jesus!"



It was my turn to comfort him.  I held him while he cried softly.  

He gasped out, "They were the only friends I had for so long, 

Scully.  Until you came along."



"Shhh, I know."



"I wish I could have been to their funeral."



"We'll visit their gravesites when we can, Mulder and you can say 

a proper goodbye."



He sniffled and nodded.  "I heard Skinner got them into Arlington 

Cemetary."



A few tears escaped my lashes and I answered, "Yeah, pretty good 

of him, huh?"



"Yeah."



"He paid the back rent on their place and for another month's rent 

until he can put their stuff in storage."



"He did?" Mulder asked, pulling away from her slightly to look at 

her face.



She nodded.  "He really has turned out to be a good friend too, 

Mulder.  He cared about the guys.  He knew how they stood 

behind you, even when he couldn't, and he admired their loyalty."



He nodded.  "So did I, Scully.  So did I.  I'm gonna miss the hell 

out of them.  It's not fair.  I should have been dead ten times over 

and they …"



"I know.  You can't think that way though, Mulder.  You'll just 

drive yourself nuts."



"I'm already nuts," he said calmly.  I smiled affectionately and we 

just sat holding one another. "So what next?" he asked finally.



"Doggett said he and Skinner were going to try and track down 

some people.  Marita and Spender and Gibson."



"Spender?!"



"Oh God, you don't know that whole story, do you?"



"He's alive?"



"Jeffrey Spender, not C.G.B., and yes, he was taken and tortured, 

Mulder.  He wasn't as lucky as you.  He didn't come away 

unscathed."



"I wouldn't say I was unscathed."



"I meant physically."



He looked at me, waiting for me to continue.  "What happened?" 

he prompted finally.



"He's hideous, Mulder.  He's scarred beyond recognition. He barely 

has a face anymore, like his features melted.  He has no hair and 

wears an awful wig.  I actually thought he might be you at first."



"Christ!" he exclaimed.  "I must admit I never liked him. But if 

what you say is true, I can't help but feel sorry for him."



"Yeah.  He was injected with something that burned all his skin 

tissue from the inside out.  It would take massive and lengthy 

surgeries to even get him to a place where he looked halfway 

normal."



"God," was all he said.



"He's your brother, Mulder.  He admitted that finally."



Mulder reared back.  "You're sure?"



"As sure as I can be.  He said your mother had an affair with his 

father.  You were the result. You were raised separately, him by 

Cassandra, you by Teena."



"Christ!  I suspected but … knowing for sure is still a bit of a 

shock."



"Yeah, he's filled with remorse too, I think for not believing you 

from the beginning.  He hates his father, whom he believes is 

dead."



"What did he come around for?"



"He broke into the X-Files looking for files, the very files we were 

hiding at my apartment."



"How'd he know about them?"



"He said you told him."



He shook his head.  "I haven't seen him in years."



I nodded.  "I don't know how he found out, but when I knew which 

files he was looking for, I knew it wasn't you.  You knew where 

the files were and you wouldn't have gone to the office looking for 

them."



"What happened?"



"He injected William with something.  I panicked."



"That bastard!"



"No, Mulder.  I was scared, but it turned out all right. Apparently, 

he injected him with a biological version of magnetite."



"Holy shit," he whispered.



"Yeah, he said it would help keep him safe.  The super soldiers 

won't be able to get near him without killing themselves now."



"Then why did you feel forced to give him up?" he asked. There 

was no accusation in his voice, but the pain was evident and so was 

the lack of understanding.



"Spender said that it would never be over.  That the aliens would 

never forget what he was supposed to be and they wouldn't accept 

that he was beyond their reach.  They would keep searching and 

try to find a way to reverse what Spender had done.  He said he 

would never be safe, and neither would you."  My voice trailed off 

at the end.



"And you believed him?"



"Yes, I believed him.  I couldn't even give our child a life without 

fear, Mulder.  I didn't want him to grow up under the shadow of 

fear.  I couldn't bear it.  I would never be able to look him in the 

eye and tell him everything would be all right.  Because I would 

never know for sure."



He pulled me against him tightly again.  I could feel his pain, but 

now there was understanding too.  "If I had to go on the run, I 

wouldn't have been able to take him with me.  They want you 

dead, Mulder.  According to them, you are the one thing that can 

prevent him from taking his place as a leader in the future.  They 

believe he is the bridge between aliens and humans during 

colonization."



"If the date I have is correct, he'll only be 11 years old."



"Maybe they mean to have him lead later on, who knows what they 

think.  I do know that you and I will always be targets," I 

continued.



"Not always, I promise."



"How can you, Mulder?'



"We'll find a way, Scully.  We have to, that's all.  We'll find a way 

to beat this.  We know what destroys the soldiers and they are the 

best hope the aliens have for colonization.  If we can destroy all the 

soldiers and then find a way to get rid of the aliens, we can be safe 

again."



I smiled at him, again amazed at his faith in himself and in me.  

"That's a tall order, Mulder.  They are hard to take on one at a 

time."



"Yeah, but if Spender knows how to make the biological 

compound of magnetite, we might be able to inject ourselves, 

maybe everyone.  I was just thinking of using the magnetite in it's 

current form or producing it synthetically somehow.  It never 

occurred to me that it could be made into something the body 

wouldn't reject.  Injecting everyone with it has incredible potential.  

It would invalidate their entire fighting force."



"How could we do it?"



"They tagged everyone through small pox vaccinations, didn't 

they?"



"You mean use their own idea against them?"



"Yeah, it could work.  The trick would be getting it into the 

vaccines, selling it to the public as an inoculation for something 

other than what it was, some life threatening virus or something."



"That would be difficult."



"Yes, but not impossible and we have ten years to D-Day."



"And we have to be on the run until then?"



"I don't know, Scully, but I do know that there are options.  We are 

not out of options yet, and until we are, I refuse to give up on my 

dreams."



"Your dreams?"



"You, me, William … living a normal life as a normal family."



I laughed now.  "We'll never be normal, Mulder."



He chuckled.  "Well, I'd like some things to be normal. I'd like to 

be …"  He hesitated, his voice hitching.



"Like to be what?"



So softly, I almost couldn't hear him, he said, "I'd like the chance 

to be a real father.  Not just in name only.  I want a family again, 

Scully.  I want a future with you and I'll fight till my dying breath 

to make it happen, to make it safe for us to live our lives.  We 

deserve some happiness."



Our gazes met and held in silent communion.  He wanted us to be 

a family.  That warmed my heart more than anything.  I didn't 

know if it would ever be possible.  I had the strength of his beliefs, 

but I was unwilling to predict the future.  That usually only yielded 

severe disappointment for me.



"We need to take this one day at a time, Mulder.  I want the same 

things you want,"



"Amazing," he joked, interrupting my serious comment.



I slapped him gently.  "Shush.  I'm not finished."



He nodded and waited for me to continue.



"I just don't want us to set ourselves up for disappointment, 

Mulder.  We have a long road ahead of us.  If we're lucky, we'll 

achieve those dreams, but I don't want to be thinking they are 

around the corner any day now because I know that they aren't."



He hung his head.  "I know, but I need my dreams, Scully. They 

are all that keep me going sometimes.  And now that I have you 

and William, there is even more reason than ever for me to fight … 

and keep fighting.  The world needs to be made safe, not just for us 

but for everyone's children.  Otherwise, none of us has a future."



"I'm with you," I vowed.



"I know," he said softly.  "Thank God.  You're like a miracle in my 

life, Scully."



I smiled at him.  "You're not so bad yourself."



"Hmmm, I've brought you so much joy," he said sarcastically.



I cupped his face.  "But you have Mulder.  You just don't know 

how much."



"How can you say that, Scully?  If you'd never hitched your wagon 

to mine … "



I pressed my fingers to his lips to stop the flood of guilt and self-

flagellation that I knew was coming.  Some things never changed.  

"You gave me the one thing nobody and nothing else was able to, 

Mulder."



"What's that Scully?" he asked tentatively.



"You gave me a baby, Mulder."



His eyes were teary.  "And now he's gone."



I nodded, feeling teary again myself.  "But I have never known 

such joy, Mulder as when I held him and loved him.  I will always 

love him, even if it's at a distance, I will love him and know that 

you and I created life together and we will live on through him no 

matter what.  Secondly, you loved me so unconditionally and so 

well.  Knowing you love me brings me joy too, Mulder.   I'll never 

forget the night we made William.  It was like I was free for the 

first time in my life.  Free to be me.  Free to love you.  And I was 

so happy, Mulder, to have found love like that.  And we created 

life together, Mulder.  I never dreamed of loving someone so 

completely as I love you."



"It's a miracle," he murmured.  Then he kissed me again, urgently 

this time.  We were interrupted by the sound of clearing throat.  

We looked up sheepishly to find Monica looking at us with an 

amused expression.



"Guess I didn't stay away long enough, huh?" she asked. She was 

dripping sweat, a large stain down the front of her tee shirt.



"No, we're good.  Thanks, Monica," I replied.



She smiled.  "I'm gonna hit the shower.  Then I'll call John and see 

if they've made any progress.



I stood and said, "I'll start dinner."



"What should I do?" Mulder asked.



"You could bring in some more wood for the fire off that pile 

outside."



"You got it."



We all went about our chores separately and met back in the living 

room.  Monica used her digital phone so that we couldn't be traced 

and called John.  He said that they had a lead on Marita and would 

get back to us as soon as they knew more. In the meantime, he 

asked Monica to call down to Mexico and see if she could find a 

place for them to hole up for a while.



She agreed, saying she knew some people that might help her, 

friends of her family.  I took a deep breath, knowing that this was 

just the start.  I thought of William and was swamped with sadness.  

I was torn.  I wanted to be with Mulder and never leave his side.  

But we were still going to be on the run for a while.  And the road 

was no place for a baby.  In my heart, I did what I needed to do, 

but I also knew that I would never be sure it was the right decision.  

I did feel better knowing that Mulder wasn't angry with me for 

what I did.  I just hoped he didn't resent me for it later after he'd 

had more time to think about it.



I had turned over custody.  It wouldn't be easy to get him back, 

maybe impossible to do it legally. We couldn't just take him back.  

If anyone could find a way, though, Mulder could.  I really 

believed that.



There was nothing I could do about it now.  What was done was 

done.  I was a Scully and I wasn't going to waste time hemming 

and hawing about things I couldn't change.  My father had told me 

once, "No sense regretting the past.  You can't change it, even God 

can't change the past."



That put things in perspective for me, and I needed to remember 

that sentiment now.  It might be all that held me together and 

preventing me flying into a million pieces every time my arms 

ached with emptiness because he wasn't with me.



Maybe holding Mulder would fill some of the empty space.  I sure 

hoped so.



PART 3 (PG)

MARITA COVARRUBIAS' APARTMENT

SOUTHERN MARYLAND



The next few days were a whirlwind of searching and begging.  I 

felt disconnected not having Monica with me.  I realized how 

much I'd come to depend on her presence.  Ironically, a manila 

envelope containing an address was slipped under the door to the 

X-Files office.  Skinner and I had no idea where it had come from.  

It was just the address with no name or anything else. Skinner 

picked it up and read the note.  At the bottom of the sheet it just 

said, 'From a Friend'.



We waited till evening to go to the address in Maryland. Skinner 

took a deep breath and said, "You take this one, John."



I knocked and placed my finger over the peephole.  When the 

female voice asked who was there, I said, "Open up, police, 

ma'am."



There was a hesitation but then I heard a dead bolt slide out.  She 

didn't release the chain.  I pushed and when the chain caught the 

door, I could see a blonde woman standing a few feet back in a 

firing stance, her weapon training on the door. Skinner stepped into 

view then and said, "Marita, please.  We need to talk to you."



So this was Marita, I thought.



"I can't help you," she said immediately.



"How do you know that?" Skinner asked.



She hesitated.  "I don't want to be involved anymore."



"I don't think you have a choice," he replied.



"Why should I help you?"



"Because you know it's the right thing to do and Mulder thinks he 

knows a way to stop this."



She laughed then, the sound caustic and razor sharp. "Doesn't he 

always," she said finally.



"Marita please.  We think we really have a chance, but we need 

some information, and we need to find Jeffrey Spender."



Her weapon lowered then and she stared at us for a few moments.  

She sighed and unhooked the chain.  "Thank you," Skinner 

murmured as we stepped inside, closing and locking the door. She 

waved to the chairs around her kitchen table and we sat.



"Coffee?" she asked.



We both nodded.  "That would be great," I said.  "I live on it now."



She smiled and placed the mugs on the table with a bowl of sugar 

and a quart of milk.  We fixed our coffee in silence.  She said, "I 

don't know about anything else, but I can help you find Jeffrey."



Skinner's head snapped up to stare at her.  She didn't say anything 

else and I sensed there was history with these two that made 

communication difficult. I didn't know and didn't want to ask. So I 

said, "Ms. Covarrubias, we would be really grateful. We don't want 

to put you in danger, but … honestly, we need help."



She smiled at me and then turned to Walter.  "How novel, someone 

that admits needing help instead of making me feel like it's my 

civic duty to risk my life.  At least one of you has manners." She 

turned back to me. "Call me Marita."



Skinner looked at the table.  "I'm sorry, Marita," he began.  

"There's a lot of water under the bridge here, for both of us.  There 

were times when neither of us knew what side we were on. But 

that needs to end.  I'll trust you if you'll trust me. We need to try.  

For everyone's sake," he added.



She didn't say anything, just leaned back against her kitchen 

counter, crossing her arms over her chest.  He continued, "This is 

bigger than us, Marita, bigger than any of us."



"You think I don't know that? Me, of all people?" she spit out 

angrily.



"I know you do.  I guess I can't say anything right around you, can 

I?"



She sighed again.  "You don't get my help for nothing, Walter.  I 

want to know what's going on and what you plan to do."



He nodded.  "I'll tell you.  I said I'd trust you and I will.  I know 

you have as much at stake as any of us."



"More," she said.



I looked at Skinner and asked, "What are you two talking about?"



They both turned to me then as though they'd forgotten I was in the 

room.  They exchanged a glance and I saw Marita nod, almost 

imperceptibly.



Skinner cleared his throat.  "She knows who they are, John."



"They?"



"The aliens."



I looked at each of them in turn.  "And?"



"She knows who in the government," he added, trying to get the 

light bulb to go on in my head with as little information as 

possible.



"Oh!" I said.  "You really believe they are in the government?"



Marita made a sound of disgust.  "Of course they are.  How do you 

think they always know what we're doing?  How do you think they 

stay one step ahead of us?  How do you think they have the 

resources to complete their project?  Without the government, they 

would have to create chaos and fear to take what they needed and 

they don't want that. They want to be completely anonymous until 

they are ready to colonize.  That's why anyone who gets close to 

the truth ends up dead."



She finished this little speech and speared me with a look that 

made me shiver.  "I don't want to believe this," I said.  "But I know 

you're telling the truth."



"John is still a bit of a skeptic," Skinner offered to Marita.  "But 

he's coming around.  Like the rest of us, he's just seen too much."



She raised one eyebrow in a fair imitation of Scully's eyebrow 

maneuver and I smiled, for lack of something better to do.  I was 

feeling outclassed as I sat here watching this play out.



She finally picked up her mug off the counter and sat down at the 

table between us.  Skinner was on one end, me on the other and she 

sat on the side. "Jeffrey is ruined," she said.



"We know," Walter said. "We saw him.  He broke into the X- files 

with this fantastic story about Mulder telling him where files were 

that could help him. He wants to punish the ones that tortured him, 

that were responsible for his being taken."



She raised an eyebrow.  "And you didn't believe him?'



"We didn't think he'd seen Mulder, but he had information he 

shouldn't have had."



"Did he find the files?" she asked.



"No, Agent Doggett interrupted his fishing expedition."



"And if he hadn't?"



Skinner stared her down.  "He still wouldn't have found them.  Not 

there."



She nodded, not asking him to elaborate.  "I see."



"You told him the files were there, didn't you, Marita?"



She stared straight ahead, not meeting our gazes.  She didn't deny 

it and that pretty much confirmed it for me.



Walter asked, "Did you give him the keys as well?"



"Dangerous woman,"  I muttered, wondering how she got a copy 

of the keys to offices inside the FBI.



She swallowed but then nodded.  "I felt sorry for him. He's so 

wretched now."



"Do you feel sorry for me?" he asked cryptically.



She looked at him, the corners of her mouth twitching in 

amusement.  "No," she replied finally.



He nodded.  I had a feeling there had been a silent conversation 

there and wondered if these two had ever been involved.  I was 

getting that vibe but I just couldn't picture it.  Then again, the more 

I thought about it, it wasn't so far out of bounds.



"So what now?  Can you set up a meeting with Jeffrey for us or 

what?" I asked.



She looked at me again.  "Cut to the chase kind of guy, are you?"



I nodded. "I don't have time to candy coat things."



She nodded.  "What do you want with him?"



"We need to know what he injected Scully's kid with," I told her.



"He told you that."



"No, he just said it was a magnetite compound.  What we need to 

know is how to make it."



She perked up at this and looked between us again.  "Oh my God.  

Is that what you are planning to do?"



"We need to know.  We want to protect ourselves first, but then 

find a way to immunize everyone."



"That won't be easy."



"No, it won't," Walter added.  "But we'll figure a way to do it.  We 

have more immediate concerns like protecting Mulder and Scully.  

What you're talking about … what we are contemplating is a long 

term plan.  We just busted Mulder out of a military brig."



"I know," she said softly.



I wondered where this woman got her information, but Walter 

didn't seem surprised that she was in the know.



"It's expensive to make."



"I figured it wouldn't be cheap," I said.



Walter chimed in.  "Mulder has enough money, I'm sure.  He could 

finance making enough for us anyway until we could find help and 

backers to manufacture it and deliver it.  I know he would do it.  

The money means nothing to him."



She nodded.  "He does have the money.  It's so ironic. I'll bet you 

two don't have any idea how wealthy Mulder is."



Walter said, "I know his parents left him well off."



"You don't know the half of it."



"Why don't you fill us in then," he said testily.



She looked at him calmly.  "Cassandra Spender got almost 

everything in the divorce from C.G.B."



"So what?" Walter asked.



"She felt betrayed by Jeffrey and she hated C.G. B. with all her 

heart.  She got her divorce on the grounds of infidelity.  He thought 

she was nuts."



"He meaning C.G.B.?"



"No, meaning Jeffrey.  He never believed about the aliens, her 

abduction, that she had been turned into a hybrid.  He blamed the 

divorce and his father's affair on her delusions."



"When did he find out she wasn't nuts?" I asked.



"Way too late," Marita said cryptically.



Walter asked, "So what does this have to do with Mulder?"



She smiled then, a closed lipped, secretive smile.  "She left 

everything to Mulder."



Walter gasped.  "No shit," he breathed out.



She nodded, pursing her lips.  "She got her revenge on Jeffrey all 

right.  It's ironic, huh?  Her own son wouldn't believe her, and her 

husband's bastard did.  That affair was what ruined her marriage, 

but in the end, the product of that affair became her best ally."



"That's fucked up," I whispered.



She and Walter both laughed then, a short burst of laughter that 

was filled with irony, not humor. I saw an expression of longing 

flash quickly across his face as he watched her laugh.  It was gone 

quickly but I was sure I had seen it.  She continued, "Life is full of 

surprises, isn't it?"



"That's putting it mildly," I said.



"Yes, well, she left him two houses, acreage in West Virginia near 

Williamsburg and several fat bank accounts, stocks, all kinds of 

investments.  And as you know, each of his parents owned a 

couple of houses, IRAs, stocks.  He sold all the property which 

included six houses and several pieces of property.  Christ, 

Mulder's got to be worth over a half a billion."



I whistled quietly.  "What did Jeffrey get?" I asked.



She held up her fingers, the thumb and forefinger meeting. "The 

big goose egg, gentlemen.  The big goose egg."



Walter whistled in astonishment.  "No wonder he was so pissed 

off.  I thought he hated Mulder on principal only because he 

thought he was nuts and a thorn in his side."



"No, there was a lot more to it.  Another irony is that Mulder didn't 

even know that Jeffrey was his brother.  He may have suspected, 

but he didn't know for sure.  He never understood why Cassandra 

left everything to him.  I don't think he told anyone, not even 

Scully.  He was never gregarious about his finances anyway.  I 

think the money almost embarrassed him.  Look at that dump he 

lived in.  I guess Mulder just figured that she couldn't get past 

Jeffrey's betrayal, that he wouldn't believe her.  I think she always 

wished that Mulder was her son instead of Jeffrey.  CGB was 

trying to groom Jeffrey for the Consortium.  She knew it.  It was 

her final big 'fuck you' to C.G.B. and Jeffrey.  She didn't want her 

money helping the Consortium."



"And now?"



"He doesn't hate Mulder anymore.  He resented him for being the 

son that got his father's attention, even if Mulder didn't know 

Spender was his father.  But after his mother died, that was the 

straw that broke the camel's back.  He went nuts that Mulder got 

the Spender fortune as well as his own.  He was determined to 

destroy him.  He and Diana were in on it together.  She wanted him 

destroyed too, although their agendas were different, their goal was 

the same."



"They didn't succeed obviously," I said.  There was so much I 

didn't know and I was realizing just how much.  The series of 

events that I was ignorant of were staggering.  I needed to be filled 

in on some of these things.  Maybe I could pry them out of Walter 

while we did all this running around.



"No, he didn't succeed," Marita confirmed.  "C.G.B. wouldn't let 

him."



"Ouch," Walter said under his breath.



"Yup.  He finally stood up to his father and all the lies. And we all 

know where that got him."



"Shot," Walter said.



"More than shot," she said.  "C.G.B. handed him over to the aliens, 

knowing they would experiment on him."



"Christ!" I exclaimed. "How could a father do that to a son?"  

Thoughts of my own Luke flooded my mind.  I simply couldn't 

imagine hating your offspring that much.



"How indeed?" Marita asked.  "C.G.B. never expected him to live.  

But he did."



"Because of you?" Walter asked.



"I … asked if he could be spared.  I went over C.G.B.'s head to the 

Consortium leaders and convinced them that C.G.B. was using 

their project to carry out his personal vendettas and he was risking 

everything they'd worked for.  I bargained for his life with a 

promise of silence.



"I threatened to expose them.  They could have killed me, but not 

before I exposed at least one of them and that would have opened 

the floodgate for others to look too closely.  So they agreed. Jeffrey 

was released, but the damage was already done.  He went into 

hiding.  After that, I made further arrangements to protect my 

position."



"Why did you bargain for him?  Marita, you risked your life for 

him.  What does he mean to you?" Walter asked.



Did I detect a note of jealousy?  I might have imagined it, but I 

didn't think so.



"He helped me out once.  Let's just say I owed him.  And I killed 

two birds with one stone.  I got to thumb my nose at C.G.B. and 

there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.  I was tired of being 

under this thumb.  I wanted out and this was my final kiss off.  I 

saved the son he wanted to be rid of."



"What's his real name?" Walter asked.  "What does the C.G.B. 

stand for?"



"Christopher Griffin Bradley."



"Ooo, hoity, toity," I commented.



She smiled.  "What good does thumbing your nose at a dead man 

do?  Did it ease your conscience?" Walter asked.



God, he was really hammering on her and I didn't think that was 

going to get us what we wanted. I shot him a look that said, 'back 

off some' and he sat back in his chair, sighing and taking another 

sip of his coffee.



Marita seemed unruffled by his sarcasm.  "I have some more news 

for you, Walter."



"What's that?" he asked, sounding totally uninterested.



"He's not dead."



Walter coughed on the coffee he had just swallowed and slammed 

his mug on the table so hard it shook.  He cleared his throat and 

stared at her.  "What did you say?"



"You heard me," she said calmly.  "Black lung bastard has nine 

lives."



"How do you know?  Where is he?"



"Ah, now don't go running off half cocked.  You may need him."



"Why?"



"Because he can give you the most important ingredient you need 

for your magic magnetite compound."



"Son of a bitch," Walter whispered.



