Date: 22 Sep 2000 04:15:53 GMT From: Spookyteacher Subject: Solidaire Encore (4/7) NEW!! (Post-Req) Title: Solidaire Encore (4/7) Author: Spookyteacher Rating: PG-13 Category: X, A Subcategory: MSR All other headers: see part 1 Part 4 Georgetown University Medical Center Scully flew through the doors of the emergency room. Her red hair appeared to be blazing and her body was tense as she walked. All eyes in the emergency room waiting area immediately focused on her as she moved swiftly to the desk. "Fox Mulder?" she asked loudly, a bit out of breath. The clerk at the desk looked up. "'Scuse me?" "Fox Mulder." Scully was perturbed by the clerk's bored expression. "I was called and told he had been brought here." The clerk nodded and chewed her gum as she turned to check some papers. A nurse walked up and began talking to the clerk about another patient. Scully's patience was extremely thin. "Excuse me?" Neither the clerk nor the nurse seemed to notice. "HEY!" This got everyone's attention. "Fox Mulder? Where is he?" she asked, but not as loudly this time. Though clearly not happy with Scully, the nurse answered. "He was moved to a room." Scully moved around the desk closer to the nurse. "What room?" "Umm...just a minute..." the nurse stalled as she looked at a list. Scully watched the nurse intently, her impatience growing with each passing second. Finally, the nurse looked up and answered, "Room 5652." Scully hurried off without a word of thanks, her mind completely focused on finding Mulder. She rushed as fast as she could through the hallway and spotted the elevator, just as the doors were sliding closed. She was a bit frustrated that she couldn't go faster, but the extra weight made it extremely difficult to run. "STOP!" she yelled as she tried to leap toward the elevator. "HOLD, PLEASE!" A man inside the elevator shoved his hand out to stop the doors. Scully charged into the elevator, forcing people to move aside to make room for her. "Thanks," she replied, trying hard to catch her breath. "Welcome," the man responded. "But, perhaps you shouldn't be running around like that in your condition, ma'am." Scully gave the man a look that would make a statue cringe. The man swallowed hard before summoning the courage to speak to her again. "Floor?" "Five," Scully answered forcefully, dropping her gaze from the man. The man punched the button and the elevator fell silent as it began its ascent. One man got off at the second floor; three people at the third floor. The man who had spoken to Scully exited at the fourth floor. Scully hurried off the elevator when the doors opened on the fifth floor. She checked the signs and followed them towards room 5652. As she rounded a corner, she saw the white board at the nurses' desk. Neither the nurse nor the clerk sitting at the desk noticed her. Carefully scanning the board, she spotted Mulder's name next to the number 5652. This prompted her to move even faster. She walked quickly past the rooms: 5646, 5648, 5650... Finally she spotted room 5652 and the name "Mulder, F." written on the sign in center of it. She stared at the sign for a couple seconds before reaching for the door handle. Slowly she began to push the handle. "Can I help you?" Scully whirled around to see a middle-aged woman in rose-colored scrubs approaching. "I'm here to see Fox Mulder," she informed the woman. "Are you Scully?" Scully nodded her head slowly, unsure of how the nurse knew her name. "Yes." The nurse nodded her affirmation. "He's been asking for you. Go on in. I'll call Dr. Allenbach to let him know you're here." Scully nodded again, but she was not really listening. Her mind was still focusing on the nurse's words: "He's been asking for you." A sigh of relief escaped from her lips and a smile peaked at the corners of her mouth: He's conscious! Her hand had not left the door handle and she pushed harder, opening the door just far enough to allow her to pass through. She walked into the room, past the bathroom, to a curtain. Quickly, she pulled the curtain aside and walked over to the bed. Mulder was lying in the bed, his eyes closed. He was asleep, his breathing regular and even. She walked to his bedside, watching him every step of the way. Her eyes skimmed over his face. She saw no obvious signs of illness or injury. He had some dark circles under his eyes, but no bruises or cuts. Her eyes slid down to see his neck and her eyes smiled when she saw a glint of gold peeking at the edge of his hospital gown. She checked out the equipment near his bed. He had an IV going into his left arm and she noted that he was on a heart monitor. For a moment, she was afraid to touch him; afraid he would disappear just as he always did in her dreams, but the need to touch him overcame her fear and she reached out to touch his face. Just as she reached toward him, his eyes jerked open and he looked at her. A wide smile washed over his face. A matching smile broke out on Scully's face as they made eye contact. She bent over and brushed his hair off his forehead. Mulder blinked slowly, enjoying this. He then reached for her hand. Tears welled in Scully's eyes and began to fall. "Hey, Scully. Long time no see." She smiled through her tears. He reached over and wiped the tears from her cheek. "Talk to me, Scully." His voice was low. "Did you miss me?" His eyes gleamed. Scully laughed mildly as she took his hand in hers. "Mulder..." It was all she could get out. She had thought of this moment for months, ever since he'd disappeared. She'd practiced in her mind what she'd say, but now all of that was forgotten. Mulder smiled at the sound of her voice. They stayed like this for a while: smiling, crying, eyes never leaving each other. After several minutes passed, the door opened and Dr. Allenbach interrupted, "Glad to see you're awake, Mr. Mulder." He shifted his attention to Scully. "Ms. Scully, may we talk?" Scully turned to the door, breaking eye contact with Mulder, which caused her smile to fade. Dr. Allenbach motioned her out to the hall. Scully turned back to Mulder. "I'll be right back." She turned and her hand began to slip from Mulder's as she started walking to the door. He tightened his grasp on her hand, prompting her to stop and turn back around. "Hurry. We've got a lot of catching up to do." Scully agreed through a smile. She slipped her hand from his, and her gaze from him as she headed out of the room. "Ms. Scully, I understand Mr. Mulder has been missing for several months?" "Yes. Five months. How did he get here?" Allenbach shifted his stance nervously. "We aren't quite sure. He seemed to just appear in one of our emergency room bays. They thought it was empty but when they went to put another patient in there, he was there- unconscious." Scully looked away, an expression of frustration filling her face. She turned back to the doctor. "He was unconscious?" "Yes, but he responded well to treatment and regained consciousness almost immediately." "How long ago was that?" Allenbach glanced at his watch. "About three hours ago. It was about 7:00 when they found him in the ER." "What's his condition now?" "He's suffering from dehydration and his red blood cell count is up." "And lymphocyte count and plasma volume are down? Is there evidence glucocorticoids were released?" Scully asked quickly. Allenbach nodded, a puzzled expression on his face. "Yes, lymphocytes are depressed. And the plasma volume is down. That's why we're giving him a couple pints of blood. I'm not sure about the glucocorticoids, but we've done blood tests and we're waiting for the lab. You're a physician?" "A forensic pathologist," Scully answered. "May I see his chart?" "Yes." She and Allenbach walked down to the nurses' desk and he pulled the chart for her. After perusing the chart, Scully observed, "Exposure to weightlessness..." "Pardon?" "Would you also do some bone density scans? He may have lost some." "Why...?" Allenbach was clearly confused. Scully was completely engrossed in thought. "And, he'll need an ECG to make sure his heart isn't enlarged. Perhaps a CAT scan...or an MRI..." "Dr. Scully?" "...I'd also like some x-rays of the cranium, particularly the nasal and brain stem areas." "Dr. Scully?" Allenbach spoke louder, gaining her attention. "Weightlessness? Where would he be exposed to weightlessness?" Scully didn't really answer the question. "After what he's been through, we'll need all these tests to get a clearer picture." She met Allenbach's gaze. "How is he doing now? What's his prognosis?" "Well, it's hard to say since we don't know what caused this or how he got here. But, he's responding very well so far. He was quite upset until we told him you were coming. Then he calmed down." Scully smiled and glanced back toward the room door. Allenbach took his cue. "I'll get back with you after the test results are in. If you need anything, contact the nurse." Scully nodded and headed back to Mulder's room before Allenbach walked away. She opened the door, expecting to find Mulder napping again but instead found his bed surrounded by Byers, Frohike, and Langly. They were laughing and having a good time catching up. "Guys," Scully said as she walked up, "what are you doing here?" "Oh, sorry, Scully," Frohike answered. "We just had to see Mulder for ourselves." "Yeah, had to make sure he wasn't a pod person or something," Langly chided. "Yes, I am a pod person come to make love to all your women and steal your children," Mulder joked. Mulder was the only one laughing as the Gunmen looked at Scully. "So," Byers asked nervously, "You two have talked?" Scully shook her head. "Not really," Mulder answered. "My doc stole her away before we had a chance to." All three Gunmen exchanged nervous glances. "Uh," Frohike started clumsily, "we better head out and... and give you two a chance to catch up on everything." "Yeah, we'll see ya soon, dude," Langly offered as he hustled to the door right behind Frohike. "Feel better soon, Mulder," Byers called over his shoulder as he, too, hurried to the door. Mulder looked quizzically at the door as it closed behind the guys. "Well, they sure can move quickly when they want to. Wonder what that was all about?" He looked back at Scully, who was moving closer to his bedside. "Well, it gives us a chance to be alone again. So, Scully..." Scully smiled. She couldn't seem to stop smiling. She reached out for his hand. As she grasped it, her eyes widened: the baby kicked her at just that moment. "Scully? What's wrong?" He was suddenly concerned, noting her expression. She struggled to regain her composure. "Hmm?" "You looked... shocked... or in pain. You okay?" Considering her options, she decided the right opportunity had presented itself. She leaned against the bed rail. "Mulder, we have to talk. There have been some...," she searched for the right words, "big changes." "What? Did they close the X-Files again?" he asked sarcastically. This confused Scully for a second. "No...no." Mulder was a bit elated. "Really?" "Yes. But, Mulder, I'm talking about... something else." He struggled to read her expression. "O-kay," he prompted. Scully attempted to start, "After you disappeared... I was having all those dizzy spells. In fact, I fainted while I was working some of the data with the guys right after you and Skinner left." Fearing the worst, Mulder interrupted her, "Jesus, Scully, it's not..." Scully finished his question, "Cancer? No. No. It's something else." She stressed the 'something else.' Clearly relieved, he leaned back against the pillow and gazed up at her. She continued her attempt to bring him up to speed. "The doctor was concerned so he checked me into the hospital