From: "Barbara Barr" <rjbarr1@email.msn.com>
Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2000 15:28:48 -0500
Subject: Consequences
Source: direct


TITLE:  Consequences
AUTHOR: Grayalien
RATED: PG for Language
CLASSIFICATION: Adventure/Romance/Angst
KEYWORDS:  Mulder/Scully Romance; Skinner/Scully Friendship
SPOILERS:  Requiem
SUMMARY:  Mulder is returned and discovers some big changes in his life.
 
FEEDBACK:  Please: grayalien@iname.com


DISCLAIMER:  All characters and references are the property of Fox and
1013 Productions.  Chris Carter is the master; I am but his humble
servant.  My imitation is intended only as the sincerest form of
flattery, and unfortunately, but as it should be; he makes all the money
and I make none. 




Walter Skinner paused at the door of Dana Scully's apartment before
knocking.  He always did these days.  Part of him was always glad to see
her.  He knew he was in love with her, not that it mattered.  He just
wanted to look at her, talk to her, maybe to be able to touch her, in
comfort.  But another part of him dreaded seeing her.  Even though her
pregnancy had made her more beautiful than ever, it was hard to take the
sadness in her eyes.  A sadness he felt responsible for.  Not that she
blamed him.  He blamed himself enough for them both.  He had lost the
man she loved, the father of the child she now carries.

In the weeks that followed Mulder's disappearance, Scully had been
obsessed.  In her obsession, she almost became the man she sought.  She
took to sleeping on her couch.  She relentlessly chased any possible
lead; meeting and greeting every nut ball and geek that had claimed to
have recently seen a UFO.  She pursued any number of the nameless shadow
men of the conspiracy that still remained alive.  He didn't even want
to think about what she may have done to glean any small piece of
information that could lead her to Mulder.    It almost became a ritual.
 She would return exhausted and frustrated from yet another wild goose
chase; then came the angry words.  He chastised her for running herself
into the ground in her condition and risking her life chasing shadowy
figures with questionable motives.  She accused him of not caring and
not trying hard enough to find Mulder.  That always cut deep.  It
wasn't that he didn't care...he would have taken Mulder's place in
a heartbeat if it would bring Mulder back home to her.  It was just that
where Mulder was, you couldn't exactly follow.  The argument always
ended with Scully collapsing on the couch in tears.  He would hold her,
and comfort her until she fell asleep; exhausted, but at least for a few
hours, at peace until it started again.

Skinner had let her carry on, against his better judgment.  He helped
her chase down leads, signed dummy case requisitions, signed off on
expense reports and generally allowed her to operate unfettered below
FBI radar.  But as weeks stretched into months, no new leads turned up. 
"You don't call them, they call you."  Even the conspirators who
were also anxious for Mulder's return for their own reasons, told her
that little could be done except to wait.  They were fairly certain that
Mulder would be returned, but no one could say when.  

One of the hardest days was when they cleared out Mulder's apartment. 
Scully, Skinner and the Lone Gunmen had packed up all of Mulder's
things.  Scully fought back tears through most of the ordeal.  She said
she wanted to keep most of his personal things at her apartment.  His
aquarium now sat on a table in Scully's living room.  His basketball
sat gathering dust in the corner.  His books and even his porno movies
were stacked in Scully's spare bedroom.  "Mulder will kick my ass if
I give you his porno's" she told Frohike.  The "I want to Believe"
poster now hung, conspicuously out of place, on the closet door in
Scully's bedroom.  Skinner had recently been notified that since there
was only one agent working the X-Files, that agent could be moved to a
cubicle elsewhere; their office was being converted to file storage. 
Scully had cried again when he told her.  As Scully's pregnancy began
to show, it became harder for her to continue to work.  The "Mrs.
Spooky" jokes stopped, replaced mostly by looks of pity and
uncomfortable silence.  Most people assumed that Mulder was dead, and
since the truth "could not be categorized or easily referenced" that
theory prevailed throughout the FBI.  

"Walter, how are you?"  Margaret Scully smiled warmly and hugged him
as he entered Scully's apartment.  "I'm fine; Mrs. Scully"
Skinner smiled and awkwardly returned the hug.  This, too, had become
something of a ritual lately.  They had quite a scare a few weeks ago. 
Scully had started bleeding while at work and Skinner rushed her to the
hospital.  Her doctor said that it was her body reacting to stress and
overwork, and that she needed to be on near complete bed rest throughout
the rest of her pregnancy.   Skinner immediately placed her on medical
leave, confiscated her badge and revoked her FBI building pass card.  He
called her mother who immediately came to stay and take care of her
daughter.  Skinner was grateful for that, and Scully's physical and
mental health improved dramatically under her mother's care.  Skinner
had taken to eating dinner with them a couple of nights a week.  Mrs.
Scully was a great cook and anything was better than going home to his
lonely apartment.  

"Now, I told you to call me Margaret" Mrs. Scully said.  "I'm
sorry, I forgot" Walter looked sheepish, then asked "How's our
little mama?"  I'd tread lightly" she warned.  "Dana's a
little cranky.  Her feet hurt and she's starting to feel like a whale,
so say something nice" "I  will, thanks for the warning" he said. 
smiling.  "I have to tell you though, I think she's feeling better
about things" Mrs. Scully said, lowering her voice to a whisper. 
"She's been talking about getting the nursery ready, she even said
she was ready to move Fox's things down into her storage locker, so
that we can start fixing it up.  Maybe you can help me do that after
dinner?"  "Oh, that is great news"  Skinner replied in relief. 
"And I'd be happy to help you move anything you need"

"Hi beautiful!" Skinner poked his head into Scully's bedroom.  He
saw her standing in front of her mirror, holding one outfit after the
other up to her, and then throwing them on the bed.  Suddenly, something
went flying by his head and landed on the floor behind him.  He turned
to see what it was, and saw one of Scully's shoes in the middle of the
hallway.  She turned to face him.   "Don't fucking patronize me,
Walter" she hissed.  "I look like a Sumo wrestler!!  My legs look
like tree trunks!! I can't fit into any of my shoes and I have to pee
every 5 minutes!"  

The color drained from Skinner's face.  Scully turned back to the
mirror and scowled again. "I'm glad Mulder's not here to see
me...I look like I belong on Jerry Springer"  Skinner opened his mouth
to speak, but nothing came out.  His mind went blank, and the tough
ex-marine had to fight off a surge of sheer terror as he stood before
this little round, red-headed woman with fierce blue eyes and bare feet,
who looked rather like a beach ball.  She turned to him again, and
suddenly gave him a little smile.  He couldn't believe it.  He
hadn't seen her smile since...

Scully walked up and hugged him.  "It's all right, Walter" she
said softly looking up at him, then backing away while still holding his
hands. "Come and sit with me, we need to talk" she said leading him
over to the bed where they both sat down.  "Dana, I." he started 
"Shhh....." Scully put her index finger to his lips to silence him. 
Then suddenly, she giggled.  "You know, if Mulder were here, I think
that he would have that same look of terror on his face that you have. 
"  

Scully had not been able to talk about Mulder like this since he
disappeared, and Skinner had no idea where she was going with this.  
She looked down as she still held one of his hands and grew serious. 
"I know I need to get on with my life" she said.  "I don't know
when, or if, Mulder is coming back, but I do know that I could have lost
my baby.  Our miracle baby, Mulder's and mine, the baby I thought I
could never have!"  She shook her head and continued "but I also
have to be realistic. Even if Mulder were here, I doubt this pregnancy
would be any easier.  It's hard to picture him as the domestic type,
he'd probably be running like a scared rabbit by now" Skinner lifted
her face to him " No, Dana, that's where you're wrong about
Mulder.   Yes, he can be self-centered sometimes, but when the chips are
down, he'll step up and take responsibility.  Mulder loves you more
than you can possibly know, and as scared as he might be about becoming
a father; he would embrace it with the same passion that he has for
everything he cares about."  A tear ran down Scully's cheek and she
pulled her face back out of his hand to wipe it away.  "Do you really
think so?"  She asked "I know so, I also know that he would think
you are the most beautiful woman in the world, tree trunks and all!" 
Skinner's voice cracked with emotion and he couldn't go on, not sure
whether he was talking about Mulder or himself.  Scully looked at him
with concern and squeezed his hand.  She smiled at him through her
tears, and he smiled back.  "Let's go eat, I'm starving" she
said getting up, pulling him with her.  "Oh, there's a shock" he
said grinning as he followed her out to the kitchen"

 It was late when Skinner got back to his apartment.  But as he walked
down the hall, his step was a little lighter than usual.  He was tired
from carrying Mulder's things down to Scully's storage locker, but
he smiled to himself as he turned the key in the lock.  Scully had
actually been laughing and joking with her mother tonight, and she had
shown him baby magazine pictures with nurseries; asking his opinion
about how they should decorate the newly vacant room.  Skinner had no
clue about such things, but he said a silent prayer of thanks.  He made
himself a drink and sank into his recliner, switching off the light.  He
suddenly felt bone tired, the kind of tired where you felt like you
could sleep for a week.  He dozed off almost immediately, but suddenly
awoke with a start as he heard a soft tapping at the door.  He looked at
his watch; it was nearly 2:00 am.  "Who the hell could that be?" He
struggled to his feet and peered through the peephole.  He opened the
door without removing the chain, "Krycek, what the hell are you doing
here, do you have any idea what time it is?"  he growled yawning
trying to shake off the fog of exhaustion that had overtaken him.    