"He's living on a pile of it."



"What do you mean?" I asked.



"Ever hear of the Anasazi ruins, Agent Doggett?"



I nodded.  "I've read all the X-Files."



She raised her eyebrows.  "I'm impressed."



"Wanted to know my job."



"Still impressed,' she stated simply.  "Well, that's where he is, with 

an old Indian squaw named Redfeather.  They live like savages, 

squatting in those ruins."



"Why?  Because there's magnetite there?"



"Exactly," she stated.  "He knows the super soldiers can't get him 

there.  He's double crossed one too many people in his lifetime and 

he's no longer welcome in any camp."



"I thought Krycek killed him," Walter said quietly.



She looked at him and said, "I did too.  I was there, but we ran and 

evidently the fall didn't kill him.  Alex pushed him down a 

staircase, wheelchair and all."



"What do you do for work now?" I asked.



She smiled cryptically again, that half smile that so unnerved me 

for some reason.  "I stay silent."



I drew my brows together in question.  Walter jumped in. "They 

pay you keep quiet?" he asked.



She nodded.  "I can't work anymore.  Nobody on the hill will hire 

me.  I have too much baggage and … I simply know too much.  

They don't trust me and they made sure to ruin my reputation on 

the hill.  None of the Secretary Generals or Senators would touch 

me with a ten foot pole now."



"I'm sorry, Marita," Walter said, showing his first glimmer of 

compassion for the woman.



"Are you?" she asked.  After a pause, she said, "They tried to 

experiment with me too, with the black oil.  I wasn't valuable 

enough anymore … or I knew too much.  Who knows?"



"I know," he said quietly, as though he'd forgotten what she had 

been through and now felt guilty.



"Jeffrey saved me."



He stared at her then.  "I thought Mulder saved you."



"Oh he helped me escape, but I was dying."



"How did Jeffrey help?"



"He threatened Krycek.  Told him to find the antidote for me or he 

would expose his double- crossing to C.G.B.  Krycek knew that 

would be the end for him.  He could have killed Jeffrey, but for 

some reason he didn't.  Maybe because he would have had to come 

up with a reason for killing Chris' son and he couldn't do that 

without exposing his own duplicity.  Maybe he just felt sorry for 

him.  Who knows?  I never could figure Krycek out."



We were silent, waiting for her to continue.  I was restless to get 

going, to be doing something, but I sensed that there was no 

rushing this woman.  She would tell us only exactly what she felt 

like telling us.  What she did tell us, she would tell in her own 

time.  She wouldn't be pushed. Despite being beaten down and 

black mailed and paid off and living in fear … I sensed a strength 

in this woman that was rare.  She would do what she needed to 

survive and I couldn't blame her for that.



"So what happened?"  Walter asked.



"Krycek gave Jeffrey a ampule of the antidote they had developed 

and he brought it to me, injected me and stayed with me while I 

got well.  It was not a pleasant experience.  The antidote was weak, 

but it was enough for my own body's antibodies to kick in and start 

helping me fight it off, but it was like going through drug 

withdrawal I would imagine."



I shivered at the thought.  "Shit," I muttered.



She looked at me again then and said.  "I've been hiding and 

running for a long time.  I want all this to end.   They will kill me if 

they ever find out I helped you.  And you know what?  Some days 

I care and other days … I don't even care anymore."



I nodded and said, "I'll understand if you don't feel you can."



Walter said, "I won't.  I've been where you are, Marita. Krycek 

held me captive with those fucking nanites in my blood for years.  

I did what I had to in order to survive, but I also did what I could 

do to help Mulder and Scully.  It was the only way I could live 

with myself for partially selling out.  I was no good to them dead, 

but I did what I could."



"So you're asking me to do what I can?"



"Yes," he stated firmly.  "I'm sorry for a lot of things, Marita, but 

we really need your help."  He paused and swallowed hard.  

"Please.  Don't hold out because of me and our personal 

differences  This is bigger than us.  You know that."  He paused 

and then said, "We need your help, Marita."



She cocked her head to side, seemingly surprised by this personal 

appeal.



His voice was gruff when he said, "Please help us."



She looked at him and held his gaze for a moment.  Then she said, 

"I'll set up a meeting and call you."  She looked at me.  "Give me 

your digital phone number."



I pulled out my notepad and jotted down the number.  She stuck it 

in the pocket of her cardigan sweater.  Then she added, "Wait 

here."



She returned with a map of the New Mexico and Arizona deserts 

and circled the Anasazi ruins with a red felt tip pen.  She handed 

the map to Walter and he smiled tentatively at her.  She said, 

"You'll find magnetite there but I can't tell you how to extract it.  

C.G.B. may know.  But you'll still need Jeffrey.  He has the rest of 

the … recipe for the biological compound."



"Well, if we can't make the compound for some reason, maybe we 

can all get a hunk of magnetite to carry around in our pockets."



She laughed then, the sound genuine this time and turned to me.  

"If you can do that, bring me one, will you?"



I smiled and nodded.  "I'll be sure to do that."



She nodded again, looking sad, but satisfied with her decision to 

help us.



Walter asked.  "You know who they are in the FBI, don't you?"



She looked at him. "I'm sorry, Walter.  I can't tell you that."



They stared at each other for a few more moments.  Then Skinner 

nodded, accepting that she needed that information to survive and 

she had helped us all she could or would at this point.



We stood and Walter took her hand, holding it a bit longer than 

necessary and said, "Thank you, Marita.  I'll try to make sure you 

don't regret helping us."



"I won't.  I have no time for regrets, Walter."



"Just the same," he added.  "Don't give up, Marita.  Even if you 

don't care some days … whether you believe it or not … I still 

care."  He brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers and her 

eyes grew suspiciously wet.  She nodded and turned to shake my 

hand.  We left and drove in silence for quite a while.  Skinner 

pulled into the Lincoln Diner and we went in to grab a late dinner.



XXXXXXXXXX

LINCOLN DINER

WASHINGTON, D.C.



After we got our food and began to eat, I asked, "So what are you 

not telling me, Walter?"



"About what?"



"About Marita," I said.



He just looked at me.  "What makes you think I'm not telling you 

something?"



I raised my eyebrows.  "Come on.  There was obviously tension 

there that had nothing to do with our situation," I commented.



He looked down at his burger and took another bite, chewing 

slowly as though formulating an answer, or deciding whether to 

confide in me.  "It's a long story."



"Is there a short version?"



He looked well and truly baffled.  "We were involved once … a 

long time ago."



When he didn't offer anything more, I said, "You can trust me.  I 

promise it would stay between us."



He was silent for a few more moments and then said, "I blew it.  I 

accused her of being a traitor."



"Traitor to whom?"



"To Mulder and Scully, to the Bureau … to everyone with a white 

hat."



"Why would you do that?"



"I believed it was true.  I found out she'd had dealings with Krycek 

and he was public enemy number one as far as we were concerned.  

I went to see her and smelled smoke there and she doesn't smoke 

so I knew Spender had been there.  It infuriated me.  I was 

paranoid."



"Why?"



"I figured she was being ordered to use me."



"Use you?"



"I found out later she was definitely on his payroll at one time.  

Yeah, I figured Spender hired her to get into my pants and then 

into my head."



"Did she?"



"She got into my pants," he said with a quirky smile.



"Whewww," I whistled.



"Do you still believe she betrayed you?"



"I don't know.  She never denied it when I accused her of it.  That 

always bugged me.  If she had only denied it, I might have 

reconsidered.  But she didn't even give a token protest, just looked 

at me like I was the anti-Christ.  Later on she did help Mulder and 

then I didn't know what to believe.  I never knew which side she 

was on, other than her own.  I guess that's why I couldn't trust her.  

I couldn't carry on a relationship that way, even just a sexual one.  

It was volatile from the beginning.  I guess if she had really sold 

me out, I would be dead.  She certainly knew enough about me to 

ruin me in the FBI and put me on the Consortium hit list."



"She'd have been hard to walk away from.  She's a beautiful, 

intelligent woman."



He swallowed and said, "It wasn't easy.  She got me over a hump 

after my divorce, made me feel … I don't know, capable of … I 

don't know.  But I couldn't stay with someone I didn't trust."



"So you never talked about it after that?"



"Nope."



"Maybe you should have."



"Maybe, but it's too late now."



"Never too late, Walter."



"Not worth it now, not something I want anyway."



"You sure?" I asked quietly.



He stared at me and then down into his coffee cup.  "I don't know 

anything for sure anymore."



"Well, we can check out these leads and see if they are true.  And 

we'll know soon enough if she calls to make a date with Jeffrey."



"She will.  If she tells you to your face she'll do something, she'll 

do it.  That's what was always so frustrating.  She never lied 

outright.  It was the things she didn't tell you that were the 

problem."



"Like who in the FBI is an alien?"



He looked at me again.  "Sounds silly when you say it that way.  

But yes, that's the sort of thing I mean.  She's scary.  She's knows a 

lot of things about a lot of powerful men.  Don't ever underestimate 

her, John.  That could cost you your life. Make no mistake.  She's 

wily and she's an extremely dangerous woman, a player in every 

sense of the word."



He almost sounded afraid of her, rather than respectful of her 

power.  I wondered how much was personal and how much was 

professional.  "Doesn't seem to make her feel very secure."



"She's still alive isn't she?"



"Is that the criteria you go by?"



"She'd be dead by now if she wasn't savvy.  She's not above a little 

blackmail herself.  She knows enough to ruin a lot of powerful 

men in Washington." "Including you?" I asked.



He looked at me then, unsure whether to answer.  Finally he said, 

"Yes, including me.  She's not just beautiful, she like a fucking 

black widow.  She's so smart it's frightening.  And she knows how 

to play the game.  She's always been one step ahead of everyone, 

even the Consortium, I think."



"That doesn't mean she can't get tripped up."



"No, I guess it doesn't."



"I think you should cut her some slack."



"Why's that?"



"Because she might be willing to help more if she thought you 

believed in her."



"She doesn't give a damn what I think of her.  I don't think she ever 

did."



I tipped my head to the side, peering at him.  I could hear the hurt 

in his voice.    "I'll bet you'd be surprised."



"Why?  Do you know something I don't?" he asked.



"No, but I'm a pretty good judge of character."  I paused. "And I 

can read body language like a motherfucker."



He barked out a laugh then, sounding self-conscious.  "And what 

did you learn?"



"A couple of things."



"Want to enlighten me?"



"What's it worth to ya?" I teased, trying to lighten the mood.



He shook his head.  "What do you want?'



"Information.  Stories about past incidents that would help fill in 

the blanks for me.  I want a new story every chance you get."



He grinned then.  "You drive a hard bargain," he stated.



"You willing to pay?" I asked seriously, knowing I would tell him 

anyway, even if he refused.



"Yes, I trust you now."



I nodded.  "Good to know.  Well I learned that you still have the 

hots for her."



He bit his lip, shaking his head.  "You're crazy."



"No, I'm not.  I don't know where your emotions are, but I know 

you still want her.  And guess what?"



"What?"



"She still wants you too."



He swallowed.  "I don't believe that."



"There's more."



He just looked at me, not asking.  He sucked his bottom lip into his 

mouth in a rare display of indecision and uncertainty.



"She wants you to believe in her, A.D. Skinner."



"Call me Walter."



"O.K., Walter.  She wants you to trust her again."



"Can I?"



"I don't know for sure, but I think she's through with all the deceit.  

She's tired.  Couldn't you hear it in her voice?  The weariness?  

She's tired of it all. And even if it ends her life, she just wants it 

over one way or the other."



He looked at me then. "You got all that from body language?"



"And tone of voice and facial expressions and dramatic pauses."



"Pretty good."



"Fucking incredible," I said, trying to suppress a smile.



He huffed in amusement.  "Modesty becomes you," he said 

sarcastically.



"One of my best features."  I paused.  "Then again, I could be 

wrong," I said flippantly.



"Features?  Sounds like you're describing an appliance."



"I'll keep the description of my appliances to myself, thank you," I 

shot back.



He laughed for real then.  "Thanks, I don't think I want to know," 

he added, joining the banter.  It was nice to spar with him like this.  

It was a side of him I hadn't known existed.  I'd never really given 

a thought to his personal life.  But I supposed everybody had one.  

He had been involved a lovely, lethal woman with a lot of secrets.  

But she was also a woman.  If I knew anything about women it 

was that there was usually more than met the eye.



He said, "You might be right.  But you're wrong about one thing.  

She'll never be through with all the deceit.  It keeps her alive.  

She's a master chess player with people as pawns.  Don't ever 

forget that."



"I'll take your word for it.  You know her better than I do.  But I 

think your history is clouding your perception of her motivations a 

bit.  She's also a woman, Walter.  I'd lay money down that she 

cares for you … and not just a little.  I'm rarely wrong about these 

things."



"Maybe," was all he said.



All this talk made me think of Monica, not by comparison, but by 

contrast.  Monica was so open and so honest.  What you saw was 

what you got with Monica. There were no hidden agendas, no false 

bravado, no skeletons.  I guess everybody had at least one skeleton 

in the closet, but I suspected that Monica was about as clean as 

they come.  I remembered how close I came to losing her after that 

night she left my place and had an accident.



I frowned and wondered at my cowardice and inability to tell her 

how I felt.  Here I was giving Walter insight, and I couldn't do the 

same thing for myself.  I was a hypocrite.  Then again, it was hard 

to be objective about yourself.



"Hey, where'd you go?" he asked.



I shrugged.



"What were you thinking about?"



"Monica," I said simply.



We looked at each other and he nodded.   "She digs you, man."



I grinned, those hip words sounding funny from his lips. This was 

the real Walter.  This was Walter the man, not Walter the A.D. and 

I liked this Walter.  I liked the other one all right too, but this was 

more interesting.



"You think?" I asked.  I cringed, sounding pathetically hopeful to 

my own ears.



"I know," he said.



"Let me guess?  Body language?" I joked.



We both laughed then and he changed the subject.  "Let's call the 

cabin and then call it a night. I want a good night's sleep and then I 

want to start fresh in the morning."



"Sounds good.  Maybe Monica will have found arrangements for 

Mulder and Scully in Mexico by then."



"Let's hope, John.  I don't want your ex involved in any way if we 

can help it."



"Neither do I."



PART 4 (PG)

VanDeKamp RESIDENCE

ARIZONA



The girl watched the woman like a hawk as she brought the baby 

into the living room, coaxing the nipple of a bottle between his 

lips.  The woman sat in a rocking chair opposite the couch and fed 

the baby, keeping one eye on the girl.



"How did you know I have a baby?"



The girl hesitated.  "He's … related to me."



The woman sucked in a breath.  "How can that be?"



"He's adopted, right?"



"Yes," she breathed out, feeling that fizzle of fear again.



The girl seemed to sense it and said, "Don't worry about me.  I 

would never hurt him."



"How is he related to you?"



"He's my … half brother."



"You know his mother?"



"Yes," the girl said simply.



"You said you left an abusive situation.  Is that why she gave this 

baby up?  I was told she was single and it was a life decision."



The girl licked her lips.  "That's true, I think, although I'm not sure.  

But I didn't come from the same … household."



"Why don't you explain to me exactly what's going on and why 

you're here?"



"I … I said we were … half siblings.  William and I have different 

… fathers."



"Ah, so you lived with your father?"



"Yes," she stated simply.



"And he beat you?"



"I don't really want to talk about that if you don't mind."



"O.K., but I need some answers here.  This adoption was 

confidential.  How did you know about it?"



"My father and his family … they know everything."



"He's a powerful man, then?"



The girl hesitated.  "More powerful than you can ever imagine."



She felt the inexplicable fear of the child again and shook herself, 

wondering at it.  She was just a child.  There was definitely 

something odd going on here. She wished her husband would 

come home.  He would probably deal with this better than she 

would.  He would know the right questions to ask the little girl.  He 

would know if they should help her or if they should send her back 

to her parents.  She didn't like the idea of sending a child back into 

an abusive situation.



The thought of child abuse infuriated her.  There were so many 

women, like her, that longed for a child and couldn't have one.  

Then these people carelessly had children they didn't want and 

abused and neglected them.  She supposed that the girl had an 

adult attitude and was exceptionally jaded.  She needed to cut her 

some slack and stop reading all this ominous stuff into what was 

going on here.  The girl had known about the half brother.  

Somehow the father knew where he had gone, and she came here 

looking for help, probably because it was the only place she could 

think of to go.



She obviously carried no weapons and she had seen genuine fear in 

her eyes when she said her father was more powerful than she 

could ever imagine.



"What do you need from me?" the woman asked.



"Can you help me find a phone number?"



"Sure, your aunt and uncle, was it?"



"Yes."



"What's her name?"



"I need the number for the Federal Bureau of Investigation."



"Excuse me?"



"That's where my … uncle works."



"Wow.  So he's a powerful man too."



"Yes, not as powerful as my father, but yes.  More like … he has 

resources."



"I see," she replied, even though she didn't.



"Look, I'll find this number for you, but I feel like I'm missing 

something here and I wish you'd be honest with me."



"Can I hold him?" she asked, ignoring the statement.



The woman hesitated but then stood and carefully placed the baby 

in the girl's lap as she sat Indian style on the couch.



The girl hissed and the woman made ready to snatch the baby up 

again.  The girl smiled sheepishly.  "Sorry, I forgot about my 

sunburn."



The woman smiled, relieved.  She watched carefully as the girl 

held the end of the bottle gently. She wasn't even large enough to 

pick the child up, but she could see genuine affection in her face.  

Her misgivings eased somewhat when the girl smiled and said, 

"Hey there, little bro.  Glad you found a good home."



The woman swallowed heavily around the sudden lump in her 

throat.  She could only imagine what this little girl had been 

through.  It must have been terrible to chase her out into the desert 

alone.  She sensed that the little girl was looking for a good home 

too.  She startled at the sudden thought that maybe they could 

adopt the sister too. It wasn't anything they had planned but then 

again, it wasn't as if they couldn't afford it. Her husband made 

good money.



"Are you looking for a good home?" she asked, surprised to hear 

herself voice the question.



The girl looked up with a look of infinite sadness on her face.  It 

was a face way too world weary for a seven year old.  She blinked 

rapidly and then said, "Maybe someday.  I don't know if it will 

ever be in the cards for me."



"Oh honey, I'm sure it will be.  I'm sure your aunt and uncle will 

help you."



She nodded and said, "I can only hope.  I can only hope," she 

repeated, her words trailing off at the end to a whisper, as she 

looked lovingly at the baby. Then she said, "He's so beautiful."



The woman smiled.  "Yes, he is."



After another moment she said, "If you're all right there, I'll call 

information and see if I can find that number for you."



"That would be great."



The little girl waited until the woman left the room to speak to 

William.  Then she looked down at the child in her arms and 

closed her eyes.  The baby stopped suckling his bottle, his eyes 

riveted on the girl.



"Are you well?"  she sent the thought.



The baby replied in a similar fashion, the words clear in the little 

girl's mind.  "Ya, but miss mommy."



"I know sweetheart, me too."



"Coming back?"



"I'll try to find her."



"Find mommy, miss mommy."



"You have a new mommy."



"Nice lady, miss mommy."



"I'll find her, William.  I'll find her.  If they come, you must be 

quiet."



"Be quite if they come."



"Yes, quiet, don't let them know you're in the house."



"Will try."



"Can you walk yet at all?"



"No."



"Can you crawl?"



"Yes."



"Try to hide if they come."



"You leaving?"



"I have to."



"Find mommy, miss mommy."



"I'll find her, Will."



"Good."



She jerked her connection away from the baby as the woman 

entered, smiling.  "I found the number, sweetheart."



"Thank you, Ma'am.  Could you take Will here?  I haven't regained 

my strength yet."



"Sure," the woman replied, smiling internally, knowing the girl 

couldn't lift the baby on a good day but didn't want to admit it.  

This show of pretend made her somehow more a little girl and she 

smiled at her again, a genuine smile.  She had to help the girl.  If 

her uncle worked at the FBI, chances were she could get more help 

there than she could give her.



She handed her the portable phone and asked, "Do you need 

privacy?"



"That would be nice," the girl replied politely.



The woman carried Will back into the kitchen to wait.  She could 

hear everything from here but the child didn't know that.



XXXXXXXXXX

HOOVER BUILDING

A.D. SKINNER'S OFFICE



My intercom buzzed and I grunted with impatience.  I was here 

with Doggett and had asked not to be disturbed.  I stabbed the 

intercom button on the phone.



"What is it, Kimberly?" I growled.



"I'm sorry to interrupt, Sir, but I think you should take this call."



"Who the hell is it?"



"It's a little girl, Sir."



"A little girl.  What the hell are you talking about?  What does she 

want?"



"She says she's … this is weird."



"Spit it out, Kim.  I don't have all day."



"Sir, she says that she has information for Agents Scully and 

Mulder."



Doggett was listening to the exchange on speakerphone and raised 

an eyebrow.  Skinner said, "Put her through, Kim."



"Yes, Sir."



I watched the light begin to blink on my phone as the call was 

transferred and I picked up using the speakerphone again.



"A.D. Skinner."  This had better not be some prank, I thought.



"Hello, I need to get a message to Agents Mulder and Scully."



"Who are you?"



"Is there someone else there?"



"Agent John Doggett?"



"Oh, that's all right, then.  No one else?"



"No, just the two of us."



"They need to come to Arizona."



"Why is that?"



"They know."



"Excuse me, but I don't know what you're talking about."



"William, they know about William; know where he is."



"Who knows?"



"THEY do."



"Listen little girl, I appreciate the call, but we don't even know the 

location of the family that took Agent Scully's baby.  She wanted it 

that way."



"She needs to come.  He's in danger."



I was silent, wondering what the hell was going on.



"Who are you?"



"My name is Emily."



I felt that pronouncement like a blow to the chest. "Emily's dead," I 

croaked out.



"Emily One did die."



"And who are you?" I asked, feeling completely bewildered.



"I'm Emily Five."



Doggett's mouth hung open and then he said, "Oh, Jesus. This just 

keeps getting weirder."



"You know about Emily?" I asked.



He nodded.  "I read the file."



"Gentlemen," the little girl said, in a very grown up voice.  "I don't 

have much time.  I escaped and I have to keep moving and I don't 

want to lead them to William.  They must have discovered me 

missing by now but they won't know which direction I went.  I 

know they are still a mile away or more and I need to leave soon."



"Leave where?"



"The VanDeKamp's.  Get a pencil.  Let me give you this address."



"Where will we be able to find you?"



"You won't.  I'll find you."



"What do we need to do?"



"They know where William is and they will come for him."



"You know this for sure?"



"Yes, you maybe have three days, tops.  They've scheduled it for 

the weekend when the VanDeKamp's are going to church and 

leaving the baby with a sitter."



"Shit," I muttered.



"Please, Mr. Skinner.  You have to get in touch with them. Where 

are they?"



"I can't tell you that."



"Well, then contact them and I'll try to contact you later."



"Do you have a pencil?"



"Why?"



"Let me give you my digital phone number, and Agent Doggett's 

number."



"Go ahead."



"Got a piece of paper?"



"I don't need one.  Go."



"O.K.  Mine is (555) 232-0888, and Agent Doggett's is (555) 232-

4961, got that?"



"Yes."



"Don't forget."



"I won't," she replied, sounding amused.  "I have a memory like 

my father's," she said calmly.



I was struck mute.  Doggett finally said, "Emily, who's your 

father?"



"You don't know?" she asked.



"I'm afraid we don't.  Who is your father?"



"Agent Mulder," she said, as if this weren't momentous news.



"How can that be?" I asked.



"Too long of a story for now, Mr. Skinner.  Just get them the 

message.  And if you can't, please come yourselves."



"What will happen to the VanDeKamp's if we don't make it?"



Her silence was ominous.  "I doubt they'll make it."



"Shit," I muttered at the same time Doggett did.



"That's all the time I have gentlemen.  I have to go."  She hung up 

and we listened the dial tone for several moments before I hung up.



"Jesus Christ!" Doggett exclaimed.



