From: ephemeral@ephemeralfic.org
Date: 8 Oct 2005 23:19:23 -0000
Subject: NEW:  Flight Into Egypt 7:  Going Home 07 of 13 by Vickie Moseley
Source: direct

Reply To: vickiemoseley1978@yahoo.com


Going Home:  Chapter 7 Not What She Expected

Crystal City Place
June 7, 2005
7:30 pm

She parked in the visitor's space for Skinner's 
apartment, just a few spaces over from Mulder's 
rental.  It took all her effort to drag herself and her 
duffle bag out of the car.  Traffic on the Chesapeake 
Bay Bridge had been a nightmare, as usual, but 
more than that was causing her exhaustion.  She 
hadn't slept the night before and was still struggling 
with emotional upheaval.

She juggled her keys as she walked down the 
hallway.  What was she going to say to him?  She'd 
seen his face as he drove away.  He hadn't looked 
angry, but he had every right to be.  He looked sad 
and . . . disappointed.  When confronted with her 
own lie, she'd let him take the brunt of it.  She was 
angry with herself, she didn't blame him if he was 
angry with her for waiting until he'd been gone a 
night before she would stand up to her brother.

Not to mention he probably wouldn't be happy 
when she arrived alone.  She hadn't consulted him 
on leaving the kids at the beach.  Not that she didn't 
relish spending time alone with her partner (angry 
or not), it was just that they never went anywhere 
without the kids, well, almost never.  The only 
people they trusted with their children were the 
Hawthornes, and never for overnight.  But this was 
her family, she argued internally.  Yeah, the same 
family that practically disowned her for loving her 
partner.  She got the image of a cat chasing its tail.  
No matter what his mood, she would talk to him, 
make it right.  Nothing else mattered but that they 
were on the same page.

She unlocked the door to the apartment, calling out 
to him.  "Mulder?"  Silence answered her.  
Frowning, she walked through the empty apartment, 
dropping her duffle in the bedroom they shared.  
He'd been there the night before.  The bed was 
unmade and his clothes were on the floor.  She 
found a clean pair of shorts and clean tee shirt lying 
on the bed, hastily folded.  His sandals, the pair he'd 
lived in since warm weather had arrived, were 
tucked under the edge of the bed skirt.  What the 
hell had he worn to meet Skinner, she asked herself.

He'd gone out to dinner, she decided.  It was 
entirely possible that Skinner and Kim had invited 
him out to eat, since he was in the city alone.  That 
alternately warmed her heart and froze it.  He 
shouldn't have been here by himself.  She should 
have been with him.  But beating herself up over it 
wouldn't change the past.  All she could do was 
hope to make it better in the future.

Scully wandered into the kitchen to find something 
to eat.  Amazingly, the refrigerator was stocked, 
including 2 percent milk and apple juice.  She 
smiled; he knew they were coming home.  At least 
he didn't think they'd abandoned him.  She found 
her favorite lunchmeat, thin sliced turkey breast, in 
the meat drawer and made a sandwich for her 
dinner.

There were boxes on the table, so she had to move 
some things aside to make room.  As she ate, she 
looked at the writing on the side.  Her mother's 
handwriting, in china pencil, just as she'd marked 
all the boxes in every move the Scully family had 
made through the years.  She bit her lip as she 
realized what was in the boxes.  Her things, his 
things.  All the pieces of their lives that they'd left 
behind on that one dark night in June three years 
ago.  Dropping her half eaten sandwich to the plate, 
she pulled the closest box toward her and peered 
inside.

Her desk items stared up at her.  Her drawer 
organizer, neatly wrapped in clear plastic, the 
pencils, pens and paperclips still in their proper 
compartments.  Her address book, very handy now 
that she would probably start sending Christmas 
cards to old friends again after a three-year absence.  
Photo albums made the bottom layer.

She pulled them out, brushing her hand across the 
leather.  Opening one of the albums, her throat 
tightened and tears blurred her vision.  She 
remembered this album.  She had made it for 
William.  It was pictures of his father, so that the 
little boy would know the man who'd given him 
life.

Mulder at a crime scene, staring hard at the ground.  
Mulder in the office, feet on the desk, giving her a 
'don't you dare' look as she snapped the picture.  
Some pictures of the two of them, taken by crime 
scene photographers.  She remembered asking for 
them, just to keep the picture out of the water cooler 
gossip mills.  Pictures of the two of them that 
Langly or Frohike had taken when the two agents 
had visited the Gunmen.  

She stopped turning the pages at one picture.  It was 
an 8 by 10, it took up the page, black and white.  
Mulder was standing on a street corner, looking off 
into the distance, thinking.  She ran her finger over 
the plastic, tracing his jaw, his forehead.  She loved 
this man.  She loved him more than she had ever 
realized.

The last three years and the nine before that, she'd 
known her place.  Her place was at his side.  For the 
first few years, she felt the need to protect him, 
while he carried on his quest.  Sancho to his 
Quixote.  She'd been sent to spy on him, she was as 
aware of that as he was from the start, but she had 
no intentions of being a spy.  When she saw his 
nobility, his honesty, his integrity; she knew he 
needed her as a buffer from the powers that were 
out to destroy him, whatever the reason. 

With her own abduction and with the loss of 
Melissa, she took his quest on as her own.  No 
longer were they hero and sidekick, now they were 
partners in crime.  She smiled at that thought.  She 
had felt like a criminal when they'd returned from 
Antarctica to find their work handed off to other 
agents.  No, not just other agents -- Diana Fowley 
and Jeffrey Spender.  Scully shuddered in revulsion.  
No matter that the woman had died almost six year 
previous, she still got a lump in her stomach at the 
mere thought of Diana.

Jealousy.  She could finally allow herself to look at 
her feelings without the pressures of a strictly work 
partnership.  She hated Diana on several levels, not 
the least of which was because Scully was certain of 
Diana's duplicitous nature.  But overriding all of 
that, Scully was jealous that Mulder had trusted the 
other woman.  Trust was something she'd had to 
earn, and she had over years of partnership.  To see 
him blindly trust someone who was so obviously 
not working in his best interest infuriated Scully.  
There were times when she didn't want to just 
scratch out Diana's eyes, she wanted to rip Mulder's 
arms off and stuff them down his throat.

Shaking her head, she laughed.  What a picture!  
Years later and she still could get her hackles up 
over it.  But in some ways, Diana had ultimately 
given her life to ensure Mulder survived.  She 
redeemed herself at the last moment.  Scully would 
forever be grateful for that.  But it didn't mean she 
wasn't just slightly pleased that the bitch was dead.

Love, jealousy, trust, misunderstandings.  Life, 
death, burials and births.  They'd gone through it all 
and come out all the stronger.  Scully had seen 
marriages break up over far less.

Another album hidden behind one of the boxes 
caught her eye.  She picked it up, recognizing 
almost immediately.  The Father's Day present she 
never got to give.  Again the tears caused her vision 
to waver, but she gently turned the pages, 
remembering their son, their first miracle together.  
She ached to give Mulder those memories.  

But if the album was out on the table, he must have 
found it.  It hit her like a freight train; he'd found the 
album.  For a moment, that thought dismayed her.  
She'd wanted to present it to him, as it should be 
given, a cherished gift.  To have him stumble on it 
with no preparation --

The little velvet bag slid out from between two 
pages.  She picked it up gingerly; as if she was 
afraid of the secrets it held.  Biting her lip, she 
pulled open the silk chords holding it shut and 
upended the contents into her hand.

A perfect diamond ring landed in her palm, 
followed shortly by a slip of a receipt.

She stopped breathing.  This was too much.  What 
had he done, had he gone out and bought this 
today?  Her anger was warring with her underlying 
confusion.  She laid the velvet pouch on the table, 
putting the ring on top of it.  With shaking fingers 
she opened the receipt to find the date.

Oh my God was the first thought to whiz through 
her brain.  It wasn't the current date at all.  He had 
purchased the ring --

The date finally settled in her brain and this times 
the tears sprang forth with no possible hindrance.  
He'd bought her an engagement ring long before 
they'd even become intimate.  He'd bought the ring 
just days after her remission.  And at the time, she'd 
thought the chip in the back of her neck was his 
only declaration of undying devotion.   

A thousand little moments crowded into her mind.  
'Marry me,' said to her while she was trying to find 
a rational explanation for a little girl's murderous 
doll.  'You're my one in five billion,' rasped to her 
from a bed in a psychiatric ward.  'I owe you 
everything, Scully and you owe me nothing,' said in 
an anguished voice in a dingy hallway.  'I love you,' 
coming from lips just recently blue from lack of 
oxygen and the effects of near drowning.  'You are 
my constant, my touchstone," said with a tear 
choked voice from a battered soul.  

All those moments, and hundreds just like them, all 
that time he held this ring, hidden, buried in his 
apartment and his heart.  He'd broached the subject 
a hundred times and each time she'd ignored what 
he was saying.  Of course, he could have come right 
out and said the words, handed her the ring, but her 
Mulder, the man she'd given her heart to years 
before, was too insecure for that.  His fear of 
rejection held him in check.

Silently she slipped the ring on her finger, where an 
engagement ring was supposed to be worn.  It fit 
perfectly, as she knew it would.  Her heart clenched 
and tears flowed freely.  When she heard the key in 
the door, she startled.  Ripping the ring from her 
finger, she stuffed it and the receipt in the bag, 
concealing them in the pages of the album and 
hiding the album in one of the boxes.  She didn't 
want him to know she'd found it.  Not yet. 

When he opened the door, Mulder sensed 
movement in the apartment.  The hairs on the back 
of his neck lifted and he automatically reached for 
his weapon, which would have been on his hip in 
earlier days.  He grabbed thin air and sighed.  OK, 
fists would just have to do, and the element of 
surprise.  It had been quite a while since he'd had to 
think on his feet in a dangerous situation.  He 
considered going back out in the hall, as he should 
as a private citizen.  Nah, he hadn't been that 
domesticated.  He stepped forward toward the 
kitchen where he heard shuffling and bumping --

"Scully!  For God's sakes -- you trying to kill me?" 
he yelled at her.  She turned and he got a good look 
at her tear-streaked face.  "Scully, baby, what's 
wrong, what's the matter?" he pleaded immediately, 
opening his arms.

It took only a couple of steps but it felt like she'd 
run all night.  She grabbed him tightly and pillowed 
her cheek against his chest where she could listen to 
his rapid heartbeat.  She couldn't talk, she wasn't 
going to move, she was right where she wanted to 
be, safe in his arms, him safe in her arms.

"Scully, hey, love, what's the matter?  Is it one of 
the babies?  What's happened?  Please, you're 
scaring me, tell me what's wrong," he begged of 
her.

That forced her into action.  She pulled away and 
grabbed his face in both hands, pulling it down for a 
scorching kiss.  When they needed air, she released 
him, smiling up at him through her tears.  "No, 
nothing's wrong.  I just missed you."

He chuckled at her and leaned down for another 
kiss.  "Remind me to stay away for a day again 
sometime," he teased, but she would have none of 
it.

"No, not ever.  Never are we going to sleep in 
separate cities, in separate beds unless we both 
agree and have damn good reasons, and my 
brother's whim is not damn good enough!" she 
growled forcefully.  They kissed again and it was 
getting very warm in the kitchen.

Finally, Mulder pulled away, holding her at arm's 
reach.  He looked around, listening for a moment.  
"Scully, where are our children?" he asked with a 
raised eyebrow.

"With my mother and brothers at the beach," she 
answered, biting her lip.

"You came back without them?" he asked, 
frowning.

"Mulder -- "

"We have this whole apartment to ourselves?"

"Mulder, don't be angry.  I trust my mother -- "

"Scully, stop talking, now!"  He picked her up in his 
arms as she whooped and grabbed on to his neck.  
"No more talking until morning.  Come show me 
how much you missed me," he said with a wicked 
grin.

Crystal City Place
7:35 am

Walter Skinner was seldom a patient man.  Having 
been called out of the arms of his intended just an 
hour before, he wasn't a very happy man, either.  He 
stood in front of the door to his old apartment and 
rapped again.  Still, no answer.

Digging into his pocket, he produced his keys and 
quickly unlocked the door.  "Mulder," he called, 
walking into the living room.  No sign of his friend, 
but that wasn't unusual.  Mulder didn't have a 
schedule to keep and he'd been at the Bureau pretty 
late the night before.  Skinner was still alternately 
kicking himself and patting himself on the back at 
roping Mulder in on Agent Wright's case.  Mulder 
had been one of the best, if anyone could teach 
Wright how to investigate -- and keep an open mind 
-- it was Mulder.  If only he could figure out how to 
get Scully involved, Skinner mused as he moved 
toward the stairs leading to the bedrooms.

Odd, Mulder's suit coat was hanging off the newel 
post to the upstairs.  Odder still, his tie was slung 
over the banister.  One wingtip was kicked toward 
the corner of the landing; Walter found the other at 
the top of the steps.  Was that a woman's shoe lying 
in the hall?  What the hell was Mulder thinking, 
bringing a woman to the apartment when his partner 
was still at the beach?

"Mulder?  What the hell is going on here?" Skinner 
demanded as he pushed open the bedroom door and 
caught a full frontal eyeful of Dana Scully reaching 
for the sheet that had fallen to the floor.

"Walter?" Scully squeaked, grabbing the sheet and 
wrapping it around her.

"Dana?" Skinner returned, in a voice almost as high 
as his diminutive former agent.  He stood there, 
stunned, unable to move.

"Hey, uh, Walt, could you meet us downstairs?" 
Mulder asked politely from a crouched position on 
the other side of the bed, also without clothing.

"Sure.  Yeah.  I'll -- I'll make coffee," Skinner said 
quickly and almost ran down the stairs.

Walt blushes all the way across his head, Mulder 
decided as he made his way over to the cabinet to 
retrieve a coffee mug.  "Um, we, uh, didn't hear you 
knock," said the former agent, now dressed in shorts 
and a tee shirt.

Skinner refused to meet his eye, staring at a spot 
just over his left shoulder.  "I did knock, you know.  
I called you, too."

"I think Scully heard that.  And your footsteps on 
the stairs," Mulder said, sipping his coffee.

A thought occurred to Skinner.   "Where are 
William and the girls?"

"Still at the beach," Mulder explained, digging in 
the refrigerator and producing bagels and cream 
cheese.  He pointed toward the food, wordlessly 
offering Walter a share in their breakfast.

"No, I can't.  I need to get in to the office.  Actually, 
I came by to get you.  There's been another 
murder."

"Murder?" Scully asked from the doorway.  She, 
too, had dressed, even to the point of wearing long 
sleeves.  Mulder shot her a raised eyebrow and she 
ignored him.  "What about a murder?" 

Skinner shot a look over to Mulder who shrugged 
and looked down at the floor.  "A military 
contractor was found this morning in his office.  He 
was dead, but there appears to be no external 
trauma."

"Heart attack, stroke, brain aneurism," Scully rattled 
off.

Mulder shook his head.  "He's not the first.  I'm 
pretty sure when he's opened up they'll find internal 
organs done to perfection," he commented, taking 
another sip.  At her questioning look, he grinned.  
"Cooked.  Like a Christmas goose.  The military 
turned to us?" he directed his question to Skinner.

"He was a contractor.  But it appears he worked in 
an accounting position, not someone with 
intelligence information.  The company CEO called 
it into DC police, but we had a bulletin posted for 
these types of deaths."

"Is Wright at the scene?" Mulder continued.

"Yeah, I told him we'd -- " he shot a look at Scully 
and something flashed through his eyes.  "I said I'd 
meet him there."

"I'm going with you," Mulder announced.

Scully stuck her hand out.  "Wait a minute.  Why 
are you going?" she quarreled.

"The kid, sorry, 'new' agent, an Agent Wright, 
assigned to the case is working over his head," he 
explained.

"So?  Walter should assign him a partner," she said 
through gritted teeth.

Skinner busied himself staring at the tile floor.

"Walter asked me to help the kid out.  Just give him 
some pointers," Mulder said quickly, hoping to 
forestall the inevitable argument.

"Like hell you will," she shot back.  "Mulder, you 
aren't an agent.  You haven't been for four years.  
You are not going back in the field!  You don't have 
a weapon, you're skills are rusty, at best -- "

"I didn't hear any complaints last night," he groused 
sotto voce.

" -- and you're not ditching me with the kids!"

"I thought the kids were at the beach," Walter 
interjected and immediately regretted opening his 
mouth from the look Scully shot him.

"Scully, you know, it would really help Wright if 
you looked at this body," Mulder said, taking hold 
of her shoulders loosely so that she'd look him in 
the face.  "Please.  It's just one little body -- "

"I haven't looked inside any body in three years," 
she spat out.

"But it's like riding a bike, Scully.  I mean, it's not 
like they changed where things are put in there," he 
added, trying to sound reasonable.

