From: AndraMarie@aol.com
Date: Sat, 24 Jul 2004 22:27:15 EDT
Subject: "Reunion" by Andra Marie Mueller
Source: direct

"REUNION" 
By Andra Marie Mueller

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  This is very much an alternate universe story. While I hav
e tried to follow canon wherever possible, the nature of the story dictated
I take certain creative liberties with character and plot histories that hav
e been established on "The X Files". Therefore for my purposes, Mulder w
as suspended from the FBI, not fired, after the 8th season episode "Vienen
"; he did not mysteriously disappear after the season finale; and the 9th
season didn't happen.  Additionally, Jessica Doggett, her family, and her
history with John are my creation and were invented prior to the series' i
ntroduction of Barbara Doggett. Thanks to Shea and Sarah for sending feedbac
k and being darn good friends :)

DISCLAIMER:  All things X Files are the legal property of Chris Carter, Ten
Thirteen Productions, 20th Century Fox, etc. I am merely letting them out to
 play. 


"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am onl
y a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and
 can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can
move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." - 1 Corinthians 13:1-2

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA
November 19, 2002

Blackness. No matter where he looked, that's all he could see. The rain po
unding down upon his car was loud enough to drown out the sound of the radio
, and his headlights were barely able to illuminate more than a few feet in
front of his car.

"I thought it was supposed to be the fires of hell, not the rainstorms,=
" he muttered aloud. 

Lifting his left hand from the steering wheel, he shifted his arm and glance
d at his watch, the illuminated numbers indicating it was close to 9:00 p.m.

"Damnit!" he swore. "Sarah's going to tan my hide for missing dinner
 again."

A sudden brightness caught his attention and he glanced up as the white glar
e of oncoming headlights filled his limited field of vision.

"What the...?"

The thought was left incomplete as a sudden screech of brakes and a horrendo
us crash signaled the collision of the two cars. He barely had time to regis
ter what was happening before the force of the impact sandwiched his car wit
h him inside of it. The windshield shattered and hearing the crackle of the
breaking glass was the last sensation he had before he felt a flash of seari
ng pain, and then nothingness.

*************************************************************************

FBI HEADQUARTERS, WASHINGTON D.C.

Assistant Director Walter Skinner was bored. He had spent the morning catchi
ng up on his paperwork, then most of the afternoon sequestered in meetings,
and was now feeling the faint pangs of hunger, as well as a bit of 'cabin
fever'. More than ready to get some fresh air, he wandered out of his offi
ce and promptly collided with Monica Reyes.

"Agent Reyes, I'm sorry," he apologized quickly. "I didn't see you
 coming."

"That's all right, sir," Reyes responded. "I was reading my case not
es and wasn't watching where I was going, either."

"You seem to be in a bit of a hurry," Skinner observed. "Is everything
 all right?"

"Everything's fine. It's just that I promised Agent Doggett I'd get
back to him about this file before I left for vacation, and I'm supposed t
o be at the airport to catch my flight in about an hour."

Just then a feminine voiced laced with a Southern accent addressed them.
"Excuse me," she said. 

The agents turned expectantly, and Skinner did a double take at the woman st
anding a few feet away. She was dressed in a black knee length skirt with a
matching blazer and an ice blue blouse, and was undoubtedly the most exquisi
tely beautiful woman he had ever seen. Medium tall and very shapely, she app
eared to be in her mid to late thirties, with fair skin and dark blonde hair
, and sapphire blue eyes that accentuated the sheer perfection of her face.

She's almost too beautiful to be real, Skinner thought.

Oblivious to Skinner's reaction to her, the woman directed her attention t
o Reyes, tentative recognition evident in her expression.  "I know you,=
" she replied. "Agent Reyes, right?"

"Yes," Reyes confirmed. "You have an excellent memory."

The other woman smiled. "Given the circumstances under which we met, I hav
e a rather vivid memory of you," she replied.

"I don't believe I've had the pleasure," Skinner interjected, and ex
tended his hand. "I'm Assistant Director Walter Skinner."

"Lieutenant Jessica Doggett," she returned, and they exchanged a handsha
ke.

"Are you related to John Doggett?" Skinner asked.

Jessica smiled faintly. "In a manner of speaking," she allowed. "Do yo
u know where I can find him?" 

"I think he's still in his office," Reyes told her. "Take the elevat
or to the ground floor and it's at the end of the hall."

"Thank you, Agent Reyes. Mister Skinner."

Bidding them farewell, Jessica turned and made her way back to the elevator.=
 Once she was out of earshot, Skinner addressed Reyes. "What is her relati
on to Doggett?"

"She's his ex-wife," Reyes clarified. "I met her briefly after their
 son was killed."

"She referred to herself as a lieutenant. Is she in the military?"

"No, she's a police officer, but John mentioned once that she was living
 in California."

"Any guesses as to what she's doing here?" 

"No, but if she's gone to the trouble to track John down after almost fi
ve years I can't imagine she's here with good news."

*************************************************************************

Unaware of his impending visitor, Doggett was in his office making a valiant
 attempt to work through the stack of files covering his desk. Although the
agents working on the X Files were still considered personas non grata withi
n the Bureau, with the expansion of the division from two to four people the
 powers that be had reluctantly enlarged their office on the ground floor of
 the Hoover Building. As he crossed over to the water cooler to fill his cup
, Doggett heard the unmistakable click of high heels on the tiled floor echo
ing in the hallway. Assuming the new arrival to be Reyes, he offered a greet
ing without turning around.

"I was beginnin' to think you'd forgotten about me," he quipped.

"I don't think I'm capable of that."

Doggett froze, awareness making the hair on the back of his neck stand up a
split second before he recognized the distinctive voice, slightly husky and
laced with an accent that was a unique combination of upper crust East Coast
 and Southern drawl. Tossing his paper cup into the trash, he slowly turned
around to face his visitor, feeling his heart skip a beat at the sight of hi
s former wife. She looked much the same as she had the last time he'd seen
 her, that fateful day four years and seven months ago when they'd agreed
they needed to spend some time apart. Jessica had moved to California, and e
ighteen months later the divorce petition had arrived by registered mail. He
 had phoned her then, not to contest her decision but merely to assure her t
hat he bore her no ill will, and that he would always care for her. She had
responded in kind, and that was the last contact Doggett had with her until
hearing her voice a moment ago.  Yet despite the passage of time his reactio
n to her remained unchanged, and he silently wondered if he was in for anoth
er emotional roller coaster ride.

Ah, Jess; what havoc will you wreak on my heart now?

Obviously amused by his stunned silence, Jessica spoke first. "I do believ
e this is the first time I've ever seen John Doggett at a loss for words,=
" she chided.

Finally finding his voice, he managed to return her smile as he responded.
"Sorry," he said. "It's just that you're about the last person on
Earth I expected to walk through my door."

"Does that mean I don't get a hug?"

"Of course not."

They met one another halfway and exchanged a brief hug, then Jessica relucta
ntly pulled back as Doggett asked, "So what brings you back here from Cali
fornia?"

She frowned. "Obviously you haven't heard the news."

"News?"

"Scott's dead, John," Jessica told him, sorrow etched in her refined f
eatures. "He was killed in a car accident three days ago."

"Sweet Jesus..." Doggett exclaimed. "I'm sorry, Jess. I had no idea.=
"

Scott was Scott Caldwell, Jessica's brother and a member of Doggett's un
it in the Marines. The two men had met as roommates at Syracuse University,
and it was their friendship that had brought John Doggett into Jessica's l
ife.

"Alexandria P.D. is still investigating the case, but the preliminary repo
rts indicate he was hit by a drunk driver on I-395 during the storm."

"What was he doin' drivin' in that kind of weather?" Doggett asked.

"Sarah said he had been working late at the office and was rushing home to
 try and join the family for dinner," Jessica answered. "The other drive
r apparently crossed over into his lane and hit him head on. Scott was kille
d when the car flipped over."

"Hell of a way to go," Doggett muttered. "How are Sarah and the kids t
akin' it?"

"About as well as can be expected. Thankfully my mother's connections ha
ve enabled us to keep the media out of our hair, but it's only a matter of
 time before the news breaks."

"The death of the only son of a U.S. Senator is definitely worth a headlin
e or two," Doggett allowed.  

"I know this is short notice, but the funeral is 3:00 P.M. Sunday afternoo
n at St. Matthew's Cathedral," Jessica told him. "It would mean a lot
to all of us if you could be there."

"Of course."

"Good. I was fairly certain you would want to be there, so I took the libe
rty of arranging a car to pick you up."

"A car?" Doggett prompted.

"Limousine."

"Ah."

The two lapsed into an awkward silence then, and after a moment Jessica spok
e again.

"Well, I'm sure you have work to finish so I'll let you get back to it
," she said. "But I wanted to make sure you heard the news about Scott f
rom me. In spite of what happened between us, he always considered you the b
rother he never had."

"The feeling was mutual," Doggett responded. "I'll miss him."

"We all will. I'll see you tomorrow, John."

"Thanks for deliverin' the news personally, Jess. I appreciate it."

Her only response was a warm smile, then she wordlessly left his office. No
sooner had she walked out then it occurred to Doggett he had not given her h
is address. Crossing the office to the doorway, he stepped out into the hall
 and called out to Jessica just as she reached the elevator.

"Jess, wait a minute!"

The lieutenant turned expectantly as she pushed the call button. 

"I didn't give you my address."

She smiled at that, and Doggett felt his heart skip another beat. She is sti
ll the most beautiful woman on the planet, he thought to himself.

"John J. Doggett, 1969 Bear Creek Lane, Falls Church, Virginia," she rec
ited.

Doggett's surprise was obvious. "How'd you know that?"

"I have friends in high places," Jessica answered evasively, and stepped
 into the elevator.

***********************************************************************

Frowning at her computer screen, Scully was attempting to organize her notes
 for her current case when the phone rang just as William awoke from his nap
 and announced his hunger.

"I'll grab a bottle and feed Will," Mulder offered from the couch.
"You can get the phone. It's probably for you anyway."

Scully gave him an 'I am not amused' look as he retreated into the bedro
om. Reaching around her desktop terminal, she retrieved the portable phone.
"Hello?"

"Scully, it's me."

She smiled in recognition of Doggett's familiar gravelly voice.  "Good m
orning, Agent Doggett. What can I do for you?"

"I'm sorry to bother you at home, but I was callin' to let you know th
at I'm gonna have to miss Will's birthday party this afternoon."

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, but my former brother-in-law was killed in car accident a few
 days ago and I have to go to the memorial service," Doggett explained.

"Monica mentioned that your ex-wife showed up out of the blue at Headquart
ers yesterday," Scully replied.  "She also said that your former mother-=
in-law is Senator Elizabeth Caldwell. I'm impressed."

"I'm sure," Doggett responded with friendly sarcasm.

"I'd be interested to hear how a conservative New York cop turned FBI ag
ent from Georgia wound up married to the Virginian born and bred only daught
er of one of the country's wealthiest and most Democratic families."

"My history with Jess will take more time than I've got to explain over
the phone," Doggett stated, his tone making it clear that the subject was
not to be broached again. "And I'd appreciate it if you could keep the i
nformation about her family to yourself. They want to keep the media away un
til after the service."

"Of course."  

"I'll bring Will's gift to the office tomorrow," Doggett said. "Me
antime give the little guy a hug from his uncle John and don't let Mulder
give him any model spaceships or toy aliens."

Scully smiled.  "I'll do my best," she demurred.  "Please express my
 condolences to your ex-wife and her family."

"Will do."

Scully replaced the phone in its cradle just as Mulder emerged from the bedr
oom with a happily feeding Will nestled in his arms. "Who was that?" he
asked.

"Agent Doggett. He called to tell me he can't make it to the party this
afternoon because he has to attend a friend's memorial service."

"For whom?"

"His former brother-in-law."

"That would explain why his ex-wife showed up at the office yesterday,"
Mulder remarked casually, earning him a surprised glance from his partner.

"How did you know about that?"

"I passed by her in the lobby when she was leaving the building," Mulder
 answered, "and after hearing Skinner's description of her I realized wh
o she was."

"Monica says she's quite beautiful," Scully said.

Mulder made a tsking sound. "Agent Reyes has always had an inflated opinio
n of herself," he quipped.

Scully permitted herself a small smile.  "I meant Jessica Doggett," she
clarified.

"Ah. Well my taste runs to redheads with blue eyes and medical degrees, bu
t I will confess that from what I saw, Lieutenant Doggett is indeed an excep
tionally beautiful woman."

Scully's smile widened. "You realize that your disclaimer about preferri
ng redheads is the only reason you're not toast," she told him.

"I love you too, Scully."

*************************************************************************

WASHINGTON D.C.

As the limousine made its way through the streets of the nation's capital,=
 Doggett shifted his attention from the people passing by outside to the wom
an seated next to him. Jessica had been in the back seat when the limousine
arrived at his house, and they had spent the first part of the ride exchangi
ng casual conversation, including a brief explanation of why they were both
in D.C.    

"How did you wind up working at the Bureau's Headquarters here in Washin
gton?" Jessica asked. "You seemed to enjoy living in New York."

"I did, but when the offer came to work on the X files, it seemed like a g
ood opportunity to take a new career direction." 

"And return to your Southern roots," Jessica added.

Doggett smiled. "That too," he allowed.

"I felt much the same way after my time in California; that's why I move
d back here last spring."

Doggett's eyes widened in surprise. "You're livin' at home again?=
"

"Not at the family estate in Fredericksburg, no. But I have a small house
of my own just outside of Alexandria and I work for their police department.=
"

"Really..." Doggett muttered. "I just assumed you flew back for the se
rvice."

The lieutenant smiled.  "Actually I didn't fly at all," she revealed.
"Given my claustrophobia, not to mention the issues involved with booking
a large dog on a cross country flight, I decided it was easier just to pack
up my Expedition and drive back."

"You drove across country with Trouble? That must have been an interestin
' trip."

Jessica's smile widened.  Trouble was an English Mastiff, and had been a g
ift from John to Jessica as a puppy when she had suffered two miscarriages a
fter successfully having Luke. True to his name, the dog wreaked havoc where
ver he went, mainly because he weighed 175 pounds.

"Believe it or not, it wasn't as bad as you might think," she said. 
"As long as I stopped often enough to let him burn off his energy and kept
 him full of food, he behaved rather well."

Following Jessica's story of traveling with Trouble, the two had fallen in
to a companionable silence.  As the limousine came to halt in front of St. M
atthew's Cathedral, Doggett glanced over at Jessica, finding her staring o
ut the window in thoughtful silence.

"You okay over there?" he asked softly.

Jessica shifted her gaze to his and gave him a small smile. "I was just re
membering the last time you and I were in a limousine together," she repli
ed.  "It was the day of Luke's funeral, and we were hurting too deeply t
o even attempt to make conversation.  But I remember you reached over and to
ok my hand in yours without saying a word, and just that simple contact gave
 me the strength I needed to get through the service."

He smiled back. "I remember thinkin' that I wouldn't have made it thro
ugh that day if I hadn't had you there with me."

"Too bad we didn't manage to tell each other that then," Jessica said,=
 regret evident in her tone. "It might have meant the difference between n
early five more years together and our divorce."

"Hindsight's twenty twenty."

"I suppose so."

The car door opened then, and Doggett climbed out of the limousine before ex
tending his hand to help Jessica out.  As he did so, he caught a flash of li
ght on her hand and glanced down to discover her sapphire and diamond laced
gold wedding band still adorned her third finger. Shifting his hold on her h
and, he lightly rubbed his thumb against the ring as he gazed at Jessica in
silent inquiry.

"In spite of the divorce, I could never bring myself to take it off," sh
e said simply. "Old habits are hard to break, I guess."

"There's more to it than that, Jess," Doggett countered gently.  "Yo
u haven't worn it all these years just for old times sake."

Dark blue met ice blue as she held his gaze for a moment. "This isn't th
e time or place for a discussion about us, John," she said at last. 

"Fair enough. But when the funeral's done and the guests are gone, you a
nd I are goin' to finish this conversation."

She nodded in silent agreement, and he placed his hand against the small of
her back as they made their way inside the church.  He recognized a few of W
ashington's elite among the mourners, recalling that some of them had atte
nded his wedding to Jessica. 

"Some of these folks were at our wedding," he said.  

"Yes," Jessica confirmed.  "Weddings and funerals always bring out the
 Washington bigwigs."

As if to prove her daughter's point, Elizabeth Caldwell chose that moment
to make her appearance, accompanied by Scott's widow Sarah and their three
 children.  Sarah immediately embraced Doggett in a fierce hug, her voice mu
ffled against his chest as she spoke.

"I'm so glad you're here," she declared.  

"I'm sorry about Scott, Sarah," Doggett said. "He was one of the goo
d guys."

Sarah gave him a teary smile. "He always said the same about you," she r
esponded. 

"Hello, John," Elizabeth greeted simply. "I didn't know you were com
ing, but it's good to see you."

"Likewise, Senator," Doggett returned. "I just wish it could've been
 under better circumstances."