"We need to talk"  Krycek said quickly.  "Can't it wait till
morning?"  Skinner said obviously annoyed.  "I don't think so!" 
Krycek replied, his tone was ominous.  Skinner's eyed narrowed and
suddenly he was very much awake.  He quickly removed the chain and let
Krycek into his apartment.   "What is it?"  His voice trailed off as
he and Krycek eyed each other cautiously.  Skinner didn't trust Krycek
any further than he could throw him.  He hadn't forgotten how Krycek
had tried to blackmail him.  Although Krycek appeared to try to help he
and Scully search for Mulder, he was never sure whether Krycek had
deliberately sent them out to search for the downed spacecraft knowing
that Mulder would be taken.  After learning that Scully was pregnant, he
had promptly beaten Krycek within an inch of his life.   He knew that
Krycek was nothing, if an opportunist, and to have any dealings with
him, was to do so at extreme risk.  

"I've have a contact in Oregon" Krycek began.  "Who?" Skinner
asked.  "Doesn't matter" Krycek replied "He told me that two
days ago, the local authorities picked up a man matching Mulder's
description wandering along a mountain road.  The man was dehydrated,
had several days' beard growth, and carried no identification.  They
couldn't get anything out of him, not one word...  so they put him in
a mental hospital."    Skinner who was still dressed, grabbed his cell
phone, keys and an overnight bag he kept in the hall closet.  "Where
is this hospital?" He asked Krycek as the two men left his apartment. 

"What are you going to tell Scully?"  Krycek asked as they drove to
the airport.  "I'm not going to tell her anything, and neither are
you!"  Skinner growled.  "We don't know yet if it's Mulder, and
if it is, we don't know what his condition is.  I don't want to get
her hopes up, or upset her until we know what we're dealing with"
Krycek agreed. "I'll call Marita" Krycek said taking out his cell
phone.  Marita Covarrubias and Dana Scully had become unlikely friends
since Mulder's disappearance.  She had helped Scully investigate leads
and make contacts within the conspirators group.  She had always liked
Mulder, and as she got to know Scully, she liked her very much. as well.
 She envied the love Mulder and Scully had for each other and as a
woman, she sympathized with Scully's being pregnant and apart from
Mulder.  

"We have no idea who he is, and we haven't been able to get a word
out of him" Dr. Philip West, the attending psychiatrist at Rolling
Acres Psychiatric Hospital near Eugene Oregon, said as Skinner displayed
his badge.  "Physically, he's healthy, he is recovering from
dehydration and exposure, and he has been asleep for a good deal of the
time.   We've got him restrained, because we don't have any idea
what to expect.  I hope he's the guy you're looking for, I really
can't help him unless I know something about him.  Skinner held his
breath as he followed the doctor into the man's room.  He looked at
the man lying in bed, let out his breath and whispered "My God" it
was Mulder.   Looking just the same as the day he left, he appeared to
be asleep, and Skinner suddenly felt light headed and short of breath.  
He turned and walked quickly out of the room.  The doctor followed. 
"This is your man, isn't it?"  The doctor asked excitedly. 
Skinner had to sit down, his head was spinning "Are you all right Mr.
Skinner?"  The doctor asked concerned "do you want some water?" 
Skinner sat down heavily in a chair in the waiting area.  "No, I'm
fine" he said wondering how much he should say.   "Yes, this is the
man we're looking for. His name is Fox Mulder.  He is an FBI agent and
he has been...working undercover for several months."    "What do
you think happened to him?"  The doctor pressed further.  Skinner
looked at the doctor for several seconds before replying, trying to
figure out some plausible explanation. "I'm really not at liberty to
say at this time, due to the sensitive nature of this case.  Dr. West,
will you please call me if there is any change in his condition?  I need
to make some arrangements to get him back to Washington."  "Yes,
I'll call you right away" the doctor answered looking a little
disappointed.  "Thank you doctor, I'll be in touch" Skinner turned
and quickly left.   

Once outside, Skinner took several deep breaths trying to clear his
head.  He strode quickly to the car.  'Is it him?"  Alex asked
"Yeah, it's him" Skinner answered.  "How did he look?"  "He
'looked' fine, but he was asleep, the doctor said he still hasn't
said a word."  "We need to get him out of here without arousing too
much suspicion" Alex said.  "I'm open to suggestions" Skinner
replied "they've got him restrained and he's probably drugged." 
Alex reached into his pocket, pulled out a piece of paper and handed it
to Skinner.  Skinner looked at the paper.  It appeared to be court order
signed by a federal judge ordering FBI A.D. Walter Skinner to take one,
Fox William Mulder into FBI custody.  "Where did you get this?"
Skinner asked eyeing Alex suspiciously "and who is Judge Aaron
Weinstein?"  "I don't know, but by the time they figure out that
there is no Judge Aaron Weinstein, we will be long gone."  Alex
grinned smugly.  Skinner glared at him for several seconds, then folded
up the paper and put it in his pocket.  "We'll have to wait a couple
of hours, I told that doctor that I needed to make 'arrangements'"
Skinner said starting the car.  

Marita had just fallen asleep when the phone rang awakening her with a
start.  It was already afternoon in Washington, but she hadn't had
much sleep the night before, so she had called in sick.  Alex Krycek had
called her at 3:30 am and told her about the man that was found in
Oregon, and that they were going to check it out.  She had been unable
to go back to sleep after that, until about 2 minutes ago.  "It's
him" was Krycek said as she picked up the phone.  "My God!" Marita
whispered "is he...all right?"  "We don't know yet, but you're
going to have to keep Scully occupied for a couple of days.  We'll
have to drive back with Mulder" "Easier said than done, isn't she
going to wonder why Skinner left town so abruptly?"  "She already
called me this morning looking for him" Alex handed the phone to
Skinner as the two men sat eating breakfast in a restaurant near the
hospital.  "Marita, this is Walter Skinner" "Sir; Dana is going to
be suspicious that you left town on such short notice.  You know she
doesn't miss a thing, and I'm sure she will see through any attempt
to divert her attention" Marita said emphatically.  Skinner sighed
"You may be right, I'll call her right now and tell her that we had
some big break on a case and that I had to leave town.  Do whatever you
have to.  I don't want her to know anything about this until we know
more about Mulder's condition"  

Scully hung up the phone wrinkling her eyebrow in thought.  "What's
the matter, Dana?" Her mother had just come into the room "who was
that on the phone?"  "It was Walter, but he sounded strange." 
"What do you mean?" Her mother asked.  "Well, I tried calling him
this morning to thank him for helping us move all of Mulder's stuff
last night and he wasn't home.  He wasn't at work either, and his
secretary said he was out of town and she didn't know where he went. 
Now, he just called to tell me that they had a big break on a case and
that he could be gone for a few days."  "That doesn't sound so
strange" her mother said "I know, it's just the way he acted, Mom;
he wouldn't tell me anything about the case, and he always talks to me
about the cases they're working on.  I guess he tries to keep me in
the loop or maybe he just wants me to feel like I'm still doing
something" Anyway, it just seemed like he called me to tell me that he
couldn't tell me anything!" Her mother kind of wagged her finger at
her and said. "I think you're reading way too much into this, honey,
maybe he just couldn't talk about the case because there were other
people around" Scully sighed and smiled at her mother "I don't
know, maybe you're right, Mom" "What's for dinner?" 
"Marita's bringing it.  She called earlier while you were still
asleep.  We're going to eat and wallpaper tonight"  

"Have you seen this condition before?" Skinner asked Alex.  They
were nearly out of Oregon, now.  In the back seat, Mulder sat in
handcuffs sometimes staring out the window, sometimes playing with the
drawstring on his sweatpants.   Everything had gone without a hitch. 
Dr. West had been very reluctant at first to release Mulder, but Skinner
convinced him that Mulder was to be a witness in a federal mob trial and
that he needed to be immediately taken into protective custody.  He
assured the doctor that Mulder would receive the finest psychiatric care
by FBI psychiatrists.  Flashing the phony court order sealed the deal
and he and Krycek led a handcuffed Mulder out the rear exit without
incident.  Mulder had given no sign that he recognized either of them
and still had not uttered a word; but he was able to handle the basics,
eating, dressing himself, using the bathroom and he seemed to be able to
understand and follow simple instructions.  Beyond that, however, his
mind was a blank.  "They do something to them,, it's some kind of
force field"  Krycek explained  "I don't know what, but it's
designed to simulate a 'psychic break'.  When these people are
returned and found wandering, it is assumed that they have some kind of
nervous breakdown or psychotic episode.  They have no memory of what has
happened to them.  Usually, their families are so glad for their return,
that they don't ask many questions.  Depending on how much 'force'
is used, both short and long-term memory can be affected.  I'm no
psychiatrist, but it looks to me like Mulder's amnesia is total"
Skinner looked at Alex, then back at Mulder, who was still contentedly
playing with his drawstring, seemingly unaware of their conversation. 
"Are you saying he could stay like this? Skinner asked, lowering his
voice to a whisper.  "I don't know, most people recover their
memories within a few weeks to months."  Alex said. "Some also
recover the memory of their actual abduction, generally in dreams or
through hypnosis.  But even though the amnesia is artificially induced,
it is genuine amnesia..." "and recovery from amnesia is very
unpredictable" Skinner finished the sentence and Alex nodded.  They
drove in silence for a few minutes, then Alex continued "I've heard
about a drug.."  "What kind of drug?" Skinner asked. "It's
supposed to counteract the effects of the force field.  I've never
seen it used, but I've heard that cancer son of a bitch say they
developed it years ago for use on agents who were routinely exposed to
the alien technology during the heyday of the project"  "I assume
that you know someone who has access to this drug?" Skinner asked
unable to suppress the sneer in his voice.  Alex gave him a dark look,
but decided to let it go.  "I'll make inquiries the minute we get
back to Washington"  he said.