"Why?" she challenged.  "Why this?  Why now?"

"I just want to extend a professional courtesy," he 
said, dropping his hands from her shoulders to his 
sides in defeat.

Her eyes narrowed.  "The only courtesies you 
extend will be to me, Mister," she growled.  She 
turned on her heel and headed out of the kitchen, 
but stopped before she got to the doorway.  "You 
can't go dressed like that.  They'll think you're a 
death groupie."

"Yes ma'am."

"And I'm coming to the crime scene, too," she 
directed at Walter.  "To keep him in line."

"Absolutely," Skinner agreed.

"I'm getting dressed.  I'll only be a moment."  It was 
a command more than a statement.

"I brought a couple of your 'after William' suits 
from storage -- ones I didn't recognize," Mulder 
called out to her as they heard her footsteps 
tromping up the stairs.  "I better go make sure she 
finds them and get changed myself."

"Motherhood doesn't seem to have softened all the 
edges, has it, Mulder?" Walter asked with a small 
smile.

"Not all of them," Mulder admitted.  "I tend to think 
a couple of the edges got sharpened.  Be right 
back."

Walden Electronics, Inc.
Falls Church, VA
9:45 AM

Skinner stood by the door, out of the way of the 
forensics team, watching his two former agents as 
they surveyed the crime scene.  A rush of deja vu 
flooded him.  It was like the last five years had 
never transpired.  He sighed, wondering how things 
might have been different it he'd refused to allow 
Mulder to go out to Bellefleur.  But then, knowing 
Mulder, the man would have gone ahead without 
permission and no one would have been there to 
witness what had happened with the alien ship.  

There was no telling that things would have ended 
differently in the long run anyway.  Scully and 
Mulder had been in an intimate relationship, by 
evidence of their conceiving a child together, long 
before he and Mulder left for Oregon.  If Mulder 
hadn't been abducted, Scully probably would have 
left the X Files, maybe even the Bureau, to raise 
William.  Mulder, since Samantha's fate had been 
revealed, might very well have left as well.  Maybe 
they would have purchased a house in the area, 
settled down.  Having spent time with them in 
Montana, Skinner didn't find it so foreign to see 
them with three kids and an SUV.  Whatever had 
transpired in the last few years, at least everything 
appeared to be going well for them now.   Of 
course, no longer facing eminent colonization by an 
alien force might have had something to do with 
that.

"I'm just happy you're willing to do the autopsy, 
Agent Scully," Wright was chattering on as Scully 
examined the body still seated at the only desk in 
the room.

"I'm not an Agent anymore, Wright," Scully said 
with a patient smile.  "Call me Scully.  Or if you 
want, Dana."

"Well, we have plenty of prints, but I'm guessing all 
of them belong to the victim," Mulder said from his 
position on an office chair, dusting a ceiling vent.  
"No sign of a 'Tooms' like entry, either."

Wright gave Scully a confused glance but she shook 
her head and wrinkled her nose to avoid any 
questions.  "If you're done with the body, I'd like to 
get it transported to the morgue," she said.

Mulder jumped off the chair and moved to stand by 
her.  He looked expectantly at Wright.  "Your call, 
Agent Wright.  Do we give the ME the OK to move 
him?"

Wright looked surprised.  "Uh, yeah, I guess we're 
done here, right?"

Scully found the floor rather interesting, using her 
hair to block her smile.  Mulder put his hand on the 
young man's shoulder, much like a father would, 
and walked him over to the corner.  

"Wright, I'm sorry, Jeremy," he said in a friendly 
tone.  "This is your investigation.  We're not even 
really here.  If you can think of any reason for the 
body to stay, speak up.  Otherwise, it's best to get 
the ME going as soon as possible.  Speeds things 
up.  Got it?"

Wright swallowed hard and nodded.  "Sorry.  It's 
just -- "

"I know, but believe me, it gets easier.  Not better, 
but easier."  Mulder patted the agent on the back 
and turned to wink at Scully.  "I guess you get the 
next turn, former G-woman."

"Oh joy," she said with a smirk.

Skinner had made the calls to allow Scully to use 
the morgue at Quantico.  She and Mulder made the 
long drive down US 1 to the FBI labs in their rental, 
while Skinner and Wright followed.

"So, what do you think of him?" Mulder asked.  
They'd just stopped for gas and sunflower seeds and 
he was buckling himself into the driver's seat.

"He's green, you're right.  I think he has just a touch 
of hero worship," she said with a grin that made 
Mulder's mind flash on a hundred past car trips with 
this woman.

"Oh, yeah.  He was all over you, that's for sure," he 
replied with a twinkle in his eye.

"Mulder, please.  It's obvious he's a member of the 
Fox Mulder fan club."

"As long as you stay President of that fan club, I 
don't care who else is a member," he said, taking 
her hand and kissing it lightly.

She smiled at him and looked out the window.  
"God, I don't miss this drive," she said with a weary 
sigh.

He nodded, turning his attention to the road.

"Doctor Scully!  God, it's been how long?"  The 
administrative assistant for the morgue had Scully 
in a fierce hug before she was fully in the office.  

"Hi, Grace, three years, actually," Scully said, 
freeing herself from the woman's grasp.  "How are 
you, how is your baby?"

Grace beamed.  "Wonderful, just wonderful.  David 
is almost four now.  He's such a little person, 
talking, constantly wanting attention."

"Yes," Scully smiled.  "I remember he was born just 
a couple of months after William."

Grace's eyes widened and her hand flew up to her 
mouth.  "Oh, Dana, I'm so sorry.  I didn't mean to 
bring up -- "

Mulder took that as his opportunity.  "It's OK, we 
have him back.  We're together now.  I'm Fox 
Mulder, by the way."  He extended his hand in 
greeting.

Shaking Mulder's hand, Grace's horror turned to 
confusion and then happiness.  "You have him 
back?  That's wonderful!  Oh, Dana, I'm so happy 
for you.  For all of you, I guess."

"And we gave him two sisters last year," Mulder 
added, putting his arm around Scully.

Grace smiled, but a befuddled look soon crept over 
her face.  "So you -- But I heard -- Then I guess 
you're not -- "

"Nope.  We aren't," Mulder answered succinctly.  
"Dr. Scully really needs to get started on an 
autopsy, Grace, a consult for Assistant Director 
Skinner.  Can you find out which exam room it's in 
for her?"

Grace hurried to her computer and got the 
information, writing it down for Scully.  "It's just 
great seeing you again.  I hope you're around for a 
while?"

"Not long, but I'll probably see you again before I 
leave today," Scully said, still smiling.  As they 
headed toward the labs, Mulder gave her a smirk.

"Looks like I'm not the only one with a fan club," he 
said.  Scully waited until an agent passed and then 
punched Mulder in the arm.

By the time Scully was scrubbed and gowned the 
body had arrived.  Donning her safety glasses, she 
smiled at Mulder, who had perched himself on one 
of the empty tables.  "Be careful not to get anything 
on that suit," she warned him.

He looked down at the charcoal grey fabric and 
shrugged, popping another seed in his mouth.  "You 
always liked this one, didn't you?"

"Not as much as the navy blue one, but yes, I do 
like that suit.  It looks great on you."

He frowned for a moment.  "What ever happened to 
that navy one?  It wasn't in the storage bin."

She looked up at him, pursing her lips.  "I buried 
you in it," she said before dropping her eyes to the 
body splayed out in front of her.  Speaking into the 
microphone hanging just above her head, she 
started.  "Dr. Dana Scully, June 8, 2005, autopsy on 
victim identified as John Lemming . . ."

Mulder kept quiet for the rest of the procedure.

to be continued in Chapter 8

Chapter 8 Complications

Quantico Morgue
June 7, 2005
3:35 pm

She finished making the last stitch and pulled off 
her glasses, followed by her gloves and hat.  Mulder 
had been particularly silent, especially after she so 
blatantly shut him up with a comment about his 
funeral.  Now she wanted some answers.

"Mulder, every organ in the thoracic and abdominal 
cavities were cooked, just as you said, but the brain 
was completely untouched.  There is no way that a 
heat source that close and using that high of 
temperature to cook organs internally could have 
missed an organ less than two feet away!  This 
makes no sense!"

"Guess we really should have listened to those CIA 
reports on the microwaves bombarding the US 
embassy in Moscow, huh?" he joked, but his eyes 
were steely and serious.  "I don't know what to tell 
you, Scully.  That's what the first two M.E.s found.  
And you'll notice that the skin and bones aren't deep 
fried, as you might expect."

"A heat source that targets specific organs, goes 
through the skin, leaving the skin and surrounding 
tissue untouched?  Mulder, no laser -- not even a 
surgical laser scalpel -- is that sophisticated.  I have 
absolutely no idea how this could happen.  Mulder, 
this goes even beyond extreme possibility."

"Gee, I was hoping you'd have something more 
mundane to give me," he teased with a wink.  "So 
you would categorize this as an X file?"

"Yeah I definitely would.  Too bad they closed the 
division," she said with a sigh, tossing her gloves in 
the biohazard container.  

Mulder stared at the tops of his shiny wingtips.  
"Wright is going to want answers."

"So would I," Scully said, letting a smile play at the 
edges of her lips.  "What are you really thinking?"

He looked up at her and a frown flashed across his 
face.  "Well, for the last 3 and a half hours I've been 
thinking that I'm a real horse's ass.  I'm sorry I 
brought up -- "

"Mulder, it hurts to think about your funeral, but 
that was just one more log on the fire.  It's over, you 
came back to me, I'd rather forget that time ever 
happened.  Don't dwell on the past.  I'm trying not 
to."  She turned toward the locker room but his hand 
on her shoulder stopped her.  He turned her so that 
she was facing him.

"Is that what you think this is -- me dwelling on the 
past?" he asked, his voice intense, his face calm but 
she could see the underlying hurt and recrimination.

"Mulder, what are we doing here, right here, right 
now, standing in this lab?  We came out here a 
week ago to see my mother, to attend Walter and 
Kim's wedding, and to tie up loose legal ends.  We 
did not come out here to open an X file!"

"You think we should just walk away?" he asked, 
his hand dropping from her shoulder.

"I didn't say that.  I want to help Agent Wright as 
much as you do.  Well, that's not entirely true.  I 
probably want to help him less than you because 
you see yourself in him.  I understand that.  I'm just 
saying we should help a little, but not get consumed 
in this thing."

"I'm not getting consumed by anything," Mulder 
protested, stepping back defensively.

"You're standing there in one of your old suits, in 
wingtips you haven't worn in 4 years and telling me 
you aren't being sucked in on this case."

"You're upset because of my choice of clothing?  
You told me not to dress like a death groupie!" he 
reminded her, chuckling without humor.

She hung her head and sighed.  "I'm not explaining 
myself well.  I'm sorry."  She looked up him and 
took his hand.  "I just thought we'd moved past this 
part of our lives.  I'm happy in Montana.  I thought 
you were, too."

He tugged on her hand and drew his arms around 
her.  "Don't ever think for one moment that I'm not 
happy with our life as it is now, you, the kids, the 
Old Man in the mountain.  I have to admit I even 
miss those goofy kids at the college."  He tilted her 
head up so that he could kiss her lightly on the lips.  
"I just want to help Wright.  Call it passing the 
torch.  It was so much of our lives for so long.  I just 
hate to see it -- "  He stopped and searched for the 
right word.

" -- lost?" she supplied when she sensed his 
inability to find the right image.  

"Yeah.  Lost.  I just hate to see it all for nothing."

She sighed again, but this time she was smiling.  
She cupped his cheek in one hand and rubbed her 
thumb across his bottom lip, where it was still 
pressed forward in a classic Mulder pout.  "Look, 
I'll let you help Wright, extend your 'professional 
courtesy', but if you start ditching me or anyone else 
for that matter, I'm calling you on the carpet.  And if 
you think Walter Skinner was a major hardcase to 
work under -- "

"Yes.  Sir.  Ma'am."  He replied, punctuating each 
word with a kiss.  He hugged her tightly against his 
chest, letting his breath out in a long, relieved sigh.  
"Have I told you lately that you would make one 
sexy drill sergeant?"

"I don't remember hearing that last night, no," she 
teased, her voice muffled by his tie.

"Have I told you lately that I love you more than 
anything in the world?" he asked more seriously, 
leaning down to kiss her deeply before letting her 
answer.

"Yes.  Yes, I'm pretty sure I remember hearing that 
just this morning," she said with a grin.  "C'mon, 
before you get any crazy ideas about using a 
morgue gurney for activities other than deemed 
suitable."

An image flashed in his mind -- he and Scully on 
two gurneys side by side, wearing only toe tags and 
a sheet draped over them -- and quite definitely 
alive.  "Oh, Scully, don't do that to me.  These pants 
aren't that loose anymore," he warned, watching her 
sashay out the double doors to the locker room.

They found Wright in his office, a small cubicle in 
the Quantico BSU section.  He was happy to see 
Scully had finished with the autopsy.

"Don't go getting your hopes up, Agent Wright.  I 
didn't find anything that wasn't in the previous ME 
reports," Scully said as she sat across from his desk.

"Just cooked organs?" Jeremy said with a wince.

Scully nodded.  "But I can tell you, I would be 
shocked if anyone could explain how the organs 
came to be in such a state.  Not even lasers can 
accomplish what we're seeing here."

Wright chewed on his pencil, a habit that appeared 
to be more than casual from the pocked appearance 
of the writing instruments in his pencil holder.  
"This may sound weird, but my Dad died of 
something like this.  But they said it was extreme 
radiation."

Mulder looked over at Scully and shrugged his 
shoulders.  "There was no indication of radiation," 
Scully explained.

Wright shook his head.  "Damn it.  Well, I don't 
know if this helps at all," he said, tossing some fax 
sheets over to Mulder.  "I just got that from the 
State Department."

Mulder read over the pages and his eyes brightened.  
"There was a death on a cruise ship in the Indian 
Ocean that matches the three deaths we've seen so 
far."

"When?" Scully asked, standing so she could look 
at the papers in his hands.

"December of last year.  Scully, the tsunami was 
December 26th of last year, right?"

"Yes, the day after Christmas.  Horrible loss of 
life," she said.  "Oh my God, Mulder, this death 
occurred right about that time!  Wait, it occurred -- 
"

"Quite possibly while the earth was moving 
underneath the ship," Mulder said, handing the fax 
back to Wright.

"So this is connected to the tsunami?" Wright asked 
hesitantly.

Mulder exchanged a look with Scully and then 
shook his head.  "It's probably just a coincidence.  
But if we could get the manifest of the passengers 
on that ship, it might help us narrow down some 
suspects.  Or maybe find someone who can explain 
what we're seeing."

"I'm on it," Wright said, picking up the phone.

As he was talking to someone at the cruise line, 
Scully's cell phone rang.  She walked a short 
distance away from Wright's desk, not wanting to 
interfere with his conversation.  Her call didn't take 
long and she was once again at Mulder's side.  She 
tugged on his sleeve, he was watching Wright.

"That was Mom.  Apparently it's been raining all 
day and it looks like it's supposed to get pretty 
windy.  They have tropical storm warnings out at 
the beach.  Mom thought it best to come back to 
town.  They expect to be back at her house in about 
2 hours."

Mulder nodded, his eyes still on Wright.

"We need to get going if we're going to pick them 
up.  It's a long drive from here to Baltimore and 
then back to the condo."

Mulder absently pulled on his lip.  "Wright, you 
wouldn't happen to live anywhere near a Metro 
stop, would you?"

"Mulder, may I speak with you in the hall, please," 
Scully said firmly, crossing her arms.

Sheepishly he followed her out into the hall.  She 
didn't take long to mount her attack.  "You are not 
staying here," she said, eyes narrowed and lips 
pursed.

"Scully, there might be more.  If Wright found this 
guy through the State Department -- "

"Wright can use the telephone just as easily as 
anyone, Mulder.  It's his job to sit here and wait for 
possible leads.  You, on the other hand, have no 
such responsibility.  However, you have a son and 
two daughters who have not seen you in three days.  
I think you owe them your undivided attention for a 
while."

He dropped his head in resignation.  "Let me just 
make sure Wright has -- "

"Agent Wright can call Assistant Director Skinner if 
he needs to locate you," she said, not giving an inch 
and standing as tall as she could when faced with a 
foot difference in height.

"Can I wave goodbye through the door?" Mulder 
asked, slightly annoyed.  

Scully walked over and opened the door, waving in 
Wright's direction.  She then closed the door and 
took her partner's hand.  "There, all better.  Let's go 
get our babies.  I've missed them."

"You are a hard case," Mulder snickered behind her 
back.

"I heard that," she told him as she turned and held 
the elevator door open for him.  "And don't you 
forget it."

