From: CMUnsworth@aol.com Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2002 16:20:23 EST Subject: Ad Astra per Aspera by Charlotte Unsworth Source: direct TITLE: Ad Astra per Aspera AUTHOR: Charlotte Unsworth E-MAIL ADDRESS: CMUnsworth@aol.com ::-------------:: Ad Astra Per Aspera ::-------------:: It took just days for one civilisation to fall and be replaced with another. Fires burned in the streets, children crying in pain. Families were torn apart and the towns rang with the sound of the sobs of the dying and the screams of those left behind. Most stayed near their homes, through loyalty to friends or relatives, pure ignorance or simply because they had nowhere else to go. Those who tried to fight were put down effortlessly. They were no threat, and it was a battle they could not win. Others fled, fighting their own guilt to leave as quickly as they could. They would come back later, to begin the new resistance. ::--------------:: The team left early, just before dawn. Reports had been made by the incoming squad of a hit nearby. A little too nearby, so it had been made their priority. The moved in silence, as one body. Each had been in the team for several months, each attuned to the others' movements. Three held guns while the fourth had at his belt a small radio. "We've never found no one on one of these things," whispered Anthony. "What's the point?" They had been doing this for three weeks, since the community felt secure enough to even consider hunting, and never found anyone alive. Oh, there were bodies. Not so many now things were finally calming down, but there were still some around. Those capable of moving on had done so. "The point," Mark hissed back, "is that we might. Now keep quiet. How long have They been gone, Nick?" "We got the first reports yesterday, they've been gone at least five hours." As they rounded the corner, they saw the door standing open. Carefully, Mark gestured for the others to keep back as he edged into the house. They hung back as he went carefully up the stairs, testing each one before allowing his full weight onto it. What he saw in the room in front of him made him forget all protocol. "Get up here now!" Anthony raced up the stairs, surprised by the shout. Usually communication was in no more than a whisper, kept quiet through fear of detection. A man lay on the bare stone floor, his arms wrapped around himself as he shivered. His eyes were closed, his breathing laboured. Mark bent over him, checking for any signs of life. The man was breathing, barely, shaking violently. He was unconscious. "We have to take him back." "Back to the house? No way," Anthony backed away. "We can't. Not until we discussed it with the others." The men behind them murmured amongst themselves, but none offered a direct challenge to their leader. "You want him to die?" Silence. "Alright then. You lead. I can manage this guy." ::--------------:: When they were seen coming back, there was near panic. It was a strict rule - nobody was to be introduced to the group until there was absolutely no doubt about their loyalty. Meetings were in secret, politics and agendas revealed step by step, always cautious. Those who arrived on the doorstep, whether by predetermination or accident, were kept in solitary until the final test. A cut, across the upper left arm to identify them as a member. It looked like the letter 'N', with a slash running through. Anyone wearing that scar - small enough to be unnoticeable unless it was looked for - was to be helped at all costs. The blood was tested. Any trace of the virus, and they were immediately killed. It had been a difficult decision, but one that had been practically unanimous. Mark violated all of that. He insisted on bringing the man in, taking him straight to the makeshift medical room, and ignoring all those around him trying to prevent it. ::--------------:: Darkness. It was cold, and he couldn't move. Panic seized him. They were here. He could feel them, hands holding him down as he tried to get up.. "Ow! Watch it," Frohike exclaimed. Mulder's eyes flew open. Frohike stood beside the bed, one hand clasped over his eye. "It's good to see you, too, Mulder." "Frohike?" Sitting up quickly, Mulder embraced the small man quickly. "Is that you?" "Yeah." He sat on the edge of the bed, beside Mulder. He was thinner than he had been, lines across his face where there hadn't been before. "Byers and Langly are here too." "Where's here?" "About ten blocks from where you were meeting Krycek. It's a project, set up a few years ago by a gunman subscriber. We didn't really think it would happen but...we had to try." Mulder dropped his head in his hands. He had a killer migraine. "How did you find me?" "We go to every capture site. To quarantine, clear up - in your case, rescue. It doesn't happen often," he admitted. "We think Krycek is dead." Mulder nodded slowly as he absorbed the news. With him, Krycek had taken the vaccine that he and various scientists had spent several months creating, not to mention the fifty years of work before Krycek had become involved. Their work had been invaluable, but unless they could find those scientists, useless. "Where's Scully?" he asked. There was a quick knock on the door, interrupting them so he didn't see the look that crossed Frohike's face. "Hey." A tall blond man walked into the room, a notebook sticking out of his top pocket. "You're awake. Just came to check you out." "This is James, our resident doctor." Mulder nodded in greeting, rubbing his forehead slightly. "You ok?" James asked. "Headache". Obediently he tracked the light James held in front of him. "You've been out for three days. What do you remember?" He sat back on the chair in the corner of the room. The walls were grey - it looked like a cell. Frohike remained silent as Mulder glanced at him. "Uh, we - Scully and me - were talking to Krycek. We arranged to meet before it happened. He was working on a vaccine for the virus." James leant forward, his interest caught. "Was he successful?" Mulder glanced at Frohike, unsure how much he should reveal. "It's ok to tell him. I trust him." "Yes, he said he was. But we didn't get the chance to go into the details; I don't know how it worked." The flare of excitement in James' eyes died down instantly, replaced with dull despair. "You need to rest a few days. I don't think there's anything wrong with you, but we need to be sure before you meet the others," James said. "There's also another issue," Frohike interrupted. "Some of the group feel that you shouldn't be here. They don't understand the situation and things have become...tense." From the look on James's face Mulder could tell this was a huge understatement. "They want to be sure you're not infected." Mulder took this in. The headache was subsiding a little, making it easier to think. "I want to see Scully." Frohike exchanged a glance with James. "Scully was with you?" he asked gently. "Yeah, we were..." the implication of that struck him. "She's not here." ::--------------:: Lying on the bed, Mulder closed his eyes. Scully wasn't anywhere. Frohike had done his best, sending out another team to check the area. They found nothing. Mulder reached out, trying to find her. He was assaulted with memories of talking to her when he was missing, memories that he could not be sure were real or imaginary, a way to comfort himself faced with indescribable torment. But he tried. ::--------------:: "NO! He is a danger to us all. We have no way of knowing his loyalties..." "They're to us, to our cause." "How can you be so sure?" Frohike looked across to Byers, exasperated. They had been arguing for hours - they hadn't really stopped since Mark first returned carrying a stranger into the building. "Jo." When Byers began to speak the room fell silent. Somehow he had become de facto leader, his opinion respected. Perhaps he carried more weight, looked more reputable than the other two. "I know Mulder. I knew him long before this happened, and believe me, he is on our side." "He *was*," the young woman argued. Just 20, she had been at college when the attack came. There had been no time even to call her family; she had no idea where they were now. Few people knew more about her, her slow Southern drawl always containing a hint of sarcasm that kept others at a distance. "But is he still?" "We got the test results back," James interrupted softly and the room fell silent. "There were some abnormalities..." "He's infected? And you're letting him live?" Her tone was one of pure panic among the growing murmurs of concern that swept through the room. James held up a hand. "No. He doesn't have the virus. What he does have, is something remarkably similar." He hesitated. Byers gave him permission to continue. He had been reluctant to share the information before everything was in place, but it was the only way Mulder's presence would ever be accepted. "He has antibodies which, when in contact with the virus, destroy it completely." There was silence as this sunk in, and then all hell broke loose. ::--------------:: It's been three weeks since they left, and there's nothing. They should have been back by now and every day Meghan asks when they will be. I can only tell her 'soon', and hope it isn't a lie. After today, I think my worst fears could be realised. Meghan was sleeping, so I slipped out for a moment to look across the valley. I thought maybe, today, I would see them heading towards us. I wasn't gone for more than five minutes. When I returned, the back door was open. There was a young man in the living room, no more than 25 years old, just standing there. I've seen that look in his face when he turned and realised I was there. It's the same look I've seen on countless victims, terrified because they thought the nightmare was over and then confronted with it again. The look of a soldier after three solid nights of fighting and hiding with no sleep, knowing that he has to do it all again tomorrow if only he can survive tonight. "P...Please - d...don't...shoot me". I didn't even realise I was holding my weapon. "Easy. I'm not going to hurt you." He moved suddenly as I approached him. "Who are you?" "Andrew Thomas." "What are you running from, Andrew?" "Them." His look was of pure disbelief that I didn't know already. "I've been running from Them ever since They came." Gradually his breathing became normal and he told me his story. He is asleep as I write this, Meghan colouring no more than three feet away without even questioning his presence. Where he comes from is somewhere unrecognisable to me. And I'm afraid for Mulder and Scully. I wish I knew where they were. ::--------------:: I can hear them arguing down the hall. They want me to leave. Not the gunmen, I'm sure, but the others...I don't think I can blame them. I'm a stranger, and strangers are someone to fear now. I'm going crazy, in here alone. Frohike told me they went to look for Scully, but I won't feel sure until I've been there myself. I don't have a clue, and there's nowhere to start. The past few days, I've been confined to my room on James' orders. I hate to admit it, but he's right - at least if the spinning sensation when I try to stand is anything to go by. It has been chaos here and I'm sure my arrival has something to do with that. It's difficult to get a straight answer from the guys but I think most people would be more than happy to let me leave and look for her. I'll go for them. I have to see my daughter. ::--------------:: Everyone stopped when he entered the large hall that had become the communal room. It was the first time they had seen him since his arrival days before; the tension and expectancy in the room were evident. Many stared, unashamed of their curiosity. Others glanced up quickly, then away, then back again, trying not to be noticed. A few were openly hostile, muttering to one another softly. Mulder took it all in as he glanced around the room. There were around 60 people there. Seeing Byers in the corner, he made his way over to him quickly and sat beside him. "Is it me, or did it just get really cold in here?" he asked softly. "It'll take a few days to get to know them. That's all." "I don't have a few days. I'm leaving tomorrow." "What?" Byers couldn't hide his surprise. "Where will you go?" "I have to go back. Meghan and Skinner will be waiting for me. And Scully..." the sharp pain of that thought made him stop. "How long will it take?" "Maybe a week. Will we be able to come back here?" "Of course." Byers was disappointed that he would feel he even had to ask. He lowered his voice. "Besides, you have something every person in this room wants. Many of them would let you do anything you liked." "What are you talking about?" "James tested your blood. You had a small mark on your arm. Krycek injected you with the vaccine he had developed. He's working on replicating it." Mulder stared at him in shock. The searing pain in his arm, travelling through his veins...the memory came back to him. "God," he murmured. "Uh, how are you trying to replicate it? This place isn't exactly the most technologically advanced location..." Mulder gestured around him in disbelief. He was certain there wasn't much more to the building than what he had seen. "The guys who set this up were gunmen subscribers, that's how we got involved. They built this place - and installed a lab. It's upstairs. They also contacted a lot of people they thought could be useful. About eighty scientists were offered places." He shrugged. "Five took it up, two actually got here. We got lucky; these guys are good." ::--------------:: In the end, Langly insisted on going with him. They walked for three days, going over the same ground he and Scully and covered just a short time ago. As they neared the valley, Mulder's pace grew faster as he anticipated what he would find. But as the cabin became visible, he grew still. Langly came up behind him, panting with the exertion. "Mulder, what's wrong?" As Mulder set off at a run towards the cabin he saw it. From the outside, it was clear there had been a fire but it didn't look too bad. Inside, though, the safe haven in which he had left Meghan and Skinner was black, and desolate. The cabin he had left Skinner and Meghan safely in was burnt to the ground. Langly came after him, supporting Mulder as he wavered. "What the hell happened?" Mulder just shook his head, unable to say anything. Taking a quick look at him, Langly left him standing in the middle of the room to check the cabin. There was no-one there. They stayed on the site for nearly a day at Mulder's insistence. Meghan and Skinner didn't come back. They didn't answer the shouts and there was nothing to indicate where they would have gone. Mulder allowed himself to be pulled away as it grew dark. Even through the night as they walked he kept looking for them. "Why would they leave? He knew we were coming back. That no matter..." Keeping his gaze on the track at his feet, Langly replied "He had no choice. My guess is They hit hard." ::--------------:: She had been here before, in this white, cold and sterile place. Only this time there was no Penny Northern to offer her comfort, no Spender to protect her for obscure reasons known only to himself. And Mulder...Scully turned her head as though to avoid looking at him. She was only alone for a moment. She struggled as They held her down. Wires were attached across her body, the cold metal stinging. She felt a moment of triumph as her arm connected with something and she heard a muffled cry. A sharp blow dealt to her head a moment later in retaliation killed it. Head spinning, she lost