From: Junko Mitani Date: Tue, 28 Apr 1998 11:51:31 +0000 Subject: Guardians Book III, Pt. 4 *This is the "Guardians - Book III: Wrestling Illusions" Pt. II. There will be Book IV to follow. *Disclaimers - Please read it off the top of Book I, Part 1. Thank you for being with me so far. Fairfield Central Executive Conference Room 10AM Next Day Mulder and Scully watched as Jake entered the room with Vera in one arm, just as the day before. He gave the agents a quick nod before going inside. Mulder and Scully looked at each other, wondering if something was wrong. Skinner sat in the chair closest to the inner door, staring at it as if drilling a hole through its mahogany surface with the force of his intense gaze. "Sir? Aren't you going to look at the monitor?" Scully asked Skinner, but he refused. Mulder studied Skinner quietly. To him, the dramatic change in Skinner wasn't entirely surprising. What surprised him was the earlier phone call from Jake, telling them Vera was coming in for another hypnosis session. Scully questioned Jake whether Vera was ready, but was told that Vera insisted. 'She wants to remember more', Jake said. Mulder nodded in understanding. Mulder himself wanted to remember every single detail of everything that had to do with Samantha, and his desire was now strong as ever before. "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen." Sims announced as he came through the door, shaking hands with the three agents before giving a warm, genuine smile for Scully. Mulder stared at Scully's slightly embarrassed smile, then back to Sims as he entered the inner room and shook hands with Jake. "What am I missing in here?" Mulder's eyes questioned her as she settled down and took a sip of her coffee. "Nothing, Mulder. We just had a nice talk yesterday in the cafeteria." "So?" Mulder's curious eyes and raised eyebrows pressed her for more details. She sighed. "Mulder, you don't have to know every damn word I say to everyone. It's confidential." Scully had to try hard not to laugh at him who at this point looked like a small boy who was rejected by a group of kids playing basketball in the school yard - before being laughed at. "You two, continue with the chit chat some other time." Skinner's voice successfully terminated their conversation, making them squirm in their seats like a couple of disobedient school kids in the principal's office. They looked at each other for one moment before quickly putting on their headphones. 'At least he didn't stick his tongue out', Scully thought. Soon Sims began to guide Vera through the same stairs, toward the door to the answers needed. "Vera, tell me what you see." The same neutral voice shot up the room's tension level. "They're taking me ...Away from my house." Vera's faint voice followed, her face contorted with concentration, and possibly the physical pain the intruders' rough hands caused her. Following his own hypnosis experience, Mulder again let himself slip away into a trance, focusing to visualize. "How are they taking you away?" Sims's neutral voice always made it easier. "They ...put something in my mouth so I couldn't speak. Oh, I can't speak. I want this out of my mouth or I'll swallow and choke on it. I can't... I can't spit it out, I can't move my tongue..." "Vera? You're only remembering. All things you see are from your memories. They're not here with you. They will not harm you. Take a deep breath, and you'll know you're all right." Scully saw in the monitor that Jake quickly ran his hand though his hair, but kept his eyes on the two people in front of him. "...Okay. I'm okay now." Vera said, still panting but breathing considerably easier. "Good. We'll keep going. Remember, you are safe. Now, what do you see?" "They... A man gave me something... A shot, that made me sleepy. I knew he was the one who picked me up and took me away. I know, because I can smell the cigarette smoke on his coat. Oh, I'm so sleepy..." Vera's body swayed a little before Sims reminded her of her current situation. "I don't know how long I was sleeping. ...It's strange. I can't feel anything. Like I'm falling. Falling... falling..." "What do you see?" Sims didn't want her slipping out. "Walls are swirl of yellow and brown. I'm in a room, but there's not much light. I'm ...Oh, no! I'm floating! I ...I can't touch the ground. I don't know where the ground is any more. The room is like a big ball. It's round and has no door. I don't know how I got here!" "Calm down, Vera. Remember, you are safe." "I'm trying to move to the wall... Egh! Gross! It sticks to my fingers. It's slippery and I think the whole thing's covered with it. Yack." "Is there anything or anybody else in the room?" "No. Nothing else. ...Wait. The wall is moving. There's a hole growing on the wall in front of me. It's growing bigger, and the wall around the hole's moving in circles, like the twisters." Scully watched Vera's finger drawing a tight circle, and suddenly remembered one of the documentary series on cable Vera once watched was about tornadoes. Scully smiled idly. "It's getting bigger... Someone's standing behind it. I don't know who... AHH!!" "Vera?" Jake voiced his concern and braced himself for another panic attack. But she took deep breathes one after another, and told him she was all right. "He's ...He looks weird. He ...Oh, wait. He's changing, too. ...He looks like someone from kids' TV shows. He's got big pale eyes, and he's wearing a silvery metal things... like an armor. He's got real greasy-looking, black hair." Mulder furrowed his eyebrows. 'Here's something he hadn't heard before', Scully thought. "He's telling me something, but his mouth isn't moving." "What is the voice telling you?" "Just... telling me that I will be all right. That, no one's going to hurt me. He's asking me how I am. I think I feel a little dizzy, but not so badly. ...He's leading me out of the room. I'm scared, but he kept going, taking my hand and pulling me with him. I'm floating. There's hundreds of balls just like the one I've been in! They're all floating. This place... I can't see where it ends, but it's like a field. There's nothing that I see but the balls floating. ...Wait. I see another door opening. Weird. It wasn't there before. The air's opening like a row of curtain. It's completely dark behind the opening, I don't want to go in there... I said I don't want to go! Let me go!!" Vera's arms frantically searched for a way out. Jake half-stood, ready to scoop her up. "Vera? Remember, you're safe here. No one will hurt you." Sims repeated. "Okay." "Now you follow the man in front of you. What do you see?" "I don't know ...I'm in a room. A different room. Oh wow! That's amazing! There's a lot of people here." "People?" "Yeah, people. Just like me. It's so weird, like that really long sci-fi movie. You know, one with Dave and his computer, Hal. People are walking on walls. I mean, side walls and the ceiling. I don't know where I'm standing." Jake's jaw dropped. 'That's where the three dimensional drawings came from', he thought. Although he couldn't see the three agents in the next room, he betted high they all had the same thought. And the movie she referred to was unmistakably '2001 Odyssey'. "I try to talk to them, but no one's answering. I don't know what they're feeling. They aren't smiling or crying. They're not even trying. They're like zombies." "Let's get out of that room, all right, Vera? Now what do you see?" Sensing another panic coming, Sims guided her away. They could come back later if they needed to. "I'm surrounded. ...A group of small children or something, but they're not people. They look pale grey. They're gathering all around me. They're sitting down, and I'm standing in the middle. I don't know what they're doing, but they're not touching me. They're speaking to me, at least I think so. They're asking me all kinds of questions. ...Who I am, where I came from, what I like, about my mother and father... Dad?! Mom?! Where are you?? Where...?" "Everything's okay, Vera. Tell me, what do you see?" "They're still asking me questions. I answer them, but they speak like that tall man in shiny clothes was. I don't know why, but I'm not afraid of them. I feel weird and creepy but not afraid. I should be, but I'm not. Why?" "Only you can answer that, Vera. Let's go back, all right? Where are you now?" "I'm in another room. I'm in my bed, but I don't feel like sleeping. There's a fluffy thing under my body. It feels like a mattress, but it's too soft. No, not really... I ...It feels like it's made of a chunk of air, or foam. You know, tiny bubbles. It's not clear in color, but it's half see-through. I can dig my finger into it, and it sinks all the way in. But it never breaks. I kick at it, but my foot comes right back up. ...This is fun, really. I bounce on it, and I can jump high. I mean, real high. I can see the rest of the room. It's huge, but not as big as the field of balls I've been." "Is there anybody with you?" Sims began the next stage of questioning. "No, I'm alone. I know there are people in the beds, but they look so still. Like they're dolls in boxes. They all look to be asleep, but people don't sleep with their eyes open. I go over to the bed next to me. I want to talk to somebody who can be my friend. But no one's answering. I pat on their heads, hands, and even legs to wake them up, but no one's responding. They're so still, it's weird. It's like they're... AHHHHH!!" "Vera?" "Daddddyyy!! Mommmmyyy!!!" Her breath expired quickly and her voice died out. She now gasped for air on the floor, hyperventilating. Jake and Scully were immediately alarmed when Vera began choking, clutching at her throat, unable to breathe. "Vera, I'm going to count to three, and you'll be wide awake, and you will remember everything about this discussion." Sims tried not to hurry, but still, he used all his self-control just to prevent Jake and Skinner from touching her until she was out. "One, two, three." Sims snapped his fingers, and Vera's eyes blinked. Jake's arms scooped her up in a matter of moments, inspecting her terror-stricken eyes and fully open mouth. She was trying to breath without much success. Scully burst inside, commanding Jake to hold Vera down while she breathed in Vera's mouth, because her body had to remember how to breathe properly. Skinner moved to call a doctor, but Scully stopped him. "No, don't bring anybody in. That'll only scare her more." She kept talking in between assisting Vera breathe. "Why did you tell her to remember everything?" Jake fired his question as well as an accusation towards Sims. "Because she wanted to." Sims answered, knowing Jake will eventually calm down and see the logic in his answers. "She's stable. Take her to her room, quickly. Come on, move!" Scully switched gear and ushered Jake and Skinner to bring Vera out. Jake cradled her in his arms, making it easier for her to breathe. Skinner opened the door, followed closely by Jake taking Vera to the elevator. Scully told Skinner to stay with Mulder and to let her go with Jake and Vera. Skinner readily agreed, and watched as the door closed in their faces. When Skinner returned to Sims and Mulder, Sims was still in the inner room with his face pressed against his palms. "I don't recommend her doing this again any time soon, sir." Sims looked up to meet Skinner's eyes. The man sighed, and sat down on the couch Vera just vacated. "I don't, either. If she had more time, we wouldn't think to take this risk in the first place. Both Agents Mulder and Scully were rather against the idea of her going through this today. We just didn't have a choice. And this time, it was Vera who requested being put under. Mulder said she told him how much she wanted to remember. She might be able to handle it as she claims to be, but will we able to handle it? Can we handle hearing her scream? Listen to the horrors behind her words? She's only ten years old. She's under control now, because she doesn't know what she's really facing. She can only take it as she takes it. She doesn't know what happened to those comatose people laying next to her." "You said Vera was somehow trained to use her mind to read others' thoughts. It takes almost everything I have, just to keep my thoughts blank." Sims said under his breath, and Skinner nodded with understanding. Neither men hardly noticed when Mulder stood up slowly from his wheelchair, and gingerly made his way towards them. "Mr. Kathler, what do you think you're doing? You need to stay in your seat as directed by the..." Skinner's reprimand was cut short when Mulder handed him his notepad. Skinner sighed and practically ripped it out of Mulder's hands. Mulder looked like a dog just survived a war. In short, he looked like shit. Skinner never missed the familiar haunted look in those hazel eyes. The same lost look Mulder had when Skinner walked in his basement office and tore up Mulder's letter of resignation in front of him. Skinner read the note quickly. "Sims doesn't need to even try to keep his mind blank. Outside the actual hypnosis session, it's safer for him to expose it all for her to see. Or, she'll never trust him. The chances are, she already knows more than enough about him. She freaks out every time she tries to express, or think about anything that relates to the concept of death, or dead. She's very quick to connect her parents' deaths with those incapacitated people she's seen. It is my belief, that all her memories related with her artistic and language skills which I believe to have been enhanced in the suspected surgery she went through, had been spared from deletion. It is probably out of luck they didn't erase events she experienced before being transferred into this supposed research facility. They only wanted to erase the part of 'alien abduction' process, and what they did to other test subjects. She mentioned the screams she heard, and her fear of 'the dark room'." Sims looked up toward Mulder, who held his gaze. Mulder retrieved his notepad and began writing. "The more you try to hide yourself, the more suspicious she becomes of you. Trust her to trust you." Mulder watched as Sims read the sentences before walking gingerly to the door. "Mr. Kathler?" Skinner's question wasn't really a question. Mulder turned toward Skinner, his fists clenching and unclenching, expressing unvoiced pain. Mulder held Skinner's gaze for a while before taking out his notepad and added something. Mulder then tore the page away, made it into a ball, and tossed it to him, indicating he didn't want to walk back ten feet to give him a note. Mulder then closed the door quietly behind him, and exited the room. "What does it say?" Sims asked Skinner, who handed the note to him, and rested his hands on his waist. "I'll be in my room, doing reviews. Tell Scully I'm not riding in the wheelchair again. If you believe Sims can be trusted, tell him the truth about Jake Kathler and Fox Mulder." "What does this mean?" Sims started at Skinner, sensing the man did trust him or Skinner wouldn't think to hand him the note. "Mulder and Kathler traded places for security purposes. This is a top security information. Don't tell anyone about this. Vera, of course knows this." "Wait a minute. Are you saying that the gentleman who just left here, is Agent Mulder?!" "Yes. That's correct." "For how long?" "Ever since Mulder was kidnapped, mistaken for Jake Kathler." "I thought they were related or something..." "No relation. A coincidence. Mulder used it to protect Kathler, and he made a right choice." "Oh, my God. No wonder she's so open to him ...I mean, real Mr. Kathler." Sims muttered as he exited the room. He was going to need a lot of rest tonight. Fairfield Central Hospital Mulder's Room Noon Same Day Mulder couldn't believe how exhausting the trip back would be. It took him nearly half an hour just to reach his room. Hallways seemed to stretch for miles, his brains were a jumbled mass of nerves. His muscles became slabs of pain, constantly threatening his determination to push one foot in front of the other. He nearly blacked out when he finally threw himself on his bed. But even through the nausea, pain, and delirium, what he heard from Vera still haunted him. 