I have read many stories in the Gossamer Archives and can't believe how much talent you people have. This is my first fanfic and I would really appreciate feedback. You can e-mail me at YRLD43A@PRODIGY. COM . I hope I measure up. Summary: Mulder learns a little of what his future holds. Spoilers: Just obscure references to second and third seasons. Not really a romance, just a close friendship. Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the television program "The X-Files" are the creations and property of Chris Carter, Fox Broadcasting, and Ten Thirteen Productions, and have been used without permission. No copyright infringements are intended. This work is not to be forwarded or distributed to any newsgroup, FTP, or WWW site without the permission of the author. I do give permission for it to be put on atxc. *************************************************** GRACIE By Patty Hayes (YRLD43A@prodigy.com) 1/3 August 5, 1996 Part 1 of 3 10 AM July 17, 2076 This was the last flight for Gracie. She had given her resignation six months ago. NASA had held her to the promise of completing her contract. Her last assignment was to test the computers and flight instruments on the aircraft "VENTURE". Gracie was to take off, fly to an orbit just beyond the edge of the atmosphere, circle the earth a dozen times, check out the instruments and return home. Simple. She had done it numerous times. There was nothing simple about this flight, however. "Venture, this is Houston, this is your sixth cycle. Everything is A-OK. Over." "Roger Houston. All processes are normal. Looks like this bird will be a winner. Over". Gracie would be glad when this was finished. She wanted to get home to her husband. They were married a month ago after a long engagement and wanted to start a family and have a nice, normal life for a change. "What the hell ?" Something had bumped Gracie's aircraft, sending it spinning. "Venture, this is Houston, we show your orbit changing. What's going on up there? Over". The voice was surprisingly calm. Gracie was a trained professional but her mind was spinning faster than her aircraft. As she fought to control the ship she spoke as calmly as she could. "Houston, we have a problem. Over." "Copy that, Venture. What is your status? Over." "Houston, this is Venture. I am trying to straighten out this bird. Do you see any company? Over." "Negative, Venture. Looks like you're all by yourself. Can you regain control? Over." "Roger that, Houston. She's flying right. I'm making the adjustments back to our original orbit. Houston, it was as if something *nudged* the ship. Are you sure..." Houston interrupted her. "Venture, we show something closing in on you fast!" At that instant Gracie saw a blinding white light streaming into the craft before she fell into darkness. July 20, 1996 Gracie opened her eyes and saw a clouded morning sky. She slowly sat up and immediately closed her eyes as her head started to spin. Gracie was sitting in the middle of a field. She was still in her flight suit and all she saw around her were tall grasses and a few trees. *What the hell is going on?* she said to herself as she looked around. She thought back to the last thing she could remember. *I must have crashed. How the hell did I survive that?* As she stood and looked around again she thought, *Maybe I didn't*. Gracie looked at her watch. It had stopped. She began walking west, with the sun. She would need all the extra hours of daylight available to find help. She had to get to a phone. After walking for what seemed like forever Gracie came upon a paved road that veered north. She changed directions and a short time later an old car with police markings pulled up. "Miss, are you ok? Did your car break down?" Officer Petersen took one look at Gracie and knew something was not right. Gracie was as pale as he had ever seen anyone, odd for someone who had been walking out in the sun for who knew how long. "I'm Frank Petersen, sheriff's deputy. Can I help you?" "Yes." she said almost breathlessly. Gracie was tired. Her legs were about to give out and her head was pounding. She felt light headed and leaned against the patrol car for support. "I'm not sure what happened. I need to get to a phone. I think ..." That was all she could get out before she slumped to the road. Petersen put Gracie in the car and drove her to the local hospital. Basement Office J. Edgar Hoover Building Mulder sat staring at his partner, Dana Scully. She never ceased to amaze him. They had just finished a case that was as gruesome as it could be. While he knew these deaths had saddened Scully, they did not affect her professionalism or judgment. They were able to save the six year old girl in this case. She would have been the fourth victim of a mad man. They had been on loan to Violent Crimes to help profile this case. It didn't take Fox Mulder long. It was what earned him his nickname "Spooky". Even though he didn't want to go back to working in VC on a regular basis, he was sorry they hadn't called him in sooner on this case. "You're staring again, Mulder." Scully looked over at him, a twinkle in her eyes. He gave her a smile that made her return one. "Sorry." Mulder blushed for just a brief second. He often watched Scully. He liked looking at her. He remembered the first day she walked into his office. He didn't realize then how important she would become to his existence. "Just waiting for you to take a break." He lied. "Want to grab a bite for lunch?" Before she could answer, Mulder's phone rang. "Mulder." "Is this Special Agent Fox