her defence momentarily and They took advantage of it. The mask placed over her mouth knocked her out in seconds. And the images came. The system had taken years to develop, even for Them. Scully saw herself. Dressed in a pale blue floor length dress that she had never seen before, it was as though a camera examined every inch of her. The view panned across the plunging back, down her body to focus briefly on the silver chain around her ankle. And with the images came understanding. Of herself, her position, what they wanted from her and what would happen should she not comply. She felt violated in the worst way and unable to breath. When convinced she unconscious and absorbed in the images before her, They turned her over. One long slim cut across the back of her neck and the device was removed, placed in a safe container. It nodded to one standing beside it, who carefully ran one long finger over the cut. It healed under the touch to leave a tiny, barely visible scar. A silver chain was tied around her ankle to finish her preparations. Tears ran freely down her face, confusing those standing beside her. She was being offered the most wonderful of opportunities. A high standing, privilege she could only have dreamed of in her previous incarnation - the opportunity to fulfil the destiny they all knew was hers. One touched her face, the tears dampening its fingers. It could never understand. ::--------------:: Their return prompted yet another debate over the stranger who had come in uninvited and immediately broken some of their most vital rules. Mulder ignored them. He went straight to his room, followed by Byers. Mark saw them leave and went after them, wanting to talk to this man. "They were gone." "I figured. I'm sorry." "What can I do, John? I have to find them." "Get over it." The blunt voice at the doorway startled them both. "They're gone. Dead, or captured. Either way you can't do a damn thing about it." Mulder's fists were clenched tightly beside him. "Deal." Mulder lunged at Mark, pinning him against the wall. "Shut the fuck up." "You can't do anything!" he thrust Mulder back. "Except fight them." Byers turned in surprise. "Mark..." "Come on, John. It's what we all want to do and are all too scared or disorganised to do. Him? He can shoot. He's got pretty good reflexes and I'm guessing he's seen a fight or two." "You could say that," Byers admitted as he turned to Mulder, a question in his eyes. "So train them. The scientist blokes can work on their vaccine but it won't do the slightest bit of good if we can't administer it." ::--------------:: It took them some time to persuade Byers to put the idea forward. There were people he had risked everything to get to and would risk everything to keep safe. He finally agreed to let them vote on it. He waited until the weekly meeting, held to discuss issues that arose which couldn't be dealt with simply by informal talking. A rundown of the week went first, then new people were introduced. This time Mulder was included. The new ones always looked nervous, hopeful of their acceptance but uncertain. This week, when the regular formalities were dealt with, Mark stepped up. And he talked. Somewhere along the line he had learned to speak in a way that rose a crowd's heartrate and inspired them to follow where he led. He told them that it was possible. They could fight back and they could win. With the vaccine, and the weapons they had found on so many recon trips they had the equipment they needed. He never made it sound easy. Over and over he told them it would be a long process that would be hard on them all. But the vote was almost unanimous. They would fight. ::--------------:: "Ok, Jo. Go for it." They circled slowly in the makeshift training circle that had been set up. Her left hand was steady as she held the knife, tightly bound in cloth so it wouldn't cause any injury. Her long blond hair was tied back, but once in a while she would unconsciously reach up to push it away. Mulder watched her carefully, waiting for her to make a move. Instead, she continued to circle. He ignored the audience that had somehow built up around them as he weighed her up. She wasn't going to make a move, she was just in a defensive stance waiting for him. He thought quickly. "Come on, Jo, what's the matter? Scared I'll beat you?" Her eyes narrowed. "Who did you leave?" His conversational tone threw her for a moment, the confusion showing in her eyes. "Mother, father, sister...boyfriend?" Mutters swept the edge of the room as Jo struggled to hide her shock, betraying herself. "What was he like, Jo? Do you think about him a lot?" "Mulder..." Byers took a step forward. "Keep out, John," Mulder shot out, focussing on Jo once more. "What do you think they're doing to him now?" "He's dead," she hissed. "Are you sure about that? Consider the possibility if you're wrong. If he's in one of those labour camps? Tell me, Jo. What do you remember?" His voice was deadly soft. "The way he looked at you? The way he kissed you, how he spoke when he answered the phone? Or perhaps you've realised it's getting harder to picture his face." He paused. "How long do you think it took before he forgot you and found someone else?" That was it. She ran at him, aiming the short dagger at his stomach. He deftly defended himself, side-stepping, but she came after him again. And again. As he kept moving she followed, each time getting closer to what they had decided would be considered a direct hit. He continued to taunt her, asking where her parents would be, what her little sister was going through down in the darkness wondering why she had been abandoned. Finally, Jo raced at him, her knife connecting hard with his stomach. She knocked him over, and was immediately on top of him, attacking him with the hilt of the knife now, and slapping him repeatedly. Mulder grabbed her wrists, using all his strength to throw her off him. He managed to flip her onto her back, straddling her until she stopped fighting. There was silence in the room around them. "Bastard," she whispered. The corner of his mouth curved up slightly. "*That's* what you need. Remember this anger, how you feel right now. Remember what They've done to you when you fight Them." With that, he got up and stalked out of the room, leaving her lying on the floor. ::--------------:: When there was a knock on the door, she invited him in without a second thought. There was an unspoken rule that all members were open with one another. Of course they were allowed their privacy, but most were always glad of someone to talk to. As Mulder walked in, she turned away. "I have nothing to say to you." He closed the door behind him. "Didn't you hear me?" "You're a good fighter. You need practice, though." Jo looked at him carefully, searching his face. "That's what two years of self defence will do for you. Are you offering?" Mulder smiled a little. "Yeah, I guess. If you want to." She nodded slightly. "Was that all?" At the return of her hostile tone, Mulder opened the door to leave. "Who was she?" He turned back. "What?" "The woman you left. I figured you probably know what you're talking about," she explained quietly. Mulder considered her for a moment, then shut the door to talk to her. "Her name is Dana Scully. We worked together for years, and then we started seeing each other." "Married?" "No. We have a daughter." "I heard. You didn't find her." Mulder wondered just how much of his life these people knew, considering how little he knew about them. "What's she like?" "Meghan? She's, uh...a little over three years old. Loves colouring, can't get enough of it. We just started reading the Narnia books to her, and she loves them. I shouldn't have left her." Jo glanced at him awkwardly. She still wasn't sure of him, and couldn't decide whether he was truly sorry for what he had said. But she couldn't let it go. "You had no way of knowing." "I've only known her a little over a year. If..." Jo's curiosity got the better of her. "Where were you? If you don't want to say, it's okay," she added quickly. Suddenly she wasn't sure she wanted to know. There was something unsettling about this man. He'd experienced something that had marked him deeply. "Not right now. Maybe sometime I'll tell you, but... "I understand." He turned to go. "Mr Mulder? If is a dangerous word. It'll control you if you let it." He nodded briefly, then she watched him leave, curious about what he had been about to tell her but uncertain she was ready to find out. ::--------------:: The talent among them varied, from some highly qualified in self defence to some who had never been in a fight in their lives. But all agreed to take any training they could, and teach others what they knew. Except two. They arrived at the first meeting they had after the vote and made their feelings perfectly clear. "We're not doing this. We signed on for patrol, and indoor duties. I'm not playing superhero just 'cause some guy's decided it would be a good idea to try suicide." "What about her?" Langly gestured at the smaller girl at her side. "Doesn't she speak?" "She feels the same as me." "If you're scared, it's okay..." one woman began, but faltered under the harsh look she received. "I'm not scared. I could take any one a you, any time. I've been fighting for years and it got me nowhere. Why should this be any different?" Defiantly she took hold of the other's arm, dragging her out of the room and down the hallway to their room. ::--------------:: He found them staying in the far end of the building. On asking around, he learned that they had arrived on the doorstep two days after the invasion, and the open door policy demanded that they be allowed to stay when their results came back negative. They were two of the few residents who kept to themselves. While the majority spent time in the communal room, there were several who remained in their rooms except for mealtimes and when forced to take part in patrols. "You're the new guy," the oldest said, looking him up and down. "The hotshot who's got them all fired up to be massacred. They've probably never been in a real fight." Her sarcasm made him wince. Jude looked about eighteen but with her hair cropped close to her head, and a tattoo of a snake visible on her upper arm, she had obviously matured beyond her years. She sat on the edge of her bed, leaning against the wall with her friend leaning against her. The other girl had spoken once to introduce herself as Terri then leant back, just staring at him. Their constant scrutiny made him uncomfortable. "Yeah, I guess I am." "What d'ya want?" "Where were you before here?" Mulder didn't get the surprised reaction he was expecting. After his confrontation with Jo, people were wary around him and didn't like to bring up the past. It was better not talked about, in their opinion. Talking made it too difficult to concentrate on the present. "Running for our lives, you?" he recognised the insolent tone. He'd interrogated so many teenagers who were scared, and alone. Covering up how scared they were by pretending they were capable of handling anything. No matter how young they were. "What about before that?" "34th and North," Terri said softly. "There was a coffee bar there. On...on the corner? Not real nice or anything, b...but they let you stay most of the day with just one cup." She rested her chin on her knees, drawn up to her chest defensively. "You were on the streets?" "Yeah." Jude spoke this time, gesturing to Terri to stop speaking. "What's it to you? Probably passed a dozen kids like us on the way to work every day and never gave it a second thought." "I didn't," he admitted. "But maybe you guys can help." "The Feds want our help?" She was openly sceptical. "The Feds don't exactly exist anymore. What kind of fighting were you talking about? You kids use knives?" "Knives, bottles, fists. Whatever keeps you going with a safe place to sleep. And we're not exactly kids." Yes, you are, he though. Perhaps you don't act like it, but that's exactly what you are. "Think you can take me?" His tone was deliberately baiting her. Jude looked him up and down, wetting her lips, her hands defiantly on her hips. She wore the denim shorts and white t-shirt that were the only clothes he'd ever seen her in. There was a bracelet around her wrist, made of brightly coloured threads weaved together. It was old, fraying in places but had been tied together with newer cotton. "Absolutely." He stood, gesturing at the door. "Lead the way." She gained attention as she walked down the hall, there was no doubt about that. Her hips swayed provocatively as she walked, every movement accented in her tight clothes. Evidently she'd been used to using whatever she had to get what she wanted. Mulder was willing to bet she was pretty good at it, too. Once in the communal room, they entered the circle together. Jude faced him, a small smile on her lips. "Bring it on." He hesitated. "I don't want to hurt you." She looked at him. And laughed. "Oh, don't worry, old man. You couldn't if you tried." "Old man?" That smile again, driving him on. He took a swing at her. She blocked him, pushing his arm almost to the ground as she jumped back. She was just standing, waiting for his next move, but every muscle was taut and ready to move. Terri watched breathlessly from the sidelines. Mulder tried again, with the same result. "No holding back, Mulder. That's the rule of street fighting. Give it everything." He considered her for a moment. His next blow was a direct hit to her stomach, pushing her backwards, but she never lost her balance. Encouraged, he tried again but she slipped onto the floor, sliding down to pull his legs from under him. The blow to his back when he hit the floor knocked his breath from him and he lay winded for a moment. She wasn't even breathing heavily. He admired her fitness, but was beginning to seriously wonder if he could do this for long. She came at him this time, striking him hard across the jaw before he had time to react. By the time he struck back she was three feet away. He remained absolutely still while she inched towards him, both waiting to see who would be the first to move. It was him. She grabbed his arm as he hit out and pulled him to her, twisting it behind his back and forcing him down to his knees as she twisted harder. Suddenly he felt cold steel at his throat. Where the hell had she gotten a knife from? "What do you think, now, fed? Can I take you?" She pushed him forward. He managed to turn and instead hit the floor on his back. As he looked up at her, she had that same smile again, carefully tucking the knife into the back pocket of her shorts. He hadn't even noticed it. "Congratulations," he said dryly. Much as he hated to admit it, he'd been beaten. She cocked her head to one side dismissively. Her lips were slightly parted, her tongue against the edge of her teeth as one corner of her mouth slowly curved into a mocking smile. "I'll help you." Jude brushed past him on her way out, motioning for Terri to follow her. The path to the door cleared in front of her. ::--------------:: Their first assault was terrifying. Mulder, Mark and Jo went to a formal function they had heard of a few days earlier. Getting in was easier than they had anticipated and as the first shot rang out, Mulder raced unnoticed among the panicking crowd to the exit. He saw Mark and Jo do the same. He met them two blocks away. Jo ran up to him, flinging her arms around first him and then Mark in exhilaration. "We did it!" she cried excitedly. "My God, it actually worked!" Despite himself, Mulder smiled as he urged them back to the