From Clare_Skinner@prodigy.com Fri Jul 19 23:15 EST 1996 Received: from pimaia2w.prodigy.com by everest.eng.ohio-state.edu (8.6.12/3.910501) id XAA06379; Fri, 19 Jul 1996 23:15:25 GMT Received: from mime2.prodigy.com (mime2.prodigy.com [192.168.253.26]) by pimaia2w.prodigy.com (8.6.10/8.6.9) with ESMTP id SAA12188 for ; Fri, 19 Jul 1996 18:20:21 -0400 Received: (from root@localhost) by mime2.prodigy.com (8.6.10/8.6.9) id SAA21934 for juodvalk@ee.eng.ohio-state.edu; Fri, 19 Jul 1996 18:13:22 -0400 Message-Id: <199607192213.SAA21934@mime2.prodigy.com> X-Mailer: Prodigy Internet GW(v0.9beta) - ae01dm04sc03 From: Clare_Skinner@prodigy.com (MS CLARE E SKINNER) Date: Fri, 19 Jul 1996 18:13:22, -0500 To: juodvalk Subject: Summer Solstice, part 1 Content-Type: text Content-Length: 23518 Status: RO Vincent, Here's part one of Summer Solstice. It was a round robin story six of us participated in and therefore, we'd like the author to be listed as 'Robin'. All of our e-mail addresses are listed at the beginning of the first section. This is a two part story. Thanks for adding it to the archives! Gale The following is a 'Round Robin' story created by six of us Skinner fans. If you like the story and wish to make any comments, please send them to us. We're Clare (Clare_Skinner@prodigy.com), Eowyn (72620.3447@CompuServe.Com), Jude (juded@execpc.com), Mary (mastra19@ally.ios.com), Moon (boyd@got.net) and Susie (russel11@MARSHALL.EDU). We all love to get mail and very much appreciate feedback. Since it's a composite story, there will be breaks in continuity and style; hopefully subtle ones! As always, the X-Files and its characters are the property of Chris Carter, 1013 Productions and Twentieth Century Fox. No infringement is intended. The remaining characters belong to we co-writers. This story is *not* NC-17, although there is sexual content, there is no actual description. Ditto for violence. SUMMER SOLSTICE, part one: Once upon a time..... A clean, soapy, sandalwoody smelling Walter sat on a wooden deck under the redwoods, staring dreamily off into the distance. Tiki torches burned brightly, smoking furiously in an effort to deter the mosquitos from making a strafing run on the delectable morsel displayed before them, foolishly clad only in soft, loose cotton shorts. Scarlet-draped fuchsias swayed softly in the breeze, and the sunlight glinted off of the waters of the rustling brook on the far side of the deck. "Hmmm. Fire, water, air, and earth. All of the great powers are present." Smiling at his own whimsey, Walter carefully tipped a splash of fragrant red wine from his glass to the deck. "A libation for the Gods." He took a sip of wine and nestled back into the banana chair. A week. A whole week ahead of him. Just him, the sky, the trees, the brook, the squirrels, and ... Walter's thoughts were interrupted by a flash of white near the stream. Thinking it was just a reflection from the setting sun, Walter went back to sipping his wine. SPLASH! "HELP ME!" Even before the word 'me' was uttered, instincts that are born and not made, had him up and out of his chair, leaping over the deck's rail and running towards the stream. He knew the stream was not deep but it was cold, but still if it was a small kid...he ran faster at the thought. Walter reached the stream to see that what was coming dripping and spitting from the stream was definitely *not* a kid but in fact a tall, dark and very wet woman clamoring up the steep bank. Her eyes looked green fire at him and she said through chattering teeth - "Don't just stand there, get me a towel." Walter shook himself to action and dashed into the house. He reappeared with a towel, looked at her dripping white dress and asked sardonically, "That's the wrong thing to wear for an evening swim. Maybe you should take it off to dry..." "Are you out of your mind?" The dark-haired woman spat back at him, snatching the towel out of his hand. "What am I supposed to do then? Wear this blasted towel? Which, I notice, is about as big as my bathing suit which I do own!" Walter stared at the towel, then chuckled. In his hurry he'd actually grabbed a hand towel from the bathroom rack. "Well, I suppose it would work if you sort of draped it right." She shot him an angry look and toweled her hair roughly. Her eyes were luminous in the distant torchlight, green and glowing and beautiful against her smooth skin and long dark lashes. --- Why am I breathless? I couldn't have run that far, she thought.... --- Walter's warm brown eyes twinkled teasingly. "Well, you have to admit that my heart was in the right place, at any rate." Her green eyes raked him from head to foot, then retraced their journey for good measure. --- In the right place? Along with everything else, she mused. No wonder I'm breathless! --- "I'll trade a glass of the local Petite Sirah for your story." Walter offered. "My story?" "Soaking, angry and beautiful women almost never come clambering onto my deck. When they do, there's usually a story behind it. You might start with, if you do own a bathing suit as small as that hand towel, why are you wearing that lovely, yet inappropriate dress for your white-water excursion in the brook instead?" Her eyes flashed angrily, then the humour of the situation overcame her and she began to giggle. "Pour the wine, fair knight. You'll *never* believe this one!" "I think you may be surprised. And please, call me Walter. *Not* Sir Walter. And you are?" Walter led her up the slope of grass from the stream to his back patio. He knew that even the promised glass of wine in exchange for her story wouldn't do much to warm her, and he wondered if he had anything here that she could wear while her dress dried off. As he thought about it, he glanced over at her, ready to offer a hand to assist her up the steps, but paused and just looked instead. The wet dress clung to her body, leaving no secrets about her form: smooth, rounded breasts, trim waist, softly flaring hips and those long, long legs that occasionally peeked out of the slit skirt as she walked. "O.K.,...Walter..." her cool voice interrupted his