Scully awoke with a start.  "Mulder?" She whispered out loud. Her
room was pitch black except for the glow of her alarm clock.  It was
2:30 am.  She sat up in bed, trying to focus her eyes in the darkness. 
She could have sworn that she heard Mulder calling her name.  Was it a
dream?  When he first disappeared, she had many such dreams.  But they
had gradually tapered off, and she hadn't one in a couple of months. 
Even then, it wasn't like this. She quietly got up and looked around
the apartment.  She didn't want to wake her mother by turning on the
light so she sat down on the sofa in the living room "Mulder, can you
hear me?" she whispered out loud again.  She had not only heard him,
she had felt him reaching out for her  "God, am I losing my mind?"
she wondered.   Suddenly, she got the urge,  and she quickly got up and
rushed into the bathroom barely making it.  "That's good, Dana, you
made it almost 3 hours"  she laughed to herself.  By the time she
finished in the bathroom and returned to bed, she decided that it must
have been just a silly dream.  

Skinner slept fitfully.  He hated motel beds; and he felt a little
uncomfortable in the same motel room with one of his agents, but he
wasn't about to let Mulder out of his sight this time.  And he
certainly wasn't going leave Krycek alone with him.  Suddenly, he
awoke, and in one swift motion was on his feet, drawing his gun from the
nightstand as he did so.  Mulder was speaking, he was calling "Scully,
where are you, Scully?"  "Mulder!" Skinner said sharply in the
dark "are you all right?"  There was no answer from the bed, but
Mulder continued to softly call Scully's name.  Skinner lowered his
gun, quickly went turned on the light and rushed to Mulder's bed. 
Mulder was sweating, but clearly not awake.  Skinner grabbed him by the
shoulders and shook him gently.  "Mulder, wake up!" He said.  After
several attempts, Mulder finally opened his eyes.  He quickly recoiled
as Skinner still had his hands on his shoulders.  He jumped from the
bed, still handcuffed and retreated to a corner of the room.  
"Mulder, can you understand me? You were calling Scully's name.  Do
you remember Dana Scully? your partner, your best friend, your..." he
stopped.   Mulder didn't say anything, but there was only fear and
confusion in his eyes.  He shook his head no.   Skinner sighed in
disappointment.  "It's all right" he motioned for Mulder to get
back in bed which after several minutes of uncertainty, he did.  
Skinner did the same, and before turning off the light, he looked at his
watch. It was nearly 2:45 am. 

Dana Scully awoke still feeling a little uneasy.  She decided not to
tell her mother about her experience from earlier that morning, it would
only worry her, and besides, it was probably nothing.  She made several
calls to people she knew at the FBI, trying to find someone who could
tell her anything about Skinner's whereabouts.  Even Marita said she
knew nothing about his case or where he could have gone.  "Well,
it's time to try 'unofficial channels'" she thought to herself
as she listened to the answering machine message.  "I know none of you
has a life at all, so pick up the damn phone already" she said loudly
into the receiver.  "Ah, the beautiful agent Dana Scully" Frohike
purred. "I was just looking at my latest issue of 'Pregnant Babes in
Bikinis' and dreaming of you" "Melvin, go fuck yourself" Scully
said, she knew he had her on speaker, and he hated it when she called
him "Melvin" "Oooooh baby!! I'm doin' that as we speak" he
panted.  Scully paused for a few seconds, considering that imagery, then
said slowly and with emphasis on each word "Melvin, you know I'm a
doctor, right?  And you know that a doctor has tools... and even though
I can't kick your ass right now, I have tools that will rip out every
piece of hair on your scrotum, by the roots, one at a time."  She
could hear Byers and Langley roaring in the background.  

"I need to find out where Skinner is and where he has been the last
couple of days" she told them after they peeled Frohike off the
ceiling.  "What 's your thinking on this, Scully?"  Langley asked.
 "I don't know, I can't put my finger on anything specific; but I
can't seem to find anyone who will give me any information, and it's
not like I'm exactly on the inside track at the FBI anymore."  She
explained the odd phone call she had gotten from Skinner and about her
little nocturnal experience from the previous night.  "Wow, that' s
a pretty 'Mulderesque' experience for you, Scully" Langley said. 
"Yeah, well I guess if you hang around somebody for seven years, some
things are bound to rub off" Scully replied.  "So you think
Skinner's little road trip might have something to do with Mulder"
Byers interjected "Well, I don't know, that's what I want you guys
to find out"  
  
"What do you think?"  Byers said as the three were huddled around
Langley's terminal.  "I don't know" Frohike pointed to the
screen "There's Skinner, and this is definitely Alex Krycek, but
there is someone else in the back seat" They were looking at a grainy
piece of black and white video stream of a convenience store
surveillance tape.   "Could just be a suspect" Byers offered. 
"Yeah, but Krycek doesn't work standard FBI cases, this has
"project" written all over it" Frohike said.  "That could be
Mulder in the back seat" Langley had just voiced what was on all of
their minds.  

"What do we do now?"  Langley asked each one looked at the others. 
"Well, we have to tell Scully" Byers said as though the answer was
obvious.  "You idiot" Frohike growled "What exactly should we tell
her?" 
"Yeah, we got some guy in the back of a car that might be your
baby's father, or it is one of the 5 billion other people on the
planet."  "I don't know about Skinner, either... I've never
trusted him" Langley interrupted trying to ward off an argument.  
Byers got up and started pacing, talking as he paced "okay, what do we
know for sure...  We know that Skinner and Krycek left at 4:00 am and
flew to Seattle under false names. They rented a car and drove to
someplace near Eugene, Oregon where they remained for only a few hours. 
Sometime during this period, Skinner called Scully and told her that he
had left town on a big case, an obvious diversionary tactic, then
started heading back toward Washington with an unknown person.   Using a
trail of credit card receipts, we have determined that they are probably
due to arrive back in Washington some time tonight. 

Byers continued.  "Obviously, Skinner didn't want to arouse
Scully's suspicion over his sudden departure, but he definitely lied
about what he was up to, and he didn't want her to know he went to
Oregon.  Why?"  "Because he's the man, and he's probably working
for the other side" Langley said emphatically. Frohike shook his head
vehemently. "You guys look, but you don't see!!" He said. 
"Skinner is in love with Scully, he has been for a long time...if
he's not telling her what's going on, he's got a damn good reason;
and its because he is trying to protect her" Langley and Byers looked
at each other, then back at Frohike.  The little man never ceased to
amaze them.  "How do you know?" Langley asked.  "Because, unlike
you guys, I watch and listen, instead of flappin' my yap"
"Wasn't I the one who first told you guys about Mulder and
Scully...before they even knew it themselves? "  That much was true,
they couldn't deny it.  "Okay, so I guess that means that we don't
tell Scully anything either" Langley said with resignation.  "Not
until we know more about what's going on here" Frohike said. 
"Well, let's come up with story and hope she'll buy it, and it
better be good" Langley said.  "She's gonna kick our asses!"
Byers whined.  "Byers, go fuck yourself" Frohike said, and then
shuddered.    

Skinner was exhausted and it was nearly 10:00 p.m. by the time he
returned to his office to pick up his messages.  He had placed Mulder in
the security unit of the mental health section at Quantico.  There was
no way could escape from there, and the doctors could be counted on to
maintain the strictest confidentiality.  Skinner didn't tell the
doctors any more than he had to, only that Mulder had suffered some kind
of psychological trauma that had manifested itself as acute amnesia. 
Krycek had immediately scampered off in to the night like the rat that
he was, hopefully he was in pursuit of the illusive "drug" that
would return Mulder to his smiling, sarcastic self.  Skinner didn't
know what to think about Krycek or the "alleged" drug, but he knew
that there weren't many options.  

He walked into the dark outer office, fumbled for his keys in the dark
and finally opened the door to his office.  He switched on the light and
headed toward his desk.  He stopped abruptly as he noticed three men
sitting his couch on the other side of the room.  He recognized them as
friends of Mulder's; he couldn't remember all of their names,
"Byers" he thought was one, but he did remember Mulder referring to
them as the "gunmen" for reasons he didn't know.  Looking at these
three, he could imagine what Scully referred to them as.  "What the
hell are you doing in here, and how did you get in!!!This is supposed to
be a secure facility" he barked.  "Rough trip?" Frohike asked
issuing a challenge.  "Where's Mulder?" Langley demanded.  Skinner
hesitated, looking at each of them.  "I don't know what you're
talking about!" He said shaking his head slightly.  "Show him the
tape!"  Said Frohike.  Byers took videotape out of his pocket, walked
over to the TV and VCR sitting on a stand near the sofa, placed the tape
in the machine and turned both units on.  "Got any popcorn?" 
Langley asked, looking at Skinner. Skinner showed no reaction as the
grainy surveillance tape popped up on the screen.  It showed Skinner
putting gas in the car, and Krycek emerging from the store carrying what
appeared to be food items.  Byers took the remote and paused the tape,
advancing it one frame at a time as is panned over the rear window of
the car.  There could clearly see the lower torso of man in the back
seat of the car, but the face was not visible.  "Who's this?"
Byers asked.  "If it's any of your business, which it's not;
it's a protected witness in a federal mob case" Skinner shot back
without hesitating.  "Yeah, right!" Langley mocked him.  "If
there's a point here, please feel free to get to it!!" Skinner said
beginning to show exasperation.  "Krycek's on the mafia detail,
now?"  Guess I missed the memo on that one" Frohike said meeting
Skinner's gaze.  "We know that you and Krycek went to Oregon under
assumed names" Byers added.  Skinner smirked a little and began
rifling through papers on his desk.  "And you think we found Mulder,
is that it?"  No one spoke.  "Look!" Skinner said seriously..."I
'm sorry about Mulder, I know he was your friend, he was mine, too;
but you guys are way off the deep end on this...now I've got a lot of
work to do, so if you don't mind..." Langley walked over and pulled
the tape from the VCR.  "Okay, we'll just show this to Agent Scully
and see what she thinks."  Frohike looked at Langley in alarm and
frantically tried to signal him by imitating a slashing motion across
his throat as he saw Skinner draw his gun. 