safe house. ::--------------:: "The business two nights ago was most unfortunate," It said quietly. "We believe there is a rebel organisation operating somewhere within the city boundaries which, needless to say, is somewhat disturbing." This, then, was what Alumari had been called to discuss. She had been present at the event when the shot rang out from the balcony, she had seen the speaker topple from his podium. "I understand that. I have not heard anything." It regarded her for a moment as though weighing her statement for truth. It nodded. "There may be an attempt to contact you...or you may become a target." "I assure you, I have every precaution possible and should such an attempt occur I will of course do my duty to the Alliance." She rose to her feet, inclining her head slightly in a gesture of parting before she left. ::--------------:: The hall rang with noise, talking and laughter masking the more serious conversations which took place beneath them. Several danced, more simply stood and talked. At one table to the edge of the podium, Alumari sat staring blankly at the scene before her. Anyone watching her closely would have seen the slightly bored expression on her face. Across the hall, Jo raised one hand in the agreed gesture. Mulder did the same, followed by Mark. Jude sat quietly with Mulder. He wasn't entirely sure how she had talked her way into coming with them but she was there all the same. "Go," he whispered to her. "We're not done." "You are. Jude, I want you clear of this building before Jo fires, is that clear?" His tone left no room for argument. With an exasperated sigh, she began towards the exit. When he saw her slip out the way they had come, he raised his hand again. He was moving before the shot went off, not stopping to see the man fall or the crowd begin to panic. ::--------------:: Meghan is tired, though she complains little. For the past two miles I have been carrying her and before that, Andrew had her on his back as we walked. It has been more than difficult and there have been so many times I felt like giving up - I have seen the same feelings in Andrew. Yet there is nothing else to do but walk until we reach the city that was Mulder and Scully's destination. Andrew is slowly coming to trust me. Having Meghan helps, somehow, and she is so trusting and accepting herself it's impossible not to be that way with her. When she sleeps, he tells me horror stories of what has happened since we have been absent from the world. A new society created, a new government and social hierarchy. Labour camps were quickly established with people taken to them for no apparent reason. Stories spread faster than the camps were created and people are scared to death of them. Even if the reports are wildly exaggerated they are places I would rather be dead than be in. Meghan no longer asks for her parents. I don't know whether she knows she'll receive the same answer each time, if she is beginning to forget, or she somehow understands that there are no longer any answers to give. She has photographs in her small rucksack which she shows to Andrew but they are ragged and have been handled too often. What can a child make of this situation? She accepts it completely, and never questions that she has been dragged from her home and her family. But she is still innocent, and still smiling, which is a great comfort to Andrew and myself. ::--------------:: The party went on until the early hours of the morning. The second successful hit had everyone psyched for more, but Mulder was firm that they lay low for a while. It would give them more of an element of surprise, and time to train and regroup. Byers found him as people were beginning to wind down, alone in his room. "Are you okay?" "Yeah. Party over?" "Pretty much." Byers sat on the bed beside him. "What happened tonight? "You know what happened." "I know what you said. But there's more to it, I'm sure. I've known you for years, Mulder, I can tell when you're holding something back." "I thought I saw her." The soft admission hung between them in the silent room. "She was, uh, she was beautiful." Mulder smiled regretfully, shook his head. "I suppose it's to be expected. God knows, when she was abducted I saw her everywhere. I just miss her." ::--------------:: "Mulder!" His door was thrown open, Frohike standing there as he tiredly opened his eyes. "It can wait till morning. God, Frohike - " "It can't. Something's wrong with Terri, she's fitting or something, I don't know." Mulder was running down the hall, firing questions before Frohike could say anything else. "Where the hell is James?" "He's there, but Jude won't let him anywhere near. She won't let anyone in the room. Keeps screaming, over and over." Mulder could hear her now. He pushed his way past the people gathered at the end of the corridor and into the room. "Jude?" She was still screaming, holding Terri in her arms, rocking backwards and forwards. "Jude, listen to me. You have to let James in." He approached her softly as Jude suddenly fell silent. She was intent on the girl in her arms, gazing at the unconscious face. "Jude, give her to me." Mulder stretched out his arms to take Terri but it started Jude crying again. "No no no no no! You can't take her again, you can't have her!" "Jude it's me!" Mulder was shouting now. He couldn't see Terri moving at all now, not even a slight movement of her chest. "Jude!" With a sudden jump he grabbed Jude by her arms, pulling her away from Terri. James took the opportunity to get into the room and began calling to her. There was no response, and she wasn't breathing. He began CPR. Frohike, having moved the others away with a promise to talk about it in the morning, came to help while Mulder fought Jude. If she'd been thinking clearly, he had no doubt that she would have won. After a few moments, though, she fell back against him. He wrapped his arms around her as she watched in terror as James worked on Terri. She clung to him, her fingernails digging into his arms. It took so long, Mulder was sure that she was dead. But finally, James indicated to Frohike and they sat back. He nodded to Mulder. "She's breathing. We have to get her into a comfortable bed, away from any kind of trauma." Slowly, she was moved onto a sheet that was used as a makeshift stretcher and taken out of the room, down to the far end of the building that had been designated a sick area. It was the quietest, most secure area. Jude shook against Mulder. She began to cry, heaving sobs that racked her body uncontrollably. Gently he turned her around, and she locked her arms around his neck, grateful for the support. She cried herself to sleep, but wouldn't let go. When James came back in the morning, Mulder was sat with his back against the wall, Jude wound up lying beside him, her head in his lap. "How is she?" Mulder asked quietly. "Stable. She's awake, and doesn't seem to have sustained any kind of damage." "What caused it?" "I don't know. The speed with which it seems to have been brought on is worrying. I spoke to her just two hours before the attack and she was fine. There were no signs of lethargy, disorientation, dizziness. She didn't complain of any kind of fever or sickness." "Would she come to you?" "Terri, yes," James nodded. "Jude would rather die than ask for my help for herself, but she's the first to push Terri in my direction if she's even coming down with a cold." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "If we were in a hospital, I'd be running CAT scans, looking for some kind of brain trauma. Possible a development of epilepsy or - but we have no facilities at all. There's nothing more I can do right now." Jude started to stir on Mulder's lap, slowly sitting upright. "Can I see her?" James looked at her. "You have to understand, she's vulnerable. She can't be excited, or agitated in any way. None of your usual tricks, ok?" Jude agreed, subdued. "I'll go tell her you're coming. Ten minutes." Jude wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "She's gonna be ok?" Mulder reassured her as he stood up. "I do love her, you know." "Have you known each other a long time?" "We were on the streets for four years before this. Builds relationships. Faster than they would otherwise. Her parents were - her mom was ok, but her dad had a drinking problem. She couldn't handle it, coming home after school and seeing her father lying unconscious with a bottle in his hand. It's not like he even tried to hide it." "What about your parents?" Mulder asked softly. Jude stood up, pushing her hair back. "Can I see Terri now?" Mulder got the message loud and clear. "Sure." ::--------------:: Mulder wanted to go alone to the next appointment. Jude was with Terri and he was reluctant to allow anyone else to accompany him. But in the end Frohike insisted. He was used to Mulder's way of working and the secrecy came naturally. They got in surprisingly easily; Mulder had expected security to be tighter after last time but nothing had changed. There was a covered passage at the back of the hall, just far enough above the crowd. Mulder and Frohike stood in the shadows, waiting for the right moment. The speaker stood, and Mulder felt a thrill of anticipation, almost excitement as the adrenalin flowed through him as Frohike aimed the shot. It was the walk that made him notice the Alumari. The way she held her head high, even now, and walked with complete confidence. She was beautiful among the crowd, slowly meandering around the room. She would stop to talk to someone, nodding and smiling in agreement before moving on to the next. Mulder froze. It was her, he had no doubt this time. He was vaguely aware of the shot being fired and of people below beginning to move. He felt Frohike pulling at him trying to get him to leave, before they were discovered by the security guards that were certainly already searching. He couldn't take his eyes off her. Frohike followed his gaze. "Jesus," he whispered. It was incredible, but... "Mulder, we have to go." He pulled again and Mulder saw the panic unfolding in the main room. He allowed himself to be dragged away, safely back to the building. ::--------------:: "This is bad." The words were Langly's only contribution to the discussion so far. He had listened in silence as Frohike recounted to him, Byers and Jo the events of the evening. Including seeing Scully. Mulder had been silent. He understood why they wanted to know but didn't see the reason for the secrecy, why the meeting had to be called with just the four of them in the middle of the night. "So what do we do?" Byers asked the rest. "Frohike, did she see you?" Frohike shook his head. "Nope. Got away clean." The tone of his voice told the gunmen how close they had come to discovery but Jo didn't catch the inference. "That's something," she said in relief. "Then I think it's clear there's nothing to be done. We lay low for a while, and then keep going exactly as we are." Mulder stared around at the group in confusion. "I'm not leaving her there." His words stopped them in their tracks. "You can't seriously be asking me to." "We're not asking," Byers explained sympathetically, but with a firm tone Mulder had rarely heard from him. "We're expecting." "I won't...what aren't you guys telling me?" "She's an Ilenti! You can't make contact with her, if that's what you're thinking. There's absolutely no way we will ever let that happen." Jo's words mystified him. "What's an Ilenti?" Byers sighed. "I keep forgetting you don't know how this works," he said almost to himself. "The Ilenti are a group of - people. They have certain privileges. Fancy houses, servants, cars, all the luxuries and security they could ever want." "Collaborators?" Mulder asked. "More than that," Langly joined in. "We don't know everything, but there's some things that have slipped through. They use a process of aural, visual and mental stimulation along with various medications." "It's a mind altering process," Frohike clarified. "Thought processes are changed, beliefs undermined and replaced. They're not who they once were." "But Scully..." "She's not Scully," Jo told him. She placed one hand on his on top of the table. "She was wearing a long blue dress?" Mulder nodded. "And a silver chain around her ankle. They're the symbols of an Ilenti. That chain does not come off, and it marks her. The Ilenti aren't collaborators as such. They're more than that." She tried to find the words to explain. "They're almost a race apart, with complete faith in the Colonisationist ideology and revered among them for their humanity. I'm sorry, Mulder, but there isn't one person in this building who will let you see her again." Quietly she stood and left the room. The meeting was over. ::--------------:: She watched their movements with a peculiar detachment, as they hurried around her and fussed over her. Eventually she became tired of it. "Go," she commanded. There wasn't even a moment's hesitation before they acceded to her demand. Nicholas was at her side even as the door closed, arms ready to catch her as she wavered and nearly fell. Carefully, he helped her to sit down. "You took a message for me?" "There's an occasion next week. You are," he smiled at the idea. "*Commanded* to be in attendance." She managed a weak smile in response, looking up at him. Nicholas was tall, with near jet-black hair that kept falling into his eyes, causing him to have to push it back. "Really? By who?" The look Nicholas gave her was all the answer she needed. "I see." "He treats you badly," Nicholas burst out. Alumari looked at him in surprise. "You're Alumari and he takes it upon himself to command! Who gives him the permission, the authority?" Languidly, she stretched a hand out to him, inviting him closer. He took it and allowed himself to be drawn in. "Don't trouble yourself, Nicholas. He's inconsequential to the design and will not be permitted to remain above his station for long. But I don't want to talk about him. I've had a long day." He sat beside her. "And I need to relax before the conference tomorrow." In one swift movement, he had pulled her onto his lap so she was straddling him, and was kissing her. ::--------------:: We're getting close, now, and I know that troubles Andrew more than he would admit. He's told me what we'll find but I'm sure he hasn't told me the whole truth of what happened to him. Perhaps he never will. Meghan is good for him, I think, giving him something to concentrate on, something to take away the nightmares. He falls asleep every night holding her like a lifeline. I'm not entirely convinced the dependency he's developing is a good thing but it helps him survive. And that's essential. Meghan is a mystery to me. Every day she retreats into herself, becoming less responsive to both Andrew and me. This morning she asked me what would happen if she stopped walking and just stood very still forever. It chilled me, such words coming from such a little girl. ::--------------:: "I can trust you, can't I?" Suddenly the question was absurdly important to her. Ridiculous at the same time - she wouldn't be lying here in his arms if she couldn't trust him, surely. "Of course you can," he assured her. "Why do you even ask me?" Alumari was reluctant to confide in him at first. He knew there had been something pressing at her for days, maybe even longer. He had known her so long he could read the signs of anxiety easily by now. "Sometimes," she began hesitantly. "Sometimes, I think I can remember - before I was Alumari. I was someone else." Nicholas was startled by the admission. The Ilenti weren't supposed to have any