From: "C. Shuy" Date: Tue, 2 Mar 1999 21:25:00 -0800 (PST) Subject: REVISED: Nothing But Trouble I (0/15) Nothing But Trouble: Out Of The Frying Pan... by Christina Shuy (cshuy@netcom.com) and Diana Alexander (dmulder@nettaxi.com) Introduction Disclaimer: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, the X-Files, and associated characters are property of David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Chris Carter, Ten-Thirteen Productions and Fox Broadcasting Corporation. They are used without permission and no copyright infringement is meant. Any elements not recognized as being taken from the show copyright Christina Shuy and Diana Alexander. Detective Chief Inspector Victoria Jensen and Special Agent Storm Austin, of course, belong to themselves. (No one else would want them...) Comments and other things sent to cshuy@netcom.com and/or dmulder@nettaxi.com are much appreciated. *rolls eyes and ponders a way to kill a character* Thanks to dreamer15, xphile101, and DarkAngel for beta reading. Rating: PG-13, I think. Mostly for violence, and possibly sexual connotations. However, there are a few naughty words in this too. Category: X, though with lots of Angst and MSR possibilities Spoilers: Fire, and a few other things... Summary: When Storm Austin and Victoria Jensen meet, even with Phoebe Green tagging along, things are bound to get interesting. (UNDERSTATEMENT!) However, when a pyrokinetic gets in on the act, things heat up quickly. Author's Notes: Christina - Well, this story started out as just a silly idea that basically lost control. And that's putting it *mildly*. I know how much fun I had co-writing this. I only hope that people enjoy reading it nearly as much. This story also contains references to other stories I have written featuring Victoria Jensen, though not all of them. Sometimes, Victoria appears in stories that run parallel to what actually happened in the X Files Universe. As well as parallel to each other. One thing... I am only Victoria's author/creator... not her apologist. This story was a labour of love if I ever saw one. Also, Diana and I agreed to a deadline of before the movie came out (June 19, 1998) to finish and post this story. As you can see, we made it... but only just. As for 'why the deadline'... I have no idea. Revision notes: I'll admit that this revision was my idea. To get the kinks out of the cowrite. And to make certain things flowed smoother. As well as add a bit more impishness to the comments, since I've gotten to know Storm much better since we started this. Or, maybe, that's the whole problem! *grin* Diana - It's been almost seven months since we started writing this, and I think we named it right. *grin* It's been a fun ride, and I thank my co-author for that. Hope you enjoy seeing just how much *trouble* can occur within the bounds of one story. Just trust me when I tell you that that's... alot Even moreso after this edit. But hey, why listen to me? I'm just one of the authors! ----- Nothing But Trouble I table of contents Introduction (this part) Prologue Chapter One: And So, It Begins Chapter Two: Got to be Starting Something Chapter Three: Oh! What a Pain! Chapter Four: Family... Can't Live With Them, Can't Kill 'Em. Chapter Five: Wake Up Call Chapter Six: Visions, Vengeance, and Vendettas Chapter Seven: Plans Undertaken Chapter Eight: Upping the Stakes Chapter Nine: Into the Fire Chapter Ten: The Trap is Sprung Chapter Eleven: Escape, Barely Chapter Twelve: Hospital Hijinks Chapter Thirteen: Nothing But Trouble... Chapter Fourteen: Sending Away Annoyances Nothing But Trouble: Out Of The Frying Pan... by Christina Shuy (cshuy@netcom.com) and Diana Alexander (dmulder@nettaxi.com) Prologue Storm sprawled across her new couch and looked around at the Aztec accents that filled her apartment. It was one of the things that had made her unique among her new peers, other than the fact that she was the only female in the entire office of men. She didn't mind that much, really, despite the fact that she got some unwanted attention and looks. Especially since she and her partner, Flynn Brannen, got along very much like Mulder and Dana did, though she wouldn't admit to anyone other than herself just how well. Storm sighed as she thought about Mulder and Dana. Despite herself, she missed them, particularly Fox Mulder's insane devotion to something intangible and Dana's constant support that he probably couldn't survive without at this point. She was stronger than her partner in many ways, and that fact is probably part of the reason why both of them are still alive today. With a yawn, Storm looked for the remote, and once she found it, she turned on the television and flipped through the channels. One hundred fifty channels on satelite, and *still* nothing on to watch. Out of boredom, she finally settled on a movie from several years earlier, a piece of silly fluff known as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". Despite herself, she always enjoyed the movie, and at least it was better than watching Melrose Place. Then again, she supposed, almost *anything* was better than watching that show. Almost. The glow of the television played across her face as she found herself getting into the movie. The computer was off, and no other lights were on. In response to the chill that spread through the apartment, Storm wrapped the lap blanket closer around her legs and shivered. There was one thing about Seattle she disliked at the moment. It was colder than it had ever been during any of her other assignments, and she has been in Georgia during that blizzard that blew through a couple of years ago. That's when she realized what was missing. Storm found that she could seldom enjoy a movie unless she had a bag of popcorn sitting in her lap. With a sigh, she threw off the blanket and got up off the couch. She cringed as her bare feet met the cold tile floor of the kitchen, but continued to search for the popcorn after grabbing a 20 oz bottle of Coke out of the refrigerator. She shifted from one foot to another impatiently while she waited for it to pop, then grabbed it from the microwave and opened it, savoring the heat that rose from the bag. After tossing a single kernel into her mouth, she headed back into the living room. However, just as she got comfortable on the couch again, the phone rang. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and held out her hand, concentrating on the cordless phone. Within moments, the plastic connected with her palm and she lifted it to her ear to answer it with her typical response of "Austin." "Storm, it's me. How are you doing?" Dana Scully's voice rang through the phone in a conversational tone, and Storm responded with a smile. "Oh, I've been all right, I suppose. Dealing with a chauvinistic bunch of assholes who think they can leer all they want to." "Oh, an office full of Frohike clones, then?" "Yes and no, Dana. At least Frohike knows his limits with me. These guys are asking for a sexual harassment lawsuit or something. So, how are *you?* Is Mulder driving you crazy? Does he still try to make you believe in that stuff he believes in? No relapse, I hope." "No," Storm could hear Scully's smile. "No relapse, and the answers to your questions in order are, I'm fine, always, and of course." "Dana, you're *always* fine," she responded with mock irritation. "I'm serious, Storm. I am really doing all right." "Good to hear, Dana. Glad to see you two are managing without all right without me and my helpful hints." "Did you ever have any doubt?" Dana Scully's arched eyebrow was nearly visible through the phone. "Well, there was that event at the airport where Mulder dropped his gun and it went off and almost hit a couple of innocent bystanders..." "Okay, okay," Scully laughed. "I see your point." "So, how *is* Mulder?" "He's doing okay, I think. He's tired, but it's been a long week. For that matter, I am too," Scully yawned then. "It's late here." Storm glanced at the clock. It was half past ten, so that meant... "Dana, it's half past one in the morning. I think you need to get some sleep if this week has been as bad as you said." "You're probably right, Storm. Tomorrow is going to be a long day... for us both, I think," Dana responded, giving a mischievous tone to the last part of the statement. Something in the way Scully finished that last statement set Storm's mental alarms off. "Dana, what exactly do you mean by that statement?" "You'll see," Dana responded in a combination of her normal enigmatic manner mixed with mischievousness, "Good night, Storm." The connection was ended before Storm could even think of issuing protest. "Damn you, Scully!" Storm cursed as she stood up to phyically replace the phone on the base before heading into her bedroom to actually get some sleep. "You're getting more enigmatic every day. The enigmatic Dr. Scully, indeed!" After a few moments, as if it had noticed that the person watching it had left, the television turned off of its own free will. * * * * * Detective Chief Inspector Victoria Jensen was tired. The case she had helped recently finish solving had been draining. Then again, being asked to do a profile was not easy, especially since she had very little experience in the matter. She wondered how one of her friends had been able to do it for a living for a while. Then again, she remembered, doing so had very nearly killed him. Or driven him insane, which was close enough. Fortunately, he had gotten out of it and was now looking into things that suited him better. And was heathier for him mentally, besides. "Jensen, my office. *Now*." the Superintendent barked into the main room. Victoria had just been talking to one of her colleagues about the difficulties of the case just ended. Both of them had been relieved it was over. It had come too close to ending even more tragically than the case already had been. "You wanted to see me, sir?" she asked, appearing at the office door moments later. "Yes, please come in." the Superintendent said, gesturing to a chair. Chief Superintendent William Mitchell was a middle aged man who had an old fashioned attitude. He resembled the Conservative party Leader, William Hague, in several ways, not the least of which was the fact that he had a receeding hairline. As well as similar tastes in clothes. And an attitude which periodically made Victoria want to strangle him to shut him up. As Victoria walked in, she noticed someone else in the office as well... someone she knew and disliked intensely. Inspector Phoebe Green. "Close the door." Superintendent Mitchell instructed, though Victoria noted his glance in Phoebe's direction. Victoria obeyed the instruction and then sat in the chair her superior gestured to. "I need you both to go overseas on an assignment with the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation." he said. "What is the case about, sir?" Victoria asked. Mitchell handed her a travel agency envelope with airline tickets and a printed itinerary. "We have been asked to send our two best to assist in the investigation of a death of a British citizen. You leave in two hours for Washington, DC. The Agents in charge are Special Agents Mulder and Scully. They will be meeting you at the airport. Now, Inspector Green indicated that she knows them, which is why she is going, as well as the fact that she is one of our best." Victoria considered saying something about *that* particular comment, but refrained. Phoebe had a particular expression on her face. One Victoria knew well. *Too* well. She pursed her lips together, remembering a promise made to a friend years ago, and wishing she could break said promise. "I do not want any argument from you, Jensen. Inspector Green has indicated to me that you have not been the most ideal choice, but you are our best, aside from her, of course. And this situation seems to be something you are particularly good at." Victoria clenched her teeth together. Not only was the Superientendent taking Phoebe's side, he was doing so while being extremely patronising, and she rarely tolerated being patronised. "Yes, sir." Victoria answered slowly. She knew already, not just from the body language but from the special favouritism the Superintendent was showing towards Phoebe that there was something going on between them, and there was no point to argue. She would solve the case, or at least help. After all, she was going to see friends, as well as meet new ones. Ones she had been Seeing in her dreams for some time. * * * * * Special Agent Storm Austin knew that she was doomed when she walked into her office the next morning. Her partner, Flynn Brannen, was standing in the middle of the office with a look that Storm once knew well. Mulder often had that same look when he'd gotten a new X-File. She was in trouble. Then again, what else was new? "Ah, Storm, it's about time you got here," Flynn turned to look at her, a mischievous grin on his face. Storm resisted the urge to run at his expression, and merely said in a tired tone, "What do you have for us now, Sherlock? And please don't tell me that we have another pyrokinetic on the loose." "Um..." Storm swore she could *almost* see a faint halo above her partner's head, and was torn between laughing and groaning. "Ah, shit," Storm opted for groaning as she perched on the edge of the desk. "Okay, Brannen, lay it on me." "Well, since we did so well on that one case, there's been a difficulty in Washington that they can't quite figure out, and judging from the file that I found on my desk this morning, they want us to fly in to help. Should be a challenge." Storm's eyes narrowed in suspicion as she asked, "Agents involved?" "Special Agents Scully and Mulder," Flynn actually seemed interested in working with them, unlike most of the Bureau, which avoided them like the Plague. In fact, most of them acted as though ending up with it would be better than working with Mulder and Scully. Storm sighed and shook her head ruefully as she muttered, "Ah, Dana... you could have at least *warned* me about this." "What was that, Austin?" "Nothing, Brannen." "Watson..." his tone was teasing encouragement, which she attempted to ignore before responding in kind. "Yes, Holmes," she sighed. "I talked to Dana Scully on the phone last night, and she hinted at something like this. I just didn't know it was another pyrokinetic. I don't know how well I'm doing to deal with this." "In that case, Storm, you're right. She probably should have warned you. Then again, what's the fun in that?" "Good point. So, Sherlock," Storm tilted her head up to meet his eyes with a smile. "When do we leave?" "Well our flight leaves in two hours, so I'll make you a deal, Storm. Go pack or whatever, and I'll meet you at the airport in an hour and a half." "Consider it done," she smiled for the first time that morning and turned to walk out of the office, ignoring the catcalls she got on the way. Flynn grinned as Storm left the office. He'd heard rumours about the interaction of the Terrible Trio, as they were called and he was going to get to see if for himself. His grin widened the more he thought about it: this was going to be *fun*. * * * * * Storm made her way back to her apartment, thinking about how the questions she'd had last night before falling asleep had been answered. The timing on this thing was really ironic, since just as she realized she missed working with Mulder and Dana on the X-Files, she would be brought back to Washington to work with them on a case. Slowly she made her way to her apartment, unlocking her door and flipping on the lights as she walked in. She stopped for a moment to survey her too-clean apartment with an expert eye. Nothing had been moved since she had left earlier that morning, much to her relief. With a sigh, she kicked the door shut behind her, and tossed the purse onto the couch before heading into her bedroom to pack. A pyrokinetic. Why couldn't it be anything but that? There wasn't just the flashbacks she had kept having of when she had lost her first partner in a fire created by a pyrokinetic to take into consideration this time, though they could be pretty bad. Storm frowned as she thought back on her time in Washington, remembering what Dana had told her about Mulder. He was terrified of fire, and once he almost died in a boxcar set aflame. She shuddered at the thought. 