for some tests. In fact, I was there when Skinner came to tell me about you." At that moment, a knock on the door disrupted them, again. Skinner stuck his head through the door opening. Mulder smiled and called robustly, "Speak of the devil and he appears!" Skinner walked into the room and over to the foot of the bed. "Welcome back, Agent Mulder. I'm glad to see you looking so well. After seeing you... that ship..." Skinner couldn't continue he was so uncomfortable. Mulder noted Skinner's discomfort. "It wasn't your fault, sir. I chose to go out there. I knew the risks. I thought it was Scully who was at risk." He looked at Scully. "But I was wrong." He shrugged. "Things happen." Skinner nodded and looked at Scully. "Yes they do." Mulder looked back at Scully, realizing she hadn't let go of his hand, despite Skinner's presence. "But it's damn good to be back." Skinner cleared his throat. "I want you to know that I'm going to help you both with this in any way I can." He focused on Mulder. "We have managed to keep this as private as possible. But, of course, the FBI had to be informed at some point." He looked at Scully, who was suddenly looking at him sharply. "Scully's been doing well. I've tried to encourage her to cut back on her workload. I know it's going to be hard..." He trailed off as he noted Mulder's confused expression and Scully's look of consternation. "You two have talked?" "Everyone seems to keep asking us that. No, not really. Scully was just telling me something when you came in." Mulder looked at Scully expectantly. Before Scully could speak Skinner focused on her. "Scully, can I have a word?" He motioned with his head to the hall. She nodded. Skinner returned his attention to Mulder, who was looking quite perplexed. "Get some rest, Mulder." Scully squeezed Mulder's hand before she released it once again. Mulder's confused expression faded as he watched her walk away. He called to her as she opened the door, "Next time, I'M going out into the hall. Maybe we can talk out there." She smiled but didn't turn around as she exited the room once again. As soon as the door was closed, Skinner started in. "I take it you haven't told him?" "I haven't had the chance." She answered in a low voice, a bit defensive. "People keep barging in." This subdued him. "Sorry." They watched an elderly couple walk by before he continued. "But you have to tell him." "I'm going to, as soon as I go back in there." He nodded. And Scully turned to the door. "If you need anything, call me." Scully turned back to him and nodded. Entering the room again, Scully looked at Mulder, who was now sitting up in the bed. His attention turned to her as soon as she entered and his eyes followed her as she walked to the bed. As soon as she reached his bed, she started to tell him. "I have something very important to tell you." He smiled and reached for her over the bed rail. He touched her side and brushed his fingers up and down gently. "I wish they'd put these rails down so you can get in here with me." She admonished him mildly, "Mulder! We need to talk..." She stopped short as Mulder's hand began exploring her side. His hand moved down her side and toward the middle of her abdomen, his eyes told her of his grand amusement with this exploration. All of a sudden, his hand stopped. His eyes widened and his gaze fell from her eyes to her abdomen. He placed both his hands there and moved his fingers slowly around, exploring the area thoroughly. Scully watched this intently, enjoying his touch, but a bit worried about his imminent discovery. She exhaled suddenly, realizing she'd forgotten to breathe. As she inhaled slowly, Mulder's hands traveled up her rib cage. His hands continued to explore, his eyes following his hands. When his hands stopped just before reaching her breasts, his eyes continued rising until they met Scully's. He looked into her eyes. And he knew. He raised his body slowly and laboriously from the bed, wincing a bit against the pain. His arms slid around her abdomen and he placed his head against her. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and leaned against him. Her eyes closed. They remained like this for a while before his shoulders shifted quickly and he pulled back a bit. She opened her eyes and looked down at him. Pulling his arm from around her back, he pointed at her abdomen. "He moved." His voice was low and incredulous. She smiled and nodded. "Yes. He did." Mulder smiled widely and looked back at Scully's swollen belly. He leaned in and gently kissed her. 11:08PM The dark green sedan was parked near the entrance to the hospital. A dark-haired woman lifted the camera as she saw Scully walk out the front door. She started taking pictures as Scully walked down the entryway. An older model Volkswagen van pulled up to the curb. Scully talked to the driver. After a few seconds, the van door slid open and Frohike extended a hand to Scully. She climbed inside, the door slid closed, and the van headed out of the parking lot. The woman lowered the camera and started her car. New York City Krycek was lying in bed with the sheets wrapped around his waist. His bare chest rose and fell as he slept. Marita walked in and glanced over his slumbering form. She didn't smile as she moved to the bed and sat down. She leaned against the wall and continued to study Krycek. He rolled over and his eyes fluttered open as he focused on her. He looked at her for a couple seconds before grabbing her arms and pulling her down to him. She made noises of protest, but didn't get out of the bed. After a lingering, breathless kiss, she pulled back. "Since when have you not been ready to jump my bones?" he asked, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "What's bumming you out?" Marita didn't answer. She just sat there with a solemn expression on her face. "What?" He was a bit exasperated. She extracted herself from his arms and shifted to a sitting position before finally answering. "He's back." His eyes narrowed. "Who?" he inquired, his voice betraying that he knew exactly to whom she was referring. "Mulder." He scooted up to sit next to Marita. His gaze dropped from hers as he processed this information. He was silent for a while. During his silence, Marita looked away, lost in her own thoughts. "No..no... NO!" Krycek punctuated his yells by banging his fist against the wall. This startled Marita and she looked at him, her facial muscles tensing. "He was taken by them. You don't come back from being taken by them!" "Don't yell at me! He IS back. In the hospital, having an amazing recovery, from what I understand," Marita retorted, before adding bitterly, "And, of course, Scully is at his side." Krycek didn't speak. He was clearly seething, too mad to even respond. She continued, fueling his anger. "They're the perfect little family, aren't they?" In a singsong voice she mocked, "Mulder, Scully, and baby makes three." Hearing that, Krycek snapped. He leaped out of the bed and began pacing the room in his briefs. She watched him, enjoying this immensely. She continued the annoying, singsong tone, "What will they name the baby? Samantha? Bill? Melissa?" She moved up to sit on the edge of the bed and leaned toward Krycek. "We know it sure as hell won't be Alex." With that, Krycek snatched his pants off the floor and began dressing. This got her attention. "What are you going to do?" His answer was a bit muffled as he pulled his shirt over his head. "Get some answers." Mulder was lying on a bed. A bright light passed over him, moving back and forth over his sheet-covered form. Suddenly, his body jerked and he cried out in pain. As his shrieks continued, the Alien Bounty Hunter appeared standing over him. He watched as Mulder writhed in anguish. The light faded and Mulder's screams subsided. His eyes opened and he looked up at the Bounty Hunter. "Why are you doing this?" His voice was so hoarse it was almost unrecognizable. "Because we can," the Bounty Hunter replied. A high-pitch tone sounded and Mulder's body shuddered in pain again. As the tone grew louder and louder, Mulder's motions became more violent. His eyes widened with fear and he opened his mouth to yell, but nothing came out. Scully's eyes snapped open at that moment and it took her a few seconds to realize she'd been having a nightmare. She sat up. Her pajamas were wet with sweat and her heart was pounding in her chest. She looked at the clock: 5:33. She closed her eyes and knew what subject she and Mulder were going to have to discuss today. Next day 8:05AM Skinner's office "Scully, they're going to want answers." Scully looked Skinner in the eye. Although she had a calm expression on her face, a fire blazed in her eyes. "Sir, I don't have any answers. I'm not sure if we'll ever have any answers." Skinner continued, determined for her to see the serious of all this. "They will be calling a hearing in the next few days and they will expect answers about Mulder's disappearance, his condition,..." He hesitated a moment, before he continued, "... your condition, and, of course, your trip to Florida last week without permission." Scully shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "They will have to get answers or they will shut the X-Files down." Skinner looked at her, concern all over his face. "Have you contacted Detective Woodard with the Bay County Sheriff's office?" "Yes. And he stated you made a contribution to the investigation. Your explanation actually seemed the most plausible. He added that he was probably the most surprised of all by that. And that it will all be in their official report. But, none of that negates the fact that you went without permission," he reminded her. "They could use that against you and close everything down." Scully closed her eyes at the suggestion. Mulder returned only to have the X-Files shut down before he could go back to work. The thought was too hard to bear. Then, an equally distasteful thought occurred to her: What if she had been led to that case to give them a reason to shut down the X-Files? "Scully." Skinner's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "Have you asked Mulder about..." he struggled with the words for a few moments, "his experience?" Scully didn't answer. Instead, she pursed her lips and studied her hands. She glanced at her watch and looked up at Skinner. "Sir, I need to get back to the hospital. Mulder's having some more tests run today." Skinner studied her and exhaled sharply before dismissing her. "I'll let you know when the hearing is scheduled." Scully stood and headed out of the office, furious with herself. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed. "Frohike? Yeah...I need to know something. Where did you get the information for that case last week?... Frohike hesitated before answering. "A friend." She stopped at the elevator and pushed the button to summon it. She frowned at his reticence, "Frohike. I need to know. I think I may have been led to that case to set things up for them to close the X-Files office. I have to know." Frohike's eyes widened. "Ummm.... he's a subscriber. He's helped us out before. Weird thing is, we tried to contact him to get more info and he never got back to us..." He trailed off. Scully frowned even more. "Try to find him and find out if he did send it." Frohike nodded. "Sure... We'll get on it and let you know." 4:46PM "I feel like I've been folded, spindled, and mutilated," Mulder complained as he was wheeled back into the room after yet another round of tests, his fourth time today. Scully just smiled as the transportation worker helped Mulder into the bed. He staggered a little when he got up from the wheelchair and grabbed the side of the bed for support. The worker reached to help him. "Whoa!" he called as he fell against the bed. "Mulder," Scully rushed to help him. "S'okay," he assured both of them. "Just that dizziness you told me would happen." He smiled at Scully and eased back into the bed. As Mulder straightened his sheets, the worker left, nodding at Scully on his way out. "I'm a glow-in-the-dark pincushion now." "All in the name of trying to figure out what happened to you," Scully reminded him. He nodded. "And you. Time for your tests now." Scully flashed him a quizzical look. "What?" "I want you to take some tests. We need to find out what happened to you." "Mulder, I think we know WHAT happened to me." She looked at him, amusement dancing in her eyes. Mulder smiled and conceded, "Well, we know WHAT happened, but I want to know what's going on with him in there. Is he healthy? Is he developing... normally? Is he a he? And I want to know how this is all affecting you... physically?" "You also want to know why." She looked at him, awaiting his response. Mulder looked at her. "That would be good to know, but I'm not sure we'll ever know why." "You really think I haven't taken every test in the book by now?" "Probably," Mulder agreed. "But, why not take them again?" Scully studied him for a few moments. "I guess we could do a comparison now, first trimester versus third." "Good," Mulder began, "How about ultrasound, PCR..." "Amniocentesis, etcetera, etcetera... I know the drill." Mulder smiled agreeably and studied her. "Come here." He reached out for her. She scooted her chair closer and took his hand. "No," he disagreed. "Here!" He turned the sheet down and ran his hand over the bed. Scully flashed him a shocked look that clearly said she would not. "Come here!" he repeated the demand. Scully ignored his demand. "Mulder, we need to talk." He looked at her. "You want to know what happened to me." "We have talked about everything but what you remember about being gone." His smile faded as he turned serious. "Sit down, Scully." He moved over to the far side of the bed and sat up. Scully got up from the chair and lowered herself to the bed. She leaned back against his legs and looked at him to begin. "I remember being taken and I remember coming back. I don't remember a whole hell of a lot in between." "Tell me," she prodded. Mulder turned his gaze from her to the window. "I remember seeing everyone in the bright light. Billy, Teresa and her husband, and a lot of other people... I looked up and I knew..." He stopped for a few seconds. "I knew we were going. I knew I was going." He focused on Scully. "I really had no choice, Scully. There was no turning around. But..." "What?" Scully whispered. "I'm not sure if I would've turned around if I'd had a choice." He looked for her reaction. Scully's expression didn't change. "That doesn't bother you?" He was surprised she wasn't upset or angry or sad. "Why would it?" she asked matter-of-factly. "Mulder, I know you. Given a chance to fly in a flying saucer you're going to take the chance. No matter what. And, like you said, you didn't have a choice this time." Mulder smiled and stroked her chin with his finger. "What happened then?" His smile faded once again as he continued. "That Alien Bounty Hunter showed up..." Scully's eyes widened at this and fear played across her face. "Yeah, he went up with us. I remember seeing Skinner below as we lifted up from the ground." When he didn't continue, Scully asked, "What happened next?" Mulder winced a bit. "I don't remember much about the ship. I remember the stark whiteness inside the ship and then nothing. I woke up in a white room and..." He stopped. "They performed some tests on you, didn't they?" Mulder nodded. "I really don't remember a whole lot. There were bright lights and voices. Sometimes there was a loud sound that hurt my ears..." She could see he was struggling, trying not to tell her anything that would upset her. She reached for his hand and held it tightly. Remembering her nightmare, she closed her eyes to hold back the tears that were threatening. Mulder looked at Scully and picked up his explanation. "I do remember how I came back." This pulled Scully back and she opened her eyes. "I heard a lot of noise outside my room. There was screaming and loud thuds." He narrowed his eyes as if seeing it all right now. "Then, one of those faceless men appeared in my room. I tried to fight him off, but he held me down and shot me in the arm with something. It made me feel like I was across the room watching what was happening to me. He picked me up and carried me to a ship a lot like the one I'd gotten there on. I can't recall anything about the trip, but they brought me back. They brought me here." "Why would they..." "I don't know." His story finished, he sat back and grabbed Scully's other hand. Suddenly, he remembered something and grabbed at his neck with one hand. He maintained eye contact with Scully as he reached behind his neck and unhooked the clasp of Scully's cross necklace. He placed it on her and stretched his arms so he could clasp it around her neck. She reached up and fingered the cross as he fastened the chain. When he finished, he sat back and admired it. After several seconds, he pulled her down to his chest and she gave in to her tears. He tried to soothe her, but soon his own tears mixed with hers. End Part 4 Part 5 Walter Skinner's office 6:45PM "Working late, Walter?" Skinner looked up, a startled expression on his face, and was most upset to see Alex Krycek standing in his office doorway. "You really should lock the door when that guard dog of an assistant of yours goes home. All kinds of riff-raff can get in." "What the hell do you want?" Skinner was standing now, his hands on his hips. "Not even an invitation to sit?" Krycek clicked his tongue as he moved to the chairs in front of Skinner's desk and sat. "Get out." Skinner was trying to maintain control of his anger. "Not so fast. I want some answers." "Go somewhere else," Skinner snapped. Krycek smiled. "No, YOU have the answers I need." "I'll be damned if..." "Careful what you wish for, Walter. Have you forgotten about those little critters doing the backstroke up your bloodstream?" Skinner visibly cringed, but quickly steeled himself. "So, do it! Kill me. But, I will not be giving you any more answers. They've been through enough." Krycek's eyes narrowed in contempt. "Of course, the perfect couple is back together. Hoorah! Let's have a ticker tape parade!" Krycek mocked bitterly. He leans forward. "How did he come back?" Skinner's eyes widened in amazement. "You mean you don't know?" Krycek squirmed in the seat a bit. "All it would take is a turn of the knob, one little switch..." Skinner's mouth twitched before he leaned forward, his hands on his desk. "Go ahead. This is where it stops." Krycek studied Skinner for a minute. Finally, he stood. "I'd think about it, Walter. Are you ready to give up your life for him?" Skinner's eyes narrowed into a cold, hate-filled stare. "I'll be seeing ya... soon," he warned as he slithered out the door. Georgetown Medical Center 6:59PM Scully tossed the remnants of their Chinese dinner in the garbage. She turned around to see Mulder smiling wickedly at her. "What?" "I like watching you move. Especially now. You are a beautiful pregnant woman." Scully started to respond, but was interrupted by Doctor Allenbach walking in. "So, Agent Mulder, how are you feeling?" "Feeling better all the time," Mulder answered, glancing sideways to Scully. "Good," Doctor Allenbach concurred, looking at the chart that he was carrying. "Doctor Scully requested numerous tests to get a clearer picture of your present health and try to determine what happened to you." "And I'm requesting the same for her," Mulder added. "Hmm...what?" Allenbach looked up from the chart and glanced back and forth from Mulder to Scully. "You don't know what happened to her?" He asked, a bit incredulous. "Never mind," Mulder laughed. Allenbach looked at Scully and she looked to Mulder, giving him a 'you're going to die when he leaves' look. Mulder didn't even flinch, enjoying this way too much. "Well," Allenbach got back on track, "she was correct about the glucocorticoids. They were elevated. But, we've been able to get your levels back on track. We're still waiting for some of the other results... the ECG.... the CAT scan... and some of the more complex blood tests. But, it does seem you were correct, Dr. Scully, he does show all the symptoms of prolonged exposure to weightlessness. I had to go pull research from NASA to confirm this." Scully nodded her head in agreement. "Now, what I want to know is how did this happen? How did he exhibit these symptoms? You're certainly not suggesting he was actually in space for the time he was missing?" Mulder looked at Scully, trying to divinate her thoughts. Scully stood a bit straighter. "I don't think we have enough evidence at this time to determine that he was or wasn't." Mulder smiled at the thoroughly scientific, rational response. And he waited for her follow-up. "But, we cannot deny that he did have those symptoms. Something caused his body to react in that manner. Therefore, the simplest answer is that he was weightless for a prolonged period of time. And the only place we currently know of where that is possible is in space." Allenbach looked as though his head hurt. Mulder smiled; he knew the feeling. Allenbach closed Mulder's chart and turned to leave. "I'll let you know when I get the results from the other tests. Should be sometime tomorrow. If all checks out, you should be able to go home." He didn't wait for them to answer, but Mulder called after him, "Thanks!" He turned back to Scully. "So, you believe I was up there?" He pointed up, a bit comically. Scully smiled at his hilarious gesture. "Yes," she answered seriously. Mulder's eyes widened. He got up from the chair, flinching slightly from the pain he felt whenever he moved, and walked over to Scully. "So," his eyes danced in amusement as he stopped just in front of her. Scully looked at him, unsure of what he was doing. "Any movement?" He looked down at her stomach. Scully smiled and giggled a bit. "He's been pretty quiet. He may have been asleep, but when you asked just now, he gave me a big kick." "Really?" "Right here." She reached for his hand and placed it on the exact spot. They stood there like that, Mulder leaning down with his hand on her, chuckling every now and then as the baby moved. Mulder looked up as Scully was still laughing at the baby's last movement. Suddenly he turned serious. "Think he's healthy?" Scully stopped laughing and looked at Mulder. "I hope so." Mulder stood up to his full height and removed his hand from her stomach. Placing his hand on her neck, he leaned down and kissed her. She responded, closing her eyes and enjoying the kiss. After they parted, Mulder looked at her and asked, "Can we talk about how this happened?" "Mulder, I thought we determined the how..." "Alright," he said with exasperation. "When?" "Well, there weren't that many opportunities..." "Scu-lly..." "Well, Mulder, the truth is it could've been ANY of those times. They were all so close together." Mulder considered this for a moment. "I'd say after we watched "Caddyshack." All was right with the world that night," he mused aloud. "That would be perfect." Scully laughed at this. "What?" he asked defensively. "Nothing," she deflected. "What?" he asked louder. "It's just..." she stopped laughing. "You're right. That would be perfect." His eyes narrowed and she could see the devilment there. But neither got the