Maggie Scully's house
Baltimore MD
6:00 pm

Maggie was waiting for them at the door when they 
drove into the driveway.

"My, don't you both look nice," she said, holding 
the screen open for them.  "Did you go someplace 
special for lunch?"

Mulder caught Scully's eye and swallowed a 
nervous laugh.  "Just out and about," he said 
quickly.  "Where are the kids?"

At that moment a squeal was heard at about the 
same time as a ball of lightning jumped into 
Mulder's arms.  "Daddy, Mommy, you're here!  Can 
we go home now?"

Maggie plastered on a forced smile while William 
hugged first his father and then reached over for his 
mother, who caught him as he took a flying leap 
into her arms.  

"Sure, buddy, but we have to get your things 
together and we have to say goodbye to everybody," 
Mulder said peeling his son out of his partner's arms 
before she tumbled over.  

"It's just me at the moment," Maggie said, tucking 
her hair behind her ear in a gesture Mulder had 
always thought was Dana's alone.  "Their bags are 
still packed unless you left something upstairs."  
She headed for the back of the house.  "The girls are 
in the family room."

Scully licked her lips and Mulder shrugged back at 
her.  "Mom," she called, giving Mulder a helpless 
look.  She went after her mother, catching her as she 
lifted Missy out of the playpen.

"Mom, is something wrong?" Scully asked, taking 
her daughter, who happily patted her face.  

"No, nothing's wrong.  It was just rainy and the kids 
were cooped up.  They missed you both terribly so 
we decided to bring them home," she said simply 
and picked up Sammi.  "I think this little one is 
getting another tooth.  She was pretty cranky."

Mulder had come in and lifted Sammi out of 
Maggie's arms.  "Hey, here my sweet girl.  Boy, 
Daddy sure missed you," he said, hugging her close.

Maggie sat on the couch, glaring at her daughter.  
"They were fine, until it was time to go to bed.  
When you didn't call -- "

Scully's face fell and her mouth dropped open.  "Oh 
no," she sighed.  "I got to the condo late -- "

"That was my fault.  I -- uh -- I should have 
thought," Mulder interjected.

"Look, it wasn't a big problem.  Ben got William 
interested in a baseball game on TV and he fell 
asleep in the living room.  Charlie carried him up to 
bed.  And the girls were just cranky from all the 
tension earlier and being away from home.  But I 
had expected to hear that you'd arrived safely, 
Dana, if nothing else."

"Mom, I am so sorry," Dana said, close to tears.  "I 
didn't think -- "

"Having children means you have to think -- all the 
time," Maggie said evenly, standing and walking 
into the kitchen.

Missy started to fuss and Scully shook her head.  
"She needs to be changed before we go anywhere," 
she told Mulder, sparing a glance toward her mother 
in the other room.

"You go ahead and change her.  Let me try to patch 
things up," Mulder offered, giving her a faint smile.

"Mulder, you shouldn't have to -- "

"Let me?" he asked.  When Missy squirmed in her 
arms and let out another howl, she nodded.

In the kitchen Maggie was setting out a few 
sandwiches on a tray.  "You should have something 
to eat before you start back to the city," she said, 
never looking up from her work.

"Maggie, can we sit down a minute, talk?" Mulder 
asked, touching her arm.  He looked around, 
noticing the distinct lack of other family members.   
"Where is everybody, by the way?"

"Bill and Charlie took the boys to the movies, that 
new one with Lindsey Lohan, Herbie something.  
Karen and Tara took Julia with them and went 
shopping.  We all just figured . . ."  She let her 
thought hang in the air.

"Please, let's sit down," Mulder asked, motioning 
toward the dinette.
 
Reluctantly she sat down at the table, back straight, 
hands folded in front of her.  Mulder drew in a deep 
breath, hoping it would fortify him for the 
conversation ahead.  

"Maggie, first of all, I want to apologize for . . . 
well, for ruining -- "

She caught his hand and squeezed it before he could 
finish his sentence.  "Fox William Mulder, you have 
very little to apologize for, so please don't apologize 
for something you had no part in."

"If I hadn't come to the beach -- " he started, but 
again she interrupted him.

"Look, regardless of what my oldest son might 
think and say, you are the head of a family now.  
Your place is with them.  And regardless of what 
others might think, I consider you my son, just as 
Karen and Tara are now my daughters.  I would not 
have tolerated it if I had thought you were 
purposely excluded and I wouldn't tolerate it if you 
felt you needed to stay away.  That was my fault, 
for raising such a stubborn and insolent young man 
with such a vaulted opinion of his place in this 
family."

She let go of Mulder's hand and settled back in her 
chair.  "I know this is hard for you.  I can see it in 
your eyes.  You have your life a certain way and 
you want to keep it that way.  I was wrong to expect 
you all to come here and -- "  She looked away, 
tears threatening on her lashes.  "I just wanted -- "

"You wanted us all to get along," Mulder said, 
reaching over and taking her into a hug.  He 
released her and smiled at her, wiping away a tear 
that had trickled down her chin.  "That's exactly 
what any mother would want."

She grabbed his hands and held them to her heart.  
"Fox, I want you to know something else.  I don't 
blame you, I don't dislike you, I don't even 
disapprove of your relationship to Dana.  But to be 
perfectly honest with you, I just don't understand it.  
What is it about marriage that has her so 
frightened?"

That caught him by surprise.  He tried to object, but 
Maggie placed a finger against his lips.  "I know it's 
not you.  I know you've wanted to marry my 
daughter for a very long time.  I know you wanted 
to marry her after you were returned to us, before 
William was born.  I suspect you wanted to marry 
her long before that, even.  It's Dana and I just don't 
understand it.  I always thought Bill and I gave our 
children a good example of a loving marriage, but 
with Dana, I guess we failed -- "

"Maggie, you didn't fail," Mulder exclaimed.

"Then why is she so afraid of the commitment? 
When you were both with the FBI it was 
understandable.  You were partners and even I 
could see that getting involved would have caused 
you problems.  I ached to see you hold yourselves 
so far apart when you loved each other so much.  
But when you came back to us and you quit the 
Bureau, I was certain it would all be better -- "

"I think, I know that Dana has been afraid of what 
others would do to us for so long," Mulder tried to 
explain.  "She was so worried that they could use 
what we have against us.  And maybe that has 
become deeply rooted in her mind.  I know she 
loves me.  I know it sounds trite, but I don't need a 
piece of paper and a ceremony to tell me that she 
will be beside me forever.  But if it causes so much 
trouble in her family -- "

Maggie patted his hand.  "Billy is stubborn.  He was 
three weeks late and had his own way of doing 
things right from the start.  And Bill, my Bill, put a 
lot of unreasonable pressure on him at an early age.  
He would tell Billy 'you're the man of the house 
while I'm away'.  At the time my Bill thought it was 
just encouragement, but our son took those words to 
heart, at a time when he wasn't mature enough to 
understand exactly what was being asked of him."  
She shook her head and played with the floral 
arrangement on the table.  "I wish my Bill were here 
now, to let Dana know that it's all right to be afraid 
but you can't let it rule all your actions and to let 
Billy know that we all have to follow our own 
hearts," she said with a deep sigh.

Mulder heard a throat clear and looked up to smile 
at his partner and their two baby girls.  "Hey, all my 
pretty ladies in one room.  How lucky can a guy 
get?" he asked, holding out his arms to take Missy, 
leaving Scully to hold Sammi.

"Shouldn't we get on the road soon?" Scully asked 
tentatively as she sat down.  William trailed behind 
her, struggling with the twins' diaper bag.

"Gramma, I need help," he pleaded and Maggie was 
up out of her chair to help him get the bag the rest 
of the way into the room.  "I'm hungry," he declared 
when he finally caught his breath.

Maggie smiled.  "Just in time.  I have those 
sandwiches we made while we were waiting for 
your Mom and Dad," she told him.  Maggie reached 
over and took Dana's hand.  "Stay, at least for 
dinner," she asked.

"Sure Mom," Scully answered. 

The meal was quiet, but not uncomfortable.  Scully 
was happy to let the whole matter drop, Mulder and 
Maggie exchanged knowing glances and didn't 
bring the subject up again.  After a dinner of 
sandwiches and salad, Mulder helped load the 
dishwasher as Scully made sure they hadn't left 
anything behind in the bedroom upstairs.

Maggie walked them to the door, holding each 
grandchild close to her.  "Gramma will see you 
tomorrow, right?"

"We're taking them down to the Bureau tomorrow, 
Mom," Dana countered.  "But we're all going to the 
baseball game on Friday, right?" she asked, looking 
at Mulder.  

"Orioles and Cincinnati Reds, should be a good 
game, Baltimore has a great team this year," Mulder 
said with a gleeful nod.

"Tara wanted me to tell you that she's not that 
interested in going to the game so she's staying 
home with Julia.  If you want to leave the girls here, 
she'll watch them."

"Three girls under two years of age -- that's 
hazardous duty," Scully replied.  "We'll think about 
it.  But Mulder's convinced the girls love baseball."

"They watch us play in the backyard all the time, 
don't they, Will?" Mulder defended.  Scully rolled 
her eyes and Maggie chuckled.  

"Have a safe trip," she said, waving.  As he was 
walking to the car, Maggie called out to Mulder.  
"Fox, just a minute."

He trotted over and she hugged him close.  "I'll 
work on Bill.  You see what you can do with Dana," 
she said as she broke the embrace.

"I'm not a miracle worker.  Please don't expect 
instant results," he whispered.

"Neither am I but we have to keep trying," she 
assured him. 

to be continued in Chapter 9

Going Home:  Chapter 9 Another one bites the dust

Crystal City Place
7:35 am

Three dirty mixing bowls were lined up on the 
counter top.  Half an eggshell teetered on the edge 
of the garbage disposal.  Some unidentifiable 
yellow-orange substance formed a puddle just at the 
door of the refrigerator.  William stood atop one of 
the kitchen chairs, hastily stirring a large mixing 
bowl with a wooden spoon.  Mulder, rear end 
skyward as he bent in Skinner's bottom cupboard, 
was searching in vain for a griddle. 

"Aha," came a triumphant yell followed 
immediately by a loud thump and a muttered curse 
word.

"Daddy, Mommy doesn't like -- "

"Yes, I know, William," Mulder said as he rose 
from his stooped position, one hand holding the 
griddle, the other one rubbing a rising bump on the 
back of his head.  "It just slipped out.  Besides, 
Mommy's still asleep and what she didn't hear won't 
hurt her."

"I'll remember that," Scully said, leaning against the 
door jam.  "What in the world are you two up to?"

"Pancakes, Mommy!" William crowed from his 
perch on the chair.  "I'm the stirrer."

"And I'm the cooker," Mulder said, leaning over to 
kiss his partner good morning.  "You looked tired, 
we thought we'd let you sleep."

"I was tired.  And I was sleeping but two little birds 
in the room next to me starting jabbering to each 
other and I figured it was time to get up."

As if on cue, both girls toddled into the kitchen, 
Missy grabbed the chair William stood upon and 
tried to climb up with her brother.  

"Uh huh, none of that," Scully said, picking up the 
tiny girl into her arms.  "If you want to see, Mommy 
will help you.  See Will making pancakes?"  She 
looked over at Mulder.  "Did you buy all the 
makings for pancakes when you went grocery 
shopping?"

"What makings?  I bought a box, it said just add 
eggs and water," Mulder corrected, pointing his 
chin to an empty box now resting in the recycling 
bin.

"But why all the bowls," Scully asked slowly and 
then shook her head.  "No, on second thought, as 
long as they all fit in the dishwasher, I really don't 
want to know.  C'mon girls.  Let's go find 
something to play with while we wait for the men to 
call us to breakfast."

Breakfast was consumed in little under fifteen 
minutes, but it took another hour to get the kitchen 
back in shape.  Finally, Scully shooed Mulder into 
the shower and then had a chance to get cleaned up.  
The diaper bag was restocked, including bottled 
water for their trip into the city.  William was 
dressed in one of his favorite tee shirts, the Knicks, 
and jeans shorts while the girls were dressed in 
matching jumpers, one yellow and the other green.  
Mulder grabbed a suit, thought better of it and opted 
for slacks and an oxford shirt with the sleeves rolled 
up.  Scully decided on black capri pants and a white 
tee shirt.  It wasn't Bureau issue, but neither partner 
seemed to care.

Since they'd called ahead, Kim was waiting for 
them at the guard desk.  She had special visitor's 
badges made with all three of the children's names 
on them.  William was especially proud of his 
badge when Mulder told him it looked exactly like 
the one he had worn every day to work.  The guard, 
the same one Mulder had seen when he'd brought 
William the first time, let William watch on the 
monitor while Mulder's keys went through the X 
ray machine.

William was fascinated by everything he saw, and 
the girls were kept busy being the object of much 
attention from the support staff and the female 
agents who recognized either one or the other 
partner.  Mulder was a little surprised that Kim took 
them in to see the Director's office.  But the biggest 
surprise was yet to come.

They went back to the elevators, supposedly to 
leave the building, but instead of hitting the floor 
for the lobby, Kim hit the button for the basement.  
When they arrived, she smiled and ushered the 
family through the hall and down to the door that 
once housed the X Files Division.

Mulder stood there exchanging looks with Scully as 
Kim knocked on the door and it opened from the 
inside.

Walter Skinner was standing in the office, a half-
grin on his face.  "Welcome home," he said, waving 
at the interior space.

The desk was a little more battered, Doggett's desk 
was missing, but a computer table was arranged as 
it had been when Scully used the space as her own.  
The bookshelves once again held manuals, but no 
psychology books or medical journals.  Two 
matching grey steel filing cabinets were lined 
against the wall.  The only bit of color in the room 
came from the poster, positioned perfectly on one of 
the two bulletin boards.

Mulder's throat closed up as he stepped into the 
office.  "Walt.  You've been busy," he quipped.  He 
walked over to the poster and ran a finger across the 
image of the unidentified flying object hovering just 
above the treetops.

"Hey, want to see some pictures on the slide 
projector," Kim said cheerfully, taking William and 
the girls to the back of the office.

"Walter, we can't -- " Scully started, but Skinner 
held up his hand.

"I'm not asking you to come back, Dana," Skinner 
said with a shake of his head.  "I'm trying to get 
another agent assigned to the Division.  I just 
thought you two should at least get to see what I 
was up to, make any suggestions you can think 
might be appropriate."

She sighed in relief.  "Oh, well, if that's all, I have 
one suggestion."  After a measured pause she 
grinned.  "Lose the damned slide projector."

Mulder shot her a look and shook his head.  "Make 
sure he has a partner, someone who can back him 
up.  Or slice him to ribbons when he's out of line," 
he said with a knowing tilt to his head.

"Oh, believe me, that was already on my list," 
Walter assured him.  "You two are OK with this?"

"I thought the Bureau was focusing on Homeland 
Security these days," Mulder said, not really 
answering the question.

"Most of the resources are in that direction, yes.  
But we still get calls from local law enforcement.  
The very least we can do is be prepared.  Don't get 
me wrong, this won't be a full time assignment, at 
least not at first."

"Colonization isn't a threat any more," Scully 
pointed out.  "At least, the consortium isn't 
involved.  All the players are dead and buried."

"But that wasn't all we investigated, Scully.  Take 
this case Wright has -- "  Mulder stopped mid-
sentence and shot a look at his old boss.  "Wright is 
who you're thinking of for this position, isn't he?"

Skinner ducked his head.  "His name has come up, 
yes.  He has a pretty impressive record in BSU, 
although he lacks a lot of field experience.  And he 
has a special interest in the types of cases you 
worked on here."

Scully furrowed her brow.  "A special interest?  
How so?"

Before Skinner had a chance to answer, the phone 
on the desk started to ring.  Without thinking, 
Mulder picked it up.  After a few moments silence 
he handed the phone to Skinner and turned to 
Scully.  "Holly transferred the call down here.  It's 
Wright.  There's been another murder.  And this 
time there's surveillance tape."

"Where?" Scully asked.  She looked over at Kim, 
who was holding the girls hands and chewing her 
bottom lip.  

"Richmond," Skinner answered, hanging up the 
phone.  "Do you think your mother could come get 
the children?"

"Mulder," Scully said, her voice full of warning.

"I have a better idea," Mulder replied, hoping to 
negotiate the difficult waters he knew he and his 
partner were entering.  "How about if you go back 
to the condo with the kids and I'll go with Walter 
out to Richmond?  I'll be back in time for dinner.  
Better yet, I'll stop at Tony's on the way back and 
the kids can taste real pizza for the first time in their 
lives," he said, waggling his eyebrows.

"You're just there to check out the scene, Mulder.  
Nothing else," she told him sternly.  "You can't go 
after this guy, you don't even have a weapon."

He held up two fingers.  "Indian Guide Honor," he 
recited with a wink.