inspection, "The promise of my story didn't include a free show." Feeling his cheeks grow warm, good grief, was he blushing? Walter's eyes met hers: green, glowing now in the light of the torches. --- Anything I say will make things worse, he thought, --- and settled for a little smile of mingled recognition and apology. --- Oh, gosh, she thought. He's a man, right? Did I expect that he wouldn't check me out? After all, I looked at him, and, and... --- Her thoughts trailed off as his big hand closed under her elbow as they walked up the steps to the patio. She could smell a lingering hint of aftershave mingled with the scent of warm male skin and realized she was shivering. "Come on, now," he said. "Wine later. Right now, I'll show you to the guest room and you can put on something warm while your dress dries." "I suppose you keep clothes here tailored just right for ladies of any size and shape who might, er, drop in on you?" she asked sarcastically to cover her shivers. He laughed, a warm, deep sound. "No. Just a big, fluffy robe that'll cover everything better than that towel I gave you." She laughed, too, and felt better. --- Gosh, he's really...nice. Maybe I should just tell him the truth. --- But before she could open her mouth he was holding her elbow again and leading her into the house. "The guest room is just up here." He led the way up an oak-railed stairway and into a cheerful, sunny room. She looked around at the daybed and curtains, her heart sinking a little. "Your wife is a good decorator," she said, trying to mask her unease. He gave her a strange look and murmured, "The robe is in here. I'll wait downstairs while you change. Perhaps you'd like something hot to drink?" Once she was alone she looked around the room and shivered --- Boy, what a stupid mistake that was. What wife would leave a man like that all alone on a soft summer night like this? --- She blushed at her thoughts, thoughts of his large, strong hands, his smile, the way the skin at the corners of his eyes crinkled. ---Stop. Stop. Pull yourself together or.......or I'll regret ever getting into this. --- With a sigh, she stripped off the wet clothes and hung up her panties and bra in the adjoining bathroom. Running some water in the tub, she knelt on the tiles to press the dress under the water, soaking and briefly scrubbing at the brownish stains on the hem and the green grass-stain streak across the skirt. Maybe if she left the dress to soak a while it would help. Now, where was that nice, fluffy robe? Downstairs, Walter busied himself in the kitchen. For some reason, her remark about his wife being a good decorator bothered him. For a second, he'd thought she was angling for a hint about his marital status. Well, that was natural enough, he supposed, even if it wasn't her business to know that he was still single at his age. --- Not for want of desire, he thought wryly. Perhaps for want of someone who really wanted *me*, not just the perks of my position. --- He was coming out of the kitchen with a laden tray when he saw her coming down the stairs. The nice, fluffy sea-green robe highlighted her eyes, he saw, and made her smooth skin look even creamier. --- Take it easy, Walter, he admonished himself. You don't even know the lady. --- "Ah," she smiled. "Sir Walter bearing provisions?" "At your service, m'lady," he readily picked up on the teasing, and they walked together out the french doors to the patio. She sat in one of the canvas chairs, picking up a cup from the tray. It smelled like a delicate rum punch, and she sipped it gingerly in case it was too hot. Oh, that felt good going down, warming her all the way to her toes. She relaxed back completely, resting her head on the chair back, and looked up in time to see Walter sit next to her. --- Well, time to start the game, she thought. But...do I really want to? --- Deliberately ignoring the misgivings, she smiled drowsily at him. "Can't my story wait a while...Walter?" she murmured, reaching out to draw a single fingertip along his arm down to the tips of his fingers. He looked over in surprise even while his nerves registered the little tingles of that touch. "I'm sorry," he said, getting out of the chair. "I don't want to play games, miss. I don't know who you are or why you so conveniently fell in my stream." He moved to stand directly in front of her, towering over her in the near-darkness. "I want to hear answers, now. And, please, make it the truth." --- Oh, great....Now, what?... --- She looked up into eyes gone suddenly cold. --- Where did I go wrong? What did I...... Stupid! He never *told* me his name! ---"I was supposed to go to a party nearby and I got lost," she improvised quickly. "My car got stuck in a mud hole, so I thought I'd try to find help. I saw the lights over here and...." "So you just thought you'd drop in on the Assistant Director for a little drink and sex? What's the game this time? Blackmail? Or maybe a little 'conduct unbecoming'?" She couldn't look at him. How was she ever going to get out of this now? What could she do? She didn't exactly have an advantage, sitting here in only a robe, miles from nowhere with this big (--- handsome, sexy----) man watching her with eyes like stone. "Answers, please." He pulled her up by her shoulders and the robe sagged open exposing more of her flesh than she intended. His eyes were riveted by the sight. "Or do you want to continue this charade? " He stroked her neck lightly. She twisted out of his hands, green eyes flashing. "Just because I was told to do this doesn't mean that I want to. I didn't know that you were, that you were so, so.....Oh damn!" She turned away from him, "I don't know where to start......" "That I was so...what?" he asked, voice as cold and controlled as his eyes and his temper. "Gullible? Easily taken in by a pretty face and a tale of woe?" "No!" she almost shouted back. "I didn't know that you were so damned nice! You didn't tell me to get the devil off your property, and...and you didn't just try to...to throw me on the bed and take advantage of me." His laugh was hard, almost rude. "Maybe I