Mulder?" asked the caller. "Speaking." "Agent Mulder, this is Officer Frank Petersen of the Hanover, PA sheriff's office. I picked up someone on the highway this morning that I think you might know. She's at the county hospital, unconscious. We haven't been able to identify her yet. Her fingerprints don't show up on any database. No one fitting her description has been reported missing." "What makes you think I know her?" Mulder asked impatiently. "Well, Agent Mulder, she had only two items on her. One was a small wallet with your photo ID and badge." "Hold on a minute." Mulder pulled out his identification and looked at it. "I've got my ID with me. What was the other item?" "It looks like military "dog" tags. With the initials AGC and the numbers 072146 on one of the tags. The other tag looks like some sort of serial number or code. She was wearing what looks like a flight suit with a strange NASA insignia on it. We contacted NASA and no one knows who it could be. There isn't anyone employed with those initials and they do not recognize the serial numbers as theirs. Also no one is missing of this description. We could fax you a photo if you want." Petersen wanted to be done with this. Hanover was a small town and not much happened. Petersen liked it that way. He retired here from New York to get away from the unpleasantness. He wanted Mulder to take this over. "No, I think I'd like to come up and take a look myself. Hang on to the ID for me. I should be there in a couple of hours or so. We'll meet you at your office." Mulder hung up the phone frowning. "What was that about?" Scully was standing at the edge of his desk. Intrigued by his side of the conversation. "There's a Jane Doe in the county hospital in Hanover PA, unconscious. They think I might be able to identify her. She was carrying a duplicate of my photo ID and badge. Want to come along?" "Sure. I'm done here. Let me drop these off at Skinner's office. We can grab a sandwich on the way." Scully didn't like Mulder going off on his own. He got into trouble that way. She also didn't like him near a hospital. He usually ended up in one. County Hospital Hanover PA Gracie awoke to find herself in a clean sterile white room. *A hospital room.* She thought. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. *OK, snap out of it. You have to find out what's going on. You're OK. Get a grip!* Gracie opened her eyes again and looked around the room. *Typical, a little old fashioned. A lot old fashioned actually. It looks clean though.* She tried to sit up a little. Tried to clear the cobwebs from her mind. There was a pitcher of water on the night stand and she suddenly realized she was thirsty and helped herself. She also noticed the phone on the night stand. She wondered where the televiewer was. It looked antique! Gracie hoped it was not there for decoration and picked up the receiver. She heard a voice say "Hospital operator." "Yes, I'd like to call collect to Amy Forest from Gracie Carter. 713-235-097-4167." Gracie gave her the information. At last she could talk to someone she knew. "I'm sorry miss. That's too many numbers. Can you give me the area code and prefix? What city are you calling?" "I'm trying to call Houston Texas. NASA." Gracie was confused. What did she mean too many numbers. "I'll get that number for you. Hold on, please." She could hear the operator shuffling through pages. "All right, I have the main number. Do you have a certain department?" "Yes, anyone in the "Venture" project." Gracie sighed a sigh of relief. She heard the operator again. "Yes, I have a collect call for anyone in the "Venture" project department from Gracie Carter. Will you accept the charges?" "I'm sorry, we don't have a Venture project department." "Ma'am, do you have a specific person you can speak to?" Gracie was getting aggravated. "Yes, Amy Forest or Alan Noris or Jim Stevens." The operator relayed the individual's names. "I'm sorry, we don't have anyone on staff by those names." Just then a nurse walked into the room. Gracie, confused, told the operator to never mind and hung up the phone. "Well I see your awake. How are you feeling? You had us scared for a while. The doctor will be in shortly. I called her the minute your monitor showed activity. I'm Nurse Richards. If you need anything I'll be here." She seemed to talk nonstop. A likable person. A maternal personality. She left as quickly as she had come in. Gracie laid there dumbfounded. She wanted someone or something familiar. She didn't like the feeling that was creeping into her. She remembered the police car and how old it was, how antiquated the phone is, how old fashioned this room is, thirteen digits too long for a phone number? Her mouth went dry and she helped herself to more water from the pitcher. Gracie noticed a newspaper on the rolling tray, reached for it and sat up a little bit to better look at it. *Oh my God!