"Freeze!!"  Skinner barked.  All three men stopped dead in their
tracks, as they heard the sound of a gun hammer being pulled back. 
"Turn around!"  He ordered Langley and Byers.  With their hands up
and the tape in Langley's right hand, they turned around.  "Now,
slowly...give me the tape" Skinner said quietly.   Langley did as he
was told.  "OK, now get the fuck out of here!!!"  He said a little
louder this time.  The three men quickly started out into the outer
office area.  "You got another copy in the car?"  Langley asked
Byers, deliberately loud enough for Skinner to hear.  "Yeah" Byers
replied as Frohike closed his eyes as if in prayer.

At that moment, Walter Skinner had more on his plate than most men could
handle.  He was in love with a woman who was pregnant with another
man's child.  That man was also a one of his best friends.  Both of
them were his subordinates.  He felt responsible for that man being
taken away, which caused the woman he loved to be unhappy.  Now, the man
had returned, but his mind had not, and Walter could do nothing to help
him, the only hope resting with a man who was a known murderer and
probably a traitor as well.   In addition, he hadn't slept more than a
few hours in the last 4 days.  

Before Frohike knew what had happened, Byers was vaulted head first over
the top of Skinner's secretary's desk, and Skinner had Langley by
the throat, slamming him against the wall, his glasses flying across the
room.  He continued to choke Langley, both men's faces turning red,
Langley tried to breath and clawed at Skinner's hands trying to
dislodge them.  Skinner spoke with a quiet fury "if you ever, show
that tape to Scully.... I'll hunt you down like a dog and skin you
alive!!"  Frohike took a step toward Skinner and trying to distract
him.  "Hey, man it's ok, let him go.... Its all right" Skinner
suddenly realized what he was doing and released Langley.  Langley fell
to the floor coughing and choking while Byers peeked out from behind the
secretary's desk.   Nobody moved for several minutes, as Langley
regained his breath.  Frohike took a chance and put his hand on
Skinner's shoulder.  "Walter" he said quietly..."Can we talk
alone for a minute?"  "Skinner's attention was still on Langley,
but after several seconds he turned and looked at Frohike.  "What?"
He whispered.  "Come on, let's talk in here, man to man" Frohike
nodded toward Skinner's office.  Skinner shook his head in confusion,
and warily backed up toward his office, never turning his back on the
men until he got inside.  Byers and Langley looked at each other, then
at Frohike incredulously.  Frohike gave them both a furious look and
emphatically motioned for them to sit on the sofa in the outer office. 
He then walked into Skinner's office and closed the door.  

Dana Scully couldn't sleep.  The baby had been kicking up a storm all
evening and it was so stuffy in the apartment.  She was lying on the
couch, flipping continuously through channels with the remote.  She
didn't want to wake her mother, so it was on mute.    It was perfectly
still, except for the TV light, which flashed in a strobe-like fashion
as she flicked through the channels.  She had been trying to reach the
gunmen for the last several hours, to no avail.  They had called her
earlier in the day and told her that they had a problem with their hard
drive and they would get back to her.  It sounded pretty lame, she had
never heard of them having any computer problems before.  She didn't
buy it for a minute.  She decided to turn off the TV, there was nothing
on anyway... so she just laid there in the dark and watched the moon
shadows move across the furniture.  All of a sudden, she heard a faint
voice call her name. "Scully, please help me, Scully" "Mulder?" 
Dana struggled to her feet, her heart pounding "Mulder, where are you,
I hear you..." she whispered "Scully, I can't find you, I need
your help?" His voice said again.    "Mulder, I'm here, but I
can't find you"  she pleaded.  Then the voice was gone.  Dana stood
in the middle of the room, trembling and near tears.  This was not a
dream!   She had been awake the whole time.  Mulder was near, she could
feel it.  "Hold on, Mulder, I'll find you ...I'll find you" she
whispered.  

"You've got one minute" Skinner snarled, as Frohike crossed the
room and sat down in front of Skinner's desk.  Frohike noticed he was
still shaking, but he sensed it wasn't from rage anymore.  He could
see that this was a man on the verge of losing control.  "Look" he
said gently. "I think we're all on the same side here. You're
right, Mulder is our friend, but so is Scully.  Langley was just
yankin' your chain, that's all.  He doesn't trust you.  But none
of us would ever do anything to hurt Scully in any way.  And I think we
have that in common."  He could see Skinner relax a little.  "I'm
only trying to protect her" Skinner said, the desperation evident in
his voice.  "I know that" Frohike nodded and continued "I'm
gonna level with you.  Scully called us...she wanted us to find out
where you had been.... She knows" Skinner's head snapped up in
surprise.  "What do mean, she knows?"  "I can't explain it
really, she said she could 'feel' him...that she heard his voice
calling her at night.  This thing between them, it's stronger than any
of us" Skinner went pale, as he remembered Mulder crying out her name
in the motel room.   "Christ" he said shaking his head. "Why
didn't you just tell me this in the first place? "  "Before you
threatened to 'skin' Langley you mean?"  Skinner smiled. 
"Yeah" the two men stared at each other; each with a seed of
newfound respect just planted.  "What's wrong with Mulder?"
Frohike asked.  Skinner got up from his desk, picked up his keys and
headed for the door.  He turned back and looked at Frohike.   "Come
on" he said, "I'll show you"  

 
Skinner, Frohike, Langley and Byers all emerged from Mulder's room
"Man; he's toast" Langley said shaking his head.  "He didn't
recognize us at all" just then; a doctor approached them from down the
hall.  "Doctor, can you tell me if there's been any change in Agent
Mulder's condition?"  Skinner asked.  "No, I'm sorry, I wish I
had better news.  He seems to be getting more agitated when he's
awake.  And when he sleeps, he still keeps calling the name of
"Scully."  The gunmen looked at each other, then at Skinner. 
"Man, this gettin' very weird" Langley said.  "Now, do you see
why I tried to keep Scully from finding out?"  Skinner asked. 
"Yeah, I do, but I'd say the dude upstairs has other plans, if you
know what I mean!"  Skinner looked uncomfortable, said nothing for a
few seconds, then looked at his watch.  It was after midnight.  "Since
Dana already suspects, I guess I can't avoid her forever.  I'll stop
and see her in the morning.  He hesitated again, then continued. 
"Look, Langley, I'm sorry for what happened back there.  I was way
out of line; you too, Byers...I just lost it, and I'm sorry" "
Don't worry about it" Byers said.  "It's already forgotten for
me".  Langley rubbed his neck, which was still a little red...then he
put his arm around Skinner as they walked down the hallway toward the
exit.  "Hey, man, you don't have to apologize to me. What goes
around, comes around, I always say; and you gotta face Scully tomorrow
morning, and man, its gonna come around and flatten you like a Mack
truck...Have a good night, Wally." Langley slapped him on the back as
the three men walked away from Skinner, leaving him standing alone in
the dark outside of the building.   When they were of earshot Frohike
cuffed Langley on the back of the head.  "What did you say that for?
The poor guy hasn't hasn't slept for days as it is " "Langley
just grinned.  "Yeah, well who do think she'll be coming after when
she's done with him?"  Byers asked.  No one spoke, as they kept
walking.  

"For the love of God, Marita...you're supposed to be my friend...if
you know anything..." Dana pleaded.  She had called Marita and asked
her to stop by that morning.  Dana and Marita sat at the table, while
Dana's mother made coffee.   "I feel him, I know he's here, he's
got to be...I heard his voice" Tears were welling up in Dana's eyes,
and Marita's soon followed as the two women looked at each other. 
"Okay" Marita said.  "But I don't know that much...They did find
Mulder in Oregon, but something's wrong; he's got amnesia or
something, I guess he hasn't spoken or anything and they don't know
what to do, so they brought him back here.  Dana squeezed her eyes
closed and let the tears fall on her face. "Where did they take
him?"  "That I don't know.  Alex said there's some drug that
might be able to help him, but it hasn't been used in years and so
far, they haven't found it or anyone who knows anything about it"
"Alex Krycek?"  Dana cried out in alarm?  My God, Marita, Alex will
kill Mulder!"  "Dana, calm down...you're getting too upset.  Her
mother pleaded.  "Dana, please, this why they didn't want to tell
you.  Skinner didn't want to upset you with all problems you've had
with baby and everything" Marita said.  "Look, I know you don't
trust Alex, I don't know if I do either.... But I think he's been
straight up on this" "why would he drag Skinner out to Oregon, to
bring Mulder back here just to kill him.  If he wanted to kill him, he
would have done it already."  "Dana, honey, that makes a lot of
sense. "Her mother agreed.  "I don't know" Dana said exasperated
as she goes up and started pacing.  "All I know is Alex Krycek is a
murderer and a traitor and God knows what else...What the hell is
Skinner thinking?"  Dana, you've got sit down, you're getting
yourself too worked up" Marita said.  Her mother got up went to
Dana's side, put her arm around her and said "Dana, please come in
to the living room and sit down.  You can't do this to yourself." 
"I know, Mom, I know" Dana said shaking her head as she allowed her
mother to lead her into the living room to the sofa.  Just then,
doorbell rang.  "Sit!" Her mother ordered "I'll get the door"
Marita sat down on the couch with Dana, trying to calm her down.   
Margaret Scully looked through the peephole and saw Skinner standing
outside.  "Oh, God, this is not good, not now!"  She thought
desperately.  "Mom, who is it?"  Dana called from the living room. 
"It's no one, I think it's just some kids fooling around " she
said quickly as the bell rang again. "Mom, open the door!"  Dana
said, her voice quiet, but firm.  Margaret hadn't noticed that her
daughter had walked up and now stood behind her.  Mrs. Scully looked at
her daughter, then down at the floor as she slowly opened the door.  