should have ordered you off right away." He took two swift steps and pulled her roughly against him, the sudden movement loosening the tie of the robe. "There's still the second alternative," he whispered. "That's what you were sent for, isn't it? To get me...interested?" He drew her face close, close enough to both feel and hear her rapid breathing. "Then at the right time, what? The guy with the camera comes on the scene? Or the microphone? Or maybe the knife or the gun?" "No," she gasped, trying to twist out of his arms, to turn her face away from his. His breath was pleasantly spicy, like the punch he'd made, and she suddenly wondered, somewhat wildly, if his mouth would taste of that punch. "I don't know." His face was even closer now, brown eyes half-lidded as he stared into her eyes. "I don't believe you," he murmured, and in a moment, she discovered first-hand the taste of his mouth. "No," she gasped beneath his lips, her eyes wide and frightened. "No, please..." She was immediately free, and he was several feet away. "I thought so," he remarked, quietly. Then, to her utter amazement, he smiled. "You're no good at these kinds of games, Miss White-Water Swimmer. What kind of hold do they have on you, anyway?" She felt almost like crying. --- Walter...Why couldn't I have met you two years ago? Before...before.... --- "My name is Diana, Diana Evans," she began, her voice barely above a whisper. "And they don't have *any* hold over me, I.....................I simply work for them. " She sighed deeply, still hesitant to tell him the truth or any version of it that she could get away with. She moved back to the table and drank more of the punch, hoping that inspiration might strike. His expression changed quickly back to cold and his voice had an iron edge to it. "And you were simply supposed to?" She smiled noting how the shadows were playing off his massive chest and how the expression now on his face made his handsome features appear stark. Her thoughts were further interrupted as she wondered how that chest would feel against her bare skin. Diana started to go on when it occurred to her that he had, in fact, told her his first name; she shook her head at him. "For future reference, what exactly tipped you off?" This latest attempt at stalling met with the narrowing of his eyes and a crossing of his arms. He very seriously considered not telling her, and why should he? She sure as hell wasn't giving him any answers. And if it weren't for the fact that she was half naked, she probably would have tried to run off by now. Ah, but she was half naked and as much as *he* didn't want to admit it, she was getting to him. That damn robe kept sagging open revealing various portions of her enticing body. He sighed and allowed the smallest of smiles to spread across his face. "Your move to seduce me was a bit too quick. " His voice was still harsh, but there was an oddly soft edge to it. --- Maybe I can still get out of this, she thought. --- "I was told to get you interested, like you said. But as you could plainly see, I had no weapon on me." She smiled as he shifted a might uncomfortably remembering how he'd stared at the soggy and skin tight dress. "If anyone else is out here, they're not with me," she continued. "So what was the game?" "To occupy you, keep you distracted so you wouldn't notice............ ................." She bit her lip in frustration and didn't go on. He walked quickly back to her and grabbed her arm again; his eyes flashing as his anger threatened to resurface. "Distract me from what?" She shook him off, but she was trembling. The last thing she wanted to see was the full force of this man's anger. "From the reports in your briefcase. From the files you brought home." She was filled with a sense of desolation. The game was over, at least for her. She stood straight, but sighed deeply, "I was supposed to get you to have a few too many drinks. You were supposed to pass out on the sofa, and then I was supposed to empty certain files from your briefcase and scat." Walter watched her closely. The orange rays of the setting sun were glancing off her hair making it a halo of copper and gold highlights. She stood there trembling, knowing he was angry, but she wasn't cowed. Even if she had gotten caught in this little charade, she wasn't giving in. He began to grudgingly admire her. "Do you want to try it again from the top. I thought you said that they didn't have any hold on you. So how did they get you to come here to try to seduce me and steal from me? They must have used *some* leverage." His voice softened. Diana looked up into his eyes. The sun was shining directly on him, and he looked like he was carved out of pure light. The random rays bounced off his shoulders and wove through the curly hair on his chest turning him into a shimmering statue. Her heart began to pound. She tried to shake herself, she had no business having these thoughts. He was a man - no more. But why did he affect her like this? "It's nothing, really - at least it wouldn't mean anything to you, but there's a man...... It was a couple of years ago," she went on, desolately. "I was pretty stupid about things, I guess. You know, the old story: idealistic girl falls for older man who gives her the story about the divorce coming through any day now...." She broke off quickly. This was just too sordid to continue. She did have some pride left, didn't she? She finished quickly, "He was on some congressional committee, and what with one thing and another, when he threw me over after his wife found out, I was approached by...It doesn't matter." Skinner looked back at her. "An old story, perhaps," he said quietly, "but it's one that I don't believe." She blazed back at him, head high, "I don't care if you believe it or not! You think I'm proud of all this, of what I've done these past couple years?" She still had a backbone, at least. Maybe if she got angry enough she'd finally tell him the truth. "Look," he said, "I also can't believe that you were supposed to simply get me drunk enough to pass out. There's more, isn't there?" Shuddering