memories, they had all been erased. If Alumari could remember, something had gone very wrong. "I dream about it sometimes, so vividly." "What do you see when you dream?" "Vague faces." She closed her eyes, trying to see them again but the images wouldn't come. "Mostly men who I - I *know* them, but I can't remember." Her breathing was suddenly fast in a pattern he knew all too well. "Alumari! Look at me." He took her face in his hands as she gasped for breath. He could see the fear that always overtook her with these attacks. "Breathe with me. In. Out. In. Out." She tried to follow his directions. "I can't...Nicholas!" Clutching her hand, he reached swiftly for the drawer beside her bed, pulling out the syringe that lay ready. "Is this okay?" She nodded, falling back against the pillow as she struggled for breath. He plunged the needle into her arm, pressing down until all the liquid was gone. As soon as it entered her body she began to shake. He held her to him despite the convulsions that racked her body. Five endless minutes later she lay still in his arms, exhausted. The medication made her drowsy and weak, added to the convulsions which were a terrifying side effect for those around her. She was never aware of them when she came to. Nicholas didn't know whether the panic attacks were a result of the treatments, or something she had been afflicted with before They took her again. She had not had them before They came, he knew that. "Nick?" Her whisper made him pay instant attention. "I'm here. Are you ok?" "Yeah. Just...shaken, you know. I hate this. Why does it happen to me?" Nick just shook his head. "I forget everything while it happens. I hate losing part of myself like that." ::--------------:: "I'm sick of waiting," Mulder said impatiently. "I want to find Meghan, I want to get Scully back. Now." "Mulder, I know you do..." "Frohike, come on. There has to be something I can do. I can't just wait and hope that something miraculously happens!" Frohike was sympathetic. "The project begins next week. We can..." "No." He avoided Frohike's stare as he tried to explain. After all, he had been the one to push the hardest, plan everything and train the hardest. "I'm sick of it. Of always being the one to pay the price, the one to risk and lose everything. Even before They came, I was doing that. I just want to stop. Take my life back." "Maybe this is the way to do it." ::--------------:: <> The others looked at It in agreement, but with a measure of doubt. They were all aware of the problem; this was a new and unexpected threat. <> One asked. <> <> One broke in with satisfaction. <> Alumari sat quietly, listening. The atmosphere in the conference room was always eerily silent. She heard them talking, but never a word was spoken. She didn't know why the conferences were conducted in a language she could understand, or why they allowed her to see through their mental defences to what they were saying. She did not contribute, that wasn't why she was there. She knew she was invited purely out of courtesy, and because they had a sort of strange respect for her that sometimes she felt was more like fear. She didn't know why. <> As a group they mentally turned to the One at the head of the table. <> It added something in Its own language, and the others' thoughts were suddenly filled with dry humour. Alumari was struck. She'd never heard them amused before. She was escorted to her home, where Nicholas was waiting for her. The sessions exhausted her, the mental concentration involved for such long periods. She signed the papers that had been waiting for her without glancing at them, listened to what she had to do over the next two days without really taking it in. Nicholas remained beside her, remembering it all for her. She trusted that he would tell her what she had to do and when. When she had finished, he helped her upstairs to bed. ::--------------:: Alumari leaned back against the pillows, handing the empty glass back to Nicholas. The pills always made her feel funny, as though she was distanced from herself and everything she was doing. Whatever it was, she thought faintly, it felt really good. Nicholas traced patterns across her skin idly with one hand. "So beautiful," he murmured to himself and looked up at her. "You should stop taking those things." Alumari looked at him. "What do you mean?" "The medication. You are a brilliant, intelligent woman. It dulls you, makes you - I don't know, different. Whenever you say something or act in a way They don't like, They increase your dosage. You should stop taking it." He couldn't quite believe he was advising this, he had no idea what the effect would be or whether it would bring her memories back. For some reason, he wanted her to be herself again. ::--------------:: It happens tonight. I'm not convinced it's the right thing to do, not now, but Mulder is adamant and the others agree. Frohike, Langly and Jo that is. None of the rest of them here know, with the possible exception of Jude. She spends so much time with Mulder it's impossible to imagine she doesn't know. There's a meeting. At a major building in the centre of the city, what used to be an opera house. A big place with more than enough room for Their parties. Several of the men have been working non stop for the past few days in preparation. Mulder is the most troubling aspect of it all. The entire project hinges on him, and if he falls apart...he's always been a risk taker and that hasn't changed. When Scully's involved, he's even more reckless. If he decides now if the time to resurrect that instinct, we could all be in a lot of trouble. ::--------------:: Everyone was in position. Mulder ran the arrangement over again in his head, for at least the hundredth time. They would leave immediately as the shots were fired, circling around the city to get back the building, ensuring they weren't followed. He doubted they would be but the precautions had become second nature and they knew they could not afford to become complacent. The man came round the corner so suddenly that Mulder and Jude didn't have time to move. Jude instinctively flattened herself against the wall. When Mulder saw the brief look of fear cross her face before she pushed it down, he reminded herself she was just a kid. She had no place in this kind of business. Then he saw who it was who had emerged from the shadows. "Alex," he hissed. Krycek turned in surprise, and saw them. Gathering himself quickly he gestured silently for them to follow him. Jude hung back warily, waiting for Mulder's reassurance. He guided her down the hall after Krycek, who led them into one of the disused rooms coming off it. From the look of it now, it had been one of the boxes before. The circle and stage area it overlooked had been ripped out to leave a huge circular area, now filled with people - and Them - for the evening. The three in the box now were hidden by the curtains still hanging, parted only slightly in the middle. As Krycek shut the door behind them there was a moment's silence. Mulder embraced him swiftly, a little awkward. "I thought you were dead, Alex." "Likewise." Mulder didn't appear to notice the hostile tone, but Jude looked up at him in concern. "What happened to you?" "What are you doing here?" This time Krycek's tone caused Mulder to fall silent, very aware that the question was being avoided. A smirk gradually came across Krycek's face as he glanced out at the crowds. "I should have known," he murmured to himself. "So," addressing the question to Mulder. "How does it feel to be the mysterious assassin? You've been driving Them crazy, They can't figure out how you get in. Your years of breaking and entering government property are paying off admirably, aren't they." "Mulder - " Jude broke in. "Time's nearly up." Krycek looked appreciatively at her. She moved a little closer to Mulder. "You're going a little young these days, Mulder. She's pretty though." He glanced sideways at Mulder. "Get sick of searching for Scully again? I assume this one's not a vampire." Jude looked at Mulder. He was ashen, something between horror and surprise on his face. "Why are *you* here?" he asked slowly. Krycek glanced towards the chink in the curtains. "Scully's not - she's...They took her." "So you know? Well," the smirk was back, a knowing smile. "Let's play I Spy." He gestured Mulder over to look through the gap at the people below. "The far side, over on the left. Talking to the old one." He watched Mulder intently, waiting for the moment he spotted her. Mulder saw her moments before Krycek murmured her name to him. "Alumari." Mulder stared, drinking in the sight of her, for a moment able to ignore the man at his side. She was surrounded by people, a crowd clamouring to be near her and hanging on her every word. He had rarely seen her so at ease, so happy and confident. Krycek laid a hand on his arm just as she shifted slightly to reveal It behind her, touching her back, and Mulder's joy drained away to leave him pale. "Your hand..." Krycek held it up, flexing his fingers into a fist and out again. "Yeah. Good as new. It's incredible what Their technology can do." It took Mulder a moment to realise the full implication. "You're working for them?" He heard a sharp intake of breath beside him. "That's your reward for betraying everything we worked for?" "Betraying?" Krycek's tone was one of pure disgust as he shook his head in disbelief. "Mulder, we're not on some holy crusade. I do what's right for me. I always have done." "It's not right." "Right? You haven't changed. Goddamn colonisation by aliens, and you still love to play the martyr." He noticed Mulder's expression. "Don't pretend you don't. All those years, the endless guilt trips, beating yourself up because you couldn't find the Truth. Well there it is." He flung his arm out to indicate the crowds below them. "There's your Truth, Mulder, and what do you do? You go into hiding until you can destroy it. Before, you wanted killed me, given the chance. Do you know why you didn't?" "I was a fool," Mulder choked out. "I should have shot you when I could." "You never could. You destroy me and you destroy the one physical thing you're fighting against. Without me, you're fumbling in the darkness for something to hold onto, to focus that death wish on." Krycek looked him up and down, his voice becoming smoother when he spoke. "We're two halves, Mulder. You need me." "Jesus and Judas," Mulder mumbled, a conversation he had had with Scully - God, it seemed so long ago - coming faintly back to him. Krycek let out a harsh laugh. "With yourself cast as the Almighty? Hardly. Mulder, the thing that I love is that you *had* it. The key to everything you ever wanted to know and more. You let it slip away." "What?" "In her. She was it." His gaze flicked to the gap in the curtains for a second and his voice resumed its mocking tone. "Why'd you wait seven years? She's fucking fantastic." He leaned forward, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "And I do mean *fucking* fantastic." In anger Mulder rushed him, shoving him against the wall. Jude let out a frightened cry as a gun appeared from nowhere, clapping her hand to her mouth to stifle the sound. Krycek flattened to the wall as the cold metal pressed up against his ribs. "I should kill you now," Mulder hissed. "I wish to god I'd done it years ago." Krycek laughed, deliberately looking towards the curtains. "You want to start something *here*, Mulder? I'm Alumari's bodyguard. If you kill me, you won't get out of here alive." Mulder pushed the gun harder into him as he released the safety, causing him to gasp. "Maybe I'm willing to take that risk." "Are you willing to risk her life?" He jerked his head to the girl standing silently beside them. Jude. He had forgotten her standing there, staring with terrified eyes onto the scene playing out before her. Reluctantly he pulled back, tucking the gun into his jeans pocket. He kept his eyes on Krycek. "Jude, what time is it?" "9.25." "Get her out of here," he said quietly. Krycek looked at him blankly. "There is a bomb in this building, set to go off in fifteen minutes. I can't disarm it and I will not tell you where it is. I want you to get Scully, and take her to the memorial. I'll meet you there." "I can't," Krycek shook his head. "She's the guest of honour, she's not permitted to leave until they give her express permission." "There has to be something you can do." He placed his hand on the gun. "Or I will tell Jude to leave and shoot you right now." ::--------------:: Krycek strode out of the box and down the corridor, every step carefully calculated. To appear to hurry would be fatal. He went straight to Alumari, who didn't notice him approach as she spoke and laughed with several others around her. "Excuse me." Krycek placed one hand on her arm. "May I steal her for a dance?" The others nodded permission, moving closer together in order to close the gap her departure had left. Alumari smiled a little as she allowed herself to be lead onto the dance floor. Krycek moved her closer, so she was pressing against his body. "Listen to me, Alumari. Don't say anything..." she began to take a step away, he pulled her back. "Don't move, and don't show any sign of me saying anything unusual. Do you understand?" She nodded, a movement imperceptible to anyone else. "Something's happening tonight, and we have to leave." This time he allowed her to move back to see his face. "I can't leave until the ceremony's over." Krycek looked down at her, a peculiar expression in his eyes. "Do you trust me?" he asked softly, echoing the question she had asked him only days before. "Of course." "Then I promise you everything will be all right." Once more he drew her to him, closing his eyes. He felt her flinch as he raised one hand, unnoticed by anyone on the crowded dance floor, and pushed. The needle went into her shoulder and she fell against him, shaking violently. Almost immediately the floor was cleared, Krycek and Alumari left alone in the middle. She fell still, but her eyes were closed. Hurriedly he picked her up, carrying her out to the ambulance that had just pulled up outside. He glanced around as he climbed in. The paramedics set to work immediately; once they saw the dress and the silver bracelet they wouldn't dare do otherwise. They heard the blast two blocks away, saw the flames that spread rapidly through the area. The driver stopped without even thinking about it, intending to return to help. Krycek shot him without a second thought. He threw the other paramedic out of the back and locked it, turning back to the woman lying on a gurney beside him. He pulled a small bottle from his jacket, hunting in the ambulance cabin for another needle. He ripped it from the packet, drew the liquid from the bottle and pushed it into her. Looked at his watch. The longest she had been unconscious with a seizure before was five minutes. They were already past that point. "Come on, come on," he muttered. Scully's eyelids moved, her eyes darting rapidly side to side, slowly opening them. "Nicholas?" He moved his hand to her wrist, checking her pulse quickly. It was slightly quickened, but steady. She barely had time to register the cloth over her face before she passed out. ::--------------:: The memorial park was eerily still. Since They came, it had been left empty. No visitors, and the gardens were no longer tended, angrily vandalised in many places in protest against Their sensibilities of beauty. The memorial itself was left untouched, its weathered stone one of the few things held sacred in the city as it stood overlooking