'Is that what happened to Samantha?' Of course, Samantha's family isn't dead except for her father, 'but who knows what they told her'? He was staring at the ceiling, counting the small dots as he dozed off when he heard Scully open the door and quickly close it. 'Oh-oh, she's upset.' He braced himself for whatever the damage she was going to inflict on him. He pretended to be asleep, but he knew she wouldn't be fooled for long. He felt her hands reaching for his face, then the back of her hand slid down the side of his cheek, to his jaw line, until it came to rest on his neck. 'Checking for my pulse and fever', he thought. "Damnit, Mulder. Why do you do this to yourself?" Her voice was low, indicating she had no intention of waking him up. "You're battling flu, in pain, exhausted, and most of all, stressed out." She kept talking in a low murmur as she began removing his shoes. Mulder felt the sudden rush of cold air coming in contact with his cotton-clad feet. She removed the socks also. "I'm not surprised you just passed out in here. Your shirt is soaked with sweat, your ...Jake's jacket, and trousers are hopelessly wrinkled." She spoke as she moved to pull his arms out of the double-breasted jacket and pulled it out under his body. Mulder couldn't help jerking with pain when her hands moved to unbuckle his belt to remove the pants. "Sorry." She apologized a little louder. Mulder shook his head no, telling her he just awoke. "Stay still, Mulder. These are soaked with sweat, too. You know I've done this to you more than once." Mulder offered her a half-grin in return, and grimaced as she pulled off his dress shirt. She was right. He was drenched in sweat. His body twitched by reflex as she inspected the burn marks on his torso. She left his boxers alone, though she's seen him without a thread of clothes on before. First time being when he was shot in the upper femur while they investigated Luther Lee Boggs' case. The ER staff then cut all his clothes off, trying to stop his bleeding. During her ER residency, she had to minister to numerous patients of both gender and all ages and ethnic groups. "Now, get under the covers. I'll help, but you know the least painful way to do it. This is Dr. Scully speaking, so don't even think you can get out of bedrest by buying my pity. I'll pity you, but I'll still order you to go to sleep." Scully said as she pulled up the bedcovers to create enough room for him to crawl under. "You're handful, Mulder. Always. Why the hell do you have to be so God damn stubborn? You've been following directions to the letter until this morning. What happened to you?" She asked as she straightened up the bedcovers around his chest. Mulder took a deep breath, and finally opened his eyes to meet hers. She looked equally stressed out, and he was feeling guilty for adding to her stress. He didn't even think about reaching for his notepad. Instead, he reached out to her, and ran his hand through her soft auburn hair. Resting it on her cheek, he gave her an almost undetectable smile. He wasn't going to answer her last question. "Vera is fine. The doctors are burning us to well-done steaks over it, but they believe she'll recover sometime soon. She's with Jake right now. I know it must've been hard for you being there today. But that's no excuse for ditching your lovely wheelchair and put yourself through a torture just for the hell of it." Scully didn't try to move away, nor did she try to remove his hand from her face. "I know how much, and why you don't like riding in it. You still have functional legs, your muscles were trained from running, and all you have is severely damaged soft tissue and massive pain. No ligament is torn, no broken bone in anywhere near the legs. You feel like you are begging for pity, all the while Vera is pushing herself to the limit right in front of you." Mulder's eyes popped open. Scully laughed softly. "I know you, Mulder. You hate being restrained. And, you're also thinking about how much time you've lost battling flu, and how much memory you've lost. You feel like a burden to the investigation team and to the case itself. You want to be strong again and walk around the building without anyone following you. The more you move, the better it is. Logically, that's true. But you still need to be careful." Mulder's lips curled up on ends. A slight shake of his head told her enough. 'What an amazing woman you are, Scully", the expression said. She returned his almost-grin as his other hand came to the other side of her face, his fingers running through her hair and again resting on her cheek. Scully relaxed into the warmth for a few short seconds before breaking the contact and returning to her designated chair to type up her report. Skinner visited them just as Scully printed up her report on her portable printer. For convenience, she had him sign them on spot. Skinner nodded his approval for the quality of the report. Skinner nudged = his head toward Mulder's bed where the agent fell into an exhausted sleep just over an hour ago. She asked Skinner whether the transcripts from the morning session was available, and was told his agents will be doing the transcription. Scully considered a bit, then asked Skinner if she could do it herself. "Agent Scully, do you know how time consuming the procedure is?" Skinner spoke as if to make sure he heard her right. "Yes, sir. I don't need to get out of the room unless Agent Mulder does or some emergency occurs. I have enough time on my hands while Agent Mulder catches up with the case reports. He's been working diligently for someone in his condition, and I believe he'll be as updated as anyone can be within this week." She didn't mention to Skinner the task would let her stay with Mulder. "Four more days?" Skinner said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Another nod from Scully. "Or three. He hates not being able to get out. He practically passed out from pain today. He's frustrated because he feels as if he's begging for pity. He hates restraints. Plus, he's just been given a massive doze of shock from this case's familiarity to his own sister's abduction. He was fine when we investigated this case little by little, discovered each clue by clue. This time, his own words and moves are second-hand information." "I know, Scully. I know." Skinner lowered his voice and leaned forward into the table. Scully swallowed hard, knowing exactly what he was talking about. "Do you still suffer from it?" She asked, dropping her voice to mere whisper. Skinner immediately grew uncomfortable, but he knew no one uninvited was listening ever since a daily bug sweep was ordered. He nodded reluctantly. "Not that much any more, but I still have nightmares about the incident. I know Mulder said the woman was trying to protect me, but I'm not inclined to fully support that. I'm still wearing my wedding band though Sharon's still unsure about us completely renewing our relationship." "Are you still seeing her, though?" Scully didn't expect him to answer the question. Skinner focused on his gold band before fingering it fondly. "Sometimes. Not enough, by my standards. We have dinner, occasionally go to a movie or a dance. We attend weddings and funerals together for those we knew." "Do you two talk over the phone at all?" "Not much since I came out here." Scully winced at the thought of how little sleep he had lately. "Try doing it more often. She wouldn't care what time it would be even if she starts complaining about it. She would want to hear your voice, sir. Especially considering the magnitude of this case, she'll be worried about you." "I feel like seventy years old today." Skinner muttered, very much a surprise to Scully, but the man had practically no one to bitch to. Scully gladly took the bait. "You're just tired, sir. I know you've practically been doing triatherone for us since this investigation started. This is a landmark case for the entire bureau. I just hope that you won't lose any friend over this." This was something she wanted to say for a long time. Skinner shook his head. "Agent Scully, every day is just another life. Live as if it's your last." Scully focused on Skinner as he stood up to leave with his copy of her typed report, then she saw him eyeing Mulder. "I've agreed to order Vera to rest in her room at least for the next two days. That should give your oncologist and other doctors enough time to make a quick assessment on Vera and Mulder's condition. Don't make Mulder leave the room. I don't care what he says. His flu's still getting the better of him. He looked like hell this morning, and I don't want him out of this room until he gets rid of it." "Yes, sir." Scully barely finished before the door closed. Fairfield Central Pediatric ICU Vera's Room 7 PM Same Day Jake was in an exhaustion-induced sleep, leaning over the bed at Vera's side. His face was now buried in the top bedcover. Stella was keeping watch for him, and h never went anywhere without Mulder's gun. Last time when Jake returned to the room with Vera, he remembered the last time she was in this situation before. At that time, Vera was strapped down on the bed in restraints. This time, they saved the trouble and left her alone with Jake and Stella soon as she was stable and sedated. It had been torturous enough to see the doctor fume at Scully and him for putting Vera in this situation. He didn't even get a chance to talk to Vera before she was put under sedatives and everyone was chased out of the room until their job was done. Jake felt Vera moving beside him, and half opened his heavy ridded eyes. His arm was thrown over against the back wall behind her pillows. He automatically reached out to touch her shoulder to draw her close. His mind wasn't quite awake yet, and Jake nearly fell back asleep when he felt the familiar touch of her fingers on his face. He relaxed into the touch and felt the pressures from the tiny fingers increase to support the balance. He wondered what kind of music was playing in the background, but he didn't remember turning on any radio or a CD player. Somebody was singing, but the voice was faint and the noise from the outside of the room was enough to serve as a back orchestra that muffled Jake's senses further. In the end he decided it wouldn't matter. He liked it, and that was that. A small moan escaped his lips as he drifted back to sleep. Vera's hand stayed where it was. At five, the same nurse who'd been with them ever since their arrival brought in their dinner and stayed for a little check-up on Vera. Scully's personal physician was due for arrival at any minute. As the nurse left with the cart and the door was closed behind her, Jake finally realized the music he's been hearing in his sleep was still on. Jake shook himself awake, and realized Vera had stayed awake. Stella was getting her fur brushed, and from the look on Stella's face, Jake could tell she was in canine heaven from all the VIP treatment. 'Stay in bed, next to Vera, eating human food and getting her hair brushed by her favorite stylist', Jake mused, smiling to himself. 'It's an equivalent of staying in a spa for a week.' Jake smiled wider at the though and the familiarity of the scenes displayed in front of him. He walked to the portable CD player, but he didn't remember bringing over any CD with 60s' songs in it. He froze when his brain registered the familiar faint voice he first heard two days ago. That same sweetest voice he ever heard in his life. He made a sharp turn, staring open-mouthed at Vera. Her focus was on Stella as she kept her hands in motion. Jake's vision blurred instantly, and his entire body grew frozen solid on the spot. Then it instantly melted as he heard the song finish and 'Come Go With Me' came on, sang by the same voice. Jake's brains were jam-packed with too many signals. But he managed to walk back to the bed and sit down on the edge of it. He closed his eyes and let himself focus onto the words. After a while he was composed enough to recite lyrics with her, remembering every word from 'This Little Light of Mine', then proceeded to listen to her sing Animaniacs songs. The tears began falling off the moment he saw Vera look up to him, and smiled. "Jake." The voice was so clear he absorbed it into every ounce of him. He closed his eyes, letting the warmth of it take over him. He kept nodding in return, until he buried himself in her arms carefully without crashing her against the mattress. "Vera...?" His words were muffled, but intelligible. He felt her nod. Jake exclaimed with triumph when he was finally able to grab Mulder's cell phone and hit a speed-dial for Scully's number. "Yes!" Her excitement never matched that of his as he confirmed the news. "That's Vera Jarvis singing 'Over The Rainbow'!" Fairfield Central Executive Conference Room 10 AM Next Day Sims entered the familiar surrounding of the conference room. What they told him about the sound-proof was true, since no unauthorized person had a clue what they were doing in there. Sims was surprised at how tight the gag order was. Just the way they liked it. When he received the news that Vera was not only willing, but urging to put her under, he first worried if Vera became addicted to hypnosis. It happened to many of his patients over the years. Hypnosis is an ancient technology only recently modified and introduced to the field of psychology and psychiatry. Its mysterious nature was attractive to many, only because the patients disregard its danger. Mulder, now that he could actually address Sims, disagreed with Vera's insistence after visiting her himself. Jake, who was informed of the revelation, apologized to Sims of the confusion before getting into anything else. Jake told Sims of the afternoon they spent with Mulder in the room, when Mulder wrote his questions on the notepad, and Jake translated it for Vera. She still hadn't shown any sign of recovering her writing skills, and Skinner knew it would be tough to recover. "Mulder thought I was his clone." Jake