"As do I. I'm having a few people over to the house after the service. I
f you have the time, I'd like you come as well.  I know Sarah and the chil
dren would enjoy spending some time with you."

"I'd like that."

The priest performing the service approached them then, and told Elizabeth t
hat the family should take their seats.  The senator nodded and the group ma
de their way to the front of the church and settled themselves in the front
pew. Elizabeth sat on the aisle, with Sarah on her left, then the children,
then Jessica and John.  Once the rest of the guests had settled, the priest
began the service, muffled sniffles accompanying his even tone as he spoke.
 As he neared the end of his sermon, he turned his attention to Jessica.

"Before we send Scott to his final resting place, his sister Jessica would
 like to say a few words. Lieutenant..."

She rose to her feet and crossed over to the altar, then positioned herself
behind the podium and took a deep breath before speaking.

"Most of you knew Scott well enough that there isn't anything I could te
ll you about him that you don't all ready know.  But I am his baby sister,=
 so I'm going to ask you all to indulge me for a few minutes as I share wi
th you my memories of Scott.  He was seven years old when I was born, and ha
ving been an only child for that time he would have been well within his rig
hts to resent my sudden intrusion into his family. But from the moment I arr
ived in his life, Scott was everything I could have needed and wanted in an
older brother. He was my friend and my protector, and after our father died
when I was eight, he became my surrogate parent as well. Scott was never too
 busy to make time for me, whether it was to teach me how to fish or teach m
e how to dance for my junior prom. I watched with envy as he met and eventua
lly married his wife Sarah, who along with their children gave him his great
est joy. And it was through him that I met and married my own soul mate. Yet
 as protective as he was of me, Scott was always willing to let me make my o
wn mistakes, and be there to catch me when I fell. Aside from my husband, th
ere has never been anyone in my life that offered me the unconditional love
that I received from Scott, and no brother has ever been more devoted to his
 sister.  I believe that angels exist, and I know that Scott has earned his
place among them. Rest in peace, Big Brother; I love you."

By the time Jessica finished the eulogy, tears were streaming down her face,=
 and she lifted a hand to wipe them away as she stepped down from the altar
and resumed her seat.  Doggett silently reached over and took her hand in hi
s, giving it a small squeeze of reassurance as Jessica flashed him a gratefu
l smile. The priest concluded the service, and after a final prayer the mour
ners slowly filtered out of the church.

*************************************************************************

The sound of footsteps echoed loudly in the silent hallway as he made his wa
y to the room at the opposite end.  Reaching the door, he stifled a nervous
sigh and knocked once to announce his presence before stepping inside.  The
only light inside came from a pair of windows on opposite sides of the wall,=
 and it barely revealed the presence of an elderly man seated in a wheelchai
r in the center of the room, a burning cigarette dangling from one hand. The
 room was heavy with cigarette smoke, and the other man was unable to stifle
 a cough before he spoke.

"You wanted to see me?"

"I wanted to discuss your methods for eliminating the problem I spoke of w
hen we last met."

The voice was a raspy whisper, undoubtedly the result of a lifetime of smoki
ng, and the other man said a silent prayer of gratitude that he had never in
dulged in the habit.

"It was my understanding that the 'methods' were to be at my discretio
n provided that the end result was the same."

"At no time did I say that the end result was to be his death."

"Alive he was a liability."

"Alive he was easily manipulated and able to keep what he knows under our
control. Now the investigation into his death will undoubtedly bring unwante
d attention to the Syndicate and unearth family secrets for the Caldwells an
d Agent Mulder that are best left buried."

"You don't know that."

"Don't I?" He paused to take a drag from his cigarette and slowly exha
le before continuing. "His mother is a United States Senator; his sister i
s a police lieutenant; his former brother-in-law is an FBI agent. And not ju
st any FBI agent, but one of the four assigned to the X Files.  How long do
you think it will take them to uncover the truth about his death and the cir
cumstances which led to it?"

It was a rhetorical question, and an answer was neither expected nor receive
d.

"What do you want me to do?"

"I think it will be in our best interests to control how Lieutenant Dogget
t and the agents obtain their information.  Make arrangements with our newes
t associate for the first piece of the puzzle to make its way to the lovely
lieutenant within the next twenty-four hours.  Once we've seen how she rea
cts to it, we can proceed with the next piece accordingly."

"I'll see to it myself."

*************************************************************************

FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA

It was almost four hours later when the last of the guests bid farewell to E
lizabeth and left the house.  With her children overwhelmed by the events of
 the day, Sarah had left as well, after thanking Doggett for being at the fu
neral and extracting a promise from him to call her in the next couple of we
eks.  With Jessica having vanished a short while ago, Doggett was alone with
 his former mother-in-law.

"Scott would have been pleased that you came today," Elizabeth said. 
"He was always so fond of you."

"He was a good friend," Doggett replied.  "I wish we'd managed to sp
end more time together."

"I know the feeling," Elizabeth concurred.  "I was so busy being a Sen
ator I rarely had time to be a mother.  So much time lost and now there's
no way to make up for it."

Hearing the self-chastisement in her voice, Doggett gave her a small smile.
"Don't be so hard on yourself," he said. "Scott knew you loved him.
Nothin' else matters."

"May I ask you a personal question?"

'Sure."

"After you lost Luke, how did you manage to put the pain behind you and mo
ve on?"

He considered the question for a moment before responding.  "Once I realiz
ed that bein' angry and bitter all the time wouldn't bring him back, I p
romised myself that I would honor his memory by movin' on with my life. Th
e pain was still there, but eventually it became more manageable."

"I imagine it might have helped if Jessica had stayed with you in New York
 instead of moving to California," Elizabeth remarked.

I'm not touchin' that with a ten foot pole, Doggett thought to himself.
To Elizabeth he simply said, "She did what she felt she had to do."

The evasive response earned him a smile from Elizabeth. "Even now you defe
nd her actions," she replied.  "How chivalrous. And curious."

Doggett said nothing, but his expression made it clear that further discussi
on on the topic of his separation from Jessica would not be welcome, and Eli
zabeth changed the subject.

"I'm curious as to how you learned about Scott's death," she said. 
"Jessica has made it clear within her department that the news isn't to
be made public until their investigation is concluded, and as far as I know
they haven't called the FBI in on the case."

"Jess came by my office yesterday to give me the news in person and invite
 me to the service," Doggett clarified.

The senator's smile widened.  "I suppose I should have figured that out
when you two showed up together at St. Matthews," she allowed.  "Ironic
that even in death, Scott managed to bring the two of you together again.=
"

"Mind if I ask you a personal question?"

"Not at all."

"A moment ago you were tryin' to get me to say that I resented Jess or w
as angry with her for leavin' me after we lost Luke," Doggett replied.
"Yet now you make it sound like Scott's doin' some Divine intervention
 and tryin' to bring us back together.  I'm just wonderin' which scena
rio is the one you really want."

"Maybe I'm hoping that the former will lead to the latter," Elizabeth
answered evasively.  

Any response from Doggett was prevented by the arrival of Jessica, who flash
ed her mother an apologetic smile as she approached.  "I'm sorry to do t
his to you, but I have to go," she said. "I just got a call from the sta
tion and they need me to come in to review some new information on one of my
 cases."

"Can't it wait until tomorrow?" Elizabeth asked. "You buried your br
other today."

"Unfortunately crime has no respect for grieving families," Jessica coun
tered, and glanced at Doggett. "If you don't mind a short detour, I'll
 take you home after I finish up at the station."

"Sure."

Jessica gave her mother a brief hug. "I'll call you tomorrow," she pro
mised.

Elizabeth turned to Doggett.  "John," she said simply.   "Don't be a
 stranger."

"Take care of yourself, Senator," he responded.

He pressed a light kiss to her cheek, then he and Jessica made their way out
 of the house. As they climbed into her car, Doggett asked, "Where'd you
 disappear to?"

"I was in Scott's old room," Jessica answered.  "I wanted to say a p
rivate good-bye."

"As I recall, you did the same thing the day of Luke's funeral."

The lieutenant gave him a small smile. "Old habits," she said simply.

"Speaking of which, now that we're alone why don't you tell me why it
is you're still wearin' your wedding ring?" Doggett pressed.

She chuckled. "You certainly get straight to the heart of the matter, don
't you?"

"You're avoidin' the question."

Jessica fell silent for a moment before responding.  "I still wear it beca
use I'm still in love with you," she admitted at last.

That was clearly the last thing he had expected to hear. "Excuse me?"

"You sound surprised."

"Shocked is more like it." 

"I can't imagine why," Jessica countered. "I've loved you in one f
orm or another since I was eleven years old, John, and you have been present
 at every important event of my life. Is it really so surprising that I woul
d still be in love with you?" 

"That's not the impression I got when you left New York," Doggett resp
onded, residual anger evident in his tone.

Ouch, Jessica thought wryly. I should have seen that coming. "We both need
ed time to heal. After we lost Luke, we were both so hurt and so angry we co
uldn't give each other what we needed. We barely managed to say ten words
to each other, and when we did they were usually unpleasant. At the time, I
felt separating was the only way to salvage what we had. But as the days tur
ned to weeks, and the weeks to months, I began to think that maybe the best
thing I could do for you would be to set you free. I convinced myself that I
 was nothing more to you than a reminder of the son we'd lost."

"I felt the same way," Doggett admitted. "When we decided to spend som
e time apart, I thought it was your way of tellin' me that you blamed me f
or what happened to Luke."

"I never blamed you for Luke's death, John; I didn't have to. You blam
ed yourself enough for both of us."

Unwilling to relinquish his sense of responsibility for their son's death,=
 Doggett chose not to respond to Jessica's remark and instead returned to
the original subject. "It's been almost five years, Jess. Why tell me th
is now?"

She sighed.  "After the attacks on the World Trade Center last year, I cal
led the Bureau's field office in New York to find out if you were all righ
t, and they told me you'd transferred to D.C. the year before. I figured I
'd have a better chance at tracking you down if we were in the same state,=
 so I arranged to transfer to Alexandria's police department and moved bac
k to Virginia. But once I was here, I got cold feet. I worried that you'd
met someone else and possibly remarried. Scott got tired of listening to me
whine about it and after doing a little research he told me that you were st
ill single.  He also told me that if I didn't call you by the end of Novem
ber, he was going to call you on my behalf. Ironically enough it was the des
ire to have you at his memorial service that finally prompted me to seek you
 out."

"And so here we are," Doggett said.  "But you've only told me the
'how', Jess; not the 'why'. Or at least only half of it."

"I want you back, John," Jessica declared. "I want us back.  Walking a
way from you was the hardest and the stupidest thing I've ever done, and I
've had almost five years to regret it. I don't want to regret it anymor
e."

So there it is. The bluntness of the admission was no surprise to Doggett; h
onesty was as natural to Jessica as breathing. Depending on the occasion, it
 was both her most appealing and disconcerting quality. He was unsure which
adjective he would apply to it in this instance.

"I'm not sure what you want me to say," he began carefully.  "It hur
t when you walked out, but I will admit that I've missed you over the last
 few years, and that I still care about you.  But I don't know if it's e
nough."

"It's a start," Jessica replied, and afforded him a brief sideways gla
nce.  "I don't expect you to welcome me back with open arms and pretend
that the last five years didn't happen. All I'm asking is that you take
some time to consider if you're willing to give me a second chance."

"And if I say no?"

"Then we call it as friends and move on. But I don't want to spend the r
est of my life without you unless I know in my heart I did what I could to g
et you back."

She fell silent then, awaiting Doggett's response.  He remained quiet for
over a minute before speaking again.

"I'm not makin' any promises, but with a little time to get used to th
e idea, startin' over again may not be outside the realm of possibility,=
" he said at last.

Relief and joy were evident in Jessica's elegant features.  "A simple
'I'll think about it' would have sufficed," she teased, "but thank
 you."

"You're welcome."

*************************************************************************

ALEXANDRIA POLICE DEPARTMENT

The arrival of Jessica and John was met with open curiosity, as most of the
officers in the department were aware that Scott's funeral had been that d
ay.  As she approached the front desk, the sergeant on the other side -- a
plain looking man in his late forties -- greeted Jessica with a friendly sm
ile.

"Evening, Lieutenant. "

"Hello, Ben," Jessica returned.  "How was your vacation?"

"Not nearly long enough," Ben responded. "Detective Myers told me abou
t your brother's accident. I sure am sorry."

"Thank you."

"Who's the suit?" Ben asked, inclining his head toward Doggett.

"Sergeant Ben Ruesch, meet Special Agent John Doggett."

Ben's eyes widened in recognition of the name.  "So you're the mysteri
ous ex-husband," he remarked.  "I take it from your title you're a Bur
eau boy?"

"Yes, sir," Doggett confirmed.

Ben nodded. "Nobody's perfect."

"Is Captain Phillips around?" Jessica asked.  "I got a call from her a
t my mother's house telling me she has some new information about Scott
's case."

"She's in her office," Ben told her.  "She said to send you in as so
on as you got here."

"Thanks."

"And just a word of warning; Detective Lupen is in there with her."

Something akin to disgust registered on Jessica's beautiful face.  "Wond
erful," she said sarcastically.  "Thanks for the warning, Ben."

"Anytime, Lieutenant."

As Jessica and John crossed the room to Phillips' office, the latter quest
ioned her about her reaction to Lupen's name.  "I take it this Detective
 Lupen isn't on your list of favorite people?"

"He gives slime a bad name," came the response.  "He asked me out when
 I first arrived in Alexandria and I politely declined. Yet he seems to thin
k that if he keeps asking every couple of weeks or so until the next millenn
ium, I'll change my mind."

Doggett smiled at that. For as long as he had known her, Jessica had held a
zero tolerance level for anyone who could not take no for an answer, especia
lly men who were drawn to her extraordinary looks.  "You want I should tak
e him out back and have a chat with him?" he teased.

"Only if you plan on letting your fists do the talking," Jessica answere
d.

The door was closed when they reached the captain's office, and Jessica kn
ocked to announce their presence, then waited for Phillips' invitation to
enter before opening the door. The captain was seated behind her desk when t
hey entered, and Lupen was seated with his back to the door, but both rose t
o their feet to greet the new arrivals.

"Lieutenant," Phillips returned. "Thank you for coming, and I apologiz
e again for calling you in on such a difficult day."

"It's all right."

Phillips was an African American woman looking to be in her mid to late fift
ies, and her face wore the expression of someone who understands and accepts
 authority. Lupen was Hispanic, in his early forties and quite attractive. H
e flashed Jessica an overly friendly smile a split second before he noticed
that she was not alone, and he was obviously not pleased by Doggett's pres
ence.

"I don't believe we've met your friend," he said.

The lieutenant promptly made the introductions. "Captain Grace Phillips, D
etective Miguel Lupen, this is my ex-husband, Special Agent John Doggett.=
"

Lupen's eyes widened slightly in surprise upon hearing John's name. "I
s your presence here personal, Agent Doggett?" he asked coolly. "Or has
Senator Caldwell asked the Bureau to step in on this case?"

"I'm here as a friend of the family," Doggett answered.

"You said on the phone that you had new information about Scott's accide
nt," Jessica directed to Phillips.

"Yes," the captain confirmed, and picking up a file off her desk, handed
 it to the other woman. "The forensics report came back on the car that hi
t Scott's, and they were unable to find any trace of the driver."

"Was he thrown from the car on impact?" Jessica asked.

Lupen shook his head.  "There were no bodies found at the scene of the acc
ident," he told her.  "Scott was trapped beneath his car and was extrica
ted when the fire department arrived. The other car was so badly damaged the
y had to send it to the impound yard with the body presumably crushed inside
. Yet once they took the vehicle apart, there was no one inside."

"What about traces of the driver in the car?" Doggett asked. "Was ther
e any physical evidence inside the vehicle, like blood on the seats or winds
hield, or hair or clothing fibers?"

"Not according to the forensics report," Jessica answered, and handed th
e file to Doggett as she addressed her captain. "I don't understand how
this is possible. The initial accident report clearly indicated that the oth
er car swerved into Scott's lane. If there was no one inside, it shouldn
't have been mobile, let alone driving erratically."

"There's more," Lupen said.  "In the statement we got from the coupl
e in the car behind Scott's who called in the accident, they stated that w
hile they were waiting for the emergency personnel to arrive, they saw a man
 crawl out from under the wreckage of the other car, get to his feet and dis
appear into the night."

"Was he disguised as a mild mannered reporter named Clark Kent from a grea
t Metropolitan newspaper?" Jessica asked sarcastically.

 "According to the brief description the witnesses gave us, he was a slim
man about medium height with brown hair," Lupen said.  "They were too fa
r away to get an age range or more specific description."

"They must have missed the red cape and matching boots," Jessica snapped
.

"Lieutenant..." Phillips said warningly.