* Gracie could not believe want her mind wanted her to believe. It wasn't possible! She had to be dreaming. Sheriff's Office Hanover PA Petersen recognized the man the minute he stepped out of the blue Taurus. They looked around outside for a few seconds, then came into his office. "Agent Mulder?, I'm Frank Petersen. Thanks for coming so quickly." "This is my partner, Agent Scully. Has there been any change in status since we spoke?" They exchanged pleasantries and shook hands. "Actually, I don't know. I haven't spoken to the hospital. Although they were going to call if anything changed. I have the items we talked about." Petersen opened his top drawer and pulled out an evidence bag and handed it to Mulder. Mulder opened the bag and took out the wallet containing the ID and badge. It looked well worn and weathered. The leather was soft and thinning and the edges were fraying. He opened it and studied the badge. "Scully, look at this." He passed the badge to her and pointed to a scratch and indentation it the upper right corner. As Scully looked over the item Mulder pulled his badge out of his pocket and held it next to the one in Scully's hand. The marks were the same. "Mulder, what are you thinking?" Scully could hear his mind working. "Scully, look at the marks. They're identical." His voice was barely above a whisper. "You remember how this happened." She knew how it happened. Mulder had told her the story while he was in Violent Crimes. A knife and a near miss. Dana Scully spoke to Petersen. "Officer, how did you find her and what condition was she in when you picked her up this morning?" She handed the badge back to Mulder. "I was out on a call. We had reports of strange lights and a possible plane crash just south of here early this morning. I was checking out the area. Didn't find anything though. Saw her walking on the side of the road, sort of weaving. Thought it might have something to do with the plane crash. Anyway, she fainted and I brought her to the local hospital. Doctor Avery said she was suffering from exposure and exhaustion. They were going to run the usual tests and see what else came up. We can go on over if you're ready." Mulder and Scully nodded and they left the Sheriff's office. They followed Officer Petersen to the hospital. County Hospital Hanover PA Gracie had a look of fear and confusion when the Doctor walked into her room. "Hello, I'm Doctor Ellen Avery. You look a little pale still. How do you feel?" "A little shaky, I guess. When can I get out of here?" Gracie wasn't sure what to do or say. "Well first we need to establish a few things. Do you know where you are or how you came to be here? Can you tell me your name?" The doctor stood next to the bed and began examining Gracie. "My name is Anna Grace Carter." She decided to stick to her maiden name. If what she thought was true, it would make things a little easier for a while. "I'm in a hospital. I think the police brought me here. I must have passed out on the road this morning." "What were you doing out on the road this morning?" Doctor Avery was finished checking her pulse, temperature, the normal exam. "I don't remember. I think my plane crashed around here, but I can't ... I can't remember." Gracie felt drained all of a sudden. This was not going to go well. "Well, you seem to be doing better. You were suffering from exposure and exhaustion. You don't have a concussion. Your tests came back normal and your blood levels are fine, however we did find an element that is unfamiliar. Are you on any medication?" "No. None." "Well, with a little more sustenance your strength should be back up by tomorrow so you can probably be released then. I want to monitor you for one more day. Get some rest. Dinner will be brought in soon and I want you to eat it all whether you feel like it or not. I'll be back in the morning. If you need anything just tell Nurse Richards and she'll page me." With that Avery walked out into the hall. Fox Mulder and Dana Scully walked down the hallway toward Avery with Officer Petersen. "Doc, this is Agents Mulder and Scully with the FBI. They're here to see about the Jane Doe. This is Doctor Ellen Avery." Petersen introduced them. "She's no longer a Jane Doe, Frank. She is conscious and doing fine. She says her name is Anna Grace Carter. She knows who she is and where she is but doesn't remember how she got here." The doctor proceeded to detail the specifics of this case to the two agents. "Can we get a copy of the blood work, Doctor?" Scully asked. Courious about the unfamiliar element. It struck too close to home. "For our files." "Of course, I'll have them copied and sent to Officer Petersen. This is her room. You can see her for a little while, but I want her to get plenty of rest. Nice meeting the both of you." She walked off and they turned to enter the hospital room. Petersen said, "I'll let you speak to her alone. If you don't mind, drop by the office before you leave and fill me in." And with that he also turned and left. Gracie knew she had a hell of a lot of thinking to do and very little time in which to do it. She knew her time had run out when the door opened and in walked Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. End of Part 1 I have read many stories in the Gossamer Archives and can't believe how much talent you people have. This is my first fanfic and I would really appreciate feedback. You can e-mail me at YRLD43A@PRODIGY. COM . I hope I measure up. Summary: Mulder learns a little of what his future holds. Spoilers: Just obscure references to second and third seasons. Not really a romance, just a close friendship. Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the television program "The X-Files" are the creations and property of Chris Carter, Fox Broadcasting, and Ten Thirteen Productions, and have been used without permission. No copyright infringements are intended. This work is not to be forwarded or distributed to any newsgroup, FTP, or WWW site without the permission of the author. I do give permission for it to be put on atxc. *************************************************** GRACIE By Patty Hayes (YRLD43A@prodigy.com) 2/3 August 5, 1996 ********************************************************************** ******* Part 2 of 3 "Miss Carter, I'm Special Agent..." "I know who you are." Gracie suddenly wanted this over with. Mulder tried to speak again. "Do we know each other, Miss Carter?" "I know of you Agent Mulder. And of Agent Scully. You are considered heroes where I come from." She was a little in awe of their presence. How was she going to approach this? "Where exactly do you come from, Miss Carter?" Scully spoke this time. "Look, first, please call me Gracie. Do you have my ... the items that were in my suit?" She knew she needed the wallet to help explain. When he pulled them out of his coat she asked "Can I have them please?" "Gracie, do you know it is illegal to duplicate the identification of a law enforcement officer?" Mulder wanted to get to the bottom of this. "Where did you get this? Who are you?" He did not give her the evidence bag. "OK." Gracie said with a sigh. " Look behind the photo ID in the wallet. There's another photograph." Scully was annoyed. She was loosing patience. Mulder opened the bag and pulled out the wallet. He retrieved a photograph from behind the ID. It was a picture of him with Gracie. He was standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her. His face next to hers. They were both smiling. He stared at Gracie and handed the photograph to Scully. "How did you get this? We don't know each other!" Mulder was frowning and he looked over at Scully for help. "Mulder, photographs can be faked. How do we know this is real?" "That isn't you Agent Mulder." Gracie said softly. Mulder looked at Scully and they both thought immediately of the clones. Scully knew first hand how someone could be fooled by a clone. Was it this all over again? She felt chills go down her back. As did Mulder. He remembered. And he knew he didn't want to go through that again. He couldn't. Wouldn't. Mulder looked back at Gracie. "Who is it?" "Agent Mulder, if I were speaking to anyone else the first thing I would say would be that you are not going to believe me. But I know what you have seen. I know what you both have seen and have been through. I don't think I believe this myself." Gracie looked up at Mulder and Scully. She could see the confusion in Scully's face but she couldn't tell what Mulder was thinking. "The man in that photograph is my husband. We were married a little over a month ago. His name is Matthew Fox Mulder and he's your great grandson. He got your ID from his grandfather, your son. He gives it to me for good luck when I'm on a mission." Gracie let that sink in before she spoke again. "My name is Anna Grace Mulder. Carter is my maiden name. I was born July 21, 2046. Tomorrow I'll be 30 years old, fifty years before I was even born." She had to chuckle at that briefly. "I know how this sounds." "Mulder, can I talk to you in the hall for a minute?" Scully could not let him be reeled in by this. "Excuse us a moment." He followed her out into the hall. "Scully, I know what you're going to say." Mulder tried to head her off at the pass. "Then you know how ridiculous this is. She's delusional. Or she's a setup. Someone THEY sent to push your buttons once again!." She searched his eyes for some kind of sign that she was getting through to him. Mulder chewed on the corner of his mouth and just looked at her. "I don't think so, Scully. I'm not convinced she's from the future for God's sake, but I don't think she's a setup." Mulder wanted to hear more. "Come on." Scully followed him back into the room. Gracie was standing by the window when they came back in. "Look, I know you don't believe me. I don't believe me! And I have no proof. I can't tell you what's going to happen in the next hour just as I'm sure you can't tell me what happened on this day a hundred years ago. " She was getting weary. "I'm a test pilot for NASA. I was in the aircraft "Venture" orbiting just beyond the edge of the atmosphere. It was morning, July 17, 2076. Something "bumped" my ship. It went spinning into an outer orbit. I was fighting to control it. Mission control said something was heading towards me fast and all of a sudden a bright blinding white light filled the cockpit. The next thing I knew I was lying in a field near here this morning." She walked over to Mulder and lightly touched the right side of his face. "Look at the picture, there's no mole. The eyes are a different color." She fell silent and crawled back into bed. Nurse Richards came into the room with Gracie's dinner tray. "Well it looks like you might be discharged tonight." She had a skip to her voice. At the confused look on Gracie's face she continued. "Well we received a call from Washington. A General Banner is sending over a transport tonight to transfer you to the hospital at the Air Force base. You finish all of that, now. Doctor's orders." She said as she backed out of the room. "I don't know a General Banner and I'm not going with them!" She looked desperately at the two agents. "You can't let them take me. These are the people who seek to destroy you! They told you, Agent Scully, that their business is to predict the future. They said they invent it. Well, the better way is to have someone from the future to tell them what will happen! If you can't get me out of here, then I'll leave on my own. But I won't let them take me." Gracie looked from one to the other. Scully looked almost as wild eyed as she did. Scully was shocked. She hadn't told anyone, even Mulder, what the gray haired gentleman said to her at the funeral. How did this woman know unless she worked with them. "How did you know? Who do you work for?" Could she