said. Sims laughed a bit, but Jake didn't. "After all the stuff I've learned, I can believe anything." He said as he went into the inner room, where Vera waited for them to come in. The only occupants of the room now consisted of Sims, Vera, Jake, and the X-Files trio. Skinner took his seat in the same designated chair. He couldn't believe his eyes two days ago, when he got a call and rushed to Vera's ICU where he saw Vera, Jake, and Scully singing along to "This Little Light Of Mine". Jake had Vera held high, dancing in a swift circular motion. Skinner heard Vera's laughter, and could only lean on the door, his feet suddenly numb from relief. When Jake finally recognized Skinner's open-mouthed stare, he motioned for the man to join the party. Skinner settled for a good laugh and a simple hug from Vera. Afterwards, Skinner asked Scully about Mulder. He was told Scully had Mulder under a close watch by the guards. Mulder was of course unable to attend the cerebration because of Skinner's direct order. When Mulder tried to leave the room, Scully placed him in handcuffs and dragged him back to the bed before ordering the guards to watch him. Skinner was stunned, but told her she'd done the right thing. Today, Skinner recognized the cerebration mood was replaced with a certain air of confidence and an added strengths of hope. They were ready to start. The session began smooth enough. Vera descended the flight of imaginably stairs, and entered the state of hypnosis. Mulder, now grown dead serious, adjusted his headphone for the last time before closing his eyes again, relying on Vera's voice and his visualization skills to guide him along... When Vera mentioned to her captors about her missing her school, they took her to the same room full of little grayish people to answer their questions. When she complained, they'd taken her to another room. It was a much smaller cubicle unit, just like any room Earthians used. There they gave her two teachers to study their language with them. "They're making me draw these shapes and lines I've never seen before. They're weird but I kinda liked their shapes. It took me a pretty long time to know they were the alphabets used in their world. They watched me so closely, it annoyed me. They were nice enough but they weren't my friends. I wanted my Mom and Dad. I wanted my friends from school. They kept saying no. I thought about escape the day they were going to take me to the Dark Room. I've never been inside, but all I hear is scream whenever I pass by. I called it the Dark Room, because nothing was visible through the wall. I knew I couldn't go anywhere without using the screen door, so I watched how they did it. They weren't using any switches or buttons. They were using their minds. Then I remembered my language teacher telling me they'd teach me how to communicate with them better. I didn't trust they would really send me home some day, but I did trust nothing dangerous will be done to me. "I was scared going into the Dark Room. I was holding the hand of the same man in shining armor. None of them had names, and I don't know how they could tell each other apart. I just knew them by their faces. I watched them open the screen door in front of me. They took me by my arms and almost carried me in. My feet were barely touching the rocky floor. They were hurrying down the darkness. I didn't know how they could see anything in there. I couldn't... I lost it, and I began running. I didn't know where to go, I just ran. I fell down so many times on my face, I could feel nothing but pain. My legs were burning up, and so was my chest. But I couldn't stop running, I was so scared. I got busted and they asked me why I ran. But they told me not to be afraid. That, it was just a test room and who I heard was another test subject. That, whatever done to that person won't happen to me. They lift me and carry me inside, so I can't run. I want to go back, but the guards ignore me." "Vera, please step back a little. Don't get too close." Sims warned, noticing she just spoke in present tense. "They didn't put anything on my face like they did to the other women, and I wasn't naked like they made them be. I was just lying on that table, completely still. I don't know how I could do that. I knew I was crying because I feel the tears coming out of my eyes. I don't know what they're trying to do. I... One of them is staring at me in the face from across the table, where my feet are. Another one is at my head, looking down at me from above. I don't know what they want from me. I ask them, and they tell me it is to make me communicate with them better. My head hurts ...like it's going to explode! I don't know what they are doing to me! I can't move!!" "Only your mind is on that table right now. You're here, with us." "I know I must have been scared out of my mind, because my throat was dry and so as my mouth. ...Eghhh! They stuffed something into my mouth! I can't breathe! They're sticking something down into my head, and I can feel something tingle inside." "Vera, distance yourself." Vera paused for a few seconds, but just as Sims moved to bring her out, she took a series of deep breaths to calm herself down. Mulder closed his eyes again. "I don't know what they're doing in there, but I feel the tingle, and not pain. I can feel heat in there, too. A little bits of heat, like hot water splashing. It goes away quick but it's very annoying. I tried to spit out whatever the slimy stuff they put into my mouth, but it didn't move. So I tried to swallow it next time, so I could breathe. The thing stuck in my mouth. I couldn't get rid of it no matter what, and it tasted like crap. I mean, it had no flavor, but... it felt like chewing on slime." Both Jake and Skinner grimaced at the expression. Mulder quickly wrote something on the notepad, and had Scully read it. "She said 'other women', Scully. They erased the details." She scolded at him for a moment. "Save it, Mulder." She turned back to the screen, Mulder following her a second later. "Okay, Vera. Let's just move on. What do you see now?" Sims didn't believe Vera would be able to handle any more precise details. "That same man came to pick me up, and told me there's a work in the field. He said it would rest my brains and give my body a chance to move." "Field?" Sims asked before he could stop. He wasn't supposed to suggest or lead on the course of her testimony.' Sims looked at Jake, who only stared him back as if to say, 'You screwed up, so what do you want me to do?' Sims swallowed and listened intently to Vera. "Uh-huh. They have fields where they grow Earthian food. Grape, tomato, bell pepper, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, mushroom, pumpkin... You name it, I think I've seen them all. Oh, there's a corn field, too. Next to the fruits garden. I didn't know what they were at first, because the dirt wasn't there. I mean, it was there, but it didn't have color. It was all crystal-clear. That was cool. No need to remove them from the soil to study them. You can just stand there in the field, and watch how they grew. And you know the neatest thing about the fields is that there's no sky. I'm in their research center. Like some space station. So if you stand in the field, you're surrounded by them 360 degrees. I don't know how they kept light in here. Even Mrs. Manners' science class or The Learning Channel stuff wasn't this cool." Jake stared at Vera, fascination clear in his eyes. Even in this state, her curiosity was intact. It reminded him of Scully. From behind the door, Mulder wondered the same thing, smiling slightly. But until the session was over, Mulder was going to keep rid on his thoughts. Scully stared into the monitor. "Three people came into the bedroom and stopped in front of my bed. Two were like the smaller, skinny looking ones and the other one was the usual guard in shiny clothes. They told me my new training was starting today. They said I was doing good, that I was recovering real fast. But whatever they did to me needed some training to become useful. They took me to the school building where they had me teaching the class on Earthian cultures. They stuck me into the basement, and put me in a small room where they made me wear weird thing that molded itself around my head, but avoided my eyes, nose, mouth, and jaw. My forehead and cheeks were covered in the thing. I think there was a cord that connected to somewhere in the wall behind me. I can't be sure, because I couldn't move my body. They made me sit in a chair that felt like fresh clay or rubber. When I sat down, it wrapped around my legs and waist. I hate this. I hate being trapped!" "Vera? Remember, you're not trapped. You're only an observer..." "I know, I know!! I'm doing my best! Stop doing that. It irritates me." Jake raised his head to face Sims's calm face. Jake had never heard Vera complain. But then, she wasn't speaking until two days ago. 'Maybe she needed to let it out. ...All of it'. Jake pondered, resisting the urge to rub her head. "I'm sorry, Vera. Let's continue." "They are teaching me ...to close my eyes and let them send images into my head. ...I'll tell you about them, just wait. ...A doll. No, that's my doll! It was in my bedroom. How did they...?! Wait, there's another one. I don't know what this one is, but I've seen it in my Dad's books. It's like a twisted ladder. Very colorful, I like that. It's beautiful." Scully knew instantly that it was the DNA double-helix. "I see a drawing of a man. He's naked. I've seen this one before, too. He's got his arms and legs spread apart and there are circles drawn in the back. Another one ...Oh, this one's moving. It's a pair of horizontal lines, going up and down." Scully felt Mulder tapping on her arm, and tore her eyes from the monitor to see his hand running a pen on the notepad. She craned her neck and read it as the words were written. Her expression never changed, but her head bobbed in agreement. "I have to agree with you, Mulder." She whispered so that Skinner wouldn't be disturbed. Mulder looked at her, nodding back. Skinner stared at their direction, and mouthed, "Voyager?" They both nodded in return. Their suspicion was proven true as Vera described the rest of the infamous Voyager's data into specific details. Jake stared at her reflection in the glass panel of the picture frame in front of her. It was obvious as Vera's testimony continued that by the time she got to this point, she had to have been with the extraterrestrials for some time. "It came to me when I drew a circle. I looked at the stuff around me. I was so used to watching people walking on all surface areas that I began to see the circle I drew as a sphere. I drew that nice enough shiny man who came to wake me up everyday, in the center of the sphere. I had him wearing his weapon that looks like a boomerang but about a million times more powerful. These people don't have guns. They told me guns were too primitive. Next I drew a triangle, and it, too, turned into a pyramid in my mind. It was fun. Everything I drew had four walls or four floors or four ceilings. I know that this never happens on Earth. But in there, that was normal. ...I began drawing the alphabets they taught me. ...Those very interesting shapes. When I drew one, I could picture it turning around and around inside my head. I could draw it from any angle. I knew how it looked 360 degrees. From the side, from the bottom, from above... Just anywhere. It was fun. I never thought of them that way. "The nice man came back later, and looked at my drawings. He told me I did great, and I could feel this ...warmth, flow inside me. It's kind of like a smile. They express emotions differently than we do in here. I could actually feel it. Feel them smile, feel them angry, feel them wondering. I asked him if he would let me have the sketchbook and let me draw outside, in the fields. He agreed with it, and I think that was what he wanted me to do anyway. He left me alone for the rest of the day until I was tired and sleepy. Then he picked me up and sent me back to my bed." This was something strikingly familiar to Jake. That was practically what he let her do in his house. He added another half a dozen questions on the list for Mulder. "I was needed in their lab again. He didn't tell me what it was for, but I was taken to that basement room with the chair and the helmet. They began testing me again. Sending me images and telling me to send it back to them mentally. I wouldn't have minded it much if they could at least get rid of the chair. I hate that chair, I hate it! ...I thought the images would be just like the other ones that I've seen, but this time there were pictures. Photos. All real ones. I don't know where any of them was taken from. ...There's a car on the street, very close from the building. It's black and huge. I think there are people running into the building. Hey! They're all wearing black clothes just like those people who took me away and, and..." Vera instantly grew snow-white, shaking. "Vera?" Sims interrupted, looking at Jake who knew exactly what was coming next. And, from Mulder's later assessment, so did Vera. "Get me out of here! Now!! Get me out of here, I don't want to go there! Please!!" Vera shook her head violently. This time she knew what would happen if she didn't do something. Immediately after the count of three and the snap of Sims's finger, Jake scooped her up and crashed her to his chest. She was breathing hard. Jake closed his eyes and tried to calm down as to transcend the calm into her. He walked slowly in a circular motion, his cheek to hers, all the while moving his hand up and down on her back. He didn't want to have to see or hear her being afraid again. When he felt she had somewhat calmed down, he exited the room and into the outer room where the three agents and Sims were engaged in a heated discussion. Mulder was the first to break away from the circle, no doubt having a rough time keeping up the pace of the argument. Mulder gingerly approached Jake and Vera. "I know it wasn't as horrifying as the last two times, and that this time she knew when to back out of it. But that doesn't make me feel any better." Jake said and recognized the haunted look in Mulder's eyes. The man didn't remember, but Jake remembered everything Mulder told him. Mulder nodded gravely, and gently touched Vera's shoulder. When his eyes returned to face Jake's, his question was clear in his eyes. "She pulled through this long. She might just be able to go all the way. I know she wants to. And Mulder? I'd like to talk to you about the sessions sometime. In private if possible. I know Dana's not a believer, and would probably give me her look of disbelief if I asked you any of what I want to ask you about. Dana can watch Vera and we can talk." Mulder's eyes widened at the statement, but he understood the man's uneasiness. He looked back toward the three people behind them. He then pointed to his wrist watch, then held up three fingers. Jake nodded. Vera stirred in Jake's arms, bringing the two men's conversation to a halt. "Jake?" Vera's