'Well, that's one thing we definitely have in common,' Storm thought with a wry grin, 'if nothing else.' Despite the fact that they bickered like two siblings, Storm and Mulder had learned to respect one another. Though she still had the habit of stealing his desk from him when she was in town, and he had the habit of tugging on the long braid she wore down to her hips whenever he was given the opportunity, they got along pretty well. There was nothing to substantiate the rumors of her tossing him around like a petulant child with her favorite toy. Those rumors still frustrated her to no end, though they had lost their sting in the month and a half that she'd been in Seattle. Facing her closet with a grin, Storm considered. Should she walk in looking like the professional agent that the Seattle Bureau knew her to be, or should she walk into Washington D.C. like the Storm of old would have done, in jeans and a casual shirt, her hair plaited in a single braid hanging down her back? It wasn't a difficult question, and she pushed the professional clothes to one side after tossing two skirt suits on the bed. Just in case. After tucking those suits, several pair of well-worn jeans and a few casual shirts into a suitcase that already had a few travelling essentials inside, she was pretty well finished with her packing. After packing, she sat down on the bed and spent some time allowing her mind to drift away. She had been so tense here lately, and that wasn't the way she wanted to be when she got to Dulles. Not even considering that she'd be dealing with a pyro on the loose. It was then that the picture hit her. A woman was standing in the middle of the airport, her features seemingly vague to Storm, although she could tell that the person desperately wanted to strangle the one she was travelling with. Even though the woman was the main focus of the vision, Storm's attention was drawn to the other, and she scowled unconsciously. Detective Phoebe Green of Scotland Yard, Storm thought as her mental voice supplied the name from the many e-mails she had shared with Dana Scully over the years. A picture had been among them, a picture that was now proudly mutilated by her and Dana's image editing program and a program that could blow up the head of any person in a picture that they had found on the web. That picture was now sitting on her hard drive, waiting to be called up at any time for a laugh. Dana had sent her that picture with a description of the "I wanna fuck with Mulder's mind" attitude she held during the entire case in question. That had made Dana both inhumanly furious and jealous at the same time. That was enough to convince Storm that the woman must die, even before she had met Dana's partner. Then she *had* met Mulder, and became more assured of that fact. With a blink, the vision disappeared and Storm sat up, a evil smile spreading across her face. "Well, well, well, looks like I get to go into bitch mode during this trip. I haven't done that in a long time. Should be fun. Besides, I did say that I would make Green pay if I ever met her. Now's my chance." She dressed in a pair of close-fitting jeans, a pair of white leather ankle boots, a white scoop-necked blouse, and spent time redoing her hair in a long braid that hung down her back. With a smile, she announced to the full-length mirror: "Watch out, D.C., 'cause the bitch is back." Then it occurred to her that she wasn't quite sure which bitch she meant. With a wry grin, she shrugged, picked up her luggage and headed out the door. * * * * * Flynn Brannen walked into the airport and looked around for his partner. When he found her, he just allowed his eyes to study her for a moment, since he had never seen her this way in the entire time they'd been partnered. The white shirt and boots complimented her tanned skin, as did the blond hair braided and pulled over one shoulder. The light blue jeans hugged her hips and long legs and a matching denim jacket sat draped over an arm of the chair. She was sitting there reading a battered copy of a novel, and was obviously waiting on him, for every so often, she would raise her arm to check the watch she wore on her left wrist. With a smile, he approached her, "Heya, Storm. What are you reading?" "Children of the Night." This time, it was *Flynn* who thought he could almost see the halo over Storm's head. Along with some bright green devil's horns holding up the halo. And it was Flynn who was struggling to keep his composure. "What is it about?" Flynn asked, though he already knew. "Vampires, psychic and otherwise. Witches. A lot of trouble." She raised laughing grey eyes to meet his green ones, and bared straight white teeth to him even as the halo seemed to glow brightly, almost as though nearing critical mass. He joined in her laughter, as he commented, "Agent Austin, don't we have enough trouble on our hands without you going out looking for it?" She squinted at the glare that reflected off his hair, and informed him with a grin, "You should know by now, Flynn Brannen, that I don't have to go out looking for trouble. It finds me. I don't necessarily have to do anything, but it's more fun if I do." "I'm afraid of what you call fun, Austin." "Oh, don't be a stick in the mud, Brannen," she teased him lightly. "You should give it a try sometime before you knock it." He extended a hand and she grasped it. He tugged her out of the chair and against him. She laughed, and whispered in his ear, "Not here, Brannen. There are too many people watching." "Of course not here." He looked at her with the infectious grin that seemed to be as much a part of him as her smirk seemed a part of her. "Y'know, we look more like brother and sister than working partners." "No incest jokes, thank you very much." With that, Storm preceded him to the gateway their plane was to arrive at, and they stood in line to board the plane. She just shook her head. 'This is going to be an interesting trip. I just know it...' "Should I be afraid?" Flynn asked, glancing at Storm questioningly. Storm shot him a teasing grin. "You don't know the half of it." End Prologue. Nothing But Trouble: Out Of The Frying Pan... by Christina Shuy (cshuy@netcom.com) and Diana Alexander (dmulder@nettaxi.com) Chapter One And So, It Begins It had been red tape all the way, but at last the end was in sight. 'I'm relieved. I hate Customs procedures.' The woman sighed to herself as she was finally let through the gate. 'Especially since I had *nothing* to declare... aside from the fact that I want to strangle one Inspector Phoebe Green. Though I'm not certain the Customs officials wanted to *hear* that. So I didn't tell them.' Detective Chief Inspector Victoria Jensen of Scotland Yard had just arrived on the plane from Heathrow International Airport in London, England. She'd been assigned to her present case only that evening and, subsequently, been paired with her old nemesis from her university days, though the animosity between them extended farther back than that. Much farther. The fatigue was hitting hard since she'd just come off a grueling case involving yet *another* demented serial killer... and it had been late night when they'd left London for Washington. "Oh, look, Victoria, we've finally gotten through customs." her travelling companion said, a look on her face indicating she was ready to get started on whatever it was she had planned. Whatever it was, Victoria did *not* want to know. "Yes, Phoebe, no thanks to you and your odd bout of bizzare luggage." she answered, though she was groaning inwardly. She really wasn't in the mood for Phoebe's version of 'Let's Fuck with Someone's Mind'. Unfortunately, it seemed to be her favourite game. She played it often enough. Then again, Victoria knew for certain that the main way Phoebe got *anywhere* was on her back. They had studied the information which had been sent over to Scotland Yard prior to departure while on the flight over. The case involved a pyrokinetic. And, as Victoria's specialty, not to mention personality, was that of unusual phenomenon - though she also solved, and help solve, normal cases - the case was handed to her. As for what her old nemesis was doing assigned to the case... well, Phoebe had a way around men... to get them to do exactly what she wanted. Her companion gave a very evil grin. "It always pays to be prepared." "Not with that much leather. Are you trying to seduce someone again?" As if I need to ask, she didn't say. "Of course. What else?" Inspector Phoebe Green smiled, the catty, smug, infuriating smile she favoured everyone with, her brown eyes flashing as she tossed back her shoulder length brown hair. "Leather feels so good against naked flesh, especially when you know it will be removed by the other person soon." There was laughter in that last statement, and Victoria wanted to get her to shut up, except that it would cause a scene... not that Phoebe was above scenes. Victoria was, though. Phoebe Green and Victoria Jensen had known each other for a long time. They'd met while in primary school, and while at Oxford University, Victoria had been good friends with one Fox W. Mulder before Phoebe decided that she wanted Mulder for herself, though Victoria had never been interested in him for the same reasons. 'And we're going to be in the company of her favourite victim. I've got to warn him... before she tries anything, though I doubt Dana would let Phoebe get far.' she thought. At the thought of her old friend from her University days at Oxford and his partner, she smiled inwardly. 'They are quite a pair, and can face anything, if only Mulder didn't want to protect Dana so much!' "Phoebe, last I remember, you and I are here to solve the death of a British citizen under strangely familiar circumstances. Therefore, you are *not* here to see how many more notches you can get in your bloody garter." Victoria's tone was waspish. "No matter how much you may want to." She ran her fingers part way through her long, black hair and flipping the braid over her shoulder, momentarily stifling the urge to strangle Phoebe with it before rubbing at her brown eyes. It had been a *long* flight. Her black suede leather coat hung off her tiredly, and she stretched slightly, thanking the gods she'd dressed in the soft fabric of her favourite deep indigo dress instead of separates, since the dress was extremely comfortable and didn't bind. Normally, she slept on the flight across the Atlantic, having made relatively frequent trips for various reasons but this time it had been out of the question. If it wasn't Phoebe keeping her awake, she'd have visions of a pyrokinetic wreaking havoc on Washington, D. C., Mulder, Scully, and two people she hadn't met yet, a man and a woman. The woman had very long hair braided back, and there was a sense of familiarity about her, though nothing she could put her finger on. And she would occasioinally catch a hint of the pyrokinetic, but that hint usually involved smoke and mirrors. "What's the matter, Victoria? Not getting any lately? Oh, but I forgot... you never do anyway." The smile again, except this time, there was more superiority and laughter added to it. 