the derelict park. Mulder stood waiting anxiously. He had sent Jude back with instructions to tell Byers, and Byers only, what had happened and what he was doing. Standing there now, alone, he didn't know if he had done the right thing. To trust Krycek, after everything that had passed between them...he hated to feel that he was indebted to Krycek for anything. The feel of cold metal against his temple made him curse. "No need to get excited by things you can't control," Krycek's voice came softly. "Get in." He pushed Mulder round to see the ambulance standing just a few feet away. He made Mulder get in, while he climbed into the passenger seat, all the while aiming for Mulder's head. "Drive." "No." "No?" Krycek casually unlatched the safety, enjoying a fleeting moment of satisfaction when Mulder flinched. "Where's Scully?" "Through there." He gestured to the back. "You're not coming." "You're not in a really strong position here, Mulder. I'm the one with the gun. I'm the one who knows what they did to her." ::--------------:: He stayed with her. Despite all Mulder's resistance, he had to admit that Krycek was the only one with any idea what Scully had been subjected to. James did the best examination he could while she was unconscious and could find no trace of physical illness. He persuaded Mulder to leave the two of them alone. Krycek demanded a solitary room at the end of the building, into which he took Scully and locked the door behind them. He refused to allow anybody in or out for three days. Sometimes screaming or shouting could be heard from inside and it was all anybody could do to stop Mulder breaking the door down and hauling Krycek out. At other times the only noise was an indistinct sobbing. These occasions would find Mulder sitting in the hallway leaning against the door. Just listening, his eyes closed. Most of the time, though, there was silence. Nobody liked passing that room. They'd all been informed of Scully's arrival and what was happening, all given the chance to object. Strangely, nobody had. After three days, Krycek emerged. Exhausted and drawn, he carefully avoided Mulder and found Byers. "She's sleeping." Without another word he turned and left. Frohike, not quite knowing why, followed. Krycek didn't even glance his way as Frohike came out. It was freezing, their breath curling away in tiny tendrils. Krycek inhaled deeply on his cigarette, then watched the smoke float away. He threw it to the ground. "I haven't smoked in ten years," he muttered. "Three days with her like that and..." "What did you do?" "Detox," he replied shortly. "She was on high dosages of several drugs, she needed them washing out of her system." "Will it help?" "It should do." Krycek drew a deep breath. "She used to experience periods of lucidity, of memory recall. Always when she was on a lower dosage." Frohike's interest was caught. "What did she remember?" Krycek shook his head regretfully. "We never got a chance to discuss it properly. It was small things, I think. Faces, or an image of a place. Bastards always upped her dosage before I could talk to her about it." The vehemence in his tone was unexpected. "Did they hurt her?" There was a pause. "In more ways than you could imagine." Krycek pulled another cigarette from his pocket, raising it to his lips. As he cupped one hand round the flame from the match Frohike realised it was shaking. He stayed for a moment then left Krycek staring into the distance. ::--------------:: Andy snuck back into the abandoned building, carefully checking behind him. Meghan sat on Skinner's lap as he sat beside them. She was playing some kind of game with coins, arranging and rearranging them on the floor in front of her. "I don't like being here." Skinner looked at him in surprise. It was the first time the younger man had made any comment about their movements or questioned Skinner's leadership. "Why?" "This city...some of it's burned out, like this neighbourhood. Other places, it's more spectacular than it would ever have been before. Except..." "What?" "The centre of town. I backpacked through here - five, six years ago. There was an arts district, a little way out of the centre. It had been rebuilt, I think. I guess they could have renovated before They came but - it just looks like their style." "I'll take your word for it." "It doesn't make sense," he continued almost to himself. "They like culture, art, won't live anywhere that doesn't look good." "You know a lot about Them," Skinner commented softly. He leaned forward to move one of the coins Meghan was playing with. She glanced up at him before stubbornly moving it back. "I spent a year running from them!" Andrew suddenly shouted. "I had to learn fast!" At his harsh tone Meghan suddenly wailed, a high pitched shriek. Instantly Andrew dropped to his knees. "I'm sorry, Meghan. I won't shout." He looked back at Skinner. "I could be wrong. It was a few years before..." "What is it?" "There was an opera house, or theatre or something. Out by the water. Beautiful, actually. Exactly what they liked, what they would have kept." "I don't understand." "It's gone. In the middle of all that new building, the one thing they would have kept has been burnt down." "Any idea what happened?" Andrew shook his head. "Place looks like a bomb hit it." Both men fell silent. ::--------------:: I don't know what he did to her, but I have this overwhelming feeling that it's not *my* Scully sitting beside me. I even spoke to Krycek about it; all he would say was that she needed time. How the hell would he know? He presumes to know here, to know how she thinks and feels, but he couldn't. She's changed. In the years we've been together there's just something different. I couldn't define it but it's there, almost perceptibly under the surface. He couldn't possibly know her like I do. ::--------------:: The patrol was closing in. He could feel it. They'd been surprised the day before, a brief moment when their guard was down destroyed by the high pitched wail of Their siren. They'd been running since, with a growing sense of fear and inevitability. The city was closed, guards around the perimeter. Troops worked their way inwards. Skinner could feel Andrew's increasing panic threatening to break at any moment. Even Meghan was afraid. She'd been ok, treating it as an adventure or at least appearing to accept this strange new life. Now her face was haunted. The three of them had paused to gather themselves, plan rather than run blindly. But the patrol was catching them up. Skinner made a decision. He kissed Meghan swiftly, thrusting her into Andrew's arms. He loaded his gun. It and the spare ammunition went into Andrew's pocket before he could protest. "Meet me tomorrow night, 8 o'clock at that old opera house. More than an hour and I'm not coming so *don't* wait for me." The younger man began to argue. "Promise you won't wait." He nodded and Skinner was gone. He ran. Without looking back, without thinking, without stopping. He knew that They were following him. He knew it as instinctively as he knew the thudding beat was his own heart beating, matched by his feet against the road. So he ran, leading Them as far away from Meghan and Andrew as he could. ::--------------:: Scully sits and listens to the noises outside her door. People pass by in the corridor, talking and laughing as though things have never changed. Her life has been so quiet for so long that she feels intimidated by the thought of so many people all in one place. The room becomes claustrophobic as she thinks she can feel them pressing in on her. Mulder sits beside her. As though from a distance she notes how quiet he always is, talking in a monotone whisper as if he were afraid of speaking too loudly. Perhaps he is afraid. She is surrounded by fear. "Mulder!" The interruption as the door is flung open is so startling she jumps, a soft cry escaping. "Krycek's gone." "Nicholas." She whispers so quietly that neither man appears to notice, even when she corrects herself with a slight shake of her head. "Alex." "When?" Mulder is suddenly leader again, taking control as she has rarely seen him do. "Maybe a few hours ago. We don't know. Mulder - Jude's gone too." ::--------------:: They sent out a few men looking for them, enough to cover the city in a couple of hours. The gunmen, Jo and Mulder went to the small room they used to talk privately to discuss what they needed to do. Whether Krycek would have gone to Them and revealed their position, and whether they should leave, trying to establish how much information Krycek had about them and what he wanted with Jude. Mulder couldn't focus on any of it. The arguments flew past him as he stared down at the table, hearing Scully's voice over and over. "Nicholas." He had heard that tone from her before. Filled with longing and the kind of betrayal that can only come from a close relationship. With her voice came Krycek's. "Why seven years?...fucking fantastic." Scully's whisper had been like a knife between his shoulder blades. ::--------------:: Krycek had only gone a few blocks when he realised someone was following him. He stopped abruptly around the corner, flattening back against the wall to wait. As the figure came into the street in the darkness, he pounced. He threw them back against the alley wall, his gun to their head. Then he caught the flash of silver in the darkness as a knife was aimed at his heart. "Do it," she dared him. He swore as he recognised her voice, He recognised her voice. Krycek pushed his gun into his jeans and pulled her into the light. Jude stared back. He let go instantly. "What the hell are you doing here?" "Right back at you." He leaned insolently towards her. "Go home, little girl. You have no business being mixed up in this." "You should've thought of that when you crashed out of there. I'm surprised no-one else woke up." "Why didn't you wake them?" They had moved back into the darkness, hidden from anyone passing by. Jude shrugged. "No time. And I figured Mulder wouldn't want you roaming the streets on your own." Krycek turned, walking away. She followed him, running a few steps to catch up. "Go home." He never slowed his pace. "No. Now what?" She enjoyed challenging him, the fear felt in the opera house long since faded. He ignored her, continuing along back streets and alleyways until he reached Their district. He reached for his gun. His hand was greeted by empty space. He looked around, and saw Jude a few steps away. Her hand was held out idly, his gun dangling from one finger. "Miss something?" Krycek looked at her with admiration. "You're good. When did you take that?" "Five minutes ago." "Impressive. I didn't feel a thing. Now give it back." He reached for it but she stepped back. "This isn't the time for games." "I get that." "Look, Jude, there's something in that building I have to get, and while a gun won't help me with Them, if I get into trouble it'll buy me enough human guards to get me out." She considered his words. "What do you need?" "You wouldn't understand." Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she crossed her arms. "Try me." "It's a book." Jude was openly disbelieving. "What, you want a little light reading for those long dreary nights?" "For God's sake" Krycek appealed to the skies. "It's Their book. Like the Bible, I suppose, only - it's more of a prophetic nature. She stared at him. "You're kidding me." Krycek looked apprehensively at the building behind them. He didn't have time to argue about it and without another word he turned and ran into the building, leaving Jude behind. She sighed and followed him. He didn't realise she was there until it was too late. Krycek had been in the Imperial building many times before, accompanying Alumari to their meetings and functions. He had been watched, of course, but able to gather enough information to work out where the book was being kept. The majority of servants, including the majority of the security guards, were human. It prevented Them having to put themselves in a subservient position, and enabled them to have a ready hostages should they need them. A quick blow to the back of the head and the guard crumpled to the floor. Krycek didn't feel even a moment's remorse. He didn't even take the time to wonder when human life had become so cheap to him. The room was still, an eerie calm across it that Krycek had only felt once before in his life. A vague memory of a Russian cathedral came back to him. The sheer scale of the great dome towering above him had been somehow comforting. He had sat there for hours, just contemplating the size of it. He didn't have that luxury here. The book lay in a case in the middle of the room. It took him a few minutes to work the lock enough to get it to snap out of place. He grabbed the book and ran. Alarms began to ring. He raced for the nearest exit, ducking into a doorway briefly as a guard ran past him. Jude was still outside where he went in, waiting for him. "What's going on?" He grabbed her arm, dragging her along beside him. "Damn place was rigged, floor to ceiling. They knew the moment I stepped foot in there." He could hear someone chasing behind them. From the hard breathing behind him he could tell it was a human and for a moment he was insulted that They hadn't even had the concern to follow him themselves. He pulled Jude around the corner, throwing her against the wall with one hand over her mouth. She panicked, struggling under his grasp. As the guard came round the corner she broke free, trying to run away. The guard saw her and fired. She crumpled to the ground. The guard stood over her, panting unevenly. Krycek crept up behind him, firing point blank to the back of his head. ::--------------:: Dawn was breaking when Krycek staggered into the building, carrying Jude in his arms. He'd taken off his shirt to press it against her. They were both covered in blood. He made his way to the room where Scully stayed, laying Jude down on the floor. Scully was sitting on the bed, staring at the door as they came in. By the time he'd gotten to her room Mulder and the others had followed him. "What the hell did you do to her?" Mulder grabbed Krycek, pulling him back away from Jude's body. "Langly, get James. Now!" Krycek was jerked to his feet, held securely. Mulder tried to pull him out of the room. "Scully." Krycek didn't shout her name, there was no need. From the moment he had entered with Jude she had been staring blankly at him. "Scully, come on." He stood firm as Mulder tried to pull him away. With a hard thrust, he threw him off and pulled Scully off the bed, forcing her to kneel down beside Jude. This time both Mulder and Byers grabbed him, hauling him out of the room. "ALUMARI, NOW!" Falteringly, Scully reached out to touch Jude. She took the shirt away, dropping it to the floor. Pressed her hands to the wound. She was overwhelmed by the sensations that washed over her, through her. The room was snatched away as she saw instead people she had never met, heard snatches of conversations that flashed past her in instants but left a lingering sensation. She felt what it was like to spend a night alone on the sidewalk, when people hurried past with their heads down as though they could make her go away simply by pretending she wasn't there. She felt what it was like to sit in a bathtub with a razor and contemplate what would happen if she gathered enough courage to put it to skin. She felt the sharp pang of broken tile hitting her arm when the razor was hurled across the bathroom in anger. She felt what it was like to find someone who had been through the same thing. She gasped and