"I'm sorry, Captain, but this is all beginning to sound more than a litt
le ridiculous.  We have a car that apparently drove itself into Scott's la
ne and killed him, and a mysterious man who walked away from the accident wi
thout a scratch.  I saw the pictures of the accident site, and after sixteen
 years as a cop I've seen enough car accidents to know which ones are surv
ivable and which are not. So unless this mystery man is made of steel, there
's no way he could have been in the car that crashed into Scott's and li
ved to tell about it."

His ex-wife's angry assertion that the alleged driver would have to have b
een "made of steel" suddenly triggered a memory in Doggett's brain, of
 a slim young man with brown hair who was indeed indestructible: Billy Miles
.

Like this whole scenario aint bad enough without turnin' it into an X file
, he thought wryly.  Aloud he asked, "Would it be possible to talk to thes
e witnesses again and maybe get a little more information about what they sa
w?"

The others glanced at him in surprise, and Phillips asked, "Do you think t
here's something to their story about seeing someone walk away from the ac
cident?"

Doggett shrugged, unwilling to say anything about his theory until he had mo
re proof.  "I just think that it might help the Caldwell family's peace
of mind if they could get a definitive answer about who was drivin' the ca
r that took Scott out," he evaded.

Knowing him as well as she did, Jessica knew there was more to his request t
han that, but she trusted him enough not to press the issue until they were
alone.

"With all due respect, Agent Doggett, given your personal connection to th
e Caldwells I don't think that you should be involved in this case," Lup
en replied carefully.  

Here we go, Doggett thought idly.  To Lupen he said, "With all due respect
, Detective Lupen, I don't think that's your call to make."

"I agree," Phillips replied. "If Agent Doggett is willing to offer his
 time and the Bureau's resources to help us with this investigation, I for
 one would welcome the assistance."

"As would my family," Jessica added, earning her an annoyed glare from L
upen.

"Miguel, why don't you make a copy of the case file for Agent Doggett?=
" Phillips asked. "I'm sure he'll want to review the complete file b
efore he contacts the witnesses."

"Of course," Lupen responded evenly.

"I'll make the copies," Jessica offered. 

Doggett handed Jessica the file, and she excused herself as she left Phillip
s' office. Lupen left immediately thereafter, flashing Doggett a final hat
eful glare as he did so.  Once he was gone, the agent gave Phillips a sheepi
sh smile.

"I don't think Detective Lupen likes me very much," he said.

"He's just got his feathers ruffled because you showed up with Jessica,=
" Phillips replied.  "He's never been fond of competition."

"From what she's told me Jess has never been very fond of him," Dogget
t responded.  

"He is pretty persistent, but unless she files a formal complaint there
's not much I can do about it," Phillips returned. "You, however, don
't have that problem. A friendly word of warning to back off may be just w
hat he needs."

His smile widened.  "You don't mince words, do you?"

Phillips shrugged. "I like Jessica," she said.  "Most people tend to d
ismiss her on sight because of her looks and her family, but I've seen her
 work and I know her record. She's a damn good cop."

"Yes, she is," Doggett agreed. "Better than I was, at any rate."

"Is that how you two met?"

"No; her brother Scott was my college roommate and we met through him."

"I never knew him personally, but from what I heard he was a good man,"
Phillips remarked.  "I hope you can find the person responsible for his de
ath."

"I'm gonna do my best."

Jessica returned then, and handed Doggett the copied file.  "With your per
mission, Captain, I'd like to assume the lead on this case," she request
ed. "I'd rather not have to work with Miguel."

"Are you certain you can be objective enough about the investigation to ru
n it properly?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"All right; the case is yours."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now go home."

The lieutenant smiled, then she and Doggett bid the captain farewell and lef
t the police station. Once they were in her car, she questioned him about hi
s evasiveness with Lupen and Phillips.

"Would you care to tell me the real reason you want to talk to the witness
es of Scott's accident?"

"There's nothin' to tell," Doggett answered. "I just think it woul
d be helpful if we got a straight story about the alleged driver of the othe
r car."

Jessica clearly wasn't convinced that there was nothing more to it, but sh
e decided to let it go for now.  The drive to Doggett's house was made in
companionable silence, and once they arrived Jessica insisted on walking Joh
n to the front door.

"Is this some kind of reverse chivalry?" he asked lightly.

"Call it what you will," came her response.  

They reached the front door, and Jessica reached into her blazer pocket and
withdrew a business card, which she handed to Doggett.  "This is my card,=
" she said. "It has my direct line at the station on the front, and I wr
ote my cell and home numbers on the back."

"Do you want to come with me when I talk to the witnesses?" Doggett aske
d.

"Thanks for the offer, but they might be intimidated by my presence. Just
let me know if they manage to give you a more accurate description of the my
stery man."

He nodded. "I'll call you as soon as I finish with them."

"I'll wait to hear from you, then. Good night, John."

"Good night, Jess."

Jessica leaned over to press a light kiss on his cheek, then flashed him a w
arm smile before making her way back to her car.  Doggett watched her go, wa
iting until her taillights were no longer visible before speaking aloud to h
imself.

"John, my boy, you are in serious trouble."

Smiling to himself, he unlocked his door and headed inside.

*************************************************************************

FBI HEADQUARTERS

The following morning, Doggett arrived at work carrying Scott's file and t
he gift for Will. Reaching his office, he heard Mulder and Scully talking ab
out Jessica. They had obviously not heard him approach, so he took advantage
 of their oblivion to position himself just outside the office, out of sight
 but within hearing distance.

"C'mon, Scully," Mulder pleaded. "Monica told you she's met her be
fore. Spill the dirt."

Scully shot him an admonishing glance.  "They met the day Monica went with
 John to tell her that Luke's body had been found," she reminded him.
"It wasn't exactly an appropriate time to exchange small talk."

"Doggett's never mentioned her to you?" Mulder pressed.

"Why the fascination with Jessica Doggett? Aside from the obvious, of cour
se."

"I just find it interesting that Agent Doggett has never so much as mentio
ned her name, or enlightened anyone to the fact that his former mother-in-la
w is one of Washington's most powerful people," Mulder replied.  "And
you have to admit on the surface they are an odd match."

"Some people might say that about you and me," Scully replied.

Mulder ignored the jibe. "Scully, you said it yourself on the phone with h
im yesterday," he reminded her.  "You said that you'd 'be interested
 to hear how a conservative New York cop turned FBI agent from Georgia wound
 up married to the Virginian born and bred only daughter of one of the count
ry's wealthiest and most Democratic families.'  That would make anyone c
urious."

"Just remember what curiosity did to the cat, Agent Mulder," Doggett cau
tioned, stepping into the office to make his presence known. Smiling at thei
r guilty expressions, he walked over to hand Will's gift to Scully. "Thi
s is for Will."

"Thank you, Agent Doggett," Scully said, and leaned down to place it und
er her desk. "I'll let him open it when we pick him up at my mother's
tonight."

"I saw Scott Caldwell's obituary in the paper this morning," Mulder re
marked. "How's his family?"

"About as well as they can be under the circumstances," Doggett responde
d.  "Unfortunately it's beginnin' to look like Scott's death wasn
't a random accident."

"In what way?" Scully asked.

He handed her the file and she skimmed through it before passing it to Mulde
r, while Doggett quickly filled them in on the meeting he'd had last night
 with Jessica, Lupen and Phillips. "As soon as Jess made the comment about
 the driver havin' to be made of steel to have survived the accident, some
thing clicked, and I immediately thought of Billy Miles."

"Billy Miles?" Scully echoed.

"We haven't seen or heard from him since Scully gave birth," Mulder po
inted out.

"No, but we all know he has a habit of turnin' up when you least expect
him," Doggett countered. "And you have to admit he could have survived t
he crash if he was indeed drivin' the other car."

'You have a point there," Scully conceded.  

"So are you going to talk to these people about what they saw?" Mulder a
sked.

"Yeah, and I was hoping I could convince Agent Scully to come with me,"
Doggett said, and glanced at Scully. "You know Billy Miles better than me,=
 and you'll have a better idea if he really is who they saw that night.=
"

"Fair enough."

Scully got to her feet and walked over to the filing cabinet. Pulling open t
he top drawer, she rummaged through the files until she found the one she so
ught and pulled it out. Opening the folder, she took out a small picture of
Billy Miles, then closed the folder and replaced it in the drawer. Walking o
ver to stand beside Doggett, she shot Mulder a warning look. "Don't open
 Will's gift, Mulder."

Mulder gave her a look of feigned innocence. "Would I do that?"

"Yes," Scully and Doggett answered in unison.

*************************************************************************

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA

Arriving at the police station, Jessica flashed Ruesch a friendly smile befo
re making her way to her office.  Her desk was covered with various reports
and miscellaneous papers, and she decided to make herself a cup of tea befor
e tackling the paperwork.  Crossing over to the water cooler, she was fillin
g a cup with hot water when one of the uniformed offices approached her.

"Morning, Lieutenant," he greeted, and handed her the large envelope he
was holding. "This just arrived for you up front."

"Thanks, Jimmy," she responded, and tucked the package under her arm as
she finished making her tea. Returning to her office, she took a sip of tea
before setting her cup on the desk and shifting her attention to the envelop
e Jimmy had given her.  It was made of plain brown paper and bore no return
address, and her name was written across the front in unfamiliar handwriting
.  Grabbing a letter opener from the drawer, she gently broke the seal and d
umped the contents onto her desk.  Inside was a single sheet of letter paper
 folded in thirds, along with an aged newspaper clipping that had yellowed w
ith time.  She unfolded the letter first, noting with surprise that it was o
n her brother's business stationery, and the message was a single typewrit
ten line:

"Dead men tell no tales."

Frowning, she set the letter aside and picked up the newspaper clipping.  It
 was from a Boston newspaper from and was dated April 29, 1964.

SEARCH CONTINUES FOR MISSING BABY GIRL

Martha's Vineyard, Mass. -- The search continues for a ten-week-old baby
girl abducted from her parents' home three nights ago. Young Christina Mul
der was taken from the home of her parents, Bill and Teena Mulder, sometime
between the hours of midnight and two a.m., when her mother awoke for her re
gular feeding and discovered the infant was missing.  

Neighbors questioned by authorities stated that they did not see or hear any
thing unusual the night of the abduction, nor did the Mulders or their other
 children, three year-old Samantha and seven year-old Fox. The investigation
 of the house itself and the surrounding area has yielded no physical eviden
ce as to the child's abduction, further deepening the mystery of her disap
pearance.

When asked if the parents were suspected of foul play, Sheriff Tom Barnes re
plied, "At this time we have no reason to believe that the Mulders are res
ponsible for their baby's disappearance, and they are not considered suspe
cts."

Finishing the article, Jessica tucked it back inside the envelope along with
 the cryptic note and reached over to pick up the phone. Reaching into her p
urse, she rummaged around until she found Doggett's card, and quickly dial
ed the main number for FBI Headquarters.  

"Federal Bureau of Investigation."

"This is Lieutenant Jessica Doggett from the Alexandria police department.=
 I need to speak with Special Agent Fox Mulder please."

"Certainly; one moment."

There was a brief pause as the operator transferred the call, and a moment l
ater Mulder's easygoing monotone came on the line.  "Fox Mulder."

"Agent Mulder, this is Jessica Doggett."

"Good morning, Lieutenant," Mulder greeted. "If you're looking for A
gent Doggett, you just missed him."

"Actually I was calling to speak with you," Jessica clarified. "Would
it be possible for me to come by your office and meet with you in person? I
received a package this morning that I think you'll be interested in."

"Of course. I'll be here all morning."

"Excellent. I should be there in about thirty minutes."

Jessica hung up the phone, then grabbed her purse and the envelope as she he
aded out of her office.

*************************************************************************

FBI HEADQUARTERS

Mulder was seated at Scully's desk and was gently shaking Will's gift in
 an attempt to discover its contents when a knock on the doorframe interrupt
ed him.

"Agent Mulder?"

He gave a guilty start before glancing up to see Jessica hovering in the doo
rway.  "Lieutenant Doggett," he greeted. "Come on in."

She walked over to stand in front of the desk as she gestured at the package
. "Somebody having a birthday?" she asked.

"My son," Mulder answered.  "He just turned one."

Jessica nodded.  "Any particular reason you're trying to figure out what
's in the box before he actually gets to open it?" 

Mulder managed a sheepish smile.  "Nothing that would make any sense spoke
n aloud," he admitted, and replaced the gift under Scully's desk before
addressing the reason for Jessica's presence.  "So...you said on the pho
ne you received a package I might be interested in?"

"Yes," Jessica confirmed, and handed him the brown envelope. "This was
 delivered to me at the station this morning."

Mulder opened the envelope and withdrew the contents, scanning the note befo
re reading the newspaper article, his surprise evident as he finished.  "W
ell this is certainly an old ghost," he remarked.  "My parents told Sama
ntha and me that Christina died of SIDS."

"So the article is legitimate?" Jessica pressed.

"I assume so," Mulder answered, confusion evident on his handsome face.
"Which leads me to wonder why my parents felt it necessary to lie about Ch
ristina's fate."

Knowing from the brief bits of information about Scully and Mulder she had g
otten from John, Jessica knew both his parents were deceased, and respectful
ly offered no response to his speculation. Instead she asked, "Any theorie
s as to why somebody would dredge up a thirty-eight year-old kidnapping case
?"

"Not off the top of my head, but given the note that came with it and the
fact it was typed on your brother's business stationery, it seems to me wh
oever it is wants you to believe that my sister's kidnapping is linked to
your brother's death."

"That makes no sense," Jessica protested. "Scott was killed last week;=
 your sister disappeared almost thirty-nine years ago."

"Sensible or not, the facts remain the same," Mulder countered. "Whoev
er typed this note did so within the last few days, and is someone who has a
ccess to your brother's office."

"I know most of his colleagues," Jessica replied. "I can't imagine a
ny of them would withhold information about Scott's death."

" 'All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing',=
" Mulder quoted softly.  "The person who sent this to you is obviously t
rying to tell you that maybe they did just that."

"I suppose the place to start is his office," Jessica said. "Given tha
t this now involves you, it would probably be a good idea for you to come wi
th me."

Mulder smiled. "Turnabout being fair play and all that?" he asked rhetor
ically.

"Excuse me?"

"Agent Doggett recruited Scully to go with him to talk to the witnesses wh
o saw your brother's crash," Mulder clarified.  "Now you're recruiti
ng me to help find out who sent you this package.  Kind of an odd parallel.=
"

"Just so long as nobody calls me 'Mrs. Spooky'," Jessica quipped.

"Very funny, Lieutenant."

*************************************************************************

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA

Scully and Doggett arrived at the home of Danielle and Nicholas Wynmore, the
 couple who had witnessed Scott's accident, and walked up to the front doo
r. Scully rang the bell, and Doggett knocked twice on the door. A dog began
barking from inside the house, followed by a masculine voice saying "Down,=
 Bruno!" and a moment later a man of about Doggett's age opened the door
, his left hand holding the collar of a brindle Great Dane.

"May I help you?"

Scully and Doggett withdrew their badges as the latter said, "Special Agen
ts Scully and Doggett with the FBI. Are you Nicholas Wynmore?"

"I am."

"Doctor Wynmore, if you can spare a few minutes, we'd like to ask you a
couple more questions about what you and your wife saw the night Scott Caldw
ell was killed," Scully requested.

"My wife isn't home at the moment, but I'll be happy to answer any add
itional questions you have," Wynmore said, and stepped aside to allow them
 entry. "Please, come in."

As Wynmore led them into the living room, Bruno positioned himself next to D
oggett and promptly butted his head against the agent's leg in a bid for a
ttention.

"He's usually not so friendly with strangers," Wynmore remarked. "Yo
u must be a dog person."

Doggett shrugged as he gave the large canine a brief pat.  "I wasn't unt
il I met my wife," he demurred, "but she's always had dogs that weigh
more than she does so I learned to like them."

Scully hid a smile at his use of the present tense when referring to his mar
riage to Jessica, and settled herself on the couch as Doggett settled next t
o her, and Wynmore sat in a chair across from them.

"What can I do for you, Agents?" Wynmore asked.

"Accordin' to the statement you gave Alexandria P.D.," Doggett began,
"you and your wife saw a man crawl out from underneath the other car befor
e the police and ambulances arrived."

"Yes," Wynmore confirmed. "We had just called 911 on our cell phone an
d were walking toward the entangled cars to check for victims when we sudden
ly saw a man rise up from the ground on the opposite side. Given his proximi
ty to the crash, we assumed he was the driver. He was rather slim, no more t
han thirty or so, and he glanced at the wreckage for maybe ten seconds befor
e turning and walking away into the night."

"Did you try and stop him?"

"No. He was obviously unhurt, and I was more concerned with helping anyone
 who was trapped in the cars."

"Can you be more specific in your description?" Scully asked.  

Wynmore frowned.  "I wish I could, but we only saw him from a distance and
 it was raining quite heavily."

Scully reached into her pocket and withdrew the picture of Billy Miles, hold
ing it out to Wynmore. "Is this the man you saw that night?" she asked.

Wynmore took the picture and studied it for a moment before handing to back
to Scully. "It could have been him," he allowed. "There is a resemblan
ce, but as I said the distance and weather conditions made it impossible to
get a clear look at him."