opportunity to explore that as the door flew open and the Lone Gunmen entered. "Look at you!" Frohike exclaimed. "Up and around." "Yeah, Mulder, you look all rested and healthy. Not at all like yourself," Langly quipped. "Nothing changes, does it Scully? These guys still are jerks." Frohike shook his hand and plopped a bag on the bed table. "Thought you'd need a supply." Mulder looked confused momentarily before Frohike pulled a package of sunflower seeds from the bag. "Oh, thanks!" "So," Byers started, looking from Scully to Mulder. "You two have talked..." "Yes," Scully answered. "Aren't you guys going to congratulate me?" Mulder asked. "Congrats, man," Langly offered. "It's great news, Mulder," Byers added, extending his hand to shake Mulder's. "I don't know..." Frohike comments dubiously. All eyes turned to him. "Do you deserve her?" he asked snidely. "Maybe I don't deserve him." Scully shocked everyone. "But, it's a done deal," she concluded. They all smiled in agreement. "Hey, shouldn't you be sitting or something?" Frohike asked Scully. Mulder looked sharply at her. "Yeah," he concurred as he moved back toward her. "Sit down and rest." He guided her to the chair. "You wanna put your feet up?" Scully let him lead her to sit in the chair, but she wouldn't abide any patronizing. "If I want to put my feet up, I will." Mulder nodded his understanding. He was still getting accustomed to his role as expectant father. "How are you feeling, Mulder?" Byers queried. Mulder got back in bed. He adjusted the bed so he was sitting up straighter and leaned back against the pillows. "Fine. I'm still a bit sore when I move. But the light-headedness and nausea have passed." "Do they know what caused it?" Mulder looked over at Scully, who was yawning. "Not exactly," he answered. "So when do you get to blow this place?" Byers asked. "Well, they've run all kinds of tests..." Scully struggled to follow the conversation, but fatigue was washing over her. "... The doctor says he might let me go tomorrow, if all my tests come out okay. They put me through all sorts of tests today. And, of course, Scully went through..." He looked back over at Scully and saw she was falling asleep. "... a lot today, too. Scully?" he called to wake her up. The Gunmen looked over at her, too. "Looks like today wore her out," Langly observed. "Scul-ly," Mulder called again. Scully opened her eyes. "Come on," Frohike offered. "We'll take you home." Scully yawned again and stretched. "Why don't you go with the guys and I'll see you in the morning?" Mulder recommended. "No," Scully deflected. "You're exhausted. Let the guys take you home." He saw she still wanted to protest. "I don't want you falling asleep at the wheel. Besides, you've got a big day tomorrow finishing your tests." Realizing she was too tired to argue with him, she nodded and stood up. She walked over to Mulder, leaned over, and gave him a quick kiss, shocking everyone else in the room, especially Mulder. "See you tomorrow," she whispered. She stood up and turned to the guys. "Let's go," she instructed as she headed to the door. The guys shook off their shock. "Yeah, let's go," Frohike agreed as turned to follow. "Night, Mulder," Byers and Langly called as they headed after him. Mulder sat back against the pillows, watching them all leave. A wide smile spread across his face and he looked out the window. He mused about his future, and for the first time in a long time, he could smile at the opportunities and the promise of good things to come. Once in the hallway, Scully asked, "What did you find out about your friend the subscriber?" She continued down the hallway at a pretty fast clip, forcing the guys to keep up with her. They didn't answer her as they rushed to follow her. Their silence forced her to stop and turn around. "What?" she prompted. As they stopped short, they exchanged looks of discomfort. Finally, Langly answered, "Ben Gilligan died of a heart attack 3 weeks ago." His words hit Scully like a ton of bricks. For a second, it looked as though she was going to drop to her knees. They each took a step forward, ready to catch her, but she quickly recovered. Without another word, she turned back around and started down the hallway again. However, her pace was slower as her thoughts raced. 8:35PM Georgetown Medical Center Marita walked down the hall. She was wearing light blue scrubs and wire-rimmed glasses, and had her brown haired wig pulled back in a ponytail. She carried a plastic box containing jars and vials filled with blood and other fluids. She looked very much like a lab tech. She was very aware of everything and everyone she passed. As she approached the nurses' desk, she could see that no one was there. She smiled and walked quickly to the desk, found Mulder's chart, and pulled a digital camera from her pocket. She hurriedly began taking pictures of the pages. As she snapped the third picture, she heard movement behind her and slipped the camera back into her pocket. The clerk walked out from the office behind the desk. "Oh, sorry, didn't know you were here," she said as she spotted Marita. "Running a little late, aren't ya?" she asked. "Sorry," Marita answered. "What do you have for me?" "Hold on," she instructed as she glanced down the hallway toward the rooms. "Carrie's collecting one more blood sample from Mr. Mulder." She shook her head. "Lucky him! That poor guy's had every test known to doctors done on him today." "Well, here's one more," Marita said as she turned away from the clerk and looked down the hall for the nurse. "Did you hear they want to change our benefits?" the clerk tried to make conversation. "Really?" Marita tried to appear interested. "Yeah," the clerk continued as she sat back at the desk. "They want to change our 401(k). I'm not too happy 'bout it, but my husband says there's not a whole lot we can do..." Marita was not really listening as she waited expectantly, and anxiously, for the nurse to return. Finally, a door opened and the nurse came out into the hallway. She walked towards desk. When she spotted Marita she called, "Perfect timing. This is the last one." Marita nodded. "Let me just record it on his chart," the nurse told her. She walked over to the desk and started to pull his chart when she realized it was already out on the desk. "Pam? Were you working on the Mulder chart?" The clerk looked over at her. "No...you must've left it out. Or maybe B.J. did." The nurse shook her head and opened the chart. "Must be." She wrote something and then turned to Marita. "Here ya go." She held the vial filled with Mulder's blood out. For a second, Marita hesitated, not quite believing her luck. Then, she reached for the vial and turned to leave. "Wait!" the clerk called. Marita turned back, her eyes widening. "Don't forget these, too." She handed her two more blood vials and a plastic urine container. "The lab guys need something to keep them up late." She smiled at Marita. "I'm sure they're looking forward to these," Marita replied as she took the vials, trying to hide her revulsion. She carefully placed the containers in the plastic box. "Oh," the clerk called her back, "here's the paperwork for those." Marita took those, too, and smiled at the clerk. "Night." "Night," the clerk called as Marita walked away. A few minutes later, Marita walked off the elevator in the basement. She turned left and walked a short way before entering a door marked "Lab." Then, she went to the desk and set the container down. The clerk looked up. "Fifth floor?" he asked. Marita nodded. "We need you to go to seven now," he instructed as he began going through the contents of the box. He handed her another plastic box similar to the one she had just handed him. She took the box and watched him as he began to process the contents of the first one. "Will you be running those through the tests now?" The man didn't look up. "Yeah." Marita continued studying him as he stood and moved to take it to the techs. "I bet it takes a long time to do all those," she fished. After placing the container on the counter near a busy technician, he turned on heel and looked sharply at her. "Don't you have samples to collect?" he asked, clearly losing patience with her. Marita pursed her lips in frustration as she turned to leave. "Seventh floor," the man called after her. 1:31AM In a corner of a dingy bar, a group of rowdy teenagers screamed at each other above the din of the techno music. As a new song began, the group headed to the dance floor like a flock of sheep being herded by a border collie. As they passed, Krycek looked up from his beer and gave them a look of disgust. He hated this music, he hated the bright, flashing lights, but, most of all he hated the teenagers. But they gave him what he needed tonight: an obscure place in which to meet someone he'd been trying to meet for a very long time. He took another swig of beer as a waitress dressed in an extremely short peasant dress stopped at his table. "'Nother beer for ya?" He shook his head and said nothing as he took another drink. The waitress walked away, leaving him alone. "You should not drink on the job," a voice with a heavy German accent said behind him. Krycek turned and saw the man he'd been waiting for, the man he'd love to kill: Strughold. "I'm my own boss, now," he corrected. Strughold acted as though he didn't hear Krycek and took a seat opposite him. "What is it?" Krycek smiled. "You must know or you wouldn't have gotten on that plane from Tunisia, old man." "Is it Spender?" Krycek laughed and practically spit out the sip of beer he'd just taken. "I sent that son of a bitch to hell a long time ago." "I wouldn't underestimate him. The man has a tendency to come back from hell," Strughold advised dryly. Krycek's smile faded. "So, what is it you have that is so important?" "Actually," Krycek began, "there are two reasons." "Two?" Before Krycek could answer, the waitress approached again. "Can I get you something?" she asked as she looked expectantly at Strughold. He shook her off without even looking at her. She turned to leave when Krycek grabbed her arm. "I'll have that other beer now." After she left, Strughold prompted in a hoarse whisper. "What is it?" Krycek smiled. "In a hurry?" He now had a "cat-that-ate-the-canary" look. "Mulder's back." Strughold's eyes widened, then promptly narrowed, showing his displeasure with this news. "That man is a cat," he observed bitterly. "Maybe, but he sure as hell has more than nine lives," Krycek answered. "When, where, how, why?" Strughold fired. "Tell me he's in a deep coma." Krycek shook his head, enjoying Strughold's anger. "No. In fact, I think right about now he's holding Scully's hand and looking at pictures of their unborn child." Strughold's anger reached a boiling point. "How did he get back? Why?" Krycek shrugged. "My source tells me the rebels took him and brought him back. We can only guess why..." Strughold studied Krycek sourly for several long minutes. The waitress returned with his beer and, sensing the tension, she set it down and left without a word. "He cannot stop it. One man cannot stop the future. The timetable is set. It will happen. We have worked too long and too hard for anything to stop it now." "And lost too many along the way," Krycek added. Strughold looked at him, trying to gauge Krycek's intentions. "Yes, the timetable... it's May 28th, isn't it?" Strughold's eyes widened at this. He didn't respond. "You know, by all rights, I should want you dead," Krycek continued. "After all the things your men did to me. You hung me out to dry so many times." "Yet, you keep coming back to us," Strughold reminded. Krycek