pulled her hands away. Mulder let go of Krycek to catch her as she fell back. James appeared in the doorway. Seeing the blood across Jude's body, he got to his knees beside her, checking for an injury. He looked up. "Where's this blood from?" The guys watched him in confusion. "I can't see any kind of injury whatsoever." ::--------------:: "What the hell happened in there?" Frohike had somehow drawn the short straw in watching Krycek while Byers stayed with Scully and James took care of Jude. Mulder stood in the corner, his arms crossed and one foot against the wall as he stared at the floor. "She's Alumari," Krycek said as though that explained everything. "Don't fucking call her that." Mulder's voice was carefully measured, but with a force that made Frohike go cold. Krycek looked at him. "Not calling her that doesn't make it go away, Mulder. It's who she is. It's ingrained into her as deeply as her sense of morality, her loyalty and her goddamn love for you." He spoke bitterly. "It's not her." "Then who is she? You don't understand." Mulder came forward, slamming his hands down onto the table in front of Krycek. "Then *make* me understand. And what possessed you to take Jude along on your little field trip?" "I didn't. She came; she followed me. This 'field trip' was important." "Really. I have a hard time believing that it could be important for anyone other than you. It certainly wasn't risking Jude's life over." "Yes it was." He paused, reconsidering. "What happened was an accident, a miscalculation on my part. But it was essential." He reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a slim volume. He placed it reverently on the table. "*This* is essential." "A book?" Krycek sighed, moving it closer to open it and read a passage. "The translation's difficult," he explained. "'And lo, for there shall be One who will begin the world anew, and the One will be revered above all, for it is within Her to devastate the whole. For with the Child shall come the - ', uh, it loosely translates as 'cure' or 'healing' I think. ' - and we shall all know an eternity of nothingness'". Mulder was openly sceptical. "Do you expect me to believe that crap?" "Does it make more sense when you know that the One is Alumari - Scully - and the Child is..." "Meghan." Frohike finished. "You're not buying this, are you?" Mulder asked in frustration. "We have no way to verify the translation!" "It's why They are so afraid of Scully," Krycek explained. "They don't know she's already had the child. If They did, neither of them would be alive." Frohike drew Mulder to one side, speaking to him in a hushed whisper. "What if he's right? If there is some truth in this?" "I don't think it is." "But They do," Krycek argued. "What matters is that They believe it, absolutely. They are ruled by what it says in that book. If you know that, you can anticipate them." Mulder took a moment to decide. "Translate it for me." "There's something I need." "Someone will go with you." "You want every word? Because I gotta tell you, it's way overwritten." "Don't miss a single syllable." ::--------------:: It was ten minutes before nine, and Skinner was nowhere to be seen. Andy and Meghan were hidden in the shadows of the building, waiting. Every minute or so Andrew would look at his watch, nervous and worried in case Skinner didn't show and he would have to decide what to do. It was half past nine when Skinner came around the corner. "I told you not to wait." "You knew I would," Andrew replied. "Why else would you have come now?" Skinner nodded, smiling a little. "The city's been barricaded. I don't know whether they're trying to keep people in or out, but there're guards all the way around. I think we should spend the night here." Andrew agreed, and they made their way inside. They found a small room, probably used to be a dressing room, that seemed secure and safe. Skinner put Meghan on a makeshift bed while Andrew lit one of the last candles they had. "I want to have a look around." "Don't be long." Andrew agreed, and slipped out of the door. ::--------------:: The corridors were dark as he walked down them. A smell somewhere between must and smoke still lingered, but only a slight hint. One by one, he opened the doors leading off the corridor. They were almost completely empty, a few had an abandoned chair or desk in them but most had been cleaned out. He was just closing a door when from behind him came a thudding blow. Krycek was a little relieved when the guy groaned and started to open his eyes. He'd hit him a little hard, and was beginning to think perhaps he wasn't going to wake up. Mark sat beside him, sombre as he watched the young man struggle to sit up. "You shouldn't have hit him," he accused. "Quiet," Krycek snapped back. The young man was sitting now, resting against the wall. "What's your name?" The man stared back, resolute. He wasn't going to speak. "All right then." Krycek leaned over to grab his jacket. After Mark had helped him carry the man into one of the abandoned rooms, he'd taken his jacket off to form a kind of pillow for him. Now he searched through the pockets. The man tried to snatch it back but Mark took his wrist. "Leave it." Krycek felt a moment of surprise at Mark's apparent defence of his action but continued through the jacket. He pulled out some coins, fairly worthless now, and a box of matches which he pocketed himself. He threw the jacket back to the cowering man, then heard the slight sound as something fell out and hit the floor. The man lunged for them but Krycek was quicker. He caught his breath as he saw the photographs, faded and worn. "Where did you get these?" He remained silent. "It's ok," he said a little more gently. "I know these people." "I don't," he spat out. "Stole the jacket from some guy upstate, before I came here. Pictures must have already been in there." Krycek was filled with an inexplicable disappointment. "Damn," he whispered. He looked to Mark for explanation. "If he got them upstate, there's no chance he knows where Meghan is." "Meghan?" The name was choked out in a near silent whisper before Andrew could think. Krycek jumped on it. "You're lying to me. You know exactly where she is, don't you?" Andrew shook his head, pushing himself up. Krycek shoved him hard against the wall, winding him as he pressed his arm against Andrew's throat. "I've got what I came for, boy, but you WILL tell me where her little girl is." ::--------------:: Scully opened the door slowly, not going into Mulder's room. "Mulder?" He turned and smiled at her. "Come in." Hesitantly, she took a step inside. And stopped. Her clothes lay hung over the chair, some of her belongings lying on the bed or sitting on the single shelf. "What's going on?" Mulder took her arm, making her sit down on the edge of the bed before returning to shut the door. He sat beside her, still holding her hand. "I moved your things into here," he said softly. "Scully, I still want you. My question still holds." She stayed silent. "Marry me, Scully." He heard the desperation creeping into his voice and flinched, berating himself for pressuring her. He leant forward to kiss her. She turned away. He sighed, bowing his head. "Is it because of him?" he asked in a low voice. "Is that it?" "Mulder...you told me what they did to you. And I was grateful that you trusted me enough, but...I can't tell you." "You don't trust me." She shook her head in denial. "There just aren't the words." They sat in silence, each consumed in their own thoughts and contemplation of the other. "I would like to try," Scully said hesitantly. Mulder turned to her, holding up his hand. Cautiously she placed hers on it, watching as he intertwined their fingers. "I'm not planning to go anywhere. As long as you need me." ::--------------:: Krycek had left Mark with Andrew, giving him terse instructions to watch him and not leave him alone for any reason. The younger man's eyes had narrowed in anger at being ordered around, but he obeyed. So Krycek left on his own, roaming the halls of the opera building that he was so familiar with. As Krycek came into the backstage area, there was a slight hint of smoke in the air. He opened doors, one by one. Until he came to one jammed shut. He pulled the remains of a chair from the dressing room opposite and repeatedly hit the door, breaking it open. Skinner was in the corner, Meghan hiding behind him. Krycek nearly laughed aloud. What was he planning to do, fight them? But the relief on his face made Krycek almost pity the guy despite the numerous beatings he had administered over the years. He led them back to where Andrew and Mark waited for them. ::--------------:: Scully sat in the chair, Mulder watching her. She'd agreed to come into his room, as long as he would understand if sometimes she would retreat to her own room when things became too much. She wasn't comfortable with lots of people, and it was only in silence that the crippling headaches she experienced could be stifled. But for an hour, he had just watched her as he used to do when everything was normal, when their lives were their own. She was somewhere else, lost in thought. A soft knock on the door broke into their silence. Byers was outside, excitement in his face. "There's something you're gonna want to see." Mulder followed him, running to keep up. Scully was beside him. As they entered the main hall, the people fell silent. He heard Scully's intake of breath as she saw them. With a soft moan she went to Meghan, kneeling to hold her. She hugged her tightly, stroking her hair as she fought back tears. Mulder watched her, unable to move. Skinner approached, greeting him with a brief hug and introducing a young man by his side. Mulder barely heard. He saw Krycek. Standing to one side, the man was watching Scully hugging her daughter with a peculiar look on his face, one that Mulder knew was on his own. And at that moment, hatred flared in him as it never had before. He had done the one thing that Mulder had been unable to do - return Meghan to Scully. And Mulder found himself hating him for it. Behind Meghan and Scully, Mulder saw Skinner. His former boss looked so much older than Mulder remembered. His face was harder, his body tense with suspicion. He had one arm slung protectively around the shoulder of a young man Mulder didn't know. ::--------------:: They were left alone that evening, the three of them sitting in one room. Scully held Meghan in her lap. She didn't flinch when Mulder put his arm tentatively around her. Instead she leaned into him, and he smiled. It was the first time she'd allowed him anywhere near her since he found her. The first time he tried, she had pushed him away and told him shakily that she wasn't ready. She refused to tell him what They had done to her, and refused to let him in to try to understand what she was feeling. He felt betrayed. As though everything they had gone through meant nothing; it felt like it had years ago, when she couldn't bring herself to confide in him. As she held Meghan, though, her defences lowered. It was past three in the morning when she fell asleep, Meghan still cradled in her arms. Quietly, not wanting to disturb them, Mulder snuck out and back to the main room, where he knew Skinner and the gunmen would still be waiting. He embraced Skinner, murmured 'thank you' into his ear before sitting down to learn what had happened to them both. As Skinner spoke, Mulder watched the young man sitting on his left. He in turn watched Skinner telling what had become their story, a look somewhere between adulation and nervous exhaustion on his face. ::--------------:: Mulder took his daughter with him to the lab a week after her return. Scully wanted one of them to be with her constantly, borne out of a fear and guilt he easily understood, and had reluctantly agreed to his taking her when he pointed out they both had things to do. He was impressed by how far they had come along. Just a short time ago when he had visited, the room they used was dark and ill equipped. Now, courtesy of several raiding parties they had enough equipment to fill two of the small rooms and were working on replicating the vaccine courtesy of the information Mulder and Krycek had been able to give them. As much as he hated to admit it, Krycek had given them valuable data and several blood samples into the bargain. Talking to the scientist in charge, Mulder left Meghan sitting at the bench, shuffling the empty containers around in some kind of game. When she cried out he turned sharply. There was a small cut on her finger, and a smashed bottle on the bench. "It's ok," he reassured her when she cried that she was sorry, half amazed at how well she could talk now instead of the childish babble she had been speaking when he left. "It's not important." He looked up at Jack and was relieved when he nodded that was true. He picked her up and continued consoling her as Jack went back to work. They were heading out the door when he called them back. Motioning to the microscope with an ashen face, he took Meghan to allow Mulder to look. "I don't understand what I'm looking at," Mulder admitted. "It's the virus. A small sample, but...it's dead." "What?" He looked again. "How?" "It's crazy," he murmured softly to himself. "There's no way." He paused, then set Meghan down on the bench. Taking her hand in his, he gently pressed her finger until a drop of blood welled up. Holding it over a dish he dripped it in. "What the hell are you doing?" Mulder demanded, sweeping Meghan back up off the counter. But muttering to himself, Jack was oblivious. "Jesus," he said finally when he looked back at Mulder. There was a reverence in his face as he regarded the little girl in Mulder's arms. "She's it." ::--------------:: They worked for hours without a rest to determine if what he had said was true, and then for hours more to put the discovery into use as a viable vaccine. Finally, they sat back and looked at one another in stunned exhaustion. A slow smile began to work its way across Byers' face as he looked around. They made their way to the main room where everyone had been gathering for the past hour, word having spread of what was going on in the makeshift lab. "Ladies and gentlemen," Byers declared quietly. "Ladies and gentlemen, we've done it." The room exploded into cheers, laughter, celebration and disbelief. He encouraged Jack and five others who had worked in the labs forward to be greeted with rowdy cheering. Only Skinner, the gunmen and Krycek noticed that Mulder and Scully were absent. ::--------------:: "NO!" Scully shouted at him. "You're wrong!" "I promise you I'm not. Even if the first test had been a mistake, they went over and over the results...you're welcome to go through them yourself." "Oh, I will." She headed for the door, stopping suddenly. "Where is she?" she asked more calmly. "With Skinner and Andy. They're looking after her, and nobody knows the details yet." He gave a short laugh. "Nobody's asked for the details." "She's just a child, Mulder." She turned to leave. When he went to follow her, she gestured for him to stay where he was. "Go join the party. I'll come in a while." ::--------------:: When Scully saw Krycek standing there she wondered if maybe that was why she came out here. She dismissed the thought as it occurred to her; it couldn't be. Leaning against the wall beside him she didn't say a word. "They told you?" "Yeah." "I'm guessing you're none too happy about it." "She's my daughter," Scully replied. "She's not the second coming." "Nobody suggested she was." His voice was hoarse, his breath visible in the cold air and mingling