all over, she looked up at him. The sun was lower now, throwing more of his body into shadow, highlighting the strong planes of his muscular chest and broad shoulders, shadowing down into his waist and hips. "I...I was supposed to be out of the house by midnight," she whispered. "Let me guess," he said dryly. "Something was going...correction, 'is going' to happen here at midnight." "I...I don't know." No, what could possibly be going to happen? This was just a simple seduction and theft, wasn't it? Seduction... He was closer now, lifting her face with a surprisingly gentle hand beneath her chin. "And it doesn't bother you, being ordered to leave behind an unconscious man in a house that you were supposed to get out of by midnight? Damn it, Diana, use your mind! What do you think was supposed to happen to me?" She stared back at him, agonizingly aware of his hand now sliding to the back of her neck, holding up her head...No, there was no physical desire in his eyes, she saw, only an intensity that challenged her to think, to think this thing through beyond what she had been told to do.... "Oh, my God...." she whispered finally, feeling cold and leaden. "They're going to kill you...." "Come on," he said suddenly, taking her elbow and half dragging her back to the house. She resisted, not sure what was on his mind and fiercely wishing she were anyplace else; and certainly wearing something other than this damned robe which kept sagging open. Diana shook her head in a mix of frustration, embarrassment and satisfaction. "What are you doing? " she said strongly, wrenching her arm away from him. Skinner smiled unconsciously; she still wasn't giving in and she didn't trust him. --- Well that's fine for now, he thought, I don't trust her farther than I can see her. --- "Getting my car keys and a few other items before we clear out of here." She watched as he retrieved his briefcase, gun, ID and the keys. "We? " she said defiantly, "Why do you care what happens to me?" He turned back to her and laughed at her expression and crossed arm stance. "I know these people apparently much better than you. They seem to prefer guns and bombs. I have no intention of being anywhere near this house at midnight, but if you want to stay and find out first hand........................" Diana cut him off, "All right, I get the point." --- I also know them better than you think, she mused. --- She walked to the stairs and he grabbed her arm again. "Now what are you up to?" She expected to see the same look of anger in his eyes, but instead she saw something else. Maybe it's just the rapidly fading sunlight, she thought, or maybe, he's more gullible than he thought. Smiling almost deviously, she leaned forward and kissed him solidly on the lips, the taste of that punch strongly present. He very briefly started to pull away before he returned the intensity of the kiss. A few seconds later they broke apart. She looked down at him from her slightly higher position on the stairs and somewhat breathlessly spoke. "If we're getting out of here, I thought it prudent to find something else to wear." Skinner flashed a blinding smile at her and she nearly felt her knees buckle. Why couldn't I have met him under different circumstances, she thought again, as he lead her up the stairs and to his bedroom. His room was markedly different from the guest room. The colors were darker, the furnishings more stark. The last rays from the sun cast a faint goldenness about the room, softening the effect. He turned on a light as he pulled her into the room and moved to the closet. Skinner grabbed two pullover shirts and a pair of sweatpants; he tossed a shirt and the pants to her. "Put those on so we can get moving." He had his shirt on a second later and she looked at him with raised eyes. "Well, if you're not going to leave, the least you can do is turn around, I'm not that inclined to be an exhibitionist." He raised his eyes at her in return and she nearly blushed. "And while I have my back turned, you could pick up a lamp and smash me over the head with it." She managed to put a look of surprise on her face before she spoke with a slightly hurt tone. "After that kiss, you still think I'm trying to set you up?" He leaned against the closet and allowed another small smile to cross his lips. "Especially after that kiss. Now hurry up before I do it for you." She narrowed her eyes before turning around and realizing she hadn't quite managed to wrap him around her finger after all. She pulled the pants on under the robe. --- What's taking him so long, she thought as she picked up the shirt. I'll have to stall a bit longer. --- Diana dropped the shirt back on the bed and slowly turned back to him, carefully opening the robe, letting it slide to the floor. She watched his expression go from annoyance to arousal as his eyes raked over her upper body. He slowly walked back to her and forced himself to pick up the shirt, deliberately averting his eyes and wishing he hadn't looked at her ample rounded breasts in the first place. "Put it on." His voice betrayed his mounting desire. Diana smiled in satisfaction just before a new voice was heard from the doorway.................... End part one ____ A squidgy mind should always be shared :-)! From Clare_Skinner@prodigy.com Fri Jul 19 23:06 EST 1996 Received: from pimaia2y.prodigy.com by everest.eng.ohio-state.edu (8.6.12/3.910501) id XAA06335; Fri, 19 Jul 1996 23:06:15 GMT Received: from mime2.prodigy.com ([192.168.253.26]) by pimaia2y.prodigy.com (8.6.10/8.6.9) with ESMTP id SAA04852 for ; Fri, 19 Jul 1996 18:29:25 -0400 Received: (from root@localhost) by mime2.prodigy.com (8.6.10/8.6.9) id SAA27458 for juodvalk@ee.eng.ohio-state.edu; Fri, 19 Jul 1996 18:23:56 -0400 Message-Id: <199607192223.SAA27458@mime2.prodigy.com> X-Mailer: Prodigy Internet GW(v0.9beta) - ae01dm04sc03 From: Clare_Skinner@prodigy.com (MS CLARE E SKINNER) Date: Fri, 19 Jul 1996 18:23:56, -0500 To: juodvalk Subject: Summer Solstice, part 2 Content-Type: text Content-Length: 25274 Status: O Vincent, Here's the second half of Summer Solstice. Gale Please see