"Of course."

Scully and Doggett rose to their feet as the former said, "Thank you for y
our time, Doctor."

"I wish I could have been more helpful," Wynmore responded.  

The agents bid farewell to Wynmore and made their way back to Doggett's ca
r.  As they climbed inside, Scully addressed her partner.  "So do you stil
l think it was Billy Miles they saw that night?" she prompted. 

"It's a bit too coincidental not to have been," Doggett answered. 
"Doctor Wynmore admitted that there was a resemblance and said that the gu
y was obviously unhurt. And Jess' Superman analogy notwithstandin', ther
e's only one 'person' that I know of who could've been behind the wh
eel of that car and walked away from the crash."

"Assuming for the moment that it was Billy," Scully replied, "we still
 don't have a reason for his involvement.  Why would Billy and/or the peop
le controlling him want to kill Scott Caldwell?"

"I don't know, but I damn well intend to find out."

"What are you going to tell Jessica?"

"I wish I knew."

Scully smiled.  "You still care about her," she observed.

"She was my wife and the mother of my son, Dana," Doggett reminded her.
"Of course I care about her."

"Are you still in love with her?"

Doggett gave her a sideways glance.  "Why is everyone so interested in my
relationship with Jess?" he asked with friendly exasperation.  

"Maybe because she represents a part of you that no one ever gets to see,=
" came the quiet answer.  "Once upon a time you obviously loved her very
 much, and given how closely you guard your feelings that's a testament to
 the kind of woman she must be."

Doggett was quiet for so long that Scully assumed he was annoyed at the intr
usion into his personal business, but just as she was about to change the su
bject and save face, he broke the silence.

"Jess was eleven years old when I first met her," he began, the affectio
n in his tone evident as he spoke. "Scott and I had been roommates at Syra
cuse for about two months, and when my family had to cancel our plans to mee
t for Thanksgiving that first year, I accepted Scott's invitation to go to
 Virginia and spend the holiday with his.  Knowin' that his family was wea
lthy, I was expectin' them to be a bit on the snobbish side, but from the
minute I met Elizabeth Caldwell, she was nothin' but gracious and friendly
.  She went to track down Jess, and a few minutes later this huge dog comes
trottin' into the living room, followed by a very pretty little blonde gir
l with the bluest eyes I'd ever seen.  I was there for four days, and by t
he time Scott and I left, it was obvious that Jess had developed a crush on
me. Scott said she even told him that she was gonna marry me when she grew u
p."

"From the mouths of babes," Scully said.

"Exactly. In any event, Jess began writin' me whenever she wrote Scott,
and the next thing I know I'm pen pals with my roommate's kid sister.  S
he was smart little thing, though, and as she got older, her letters began t
o change. She was more serious, and wrote about mature topics like current e
vents and politics.  I saw her off and on over the years when she and her mo
ther came to visit Scott, or when I went home with him. She missed our gradu
ation when she came down with the flu, and by then was busy with school and
her friends, so I didn't see her again until she invited me to her high sc
hool graduation.  At that point she was eighteen, and after the ceremony whe
n she came over to where I was sittin' with her family, I felt like someon
e had punched me in the stomach.  She was one of the most attractive women I
'd ever seen, even bein' so young.  My reaction to her scared the hell o
utta me, not just because of the age difference but because she was still th
e kid sister of my best friend."

"Did you tell Scott how you felt?" Scully asked.

"Not a word, but knowin' me as well as he did, he could tell that there
was something different about the way I treated Jess after that. Even Jess c
ould sense the change, but neither of them ever mentioned it to me, not even
 when I practically ignored her at Scott and Sarah's wedding. Shortly afte
r we got our degrees, Scott and I joined the Marines and eventually would up
 bein' sent to Beirut. That was a pretty bad time for both of us. Jess con
tinued to write to us, and I found myself lookin' for her letters every mo
nth. She never actually said that she still harbored any romantic feelings f
or me, but there was a tone in her letters that told me more than words ever
 could.  When I was hurt and given an honorable discharge, Scott asked his m
other to make arrangements to get me sent home on a private plane. I wasn
't in much of a condition to be sociable and wasn't up to a plane ride f
ull of curious passengers."

"I imagine not," Scully replied.  "Sometimes people's sympathy and c
uriosity is worse than your original experience."

"Like when you lost Mulder," Doggett said.

"Yes."

"The day I came home I walked into my parents' living room and discovere
d Jess sittin' on the couch.  And I got the same slammed in the gut feelin
g I had at her graduation, only this time it was stronger.  She was twenty-t
wo then, and had matured into the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen.  She
'd just gotten her degree from Richmond University and had arranged to spe
nd the summer working for Atlanta P.D. so we could spend some time together.=
  She wound up stayin' through Christmas, and by that time I knew I was in
 love with her." He paused a moment to smile at the memory.  "I remember
 when I finally got up the nerve to tell her. Jess looked at me, smiled, and
 simply said, 'its about time'.  We were married six months later."

"Was your son's murder the reason you divorced?"

"It was what got the ball rollin' so to speak," Doggett allowed.  "A
bout three months after he died, Jess and I decided to separate. We were hur
tin' so bad we barely spoke to one another, and when we did it usually end
ed up in an argument. So we thought maybe a little time and distance would g
ive us a chance to heal.  But right about the time I was ready to ask her to
 come back, I got the divorce papers."

"You could have contested them," Scully said.

He shook his head.  "I wasn't willin' to make it an issue if it was wh
at Jess wanted.  I called her the day I got the papers, and we had the first
 civil conversation we'd managed in almost two years. There were some laug
hs and some tears, and after an hour on the phone we decided to call it at f
riends. I never expected to see her again."

"Yet almost three years later she went to the trouble to track you down an
d personally invite you to her brother's funeral," Scully pointed out. 
"And don't tell me it was only because of your friendship with Scott, be
cause she could have just as easily called or sent you a formal invitation i
n the mail."

Doggett sighed.  "Jess has asked me to give her a second chance," he rev
ealed.  "She told me that she still loves me and that she wants to give ou
r relationship another shot."

"From what you've told me about her that doesn't surprise me," Scull
y replied, earning her a curious look from Doggett.

"What makes you say that?"

She shrugged.  "It's rather simple, actually. She's harbored feelings
of one sort or another for you since she was what -- eleven years old?  Tha
t's nearly two thirds of your lives, with the best and worst moments your
lives brought. A bond like that doesn't break, John. It may get stretched
pretty thin from time to time, but it never truly disappears. And it's wor
th fighting for."

He shot her a sideways glance. "So you're sayin' I should reconcile wi
th her."

"I'm saying that maybe its time to admit to yourself that you still love
 her."

"I never said I was still in love with her."

Scully smiled. "You didn't have to."

*************************************************************************

Scott had worked in the heart of Alexandria at Caldwell & Grant, the law fir
m founded by his father Edward Caldwell and Edward's partner, Alan Grant.
Jessica and Mulder had exchanged casual conversation during the ride to Scot
t's office, and by the time they reached the law firm, a tentative friends
hip was forming between them.  As they walked toward the main reception desk
, the lieutenant could feel the curious looks from her brother's former co
lleagues, wondering about her presence there.  The receptionist at the front
 desk knew Jessica well, and flashed her sympathetic smile as she and Mulder
 passed by.  Reaching the office that had belonged to Scott, they approached
 his former personal assistant.

"Hello, Jessica," she greeted. "I'm so sorry about Scott."

"Thank you, Gillian."

"How are Sarah and the children holding up?" Gillian asked.

"Rather well under the circumstances," Jessica responded.

Gillian glanced curiously at Mulder. "I don't believe I know you," she
 said. 

"My name's Fox Mulder; I'm with the FBI."

Gillian shifted her gaze back to Jessica. "The FBI?" 

"Agent Mulder is helping me with a case I'm working on," Jessica expla
ined.  "Would it be possible for me to get access to Scott's old office
for a few minutes? There are some personal items in there I need to retrieve
."

"I was told that all of Scott's personal effects were delivered to his h
ome the day after the accident," Gillian said. 

"Who told you that?" Jessica asked.

"Mister Grant," Gillian answered. "He said that one of your detectives
 had already been here to retrieve Scott's things and he's asked everyon
e to stay out of the office until a decision is made about who will take Sco
tt's place."

Jessica and Mulder exchanged a look. This was curious, indeed.

"Is Mister Grant available?" Mulder asked. "I'm sure he'd be willi
ng to let Lieutenant Doggett check the office to verify that all of Scott
's personal belongings have been accounted for."

"Unfortunately he had meetings outside the office today and isn't expect
ed in until late this afternoon," Gillian told them.  "But as you said,
given that Jessica is Scott's sister, I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

Gillian pulled open one of her desk drawers and withdrew a pair of keys, whi
ch she handed to Jessica. "These are the keys to Scott's office and his
filing cabinet," she said.  "Make sure you lock everything back up when
you're done and return the keys to me on your way out."

"I will, Gillian," Jessica promised. "Thank you."

Using the keys provided by Gillian, the two let themselves in and began a cu
rsory search of the room. Sure enough, the office had been cleared of all of
 Scott's personal effects. As Mulder crossed over to open and search the f
iling cabinet, Jessica seated herself behind Scott's desk and began pullin
g open the drawers.  In one of the smaller ones, she found a stack of the pe
rsonal stationery that had been used for the cryptic note she had received t
hat morning.  Taking out a sheet, she rose to her feet as she spoke to Mulde
r.

"I'm going to check something," she said. "I'll be right back."

"Okay."

The lieutenant walked out of the office as Mulder continued to rummage throu
gh Scott's files.  He reached the last of files and was about to close the
 drawer when he noticed another file wedged behind the rest, as if it had be
en shoved in hastily instead of in its proper order.  Reaching into the draw
er, he pulled it out and glanced at the label: DOGGETT, JESSICA CALDWELL.

Why would he have a file on his own sister? Mulder pondered silently.

Casting a quick glance at the door to ensure Jessica was still absent, he fl
ipped open the file and swiftly scanned it. Most of it read like a standard
personnel file, with documentation regarding her family history, education a
nd employment history, and a brief mention of John and Luke Doggett.  It was
 the last paper in the file, however, that caught his attention. It was fold
ed in thirds and showed signs of wear, as if it had been read multiple times
. It was a photocopy of a document entitled "Certificate of Adoption" da
ted May 2, 1964, and it bore Jessica's name.

"The plot thickens," Mulder muttered aloud.  

Just then he heard Jessica's voice in the hallway and he quickly refolded
the paper and stashed it in his coat before shoving Jessica's file back in
to the filing cabinet as she reentered the office.

"Did you find anything?" she asked.

"Not a thing," Mulder lied. "Where'd you go to?"

She handed him the paper she was holding. "This is the same stationery tha
t was used for the note I got this morning, and I asked Gillian to type a co
uple of lines so we could compare the type set."

"Good idea."

"Well, since we seem to have come up empty, we'd better go. It would pro
bably be best if Alan Grant didn't get back from his meetings and find us
snooping around."  

"I'll second that," Mulder said, and motioned for her to precede him o
ut of the office.  They returned the keys to Gillian and headed for the elev
ator, and Mulder waited until they were inside before posing a question to J
essica.  "Mind if I ask you a personal question?"

"Not at all."

"How did the daughter of Elizabeth Caldwell wind up married to John Dogget
t?"

Jessica smiled.  "I don't know if that's a compliment to me or an insu
lt to John," she said wryly.  
 
"I meant Agent Doggett no offense," Mulder assured her. "It's just t
hat I've known him for close to two years, and he's a pretty private guy
. I'm curious as to how he managed to marry a member of such a public fami
ly."

"John and my brother Scott were roommates at Syracuse," the lieutenant t
old him.  "Scott brought him home for Thanksgiving that first year, and fo
r me it was puppy love at first sight. Over the years we became friends thro
ugh our respective relationships with Scott, and eventually we fell in love.=
 Shortly after we were married, we moved to New York to accept positions wit
h NYPD. Ten years later we separated after our son's murder and I moved to
 San Francisco, while John stayed in New York and took a job with the FBI. T
hat was the last time we saw one another until I came to the office to tell
him about Scott's death."

"Until you did, some of us were beginning to wonder if there was an ex-Mrs
. Doggett," Mulder revealed.  "The only secret he guards more closely th
an you is what his middle initial 'J' stands for."

She chuckled.  "I can understand why," she allowed.  "John has never b
een one to advertise his personal business, and given why we parted company,=
 I doubt I was on his list of favorite topics."

"He doesn't seem too unhappy to have you around again."

"I hope not. But even if he were, he'd never say it. John may be a littl
e rough around the edges, but inside he has a gentle soul, and he is the mos
t inherently honorable man I've ever met.  Most people seem to think that
he somehow bettered himself by marrying a pretty little rich girl; what they
 don't understand is that I'm the one who was privileged to have been hi
s wife."

The agent gave her an assessing glance. "You're still in love with him.=
"

It was a statement, not a question, but nonetheless Jessica responded, "Ye
s."

"Does Agent Doggett know?"

"He knows, and on that note the subject of my relationship with John is of
ficially closed."

"Yes, Ma'am."

*************************************************************************

FBI HEADQUARTERS

Shortly thereafter, Jessica had dropped Mulder off at the Hoover Building an
d returned to Alexandria. She had left the note and newspaper article with M
ulder, so he could have them analyzed for fingerprints and compare the typin
g from her note to the one she'd asked Gillian to type for her.  After dro
pping them off at the evidence lab, Mulder made his way back to the office a
nd found Scully and Doggett already there.

"Any luck with the eyewitnesses?" Mulder asked.

"Not really," Doggett answered. "Doctor Wynmore said that the person t
hey saw could have been Billy Miles, but even with the picture Scully showed
 him he was unable to make a positive ID."

"Well as much as I hate to admit it, Agent Doggett, I'm going to agree w
ith you on this one. Given the condition of the car and force of the collisi
on, Billy Miles is the only being I know who could have been driving the oth
er car."

"You and I agreein' on somethin'," Doggett remarked. "Wonders neve
r cease."

"Where did you disappear to?" Scully asked.

"I was in Alexandria with Lieutenant Doggett," Mulder answered. "She r
eceived an odd note this morning on her brother's business stationery that
 was accompanied by an old newspaper article about the kidnapping of a baby
girl several years ago. The note seemed to intimate that the kidnapping was
connected to Scott's death, and it said 'Dead men tell no tales'."

"Who sent it?" 

"That's what we were hoping to find out by going to Scott's office.=
"

"Any particular reason she invited you to go with her?" Doggett interjec
ted.

Mulder glanced at him. "Because the baby girl that was kidnapped was my si
ster," he revealed.

"Samantha?" Scully prompted.

"No; it was my younger sister, Christina. She was born when I was seven, b
ut according to my parents died of SIDS when she was about two months old. Y
et the newspaper article states that she was actually kidnapped."

"Any idea why your parents would lie about what happened to her?"

Mulder shrugged. "Maybe they felt they were protecting us, but then again
they weren't exactly pillars of honesty to begin with."

Scully and Doggett exchanged a look at the obvious bitterness in his tone, b
ut neither commented on it. Instead Doggett asked, "So did your trip to Sc
ott's office uncover anything?"

"Only another mystery," was Mulder's reply, and reaching into his coat
, he withdrew the copy he had taken from the file on Jessica. "I found a f
ile on Jessica stashed into the back of his filing cabinet, and this was the
 last paper in it."

He handed it to Doggett, who quickly read it over before his face contorted
into a confused frown. "This doesn't make any sense," he said. "Jess
 isn't adopted."

"According to that she is."

Scully took the copy from Doggett and reviewed it herself before commenting.=
  "This could have been forged," she suggested.

"Maybe that'd be possible if we were talkin' about somebody else," D
oggett countered, "but Jess is a Caldwell.  Very few people in this countr
y have the resources and/or the stupidity to mess with them.  If someone was
 creatin' false documentation about Jess, her parents would have known abo
ut it."

"Perhaps they already did," Scully responded.  "If this is genuine, th
an obviously the Caldwells were involved."

"Fine; let's just say for the sake of argument that Jess is adopted.  Wh
y wouldn't she know about it? And even if for whatever reason her parents
never told her, why didn't Scott? He adored her, and there's no way he w
ould have kept somethin' like this from her."

"Assuming he even knew himself," Mulder replied.

"How could he not?" Doggett retorted.  "Scott was seven when Jess was
born, Mulder; that's old enough to know that babies aren't dropped on th
e front porch by a giant stork."

"Where there's a will there's a way, Agent Doggett," Mulder said.
"If the Caldwells did adopt Jessica as an infant, then they could have fou
nd a way to bring her into their home and present her to Scott as their own
child without arousing any suspicion in him."

"I think we should shelve the rest of this conversation until we've veri
fied whether or not this adoption certificate is valid," Scully interjecte
d. "Right now we should be concentrating on uncovering who sent Jessica th
e note and the newspaper article, and whether there really is a connection b
etween them and Scott's death."