'I will not kill her. I will not kill her. I will not kill- Fox William Mulder, whatever possessed you to make me promise never to strangle this woman, I will never know.' she sighed, getting the last of her things gathered. As they walked out of the gate, there was a tall man waiting for them, accompanied by a shorter redhead. Both of them dressed in suits. The man caught sight of Phoebe first, and the look on his face caused Victoria to smile inwardly. a loud thought echoed from the man's mind. Victoria could hear it and had to smile. Besides, as she looked at his eye colour, she noted that they were a bright green, a sign in him that he was panicking. Badly. The man scowled at the sight of Phoebe, but then there was a flash of a smile when he caught sight of Victoria. The woman also smiled, though Victoria could sense the resignation as Phoebe's presence was also acknowledged. Victoria caught Mulder's thought and smiled a bit more brightly. "Mulder! Dana!" Victoria instantly brightened. Then again, eight hours on a plane with her least favourite person in the world would be enough to kill anyone's good mood. "Hey, VC! It's good to see you again." Mulder stepped up to give her a big hug. Victoria rolled her eyes. "Fox, you *know* I hate being called 'VC'." Victoria batted her eyelashes at Mulder. "Almost as much as I hate being called 'Fox'." He smiled. "I know that, Victoria." Mulder answered as he closed his arms around her and held his old friend close, as though she were a shield from Phoebe. Which, as Victoria could sense, wasn't far from the truth. "None for me, Mulder?" Phoebe's voice was once again slick and seductive. "I am disappointed. I thought we were better friends than that!" "Mulder, be careful... she's after a piece of you.... a trophy, and I believe you know what I am talking about." Victoria murmured into his ear as she planted a light kiss on his cheek by way of their usual greeting. Victoria stood three inches shorter than Mulder and, as he was kissing her on the cheek as well, Victoria caught a 'thank you for the warning, VC' murmured into her ear under Mulder's breath even as he shuddered. She raised an inquiring eyebrow at him and his only reply was a passingly teasing grin, though it only lasted a moment before he turned to Phoebe. Victoria shook her head, trying not to shake with laughter. "Ah, no, Phoebe, I don't think so." Mulder's voice was firm and in control. Just to be safe, though, he took hold of Scully's hand. She squeezed it and they traded looks before he let go. "Mulder, we need to get going. Storm's flight should be arriving about now, and we are here to meet her too, remember. You know how easily she gets into trouble." Dana checked her watch. "Too well, Scully." Mulder grinned at his partner. "Though we've still got a few minutes, I know we shouldn't take any chances. She and Victoria have the same aptitude for trouble." Dana Scully laughed. "Well, you are perfectly welcome to go on head with Victoria to go meet this other person, *Dana*." Phoebe spoke up. "And leave you alone with him, Phoebe, not a chance. Your motives are so transparent, a blind man with a *hearing problem* could hear what you were thinking." Victoria grumbled. "And what's *that* supposed to mean?" Phoebe batted her eyelashes, looking offended. "Phoebe, don't act that stupid around me. You know damned well what that means." Her temper flared, and she no longer cared about causing a scene... since Phoebe was already causing one. "You know, Victoria, I wish I'd never made you promise never to strangle her..." Mulder muttered only barely loud enough for Victoria to hear. Dana Scully heard just fine, and a smile flashed across her features. Phoebe missed it. "Come on. We've got to meet Storm's plane. I get the feeling you're going to like her, Victoria." Scully smiled. "Oh? If she is anything like either you or Mulder-" Victoria started, grinning at Scully. "Actually, I would have to say Storm is rather like *you*." Mulder interrupted. Victoria gave a shrug. "Let's go then. Phoebe? You going to stay here and behave or should I send you on the next plane back to Heathrow?" Victoria's tone was a touch on the impatient side. "I'm coming with you. After all... Mulder and I have a lot to catch up on." Phoebe smiled. Already she'd latched onto his arm and was refusing to let go. This also left Victoria handling all the baggage. Victoria grumbled as Phoebe led Mulder away, at the same time telling him to lead the way to the gate where the other flight was arriving. She could see in Mulder's manner that he was *not* happy to be in the situation he was in and desparately wanted to get out of it. He was also constantly glancing over to his partner, who was returning the look with a helpless shrug. Dana Scully lingered behind and helped Victoria with the luggage, most of it being Phoebe's as Victoria had only brought the two suitcases, and both of them had sturdy handles and wheels to pull them with. "Here, Victoria, why don't I help you with that?" Scully smiled, helping Victoria put Phoebe's suitcases, as there were several of them, onto the cart they had brought. "I hope Mulder knows where your friend's flight is arriving, otherwise Phoebe is likely to pull him into something he's going to regret. Immediately." "Agreed." Scully said, as they rushed to catch up with one extremely reluctant Special Agent, and one boa constrictor who also happened to be a British detective. * * * * * Storm yawned as she walked off the plane. Flynn had slept the entire time while she stared out the window. Although the flight wasn't that long, it was still annoying, made even more so by the male flight attendant kept trying to get her attention. Some people just didn't get a clue when it was handed to them on a silver platter. Then, there was that vision that just wouldn't go away... Almost as soon as the plane started to descend, she tensed and instantly felt Flynn's hand on her shoulder. It was a definite comfort. After a moment, he leaned in and asked, "What's wrong, Storm?" "To tell you the truth, Flynn, I'm not really sure. All I know is that I had a vision of this airport before we left, and now that we're here, I've got a really, really bad feeling about it. I don't know why, I just do, and I don't know what in hell I'm supposed to do about it." "Well, Watson, I wouldn't worry about it too much. After all, you do know these people, right?" "Yeah, I do, and the more I think about it, the more I wonder if that's the problem." "Oh?" he arched an eyebrow at her. "Explain." "Well, it's not Dana," Storm started, a smile widening into a grin, "but with Mulder, I think that the better you know him, the more afraid you get. I fear the man is on the brink of insanity at the best of times, and at the worst, he's lost what he never had." "His mind, eh?" Flynn grinned at her. "So, he's one of those?" "Aye, that, and one that you resemble in all except appearance. You might enjoy his company." "Should I be offended by this?" "Wait until you meet him and draw your own conclusions," she commented, affecting Dana's enigmatic expression. He didn't have a comment to match her last statement, and when she looked at him, Storm noticed a contemplative expression on his face, and decided to leave him alone. Their banter had relaxed her enough so that she wasn't really that worried about the landing of the plane. When it finally did land, they moved out of their seats as fast as possible. As they entered the terminal, Storm just shook her head, looked around for the luggage area and wondered where the people who were supposed to be meeting her here were. Although it wasn't like she didn't know the area well enough, she'd still feel better if she knew someone was here. As if the thought had beckoned her, Storm heard a familiar voice from behind her, and turned to see Dana Scully, smiling but professional. "Hey, Storm, it's been a long time." "Too long, Dana. Too long," She returned her friend's smile, gave a half-smile to the woman that seemed familiar to her somehow, yet she didn't really know, and tried not to glare at the woman who decided to attach herself to Mulder's side like an artificial limb before responded quietly, "You could have warned me about this, you know?" "Well," Dana shrugged, and Storm got a flash of the image file of Phoebe Green that she and Dana had mangled beyond recognition before her friend continued speaking, "considering the way I presented one of the other people assisting in the case, I feared that you might tell me no." "Oh?" Storm arched an eyebrow as she gave Dana a quick hug before pretending to search the crowd for the person her friend spoke of. "And who would that be?" A disgusted grimace crossed Dana's face as she gestured toward the woman who was trying to make herself a permanent attachment of Fox Mulder, though she regained her composure within moments. "Phoebe Green." Phoebe's voice broke into their conversation, and Storm tensed, knowing that she would probably be able to see that sneer even with her eyes closed. "Ohh, isn't this so touching?" Storm projected the thought at Dana even as she commented, "We'll talk later, Dana. After all, I want to know if you and Mulder ever got horizontal..." Scully shook her head at her friend, and with a straight face and a slight blush, told her, "No comment." Mulder commented, "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that, Storm." Storm took a moment to study Mulder and the woman who had attached herself so firmly to him, and her initial distrust and dislike of the woman grew. Mulder looked as though he wanted to be anyplace where Phoebe couldn't reach him. Added to that was the fact that if looks could kill, Phoebe would have already died three times, for both Dana and the person in the group Storm was unfamiliar with were killing Phoebe with their eyes, as was Mulder. The unfamiliar woman, though, it was almost as if she knew her somehow... An idea occured to her, and with a glance at Flynn, who nodded at her, Storm grinned evilly and launched herself at Mulder in what could have almost been called a tacklehug. Whatever it was, it managed to knock Phoebe's hold loose. With a smirk, she said, "Heya, Foxie!" "Storminelica... do not call me that," he groaned, but she could sense that now that the human viper was away from him, he seemed to be in a more teasing mood. "And don't call me that, *Mulder*," she responded in kind, pulling away from the hug and giving him a wide grin. "Fine, *Austin*." They laughed, and Storm asked him, "So, Mulder, did you miss me at all?" A mischievous look crossed his face as he pretended that the question required a great deal of thought. "Well, to be perfectly honest... No." "I'll get you for that. Later," Storm promised as she punched him lightly, then felt someone glaring at her, only to see the furious face of Phoebe Green when she turned away from him. She heard Flynn's voice in her head, and sighed. he reminded her gently, flashing an image of the last time it had happened. she grumbled back at him before pulling away from Mulder with a light laugh and a comment. "I hope you didn't bring your gun, Mulder, since I don't think we can spare the time to write up the report for injuring innocent bystanders." "Some bystanders aren't so innocent," he mumbled in response as Storm sighed and tilted her eyes skyward, silently asking for patience to get through this ordeal. She moved back to Flynn's side, and felt his reassuring hand at the base of her spine. Storm once again remembered Dana's comment about how comforting it was, and gave her a mental nod of acknowledgment. * * * * * "Before we get any farther, Dana, Mulder, why don't you introduce us? I'm curious as to who your friends are." Victoria smiled, already starting to consider ways to physically take care of Phoebe. "Uh... I think I'll leave this to Scully. I'm not feeling too well." Mulder muttered. "Mulder, since you're not feeling well, why not come to my hotel room with me. I'm more than willing to take care of you." Phoebe smiled, batting her eyelashes and seductively cozying up to him. Mulder looked as though he was about to regurgitate something, and he threw Scully a pathetically helpless look. Scully sighed softly and took pity on her partner. "Okay... Storm Austin, this is DCI Victoria Jensen. Victoria, this is Storm... an old friend of mine and a former departmental colleague of ours. Victoria and Mulder knew each other during Oxford. Storm and I met during high school and-" "And a colossal bore she was even then, I'm certain." Phoebe put in, uninvited as always. Storm looked as though she might attempt to kill Phoebe right then and there, but she held her temper with a great amount of effort, sensing that there were many people in line for that honour before her. A moment later, she was proved correct. "Phoebe... if you do not shut up, I am going to send you on the first flight home. In a *BODY BAG*." Victoria shot a cold look at her. "Just try it." Phoebe smiled sweetly. "You know I have connections. If anything happens to me, you'll pay for it." "You're not the only one with connections, Phoebe. And you'll pay for it before I ever do. There is a line you don't want to cross with me, Phoebe. I'm warning you right now." Before anyone could reply, there was a ringing sound from Mulder's pocket. It was his celphone. He drew it out. "Mulder." Victoria and Phoebe still glared at each other but neither said a word as Mulder took the call. There was no love lost between them, and everyone knew it. Oftentimes, they each did things deliberately to irritate the other, most especially if Mulder were involved. Victoria had literally saved Mulder's life after Phoebe had decided she was no longer in need of him. "Storm..." Victoria said, turning to the other woman, deciding to kill Phoebe at a later time. "There is something familiar about you... though I can't place my finger on it." Storm started to respond, but Mulder spoke first. "It'll have to wait, Victoria. There was another murder... same MO and everything. We've gotta get to it. Now." Mulder said. "Since when are you in such a hurry to catch a pyrokinetic, Mulder? As I recall, you hate fire. I remember looking for you outside the boxcar in New Mexico..." Mulder shivered. "Don't remind me," he grumbled, still feeling his stomach roil. "Oh, Phoebe, catch." Victoria said, tossing something at her colleague. One of the things Phoebe had neglected to pick up in her eagerness to attach herself to Mulder like a bloodsucking leech was her purse. The small bag, Phoebe's handbag, hit her in the face, spilling its contents, which included a leash and what appeared to be a thong. Made of leather. The thong and leash scattered themselves toward Victoria's feet, and she picked them up, tucking them away in the softsided briefcase she'd carried on the plane. At the same time, Victoria raised an eyebrow. However, it had its intended effect. Phoebe let go of Mulder and Mulder, noting the spilled contents, leaned in to whisper into Victoria's ear. "How do you suppose she got those past customs, VC?" "Knowing Phoebe... she found a way." Victoria shrugged. "More than likely, a way I don't want to know about. And nor do you." She'd been dubbed 'VC' by Mulder after he'd found out her full name was Victoria Catriona Jensen. He teased her about it even more after he'd gotten through Quantico and been assigned to the Violent Crimes Unit and she'd joined up with Scotland Yard. It mildly annoyed her, but she put up with it from Mulder, since he meant it affectionately... unlike others who had also given her the same nickname, but for different reasons. "This is true." Mulder mumbled, before turning to Scully. "Hey, Scully, what say we get out of here? We have to solve this case." "Good idea, Mulder." Dana Scully replied with a small smile. "I'm going to make certain you pay for doing that, Victoria Jensen." Phoebe said sharply, after her purse was properly on her shoulder again. "Pay for what, Phoebe? I handed you your purse. I can't help that it happened to hit you in the face." Victoria shrugged. The group of them headed toward the exits. End Chapter