part one for disclaimers. SUMMER SOLSTICE, part two: "Sir? Mr. Skinner are you all right? Sir?" Skinner stepped onto the landing to see Mulder, gun drawn creeping around a corner of the living room. "Mulder what the he-- are you doing here?" "Someone's going to try to kill you, sir. One of my sources-- *get down*!" Both men dropped to the ground as shots rang out from the deck. Mulder took off after the shooter. Skinner ran back up the stairs to get his weapon. Much to his surprise he entered the bedroom to find Diana pointing his gun at the door. He stopped dead in his tracks, "So that's it, is it? If the guy on the deck missed you were supposed to finish the job?" She lowered the weapon, clicking on the safety and handed it to him, butt first. "Don't be ridiculous. If I had wanted to shoot you you'd be dead. I heard the shots and another voice. What's going on?" "That's what I've been asking you all evening." He put the gun in his waistband and picked up his briefcase. "Since you're clothes are all wet and you're wearing mine I can assume that you're not carrying any bugs." He looked at her with a devilish gleam in his eye, "Unless you think I should search you more thoroughly?" She paled ever so slightly under that look but stood her ground, "I'm *not* bugged - anywhere." "Good, then let's get out of here. I'm going to have Agent Mulder drive us to a hotel - and then I'm *going* to get those answers." Once downstairs they joined Mulder who was returning to the house breathing heavily. When he looked up his face was a mask of shock. "Diana? Is that you? What are *you* doing here?" "Mulder?" Diana paled even more at sight of the tall, hazel-eyed man who stood by the foot of the stairs with his weapon still leveled. Skinner barked, "Once we get out of here I want to know what in the devil is going on!" Unconsciously, he reached back to catch Diana's hand and tug her down the last step. Her fingers clasped his tightly, perhaps also unconsciously. --- None of us is thinking too clearly right now, he thought. Too much adrenalin, too much of a sense of urgency. --- "Let's move." The trio hurried out the door while Mulder quickly reported that the shooter had disappeared down the lawn toward the willow hedge near the stream. After that, no one breathed even a whisper as they headed in a crouching run for Mulder's car. Skinner took a minute to bundle Diana into the back before getting in the passenger seat next to Mulder. "The police should be along soon, sir," Mulder said. "I called them before I got to your house." In the back seat, Diana stared straight ahead, trying not to look at either man. --- This is just great, she thought; angry, frustrated, afraid, and more than a little excited. --- Whether the excitement was the result of the tension and recent non-stop action, or whether it came from something far more elemental, she didn't want to know. Not right now.... While Mulder drove, Skinner sat letting his breathing quiet down and his thoughts arrange themselves logically. Then he half-turned in the seat to brace his arm along the seatback, looking back at Diana with narrowed eyes. She returned stare for stare, still pale but steady now. "I know... Where does Mulder fit into all this?" she said, anticipating the question. A tiny half-smile tugged at Skinner's lips for a second. "Yes, that's one of the questions. But I'm afraid you've had more than enough time to think up more lies, so we'll let that go for a minute. " She looked down at her hands now clasped in her lap, aware of the ridiculously large sweat pants that billowed around her as she sat. Although she was tall, she was also fairly slender, and these pants were made to fit a much taller person. Of course, she'd noticed very early on that Walter's hips and rear were hard and trim, a runner's hips, and... She turned with an effort from her thoughts. --- Knock it off, she admonished herself. After all this, you'll be lucky if he bothers to give you the time of day. --- ...As if she deserved anything better, from any man... Blinking back the hot prickle of tears, Diana turned to stare out the side window, toward the line of woods. Gasping at the sight that seemed to loom out of the nearby darkness, she grabbed Skinner's arm and pointed. "What...what is it?" Both men looked over quickly, Mulder with a muffled curse as he pressed down on the gas pedal hard enough to jerk them all back into their seats as the Ford shot forward. Within seconds another vehicle shot out of the woods and was quickly on their tail. Mulder pressed the accelerator even further to the floor trying to outrun the other car. A shot rang out from behind them and Skinner instinctively pushed Diana's head down before he too, lowered his head. He reached into his waistband for his gun just as the second car hit them. Skinner heard Diana gasp as she fell off the seat and onto the floor. "Son of a ................................." Mulder angrily cried as he fought the wheel for control after the second impact. He ducked his head as another gunshot shattered the rear windshield. "Diana!" Skinner shouted, "Are you all right?" She carefully turned on her side and with an oddly steady voice replied. "For the moment." Another jolt knocked her against the front seats. "For crying out loud, Walter, they already took out the back window. Start returning fire." He grinned despite himself at her composure and started firing back at their pursuers. "Oh, shit!" Mulder yelled as two more vehicles suddenly appeared in front of them, blocking the road. "Hang on!" He turned the wheel drastically to the right and barely managed to circumvent the two cars as his Ford proceeded forward along the sharp banking next to the road . Diana held onto anything she could grab as her body repeatedly bumped into the seats. A last shot came from behind them and hit one of the rear tires just as Mulder was trying to regain the road. The car lost what little traction it had and flipped completely over as it slid down the embankment. The dual airbags deployed instantly and both Skinner and Mulder shook their heads when the car