"The lab said they'd have the results of the fingerprint analysis in abo
ut an hour," Mulder said. "In the meantime I'm going to contact the Bu
reau's field office in Boston and find out if there's a record of Christ
ina's kidnapping."

"Boston?" Doggett repeated.

The other man nodded. "Yes. We were living in Martha's Vineyard when Chr
istina die...disappeared."

Doggett looked thoughtful.

"Does that mean something to you, Agent Doggett?" Scully prompted.

"It means somethin' to Jess," Doggett responded.  "Boston is where s
he was born."

Scully and Mulder exchanged a look before the former asked, "She wasn't
born in Virginia?"

"No. Her family was vacationin' in Boston when Elizabeth went into labor
, and I'll give you three guesses as to what the date was."

Scully glanced down at the copy on her desk.  "May 2, 1964."

"Exactly."

"That can't be a coincidence," Mulder stated.

"Unfortunately it's beginning to look like this adoption certificate is
valid after all," Scully replied. 

"I'd be interested to know if there's a connection between Christina
's kidnapping and Jessica's adoption," Mulder said. "Maybe there was
 some kind of black market for baby girls around that time and Jessica and C
hristina were victims of that."

"Let's not get carried away, Agent Mulder," Doggett cautioned. "Whil
e I have to concede that it looks like Jess was indeed adopted, I find it di
fficult to believe that the Caldwells would've gotten her from anywhere ot
her than a legitimate adoption agency."

"Then why not tell Jessica the truth?  It obviously made no difference to
the Caldwells that she wasn't their biological daughter, so why did they t
hink it would make a difference to her?"

Doggett had no answer.

*************************************************************************

As always, he was seated in a wheelchair in the center of the darkened room
when the other man arrived. Thankfully, however, this time he was not smokin
g.

"Is it done?" he asked.

"Yes," the younger man confirmed. "The first piece of the puzzle was d
elivered this morning."

"How did she react?"

"She went to the FBI to show it to Agent Mulder, and they paid a visit to
her brother's office."

"Did they find anything there?"

"According to your partner, the only thing missing from Scott Caldwell's
 office was the copy of Jessica Doggett's adoption certificate from her fi
le."

He smiled. "That is excellent news. If the other pieces fall into place as
 quickly as the first one has, we should have the issue of Lieutenant Dogget
t and her connection to Agent Mulder resolved by Christmas."

"When do you want to reveal the next piece of the puzzle?"

"Let's wait a day or two and see what the lovely lieutenant and the agen
ts can uncover on their own.  It will make it so much easier if they do the
work for us. In the meantime, I think its time to alert the senator that old
 ghosts are going to return to haunt her."

"Consider it done."

*************************************************************************

WASHINGTON D.C.

Elizabeth Caldwell was in her office reviewing the draft of her speech for a
n upcoming fundraiser when her private line rang. Stifling a sigh of annoyan
ce at the interruption, she reached over to pick up the receiver.

"Elizabeth Caldwell."

"Good afternoon, Senator," an unfamiliar male voice greeted.  "Please
accept my sympathies on the death of your son."

"Who is this?" Elizabeth asked.

"Who I am doesn't matter. It's what I know that should concern you. An
d I know that the beautiful woman you raised as your daughter is not your bi
ological child."

Elizabeth felt her blood turn to ice. "You have no idea what you're talk
ing about," she hissed, her voice no more than harsh whisper.

"Oh, but I do. New England Medical Center, Boston, spring 1964...is it com
ing back to you?"

"Who are you?" she demanded again.

He ignored the question. "Dead men tell no tales, Senator; your son's
'accident' assured that. But now your daughter and her friends at the FB
I are poking their nose into places where they don't belong, and they will
 eventually uncover your little secret. Be ready, and be warned."

Without giving the senator a chance to respond, the mysterious man disconnec
ted the call, and an ashen Elizabeth stared at the receiver for a long momen
t before replacing it in its cradle with a trembling hand.  After taking a m
oment to regain her composure, she picked up the phone again and quickly dia
led, and after two rings a man's voice came on the line.

"Alan Grant."

"What the hell is going on, Alan?" Elizabeth demanded.

"Elizabeth?"

"Yes. I just received an anonymous phone call from someone who claims Scot
t's death wasn't an accident and that he knows Jessica is not my biologi
cal child."

"Of course Scott's death was an accident," Grant assured her quickly.
"Jessica's own department is handling the investigation, and she certain
ly would have told you if something unusual had turned up."

"Fine, but what about Jessica not being my child?" Elizabeth pressed. 
"The only people still alive who know about the adoption are you and I. Ye
t this man knew exactly when and where Edward and I obtained Jessica. How th
e hell did some petty piece of slime get his hands on that information?"

"I don't know but I promise you I will find out and handle it," Grant
said.

"You'd better, Alan," Elizabeth snapped. "Because if Jessica finds o
ut about this, the first thing she's going to do is take what she knows to
 John Doggett.  And if the FBI gets involved, we're both going to go down.=
"

She slammed the phone down without giving Grant a chance to respond.

*************************************************************************

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA

Two days passed, and aside from a brief phone call to tell her that Nicholas
 Wynmore had not provided any new information regarding the man he had seen
leave the scene of Scott's crash, Doggett had not seen or spoken with Jess
ica. The items Mulder had submitted to the Bureau's evidence lab had been
clean; no fingerprints or other DNA markers had been found on the papers.  H
owever, the lab had confirmed that the typeset on Jessica's note matched t
he typeset on the one she'd had Gillian type. Mulder and Scully were worki
ng with the Bureau's Boston division in an attempt to uncover the source o
f the article about Christina, as well as more information on her case. In t
he meantime Doggett was trying to get more information on the adoption certi
ficate before disclosing its existence to Jessica.

Early one evening, Jessica was sequestered in her office reviewing a case fi
le when her private line rang.  As she reached over to pick up the receiver,=
 she called out to one of the uniformed officers passing by her door.

"Hey, Jenny; would you come here a minute please?"

The younger woman stepped into the lieutenant's office as Jessica greeted
her caller. "Jessica Doggett."

"I was hopin' I could catch you before you left," a familiar voice rep
lied.

She smiled at the sound of her ex-husband's voice.  "Hello, Sunshine,=
" she said. "Hold on a minute."

Jessica glanced at Jenny and handed her one of the files on her desk. "Wou
ld please give this to Detective Moore? He should be up at the front talking
 to Ben."

"No problem, Lieutenant," Jenny said, and took the file from Jessica.

"Thanks, Jenny."

Jenny exited Jessica's office as the lieutenant returned her attention to
John. "So stranger, to what do I owe the honor of your call?"

"If you don't have other plans, I thought maybe you'd like to meet me
for dinner at the little bistro that just opened around the corner from your
 precinct," Doggett said.  "It's supposed to have the best pasta dishe
s this side of Italy."

"Any other night I'd love to, but unfortunately my evening is already ac
counted for," she told him.  "Sarah has to work a double shift at the ho
spital tonight to make up the time she missed after Scott's funeral, so I
told her I'd take the kids. It's pizza and movie night at my place."

"Sounds like fun," Doggett remarked. "Mind if I join the party?"

"You really want to spend your down time with three rowdy kids and a dog t
hat weighs more than all three of them put together?" she prompted.

"Actually I was more interested in spendin' time with their babysitter,=
" Doggett responded softly.

The implication in the casual remark caused Jessica's breath to catch in h
er throat.  Oh my, she thought to herself.  To Doggett she said, "I like t
he sound of that."

"I'm gonna swing by my place and change into something more comfortable
..." Doggett began, and was interrupted by a light chuckle from Jessica.

"Isn't that supposed to be my line?" she asked wryly.

"Was that an invitation, Lieutenant?"

"An open one."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "You'd better be careful
 about makin' promises you can't keep, sweetheart," he cautioned huski
ly,  "or I'll hire a babysitter of my own and bring you home to my place
 to take you up on your offer."

The lieutenant flushed at the thought.  "I'll keep that in mind," she
replied.  "I'm going to pick up the kids and the pizza, then swing by th
e movie rental place, so I should be home in about an hour."

"I'll see you in an hour, then."

*************************************************************************

Just under an hour later, Jessica pulled into her driveway and discovered Do
ggett waiting on the front porch.  The children promptly burst from the car
and ran across the front lawn to launch themselves at him with shouts of del
ight.

"Uncle John!"
"Hey, Uncle John!"
"Hi, Uncle John!"  

Affectionately dubbed the Three Musketeers by Jessica, the children clearly
adored Doggett, his separation from Jessica having done little to dampen the
ir affection for him.  Fifteen year-old Cameron was a miniature version of S
cott; thirteen year-old Eric was an even blend of both parents; and ten year
-old Kim was the mirror image of Sarah. The group exchanged hugs just as Jes
sica approached them and exchanged a smile with John.

"You made good time," she remarked, balancing the pizza in one hand and
the bag of movies in the other.  

"The traffic was pretty light," Doggett responded, and confiscated the p
izza as he gestured at the plastic bag with the movie rentals. "So what ar
e we watchin'?"

"One for each," Jessica answered.  "Cameron wanted Terminator 2; Eric
chose The Lost World; and Kim selected Monsters, Inc."

"Excellent choices," Doggett replied.

Shifting the bag to her other hand, Jessica unlocked the front door and swun
g it open, where the group was immediately greeted by 175 pounds of exuberan
t dog.

"Trouble, stay!" Jessica ordered sharply.

The dog obediently refrained from bolting out the door and instead greeted e
ach of the children with a slobbery dog kiss on their hands as they made the
ir way inside.

"You guys can stash your stuff in the guest bedroom upstairs," Jessica i
nstructed, "and I want you to wash your hands before we eat."

"Can we have popcorn while we watch the movies?" Cameron requested.

"If you still want it after you eat your dinner, yes."

The children all flashed her grateful smiles before dashing up the stairs, T
rouble close on their heels. Jessica deposited the movies in the living room
 before gesturing for Doggett to follow her into the kitchen.  

"They seem to be dealin' with Scott's death pretty well," Doggett ob
served.

"Sarah thinks so," Jessica allowed.  "She spoke to one of the child ps
ychologists at the hospital and he said that the best thing to do was to res
ume their normal daily routine.  He said that the kids will go through a var
iety of emotions over the next few weeks and to just deal with them as they
come. And Sarah's seeing her own grief counselor, so hopefully they will a
ll get through this with as little scarring as possible." 

"I hope so."

Depositing the pizza box on the counter, Doggett flipped open the lid and gr
imaced at the sight before him. "You got a pizza that's only half meat?=
"

"You and the boys are the only meat eaters," she reminded him. "Kim is
 a vegetarian."

"What about you? Still walkin' both sides of the line?"

She gave him a mock glare. "The only reason I don't consider myself a fu
ll vegetarian is because you got me hooked on those Polish sausages you were
 addicted to while we were living in New York."  

"Yeah but you're conveniently forgettin' that you got me back by makin
g me switch to decaffeinated coffee and forcin' me to drink it black."

"Once you got used to it, you admitted that you liked it better that way,=
" she countered. "You said the milk and the sweetener 'contaminated th
e coffee's natural flavor' or some such thing."

Doggett paused. "I did say that, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did."

The children entered the kitchen then and Jessica and John quickly served up
 their dinner, as well as Trouble's, after which the lieutenant herded the
m into the living room and positioned them on the couch.

"You're going to watch Kim's movie first because she has to go to bed
before you two," Jessica told them.  "After her movie is done, you boys
can decide amongst yourselves whose movie gets watched next. I'm going ups
tairs to change clothes and then take Trouble for a walk. If you still want
popcorn after you eat, I'll make it when I get back. Deal?"

The children nodded in agreement and she put the first movie in the DVD play
er before retreating upstairs. A few minutes later she came back down dresse
d in jeans and a sweatshirt, and after a quick glance toward the living room
 to ensure the children were behaving, she walked into the kitchen to join D
oggett.

"I'm going to take the old man for a stroll around the block," she sai
d. "You want to stay and supervise the Three Musketeers or tag along with
Trouble and me?"

"If I choose the latter, will the kids be okay by themselves?" Doggett a
sked. 

"They should be. My gun is locked in my car and Cameron knows not to open
the door to strangers. Besides, we won't be gone more than half an hour.=
"

Doggett nodded and rose to his feet. "In that case, let's take a walk.=
"

Summoning Trouble, Jessica crossed over to the closet by the front door and
retrieved the leash hanging on the inside handle, then snapped it onto Troub
le's collar before she and John bid the children farewell and left the hou
se.  They had walked about a block when they encountered one of the neighbor
s, an elderly woman named Violet Fisher, who was walking her own dog, a whit
e toy poodle no bigger than Trouble's head.

"Good evening, Jessica," she greeted. "I saw the notice in the newspap
er the other day about Scott's accident. I'm so sorry."

"Thank you, Violet," Jessica responded. "How's Henry?"

"He's doing much better after I took him to that doctor you recommended,=
" Violet told her. "He hasn't had an attack in over a week."

"I'm glad to hear it."

Violet glanced at Doggett. "Who's this handsome young fellow?"

"Violet Fisher, John Doggett."

Doggett smiled and extended his hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Ma'am.=
"

Violet shook his hand as she responded, "Likewise, Mister Doggett. Are you
 a friend of Jessica's?"

He glanced questioningly at Jessica, who answered in his stead.  "Actually
 John is my ex-husband," she revealed.

"Oh, so you're the one she let get away," Violet remarked, and glanced
 at Jessica.  "I like the looks of this one. Are you going to keep him thi
s time?"

John glanced at Jessica in amusement as she flushed in embarrassment.  "I
'm working on it, Violet," she allowed.

"Good for you," Violet said. "Well, Pearl and I had better get inside.=
 You two enjoy your evening."

"Good night, Violet," Jessica said, and she and Doggett resumed their wa
lk as Violet and Pearl retreated inside their house.  Once they were safely
out of earshot, Doggett addressed Jessica.

"She seems like a sweet old lady," he remarked.  "I take it Henry's
her husband?"

"Henry's her other dog," the lieutenant clarified. "He had been havi
ng some sort of seizures for over a week, so I referred Violet to Trouble
's veterinarian, and now Henry is on anti-seizure medication."

Doggett nodded.  "I'm curious about somethin'," he said.  "The oth
er day when I went to the police station with you, the desk sergeant knew wh
o I was as soon as I gave my name, and so did Violet a minute ago. How is it
 that people I've never met before know who I am?"

"Let's just say that you're not the only person who wonders why I wear
 a wedding ring when I have no husband," Jessica replied wryly.  "Every
once in a while I'll get someone who takes it a step further and asks if w
e had children."

"What do you tell them?"

"I tell them the truth.  After we first lost him, I refused to discuss it.=
 But my grief counselor told me that I should talk about him. Luke existed a
nd was a part of our lives for eight wonderful years; how he left us doesn
't change that. And I know that he would want us to remember him with smil
es, not tears."

"Do you still miss him?" Doggett asked.

"Every day," Jessica confirmed.  "But I've learned to live with his
loss, including my own guilt about not being able to prevent it, and God wil
ling I'll see him again when the time comes for me to leave this life."

"I wish I could be as at peace with it as you are," Doggett remarked. 
"Every time I think about what happened it makes me so mad I could kill so
mebody."

"You know as well as I do that it would have served no purpose. Even if Bo
b Harvey was responsible for Luke's murder, killing him wouldn't have br
ought Luke back, and it would have dishonored his memory."

"Maybe, but it also might have made up for puttin' him in danger in the
first place. I knew Harvey was dangerous, but I was so busy tryin' to be t
he hero I didn't watch over my own son." 

Jessica stepped in front of Doggett, blocking his path and forcing him to st
op in his tracks.

"What happened to Luke was not your fault, John," she declared heatedly,=
 using her free hand to poke him in the chest.  "You had no way of knowing
 that Harvey was watching us that day. It was a random act of violence, and
could just have easily happened to any other family. I will not allow you to
 accept the blame for Luke's death."

"Who else am I supposed to blame?"

"The only person responsible for what happened to our son was the man who
killed him, whether it was Harvey or someone else.  Luke's death was a hor
rible tragedy, and we will both carry that pain for the rest of our lives. B
ut we have to move past it and allow ourselves to live again. Drowning in gr
ief and self-recrimination only pours salt into open wounds. Let it go, John
; let him go."

Ice blue met dark blue as Doggett held Jessica's gaze in silence for a lon
g moment before responding.  "I'm scared, Jess," he admitted. "I'm
 scared that if I let go of the anger and the grief, then one day I'll wak
e up and not feel anything at all."

She gave him a comforting smile and lifted her hand to gently place her palm
 against his cheek. "You'll feel love," came the quiet reply.  "You
'll remember the smile on his face the morning he woke us up to show us he
'd learned to ride his bike. You'll hear his laughter the morning he cam
e downstairs and discovered Trouble. You'll feel his breath on your cheek
as he kisses you good night.  Those are the feelings you can hold onto."