voice sounded a little hoarse now that she's been talking for hours without a break. "Yes, darling?" Jake asked, smiling at this newly found pleasure. Mulder smiled as wide as he could without causing too much pain, and walked back toward his partner and their boss. Sims was just exiting the room. "I'm thirsty." Vera said, and Jake asked her what she wanted to drink. He was rather surprised when she asked for a bottled water. But then, Vera Maxine Jarvis was no ordinary girl. Jake merely said good-byes to the three agents before walking out of the room with the guard waiting for them in the hallway. Jake knew the investigation team was keeping transcripts for every session done, and understood sometimes why it was easier to read the texts than the actual recordings. Tapes were time consuming, since Vera's speech was still a bit slurred, combined with her being in the state of hypnosis didn't help her much. The result was a lot of long pauses between words and physical exertion that taxed not only on her body, but also on her mind. Their little appointment worked out nicely as Scully's personal oncologist arrived in the hospital and took Vera for assessment, accompanied by Scully. Mulder was left alone, and Jake called in to have Mulder visit Vera's room. Mulder typed up what he could of his own assessment of the sessions, and handed Jake a printed copy. Jake thanked Mulder and offered him the chair pulled up across from him. Jake read the report while Mulder watched Stella, who licked his face and demanded him to pet her. Mulder obliged, then planted a kiss on her small forehead as a bonus. Her wagging tail spoke her appreciation. Jake recrossed his legs as he handed the report back to Mulder. "Mulder, I had so many questions ready, but you reduced them to almost zero." He laughed, and saw Mulder grin. "I was wondering exactly the same things you have been. I think Vera picked up her vocabulary from spending so much time with us. No typical ten-year old's vocabulary contain words like 'visible', 'express', 'primitive', and 'sphere'. Let alone 'Earthian cultures'. Besides as you said, when she started the sessions she was speaking like a normal seven- year old with words like 'yack' and 'gross'. I also noticed a load of 'weird' used." Jake shifted in his seat. 'Moving on to more delicate areas', Mulder suspected. He motioned for Jake to continue. "You picked up on Vera loosening her guard towards the end. She began addressing her personal guard, or whatever he was as 'the nice man', and even began enjoying her time spent in their field. I think it's just a survival instinct, too. But it's a very well-trained one. Having Agent Hall come up here to make detailed computer graphic images of what she's been describing is also an excellent idea, and since I was familiar with virtual reality stuff, I thought about it right away. "I was also shocked out of mind at the analysis you and Hall's done of Vera's drawings. I've looked at only a few of them myself, but they were both dead-on. Plus, the ones she's done after she returned looked almost exactly the same as your final analysis. I know you don't remember what you told Hall, but he remembers them very well. You two should get together as soon as possible about this. You guys never really briefed me on these details." Jake shook his head when Mulder moved to apologize. "I know Dana must be raising hell at you for your beliefs in extraterrestrials. And for seriously taking Vera's words when she said she was held in the places she described. It's hard for me to believe, too. But I don't think Vera makes anything up. She might cover things like she's done in drawings. She added layers and layers of drawings to the one or more already done. But I don't believe she can lie." Jake waited as Mulder wrote another note. "I don't think she's lying either, but I'm not inclined to take everything at face value. I'm skeptical until I'm convinced. The truth is, no one has been with her throughout her abduction experiences. Scully's seen the test results and knows she has symptoms of prolonged weightlessness. That's a concrete scientific evidence. She's been having tough time proving her view, but she denies the possibility flat out. We've uncovered evidences of alleged alien abductions staged up by the military, by Consortium and various unidentifiable international forces. We came very close to uncovering them, but we always ended up losing in the end. They can do anything and go anywhere they want to. It is possible that Vera had been incarcerated by her abductors for the entire two years time, and had her memories erased. In its place, they may have implanted these new scenarios. I hate to think that way but if this is the case, her fake memories are what she recalls as reality. It's easy for them to take people's memories away. Think about how easy it maybe for them to replace people's memories with what never happened." Jake finished reading, and nipped at his bottom lip. "So, you think all that's happened to her for real is the branched DNA and the brain surgery they'd done to enhance her artistic and language skills? What about the alien symbols and the fields? She was very much in detail. She remembered slimy texture of the holding cell she's been in when she first arrived there. And she remembered the gag they placed into her mouth." Jake waited patiently as Mulder wrote down his response. "Surgery may have been easy enough for the doctors on this planet to conduct. Combine the existing, state-of-art technology here on Earth with the much advanced alien technology, it just might be possible. Also, they could have someone teach her the alien language using already existing knowledge for their culture." "You think that what she saw may actually exist, and these extraterrestrial civilizations do exist for real, but her experiences themselves were fake or imitations of the real thing? ...This is confusing." Jake furrowed his eyebrows. Mulder nodded sympathetically as he wrote. "Yes, it is. And I think what you told me is where I'm willing to go on official reports. In my heart, I want to believe every word Vera spoke is for real. That, she's been held in their research facility and not their real home. And, she wasn't directly abducted by aliens like my sister was. She was abducted by a group of men in black uniforms on both accounts. That struck me first as odd. But then, it's possible. That's where my doubts grew. With the cutting-edge technique, neuropsychologist can show you how to stimulate parts of the human brain to literally make you feel, see and even hear imaginary beings standing next to you and your body believes your limbs are restrained even though you're free. Abductees report seeing strange blinding light. This lab experiment can show you a bright light even as your eyes stay closed. But Vera cannot be lying. I don't think she does that to anyone. You know her more than I do, but from her childhood experiences, it's very clear her parents taught her well." Jake nodded, trying to understand. "I know your dilemma. I don't have a clue what to believe as real except Vera and your intentions. You have to be the investigator and take things critically from every angle. Your background in psychology and behavioral science collide with Dana's forensic science and medical science." Jake mumbled and uncrossed his legs to lean forward closer to point out a part of the report. "I knew you were thinking about Vera's ability being further enhanced by the second abduction, when she began growing the tumor. I've heard of people talking about how the human brain fights the tumor by trying to use the parts not infected and most likely were never used by a normal human being. I just didn't feel too comfortable going that far. After all, I'm an architect and nothing more. I'm playing you out of luck." Jake shrugged. He took out Mulder's ID, and undid the clip-on gun holster. He still handled them with reluctance. "As real Jake Kathler, I'm glad I won't have to live with this thing every day. I don't even have a permit, and I'm more likely to shoot myself in my foot. It rightfully belongs to you, and you are the real officer of the law here. Not me. This is your sidearm. This gives you the power to enforce the law, and I know very well you won't abuse your power like many cops tend to do. If you could speak, I would've called my double duty a quit." He said, opening up and pointing to the blue and white printed 'FBI' and the 'Special Agent' section with his index finger. Mulder chuckled, and began writing. "Keep them for now. Call Hall for me. No need to tell Scully or Skinner. I usually don't report to Skinner until the end of the case, or maybe once or twice in the middle. Never like this. He's rarely gets personally involved in official X-Files investigations, and never this deeply. It's a saving grace the bureau has more than one Assistant Directors. Get Hall started on this right away. I'll order ...no, you order to have the full session tapes delivered to him. Scully's done the transcripts from the last session for some reason, and you can ask her for the copy. Since Vera regained her speech, she can tell Hall what he's doing right or wrong." Jake agreed, and as instructed, tore the written pages into shreds before discarding them into the trash. He watched Mulder exit with the report he came in with, then pulled out Mulder's cell phone. Fairfield Central Hospital Mulder's Room 8 PM Same Day "So, how was it?" Mulder held up the notepad the moment Scully walked in the room. She sighed, and dropped into the chair next to the bed. Mulder stood up, walking towards her while offering the report he wrote. Scully took it, giving it a cursory glance. She gave him a nod of approval and tossed it on the table. Physical exhaustion adding up to her already exhausted mind, she didn't even try to speak. She took her shoes off, and stood up from her seat to use the room's private restroom. Mulder quickly, or as quickly as he was able, pushed the two other chairs against the far wall, and took his seat in the chair Scully had vacated. When she returned, he gestured for her to sit down on the bed and talk to him. She placed her hand on her waist, quickly recognizing Mulder's motive. "Mulder, not now. Wait until tomorrow to talk, all right? I've had tough enough day. But, if you must know, my doctor thinks Vera's lucky to have two months. The serum was administered by him this afternoon, and he's watching her in her room with Jake. The pediatrician thinks she's done with the antibiotics therapy and gave go for the serum. Right now, it's all in my oncologist's hands. Oh. In turn I got a free check-up for myself, if that makes you any happier." Scully said as she perched herself on the edge of the bed. But when she realized what Mulder was really trying to do, he was already up on his feet, swiftly hoisting her legs onto the mattress. "Mulder, I'm fine. I'm supposed to be doing reports ...my report, to be turned into Skinner. He won't accept yours and neither will I." Scully saw Mulder's eyes close momentarily before he began unbuttoning her jacket and pulling her arms out of it. Scully resisted for a moment, but remembered the night she returned from Seattle. That same look was on his face. If he could speak, he'll probably deliver the same speech he did then. He draped the jacket on the back of the chair he was sitting in, then scooted her up high enough for him to lift the covers and slide her legs underneath. All the while wading off Scully's half-hearted attempts to fight him off. Scully couldn't believe it. She thought she hurt him enough by her insistent push. But he wouldn't budge as he undid her gun holster and laid it gently on the sidetable. "Mulder, I really don't need that much sleep. Just a quick nap will..." Scully protested when his hands came to her shoulders and pushed her down onto the mattress. Mulder's index finger was pressed to his lips. Scully really was exhausted, both mentally and physically. With a groan, she finally shifted to find a comfortable position. He was careful even to try to take the wrist watch and earrings off of her just to make a point that he won't give in. When she told him she could do it, he stepped back. After days of sleeping on chairs and couches, this was a welcoming change. As she lay staring at the ceiling, Mulder handed her a note, presumably written before she returned from the restroom. "Scully, you don't look fine. You're in need of a rest ten times more than I do, and you haven't eaten dinner. I don't care what your reaction will be to my pointers. You can cuss, punch, and kick me anywhere except in my groin and jaw. You can even shoot me again if that satisfies you. Just don't expect me to show up at your professional conduct hearing and get you off the hook. However, it may earn you some extra bucks and a few cases of good Irish beer from the top. Either way, I insist you to rest. I hate to pull ranks on you, but I'm your immediate supervisor. Go to sleep, Scully. I think I can defend myself when necessary." Only Scully's eyes moved to meet his smiling eyes, but she recognized the seriousness behind them. She crumpled the note into a ball, and threw it in his face. It bounced square on his nose and landed back into her hand. She threw it again without a pause, but this time Mulder caught it in his hand. He grinned in response and dimmed the light beside the bed. He then mouthed a 'good night', and moved to turn off the fluorescent lights on the ceiling. He chose to rely on the lamp sat on the round table for reading. Scully pursed her lips and watched as he walked away, still gingerly holding himself. Probably even more so, from Scully's earlier protest. She gave up the fight, and surprised herself by almost instantly dropping into sleep. Fairfield Central Pediatric ICU Vera's Room 9 AM Next Day Both Daniel Sims and Scully's oncologist insisted the X-Files team to hold off on the hypnosis session for three days for an intensive examination / treatment on Vera. Jake readily agreed, but Vera diligently protested. "I told you, I want to remember! I want to know! I want to know what they did to me, and I'm only half-way through! I need to know what they did to my family, and I need to know what they've done to me and Jake when they took me for the second time. Why don't I get to choose?!" She made a fish face as Jake knelt before her as he's always done. 