Walter Skinner had gone over this a thousand different ways in his mind.
  Another near sleepless night hadn't done much for his state of mind,
and he couldn't seem to quell the fear and desperation that gnawed at
his fragile composure.  When the door opened.  He saw Dana standing
there, behind her mother, tears in her eyes, trembling with rage. 
Without a word, she walked up to him, drew back and slapped him hard
across the face.  "You son of a bitch!"  She screamed.   He saw it
coming, but he didn't try to deflect it...and when she threw herself
at him. Pounding his chest, screaming and cursing him.  He just put his
arms around her, pulling her tight against him and closed his eyes until
she stopped struggling.  Margaret Scully rushed to her daughter "Dana,
stop it, you can't do this!!"   "She finally collapsed into sobs. 
Walter wanted nothing more than to stand there all day holding her, but
he knew he couldn't.  He released her into her mother's arms, and
Margaret led her daughter back toward the living room.  Skinner leaned
up against the door casing, he was shaking and he couldn't seem to
catch his breath.  He tried to form a rational thought about what his
next move should be, but none came.  From the living room, he heard her
voice again.  "Walter, we're not finished yet" she screamed, her
fury renewed.  Skinner walked into the living room, not noticing that he
had left the door open.  Marita looked at him, and then looked away
quickly.  "God, he doesn't look too good" she thought to herself. 
It was true... he looked exhausted and defeated.  Dana was sitting down
on the couch now, but her eyes blazed with fury and she trembled as she
spoke.  "Have you lost your mind?   When did you plan to tell me about
this?"  She demanded.   Skinner tried to speak, but no words came.  He
surmised that none would make any difference anyway.  "What's that,
I didn't hear you" she said, now dripping with sarcasm.  "I
don't know" is all he could say, his voice barely above a whisper. 
"You don't know?  My!  That's a first...the great Walter Skinner
doesn't have all the answers.  Well, you certainly had them when you
went sneaking off to Oregon without telling me."  Her voice was rising
and she was clearly trying to egg him into a fight, but he had no fight
in him. " What was the plan?  You thought you'd be the big man, and
pull off a rescue on your own...ride in on a white horse and drop Mulder
in my arms?  Was that it?"  Every angry word she spoke ripped and tore
at his heart. "Dana, stop it" her mother hissed.  "Mom, stay out
of this" she glared at her mother.  Margaret then noticed the open
door and ran to close it.  "Oh, I forgot, you took Alex Krycek with
you.  Dana continued.  "Alex Krycek, a murderer who most probably
killed Mulder's father and my sister...and is also most probably
responsible for Mulder's disappearance in the first place!"  She was
shouting now.    "You seemed to have enough of the 'answers' to
decide that I didn't need to know that my partner, my best friend, my
lover, the father of my child had returned!"  Skinner's face
reddened, but he still was unable to speak.  She got up and slowly
walked over to him.  For a second, he thought she might strike him
again, but she just glared up at him placing her hands on her
nonexistent hips.     "Were you going tell me before or after you let
Alex Krycek, murderer, inject Mulder with some 'drug' that no one
knows anything about?"  Her loud voice echoed through the apartment
"I guess you were going to make that decision for me, too."  
"Dana, please, you're upset" her mother pleaded.  "Yes Mom,
I'm upset" Dana said, not taking her eyes off of Skinner.  "What
gives you the right to make decisions for Mulder and me?"  " I
wasn't trying to ..." Skinner sputtered helplessly.  "This is real
life, Mulder's we're talking about and mine ...it's not about the
FBI, or following protocol" she interrupted.  "You not my 'boss'
here!"   "The FBI put Mulder and me together, to shut him up and to
shut him down...well guess what?  Things didn't go quite according to
the plan.... because somewhere along the line we fell in love. Somewhere
along the line, I broke the rules.  I slept with my partner; I admit it,
go ahead and write me up... Sir" "Dana, for God's sake, stop
it!" Her mother hissed.   If Dana heard her mother, she gave no
indication of it.  "I am the only family Mulder has now, me and this
baby..." she put her hand on her stomach. "Any decisions about
Mulder's life should be made by me!!"   Suddenly, Dana felt weak and
dizzy and began to fall backward.  Skinner and her mother grabbed her on
each side and helped her back to the couch.  

The doorbell rang again.  Margaret and Marita were busy tending to Dana,
so Skinner, looking for any way to put some distance between him and
Dana Scully, strode quickly to the door.  The gunmen had heard Scully
all the way down the hall as they approached.   "So, what'd we
miss?"  Langley asked as they all walked into the living room, trying
to break the tension.   "Walter, what happened to your face?"
Frohike asked looking at the red mark that was appearing from where
Scully hit him.  "I ran into a door" Skinner said sarcastically,
"Oh, that'll happen" Frohike replied barely concealing a smirk.   

"And you three...what the hell happened to you?"  Dana demanded now
recovered from her dizzy spell.  "You'd better not tell me that you
knew about this, too."  "Dana, we only found out for sure, late last
night.  We didn't want to say anything until we had all the facts"
Byers said "That's never stopped you before!!" She said with a
sarcastic laugh.  Frohike and Langley gave Byers a furious look as the
doorbell rang again.     "Jesus Christ, is this Grand Central Station
or what?"  Dana cried in exasperation.  Frohike was closest to the
door now; he only needed one step to open it.   Alex Krycek stood in the
hallway; a look of bewilderment crossed his face as he saw all of the
people inside.  Can I talk to you? He said glancing at Skinner and
nodding his head toward the hallway. Skinner started to move toward the
door, when Dana stopped him in his tracks.  "Krycek, you bastard,
whatever you have to say about Mulder, you say it to me!"  Alex looked
around the hallway nervously, then stepped inside the apartment and
closed the door.  He looked questioningly at Skinner, who nodded toward
Dana. "Look, Dana" he started.  "I don't remember giving you
permission to call me Dana...Alex!" She hissed.   "Krycek winced, he
was about to tell her again, that he had not killed her sister, but then
he noticed an older woman standing behind the sofa and decided against
it.  So he said "whatever you might believe, I didn't send Mulder
out there to be taken."  Scully ignored him.  "Do you have anything
useful, or not?"  She demanded.  "I found out that there's guy in
New Mexico.  One of the original doctors on the project...he's old,
but he's still got all his marbles.  Anyway, he knows about the drug,
he helped develop it.  The drug is stored someplace out there, too.  I
don't know where, but supposedly he does."  "Get it!  "Dana said
slowly.  "Bring me any medical records or research he still has on the
drug."  "I'm on it" he said as he turned and headed toward the
door.  "Krycek!" She barked.  Alex stopped and turned back look at
Scully.  She struggled to her feet and slowly walked up and stood close
to him.  "If you double-cross me... there'll be no place...not in
this world... nor in any other...that you'll be able to hide!" 
Although she spoke barely above a whisper, her fury thundered through
the apartment.   Alex put up his hands as if in surrender, backed
quickly out the door and was gone.  

Scully turned back to Skinner, now.  "I'm going to get dressed, then
YOU are going to take me to see Mulder." She said slowly and
deliberately.  Walter and her mother both looked at her in alarm.
"Dana, you can't walk, you're supposed to be in bed!"  Her
mother said.   "Honey, I can't take you down, there, you're in no
condition..." Walter stopped, just realizing that he had just called
her 'honey' ."He had done it a few times before, but only when
they were alone. He felt heat rising in his face and looked down at the
floor as looks were exchanged around the room.  Scully didn't hesitate
"Don't 'honey' me.... " She said. She was in control of the
situation now.  "You find a way.... Get me wheelchair...put me on a
stretcher...carry me.... I don't care.... Just do it!"  With that
she turned and walked into the bedroom, slamming the door.  

Walter Skinner had probably had worse days than this; after all, he had
been to Vietnam.  He had seen little children burned with napalm, seen
friends blown to bits before his eyes.    It's just that, right now,
he couldn't remember what day that would be.   He was a broken man. 
He always prided himself on being able to handle anything, always being
the leader, giving the orders; always knowing what to do in any
situation.  But in a matter of a few minutes, a short, redheaded
pregnant woman had kicked the life out of him.  He had gone face to face
with all manner of enemies without fear and come out the victor.  But
now he had suffered a defeat so thorough and devastating, that he no
idea what to do.  He sat silently in a chair, waiting, not speaking a
word.  The gunmen were talking quietly in another part of the room. 
They sensed it would be best to just leave Skinner alone.  Mrs. Scully
emerged from the bedroom, came over and sat on the ottoman in front of
him.  "She's almost ready". She said quietly.  Skinner nodded,
looking straight ahead, not really hearing her.  "Walter, listen to
me," she said.  " Dana didn't really mean all the things she said.
 She's just upset and worried about Fox.  I know you were only trying
to protect her, and I'm grateful to you for that; and one day, she
will be also" Skinner turned his head slightly and looked at Margaret
Scully.  He gave her a little smile but couldn't think of anything to
say.  He doubted that was true. Dana would probably never forgive him. 
The worst part was that she was right.  In trying to protect her, he had
tried to play God.  But he was only a man, one without a clue.  