be telling the truth? Mulder looked at Scully and saw her almost shake with anger *or was it fear*. He couldn't tell. "Scully, what if she's telling the truth? We need more information." He was pulling her to the corner of the room and speaking softly. "I know how this sounds but what if she is an abductee, Scully. And when they returned her they set her down in the wrong time. Maybe because the ID was from this time period. I don't know but I think we ought to get her out of here." Gracie was at the closet pulling out her flight suit. She took it over to the bed and began putting it on. Scully stared at Mulder. "I don't trust her, Mulder. I don't believe her. But if we're going to do this then we need to do it now. Get as much space between us as possible." They turned back to Gracie as she was zipping up the front of her suit over the hospital gown. She sat down on the side of the bed and slipped her boots on. She stood. "I'm ready." She felt a little light headed but was determined to leave. "Look, I'm sorry. There is more I can tell you, but we have to go." Gracie forced herself forward. Mulder took her arm and led her out of the room and building while Scully told the nurses that they were finished and were leaving. With any luck no one would check her room for at least a half an hour. No one would know Gracie left with them. They still weren't sure how it was so easy. When they got into the car and headed out of the parking lot Scully said "Where to?" Mulder looked at Scully and then at Gracie in the rear view mirror. "I don't know." "Home." Gracie spoke softly. "I want to go home. West Tisbury. We moved into the house that was your fathers two months ago. I need to see it. Please." Mulder headed the car toward West Tisbury. Gracie's strength had not returned and she was wearing down fast. She fell asleep in the back seat. It gave Mulder and Scully time to talk somewhat privately. "Do you think she's OK, Scully?" "I don't know, Mulder. I didn't get a chance to see her chart. I think she needs to build her strength up. We need to stop and get something to eat on the way. Unless you have the house stocked. She needs rest also. Do you think we'll be safe at the house?" Scully still didn't like the situation but she trusted Mulder's instincts and would follow him just about anywhere. If he included her, that is. She remembered a number of times that he ran out on her, left her alone to worry about him and pick up the pieces later. Scully wasn't about to let Mulder get away from her again. He truly was the only person she trusted. The only person who could make her really smile. She needed him just as much as he needed her. "Yeah, the house is stocked. Sort of." He turned and grinned at Scully. She gave him one of those rare smiles that made him glad she was his partner. "I think we'll be OK there. No one knows she's with us." "Do you really think she's from the future, Mulder?" Mulder took a deep breath and started chewing on the corner of his mouth again. "I don't know, Scully. She knows a lot about us. Things not many people know. I think she knows more. I think we can finally get some of those answers we're looking for. If she was working for THEM maybe she wants to ease her conscience. Maybe something did happen to her this morning that is forcing her to make peace with herself. And this is her way of doing it. Then again, there is that photograph. The markings on the badge. The strange NASA logo. The fact that she is not traceable. The reports of strange lights and a crash. The white light and missing time. Being plucked from her aircraft." "That's only if you believe her story, Mulder. Petersen said he found no evidence of any crash, plane or otherwise. What if THEY dropped her off on the side of the road with a hypnotized story designed just for us. And you know the photograph and badge can be faked easily. And the logo. And there are millions of people with no record of fingerprints anywhere, Mulder." Scully's voice was rising in tone to fit her level of frustration. They drove on in silence for a while. Each thinking about keeping the other safe and sane. It seemed to be a priority for both of them lately. Scully was Mulder's rock. His anchor. She kept his feet on the ground. This was one of the things Mulder needed from her most. To keep him from going off the deep end. In return Mulder was Scully's inner child. He helped her open her mind to those extreme possibilities. Helped her see in herself the ability to experience life to the fullest. Neither could see the future without the other. That's also one of the things that frightened both of them. "We're home, honey." Mulder grinned at Scully. Scully just shook her head and got out of the car. "Mulder, give me the keys. I'll open it up and you can help Gracie in." "They're in the flower pot on the left, Scully. Inside the fake rock. " "Mulder, I can't believe you would just leave those out in the open for anyone to find!" Scully was chewing him out all the way to the front door. She found the keys and opened the door. Turning on the lights in the front room, she noticed the sheets covering the furniture. Scully pulled off the sheets from the sofa and chairs. Mulder kept the electicity on year round because he liked to come here on occassion to get away from the grind. It was always spur of the moment so it was convenient for him. Mulder followed her in with Gracie on his arm. She was awake but a little unsteady. Scully had her coat off and was in the kitchen fixing something for all of them. It was getting late and they hadn't eaten