One Nothing But Trouble: Out Of The Frying Pan... by Christina Shuy (cshuy@netcom.com) and Diana Alexander (dmulder@nettaxi.com) Chapter Two Got to be Starting Something Storm slid the strap of her bag over one shoulder and headed out of the terminal behind Victoria, Mulder, Phoebe, and Flynn. Dana had hung back, which usually meant that she was either deep in thought or wanted to talk about something. Storm was still struck by how true Victoria's statement seemed, since she had seemed familar to her too. However, during the scene where Phoebe's leather had spilled out, she had just turned to Flynn, who had been beside her, and buried her head in his shoulder to keep from snickering. "Storm?" the concerned voice of Dana Scully broke her reverie and she shook her head slightly. "Dana, you could have warned me, you know," she wrinkled her nose. "Well, actually I was going to, but Mulder made me promise that I wouldn't," Dana rolled her eyes slightly. "That partner of yours can be quite exasperating, Dana," Storm told her as they walked out of the terminal and in the direction that the rest of the group had headed. "I hated her from the first moment you mentioned her four years ago, but I didn't know why. Now I've met her, know why, and I think I hate her more now." "Truer words have never been spoken," Dana told her with a wry smile. "Though if you wanted to kill her, I think you'd be standing in a long line if you tried. Victoria's at the head of it, though I think she wouldn't mind if Mulder took the first shot. Then again, if someone managed to kill Phoebe, the murder investigation would be like an Agatha Christie novel. One that would never be read." "Or solved," Storm laughed. "Somehow, Dana, that doesn't surprise me in the slightest. So, what's the seating arrangement like?" "Well, Mulder and I are in the front with Phoebe, so I can try to keep from strangling her myself and saving Victoria the trouble; you, Flynn, and Victoria are in the back." "Ah, so I can pull her hair out as painfully as possible..." Storm grinned evilly, then turned serious again. "I'm worried about Mulder, Dana. And myself." "What do you mean, Storm?" "Thanks to what you've told me, I already know how Mulder is around fire, so a pyrokinetic is always a bad situation. Phoebe and a pyromaniac or pyrokinetic seems to be an even worse combination to me, and here recently I had a bad experience with pyrokinetic myself. I had to pull Flynn's ass out of the fire, quite literally. It makes me uneasy to be in this kind of situation so soon after that." "I can understand that," Just then, they approached the car. Mulder was sitting behind the wheel, and the rest were sitting in the car waiting. Storm felt a twinge of guilt, considering that it was slowly becoming the hottest year that anyone had seen in quite some time. "Well, it's about time you got here," Phoebe's voice grated unpleasantly on her nerves, as Mulder got out of the car to let Scully in the middle and Storm slid in the back besides Flynn, resisting the urge to shudder in response. 'Oh, this is going to be a long case...' * * * * * When they all got back to the J. Edgar Hoover building for the briefing on the case, both Storm and Victoria were seething. Phoebe had, in her usual way, managed to irritate everyone. The briefing was scheduled to begin in an hour, during which time, the evidence as it stood was going to be handed over to the group of them. Victoria noticed that Mulder looked decidedly nervous walking out of the Assistant Director's office after being informed of this, and decided to keep an eye on him as they headed down to the basement office, which was the headquarters of the X-Files division. Which is where they all were now. Mulder and Scully were looking through a file. It was more than obvious that Mulder was trying to ignore and avoid Phoebe as much as possible. The tone of her mindvoice was mischievous. Storm stifled a grin and an enthusiastic response as she looked at Victoria and raised an eyebrow, much the way Scully would, and Victoria smiled. "Sorry... bad habit... sometimes works with Mulder, if the idiot would bother to listen." Victoria said, though just loud enough for Storm only to hear. "Talking about me behind my back in front of me again, VC?" Mulder asked. "I thought I told you not to call me that, Spooky." Victoria's temper was getting very short. "I'm sorry, Victoria, it's just that I thought I heard my name so I thought I'd ask if you were talking about me in that way you have, and if so, how much of that was old Oxford stories." Mulder's relief at not having to speak to Phoebe was evident. "*Have* you been talking about me again?" "No... just wondering how long it is going to take you to finish studying the file and tell us what you know already... starting with why you asked us to hop the first flight over from Heathrow." Victoria grumbled. The exhaustion of not having slept in quite a while was beginning to show on her face and in her mannerisms. "Well, Victoria, you are more than welcome to leave. I *know* you didn't get any sleep on the plane." Phoebe's saccharin smile was nauseating, and she moved closer to Mulder, who shuddered again. "No, Phoebe... I know you too well. I know your motives far too well, and I'm not going to allow you to get away with it." Victoria said, tamping down the urge to slap her nemesis into the next decade. "Uh... Victoria, may I have a word with you?" Mulder asked, glancing briefly at his partner, standing up and putting down the file. "You too, Storm..." He took the both of them out of the office, into the hallway, leaving Flynn watching Scully and Phoebe who looked as though they were about to start something. Flynn Brannen didn't know the half of it, but even with what he knew, it was obvious that there was trouble brewing. "Certainly, Mulder... What do you need to speak to me about?" Victoria asked, as the three of them set foot outside the office and Mulder shut the door. "You know, leaving Dana and Phoebe in there alone is not a good idea, even with Flynn in there watching. In fact, that might make it worse. Mulder, you *know* how Phoebe is around men!" "All too well..." he grumbled. "Is there something you aren't telling me, either of you?" Storm cut in. "Yeah... Scully can handle herself, this much I do know. However, Phoebe's a piranha about men... and she doesn't like Dana. At all. Meaning Flynn had better watch out. Hell, with the way Phoebe is, Flynn had better watch out either way!" "That's not the-" Victoria's statement was interrupted by the sudden image which slid into sharp focus in her mind. Dana Scully stood in the doorway of what appeared to be Mulder's apartment. She was dressed in a blue leather cat suit which looked as if it were spray-painted on. Her trenchcoat was at her feet in a small pile. Mulder was wearing... well, he was wearing what looked like a leather thong... in fact, it looked like exactly the thing which had spilled out of Phoebe's handbag earlier. There was also a chain dangling from his neck where a collar was attached. Dana approached quickly, taking hold of the chain and pulling Mulder close to her. "Come to momma..." she growled, tugging on the chain and wrapping lengths of the leash between her fingers. His eyes widened and she smiled brightly. Then, they started a tango- "Earth to Victoria... VC, are you in there?" Mulder's voice broke through the vision, but didn't end it. It merely slipped into the background of thoughts. "I... Yes, I am still here... And I thought I told you not to call me VC." She smiled at Mulder. "Now, explain to me why it was so important for Phoebe and myself to get on the next flight in from London..." Before any of them could say another word, there was loud screaming coming from inside the office. "What the...?!" Mulder asked, turning to go back inside. Victoria directed the thought at both Storm and Mulder. She heard grumbling from Mulder but not much else. Storm answered in kind. Victoria said, as she followed Mulder back into the office. Storm's grin was mischievous. When they walked back in, Dana had Phoebe in a headlock, though Phoebe was struggling to get out of it. Flynn stood there, letting the two of them struggle it out between them. There was the beginnings of a black eye starting, indicating that he had been part of an earlier struggle, but he was standing out of the way as much as possible. Suddenly, there was a flash of smoke outside and then fire stood between them and the hallway, stairs, and elevator. began running through Mulder's mind. "You mean other than Phoebe?" Mulder's grin flashed for a moment before he went back to panicking. His eyes had turned a very intense shade of green, and there was a look of panic on his face stronger than most of the ones Victoria had seen before. "Mulder... relax... Let's get out of this office." 'And if you would rather leave Phoebe here, I wouldn't mind.' she thought, but didn't say. One look at Mulder's face and she knew he was thinking the same. They grinned at one another, gathered everyone together and got out of the office, Victoria running for the fire extinguisher. Before she could get there, however, the sprinkler system came on, drenching the group of them. "Who said *all* of Hell had to break loose?" Storm groaned. "Wasn't me... I was too busy getting punched in the eye..." Flynn muttered under his breath with a groan. It was the first he'd spoken since getting the bruised eye. "Well, this certainly puts a damper on things..." Victoria shrugged. "Victoria..." Mulder's groan was indicative that he did think it was funny and was trying not to laugh. Storm, Scully, and Flynn were all grinning. Phoebe did not think it funny at all, and that make it all the funnier. "It's not any worse than things I've heard you say, Mulder." Victoria's lips twitched as she suppressed the smile. "She's got you there, Mulder." Scully teased. "Well, at least it got the fire out." Mulder grinned. "Anyway, I am going to call upstairs and reschedule the briefing for tomorrow sometime. Those who had heard him nodded. Phoebe just continued to bat her eyelashes at Mulder, and hoping she wouldn't be noticed, which she was. Storm groaned as she unbraided her hair. Flynn's eye had nearly swollen shut, and she was drenched from the attack of the sprinkler system. When her blond hair hung down to her hips, she shook her head and attempted to get Mulder's attention. "What is it, Storm?" "I don't know what happened between Dana and Phoebe," Storm gave her friend a grin, "and frankly, I don't care, but my partner has been injured, and he needs to get some ice on that eye. Right, Flynn?" she turned on a saccharin tone of her own He groaned, "Whatever you say, Storm, since I'm not really in a mood to argue." He pouted, too distracted by the pain in his eye even for his trademark mischevious look, one Storm missed. Storm looked at Dana for sympathy, "Dana, surely you know what it's like to have a partner who needs minor medical attention. After all, you have been partnered with Accident-Prone over there for about five years." "I resemble that remark..." Mulder mock glared at Storm, and she smirked in return. "Mulder, have you ever considered that that's the problem? Anyway, I'm going to head back to the hotel to take care of him. Mulder, Scully, try not to kill anybody while I'm gone, please? I'm sure the paperwork would be horrendous." Storm sent with a wry smile. Storm waved cheerfully at the gathered occupants and guided Flynn out of the office. "What do you want to bet that Victoria kills Phoebe on the way to the hotel, anyway?" Storm asked with a grin. "If she doesn't, I want to be the one to do it," Flynn grumbled under his breath, raising his hand to his rapidly bruising eye. "Get in line, Sherlock," Storm shook her head at him, "and prepare for a long wait." "She has that many enemies, huh?" "Yes..." Storm hissed. "Oh, and by the way, how *did* you get that black eye?" "It's a long story, Watson..." "Well, Sherlock... we have a long drive back to the hotel, so perhaps you can tell me then." "If you wish..." he groaned again. "Yes, I wish." It was going to be a *long* story. * * * * * Phoebe, Victoria, Mulder and Scully had managed to practically arrive at the hotel at the same time Storm and Flynn did. The four of them had driven directly while Storm and Flynn had stopped off to get an icepack for Flynn's eye as well as a bite to eat. The door had just shut behind Storm and Flynn, who were both in Flynn's hotel suite for the time being. Storm's suite was in the adjoining room. "Well, what do you suppose they're doing? Indulging in a little unprofessional conduct?" Phoebe's smile was smug and decidedly infuriating. Victoria decided that she'd had enough. Far *too* much, in fact. "Phoebe, do me a great and massive favour and *GO AWAY*!" Victoria snarled. "Oh, lighten up... All you need is to get some sleep... and perhaps a few other things." Phoebe's smile was infuriating. It felt to Victoria that Phoebe had been doing things deliberately to annoy and irritate her. Including keeping her awake the entire flight over from Heathrow. Knowing Phoebe... Victoria's feeling was probably right. "That does it!" Victoria launched towards Phoebe... or would have. Mulder had his arms wrapped around her waist. "Don't... she isn't worth it, VC... and I really don't want to see you living up to your nickname. Even on my behalf." He murmured into her ear. "You know how much trouble you're prone to getting into..." was the general idea of the thought she picked up from him. She sighed. "Go into your room, Phoebe... before I do something I know I will regret later." Mulder let go of her. Phoebe, who was also tired, slipped the keycard into the door and unlocked her hotel room, smiling brightly and seductively at Mulder as she walked in, hoping he'd follow. He didn't. The door closed moments later. "Care to stay for a night cap?" Victoria looked at both Mulder and Scully. They both smiled. "Sure. We can catch up on old times." Mulder answered. "I can tell Scully all the embarrassing stories about you that I know of." "Turn about is fair play, Mulder." Victoria teased. "Yeah, well... I think I'll take my chances." he smiled. "Don't say I didn't warn you..." Victoria's grin got wider. Victoria slipped the keycard into the lock of her hotel suite, and the door opened with a quiet *snick*. "After you..." she smiled, tiredly. "So here we were, standing in the middle of Salisbury Plain... Mulder was the happiest I'd seen him up to that point... and then he starts seeing this