with the cigarette smoke. " "How can he just want to use her like this?" Her question was more to herself than anything but he took the opportunity. "It wouldn't take much. A couple of drops of her blood is the kind of vaccine we only dreamed of." "How?" He shrugged. "You tell me, Alumari." He felt her freeze beside him at the title. "Don't call me that." "Don't start singing Mulder's tune," he warned. "I *will* call you Alumari because it is who you are. You were born to it, and nothing will change it. You can't fight it." He threw the cigarette onto the ground, scrubbing it out with his boot. Turning, she thought he was going inside. "What did I sign?" He turned at the question so he faced her, so close that she could feel his body heat. "You brought me papers to sign. I never read them...what were they?" "You were always too tired," he said half to himself. "How much do you remember?" I remember this, she found herself wanting to say. Instead she just replied: "Enough." "What they did to you." "What you did to me." He nodded, a rueful smile on his lips. "What I did to you," he repeated as he stepped back away from her. "You didn't sign anything that mattered." "To me or to you?" His face tightened in anger. "Nothing you signed made any difference in the long run." He moved back in towards her. "Trust me or not, it's your call." She never knew who made the first move. Would never wonder about whether it mattered. All she felt were his lips brushing hers so gently she couldn't be sure if they had actually touched. He moved his head back just so she could see his dark eyes staring at her. She made the second move. There was no doubt about it, as she ran it through her head later. She seized his mouth, her hands curling in the hair at the back of his neck, stifling a moan as his hands moved to hold her waist and pull her up on tiptoes to his height in that familiar manner. When they broke apart, his hands remained on her waist and she remained leaning against him. "I promised him," she murmured softly. "I promised I would go to the party." Krycek drew back. "Then you should." He gave her a small smile, and walked back into the building. She nearly stopped and turned back at the sight of the crowded room. She knew full well what some of these people thought of her, what they had called her in heated arguments over what should be done with her. She felt the beginnings of a headache tugging at the corners of her mind. "Hey!" Byers came up, catching her in an embrace. Despite herself she found herself smiling at his exuberance. She'd never seen him like this. "Where've you been?" "Just thinking. Clearing my head." Mulder came up beside them, slipping an arm protectively around her waist. //his hands on her waist, pulling her up to him// He knew she was uncomfortable with all these people. She leaned against him. For nearly an hour and half she stayed with him, Meghan alternately with them and Skinner, and Andy. Mulder's arm was always around her, a frontline against the encroaching migraine. She liked Andy, she decided. He seemed like a nice boy and she told him she was grateful to him for staying with Skinner and Meghan. He blushed at her words and muttered something inaudible, rescued from saying anything more by Skinner's arrival and inquiry as to how she was feeling. She watched him as he watched Skinner, her face softening as she recognised the signs of hero worship, and maybe something more, well masked behind the barriers he had put up. It was when she realised that Langly had been talking to her for ten minutes and she hadn't heard any of it that she turned to Mulder and told him she was going to bed. He looked at her in concern. "Headache?" "Yeah," she replied shortly. "I just need some quiet." He followed her a few steps. "Will I see you later?" he asked softly, his eyes pleading with her not to stay away all night. "Maybe." She looked at him again. "If it goes away, I'll come in." He kissed her forehead before watching her make her way out of the room. She looked even smaller than usual, her hand to her head making her appear more vulnerable. ::--------------:: He opened the door hoping he knew who he would find. He wasn't disappointed. Scully rose to meet him, her hands locking around his neck as he twisted her around to close the door behind them. "Why are you here?" he breathed, immediately regretting asking in case it made her change her mind. "You make me feel better," she replied honestly before kissing him again. Their clothes were lost in a matter of minutes, his hands slipped across her skin as she arched against him, lost in sensations. Her mouth hot on his flesh. His hands cool between her legs. Her low moans as he touched her. His whispered 'alumari' when he entered her. ::--------------:: Mulder was half asleep when he felt her slip in beside him. He felt a feather light kiss on his cheek. "You ok?" he murmured drowsily. "Mmm. Better." She lay beside him as his arms went automatically around her, her eyes open and staring into the darkness. ::--------------:: The calm acceptance with which Meghan greeted the next few days surprised, and worried, both Mulder and Scully, but not Skinner. She had been the same all the time she was with him and if he were honest with himself, he would have wondered if she had taken it any other way. She watched the needle go into her arm with a vague curiosity, saw the blood flowing down the plastic tube but didn't commented, and accepted the sweets she was given in reward with excitement. Once everyone in the building had been vaccinated, they turned their attention elsewhere. Meeting, as always, late at night in the main room when they knew they would not be disturbed, it was a sombre discussion. "What do we do next?" It was the question none of them had asked before. The likelihood of them succeeding in creating a viable vaccine had been so doubtful that they hadn't wanted to plan for events once they had for fear of tempting fate. "We use it," Mulder replied as though it were self explanatory. "Convoys come into the city every other month." Mulder's face hardened at the voice from the doorway, and he tried not to notice Scully's reaction beside him. "We don't need your help," he replied in a low voice, avoiding looking at Krycek. "Then you know the security arrangements for the convoys, where they come in?" At their exchanged looks he smirked. "You do?" "It's amazing what you can learn as senior aide to the Alumari." He felt a kick of satisfaction at seeing Mulder flinch when he heard the lilting emphasis on 'senior aide'. Maybe now would be a good time to tell him...the thought lasted only a second before he brushed it aside. He pulled up a chair at the table and began to speak, making quick sketches as he talked. ::--------------:: How do you prepare someone for this? It can't be done, and I know Mulder wouldn't thank me for trying. Shit, he'd probably blow my brains out before I had a chance to explain what I was doing. As I have no doubt he'd do if he ever discovered Alumari was in my bed the other night instead of his. Alumari. I can't think of her as anything else, I won't. She *is* Alumari, even if she and Mulder are too scared of the possibility to acknowledge it. No - *he's* afraid. Always has been when it comes to her and that's exactly what stopped him, every time. Every time he was given an opportunity to stop this, to become involved in the project in any way he wanted - and they would have given him anything to get him in - he didn't take it. Despite all his talk of the truth and exposing the conspiracy, he never did when he had the chance. Because of her. And she's so concerned about what he thinks of her that she would never do it herself. It's so damn frustrating. She has all this power, over them, over anyone she wants - doing anything she wants. She was on the brink of using it when she was with me. Every day I felt her moving just a little closer to the point where she would be able to do it. I felt that for a moment when she healed Jude; that should have spurred her on. Instead it's pushed her back. She's even more afraid of what she can do. I would kill for the power she has. I *have* killed to protect that power, and I will again. I want her to use it, for Christ's sake. To use that enormous potential she has that so many men would die for. She has to use it. ::--------------:: They gathered around the map of the city. It was so familiar, Scully thought. The gunmen, herself and Mulder, Skinner and Krycek. Jude in Marita's place at the table. Mulder kept one hand on her arm. She found it an irritating reminder of his constant presence, his constant need to reassure himself that she was still there. When he listened to Krycek talking about the security protocol involved in bringing captives into the city, his grip tightened slightly. Just enough so that she knew he was insecure about the man standing on her other side. Unbidden, a smile touched her lips. She could feel Krycek against her, and the contact brought reminders of the previous night they had spent together. She stifled the smile, forcing her attention back to the map and the plans for the next week. ::--------------:: She sought him out. Night after night, she made excuses to Mulder or slipped out of his bed when she thought he was asleep and crept to Krycek. His touch was comforting, bringing her back to herself. Sometimes, though, she lay beside him and found herself scared. "He would kill me if he found me here," she murmured one night, having slipped out from Krycek's arms to sit across the room from him. "No, he wouldn't." "He would." "No." Krycek shake his head. "He doesn't have it in him." She went cold. "You do." "Yes." He smiled, with a hint of pity, to see her blanch at his casual admission. She would never be able to comprehend his actions. The thought that she may have, however inadvertently, caused anyone's death, still tormented her. "Does it get easier?" "What?" "Killing people. Knowing - that you've been the cause of somebody's death." He slowly crossed the room to her. "You assume it was hard to begin with." She flinched at the casual tone in his voice. "How can you...?" "It needed doing. It was an act of faith in something I believe in completely." His use of the present tense was not lost in her. He knelt in front of her, taking one hand in his. "Alumari, I have no regrets. How many other people can say that? Can you?" Her whispered 'no' was lost in his crushing kiss. ::--------------:: It was past midnight when Skinner wandered into the main room. He'd been walking round the corridors for nearly an hour, unable to sleep. It was a habit picked up in the weeks since leaving the safety of the cabin, the practice of sleeping a couple of hours then waking to check that everything was as it had been when he had closed his eyes. He'd expected everyone else to be asleep but when he saw Mulder sitting alone at one of the large round tables in the main room, he somehow wasn't surprised. He walked slowly in, allowing his feet to tap on the wooden floor to alert Mulder to his presence before pulling out a chair to sit at the table with him. "Hey." The echoing 'hi' from Mulder was listless. He appeared more interested in tracing patterns on the tabletop. "Why are you out here?" "There's really no reason for me to be anywhere else." "What's going on with you and Scully?" The bluntness of his question caused Mulder to look up in surprise. He'd seen others wanting to express the same sentiments but they either hadn't or had done so in a way that allowed him to easily evade the question. "I swear to god, I don't know if she's in love with him, or bored with me, or...I don't know," he trailed off in a sigh. "She barely lets me touch her but she goes looking for him every night." He looked up at Skinner, agony in his eyes. "I can't stand it." Skinner considered him for a moment. He looked terrible, his hair and clothes a mess, his face was drawn and tiredness radiated from him. Every move he made was listless and filled with the pain he was feeling over Scully. "Get over it." The shock in Mulder's eyes nearly made Skinner pity him enough to recant, but not quite. "You're onto something here. We're only a few days away, and you need to focus on that. And even forgetting that, you have a daughter who doesn't have a clue what's going on in her life. She needs you." ::--------------:: In another week, they were ready. Using a small quantity of Meghan's blood and Krycek's methods of reproducing the vaccine, they were able to create enough to vaccinate everybody in the building and have enough to mount an offensive. For weeks, they had been stockpiling goods as quickly as they were able, and they were confident they had enough. They moved out in the early hours of the morning, twenty of them, to reach the edge of the city just after dawn when They would bring more into the city. It happened every month, Krycek had informed them, that They brought people to work for them or as hostages to replace others. The air was thick with tension. Nobody spoke, they barely dared breathe in case they were discovered. They waited. For an hour, they stayed in position waiting for the signs of the column making its way into the city. Then, the first people were seen. They reached the gates, and It signalled to be allowed in. Slowly the gates swung open - and Mulder gave the signal. When they were asked later, few people could give a coherent account of what had happened. The people coming in from outside remembered a sudden panic spreading through the group, confusion everywhere as they tried to understand what was happening when It fell in front of their eyes. The city guards sprang into action looking for the assassins, and hastily swung the gates shut, keeping everybody inside. The guards fell quickly, Mark cutting one down before plunging a knife into Its neck as he had been taught, two other young men tackling the other to the ground. Mulder saw them do it, and felt a rush of pride as he noted how easily they did it. One of the boys sustained a minor injury, but it was quickly bandaged and would be looked after properly when they got back to the building. Mulder climbed onto the guard post, Mark on one side, Byers on the other. The three of them shouted in unison, enough to get the attention of the confused people below. Quickly, Mark told them who they were, and what had just happened. Anybody was free not to believe him, he said, and they were equally free to leave. But hospitality would be extended to any who wished to take it up, on condition that they administer a vaccine to all who wanted to leave with them, before they left the scene. Nobody declined and Mark motioned to those holding the vaccines to organise their distribution. They should have moved on, Byers freely admitted later. Should have explained it, and moved elsewhere to administer the vaccine, even if it meant going back and revealing their position to people who could easily have changed their minds and betrayed them all. Nobody blamed him though. They were nearly finished when it happened. The final doses were being given and small groups of people were being taken back, varying their routes to avoid being followed and drawing attention to themselves. They should have anticipated it. The killing of the guards had drawn attention to them faster than they had realised, and a troupe had been sent out. They arrived in the midst of the crowd, and the first Mulder knew of it was when the screaming started. Byers, Frohike and Skinner acted quickly, drawing as many people as they could into the nearest building and slamming