"Like I really believe that," she said with a snort.  
She looked at William and the girls.  "OK, 
everyone, it's time to go back to the condo."

Benson Industries
Franklin Industrial Park
Richmond VA
12:05 pm

"She was sitting at her desk, just like the other guy," 
Wright noted as he met Mulder and Skinner at the 
entrance to the office.

Mulder walked over to the tidy desk and looked 
closely at the woman sitting behind it.  Her eyes 
were open, if not for the fact that she was 
unnaturally still, anyone might think she was simply 
deep in thought.  There was no terror in those eyes, 
Mulder noted.  If anything, the expression looked 
almost to be one of recognition.

"They called the cops and not the paramedics?  
Why?"

"They called both, actually.  And both arrived at the 
same time, but the cops told the paramedics not to 
touch anything.  Oh, and this was found on the 
desk."  Wright held up a lump of plastic in an 
evidence bag.  

Mulder took it from his hand, holding it up to 
examine it by the light coming from the ceiling 
panel.  "Is that a stapler?" he asked with a frown.  
The plastic was molded, squeezed in the middle as 
one might find a tube of toothpaste.

Wright nodded in answer to Mulder's question.  
"According to the manager that found her, that was 
a fairly new stapler.  The victim was recently 
promoted to this position and got a brand new 
matching desk set from the people who used to 
work under her."

Mulder held it up close and looked it over intensely.  
"Wright, I think there are prints in here.  I'd have the 
lab concentrate on this baby."

Wright smiled.  "That's what I thought, too," he said 
with a note of pride.

Forensics and other agents were in full force, 
bagging objects and dusting for prints.  There were 
a lot of people in the room and in the hall.  "The 
manager is over there."  Wright led the way to 
where an older woman sat with a tear stained face 
but a determined expression.

"Mrs. Nelson, this is Assistant Director Skinner and 
uh, Mr. Mulder.  If you could show us the 
surveillance tape from the security camera again?"

Mrs. Nelson nodded, obviously relieved to have 
something to do.  "I just don't understand it.  Nancy 
is . . . was the salt of the earth.  Just last week she 
was putting together a box to send over to the boys 
and girls in Iraq.  One of our summer workers 
joined the National Guard -- well, anyway, there's 
no one on earth who'd want to kill her.  And right 
here, in our offices!  I can't believe it."  

The woman spoke a mile a minute as they walked 
down the hall to a small alcove with security 
equipment and four monitors.  "We don't have a 
camera pointed at her desk, mind you," she said for 
Skinner and Mulder's benefit.  "We do in reception 
but not back where Nancy works, uh, worked.  But 
we have the hall leading to her office."  She picked 
up a VHS tape and checked the label.  "This is it.  
This is the one."  She handed the tape to Wright, 
who inserted it into one of the tape players.  "I went 
to her office to tell her a shipment she'd been 
waiting for wasn't going to be delivered this 
morning.  I found her . . . "  Tears followed the 
worn path down her face.  "I just can't believe . . . "

"You've been very helpful, Mrs. Nelson," Wright 
assured her.   "Is your husband on his way?"

"Oh, yes, thank you Agent Wright.  I better go out 
front and look for him.  He won't find me in this 
crowd of police officers."

Skinner shot Wright a look as the woman departed.  
The younger agent shrugged.  "I thought she needed 
someone for support.  Her husband is the CEO, but 
he had a meeting out of the office this morning.  I 
told her to call him."

"Good thinking," Mulder said with a nod.

The tape started and Wright did the play by play.  
"The mail room clerk delivered mail at 9:05.  He 
reported that Mrs. Endicott, er, Nancy, was alive 
then.  According to the receptionist, she called the 
front desk looking for that shipment Mrs. Nelson 
mentioned at 9:13, we verified that with the phone 
company.  Here, see, at 9:43 a deliveryman came 
asking for Nancy by name.  There he is -- coming 
down the hall, entering her office.  He comes out 
and -- the tape goes wiggy."  Wright sat back after 
his narration, befuddled.  The tape shows only 
static.  "Mrs. Nelson said she found her at 10:00, 
when she went down to tell her the trucking 
company said the shipment would be late."

"No clear picture of the assailant," Mulder said, 
pulling his bottom lip.  "Wright, did this guy have 
to sign in?"

"You don't think he would use his own name, do 
you, Mulder?" Skinner asked with a touch of 
disdain.

"No, but it's still worth checking out, don't you 
think?"

The three men walked up to the reception desk to 
check the log-in.  "Here.  Logged in at 9:37.  Chris 
Davey, Polarity Electronics," Wright read from the 
binder.  

Mulder frowned, thinking.  "I know that name," he 
said absently.

"I'll call it in, have a check run on it.  But it's 
probably an alias, Mulder," Skinner said doubtfully.

They headed back to Endicott's office, Skinner on 
his cell phone having someone at the Bureau run 
Chris Davey's name through the system. 

Wright stopped Mulder, biting his lip.  "Um, do you 
think Dr. Scully would mind doing another 
autopsy?" he asked nervously.

Mulder sighed.  "She'll probably find exactly what 
she found last time, Jeremy."

"I know that.  But . . . she was the best -- is the best.  
I just don't want this to end up . . . " He let his voice 
trail off, clearly upset.

"With no answers," Mulder supplied.  "I'll call her.  
It will take her a while; she has to get someone to 
watch our kids.  I'll tell her we'll meet her at 
Quantico."

Jeremy gave him a grateful look.  "Sure, that would 
be great!  Thanks, Mulder."

"Jeremy, we're close to finding this guy.  You're 
doing a great job," Mulder said, patting the young 
agent on the shoulder.

"You don't know how much that means to me.  
Thank you."  Wright turned away quickly and 
Mulder felt Skinner's eyes on him.

"Fatherhood has definitely smoothed some of your 
rough edges," Walter said fondly.

"I had edges?" Mulder shot back, an evil twinkle in 
his eye.

"Mulder, you were all edges," Skinner returned.  
"They'll call me with that name and they should be 
able to pull that print off the stapler.  Shouldn't take 
long."

Quantico Labs
4:59

"Where were you?"

Scully's question surprised him, since she was 
looking intently at what appeared to be a shriveled 
heart.

"I found a computer, I was looking something up.  
Did you know that with the right access code, you 
can read all our reports to Skinner on line?"

"You were reading old case reports?" she asked 
absently.

"That name just keeps bugging me.  I know that 
name."  He rubbed his jaw, noting that he needed to 
shave later if he had any intention of kissing his 
baby daughters good night.  Or possibly enticing his 
partner into some other forms of play after the kids 
were asleep.

"Did you find anything?" she asked, breaking his 
thoughts.

"No.  The reports are there but the search function is 
typical FBI issue -- it sucks."

She pulled her plastic safety goggles off along with 
her gloves.  "It's the same as before, Mulder.  I 
didn't find anything different on this body.  Well, 
except for something I picked out of her pocket."

She handed him a pink 'While You Were Out' note, 
blank on the front but with one word scribbled on 
the backside.  

"Polarity," Mulder read aloud, handing it back to 
her.  "Polarity."  He swallowed hard, realization 
coming to him in a split second.  "Polarity, Scully.  
Polarity."

"It means intrinsic polar separation -- "

"I know what it means," he said with exasperation.  
"Think back.  An investigation we did as a favor for 
one of your old students, Kelly Ryan?"

"Oh my god," Scully gasped as she looked at the 
word on the paper again.  "But Mulder, the word 
Polarity doesn't mean -- "

"It was the name of the company.  Chris Davey was 
one of the partners at Polarity Magnetics -- the one 
not taken away right from under our noses.  I'm 
going to do some checking, employment histories 
and the like -- "

"Mulder, why don't you let Agent Wright do the 
checking," Scully said, hands on her hips.

He chewed on his upper lip before reluctantly 
answering.  "Yeah, you're right.  OK, I'll have 
Jeremy look at the employment records of the 
victims.  But if he finds anything, I can tell him to 
call us?"

She shook her head in affectionate vexation.  "Yes, 
if he finds something significant," she stressed the 
last word, "he can call us -- in the morning.  But 
right now, I'm going to change and then we're going 
to call Tony's so that the pizza is ready by the time 
we get there."

Crystal City Place
6:05 pm

Mulder juggled the pizza while Scully dug the key 
out of her pocket.  The door opened before she had 
a chance to put the key in the lock.

"Pizza!" shouted William and proceeded to run 
around the room in a circle.

"We don't get carry out pizza much, no one wants to 
deliver all the way out to our place," Mulder 
explained to Maggie as he deposited the pie on the 
table.  "But Dana has become quite the pizza chef 
instead."

"I'm listening.  You better tell this straight," came 
his partner's voice from the other room.

Maggie chuckled.  "Well, I'm sorry I can't convince 
you to come home and have Italian Beef with us -- 
Tara's been cooking it all day."

Scully came out of the bedroom, in casual clothes, a 
baby girl on each hip.  "We're pretty wiped out, 
Mom.  But what about tomorrow?  What time is the 
game starting?  Should we meet up at your place or 
arrange to meet at the ballpark.  I know parking can 
be a problem sometimes."

"Let's meet up at the house and then we'll figure out 
how many cars we'll need.  The game starts at 3:05, 
but we better get there early.  Why don't you come 
for lunch around noon and we'll figure the rest out 
from there?"

Scully shot a look to her partner.  He tilted his head 
and she nodded slightly.  "Yeah, I guess that would 
work.  We'll be at the house at 12."

"Dana, would you mind walking me to the car?" 
Maggie asked suddenly.  Another look was 
exchanged between partners, this time Mulder 
smiled in reassurance.

"I'm going to see what Will's gotten into.  The 
upstairs is way too quiet all of a sudden," Mulder 
announced, taking both of his daughters.  He leaned 
over to accept the kiss Maggie placed on his and the 
babies' cheeks.  "See you tomorrow," he promised 
her.

With her partner's footsteps echoing on the stairs, 
Dana turned to her mother.  "OK, Mom, you got rid 
of Mulder," she said with a sigh.  "What do you 
want to talk about?"

"Dana, what on earth is going on?  Now, I don't 
mind watching the children, I'm so happy to have 
them close so I can do this, but calling me in the 
middle of lunch, I'm supposed to drop everything 
and run down here to babysit -- Dana, what am to 
think?"

"Mom, Mulder's been helping a young Agent -- "

"Helping an agent?  You mean he's been working at 
the Bureau?  Dana, is that wise?  I didn't think he 
left on very good terms, even before -- well, you 
know."

Scully drew in a fortifying breath.  "Mom, he's 
doing it as a favor to Walter.  It's just one case."

"I mean, if it meant you were thinking about 
coming home, moving back here, that would be one 
thing -- "

"Mom, our home is in Montana.  We have a house, 
Mulder has a job, I'm going to be teaching this fall, 
we have friends.  It's where we want to live.  I know 
it's hard on you -- "

"Dana, I don't want to get into another argument.  
Lord knows we've had enough of those these last 
few days.  I'm just trying to let you know that I'm 
worried.  It seems when you two get wrapped up in 
these cases, you forget that you have a life outside 
the investigation."

It wouldn't have felt so much like a slap in the face 
if she hadn't been thinking the same thing herself.  
"I know, Mom.  It's just -- the Bureau, our 
investigations -- were our lives for so long.  It's hard 
to just turn our back on them."  She felt totally 
helpless to explain it to her mother.

Maggie looked at her with such concern and cupped 
Dana's cheek.  "It's what brought you together.  But 
it's not what is keeping you together.  It's time to 
move past the lives you used to lead."

"I know, Mom.  We both know that."

"But acting on that knowledge is sometimes harder 
than just admitting it," Maggie said sagely.  "Look, 
you go enjoy your pizza before it gets cold.  I'll see 
you all tomorrow."

As her mother left, Scully closed the door and 
leaned against it.  She'd told her mother the truth, as 
far as she felt.  It was her partner that was another 
matter.  She'd have to talk to him soon.  Maybe 
moving past their old lives wasn't what he had in 
mind.  She pushed off the door and went to the foot 
of the stairs, calling him and the children down for 
dinner.

to be continued in Chapter 10

Chapter 10 Exigency

Crystal City Place
June 8, 2005
5:05 am

Scully felt the bed shift and was vaguely cognizant 
of the cool air-conditioned breeze against her bare 
shoulder.  "Where are you going?" she asked 
sleepily as she saw Mulder tiptoeing around the 
bedroom.

"Going for a run, I'll be back in half an hour."

"No more pancakes, Mulder.  Bring back bagels," 
she said around a yawn and snuggled back into the 
blankets.

"Your wish is my command," he grinned as he 
leaned over and kissed her ear.  "Love you."

"Love you, too," she mumbled, or something that 
sounded like it.  She was asleep again before he left 
the room.

A quick peek in on the occupants of the other two 
rooms showed that both twins were still fast asleep 
and William was out for the count.  Mulder made 
quick work of tying his shoes, stuffing his driver's 
license and his keys in his pocket and headed out 
the door.

After Maggie left for Baltimore, Scully had told 
him about her mother's concerns.  Mulder could 
have seen that one coming, but he didn't.  Life was 
so much easier when 'family' was two thousand 
miles away, not seeing every little thing you did 
wrong.  He hadn't really had his family looking over 
his shoulder since he left for England.  It was hard 
coming to terms with this bunch of people he'd been 
peripherally aware of now being drawn closer as an 
extension of his and Scully's little nuclear family 
unit.  They might not be married, but it sure felt like 
he was having 'in-law troubles'.

Maggie was just worried that they were getting 
sucked into the FBI again.  Mulder could 
understand that concern, hell, he shared it.  But the 
fact remained that he really did feel it was necessary 
to help Agent Wright in any way they could.  The 
kid was green but he had good instincts.  More than 
that, he was interested in the X Files.  The threat of 
colonization might be permanently on hold, but that 
wasn't the only case in those file drawers.  They had 
plenty of just plain weird cases to show for their 
trouble.  Plenty of weird, dangerous cases.  
Remembering a few as he jogged up one of 
Georgetown's quaint side streets, he shuddered.  It 
was a wonder he and Scully were still alive.  No 
wonder Maggie didn't want them getting involved 
in that again.  He felt his resolve building with each 
passing mile he ran, but at the same time, the 
thought of leaving Wright's case behind made his 
gut wrench.  He couldn't do that, he couldn't leave 
without knowing.  

'You're chasing your tail,' he thought as he crossed a 
street at the light.  He spied the little bakery in the 
middle of the block and was relieved to see there 
was no line.  He jogged inside and told the young 
lady behind the counter what he needed.  As he 
waited for his order, his mind was still on the case.  

If he could just help Wright figure out who was 
killing these people, they could all relax and enjoy 
their vacation.  How hard could it be when the killer 
left his name on a log-in sheet?  But he'd called 
Wright at the office and found that Chris Davey had 
fallen off the face of the earth right about the same 
time as Kelly Ryan's death.  Had the man changed 
his name, gone into hiding after his friend turned 
murderer?  

Or was there another explanation?  He and Scully 
had seen a shadow, all that was left of a body 
exposed to dark matter, on the wall of the particle 
accelerator.  But whose shadow was it?  They had 
assumed it was Chester Banton.  What if that was 
what they were supposed to believe?

He was deep in thought as he rounded the corner to 
go back to the condo.  He had to get back to the 
office, read the report he'd submitted to Skinner 
about Chester Banton all those years ago.  Maybe 
there was something there that could help him find 
the answers.

The elevator was stuffy and by the time he made it 
to the 17th floor, he was itchy and in definite need 
of a shower.  He slipped the key into the lock and 
stepped into the foyer.  Silence.  Everyone must still 
be asleep.  He dropped the bag of bagels and cream 
cheese on the kitchen counter, stepped over to the 
phone in the living room and quickly dialed a 
number.

"Jeremy, it's Mulder.  Oh, sorry, no I didn't realize it 
was only 6.  What time do you normally go to the 
office?  Wow, really?  Oh.  Well, could you move 
that up a bit and meet me down there in about half 
an hour?  I think I have a lead."

He gently returned the phone to the charger and was 
turning around when he bumped into his partner, 
literally.  Scully was standing there in her short 
satin robe and a very dour expression.

"Going somewhere?" she asked, arms crossed and 
eyes blazing.

"Um, to the shower.  Bagels are in the kitchen, I got 
you a whole wheat one."  He neatly sidestepped her 
and started up the stairs.  

"I heard you on the phone, Mulder.  You're going to 
the Bureau." She followed him up the stairs, 
through the master bedroom and into the attached 
bathroom.  "What lead do you think you have?"

Mulder was pulling off his shorts and tugged the tee 
shirt over his head.  "Scully, remember that 
investigation we did as a favor to Kelly Ryan?"

"The one that got her killed, yeah, I remember," she 
said, her demeanor not softening a bit.