"Get on the horn to that cabin.  I'll see if I can get a charter plane."



XXXXXXXXXX

HUNTING CABIN

ADIRONDACKS

NEW YORK STATE



I answered Dana's cell phone, "Hello."



"Monica?" John asked.



"Yeah, what's up John?"



"I need to talk to Scully."



"Uh … they're having a little private time … in the shower."



"Pull them out."



"John, what's wrong?" she asked.



"Just get Dana on the phone."



"All right.  Just a sec."



I walked to the bathroom door and knocked loudly.  I heard 

scuffling and then Mulder yelled, "Yeah?"



"Dana, sorry but I've got John on the phone and he says it's 

urgent."



"Be right out!" she shouted.



I heard some chuckling and shuffling and then she emerged in a 

towel and a billow of steam, shutting the door behind her.  She 

made her way to the bedroom where'd she'd left some clothes as 

she took the phone from me.



"Hi, John.  What's going on?"



Pause.



"About what?"



Pause.



"William?  What about William?"  I could already hear the fear in 

her voice.



Mulder emerged from bathroom wearing jeans and nothing else.  I 

turned my head and when I glanced at him he was smiling.  Then 

he saw the look on Scully's face as she emerged from the bedroom, 

pulling a sweater over her head.  She had somehow jumped into 

her jeans very quickly.  She glanced at Mulder.  "Get dressed."



He didn't question her but went into the bedroom.



I watched Scully nod and then she asked him, "When?"



"We'll be packed and ready to go.  Jesus, John, we have to be on 

time."



She hung up and looked at me.  I waited patiently for her to tell me 

what was going on.  She waited until Mulder emerged wearing a 

worried frown.



"You won't believe this Mulder."



"What?"



"Skinner got a call at the Bureau from someone … someone who 

says William is in danger, that the aliens know where he is and 

they are going to take him."



"Shit!" he exclaimed.



"That we need to get there right away," she continued.



"Where?"



"She gave them an address in Arizona.  Doggett and Skinner are on 

their way by charter plane, but we have to get off this mountain 

and meet them at the private air strip in Burlington.  It's near a 

hospital that uses the same area for a helipad."



"Who called, Scully?" Mulder asked.



She stared at him and her eyes filled with tears.  "This is the part 

you won't believe."



"Tell me," he said.



"Emily," she whispered.



He scrunched his brow.  "Oh Scully, you can't think … we know 

that she …"



Scully's lip quivered and she said, "She said she was … Emily 

Five."



"Oh Jesus," Mulder muttered and he gathered her in his arms.



"There's more," she mumbled against his tee shirt.  She pulled back 

enough to see his face.  He just looked at her.  "She said … she 

said … YOU were her father."



Mulder's face registered shock and disbelief but then he just 

nodded.  "We'll sort it out, Scully. First things first."



I felt left out and didn't really know what to do at this point.  "What 

do we need to do first?"



"We need to pack up and get out of here, apparently," Mulder said 

briskly.  "I'll take the clothes, you girls get everything else we need 

in boxes and in the trunk.  How long before they reach 

Burlington?" he asked.



Scully said, "About an hour and a half.  John's piloting."



"I didn't know he could fly," Mulder commented.



I smiled.  "John is full of surprises."



We all scrambled to throw our belongings in boxes and suitcases.  

Fortunately, we had traveled light.  In fifteen minutes we were 

packed and in the car. Mulder traveled as fast as the dirt road 

would allow but it still took us a half an hour to get off the 

mountain.  Then he sped toward the hospital like his ass was on 

fire.



XXXXXXXXXX

BURLINGTON AIRSTRIP

NEW YORK STATE



We'd called the tiny airport for clearance en route, using the old 

'Official FBI business' line. Worked every time.  Doggett was 

relaxed in the seat next to me as we made our landing.  I had been 

surprised to find out he was a licensed chopper and fighter pilot, 

apparently having flown during his stint in the marines and Viet 

Nam.  He shut down the engines and he waited a bit for the 

engines to cycle down.  Finally, he gave us the thumb's up and we 

unbuckled our seatbelts and exited the plane to stretch our legs.



They weren't here yet.  The airstrip was across the street from the 

Emergency Room entrance of the Burlington Hospital.  I could see 

several people standing out in the parking lot eyeballing us. This 

was probably the most excitement they'd had in years. There was 

literally nothing but small towns out here.  I'd been surprised they 

had an airstrip pad.



We didn't have to wait long.  Five minutes later, the black Ford 

came barreling into the parking lot, practically on two wheels.  

This got the attention of the onlookers.  We helped them unload 

and toss their stuff onto the plane.  Mulder parked the car and ran 

to the plane, entering last. Within minutes, we were in the air again 

and winging our way towards Arizona.  I suggested we all get 

some sleep.  It might be the last chance we got for some time.



XXXXXXXXXX

VanDeKamp RESIDENCE

ARIZONA DESERT



Mrs. VanDeKamp abandoned all pretense and as soon as the girl 

hung up the phone she said, "What the HELL are you talking 

about?"



The girl swung around and met her gaze.  It chilled her to the bone.  

She had a faraway look in her eyes.  "They're coming."



"Tell me what you mean?!"



"You need to hide, maybe I can distract them.  They are coming a 

lot faster than I thought they would.  I really thought I had some 

time."



"What on earth are you talking about?  THEY know this and 

THEY are coming, and you're Emily FIVE.  None of this makes 

sense and I want some answers!"



"I'm sorry, Ma'am.  I don't have time to give you answers. Just 

believe me.  You and William are in danger.  You need to hide, get 

out of here."



"And go where?"



"I don't know, where's the nearest hospital?"



"Forty miles away."



"Get in your car and go.  They'll search the house first, maybe I 

can lay a false trail."



"What are you talking about?  Why would anyone want to hurt my 

baby?"



"He's a special child, Mrs. VanDeKamp."



"Who wants him?"



"My creators."



"What?!"



"They aren't human."



The woman scoffed.  "Don't be ridiculous."



She opened her mouth to say more but something in the little girl's 

eyes stopped her.  Whether her ideas were fantastic or not, she was 

scared.  I had a feeling it was her parents coming for her, but how 

would she know that?



"Listen to me.  Get in the car and drive, go anywhere. Find your 

husband."



"None of this makes sense!"



"I know it doesn't, but you must trust me.  If you don't listen to me 

now, you'll regret it for the rest of your life.  William is in danger."



She wondered if she was losing her mind, but she was going to do 

this.  She was going to listen to a little seven year old girl with the 

speech of an adult and the ideas of a madwoman.  She was going 

to take the baby and run.



She nodded with resolve and ran to the kitchen, stuffing several 

bottles into a diaper bag.  She ran to the bedroom and put some 

diapers and jumpers in the bag.  Then she headed for the car. 

Emily followed her with a stroller helping her load the trunk.



They strapped Will in the back and Emily connected with him.



"Be good for Mrs. VanDeKamp."



"Always good for nice lady."



"Good boy.  I'll catch up."



"Find mommy?"



"Yes, but you need to run away now."



"Miss mommy."



"Go now, be a good boy."



"Bye … sister?"



"Yes, Will. I'm your sister."



"Bye sister."



"Bye bro."



He gurgled out loud and shook his fists.  Mrs. VanDeKamp 

watched as she turned in her seat, feeling that something was going 

on here that she didn't understand as her baby stared into the eyes 

of the little girl.   She felt the wave of fear again. This child was so 

strange.  But then Will laughed and pumped his fists in the air, 

obviously not scared of her at all.



Emily slapped the car door and leaned in the window. "Drive, and 

don't stop.  I'll let you know when you can come back."



"How?"



"I'll find you."



The woman shuddered.  As impossible as it seemed, she believed 

the girl would find her.  She wondered if God had sent the girl, if 

she was an angel. Her husband would laugh at her but she always 

wondered if God's angels weren't just people here on earth to guide 

us.



She started the engine and put the car in drive.  With a nod at the 

girl, she took off down the dirt road, headed for town.



XXXXXXXXXX

A FEW HOURS LATER



We touched down near the VanDeKamp house right on the dirt 

road that led to the house and already knew that we were too late.  

I exchanged glances with Monica and John.  Their expressions 

were grim.  Mulder and Scully were focused on the house.



It was a charred ruin, black smoke billowing out of the shell that 

was still standing.  Scully cried out, a sound of howling despair as 

she leaped from the plane as soon as we could open the door and 

ran towards the house.  Mulder was after her in a flash and stopped 

her before she ran inside the burning building.



"Scully No!"  He bear hugged her from behind.  She struggled for 

a moment but then just wailed, "Wiiiihiiilllliiiiaammm," and began 

sobbing.  He turned her in his arms and held her.  We had all 

exited the plane and stood awkwardly, not knowing what to say.



Mulder was turning to coax her back to the chopper when John 

called out, "What's that?"



We all turned and looked out into the desert.  There was a lump on 

the ground far out, about five hundred yards away.  We all took off 

trotting towards it. Monica and John drew there weapons just in 

case.  We could see it moving as we approached.



As we got closer, we could see it was a child, kneeling now with 

her head resting on her thighs. She was wearing shorts and a huge 

tee-shirt that engulfed her.  As we approached she lifted her head 

and held out a hand in the universal sign for stop. We all skidded 

to a halt about 10 yards away.



Her face was covered in soot and her legs were sunburned. I 

gasped as I saw a trail of green ooze, running down her arm from a 

jagged cut on her bicep. Her voice croaked out, "Don't come any 

closer."



Scully whimpered, "Oh God, oh God, oh God."



I glanced over as Mulder put his arm around her shoulders as 

though to hold her up.  Her hands were clasped over her mouth.  

The girl was bigger than the Emily I knew but not by much. 

Despite the dirt, sand and soot, you could tell she was blonde, her 

face still graced with baby fat cheeks.



She swayed on her knees and brought her left palm up and laid it 

over the ooze on her bicep, pushing the tee shirt out of the way.  

Her eyes closed and she swayed slightly again.  None of us said a 

word as we waited.



After a minute or so, her eyes popped open and she reached for a 

handful of sand.  When she did, we saw that the cut was healed.  

She scooped up a handful of sand and rubbed it into her arm, the 

remnants of the green ooze disappearing into the sand.



She stood on wobbly legs and said, "Hi.  It's all right now."



Scully chuffed in amazement, staring, as though she couldn't 

believe her eyes.  "Emily?"



The girl flashed a beautiful smile through the streaks of soot on her 

face and said, "Hi, Mom."



Scully let out a yelp of disbelief and fell to her knees and held out 

her arms.  The girl walked clumsily to her and then kneeled in 

front of her accepting the embrace.  Scully held her close to her 

chest, tears streaking down her cheeks.



"Oh God, how can this be?  I find you but lose William."



The girl pulled back a bit and said, "William wasn't here."



Silence descended again as we waited.  "I need to get out of the 

sun.  I'm dehydrating again."



"Oh, geez."



Scully struggled to her feet, unwilling to let go of the girl and so 

making her ascent clumsy. Mulder approached and said, "Let me 

carry her, Scully."



Emily looked at him and held her arms up.  Mulder licked his lips 

and bent down, scooping her up gently.  She seemed fascinated 

with his face and stared at him as he strode confidently toward the 

plane.



We came to save a baby and we were rescuing an alien kid. Did 

life get any weirder than this? I wondered.



We all boarded the plane and found a jug to put the potable water 

in from the tank on the plane that supplied the sink in the tiny 

restroom.  After downing an entire bottle of water without 

stopping, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and took 

a deep breath.  "Can I have more?"



Mulder refilled the half gallon jug and handed it to her. "Is William 

safe?"



She looked at him.  "For the moment.  I convinced Mrs. 

VanDeKamp to leave with him.  She thought I was a nutcase but 

she went anyway.  They came and searched the house.  I led them 

on a merry chase.  They finally gave up and went off to try another 

day I suppose."



"They didn't want to find you?" Mulder asked.



"Of course they do, but they know they can find me later. It's 

William that's important."



"Where did she go?"



"I'm not sure.  I told her to run and not stop running, that I would 

find her later when it was all right to come back.  My guess is that 

she would go to her husband first."



"Any idea where he is?" Scully asked.



"No."



PART 5 (PG)

SOMEWHERE OVER 

ARIZONA DESERT



Skinner pulled out his phone.  "I'll find him."



He began dialing and soon had the adoption agency on the phone.  

Using some FBI muscle he finally convinced the woman that it 

was a matter of life and death and she gave us the man's work 

address.



He was an insurance salesman for Mutual Life, a very successful 

one apparently.  Doggett fired up the plane and we were bumping 

along the dirt road in no time and lifting off the ground in minutes, 

heading for the nearest town where he had his office.  Scully was 

white knuckling her seat.  She hated flying at it's best and this had 

to be a nightmare ride for her.



Scully was washing Emily's face with a washcloth from her 

medical bag and some bottled water. When she was finished, 

Emily said, "If we get close, maybe I can reach him."



"Reach him?" Scully asked.



"Talk to the baby."



"What do you mean?"



Emily tapped her forehead.



Mulder grinned and Scully put on her 'Oh Brother' face. Emily and 

Mulder shared a look that would have been humorous if not for the 

grave situation. Mulder didn't even question that she could do this.  

He took it at face value.  "You have telepathy?"



"Only with someone with our DNA."



"Oh," was all he said.



She elaborated, "Will and I share DNA."



When she received blank looks she said, "I'm what you guys call 

… a test tube baby, I guess."



Scully took a deep breath.  "A.D. Skinner told us that you said 

Mulder was your father.  How is that possible?"



"Agent Mulder was taken and his … uh, sperm was extracted. You 

were taken and your ova were extracted."



"I was abducted long after we knew of you," Mulder said.



She looked at him with a look I could only describe as pity.  "You 

were taken before."



"What?" he said.



"This last time, they tried to make you into a super soldier, but that 

was not the first time you'd been taken."



"Yes it was."



"No, it wasn't."



We were all silent for a moment and Mulder looked totally 

unnerved.  Emily asked, "Do you remember your last abduction?"



He nodded.  "Some, not all.  I think my mind blocked it out."



"Yes, well, they didn't take your memory because they didn't think 

it would be necessary.  If Mo…Agent Scully hadn't treated you 

with antivirals and antibiotics, you would have become a super 

soldier."  He nodded.



"So it wasn't necessary to take your memory.  But the times before, 

it was.  They didn't want you to remember."



"Times?" he asked.



She nodded.  "You were taken twice before, for very short periods 

of time.  They took blood, DNA and sperm and then returned you 

… with no memory.  You were probably only gone a day."



Mulder cleared his throat as we all looked at him in wonder.  He 

raised his eyebrows.  "Like the girl says, I have no memory of 

this."



She nodded.  "Doesn't surprise me.  I could help you recover the 

memory but you're probably better off without it."



He nodded.  Scully finally asked, "So what are you saying?"



"I'm saying they inseminated your egg with Agent Mulder's sperm 

and then injected the embryo with alien DNA."



"And this produced you?"



Emily held her arms out to the side and said, "Ta-da!"



Everyone smiled despite the gravity of the situation.  She added, 

"You see before you a successful human/alien hybrid."



"How old are you?" Scully asked.



"Seven."



"You're small for seven," Monica chimed in.



She smiled at Monica.  "Yes, they can prevent us from aging for a 

while and they do.  Without the hormone that prevents growth, I 

will begin to grow rapidly.  I can already feel it happening and I've 

only been gone about 24 hours.  I didn't get my shot last night 

because I ran beforehand.   I predict that within a couple of weeks, 

my body will grow to the size of a ten year old.  Chronologically, 

I'm actually ten years old, though my body growth was arrested at 

the age of seven, but my intellect is high in human measure.  I've 

actually got the intellect and education of a full grown adult; 

probably a person 20 years old by your measure."



"Jesus Christ!" I muttered. "That's scary."



She smiled at me.  "Thank you for listening when I called. I was 

afraid you wouldn't talk to me. But when they told me Agents 

Mulder and Scully weren't there … yours was the only other name 

I thought of."



She looked apologetically at Monica.  John was busy flying and so 

didn't notice her gesture to him.  Monica smiled and said, "That's 

all right.  You got through, that's what matters."



"I'll explain more later.  I need to sleep a little.  I'm exhausted," she 

announced wearily.



Mulder pulled her into his lap and she was sleeping in minutes.



We all nodded in agreement and settled in for the rest of the flight 

which only took about fifteen minutes.  Conveniently, the 

insurance company was located in an office building on Main 

Street, and behind that was a large field.  John brought the small 8-

seat plane down and Monica hopped out to see if she could find 

Mr. And Mrs. VanDeKamp.  She returned about ten minutes later 

saying that his secretary told him that they took a sudden trip to his 

mother's in New Mexico. Monica waved a small piece of paper 

with the address.



We were in the air again in minutes and after another hour, landed 

at a small airport near Las Cruces, about 187 miles southwest of 

Roswell.  We rented a van and piled in and headed for Mrs. 

Candice VanDeKamp's residence.  She lived on the outskirts of 

town and the area became more desolate as we went on.



Finally, we found the house, alone at the end of a long dirt drive.  

We stepped out of the van and Emily stiffened.  "They're here 

already.  They beat us here."



"Where?" Mulder whispered.  She pointed to the house.



We all pulled our weapons and began to surround the house. Scully 

said, "Stay here in the van, Emily."



She shook her head.  "No, you might need me."



"Emily, please," Scully begged.  "I don't want to lose you too."



"It's a hunter, not a super solider," she added.  She then nodded 

finally and climbed back into the van, kneeling and peering out the 

window.



John and I took the back, Monica took the stairs up to a deck on 

the side of the house and Mulder and Scully went for the front 

porch.  We didn't have to wait long.  A man looking like what must 

have been Mr. VanDeKamp came out onto the side porch, holding 

William.



Monica said, "Mr. VanDeKamp?"



We all heard her and made our way to the side of the house. He 

looked down at us.  "What is this?  Who are you people?"



William began to fuss and cry.



"We're from the FBI, Sir.  We didn't mean to frighten you. But we 

have reason to believe that your family is in grave danger."



"So we were warned.  My wife is a little excitable sometimes.  I 

think she overreacted.  But I came out here for a bit to ease her 

mind."



William's face turned red and he shook his little fists. Mulder was 

climbing the steps, his eyes riveted on the baby.  This man didn't 

know that he was facing the boy's parents.  He was a couple of 

steps from the top when Emily appeared in front of the van, 

gesturing wildly.  John eased his way toward her trying to go 

unnoticed.  When he was close enough, Emily whispered to him.



He turned abruptly and walked back, following Mulder up the 

stairs.  "Could I use your bathroom, Sir?"



The man swiveled around, William now crying full force and said, 

"Uh, yeah, in there, just off the left."



Doggett nodded, muttering, "Thanks."



I knew he was up to something and I could tell everyone else knew 

it too.  Now Monica, Scully and Mulder surrounded him on the 

porch, John was inside and I was at the base of the steps.



He was beginning to look nervous.



"Like I said, everything's fine."



"I'm sure it is, Sir," Mulder said.  Could we talk to your wife?"



He hesitated.  "She's sleeping."



"Could you wake her up?"



"No!  Jesus, what is this?  Have we done something wrong?"



"No, sir, but we have an obligation to make sure the place is secure 

before we leave."



He swallowed and made his way to push past Scully.  She laid a 

hand on his arm and he stopped.  She gazed at William and smiled.  

"May I hold him?" she asked softly.



I didn't think this was a good idea, but didn't say so. What could I 

say?  Then again, I had my doubts as to whether this was Mr. 

VanDeKamp.  He wasn't behaving normally.



He cleared his throat.  "He's fussy right now."



"That's all right, just for a second.  I love babies."



I was impressed with how she keeping her cool.  John suddenly 

appeared behind the sliding glass doors.  He didn't open them but 

he gestured with a finger across his neck.  Oh God, I thought, 

someone was dead inside.



I glanced quickly at the man who was now handing the baby over 

to Scully.  Scully turned toward me and I said, "Bring him here so 

I can have a look, Agent."



She carefully made her way down the stairs, holding my eyes.  She 

knew by my tone that something was wrong.  Mulder must have 

seen John's gesture because as soon as Scully was off the stairs, he 

pulled his weapon and reached for something in his back pocket.  

He placed the gun at the base of the man's head and said, "Step 

away from the stairs, Sir."



He hesitated for a fraction of a second and then pivoted on his heel, 

his fist aiming for Mulder's face.



Mulder dodged and shoved him against the railing using his whole 

body and Doggett joined him, cuffing the man.  "He's the hunter!" 

John shouted.  "Mr. VanDeKamp is dead inside!"



I figured this fake man's real identity must have been what Emily 

told him.  Good thing we had the kid along.



At that moment as Scully ran for the van with William, the man 

threw his shoulders back and the cuffs broke off his wrists.  His 

strength was phenomenal. He easily threw Mulder and John off his 

back and they both crashed into the sliding glass doors.  He vaulted 

over the side of the porch and I took a shot.  It hit him in the neck, 

but didn't kill him.  He looked at me and his head wavered as 

though caught between changing shapes.  It was eerie.  I fired 

again, right into his face from 10 feet away.  He staggered and fell.  

Green blood, oozed out into a puddle around his head.  Mulder was 

scrambling down the steps.  Emily appeared at his elbow and said, 

"Let me."



"No."



"What's going on?"



"He isn't dead," Mulder said and I saw him gripping something in 

his fist.



"I know," I said.



Emily looked at him and said, "His blood will kill you.  It won't 

hurt me.  Let me do it."



"I can't let you kill a man, Emily."



"He's not a man."



"You know what I mean.  You're too young to have that on your 

conscious."



"It won't bother me, trust me."



She held out her hand.  Mulder hesitated and shook his head again.  

"I can't let you do it."



She calmly said, "He's not my first kill."



Mulder closed his eyes and swallowed harshly.  The alien was 

beginning to twitch.  He made a sound eerily like a moan and 

Emily held out her hand again. "Just let me do it and we can get 

out of here!"



Mulder handed the object to her with a look of horror on his face 

as if he couldn't believe he was actually doing it.  She snatched it 

from his palm and drew her thumb up the side.  A wicked looking 

ice pick slid out of the top.  She marched over to the alien and 

knelt down beside him. His face was melting away.



His eyes popped open but she didn't flinch.  She went to roll him 

over.  I didn't think she would be able to do it.  He was a big man, 

but she grunted once and over he went, face first into the dirt.  She 

was much stronger than she looked.  She pulled his collar down 

and drove the pick into the back of his neck without any hesitation.



"Aaaahhhhh!" he screamed, but then was silent.  A hissing sound 

could be heard as air and green blood spewed from the back of his 

neck.  He was disintegrating.



She removed the pick, retracted it back into its sheath, and 

marched back the way she had come, handing the pick to Mulder 

on her way by and saying to all us, "Let's get out of here before 

one of you is hurt!"



This was one tough kid.  Monica ran into the house and emerged 

with a diaper bag.  We all piled into the van and Scully asked, 

"What was in there, John?"



She was visibly shaky as she clutched William to her chest. He had 

quieted the moment she took him from the hunter and I hadn't 

heard peep from him since.



Doggett said, "They're all dead, Mr. and Mrs. and his mother.  

Throats cut and laid out on the bed in the master bedroom."



"Oh Christ!" Scully exclaimed.  "I got them killed."



"No!" Doggett said forcefully.  "There was no way you could have 

predicted this, Scully.  You are not to blame for this.  Don't go 

pulling a Mulder on us now."



This startled a chuff of laughter out of me that I couldn't suppress.  

Mulder scowled and Scully retreated.  Mulder sat with Scully and 

the baby in the first back seat, Doggett was up front with me.  I 

was driving and Monica sat with Emily in the far back seat.



Mulder leaned over Scully's lap as I glanced in the rear view and I 

heard him say, "Can I hold him?  Can I hold my son?"



I didn't have to look again to know that he was taking him in his 

arms.  I heard him gasp as he stared down at him.  "Oh God, 

Scully.  He's so beautiful."