nodded. "Guess I really am a sadomasochist at heart." He finished his first beer and set the bottle to the side. The music grew louder and the lights brightened to a blinding level. "This really is a terrible place," Strughold remarked. "You said there were two reasons you contacted me." Krycek picked up the fresh beer and drank. He slowly set it back on the table and looked Strughold in the eye. "Cassandra Spender." Strughold frowned, but his attention was diverted as the group of teenagers returned from the dance floor. Georgetown Medical Center Next day "Fox!" Maggie Scully called cheerfully as she entered the room. Mulder turned away from the TV and smiled widely when he saw her walking into the room. "Hi, Mrs. Scully," he replied heartily. Maggie walked over to him and gave him a warm hug. Before she let go, she kissed him on the forehead. "You're looking well," she observed as she stepped back. "I'm feeling well." He reached for Scully. Maggie moved to the foot of his bed and Scully took his hand. She fell clumsily against the bed and his chest when he pulled her in for a kiss. "Oh, Scully, you okay?" He asked nervously, startled at her awkwardness. Scully pushed herself up, laughing. "I'm fine. Just not as stable on my feet these days." She looked down at him, telling him with her eyes not to do that again. He sat up and kissed her, shocking her a bit. Her eyes flashed to a "my mother's here" look. Mulder smiled, released her hand, and sat back on the bed. "You get a little front-heavy during the last trimester," Maggie commented. Mulder swung his legs around so that he could sit up on the side of the bed. Scully moved to sit in the chair nearest him and Maggie took the chair under the TV. "Mom brought me this morning since I left my car here last night," Scully remarked. He nodded and an uneasy silence fell over the room. "Has Doctor Allenbach been by, yet?" Scully broke the quiet. Mulder shook his head. "Not yet." The tense silence returned. Mulder was studying Scully. Scully was studying her feet. And Maggie was studying them both. "Fox." Mulder turned to look at Maggie, as did Scully. "It's okay. I am old-fashioned, but I understand. Don't be uncomfortable. I'm very happy for Dana," she returned her daughter's look, "...and for you. For you both." In one statement, Maggie eliminated the tension. "Thank you," Mulder responded appreciatively. "I'm tickled that I'm going to be a grandmother, again. And I am so glad you're back. Dana was..." Scully's eyes widened as she continued to look at her mother. "... so alone." Mulder nodded, getting her meaning. He looked at Scully, who was still focused on her mother. "I'm especially glad for Dana. She's already a wonderful mother." "Yes, she is," Mulder agreed. "She's helped me grow-up." Scully looked at Mulder and they all laughed mildly. "Oh," Scully exclaimed as she remembered something she'd forgotten to tell him. "Mom bought a wonderful cane rocking chair for the baby." Mulder smiled at Maggie. "Can't wait to see it." The door opened and Doctor Allenbach walked in. "Good morning," he called to them all. "Mr. Mulder, Doctor Scully..." He looked at Maggie, not recognizing her. "Um, Doctor Allenbach," Scully jumped in. "This is my mother, Maggie Scully." He extended his hand and Maggie took it. "Nice to meet you," he offered as they shook hands. When he released her hand, he turned to Mulder and Scully. "I've got the rest of your test results." "Well," Maggie interrupted. "I'm going to head on. Fox, I am very glad you're back, and I want you and Dana to come for dinner soon." She looked at Scully. "I'll call you." "Thanks, Mrs. Scully," Mulder said warmly. "Bye," Maggie called as she headed out the door. "Bye, Mom," Scully called before turning back to face Allenbach. "What were the test results?" she asked as the door closed. Doctor Allenbach looked back to her. "First, I have to tell you, we've had some..." he seemed to be searching for the right word, "odd things happen." "Odd things?" Mulder was cautiously curious. "Well," Allenbach cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. "Someone took the printout of your test results from the lab this morning before it could be brought upstairs. We printed out a second copy from the computer, but unfortunately we haven't yet been able to determine who took them. Had they hacked in to take it we would have had a better chance of finding them." Scully looked sick. Mulder looked at her, dreading what he had known since he'd gotten back, but had been afraid to acknowledge: they were not out of danger yet. It had been so much easier, and happier, to deny the danger and revel in the joy of being back and Scully's pregnancy. The baby... He pushed the thought from his mind, telling himself he'd talk with Scully about it later. They'd go over her test results with a fine-tooth comb. He returned his attention to Scully and realized just how much this news was disturbing her. She was looking at the wall behind Allenbach and Mulder could see the fear behind her composed facial expression. "So, Doctor Allenbach, were my test results good? When can I get out of here?" he attempted to divert their attention to something else. This snapped Scully's attention back to Allenbach. "The CAT scan showed your heart is slightly enlarged. According to my research, that should correct within the next few weeks. We can monitor that." He flipped to the next page of the chart. "You've been receiving blood and fluids to get your lymphocyte count up and your glucocorticoids back in line. Also, you were severely dehydrated. That's been corrected." "Bone density?" Scully inquired. Allenbach looked up from the chart and nodded. "Yes. That's down, too. And research tells me that your oseteoblasts will return to normal, creating healthy bone tissue." "So... I can go home tomorrow?" Allenbach closed the chart and looked at Mulder. "Well, Dr. Scully has a few more tests to finish tomorrow. And, her doctor called me and told me they need you for some of the tests." Mulder glanced over at Scully. "Probably need some blood..." Scully tried to explain. "I'm tapped out," Mulder quipped. "He told me I'd be testing most of the day tomorrow. They're going to do another ultrasound," she told him. "I want to be there for that," he said enthusiastically. "I think we can arrange for a wheelchair from transportation to take you downstairs," Allenbach interjected. "Then, let's plan on day after tomorrow for your check out." A huge smile filled Mulder's face. "Start packing my bag, Scully." Scully's lips turned up in a smile, but her eyes remained serious, as she looked at Mulder. "Doctor Scully," Allenbach got her attention. "Are you sticking with your space theory?" "Yes." Allenbach raised his eyebrows in doubt and left. Two days later The dark-haired woman raised the camera to her eye and began snapping pictures. This time the camera was focused on Mulder and Scully as they got out of her car. Scully opened the trunk and pulled his bag out, but Mulder immediately tried to take it from her. Scully wouldn't let go. The woman pulled the camera to the side so she could see the entire scene of Mulder and Scully fighting over his bag. Words were exchanged as the bag was pulled to and fro. All at once, the bag was stilled as Mulder reached for her and pulled her close to him. He leaned in and the woman pulled the camera back to her eye so she could see what he was doing. He was leaning close to her ear and then he kissed her cheek. When he pulled back, Scully shook her head but was smiling. She released the bag and grabbed the smaller plastic bag from the trunk before closing it. Turning toward the house, she stepped up onto the curb. Mulder followed, his bag in one hand and his other hand pressed on the small of her back. Then together they walked up the sidewalk and entered the apartment building. The woman lowered the camera and took a long drag on a cigarette, a look of disgust on her face. End Part 5 Part 6 9:33PM Scully's apartment Mulder carried two plates into the kitchen and set them on the counter next the sink. Scully, standing at the sink, grabbed them, rinsed them, and placed them in the dishwasher. He went back to the table and did the same with the glasses and silverware. Before Scully could take those, Mulder set them on the counter and grabbed her around the waist. He kissed her ear. "Thanks for putting the sunflower seeds on the salad. Never had 'em that way before." "Welcome," she said around a yawn. "Let me finish and we'll go relax." Mulder released her. "Let me help and it'll go faster." She shook her head. "Nope. You just got out of the hospital." "And you're seven months pregnant." Scully gave him a disapproving look prompting him to do as told, heading into the living room. A few minutes later, Scully joined him and caught him fingering a large manila envelope on the coffee table. "Mulder," she admonished. He turned towards her, startled, looking like a deer caught in headlights. "Come on, Scully. We'll just look them over tonight and then really delve into them tomorrow," he practically begged. "Mulder, you'd be up all night with them. My test results will still be here in the morning. You need to rest tonight." She yawned widely as she sat down next to him. "In the morning," he said to the envelope as he let go of it and sat back. She leaned against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. They sat like that quietly for several minutes. "Hey, we haven't discussed names, yet," Mulder murmured. Scully didn't respond and Mulder realized from her regular breathing that she'd fallen asleep. He smiled and nudged her gently. "Scul-ly," he called softly. "Scul-ly." She slowly awakened and lifted her head. "Let's go to bed." She nodded and moved to stand. Mulder helped her and the two of them walked into her bedroom. Scully headed into the bathroom, and Mulder stripped down to his boxer briefs. He grabbed a pair of sweat pants from his bag on the floor near the window. He pulled them on just as Scully came out of the bathroom. She was wearing pajamas now and was a bit surprised to find bare-chested Mulder looking at her. He pulled an Oxford t-shirt over his head. "Next," Mulder called out as he moved toward her. She smiled and moved out of his way. "Put the seat down," she reminded him. Mulder smiled at this. "Always," he called over his shoulder as he closed the door behind him. 'Mulder in my bedroom.... Mulder in my bed...' her mind raced, but suddenly fatigue washed over her again. She headed to the bed, pulled back the covers, and climbed in. As she pulled the covers back up, the bathroom door opened and Mulder came out, shutting off the light. Then, he climbed into the bed and scooted over next to Scully. She turned her back to him and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Taking his hands into hers, she closed her eyes. He kissed her cheek gently and whispered, "Sweet dreams." He closed his eyes and they drifted off to sleep. 11:41PM A box was kicked off the pile of trash. The box read "Bennington Rocker" and had a picture of a rocking chair with a cane seat on it. Krycek gave the box another kick for good measure before walking around the corner of the building. He walked down the sidewalk a short way before turning around. He looked up at a building. It was Scully's apartment building in Georgetown. As he looked up at Scully's darkened apartment window, his expression was one of anger and sadness. "I'm afraid you won't be using that rocking chair," he said out loud to himself. 