He started the water in the shower and turned 
toward her, continuing despite her stern expression.  
"OK, after we found Det. Ryan's . . . remains, we 
went to the lab.  If you remember, the particle 
accelerator was on and we watched a body 
disintegrate while being bombarded with subatomic 
particles -- "

"Dark matter, yes.  Chester Banton was in the 
accelerator," she said, taking a seat on the counter 
while he stepped into the spray and closed the 
shower glass door.

"No, Scully, we have no proof that was Chester 
Banton.  Remember, Chester had a partner -- "

"Chris Davey.  The man who signed into the log in 
sheet at Benson Industries and then killed Mrs. 
Endicott."

"No, that's what he wants us to think.  Scully, Chris 
Davey is dead, he's been dead for ten years.  
Chester Banton killed Mrs. Endicott."

Scully pulled open the door to the shower, getting 
wet from the water shooting off her partner's body.  
"Mulder, wherever did you get that harebrained 
idea?"

He stopped scrubbing his underarms to stare at her.  
"Scully, that body was placed in that accelerator 
expressly for us to find.  But there had already been 
an attempt to take Chester Banton, an attempt that I 
assumed was from the consortium.  He was 
lightning in a bottle to them, Scully.  He could kill 
with this shadow!  You know they wanted to find 
out what he could do to an enemy force -- an alien 
invasion."

"I'm not following," she said, dropping her robe to 
the floor and joining him in the shower.

"OK," he said patiently, handing her the shampoo 
when she motioned for it.  "Someone took Chester 
Banton from the hospital before he could be 
transferred to county lock up.  But Banton escaped 
and headed back to Polarity Magnetics -- his lab.  
When we showed up, Det. Ryan was dead, a body 
was in the accelerator and Banton was missing.  We 
assumed it was Banton in the accelerator.  But what 
if it had been Davey in the accelerator and the 
consortium nabbed Banton, this time for keeps."

"The consortium doesn't exist anymore, Mulder.  It 
was systematically eliminated by Will's friend," she 
reminded him, pushing his shoulder so he would 
turn and she could wash his back.

"Then what happened to all the people they've been 
collecting over the years, Scully?" Mulder asked 
quietly.

She gasped softly and bit her lip.  The thought had 
never occurred to her.  What had happened to all 
those people?  The Eves, Brad Wilczek, Cecil 
L'ively, a lot of people, some innocents, some very 
dangerous.  

"I think I better call Wright," Mulder said, breaking 
into her thoughts.  "Maybe I don't need to go to the 
Bureau.  I think I need to see what's left of Polarity 
Magnetics."  He opened the shower door and 
stepped out, leaving her still standing there.  She 
watched his naked back through the steamed glass. 

"I guess the thrill really is gone," she muttered with 
a roll of her eyes.

"I heard that," he shouted back.  "And I have every 
intention of proving you wrong, later tonight!"

She wrapped herself in her terry cloth robe from the 
back of the bathroom door and headed after him.  
He was already in his boxers and a tee shirt; 
dressing at light speed.  "Mulder, wait a minute," 
she pleaded as he stepped into the walk-in closet, 
pulling out a suit and dress shirt.  "Just wait, 
please?"

He didn't turn to face her, only sighed.  He stood 
looking down at the clothes in his hands and shook 
his head.  "What, Scully?  What do you want?"  He 
still refused to turn and look at her

She reached over and took his hand, pulling him to 
the bed.  She took the hangers from his fingers and 
hung the clothes on the valet, then sat down beside 
him.  "I really don't want you to go to after this man 
by yourself."

"I said I'd call Wright," he said casually.

"Mulder, Jeremy is a nice guy, and he'll make a 
great agent, but not yet.  And you haven't been in 
the field for four years.  You haven't touched your 
weapon since last summer and you'd be going there 
unarmed today.  I don't like it."

"What if I stay on the side lines, just go along with 
Wright and let him handle it?" he offered. 

She closed her eyes and shook her head.  "Like that 
would ever happen," she muttered.  

"You don't understand," he said, defeat heavy in his 
voice.

When she looked at him again, his expression 
caused her to pause.  "Why do you feel you have to 
do this, Mulder?  Tell me, so I can understand."

He chewed his lip, searching for words to explain 
what he was feeling.  "It's not that I want to come 
back to the old life, Scully.  Please, don't ever think 
that.  But it's like some part of that life is still 
pulling at me.  Something feels unfinished and I just 
want to get it over with so we can move on -- so I 
can move on.  I left here with you three years ago.  I 
never expected that we'd find happiness. I never 
expected that we'd find William," he said, shaking 
his head.  "Scully, I got my heart's desire.  But it's 
all been out of place since I went to Oregon.  When 
I got back, Kersh was determined to shove me out.  
Doggett was your partner and even though I know 
you weren't doing it intentionally, you wanted me as 
far away from the X files as you could get me."  She 
tried to interrupt but he put a finger to her lips.

"I understand your motives, really I do.  You 
wanted to protect me.  Hell, Scully, how many 
times in our life together have you accused me of 
being overprotective?  Pot, meet kettle," he said 
with a sad smile. "But the truth of the matter is, I 
was shoved out before I was ready."

"So what about now?" she asked, almost dreading 
the answer.

He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed each 
knuckle.  "Now, I just want to get this case over 
with because it's the last.  I'm ready to leave.  I just 
want to go out right."

She fought the tears in her eyes and swallowed to 
loosen her tight throat.  "Mulder, when you had to 
leave us, after Will was born, I was left behind.  I 
worked with Doggett and Reyes on some of their 
cases but to be honest, I really had no joy in that.  I 
felt like I was just going through the motions.  
Without you, it was meaningless to me."  One tear 
escaped her lashes and she wiped at it quickly.  "All 
I wanted was to be with you again."

He shook his head, sure she didn't comprehend what 
he was saying but this time she stopped him with a 
hand on his cheek.  "I left the Bureau and the X 
files.  I wasn't forced out.  I was happy to go.  I had 
my 'last dance'.  I understand your wanting to have 
one, too."

"I'll be careful," he promised.  "I'll do this and be 
back with you, no looking back, no regrets."

"Just come back to me," she said, leaning over and 
kissing him soundly.  She would have gone further, 
but the sound in the next room stopped them short.  
"You get dressed, I'll put on the coffee and toast 
those bagels you bought."   

She rose from the bed and started for the door, but 
he caught her hand and she stopped to look at him.  
"I love you, you know that," he said, his voice full 
of emotion.

She smiled at him, love and amusement in her eyes.  
"Yeah, I know that.  You better know it, too."

He was able to match her grin.  "Never doubted it."

Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington DC

The city streets were pretty deserted at the hour of 
6:30 am, so Mulder had little trouble finding a 
decent parking space.  He bounded up the door to 
the Hoover Building and knocked on the glass.  
Luckily, the guard was someone who remembered 
him well and smiled brightly as he opened the door.

"Agent Mulder!  I do declare!  Oh, wait, it's 'Mister' 
Mulder, I hear tell.  So, how is Agent, er, Miss 
Scully?  I heard through the grapevine you two have 
a brood now."

"James, you still moonlighting for the CIA?" 
Mulder teased as he signed the visitor's register and 
accepted a pass.     

James laughed and shook his head.  "Oh, Agent 
Wright called, said he'd be a little late.  Told me to 
have you go on down to your old office, he'll catch 
up with you shortly.  I guess you know the way?"

"I can probably remember it," Mulder replied with a 
wink.  "And I'll tell Scully you asked about her.  For 
the record, we have William and twin girls, Melissa 
and Samantha.  Hardly a 'brood'," he tossed over his 
shoulder.

"Man, you're just gettin' started!" James retorted as 
Mulder disappeared into the elevator car that would 
take him to the basement.

He flipped on the light and was once again amazed 
at how little had changed.  He recognized most of 
the banker boxes lining the hallway, many of them 
yellowed with age.  Files of little note, 
interdepartmental memorandum, extra copies of the 
employee newsletters, all awaiting records 
retentions schedules that had passed them by 
decades ago.  "One match," Mulder mused aloud as 
he made his way to the door in the middle of the 
hall.

Obviously the Bureau saw no need to lock an 
unoccupied office, Mulder put his hand on the knob 
and found the door opened with ease.  Again hitting 
the light switch, he walked over to the desk along 
the opposite wall, where he used to sit.  As he sat 
down in the chair, he noted that it wasn't his old 
desk.  His desk's bottom drawer never closed 
properly and had a mismatched drawer pull on file 
drawer.  This desk was near the same age, probably 
first issued around the time of Elliot Ness.

He leaned back and put his feet firmly on the desk 
surface.  Memories danced in his mind.  'Do you 
believe in the existence of extra-terrestrials?'  'Given 
the distances needed to travel the far reaches of 
space . . . '  Mulder chuckled as he remembered his 
partner, just a slip of a woman, a girl, really, all 
prim and professional and so damned beautiful --

"Make yourself at home," came a voice from the 
doorway.

Mulder startled and almost ended up on his ass for 
his trouble.  Finally getting his feet to the floor and 
grabbing the desktop in a death grip, he regarded his 
intruder.  "Hey, Walter.  What are you doing here so 
early?"

"I still work here," Skinner said dryly, stepping 
forward and slouching comfortably in the chair at 
the other desk.  "Gathering wool?" he asked, a look 
of concern in his eyes.

Mulder smiled.  "Old times," he replied.  "Does this 
thing work or is it a really cheap paperweight?" he 
subtly changed the subject and nodded toward the 
computer at his right elbow.

"It works.  What do you need?"

"Access to our old files.  Reports I sent to you.  Are 
any of them on the system?"

"Should be," Skinner answered, frowning.  "How 
far back?"

Mulder winced.  "About 10 years."

Skinner shook his head.  "I have a folder on my 
personal drive."  He waved Mulder out of the chair, 
booted up the machine and accessed his files.  
"Here.  Now promise me you won't go hunting 
around the system using my password.  I have 8 
months until retirement and Kim is hoping that she 
won't have to support the both of us on her salary."

Mulder chuckled.  "I just want one file, Walter.  As 
a matter of fact, I can find it, print it out and we can 
shut the sucker off."  He glanced at the heading and 
frowned.  "Laffoday?  What kind of file folder 
name is that?"

"One I created when I got your first reports.  I 
thought it very appropriate," Skinner replied, 
crossing his arms.  His whole demeanor screamed at 
Mulder to challenge his comment.

Mulder stared at his friend for a moment and then 
turned back to the computer.  "Ah, you filed them 
by case number.  This should be easy."  In seconds 
he had the right file on the screen and gleefully hit 
the print button.  "One thing you have to give 
bureaucracies -- they know how to keep arcane 
shit!"

"I'm so happy you approve," Skinner responded 
dourly.  "Mulder, about what I said the other day 
down here.  I don't want this to cause you and 
Scully any trouble -- "

"Scully and I are fine, Walter," Mulder said with a 
faint smile.  "I just need to get a few things out of 
my system.  But believe me, if you're looking for 
someone to move in down here -- I'm not your man.  
Scully and I have a very nice life out in Montana 
and I'm finally realizing how much I miss it."

"As long as you know what you're doing, Mulder," 
Skinner said, clearly not too sure he did.

Skinner left Mulder to his own devices, with one 
last warning glare as he exited the room.  Mulder 
poured over the report, a grin on his face, letting the 
memories overwhelm him.  The year was 1995.  He 
remembered clearly the time of year, the color of 
the coat Scully wore, the way they chattered all they 
way out to Richmond.  The baseball season had just 
started and Scully refused to let him listen to the 
pre-game show, insisting on tuning in a static-heavy 
edition of 'Performance Today' on National Public 
Radio.  He had been so damned glad to have her in 
the car, even six months after her return, that he let 
her have her radio station until they lost it just south 
of the exit for US 17, but she found another 
classical channel and they'd listened to that the rest 
of the 2 hour trip.

He remembered his excitement when they began the 
investigation.  One man missing, only a black 
scorch mark on the floor.  According to the report, 
and to his memory of the day, Scully had been the 
one to suggest the scorch mark could have been 
burned human remains.   It was one of those 
moments that would always remind him just how 
much he loved his partner.  Skeptic to a fault, yet 
with a mind as open as the wide Montana sky.

Flipping through the pages, he finally found what 
he was looking for.  At that moment, Wright arrived 
looking somewhat like he'd just stepped out of the 
shower and thrown his clothes on.  "Sorry, I got 
held up in traffic, believe it or not," he said 
breathlessly, setting his Starbucks cup on the desk 
and looking over Mulder's shoulder.  "Is that the 
latest autopsy?"

"No, it's a report from an old file, but one that I 
think we need to revisit, or in your case, visit for the 
first time."  Mulder stood up and stretched.  "Have a 
look."

Wright settled in the offered chair and after a few 
minutes, looked up at Mulder.  "So the guy at 
Benson Industries who signed in and then killed 
Mrs. Endicott was involved in one of your old 
investigations.  But when I ran his name, I came up 
with nothing for the last 10 years."

"I know," Mulder agreed.

"You think he was hiding all that time?" Wright 
asked.

"No.  What came out of those prints on the stapler?"

"I'm supposed to get those first thing this morning," 
Wright replied, looking at his watch.  "Which is in 
about an hour."

"Wrong," Mulder said with a grin and handed 
Wright the phone.  "Call the lab.  I'm betting they 
have the results, they're just waiting for you to come 
get them."

Wright looked dubious, but placed the call.  After a 
few 'uh-huhs', he hung up and regarded Mulder.  
"How did you know -- "

"I always kept weird hours, Wright, but I quickly 
discovered the geeks up in the lab kept even weirder 
hours.  They like to work when the building's 
deserted.  That's when no one can catch on to their 
voodoo practices."  He shooed Wright toward the 
door, the young man still giving him questioning 
looks.  "Hurry up.  Time's a wasting."

Wright was back in under ten minutes.  "They had 
it, but they weren't happy," he said, tossing the 
folder down on the desk.

"What do you mean?" Mulder asked, picking up the 
folder.

"They told me the prints are from a dead guy.  Dead 
a long time," Wright said, dropping into the chair in 
front of the desk with a tired sigh.  He ran his hand 
over his face and shook his head.  "A dead end."

"Chester Banton," Mulder read from the pages in 
the folder.  He looked up and smiled at Wright.  
"Agent, have you ever known a dead guy who could 
melt a stapler with his hand?"

Wright shot Mulder a look.  "Maybe the prints 
weren't clear enough.  That has to be a mistake."

Mulder shook his head in the negative.  "No.  No 
mistake.  This is what I thought we'd find.  C'mon, 
we don't have much time."

"Where are we going?" Wright asked as he stood to 
follow Mulder to the door.

"Richmond, a little industrial park that was once 
home to a particle accelerator.  If I'm correct in my 
assumptions, that's where we'll find Chester Ray 
Banton."

to be continued in Chapter 11


Going Home:  Chapter 11 Seeing You Again in all 
the Old Familiar Places

New World Industrial Park
Richmond, VA
June 10, 2005
9:15 am

A weather-beaten For Sale or Lease sign greeted 
them at the end of the drive.  Weeds were already 
pushing up the asphalt of the once expansive 
parking lot.  Ivy ran rampant along the concrete 
planters and up the smooth exterior of the structure.  
The sun glared off the windows, but as Mulder 
looked at the building, he could see where several 
seals were broken, allowing moisture to give the 
glass a smoky appearance.  The place looked like a 
futuristic ghost town.

"You said there was a particle accelerator here?" 
Wright asked, a little taken back.

"Yeah.  It was sort of hidden in plain sight, for lack 
of a better term.  They had it in a lab on the third 
floor," Mulder replied.

"And you think this guy's been holding up here?"

"Just a hunch, Jeremy.  He's got no place to go.  
You read the file.  I don't think he needs 'soft light' 
any more.  I think he just needs to be completely 
away from people."

"Well, this is sure the place for that," Wright 
muttered just under his breath.  "Shouldn't we be 
calling for back up?"

"We don't even know for sure if he's up there," 
Mulder pointed out.  "Let's take a look around first.  
You call out the cavalry too many times to chase 
wild geese and they aren't so fast to show up when 
you really need them."

Wright looked worried, but reluctantly nodded.

The front door was padlocked.  Mulder looked 
around and motioned for Wright to follow as he 
headed to the back of the building, away from the 
parking lot.  A rust-stained pad of cement showed 
where dumpsters had once stood.  A grey service 
door rested in the middle of the concrete wall and 
Mulder approached it.  Crouching down, he 
fingered the seam of the door right next to the 
functional metal handle.  "It's been jimmied," he 
said to Wright and then tugged on the handle.  "This 
is how he's getting in."

Wright reached to his back and unsnapped his 
holster.  Mulder waited patiently and then pulled the 
door open, stepping into the darkened stair way just 
inside.