Scully leaned her head on his shoulder.  Emily stood and walked 

up them and peered down at Will.  Mulder scooted over and Emily 

sat next to him. Doggett whispered to me.  "Walter, something 

weird with that kid.  It's like she's staring at the baby but her eyes 

are closed."



"What's she doing?"



"I don't know, but the baby's smiling."



I smiled.



XXXXXXXXXX



"Hey, bro!"



"Found mommy!"



"Yes, Will, we found mommy!"



"Found daddy!"



"Yes, Will, we found daddy too."



"Tell them, missed mommy, missed daddy."



"I will.  Can you talk to mommy."



"I tried."



"She couldn't hear you?"



"Guess not."



"Try daddy, not now but later in quiet time."



"Okay.  You staying?"



"I don't know, Will."



"Want you stay too."



"Don't frown.  It will be O.K.  Just stick with mommy and daddy."



"Found mommy!"



"Yes, Will, everything's O.K. now."



She opened her eyes and looked at her parents.  Even though she 

hadn't been born to them, she'd known from the computer files and 

pictures who they were.  She'd seen their faces in her dreams.  She 

had wondered what it would be like to be raised by a real mother 

and father.



"What did he say?" my father asked.  He was obviously not as 

difficult to convince of things as my mother.  She would take some 

work.



I smiled at him.  "He missed you both.  When we were at the 

VanDeKamps he kept asking me to find mommy.  Just kept 

saying, lady nice, but miss mommy."



I looked at this woman who was my mother and saw her eyes fill 

with tears.  She obviously loved William very much. I could feel it 

rolling off both of them.  I only hoped that one day, they would 

love me that much.  I smiled at her.  "Now he says, 'Found 

mommy and found daddy!'  He was very excited and he's happy 

now."



I paused deciding to keep the rest to myself.  Apparently nothing 

got by my father because he said, "There's something else too, isn't 

there?"



I nodded and looked up at him feeling the unfamiliar feeling of a 

lump in my throat.  "He asked … um, he asked if I was going to 

stay with him too."



"What did you tell him?" he asked.



"I … I told him I didn't know."



I looked at my lap feeling tears sting the backs of my eyelids.  I 

could count on one hand the number of times I had cried in my 

lifetime.  Why was I so emotional now?



I was surprised when he handed William back to my mother. She 

sat up with him, taking her head off his shoulder.  Then he reached 

for me and pulled me onto his lap, sitting me sideways so my legs 

dangled down between his.  He smiled at me and pulled me 

sideways into his chest with one arm.  The other he put around my 

mother.  I felt a tear escape my lashes and scud down my cheek.



He leaned his lips to my ear and said, "Of course you're staying 

with us."



I laid my head on his shoulder, suddenly more tired than I had ever 

been and let the tears come. In minutes I was asleep.  The next 

thing I knew, we were being carried back into the plane.



I asked where we were going and the lady in the back answered, 

saying, "Going to see some friends of mine in Mexico."



I nodded saying, "We're on the run, aren't we?"



"Hopefully not forever," my father said.



I nodded. "It's O.K.  I expected it.  I'm just glad I'm with you guys.  

I figured I wouldn't make it anyways but I had to try and save 

Will."



I heard his breath hitch and my mother whispered, "My God, we're 

going to have to hear this whole story."



"Hmmm," I hummed. "Later.  Can I sleep now?"



My father's chest felt so warm as he hugged me close.  His warmth 

seeped into me and spread through my body, tingling as it infused 

through my skin.  I shivered slightly, never having felt his kind of 

contentment.  It was foreign to me.  I realized I felt safe for the 

first time ever in my entire life, like I might be able to let my guard 

down for a few minutes.



PART 6 (NC-17)

MARITA COVERUBIAS' APARTMENT

SOUTHERN MARYLAND

THE NEXT DAY



I looked in the mirror, combing my hair, fresh from the shower.  I 

stood naked, examining my body with a critical eye.  I was 41, but 

I still had a nice body.  My breasts were a little heavier and sagged 

a little more than they used to, and my hips were a little wider.  

Overall though, I still had a flat tummy and a firm tush and very 

few wrinkles on my face, only a few laugh lines around my eyes.  I 

cupped my breasts and sighed heavily.    I still worked out 

regularly.  I was tall for a woman, five foot nine inches tall.



I hadn't seen him in months.  And when he showed up on my 

doorstep with Agent Doggett, I'd been shocked.  I knew they were 

only here because they wanted something from me.  That stung a 

bit, but at the same time, damn the man all to hell, the sight of him 

had nearly buckled my knees.  He'd been wearing his usual G-man 

attire, Hugo Boss suit with a white cotton dress shirt. He'd always 

looked good in a suit.



I hadn't been able to get him out of my mind since and it had 

pissed me off.  The man had never trusted me, never given me the 

benefit of the doubt and yet, he had ruined me for other men. His 

nobility struck a chord in me that tugged at my heartstrings.  He 

wasn't naοve by any stretch of the imagination.  I didn't know how 

he'd found me but I suppose he had his sources as well.  I knew I 

wasn't the only informant to the X-Files.  I'd tread a very fine line 

at times in the past, risking everything to pass information to 

Agents Mulder and Scully.



If I was honest, I could understand his reluctance.  It was hard to 

know whose side I'd been on at times.  Sometimes I hadn't been 

sure myself.  But I never would have betrayed him.  My career had 

been the most important thing in my life for so many years.  I was 

proud of my position, one of the first woman, and youngest woman 

to ever hold the job of Special Assistant to the Secretary General.



I'd begun to suspect that all was not well in Mudville a long time 

before I was sure that there were government conspiracies 

designed to cover up incredible information, destroy certain 

people, and put others in a position of power.



I hadn't wanted to be a part of it, but I'd had no choice in the 

beginning.  To protest when I had no real information to go on 

would have been a deadly mistake.  So I waited, watched and 

listened, and never made a stink.  Finally, they had come to me, the 

Consortium, testing my position, feeling me out for what I could or 

would do for them.



They told a horrific story and convinced me that if I were to help 

them, my actions would be noble and for the good of mankind 

everywhere.  I had been the one that was naοve in the beginning.  I 

did what I was asked to do and gained their trust.  I quickly 

realized however, that they had no intention of saving mankind.  

They only intended to save themselves.



That was a realization I couldn't live with.  I knew they worried 

about Agents Mulder and Scully. No one had ever gotten as close 

to them and their true plans as those two.  Both of them were 

smart, savvy and talented.  Their methods were different from each 

other, but combined, there was little they couldn't figure out.  They 

proved this over and over again.  I'm ashamed to say, I was one of 

those running ahead of them at the behest of my employers and 

snatching evidence away before they could find it. They wanted to 

throw a spot light on the conspiracy.   While I didn't agree with the 

Consortium's actions, I feared that exposing them to the general 

public would cause mass panic.  In addition, the chaos it would 

create in government might cause an upheaval that the American 

government could never recover from.  Sometimes, I had to do 

things that were abhorrent to me simply because I could find no 

way not to without exposing my duplicity.



Then I began to hate what I was being asked to do.  I knew they 

had no noble intentions, but by then I was in too deep and risked 

my own life should I try to oppose them.  I knew I wouldn't last 

two minutes if I did it openly.  So I did it in secret.  I left 

anonymous packages for Agent Mulder leading him in the right 

direction.  I got him false identity paperwork when he needed it. 

Occasionally, if I could do it without putting my neck in jeopardy, 

I would give him real information he could use.  I felt good about 

that, but also scared.



Somewhere in the back of my head, I'd known it was only a matter 

of time before they found out that I was not on their side anymore 

and didn't believe in what they were doing.  It had not been a good 

day!



The scientists were deep into their experiments to find a vaccine 

for the black oil virus.  They were in a race with the Russians.  

When my duplicity was found out, I was grabbed and 

experimented on.  It was worse than being killed.  There were days 

when a bullet between the eyes would have been preferable.  And 

I'd played both sides of the fence for so long, that no one cared 

about me anymore, especially Walter.



I felt a lurch in my chest at the thought.  He had looked so betrayed 

when he'd come here and smelled smoke.  He had been right.  

C.G.B. had been here, damn him.  He ruined everything.  I was 

playing on the right side of the fence by then, but I had no way to 

prove it.  The hurt and pain that had been on his face was probably 

the worst I'd ever witnessed.  He thought I was just coldly using 

him to get information.  Little did he know that he was the only 

man in my life who had ever gotten inside my shell.  He was the 

only man I ever had a hard time walking away from. He was the 

only man that I had ever really given my heart to and I'd felt as if 

someone had put a knife through my heart.



I'd never told him how I felt about him.  How could I blame him 

for his suspicions?  They would have been valid only a short time 

before he accused me of them.  But I had stayed on the payroll, 

figuring that I could find out the most by pretending to still work 

for their side.  I was more valuable to Mulder and Scully that way, 

and I had to find reasons to remain valuable to these men or they 

would simply kill me.  I was in too deep at that point to just turn 

and walk away.  It hadn't been possible.



When they did the tests on me, they very nearly did kill me.  

Jeffrey Spender had needed an ally and he had realized by then that 

there was something to his mother's claims.  At the very least, he 

knew that he didn't have a friend in the world at that time … and 

neither did I.



Jeffrey had always been arrogant and weak.  I'd been surprised 

when he revealed that he had blackmailed Krycek for the virus 

antidote.  I don't know whom Krycek told them he needed it for 

and I didn't care.  That antidote had saved my life. Jeffrey had 

surprised me again.  He not only helped me after my escape to get 

to a safe apartment but he nursed me back to health.  It had been a 

long road.



Unlike most of the other men in my life that had helped me, he 

hadn't wanted to have sex with me in return.  That had been 

refreshing.  Krycek had exacted that very payment for services 

rendered on more than one occasion.  Krycek was as duplicitous as 

I was.  We were two of a kind.  I think his story ran pretty parallel 

to mine.  He'd started out loyal and then became a double agent of 

sorts, doing what he could, when he could. Those actions had 

earned neither of us many friends.



I never made the mistake of trusting Krycek, but there had been 

times when he was the only one I could turn to.  He would always 

help me, but it came with a price.  Sometimes I'd been willing and 

desperate enough to pay that price.  Sometimes I hadn't been.  

There had never been any caring or love there, only lust and 

understanding.  I felt ashamed of those decisions now, even 

knowing intellectually that if I hadn't made them on a couple of 

occasions, I would be dead now. There were also times when I 

hadn't cared to live.  Now, however, I wanted to live.  I wanted to 

have a future.



I put on a bathrobe and made my way out to the kitchen where I'd 

left coffee brewing.  I poured myself a cup and stood leaning with 

my back against the counter.



The only thing that kept me alive was my knowledge of the not-so-

human counterparts in the government … and my absolute silence 

of who they were. Just seeing Walter and John Doggett here could 

be reason enough for them to suspect I'd developed a loose tongue.  

That was all it would take.  I didn't think they'd been seen, but I 

didn't know for sure.  It was time to move again.



I sighed and closed my eyes as I wrapped my hands around my 

coffee cup.  I was so tired.  I didn't want to run anymore.  If I 

wanted to continue breathing, however, I didn't have a choice. My 

instincts rarely failed me and I knew that I had maybe a week at 

most before they came looking for me to find out what I'd told 

Walter and Doggett.  I knew this place was watched.



The original Consortium members were all gone except for C.G.B. 

and he was powerless now. Other players who weren't as well 

organized, but were just as deadly had replaced them.  Kersch was 

among them.  He was human but controlled down to the short hairs 

by other factions in the government.  I wondered if they had been 

discreet in coming up there.  Everyone was watching their own 

back now and that made for a volatile situation.



I wondered if maybe I should tell Walter who they were if only to 

prevent him going to one of them for help or information.  He 

would be mislead at the least and killed at the worst.   Despite his 

treating me acerbically, I didn't want him hurt.  He had every right 

to be hurt, but I couldn't help throwing up my righteous defenses 

when he was around.



I jumped and spilled hot coffee on my hand as a sharp rap sounded 

on the door three times. "Shit!" I exclaimed, setting my mug down 

heavily on the Formica counter.



As was my habit now, I grabbed my .22 automatic pistol out of the 

cupboard and cautiously approached the door.  I looked through 

the peep hole.  No finger obscured my vision this time. There he 

stood, as if I'd conjured him up out of my thoughts.  His hands 

were in his the pockets of his long black trench coat, hugging it 

around him, shoulders slightly hunched.



I sucked in my breath.  Damn, I didn't want to see him right now.  

My emotions were too turbulent.  Plus, I had to make plans to 

leave here.  I'd sent word to Agent Doggett of the meeting place 

and time with Jeffrey.  What the hell was he doing here?  Was he 

just going to keep asking for my help until he got me killed?



"What do you want?" I asked through the door.



He looked up at the peephole, his eyes dark and intense. "Please let 

me in, Marita," he said, his voice husky.



If he had yelled or been arrogant, I could have maintained my grip 

on sanity, but I'd never been able to tell him no when he asked 

nicely.  He looked worn out and scared.



I sighed and undid the dead bolt, along with the chain and swung 

the door open.  He nodded his thanks and stepped through the 

door.  His head was hung as though in thought and he lifted his 

head to look me in the face as I closed the door.  I redid the dead 

bolt and chain.  He watched silently as I returned to the cupboard 

and stashed my pistol.



I turned and looked at him, not saying anything.  When he didn't 

either, I finally asked again, "What are you doing here, Walter?  

They see you, I'll be killed."



He swallowed heavily.  "I was careful. I came in the back, circled 

to make sure I wasn't followed."



I nodded, "Take your coat?"



He nodded again and slid it off his huge shoulders.  I caught my 

breath and held it as he handed me his coat.  He was wearing a 

snug tan turtleneck that showed every ripple of muscle in his 

heavily sculpted chest.  His shoulders looked so broad.  My eyes 

flicked down his chest, watching his chest melt into his lean waist 

and the faded jeans that hung low on his hips.



The jeans were snug on his big thighs and he was wearing black 

boots.  My eyes traveled back up and finally reached his face.  I 

gasped when I saw his face.  His eyes were black, his expression 

pained.  "Fuck, Marita," he whispered.



I turned and hung his coat in the closet next to the door. "What?" I 

asked as I returned and headed for the coffee pot.  "Want some 

coffee?  I spilled mine when you knocked.  It startled me. I was 

going to have some more.  I forget, you take it black don't you?"



I was chattering as I faced the coffee pot, dumping my cold coffee 

and refilling my cup.  I never even heard him move.  Suddenly his 

arms came down beside me and his hands covered mine pressing 

them flat onto the counter.



"Walter!" I yelped.



He slowly and deliberately touched his knees to the back of mine.  

I held my breath.  He molded his thighs to mine and then I felt his 

chest press against my back.  I made an odd whimpering sound 

like, "Ohhmmm."



His chin lowered to my shoulder and he tipped his face toward 

mine, nuzzling my neck.  "Walter, what are you …?"



He cut me off.  "Do you have any idea what it does to me when 

you check me out like that?"



I shook my head in the negative.  "I didn't think you gave a damn 

anymore."



"That's just the problem, Marita.  I care too much.  I've always 

cared too much, more than I want to, believe me.  And I was doing 

fine for a while, but then …"



"Then?"



"I saw you again."



I shivered and let my weight fall back against him.  He moaned 

when my butt pressed into his erection.  I jerked slightly in 

surprise.  I hadn't known he was that aroused already.  I felt an 

obscene amount of wetness flood my crotch as my body responded 

to his arousal.  It had always been this way between us, like a 

brush fire out of control.



He began pressing his cock into my ass.  His grinding assault from 

behind robbed me of the power of speech and I could only 

whimper.  This was wrong. I didn't want this, not this way.  I 

squirmed against him in an attempt to push him away.  He was like 

pushing against a wall and didn't budge.  I found my voice, 

"Walter, please … not like this."



"Yes, just like this."  He moved my coffee cup to the side, grasped 

my wrists and captured them in one of his big hands.  He wasn't 

crushing them, but he was holding them tightly.  He slid them 

forward, stretching my body and lowering my torso to the counter.  

My breasts spilled out of my robe and pressed into the cold 

counter.  I gasped and felt my nipples harden unbearably and begin 

to ache.



"Jesus, Walter, … please!"



He growled in my ear.  "I want you, Marita.  I've always wanted 

you.  And damn it woman, I'm going to have you again."



"But …"



"Tell me you don't want me," he growled.



I couldn't do it.  "Let's go in the bedroom," I pleaded.



"No," he said curtly and I heard his zipper forced down and his 

pants and boxers shoved down his legs.  His hand caught the back 

of my robe and rucked it up around my waist.



Then his fingers probed the wetness between my legs.  He gasped, 

"Jesus," when he felt how wet I was.  I felt my face flush with 

embarrassment.  If I resisted he would be forcing me, but I wasn't 

resisting.  I didn't have it in me to resist anymore.  I wanted him, 

even it was about the most unromantic place, up against my 

kitchen counter.



I felt the swollen head of his cock push against my sopping wet 

folds.  He jerked his hips and slid in a couple inches and stopped.  

He groaned, "Oh fuck, I'd forgotten how good you feel."



"Walter … not here," I gasped out, in a last ditch attempt to change 

his mind.  I wanted to look at his face.  I wanted to read his 

expression.  Was he angry? Was he just horny?  Or was there more 

going on here?



He grunted, not answering, then rammed the full length of 

enormous cock inside my long unused twat.  I moaned as I felt my 

walls stretch and his glans press firmly on the door to my cervix, 

stretching it to the limit.  "Oh shit, …" I whimpered, cursing the 

waves of arousal that were washing through me.  I was filled to 

capacity and I couldn't remember anything ever feeling this good.



He began to thrust, steadily and urgently, withdrawing smoothly 

and slamming back into me with force.  He would pull nearly all 

the way out and I could feel every inch of his huge cock sliding in 

and out again, tip to hilt, tip to hilt, tip to hilt.  He grunted, "Aww, 

aww, aww," with every hard thrust of his hips.



In an embarrassingly short time, I was taken by my first orgasm, 

shouting his name, "Wwaalltteerr … oh God!"  He released my 

hands and I gripped the back of the counter.  His hands slid down 

and gripped my waist.  He held still, filling me fully as my crotch 

convulsed around his hardness.  He moaned at the squeezing 

sensation of my muscles as I shuddered with aftershocks.



XXXXXXXXXX



I plunged my aching cock into her depths, watching her shapely, 

little ass tense and release as I did.  I was so hard I ached.   My 

cock was reveling in the grip of her tight muscles.



She was taut and controlled, her body stretched and arched like a 

bow, her lovely ass sticking up in the air.  My voice was low and 

feral as I croaked out, "I want to fuck you senseless."



I was being seized with the basest of instincts, the ones that told 

me to dominate, to take what my heart desired.  I wanted to believe 

my heart didn't enter into it, but I would be lying to myself. I'd 

been blown away when I felt the foamy wetness of her cunt lips.  I 

hadn't expected her to be that aroused.  Knowing I affected her as 

much as she affected me, had made me lose my grip on what little 

sense I had left.



I was crazed with lust and longing for her.  I began to thrust again 

as her orgasm died down and she quivered beneath me.  I hung 

onto her slim hips and buried myself over and over, groaning like a 

dying man.  I began to pant.  The situation didn't look that way, but 

I felt completely vulnerable, totally unable to help myself.  Her 

beauty, but mostly the chemistry between us, robbed me of any 

sense.  Once I touched her, there was no turning around and 

walking away. Not for me.  I knew if I looked at her face, I would 

fall for her again and that was a dangerous thing to do.  But I 

needed her.  I needed this … connection.  She wasn't protesting 

and I had no intention of stopping.



I began panting as I felt my balls tighten and fill with jism.  "Feel 

so good, pushing you open again.  God Marita, you still make me 

crazy."



She gripped her thighs tightly together, putting more pressure on 

my aching shaft as I plunged into her without mercy.  She was 

groaning and her internal muscles rippled over my bone hard cock 

for a second time as I felt my orgasm crash over me like a tidal 

wave.



I shouted out, "Oh God, Marita!  Yes, take it all!"



Stars and lights were exploding in my head and my nuts pumped 

jet after jet of hot seed through my rigid cock.  She spasmed 

convulsively underneath me as her climax rendered her helpless in 

the grip of the passion that always sprung up when we touched 

each other.  My cock was spurting with tremendous force and I 

couldn't remember the last time I'd had an orgasm so intense.



I collapsed onto her back, taking my weight on my elbows and 

sliding my hands under her breasts, palming them and squeezing 

gently, toying with her nipple.  She whimpered and hissed through 

her teeth.  They were sensitive from her orgasm.  I wondered 

briefly if she was on birth control.  She always had been before.  I 

hadn't even asked. I felt a stab of shame at my carelessness.



I squeezed her breasts gently an she moaned.  Suddenly, I had to 

see them.  I had to see her, even though I knew it was mistake I 

would regret later.  I pulled out of her and watched as our 

combined juices ran out of her stretched hole and slid down the 

inside of her thighs.  I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and 

stood her up, spinning her around.  Without looking at her face I 

lowered my mouth to her breasts and suckled her nipple into my 

mouth, laving it with my tongue and nipping lightly.



"Oh shit, Walter, that's enough …"



I didn't listen.  I toed off my boots and socks and stepped out of my 

jeans and boxers.  Her hands went to my shirt in surrender and she 

lifted the hem.  I let go of her breast quickly as she yanked the shirt 

over my head.  I took off my glasses and tossed them on the 

counter.



She didn't protest when I pulled her robe off her shoulders and it 

puddled to the floor in a heap with the rest of my clothes.  I bent 

and lifted her thighs into the air.  She squealed and wrapped her 

arms around my neck to keep from falling.  I couldn't speak.  I 

didn't trust myself to say anything.  Her legs wrapped around my 

thighs in silent permission and I carried her into her bedroom, 

depositing her gently on the bed.



My lust temporarily sated, I looked at her and was struck again by 

the force of her beauty.  At this moment she looked almost shy and 

vulnerable and it took my breath away.  "Walt …"



I pressed my fingers to her lips, hoping to prevent her from talking.  

I didn't want to talk.  Talking might end this and I wasn't ready to 

do that yet.  I lowered my face and caught her lips under mine.



Big mistake.



She responded immediately and our tongues dueled for supremacy 

of the kiss. She suckled first my top lip and then my bottom lip and 

I felt myself melt toward her, an ache starting up in the center of 

my chest in response to her tenderness.  How long had it been 

since anyone had been tender with me?



I knew I was playing a dangerous game with a dangerous woman.  

Still, I couldn't stop myself. The bottom line was I'd never wanted 

a woman the way I wanted her.  And she was naked and willing in 

her bed and I wasn't going to walk away.  I would deal with the 

consequences later. Could I trust her?  I didn't know.  She seemed 

so tired and beaten down by the events of her life. And I knew that 

harrowing experiences could change a person.



She'd almost died.  While her new chance at life had left her beaten 

and scared, she seemed also to possess a new determination … to 

survive at least, if not do all the right things.



I kissed her again, this time with passion and proceeded to rain 

kisses on her body, staring at her neck and working my way down.  

I treated each nipple to thorough worship before running my hands 

down to her hips and lowering myself between her legs.



I raised her supple legs up over my shoulders and made the 

mistake of looking up at her.  She wore an expression of awe and 

excitement and she smiled shyly at me.  I felt something burst wide 

open in my chest and I whimpered.  My voice was pure gravel 

when I said, "You're going to be the death of me, Marita."



She smiled wider, looking a little sly now, but then her smiled 

faded.  "I just want you to love me," she whispered.



I caught my breath and held it.  "Love you?"  I hesitated. 

"Physically?  Or …?"



She nodded, not really answering my questions.



Did she mean yes to both questions?  "I don't know if I can," I said 

honestly.



"Yes you can.  You already are."



I nodded, not sure I understood, but lowering my head and 

breaking eye contact.  Then I realized what she meant.  I was 

taking care of her pleasure first by this act.  It was something a 

loving person did.  I wanted to do it though.  It wasn't entirely 

unselfish.  I loved to see a woman respond to me and this was the 

best way I knew how.  I spread her lips with my thumbs and 

pressed my face into her for an open mouthed lick from her back 

door to her clitoris.