4:36AM Mulder's eyes opened and it took him a moment to remember where he was. His arms were still wrapped around Scully as she slept soundly. He stayed there for a while, enjoying the sound and feel of her sleeping in his arms. Then he remembered the envelope. He slowly pulled his arms away from her, and lingered for a moment, making sure she stayed asleep. Assured he hadn't awakened her, he climbed from the bed and tiptoed into the living room. 5:15PM Mulder had been pouring over the test results for nearly forty-five minutes, comparing the first trimester results to the latest ones. He lifted up his glasses and rubbed his eyes. Picking his way through the medical jargon was giving him a headache. He got up and walked to the kitchen to get a glass of water. As he walked back to the couch with his water, he glanced toward the bedroom to make sure Scully was still sleeping. When he sat back down on the couch, he picked up a small black-and-white picture. Rubbing his finger over the almost indistinguishable outline of a baby, he couldn't help but smile. After looking at the picture for a few minutes, he set it down on the table and picked up the next test results. He noted that it was the latest PCR results. He sorted through to find the first trimester results. Finding them, he studied the results, comparing them to the latest results. Something was wrong. He flipped the pages back and forth, trying to figure out what the problem was. He started grabbing other papers, scanning them for the desired information. Finally, frustration overtook him, he shoved all the papers aside, before plopping back against the couch. It was then that he realized the noise he'd made and he rushed to the bedroom doorway to see if he woke Scully. Luckily, she was still sleeping soundly and, for awhile, he just stood there watching her. She shifted in her sleep, moving to lie on her back. Mulder set his eyes on the swell of her stomach under the covers. His mouth went into a straight line and sadness appeared in his eyes. He quietly walked around the bed, grabbed his running shoes from the floor, and headed out of the room as stealthily as possible. 5:35AM Marita was lying asleep in bed when Krycek walked in. He studied her for a moment before moving over to the bed and climbing in next to her. He nuzzled her neck, causing her to moan a bit as she slowly woke up. His lips moved up, kissing her neck and throat on his way to her lips. When he finally reached her lips, she was fully awake and kissing him back. Suddenly she pulled away from him, startling him for a moment. However, it only broke his focus briefly, as he moved over and began to nibble at her ear. "Where have you been?" "Getting everything lined up," he whispered in her ear between nibbles. "What things?" She was trying very hard to stay focused and not enjoy what he was doing to her at the moment. "Things," he mumbled as he moved back down to her neck. This riled her anger and she grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him up to look him in the eye. "What things?" she asked again, forcefully. Krycek frowned when he realized she wasn't going to be in the mood for anything until he gave her some answers. So he decided to give them to her. He moved to her side and sat back against the wall. She slid up to sit next to him. "Strughold's interested in our information. I think we can get back in with him. They're desperate to have someone here in America. That black-lunged bastard was only out for himself." "He fell for the Cassandra line?" Krycek nodded. "So, when do we meet with him again?" "WE don't," he said with finality. Marita's jaw dropped and her eyes flashed with anger. "WE don't," she repeated. She looked at him and saw the determination on his face. Jumping out of the bed, she began dressing, pulling her jeans on under her nightgown. Krycek closed his eyes and shook his head. He had expected this. "Marita," he began as he opened his eyes and saw her pulling a t-shirt on over her bra. "I have to negotiate with Strughold, for now. We'll eventually let him know we're in this together, but for now it's better if I'm the only one who meets with him." "Why?" she asked as she sat back down on the bed to pull on her shoes. "I'm just your gopher? Or your bedtime plaything?" she asked bitterly. He leaned forward and spoke over her shoulder, near her ear. "You're certainly not a gopher. And, as far as the plaything goes," he smiled wickedly, "that's a two-way street." She whirled around. "Cut the crap, Alex." Krycek's smile faded and he sat back slightly. "Okay... but it's not crap. You are our ace-in-the-hole. He doesn't need to know that you're on the team until we have what we want. I need you to do the behind-the-scenes work. You have lots of contacts that we can use." Marita studied him as she listened. He reached forward and took her hand. "I need you, Marita." Marita disagreed. "No you don't." He looked at her, shocked. "You want me," she corrected. He smiled. "That, too. Come on, we're in this together. I need you to be patient about meeting with Strughold. When he sees you, he'll know what we're up to." "And we do need some surprise," Marita acknowledged. He leaned in and they kissed. When they parted, he was the first to speak. "Let's go back and check Mulder's test results." Marita's eyes widened as she remembered something she needed to tell him. "And I got Scully's test results." She looked quite pleased at this. "Oooo," he cooed, "you got good stuff." He pushed her back against the bed and kissed her deeper. "But, it can wait a few more minutes." Marita kissed him back and murmured between kisses. "I think it can." Scully was slowly waking. She rolled over and opened her eyes when she realized Mulder wasn't in the bed. She looked around the room, but there was no sign of him. "Mulder?" she called. No answer. Looking at the alarm clock, she saw that it was 5:55. Disappointed that he wasn't next to her, she got up and headed to the bathroom. A few minutes later, she walked into the living room and spotted the envelope and its contents spread over the coffee table. "Mulder," she groaned, shaking her head before turning away. She decided he must have gone for bagels... or something. She'd try not to worry, yet. She walked to the kitchen, turned on the teakettle, grabbed a tea bag from a jar, and slipped it into a mug she grabbed from the rack. Then, she headed back into the living and waited for the water to boil. Letting out a sigh of frustration, she reached for the test results on the table. The first papers she picked up were the last ones Mulder was examining: the PCR report. Briefly perusing the top paper, she realized she'd seen this before. It was the test results from her first trimester and the conclusion at the bottom caused her to smile: "90% probability target is genetic parent." "Who the hell else would it be?" she retorted aloud. She set that paper down on the table and began reading the latest PCR report. Her smile quickly disappeared as she read the conclusion: "target is ruled out as genetic parent." Too shocked to move, her mind tried to process the information. As it sank in, her brow furrowed and she began scouring the other tests. She was so busy flipping through and scanning papers, that when the door opened she didn't even hear it. Mulder walked in and saw Scully in a flurry. He was sweaty and a bit flushed from his jogging. After watching her for a few moments, he moved around the couch. She still hadn't noticed his return, as she continued to scan a multi-page report. Mulder slid onto the couch next to her and after a few seconds, she lowered the papers to her lap and looked up at him. "Mulder." She studied him for a moment before asking, "Where were you?" Then she noted his clothing and sweaty appearance and became concerned. "You haven't been jogging?" "I'm okay, Scully. I just needed to get out for a little while. I didn't overdo it, I promise." He looked at the papers on the table and back at Scully, noting the ill expression on her face. "Guess you saw..." "Mulder, there has to be a mistake. A mix-up. See," she showed him the paper she'd just been reading. "This shows the baby has A negative blood type. But," she set that paper down and picked up another from the table, "this one from six months ago shows he has O negative blood. And, this really shows the mix-up." He watched her intently, focusing on every move and listening to every word. "The first trimester amniocentesis reveals I'm carrying a boy. But," she looked at Mulder's eyes, trying to read his thoughts, "the new test results state it's a girl." Mulder smiled at this. "It doesn't matter, Scully." She couldn't believe he said that. "Yes it does," she said a bit indignantly. He shook his head in dissension. "It doesn't matter." He recognized that she still didn't understand as she was still disagreeing. "It matters to me. The hospital screwed up." He placed his hand on her abdomen and this quieted her protests. "All that matters is that you're going to have a baby and that baby is healthy." She considered this, studying him, still trying hard to read his thoughts. "So," he stood, "how about some breakfast? I'm cooking." She grasped that he was not ready to talk about this turn of events and decided to allow him this, for a while. "Scrambled eggs and toast?" She looked sick. "I can't eat eggs. Ever since I got pregnant, they make me nauseous. Even looking at them..." She looked as though she might gag. "Okay," Mulder looked a bit sick just watching her, "toast and juice then." He turned and headed to the kitchen. "And tomatoes," Scully added as the teakettle began whistling loudly. "Tea?" he asked. She nodded. "Coming right up." She turned back to the papers, continuing to searching for answers. New York City "It's a boy," Marita read. Krycek nodded his head, but said nothing. They were engrossed in reading papers, which were scattered all over the kitchen table. "Shit!" Krycek slammed the paper he was reading down to the table. Marita looked up from her reading. "What?" Krycek stood and strode over to the window. "How lucky can that bastard be?" he asked bitterly. Marita grabbed the paper and read, "...95% probability that target is genetic parent..." "So, it is his baby," she concluded. "Duh!" he snapped back at her. Instantly angered, Marita retorted, "But it doesn't mean he's the one. It doesn't mean..." "The hell it doesn't," Krycek growled. "You saw Mulder's tests." He turned his back to her and gazed out the window. Marita returned her attention to the papers. He continued staring out the window, his thoughts clearly far away. "We're not ready for this," he said in a low voice. "Good toast, Mulder," Scully complimented as she lifted her juice glass. "Thank you. Maybe I can get a job at Denny's as chief toaster number one," he smirked. She nearly choked on her sip of juice, coughing to catch her breath. "What?" he asked through a laugh. "I just had a vision of you in one of those Denny's uniforms with a nametag reading 'Fox'. You'd hate it," she shared. She covered her mouth with her hand to suppress her giggle. "It would have to say 'Mulder,'" he agreed, still laughing. The phone rang, getting their attention. "I'll get it," Mulder said as she continued to laugh. "Hello," Mulder answered rather robustly, trying to stop laughing. "Agent Mulder?" Skinner's voice called through the phone. "I thought I'd find you at Scully's." "Yes, sir," Mulder replied, getting serious. Scully, too, stopped laughing as she realized it was Skinner. "How are you feeling?" "Better." "And Agent Scully?" "She's fine." Sensing that Skinner was stalling, Mulder prompted him, "What is it, sir?" Skinner cleared his throat. "A hearing has been scheduled. They want to hear