Only the light from the narrow windows gave any 
illumination, but Mulder could hear a faint hum that 
seemed to echo off the cinder block walls of the fire 
stairs.  Motioning with his index finger, he pointed 
up.  Wright nodded and followed Mulder up the 
steps.

At the first landing Wright stopped and motioned 
toward the door that led to the office space.  Mulder 
looked up the steps, certain that they would find 
Banton on the third, and top, floor of the building.  
Still, it was only good procedure to check out all the 
floors.  Grudgingly, he allowed Wright to take the 
lead and they systematically began searching the 
first floor.

All the doors to the offices stood open, all the 
spaces vacant of furnishings.  A few light covers 
hung down from the ceiling and a cracked window 
had let rainwater stain a patch of carpet.  Beyond 
the occasional pile of rubble left in a vacated office, 
there was nothing to be found.

The second floor was a little more revealing.  In one 
of the offices, obviously an executive suite, they 
found a pile of blankets on the floor.  Cans of soda 
and bottled water littered the area, as well as a few 
empty fast food bags serving as trash bins.  "He's 
been here recently," Mulder noted, showing a wet 
ring on the bookshelf when he lifted a soft drink 
can.

"You think he's still here?" 

"Do you hear that hum?" Mulder returned and 
Wright nodded.  "I think he's managed to connect 
the accelerator to the electrical grid again."

Wright walked over to the wall and flipped the light 
switch.  Nothing happened.  "I don't think the 
power's on in here."

"The accelerator pulled so much power it was on its 
own transformer," Mulder replied.

They made their way up to the third floor.  The hum 
was louder there and the air crackled with 
electricity.  The hair on the back of Mulder's neck 
raised in warning.  "Jeremy, I think we may want 
that back up now," he hissed as he stood staring at 
the door on the opposite end of the long hallway.

Wright pulled out his cell phone and dialed a 
number.  Putting the phone to his ear, he shook his 
head and then brought the phone down to look at 
the display.  

"Shit.  No service."

"Probably from that," Mulder said, pointing to the 
strobing effect of lights coming from the window of 
the far door.  

"Maybe I can get reception outside.  Just stay put," 
Wright ordered and quickly headed back down the 
stairwell.

"Yeah.  Sure thing," Mulder muttered, creeping 
further down the hallway.    When he made it to the 
door, he threw himself flat against the wall and then 
shuffled closer.  As he reached the door, it suddenly 
opened.  A gloved hand grabbed him around the 
neck and he was pulled into the room amid the 
surreal light show.

"Agent Mulder," the shaky voice rasped.  "Long 
time, huh?"

"Dr. Banton, what are you doing?" Mulder growled.  
He reached to take hold of Banton's hand around his 
neck, but the scientist pushed his hand aside. 

"You don't want to risk touching me, Agent 
Mulder," Banton said sadly.  "I don't want to hurt 
you."

"You didn't mind hurting those other people," 
Mulder pointed out as Banton slowly let go of his 
throat.  He was shocked at the scientist's 
appearance.  The man had been haggard when 
they'd found him ten years ago but the skeleton 
standing before Mulder could barely stand.  His 
eyes were red-rimmed, as with a drug addict, but 
Mulder knew that wasn't the case.  In those eyes he 
saw a madness that comes from living with terrible, 
unending pain.

"Those other people deserved what they got," 
Banton said cryptically.  "Do you know what I've 
been through, Agent Mulder?  The tests, the torture?  
Every day to wake up hoping that it might end, that 
all the pain might finally kill me.  And then, they 
didn't come.  I thought they'd forgotten me.  After a 
couple of days in my prison, I found I could escape.  
They had vanished, every one of them.  So I left.  I 
wasn't afraid of my shadow anymore.  They had 
successfully harnessed my 'powers'," he sneered.  
"They turned me into a monster, more of a monster 
than I'd already become!  So, finding myself on the 
opposite side of the world, I got on a ship hoping to 
make it home.  When that quake and tsunami hit -- "

"It changed your power.  The disturbance in the 
earth's magnetic field disrupted your own magnetic 
field."

Banton rewarded Mulder with a small grin.  "I 
always knew you were smart, Agent Mulder.  No 
one else on the ship felt the quake, we were on the 
high seas and we sailed right over it.  But I felt it.  It 
knocked me unconscious.  When I came around, I 
knew what I had to do."

"You killed a person on board," Mulder interjected.

Banton nodded sagely.  "It was an accident.  But it 
was a fortuitous accident because it alerted me to 
my new powers.  And it allowed me to formulate 
my plan."

"All those people you've murdered, they were all 
involved in your work here, weren't they?" Mulder 
asked, watching Banton move toward the 
instrument panel along the wall.

"I thought at least one of them would have made 
inquiries.  At least one of them would have given a 
damn what happened to me.  But no one did.  No 
one."

"They thought you were dead," Mulder tried to 
explain.  "They thought you'd been disintegrated by 
the dark matter."

"Oh sure, that was the easy out.  Where was Chris?  
I suppose he got rewarded for betraying me," the 
scientist hissed.

"Actually, I think he was murdered for his part in 
your abduction, Dr. Banton.  I think his body was 
the one placed in the accelerator for Agent Scully 
and me to find."

Banton swallowed hard and shook his head.  "No 
matter.  It's over.  I can leave now."

"Leave?  And go where?" Mulder asked.

Banton favored him with a dead-eyed smile.  
"Where I should have gone a long time ago.  I'm 
just sorry you're going to be making the journey 
with me."  He turned and flipped more switches, the 
hum in the room becoming much louder.

"Banton, what the hell are you doing?" Mulder 
demanded.

"Finishing the clean up, Agent Mulder.  There will 
be a big hole, but nothing will remain of the 
monstrosity I've become.  Maybe some will learn 
their lesson."  He walked calmly over to the door 
and pulled off the glove on his right hand.  Taking 
hold of the knob, his touch effectively welding the 
door closed.

"Wait!" Mulder cried.  "I don't want to die!  I'm not 
ready to die!  I have a family!"

Banton threw his head back in a bitter laugh.  "That 
was very foolish of you, Agent Mulder.  Don't you 
understand?  They take everything!  Your life, your 
work, your loved ones.  They take and take and take 
and all you have left is the hope of ending it all.  
That's what I'm giving you -- hope that death will be 
better than this hell I've been living for 10 years!"

"No!" Mulder yelled.  "Look Banton, I thought that 
way once, too, but it doesn't have to be like that.  I 
thought they took everything, first my sister and 
then my father and my mother and the woman I 
love, my son, everything.  But I got most of it back.  
I got back more than I'd lost.  Please, I don't want to 
lose what I finally have!"

Banton looked over at the counter on the wall of 
instruments.  It read 20 seconds and counting.  
"There's no time," he said with a sad shake of his 
head.

"Get this door open!  Please, there's time.  We can 
make it.  You can make it.  We'll figure something 
out!"

After a moment's thought, Banton walked over to 
the door.  Grasping the handle, he pulled with all his 
might.  The door tore from its welded lock with a 
scream of abused metal.  The opening wasn't large, 
but it was enough for Mulder to squeeze through.

"Come with me," Mulder pleaded, as he crawled 
through the opening.  

Banton smiled and shook his head no.  "This is my 
life, my wish.  You go back to yours."

Mulder raced to the stairwell, the hum so loud in his 
ears that he feared for his eardrums.  He hit the door 
to the fire escape running dead out and grabbed the 
top railing just as the explosion hit.

Jeremy Wright was standing in the middle of the 
forgotten parking lot, trying to get someone to listen 
to him.  "Look, we have a dangerous fugitive 
cornered in a building on the edge of Richmond.  
Send a SWAT team -- "

The blast knocked the young man off his feet, 
sending him sailing through the air to land in a heap 
some five feet from where he was standing.  Horror 
blossomed on his face as he took in the building, 
now crumbling before his eyes.  "Mulder!" he cried 
out and ran around back toward the door they'd 
found open.  As he ran, he disconnected the 
previous call to the Bureau and dialed 9-1-1.  "This 
is an emergency.  There's been an explosion at the 
New World Industrial Park in Richmond, Virginia, 
on Staples Mill Road about two miles south of the I-
64 interchange.  Send fire and ambulance, we have 
at least one man, possibly two inside.  Hurry!"

St. Mary's Hospital
5801 Bremo Rd.
Richmond, VA
3:45  pm

Scully hit the Emergency Room like a small 
invading force, her mother and Charlie close behind 
her.  Walter Skinner was standing in the waiting 
area talking to Agent Wright.  Without issuing a 
greeting, Scully got to the point.

"Where is he, what's his condition?"

"Dana, settle down.  The ambulance just got him 
here.  The doctors are still with him, no one is 
telling us anything," Skinner tried to appease her.

"What the hell happened?" she demanded, spinning 
to level her glare at Jeremy.  "You said there was an 
explosion?"

"We went to the building that used to house Polarity 
Magnetics.  The place looked deserted but the back 
door had been jimmied open.  When we went inside 
there was a hum -- an electrical hum, like under 
high power lines.  We went up to the third floor and 
we could see lights coming from one of the offices 
at the end.  Mulder told me to call for back up but 
there was no reception up there.  I went down to the 
parking lot; he was keeping an eye on the door in 
case Banton decided to leave.  While I was on the 
phone, about five minutes later, the place went up."  
The young man was trying so hard to look 
professional, but it was obvious that he was shaken 
to the core.  

"I lost my father when I was 9, Ms. Scully.  If I had 
any part in this, so help me God -- "

"Jeremy, you did every thing you needed to do," 
Scully assured him.  She turned to Skinner.  "Where 
was he found?"

"In the stair well, according to the Fire Department.  
They had to remove a lot of rubble to get up to him.  
He was pinned by some fallen I-beams and there 
was glass from the overhead lights.  They wouldn't 
give me any word on his condition, they just loaded 
him as fast as they could and came here.  The site of 
the explosion is a madhouse, Homeland Security 
and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission are duking 
it out in the parking lot but the Fire Chief told me 
there was no radioactivity noted in the area Mulder 
was found.   They couldn't get closer to the lab and 
no one could find Banton.  I gave up trying to find 
out more and followed the ambulance here.  Dana, 
I'm sorry we couldn't reach you sooner."

"We were at the ballpark," Scully said, the words 
catching in her throat.  "He was supposed to meet us 
there.  I was starting to get worried, I'd just tried his 
cell phone when you called."

A nurse opened the double doors leading back to 
the examination area and Scully saw her opening.  
She ran through the door, almost knocking the poor 
nurse over in her haste.  She looked around wild-
eyed and saw an orderly moving a gurney with 
nurses and doctors surrounding it.

"I'm looking for Fox Mulder," she called, hoping to 
be heard over the noise of the busy ER.

"You can't be back here, Miss.  You have to go to 
the waiting room," the nurse she'd plowed into was 
taking her arm and leading her back toward the 
door.

"No, please, where is Fox Mulder.  Please, I need to 
see him," she tried again.

One of the nurses accompanying the gurney let 
loose of the bedrail and walked toward her.  "Are 
you his wife?" she asked.

Scully couldn't breathe for a second.  The words 
wouldn't come.  "I'm -- I'm his -- "

"I'm sorry, unless you're immediate family, you 
have to wait in the lounge outside.  Someone will be 
out to talk to you shortly."

"He's the father of my children," Scully murmured, 
tears streaking down her face as she watched them 
move the gurney into the elevator and disappear 
from sight.

"Miss, you have to leave, now," the first nurse said 
sternly.

Scully bit her lip to keep from crying out.  Her chest 
was so tight she thought sure she was having a heart 
attack right there.  She stumbled through the ER 
doors and into the waiting arms of her mother 
where she finally succumbed to her sobs.

6:45 pm

With only a modicum of Federal intervention 
perpetrated by Assistant Director Walter Skinner, 
the small band of people awaiting word on Fox 
Mulder were allowed up to the surgical floor.  The 
waiting room was nicely appointed, with 
comfortable chairs and couches and a big screen 
television.  The TV was tuned to CMT, the country 
music channel -- a choice made by Scully's brother 
Charlie after the CNN headline news had replayed 
the explosion in the deserted industrial park one 
time too many for the family's mental health.  Last 
report had listed two casualties from the explosion 
and Maggie had been the one to tell Charlie to 'turn 
the damned thing off!'

Scully had stood for almost the whole time, staring 
out the window.  When Bill arrived just before 7 
o'clock, he was the only one brave enough to 
approach her.

"Tara and Karen have the kids at Mom's for now," 
he said quietly, not daring to touch her.  She was 
standing so stiff, her arms wrapped around her 
torso; he couldn't help but think her muscles would 
be sore in the morning.

"Thank you.  Thank you for taking care of them for 
me, Bill."

Her brother nodded, swallowing hard.  "They'll be 
fine, Dana.  Every thing will be all right."

He immediately regretted his words, afraid she 
might take offense.  But her face crumbled and she 
drew in a sob.  "He can't die.  I love him too much.  
He can't die," she said through her tears.

Bill wrapped his arms around her shoulders, 
drawing her to him.  "He won't die.  He loves you 
that much, too," he said, kissing her head.

"Oh Billy," she sobbed.  She was about to say more 
but he put a finger to her lips.  

"He's a good man, Dana.  I can see how much he 
loves you, how much he loves the kids.  He's not 
my first choice for a brother-in-law -- or whatever.  
But you never were that interested in football 
players and I think Drew Brees is probably a little 
young for you," he teased.  At her confused look he 
grinned.  "Quarterback for San Diego."

She grinned back at him through her tears.  "To be 
honest, Mulder would probably want me to hook up 
with someone from the Redskins, if anyone.  That 
way he could get tickets to the games."  She pulled 
away a little and looked back to the door leading to 
the 'consultation rooms', where the doctors met with 
the families of the patients after surgery.  "I just 
wish we'd hear something."

As if on her word alone, the door opened and a 
nurse in blue-green scrubs stood in the doorway.  
"Is there a Ms. Scully here?"

Maggie stood, but Dana smiled and shook her head.  
"I'm Dana Scully."

"We received a fax from the FBI.  Apparently, as 
far back as 1995, you hold Mr. Mulder's medical 
power of attorney?" the nurse asked.

"Yes, I did -- I do," Scully stammered.  

"The doctor is available to speak with you now.  If 
you'll just follow me."
 
to be continued in Chapter 12


Going Home:  Chapter 12 This Diamond Ring

St. Mary's Hospital, 
Richmond, VA
June 11, 3:45 pm

Broken ribs, a concussion, a dislocated shoulder, a 
ten inch gash running down the length of his left 
calf that required 20 stitches to close and some 
minor internal bleeding, but all in all, Mulder had 
escaped the jaws of death and then some.  It came 
as a surprise to everyone but Scully when the doctor 
announced his intention to move Mulder out of ICU 
and into a private room.  Only Scully realized that it 
wasn't just Mulder's amazing recuperative powers, 
but the collective noise from the gaggle of people 
who had invaded the Intensive Care Unit's Family 
Lounge that was the attending physician's 
motivation.  Either way, she was eternally grateful.  

Just before lunch, she asked her mother to stay with 
Mulder while she ran back to DC and grabbed a few 
things from the condo.  He had been in and out all 
morning, waking disoriented at first because of the 
temporary deafness caused by the blast and then 
falling back to sleep the minute he saw she was with 
him.  The doctor had finally ordered a stronger 
sedative and Scully was certain he wouldn't be 
awake to miss her so she took her leave.  She was 
back in just under 4 hours.

"You barely had time to get there, sweetheart," 
Maggie chided as her daughter nudged her out of 
the chair next to Mulder's bed.

"Didn't need much time.  Just needed to pick up 
some things."

"Things?" Maggie inquired.

"His toothbrush.  His cordless razor because he 
hates feeling scruffy in the hospital.  Things," 
Scully replied, not looking her mother in the face.

"Well, I'm going to check on everyone.  Do you 
think the children will be able to visit tonight?  
They really miss you."

"If Karen doesn't mind dragging them all the way 
down here, I would love that, Mom.  I miss them so 
much.  Mulder might be awake enough to see them, 
too."  

Maggie patted her daughter's arm.  "I'll go call her 
right now and make the arrangements.  Bill got a 
couple of rooms at the Comfort Suites just down the 
road last night, maybe you can stay there with 
William and the girls tonight."

"We'll see how Mulder's doing," Scully replied.  In 
her heart she knew he was doing much better and 
that he'd escaped more serious injury, but she was 
still loath to let him out of her sight.

Scully had just fallen asleep, or so she thought until 
she noticed the shadows from the window.  Long 
fingers were caressing her hand.  She smiled, her 
eyes still closed, when those fingers lifted her hand 
to his bruised and swollen lips and placed a tender 
kiss on her left ring finger.