"Oh!" she exclaimed.



Encouraged I continued to feast on her, tasting her tangy juices on 

each lip and in each fold. "Yes!  Aaawww yeah.  Eat me till I 

come!'



I tasted myself mixed in there and was strangely not repulsed by it.  

I fucked her with my tongue and her hands came down to hold the 

sides of my head.  I slid two fingers inside and crooked them 

upwards, circling her front wall until I found the magic spot.



I felt her body go limp and knew I'd found it.  I chose that moment 

to suck her clit into my mouth and lick it from top to bottom.  She 

screamed an unintelligible sound, "Hhhhhhuuuuuaaaaaaahhhhh!" 

and I felt her muscles quiver around my fingers and her clitoris 

vibrate on my tongue.  I lapped her gently as she climaxed and 

held my head tightly in place.



She settled back into the bed, boneless and content as I crawled up 

over her and kissed her gently, feeling tenderness I didn't want to 

feel but knowing I couldn't stop it now.  I'd let my guard down and 

she was going to creep behind my walls again and there wasn't a 

damn thing I could do about it.



I was hard again, the sight and feel of her climaxing on my tongue 

and fingers sending me into overdrive again.  But the urgency was 

gone.  I didn't feel frantic and lustful anymore.  But I wanted to 

have her again.



I nudged her legs apart and met her eyes.  We stared at each other 

for several moments and then her eyes grew moist.  I whispered, 

"No tears, Marita."



She nodded, sniffling and whispered back, "You'll never know 

how much I've missed you."



I felt my own eyes sting and lowered my head to take her mouth in 

another slow, deep kiss.  As I did, she raised her legs over my hips 

and I sunk down between her baby soft thighs.  Her hand snaked 

between us and guided me to her.  I slid in slowly this time, trying 

to be gentle and make up for taking her so hard in the kitchen.  "I 

can't make any promises," I whispered.



"Neither can I.  But I …"



"What?"



She shook her head as though changing her mind.



"Tell me," I encouraged softly.



I'd been out of my mind.  I hadn't been able to stop thinking about 

her since I'd seen her the other day and that talk with John hadn't 

helped.  John said she still had the hots for me and that I didn't 

doubt.  He also said that she wanted me to trust her and believe in 

her.  That I wasn't so sure about.  It scared me though, how much I 

wanted it to be true.  I wanted to trust her.  I wanted her to be 

trustworthy.  I just didn't know if I could lay the past aside enough 

to really trust her.  I wanted her though; I wasn't going to deny 

that.



She whispered as I began to stroke her slowly and deeply. "God 

help me.  I'm still in love with you."



I couldn't respond.  I hadn't known that she'd ever been in love 

with me.  Was I in love with her? I shook my head.  I couldn't 

ponder it right now, not while I was this vulnerable.  She trembled 

at our joining and I delighted that I could make her respond like 

this after all this time.  We moaned and stared at each other as I 

stroked her slowly, enjoying the wonderful sensations and wanting 

to make it last.  I'd already come once.  If history was any judge, 

the second time, I lasted a lot longer.



History was correct and as good as it felt, I was able to hold off for 

quite a while.  She shuddered in climax twice more before I finally 

emptied my balls deep inside her.  My orgasm was slow and harsh 

and satisfying.  I rolled off her and pulled her into my side.  She 

snuggled against me laying her head on my chest.



We were silent a long time and then I felt wetness on my chest.  I 

peered down and saw that she was crying silently.  "Marita?" I 

asked, slightly alarmed. I pulled her head up.  "I didn't hurt you, 

did I?"



"No, not the way you think."



I sighed knowing there was no avoiding this conversation. I didn't 

want to have it right now but I knew we needed to talk.  Reality 

was that there would never be a good time and never be a time 

when I wanted to have it.  Might as well get it over with, I thought.



XXXXXXXXXX



"Why did you come here?" she asked softly.



"I wanted to see you."



"That's not enough, Walter and we both know it."



I nodded.  "The truth is … I'm not entirely sure.  I wanted to see 

you and I couldn't stop thinking about you after seeing you again."



She levered up onto her elbow and rested her head in her hand with 

her elbow on the bed.  I stayed lying on my back and watched her 

carefully.  Her features were slightly blurry from this far away and 

I realized I'd left my glasses in the kitchen. "Can I get my glasses 

before we do this?" I asked.



She smiled.  "Go ahead."



I slid off the bed and walked naked into the hallway toward the 

kitchen, feeling her eyes burn a hole in my back side.  My sex was 

heavy and sated, laying thickly against my thigh and I realized I 

was a bit sticky.  I washed my hands and grabbed my glasses.  

When I returned to the bedroom, she was standing beside the bed 

and handed me a warm, wet washcloth.  I smiled and cleaned 

myself up while she watched intently.  I folded it over and handed 

it back to her. "Thanks."



She nodded and went into the bathroom and threw it in the hamper.  

She returned and we both crawled up onto the bed, arranging 

pillows behind us to recline against the headboard.  "Should I get 

dressed?"



"No, let's not."



"Cruel woman," I teased.



"I want you as vulnerable as you can be with no armor."



"Like I said, you're a cruel woman."



She smiled at my light tone, knowing I was teasing.  She stared at 

me and said, "When you said you couldn't stop thinking about me, 

what did you mean?"



"Just that.  I'd close my eyes and see your face.  I'd lay down to go 

to sleep and … I would remember."



"Remember?"



"The sound of you laughing.  I always loved your laugh."



She looked surprised then as I watched her out of the corner of my 

eye.  "What else?"



"Do you need the details?"



"I want the details."



"I'm not sure I'm ready to give them to you."



She was silent a moment and then said, "Please, Walter.  We need 

to clear the air."



I swallowed and nodded.  "I … well, I kept remembering what it 

felt like to hold  you, feel your silky skin against my body."  I 

swallowed around the lump in my throat.



She was silent, waiting patiently.  "I remembered how close I felt 

to you at one time, and how amazed I was at the … passion 

between us."



"Yeah, huh?" she said softly.



I looked at her fully then and she was staring at my face. "I missed 

you, Marita.  It's really not that complicated."



"But?" she asked.



"But … I didn't have any idea where we stood.  I know you hated 

me for … what I did, what I accused you of … but … I didn't 

know if we could get past that."



"Past that?"



"If you would ever be able to forgive me," I stated quietly.



She licked her lips and closed her eyes as if thinking of a response.  

Finally she said, "Or if you could trust me?"



She opened her eyes then and I held her gaze.  I nodded slightly 

but then said, "I … WANT to trust you, Marita."



"But you don't know if you can."  It was a statement.



I nodded, confirming her statement.  "I want to try, Marita.  I'm 

tired of … a lot of things."



"Like being alone?" she asked.



"That's one of them."



"The rest?"



"I'm tired of being paranoid.  I'm tired of never being able to be 

completely honest with anyone. I'm tired of being on guard.  I don't 

see an end to that anytime in the near future.  It would be nice to 

have someone … one person, I could … not have to hide from," I 

finished.



I blew air through pursed lips, relieved at getting that much out.  

This type of conversation had always been hard for me.  I was a 

man that guarded his emotions and held his cards close to the vest.  

I'd never talked like this with my ex-wife.  It was part of the reason 

we split, because I walled away a part of myself.  I was only now 

realizing at 48 that life was disgustingly short and I had never 

really loved anyone completely, never trusted anyone completely.  

Subsequently, I'd never really known any joy.  Marita was not the 

best choice to choose to trust and love completely.  She had a 

checkered past and a labyrinth of secrets.  However, no one else 

had ever held my interest like she did or made me feel like I 

couldn't stay away.



I cared for her, maybe even loved her a little, but I was terrified to 

really let go.  'Why her?' I kept asking myself.  Of all the women in 

the world, 'why her?' I saw what Mulder and Scully had together.  

Despite their trials and tribulations, they always had trust, respect 

and love for one another and it had gotten them through a lot of 

tough situations.  It held them up when they were ready to quit 

fighting and made them want to keep trying. I needed that in my 

life.  I wanted that for myself.



She was watching me carefully.  "And you want that person to be 

me?" she asked.  I could hear the hope and longing in her voice 

and was startled by it. Finally,  I nodded at her, feeling strange and 

embarrassed all of a sudden.



She launched herself on top of me, straddling my thighs and 

wrapped her arms around my neck. I caught her around the waist 

as she buried her nose in my neck.  I felt her breath hitch in her 

chest and I said, "Hey, hey, what's wrong?"



She sniffled and then said, "I'm sorry, Walter."



"Sorry?"



"For everything.  I did what I thought was right at the time.  I 

played both side of the fence at first, but then I realized what was 

happening.  But they would have killed me if I pulled out and I felt 

like I did more good where I was at the time, being able to gather 

information.  I passed it along when I could."



"When I left you?" I asked, afraid of the answer.



"I already had decided that they were the enemy.  But I was in their 

camp and I couldn't safely leave.  I did what I could and still save 

my neck."



"Oh God," I muttered.  "I'm sorry, Marita."



"No!  You had every reason to be suspicious and I couldn't tell you 

the truth then without compromising my position.  I couldn't let 

anyone know what I was doing.  It was too risky.  So I helped 

Mulder when I could and I sent him information through other 

people when I could.  But I was too close to you, Walter.  I 

couldn't use you.  And I didn't want you involved that way 

anyway."



"Oh Christ, Marita.  I wish you'd told me."



"A year before that, everything you said would have been true.  

That's what was so hard.  You hit so close to the truth.  I didn't feel 

like I could defend myself.  I was just realizing what a tenuous 

position I was in.  I was still working it out.  I didn't even know 

what I was doing. I didn't want you to be caught in the back lash."



"So you didn't defend yourself or explain any of this to me," I 

concluded.



She nodded, "I let you go.  I let you walk away.  I had to until I 

knew what I was doing for sure and that you wouldn't be hurt.  By 

then … by the time I figured it out, I'd lost you completely."



"Shit, Marita.  I'm sorry, baby.  We've wasted a lot of time. I 

wished you'd come and told me."



"Would you have listened?  Would you have believed me?"



I sighed, knowing that I probably wouldn't have.  "I don't know."



"That's what I thought," she said.



"Marita, what's your position now?" I asked carefully.



She raised her head and looked me in the eye.  "I'm on the side of 

right."



"And which side is that?" I asked.



She recoiled as if I'd slapped her and then struggled to compose 

herself.



"I have to ask, Marita," I said softly.



Finally she said, "I'm not on the consortium payroll anymore, per 

se.  But the ones that took their place pay me for my silence.  I 

know who is in the government that isn't human and they could kill 

me, but probably not before I exposed at least one of them.  I have 

information in safety deposit boxes all over three states with 

instructions to people with the keys to open them and go to the 

press if anything ever happens to me.



"Shit," I muttered.



"It was my only protection.  It keeps me alive and dangerous to 

them."



"Makes you a fucking target."



"Yes, but they'd never find all the safety deposit boxes."



"How many do you have?"



"Fifteen."



"Fifteen!" I exclaimed.



She nodded.  "The keys for each are in the hands of a different 

person.  It would take them a long time to find them all and they 

would never be sure if they had them all.  I know these people 

would contact me if they were tossed."



"What if they kill them?"



"Then I would know that too.  I read the obituaries in nine different 

papers every day."



"My God, Marita.  How did you paint yourself into a corner like 

this?"



"It wasn't easy," she joked.



I frowned.  "I don't like it."



"You don't have to.  It's the way it is.  It's my insurance policy."



"So what are you going to do now?"



"I'm going to move."



"Move?  Why?"



"You came here with Doggett.  I know they watch the place. I don't 

need them thinking I got loose lips and decide to risk getting rid of 

me."



"We were careful when we came here."



"I know, but I have no way of knowing if you were seen."



"Would they have waited this long to come for you?"



"They are very patient when they have to be.  They may have been 

waiting to see if you returned a second time.  If not, they might 

assume I sent you away for good."



"But now I showed up again."



I nodded.  "I just want to play it safe."



"I could have put you in danger by coming here?" I asked.



She shrugged.  "There was no way for you to know."



"I'll never forgive myself if something happens to you."



"Don't go there, Walter.  It would be my fault.  I let you in.  I put 

myself in this position in the first place.  I'm right where I am 

because of the choices I've made in my life.  I stopped blaming 

other people, places, and things a long time ago.  I'm not going to 

start that now."



"Still …"



"Still nothing.  I'm moving, that's all.  I do it every six months or so 

anyway, sometimes more often."



"The apartment does look … sparsely furnished."



"I try to rent furnished and I travel light.  Everything I own that is 

important to me, I can fit into two suitcases."



"That's no way to live, Marita."



"It's the only way I know how right now."



"I want to help you."



"Don't!" she cried.  "Don't get involved, Walter."



I gave her a look of resignation, knowing I'd been a fool. I wouldn't 

be able to walk away from her a second time.  "Marita, I'm already 

involved."



PART 7  (NC-17)

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

CASE DE MADRID

THE NEXT DAY



I answered my phone when it rang.  Without preamble, he said, 

"You were right, John."



"About what?" I'd asked.



"I talked to her … well, I approached her first, then talked to her."



"Approached her?"



"You know."



"Uh … I can take a guess."



He'd laughed then.  "It went well, I just wanted to thank you for the 

little push."



I'd smiled on my end of the phone.  "No problem.  Didn't know I 

pushed."



"You didn't, but I was listening to what you said, and turns out … 

you were right.  I think … there's still something there."



"I'm glad."



"Me too.  I'll call you guys later after we meet with Jeffrey."



"You bet, talk to you then."



We'd hung up and Monica and I had gone to dinner.  Now I stood 

and walked out onto the balcony.  She was standing with her back 

to me, her arms braced on the railing, beer dangling precariously 

from her fingers.



I stood behind her and set my beer down on the little cast iron 

table.  When she didn't turn around I reach out tentatively and put 

my hands on her shoulders.  She stiffened but then relaxed.  I 

began to knead the tense muscles there and she groaned in delight.  

The sound went straight to my crotch and I felt myself begin 

harden. Jesus, this woman was going to get me in trouble.  I 

wondered if she had any idea what kind of affect she had on me.



She straightened up a bit, setting her beer on the railing and flexed 

her shoulders back.  I continued to massage, moving a little lower 

and rubbing the insides of her shoulder blades.  I stepped closer 

and inhaled the scent of her citrus shampoo. She smelled like 

raspberry moisturizer, which I knew she used.  It was a light, clean 

scent that made my head spin.  God, I wanted to bury my nose in 

her neck, but I didn't think that would be prudent at the moment.



She sighed and then whispered, "Feels so good, John.  Thank you."



"You're welcome, any time," I replied softly, alarmed at how 

husky my voice was.



She must have heard the difference because she tensed slightly, but 

then relaxed again.  I took this as permission to continue.  My 

hands slid a little lower and splayed over the muscles between her 

shoulder blades and her waist. I rubbed gently and she grunted 

softly.  "You've got good hands, John," she said, a hint of 

amusement in her voice.



"Works better if you're lying down."



She slowly turned to face me.  "Are you offering to give me a back 

rub?" she asked, now clearly amused.



I was totally serious when I answered her, "Yes."



She stared at me a moment, not sure what to make of my offer.  

Finally she said, "You're on."



She flashed me that smile that always melts my insides, the one 

with teeth and dimples and made her way slowly back into the 

room.  She walked to the double bed but then stopped and turned.  

"I have some lotion in the bathroom."



"That great smelling raspberry stuff you use?"



She smiled wider then.  "Why John, I'm impressed!  I wouldn't 

think you'd notice something like that."



I smiled gently at her and said, "I notice everything about you, 

Monica."



Her smiled faded and she swallowed hard, now suddenly 

uncomfortable.  I didn't know why I couldn't keep my mouth shut.  

God, just the thought of placing my hands on her bare skin had me 

hyper aware of her every move.  She cleared her throat and said, 

"I'll get it."



She scooted around me and into the bathroom.  I took a deep 

breath and cracked my knuckles. "Keep it together, John," I 

mumbled softly to myself.



I startled when she touched my shoulder.  Shit!  I wondered if she 

had heard me. Judging by the quirky smile on her face, she did, 

however, she was nice enough to let it slide.  She turned her back 

to me and slowly lifted her crew neck shell over her head, 

revealing a plain white bra.



I sucked in my breath at the site of all that skin.  She turned her 

head to grin at me over her shoulder and then crawled onto the bed.  

I put a knee on the bed, waiting for her to lie down when she 

reached for the button on her jeans. I stared helplessly as she 

unbuttoned them and slid the zipper down.  My eyes darted to her 

face and back to her hands.  She didn't seem to think this action 

was unusual in front of me.



She loosened her jeans and tugged them down low on her hips and 

then sank to the bed on her stomach, but not before I caught a 

glimpse of the French cut baby blue panties she was wearing. I 

swallowed thickly and looked away.  She turned her head towards 

me, resting it on her arms folded under her as a pillow.



I gently lowered myself to the bed and squirted some lotion into 

my hands from the pump nozzle on the bottle she'd set on the 

nightstand.



I knelt next to her and placed my hands on her low back, letting the 

lotion warm.  She sighed.  I began to rub gently back and forth, the 

smell of raspberries assaulting my nose.  My nostrils flared wide as 

I inhaled the scent I had associated with her for so long.  She 

relaxed quickly and I felt some of my own tension flow away.  I 

was still semi hard and touching her baby soft skin wasn't helping.  

I straddled her legs and began to go to town, kneading gently but 

firmly at the muscles, working my way up, down and back up 

again.



She was moaning softly almost constantly by the time I was 

making my second pass over her back.  I stopped and let my hands 

rest, spread wide on her shoulder blades, fingers inching under her 

bra strap.



She lay still as I slowly grasped her bra strap near the clasp.  She 

gasped and I asked, "May I?"



I sounded like I'd gargled with razor blades.



She nodded tentatively and then said, "Yes."



I was dismayed to find my hands trembling slightly as I unhooked 

the tiny fasteners, one, two, three and her bra fell open.  I brushed 

it aside and rubbed the area a bit more after taking some more 

lotion.



She raised up on her elbows for a second and quickly pulled the 

bra off her arms and flung it over the side of the bed.  I watched it 

sail through the air and disappear down to the floor. "Jesus," I 

whispered.



She didn't say a word, just lowered herself back down.  I took up 

where I left off.  My massaging soon turned to caressing.  I'm not 

sure when or how.  I trailed my finger tips up her sides, exerting 

just enough pressure not to tickle her.  I stopped suddenly when I 

realized my hands were resting on her ribs, just below her breasts.  

I leaned down close to her, taking one hand and tucking her hair 

behind her ear.



She shivered at the touch of my fingers and I felt another surge of 

arousal.  My lips leaned down to her ear and I breathed into it 

gently.  She sucked in her breath and held it, not meeting my eyes, 

but not stopping me either and not protesting.



I said softly, "I want to touch you, Monica."



She sucked in another breath and said, "You are touching me, 

John."



I smiled at her lame delaying tactic.  "You know what I mean," I 

said.



She lifted her head and peered at me over her shoulder. "Do I?'



I stared into her liquid brown eyes and said, "I think you do."



She swallowed.  "What do you want to do?" she asked innocently.  

I let my eyes trail over her back and slid my hands up to trail my 

fingertips over the sides of her plump breasts.  She breathed out, 

"Ooohhh," almost a moan.



"I want you to turn over."



She was still for what seemed like the longest time but then she 

slowly began to turn herself over.  I lifted up onto my knees to give 

her room to maneuver.  When I feasted my eyes on her breasts for 

the first time, I muttered, "Oh God, you're perfect."



She blushed slightly and smiled, looking shy. I laid my hands 

gently on her stomach and trailed them up her skin.  She watched 

me intently, her breath quickening.  My thumbs rubbed back and 

forth under the crease at the base of her breasts and she arched 

slightly as if offering them to me.



I didn't hesitate and moved up to cup them both gently, squeezing a 

little and then swiping my thumb over her nipples.  They puckered 

up instantly into tight little knots and she mumbled, "Oh God, 

John."



I leaned down and brushed my lips over hers, feeling a tingle race 

down my spine.  "Kiss me, Monica," I whispered.



She closed her eyes and leaned into me.  I took her mouth under 

mine in a firm but unhurried kiss.  She opened her mouth and my 

tongue slid inside without preliminaries.  I rolled it over her tongue 

and she began to pant gently, returning the kiss.



I pulled back and looked at her face.  "You're so beautiful," I told 

her.



She smiled.  "You're not so bad yourself."



"You think?" I asked, sliding off to lay on my side facing her.



She grinned.  "I definitely think."



I swallowed again and said, "Do you have any idea what you do to 

me?"



"I'm getting an idea."



"I doubt it," I replied.



Her hands went to my tee shirt and she pulled it up and over my 

head.  Oh God, was she going to let this go further?  It didn't seem 

possible that I could be that lucky.



Her hands ran over my chest, ruffling the light sprinkling of hair 

and then she scratched lightly at my nipples and I grunted at the 

sensation that shot straight down to my groin.  I hardened fully and 

gently took her wrist and lowered her hand between my legs, 

lifting my leg and pressed her palm to my erection.  I bucked into 

her hand and she gasped again.



"That's what you do to me," I whispered.



She stared at me.  "I didn't know …"



"Yes, you did," I corrected her and looked her straight in the eyes, 

holding her gaze.   "Didn't you?"



She shook her head. "I wondered sometimes but I didn't think …"



"Didn't think what?"



"Didn't think you were ready … or if you were … that the 

attraction was that strong for you.  We do spend a lot of time 

together.  It's natural that you'd look once in a while since I'm the 

woman you spend most of your time with, but I thought that's all it 

was."



I pressed my fingers to her lips to silence her, scooting up to brush 

my nose against hers. I felt us exchange breaths and then said, "I 

fell for you a long time ago."



She gazed at me in wonder.  "John …"



"Do you ever look at me that way?"  I asked.



"You have to ask?" she countered.



"Yes.  Tell me."



Her hands cupped my face and tugged me forward.  I fell over her, 

covering one half of her body. Our lips met again and we kissed 

for long minutes.  When she finally came up for air she said, "I've 

always thought you were so sexy.  I know it's fast … probably not 

wise … but …"



She thought I was sexy?!  "But what?"



"We just had our first kiss for Christ's sake!"



"And?"



She looked at me as if realizing she'd only given me half the story 

and then whispered, "I want you to ..."



"To?"



"John … I want you to make love to me," she whispered.



I felt my heart start hammer against the prison of my rib cage.  I 

surged inside my jeans, feeling them constrict my now burgeoning 

erection.  I groaned in response, closing my eyes.  "Monica, God, I 

want you so much."



She nodded and pushed gently on my chest.  I rolled off of her and 

kept rolling, standing up by the bed.  I didn't hesitate, not wanting 

to give her a chance to change her mind.  I wanted us naked and 

sweaty as soon as possible.  I somehow knew that once we 

touched, completely naked, she wouldn't pull away from me.



She pulled her jeans and panties down, lifting her hips and slid 

them off her long, slender legs. She plucked her socks off and 

tossed them over the side of the bed as well.  I stood wearing only 

my boxers and I shoved them down quickly, nearly tripping in my 

haste.



She chortled with laughter then and I smiled at her.  But then her 

smile faded as her eyes latched onto my erection.  I could feel the 

force of her gaze and it was like someone was blowing up a 

balloon inside my cock.  It lifted higher into the air, nearly pointing 

straight up.  I watched as it pulsed and the skin stretched to an 

unbelievable tightness, precum leaking from my slit.



I looked at her again and she licked her lips.  I felt a wave of 

dizziness.  "Christ, Monica," I growled and crawled onto the bed 

on all fours, straddling her again.  "I walk around half hard all day 

just having to be around you."



I leaned down to kiss her and she stopped me.