strange dancing light..." "Foxfire?" Scully interrupted Victoria's story. Victoria smiled. "Well, neither of us managed to figure out what it was-" A knock at the door interrupted Victoria's statement. As she rose to answer the door, she had a strange feeling that not everything was as well as she thought it might be at the start. "Who is it?" "Storm Austin." She let Storm in. There was an apologetic look on her face. "I'm sorry about Flynn, Storm, but that is the way Phoebe is. If she doesn't get her way, she turns violent." "That's all right. Phoebe had just better watch her back, is all. Otherwise, I think Flynn might want to stick a knife in it." Storm smiled. Before Victoria could say anything else, she was hit with a vision. * * * The Cigarette Smoking Man strode into an office in the CIA's main building in Washington D.C. There was only one person who could perform this task. At least there was one person who went through the project that turned out as They had originally planned. "What exactly is your business with me, *sir*?" Starr asked him scathingly as she narrowed her eyes, crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in her desk chair. "Your sister," he commented as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Ah, as always," Starr rolled her eyes in exasperation. "First you have me get inside her mind where her deepest secrets are kept, then you had me murder her fiance... what next?" * * * "Victoria?" Mulder was getting seriously concerned. He'd seen a look on her face like that before, but he'd never seen her as pale as she was becoming. "Victoria!" As she collapsed, he managed to catch her, but only just. "Storm, a hand please?" he asked. Storm had a blank look on her face, and obviously didn't hear a word he said. Apparently, whatever it was Victoria had seen, she'd caught a glimpse of as well. Even as Mulder was turning to ask Storm for help again, Storm herself was unresponsive, and practically fell over, almost as though backing into a corner. Before either Mulder or Scully could ask what was wrong, Storm began to scream. End Chapter Two. Nothing But Trouble: Out Of The Frying Pan... by Christina Shuy (cshuy@netcom.com) and Diana Alexander (dmulder@nettaxi.com) Chapter Three Oh! What a Pain! A second before Victoria had collapsed, Storm felt as though she was being thrown through time to stand at the edge of an office. The woman she knew to be her sister, the face uncannily like her own, studied her manicured fingernails before looking for a nail file. Just then, the Cigarette Smoking Man strode into the room, and she could get a wave of thought from him about how there weas only one person who could do as he planned. There was only one person who had turned out exactly like planned, and she was in this office. He strolled in and closed the door behind him, waves of annoyance rolling off him when he realised that he was being purposely ignored. Starr Austin, the only person who turned out "right" just continued filing her nails as she read a document displayed on the computer screen. Storm couldn't get close enough to tell exactly what it was, but it seemed to be an email. A few moments later, she acknowledged his presence by raising her eyes to gaze coolly at him. "Kind *sir*," she began scathingly, "but you are aware of my wishes about cigarettes." He stood there for a moment, exchanging glares with the rebellious young Project member, practically daring her to put out the cigarette herself. As she sat there, arms crossed, and continued to glare at him, he extinguished it on her desk and threw it in front of her, knowing she couldn't stand the smell of the things. With a look of distaste, Starr lifted the still-smoking cigarette butt with her index finger and thumb, tossing it into the trash can beside her desk. "What is your business with me, *sir*?" Starr's scathing tone only got stronger as she leaned back in her desk chair. "Your sister," Storm jumped, knowing that the man could only bet talking about one sister, and the way it was spoken as if it should have been obvious to her why he had sought her out of everyone else he could have chosen. "Ah, yes, my sister as always," Starr rolled her eyes in exasperation. "First you have me get inside her mind where her deepest secrets are kept, then you had me murder her fiance... what next?" Storm, had she been visible, would have paled, and started shaking, but even so, when she heard about what had been done to Matthew, felt her presence starting to weave in and out. She was there long enough to hear the last part of the dialogue before she disappeared entirely. "Just a little surveillance on her and the X-Files agents. They apparently have a little assistance from across the Pond as well. I want them stopped and sent home. See if you can get inside her mind again and set her off track. Set a few fires." The Smoking Man smirked. "Use your own judgment." "As always," the woman snorted, running her hands through her short blond hair. He nodded curtly and smirked as he walked out of her office, leaving behind the evil essence of cigarette smoke. * * * * * When she returned to her own body, Storm realised that sometime during that experience, her physical self had sank to the floor, drawn her knees to her chest. There were screams escaping her lips and mind that didn't even feel like her own. Yet it seemed like, for a while at least, she watched from some distant point as Mulder and Scully had no idea what to do with their two friends, not to mention that they had no idea what had happened. Eventually she closed off her emotions, her shrieking, and her mind in order to slip into blessed unconsciousness. Even as Scully kept watch over Storm, Mulder checked Victoria's vitals, mystified at what could have caused such a reaction in her. By the time she regained consciousness, Storm had made a decision to deal with this, and use whatever information she had been able to glean from this vision to their advantage when or if it came into play. With a groan, she pushed Dana to one side and stumbled into the bathroom with the thought of, 'Aw, hell, I'm definitely no saint...' Scully looked at Victoria, then up at Mulder, who was still holding her. "Mulder, what in hell is going on here?" "Don't ask me, Scully. I'm no psychic." "Maybe that's the problem, Mulder." Storm mumbled as she walked out of the bathroom with dazed eyes and a determined expression. Yet, despite her determination, Storm moaned under her breath, "I think I liked the other vision better." "What other vision?" "Dana, it's a long story, and I'm not sure you're ready to hear it yet." A hint of Storm's trademark expression reappeared, but only a hint. "Exactly what did you see, Storm?" Scully asked. "Uh... I... uh..." Storm started to tell her, then turned around and raced back into the bathrooom, looking more than a little green. As Scully was looking after Storm, Mulder was trying to get Victoria to respond. He wasn't having as much luck. Then again, with Victoria as tired as she was, this wasn't exactly surprising. She was probably sleeping. Dana didn't remember a reaction like this before. When she heard the sound of someone emptying out the contents of their stomach, she looked in the direction Storm had gone, the bathroom, with a concerned look. In the mean time, Mulder had managed to maneuver Victoria onto the bed and was shaking her by the shoulders, though there didn't seem to be much reaction. "So, what's the verdict, Mulder?" "She's out of it." Mulder shrugged. "I could have told you that. How is she doing." "Well, the good news is that she's still alive and breathing. The bad news is that I can't seem to get her to react to anything. What hit her seems to have hit her hard. I remember her doing something remotely similar to this only one other time, and it was devastating to me when what she Saw finally happened... later that day." Mulder murmured. "I told you that day... be ready to be hurt by Phoebe..." Victoria breathed. "But... you didn't listen... *again*. Then again, when do you ever listen to me anyway?" "Victoria... can you hear me?" Mulder's voice was rising. "I hear you fine, Mulder... I'm just a little out of it, not deaf." she murmured. "And as for your not being psychic... don't be so sure. However, you're not at the level Storm and I... and her sister are." Mulder shuddered. "I'd hate to be that sensitive." "Well, it has its benefits, as well as its drawbacks. The benefits are that you know a lot... the drawbacks... well, you know a lot, and it gives you a massive headache from time to time." "Are you okay?" he asked. "I'm fine, Mulder..." Victoria answered, covering her eyes with her hands. Scully and Mulder traded a look before both turned their attention back to Victoria. "Liar." Scully's whisper was just barely audible. "Well, if you can lie to him, I can as well." Victoria grumbled. "Except that I'm not lying. I am fine. My head, on the other hand, feels like I just got a boulder dropped on it." "I thought you said you were fine, VC?" Mulder's voice was gently teasing. "And I thought I said, Fox, that aside from a headache, I was." Victoria briefly lifted her hands off her eyes, opened her eyes, glanced at him and then shut them again, this time letting her hands fall to either side of her face. "Well... you look better than I feel." Storm groaned, staggering out of the bathroom, still looking a touch green. It was then that Mulder's phone rang. He drew it out of his pocket. "Mulder." "Well, considering you are more closely related to the subject in question, that being your sister, Storm, that wouldn't surprise me. I wouldn't have said that aloud except that I'm in no shape to communicate telepathically at the moment." Victoria gave a weak smile. "That's okay... I'm feeling better but in no shape to receive right now either." Storm grinned, though it was also tempered. Mulder pocketed his phone. "That was Skinner. Apparently, there's been a massive fire on the fourth floor of the Hoover building." He didn't look too well at the prospect. "Mulder, remember what I told you before..." "Yeah, yeah... I remember. Fire is not something to be feared. It is something to be respected." He turned to Victoria. "I still don't quite believe it." "Neither do I." Storm muttered. "Let's go, then. We have to get to the Hoover building." Victoria said. "What about Flynn?" Scully asked. "He needs his sleep. And we don't need to tell Phoebe." Storm smirked. "You'll get no argument from me." Mulder said. The four of them set out. * * * * * Storm stood before the burning building and twirled a few loose strands of hair around her fingers. The stench of burnt hair hung in the air around her, and she pulled her hair over her right shoulder so she could take a look at it. The ends were scorched, and Storm held back a groan. This meant that she would have to get a haircut before she made herself presentable in the Seattle Bureau Offices again. 'Good thing Flynn wasn't here to see me,' she thought to herself. 'He either would have gone running in after me or would have been laughing his ass off. I can't decide which.' Storm could hear Victoria's voice in her head, and smiled wryly at the truthfulness of the statement. Storm told her, barely noticing the use of a nickname that her cousin used on her, before turning away from the building and the realizations she had come to within its burning walls. It was within those walls where she had begun to understand what Starr's fascination with fire was. It was beautiful in a destructive way. Storm's habit was always to get as far away from that kind of beauty as humanly possible, but her twin was drawn into its seductiveness. 'That's going to get her burned someday...' That's when Storm looked up and saw Mulder. He was watching Scully work with the EMTs from a distance. She sensed a wry feeling around him, and quickened her steps to approach him. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she felt him jump, and a wry smile crossed her face. "Storm, I really wish you'd stop doing that!" Mulder turned to face her with a slight scowl, and she smiled slowly while trying to find a way to explain it to him. "Sorry, Mulder." Though her expression told him she was anything *but*. "Storm..." "Well, Mulder, I'll put it this way. In Seattle, I need every advantage I can get since I'm stuck in an office with a bunch of chauvinistic males. Then there's that guy who can't keep his pants zipped. Around anyone." "What? He has a broken zipper? He likes leering?" Mulder grinned at her. "No, Mulder, though he probably wishes that he did have a broken zipper." Storm flushed a bit, thought whether by the cold air or the turn the conversation had taken, it was hard to tell. "Anyway, that was something I didn't really want to know about him. I'm sure the image will give me nightmares for weeks." The thought of was overlayed with Mulder's mischievously spoken, "Sorry," Even if she hadn't heard the earlier comment Storm would have known by that evil grin that he wasn't the least bit sorry. Storm reached over and gave Mulder an impulsive hug, surprising both him and her. Once he began to hug her back, she smirked and whispered in his ear, "Liar..." "I am not," he responded in kind. "Coulda fooled me," she sighed, and pulled away. "Y'know, sometimes I actually miss the X-Files." "You, Storm Austin, miss the X-Files?" he gave her a look of mock shock. "Yeah," Storm's lips twisted. "Actually, working with Flynn is not much different than working in the X-Files, but... it's boring! I have to behave... and besides, there no one that I can play matchmaker to in Seattle." Mulder glared at her, but she smiled innocently in return, despite the fact that she knew damn good and well that it wouldn't work on him, or anyone else for that matter. "Storm--" Out of the corner of her eye, Storm could see Victoria and Scully approaching, and she moved away. She wouldn't want to let anyone know that she really didn't hate Mulder. It would ruin her perfect reputation. Though it was obvious to her already that Victoria already knew. "Dana! Victoria!" Storm grinned. "Storm, I'm not sure I want to know what you were talking about with my partner," Dana teased. "But on a more serious note, the paramedics want to take us to the hospital for observation." "Dana!" Storm whined at the same time as Mulder whined, "But, Scully..." Victoria looked at both of them. "Come on, children, you know this has to be done. I have to as well, you know." Mulder gave Victoria a childish look, "But mom..." "Mulder, you know I'm