Dana and Marita emerged from the bedroom.  Dana had put on a makeup for
the first time in months.  Her hair shown brilliantly and she wore a
simple, yet attractive maternity suit.  On her feet, she wore a pair of
dark-colored, canvas tennis shoes.   Skinner picked her up in his arms
with one swift motion, her added girth and weight not affecting him in
the least.  An awkward silence hung between them in the elevator. 
Scully had her arms around his neck as he carried her, but she was tense
and refused to look at him.  Getting her in the car was a bit more of a
logistical problem.  Mrs. Scully opened the door and Skinner very
gingerly leaned in with her, setting her in the seat.  He took his time,
knowing that once she was in, he would have to let her go and he wanted
to make it last as long as possible. He was facing her now; her arms
still around his neck.  He could smell the fresh scent of her hair, and
she had put on perfume. God, how he wanted to bury his face in her hair
and beg her forgiveness.   As he started to pull away, she noticed the
mark on his face, now turning from red to purple.  The doctor in her
took over and she reached out to examine it.  He flinched when she
touched his face, more in surprise than pain.  Scully flinched back as
if in sympathy, then quickly took her hand away and looked down without
saying a word.  

Once they got to the hospital, Skinner placed Scully in a wheelchair and
wheeled her to Mulder's room.  What would happen next, he didn't
know; but he was scared to death.  Everyone left the room and headed to
the waiting area to give them some privacy, all except for Skinner.  He
went to an adjoining room that had a small, two-way window and waited. 
What he saw was astounding.  Mulder clearly didn't know who she was,
and yet he displayed none of the agitation that he had shown with others
who came near him.  Scully wheeled herself up next to the bed.  She
extended her hand and took his.  Skinner expected Mulder to pull away,
but he didn't, he just looked at her with curiosity.  Then she slowly
got up out the chair and sat on the bed next to him.  She began to touch
him. She traced his face softly with her fingertips.  Instead of
reacting with fear, Mulder reacted with delight. He grinned at her and
reached out and touched her face in the same way.  Scully awkwardly
climbed onto the bed.  and straddled him.  Mulder looked down in
curiosity at her bulging stomach.    Scully smiled at that and resumed
touching him.  Skinner felt like a voyeur, but he couldn't tear
himself away from the love dance that was playing itself out in front of
his eyes.  With neither of them saying a word, they touched, they
nuzzled, they kissed.  Scully's face was flushed with love and
excitement as Mulder touched her, she looked incredible.    It was both
the most erotic, yet the most tender exchange Skinner had ever seen.  
Mulder reacted with awe and delight as Scully led him through each new
cadence of their dance.  "This may not be the Mulder, we knew"
Skinner thought "but this is certainly no mindless man" It continued
for some time...but finally, Scully was beginning to come back to
reality, realizing that this was really not the Mulder she loved.  
Tears flowed freely down her face now, and Mulder seemed confused by
them.  Scully finally got back into her wheelchair and started to back
away.  Mulder tried to follow her; his arms outreached trying to make
her stay.  She was openly sobbing now, and Skinner was becoming gravely
concerned about her.  Scully reached her hand to his and they touched
fingertips briefly.  She looked at him and somehow seemed to convey that
she would be return.  Mulder settled back on the bed and watched her
leave.  Dana was weeping uncontrollably when she came out of Mulder's
room. Skinner rushed to the door and opened it, wanting only to hold her
and comfort her while she wept.  But her mother was already there,
holding her, trying to quiet her sobs.  

A hospital routine quickly established itself.  Scully refused to leave
Mulder's side. She ordered Skinner to put another bed in Mulder's
room pushing the two together.  By day, she worked, pouring through
medical books on amnesia.  She ordered tests; she studied Mulder's
brain wave patterns.  She called psychiatric experts in the field of
amnesia.  Somehow, she managed to get some of them to drop whatever they
were doing and come halfway across the country to examine Mulder. 
Skinner refused her nothing; he signed off on travel requisitions and
doctors consultations, tests and more tests.   All of the doctors agreed
that the best chance Mulder had to recover his memory was by
association.   Pictures, personal belongings, anything that would
trigger memories of his old life.  Scully showed him files from cases
they had worked on.  She ordered Skinner to go to her apartment and
bring some of his personal items. His "I Want To Believe" poster now
hung in his room.  Mulder showed interest in everything, but so far,
nothing had triggered a return of his memory.  At night, Scully would
order Mulder to sleep in his own bed, but by morning... he was always
sleeping in her bed with his arms around her.  One day, while she sat
reading yet another medical journal and Mulder sat watching her read,
she motioned for him to come and sit by her. She took his hand and
placed it on her stomach.  As if on cue, the baby kicked and Mulder's
eyes widened and flew to her face in surprise.  She smiled and he
laughed out loud for the first time.   Mulder was fascinated by this new
discovery and kept touching her stomach waiting for the next kick.   He
obviously didn't understand what was happening...it more like a child
just discovering that his mother was having another baby.  Scully was
patient, always stopping whatever she was doing when he wanted to touch
her.  Days passed.  Skinner watched, Margaret Scully worried.  Dana
barely noticed them as they brought her food, changes of clothing and
anything else she asked for.  Scully's obstetrician visited her
regularly, satisfied that she was at least, staying off her feet.    

No one had heard from Alex Krycek since the day he left Scully's
apartment.  She had been very skeptical about the existence of this
so-called "drug" that would awaken Mulder like some Sleeping Beauty
kiss.  She didn't give it much thought as she continued to try use
conventional methods to try to reawaken Mulder's memory. When Skinner
entered their room, his jaw dropped.  Mulder was holding a baseball bat.
 Scully was trying to teach him how to swing.  She stood behind him, her
hand on his hips.  "Hips before hands" she was saying.  Tears were
flowing down her cheeks, although he wasn't sure why.   She turned to
look at Skinner and saw Alex Krycek coming in behind him.  When Mulder
saw Krycek, he froze in mid swing.  He then lunged at Krycek swinging
the bat as Skinner and Krycek dove to the floor.  "Mulder" Scully
yelled. This distracted him and turned to look at her.  "Get out of
here, now!" She whispered furiously.  Skinner and Krycek quickly
retreated as Scully continued talking to Mulder, keeping his attention
until he calmed down and finally gave her the bat.  Scully finally
emerged from Mulder's room.  "Is he all right?" Skinner asked
"He's asleep; I gave him a sedative" she answered, then looked at
Krycek.  "All right, what have you got?"    "There it is" he
said.  motioning his head toward the table.  On it, sat a very old
archive box, and top of that, was small leather container case.  Scully
carefully opened the leather case.   Inside was a vial containing a
clear liquid.  The label was worn and part of it was missing.  She
didn't recognize the lettering as any known drug.  Skinner and Krycek
stood behind Scully as she examined it.  Then she put it away and opened
the archive box.  In it were old files, research notes on the drug
program.  "I'll have to go over these, she said turning to face
them.  "There's something else" Alex said hesitated "What?" 
She asked.  "Well, the old guy, the doctor..." "What about him"
Alex was hesitant, not knowing what to say or whether she would believe
him or not.  "He said that the drug is very dangerous....it WILL cure
him...but it could also kill him.  That's why they stopped using it,
several agents died who used it. They decided that so many agent deaths
would attract too much unwanted attention to the project."  He said it
should only be used in the most extreme amnesia cases."  Her face
showed no reaction, but Skinner's did.   "Was that necessary?"  He
demanded glaring at Krycek.  Krycek shrugged, "What do you want from
me?  She said she wanted to know everything.... She needs to know
everything" "I'm fine" she said in a clinical detached voice. 
"But I have a lot of work to do, so if you'll excuse me....Alex"
She picked up a stack of files and walked back through the door into
Mulder's room. 

Krycek knew that that the use of his first name was as close to a
'thank you' as he would ever get from Dana Scully.  He was not
normally an introspective man.  In his line of work, if you stopped that
long, it could get you killed.  He looked at Skinner who had sat down in
a chair watching Scully through the window.  He wanted to say something,
but decided to leave him to his private hell.  He looked around the
room.  Scully's books and files were everywhere. He then looked
through the window into Mulder's room.  He remembered when he and
Mulder had first worked together.  They had almost been friends, then. 
He didn't have any friends now, he couldn't afford them.  The room
looked almost like a home...with the beds pushed together, and pictures
on the walls.  Scully had made a home for herself and Mulder in this
sterile hospital.  Then he looked at Dana Scully.  There she was with
files spread all over the bed.  "If sheer will could bring this man
back to life, her will would" he thought. "God, she was amazing. 
Fiercely protective and thoroughly loyal to Mulder.  She's walked
through fire for him and would die without hesitation for him."  He
looked back at Mulder again.  Then he turned and started toward the
door.  As he pulled it open, he stopped and took one last look around
the room.   "How would it be?" He wondered "to have a woman love
you this much?"  As he walked toward the exit, Alex suddenly stopped
and entered another room.  He hadn't been in a church since he was a
child, but he now approached the altar of the hospital chapel and
dropped to his knees.  