what happened to you." "When?" Mulder asked. "Tomorrow at 10AM." Mulder nodded. "Okay, we'll be there." Skinner worked his jaw a moment before offering the other reason for the hearing. "Mulder, they are also considering your assignment with the FBI... and Scully's." Mulder's face tensed. "In light of the circumstances, they feel it best if you are not assigned to the same division." Skinner was clearly displeased with being the bearer of this news. Mulder was silent, studying Scully as she cleared the breakfast dishes from the table. "Mulder?" "Yes, sir," Mulder answered, turning away from Scully. "We'll be there at 10AM tomorrow." He hung up the phone and turned back to the kitchen. "Scully, get out of that sink," he chastised as he headed towards her. "What? You want the dishpan hands?" "No, but I don't want you to have them either." He took the plate from her hands and gently pushed her away from the sink with his hip. "That's why we have a dishwasher." He opened the dishwasher door and placed the plate on the bottom rack. Scully smiled and went to the other side of the dishwasher. He started handing her dishes after he rinsed them and she placed them on the racks. "So what did Skinner want?" Mulder was silent for a moment and his face turned serious. Scully waited for him to tell her the bad news. "There's a hearing tomorrow. They want to talk to me about what happened," he finally answered. She studied his profile as he rinsed a glass. "And they want to reassign us," she finished. "Mulder, there's something you need to know." He looked over at her. She continued to shift the dishes in the dishwasher as she talked to him. "I was on probation. I had to get A.D. Casey's permission for out-of-town trips, but there was a case in Florida last week. The guys brought it to my attention. I did as much as I could here, but I had to go down there to assist the sheriff's office. But..." she hesitated, "I think it may have been a setup. Someone sent me there hoping that..." She looked away from Mulder with sadness in her eyes. Mulder tilted his head and looked at her, trying to determine where she was going with this. Scully suddenly looked up at him. "Someone sent me that information hoping I'd bite, and I did. I'm sorry, Mulder. They may try to close the X-Files because of what I did." She shifted her weight, clearly uncomfortable talking about this. "I'm going to do everything I can to keep that from happening and I know that Skinner's trying, too." She looked away again. "It was only a matter of time," he assured her. Avoiding his eyes, she took the glass from him and turned back to the dishwasher. She became more flustered as she had to move glasses and bowls around on the top rack to make room for the rest of the cups. Mulder studied her, reading her thoughts. Finally closing the dishwasher, she still wouldn't look at him. "I need to run to the grocery store," she said as she glanced toward the refrigerator. "You said we're out of juice and milk. I'll go get dressed." Mulder watched her as she headed out of the kitchen toward the bedroom. He frowned, realizing sadness had returned. The real world was calling them back. Walking to the bedroom, he saw her pulling clothes from a drawer. He crossed over to her and embraced her around her shoulders. She stopped and closed her eyes, leaning back against him. "I think it's time to talk about that normal life," he said in her ear. Scully dropped the clothes and turned around, embracing him. "You're going to have to help me, Scully." She pulled back slightly and looked up at him, a question in her eyes. He shook his head and looked at her. "I haven't had much practice at this normal stuff. Where do we start?" She smiled and released him, then walked to the bed and sat down. He quickly joined her and took her hand in his. She looked at their linked fingers and shrugged. "I'm not sure." "How do you define normal?" She looked at him, her eyes shining. "How do WE define normal?" she corrected. "Guess we'll have to make our own definition." He nodded. "I think it starts with you working at Quantico." She protested, "We're partners, Mulder." "Oh, don't think you're getting away from me that easily. I'll still be calling on you and begging for you to pick my theories apart. That will never change. But," he placed his hand on her abdomen, "this changes things." Scully's gaze shifted from his face to his hand on her. "We've got to keep you safe. And the safest place is at Quantico. It's a military base, protected." Scully shook her head. "I've been watching, Mulder. No one's followed me and no one's tried anything." He looked down. "What?" "I didn't want to upset you..." Scully took his chin in her hand and gently turned his face back toward her. "What?" she repeated. He grimaced before replying. "Your doctor's office called while you were out getting my prescriptions filled yesterday." "And..." "Someone stole copies of your tests from their office." Fear filled her eyes. "When?" Mulder shook his head. "She didn't say. I guess sometime yesterday, but like Doctor Allenbach, they printed out more results for us. That's what we have out there." Scully pulled away from him and stood. "I have to call their office." "Why?" Scully went to the bedside table and turned back to him. "If they stole the tests before we got the results, that could explain the..." she met Mulder's eye before finishing, "...discrepancies. They could've hacked in and changed the results to confuse us." She dialed the phone. "Why don't you take a shower while I call them?" she suggested. "Then, we can go shopping." Mulder hesitated before agreeing. He'd been trying very hard to deny all this. Finally, he decided to let Scully handle it. "Okay, but I won't be long." He headed into the bathroom and started the shower. He looked at himself in the mirror for a moment, before grimacing and turning away. It was too much to think about now. He silently wished for an Ed Wood movie to paralyze his left-brain before turning back to check the water temperature. Finding the water was warm enough, he undressed and got under the stream of water. He quickly bathed and shampooed. When he finished, he grabbed a towel, tied it around his waist, and headed back into the bedroom. Scully sat on the bed, looking straight ahead. "Scully?" he called as he walked toward her. Her eyes were half closed and he could tell she was deep in thought. "Scully?" he called again. She blinked a few times before focusing on him. "What'd they say?" "They said it happened yesterday, but they have no way of knowing if the information was altered. They have no other hard copy from the first printing. There were only two copies made, and both were stolen." She said the words, but they seem detached from her. Mulder sat down next to her on the bed and put his hand on her knee. She stared out, not really focusing on anything. She stayed like this for several moments as Mulder watched her, concerned. Then, her shoulders dropped slightly and she began, "I dreamt about you." He looked at her with a bit of surprise: surprised she was talking again and surprised at her words. She continued before he had a chance to reply. "You kept trying to tell me something. It was so damn frustrating for a while because I only saw part of the dream. I could never seem to finish it." Mulder didn't say anything as he continued to watch her closely. "Until the night you came back," her voice wavered slightly. "Then, I had the whole dream. It was the entire song." "Song?" Mulder asked. Scully broke from her trance and looked up at him. "It was that David Bowie song about the astronaut..." "Major Tom?" She nodded. "I kept hearing it throughout the entire dream." She considered him for a moment before looking away and continuing, "It ended with you telling me that you loved me and that you were home." Mulder reached out and touched her knee. She studied his hand on her knee and quietly said, "I want that normal life, now, Mulder." He exhaled and pulled her closer. Safeway Grocery Mulder pushed the basket as Scully chose the needed food items. He was enjoying watching her move. She'd developed an adorable little walk, but he couldn't call it a waddle because she'd probably punch him. He found it quite becoming on her and smiled. As he looked down in the basket, he noted that Scully had chosen quite a few items. "Are we doing a month's worth of groceries?" he asked. Scully answered over her shoulder, continuing to lead the way, "I need more food since I only planned for me." "Usually I live on soup, crackers, beer, and sunflower seeds." Scully turned on heel and faced him. "We're going to be eating a little bit healthier than that," she informed him through a smile before turning back to shopping. They rounded a corner and Mulder discovered they were on the baby aisle. Diapers, formula, baby food, baby wipes... He looked back and saw Scully heading to the next aisle. "Let's check this aisle, Scully," he called. Scully turned back. "We don't need any of that yet." "Let's do a little reconnaissance," he said, guiding the basket down the aisle. Scully shrugged and followed. "Geez! Never knew there was so much..." he said, a bit awe-struck. "Everyone's out to get new parents' money," she responded dryly. Mulder turned to her, delight in his eyes. "Let's buy a few things." Scully shook her head. "Just some diapers and formula," he quickly explained. "We'll need those soon enough." "Mulder, we don't need them. Not yet. I just..." "You don't want to tempt fate." She looked at him. "Diapers and formula are not tempting fate," he assured. She continued to disagree and they exchanged words as Mulder grabbed a bag of diapers from the shelf. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they hadn't noticed they were no longer alone: a man was standing near them, checking out the baby food. Strughold turned towards them and watched them spar for a moment. "Diapers, Scully! We can put them in the closet. We'll have them on hand so we won't have to stop on the way home from the hospital," he pleaded. "We have plenty of time," she countered as she tried to force him to replace the diapers. "Excuse me." They quickly faced Strughold, both shocked to find someone there. "Do you know anything about baby food?" Scully let go of the diapers and Mulder set them in the basket. "Um," Scully began. "Not... not really." "Of course," Strughold said, looking at her abdomen. "When are you due?" Scully frowned a bit; she was still not comfortable with everyone, even strangers, asking such questions. "A little over two months," she heard Mulder reply and turned around, giving him a stern look. He raised his eyebrows, asking her 'What?' without speaking. "You must be excited," Strughold replied, regaining their attention. "Your first?" "Yes," Mulder answered, again, earning him an even sterner look from Scully. "You look very well," Strughold said to Scully, who turned to him, her expression unreadable. He studied them for a moment before he explained, "My daughter is coming to visit with her nine month old and I'm not sure what to buy." Scully looked at the jars on the shelf. "They usually have them marked as to what age they're for." Strughold grabbed a jar from the shelf and read the label. "Beginners, six to nine months." He turned back to Scully. "Thank you." Scully smiled and turned looked back at Mulder. Grabbing the basket, she headed down the aisle, away from Strughold. "Come on, Mulder," she called over her shoulder. Mulder smiled at Strughold. "Good luck," he offered as headed off after Scully. "Thank you," Strughold replied with a smile, "and to you." He watched them as they