It's moments like this that remind me why I love her, Doggett mused silent
ly. Aloud he asked,  "How did I ever manage to let you walk away from me?=
"

"It must have stemmed from the same idiocy that prompted me to leave you i
n the first place," Jessica responded dryly.  "Now, enough serious stuff
. We have a dog to walk and trio of rambunctious children to supervise."

"Lead, on Lieutenant."

*************************************************************************

It was after midnight when the final movie ended and Jessica ushered the boy
s off to bed. Kim had been put to bed shortly after her movie had ended, aft
er recruiting John to tuck her in.  Trouble was sprawled on the floor in fro
nt of the couch, sound asleep, and the boys gave him a gentle pat before giv
ing Jessica and John good night hugs and heading up the stairs to bed.  Once
 they were out of earshot, Doggett flashed Jessica small smile.

"They're good kids," he remarked. "Scott and Sarah did a good job.=
"

"Yes they did," Jessica agreed. "I'm just sorry that Scott won't b
e here to watch them become adults."

"I'm sure he's watchin' over them," Doggett responded.  "He was
always playin' the part of a guardian angel when he was alive, so I imagin
e now that he's official it will only make it easier."

She smiled at that.  "I'm sure it will," she said.  "Well, it's la
te and we both have to work tomorrow so I'd better let you go."

"Walk me to my car?" Doggett asked.

"Of course."

He extended his hand, and Jessica took it in hers as they quietly made their
 way outside.  The walk to Doggett's truck was made in companionable silen
ce, and he waited until they reached the driver's side door before turning
 to face Jessica.

"I had a good time tonight," he said. "It brought back some nice memor
ies."

"I'm glad you joined us," Jessica replied.  "It was good for the kid
s to spend some time with you."

"What about you?"

Her smile returned. "It was good for me to spend some time with you, too,=
" she said.  "It was nice to enjoy some quality time without it being st
rictly business."

He smiled back.  "Maybe next time we can recruit someone else to baby-sit
and I can accept that open invitation you extended earlier."

Jessica met his gaze in silence for brief moment before softly replying,
"You're welcome to preview coming attractions."

Doggett's smile faded as the air between them suddenly flared with sexual
tension.  Keeping his eyes locked with hers, Doggett lifted his hands and pl
aced them on the edge of his truck bed on either side of Jessica, effectivel
y trapping her. Shifting his weight, he closed the short distance between th
em and pressed his body to Jessica's, feeling a visceral tremor ripple thr
ough her as he lowered his mouth to hers. Desire immediately flared to life
at the contact, and Doggett deepened the kiss as Jessica placed her hands on
 his hips and pulled him closer. They remained locked in one another's emb
race for several minutes before a thread of sanity penetrated Doggett's pa
ssion fogged brain and he reluctantly broke off their kiss.  It took a momen
t for them to get their breathing under control, and once they had Jessica w
as the first to speak.

"What was that you said earlier about making promises I can't keep?" s
he asked dryly.

"If this was only a preview, the main attraction is probably gonna kill me
," Doggett muttered.

She smiled at that and lifted her hand to gently press her palm against his
face. "You'd better go before one of my colleagues has to arrest us for
lewd behavior in public," she teased.

"With my luck it would be Lupen," Doggett said.  "I'll call you tomo
rrow."

"I'll be at work after ten," Jessica told him. "I have to drop the k
ids off at school."

Doggett nodded, then indulged himself in another kiss before climbing into h
is truck.  Once inside, he lowered the window and gave her a final smile. 
"Good night, Jess. Sweet dreams."

"Sweet dreams, John."

The lieutenant stepped back as he started the truck, and stood in place to w
atch him drive away until his taillights disappeared into the night.  Smilin
g to herself, she slowly made her way back inside her house. Only after the
front door had been closed and bolted did a lone figure emerge from the bush
es of the house next door, and stare at Jessica's house in silence for mom
ent before retreating into the darkness of the night.

*************************************************************************

FBI HEADQUARTERS

It was near noon before Doggett managed to make it to his office. Upon his a
rrival at the Hoover Building that morning, he had been summoned to Kersh
's office for a meeting regarding a recent case Doggett had consulted on f
or D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department. Piqued because Doggett had not i
nformed him about the case, Kersh had spent twenty minutes lecturing the age
nt about the 'importance of the chain of command'.  No sooner had the De
puty Director finished his dressing down than the evidence lab had called to
 inform him that the specimen he had submitted last week for a DNA test on t
he bloodstains had accidentally been contaminated when one of the forensics
experts had spilled coffee on the clothing. All in all, Doggett's day was
not off to an auspicious start.

Walking into his office, he found only Mulder there, reviewing the file they
 had started for what they had dubbed the "Triad" case: Scott's death,=
 Christina's kidnapping and Jessica's adoption.

"Mornin', Agent Mulder," Doggett greeted.

Mulder glanced up. "Good morning, Agent Doggett," he returned.

"Where's Agent Scully?"

"She took Will to the doctor this morning for his first year check-up,"
Mulder said. "She should be in any time now."

Doggett gestured at the file on Mulder's desk as he settled behind his own
. "Any new information on the Triad case?"

"I'm waiting for a return call from one of the archivists at the Bureau
's Boston division. She's going to try and track down the file on my sis
ter's kidnapping."

As if on cue, the telephone rang then and Mulder picked up the receiver.
"Fox Mulder." 

"Agent Mulder, this is Janet Schimmel from the Boston office. We spoke ear
lier this morning about a case file involving your sister's kidnapping.=
"

"Yes. Were you able to find it?"

"It took some doing, but I did manage to track it down," Schimmel told h
im.  "Unfortunately, I don't think that there is anything in here that w
ill be of any use. The file has a copy of the original police report when yo
ur parents reported Christina missing, as well as affidavits from neighbors
who were questioned about the abduction. If I'm reading this correctly, th
e case was closed after six months and your sister was officially declared
'Missing-Presumed Dead'."

"Does it state the name of the agent who was in charge of the original inv
estigation?" Mulder questioned.

"Yes. His name was Carl Spender and apparently he quit the FBI a few years
 ago after developing cancer."

"Spender," Mulder muttered to himself. "I should have known."

"I'm sorry, Agent Mulder; I didn't understand that."

"I apologize, Mrs. Schimmel. I was talking to myself.  I appreciate you ta
king the time to check on this for me. Would you please fax what you have to
 me at 202-555-1101?"

"Certainly. I'll send it over in just a few minutes."

"Thank you very much."

Hanging up the phone, Mulder met Doggett's inquiring gaze.  "Apparently
the agent in charge of investigating Christina's kidnapping all those year
s ago is the same man who was responsible for my sister Samantha's abducti
on five years later," he revealed.

"The guy you call the Cigarette Smoking Man?" Doggett prompted.

"That's him."

"He must have been pretty desperate to abduct two girls from the same fami
ly."

"Deranged would be my adjective of choice," Mulder countered dryly. 
"So what about you? Any luck finding the source of Lieutenant Doggett's
adoption certificate?"

"Not yet. I was thinkin' that maybe we should take what we have to the G
unmen and see what they can come up with."

"I suggest you tell Lieutenant Doggett what's going on first. I know fro
m personal experience that keeping secrets from the people you care about on
ly does more harm than good, regardless of how good your intentions are."

Doggett smiled at that.  "Nice to see Agent Scully's finally rubbin' o
ff on you," he chided.

Mulder smiled back. "Just don't tell her," he said. "It would ruin a
ll my fun."

The other man shook his head as he reached into his desk drawer and withdrew
 a business card, then flipped it over and picked up the phone to dial the n
umber printed there.  A clearly distracted Jessica answered it on the second
 ring.

"Jessica Doggett."

"Good mornin' beautiful," Doggett greeted.

"Hi, John," she returned hurriedly.  "I'm on my way into a meeting w
ith Captain Phillips. May I call you back in about an hour?"

"Actually I was hopin' you could swing by my office this afternoon. Ther
e's something I need to talk to you about."

Jessica paused. "That sounds ominous," she remarked.  "May I ask what
it's about?"

"It's somethin' relating to Scott's death."

"Ah.  Well you should have just said so. For a minute there I was worried
you were going to say that last night was too much too soon."

Doggett smiled. "On the contrary, Lieutenant, I have every intention of fi
nishin' what we started when time and opportunity permit," he told her.

"I hope so," Jessica responded pointedly.  "I've got some things to
finish up here after my meeting, but I should be able to make it into D.C. b
y four o'clock."

"I'll see you then."

*************************************************************************

He hated being summoned like this, as if he were a dog that was required to
heel upon command and come when called. Yet he knew all too well the choice
to disobey would a fatal one, and he held his tongue as he entered the smoke
 filled room.

"You have a task for me?"

"Yes," came the raspy response.  "It seems that Lieutenant Doggett and
 her friends from the FBI are more resourceful than I gave them credit for,
and have managed to uncover my role in the events in Boston thirty-eight yea
rs ago."

"I thought you wanted them to uncover the truth."

"I do, but I wasn't prepared for them to do so as quickly as they have.
If Mister Grant and Senator Caldwell are taken to task for their parts in th
is plan, then we must be ready to have our people fill in the gaps."

"What do you require of me?"

He took a drag from his cigarette before responding.  "I think its time to
 remind Lieutenant Doggett what fate befalls the curious," he said. 

"You want her killed?"

"Not killed, but taken out of commission long enough for us to put our rep
lacements into position."

"That will take an outsider's experience."

"Fine, but make it someone expendable. Once the deed is done, I don't wa
nt our 'outsider' getting an attack of conscience and confessing to the
crime."

"I'll make certain all loose ends are tied together."

"See that you do. Once everything is in place, we can reveal the rest of t
he puzzle to Lieutenant Doggett and Agent Mulder."

*************************************************************************

HOOVER BUILDING

A few minutes before four o'clock, Jessica walked into the office occupied
 by the X files agents and found only Scully and Will present.

"Lieutenant Doggett," Scully greeted.  "I'm Dana Scully."

"Nice to meet you, Agent Scully," Jessica responded. "John speaks very
 fondly of you."

"I could say the same to you."

The other woman gave her a curious look. "He's told you about me?"

"He filled me in on the basics, yes."

"He obviously places a great deal of faith in you to trust you with our hi
story," Jessica remarked.  "So where did John disappear to?" 

"He and Mulder will be right back," Scully said. "They had to talk to
our boss about a case they're working on."

The lieutenant nodded, then shifted her attention to Will.  "This handsome
 little fellow must be Will."

Scully smiled.  "Yes. My mom was spending the day with friends and couldn
't watch him, so I brought him to work."

"He's a beautiful boy."

"Thank you."

Scully watched Jessica watch Will, and saw a brief flash of anguished longin
g pass across the other woman's face before vanishing.  She still misses L
uke, she observed silently. Aloud she said, "You're welcome to hold him
if you want. He likes people."

The lieutenant graced Scully with a grateful smile and set her purse on Dogg
ett's desk before bending over to pick up Will.  "Hello there little Mis
ter," she greeted.  "You're quite the looker, aren't you?"

Will eyed Jessica with typical infant's curiosity, and Jessica handled him
 with the ease of someone who knew and loved children.  

"You're very good with him," Scully remarked.

"I've had a lot of practice," Jessica demurred. "Even before I had L
uke, John and I used to baby-sit my brother's kids.  We wanted a large fam
ily of our own, but unfortunately it didn't work out that way, so instead
of a sibling, Luke got Trouble."

"Trouble?" Scully echoed questioningly.

"Trouble is my dog," Jessica clarified. "Or a pony in dog's clothing
, as John used to say.  After I suffered my second miscarriage, John decided
 to get me a puppy to help ease the pain. I've always been partial to larg
e dogs, and so one of our friends on the force that bred Mastiffs gave one o
f his puppies to John to give to me.  The first night we had him, he chewed
through two pairs of John's shoes, one of mine, marked his territory on ev
ery rug in the house and shredded Luke's bedding.  John made a comment abo
ut the puppy being more trouble than he was worth, and Luke promptly announc
ed that he was naming him Trouble. He's lived up to his name ever since.=
"

"With a dog that size I imagine that's easy to do."

The sound of muffed voices in the hallway signaled the return of Mulder and
Doggett, and the women glanced over expectantly as they walked into the offi
ce.  Spotting Jessica holding Will, Doggett felt his heart skip a beat as ol
d memories threatened to overwhelm him.

Even after all this time the sight of Jess holdin' a baby still makes my h
eart ache, he mused.

As if sensing his thoughts, Jessica flashed him a faint smile tinged with sa
dness before returning Will to his mother.  As Scully placed him in his stro
ller, the lieutenant addressed the men.

"So, what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" she asked.

Mulder and Doggett exchanged a look, then Mulder answered the question. 
"While we were at your brother's office the other day, I found a folder
in his filing cabinet labeled with your name that contained information abou
t you," he revealed.  

She frowned. "What kind of information?"

"Most of it was personal stuff, like what you'd find in a standard perso
nnel file," Doggett said, then crossed over to his desk and retrieved a fo
lded paper, which he handed to Jessica. "This was at the back of the file.=
"

Jessica took the paper and unfolded it, her confusion turning to disbelief a
s she scanned the copy of the adoption certificate.  Once she was done, she
glanced at Doggett, shock etched in her elegant features.  "I assume you
've validated the authenticity of this," she said.

"Not officially," Doggett demurred. "But the date of the certificate i
s your birthday, and I can't imagine Scott botherin' to hang onto it if
it were a forgery."

"Maybe it is fake, and he was keeping it so he could find the person respo
nsible for creating it and pursue legal action," Jessica suggested.

"Then why would it be stashed in a file in the back of his filing cabinet?=
" Mulder countered. "You're a police officer; why would he not tell yo
u about its existence and enlist your help in finding the forger?"

"Why didn't you tell me about its existence when we were at his office t
wo days ago?" the lieutenant shot back.

"I wanted to show it to Agent Doggett because if it was authentic, I felt
he should be the one to present it to you," Mulder responded.

She couldn't argue that.  "This makes no sense. If I am adopted, why wou
ldn't my parents have told me? Why keep it a secret?"

"We think it has something to do with the abduction of Christina Mulder th
irty-eight years ago," Scully told her.  "According to the adoption cert
ificate, you were adopted in Boston shortly after Christina was kidnapped in
 Martha's Vineyard. Our theory is that there was some kind of black market
 for baby girls at that time, and you and Christina were victims of it."

"You're telling me that I was stolen from my birth parents so the Caldwe
lls could adopt me?" Jessica prompted incredulously. "That's absurd. I
 come from one of the richest families in the country. Why would they need t
o resort to being accessories to kidnapping to adopt a child?"

"That's not what we're sayin' Jess," Doggett interjected. "It
's entirely possible that your parents thought they were obtainin' you t
hrough legitimate means. But whoever they went through to get you may have b
een involved with the kidnappers."

"And I'm supposed to be relieved that my parents aren't the criminals,=
 just their associates are?"

Doggett winced at the angry sarcasm in her voice, but wisely remained silent
, knowing all too well how futile it would be to try reasoning with her when
 she was in a temper.  Mulder, however, did not have the benefit of Doggett
's history with Jessica and made an attempt to calm her down.

"Don't shoot the messengers, Lieutenant," he said. "We're only try
ing to discover the truth."

The lieutenant shot him a look that would have curdled milk.  "Don't pac
ify me and make it sound like you're doing me a favor, Agent Mulder," sh
e snapped.  "If your 'truth' is indeed just that, then it may have cos
t my brother his life. Someone is going to answer for that."

The ring of the telephone interrupted the heated discussion and being the cl
osest, Scully picked it up. "Dana Scully."

"Agent Scully, its John Byers. Is Mulder there?"

"Hold on." Scully handed the receiver to Mulder. "It's for you."

Mulder took the phone. "Hello?"

"Mulder, its Byers. It took some digging, but I think Langley may have fou
nd some information that may prove useful in verifying that adoption certifi
cate you faxed us."

"Good. We'll be there shortly."

Mulder hung up the phone and met the others' inquiring looks. "Byers say
s they may have some information about the validity of the adoption certific
ate," he revealed.  

"Who's Byers?" Jessica asked.

"Ever heard of the Lone Gunmen?" Mulder asked.

"With a mother who works in D.C.? Yes, I've heard of them."

"Well Byers is what you would call the ringleader."

One delicate eyebrow arched upward. "And these are the men you're trusti
ng with my life secrets?"

"They're a bit unconventional," Doggett allowed, "but they are trust
worthy."

"Well then, let's go hear what they have to say."

*************************************************************************

Half an hour later, Mulder, Jessica and Doggett arrived at the Lone Gunmen
's headquarters.  Scully had taken her own car, as Doggett's truck could
 not hold four adults and Will's car seat.  The drive to the Gunmen's ha
d been made in silence, with Jessica attempting to absorb what she had been
told and neither Mulder nor Doggett knowing what to say to make it easier to
 bear.  They made their way to the front door and Mulder knocked twice, paus
ed, then knocked twice more.  A moment later the door swung open and the Gun
men stood there, eyeing Jessica in open curiosity and admiration.  Although
they had undoubtedly uncovered her picture while researching the adoption ce
rtificate, it certainly did little to prepare them for the real deal. After
a lengthy, awkward silence, Langley was the first to speak and simply said,
"Wow."