'Talk time', her face said. "Vera, please. It's to treat your cancer cells. They need to be killed, or at least stopped from growing more. I want you with me as long as possible. I want you to live. Not just for the trials, but for me. I'm not ready to lose you, and I don't think I'll ever be. I know now why and how much hospitals are like prisons for you. Dana will be with you during treatments, and I'll be with you in the room when you're done. Stella and the guards at the door will keep both of us safe." Her ability to understand and learn were exceptional, but she was still a ten-year old girl who had been in the spotlight of attention for most of her life. She was used to personal attentions. Her parents, her abductors, the media, Jake and the X-Files investigation team, all gave her very close attention. Her behavior, as Mulder suspected in the beginning, could be misinterpreted as being a selfish, spoiled child. But he knew the truth. Vera knew she was dying from cancer by Skinner's own admission. She knew from Jake's confession that everybody needed her to prove what she's been through since her parents' violent deaths as truths. She knew she was valuable to everybody including Skinner, who bared his soul to her. She knew from Scully's confession to Jake, that it was torturous for Scully to be staying with her during procedures because she was suffering from the same cancer as she does. The important thing was for her to learn how much she needed the treatment. Thus, as Jake and Mulder predicted, she agreed after being provided with a full explanation on the treatment she'd be going through for the next three days. This three day period turned out to be just enough time for Mulder to complete the case review including his undercover operation tapes. When he read the notes on the Bionix International security system codes, he noticed one of them read 'GREGORS' spelled backwards before a string of numbers followed. He kicked himself for not noticing them when he had his memories. He remembered bitterly of the exchange he had to make with the bounty hunter before. Scully for cloned Samantha. He wondered what the connection was to Bionix Lab. Most of important leads in the case involved alien abductees, Consortium, and not much else. He knew the fire destroyed most of the answers to the puzzle. He needed to have the Lone Gunmen contact him. Scully watched as the doctors, her own and the hospital's oncology department chief, debated in the hallway about which treatment to use first on their tiny patient. Scully felt the tag on her arm, and looked down to face Vera and Stella staring at her. She gave them a small smile. "You said I'll be sick after the treatment. Just how bad are we talking here?" This was a question Scully didn't want to have to answer. "I don't know, Vera. It all depends on the person. You are strong, so..." "Dana, please." Scully flinched. Vera never bothered to hide her frustration, and insistence for real answers. And, this was a ten-year old talking. "I don't know how to put it in words, Vera. I feel nauseated often, can't sleep too well, and I feel really exhausted even if I didn't have to go anywhere. That's the reason the doctors want to give you three days. Today for treatment, the other two days for recovery." Vera didn't reply, and chose instead to simply swallow a chunk of air and stare at the ceiling. "Jake knows everything that is to be expected, Vera. Don't worry." Scully said as if to convince herself. But again, Vera knew her intentions too well. "Dana, I worry about him. He's really scared." Scully had to throw in a towel. There was no room to maneuver in Vera's statement. There was no fooling- little-kid stuff with Vera. "Yes, he is. But only because he loves you. He'll pull through, Vera. For you, Jake is like Mulder for me. They both are scared to death for what we're going through. But they try twice as hard to find the ways to help us. They both love us the same way. They both want to protect us, want to see us being with them for as long as possible, and they want us to be honest. They want us to be straight with them, and we both have tendency to hide things from them." "Does Fox cry as much as Jake?" The question threw Scully off. But then, Vera had seen Jake crying more times than Mulder or she had. "Well, I don't know. Mulder very rarely cries. I know Mulder's extremely strong, but I never know. I don't live with him like Jake lives with you. There is a part of him that is very vulnerable. I've learned to see that side of him a long time ago." "I want Fox to know that I'm doing the best I can." Vera's voice was almost a whisper. "We all know that about you, Vera." 'Who doesn't?' Scully silently questioned. "Fox is always sad, or angry. Why?" Vera knew exactly what questions Scully didn't want to answer. She looked around uneasily for a second and took Vera's hand in hers. "...Fox lost his father to a murderer, and his mother is in and out of hospitals because she had a stroke. His baby sister has been missing for twenty- six years. This is why it was hard for him to see you at this hospital when you were found the second time. I saw him crying then. His sister's name is Samantha, and she was taken in a very similar manner to how you were taken away from your family. And Samantha was eight years old. "When I think about it, Jake is a whole lot more honest and direct than Mulder is. Jake has close to zero tolerance for secrets. Especially when interacting with people he trusts. He's good at knowing who has secrets that would directly affect matters and people in his life. I feel safe to say that it had a lot to do with what happened to Alex. Her secrets completely destroyed her in the end. Mulder is a very hard person to reach, because he won't let anyone in to share his feelings. He let me in, but not completely. Not the way Jake embraced you entirely, inside and out. Jake's very open, and wants us to see and feel everything about him. That's what makes it harder for any of us to hide ourselves from him. He doesn't want to hide anything from us even when he has to. I guess that's what makes him the way he is. "You have a sort of the same gift, Vera. We've only known you for over a month, and you know some of our darkest secrets as Jake does. You managed to reach Skinner, and he's the toughest rock to crack. You reached him so ...naturally. That amazed all of us, and we've known that man for five years." Scully was about to speak again when the door opened and the doctors entered. "The serum you've been investigating is working incredibly on Mr. Shaw. However, we've received word just a few minutes ago, and Dr. Claiborne found the serum practically useless on anyone who doesn't have the nasal pharyngeal mass that you two do. We'll do chemotherapy first since the rate of tumor growth is the first thing need to be targeted. We'll test the serum right after that. If we shock the cancer cells in Miss Jarvis's system by doing an initial chemotherapy, the serum just might work better. I understand the problems with her branched DNA have been cleared?" "Well, it'll never be completely cured, but she's as ready as she'll ever be." Scully replied as calmly as she could. What the doctors suggested meant there would be even more severe side-effects than Scully experienced on regular basis. Scully's worry was not lost on Vera, because Scully felt Vera flinch under her hand. But nevertheless, Vera refused to back out. Fairfield Central Hospital Mulder's Room 10 AM Same Day Scully frowned as she looked over the file on Nicole Hedgwick. She knew exactly who she was looking for, and at. But she had to dig deep to find in her medical record about the cosmetic surgery. 'Just what made this woman to go to this extent?!' She wondered. Being a woman, she knew the desire to be beautiful in many women. She'd seen it first-hand in an X-File. But to file a restraining order against each member of her own family and the Kathler family, to change her name, and then to choose a high-risk, high-stress job as a political speech writer/civil rights activist that left no time for an ordinary life, there had to be a whole lot more than what was on paper. Not that what she'd seen wasn't enough. In Miss Hedgwick's medical file, there was no record indicating a child abuse. However, her recent medical records and hospital admission records leveled those of the X-Files team. It didn't take a lot for Scully to assume Miss Hedgwick / Austin was extremely self-destructive and plain reckless. 'Too emotional, maybe?' Scully thought as she dialed the listed number. She had to get the whole story. Her previous frown returned at the persistent series of "no" that the woman shot at her. "I've already spoken to Agent Mulder. I made him promise never to tell anyone any of it until the trials are over..." Scully sighed. Of course Mulder spoke to this woman. The problem was, he doesn't remember any of it. "Ma'am? I hate to tell you this, but he doesn't remember meeting you." "That's impossible. He has photographic memory." 'Now, how did she know about that?' Scully wondered just how long and in how much detail Mulder got this woman talking. Must have been a lot, since he didn't brag about his gift. "Yes, he does. But he was kidnapped mistaken for Jake Kathler, and as a result of what was done to him, he has lost his memory of the past five weeks. He doesn't even remember investigating this case. This is a highly confidential information, and the press was being kept at bay." "Excuse me, Agent Scully? I still don't see why I should be talking to you." Scully winced. "I understand. But from your reports and Miss Lowry's assessment reports, I believe you are the only reliable source to whether Jake..." "Agent Scully? Promise is a promise. I don't have anything to do with your partner's memory loss. Too bad he's lost it, but I have to go. I have no desire to dredge up the past again. What you know now is all you'll get." Scully sighed in frustration. This woman was used to be in control. "I understand, Miss..." She raised her voice, trying to break through. "No, you don't! Agent Scully, you even know about my restraining orders and cosmetic surgery. I've got a call from my doctor, asking me why the FBI is checking into it. I don't even want to be in court the same day Jake will be. My promise to Agent Mulder included my trying to talk to Jake again to resolve some ...unfinished issues and about what's happened. I've told him everything, and absolutely everything about our childhood. I told him extensively why I am convinced that Jake Kathler will be an excellent adoptive father. Ask yourself, Agent Scully. What if some stranger comes to you and demand the details of your life? Your darkest secrets? Once is enough." Scully couldn't argue with that. She couldn't bring herself to recall her own abduction experience. "Please, Miss Austin. You're the only one who can be a witness credible enough to be called on stand on Jake's behalf. Don't do it just for him, but for the little girl. She's got cancer, and doesn't have a lot of time left." Scully exclaimed. She was begging, and couldn't care less about professionalism or dignity. More reasons to hate the sons of bitches who operated on Mulder. Now she began to understand what the 'something' Jake said Mulder needed to talk about. Jake's colleagues and former collage professors said the exact same things about Jake being a hard-working, idealistic, talented and responsible student. But they collectively lacked in details of Jake's personal life. Especially about how Jake socially interacted, and most importantly, how he lived during his childhood. "I'll show up for the court hearing as I was requested. I'll deliver to you what is absolutely necessary. But nothing else. Don't expect me to go beyond that." "But you made promises with Mulder, didn't you?" This was as far as Scully will allow herself to push. She heard something close to a snarl and a laugh in response. "Well, if he doesn't remember, it's as good as pickles on your sandwiches. And you know what's ironic, Agent Scully? I regretted ever meeting that beautiful partner of yours, and I literally asked him to forget about me. About what I told him. I was at a loss when he told me about his eidetic memory, but now I got what I wanted. It's your loss, not mine. Now, I really have to go. Senator's waiting for me." Scully sighed for the last time. This was a no-win situation. "All right, Just get here in time. Don't expect Jake to be absent, though. That's not my problem." Scully's own temper exploded before she could catch herself. "Fine. Whatever." Miss Hedgwick / Austin didn't wait for Scully's reply before hanging up. She gaped at her cell phone, and resisting the urge to crash it against the wall, she threw it back into her jacket pocket. She couldn't possibly mention this incident to Mulder, because there was nothing he could do. She just had to trust the woman to keep the promises already forgotten. Fairfield Central Executive Conference Room 10 AM Next Day Though still a little tired from the side effects of her initial chemotherapy, Vera still insisted everyone to put her under hypnosis and quickly get through the rest of the mess. The agents were surprised, but Mulder and Jake agreed with her intentions. Scully agreed after remembering how Jake had been for the past forty-eight hours. He was never ready for the side effects Vera was returned with. Sims reluctantly took his designated seat in front of Vera, and so did Jake. Sims placed Vera under hypnosis as before, but carefully chose his words to spare Vera from any unnecessary distress. "Let's start from where we left off." Vera nodded her agreement. "Okay, I'm in that chair again. There's a picture of... water tanks. They look like any fish tank at the pet stores, but the water is too dirty. They're all green." Mulder snapped his head up, startling Scully. He wrote down 'Erlenmeyer Flasks' on the notepad and let her read it. Scully's eyes rounded, but she brought her focus back to the session. "They're telling me to remember them all because people on Earth will need to know. But not to say anything until I find the right people. They said I was doing just fine, but I didn't know if I was. I used the time and place to transmit what I remembered about my parents. About that night I still dream. It went perfectly, and they got my message." "Vera? You said you still see your parents in your dreams. Will you tell me about them?" Sims knew he was taking a big risk. Jake's eyes indicated his shock. Sims gestured him to remain calm. "Sometimes I'm in this vast field of green grass, sitting in between my Mom and Dad. We're drinking lemonade, and having a picnic. ...We go to sleep after eating lunch and talking for a long time about everything and nothing. I love that. Sometimes it's about Christmas or Thanksgiving, and sometimes it's about beach trips. But those are the good ones and they're r I only dream about that night. They're both lying down on the floor, and they're calling for my help. They're trying to get up and reach me. They..." Vera's voice faltered, and Jake glared at Sims with his glassy eyes. "Okay, Vera. I'm sorry you had to go through that. Let's get out of this, and tell me what you see." Sims moved along. "They're telling me something. That nice man... He's ...sad. I don't know why he's sad. He told me I was going to be fine. He opened the door and is leading me away. I don't know where we're going, but the halls are dark. Like the Dark Room. I ask him if I was going there, because I thought they weren't taking me there. He said no, but we kept walking and walking... I don't know why, but I feel really tired. And sleepy. Really... Sleepy..." Both Jake and Sims could see her slipping