walked down the aisle and around the corner, the smile fading from his face. Replacing the baby food jar on the shelf, he quickly headed toward the store exit. The woman with the camera took more pictures of Mulder and Scully as they returned from the grocery store. She snapped them carrying four bags of groceries into the apartment building. As she dropped the camera from her face, something to the side of the building caught her eye. She swung the camera back up to her eye and focused on that area. End Part 6 Part 7 The Alien Bounty Hunter was peering from around the corner, watching Mulder and Scully stroll up the sidewalk. As Mulder and Scully went inside the building, the Alien Bounty Hunter stepped back. He started to head toward the back of the building, but stopped short: Krycek was standing right behind him. "Get out of my way," he snarled as he started to shove Krycek aside. Krycek responded by snapping a stiletto right in his face. "We had an agreement. Not now." "He must go back," the Alien Bounty Hunter countered. "All in due time," Krycek agreed. "But, if you wait..." He waved the stiletto in front of his face, taunting him, "... you can have two for the price of one." The Bounty Hunter considered this. "How long?" Krycek smiled. "Two months... ten weeks... hard to say exactly. But, it won't be too long." The Bounty Hunter was not happy with this. The woman raised the camera and snapped picture after picture of Krycek and the Alien Bounty Hunter as they spoke. She slowly lowered the camera once more and her eyes narrowed as she stared across the street at them. "I think THEY would appreciate your discretion and patience if you had both of them," Krycek enticed. Giving Krycek a disdainful look, the Bounty Hunter walked around him and away from the building. Krycek closed the stiletto and pocketed it as he glanced around, checking to see if anyone witnessed any of that. The woman scrunched down in the seat, trying to avoid detection. Seeing no one, Krycek headed away from the building. He climbed into his car, parked four doors down, and drove down the street. After his car passed, the woman sat up. Patting the camera, she said to herself, "This is getting interesting." She lifted a cigarette to her lips, lit it, and inhaled slowly. FBI Headquarters 12:02PM Mulder sat at a conference table facing six men and women dressed in suits. One of them was Walter Skinner, who had not spoken. "Agent Mulder," Assistant Director Casey began the summation. "We were prepared to close the X-Files division after Agent Scully's disobedience. However, in light of the Agent Scully's contribution to that case, your return, and..." Casey looked over at Skinner, "... A.D. Skinner's explanation, we will allow the division to remain open under the following conditions..." Mulder glanced at Skinner as he sat up straight and steeled himself for the explanation of his future working conditions. An hour later Scully opened the door of the X-Files office and walked in. Mulder was sitting behind the desk with his back to the door, looking up at the bulletin board. "Thought I'd find you here." He swiveled around to face her. "I like what you've done to the place, Scully." "I didn't do a thing to it," she amended, sitting down in a chair in front of his desk. "I know, thanks." They sat quietly for a few minutes before he asked, "Quantico?" She nodded. "Actually, it's not bad. I'm going to be acting chief of Forensics." Mulder's eyes widened with surprise. "How's that?" "Dr. Mulherin resigned. He's going to Johns Hopkins to head their Pathology department." "Acting chief," Mulder repeated slowly. "Alright!" he whooped. "I knew you were going places, Scully." "And you're back here," she observed. "And still under A.D. Casey's thumb." He nodded. Then, he comically added, "There's no place like home, there's no place like home." She emitted a short laugh. "It won't be the same," she said quietly and a bit sadly. Mulder turned serious. "No, it won't," he agreed, "It'll be better. He's coming soon." Scully nodded, but remained a bit sad. He knew what she was thinking: the tests, the baby's health, their safety... But it was too much to talk about now. He was tired after the day's activities, and he knew she must be tired, too. "Speaking of home..." he stood and walked around to the desk. "Let's go there and eat some of that food we bought yesterday." "Mulder..." She didn't finish, a faraway look on her face. "What?" "I'd love a gyro." Mulder lowered his eyebrows. "A gyro?" "Yeah, Roussos has great gyros," she explained as she stood and waled to the door. He shook his head. "Must be one of those cravings your Mom told me about..." Scully turned around. "What?" She hadn't heard him. "Roussos," he concurred as he followed her out the door. Roussos Restaurant They'd finished lunch and the waiter picked up their plates. "Dessert?" Scully shook her head. "No thanks. Just the check," Mulder answered. The waiter nodded and left. "I'll be right back," Scully said as she pushed her chair back from the table. "Again?" "Having to go to the bathroom every hour on the hour. One of the lovely things about pregnancy, among others. I won't be long." She headed off to the restroom. "Your mother's coming for a month? I don't think so." The couple's loud conversation at the next table got Mulder's attention for a minute. He turned halfway around in his chair and listened. "It's our turn. She's been with Cathy and Susie and Brad. It's our turn." "God!" When Mulder turned back around, Krycek was sitting in Scully's chair. Mulder's eyes widened and hatred crossed his face. "Careful, Mulder, remember where we are," Krycek advised, seeing Mulder's reaction. "I can arrest you and then wipe the ground with you as I haul your ass in," Mulder informed through gritted teeth. "I wouldn't do that. Isn't your better half in the restroom?" He nodded in the direction Scully had just gone. Mulder looked that way. Concern and anger flooded his face when he recognized Marita standing near the restrooms. "Congratulations, by the way. Didn't know ya had it in ya, ol' boy." Mulder was seething. "What the hell do you want?" "Just to pass along a little advice." He saw Mulder scoff at this. "That's a fine kid you got there." Mulder's eyes narrowed. "Wouldn't want anything to happen to him... or her." Mulder leaned forward, his hands clenched in fists and his eyes glowing with hatred. "Be careful. It's a crazy and dangerous world we live in. Never know what can happen," Krycek continued. "What are you getting at, Krycek?" Mulder's voice was hoarse with disdain and anger. "You're a smart man, Mulder." Krycek stood and started to walk away,then stopped and looked back at Mulder. "Y'know, you've inspired me. May have to have one of my own. Marita would make a great Mom, don't ya think?" Mulder looked ill and held back the urge to spit in Krycek's face. Krycek smiled and slithered away. Mulder watched as he and Marita exited the restaurant. Covering his face with his hands, he tried to quell his emotions before Scully returned. "What's wrong?" He looked up at Scully as she sat down in the chair Krycek had just vacated. This made his stomach roll, again. "It's just..." he considered telling her, then decided against it. "Must've overdone it today." The waiter brought the check. Mulder quickly pulled out his wallet and tossed some money at him. "Keep the change," he called as he got up and helped Scully to her feet. "Mulder," she chastised as he hustled her out of the restaurant, "that was too much money." "I'm back at work. Besides, you're acting head of Forensics." She was still looking at him sternly. "All I want to do right now is go back to your apartment, crawl in bed, and sleep with my two favorite people in the world." He was doing a pretty good job of covering his emotions. Scully smiled and gave in. He steered her out of the restaurant and to her car. A boat glided across the water as the sun set behind large moss-draped trees. As it pulled up to a pier, the woman who'd been taking pictures of Mulder and Scully tied it up to the dock, and turned off the engine. After she grabbed a large brown grocery bag from the seat, she climbed out of the boat. She walked up the dock and across the lawn to a small house set up on pilings. Climbing the stairs, she entered. Once inside, she walked into the compact kitchen and set the grocery bag down on the table. After pulling something from the bag and setting it on the table, she turned around and smiled. "I brought some more food." Then, she held up a large manila envelope and smiled. "We got some great pictures, too." She set the envelope down and fished in the bag before she took a few steps forward. "And I knew you'd need more of these." She plopped three cartons of Morleys on the table behind the couch. A woman sitting on the couch had her back turned. She took a long drag on a cigarette before setting it down on an ashtray, then turned around as she blew out a long stream of smoke. "Thank you," Cassandra Spender acknowledged as she gave her a thin smile. "But I really need to quit." The woman smiled and nodded. She turned to head back to the kitchen, but her attention was caught by something to her right. She looked that way and nodded. "I'm sure you'll use her share." Rolling from the bedroom in his wheelchair, though looking even better than the last time she saw him, CGB Spender stoppped and nodded back at the woman. "Isn't it exhausting?" Both CGB and the woman turned to Cassandra. "You don't have to keep it up with us," she assured as she focused on the woman. The woman looked at her, her expression unreadable. An uncomfortable silence fell over the room as CGB and Cassandra stared at the woman. Suddenly, the woman's features melted and Diana Fowley stood before them. Cassandra nodded. "That's better. I don't like it when you don't look like yourself, or..." she became a bit flustered, "oh, you know what I mean." She turned back around and took a long puff on her cigarette. "You'll want to see these pictures," Diana told CGB as she turned back to the kitchen. "I'm sure I will," CGB agreed as he lit another cigarette and blew out a cloud of smoke. "What's that son of a bitch up to now?" She smiled. "Alex has been very busy. There is so much to tell you..." she hesitated a moment as she glanced back and forth from Cassandra to CGB, "... Agent Mulder's back." Cassandra audibly gasped and swiveled around to face CGB. CGB's eyes widened ever so slightly as he took another drag on his cigarette. He studied Diana, trying to gauge her feelings about this. But, her face gave no indication of her thoughts. "A regular reunion," was his only comment. Cassandra had more to say. "It's going faster than I thought it would." She looked intently at CGB. "What does this do to your precious timetable? Sounds like they've made some decisions without you. So, what's next?" Her tone had become quite bitter. He didn't answer her. Instead, he turned his attention to the cigarette he was enjoying and the tense quiet returned. Diana broke the silence as she had more information to share. "Scully's expecting his child," she said before returning to emptying the groceries from the bag and putting them away. Cassandra's eyes widened in shock as she turned to see CGB's reaction. A shocked expression spread across CGB's face, as well, but his words didn't match his expression. "Perhaps there's hope after all." THE END Visit my X-Files site: www.geocities.com/spookyteacher OR my David Duchovny: The Other Side of the Lens site: www.geocities.com/spookyteacher1 OR my fanfic site: www.spookyteacherfanfic.freeservers.com "I Want To Believe"