finally stopped moving. They looked at each other in horror as they remembered where Diana had last been. Skinner instantly unfastened his seatbelt, twisted his body and hurriedly turned the overhead light on to see. "Diana!" he called desperately. She was unconscious and bleeding from a nasty looking gash across her forehead, but what sickened Skinner more was the unnatural angle of her arm. "We've got to get her to a hospital," he said to Mulder and surprised even himself at the emotion present in his voice. Mulder swallowed hard as he saw moving lights approaching the car. "I hope that's the police and not more of your new friends." "Hellooo! Are you all okay down there? Can anybody hear me?" The voice came closer raking a light across the car. "Shit!" Walter decided to take a chance that it was a cop. The glare from the light prevented him from seeing any details, but the voice didn't sound threatening. "We need an ambulance down here. I think we've got someone with a broken arm." Mulder had taken up a position in a shadow and was aiming his gun at the voice. As the man got closer they were able to make out a sheriff's hat and the glitter of a badge. Keeping his gun on the man, Mulder stepped out of the shadow and held up his ID. "FBI, officer. I'm taking these people to safety, an attempt has been made on....." He was cut off by the sound of a blast and a flash over the trees. Mulder and the sheriff fell to the ground and Walter threw himself over Diana. The blast shook the ground and lit the sky over Walter's former residence like a brief sunrise. Then they heard the crackle and hiss of a fire. The blast had touched off the surrounding trees and a blaze was beginning. The sheriff called in on his walkie - talkie for the fire equipment. Under Walter's heavy body Diana groaned. She was coming around, and was in pain. "Diana, can you hear me?" Walter asked her. She nodded, but couldn't speak. "I've got to get you out of here, there's a fire coming." He called to the sheriff, "Have you got a blanket? I need something to wrap around her." "I've got one in the trunk, sir." Mulder yanked open the sprung trunk and handed Walter an old blanket. "Diana I'm sorry but this is going to hurt." As gently as possible he wrapped the blanket tightly around her and lifted her. She whimpered softly, trying to bite back the intense pain from her right arm. "We're going up a hill now. Go ahead and yell if it will help. " Crouching under his burden, trying to run as smoothly as he could Walter carried Diana up the steep hill then handed her over the guard rail to Mulder. "Car's right over here. Y'all get in and I'll take you in to the hospital to get checked out." The sheriff opened the rear door and Walter got in. Mulder handed Diana to him and got in next to the sheriff. They roared off toward town; the trip to the hospital was a wild ride. Walter didn't envy Mulder in the front seat in the least. The sheriff was the conservative type who didn't abuse his authority to go tearing off around the county, but he loved to drive fast and on the edge--he needed an excuse to do so--and Walter and Mulder had just given him one. Walter smirked as Mulder quickly grabbed the seat belt and tightened it around his waist... after the next corner he quit smirking and grabbed his and Diana's and quickly did them up. He prayed that traffic wouldn't be too heavy and that the hospital wasn't too much farther. A few minutes into the ride Mulder collected his scattered wits. "Sheriff, we're going to need police protection at the hospital when we get there. An attempt has just been made on the Assistant Director's life, do you have some deputies you can trust with the job? " The sheriff nodded yes and radioed on ahead for them to meet them at the hospital. "Known these two since they were in grade school, went to school with my son. They're devout Christians, and when you believe in Heaven and Hell you're a lot harder to buy, as several drug dealers in prison would be happy to tell you. Jenkins and Campion will take good care of you." Both men nodded and sat back, maybe they could compare notes in the hospital and finally figure out what was going on. Walter glanced over at the woman beside him... whoever had picked her knew his tastes well he realized... even after all of this she was still turning him on. ---Shit, Walt, keep thinking with the right head, or you're dead meat! --- He sighed and wondered how Mulder came into all of this. They made it to the hospital in one piece, barely. Walt slowly and gently helped Diana from the car as she struggled to fight back the tears that the pain was causing. I will not break down in front of him, she said to herself. Sheriff Bell nodded to Jenkins and Campion, made introductions and explained the situation to them. As the hospital personnel gently took Diana from him, Skinner heard a familiar voice behind him. "Mulder." "Agent Scully?" Skinner said surprised as he turned around and Diana was walked to a treatment room. Jenkins, Campion and the Sheriff followed them and guarded the door. Skinner was tempted to follow, he really didn't want to let her out of his sight, at least not until he got some answers. "How did you find out about this?" Scully looked curiously at the retreating back of Diana before speaking. "Mulder left a message on my answering machine about another probable attempt on your life. When I heard the news coverage about an explosion and fire, I figured you'd end up here." She now gave Mulder a curious look. "Who's the woman?" Skinner rubbed his eyes both from irritation and tiredness. "I've been trying to find that out all night." His eyes kept straying to the treatment room. "Her name is Diana Evans," Mulder started. "She used to be an aide in Senator Mathison's office until a few years ago. The two of them had an affair, but it broke up." --- Well, now, Skinner thought to himself, part of her story was the truth. --- He couldn't resist temptation any longer and walked over to the treatment room door. "Just what exactly happened?" Scully asked with raised eyebrows. Mulder proceeded to fill