"Can you give me a minute alone with him before we do this?"  She
asked the doctor.   The moment of reckoning had arrived.  She had
studied the reports, ran the tests, argued, cried and prayed.  There
wasn't any more anyone could do.  The doctor nodded and said "just
let me know when you're ready" Everyone was waiting outside, her
mother, Skinner, Marita, the gunmen.  She got out of her chair and sat
beside Mulder.  He was already under anesthetic, ready for what was to
come.  Life had consequences, there was always the road not taken.  If
she didn't do this, Mulder might remain as he was, a man trapped in a
life not his own.  Yet, to get him back, she must risk losing him
forever.  She was crying now.  She picked up his hand and placed it on
her stomach.  She remembered back to the night that they had first made
love.  Mulder had needed a little coaxing...not, much.  He was afraid
that after all this time, all the flirtations, the innuendo, the
history...that the real thing wouldn't measure up.  He didn't want
to disappoint her.  She remembered how she told him that she loved him
completely and if he loved her as much, there couldn't be any
disappointment.  And there wasn't.  They hadn't gotten much sleep
that night.  She imagined that the neighbors probably didn't either. 
After 7 years, they had a lot of catching up to do.  The couch, the bed,
the kitchen counter, the desk, the bathroom sink, the shower...they all
got christened that night.  Her cheeks still got warm thinking about it.
 She remembered getting up the next morning.  They were both exhausted,
but they had a meeting with Skinner.  There was a little nagging doubt
in the back of her mind as she returned home, showered and changed for
work.  "What if things "get weird" between us?"   They didn't.
 When she got to work, Mulder was there, like always.  As they entered
Skinner's office, Mulder gave her a little wink and she gave him
"the look" just like always.  They had both collapsed into peals of
hysterical laughter when they returned to their office afterward. 
"God, do you think he noticed anything?"  They asked in unison. If
he did, he never said a word.   With that, sex had taken its place among
the many other layers of their partnership, no more or less important
than the rest.  If anything, it was better than ever.  

Skinner watched Dana from the other room.  During the last couple of
weeks, he had scarcely done anything else.  He was glad that it was
finally going to be over.  For better or for worse, it had to end.  She
couldn't take much more...neither could he...neither could they all. 
At first Skinner thought she might be praying.  Then he realized she was
clutching her stomach.  He rushed into the room and caught her in his
arms just as she slid off the bed onto the floor.  He could see pain and
fear in her eyes.  "God, what do I do?"  Skinner thought
frantically; he didn't want to leave her.  "The button!"  He
remembered that there was a panic button somewhere on Mulder's bed. 
He struggled to find it with one free hand as he cradled Dana against
him. It seemed to Skinner like they were standing still as the world
spun around them. Doctors and nurses were running; equipment and beds
were being moved.  "You've got to let her go, sir" he heard an
echo in his ears, as someone seemed to be yelling at him, but he
couldn't hear what they were saying.  They put her on a stretcher and
started rushing her out of the room.  Then, he heard her calling his
name...she had barely spoken it since that last day in her apartment. 
She had barely spoken to him or even noticed him since that day.  All
she saw was Mulder.  He jumped to his feet and ran after the stretcher
as they were racing her down the hall to the elevator.  Her mother, who
had been waiting in the lobby, was at her side. telling her to relax,
that everything would be fine.  Walter came up on the other side.  She
reached her hand to him and he took it as the elevator door opened and
they pushed her inside.  "He bent down, putting his other hand on her
forehead, then stroking her face. "It's okay, honey...everything's
going to be fine...you'll be fine" he murmured.  Pain ripped through
her again and she clutched his hand tightly as she struggled to keep
from crying out.   "God, why can't they do something?" He thought
desperately.  "Mulder, you've got to stay with Mulder" she
whispered. "Promise me..." Even in her pain, she only thought of
him.  Now and forever, Skinner knew it would always be Mulder. 
"I'll will...I'll take care of him, don't worry!"  He
whispered hoarsely.  "Walter" she said again "Shhh. " he tried
to quiet her.  "I need to tell you something else" "what is it,
honey" he asked.  "I'm sorry" she said.  Skinner looked at her
in confusion.  "That day at my apartment...the things I said...I was
upset, I didn't mean it" "Don't " he whispered "Don't
think about that now" The elevator door opened they started pushing
her out.  Skinner had to release her hand as her mother continued.  She
struggled to lift her head to look back at him.  "Mulder....Go!" 
She cried.  

Skinner watched as they rushed her down the hall and she was gone.  It
took everything he had not to rush after them.  He didn't want to
leave her, but he had promised her...He didn't wait for the elevator
this time. He took the stairs 3 at a time as he sprinted up three
floors.  He was barely out of breath when he emerged back upstairs near
Mulder's room.  The gunmen rushed toward him.  "How's Scully?"
All three asked in unison.  "I don't know." He said shaking his
head "Where's Mulder!"  They're still waiting in there...they
want to know if they should go ahead and administer the drug" Langley
said nodding toward Mulder's room.   Skinner didn't answer, he left
them standing there as he quickly headed toward Mulder's room.  As he
entered, he saw Mulder still lying unconscious of the table, mercifully
unaware of what was going on around him.  The doctor stood up "what
would you like us to do, sir?" He asked.  Skinner closed his eyes for
a brief second.  "Do it!" He said quietly.   The doctor quickly and
expertly prepared the injection.  Skinner noticed that Mulder was in
restraints...and several large male nurses now stood around the table. 
He didn't have time to consider the implications as the drug began to
take effect.  Mulder began to go into a seizure..shaking violently.   He
growled like an animal and struggled against the men who held him down. 
Then he let out a blood-curdling scream.  Skinner, unprepared for what
was happening, ran from the room.  The gunmen were standing outside
pacing; they had obviously heard the screams.  "What's going on in
there?"  Byers asked, his voice barely above a whisper.  Skinner
looked at each of them.  "I think he's dying!"  He said
helplessly.  

Skinner sat unmoving, almost in a trance as the gunmen paced back and
forth by Mulder's door.  How was he going to tell Scully that they'd
lost him?  Just then, the doctor and several of the male nurses emerged
from Mulder's room.  Skinner felt paralyzed as the doctor walked over
to him.  "Agent Mulder is resting quietly now."  He said "What?"
Skinner whispered incredulously.  "I think it went well. From what I
was able to learn from Dr. Scully, most of the deaths occurred almost
immediately after injecting the drug.  The seizure you witnessed was a
normal reaction that's why we had him restrained.   But it seems that
if one survives the initial injection, then the chances for success are
excellent.  Of course, we won't know anything until he wakes up, which
won't be for several hours" Skinner felt every muscle in his body
relax.  He tried to stand up to shake the doctor hand, but his limbs
were like jelly.  

Margaret Scully quietly approached Walter Skinner who appeared to be
asleep in an overstuffed chair in the lounge outside Dana's room. The
doctors had been able to stop the labor for now, but they decided to
keep her as sedated as possible until they knew more about Mulder's
condition.   She carried two cups of coffee and set them down quietly,
then she sat down, trying not to wake him.  She considered him for a
moment as he slept.  It didn't take a genius to figure out that Fox
Mulder was not the only man in love with her daughter.  She had tried to
avoid thinking about how this would all play out. Skinner then stretched
and opened his eyes.  When he saw Mrs. Scully sitting there, he quickly
sat up in embarrassment.  "I brought you some coffee" she said
smiling as she handed him one of the steaming cups from the end table. 
"Thanks" he said giving her a small return smile as he took a sip. 
They both sat in silence for a few minutes.  Then Margaret spoke.  "I
know this has to be extremely difficult for you" she said gently He
looked up at her with questioning eyes but didn't say anything.  She
continued.  "It's not hard to see that you care for Dana very
much" "how is it that women always know these things?" Skinner
wondered to himself in exasperation.  He was suddenly very uncomfortable
as he recalled some of the very "unprofessional thought he'd had
involving her daughter.  He felt embarrassment creeping quickly into his
cheeks and he couldn't think of a thing to say.  Mrs. Scully could see
that she had embarrassed him so she patted his hand and got up. 
"I'm going to go down to the gift shop" she said and walked away. 


Fox Mulder emerged from the stairwell near Dana Scully's room.   He
looked back at the gunmen who motioned him onward.  They had undertaken
this stealth mission to sneak Mulder passed Nurse Ratchet upstairs. 
Their jaws had dropped when he had emerged from his room a little while
ago, demanding something to eat and looking for Scully.  The nurse
promptly ordered him back to his room.  As he devoured the last of the
chips and candy bars they brought him from the vending machine, they
tried to explain to him how long he had been gone.  He really didn't
believe them.  But his next order of business was Scully.  The gunmen
decided to leave the whole pregnancy topic alone.  He would find out
soon enough, they figured; they weren't sure how much he knew.  He
seemed to know that she was also a patient in the hospital, although he
never asked about why she was there.  The whole thing was too much to
contemplate, so they focused their energy on devising a plan to get him
passed the nurses, and hopefully the rest would take care of itself.  