"Not yet," she said and pushed me over onto my back.  She kissed 

my chest and made her way down my stomach, making my 

stomach muscles ripple with anticipation.  When her hand finally 

wrapped around my shaft, I groaned like I was dying.



She grinned up at me and said, "It's a beauty, John."



I laughed then, totally overwhelmed at the circumstances. "Glad 

you like it," I muttered through my dying chuckles.



She leaned down slowly, the anticipation nearly driving me insane.  

I held my breath as her lips touched the sensitive head lightly.



Finally, she was sliding down, her lips engulfing the head and her 

mouth opening wide to accommodate my girth.  I'm not especially 

long, maybe an average six inches or so, but I'm very thick, or so 

I've been told.  The ladies seem to like it and that's all that counts.  

I've never gotten any complaints.



She took as much as she could and stroked the rest with her hand.  

Her tongue swirled over the underside of my shaft, making me 

whimper and thrust gently into her face.  I simply had to move. 

"Oh yeah, Monica.  Oh suck me.  That's just right.  God, I've 

dreamed of having your mouth on me," I croaked out.



My hands brushed her hair out of her face so I could see what she 

was doing.  The bird's eye view nearly sent me spinning out of 

control, but I clamped down tightly on my control, and pushed her 

shoulders gently away.



She released my shaft with an audible pop and then looked at me 

with the most adorable pout on her face. I barked out a laugh again 

at her expression.  "I wanted that," she said petulantly.



I was chuckling still as I hauled her up and tipped her over onto her 

back.  "And I would love nothing better than to have you suck me 

dry," I said.



The corners of her mouth jerked up at my choice of words. I 

continued, "But I want to be inside you when I come the first time, 

Monica.  I've wanted this for so long and I'm an old man.  Once 

may be all you get in a night."



Her expression became slightly awed and slightly amused. She 

nodded and teased, "Looking pretty impressive for an old guy."



I just smiled and leaned in for another kiss.  My hand trailed down 

her stomach and tugged lightly at the hair on her mound.  Her 

breath hitched in her throat and she deepened the kiss.  My fingers 

fished around, finding her clitoris and rubbing gently on the sides.  

She moaned into my mouth and I swallowed the vibrations.



I slipped my finger down into her juncture and it was my turn to 

moan when I felt her wet seam under my finger.  I stroked down 

and her swollen lips opened like a flower.  I wasted no time 

slipping inside and nearly yanked back out at the heat I found 

surrounding my fingers.  Oh God, she was so hot, and so wet … 

for me.  The realization struck me that I was the one doing this to 

her and I felt overwhelmed again.



I slid between her legs, taking my weight on my elbow.  Her hand 

between us guided me to her entrance.  I then settled atop her, both 

arms on the bed, my glans nudging her wet folds.  "Are you sure?" 

I asked.  It was my one last attempt to be noble.



She smiled, "Very, very sure.  Make love to me, John."



I let out the breath I was holding and began to slide inside.  I 

gasped but pushed steadily inside as I felt her muscles wave 

around my straining organ.



She moaned, "Oh God, you're so thick."  Her head fell backwards, 

her eyes closing.  I stopped.



"O.K.?" I inquired, wanting to give her time to adjust.



She nodded and I felt her go limp beneath me.  "More," she 

whispered.



I felt utter contentment steal over me as I pressed the rest of the 

way in, not stopping until my aching balls were pressed tightly 

against her ass.  I swiveled my hips and she began to moan, so I 

stayed just like that, reveling in the feel of her snug walls as they 

quivered on my shaft.  I crushed her clit between us and kissed her 

again.  I picked up speed until I was grinding against her at a 

furious pace.



All of a sudden, she screamed, "Oh Christ, yes!  You stretch me!"



I felt her walls convulse tightly around me and I bit my lip and 

held on with all my might.  It was a near thing.  As her tremors 

died down, I let out the breath I was holding and began to stroke 

her slowly.



She panted gently beneath me, her legs raising up higher on my 

hips.  I sunk deeper into her hot well and moaned.  I kissed her 

neck and suckled on her pulse.  She returned the favor and sweat 

began to cover our bodies.



"You feel so fantastic, John," she breathed out around a soft moan.  

"I can't believe you want me this way."



"I don't remember ever not wanting you this way.  Jesus, I'm so 

hard.  Monica, you make me insane.  I can't believe we're together 

like this."



"Me neither, but I'm not going to question it now."



I agreed in silence and sped up my strokes, a need for release 

rushing up on me.  She yelped and met my thrusts with abandon, 

encouraging my wildness to break free.  I finally hollered a sound 

of pleasure and began to pound her into the mattress, bouncing her 

ass with every stroke, burying myself as deep as possible.



I lifted onto my hands and her pelvis tipped up, her hands holding 

her knees high and wide.  I was stroking UP into her and she made 

an mewling, gurgling sound that was purely erotic and then her 

belly began to seize around me again.  I must have hit her G-spot.  

"Oh God, John, so good!  I'm coming aaggaaiinn!"  Harder!"



Your wish is my command, I thought.  I could feel the strain on my 

arms, and as her orgasm died down, I lowered myself to my 

elbows again and buried myself deep over and over.



Her hands came to my buttocks as she bent nearly in half and she 

squeezed hard, separating my ass cheeks and pulling the skin on 

my already taut balls even tighter.



I howled with pleasure as I felt the burn of my orgasm snake up 

my shaft like lightening, crackling furiously as I let loose and 

pumped her full of the biggest load I'd shot in years.  "Awww, 

Monica!"



My torso shook in a full body shudder as my cock spurted jet after 

jet of cum.  It went on for long moments and I trembled as I 

collapsed on top of her, my nose in her neck, her hair laying across 

my face.



We panted heavily and stayed still, shivering with aftershocks until 

our breathing finally returned to semi-normal.  I hefted myself up 

with effort, feeling like a dishrag.



I stared into her eyes and said, "I've never felt this good."



She smiled, "That was amazing, John."



I kissed her gently.  "Don't ever leave me," I whispered. I jerked, 

not knowing where those words had come from.



She cupped my face and looked at me queerly.  "Are you all right, 

John?"



I nodded, feeling silly.  "I don't know why I said that.  I have no 

right to be asking for … any kind of … commitment from you," I 

finished at last.



Her expression softened.  "What if I want to give one?"



I stared at her, hope welling inside my chest.  Just because we'd 

made love didn't mean she wanted a committed relationship.  I'd 

been all to aware of that.  However, now it was looking like maybe 

she felt the same way I did.  I didn't like to share, not when it came 

to this.  I didn't know if I could handle that.



"Then I'll take it," I responded quietly.



She smiled. "No one else, O.K.?" she asked tentatively.



I nodded.  "Please.  That's the only way I can do this."



"This?"



I paused, wondering if it was too soon to lay it all on the line.  

Then I remembered how short life was and how long I'd waited for 

this opportunity, swearing I wouldn't let it pass by if it presented 

itself.



"Love you and not go insane."



She breathed out, "Oh!"  Her arms wrapped around me and pulled 

me tight to her chest.  I hugged her back just as roughly.



She sniffled and met my eyes again.  "Say it," she whispered.



I licked my lips and took a deep breath.  "I love you, Monica."



Her eyes grew moist with unshed tears and she smiled.  "I love you 

too, John."



"Hallelujah!" I chortled.



She laughed and then we kissed, and kissed, and kissed some 

more.  Finally, exhaustion took us both.



XXXXXXXXXX



We woke to a pounding on the door.  I heard John grunt as I jerked 

awake and got up, sliding my arms into my bathrobe and making 

my way to the door.  I opened the door, leaving the chain on.



It was Scully.  "Monica!"



"Yes?"



"Skinner called and … "  She looked down the hall and then back 

at me.  "We can't find John. I'm a little concerned.  He didn't 

answer so we had your friend open the room.   He's not there. Have 

you seen ,,, "



She stopped abruptly as she saw me smiling.  "Calm down," I said, 

as casually as I could, feeling a blush creep up my neck.



"Wait a minute," she mumbled.



Just as I took the chain off the door and swung it wide, John 

stepped up behind me, wearing nothing but boxer briefs.  His chin 

came down to my shoulder and he kissed my cheek and yawned.  

"What's all the hollering about?" he asked sleepily.



Scully turned several shades of pink and red and then stuttered, 

"Oh God, I'm sorry, Monica … how could I be so stupid … oh 

geez, I'll just … uh, go tell Mulder.  Meet us in our room when 

you're … ready."



She turned and fled down the hall.  Despite my embarrassment I 

had enjoyed seeing the normally controlled Dana Scully lose her 

bearings.  I closed the door and chucked John on the shoulder.  

"That wasn't nice!  She was worried about you!'



He smiled at me and said, "Gotta keep them on their toes."



"John, geez, one night and you're putting on a show?"



His face fell and he was instantly contrite.  "I'm sorry, Monica.  I 

didn't know you wanted to keep it a secret."



"No!" I cried, going to him and hugging him to me.  "You 

misunderstood.  I was just a little startled and embarrassed.  It will 

take a while to get used to people seeing us as a couple."



He hugged me back and said, "You're sure you aren't angry? I 

mean, I'd rather be open about it, but if you want to keep it low key 

…" his voice trailed off and I could tell the idea hurt him.



"Not at all, John.  I'll be proud to be with you and I want everyone 

to know it.  You just surprised me is all."



He grinned again, obviously relieved.  "Surprised the unshakable 

Dana Scully too, I see!"



"You're bad!" I teased.



He grinned wider and said, "Shower.  Last one in buys breakfast!"  

He took off at a trot and I ran after him.



PART 8 (PG-13)

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

CASE DE MADRID

MULDER/SCULLY'S ROOM



The baby was sleeping peacefully in the basinet next to the bed.  

The hotel had dug up the bassinet from somewhere in their storage 

and cleaned it up. It wasn't ideal but it was adequate for our stay 

here.  Emily had slept on a roll-away cot that we set up on the 

other side of the double bed.  It looked like a hospital ward with 

the beds all lined up.  Scully was gazing into the basinet at 

William.



"So I told you there was something about that office," I joked.  

She'd told me of discovering John in Monica's room wearing 

nothing but his skivvies.  We'd panicked for nothing.  I watched 

her neck turn pink.



"God, Mulder.  I felt like such an ass."



"Hey, I panicked too. It wasn't just you.  We should have thought 

to check with Monica first.  You said there was something brewing 

between them."



Just then Emily emerged from the bathroom, having taken a quick 

shower.  She was wrapped in a towel that hung to mid calf.  She 

looked like such a little girl.  It was going to take time to realize 

that she was much more than an ordinary child.  I was still a little 

blown away by the fact that she was mine.  Really mine, despite 

her alien physiology.



She cleared her throat and said.  "I have a slight problem."



"What's wrong, sweetheart?" I asked, finding the endearment 

slipping off my tongue with alarming ease.



She smiled in response but then said, "I don't have any clean 

clothes.  The ones I wore down here are trashed.  I don't really 

want to put them back on."



I frowned.  "I think I saw a little clothing shop across the street 

when we came in."



Scully turned and said, "Get her one of my tee shirts for now.  I'll 

run over there and get something.  I'll be right back."



She headed for the door and then stopped, "Shit!  I don't have any 

pesos.  Mulder, I just have American dollars."



"They might be more than happy to take your American dollars, 

Scully." I responded.



She nodded.  Just then a knock sounded on the door.  Scully 

opened it and admitted John and Monica, obviously fresh from the 

shower with wet hair and clean clothes.



Scully said, "Monica, do you have any pesos?"



She nodded.  "Yeah, I do."  She reached into her pocket and 

withdrew a big wad of Mexican currency.  "What do you need?"



Scully eyes widened slightly but said, "I need to buy Emily some 

clothes."



"Ahh!" Monica smiled.  "Can I go with you?"



"Sure.  I'll pay you back as soon as we find a bank and exchange 

some currency."



"Don't worry about it.  We'll square up later."



John entered and glanced at Emily as she snatched the tee shirt 

from my hand and retreated into the bathroom again.



We sat on the end of our bed and John said, "Well, this is turning 

out to be an interesting trip."



"So I hear," I responded and he heard the teasing in my voice.



He smiled and said, "Ahh, I guess I shocked Dana a little."



"It's good for her.  Keeps her on her toes," I joked.



He chuckled and said, "Some good comes out of everything. This 

situation is an awful one but I think it forced both Monica and I to 

make some decisions that needed to be made."



"I know the feeling.  Trauma can perversely have a wonderful 

effect on your sex life."



He laughed now and said, "I think I'm getting cynical."



"I wouldn't blame you if you were but I don't think so. 

Congratulations by the way.  Monica is a wonderful woman."



He grinned.  "Yeah, she is.  I can't believe she feels the same way 

about me that I feel about her."



"I'm not surprised.  You're a good man, John."



He seemed surprised by that statement and I just shrugged. "I 

know we didn't hit it off at first, but I'm way past that now.  I was 

threatened by you a bit.  I'm not anymore."



"You were threatened by me?"



"I felt like you'd taken my place in the X-Files.  And I had to leave.  

I worried that Scully …"



"Would turn to me?" he asked incredulously.



I nodded, feeling contrite.



He laughed again.  "No, Mulder.  There was never any danger of 

that.  I knew from Day One that Dana Scully was madly in love 

with you.  I wouldn't have tried to interfere with that on a bet."



"I know that now.  But being gone and staying away was the 

hardest thing I ever had to do."



"I can imagine.  I can't even contemplate being away from Monica 

now."



"If you thought it would protect her from imminent harm, you'd 

find the courage.  I did."



He nodded.  "You're right I guess.  I just hope I never have to find 

out."



"Hopefully you won't.  If my plan works, none of us will have to 

face that possibility again.  I couldn't leave her again, John.  Not 

now.  Christ, we have two kids now.  TWO!  From none to two in 

a matter of 24 hours.  I'm still reeling."



"I can't even imagine," he muttered.



Emily reemerged, wearing Scully's tee shirt like a dress. She 

whirled around as though modeling it and we both laughed.  

"Come here," I said and patted my lap.



She skipped over and leaped into my lap, sitting sideways, her legs 

dangling between mine. She smiled up at me and I felt something 

turn over in my chest.  I smiled back at her and hugged her gently.  

She laid her head on my shoulder and sighed. "Hello Agent 

Doggett," she said softly.



"Hi Emily," he responded, a grin plastered on his face.



"What?" she asked in response to his look.



"Do you know what a miracle you are, child?" he asked.



She smiled, sadly this time.  "I guess.  I feel like being here is a 

miracle."



I patted my hand over her hair, petting her gently and she squirmed 

in closer to me.  I was having the weirdest emotional reactions to 

this unconditional affection.  I wasn't used to it.  Yes, Scully loved 

me unconditionally, but I'd never known the love or affection from 

a child.  It was all new to me, but it felt wonderful.



"You've had a hard life, haven't you?" he asked.



She shrugged.  "I guess by your standards.  For me though, it's the 

only life I've ever known."



"That's going to change now."



"I hope so.  I've dreamed of this my whole life," she said, as 

though she were 90 years old and world weary.



"Well, you hit the lottery with these two for parents, kid."



She nodded.  "I know I did.  They were chosen because they were 

especially good specimens."



John cringed. "Specimens," he muttered.



"Sorry, that's the language they use.  I know it's … 

depersonalizing."



Hearing that big word, John raised an eyebrow.  "I didn't mean to 

imply that you were insensitive."



"I know that.  I have a lot to learn."



"You're very smart for a little girl."



"In some things.  Intellectually yes."



"What do you mean?" he asked.



I was glad he was asking these questions.  They were questions I 

wanted answers to but hadn't figured out a way to ask about them.  

There hadn't been any time to spend on this sort of thing.



"I mean that I'm very educated.  That doesn't mean I'm smart in a 

… world wise way."



"I'd say you're pretty equipped with street smarts."



"With alien street smarts, not the same thing.  Their principles 

surround anonymity and covert operations.  They don't know how 

to relate to people on an emotional level.  They are very cold and 

calculating.  They have two emotions; excitement and anger.  

That's it."



"And what about you?" he asked quietly.



"Me?  I'm mostly human.  I have alien DNA and alien blood mixed 

with human blood."



"Your blood isn't entirely alien?"



"No, it can still hurt you, make no mistake about that. But I think 

there may be a way to … fix that."



My eyes widened at that comment.  "You do?"



"Yes.  I have to do some more research though.  There are some 

things I'd like to try."



"Like what?"



"Blood transfusions.  I have A+ blood type, the human part 

anyway."



"That's my blood type."



"Yes, Agent Scully's … Mom's blood is O-, combined with you're 

A+, I have A+ blood mixed with alien blood."



"What do you want to try?"



"When things settle down, I want to try transfusing myself with 

your blood."



"We couldn't do that in a hospital."



"No, Mom would have to do it."



God, it was weird hearing her call Scully 'Mom'.



"But if we puncture your skin …"



"Yes, that's the part I have to find a way around.  I'm thinking 

maybe we could find some gas masks or something, or those 

biohazard suits.  I think they would be enough protection."



"What exactly do you want to do?"



"I want to drain as much of my blood as possible and transfuse 

with donations from you.  I'm afraid to use anyone else's.  My body 

might reject it.  I could use Mom's too since O- can mix with 

anything."



"We'll have to discuss this with … Mom," I said, trying it out.  I 

liked the way it sounded.



John caught my hesitation and grinned, waggling his eyebrows.  I 

smiled at him.  "Let's leave the girls a note and go get some 

breakfast."



"I have no clothes!" Emily said.



John volunteered, "I can go downstairs to the restaurant and get 

something and bring it back up."



"They don't have room service."



"No, but you can take anything out of the restaurant. Plus, the less 

you are seen the better. Room service is risky.  Anybody could 

show up at the door."



As if in answer to our conversation, a loud knock sounded on the 

door.  "Open up!  Room service!"



John and I grinned at each other as we both recognized the voice.  

Emily hopped off my lap and retreated to sit on her bed, pulling the 

tee shirt over her bent legs to swallow herself up like a cocoon of 

cotton.  I stood and went to the door, looking out the peephole 

anyway.  "I.D.?" I asked.



He scowled but was holding up his badge as I unlocked the door 

and opened it a crack, leaving the chain on.  It might have been 

paranoid, but I knew these aliens could look like anyone.  The 

scowl was genuine though and to my surprise, Marita Covarrubias 

was standing behind him.



I opened the door and they both came in, looking around to take in 

the surroundings.  Skinner nodded at John, "Hello, John."



"Brought company, I see," he said, grinning unusually wide at 

Skinner as though they were sharing a private joke.



"Yes, that situation we spoke of worked out."



"Glad to hear it."



"What are you talking about?" I asked.



"Never mind," Skinner said brusquely.  "Bring us up to date.  

Where are Monica and Scully?"



"Out buying clothes for me," Emily responded.



Skinner's head whipped around to peer at the corner of the room 

where Emily was sitting on her bed, curled up into a ball with 

Scully's tee shirt around her like a muumuu.



"Oh, hi there, Emily," he said.



She nodded. "Hello, Mr. Skinner.  Who's your girlfriend?"



"Uh … she's …"  he looked totally taken off guard.  I smiled at 

him as realization was dawning on me.  I glanced at John and he 

nodded subtly.



Marita strode forward into the breach and extended her hand to 

Emily.  "Hello, Emily.  I'm Marita. I've heard a lot about you."



Emily shook her hand and said, "Don't worry, he'll get used to it."



She laughed out loud, a delighted, amused sound and turned to 

wink at Skinner.  It was the first time I'd ever seen the man 

flustered.  He cleared his throat and turned his head away.



"So … something you want to tell me, Walter?"



He gave me an exasperated look.  "Marita and I are … seeing each 

other again."



"Again?" I asked.  I wondered how I'd missed this event.



Again Marita answered smoothly.  "We dated a long time ago, 

over a year ago and things just … didn't work out.  We're going to 

try again.  At least … I hope we are."



She looked uncertain and turned to glance at Walter.  He smiled 

softly.  "I'm gonna give it my best shot, Marita.  But this isn't the 

time to discuss it."



"I know," she said.



"Sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you.  I was just a little taken off 

guard."



Skinner cleared his throat.  "Well, we located Jeffrey, or Marita 

did."



"Where is he?"



"He's hiding out in a hunting cabin in the mountains in Colorado," 

he explained.



"How do we contact him?" I asked.



"We don't," Skinner replied.  "Marita is the only one who can get 

to him.  She's left a encrypted message on his e-mail.  He'll know 

it's her and contact her on her digital phone."



"How long will that take?"



"I'm hoping he checks his e-mail everyday even though I'm sure he 

doesn't get much."



"Probably just porn advertisements," John joked.



Marita smiled.  "He'll help you Agent Mulder, I know he will."



I nodded.  "Scully told me that he's …"



"Your half-brother?  Yes.  But he's through with all the petty 

competition and the old grudges that his father created between 

you two.  He sees how trivial it all is now.  He just wants justice."



"A hard thing to find," I said sadly.



She nodded.  "Yes, but we've never had this many people on the 

same side of the fence before. We've always been working for our 

own agendas and often at cross purposes."



"And we aren't now?" I asked carefully.



She sighed.  "I think we are all on the same page, Agent Mulder.  

And you have more help than you've ever had.  I suggest you take 

it."



I nodded.  "I plan on it.  I'm sorry if I sound skeptical or paranoid."



"Quite all right.  Paranoid can keep you alive."



I nodded.  "Don't I know it."



She smiled.  "I think we should wait for Agents Scully and Reyes 

and then all sit down and put our information together and see 

what we can come up with for a plan.  Walter's told me some of 

what you are thinking, Agent Mulder.  I like the idea but there 

would be a lot of obstacles."



"There always are."



She nodded.  "First, we get the recipe from Jeffrey."



Doggett interjected, "Then we get the ingredients, which I assume 

means paying a visit to CGB. You said he's in the Anasazi ruins.  

All this time we thought he was dead."



She nodded, "Probably, he'll know where the biggest deposits of 

magnetite are located."



"Then what?" John asked.



Marita looked at me.  "Then we need money, and lots of it."



I nodded.  She said, "I know lots of people.  I know scientists that 

can keep their mouths shut, and I know politicians that I can … 

control and make sure no one snoops too hard into our business."



"Meaning?"



"We would have to set up a lab somewhere to produce and 

experiment with this stuff.  We would all have to be the first 

guinea pigs."



I nodded.  "Then?"



"Then it gets tricky.  Then we have to find someway to mass 

distribute it."



"Should we cross that bridge when we come to it?"



"Yes, but we need to be working on it as soon as possible."



"I understand."



Scully and Monica returned and gave Emily two pairs of pants and 

shirts, plus underwear, socks, sneakers and sandles and a 

nightgown.



I commented, "You didn't get much."  It wasn't a criticism.



Scully nodded.  "Remember she said she would be growing?"



"Oh yeah."



"Well, I want to make sure she's finished growing for a while 

before I buy a bunch of clothes she's going to outgrow.  If we need 

more, we can get them."



"Good thinking.  I wasn't criticizing.  Just wondering."



"I know."



She turned to Marita and nodded, "Marita," she acknowledged.



Marita nodded.  Scully had always been suspicious of Marita and I 

always wondered if she was jealous of her.  I couldn't imagine 

why, but I know Scully had always though of Marita as my type. If 

she only knew.



She turned to Skinner, "Sir, good to see you."



"You too Agent Scully.  We need to have a serious powwow here 

and figure out our next steps and who is going to be responsible for 

what."



We all nodded and sat down wherever there was room, some on 

the beds, some on the floor, Skinner in the lone chair by the door.  

I saw Scully's eyes go wide as Marita slipped onto Skinner's lap to 

perch her butt on his big thigh.  His arm went around her waist and 

he smiled up at her, oblivious to the grins from the rest of us in the 

room.



Scully turned her stunned expression to me and I whispered, "Yes, 

whatever you're thinking, yes."



She grinned.  "Good," she said under her breath and I chuckled.



I leaned into her ear again.  "You never had to worry about her."