since late morning. "I thought you said the house was stocked, Mulder." She called from the kitchen. Mulder walked in with a corner of his mouth turned up. "It was last time I was here, Scully." He walked over to the refridgerator and opened the crisper. He pulled out several deli packets of turkey, ham and roast beef. "These are only a couple of days old. Mom called and said she went shopping and stocked it for me." He then went to the pantry and pulled out a loaf of bread. "I don't think I'd trust the lettuce, Scully, but the tomatos look OK." Scully was setting the ingredients on the table and pulling out plates and silverware. Mulder grabbed some glasses and filled them with ice. He set them on the table along with a small variety of soft drinks. "This is all I have to drink, Scully, unless you want water." "This is fine, Mulder. Why don't you get Gracie." They fixed sandwiches and ate in silence. Gracie was hungry but it was hard to eat much. She was slowly feeling worse. But she had to tell them. End of Part 2 I have read many stories in the Gossamer Archives and can't believe how much talent you people have. This is my first fanfic and I would really appreciate feedback. You can e-mail me at YRLD43A@PRODIGY. COM . I hope I measure up. Thanks to Lupe and Dottie for encouragement and editing. Summary: Mulder learns a little of what his future holds. Spoilers: Just obscure references to second and third seasons. Not really a romance, just a close friendship. Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the television program "The X-Files" are the creations and property of Chris Carter, Fox Broadcasting, and Ten Thirteen Productions, and have been used without permission. No copyright infringements are intended. This work is not to be forwarded or distributed to any newsgroup, FTP, or WWW site without the permission of the author. I do give permission for it to be put on atxc. *************************************************** GRACIE By Patty Hayes (YRLD43A@prodigy.com) 3/3 August 5, 1996 Part 3 of 3 "Fox, I'm sorry, my Fox was fascinated with your life. He idolized you. From the time he was a young boy and learned what his namesake was like. He has to be called Fox. I know you hate it but he loves the name. We met in high school. My parents had died in a plane crash when I was six. I had no other family. I was passed from one foster home to another. I don't know how they are now but if you don't do something about them....." Gracie's voice trailed off and she stared into space. Her sad eyes filling with tears. She composed herself. "Any way, I was 13 years old and he was 16. I was ahead for my age. I had a hard childhood and the only thing that kept me going was learning. So I worked hard to get ahead. Fox knew what I was going through and we became close friends. There was many times that his folks let me stay with them. Actually I spent a couple of years with them. They became better parents to me than any of the foster homes. I helped him with some of the research on you. His father knew some information. Mostly stories passed down from his father. But it was Fox's grandfather, your son, that we learned the most." Mulder and Scully looked at each other then back at Gracie. "Fox went to the library almost everyday and we found any and every newspaper article we could get our hands on that delt with one of your cases. There wasn't many at first. His grandfather guided us but would never tell us what we wanted to know. This drove Fox to a need I had never experienced before. He had to find out everything. Later we were able to actually read some of your reports. The ones that were not classified. We even got a hold of your expense reports. They were on public record. Boy, you two were hospitalized a lot." Gracie smiled slightly as if wanting to lighten a mood that might be getting dark. Mulder was starting to pace. Scully sat with a worried look staring at Mulder. "I can't give you a lot of details. I'm afraid it was a long time ago. I don't have an eidetic memory like Fox. And, no offense, but the details weren't as important to me as they were to Fox. Helping him find them, that was important because that was what he needed. I do know that you two expose this organization that is trying to destroy you. I don't know when. I don't remember. But you do beat them. You can't give up." Mulder stopped in his tracks and looked at Gracie. He then turned to Scully. They spoke to each other without saying a word. He wanted to believe if for no other reason than the fact that they would win. Gracie was speaking again, almost like she was speaking to no one. "God, you two went through so much. You have so much strength between you. I know now why Fox wanted to be you. He did you know. Want to be you. He went to Oxford University for six years. Minored in Psycology. Majored in Medicine, both forensic sciences and pediatrics. Funny, hearing those both in the same sentence. He even joined the FBI. He worked in Violent Crimes. You see he didn't just inherit your good looks. He inherited your eidetic memory and your ability to develop behaviorial profiles. It almost killed him. He could get inside the minds of these murderers. Could tell what they were going to do before they knew. Neither of us could take it. When he wasn't working on profiles he was working in the lab. Forensics. Autopsies. His worst case was six months ago. It was the case that made us both decide to get married and get out before we lost each other. He put in his resignation and I put in mine. He's going o start a practice