Jessica permitted herself a small smile at that as Mulder and Scully exchang
ed amused looks. Doggett was long used to the reactions Jessica received, bu
t today had little patience for it.

"Are you boys goin' to let us in, or shall we stand here a little longer
 and let you keep droolin' on your shoes?" Doggett asked dryly.

"Sorry," Frohike apologized, and the trio stepped aside to permit their
visitors entry.  Once they were inside, Mulder made the formal introductions
.

"Lieutenant, this is John Byers, Melvin Frohike and Ringo Langley, aka The
 Lone Gunmen. Gentlemen, Lieutenant Jessica Caldwell Doggett."

"Doggett?" Byers echoed.  "As in the former Mrs. John J.?"

"Yes," Doggett confirmed.

 "I take back everything I ever said about you, Agent Doggett," Frohike
said.

"I take back everything I ever thought about you," Langley added.

Jessica shot her ex-husband an amused look but said nothing, and the attenti
on shifted to Will.  They cooed over him for a couple of moments before Muld
er brought them back to the reason for their presence.

"So what did you find out?" Mulder asked.

The Gunmen immediately became all business, and Byers answered Mulder's qu
ery.

"We took the information you gave us regarding Lieutenant Doggett's alle
ged date and place of birth and ran a cross check against the birth records
for the New England Medical Center," he said. "There was no birth certif
icate filed on May 2, 1964 or any other date for a baby girl born to Edward
and Elizabeth Caldwell."

Jessica paled visibly at the revelation but said nothing, and Doggett gently
 placed his hand against the small of her back in a silent gesture of comfor
t.

"I also ran a cross check for any babies that were brought into the hospit
al around that time and were considered orphaned or abandoned," Langley to
ld them.  "There was one file on a baby Jane Doe who was brought in on Apr
il 30, 1964 for dehydration and hypothermia, and she was discharged two days
 later to the custody of an FBI agent named Carl Spender."

Mulder and Doggett exchanged a look at that.  "Quite a coincidence that th
e agent investigatin' your sister's abduction also happens to be granted
 custody of another abandoned baby girl in the middle of the case," the la
tter remarked.

"It gets better," Byers told them. "I scanned the signature of the att
orney who signed the adoption certificate and ran it through the system to s
ee if any matching signatures were found for attorneys on the East Coast, an
d it came up as an 89% match to an Alan Grant of Caldwell & Grant in Alexand
ria, Virginia."  

The lieutenant closed her eyes as if to ward off the implication of that inf
ormation, and released a heavy sigh before muttering, "Damn."

"Given how closely your sister's abduction mirrored Lieutenant Doggett
's adoption, we played a hunch that the connection was something other tha
n a baby stealing ring," Langley continued.  "I tapped into the medical
files for the Bureau and Alexandria P.D., and did a DNA probability match ag
ainst your blood types."

"You think Lieutenant Doggett is actually my sister?" Mulder prompted, t
orn between incredulity and amusement at the thought.

"She is," Frohike replied softly, and handed a printout he was holding t
o Scully.  

"That's impossible," Jessica blurted out.

"Not according to this," Scully countered, and stole a quick glance at M
ulder before glancing at Jessica.  "I could do another test with actual bl
ood samples but it will tell you the same thing it does on paper. DNA doesn
't lie, Lieutenant; you are Christina Mulder."

What color remained in Jessica's complexion quickly vanished as the full i
mport of the revelation hit her, and she fought the urge to sit in the neare
st chair and just sob.  "This is unbelievable," she muttered.  "I don
't even know who to confront first -- my mother or Alan Grant. Although m
aybe I should be talking to the agent that apparently started it all. What
's his name, 'Spender'?"  

"Actually, talking to Spender isn't an option," Mulder replied. "He
's dead. Or at least that's what the word on the street is. I haven't
been able to verify it one way or another."

"Well under the circumstances I think it would be a good idea to put that
back on your list of things to do," came her sardonic reply.  "In the me
antime, I intend to have a little chat with Mommy."

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea right now, Jess," Doggett cautio
ned.  

"I think it's an excellent idea," Mulder countered. 

Doggett shot him a quelling glance before returning his attention to Jessica
.  "Whoever sent you the note and the article the other day was obviously
warnin' you that they're willing to kill to keep your real identity a se
cret.  That seems to be why Scott was taken out, and until we know exactly w
ho we're dealin' with, I don't want you becomin' the next victim.=
"

"My mother may be a liar, John, but she's not capable of committing murd
er," Jessica chided.  

"It's not your mother I'm worried about; it's Grant or whoever else
they were conspiring with that concerns me."

"He has a point, Lieutenant," Scully interjected. "Mulder and I have d
ealt with Spender in the past and if he is still alive and involved in this,=
 you could be in danger."

She released a resigned sigh.  "Fine; I'm not up to arguing about it any
more. Just take me back to the Bureau so I can get my car and go home."

Doggett nodded in silent agreement and glanced at the Gunmen. "Thanks for
your help, boys," he said.  "I appreciate you sheddin' some light on a
ll of this."

"Glad we could help, Agent Doggett," Byers replied.

"I'm sorry we had to be the bearers of bad news, Lieutenant," Frohike
said.

Jessica managed a small smile.  "Thank you for taking the time to help unc
over the truth," she responded.

"I'll ride back with Scully," Mulder said, and waited until Jessica an
d John were out of earshot before addressing his friends.  "I know this go
es without saying, but I'm going to say it anyway. Nothing we discussed he
re leaves this room.  I don't want you guys to put yourselves at risk, or
further jeopardize Jessica."

"Our lips are sealed, Mulder," Byers assured him.

"You seem to be taking the revelation that Lieutenant Doggett is your sist
er rather well," Scully observed.

"I'm used to living with conspiracies and lies," Mulder pointed out.  

"Well it doesn't look like Lieutenant Doggett is as comfortable with the
 deception as you are," Langley replied.  "Although at least we know now
 who got the looks in your family."

Scully smiled as Mulder rolled his eyes.

*************************************************************************

FBI HEADQUARTERS

The drive back to the city was made in silence, both Jessica and Doggett los
t in their own thoughts. Pulling into the parking structure of the Hoover Bu
ilding, Doggett made his way to the second level and came to a halt behind J
essica's Expedition. Turning off the car, he turned to face her.

"Are you sure you're okay to drive?" he asked. "You've had a prett
y emotional day."

"Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine. Right now I'm just sort of
numb; the reality of what we discovered hasn't really registered yet. Lear
ning that your entire life has been a lie takes a little getting used to.=
"

"I meant what I said about confrontin' your mother, sweetheart," Dogge
tt replied.  "Until we know all the players in this game, it's best that
 we don't make any dangerous moves."

"Don't worry; I don't enough left in me to face her tonight. I'm jus
t going to go home and take a long hot bath and try to make sense of all of
this."

He nodded. "I'll call you a little later to see how you're doin'.=
"

She smiled.  "Thank you, for caring and for being with me through this. I
don't think I'd be able to handle it without you."

He smiled back. "What are ex-husbands for?" he asked rhetorically.

Her smiled widened and she leaned over to give him a gentle kiss.  "I'll
 talk with you later."

Opening the door, the lieutenant slid off the seat and out of the truck, the
n walked around the front toward her car. As she passed by Doggett, however,=
 a sudden thought occurred to her and she stopped to face him.

"I was wrong a minute ago when I said my entire life has been a lie," sh
e amended.  "What I have with you is the one truth that has been my anchor
 since the day Scott brought you home to meet our family. Whatever else happ
ens, I want you to know how much that means to me."

"I promised you a long time ago that I'd always be there when you needed
 me, Jess, and I never break a promise."

"Have I mentioned lately that I love you?" Jessica asked rhetorically.

"I think you just did."

She shook her head.  "Bye, John."

"Bye, Jess."

Doggett waited until Jessica had climbed into her car and successfully start
ed it before turning on his own ignition and heading for home.

*************************************************************************

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA 

By the time Jessica pulled into her driveway, a light rain had begun to fall
, and she made a mental note to take an umbrella when she walked Trouble.  C
limbing out of her car, she crossed over to the mailbox and pulled out her m
ail, then began to skim through it as she approached the house, unaware of t
he figure in the second floor window that glanced briefly outside upon her a
rrival before retreating behind the curtains. Reaching the front door, she f
ound it slightly ajar, and instead of being greeted by an excited dog, she w
as met with only silence.

"Trouble?"

The inquiry received no response, and given that Trouble had never failed to
 welcome her home in the ten years she'd had him, instinct told her someth
ing was wrong. Withdrawing her gun from her purse, Jessica aimed it in front
 of her as she slowly swung the door open with her other hand.  Making her w
ay into the living room, she discovered Trouble lying beside the couch, the
small bloody hole in his skull indicating he had been shot to death.  A smal
l piece of paper was tucked under his collar, and keeping her gun aimed and
ready, she knelt beside him to retrieve it. It was on blank paper, but as wi
th the previous note was typed and consisted only of a single line: 

"Curiosity doesn't kill only cats."

Her elegant features contorting with grief and anger, Jessica crumpled the n
ote into a ball as she addressed her dead dog.

"Someone's going to answer for this, old man. I promise."

Rising to her feet, she slid her purse off her shoulder and retrieved her ce
ll phone, keeping a watchful eye on the staircase and the kitchen as she dia
led for help.

"Nine one one emergency."

"This is Lieutenant Jessica Doggett from Alexandria P.D.," Jessica said,=
 and recited her badge number.  "I need a squad car and a special services
 unit from Animal Control sent to 1101 Braddock Road. I have a home invasion
 robbery and a murdered dog."

"Acknowledged, Lieutenant."

Jessica ended the call just as a crash sounded from upstairs, and she tossed
 the phone onto the couch before cautiously making her way up the staircase.=
  At the top of the stairs, she quietly made her way down the hall toward he
r bedroom. Reaching the doorway, she saw a large man dressed in black holdin
g a gun as he poured what smelled like gasoline throughout the room, and she
 leveled her gun as she alerted him to her presence.

"Police!" she shouted. "Drop the gun and the gas can and put your hand
s in the air where I can see them!"

The intruder dropped the can but not his gun, and fired at Jessica. She hear
d the slight whizzing sound as the bullet passed within an inch of her ear,
and fired off her own shot as she began backing out of the room.  Her bullet
 missed its target and lodged in the wall above her bed as the intruder char
ged her while firing another round.  The second shot struck her in the upper
 chest near her heart, causing her to drop her gun and stumble backward agai
nst the railing. Stopping less than a foot in front of her, the intruder shi
fted his grip on the gun and used it to strike her across the face, the barr
el opening a gash in her cheek. She instinctively reacted by attempting to s
trike him, but he grabbed her arm in mid swing and used her own momentum to
send her hurtling backward over the railing. Too surprised to even scream, J
essica barely had time to brace for impact before she hit the hardwood floor
, her left leg crumpling beneath her as her head hit the ground with an audi
ble crack.  Gazing at her still form only long enough to ensure she was unco
nscious, the intruder walked back into the bedroom and tucked his gun into h
is waistband as he picked up the gas can.  Tilting the can, he poured a path
 of gasoline behind him as he walked back down the hallway and down the stai
rs. In her living room, he threw the can aside and reached into his pocket t
o withdraw a lighter.  Igniting it on the first flick, he tossed it onto the
 staircase and then dashed out the back door as the carpet immediately ignit
ed.

*************************************************************************

FALLS CHURCH

After parting company with Jessica at the Hoover Building, Doggett returned
home and changed into casual clothes before heading into the kitchen to fix
himself dinner.  Once he had eaten, he grabbed a beer out of his refrigerato
r and wandered into his den to catch up on some old paperwork.  He had been
home for close to ninety minutes when the phone rang, and setting his work a
side, he reached over to pick up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Good evening, Agent Doggett," an unfamiliar male voice greeted.  "You
 and your former wife have been very busy little bees."

"Who is this?"

"She's a very beautiful woman. It would be such a shame if something wer
e to mar that lovely face."

"I don't know who you are but I'm warnin' you now to stay the hell w
ay from her!"

"Good night, Agent Doggett. I hope you remembered to kiss Jessica good-bye
."

The line went dead and a warning bell began to chime in the back of Doggett
's brain.  He immediately dialed Jessica's number but the answering mach
ine picked up on the second ring.  Once the beep sounded, he said, "Jess,
it's me. If you can hear me, pick up the phone. It's urgent." A pause.=
 "I'm goin' to try you on your cell phone but if I don't reach you,
call me as soon as you get this message." 

He severed the call and dialed her cellular number, but again received only
voice mail. After leaving a second message, he decided to head over to her h
ouse and make sure she was all right. As he made his way into the living roo
m to retrieve a jacket from his hall closet, the phone rang a second time, a
nd he picked up the receiver.  "Jess?" he prompted.

"Agent Doggett, this is Captain Phillips. I'm at Alexandria Hospital.=
"

Dread settled into Doggett's stomach like a block of ice. "What's happ
ened to Jess?"

"She's been shot," Phillips told him. "She called 911 to report that
 someone had broken into her home, and when the squad car arrived the house
was engulfed in flames."

"How bad is she hurt?"

"At the moment she's in surgery, but I think you should get down here ri
ght away."

"I'm on my way."

Replacing the phone in its cradle, Doggett grabbed his keys and bolted out t
he door.

*************************************************************************

ALEXANDRIA HOSPITAL

Some time later, Doggett was in the waiting room of the ER along with Mulder
 and Scully, whom a frantic Doggett had called on his way to the hospital. 
He had told them about the ominous phone call he had received just prior to
Phillips', and the three agents agreed that whoever had made the call must
 also be the person responsible for the sending Jessica the note and the art
icle about the kidnapping. The trio had arrived at the hospital at roughly t
he same time, and Captain Phillips had been there to greet them. She had tol
d them of the 911 call from the neighbors who had reported hearing gunshots
and seeing smoke coming out of the front door of the house.  By the time the
 police and firefighters had arrived, the house was nearly fully engulfed in
 flames. They had managed to get her out alive, but between her gunshot woun
d and the smoke inhalation she was in critical condition.  Not trusting hims
elf to refrain from confronting Elizabeth Caldwell about Jessica's abducti
on/adoption and this newest assault, he had lied to Phillips and said he wou
ld contact her about Jessica.

As the clock ticked into its third hour since Doggett had received Phillips
' call, he stood in the hallway, staring forlornly toward the elevators as
 if sheer force of will could make the surgeons materialize. I the chairs a
few feet away, Mulder and Scully were quiet, watching Doggett worry and wish
ing they could find a way to ease his anxiety. 

"I don't what he'll do if she doesn't make it," Scully remarked. 
"Losing their son was painful enough, but if Jessica dies, it just may sha
tter his emotional control."

"She won't die," Mulder declared. "She comes from a family of fighte
rs, remember?"

Scully smiled at that.  "You really like her," she observed.

"She's easy to like," Mulder responded.   "Actually she reminds me q
uite a bit of you."

"Do tell."

"She's strong, intelligent; likes kids and animals; and she's fiercely
 loyal to those she loves. She is also honest and not afraid to speak her mi
nd. And besides, it will be nice to have a chance to be a big brother again.=
"

"You do realize that if she and John do officially reconcile and remarry,
then it will make him your brother-in-law," Scully pointed out.

Mulder grimaced. "I hadn't thought of that," he said.  "Does that me
an I have to sit next to him at Christmas dinner?"

Scully rolled her eyes just as one of the surgeons tending to Jessica emerge
d from the elevator and approached them.  "Which one of you gentlemen is J
ohn Doggett?"

"I am," Doggett said.

"Mister Doggett, I'm Patrick Douglas, the cardiac surgeon in charge of y
our wife's care," he told him. 

"How's Jess?"

"Your wife's surgery went very well and we've transferred her to a pri
vate room while she recovers. If there are no complications over the next tw
elve hours, we'll release her in the morning."

"How badly was she hurt?"

"Her most serious injury was the gunshot wound to her chest," Douglas to
ld him. "The bullet grazed one of the cardiac valves and caused some inter
nal bleeding. Fortunately it missed the heart itself and we were able to ext
ract it once we controlled the bleeding. She's also had a fall of some sor
t, which resulted in a concussion and a torn ligament in her left knee, but
no bones were broken.  We repaired her knee surgically, but she'll be on c
rutches for at least a month and need a couple of months of physical therapy
. The smoke inhalation burned her throat and lungs, but we've given her so
me medication to ease the pain and she should be breathing normally within a
 day or so."

"I want to see her."

"Of course. I can take you to her now."

Doggett glanced at his friends.  "I appreciate you guys comin' over, but
 you should get home to Will," he said. "I'll tell Jess you were here.=
"

"Can we get you anything before we go?" Scully asked.

"No, thanks. I just need to see Jess.  I'll call you in the morning and
update you on her condition."

"If you need anything, call us," Mulder told him. 

"I will."