"Did I miss a memo?" he rasped, his eyes at half-
mast staring at her as he always did when he was 
still groggy from injury and drugs.  He ran his 
thumb over the diamond ring on her finger.  "This is 
new.  Who gave it to you?"

She opened her eyes and smiled at his playful 
expression.  "A guy," she replied haughtily.

"A guy.  A nice guy?  A good-looking guy?  A guy 
you want to be shackled to for the rest of your life?"

"Well, I don't know about the shackles," she teased 
in return.

"He probably got that ring from the Republic of 
Cubic Zirconia," he joked.

"Not from what I could gather," she said, scooting 
forward so he could see her lips as she spoke.  His 
hearing was slowly returning, but the doctor had 
said there would be a ringing in his ears for a few 
days.  "I found the receipt, it most likely set his 
bank account back a few months.  He might have 
even given up some of his more erudite magazine 
subscriptions to pay for it."

"When did you find this?" he asked, lifting his eyes 
from her hand to her face.

"The night I came back from the beach," she said.  
"I was all set to be angry with you for caving to 
Bill's demands until I read the date of the receipt 
and found out that you'd had it for 8 years.  Then I 
had to rethink a few of our conversations," she said 
with a raised eye-brow.  "I guess you really were 
lucid when you told me that you loved me.  I should 
have remembered that drugs wouldn't have 
impaired your faculties that much."

"I was too much of a coward to give it to you," he 
said sadly.  "There were a thousand different times 
through the years when I would start to get it out, to 
give it to you and then something would happen and 
we'd be off again on another case.  I could never 
find the right time.  And then in Montana -- "

"I didn't want to get married when we were living 
assumed lives, Mulder," she said softly, hushing 
him with a finger to his lips.  "And what I said back 
then, I meant.  I've always felt married to you."

He kissed her fingers and then took hold of them, 
drawing their entwined hands back to rest on the 
bed.  "So what changed your mind all of a sudden?  
Or do you just want to show the ring off to your 
brothers?" he asked, a twinkle in his eyes, but a hint 
of wariness hiding behind it.  The wrong answer 
would be his undoing, she was certain.

"Fox William Mulder, father of my children, love of 
my life, my partner in law and in crime, will you 
marry me?" she asked, keeping her voice as steady 
as her roiling emotions would allow.

"Before I answer that, I repeat my question," he 
replied.  "Why now, Scully?"

Her face broke, tears coursing down her cheeks.  He 
started to comfort her but she pushed him back, 
away from her gently.  She swallowed hard and 
finally won her composure.  "When they brought 
you in, they wouldn't let me see you.  I wanted to go 
to you, back in the ER, but they stopped me.  I 
couldn't even say I was your partner, or that I was 
your doctor.  The nurse asked if I was your wife.  I 
tried to tell them that you're the father of my 
children, but it didn't matter to them.  I had no 
standing in your life, at least in their eyes."

He started to object, but again she stopped him.  
"Mulder, I'm not saying I suddenly need this now to 
prove something to myself or even to my family.  
I'm saying that I want the world to know and 
understand that you are my life, and I'm yours.  I 
don't ever want to be in a position where a fax from 
a federal law enforcement agency is the only thing 
that gets me a seat by your bedside."

He frowned at that and shook his head.  "I'm pretty 
sure I don't want to know what you're talking about, 
and I'm not trying to be obstinate.  I just want to 
make sure we're doing this for the right reasons.  I 
don't ever want you to think you were forced into 
getting married."

She snorted a bitter little laugh.  "I think we're 
pretty far away from the barn for the horse to think 
it was forced through the door, don't you?" she 
asked.  Then she grew serious again.  She turned his 
hand over in hers so that she was stroking his palm.  
"Mulder, I almost lost you again yesterday.  And it's 
happened so many, many times in the past that 
you'd think it would be old hat.  But it isn't.  It never 
is.  It almost killed me to go through it again.  But 
there was another factor this time -- we have a little 
boy and two little girls who almost lost their daddy 
and the right to every legal protection they would 
have if we were married.  That got me thinking 
about why we hadn't done this before and I came to 
some conclusions."  She drew in a steadying breath.  
He waited patiently.  Finally she continued.

"I'm a coward."  When he started to protest she 
squeezed his hand and he let her finish.  "No, 
Mulder, I am.  When things got too hot and heavy 
with Daniel, it terrified me, and rightly so looking 
back.  But it started a pattern in my life that has 
continued right down to our relationship.  With 
Jack, with Ethan, with every man in between, it 
wasn't my career I was choosing when I broke 
things off -- it was my fear that made me run.  And 
our relationship was so different from the very 
beginning, I think I fooled myself into believing 
that I'd react differently.  Of course, that's true to an 
extent.  I've never wanted to run from you, Mulder.  
Well, maybe one weekend in Philly that I still 
contend was about me and not about you -- but I 
came back.  And I was so proud of myself that I did 
come back.  I convinced myself that our 
relationship was so unique that it transcended all the 
usual trappings of romance . . . even to being above 
marriage."

"But you see, it's not, we're not above it.  We're a 
part of it.  I see Bill and Tara and their kids and 
Charlie and Karen and the boys and I see how 
happy they are, how much they love each other -- 
and I see them proclaim their love to each other 
every day.  How can I say that they're wrong and 
we're right?  Maybe we're doing it wrong.  Marriage 
is a sign not just for the two people involved, but for 
the world to see.  Not just for us, but for my 
brothers and mom, our children and grandchildren 
and great grandchildren -- "

"Scully, not to interrupt, but how long have I been 
out of it?  Because you're scaring me here," he 
teased.

She shook her head and rolled her eyes.  "I'm not 
saying this right," she said with a sigh.  "What I'm 
saying is that I can't articulate all the reasons I want 
to marry you.  I just want to marry you.  It's not a 
one time offer, I'm not asking in the heat of the 
moment, I've had a very long time to think about 
this.  So, I'll ask again -- will you marry me?"

"Yes.  My answer is yes, today, yesterday, and a 
million tomorrows down the road.  Yes, I will to 
marry you," he said, bringing her hand up to his lips 
again.
  
She gave him the smile he continually awoke just to 
see.  He reached his hand up to her cheek and 
guided her down so he could kiss her freely.  When 
she finally pulled away he grinned as she rested her 
forehead against his.  "Any plans on how we break 
this to the four year old?" she asked teasingly.

"Are you kidding?  I'm more worried about how 
Bill's going to react," he shot back.  "But if we tell 
him now, I'm already in the hospital."

She laughed.  "Well, we can't do anything until you 
are out of this place and back home."

"I don't want to wait till we get back home to 
Montana.  Hey, since you popped the question, does 
that mean I get to plan the wedding?"

She gave him a dubious look.

"Nothing involving RFK Stadium, Scully, I 
promise.  It's just I've thought about it a lot in our 
time together and I actually think I can do this.  I'll 
use your mom and Karen and Tara as wedding 
consultants, nothing will happen that some female 
doesn't first approve."

"With an offer like that, how can I refuse?" she said, 
kissing him again and again until he yawned in the 
middle of a kiss.

"I should let you get back to sleep," she told him, 
stroking his hair.

"Wait, I still need to find out.  What happened to 
Banton?"

She shook her head.  "Mulder, let's wait -- "

"Please Scully.  Just tell me what happened to 
him?"

She pursed her lips, but finally acquiesced.  "The 
lab was a hot zone, but they were able to get in 
there with the proper suits.  They found a body, 
what was left of it at least.  Wright said he was sure 
it was Banton."

Mulder nodded.  "It was what he'd come to do," he 
said mournfully.  "He couldn't live with what he'd 
become, what they'd made him."

"He almost killed you in the process," she replied 
tersely.

"No, he was saving me at the end.  Scully, you 
realize he's just one of the people who were 
captured and experimented on by Cancer man and 
his cronies.  There are others, and the ones still 
capable of escaping are out there, roaming the 
streets, potential time bombs every one."

"Mulder, I thought you said this was the last dance."

He looked startled.  "Scully, I wasn't talking about 
us or even just me.  I'm going to tell Skinner I'll file 
any report he thinks the Director might listen to, a 
report to recommend the re-opening of the X Files 
office with Agent Wright as the Agent In Charge."

She smiled broadly at him.  "Those are pretty big 
shoes you're asking him to fill, Mulder."

"Are you saying I have big feet, my love," he shot 
back and then grinned.  "I think he can handle it.  
As long as Skinner starts looking now for a partner 
for him.  Maybe more than one." 

"A whole battalion?" Scully mocked.  "I mean, who 
could possibly replace us?"

"Laugh it up, former g-woman.  If I'm right, poor 
Jeremy is going to need all the help he can get.  
Speaking of help, am I gonna be out of here in time 
for Walter and Kim's wedding?" he asked with 
trepidation.

"We'll see," she said with a Mona Lisa smile.

St. Patrick's Cathedral
The 
Washington DC
June 25, 2005
1:55 pm

"It's too tight," Skinner complained as he tugged at 
his collar.

"It's perfect," Mulder assured him.  "You're talking, 
you can breathe, it's straight, don't mess with it."

"I thought you were supposed to be my best man, 
not my mother," Walter groused, but emotion 
behind the words was light hearted.

"If I were your mother, you'd be in deep shit," 
Mulder returned.  "Now, can you do my tie, Walt."

With one arm in a sling and still using a cane, 
Mulder was pretty incapacitated in getting the final 
touches to his attire.  When Walter quickly did the 
ascot at his neck, he patted him on both shoulders, 
causing a slight wince from the former agent.  
"Take a look, how'd I do?"

Both men stood in front of the mirror and surveyed 
their appearance.  Skinner, in a grey morning tux 
with tails, looked years younger than his usual dour 
self.  If anything, he looked like a nervous young 
groom.  Mulder, in a black tux with tails, made a 
striking counterpoint and smiled at his older friend.  
"Relax, Walt.  You're only getting married."

"You just wait," Skinner growled.  "You'll see."  He 
tugged lightly at his collar again.  "I thought these 
things were looser."   As if suddenly remembering 
something vital, he shot Mulder a panicked look.  
"You have the ring, right?"

Mulder smiled and produced Kim's wedding ring, 
fitted neatly on his pinky finger, just past the first 
knuckle.

"If that finger swells in this heat, I'm sawing it off to 
get to the ring," Skinner charged.

"I hope I'm not this snippy at my wedding," Mulder 
muttered as he looked at his watch.
 
"What was that?" Skinner growled.

"Show time!" Mulder announced, waving to his 
friend as he limped out the door that led to the altar.

The church was enormous and Mulder looked 
around slightly awed.  The stained glass windows 
softened the glaring sunlight and created a cascade 
of hues down the aisle.  He smiled as he saw Scully 
coming toward him, a pale salmon tea length gown, 
gathered at the waist, off the shoulders.  Following 
her down the aisle came Kim in a radiant white 
wedding gown, but Mulder only had eyes for his 
partner.  Partner, lover, next of kin and very soon to 
be wife.

The wedding passed in a blur.  Mulder was happiest 
to see how at ease his good friend Walter was after 
the ceremony.  Kim smiled and seemed to glow 
with an inner beauty as she stood beside her best 
friend and now husband, cutting the cake.  The 
reception was a formal affair at the Washington 
Hilton, the cake alone, complete with a working 
fountain and garlands of fresh flowers, easily cost a 
week's salary at even the Assistant Director's level.  
Mulder had mentioned how impressed he was by 
the show, but Walter confided to his friend that he'd 
been putting money away for something for a long 
time -- now he had something and someone to 
spend it on.

The bride and groom left for the honeymoon suite 
just before 11 and soon after, Mulder escorted 
Scully back to the condo, where they had the place 
to themselves, the children spending the night at 
Maggie's.

"That was a beautiful wedding," Scully said with a 
sigh as Mulder puttered around in the bathroom.

"What?  I have the water running," he called out to 
her.

"I said, that was a beautiful wedding," she said, 
going to the door to see what he was doing.  She 
smiled as she saw his endeavors.  The bathtub was 
almost filled with warm water and bubbles; candles 
were strategically placed around the room on every 
flat surface.  "My, my, my.  To what to I owe this 
pleasure?"

"We are sans small children, you were so absolutely 
gorgeous today I thought I'd have to run down to 
the Y and take a cold shower halfway through the 
ceremony . . . and I don't really think I need a 
reason," he ticked off on his fingers.

She grinned at him and stripped off the last of her 
clothing, he joined her and they both slid into the 
soapy, fragrant water.

"You're going to smell like vanilla all day 
tomorrow," she warned.

"I've smelled like worse," he countered and 
proceeded to wash her back in slow, lazy strokes.  
"So, you really liked the wedding?" he asked, just a 
slight hesitancy in his voice.

"Didn't you?" she returned.

"Oh, it was fine.  It was great.  It was -- "

"Not us," she supplied and he kissed her shoulder in 
reply.

"Not that we couldn't do that, mind you," he said 
quietly, now paying attention to her shoulders and 
arms.

"Mulder, that wedding took months to plan.  Kim 
told me they lucked out on the church because 
another couple eloped.  They had planned on 
getting married at a church near Tinley Circle, but 
opted for St. Patrick's when it was available.  Even 
so, they've had the Hilton booked since last 
October."

"So you're saying you doubt my ability to pull off a 
big church wedding with a sit down reception?  
That sounds like a challenge to me," Mulder said 
quietly.

Scully turned in his arms and put her hands on 
either side of his face.  "Hey, I said it was a 
beautiful wedding.  Not that I wanted one just like 
it.  You promised you were planning this wedding 
and I want to see what you come up with.  No 
cheating by copying off the Skinners.  Hear me?"

He smiled at her, kissing soap bubbles off her nose.  
"You're sexy when you boss me around."

"Oh yeah?" she growled, she straddled him.  "I'll 
show you 'bossy'.  Come here, you love slave!"

"Be gentle now, I've been recently injured," he said 
between kisses.  It was the last comment either of 
them made for a long time.

to be concluded in Chapter 13

Going Home:  Chapter 13:  I thee wed

The Beach
Ocean City, MD
July 8, 2005
6:00 pm

Seagulls played with William and his sisters and his 
cousin Matt as they scampered near the surf under 
the watchful eyes of their grandmother.  Three men 
stood in tuxedoes with the pants rolled up, feet bare 
on the sand, careful not to step too close to the 
encroaching water of the shoreline.  It made for an 
odd picture, but this was a private beach and no one 
really took notice.

"You think they skipped out on it?" Bill proposed as 
he stared off toward the house and the glare of the 
setting sun.

"How could they?  We have their kids!" Charlie 
shot back.

Walter chuckled but Bill was still concerned.  "All I 
know is half my 401K is going to go to pay for 
these damned tux's if we stand out here any longer.  
The salt spray from the surf is -- "

"They're here," yelled Nate from the deck of the 
house.

Maggie, Tara, Karen, and Kim exchanged silent 
glances and smiles.  Ben, with Nate's help, rounded 
up the children, including little Julia in her carrier 
and assembled them in some order along the path 
out to the shore.  "OK, everybody, remember, toss 
the flower petals, not the baskets," Ben warned.  
Two little boys exchanged sullen glances and then 
nodded at their older cousin.

The groom was the first to arrive, pulling off his 
sneakers and leaving them on the deck.  He was 
dressed in a black tux, as the other men on the 
beach, but his tie was not the same as the others.  It 
matched the bridesmaids' dresses worn by Tara, 
Karen and Kim.

Mulder ruffled his son's hair as he passed, picking 
up each of his daughters to place a kiss on their 
cheeks before placing them back in the line up as 
tiny princesses waiting for the queen.  The girls 
wore taffeta dresses selected by their aunts to match 
the colors of the bridesmaids, with little crowns of 
flowers from the bride's bouquet encircling their 
heads.  "Daddy," Melissa said, giving Mulder a big 
wet kiss on the nose.  

"I love you, too, baby," Mulder said with a wink.  
"But I have to go marry your mommy right now.  
We'll have a party in just a few minutes."

Jeremy, with a very pretty young woman at his side, 
was the next to arrive, followed shortly by a young 
priest whom Maggie greeted warmly.  Mulder 
walked over and shook the man's hand.

"Thanks for coming, Father Michels," Mulder said.  

"Hey, always happy to do a wedding," Michels 
remarked.  "Besides, Father McCue, who sends his 
love and prayers, bet me 25 bucks that I'd get here 
and it would be a hoax.  I took his bet and now I'm 
$25 richer, after the ceremony of course."

"Don't ever let the evils of gambling get in the way 
of a good joke, Father," Mulder replied dryly, 
casting a glance at Maggie trying desperately to 
hide her laugh.

The young priest smirked and looked around.  "So, 
we're just waiting on the bride, I take it?"

"She's inside, but she'll be coming out in just a 
minute."  He signaled Ben, who had spent the better 
part of the afternoon arranging and rearranging the 
sound system.  