Mulder was about to approach the nurses' station to ask where
Scully's room was when he glanced over and saw her mother asleep in a
chair in the lounge.  He walked over to her and stood watching her for a
few seconds, then reached down and took her hand.  She stirred and
looked up.  "Hey, Mom" Mulder said giving her a broad grin.  "Oh,
my God...Fox!" She jumped up and grabbed him almost pulling him over. 
He laughed, a little embarrassed as she clung to him, saying "Oh my
God" over and over again.  "It's okay, Mom" he said smiling,
trying to extricate himself from her hug."  She looked at him with a
thousand questions in her eyes.  "Where's Dana?  Is she all right;
is the baby all right?"   He asked.  She stared at him, and he looked
around in confusion as he tried to figure out what he had just said. 
"She's fine" Maggie said looking at him astounded, also trying to
figure out what was going on.  "The baby's fine, too. They were able
to stop the labor" Mulder looked relieved.  "Where is she? He asked
eagerly.  She pointed to Dana's room and he sprinted off before she
had a chance to tell him that Dana would probably be asleep.  "What
just happened here?" She asked herself.  She watched as he stopped and
hesitated by her door. He reminded her of a little boy.  He was so
excited, but scared at the same time.  He glanced back at her for
reassurance.  "Go on" she mouthed to him and motioned with her
hands.  "Maybe I'd better give them some privacy" she thought
gleefully.  "I'll go get something to eat" she thought and
practically skipped down the hall toward the elevator.  Mulder pushed
the door open without making a sound and entered.  He wanted to surprise
her, but nothing could have prepared him for what he saw.  He peeked
around the curtain and saw her lying there.   She was asleep, but
sitting next to her on her bed was Walter Skinner.  He was holding one
of her hands to his face, kissing it.  Mulder watched as Skinner bent
forward tenderly touching her face, stroking her hair.  He was
whispering something to her, but Mulder couldn't hear it.  He didn't
need to; he already knew the words by heart.   Mulder felt the air
closing in around him.  He stood there, frozen to the floor.  Panic and
confusion were filling him.  He knew he had to get out of there. 
Somehow, he managed to back himself out of the room without being
noticed.   When he got back outside.  He flopped down into a chair right
by the door.  His heart was pounding and he couldn't catch his breath.
 "What was happening here?"  He had only half believed the gunmen
when they told him how long he had been gone; but he had never
considered the possibility of what that absence meant in terms of the
people he had left behind.  "I guess that's what you get for missing
so many staff meetings, Mulder!"  He thought bitterly.   The present
and the past were still a huge jumble in his mind.  He hadn't had time
to sort it out.  He remembered Scully being with him right upstairs. 
Touching her, sleeping with her...the baby!"  "But Skinner...what he
saw just now, what was that about?"  He knew that touch.  If anyone
knew about the ways that a man touches a woman when he loves her, it was
Fox Mulder. Unfortunately, he didn't have any more time to consider
the matter as Skinner opened the door and emerged.    He was obviously
lost in his thoughts and he didn't notice Mulder sitting there.  He
paused, leaning against the door casing and closed his eyes.  "Hey,
Skin man" Mulder said.  "Mulder?" Skinner whispered; his face was
blank for an instant as it registered, then he erupted into a broad
smile as Mulder stood up.  The two men embraced each other for several
seconds.  Skinner recovered his composure and awkwardly pulled back from
Mulder.  "Welcome back, Agent Mulder" he said trying to use his best
"professional" voice.  "Thank you 'sir', and not a moment too
soon, I see" Mulder said with that smiling sarcasm that was Fox
Mulder.  .  Skinner looked at him in questioningly, missing the
implication at first. "Have you been cutting in on my action, sir?" 
Mulder asked simply, still smiling, but his eyes were unreadable. 
Skinner was thunderstruck as it slowly dawned on him that Mulder must
have seen him with Dana just now.  "Ahh... Mulder" he stammered,
trying to come up with something, anything.  Mulder was back. 
Brilliant, wisecracking, infuriating, he was back, and Mulder never
missed a thing.  Skinner knew that there wasn't much point in trying
to deny what he had seen.  He tried several times to say something, but
nothing came out.  Mulder just stood there, grinning at him.  

Mulder had to admit he was thoroughly enjoying watching Skinner squirm. 
How many times had Skinner had him on the hot seat?    "Payback's a
"b****, " Mulder thought to himself and just kept grinning at
Skinner.  "I.."  "She.."  Skinner stammered again.  "She does
get under your skin, doesn't she, sir?"  Mulder asked, finally
deciding to cut Skinner a break.  Skinner looked serious for a moment,
then finally said  "You don't have to worry, Mulder, I was just
minding the store until you got back"   "I appreciate that ,
sir..It's nice to know I can count on you to...watch out for her when
I'm gone!"  Mulder said still smiling.  Mulder had only been back a
few minutes, and already Skinner wanted to wring his neck.  "Agent,
don't you have some work to do?" He asked sternly.  "Yes, sir!"
Mulder said emphatically, still grinning at him and looking over his
shoulder as he walked into Scully's room.  

Mulder sat in the chair, just watching her sleep.  "God, she is so
beautiful!"  He marveled.   And the baby, his baby.  "How was this
possible?" He wondered.  They hadn't taken any precautions because
they didn't think they needed to.   She was supposed to be infertile. 
He smiled a satisfied smile.  "My boys found a way!"  He thought
proudly.  He wanted to reach out and touch her, but he didn't want to
wake her; or was it because he was afraid now, uncertain if he still had
her heart.  She stirred and opened her eyes.  She was groggy from the
sedative and she looked at him for several seconds before it really
registered with her.  Mulder grinned "Hey Scully" he said
"you're not going to shoot me are you...for ditching you again? " 
Scully's eyes widened and her lips began to tremble.   They gazed into
each other's eyes, Mulder smiling lovingly at her.  "Oh, I'm
getting pretty used to it by now." She answered, then glanced down and
placed her hand on her stomach "you always leave me with the dirty
work, Mulder" There were tears in her eyes now as she gazed up at him
again.  Mulder laid his hand across her stomach on top of her hand. 
"So, anything new around here?" He asked.  "Oh, you know...same
old.. same old.."  She said dissolving in sobs as he came forward and
took her into his arms.  He climbed into bed with her, holding her,
rocking her as she clung to him. 

Skinner watched carefully from behind the curtain.  Gradually, her
crying quieted. She finally sat up to look at him.  Mulder had tears in
his eyes now as he stared into her eyes, touching her face softly. 
"I'm so sorry I left you alone." He whispered.  With that, they
began the familiar dance Skinner had witnessed before. Slowly,
wordlessly touching, nuzzling, kissing, loving.  The only difference was
that this time, it was Mulder who was leading.  Skinner silently slipped
out of the room and started walking.  He had to get out of there. How he
found his car and managed to drive home, he'll never know.  But he
soon found himself standing inside his empty, dark apartment.  He kicked
off his shoes, took off his coat and tie and threw them on the couch. 
He started to make himself a drink, then decided against it.  He was
tired...so very tired.  He went into his bedroom without turning on the
lights and flopped down on his bed.  It started slowly.  At first, he
was able to force it back down, but he had been forcing it back for so
long he just didn't have any strength left.  He sobbed openly, deeply
and uncontrollably.  


Prologue:

"Mulder, will you stand still?"  Skinner asked in exasperation as
they both stood facing each other in full formal attire.  Skinner was
fumbling with this large fingers trying to fix Mulder's bow tie. 
"God, I hate these monkey suits!" Mulder said sighing in frustration
as he fidgeted.  "Shut up, Mulder, at least you get a reward when this
is over, all I get is to go home to an empty apartment."  Mulder
grinned.  Margaret Scully knocked lightly on the door and entered.  In
her arms, she carried a squirming baby girl with bright red hair. 
"Are you two almost ready?" She asked.  The baby squealed and tried
to jump out of her arms when she saw Mulder.  "There's my girl"
Mulder said as he ducked around Skinner and took her from Mrs. Scully.  
Skinner watched as Mulder swung his child up over his head, then brought
her back down to his face, kissing her and making faces as she squealed
with delight. He remembered how Dana had worried about whether Mulder
could be domesticated.   At least he had been right about something.  

Bill Scully opened the door and poked his head in.  "Mom, Dana needs
you, she's got some problem with the dress or something" Mulder
reluctantly handed little Samantha back to Mrs. Scully.  "OK
pumpkin" he said softly " I have to go marry your mom quick before
she changes her mind" "Oh, Fox!" Mrs. Scully scolded as she
carried the baby out the door with her.  "Let's get his show on the
road, Mulder, I have to catch a flight back to San Diego at 6:30" Bill
said to Mulder now.  "Ok, Ok!"  Mulder replied in exasperation. 
"By the way, Mulder," he added. "You know I don't like you,
never did; but for reasons I can't fathom, my sister does, so don't
even think about running off today.   "Why Bill, I'm touched by the
familial concern" Mulder said sarcastically grinning at his future
brother-in-law.  "Hey, no problem, buddy!" Bill replied, just as
sarcastically as he ducked out the door.  

Mulder and Skinner were alone in the room now.  They stood looking at
themselves in the full-length mirror, making a few last minute
adjustments.  Tension hung in the air.  "You know, Walter, we're a
couple of damn fine-looking men...wanna to go pick up some chicks?"  
Mulder asked admiring himself.  Skinner gave Mulder a look, then laughed
out loud.  It worked; the tension was broken.  "Mulder, I..."
Skinner said trying to be serious.  "I just wanted to say... "
"Gee... Dad" Mulder said grinning as he leaned in toward Skinner and
kind of whispered.  "This isn't the 'sex' talk is it, cause I
already know about that" Skinner sighed and shook his head. 
"Mulder, you know you hit the jackpot, right" he asked looking
intently at Mulder.   Mulder looked back at him, they were both serious
now.  "Yes, I do" Mulder said. He hesitated for a second, as he
looked thoughtful.  "Every day that I wake up and see her lying next
to me, still here, I have to pinch myself" Skinner could have done
without that image, and he was a little embarrassed by Mulder's sudden
intimate revelation. But he was glad that Mulder had obviously given
this some thought.  "You've got the brass ring, Mulder...what most
men only dream of This truth you've been searching for all these
years...you know you've got it right in the palm of your hand" "I
know that, sir" Mulder replied quietly.  "Don't screw this
up...because if you ever hurt her, I'll have to break your neck" 
Mulder smiled slightly and looked down, then back at Skinner. "Believe
me sir, that thought will be ever present in my mind" "Ready?" 
Skinner asked "as I'll ever be" Mulder answered as they headed
toward the door.