She jerked her head up to look at me again.  "Who said …"



I just gave her my 'please don't fib to me, Scully' look and she 

backed down, looking at the bedspread. I tipped her chin up with 

two fingers and kissed her quickly on the nose, whispered, "I love 

you."



She smiled and mouthed the words, "I love you too."



John clapped his hands together.  "O.K., time to get busy folks.  

Who wants to go first."



Skinner said, "First, let us tell you about Jeffrey and what we think 

we can accomplish on our end, then you tell us what you plan to 

do.  We need to go book a room as well."



John looked at Monica and she nodded.  He turned to Skinner.  

"Take mine."



"What?" Skinner asked.



"You heard me.  Take mine.  I'll get my stuff out when we're 

finished here."



"And where are you going?" he asked.



Monica said quietly.  "He's moving in with me."



Skinner looked between us all and then said, "Shit, is there 

something in the air lately?"



We all laughed.  The release felt good.  Then we got down to the 

business of figuring out what we were going to do.



Marita spoke first.   "I've done a lot of thinking.  I was holding 

back before but I've decided to tell you who the aliens are in the 

FBI and the rest of the government.  The info is scattered in those 

safety deposit boxes I told you about.  It does not good to keep the 

information to myself any longer.  I'm in danger no matter what, 

and it could prevent you from making a potentially fatal mistake."



"Marita?" Skinner asked, clearly surprised.



She smiled at him.  "I'm going to trust you all.  I don't want you 

turning to the wrong people."



Skinner smiled a tentative smile and nodded encouragement.



Scully whispered, "There's more to this than meets the eye."



I just looked at her, then shifted my attention back to Marita.  She 

pulled her briefcase into her lap and extracted a piece of paper.  "I 

made a list.  You have to learn it then destroy it."



She silently handed it to me and I gasped at the first name on the 

list.  "The Director of the FBI?" I asked incredulously.



She smiled sadly, "It gets worse."



PART 9 (PG-13)

TWO MONTHS LATER

COLORADO MOUNTAINS



Mulder strode into the room and called to me, "Jeffrey!"



"Over here," I hollered, raising my hand above the bank of 

equipment that surrounded my stool.



He came around the corner and peered at me.  "I have good news."



"What now?  You're breaking my concentration."  I was working 

on distilling the magnetite solution we'd developed to make it less 

detectable.



"I just talked to Dr. Patricia Monahan."



My head lifted from the microscope and I turned to face him.  

"And?" I asked, my voice more nervous then I would have liked.



"She said she's looked over your whole file, pictures, medical 

records Scully sent her, etc."



"And?" I asked, more impatient now.



He smiled that Muldery smile at me and said, "She says she's 

willing to start next week."



"Really?" I asked, feeling a flush rise up my neck.  It was like a 

dream come true.  No surgeon had wanted to touch my ruined face.



"Really.  It will be a series of operations, obviously."



"I know that."



"But she's cleared a date next week, on Tuesday to do the first one.  

There's a month to six week recovery after each surgery before 

they can consider doing more."



"I know."



"I've given her tissue samples and she says her techs think they can 

make a nearly perfect match for your skin with synthetic.  She'll do 

some grafting with your own skin here and there, but a lot will be 

synthetic."



"I don't care, Mulder."



"I know, that's what I told her."



"How am I ever going to pay you back?" I asked.



"You already did, buddy.  You already did," he said, pointing to 

the test tubes of magnetite solution sitting on the counter.



"I mean the money …"



"Forget about the money Jeffrey.  Half of it should have been 

yours anyway."



I felt the tears sting my eyes and brought the back of my hand up 

to wipe my face on my sleeve.



"Hey, hey, it's going to be all right," he said as he came further into 

the room.



I held up a hand, not wanting him to touch me.  I might break 

down completely and I didn't want to do that.  "Thank you, 

Mulder."



"For what?"



"Everything.  For not hating me, for helping me find a surgeon.  

For … not cringing and looking repulsed the first time you saw me 

…"



"Ahh, Jeffrey.  I've seen some hideous things in my day …"



"I'll bet," I said, counting myself among them.



"And YOU are not one of them."



I looked up at him and saw the absolute sincerity in his face, 

wondering at it.  He was a bigger man than I was literally and 

figuratively.  I'd grown to quickly like him as a man, respect him 

for his intellect, and now to rely on him as a friend.  Neither of us 

had siblings growing up, his sister having been abducted and my 

mother never having another child after me.  We were both 

enjoying having a sibling and had discussed the weirdness of it at 

some length.



I was so grateful that the animosity was gone and he didn't hold my 

past behavior against me. He said he understood my motivations 

and I believed him when he said he hadn't known about all the 

manipulating behind the scenes between my father and the rest of 

us.  It was a mess.  But it was in the past and we had decided to 

leave it there.



Now he was going to spend literally thousands of dollars on a 

chance that this woman could reconstruct my face from synthetic 

tissue.  And he was asking for nothing in return.  I didn't consider 

the magnetite solution that great a contribution although I realized 

its importance.  I'd gotten it from my father, not invented it myself, 

although I'd had enough science background to study it and figure 

out the components.  This meant that we hadn't needed to seek out 

my father and for that everyone was grateful.  No one really 

wanted to deal with him anyway unless they absolutely had to.



Mulder had hired four construction crews and built four cabins on 

this property after buying a hundred acres and fencing the whole 

damn thing in.  Monica and John, Skinner and Marita were back 

and forth from Washington.  When here, they each had a cabin to 

stay in.  A third one was mine and the fourth, of course, and 

largest, was for Mulder and Scully.  It had four bedrooms. Each 

kid had their own room and the fourth one was an office for now.  

This fifth building wasn't a cabin, but a concrete giant that housed 

lab equipment that would make any scientist drool. Scully had 

taken an indefinite leave of absence from the FBI and John and 

Monica were running the X-Files.



Mulder had three scientists on his payroll, working to make and 

cold store the solution.  It had to be made by hand and the 

combination of ingredients had to be just right so it was a time 

consuming task.  But they were loyal, probably due to the large 

salary they were receiving.  All were single with no families and 

lived close by although each had a room with a cot here in the lab 

building.  More often than not, they stayed here overnight only to 

wake and begin work again. They knew what they needed to know.  

They knew their employer was eccentric and they accepted that.  

They didn't know what the solution was for just that he wanted a 

lot of it made.



I was in charge of overseeing the project, a gesture of trust I hadn't 

expected but was extremely grateful for.  It gave my life a purpose 

and filled the long, lonely days.  I ate dinner with them often and 

felt like I was part of the family in some ways. I would never feel 

completely at ease, but it was a lot better now.  I was content.



Even Emily called me Uncle Jeff.  She didn't shy away from me 

either and I found that especially amazing.  All in all, things had 

turned out good.  We still had a long way to go, but I believed 

Mulder's plan would work.  We were going to wait until we had a 

lot of the solution, Mulder had a specific number in mind.  Then he 

was going to start leaking rumors of a virulent virus from South 

America that was in danger of infecting the United States.  Marita 

was going to help spread that rumor on Capitol Hill.  Although no 

longer employed by any politician, she was still feared and 

respected on the Hill.  People listened to her even when they didn't 

want to hear what she had to say.



Mulder took my hand in a firm grip and leaned in, giving me a 

hard, quick hug and then he backed away.  "It'll be great, you'll 

see."



I smiled at him.  "Thanks, Mulder."



"Don't mention it," he said and turned to slide out the door.



XXXXXXXXXX

MULDER/SCULLY CABIN

COLORADO MOUNTAINS



Scully turned as I walked into the kitchen.  She tasted some sauce 

and held up the wooden spoon.  I sipped from the spoon and made 

yummy noises.



She laughed and went back to stirring.  "How'd he take the news?"



"He's overwhelmed but doesn't want to admit it.  He thanked me.  

Mentioned the money again."



"It is a wonderful thing you're doing for him, Mulder."



"It's the least I can do.  He's suffered enough."



"You take a big risk talking to these doctors."



"Everyone who's anyone thinks I'm dead."



"I know but I still think you should come up with another alias."



"What's wrong with George Hale?"



"Too many people know it and know you've used it before."



I sighed.   "You're probably right.  I'll give it some thought."



We were silent for a few minutes.



Then she said, "Let Emily come up with one."



"Why?"



"She needs something to do.  I'm worried about her, Mulder. We're 

going to have to put her in school."



"I don't know if that's wise."



"She needs friends, Mulder."



"I know, but the risk too great.  All she needs to do is injure herself 

and her playmates drop dead. How's that for exposing us in a 

heartbeat?"



"Mulder …"



"We need to get going on the blood experiments, Scully.  We need 

to find a way to make her safe and the people around her safe.  

Then we can see about joining some community things in town so 

she can have friends.  But we should probably home school her 

anyway.  She's way too smart for 4th grade."



Scully sighed.  "I know.  I just feel so damn bad for her, Mulder.  It 

isn't fair."



I hugged her to me as she turned off the sauce and laid her spoon 

down.  "I know, we'll figure something out like we always do."



I heard a sniffle and turned to see Emily standing in the doorway to 

the kitchen.  I wondered how long she'd been standing there.  "Hi 

honey, how long were you there?"



"Long enough."



I released Scully with one arm and motioned for Emily to join us.  

She walked to us and we had a group hug.  "How much did you 

hear, Emily?" I asked gently.



She sniffled again. "I heard you say something about the blood 

experiments."



"Nothing before that?"



She was silent for a bit too long.  "Emily?"



She finally looked up.  "I don't want you to worry about me.  I'll be 

fine.  And I would never endanger you and I know that putting me 

out there is too risky right now."



"Oh honey," Scully said.



"Really, Mom, I'm fine.  I have you and Dad and Uncle Jeffrey.  I 

know you don't believe me but I'm happier than I've ever been.  I 

never had friends my own age and they would probably bore me to 

tears anyway.  I can't miss what I don't have."



"Why don't I believe you?" Scully asked.



"Because you're a human and you didn't grow up like I did. Now 

stop worrying.  I'm perfectly happy.  I've only read half of Dad's 

library here and I'm loving my new lap top.  I'm plenty busy so 

don't worry.  You have to stop thinking of me as a normal kid with 

normal needs."



We both hugged her and I ruffled her hair.  She'd grown four 

inches in the last two months and now looked every inch the ten 

year old. More like a 12 or 13 year old.  It was a little spooky.  I 

guess she came by that honestly!  But that was another concern.  If 

the outside world saw her growing like a weed, it could raise some 

questions to. Kids went through growth spurts but they didn't age 

three years in two months.



She kissed us each on the cheek and walked out toward her 

bedroom.  Scully sighed, "What are we going to do?"



"Take her word for it."



"What?"



"What else can we do, Scully?  She says she's all right.  I believe 

her."



"She's trying to protect us."



"Yes, and what's wrong with that.  We are very important to her, 

Scully.  She's never had a real family before this."



"I know."



"I think she's amazed at how easily we accepted her."



Will started to cry and Scully sighed, walking out of the kitchen 

into the living room.  She was just in time to see Emily emerge 

from the nursery with Will on her shoulder.  "He's hungry," she 

said.



"Sure he didn't just wet his pants?" Scully asked.



Emily cocked an eyebrow in a credible imitation of Scully's.  "I'm 

sure.  He said he's hungry."



"He said …" she stopped and sighed again.  "I'll get him a bottle."  

She turned on her heel and went back into the kitchen.



Scully had a problem accepting that Will could communicate with 

Emily.  I wasn't sure if she didn't believe it or it just frustrated her 

that this young girl was better at knowing his needs than she was.  

She was adjusting but all this stuff was going to take time.



I gave Emily a rueful look.  "You don't need to rub it in, you 

know."



She sighed, bouncing Will a little on her shoulder.  "I don't mean 

to.  It's as natural to me as breathing."



"I know, but it freaks your mother out.  When she asks if you're 

sure, just say yes.  You don't have to say he TOLD you so."



I heard the microwave ding, signaling the bottle was warm.



She smiled a conspiratorial smile and nodded.  "All right, but 

you're no fun."



I smiled at her.  "We all have to make compromises."



"Compromises, compromises," she said, but she was clearly 

joking, her exasperation feigned.



We shared a smile as Scully returned with a warmed bottle.



She held it out to Emily.  "O.K., smarty pants.  Just for that you get 

to feed him."



Emily smiled wider and took the bottle.  "No problem."



She turned and went into her bedroom.  Scully turned to me. "Why 

is my life so weird?" she asked, hands on her hips.



I smiled and pulled her into a hug.  "Never a dull moment."



"No, there's never a dull moment."



PART 10 (NC-17)

LARGE, OLD FARMHOUSE

R.F.D. 45

WARREN, CONNECTICUT

TWO YEARS LATER - 2004



As was so often the case where Scully and I are concerned, the 

official version read a hell of a lot differently than the truth.  I'd 

come to despise the words "official version".  They represented so 

many loathsome things to me that I couldn't even begin to make a 

list.



First, let me tell you the official version.  We're dead. Scully and I 

were dead.  Not really, but that's what the government, the FBI and 

the alien conspiracy bastards think.  They thought CGB Spender 

was dead a long time ago and now, due to their actions, he was 

really dead, finally, once and for all.  Thank God.  The man was 

my father, but not in any real way that mattered other than 

genetics.  Makes me shudder to think what I have inherited.  

Fortunately for me, it seemed environment was the overriding 

factor in developing behavior patterns in one's life.



There was a freedom in being dead.  As long as we don't wander 

around Washington D.C. or New Mexico, we're relatively safe 

from discovery.  I had bought a house in a little town called 

Warren, in the northeast corner of Connecticut.  Population 1000, 

five miles across and seven miles long and the best part; twenty 

miles past the last sign of civilization.



Scully takes the kids to church every Sunday at the Congregational 

Church on the hill.  It wasn't Catholic, but it would have to do for 

now.  She was sending Emily to Sunday school, despite her 

protests.  She was now 12 and looked about 15.  The church sat 

across the street from the Town Hall, Fire House, Library, and the 

Elementary School, just above the only four way intersection in 

town.  There was a little General Country Store below those four 

corners where you can buy lunch meat, tampons and a magazine 

and not much else.



There are a lot of cows here; lots and lots of cows!  But that was all 

right, they fit in right alongside the lots and lots of corn that the 

farmers in this town grew.  It was a very tight knit community 

here.  Everyone knew everyone and helped each other out.  That 

was good in one way.  People often watched each other's kids 

when parents had other things to attend to.  It was hard to keep 

secrets in a town like this.  Fortunately, nobody knew diddly about 

us or our past and had no reason to check it out.  We were just 

another young couple that moved into town to get out of the big 

city and raise our kids in a safer environment.  That was the 

official story.



We'd had long talks with Emily about the importance of going to 

school.  She was now in the seventh grade at the Regional School 

in Litchfield.  She hadn't seen the point, but we explained that 

there was more to school than book learning.  She agreed to try, 

sure that the kids would bore her to tears, but found she had made 

some good friends.  She was a jock and ran track and played 

tennis.  She avoided contact sports like field hockey and soccer, 

afraid that if she hurt herself, there could be trouble.  She was the 

darling of all her teachers and a perfect straight A student.



We had a small lab and medical bay set up in the basement of our 

home.  Being a doctor, no one that found out about it thought it 

was strange.  Scully and I did regular blood transfusions from both 

Scully and I.  This severely decreased the chances of her blood 

harming someone. We'd done experiments by putting her new 

blood on scraped skin tissue and watching the effects.  It still 

caused a first degree burn, but nothing that would be fatal.  It 

would always be somewhat of a risk though.  So Scully and I 

regularly took blood from ourselves and stored it in a refrigeration 

unit and once and month, infused our daughter with our blood.  So 

far, so good.



Scully was working as an Emergency Room doctor at New Milford 

Hospital about thirty minutes away.  It was a small hospital and 

they were thrilled to get a 'big city doctor' who wanted to work 

there.  The Chief of Emergency was getting ready to retire in a 

year or so and I had no doubt that she'd be the top doc in no time.  

Marita had come through again and gotten Scully authentic 

looking fake credentials matching nearly those she had at the FBI 

with her new name on them, of course.



Marita and Skinner lived together now in D.C.  Marita was a 

"political consultant."  Skinner had been the one to officially find 

CGB in the Anasazi ruins. The government bombed the place and 

Skinner was mysteriously promoted to Deputy Director the month 

following.  Payback for his silence we assumed.  But this gave him 

even greater access than before, so he wasn't about to turn it down, 

even knowing the reasons were spurious.  The word was that we 

had been seeking CGB and were with him and killed in the same 

blast that buried him in the ruins.  Jane and John Doe were 

conveniently supplied on site when the government dug the bodies 

out to dispose of them.  So we became deceased.



ViralTech Corporation had conveniently snapped up the property, 

buying the "useless" wasteland from the government.  I had crews 

mining magnetite constantly from the site and others looking for 

magnetite deposits around the world.



Skinner had Marita somehow dispose of the VanDeKamps.  We 

never even asked what they did. I wasn't sure I wanted to know.  

Marita only said, "I took care of it.  You have better things to 

worry about."  As it turned out, their disappearance turned out to 

be a good thing for us.  Mrs. Scully became the grandmother, Mrs. 

VanDeKamp, and moved to nearby Bantam where we bought her a 

small cottage.



John and Monica were married and expecting their first child and 

still running the X-Files.  Each couple came to visit a couple times 

a year.  It was a bittersweet time, those visits.  We missed the fast 

pace of the job but not the danger.  We missed D.C., Georgetown 

and Alexandria but didn't dare go back lest we be recognized.



Jeffrey and my three hired scientists were still in Colorado making 

what I now called Ameriviral. We had a large store of it and 

rumors were already floating around, thanks to Marita of a severe 

virus from South America that killed within days.  Through 

contacts in the morgues around the D.C. area, Marita was 

arranging to have John and Jane Does listed as dying from this 

horrible virus.  In another month or so the public would find out 

that the ViralTech Corporation, was the sole distributor of the new 

antiviral inoculation.  Things were going well so far.  We still lived 

in fear of discovery.  Jeffrey and Marita jointly owned the 

corporation on the books, but I was the silent partner and mystery 

CEO.



William was two and half and causing havoc on furniture as he ran 

around the house now getting into all sorts of trouble.  Despite all 

the troubles of the past years, there was one benefit to all these 

struggles.



I'd never seen Scully happier.  She had her family, her children and 

as close to a normal life as she could have.  She gave me credit but 

I wouldn't take it. It had been a joint effort.  The combined risks of 

a lot of people.  I did a lot of deceiving.  John and Monica did a lot 

of inveigling, and Marita and Skinner did a lot of obfuscating.



The last miracle was Jeffrey.  He'd had his face reconstructed as 

best as the surgeon could.  I wasn't happy with the results but he 

was thrilled, although he didn't look anything like he used to. We 

were talking about it one night and I had asked, "Do you wish you 

looked more like your old self?"



His response had been, "No, I always wished I looked more like 

you."



I'd been stunned by this admission.  In the silence that followed, 

Emily gave us another surprise in a long line of surprises.  She 

said, "I could change your face, Uncle Jeffrey."



We all stared at her in mute shock.  She continued.  "I could mold 

that synthetic differently if you want.  Just show me what you want 

to look like."



After we recovered from our shock, Jeffrey hacked into the FBI's 

imaging program.  Turned out he was an accomplished hacker in 

his own right.  Reminded me of working with the Lone Gunmen 

and had nearly brought me to tears watching him work and get 

excited as he had success.  I still hadn't been to visit their graves 

and vowed one day I would.  Monica regularly kept fresh flowers 

on the grave sites.  I'd said my good byes in private though and 

cried some more tears.  I would always miss them.



We played for hours and finally came up with a face that was half 

me and half his old face.  It would make him look a lot more like 

my brother than he ever did before.  Satisfied, we printed it out.  

Emily studied it for a week and then announced her readiness.  We 

were nervous but trusted her.  More importantly, Jeffrey trusted 

her.  She'd never lied to us yet.



So she had done her magic by laying her hands on his face. We 

watched as she subtly shifted and molded the synthetic/skin 

combination on his face, starting at his forehead and working her 

way down.  She molded the eyebrows, one cheek, then the other, 

changing the nose and the shape of the lips.  It was like watching 

time lapse photography.  It took her over an hour but when she was 

done, the man looking at me was handsome.  He had some of my 

features, minus the huge nose.  His eyes were bigger and his 

cheekbones higher, but we would unmistakably be taken for 

brothers if we were out together.



It took us a while to get used to it.  Jeffrey kept his first name but 

changed his last to VanDeKamp as well, in case our relationship 

became known. Marita was provided with a steady income for her 

efforts on behalf of the "corporation", as was he.  The scientists 

had each taken a cabin in the complex when we left.  I'd hired extra 

security there and had a full time security force on twenty four 

hours a day.  No one had discovered us yet.



Deceive, Inveigle, Obfuscate.  The story of our lives.  But we were 

new people now and settling finally into our new life.



XXXXXXXXXX

ONE MONTH LATER



"Dad!" Emily screeched as she skidded onto the kitchen tile in 

stocking feet.



I looked up from the sink where my hands were submerged in 

dishwater.  I still got a little jolt when I heard her call me that.  

"What sweetheart?"



"Uncle Jeffrey is here!"



"What?" I asked, turning my head more towards the door.



"He just pulled in.  He has someone with him."



"Someone we know?"



"No," she said breathlessly.



"Better go up to your room."



She nodded solemnly, used to the intrigue in our lives, despite the 

fact that things were considerably less hectic than they used to be.  

"Should I call Mom?"



"Not yet."



She nodded again and sped up the staircase to her room.  I knew 

she had locked herself in.  I felt a pang of sadness that we lived this 

way sometimes. Just then the doorbell rang.  I opened it to find 

Jeffrey standing with a older man in a suit. Jeffrey was dressed 

casually in khaki pants and a polo shirt.



"Hey bro," he said, letting me know that this man knew he was 

visiting Jeffrey's brother.



"Hey Jeff, come in.  Who's this with you?"



"Kyle Lamer, the head of the Connan Pharmaceuticals."



I knew immediately what this visit was about.  We had been 

searching for a company willing to distribute Ameriviral when it 

went on the market.  It was speeding through FDA approval as we 

spoke, thanks again to Marita the miracle worker.  The woman 

could cut through red tape faster than a pair of hair shears.



"Let's go in the kitchen.  I have coffee on.  This is a surprise," I 

said, as they followed me into the kichen and sat at the breakfast 

far that separated the kitchen from the dining room.  I set out the 

coffee and condiments.



The man stuck out his hand across the bar.  "I'm very interested in 

your product, Mr. VanDeKamp."



"How much has Jeffrey told you?"



"Only that it would be FDA approved soon, and government 

controlled."



"That's right.  It would be a quasi-government contract, although 

not really."



"Meaning?"



"Your contract would be with ViralTech Corporation.  The 

government would just be regulating the distribution and amounts 

that could be given out."



"We're familiar with that song and dance."



"I appreciate you coming all the way out here."



"No problem.  Jeff here explained that you were the silent partner 

and didn't travel much."



"That's right.  Keeps all the nuts away.  You know, the ones with 

their hands out?"



He nodded as though it was private joke between us.  I swallowed 

my disgust and said.  "My anonymity would be part of the bargain.  

After this, you would deal exclusively with Jeffrey and my name 

won't even be on the contract.  You would be the only one in your 

corporation to know who I am.  I have to insist on that or the deal's 

off."



I was surprised continually how easily people accepted this sort of 

thing.  Apparently it went on all the time in big business.  People 

wanted to make money and so accepted the quirks and 

eccentricities of the rich.



"I understand.  Well, Jeff has done most of the negotiations, so I 

had a contract written up.   I'd like to go over it with you if you 

have the time."



"Sure.  Could you excuse me for one minute?"



He nodded and I went upstairs, knocking on Emily's door softly.  

She opened it a crack.  "What's up?"



"It's all right.  He's a pharmaceutical guy.  I need you to watch 

William while I meet with them."



"No problem," she said.  She loved her little brother and we were 

grateful for all her help with him.  She was almost a second mom 

to him.  We didn't know if he would manifest any other abilities 

besides his telepathy with his sister, but we were relieved Emily 

would be here to help us if he did.