not your mother... and if you don't behave, I'll send you to your room without dinner." Victoria looked amused. "And you won't be allowed to go out and play with your friends either. Especially Dana." To that, Mulder could only pout exaggeratedly, sticking his bottom lip out as far as it would go. Storm and Scully laughed. Victoria had a look on her face that said she was amused and trying to keep from laughing. After her laugh, Storm continued to whine at her friend, "Dana, you *know* how much I hate hospitals." "Neither of us care for hospitals, but you don't see me whining, do you?" Storm and Mulder shared a look that basically said, "Well, let's go get this over with," and followed Victoria and Dana back in the direction of the ambulances. End Chapter 3 Nothing But Trouble: Out Of The Frying Pan... by Christina Shuy (cshuy@netcom.com) and Diana Alexander (dmulder@nettaxi.com) Chapter Four Family... Can't Live With Them, Can't Kill 'Em. Victoria sat outside the hospital room, waiting for the doctors to finish examining Mulder. He, in his infinite wisdom, had managed to get just a little too much smoke in his lungs as well as a couple of very nasty bumps on his head, and was therefore being kept overnight for observation. Skinner had just left after informing all of them that the briefing had been postponed again. Until tomorrow. He hoped. Dana Scully had a bump on the head from where a metal book case had fallen on her when they were fighting the fire, so they were keeping her overnight as well. She could already hear Mulder's thoughts grumbling at having to stay overnight at a hospital which was bad enough, but he wasn't even out of town, and he couldn't go home. Victoria sent the thought to him. She could hear Storm's mental laughter as she was tired enough so that she was a little less refined in the transmissions. One odd thing that had happened was that the hospital was out of rooms, so Mulder and Scully had been placed in the same room. With a privacy curtain. There was a sudden commotion and the doctor who was caring for Mulder rushed out, shaking his head. Victoria had to smile at that. Mulder was stubborn as always when it came to medical examinations. He hated them... and was usually as difficult as possible on the doctors. Apparently, this time, he'd chased them out. The snatches of conversation he heard between the doctor and the nurse indicated that Mulder had been less than cooperative. "I take it that was Mulder's doctor?" Storm asked, handing Victoria a cup of hot water and a tea bag. Victoria nodded, opening the tea bag and beginning to brew a cup of tea. Then shook her head and sighed. There was a sense of some confrontation coming, and she couldn't figure what it was just yet, but it was- "I see *he* has gotten *you* involved in this, meaning it can't be any good for Dana.," Heavy footsteps interrupted Victoria's thoughts, and turned Storm's thoughts decidedly unpleasant. Victoria caught Storm's thought and sent a reminder. Storm's thought answered. "I'm sorry... this is a hospital, sir, and you will have to keep your voice down... especially as Dana and Mulder are both supposed to be resting." Victoria stood up to face Bill Scully, looking fresh off the boat and still in uniform, as he skulked in, looking decidedly pissed off. "I take it you're that English slut my sister told me about." was the first thing Bill said to Victoria. "The one her partner has a thing for." That was a *big* mistake. Taking one look at him, she handed her tea to Storm and then Victoria promptly slammed him against the wall, though she'd made certain only herself and Storm were in the hallway. "You're only lucky I know exactly who you are and who your sister is, otherwise you would have been dead the moment those words formed in your pathetic, chauvinistic little brain. *Before* they'd gotten to your mouth." Victoria growled. She had her arm against his throat and was also putting her body weight into keeping him pinned. Also, her knee was at his groin. "As it is, I might well just leave you unable to have any more children... And since I get the feeling you were probably also involved in that Tailhook Scandal, I wonder what your wife would say if and when she finds out." "And what would you know about it?" Bill managed to choke out. "A lot more than you would think, William Scully Junior." Victoria said, emphasizing the 'junior'. "No one mistakes me for Phoebe *or* calls me a slut to my face and gets away with it!" She tightened the pressure on his neck. "And no one disrespects my friends and gets away with it either. Do I make myself clear on that, Ensign?" "I'm not -" Bill managed to choke out. "Do I?" Victoria increased the pressure on his groin. "I told you eventually your mouth would get you into trouble, Bill, but you didn't believe me." Dana said, peeking out of the room. "Victoria, let him go, please." "Out of respect for you, Dana, I will. However, if he calls me either that English slut', or otherwise mistakes me for Phoebe again... I will not be responsible for my actions." Victoria stated calmly, backing off. "I hate to say this, Bill, but you asked for her to react that way. This is Victoria Jensen, an old friend of Mulder's who just also happens to be a friend of *mine*." Dana said. "I remember I told you about her, but apparently you weren't listening to me at the time." "I'm not certain he ever *does* listen, Dana... and aren't you supposed to still be in bed?" Storm asked Dana with concern before turning on Bill with a dark expression. "I would, but you two were loud... and now I know why. Bill, visiting hours aren't until tomorrow, but I should be out of here by then anyway." "How's Mulder doing?" Victoria asked. "Come in and see for yourself. I am going to have a little chat with my dear brother here." Scully said, pulling the robe around her and stepping out of the room. "Storm, you too." "Okay." Storm said, following Victoria into the hospital room with the question remaining of how the hell Bill Scully knew that Dana was in the hospital in the first place. Still, the image of what she was going to do stood out nicely in her mind. Kick Bill's ass till he was unconscious, then shove him into a wheelchair and push him down the stairs, directly into the morgue. She even felt a twitch in her knee that begged to be used on him. 'Why didn't Dana allow me to finish the job?' she wondered to herself as she attempted to list the reasons why she shouldn't kill Bill Scully. "Although he does deserve to die, Storm, it wouldn't be fair for Dana to lose another sibling," Victoria answered. Storm tilted her head toward the ceiling. "Gods, why did they have to kill Mel in cold blood like that instead of Bill." After a moment, Storm's thoughts answered her question. 'Because Mel at least tried to be a good person. Bill was an asshole from the day he entered this world. And I wondered why I thought the gods were unfair.' "Storm, what are you muttering about now?" Mulder's voice came from behind the concealing curtain as Storm and Victoria approached. "Nothing, Mulder, nothing at all." Storm flashed him a sweet smile. "If you think I believe that, then you're insane." "Mulder, I thought I said that already, but--" Storm's celphone phone rang, and she flipped it open and hit the 'receive' button. "Austin." "Storm, where in hell are you?" "Now, Sherlock, you should know I'm not in hell yet." A smirk crossed Storm's face as she heard Flynn's response: "I'm not so sure about that," His voice echoed through the speaker of the small phone. "Flynn, I'm just in the hospital visiting Accident-Prone." Storm saw Mulder's glare out of the corner of her eye, but didn't comment. After listening to Flynn's voice drone on for a moment, she said, "I'll see you later, Sherlock." "Is that a hint, Watson?" "Good*bye*, Flynn," Storm shook her head, then put the phone away. "What was *that* all about?" Storm shrugged, "You know partners, Mulder. They worry." "All too well." * * * * * Dana Scully approached her older brother, who looked down at her with a slightly superior look on his face. "Bill, what in hell are you doing here?" "I heard you were in the hospital and I--" "You were never there for me before, so why now?" Dana asked him with anger. "You weren't there for Mom while I was gone, you weren't there when I returned, you weren't even at Melissa's funeral, or when I was first diagnosed with cancer! Why now?" "I had duty, Da--" "Seems to me like you use your duty as an excuse when it's convenient, Bill," Dana's voice was one that had gained her the nickname of "Ice Queen" at the Bureau. "Yet you choose to remind me of my 'responsibilities' whenever it's convenient for you." Bill and Dana glared at each other for a few moments, each filled with mutual resentfulness. Dana told him before she turned away, "Storm was there, *Mulder* was definitely there. I don't like how you treat the people who *were* there for me while you were conveniently absent, and I won't stand for it. Neither will they. I think you'd better leave, Bill." He glared at her for a moment, then turned on his heel and walked down the hallway and Dana returned to the hospital room she was to share with Mulder, and heard the low tones of conversation. * * * * * As Scully returned to the hospital room, she noted Storm and Mulder talking quietly and Victoria was sitting in a chair, dozing, the paper cup in her hand slightly crumpled and only filled with a used tea bag. When Mulder's eyes found hers, he smiled brightly. She smiled back. "So, how did your conversation with your brother go?" he asked. "It went." Dana shrugged. "He's being overprotective, as well as using duty as an excuse to either not visit or visit and be overbearing. " "Sounds like he hasn't changed a bit." Storm answered. "Oh, he has... he just hasn't gotten any *better*. What was all the commotion about in the hallway anyway?" "He thought Victoria was Phoebe and Victoria almost took his head off." Storm groaned. Mulder looked curious but said nothing. He remembered when such things had happened at Oxford and there was nearly a look of pity on his face. He knew well what Victoria was like when angry. "And it's getting late, so I think I should be getting back to the hotel before Flynn decides to put an APB out for me." "He'd do that, wouldn't he?" Mulder grinned, and Storm raised an eyebrow before grinning back. "Well, Considering the trouble you've been known to get into, maybe he *should*," Mulder snickered. "I'm not the one spending the night in the hospital for doing something stupid, Mulder." Storm smiled teasingly. "You didn't earn the nickname Accident-Prone' by doing nothing, you know." "Storm, could you take Victoria back to the hotel? I think she's in no condition to take herself back and she needs her sleep, I think." Scully stepped in to make sure Mulder didn't get even more injured, and Storm didn't end up in the hospital right alongside them. "And you should get some sleep too. No offense, but you look like hell. As well as looking as though you could drop at any minute." Storm smiled and nodded. Scully had gone into her professional medical doctor' mode, so there was no arguing with her. Then again, the day's events had taken a lot out of her as well, so she was nearly exhausted. Victoria, who was extremely drowsy, woke somewhat easily. Then again, she'd not really gotten any sleep in the last 48 hours or so, first working a full day, flying over from London sitting next to Phoebe didn't allow her any rest, staying up all night talking and catching up with Mulder and Dana, and now, at about 9pm Eastern Standard Time, after also fighting a fire, she was worn out. She and Storm left to return to the hotel they were both staying at. "Well, Mulder, what do you think about the present situation?" Scully asked after their friends had gone. "I don't know. I still hate fire, even though Victoria is constantly telling me fire is something to be respected, not feared." He sighed. "Rather like nature, I think. She keeps telling me that, but I still don't quite believe her." Scully smiled. "Mulder, *I* told you that on a case several years ago. I remember saying we had to respect nature because it had no respect for us." "You did? Oh! That's right. You did." Mulder grinned at his partner. "The case when we went to go find Big Blue." "Mulder, go to sleep. Hopefully we'll be out of here tomorrow." "Hopefully. But then we still have Skinner to get this through." "Mulder, we saved lives in that building... the medical insurance may not like it, but we were doing out duty." Scully said, as Mulder yawned broadly. "Uh... huh..." he murmured drowsily. Scully pulled the privacy curtain between them. "Good night, Mulder." Mulder mumbled something and Scully just barely made out the "Night Scully..." in it. They both turned over and went to sleep. * * * * * Storm and Victoria finally made it back to the hotel after being stuck in traffic. Storm was ready to kill something by that time, and was grateful when she stumbled into Flynn's room to check on him, only to find him waiting up for her. "Have fun?" he asked her with a smirk that would put Mulder to shame. "Oh, shut up," she snapped at him. "I don't want any of your lip right now. I'm ti-ired," she whined. "Then go to bed, silly," Flynn shook his head at her. "Even the great Master Psychic has to get some sleep some time," his voice trailed off. "Unless you don't want to sleep," he leered at her. "Flynn!" Storm threw her hands in exasperation as she thought, 'You're even worse than Mulder, Sherlock!' "As you wish," he told her graciously as he rolled over in bed. "You might want to get some sleep yourself, Quicksilver." She walked into the connecting room, then stopped. 'Wait... did he just call me *Quicksilver*?' A smile crossed her face as she got ready for bed. 