"I got it, Uncle Fox," he said, leaving the receiving 
line in Nate's hands so he could start the music.  
Mulder had to smile, he'd put the boys in charge of 
the music and almost expected Green Day or some 
underground alternative band to come blaring over 
the speakers.  He was pleasantly surprised to find 
their tastes were more eclectic than the usual teens.  
They had a very nice selection of classical and 
baroque pieces that they had insisted he had to 
preview.  He'd immediately approved all of their 
choices.  

The first selection came to a close and the opening 
notes of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring filter to the 
assembled group on the gentle breeze.

Mulder was gripped with a memory.  Sitting on a 
beach, watching a child play with his parents.  He 
looked over at his own children -- Missy and 
Sammi wide-eyed and listening to the music float 
over them, hand in hand as they had since they 
could take their first steps.  Will was giggling at 
something Matt had said until a look from his big 
cousin Ben reminded him he was had a part to play 
and was supposed to be quiet.  And then, at the 
door, stood a vision in white.

He never thought they'd get to this day.  So many 
times fate had intervened and almost snatch her 
from him, or him from her.  When he'd come back, 
from his abduction, 'death' and burial, he'd been so 
confused and so lost.  But she was always there.  
Over protective to the max, but also willing to let 
him worry, let him search to find the meaning of 
their miracle.  Then he'd had to leave her and the 
precious boy now kicking sand on his older cousin.  
Mulder's heart wrenched when he thought of that 
lonely year without both of his loved ones.

They hadn't talked about it, everything they'd lived 
through in the dark times.  It was their way.  But 
sometimes the shadows of those horrible 
experiences weighed heavy on them both.  Now, 
watching her look at him from the steps of the deck, 
he truly felt like they'd come to the end of a long 
and arduous journey, that they'd at last found their 
truth.  It had been hiding in each other, all that time.

He hadn't seen her wedding gown.  He'd teased her 
about that, but she'd insisted.  He was planning the 
wedding, but she was picking the gown.  She found 
it in a resale shop in Georgetown.  It was pure 
white, cinched at the waist as befitting her tiny 
figure.  The skirt was full and seemed to dance 
around her in the gentle breeze.   Instead of a veil, 
which she'd assured him would have blown off in 
the wind, her hair was secured away from her face 
with a clip and cascade of tiny silk roses.  She was a 
vision.  She was his vision.

The bride walked barefoot out on the deck.  She 
smiled at the assembled 'honor guard' as she walked 
through.  Sammi and Missy looked up and smiled at 
her and Will gave her a toothy grin.  Suddenly 
remembering they had jobs to do, the children, her 
son and daughters and nephews, tossed pink rose 
petals at her feet.  A few stuck to her dress, but 
rather than brush them off, she hoped they would 
stay.  They looked like they belonged on it.  Just as 
the song came to its conclusion, she joined her 
beloved at the sea.

The honor guard followed the bride to her groom 
and everyone gathered close to hear the words of 
the priest and the betrothed above the pounding of 
the surf.  As the ceremony ended, and the groom 
kissed his bride, the water came forward and lapped 
at their feet.  Everyone dove for higher ground 
except the newlyweds, who were so lost in each 
other they didn't notice the cold water that covered 
their feet and ankles.  The two partners broke the 
kiss and looked at each other for a long moment.

"Scully, what is it about you that makes me not 
mind being 'all wet'?" Mulder quipped with a tilt of 
his head as the tide continued its journey to the high 
water mark several feet toward the beach house.

She laughed and tugged at his hand.  Together they 
dashed to the deck, kicking water and sand in their 
wake.  

The party continued long into the night.  Mulder 
had rented the house from Bill's friend for the 
weekend, so when little ones grew tired they were 
carried off to bed so the adults could continue the 
festivities.  As the stars came out, couples started to 
wander out onto the sand, going for moonlit strolls 
along the shore.  

At one point in the evening, Mulder found himself 
standing at the railing of the deck, watching the surf 
in the moonlight.  He could hear his bride, the 
thought making him smile, talking animatedly with 
her sisters-in-law about pre-schools and on-line 
shopping.  He didn't notice that he wasn't alone until 
the other person cleared his throat.

"Bill," Mulder said, startled.  "Sorry.  I didn't see 
you come up."

"S'OK," Bill said.  "Need another?" he asked, 
nodding toward the beer in Mulder's hand that 
rested on the railing.  

"Nah, I think I've hit my limit.  She gets mad at me 
if I have too many," he said, tilting his head in 
Scully's direction.

"Yeah.  Tara's the same way.  Only time I get to cut 
loose now is on shore leave -- and even that's 
getting fewer and farther between.  Just not the 
same when you're on the down side of 40."

Mulder nodded in agreement.  It was the most civil 
conversation he could ever remember having with 
his brother-in-law.  That thought gave him pause.  
Bill and he were now 'officially' family.  Would 
wonders never cease?

"Thanks for coming today," Mulder blurted out, for 
no particular reason except he could think of 
positively nothing more to say to the man.

"Yeah, well, couldn't miss it, now, could I?  I just 
wanted to say, well, we've had our disagreements in 
the past -- "

It was everything Mulder could do to keep from 
spitting his mouthful of beer out on the sand below 
the deck.

"and I still can't see what she sees in you.  But I 
guess that's not really up to me, is it?"

"No, Bill, but I'm grateful you realize that," Mulder 
interjected.  Bill seemed so concentrated on what he 
wanted to say that he probably didn't hear the 
comment, or at the very least understand its 
meaning.

"So, anyway, if you guys ever need anything, I 
mean San Diego is closer to Montana than 
Baltimore, so we could be there faster, ya know?"

Mulder regarded the man next to him and realized 
what was happening.  He was being accepted into 
the family.  He had to bite his lip to keep from 
crying.  

"Thank you, Bill.  That goes both ways, I hope you 
know."

"Well, Tara and I were talking and we'd like you 
guys to come to San Diego for Christmas.  I mean, 
we don't have a lot of room in base housing, we'd 
have to put you up in a hotel -- "

"Not a problem.  The kids have never seen the 
Pacific.  We'd love to come.  I'll let Scu -- Dana and 
Tara can figure out the details.  We'll be there."

Bill then lifted his hand and put it on Mulder's 
shoulder.  "Take care of her . . . of them."

"Always," Mulder replied.  When Bill left, there 
was still a warmth where his hand had been and it 
spread through Mulder's whole body.

Mulder had just about decided it was time to take 
his bride to their room when Charlie stepped up.

"So I hear you're spending Christmas in San 
Diego," he said with a wry smile.

"Yeah, well, Bill offered," Mulder demurred.

"I must say, that takes guts, Mulder.  I mean, you 
and Bill, Tara and Dana, just the two families -- "

Mulder choked so hard he couldn't respond.  Charlie 
broke into laughter.  "Boy, you are soooo easy!  
This is gonna be fun!"

Mulder started breathing again.  "You Scullys have 
a very wide mean streak, I'm discovering."

"Seriously, we'll all be there at Christmas, Mulder.  
Wouldn't make you take Bill on during the holidays 
all by yourself.  No one should have to face his 
eggnog French toast alone."

"Eggnog French Toast?"

"Yeah, and don't try telling him you're a vegan.  He 
doesn't use real eggs in the batter."

"I really don't want to hear this right now, Charlie," 
Mulder said, his stomach doing a slow roll.

"Well, I just came by to say we're probably shoving 
off early tomorrow, noon or so if Karen has her 
way."

Mulder regarded the younger man and put his hand 
on his shoulder.  "It's been great getting to know 
you, Charlie.  Even if you do have a terrible sense 
of humor."

"It's great having you in the family, Mulder.  Takes 
some of Bill's heat off me for a change," Charlie 
shot back.

As soon as Charlie left the deck, Mulder started 
looking for Scully.  She was giving her mother a 
kiss on the cheek as Maggie departed for her 
bedroom.  He took the opportunity to give Maggie a 
good night kiss, too.  Then he took Scully's hand.

"Hey, can a groom get his bride to take a walk on 
the beach?" he asked.

"Let me see, I have to check my social calendar," 
she teased, but took his hand and they stepped down 
the stairs and into the sand.

"It was a beautiful wedding, Mulder.  You did a 
great job."

"Thank you," he said, leaning down to kiss her on 
the lips.  She smiled at him as he broke the kiss and 
they continued walking close to the surf so the 
waves lapped at their feet.

"It's so beautiful here.  I'd like to come back 
sometime," she said wistfully.

"How about next summer?" he asked.

"It will probably be rented next time, Mulder.  We 
can't always be this lucky.  I'm shocked you were 
able to get it for this weekend on such short notice."

"About that, Scully.  Um, you know how I was 
intending to get rid of my parents properties?"

"Yeah.  That's what you did all day Wednesday at 
your lawyer's, right?"

"Well, yes, sort of.  Actually, I was at the lawyer's 
and Bill's friend's real estate office."

"What are you stumbling to tell me here, Mulder?"

"My lawyer said that if I sold the properties out 
right, I would be in for a huge tax liability.  But if I 
took the money and purchased other property -- um, 
-- "

"You _bought_ this beach house?" she squeaked.

"Yeah.  And Walter's condo in the city.  Between 
the West Tisbury house, the Greenwich house and 
the summer place in Rhode Island, these two 
properties just about covered my gain.  I had a little 
to put in a trust for the kids.  We have papers to sign 
on Monday."

"We?"

"It's joint tenancy, Scully.  Half yours.  My whole 
estate for that matter."

"Mulder, I don't know what to say!  That is a huge 
beach house -- "

"Seems we all just fit in it, though.  Look, it will be 
for family gatherings.  I want Will and the girls to 
know their cousins, Scully.  And maybe sometime 
we could convince Joe and MC to bring their kids 
out for a week on the beach.  The rest of the year 
Rick will manage it like he does now as a vacation 
rental.  But we get first dibs any time we want, of 
course,"

"But Walter was renting the condo," she pointed 
out.  "How did you buy it?"

"Easy.  I talked to the owner.  She's a sweet little 
lady and not really that excited about finding a new 
tenant as good as an Assistant Director of the FBI.  
She's more interested in moving to Phoenix to be 
near her grandchildren.  She told me I was doing 
her a favor.  And this way, we'll always have a 
place close to your mom's when we come out."  He 
hesitated for a moment and looked out to the ocean.  
"Unless you want to stay out here," he said softly.

She cupped his cheek and turned his face so that 
their eyes met.  "We have a home.  It's on a 
mountainside in Montana.  But I appreciate the 
gesture.  I have to say that I'm a bit overwhelmed," 
she said thoughtfully.

"Nothing is in black and white yet, Scully.  We can 
tear up all the papers.  No deal goes through without 
your signature -- "

She stopped him with a kiss.  "I love the idea," she 
said.  "Mom will be thrilled, of course."

"Good."

"Bill will be absolutely green," she added with a 
twinkle in her eye that wasn't from the moonlight.

"Hey, icing on the cake," Mulder shot back hugging 
her close.  "Shall we head back?"

"It's awfully full in that house tonight, Mulder," she 
said taking his hand and walking backward, pulling 
him away from the waves.

"What are you suggesting, my wife?"

"Well, I loved your beach wedding.  How about I 
show you my beach wedding night . . . "

Beach house
July 9, 2005
6:50 am

They thought they were sneaking in before anyone 
was awake, but Maggie met them at the door with 
cups of coffee and a wicked grin.  "Have a nice 
night?" she asked.

Mulder bit his lip and then remembered he had 
nothing to be ashamed of.  "Yes, a very nice night.  
We even took a quick swim this morning."

"Well, you two better go take a shower before 
everyone else gets up.  Sand has a way of sneaking 
into the most uncomfortable places," she said with a 
perfectly straight face.

Scully tried to hide her grin with her hand, but 
Mulder just bowed and headed off to the shower, 
doubling back to grab Scully's hand and take her 
with him.

Charlie, Karen and the boys were the first to leave.  
Charlie had to get back to port and Karen wanted to 
get Ben ready to leave for school in the fall.  There 
were tearful goodbyes, but not unhappy ones and 
Maggie was excited that Ben would be close 
enough to come to see her some weekends.

Bill and Tara packed up next.  They'd collected all 
their belongings from Maggie's the day before and 
were ready to head to the airport.  Mulder offered to 
have them stay another day, but their flight time left 
them no options.  Bill hugged his sister while Tara 
hugged Mulder.  Then while the women were 
hugging, Mulder offered Bill his hand.  Bill shook it 
firmly and then pulled Mulder into a brief hug.  
"You're family now.  Get used to it."  Mulder could 
only nod.

They stayed at the beach another week and then did 
all the things in Washington that Will had been 
promised -- the National Zoo, the Smithsonian, all 
the monuments at night.  The little boy loved it all 
and solemnly vowed that he'd do it all again next 
summer.

Before they knew it, it was time to leave.  Maggie 
swore she wouldn't cry, but Mulder made no such 
promise.  Tears were in his eyes as he hugged her 
goodbye.

"Goodbye Fox.  I'll see you at Bill and Tara's at 
Christmas."

"You could always come out this fall and visit, 
Mom.  The aspens on the mountain are beautiful in 
September," Scully offered.

"I might just take you up on that," Maggie said, 
wiping some errant dampness from her cheek.  
"Damn these allergies!  I didn't have this problem at 
the beach!"

"Just call Rick any time you want to go out there, 
Maggie," Mulder told her.  "It's your place, too."

"I'll miss you all so much," she said, hugging them 
each in turn.  And then they boarded the plane and 
were on their way.

Epilogue

Walmart Super Center
August 5, 2005
7:15 pm

Joe and Mulder were in their usual aisle of the store, 
looking at the end of the season sale on grills and 
grilling equipment.

"So you go on vacation, end up getting involved in 
an old case, get blown up, end up in the hospital and 
renew your wedding vows on the beach.  Oh, and 
buy a condo and a beach house, just for the hell of 
it.  Man, you lead a very strange life," Joe said, 
shaking his head.

"It's not like I planned any of it, Joe," Mulder 
assured him.  "Well, except for the vows on the 
beach."  Mulder and Scully had decided not to go 
into too much detail about the circumstances of 
their nuptials with their friends in Montana.  
Renewal of vows seemed the most innocent of 
possible fabrications.

"So this kid, this Agent Wright.  He'll be replacing 
you and Dana on those closed down cases?"

"Yeah, Walter called me right after we got back.  
The Director approved the reopening of the X Files 
and Wright's assignment to them.  Plus, they 
already have a partner for him.  Walter says he's a 
pathologist."

"The partner's a 'he'?  Guess they learned that 
lesson, huh?" Joe laughed.

Mulder ignored the obvious jibe.  "Jeremy's a good 
agent.  And since Walter hand picked his partner, it 
will be a good fit."

"So, if he calls, are you going to lend a hand 
again?"

Mulder looked over at his friend. "If I can help out 
by email, yes.  If it requires me to travel five feet 
from my front porch, no.  I'm out.  I told Walter as 
much before we left."

"Right answer, former G-man.  You don't need any 
more trips to the hospital."  Two arms wrapped 
around him from behind and he looked over his 
shoulder to see Scully smiling at him.  He turned on 
his heel so he could put his arms around her waist.

"That last dance was a doozy," he said with a smile.  
"I have too many other things to keep me 
occupied."

"Oh, such as . . .?" she inquired.

"Wondering where our children are, if they aren't 
with you," he said pointedly.

"Josh has Will in the sporting goods aisle looking at 
bats and gloves and Meg has the girls in the Barbie 
aisle."

"Barbie?  Aren't they a little young for that?" he 
squeaked.

Her knowing smirk was all the answer he was going 
to get on that one.  "So, what else do you have in 
mind to keep you occupied?" she purred, hugging 
him around the waist and giving his butt a pat in the 
process.

He squeaked again and dropped his eyes to her face.  
Licking his lips, his eyes at a dreamy half-mast, he 
rested his forehead on her forehead.  "This smoker 
over here.  Scully, we could smoke our own turkey 
this Thanksgiving!"

She reared back indignantly.  "No, Mulder.  No 
more grilling equipment."

"But Scully," he whined, "we could smoke hams, 
too.  Maybe take one to Bill for Christmas."

"We are not poisoning my brother.  Put the idea out 
of your head this instant."

Joe had wandered down the aisle and caught up 
with his wife.  MC pointed over to their friends with 
a jerk of her thumb.

"What are the Mulders doing?" she asked.

"Arguing over a smoker," Joe replied casually.

"Arguing?  Why do they look like they're 
laughing?" MC shot back.

"I have no idea, sweetheart.  But until they settle 
down, let's pretend we don't know 'em."

The End (until I can think up another reason to 
visit)

Thanks for sticking with me and for all the 
wonderful feedback!