her in on the little he knew. He no sooner finished than the doors opened and Diana was wheeled out. "Where are you taking her?" Skinner demanded as he unconsciously took her hand. They'd cleaned up the gash and had an IV going. "Radiology." An extremely young doctor replied. Skinner flashed one of his acutely penetrating stares at the man. "I think it's pretty obvious her arm is broken." Scully intervened and laid a gentle hand on Skinner's arm. "It's standard procedure, sir." He turned his attention back to Diana. --- I can't believe how well she's holding up, he thought. --- "Does it hurt much?" She bit her lip as much from the pain as from the softness and genuine concern in his voice. "I can handle it." He smiled back at her and had to stop himself from pulling her fingers to his lips and kissing them. --- Not here, he thought, and instantly chastised himself. Let it go, he continued, she's the last woman you need to get involved with. --- "Jenkins," Sheriff Bell started, "stay with her." Skinner reluctantly let go of her hand as she went into the waiting elevator, Jenkins by her side, and the doors closed. He turned back to Mulder and his voice changed to a more gruff tone. "What else do you know about her, Mulder?" Mulder shook his head. "That's it, sir." Skinner looked completely annoyed at the whole situation. "Well there's obviously a lot more going on here. Diana said she was supposed to leave by midnight and unless I lost a few hours somewhere, that bomb went off way early." Mulder said, "I remember looking at my watch right before the explosion, sir. As I recall, the time was 2140." Skinner mused, "Two hours and twenty minutes early, then." He frowned, rubbing his forehead a bit distractedly. --- How long did it take to do an X-ray, anyhow? he thought, then shook it off in disgust when he realized where his mind was straying. Stop it... --- Scully said, "It almost looks as if Ms. Evans wasn't supposed to get out of your house at all, sir." "Especially if she succeeded in...what she was ordered to do," Skinner said, deliberately cleaning up the phrase he'd intended to use, "she would have been asleep when the bomb went off." Scully raised one eyebrow, but said nothing. Mulder concentrated on looking anywhere but directly at his boss. --- Maybe I should tell him the rest in private, Mulder thought, glancing briefly at his partner. I don't think Scully needs to hear this now. Blast it, *he* doesn't need to hear it, either, from what I can see. --- "Excuse me," Skinner said abruptly, catching sight of the young doctor who'd sent Diana down to radiology. He caught up to the man quickly. "Are the X-rays finished yet? I have to talk to her." The doctor sighed. "Look, unless you're her husband or a close relative, you can't go up there now. Even that deputy is in the hallway." "Who's with her, then?" "The X-ray technician," the doctor replied, looking at Skinner oddly. --- What backwater burg did this guy come from? the doctor thought. - -- A buzzer sounding from the nearby nurse's station caught their attention. The nurse looked up quickly and called, "Doctor, you're needed back in radiology. There's a problem...." The doctor took off to radiology with Skinner, Mulder and Scully hot on his heels. At the door, security was questioning the technician. Skinner looked in the room - but Diana was gone. "Where is she?" He grabbed the technician by the arm. "Where is she? " "There were two men. hey came in with guns and took the patient. She tried to fight, but her arm wasn't set, she was in pain...." "Mulder - security tapes, Scully - front desk security. Now people!" His agents scattered as Skinner turned to face the doctor. The man had gone pale, no one had ever been taken forcibly from here before. "Now you see why I was asking so many questions?" "Who are you?" His eyes were wide with shock. Seeing Skinner in a rage was an awesome and fear-inspiring sight. "FBI Assistant Director Walter Skinner. Ms Evans and I were being evacuated from my home, which was blown to bits. Now those same people have Ms Evans and she's injured." Skinner spun on his heel and stalked down the hall to find Mulder or Scully. Of all the questions that were fighting for dominance in his mind the uppermost was: Why? Why kill both of them. He knew the conspiracy's penchant for ridding itself of used tools, but why kill Diana before they could possibly get what they'd sent her in for. Unless...unless she was merely meant to distract him. They probably knew he'd see through her right away, and her sole purpose was to stall him, distract him then extinguish them both with one hit. And Diana wouldn't even suspect....... Skinner found Scully first and the look of annoyance on his face only grew as she shook her head. "Security said they didn't come this way. " Skinner wanted to let loose a string of expletives, but decided it wouldn't help. He forced himself to take a deep breath. --- I've got to remain calm and rational, he thought. --- "I hope Mulder had better luck," he said over his shoulder as he stalked away, Scully close on his heels. They found Mulder a few moments later, along with Sheriff Bell. "There!" Mulder said while pointing at the screen. "You're lucky we just had cameras placed in the parking areas," the security officer said as he found the appropriate tape and began advancing it to the correct time frame. Skinner inwardly grimaced as he watched the two men drag Diana toward a car. Even without sound, it was obvious she was crying out from the pain as they held onto her broken arm. He even felt a brief bit of pride as she repeatedly tried to free herself from her captors, kicking and scratching. If only they'd met earlier................. "Can you zero in on the car?" Scully's voice brought him back to reality. The officer shook his head, "I can try, but the equipment wasn't designed particularly for this type of job." Nevertheless, after a few moments he was able to determine the make and got a partial plate number as it drove away. Before Skinner could speak, he heard Bell's voice into his walkie talkie. "I want an all points bulletin on a 1996 Ford Taurus (R), probable color white or silver, MD plates, partial license 825. Occupants are armed and should be considered extremely dangerous. They've taken a......................." Skinner barely heard the rest of Bell's orders. He wanted to be out there, searching for Diana, protecting her, holding her in his arms, making ................................ His thoughts were interrupted by Mulder. "Sir, may I have a word with you?" Skinner didn't like the tone of Mulder's voice and the expression on his face wasn't making him feel any better. Damn it, he thought, I knew Mulder had more information. "Over here," Skinner said, the rough edge back in his voice as the two men walked over to a corner of the room. "I guess I should tell you the rest of what I know about Diana." Skinner narrowed his eyes and waited expectantly. "All right, Mulder. I want to know all of it, from the top." Skinner's rage was barely suppressed. "Diana and I had a brief relationship after she broke up with the senator. She was really upset about him, he'd been good to her, but he thought his wife was having him tailed. They tried meeting out of town, but it didn't work." Mulder swallowed hard. There was a strange look on Skinner's face, almost a look of pain. He wasn't sure he could tell him the rest. Skinner saw Mulder's hesitation and knew that it must be serious. He took a deep breath, "Go on." "I met her about a year after...after the baby...." "*What?*" "Sir, she had the senator's baby. She gave it up for adoption right away, but found out where it was, and she's kept an eye on him. Unfortunately though it wasn't his wife that had the senator tailed, and they found out about the baby, too." Mulder looked up at his boss, the pain evident in his face. "Sir, she'd do anything to protect that baby. It's how they got to her. Sir, it's not her fault." The news hit Skinner like a blow. His mind reeled from the unexpected revelation. That they had been lovers, that Skinner had expected. That Diana had a child..... Scully's voice interrupted his thoughts, "Sir, the sheriff's deputy has them. He's giving chase." It was the longest twenty minutes of Skinner's life, driving to the scene of this new accident. He knew it would be bad and it was taking all of his training and inner resolve to remain silent. His heart sank into a deepening pit as the car stopped at the scene. The Taurus had gone out of control and crashed through the barrier before plunging over the side of the hill and exploding. He watched wordlessly as the rescue crew slowly pulled two bodies back up the hill. "What the hell happened?" Sheriff Bell bellowed at one of his men. Deputy Mendoza hung his head a moment before speaking. "We were offering pursuit. They were travelling at a high rate of speed and without warning the car turned sharply and crashed through the barrier. It looked .............................." Mendoza made the mistake of looking toward Skinner. He'd heard the particulars of the case from Campion and he didn't want to reveal what he thought he saw in front of Skinner. "Spit it out, Mendoza," Bell continued. He was just as unhappy about how things had apparently turned out. His department's inability to protect Diana made them all look bad. Mendoza swallowed hard before he continued, bringing his eyes carefully back to Bell. "The hostage was in the back seat with one of the kidnappers............" Skinner couldn't hold back his rage much longer, he was starting to tremble imperceptibly and his emotions were cascading over him. "Damn it! We know that already. What did you see?" Mendoza felt himself shrink under Skinner's sharp gaze. His voice was barely audible as he continued. "It looked like she covered the driver's eyes......... before the car went out of control." Scully and Mulder looked quickly at each other with pained expressions before Skinner unleased his anger with one clenched fist on the hood of the car - it left a considerable dent and made a thundering noise in the suddenly silent night. Scully knew his hand had to hurt, was possibly broken, but she didn't think it prudent to try to approach him right now. Before anyone had the chance to say anything else, one of the rescue crew (Greene) approached; he directed his comments to Bell. "We've recovered two bodies; one from the wreckage of the vehicle and one next to it." Skinner's eyes briefly flickered with hope. Greene had a puzzled expression on his face. He'd worked with Bell and his office before; no one liked investigating this type of thing, but who were these other three and why did they all look like they'd lost their best friend, he mused. Scully felt her mouth go dry as she tried to ask the question that naturally followed, the one no one else seemed able to ask. "Were you able to determine the ...................." She glanced toward Skinner and saw both the hope and pain in his eyes; she couldn't go on. Mulder took a deep breath and finished her question. "Was one of the bodies a woman?" Greene belatedly thought he understood and inwardly winced. "Yes, it was." Skinner turned on his heel and stormed off into the darkness. About an hour later - Skinner turned the key and entered the room he'd just rented. He carried a bottle he'd bought at an open all night liquor store and retrieved a plastic cup from the bathroom. After collapsing on the bed, he poured himself a large glass and swallowed half, hardly wincing at the sharpness of the scotch. He'd allowed Scully to look at his hand but refused treatment. All he had wanted to do was get away from all of them to think, to mourn. He swallowed the second half and poured an equal amount. --- How could she have gotten to me this much, he thought. A few hours ago I didn't even know she existed and now ..................... and now I feel like a part of me died with her. --- He drank himself into a stupor, thinking of a future that wouldn't be. Just before he lost consciousness, he vowed to take vengeance on those responsible and to make sure Diana's child was kept safe. THE END. ____ A squidgy mind should always be shared :-)!