'I like it...' When Storm finally fell asleep, a possible scenario began to take shape. She was in Dana's bedroom, and they were talking... * * * * * "Dana, I don't know why you two keep denying it. You love him, he loves you... so what's the problem?" Storm draped herself across Scully's bed and watched her sift through the closet. "Well, every time I make an attempt, he either shies away or ditches me," Scully turned to face her with an aggravated look on her face, but Storm just smiled. "Dana, do you still have that catsuit we bought on that shopping trip during college, so long ago? You know the one; the one you never wore after we bought it." Storm suggested with an evil grin. "Oh, Storm, no! Not the blue leather catsuit!" "Oh, why not? You *can* still wear it, right?" "Actually, I don't know..." "Do you still have it?" "Somewhere in the back of my closet..." "Oh, let me find it. I'll be able to find in a flash and you can attempt to squeeze into it." Storm's eyes looked at Scully's form. "Though I doubt it will be as difficult as you think it is." "How do you know what I'm thinking?" "Oh... bad habit," Storm flashed Dana a smile before she dove into the closet, and within a minute, had pulled the blue leather catsuit out. "It still looks as good as it did the day we bought it." "Storm..." "Oh, what harm can it do, Dana? If it doesn't fit, then it's no big deal, and if it does, then you can make a plan to trap Mulder. It's as simple as that." Scully sighed, "Oh, all right, but I'm not making any guarantees..." "I don't expect any... just try the catsuit on, will you? Dana, you're so *stubborn.*" Scully gave Storm a Look and walked out of the room with the catsuit in hand. Storm draped herself across Dana's bed again, and waited. Within a couple of minutes, Dana walked back in, her red hair loose around her shoulders, contrasting perfectly with the catsuit that fit her like a second skin, though not as skin tight as it was the day they'd bought it. "All you need is my whip and you'll be all set." "What whip?" Scully looked at Storm with suspicion, but Storm smiled innocently, forming a halo with her fingers over her head. "Don't give me that. I know better than that, and you do too, Storm." "You always tell me that, Dana," Storm whined, then grinned before continuing. "Okay, Dana, I got the whip the same day I bought that catsuit for you." Storm whistled innocently. "Oh, so that's what you bought that day." Storm just smiled sweetly. * * * * * Storm and Victoria took a taxi back to the hotel. Victoria seemed lost in thought. Soon enough, they were back at the hotel. Victoria had returned to her room and immediately fallen into a deep, but troubled sleep. "Mulder, I know how you feel about Dana. Question is, why won't you act on it?" Her own voice. She could feel the smile on her face as she teased her old friend. "What if she's not interested in me? What would I do then?" "You would rather take chances with Phoebe?" "I didn't say that. Okay... what do you suggest?" She was reaching into her own pocket when she suddenly felt disembodied, and heard voices not her own. "You'll get to experience what he did..." Victoria caught sound of part of a statement, but it was fleeting before the scene changed. "How about that blue leather catsuit? I'm sure Mulder would be interested." Storm's voice... at least Victoria thought it was. She didn't know Storm well enough yet to know for certain. "Oh, Storm, not the blue leather catsuit!" Scully's voice, though there was a hint of a smile. "Why? You think the Virginal Saint Dana Scully wouldn't be up for it?" Storm's voice held a smile. "Saint? *Virginal*? ME?! I think not!" Scully's voice answered, laughing. There was a hint of something blue, and some laughter, before everything went to hell. There was fire everywhere. The place had a feeling of being vast and wide open, though it was still a building. And the fire was uncontrolled... uncontrollable. "I know you want to know what happened to your beloved Matthew." A voice, sinister yet familiar... though it belonged to no one she knew personally. She saw glimpse of a face, familiar, yet not. The face may have been familiar, but the *presense* was different. *Very* different. She'd been touched by a vision of it before... and it had affected her badly. "What?" A second voice, this one slightly more familiar. In fact, it sounded like Storm, but she couldn't be sure. Smoke. Mirrors. Two very similar people... similar but different. Dangerously so. Faint impressions of flame. Then... A sound like a gunshot. Then, a wave of happiness, as well as a shared thought of 'It's about TIME!'. "Well, Scully, that's one way to come out of the closet." Mulder's voice, yet it seemed strangely out of place. There was more fire. Someone screamed in the smoke-filled atmosphere. "How will it all end?" The sinister voice echoed, and there was evil sounding laughter. "In fire." A wave of fire approached, getting closer, and closer... Victoria sat up, gasping. "What the hell was that?!" she whispered, turning to see what time it was locally. Surprisingly, it was nearly ten in the morning, and she'd fallen asleep a little after nine the previous night. She wasn't sure how she knew, but she got the feeling she already knew who the pyrokinetic they'd been sent to catch, as a British Citizen had been killed first, was, and she was certain Storm Austin wouldn't like it. Of course, she still had to wring the truth from Mulder. He still had yet to break the old habit she remembered of acting before speaking. She was not surprised, though. Going that long without sleep was unwise. However, she did feel much better. The only problem she still had to deal with was, of course, Phoebe. End Chapter Four Nothing But Trouble: Out Of The Frying Pan... by Christina Shuy (cshuy@netcom.com) and Diana Alexander (dmulder@nettaxi.com) Chapter Five Wake Up Call The alarm sounded noisily, and Storm glared at it blearily before knocking it off into the floor and burrowing further under the blankets and pillows. It continued to ring, however, so she finally gave up and sat up in bed. "Shut up! Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" she yelled at it, and heard laughter in the background. She turned to face Flynn as she heard a mindecho of Victoria's laughter. With a sigh, she climbed out of bed and turned off the alarm and turned to look at the man peeking around the corner of the doorframe, grinning mischieviously. "Flynn, do me a favor." "What's that?" he grinned. "I hope that's not your way of telling me to 'get lost'." "Of course not," Storm smiled brightly, "I just want you to call the hospital to see if Mulder and Dana are either awake, released, or both. That and call the rental car place downstairs and ask to rent a car. Put it on the Bureau's tab. See if you can get one of those Oldsmobile Intrigues. I've always wanted to drive one of those." "Oh, so it is your way of telling me to 'get lost' then. I'm so hurt, Watson." "Don't be, Sherlock. I do it to all of my partners when I want to take a shower in peace." "Oh, you want to take a shower? Would you like me to join you?" The mischevious look in Flynn's eyes was back, and Storm wasn't sure whether or not to say yes to see what he would do, or just laugh. "Flynn, I don't know if we know each other well enough yet." Storm smirked. "Honestly, though, I want to be alone in the shower this morning." Flynn pretended not to have known that all along. He also pouted, doing a passable imitation of Mulder's 'wounded puppy' look. "I'll leave you alone then." He ran out just as Storm threw something at him, and conveniently missed, but she heard him hum something, and it sounded vaguely familiar, like maybe something out of those Intrigue commercials. She shook her head and laughed as she walked into the bathroom, savoring the feel of the cool tile against her bare feet despite herself. She started the shower, and steam quickly filled the bathroom as she stripped and got into the shower stall. Once there, the steam left her feeling more confused than it normally did. She saw, instead of the normal steam from her hot shower, smoke, and a ring of fire surrounding her, or someone else. Someone who was allowing her to see through their eyes. Not many people could put that amount of trust in another willingly. There was a sinister laugh that sounded familiar, and pain. Lots of pain, and a scream. It was her name. She shivered and leaned against the wall, trying to vent the feelings of pain that kept rippling through her body like waves. With a final mental shout, it was over, and she felt drained and hollow. Somehow she knew that it was Matthew, but she didn't know how. She shook her head and tried to continue with the shower, but it was remarkably difficult. She shook herself, and continued her shower. After washing her hair, she climbed out, feeling a bit woozy, both from the hot shower and from the sensations that was mirrored from a dream she had had shortly before being transferred from Washington DC to Seattle. While blow-drying her hair, she wiped a section of the mirror clear so she could see her reflection. Even as the steam began to rise between herself and the mirror, she saw her sister's reflection instead of her own and nearly dropped the blow-dryer. For the second time within 30 minutes, Storm shook herself and left the bathroom to get dressed. After she did so, she found Flynn and dragged him down the hall to find Victoria. She had a bad feeling that they needed to solve this case. Before it was too late. * * * * * Victoria, Storm, Flynn, and Phoebe returned to the X-Files basement office and were not really surprised to find that their friends had checked themselves out of the hospital and were already back at work. "Mulder, do your doctors know that you've left the hospital?" Victoria asked, walking into the office. "Yeah. They said it wasn't a problem." Mulder shrugged, looking through the file he had on pyrokinesis while Scully scanned the one on Cecil L'Ively, trying to find anything which would fit the present situation. "Are you sure they didn't let you go because they were all sick and tired of your whining and complaining about wanting to leave already?" Storm's eyes held a teasing glimmer. "Oh, ha ha." Mulder's annoyance was clear. "Oh, poor Mulder... let me make it better." Phoebe smiled, sashaying over to him. Storm rolled her eyes and went over to speak to Scully privately. Flynn, remembering what had happened earlier, stood off to one side, his eye still two shades of purple from that incident. "Go away, Phoebe. I have work to deal with right now." Mulder growled, turning away. At that, Phoebe began to pout. "Leave him alone, Phoebe. Obviously, he didn't fall into your charms the way he nearly did when you were brought over by Sir Malcolm Marsden in my stead." Victoria said. "And what would you know about it?" Phoebe turned. "A lot more than you might think. As does his wife. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Sir Malcolm wanted nothing more to do with you after what he has found out about you... Last I heard, he and his wife were working on their marriage." "They are. He said he wanted nothing more to do with me. Oddly enough, it was just after I arrived home from my last trip to Washington. I'd say you had something to do with that... and I will make you pay for it when we return to London." "Try it and see how far *you* get, Phoebe." Victoria echoed Phoebe's words upon their arrival. "I'm certain all of your *other* lovers would like to know just exactly who you are sleeping with and why! In fact, I'm surprised you haven't become the Typhoid Mary of Scotland Yard." "Do you two want to take this outside?" Storm asked. "No... else you'd be calling the authorities shortly." Victoria answered. "Since one of us would be dead. And I doubt it would be me." "Can we get back to why we're all here?" Mulder asked. "Now that is something even I would like an answer to. So, Mulder, the truth. Why the hell are Phoebe and I here? And why did you call in Storm and Flynn as well?" Victoria asked. "I thought I told you..." "Mulder... since we got here, you haven't said a word about why we're here... and I don't understand why Phoebe and I would be called for a suspicious death of a British citizen on American soil." Victoria said. "It's happened before and Scotland Yard is usually not notified." "Well, we usually don't get people dying by bursting into flame in front of everyone with zero sign of accelerant." "Oh, gods... not that again. I've worked on several cases of this nature. And I know it isn't Cecil L'Ively. He's safely behind nonflammable bars in Britain, which is where he needs to be. And before you say anything, Mulder, I have nothing to do with this either." Victoria's look was partially waspish. "I wasn't saying that you were. Victoria, remember, I need you here so we can find out what is going on. The fires on the fourth floor, as well as here had zero traces of accelerant either." Mulder said. "That's not necessarily true, Mulder. This building has various degrees of chemicals and paper. All of which are flammable. You know this already." "She has a point, Mulder. Sometimes you don't *need* an accelerant to start a fire." Scully pointed out. "Sometimes it's just an accident." "Then answer me this, both of you... you are aware of how fast paper burns. As well as how fast various other chemicals burn. Why is it that the fires on the fourth floors *and* in the basement started on their own? I don't think paper starts itself on fire when it reaches critical mass. In fact, I'm not even sure paper *has* a critical mass. I would say that someone is deliberately setting fires to get our attention... or possibly to put us in harms way." Storm flinched visibly at that statement, and Victoria suddenly had a vision forcing its way to the surface, as most of hers often did. ----- "What would you have me do?" Starr asked, turning to her companion. "We've gotten them 'burning' mad, don't you think?" Alex Krycek smiled at her. "How about doing what we do best." "You mean wreck havoc? My dear Alex, we're already *doing* that." "By ourselves, or under orders from your smoking friend?" Krycek sounded slightly bitter. "Alex, you know that the only reason I'm working with *that* man is because we need him to fit our needs. And my needs include getting rid of my troublesome sister." Starr's voice went from bitter to vicious. ----- "Victoria... are you okay?" Mulder asked, watching with concern as her face paled. "I... uh... I..." Victoria didn't get much out as she staggered for the chair and sat down heavily. First, Victoria looked at Mulder, and he caught a bit of what she was still seeing. Then, her eyes fixed on Storm, and it was then that Storm caught the vision Victoria had seen, and paled as well. "Oh, shit. We have a problem. Krycek's involved..." Mulder murmured. "And so is your sister, Storm." Storm snapped at him, "No shit, Sherlock," then mentally curled up on herself, thinking about what she had seen. "What, Storm, are you talking to me?" Flynn teased her lightly, but stopped when she glared at him. 