Bidding them farewell, Doggett followed Douglas down the hall to the elevato
r, which they rode to the third floor.  Once there, Douglas told him Jessica
 was in the last room on the right and then left him to be alone with her. 
Doggett made his way to her room and quietly walked inside, then felt his he
art constrict at the sight of her.  Her left cheek was darkly bruised and co
vered with a bandage, which was barely discernible against the pallor of her
 skin, and her left arm was being kept immobile in a sling. The bandages on
her chest were visible over the top of her hospital gown and an IV lead into
 her right arm. Grabbing a nearby chair, he settled himself beside her and t
ook her free hand in one of his, then lifted his other hand to gently caress
 her uninjured cheek.  She stirred at his touch, and after blinking sleepily
 a few times focused her gaze on Doggett, her face creasing into a warm smil
e.

"Hi, Sunshine," she greeted wearily, her voice raspy from smoke damage.

"Hi, sweetheart," Doggett returned softly. "How're you feelin'?=
"

"Tired," she responded. "And everything hurts."

"I imagine it does."

"They killed Trouble," Jessica told him.  "And they left another note.=
 It was tucked under his collar and said 'Curiosity doesn't kill just ca
ts.'"  

Anger flickered across his face. "Sick bastards," Doggett muttered.

"I'm scared, John," she confessed. "I don't want anyone else to ge
t hurt."

"No one else will," Doggett declared. "You have my word on that. We
're gonna catch these guys, Jess, and when we do I promise they're gonna
 pay for killin' Scott and Trouble and for tryin' to kill you."

Her smiled widened. "My hero," she replied lightly.  "I'm glad you
're here."

He smiled back. "So am I.  You scared the hell outta me, though. Keep this
 up and my hair's gonna turn gray."

"I like a man with a little gray," Jessica responded. "It gives you ch
aracter."

Doggett released a heavy sigh and stilled his hand, lightly resting it on he
r uninjured cheek.  "When I think how close I came to losin' you..." 

The thought was left unfinished as his voice cracked, and Jessica placed her
 own palm against his cheek.  "I'm sorry I made you worry," she said s
oftly.  

He flashed her a reassuring smile. "I fully expect you to make it up to me
."

"I'm sure you do."

"Have I mentioned lately that I love you?"

Surprise flickered across her elegant features for a brief moment before bei
ng replaced by joy, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she responde
d.  "I think you just did," she replied.

*************************************************************************

Late the following morning, Jessica had been discharged and was finishing ge
tting dressed when a knock on the door signaled the arrival of a visitor.  

"Come in."

The door opened and Mulder walked into the room, flashing her a tentative sm
ile as he walked over to stand in front of her.  "For someone who almost d
ied yesterday you don't look half bad," he teased.

"This from a man who spent three months in a coffin before coming back to
life," Jessica retorted lightly.

"Well at least nobody tried to turn me into a Human s'more," Mulder co
untered, then grew serious. "How are you feeling?"

"Remarkably well, actually," she answered. "My chest is pretty sore an
d I'm going to be limping around in this leg brace for a month or so becau
se of my knee injury, but otherwise I don't seem to have suffered any perm
anent damage.

Mulder smiled at her attire, the blue surgical scrubs usually worn by doctor
s. "Are you trying to start a new fashion trend?" he suggested. 

"Hardly. Between the blood and the smoke damage the clothes I was wearing
yesterday are ruined, and the rest of my wardrobe went up in flames yesterda
y along with everything else I own, except my car."

"I'm sorry about your house."

"The material items can be replaced," Jessica said, "but Trouble can
't, and someone is going to pay for killing my dog."

Not wanting to dwell on the painful subject, Mulder quickly shifted topics.
"Where's your bodyguard?"

"If you're referring to John, he went home to shower and change clothes.=
 He'll be back shortly to pick me up."

Mulder nodded.  "He was pretty worried about you last night," he said. 
"We all were."

Jessica smiled.  "I appreciate your concern," she said. "I also want t
o apologize for snapping at you yesterday. The discovery that I'm really C
hristina has to be as hard on you as it is on me."

"It threw me for a loop, but unfortunately I've lived with lies and secr
ets most of my life, so once the initial shock wore off, I was okay with it.=
 How are you holding up?"

"I wish I could wave a magic wand and erase the last twenty-four hours. Di
scovering that my parents have lied to me my whole life and that uncovering
their secret may have cost Scott his life hurts, and I'm mad as hell. And
having some petty piece of slime try to kill me and burn my house down after
 he killed my dog was icing on the cake."

"Petty piece of slime?" Mulder echoed in amusement. "That's certainl
y an erudite insult."

"Not all of us have the benefit of an Oxford education from which to draw
our demeaning descriptions of common criminals," Jessica responded.

His smile widened. "Is concealing insults in a politely phrased sentence s
omething they teach you at those fancy Virginia boarding schools, or do you
just come by it naturally?"

"I'll take the Fifth on that."

He shook his head before returning to the previous subject. "So, now that
the cat is out of the bag, where does that leave us?"

"I don't know.  I like you, Fox..."

"Call me Mulder," he interrupted. "Everyone does."

"Even your parents?"

"My parents and Samantha were the only ones who didn't," Mulder allowe
d.  

"What's wrong with your given name?"

"Fox is an animal; not a name."

Jessica smiled. "Well your issue with your name aside, despite the unusual
 circumstances surrounding the revelation I am your sister, and calling you
Mulder feels too informal. Addressing you as Fox seems to be a family tradit
ion, so with your permission I'd like to continue it."

The request triggered a long forgotten memory, of the night before Samantha
's abduction, when she had sat beside him on his bed and engaged him in a
similar conversation.

"You can't expect people to call you by your last name, Fox," she chid
ed. "It makes no sense".

"Easy for you to say," Mulder responded. "You have a normal name."

"I like your name," Samantha countered. "It's unique, just like you.=
 Besides, I'm your sister and I'll call you what I want to." 

"Hello...are you still with me, Mulder?"

Jessica's voice shook him out of his reverie, and he graced her with faint
 smile. "Sorry," he said. "If you really feel that strongly about it,
than I suppose I can chalk it up to sister's prerogative and live with you
 calling me Fox." 

"Thank you. As I was saying, I like you, Fox, and despite your less than f
avorable descriptions I would like to know more about your...our...parents.
But to be perfectly honest I don't know that I'm ready to accept you as
my brother. I adored Scott, and his death is a wound that's still healing.=
 And I know how much Samantha meant to you, despite your separation."

"Just because I loved Samantha doesn't mean I don't have room in my he
art for another sister."

"And just because I loved Scott it doesn't mean I don't have room in m
y heart for another brother," Jessica said. "But we both need time to ad
just to it, and there are still a lot of questions about why I was taken and
 why somebody is going to so much trouble to keep me from answering those qu
estions.  Not to mention the inevitable confrontations with my mother and Al
an Grant."

"As long as we're on the subject, what do you intend to do about them?=
" Mulder asked. "There is no statute of limitations on kidnapping, but w
e'd have a hell of a time proving it."

"I haven't even thought about any legal ramifications," Jessica replie
d, "but at this point in time it wouldn't serve any purpose.  Pressing c
harges against them won't give me back the life I lost when I was abducted
, and it won't bring Scott back."

He gave her an assessing glance. "You're certainly less bitter than I ex
pected you to be."

"Feeling sorry for myself isn't my style, and after having to bury my so
n, living with my mother's deception pales in comparison."

The squeak of the opening door interrupted their conversation and they both
glanced over expectantly as Doggett entered the room.  He greeted Mulder wit
h a brief smile before addressing Jessica. "You ready to go?"

She nodded.  "I contacted a friend who works at the Marriott and she's m
ade arrangements for me to stay there until I can find a new place to live.=
"  

"You're not stayin' in a public hotel," Doggett countered. "You ma
y as well paint a target on your back."

"I don't have a lot of options, John. Staying with my mother is obviousl
y out of the question, and I don't want to risk Sarah and the kids getting
 hurt by staying with them."

"You're overlookin' the safest option," Doggett responded. "You
're stayin' with me."

That shocked her into silence. Sensing things were about to get too personal
 for outside observation, Mulder decided it was time for him to leave.

"I think now would be a good time for me to leave," he said to no one in
 particular.  "I'll catch up with you two later."

He beat a hasty retreat, and once they were alone, Doggett spoke again.  

"I do believe this is the first time I've ever seen Jessica Doggett at a
 loss for words," he teased, repeating the quip she had made to him when s
he had reentered his life barely a week before.

"John..." Jessica began.  "I appreciate your sense of responsibility o
r chivalry or whatever it is that prompted you to make the offer, but stayin
g with you isn't an option."

"Why not? I've got plenty of room, and I'll feel a hell of a lot bette
r knowin' you're somewhere safe." 

"It's not that simple," Jessica replied.  "Do you remember when we b
egan dating the summer you were discharged from the Corps? Five months after
 we began seeing each other, you finally told me that you loved me. Do you r
emember what I told you when you asked me to move in with you?"

He thought for a moment before responding.  "You said that livin' togeth
er wasn't a lifetime commitment because when things got tough, one of us c
ould always walk away."

"I also said that the day I shared a home with you it would be as your wif
e, because I wasn't going to settle for less than forever with you. The sa
me principle applies here. I can't move in with you -- even temporarily
-- when I know there's a chance we could wind up back where we started; a
t just friends."

"That sounds like an ultimatum," Doggett said carefully.

"It's not," Jessica assured him quickly. "But I don't want to risk
 either of us getting hurt by starting something we won't finish.  I know
you, John, and you have the strongest personal code of honor of anyone I'v
e ever met.  Because of our past you feel an obligation to take care of me,
and I adore you for it. But I don't want that to influence your real feeli
ngs about reconciling with me."

Inexplicably Doggett chuckled at that, earning him a frown from his ex-wife.=
  "Dare I ask what you find amusing?"

"You think that I want you livin' under my roof because I feel obligated
 to you?" he asked incredulously. "Maybe we should get one of the doctor
s in here to reexamine your head cuz you're obviously delusional."

"Flattery will get you nowhere."

Closing the distance between them, Doggett lifted his hands to cup her face
in his palms, careful to avoid brushing against the stitches in her left che
ek.  "I appreciate your sense of reverse chivalry by tryin' to protect m
e from you, sweetheart, but I assure you that I'm doin' exactly what I w
ant to do. I love you, and as far as our marital status goes, I intend to re
ctify that situation just as soon as we get rid of whoever it is that's tr
yin' to kill you."

Jessica's sapphire blue eyes welled with unshed tears.  "If that's a p
roposal, Agent Doggett, it's certainly the most obscure one I've ever he
ard," she chided.

"Maybe this will help," he replied, and reaching into his pocket, withdr
ew her wedding band and slid it onto her finger.  "I love you, Jessica Ale
xandra Doggett. Will you do me the honor of marrying me again?"

"Absolutely, positively, anytime, anywhere," came the emphatic response.

His smile widened as he lowered his head to kiss her.

*************************************************************************

FBI HEADQUARTERS

Mulder and Scully were in their office discussing the Triad file when Reyes
walked in and smiled at them in greeting.

"Hello you two," she said.

"Welcome back, Monica," Scully responded. "How was your vacation?"

"Very relaxing, but it is good to be home," Reyes answered.  "Where
's John?"

"He's taking care of some personal business," Mulder told her. "He s
hould be here shortly."

Reyes nodded. "So did I miss anything exciting while I was gone?" she as
ked innocently.

Scully and Mulder exchanged a look, and at Scully's nod, Mulder handed Rey
es the file. "See for yourself."

Reyes took the file and flipped it open, then began scanning the notes and d
ocuments inside, surprise registering on her face as she read through the va
rious papers. When she had finished, she glanced up at Mulder.  "Jessica D
oggett is your sister?"

"Yep. God has an odd sense of humor."

Reyes closed the file and handed it back to Mulder. "How did John take the
 news?"

"How did I take the news about what?"

The three agents turned at his voice to see Doggett enter his office, shadow
ed by a limping Jessica, who was now dressed in jeans and an oversized U.S.M
.C. sweatshirt that obviously belonged to Doggett. Hobbling across the room
on one crutch, she promptly settled into a chair next to Doggett's desk af
ter dragging over a second one to prop up her injured leg, while Doggett sat
 in his own chair.

"If human beings had been meant to walk with only one leg we'd have been
 born that way," she muttered.

"Wouldn't it be easier for you to use two crutches?" Scully asked.

"I can't," Jessica answered. "It puts too much pressure on my should
er and aggravates the gunshot wound."

"I assume you resolved the issue of Jessica's living arrangements?" Mu
lder inquired casually.

"She's stayin' with me," Doggett answered, his tone making it clear
that the subject was not open for further discussion.

Reyes was clearly not happy to hear about their cohabitation, but nonetheles
s gave Jessica a neutral smile. "I was sorry to hear about your brother, L
ieutenant," she said. 

"Thank you," came the automatic response.  

"So what were you askin' about me when Jess and I walked in?" Doggett
prompted.

"I was just wondering how you reacted to the news that Lieutenant Doggett
is apparently Agent Mulder's long lost sister," Reyes clarified.

Doggett glanced at Mulder. "I wasn't aware we were makin' the informat
ion public knowledge," he said tightly.

"I didn't put an ad in The Washington Post, Agent Doggett," Mulder cou
ntered dryly, "and Agent Reyes is one of us." 

"If it will make you feel better, John, I'll loan you my crutch so you c
an whack him a good one across the head," Jessica offered.

The jest had the desired effect, and Doggett's ire cooled.  "Sorry," h
e apologized. "I'm just a little edgy right now."

"So how exactly did all of you discover that Lieutenant Doggett is Mulder
's sister?" Reyes asked.

Doggett gave her a condensed version of the events of the past week, conclud
ing with yesterday's attempt on Jessica's life. 

"That explains your injuries," Reyes said as she glanced at Jessica.
"Have you confronted your mother about any of this yet?"

"No. Aside from the fact that I spent last night in the hospital, I haven
't decided how to go about telling her what I know.  I have no idea how de
ep her involvement in this goes, and I want to know as much in advance as I
can before I finally call her on it."

The ring of the phone on Doggett's desk interrupted their conversation, an
d he reached over to answer it.  "John Doggett."  He paused a moment to
listen to the caller, and his gaze shifted to Jessica.  "Yes, Ma'am, Sen
ator; she's right here." Pulling the receiver away from his ear, he cove
red the mouthpiece with his hand as he said, "It's your mother. She got
a phone call from the press about what happened last night and she wants to
talk to you."

"How the hell did the press find out about it?" Jessica asked.

"Face it; as Elizabeth Caldwell's daughter, anything that happens to you
 is news," Doggett replied. "Are you gonna talk to her?"

"Do I have a choice?" came the rhetoric response, and she reached over t
o take the phone from Doggett. "Hello?"

"Would you care to explain why I had to learn from a reporter that someone
 burned your house down last night with you inside of it?" Elizabeth deman
ded.

"It was nothing, Mom," Jessica demurred.  "I interrupted a burglar and
 he was trying to eliminate the witness."

"It was more than 'nothing', Jessica," Elizabeth countered sharply.
"I called the hospital and they told me you were kept overnight after unde
rgoing surgery to remove a bullet from your chest."

"I'm a police officer, remember? Getting shot on occasion comes with the
 territory."

"I don't appreciate your attitude, Jessica, and I don't understand why
 I wasn't notified when you were admitted to the ER."

"Because I told them to call John first," Jessica admitted. "Maybe the
y just assumed that he would call you."

"Well he didn't," Elizabeth said unnecessarily.  "I assume you're
going to be staying at the house until you recover and find a new home of yo
ur own?"

"Actually I'm going to be staying with John," Jessica told her.  "At
 the moment that's the safest place for me to be."

Elizabeth released a heavy sigh.  "Well, I trust that if something else ha
ppens you'll grant me the courtesy of having someone call to tell me?"

"I've got to go, Mom," the lieutenant evaded. "I'll talk to you la
ter."

Without waiting for a response, she replaced the receiver in its cradle and
met Doggett's questioning gaze. "What?"

"If you're goin' to snipe at your mother every time you talk to her, e
ventually you're goin' to have to tell her why," he said.

"Given what I've discovered in the last twenty-four hours I think I'm
entitled to be a bit bitter," Jessica retorted.

"Just don't whack her a good one over the head with your crutch," Muld
er interjected dryly.

"Very funny, Fox."

"I hate to interrupt this impromptu session of Family Feud," Scully inte
rjected, "but I have a suggestion to make."

The others glanced at her expectantly, and Scully directed her attention to
Jessica.

"Whatever your mother's involvement is, given her position I think it mi
ght be a good idea for us to bring Skinner in on this. If any of this gets o
ut to the public, it will be in our best interests to have told the powers t
hat be ourselves."

"Can you trust him?" Jessica asked.

"Yes."

A pause. "I don't suppose his office is on this floor?" Jessica asked.

"Nope," Mulder said. "Third floor."

The lieutenant sighed as she glanced woefully at the crutch propped against
her chair. "It figures."

*************************************************************************