I went back downstairs and sat with them after fixing some coffee.  

The man had pulled papers out of his briefcase and laid them out 

on the table. "Let's get down to business," I declared and picked up 

the first sheaf of papers and began to read.



XXXXXXXXXX

LATER THAT NIGHT



"I'm nervous about this," Scully said.



"Me too, but I can't think of another way."



"I know but I'm always afraid every time we introduce something 

or someone new into the mix, our chances of exposure double."



"I know but it can't be helped.  We can't distribute this stuff on our 

own, not the mass distribution we are going to need."



"I know, I just worry, that's all."



"Come here Mrs. VanDeKamp," I teased.



She smiled and walked into my arms.  We stood in the bedroom 

hugging for a few long minutes, soothing one another.  The peace I 

found in her arms still astonished me.  And the passion hadn't 

waned either.



The fact that I was in my boxer briefs and she was in just bra and 

panties soon had the usual effect on my body and I shivered 

against her, feeling my groin tingle and harden.  I pushed gently 

against her stomach and she chuckled.



"Frisky, are we Mr. VanDeKamp?"



We still joked about the names.  I didn't think we would ever get 

used to them.  We still called each other Mulder and Scully in 

private, but used our manufactured names as often as possible in an 

effort to get used to them and lessen the chances of a slip up.  She 

used the first name Laura and I used the first name Stuart.



She calmly stripped off her bra and panties.  I watched her and 

smiled, reaching for my boxers. They puddled at my feet and I 

motioned her onto the bed ahead of me.



"And just what do you have in mind?" she teased.



"I'm gonna make love to my Scully," I replied.



She smiled wider.  "Your Scully, huh?"



"Yes, I miss her sometimes."



Her smiled turned sad but she nodded, knowing what I meant. We 

missed using our real names. It seemed silly.  What is a name 

really?  But our surnames had become who we were and it was 

difficult, even after two years to use the new names.  We were 

getting better though.



I slid next to her as she lay on her back.  I draped one leg over her 

thigh and leaned down to capture her mouth.  She hummed in the 

back of her throat. She'd been working long hours at the hospital 

and we hadn't made love in over a week.  I hoped she did become 

the Chief of Emergency.  It would mean more regular hours if she 

was administrative although she would always be on call.  I was 

painfully hard in an alarmingly short amount of time, moaning into 

her mouth as her hands wandered over my chest and legs, as far as 

she could reach.



I rolled between her thighs, reaching down to test her readiness.  

She was soaking wet and her lips parted easily to my fingers, hot 

and slick.  We both moaned and I said, "Mind if I skip the 

preliminaries this time?"



She shook her head.  "I'm ready.  Lord, I need you Mulder. I ache 

for you sometimes."



I felt my chest tighten.  I loved hearing her say that. She knew 

what it did to me, knowing she needed me as much as I needed her.  

I groaned as I sank into her foamy wetness, feeling her surround 

my throbbing member.  I started slowly stroking, wanting to make 

it last but couldn't do it for long.



I gasped out, my face in her neck, "Shit, Scully, I need to go faster.  

I'm not going to last long."



"Neither will I," she whispered.  "Go."



I grasped her ass cheeks, one in each hand and began slamming 

into her, my dick feeling like it was going to burst.  I jerked her 

upwards toward me as I thrust into her increasing the force of my 

thrusts.  My fingers dug into her tender flesh, knowing I would 

leave a bruise and unable to help myself as I felt my cock swell 

unbearably, bone hard.



I pumped deep into her belly and howled as I felt my climax rush 

over me.  "Awww, God, Ssccuullyy!  Oh yeah, baby!  Oh God you 

make me come so hard!"



She gasped and then moaned through her own climax as her hand 

reached between us to swipe over her clit.  I savored the feel of her 

constricting channel milking my dick for the last drops of semen.



We collapsed in a heap, arms and legs tangled, breathing 

erratically and waited for our breath to come back to normal.



I chuckled,  "Damn, sorry that was so quick.  I needed that."



I felt her lips smile against my temple.  "Quick or not, I came 

anyway."



"Mmmm, I didn't think you were going to make it."



"You always take care of me if I don't."



"I know but I prefer if you come with me inside you."



"Me too.  That was wonderful, Mulder."



"Too quick," I argued.



"Shush.  Sometimes I like a hard and fast quickie.



I barked out a laugh and then said, "Good thing."



She rolled me off her onto my back and smiled down at me, 

kissing me tenderly.    I was still surprised sometimes at how easy 

the intimate part of our relationship was.  All those years of 

fretting and we could have been getting this kind of comfort from 

each other.  I tried not to regret the past and always look forward. I 

wasn't always successful.  However, if this was all we ever had, it 

was more than I had ever dreamed of.  I constantly reminded 

myself of that.



Then she slid down and curled into my side.  I put and arm under 

her neck and around her back, loving the feel of her silky hair on 

my chest, as she used me for a pillow.



"I love you, Scully," I said softly.  Then I teased, "Just in case you 

forgot."



"I love you too, Mulder ...  so much."  She was silent a few 

minutes and then said, "Mulder, I'm really happy."  She sounded 

surprised.



I smiled down at the crown of her head.  "I'm happy too, Scully."



"You did it, you know?"



"What?"



"Found a way for us to be a family."



"It's not over yet."



"I know, you've found a way to save the world too."



I chuffed mirthlessly.  "I don't know about that."



"I do.  I always had faith in you."



I felt the tears sting my eyelids at this simple admission that she'd 

given me many times in the last two years, and before that as well.  

"I know.  You've always had more faith in me than I had in myself.  

You'll never know how much that means to me, how much your 

love means to me."



"Oh I think I do.  The door swings both ways, Mulder."



I kissed her hair and sighed.



"We are a great team."



I chuckled silently this time.  "That we are, darlin', that we are," I 

replied.



We drifted off to sleep, having learned to face tomorrow when 

tomorrow came.



PART 11 (NC-17)

SKINNER TOWNHOUSE

ALEXANDRIA, VA

SAME DAY



"I think things are turning out nicely, don't you?" she asked.



"It's coming together.  I can't believe it sometimes, but it is.  I keep 

waiting for the other shoe to drop."



"I'm trying not to project too much into the future, Walter."



"Me too.  I think I need something to keep my mind off it."



"The whole pharmaceutical deal?"



"Yeah, that and a lot of other things."  I paused.  "Come here, 

Marita," I commanded, my voice having dropped to a rough 

gravel.



She looked up from the bureau drawer where she was putting away 

laundry, moving shirts from the basket to the bureau.  "I have to 

finish this laundry," turning back to her task.



"It will wait," I said.



She heard the arousal in my voice that time and looked up again.  

She slowly put the shirt back in the basket that was sitting on the 

floor.  She turned to me, wearing only tee shirt and panties, her 

sleepwear when she wore any at all.  I had shoved my briefs down 

and stepped out of them.



She glanced down at my now rampant cock and I watched her suck 

in her breath.  I loved to see her react to my body, to my arousal 

the way she did.  It never ceased to amaze me that she was as 

turned on by me as I was turned on by her.



"I have this little problem I need you to take care of," I joked with 

a straight face.



"Doesn't look so little," she countered.



She grinned and pulled her tee shirt over her head and shucked her 

panties.  My eyes trailed over her body once and she moved to the 

bed, crawling on all fours across to my side.  She reached out and 

immediately took the head into her mouth and I moaned as my 

knees gave way slightly and I swayed.



I felt her smile around my cock and she sucked me inside, taking 

about half of me.  Her hand wrapped around the rest and pumped 

me.  I groaned and thrust gently into her mouth.  This felt great but 

it wasn't what I wanted.  I didn't want to come this way.  Not 

tonight.  I wanted to be closer to her, feel her body against mine.



I pushed her back and she retreated.  I pushed on her shoulder and 

she lay back.  "Like this?" she questioned, always eager to please 

me.  I loved that she was so accommodating.  There must be some 

latent dominance tendencies in me because I got so exciting seeing 

her obey me without question, or scramble to please me.



"Yes, open your legs for me."



Her knees fell to the side and I had an unobstructed view of her 

pussy.  It was pink and swollen and I could see wetness on her.  I 

reached down and swiped my finger into it and she hissed.  I 

brought it to my mouth and sucked it slowly off my finger.



"Jesus, Walter, it kills me when you do that."



I hummed and did it again, just to watch her face and her pretty 

eyes cloud over with lust.  At last, I could wait no longer and 

leaned over her, caging her between my arms and legs and sucked 

her turgid nipple into my mouth.  She moaned and threw her head 

back, arching into me. I sucked greedily at her soft mound and 

kneaded the other one gently.



She reached down, grasping my ass and pulling me toward her.  I 

slid down, taking myself in hand and lining myself up, then taking 

my weight on my elbows as my hands slid under her shoulder 

blades and my hands locked on top of her shoulders for leverage.



When I did this, she knew what it meant.  I was locked and loaded 

and I wanted to take her roughly.  I pushed the head into her plump 

lips slowly, trying to quell the rising tide of arousal and take it a 

little slower.  It was no use.  I felt my control break at the first 

squeeze of her tight muscles on the head of my cock.



I sputtered out, "Awww, Damn!  Gotta …"



She whispered.  "Take me, Walter."



That shredded the last thread of my control and I rammed into her, 

forcing my entire length inside, until my balls were crushed against 

her anus.  She shouted, "Ahhhhhhhh! God!"



I knew it hurt her a little when I did that but she insisted it turned 

her on.  I could feel her cervix expanding and contracting on the 

head of my cock and the sensitive head twitched, the feeling 

divine.



She lifted her knees higher and wider, feet on the bed and crushed 

her crotch against me, allowing my steely cock to slide even 

deeper into her. "Ready?" I asked, panting harshly trying to hold 

on to my control.



"Yes.  Fuck me hard!"



I snapped, withdrawing my cock to the end, almost slipping out 

and then plunging back into her, hard and fast, feeling my shaft 

bottom out and slam into her cervix.  She shouted again and 

unintelligible sound "Awwwww!"



I began retreating and slamming inside, long strokes, tipping my 

butt up as I retreated to make sure I dragged over clit.  I sent my 

cock into her over and over, battering her tight pussy.  I shouted 

and continued to rut wildly, feeling her begin to orgasm around 

me, her muscles grasping desperately to hold me inside.



XXXXXXXXXX



I loved that feeling when my pussy lips parted and stretched wide 

for his thick, mushroomed cock head.  I loved when my tunnel first 

gave way to accommodate his gigantic prick.  He slammed into me 

and I gasped in pain as he slammed into the back of my tunnel, 

stretching me unbearably.  It made me quiver every time.



A little discomfort had always gotten me hot, I never really knew 

why.  He began hammering away with complete mindlessness, 

urgently seeking his release.  I loved it like this.  I loved that I 

made him crazy with lust.  In short, I loved the way he fucked me.  

I found myself muttering it out loud.



"Oh fuck me!  Love the way you fuck me.  Oh yeah.  Harder! 

Make me sore, make me hurt.  So good, Walter.  Oh fuck, love the 

way the fuck me.  Fill me up, baby, fill me up.  Let go, come for 

me."



"Oh yeah.  Here it comes!"  He lurched suddenly, going still for a 

heartbeat and then began shouting as his cock erupted inside me, 

spraying my insides with sticky warmth.  "Oh yeah, baby. I'm 

filling you so full."



His orgasm triggered mine and my vagina fluttered helplessly and 

the spasms rolled through me. His sperm was hot and washed 

through me like a spreading wave.



He collapsed on me, still holding most of his weight on his elbows, 

but his hips pressing mine firmly into the mattress.  He was still 

semi erect and we lay there enjoying the aftershocks and the feel of 

his cock slowly pulsing and shrinking inside me.  He finally 

slipped out and rolled over onto his back.  "So good every time," 

he muttered.



"Mmmm," was my only response.  I glanced at the laundry basket 

and decided it could wait until tomorrow.  "Should we shower?"



"No, I want to smell us."



I smiled to myself.  He loved the smell of our mingled fluids.  I did 

too, but had never admitted it. Best for him to think I was 

conceding to his whim by leaving us on cum drenched sheets.



His voice startled me out of my reverie.  "Besides, I'm not done 

with you yet."



"You're not?"



"No."



I rolled up onto my elbow and peered down into his face. "Since 

when?"  In the early days, we'd often made love more than once a 

day, but no anymore.  It had been a long time since there had been 

a repeat performance in a single night.



"Since now," he growled and rolled up on top of me, pushing me 

back onto my back.



I glanced down and could see he was still semi-hard.  He spread 

my legs and sunk his face between my thighs.  I moaned in 

anticipation.  "First, a snack," he joked.



I laughed and then shouted as his tongue lapped me from anus to 

clit.



XXXXXXXXXX

MONICA REYES' APARTMENT

FALLS CHURCH, VA

NEXT DAY



I woke to the feel of his morning hard on pressing into my ass.  I 

moaned, still only half awake as I felt myself gush instantly with 

wetness.  His hand snake down between my legs and his fingers 

slide between my thighs.  I lifted my leg slightly and his fingers 

slid inside.  I groaned and arched my butt into him.



He grunted as I crushed his cock between us.  His hand retreated 

and I missed it already.  I went to turn onto my back and he said, 

"No, stay there.  Let me do all the work."



I was perfectly content to do that.  His hand brushed my ass cheek, 

squeezing gently and then moved between my legs.  He began 

dragging my wetness up to coat my anus.  "John?"  I asked, my 

voice shakier than I would have liked.



"Easy.  Relax for me.  you know I won't hurt you."



I took a deep breath and willed my muscles to relax.  After a 

couple of minutes of his dragging wetness up and his other hand 

under my neck reaching down to pinch my nipple, I was groaned 

like a whore in heat.  He pinched my nipple hard and I shouted out 

at the quick dart of pain.  As I did, his well lubed finger slid easily 

into my ass and buried itself to the hand.



I moaned loudly then, "Ohhhhhh, awwwwww!"



"Shhh," he soothed and began moving the finger just slightly.  My 

moans escalated as his pumping finger increased the length of its 

strokes and increased speed.



I was surprised at the lack of pain.  I was still sleepy and my body 

felt like a dishrag.  Every nerve ending in my body was live and on 

fire despite my sleepiness.  The haze of sleep preventing me from 

even a token protest.  We'd never done anything anal before and I 

was surprised by this new development.  I wanted to please him 

though and so forced myself to relax again.



He began whispering in my ear.   "This is new so stop me if 

anything hurts, all right?"



I nodded and he rolled me onto my stomach, shoving a pillow 

under my hips.  He continued his ministrations and was soon 

pulling more wetness from the constant flow from my apex and 

then he had two fingers inside.  I clutched the bedclothes as the 

sensations made every hair on my body stand on end.  I felt 

another gush of liquid heat between my legs.  Soon and with 

surprisingly little effort, he was plunging three fingers into my ass.



"Oh God, John!  Never knew it felt this good."



"Yeah, that's it, baby.  Oh, I'm gonna make you feel so good."  He 

leaned down and spoke into my ear, knowing that I liked a little 

dirty talk once I was fully aroused.  And fully aroused I was, 

unbelievably so.  "I'm gonna fuck your virgin ass, Monica, and it's 

gonna be great."



I moaned in response, the only sound I could muster as his words 

enflamed me.



Next thing I knew, I felt his cock slide fully into my lubricated 

pussy.  We'd made love just before falling asleep and I'd never 

made it to bathroom.  His cum from the night before was running 

out of me now as his cock filled the space and forced it out.





He stroked a couple of times and then pulled out.  I felt his head 

press on the wrinkled anal opening.  I gasped and he whispered.  

"Relax, you're ready for me."



I did as asked and blew air out of pursed lips.  He pressed firmly 

and I began to feel the muscles give and stretch wide from the 

steady pressure.  The muscle began to part and just then his hands 

slid under me and his fingers grasped both nipples and tugged 

sharply.  I shouted, "Owww!"



And his cockhead popped into my ass.  The little dart of pain was 

quickly replaced by the incredible sensation of his cock sliding 

slowly into my now stretched ass.



"I'm stretching you so wide.  Looks so hot, baby."  Soon he was 

embedded to the hilt and he groaned.  "Oh Monica, so tight in here, 

so hot.  You O.K.?"



I was panting heavily.  I gasped out, "Yes, move, but go slow."



He began pulling back just an inch or so and pressing back inside, 

giving me time to adjust the incredible feeling of fullness.  We 

were both moaning as he slowly increased the length of his thrusts.  

When he was finally pulling back until I could feel the ridge of his 

cockhead stretching my sphincter muscle before he slid back in, he 

began to increase his pace.



"Oh I love your pretty little ass, Monica.  So hot, so tight," he 

muttered.



He was soon thrusting hard and spearing into my bowels.  I could 

feel every ridge of his unusually thick cock as it slid deep into the 

core of my ass.  One of his hands slid down my belly and found 

my clit.



A few tiny circles and some downward pressure and it was all 

over.  I climaxed so hard I thought I was going to pass out.  White 

dots flashed behind my eyelids and I shouted, "I'm coming!  So 

good, John!"



"Yeah, that's it!  Awww, baby, I can feel you squeezing me!"



XXXXXXXXXXX



At some point, I lost control and ravaged her ass.  I plunged into 

her depths, rutting against her pert, little ass cheeks, amazed at the 

sight of my wide cock spreading her ass wide open.  I nearly 

fainted when she came and her ass clenched around my prick.



I'd never felt this kind of tightness and it was beyond description.  I 

was delirious with pleasure.  I kept swiping at her clit, not wanting 

to hurt her but unable to keep from speeding up the increasing 

harshness of my thrusts.



The backs of my thighs tingled deliciously as I felt my balls shake 

and coil with the onset of my orgasm.  It was going to be fabulous.  

I grunted like a Neanderthal and plowed between her cheeks, 

shouting, "Oh, I'm gonna come, gonna come in your ass.  I'm 

gonna come baby, so hard."



"Do it!" she shouted.  "Come in my ass!"



Those words sent me right over the edge as I squirted into her ass 

for the first time.  My cockhead stung from the force of my 

ejaculations.  They seemed to go on forever and I finally shuddered 

and slipped out of her, hearing her moan at the loss.  I swayed as I 

looked down at her stretched ass, watching it wave and contract, 

beginning to close up.  I'd stretched her so wide.  I fell onto my 

side and she rolled onto hers facing me.



I reached down and patted her belly, only slightly rounded at four 

months pregnant.  "You O.K.?"



"Perfect," she mumbled.



"I wanted to try that now before …"



"Is that why you did it?"



"Well, later on, we may not be able to do it normally."



"I can have sex as long as there are no complications."



"I know but our positions will be limited."



"True.  God, I'm so wanton!" she said incredulously.



I laughed.  "You've got the second trimester hornies."



She laughed with me now.  "It's awful."



"I'm loving it."  Too much was not enough for her lately. That's 

why I figured it was time to try this.  I wanted to for a long time 

but had been afraid she would think I was disgusting.  Then we 

watched a porn flick one night and it had anal sex in it. She didn't 

say anything, but I watched her carefully and could tell it had 

turned her on.  She hadn't been repulsed at least.



"I'll bet you are," she declared.



I smiled and gathered her into my arms.  "Shower?"



"Yes, I should have last night."



"I filled you in both holes," I said softly.



She slapped my shoulder.  "John, that's gross!"



I captured her face in my hands and lowered my head until my lips 

were brushing hers and said, "No, that's so sexy, baby."



She giggled and then kissed me.  I didn't want to get up, but I knew 

we had to.



We were going to make the trip to Connecticut to see Mulder and 

Scully.  It was our turn.  I knew Jeffrey was up there now.  Skinner 

and Marita were following a day later.  We were to discuss the 

results of the meeting with the distribution company candidate.  I 

prayed every day that this scheme would work.



Having Skinner as Deputy Director and still in charge of the X-

Files had turned out to be a mighty convenient thing.  Whenever 

we needed to do something for the "project" as we called it, he 

would come up with some file to investigate in the area to cover 

our trip and absence.  It was working out well.  We still looked into 

genuine X-Files and had fun doing it.  I worried about Monica 

going into the field after she had the baby, but she'd promised to 

slow down, at least for a while.



And so the story continued.  Where would it end?  God only knew.  

We had already been injected with the final version of Ameriviral.  

Only time would tell if it really worked.  All we could do is hope.  

I almost drew some satisfaction out of the fact that if one of those 

smug bastards approached me they would be blown to smithereens.  

I knew that wasn't a very mature attitude and perhaps a little blood 

thirsty, but I didn't care.  I had a wife and now a baby to protect.  

We'd put our lives on the line so that our children could have a 

future.



I just prayed to God we'd succeeded.  There was still a long road 

ahead of us.  But we would all rest easier when the population was 

inoculated.  Once we'd covered the U.S., we were planning on 

branching into Europe so there was still years of work to be done.



I sighed and slid out of bed, patting her gently on the rear end.



"Hey!" she shouted, smiling at me.



"Don't fall asleep.  We need to shower and get going."



"Task master," she muttered playfully as she slid out of bed.



I smiled at her.  "Sorry."



"No, I know we need to get going.  There's more work to be done, 

always is, isn't there, John?"



"Yup.  What is it Mulder always says?"



"Deceive, Inveigle, Obfuscate," I responded automatically.



We both chuckled as we made our way to the bathroom nude. "My 

work is never done,"  I joked.



XXXXXXXXXX

LARGE FARM HOUSE

R.F.D. 45

WARREN, CONNECTICUT



"Dad!" Emily screeched as she skidded onto the kitchen tile in 

stocking feet. She was really going to hurt herself doing that one 

day, I though inanely.



"What sweetheart?"



"Agents Reyes and Doggett are here!"



She was my little watchdog, often hearing cars pull into the end of 

our quarter mile long driveway long before I heard them.  "Why 

don't you greet them at the door and show them in.  Remember to 

take their coats," I reminded.



She smiled. "It will be good to see them again."



"Yeah, it will be, won't it?" I responded, smiling gently at her.



"I'll call Mom."



"Isn't she at the store?"



"Yes, but she said she was going to run over to the church. I told 

her I'd call on her cell phone when they got here."



"Oh, all right.  Do that then and I'll go get my materials."



"Right!" she nearly shouted in her enthusiasm as she saluted me 

smartly and turned on her heel and ran out of the kitchen.  I sighed, 

smiling, still not sure what I did to deserve all this.



There was a lot of work to do in the years to come, but somehow, I 

just knew that everything was going to be all right.  I couldn't 

remember the last time I felt that sensation.  I closed my eyes and 

realized that I hadn't felt all was right with the world since I was 12 

years old, Emily's age.



I heard her feet thunk across the floor in the living room toward the 

front door.  I teased her that you could hear her coming in her bare 

feet.  The door bell rang as if on cue and she swung it open.  I 

listened to her greet them and started a pot of coffee.  Monica, 

"Hey sweetheart!  Is your Dad home?  Look at how tall you are! 

Christos!"



Emily giggled and I could her opening the closet to hang their 

coats.



I only hoped all our efforts would make her and William's life 

more carefree than mine had ever been.  I guess that was best any 

of us could hope for.



THE END.



AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Requests from friends for this fic included the 

following:

Cathie:  William back - Mulder as Daddy - no on the 

run - 



Kersch as bad guy - Doggett/Reyes 

more involved - and Skinner as good guy w/trust.

Song:  William back - sex b/t M/S - M finding 

something other than a date and knowing how to 

stop it - closure w/Mulder & TLG - DRR smut - not 

talking to dead - Skinner promotion - who 

agreed w/me that "crushing Scully's spirit was an 

awfully lame excuse not to tell her what he 

found".

Dani:  Emily back - (post ep) what would Scully do?

Holly:  More kissing.

Daniela - Spicing up.

Sara M. - anything w/ MSR

Aloof - Coming together as family.

Dresa - Cuddling in bed.



Yup!  I saved all those e-mails and message board 

messages!  Believe it or not!  Thanks for all 

your input girls.