the door closed, shepherding people through and out of the back door with guides to take them safely back while others fought outside. Mulder saw Mark swinging his knife at whatever came near him; out of the corner of his eye he saw One fall and shared Mark's look of exhilaration. Then the look turned to horror. Mulder turned in time to see It slashing down at him, and then there was nothing. Mark fought on, struggling to keep others moving towards the building he had seen Byers enter, and he was dimly aware of them being pushed through and hoped They did not realise it. He knew it was taking too long; a couple more minutes and the guards would reach them before everyone had a chance to get away. There had been six others with him when he started, he was sure. Now, it was him and a handful of people crouching behind a wall praying the guards who paced the square just a few yards ahead wouldn't find them before they had a chance to run for the building. Then he became aware of another figure crouched beside him. "How long do we need to hold them off?" It was the young boy Krycek had brought back with him, the one who'd been with Mulder's daughter, Mark realised. "Maybe five, ten minutes. That should give Skinner and John time to get them well on their way back. If they loop round enough, they'll be okay." Andrew handed him several syringes. As he glanced nervously down at them he saw they were filled with the vaccine. "I didn't need them all." He gestured to a couple more in his belt, and reloaded the gun he held in one hand. "Do you have anything else?" Mark held up his knife in reply, eyes fixed ahead - on guards closing in on them. Andrew nodded, and turned to the small huddle of people with him. They looked back with scared eyes. Beside him, Mark nodded gravely in agreement. "I want you to run to that building over there," he explained quietly, eyes never leaving the guards. "They'll get you in, they'll get you back to safety." Quickly he locked eyes with one man behind him. "Take care of them, okay?" The man nodded and Mark turned back. Andrew turned back to look with him. They waited. It had to be the perfect time, when the guards were distracted for a moment. The moments stretched out as they waited, breath held. Unconsciously, Andrew grabbed for Mark's hand. He clutched back. Then came a sound from their left, and the guards turned. The two of them ran, dimly aware of the others beginning to move behind them. The guards turned, slowly, as though not quite sure what was happened. In moments Andrew and Mark were upon them. Andrew could see the people they had left behind fleeing, an indistinct movement to his left. He couldn't pay them any attention. It was a blur; pointing and shooting, aware of Mark slashing, lashing out at Them desperately. The brief sense of satisfaction when he heard an agonised cry. The knowledge there were more coming at him. When the bullets ran out he used the gun to hit Them, clawing and scratching, every hatred he had ever felt coming to the fore and fuelling his anger. He turned to Mark. Neither of them heard themselves scream hoarsely as they rushed the remaining guards. ::--------------:: It took nearly two hours for everyone to come back, all taking different routes to avoid discovery. Those who had remained behind during the rescue were busy now, helping the newcomers understand what they had come into. Scully helped James with those who had been injured, but her mind was elsewhere. In all the people flooding into the building she hadn't seen Mulder. Krycek had staggered in fifteen minutes earlier, carrying one child and lending his support to a man who could barely walk. After seeing they were okay, he waved Scully off checking him over and stumbled down the halls to his own room. Many of the rescues had done the same, exhausted and scared. Byers and Skinner were among the last to arrive back. They found Scully in one of the small medical rooms. She saw the grief and anger etched in their faces. "What happened?" "Andrew," Skinner replied simply. "He and Mark, they, they tried to take Them on to give the rest of us time and..." There was no need for him to complete the halting sentence, the tears in his eyes did it for him. A sudden chill gripped her. "Mulder?" Then she saw him. Motionless as he was carried in by two others. His eyes were closed, his breathing shallow and slowing by the minute while the makeshift bandage they had tied around his head was soaked in blood. Scully directed them to lay him on the mattress, forcing them out the moment they had laid him down. Taking a deep breath, she placed her hands on either side of his face and concentrated. ::--------------:: Sinking, falling, fading into darkness. She heard voices, echoing whispers in the back of her head. "...separate them...too dangerous...kill them both". Vaguely, she knew the voices belonged to Skinner and Nicholas but she didn't know what they meant. The words became jumbled, tumbling over one another as she focused further, and fell into him. She felt a twelve year old boy's fear and loss when his sister went inexplicably missing, his anger two years later when his father hit him and how difficult it was to forgive him for doing it, even once. She knew the exhilaration of living in another country, meeting strangers and learning more than he had dreamed of, far away from his troubling family. She saw glimpses of the evil men he had pursued, whom he had become, however briefly, and understood that meant they would always be with him. She felt his frustration when the truth evaded him once more, and the momentary elation in the forest when he finally saw it, and the fear and pain which followed. But mostly, she saw herself. Arguing with him in his office, fighting him at every turn, she was clinical and scientific in a way that made him crazy. She saw his memories of quirks and mannerisms even she was unaware of. She saw herself, hot and flushed under him, leaning up to kiss him, down with her mouth on him. Sitting in the dark, holding their child in her arms. Then she saw nothing. ::--------------:: Krycek caught her as she fell backwards, issuing orders to the gunmen Skinner had shouted for. They carried Mulder to his room, where James began checking him over. Krycek laid Scully on the small mattress in the middle of the room. When Frohike returned, he was sitting beside her, his head in his hands. "What happened?" "She shouldn't have done it. It's too hard." "What is?" Krycek sighed in frustration at having to explain. "Healing people is difficult. It's against all laws of logic and physics, and god knows what else. If Mulder's injuries were fatal, she could have killed herself in the process without helping him." "Then *why* didn't you stop her?" "It was too late." Absently, he took Scully's hand. The gesture didn't go unnoticed by Frohike. "Once she's that invested in something, to break the contact could have killed them both. There was no other choice." He paused, watching her for a moment. "How's Mulder?" "James thinks he'll probably be ok. We'll have to wait until he wakes up, though. And Scully..." "I don't know. Maybe he wasn't hurt as bad as it seemed..." he trailed off, standing abruptly. "Watch her. Get James in here. I'm going outside." ::--------------:: I've been standing out here for hours, the cold air stinging my lungs and the cigarette smoke stinging my eyes. The ground's littered with the damn things. I've been trying to block her out of my mind, trying to prepare myself for what happens if she doesn't wake up. But she has to. Someone came out a few minutes ago, telling me she looked to be improving. How the hell do they know? I'm standing here, trying to get her out of my mind, but it's not working. It's damn unsettling, is what it is. It's like she's pushed her way into me somehow, into my memory, my brain, my very skin. I can't get her out. And it's making me powerless. At least when we were Nicholas and Alumari, I had some measure of control. Now, it's just...too hard. I've always been on my own. It was the way I had to be, to use everything I could against the consortium and Them. I learned from Mulder and Scully that emotion gave Them power, and I couldn't afford that. Marita was enough of a misstep on that score; we knew just enough about one another to ensure our own safety but something went wrong along the way and things became complicated. I never expected to miss her as much as I did when she was killed. That's beside the point. Missing her only confirmed that I was too involved and I - I should have learned *something* from that, surely. Apparently not. Somehow, Dana Scully became Alumari and became important to me. They showed me her, helpless after their treatments and not knowing where she was or why. All I thought at the time was that it was another opportunity to screw Mulder, or to force him into fighting as I had been trying to do for years. I never imagined everything would be so difficult. Someone's coming. I can hear footsteps tapping down the tiled hallway leading outside. I wonder if it would be too ironic if I, of all people, began to pray that they were coming to tell me she is okay. ::--------------:: Krycek sat by her bed in those early hours when she was still dazed and incoherent. He held her hand, as he had done so many times before when They had increased her dosage. They had done it without warning, and it always left her unable to even move for several days. He found early on that his presence comforted her. Perhaps it was simply having another human there, maybe it was because she knew, somehow, that she had known him before. He had stayed with her then, and he stayed with her now, ignoring others coming and going to check on her - and him. When she finally looked at him with recognition in her eyes, he smiled. And when she fell asleep once more, he quietly slipped out to allow Mulder to take his seat. ::--------------:: Scully didn't see him for three days after that, until James declared she was well enough to get up. When she went looking for Krycek, she was told that he'd gone out with one of the rescue teams and wasn't expected back for hours. She waited for him, ignoring Mulder asking her when she was going to the party they were holding to officially welcome the newcomers to the building. It was late when she realised he wasn't coming and went to look for him. She found him outside, a small bag at his feet and a cigarette in his hand. On seeing her he threw the cigarette to the ground, grinding it out with his boot as he slung the bag onto his back. "I..." he faltered, not knowing how to tell her. She only uttered the words when the silence made them inevitable. "You're leaving." He nodded. "Where will you go?" "The Canadian group. Then down to Mexico. Maybe from there I can get across to Europe somehow." Scully bit her lip as he took a step towards her. "They need the vaccine, they need to know what's happening here. They'll already know something's going on." He saw the question in her eyes. "Security will be increased, there will have been more arrests. They deserve to know why and they deserve the same chance to fight." "What if they catch you?" "I'll destroy the vaccine." I don't care about the vaccine! her mind screamed. Images of him strapped down as they forced him to speak flooded her brain. A shadowy, hazy picture of a man swaying feet above the ground suspended by a thin, decaying rope. She came to herself with a start, to realise his arms are around her to stop her falling. "Don't go." It came out as a whisper as she stared up at him. She kissed him, feeling a tear start down her cheek and it frightened her. She has a daughter. She has a partner she thought she would die for, yet for a fleeting moment she was willing to give it all up and leave with him. Desperation entered her kisses and she clung to him as though she could stop him going. He kissed her back, then gently moved her away. She kept hold of his hands. "Nicholas," she pleaded. "Alumari." His tone was almost stern, hiding the emotion he had felt at her calling him that name. "You may not leave this place. You are needed *here*. And I am not." "What can *I* do?" He sighed as he reached out to touch her face. "So much more than you could imagine. You have power that so many would kill for, but you need to learn how to use it, and I - I'm a distraction." He brushed her hair back to look at her as he forced his voice into a lighter tone and continued. "Do me a favour. Don't tell Mulder anything he doesn't need to know. He has a habit of wanting to track me down and kill me, and I have enough things doing that right now. And you'd be miserable, so..." he tried to smile but couldn't quite make it. He dropped her hands and took a few steps back, his face solemn. He bowed low, then straightened to look straight at her. "Goodbye, Alumari," he said softly. He turned, and walked away without looking back. ::--------------:: Scully slowly made her way to the room she shared with Mulder and Meghan, hoping he would be there instead of at the part. He stood at the window, staring out across the city. He glanced around as she entered, but on seeing her turned back to look into the darkness. She glimpsed Meghan sleeping on the small bed in the corner. "Hey," she said quietly. He barely acknowledged her as she approached him. "Mulder, I - " "Scully, don't...don't tell me anything I don't want to hear." She looked at him for a moment, then stepped into his arms, leaning back against him. . "I was going to say I love you." She was quiet for a minute, enjoying the familiar feel of his embrace as he tightened his arms around her. "I don't mind hearing that," he murmured into her hair. She turned, not breaking his circle around her but wanting to see him. "It was nothing," she began haltingly. "Nothing, with him, Mulder. You know that." He looked down at her, considering, his heart in his eyes. Finally, he nodded slightly. "Okay." She leaned into him again, eyes closed. She felt him rest his head atop hers. "It's a hard fight, Mulder," she said softly. "That it is." It took her a moment to say what she had been afraid to put into words. "Will we win?" "I think we might." She moved back, enough to raise herself up to kiss him. She felt him smile as her lips touched his, his hands gentle on her back. His tongue, when he pushed into her, was as tentative as the first time he had kissed her. Her fervour soon convinced him she was really back. When he pulled away, breathless, his eyes were soft. "I love you." "Dance with me," he murmured. Scully looked up at him quizzically. "There's no music." "Sure there is. Listen." He held up one finger, and she could hear the faint rhythm of the music from the party downstairs. He held out his hand, and when she took it, pulled her in to him quickly. He kissed her gently, and held her to him. The city lights shone on their daughter, sleeping peacefully unaware of the war in which she was to play such an integral part. Her parents, holding one another as though they could ward off what was to come, listened to the faint music drifting up from the halls below. In the soft light they forgot, for one night, the battle ahead, and they danced. ::-------------:: The End ::-------------:: Author's Notes: This has been an incredibly long time in the writing, editing and rewriting, and it's kind of sad now that it's over. Huge thanks go out to Jeanette for betaing and rebetaing, and pushing me to finish when I was distracted with other things. Thanks - this is for you. Hope you enjoyed it. Charlotte Unsworth CMUnsworth@aol.com http://www.unsworth.org.uk