away. "Vera? Vera? Please, let's move along." Not wanting to lose her at where she was, Sims called for her. She didn't reply, and Jake stood up to check up on her. Sims stopped him with a raised hand. Jake froze. But just when Sims himself was about to inspect her, she suddenly jumped up, her eyes wide open, and her body rigid. She stood frozen on the spot, her arms firmly pressed against her sides. "Vera?" Sims called, but no reply came. Jake knelt down in front of her, then instantly recognized the terror-stricken look that he will never forget. "Bring her out, Sims. Now." Jake whispered his command. In the opposite room, all three agents stood as Skinner very quietly opened the adjoining door. Jake looked at them, and motioned for them to be quiet. "Trust me, Sims. She's back. Bring her out." Jake said in a low murmur. Sims got a nod from Skinner before trying. At the count of three and a snap of his finger, Vera dropped onto the couch from exhaustion, and tried to control the breath she's been holding. Jake didn't scoop her up this time. Instead, he resumed his position, and sat her up on the couch. Her eyes popped open at the contact, and the very familiar, haunted deep green eyes met with his hazel. Jake released his breath as he saw Vera's mind registered what he already knew. "I think I know what you're thinking. No, you're not going to fall eighty floors down. No, you don't have to be thrown onto the wet concrete again. No, I'm not going to feint on you or bust my shoulder. And no, I'm not going to fall, or scream at you for being there." Jake was laughing as Vera threw herself at him. Skinner's confusion was soon answered by Mulder's grin. Scully filled him in on the details of the Kathlers' first meeting. Skinner breathed easier, and nodded his approval. Vera's first journey home was finally made. "Good work, all of you. We'll try for her memories on the second abduction, but I don't believe we'll make as much progress. We'll give her enough time to recover from her treatment sessions, and we'll pick up from there. Agent Mulder and Scully, submit your report on this by noon tomorrow." Skinner said as he regarded his trusted agents and shook hand with Sims. Fairfield Central Pediatric ICU Vera's Room 4 PM Same Day Jake closed his own sketchbook with the outer-view of the progressing cruise ship. He'd been working diligently for the last six hours. Since Stella was taken back to the veterinarian for her physical therapy, work was the only thing that gave him his right to be Jake Kathler. He re-read the Mosby Medical Encyclopedia he found in the nurses station. "Chemotherapy - the treatment of disease with chemicals or drugs. The drugs interfere with DNA synthesis by the tumor. Thus they kill the new cells as the tumor grows. However, normal body cells are destroyed as well. The typical side effects are hair loss, nausea, and vomiting, diarrhea, skin rash, mouth ulcers, severe anemia, and extreme weakness. There are four basic classes of anticancer drugs: alkylating agents (such as rambucil), antimetabolics (methotrexate, 6-mercaptopurine, 5-fluorouracil), antibiotics alkaloids (vincristine, vinblastine). The drugs are most often used in combination. Chemotherapy has been very successful in certain types of cancer, as chronic lymphoblastic leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, Burkitt's lymphoma, Wilms' tumor, and after mastectomy." 'That's nice, if I could understand a half of it', Jake thought bitterly. 'And,' he added with equal bitterness, 'Vera's nasal pharyngeal mass came from other-worldly sources. No wonder chemotherapy failed in the so-called undiagnosed cancer patients.' The serum they tried on Vera barely slowed down the progress of her tumor. Scully already briefed him in detail on the subject of chemotherapy, but Jake was clueless to how bad things would be. He watched Vera, now sleeping in her bed, looking as pale as snow. An IV of normal saline was hooked up to help her dehydration from diarrhea and vomiting. Scully came over earlier to check on Vera's condition, but Jake wanted Scully to stay in the room as reassurance. Scully also warned him of other impending side-effects such as back pain and bruising around injection sites, both of which she suffered from, but didn't dare tell Mulder. Jake guessed Mulder knew about them, and chose to keep his mouth shut. Scully immediately noticed Jake's laptop computer on the side-table, and instantly sensed what he had been doing during his spare time watching Vera. Jake scratched his ear robe like a school boy who'd been caught cheating at a test. "Sorry, Dana. I was going to tell you. It's the new project I'm doing for the French firm. It came with the package deal I've made when I flew to Nice. This cruise ship project is a huge opportunity for me and the big French boys designated me as the designer. I'm not sending anything into our firm's office. There'll be a shopping mall to be designed and constructed on both firms' joint effort, and my business is very important to me and my partners. You remember how much they depended on me when this happened. Now they can't even call me or send me flowers. In fact, they're all at the front desk, making an awfully impressive pile. Even your folks can't get in here. I just... you know, it's like the women's letters. I needed to be me for a change." Jake said, offering her a seat. She scolded at him, but soon her expression held an air of understanding that warmed the corners of his exhausted mind. "It's okay, just don't get caught. Don't send anything over the internet until Mulder recovers well enough to really play you. Maybe in a couple of days?" Her eyebrows rose with the question, and her lips broadened into smile when Jake nodded. "Sure. ...You know, I have another idea that just might save some people their heartache." "What?" Scully's voice dropped to a conspicuous tone. Jake toyed with his pen, holding it sideways and caressing its length as if deep in thought. But his eyes were laughing. "Why don't I extend my 'Playing-Mulder' duty a little further and invite Mrs. Mulder into this room?" "What?! Jake, that's a breach of security..." "I'm him. It's his mother. This is a medical emergency. She understands the undercover deal, so I'll take her to Mulder's room. You should stay with Vera during her treatment. She needs a medical expert in here, anyway." Jake opened up his arms in a 'What do you think?' gesture. Scully lowered her head and mulled over the issue. It was true, it could work. Tina Mulder had a right to see his son, and Jake was doing a good job portraying him. The security was tight enough that they'll probably give Tina a thorough search upon entering Mulder's floor. 'So, why not?' Scully's inner-child quipped. "All right, I'll see what I can do." Scully finally replied, and took out her cellular phone to call Mulder's mother. Scully remembered the number by heart since calling Tina Mulder when Fox was returned from the golf course. Jake opted to listen to her side of the conversation. "Mrs. Mulder? This is Dana Scully. ...No, nothing is wrong with your son. Well, I mean, he's recovering nicely. Much faster than first anticipated. ...Yes, I was wondering if you would like to come visit your son at the Fairfield Central. ...Yes, that's what I've said before, but we've worked up a plan to get you in without getting caught." Jake nearly choked on his tea at her expression. "...Yes, I'll personally meet you at the lobby this time, and escort you. Your son's well-guarded. There's absolutely no way anyone can enter without... No. It's fine, Mrs. Mulder. ...Well, he's unable to speak or chew his food due to a jaw fracture, and I wouldn't recommend him walking around unless absolutely necessary because of his fractured ribs. ...What? No, he won't do that. I'm sure he's missing you. ...Yes, Mrs. Mulder. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon. Thank you very much." Jake was about to speak, but changed his mind when he saw how exhausting the conversation really was for her as she stashed her phone back into her jacket pocket. "Why can't she just admit all the wrong she's done and be honest with her son?" Scully mumbled as she ran both her hands through her hair. Jake shook his head. He didn't know. "Secrets in both women and men tend to ruin them, and their relationships." Jake said, sipping his tea and reopening his laptop screen now that it was no longer necessary to keep his guilty pleasure in the dark. But when his peripheral vision registered a notable change in Scully's expression, he closed the computer top again, startling Scully out of her reverie. "Aren't you going to work?" Scully asked, returning her gaze to Vera. Jake shook his head no. "Not until you beat out whatever that's bothering you from the bush." Scully's mouth stayed half open. 'Who is he to ask me such personal questions? I have no secrets... Yes, I do have secrets, damnit!' Scully the professional battled with Scully the person. She ran for a cover. "It's personal." "Everyone's secret is personal one way or another. Or else it won't be a secret. It becomes personal because it's your secret. You made it personal. Okay, it's a circular argument, but it's true. Go on." Jake crossed his legs and leaned back further into the chair, ready to listen. Scully tried to speak and stopped mid-way. Although there were many differences between Jake and Mulder, it still felt as if she was talking to Mulder about Mulder. 'Hold on, Dana.' She ordered herself. "Well, you know about my being abducted." "Yes. By reticulants, terrorists, serial killers, and the alien-human hybrids, to name a few." Jake spoke those words as if they were a part of his daily life. Scully found his adaptability to abnormal situations amazing, and she envied him. "Yeah. And, uh... I've tried to put myself through regression hypnotherapy to try to find out what happened to me in those missing months. It didn't work. I ran away." "You couldn't face your fear?" This was exactly what Mulder asked her while he lay in a hospital bed after Luther Lee Boggs' case ended. Scully shook her head no. "Because you don't want to believe but you still want your answers to prove the E.B.E's don't exist?" Scully jumped yet again. 'What is he? A psychic?!' This brought back her late sister's memories and she quickly backed out. "Well, I know that extraterrestrial life exists. It was proven to me by hard sciences. What I refuse to believe is all these irrational accusations about them picking up people in their spaceships and flying away! I mean, we did track down that train that had been used in abduction, just like mine had been. We did track down Dr. Ishizama who did something bad to me. There isn't enough proof that the aliens actually did those things to me. The people who are really guilty for these crimes are getting away every time because people believe in alien abductions. And it's easy for many people to believe that some aliens committed these ruthless crimes, than to face the fact that human beings do possess the capability to commit these crimes." Scully's voice rose with tension, and she finally spotted Jake gesturing her to keep it down. "Sorry. I got excited." Scully apologized, barely able to face Jake shaking his head no. "I better go. I'll see you later, I'm sure." Scully said, abruptly standing up. Jake quickly rose from his seat and caught her elbow, stilling her long enough to pull her into his arms. She waited for a moment before returning the embrace. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to push you so hard. I mean, I'm the one who asked for the truth, and I forced you to stop. That's unfair to you." Jake felt her break their contact, saying it was okay. He barely had enough time to thank her for visiting him and Vera before she disappeared from the room. He stared at the closed door in silence for several minutes before turning around to continue with his project. Fairfield Central Hospital Mulder's Room Five Minutes Later Mulder heard a commotion just outside his door, and pulled out his back-up piece on his table, ready to fire. Mulder knew the place was tightly guarded, but you never know. He walked to the door, and opened it just a crack, seeing that his partner was arguing with the guard at the door. Mulder poked his head out, and gave them a 'what's up?' look. Scully sighed, and ran her hand through her hair. 'Trouble.' Mulder thought. The guard also looked like he needed a break or two. Mulder reached out his hand, and gently pulled Scully inside before closing the door. "Well, it's nothing too big, really." Scully said the moment he approached to face her. Mulder slightly tilted his head in a silent gesture for her to go on. She sighed. "I wanted it to be sort of a surprise for you, but... well, it's your mother." Mulder's eyes widened with a pang of fear. Scully quickly shook her head no. "Nothing's wrong with her, Mulder. It's not that. It's ...well, she was coming to visit you tomorrow, and I was going to escort her up here to see you." She saw his gaze intensify like a rapid flame. 'What is she coming up here for?' His eyes demanded the woman's reason. "I honestly think she misses you. We all know who she is, including Skinner. I was going to take us both to Vera's room, and have you all waiting up there while I meet your mother at the main lobby. The guard didn't want us to vacate the room. It is a medical emergency, after all. Your mother also knows about your working undercover. Maybe Jake could leave the room for a while and leave you alone with Vera." Mulder nodded, and placed both his hands on Scully's shoulders. She nodded her understanding. "But if you must know, it's originally Jake's idea. The only change is that your mother called me while I was heading back here, and told me she's leaving right now." Mulder's hand came up to cover his mouth. His eyes darted into numerous directions and Scully could see his worry. "Don't be nervous, Mulder. I trust you two to keep peace." Scully didn't know whether or not she was trying to convince Mulder to behave. Nevertheless, she felt relieved to see him nod his agreement repeatedly before he drew her close and embraced her. She knew little of the many wrongs Tina Mulder had done to him. She knew many of the lifetime of wrongs Bill Mulder had done to the family, and to 'the truth'. And she knew how that knowledge enraged her partner. The more truths they learned, the harder it became for her to dismiss the tragic events in Fox Mulder's life as coincidences. It was as if Fox William Mulder was born to right the things done wrong by his own parents. And to offer his soul and life itself for the cause. Scully didn't know where that left her. She was chosen to be where she was, but she also chose to find her own answers to the questions no one dared to ask. Fox Mulder was a perfect place to start for her as in herself. Coincidences didn't exist in the realm of the X-Files. Fairfield Central Hospital Vera Jarvis' Room 10 PM Same Day When Scully spotted the tall silver-haired woman enter the main lobby, Scully quickly caught up with her and lightly touched her back the way Fox did. Tina Mulder turned around sharply and faced Scully. A small smile mixed with her surprise broke over the woman's face, and Scully gave her one of her own. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Mrs. Mulder. I just wish the circumstances were better." She said, offering a hand to shake. Tina Mulder took it firmly. "How is Fox?" She asked, concern adding years to her face. Scully gave the woman a review of Mulder's condition, but Tina Mulder stopped her with an insistent tag on her arm. "Please, Agent Scully. How is he, really?" "If you are asking me of every detail about what happened to your son, I'm not at liberty to answer. But if you are asking about how he's holding up, I can tell you, he is making an amazing recovery. He took himself off of pain killers just a few days after he's been hospitalized, battled flu he contracted while he's been held captive. Right now, he's almost completely back to his normal self." "Agent Scully?" Tina Mulder stared at Scully with the intensity that reminded her of Fox. "Please, call me Dana." Scully smiled as she pressed the elevator button, but the second she saw a man's hand stick in between the doors, she quickly shoved Tina toward the back of the elevator and drew her weapon. The young doctor who caught the elevator threw both his hands in the air the moment he registered the gun shoved in his face. "What is your name?" Scully asked, her voice neutral, but the gun never wavered. "Doc... Dr. Will Ashman, cardiology!" The man looked ready to feint. Scully yanked him inside the elevator and watched the doors close. She pressed the button for cardiology department, and produced her badge for the doctor but the gun stayed pointed to him. "Special Agent Dana Scully, FBI. I'm sorry about the trouble, doctor. I'm sure you're aware of the high security level positioned here in this hospital?" Scully asked the doctor whose hands stayed frozen in the air. "Of... of course! I've heard about the ICU being sealed off because of the burn victims held up there and all..." "Good. I guess I can trust you to keep your mouth shut to the reporters?" It wasn't a question. The doctor nodded, and scurried out when his own floor welcomed him back. Scully holstered her gun the moment the doors closed. "I'm sorry about that." Scully apologized to Tina, who stood erect behind her. She nodded repeatedly in a familiar manner, and let Scully lead the way when the elevator door opened for their destination. She passed by the familiar faces of the agents in the hallway, heading directly to Vera and Jake's room. Jake insisted of leaving the room when Tina came, and true to his words, he wasn't visible as she peered through the room's glass wall. Fox Mulder was in a chair beside Vera's bed, his hand gently touching her face and smiling. Or, as close to smiling as he could get at the moment. Mulder told Scully before she left that he felt much easier with Vera beside him, but he would appreciate it if she could stay behind the door while they exchanged greetings for reassurance. Knowing the family history, Scully couldn't blame him. Scully knocked three times and opened the door, letting Tina in first. Scully stayed at the doorway, waiting for Mulder to give her the sign to leave. Mulder turned slowly to face his mother approaching him, his eyes quickly accumulating moisture. "Oh, Fox. It's good to see you again." Tina muttered, and embraced her son firmly but as carefully as possible. Mulder returned the gesture, and gave her a kiss on both of her cheeks. When his eyes opened again and met with Scully's, they blinked once, accompanied by his slight smile. A gesture for Scully to go, and as a sign of thanks. Scully nodded, returning a smile before closing the door behind her. "Agent Scully, I need to have a word with you in private." Scully slightly jumped at Skinner's voice from behind her. "Yes, sir." She followed him, wondering what kind of trouble she just put herself in. But when she faced him again, he began speaking without giving her a chance. "Agent Scully, tomorrow afternoon at two, the federal prosecutor will be coming here to map out some of their battle plan against Henry Barrington Hospitals and against the missing psychiatric experts from the learning center in San Francisco. I need you and Kathler prepped and ready to make your statements. Have Mulder write it up, and have Kathler memorize it. I don't care how you do it, just get it done smoothly." Skinner ordered and walked away, giving Scully no time to ask questions. She was furious, suddenly burdened with both of their workload. It would have been fine, only if she was insensitive enough to cut the small Mulder family reunion short, and drag her partner back into the room by his tie to help her come up with something credible enough to stand in the presence of the federal prosecutors. Her partner was essentially better at writing flawlessly than she was, though she was the better one at critical analysis. She noticed in the past that Skinner liked reading her reports when he wanted everything clean-cut. When he wanted their opinions or 'entertainment', as Scully often suspected, Skinner preferred Mulder's essay- like documentation with Mulder's ever-unconventional theories decorating the pages. Last time, Scully was surprised Mulder would volunteer to do all their tedious paperwork in the closed case probably as a peace-offering for requesting her to cut short her quiet week at Maggie's house. Then, she was even more impressed that he actually finished it all before they boarded the plane to Oakland. 'No wonder he slept so much during the flight.' She eventually opted to get the reports started by herself, but not without Jake present for cover and to save time. Jake kindly answered the cellular from the men's room, and told her it wasn't a good time. Scully laughed, and told him to come down as soon as possible. Then she called Mulder on Jake's cellular which she handed to him just in case, and told him to have his mother and him stay in his room tonight because she needed to finish some work on the serum. Besides, she insisted, there was nothing Mulder could do but to stay put. "Mulder, you've briefed and reviewed absolutely everything retrievable in this case. Stay with your mother. It's late and I've told the guard to watch over both of you." Just when Scully was about to hang up, Tina Mulder took the phone. "Dana? Fox's writing something and he wants me to tell you. He says that's awfully kind of you, and he's wondering if you're sure about this." Scully smiled. "Yes, Mrs. Mulder, I'm sure. The thing is, before we came up to Oakland, your son finished all required paperwork on our last case, and I awe him. There's a comfortable couch in Mulder's room, so he can sleep there. I bet he likes it better than the bed." Scully smiled as she heard Tina relay the message. "Dana? He says okay, and to not embarrass him any further by telling me something else I shouldn't know." Scully laughed as she realized Tina has never been to her son's apartment. But her laughter died down when Tina's voice returned. "Oh, Dana? He says to tell you not to worry because he told me what he could tell me about this case. And that no one knows how he got hurt, because he lost memories from the past month." "What?! Mrs. Mulder, that was a confidential information. I hope you can understand my not telling you this before..." She was near panic. Tina stopped her. "It's okay, Dana. Oh, and Vera is so adorable. Reminds me a lot of Samantha." Scully was now speechless. 'Is this the same unaffectionate, inattentive, and uncaring, Tina Mulder?' Definitely not. 'Vera's magic touch at work', she thought. "Fox says to call him for any emergency." Tina concluded the conversation, and Scully was left to stare at her phone, open-mouthed. She had to get the details of what was said between the Mulders to understand the woman's transformation. Vera probably worked extra hard to keep their conversations from touching all the wrong places of their scattered lives. Scully knew reconciliation for the Mulders would never come until Tina revealed all hers and her husband's evil deeds for Fox and Scully to see. Their peace of mind was a long way into the future, yet. It was nearly midnight when Jake entered Vera's room with a brown carry- out paper bag of what smelled like Chinese food. Jake spread out the contents onto the table sat in the corner of the room, and watched as Scully worked on her laptop, a legal pad full of her scribbled notes laying next to it. Jake read the written pages on the screen over her shoulder, and knew it was time to set a plan. "When do we tell the truth to the federal prosecutor? About our switching places, and about Mulder been through the memory-drain surgery as Vera had?" This was "the question" for everyone with the true knowledge of what really happened. Scully shook her head no. "I don't know, Jake. I don't know. Maybe we can tell the chief DA, but nobody else. I hate secrets, but right now, the stake's way too high to care about virtues and ethics." "Don't get me wrong. I don't want these cases thrown out of courts, either. That's exactly what they want. What worries me the most, is what the defendants will do to Mulder on the stand. What if they asked questions only Mulder can answer, because they somehow obtained information about the secret surgery? I bet high Cancer Man's already in bed with the defense lawyers screwing each other before he lights another cigarette for the after-play." "Jake, we have a child in here." Scully warned, poking Jake with the cap of her pen. Jake's hand flew to cover his mouth, his weary eyes observing Vera's sleeping form. His gaze asked, 'you think she knows what I meant?' Scully shrugged. "I know what you're worried about and why. We need this out before we actually get to the court. The hardest thing is how to find the right timing. We have to be cleaver, because only seven of us know about it. And that's after counting Mrs. Mulder in. I think Mulder had to tell her when she pressed him about how and why he got hurt. If he can't remember, which isn't quite true because he's fully briefed on the subject, then he can spare the woman another stroke. Mrs. Mulder pressed me about details in the elevator on our way up, too. I think she's getting serious about her past. Finally." Scully said as she added another paragraph from the scribbled notes to the report on the screen. "You said the team's coming in at two tomorrow, right?" "Yeah, count on it. The man's notorious for being punctual." "I know the guy. We've met last year. I was testifying as their expert witness in the district court. It was a trial of an architectural firm that got caught red-handed for ignoring the federal safety standards of a business office building. My firm, as you might have researched before leaving D.C., is known for the thoroughness in our work and for being responsible. Personal attention is our policy. So they called me up to the stand and asked for my opinion. I thought one of the older partners should've gone, but they didn't want to risk getting grilled on the stand. So they chickened out and pushed me in. Needless to say, I got our firm some positive publicity." Scully listened to Jake, tapping her fingers on the table. If Jake had the federal prosecutor's trust, it took some of the weight off of their shoulders. "Jake, Skinner himself will be on the stand this time. No one will be spared. It'll be a series of long trials, but I'm sure the FBI Director will put pressure on the courts for speedy trials. I'm thinking about talking to Shaw, and to our doctors to find a way for us to treat Vera at your home. That was both of your wish from the start, and we'll do the best we can to make things less stressful." "Will Cancer Man be on the stand?" Jake spoke as if to drag the words out of his mouth. Scully paused to think for a short while before speaking again. "He'll probably never be convicted, but maybe this time we'll be the rainmaker. You have to understand he's not at the very top of the ladder. There are those above him pulling the strings. So we'll risk losing a greater battle with Consortium if they decide to sacrifice Cancer Man as a game piece. We want to avoid that, because that son of a bitch is probably one of the only three links we have to the group. The other two, essentially, are Miss Covarrubias, and who we call the Well-Manicured Man. He was at Mulder's father's funeral and warned me that there'll be someone coming to kill me. He was right. Only the killers, which we assume included Krycek and another man, killed my older sister, mistaking for me. He's the reason for our three-way stand-off." The shock registered on Jake's face quickly turned to deep anger, and Scully lowered her gaze. "I'm sure he'll be at the courts." Jake muttered as he released her from his embrace. "Be sure to tell me which bastard that is when he comes in. By now, the entire Consortium probably knows everything I've ever done in my life including what I do in my spare time. If the bastards try to discredit me by telling the whole world about my hobbies of reading women's letters and have affairs with married wealthy women, I'll explain myself fully to the public." "What affairs?" Scully knew too well what that could do to the case and to Jake. "Kate Lyons. A professional photographer I dated and slept with ...before she introduced me to Howard, her husband. We were at a Masai Tribe charity bowl they sponsored. The night before this revelation, I pushed her and told her I didn't want any secret between us. She warned me, though. 'My last secret. Expose it at your own risk.' I took the bait, initially because she was the who approached me in the first place. She came back to the loft after the party, and told me she did in fact fall in love with me and she wanted me to know what she was giving up. She stayed with me the entire day and night, but she was gone when I woke up the next morning. ...Nothing too damaging, I hope." Jake knew that had been at least a topic of worry for Scully and Skinner. If Karen Kosseff and the district judge could grant Jake full custody of Vera Jarvis by the trials day one, everything should flow smoothly. "I'm sorry, Jake. ...No, if she corroborates your story, it shouldn't be a problem." "Corroborate...? Dana, I don't even know where she is. In the last letter she wrote me, she seemed to be leaving both me and Howard, because it was unfair and unhealthy for all of us. ...I haven't heard from her for over two years." "We can find her on the FBI data base. Hopefully, she wouldn't be bothered too much by this. And, as I said, the possibility of this issue coming up is very slim." "I've got nothing to hide personally. Not like they will be. Do whatever's necessary." "Vera's memory was clear on her parents' deaths because she detailed about the homeless girl's body being destroyed with acid solution. Vera needs more therapy and maybe a few more hypnosis sessions. Mulder will be there to help her get prepped, but he's not qualified to do the actual therapy. He'll have to call in someone with more experience like what he did with Sarah Martin. Now that Mulder's got so much first-hand training, he'll be with you two all the way. As I will be." "That's good to know." Jake said as he took his seat, and opened up the first carry-out container before handing it to Scully. "Kung-Pao chicken, your favorite Chinese food. Mulder told me." Jake said as he handed her the steamed rice and a pair of chopsticks. Scully smiled, and took the container without hesitation. When Jake smiled plausibly, Scully looked into the steaming dinner and inhaled the appetizing aroma. "I realize I need to take better care of myself now that I need to be at my best. The 'funky poaching' part is over." She said as she split apart the soft wood of the disposable chopsticks at the center, and dug into the container. Jake nodded and read the part Scully added before turning the computer screen over to him. "So this is the blue-print of our battle plan?" Jake asked, his smile now turning into a smirk. 