here in pediatrics. Fox loves kids. And I'm ..... was going to teach. We moved to this house two months ago. We got married last month. This was my last mission for NASA and Fox has two weeks left of his notice. God, we were almost there. We almost made it." Gracie stood up and started walking to the living room. "He loved this house, you know. You sold it early on. Your son bought it back. They had a few photos of it in this time period and Fox tried to replicate most of it. He was close. There's a secret panel in the fireplace, did you know?" Mulder walked over to the fireplace where Gracie was standing. "No, I didn't know. Where is it?" She ran her hand over the marble mantle to the left and to just under the left corner. "We found it when we were redecorating. We found a journal that was kept by your father." She pushed what must have been a release and a 4" x 4" panel just below slid to the right. Mulder reached in and pulled out the journal. He took it over to the light and lowered it so that he and Scully could look through it. Some of the pages were ripped out. Some had names and dates but no notes as to why they were there. "What was this?" "I don't know. We just found it a couple of months ago. We haven't had time to decipher it yet. I guess we never will." Tears were streaming down Gracie's face. Reality finally setting in. She wasn't getting home. She wasn't going to settle down with her Fox and have a nice, normal life. She put her face in her hands and cried. Mulder walked over to her and put his arms around her. It was pure instinct. There was a chance that this woman was family. He couldn't stand to see anyone cry. She put her arms around him and sobbed against his chest. Gracie suddenly pulled away from him and walked to the other side of the room. Wiping at her eyes. "God. You even feel like him! See, my Fox had something you don't have. Another reason. He couldn't stand by and watch us be torn apart. So he gave it up. He gave it up for us. For me. And now what will happen?" She was getting louder and starting to cry hysterically. "Will he finally become you? Searching for someone lost. Not knowing where I am or if I'm even alive. Willing me to come back?" She sat down on the sofa and put her face in her hands again. Mulder was startled. Did this woman have THE answer. Samantha. He was almost afraid to ask. He looked at Scully. She shook her head. Almost begging him not to ask. She couldn't explain how this woman knew what she did but she knew Mulder would be dragged into it if he asked the question. Mulder had to ask. It was in his genetic makeup. Whether he believed or not he had to ask. It's like reading your horoscope and knowing it's not to be taken seriously. "Do I find her? Samantha. Does she come back?" Gracie calmed somewhat and was wiping her tear stained face. She looked up. "That's THE question, isn't it?" She continued when she saw the pained look in Mulder's face. "I will tell you but you have to let me do it in my own way." He nodded slowly. "Do either of you believe the future is written?" "No, I don't." Mulder spoke for both of them. "Well, I don't either. At least not any more. I've already told you too much. What I tell you could change the future. My future. What if I were to tell you that you do find her? And with that knowledge you become the least bit lackadaisical and miss the one minute piece of evidence that just happens to be the piece that causes you to find her in the first place, thereby making it that you never find her. What then? What does that do to the people from my time who knew her and were her family? Do they suddenly cease to exist? What if I were to tell you that you don't ever find her? Are you willing to accept that? Everything you've done your entire life has been in search of her. What will you do now? Will you become angrier? Take bigger risks? Possibly get yourself killed? Or Agent Scully? What happens to your families and friends in the future? What becomes of me and my Fox? Does he suddenly cease to exist? Do I die at a young age, beaten to death because Fox is not there to save me th s time?" Gracie stood and began pacing. Searching deep down trying to decide what was the right thing to do. Mulder stood also, as if he knew what she was thinking but Scully spoke up first, surprising Mulder. "Don't you think he would want to know if you could be found?" Gracie turned toward Scully. She was crying again. With tears streaming down her face, she slowly nodded. She turned to Mulder. "Yes, you do find her. I don't know exactly when. I think it's sometime within the next four or five years. She is what brings you two together. Please, don't miss anything. If not for her, if not for you two, do it for your great grandson. You live on through him. You both live on through him and your families. You do live happily ever after." Tears were running down Mulder's face. Scully walked over to him and put her arms around him. She wanted to comfort him. She didn't know what would happen to him if he didn't find Samantha within the next five years. But she knew she would be by his side and take care of him as she had always been. Gracie looked at the two of them. Envious. She walked over to the piano and sat down. She ran her fingers lightly over the keys. Fox loved it when she played the piano. She started playing a piece that was a favorite of Fox's. Mulder and Scully stood and listened. They did not recognize the piece. Mulder suddenly felt sad for Gracie. He also felt envious of the life she had with her husband. Was it possible for him to be