'It's a good thing looks can't kill someone...' he thought to himself. "No, Flynn, I was not talking to you... and would you be serious for once?" Storm threw her hands up in the air in aggravation. "I am serious," Flynn answered defensively. "In fact, I'm usually more serious than you are." Mulder made a catlike sound under his breath and was stopped by another glare from Storm, who was starting to live up to her given name again. After a moment, though, she calmed, though Mulder sensed that it was more of a 'calm before the storm' kind of thing. "Y'know," she said wistfully, "I read once that your mirror image is yourself made sinister. I never believed that, really, until this morning when I saw my sister's face in the mirror instead of my own." Storm's voice turned serious once again. "Well, I think I know why I was called in, even if it wasn't the reason *you* called me in." "Storm, what in hell are you talking about?" Scully asked. "Well, it's rather obvious that Starr started this pattern to get to me. To get me out of Seattle and back here so she could get to me. Again. Maybe I should give her what she wanted." "Storm, have you lost what remained of your sanity?" Flynn asked in disbelief as he remembered what he had seen through Storm when she snapped at him. "Didn't you hear her right? She said she wanted to get *rid* of you." "I know..." Storm's voice drifted off a bit. "Believe me, I know, but this is something I have to do. "Not alone, you don't." Shannon Austin made himself heard to everyone in the room. Storm sighed, then turned to face everyone who was looking at her. "Well, you know about overprotective nosy family members... right?" she grinned a bit sheepishly. Dana looked at her a bit suspiciously, but said nothing. End Chapter Five Nothing But Trouble: Out Of The Frying Pan... by Christina Shuy (cshuy@netcom.com) and Diana Alexander (dmulder@nettaxi.com) Chapter Six Visions, Vengeance, and Vendettas "Okay, first things first. How does one go about looking for a pyrokinetic who does not want to be found?" Victoria said. It had been two days since the last fire, and two days since the vision which shook up both Storm and Victoria. Storm now looked constantly tense, while Victoria looked a touch nervous, like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop, as she was. "I'd say that's a contradiction in terms." Dana Scully answered. "How so?" "By definition, a pyrokinetic is someone who sets fires to get attention." "Dana, I hate to break this to you, but I *did* say the person did not want to be found." Victoria sighed. She was remembering exactly what she was capable of and really had not wanted to even consider it. "And also a pyrokinetic isn't necessarily someone who sets fires to get attention so much as to get the thrill of seeing and causing fires. In which case..." Victoria sighed. "Why don't you try getting into the person's mind then, VC." Mulder's comment floated in from the door where he was standing. Scully looked at her partner partially in shock. "Come in, lock the door, and shut up, Fox." Victoria partially mock glared at him. His tone of voice had been teasing enough so that she knew she was being picked on. That didn't mean she had to like what he said, though. "As I recall, that is *your* job." Mulder flinched to that remark. "How did the door open without him having to knock at it?" Scully was curious. "I got two room keys and he has the other one right now. He's not keeping it, but since I figured he was going to be coming in and out all evening, he might as well use it for the night." "As for getting into the person's mind, Day, I really don't think that's such a good idea. Remember what happened to Mulder the last time he tried something like that?" Storm entered the room, Flynn following close behind her. "And where's Phoebe?" Flynn asked, looking cautiously around. His eye was looking better but there was a little fear in his eyes. "I don't know, and quite frankly, with what is on her mind of late, I don't want to know." Victoria half-groaned. "Victoria, best go next door to see if she's willing to join us on this investigation." Mulder said, though his tone more than indicated that he really didn't like the idea either. "After all, we haven't really heard from her in two days." "All right, Mulder." she sighed, going out into the hall and walking to Phoebe's door. She'd managed to obtain a keycard for Phoebe's door as well, and, after getting no response to her knocking, let herself in. The room was a total shambles, and there were scorch marks on the walls. It looked like there had been a struggled because her suitcase was open and the contents scattered across the room. "Mulder! Get in here!" Victoria yelled. "What, Victoria?" Mulder rushed over. "Oh my God." He had just walked in. Phoebe was no where to be seen. There were three notes left on the bed. Addressed to Mulder, Storm, and Victoria. In somewhat familiar handwriting. It looked like Storm's but wasn't. Victoria shivered, the recall of the dream with smoke and mirrors coming back. "Victoria, what's the matter?" Mulder asked, looking as Victoria paled, almost as badly as she had when she'd fainted earlier. Victoria said nothing but pointed at the notes, and Mulder even paled a little. She was getting the feeling of anger and revenge, as well as some fear... Phoebe's. And at this point, she didn't begrudge her nemesis her emotion. Victoria sent the nonverbal message. Storm silently and calmly responded as she reached into the hip pocket of her jeans for the black leather gloves she used when she didn't want to smear the fingerprints on evidence or get her own fingerprints on things that would probably be dusted in the future. Storm cringed as she picked up the envelope with her name on it. She stared down at her name written on the front, and had the sickening feeling that it was written in anger and signed with revenge. Phoebe's fear clung to the walls of the room as well. With a sigh, she opened the note, and felt all the strength go out of her legs, and locked them to keep from falling to her knees. "Oh my God..." Storm's eyes closed and mental blocks flew up, giving her strength to finish reading the note. All of her secret suspicions had just been spelled out for her on paper. With a frown, Storm let the note drift back down to the bed, and turned to face everyone. Flynn tried to drape an arm over her to comfort her, but she shrugged it off even as she accepted the energy. She met his eyes and they silently came to an understanding. He didn't look like he liked it, but he still didn't argue with her. Reaching up to rub the area of her head where the chip had been removed two years ago, Storm spoke quietly, "Well, I was right. She is supposed to take me out to get to the two of you, but I'm her main focus." As she tried to regain some measure of control over the emotions that wanted to scream to the world the betrayal, guilt, anger, and fear she was feeling she glanced toward the door in hopes that she could find a way out, but it swung violently inward, almost wrenching itself from the hinges. Mulder looked sharply at her, and Storm bit her lip, barely feeling it split under her teeth. With a sigh, she said to the assembled group, "I need to get out of here. I c-c-can't th-think in m-my present state." Storm struggled to get the words out around her stutter, sliding off her black gloves as she headed toward the door. Victoria said just as Storm got outside the room, and she paused for a moment. Without waiting for Victoria's response, Storm sprinted out of the hotel, running until she didn't know where she was, or even who she was. When she finally came to her senses, she was kneeling on the same bench where Dana and Mulder had often met when they were separated and the X-files were closed. A wild, uncontrolled wind stole the screams from her lips, spiraling up into the air and drying the tears she didn't know she'd shed. Finally, she let out a sigh and the wind disappeared as though it had never been there at all. 'Ohh... my knees hurt...' Storm thought as she rose from the bench only to sit down on it properly and try to remember how she got there and how much time had passed. She saw something out of the corner of her eye as she heard someone speak to her. "It makes perfect sense that your knees would be hurting, Storm, since you've been kneeling on a bench, screaming your lungs out for the past half-hour." Storm looked up at the man standing in front of her with a signature smirk on his face. Only one problem. It was her signature. "Matt? I thought you--" "Yeah, Storm, I'm afraid you thought right. Or felt right would probably be closer to the truth," Matt sighed as he sat down beside her. "I'm here to chase away the guilt complex you share with Mulder." She shook her head, "Matt, I don't..." and Matthew chuckled lightly, placing a translucent hand on her knee. "Storm, I've lived with or around you for the majority of my life, and I know you better than anyone, even Dana. You do." "Who am I to fight with a ghost?" Storm quipped lightly. He groaned and shook his head in response, "Storm, will you listen to me? I'm trying to tell you something and I don't have much time." "I'm listening." "You're right when you say that you have to catch her, Storm, but regardless of what you think, you simply cannot do it alone," Storm started to say something, but Matt raised a hand to stop her and continued. "She'll kill you if you try, and there's more at stake here." "Do you think that I haven't figured that out already? At one point, I might have tried to run off half-cocked after her, but now... I know I can't. She'd kill me on first sight." "Well," Matt pressed his lips against her forehead. "At least you came to your senses." When she opened her eyes, Matt was gone. Rising from from the bench, she called out, "Matt! Matt?" a mental whisper touched her mind and she relaxed. With a sigh, she closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, they met Victoria's and Storm got the feeling that Victoria had seen everything that had just happened. A self-depreciating smile crossed her face and she crossed to where Victoria was standing. "I take it the young man who just vanished was your late fiance Matthew Night?" Victoria asked, walking over to the bench by the Reflecting Pool. "How do you keep doing that?" Storm asked, shaking her head slightly. "I know I probably know this already, but still..." "Doing what? Oh... picking information out of thin air. It usually just happens. I told Mulder he should have warned you, and he just looked at me as though I had told him that Skinner had danced in a strip club." "Accident Prone *and* Clueless?" Storm snorted. "That figures... for Mulder. But why didn't Dana warn me either?" "Perhaps she thought you already knew?" Victoria's grin spread across her features. "After all, you do have your own unique talent for something like that." "Maybe. Are they coming or did they send you to retrieve me?" Storm didn't look too thrilled with the prospect of being 'retrieved'. "No. I went after you because I thought you might need a friend. After what Starr wrote in her little note to you, Phoebe's fear wasn't the only thing I picked up on. She mentioned something about turning one of Mulder's old flames into a literal interpretation. And since Phoebe is the only old flame in the area, I think I have a pretty good idea as to what Starr is going to do with her. As well as the exact role your sister had in your beloved Matthew's death." Victoria's tone was a touch soothing, though there was also a note of panic, something she was trying not to acknowledge. The pained look in Victoria's eyes. It seemed as though there was something she was trying to keep controlled, and also didn't want to face. Storm's expression wasn't much better. "Oh gods... please no..." Victoria whispered, sighing. "Storm, there's something I must tell you... something I'm not certain you're going to like." "What is it?" Storm asked, looking at, though only barely noticing, the look in Victoria's eyes. "Fire. I know what your sister is capable of because I... uh... before I tell you this, you must promise me not to either run or kill me..." "Let me guess. You're pyrokinetic as well." "Ummm... not that I like to admit to it..." Victoria gave a faltering smile. "Well, so long as you don't try to burn anyone alive." Victoria gave a shudder. "You can count on it. As I said, I don't like to admit to it, let alone use it." "Good," Storm gave a nod. "Mulder and Dana are two of the only few who know about it... which now include you, though your sister knows it as well. That was part of what she wrote to me in the note she left for me. She told me that my friend Cecil says hello." Victoria's expression indicated exactly what sort of 'friend' he was. "That sounds like my sister..." Storm sighed. "It does..." Victoria nodded. "And Alex Krycek. He's been out to get Mulder since-" Storm started but was interrupted by a ring from a cellular phone. Victoria fished the phone out of her pocket and activated it. "Jensen." "Victoria, good. I take it this means you've found Storm?" Mulder's voice came through. "And you say you're not psychic, Mulder?" Victoria raised an eyebrow. "But you told me I was..." Mulder mock-whined, and Victoria fought to keep a straight face. Storm was already grinning. "Mulder, she's at your favourite spot if you want to bring the gang over." Victoria said, looking at Storm, who nodded. "All right... I'll be right there." With that, Victoria hung up the phone and dropped it back into her pocket, shaking her head at the just completed conversation at the same time. "That was Mulder, right?" "Right." "I thought your celphone wasn't going to work on this side of the Atlantic...?" Storm asked. "It does, but if we were to use it here, every call to it would be considered long distance, even though I'm currently *not*. This is Mulder's celphone." Victoria smiled. "Ah... he gave it to you so he wouldn't lose it." "You could say that." Victoria grinned. "Though he didn't give me his gun... And I can't for the life of me find out why." The expression on her face, though, said that she knew why. "Don't you know? That's a source of male pride." Storm and Victoria traded mental images, and both giggled. "Oh... then I wonder what that makes Phoebe." "Flame bait?" "You could say that." Almost immediately, a car pulled up at the parking lot next to the reflecting pool and honked. "Well, they're here. Let's go." "To see how much trouble we can get into?" "You know, Victoria, I think I'm gonna like being friends with you." "I already do, Storm. Let's go." They ran over to the car and got in. End Chapter Six