'Jake Kathler the player is back', his eyes said. Scully nodded as she chewed the food. "And we're gonna win." Fairfield Central Pediatric ICU - Vera's Room 5:45 AM Next Day Street lights were gradually turned off, and the traffic slowly began to fill the small business district. Fox Mulder had spent the entire night writing, and his right hand was threatening to fall off. "Fox, really. You don't have to stay up just for me." His mother said more than once. But her dutiful son refused to stop talking, or, in this case, writing. Tina Mulder had no idea how she could spend seven straight hours reading her son's words, either. But she just didn't feel like going to sleep. She knew about her son's insomnia, and knew a little about his nightmares. She stopped insisting him to go to bed a long time ago. He would smile apologetically, and did what he wanted anyway. Vera had given up on following their conversations long ago, and fell asleep. "Fox, you know that I love you." She said so more than once, and Fox answered yes each time. 'Why does she need to reassure herself so much?' Fox wondered silently as he watched her from across the table, smiling back rather melancholy. Her smile wasn't so unlike his own. A little held back, like there's someone tagging at her and whispering her not to smile, not to show that type of affection towards her own son. Fox sighed, and decided to venture into the "forbidden territory" now that Vera wasn't awake to keep an eye on any crack running over the thinning ice. "Do you still think about him?" He asked for a start. Tina Mulder flinched in response. "What do you mean?" She asked carefully in return. "Just what I asked. Do you still think about him? The things he's done? To you, me, Samantha, and the rest of the world?" Tina Mulder paled, but shook her head no. Fox took a deep breath, his expression hardening. "I still don't know what you're talking about." She said. "You know he's the one who healed you. The doctor told me you weren't going to make it. It scared shit out of me, but they were clear. The next thing I knew, they released you and told me you were okay. That doesn't just happen, Mom. Not with stroke. This is the kind of stuff I deal with practically everyday of my life." His eyes were like a pair of thunderbolts, striking its target accurately, directly and fearlessly. When Tina Mulder stood half-way up from the chair, he stopped her and made her sit back down. "Mom, please. Tell me what happened between you and him. I know you don't remember things as well now. And I know how frustrating that can be. But I need to know. This man won't escape this time. We'll go all the way. And, to tell you the truth, I'm afraid for you. Of what he'll do to you. That, you would... go without seeing Samantha ever again. You know she's alive. I've seen proofs that she's indeed alive..." "Fox, please. Stop there." Tina Mulder's eyes grew moist in an instant as her son's, though he hadn't yet noticed. She placed a feather-light hand on the base of her son's jaw, and gently tilted his face up to see her. 'His eyes are like crystal', she thought. "I'm okay, Fox. I will be okay. He hasn't been in touch with me. I was just told by the doctors that I was free to leave the hospital. I don't know who brought me the healer. I know that the man used the palm of his hands. But that can't be, because the healer's dead. Isn't he? Or, was it somebody else who died? It was never clear to me, with all the people coming and going ...the nurses and doctors." Fox wondered how she gained these knowledge. "It's never been proven. We never found his body, but you know he'll just vaporize if and when he dies. Just like Samantha's clones did." Tina Mulder closed her eyes, and Fox realized he'd gone too far. "Sorry, Mom." Fox wrote and offered her a careful hug. She accepted, but didn't meet his eyes. "How much does she know?" She asked suddenly. Mulder was a little thrown off, but soon realized who she was talking about. "Everything, Mom. She knows practically everything about us that I know. But there's a whole lot you haven't told me. I've seen a lot of things Scully helped me see. She's my one eye, one arm, one half of everything I have. She stuck with me through all these years and never gave up. Not on herself, not on me, not on the truth, and never on the future. I can't hide anything from her unless it poses direct threat to her life." Tina Mulder met her son's intense gaze, but didn't hold it for too long. Fox let go of some of his tension by shifting his position. "Mom, will you at least promise me that you will tell me the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth when you're ready? Do this in your terms, but as soon as you are ready. Whenever that will be, I'll try the best I can to wait. But I have to tell you, my need for it is so strong I can barely contain it. The desperation. Thirty-seven years is long enough for any secret to surface. No matter how painful it is for us." Fox kept pushing, but finally stopped and faced Tina's watery eyes again. He stretched out his hand and gently touched her cheek to wipe her tears. "If there's more than just the pain for having Samantha taken away, and I believe there's a lot more, you should let them out. You need to let them out. Sometimes, to reach the people's heart of hearts, a few gaping wounds and scars are a necessity. I've had my heart ripped open practically everyday. Mistakes we all make in life will someday come back to us, and often eat us up if they are left untreated and unexamined." Fox was doing his very best to maintain his self-control. But inside he was scorching with the pain he absorbed from his mother's silence. Every time Tina Mulder had a particularly close encounter with the past, she grew distant. Fox sensed just how heavy the pressure she was under, and inevitably, how horrible her secrets must be. Suddenly Fox wished Vera would wake up, or find Scully sitting next to him. Fox pushed the notepad closer to his mother in an attempt to let her read his last sentences. She did, but very quickly. Fox knew she wasn't ready for it. And that she would probably go home and won't willingly contact him again until the next time he's hospitalized with critical or terminal condition. She hadn't visited him in his past hospital stays, not even when he was shot during the Boggs' case four years ago. Only Scully visited and almost always, stayed in the room with him. In those uncomfortable, small hospital chairs. She even offered her prayer when she felt the need for it. "Mom? Please don't fade away like this. I'm sorry I pushed you too far. Come on, I just wanted to spend time with you and you're so far away. You're so close to me now, but your heart is miles away. I love you, Mom." He wrote quickly, and this time put the notepad in her hands. Then he ran his hand in his mother's silvery hair. But then tears began flowing out of her eyes even faster, and Fox kept wiping them. Only when his surroundings began to falter and lost their shapes, did he notice his own tears. And he was slightly surprised when he felt his mother's hand wiping at them. A slight smile surfaced on his face when she reached for him for once. He accepted her embrace gratefully, and gave her forehead a kiss. He couldn't remember when was the last time she reached for him like this. Perhaps when he returned from the world of the dead after the incident in New Mexico, with Albert Hosteen and a group of the Navajo priests. She was convinced Fox was dead, then. He was now frustrated more than ever that he couldn't speak, just so he could express to her how he felt through the tone of his voice. That he hadn't intended to turn this reunion into an interrogation rather than a nice quiet evening between the surviving Mulders. 'Minus one, counting Samantha.' He closed his eyes at the thought. Fox listened to the radio he turned on hours ago to help Vera fall asleep. He tuned it into a soft jazz station, which he knew to be his mother's taste. The likes of Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, and sometimes Frank Sinatra played, and began adding some much needed comfort in the early morning air. Fox stood abruptly, and held out his hands for his mother to take. She stared at him quizzically for a long moment, but got the message at her son's insistent head movement. She released a slight laughter, and took her son's hands. Fox successfully swallowed a yelp of pain when her arm came in contact with his waist, and another time when they turned in circles, dancing in slow motion and quickening the moves where appropriate. Fox then realized dancing with her was something he considered many times but never actually done it. She felt so fragile, Fox was scared he'll crack her spine just by the touch of his hand. Her head barely reached his collar bone. She was only a few inches taller than Dana Scully, which was something he hadn't thought of before. "You're a smooth dancer, Fox." His mother complimented, and he gave her as big a smile as he was able. He positioned himself a tad further, so he could dance while staring into his mother's eyes. She was currently his last remaining family member, and he had no desire to lose it. He could see his mother growing comfortable every minute as they kept dancing. There was nothing she felt as threatening, accusing, nor searching in her son's eyes. It was just a mother and a son, dancing to slow classical jazz and enjoying the morning air. Fox knew she was aware of his fear for her life, fear for her missing Samantha, and his fear for losing Scully. When he drew her closer again, he heard her unexpected soft laughter. "You need a shave, Fox. Your face tingles." Fox chuckled, and held her closer just for a moment for a tease, then resumed their previous positions. He could hear her breathe. He could hear her voice, and feel her warmth against his body. In short, he could feel her alive. 'What made her feel so terrible, guilty, and even fearful that she forced herself to put such distance in between us?' Fox knew he was closer than ever to the answer. "You know that I love you, Fox. I cannot tell you when I'll be ready to ...really talk. But I will tell you before... Before the end of my time." Fox quickly shook his head, not wanting to think about the inevitable just yet. His heart muscles contracted too quickly in response and complained. He wouldn't get too many more chances to really talk or dance much less both, with her in the future. Reading his mind, she took the lead of their dance. After they danced through what felt like fifty songs, the assigned nurse who took care of Vera came in, and stared round-eyed at the two people dancing in the room. That parted them quickly, and they let the nurse in when she turned to leave. "I'm sorry. We've been dancing for a while ...well, hours. I swear we didn't disturb Vera's sleep." Tina Mulder said, and quickly kissed her son's cheek before starting to gather her things to leave the room. Fox pursed his lips, and waved at her as she smiled again and left. A little too quickly for Mulder's taste. But he was satisfied they at least regained some sense of peace in each other. When the nurse left, having had a new IV bag hanging from the catheter for Vera, Fox sat back down. Watching Vera is a job he'd voluntarily take any time it was offered to him. His body complained from the sudden over-use of the muscles that hadn't been in use for a long time. Mulder knew he danced quite lousy because of his injuries. 'I'll get another chance later', he thought. He knew now she had guards to escort her to the airport and then to her house, at Skinner's insistence. Mulder sipped his coffee, the first in more than three days because until now, his immune system couldn't afford to lose its strength from an intake of caffeine. He could feel his nose stuffy and sometimes in need of clearing, but chest congestion was cleared nearly completely the day before. Now he was battling the headache and the stuffy nose. He wondered if he gave his mother the flu, but he new she was careful, and had the flu shot like Scully did. Otherwise she'll never accept his offer to dance with her. 'Wouldn't she?' He wondered as he destroyed the pages and pages of his notepad, throwing away the whole thing with exception of the few blank pages left in the back. He was curious how much Scully had done. She told him she was working on the serum again, but the doctors and the witnesses were already in secured custody. What did she find out that kept Jake held up in the room? Mulder hoped that whatever the answer came to be, he'd be able to handle it. When the clock hit ten in the morning, Mulder ignored his exhaustion and handed a note to the guard at the door to check in with Scully. He was soon told she was in a meeting, but he couldn't tell Mulder who it was with. Concern growing every minute, Mulder wanted to go check on the mysterious meeting, but since Jake wasn't there Mulder couldn't leave the room. His growing suspicion that this whole night was a big set-up refused to leave his mind. Besides, this "call your mother" thing was Jake's idea. 'What the hell are they up to?' Mulder thought as he watched Vera eat her breakfast. Mulder took out the last remaining blank sheet of paper and wrote to Vera while she asked him her questions on how things had gone the night before. He was reluctant, but remembering that hiding secrets never worked with Vera, he knew he had to spill his guts. Then it hit him. "Vera? I need to know something. What's my mother hiding from me?" He asked, a little hesitantly and guiltily, but not stopping. Vera stared back at Mulder and ran a finger across her lips, a motion that said she wasn't telling. "I'm not a spy, Fox. You can't use me like that." She said firmly. Mulder nodded, quickly apologizing. Then, he felt ashamed that he even considered using Vera against his own mother. Jake would kill him if he was there to witness this scene. "No, I'll never be like my father." Mulder declared. And that was a promise he made to himself intending to keep for eternity. --End--