happy? Is what she's saying real? Gracie stopped and looked up at them. "Will I ever go back?" A passing light shone through the window. Mulder quickly turned off the lamp and ran to the window. "Shit! It looks like military, Scully." "Is there a way out?" Gracie spoke up. "What about the passage way to the vineyards?" "Yeah." Mulder ran into the kitchen and grabbed a flash light from the pantry. "Follow me." He opened the door to the basement. He didn't want to turn on the light that would tip them off. So he carefully went down the stairs with Scully and Gracie on his heels. At the bottom, he ran across to another door and had to force it open. It had become thick with the dampness and was stuck. They went through the door and ran down the tunnel that led to the old vineyards. When they reached the end they stopped. Mulder put up his hand for silence and listened. He could hear nothing beyond the door, but he could hear them coming down the tunnel after them. "We've got to go out. They're right behind us." They went through the door into the night. They didn't get far. Surrounding them were a dozen soldiers all with rifles. A couple of jeeps pulled up as three more soldiers pushed through the door they had just come from. In one of the jeeps was Cancer Man. He pointed to Gracie and told two of his men, "Take her into custody. Drive her back to the designated location." "You can't do this!" Mulder screamed. "She's a civilian! She has rights! You can't just take her!" He could see Gracie fighting the two soldiers. As weak as she was, she wasn't winning. "Yes, Agent Mulder, I can do this. She is an escaped mental patient. This is for her own safety." Cancer Man half smiled as he calmly spoke to Mulder. "I suggest you stay out of this and forget anything she's told you. We don't want to cause you any further anguish." "Are you threatening us!?" Mulder started towards Cancer Man. Two soldiers grabbed him and two more had Scully by the arms. "Stay out of this, Mulder!" Cancer Man said again. "Mulder!" Gracie was yelling to him. "When you find her, she'll be the same. Be ready. She'll need you!" The jeep with Gracie in it was pulling away fast. It got about a hundred feet when the wind became ferocious and they heard a deep roar above them. They were frozen when they saw a bright light shining onto the jeep from the sky above. They heard the two soldiers cry out and then the light was gone, the wind was calm and the air was quiet. Mulder ran to the jeep with most everyone behind him. The two soldiers had been tossed about ten feet from the jeep and were unconcious on the ground. Gracie was no where to be found. Mulder stood staring at the sky. Breathing heavily. He looked down at Scully and closed his eyes as he pulled her into his arms. "They're going to be looking for her all night, Scully." Mulder and Scully were walking back to the tunnel. No one was stopping them now. "They won't find her." Mulder said peacefully. They made their way back to the house. Scully helped him pick up the few things that were strewn about. Mulder picked up the duplicate ID and badge and Gracie's tags and tuned them over in his hands. "Do you think she went back, Scully?" He looked over at Scully. She stopped and looked at Mulder. Wanting to believe, but not sure she could. "I don't know, Mulder. I hope so." Mulder opened the secret panel in the fireplace and slipped the items that belonged to Gracie into the cubbyhole. He and Scully locked up the house and left. He didn't know what the repercussions were going to be, but he would deal with them. He had to get prepared. Something good was coming. Finally. West Tisbury July 25, 2076 Gracie was back home. She didn't remember how she got there, all she knew was that she was home. She had awoken in a hospital two days ago. Her husband in the chair next to her. It looked like he'd been there a long time. Gracie remembered the look on his face when she woke up. God, she was glad to see him. She wondered if it had all been a dream. Fox told her that her aircraft was found near White Sands in New Mexico. Apparently not damaged. They thought she walked away from it. They still didn't know how she had gotten back to West Tisbury. She wasn't ready to tell him what she had experienced. "Baby, Dr. Greenberg wants me to partner with him in his practice til he retires in a few months. Then I'll buy him out and take over the practice. What do you think? Hours are good and the office isn't too far from here. He's got a rather large patient list." Fox walked into the livingroom talking to Gracie. "Gracie? Did you hear me?" Gracie looked up at Fox, smiled, put her arms around him and leaned in for a hug. "Sounds good." She sighed. "What's the matter, baby?" He gave her a tight hug, resting his chin on the top of her head. He still couldn't believe he had almost lost her. "Nothing. Just glad to be home with you." She pulled away from him. "Fox, where's that journal we found in the fireplace?" Fox looked confused. "What do you mean, Gracie? We didn't find anything in the fireplace." "Never mind. Um .. could you call your mom for me and see if we're expected tonight for family dinner night?" She wanted to get him out of the room so that she could check the fireplace. He walked over to her and took her face in his hands. He looked deep into her eyes. Finally he leaned down and kissed her. "Sure, baby." With that he went into the kitchen. She opened the panel in the fireplace and pulled out her name tags and a worn and weathered wallet. She smiled. She would have to tell him. Someday. THE END