Date sent: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 23:59:06 -0800 From: Raine Subject: Submission: Part 2/2 'Truth and Consequences' Truth and Consequences 14/28 By Raine- rain@isomedia.com, & and Marsha Bare-Taylor- barelyhere@email.msn.com Classification: XRA Rating: NC-17 Disclaimer: We don't own anyone you recognize, they belong to Chris Carter, 1013, FOX. They are being used without permission, no copyright infringement is intended, and no profit is being made. Much thanks to Chris Carter for letting us feed our addiction this way and share it with others. Summary: After Gethsemane, Scully and Mulder decide to pay a visit to their friend Dr. Scanlon. Spoilers: Syzygy, Colony/End Game, Gethsemane, Small Potatoes, Tunguska/Terma, Momento Mori, Feedback: Please. Please cc all e-mail directed at one of us to the other, so we can both read and respond to it. XXXXXXXXX Clearing her throat, Melissa broke the spell they had locked themselves in momentarily. "Anytime you two want to jump in and help."She smiled at the locked couple. Mulder felt Scully jerk slightly, in shock all over again. He knew being around Melissa was the first of many surreal revelations they would be exposed to tonight. He turned back to her and bent slightly to kiss her forehead, then let her go. "What do you want me to do?" Mulder asked. It was party time. "Why don't you set up the bar." Melissa instructed. "Good idea, I could use a drink myself." Mulder spoke mostly to himself. Holding Dana that closely had an unsettling effect on him. Not Dana, Scully, he thought, his partner, friend, and confidant. Mulder walked through the living room to the sunken bar on the far side. "Nice set-up." He murmured to himself. He took in the smoked glass mirror behind the railed, marble topped bar. To the right were shelves of glasses, ice bucket, shot glasses. On the floor was a small refrigerator. He opened the door and found condiments for making drinks. He opened the bar cabinets and found an array of spirits. Mulder grabbed bottle after bottle and set them on top of the bar. He commended Fox on his taste. Then he realized that these were the same brands he would have selected. An eerie feeling ran through him as Mulder tried hard to absorb the idea. The man who had chosen the bottles had been, for all intents and purposes, himself. It was hard to grasp, that the consortium could have actually perfected the technique of cloning humans. And they planned to control the population by replacing living, breathing humans with more easily controlled duplicates. The doorbell chimes shattered his grim train of thought. Mulder walked to the door and opened it to a smiling Richa and Kenneth. "Hey Fox, happy anniversary." She hugged Mulder, kissing him on the cheek. "I think if we were capable of jealousy Fox, I think I'd experience it right now." Kenneth watched as his wife let go of the surprised man and moved past him. "Kenneth, you know she only has eyes for you." Mulder didn't know what he was saying, but it sounded good. "I know." Kenneth laughed as he handed Mulder a bottle of wine and shook his hand. "She's a character, my Richa." The procession continued for the next several minutes. Mulder felt like a doorman at a hotel, mostly because he didn't know any of the people entering his make-believe house. Not knowing what else to do, he just accepted their hugs, kisses and congratulations. A few gifts and bottles of wine began to clutter the foyer table. Finally, the entryway was empty. "Dana?" Mulder called to her from the front door. In a moment his partner joined him. "What, Fox?" She inspected the gifts and spirits. "Are these for us?" "It is our anniversary." Mulder tried to look serious, but his eyes gave away his almost hysterical mirth. Scully pressed her lips together until they were almost white in an attempt to maintain control, but her cheeks were bright red. The cathartic amusement was cut short by another knock at the door. Dana opened it, still flushed. Mulder stood to her left and watched as her red faded to a chalky white. He moved to see who was at the door, and a breath caught in his throat. "Fox? Aren't you going to invite me in?" Recovering, Mulder wrapped his arms around Scully's shoulders and pulled her from the entrance. "Dana, don't look so shocked." He said pleasantly, kissing her temple. Scully quickly pasted a false smile on her face. "I'm sorry, please come in. It's wonderful to see you again, Mrs. Mulder." The woman entered and hugged Dana and Fox. "You can call me Mom, Dana, even in public." Mrs. Mulder turned her attention to her son. "Fox, you look handsome in that suit." She kissed her son on the cheek. He returned the affection, his mind reeling. Mulder thought his mother was enough of a shock to last all night. Was this his real mother, or also a clone? Before he could close the door, a familiar voice halted him. Thinking his heart might stop any second, Mulder turned to see a man snuffing out a cigarette before entering the door. 'Cancerman?' Mulder thought incredulously. He took a step back and landed on Scully's foot. "Ouch!" Scully cried out. "Oh, I'm sorry, sweetheart." Mulder turned around and looked at Scully with wide, questioning eyes. She knew it was her turn to back her partner up. "Sir, it's nice of you to join us." She wanted to pull out her gun and shoot him, but knew it would obviously blow their cover. He took Scully's hand, then bent slightly and kissed her on the cheek. She tried hard not to flinch as his wrinkled, almost gray skin came into contact with hers. Scully smiled as he pulled back. "It's a pleasure, Dana. Happy anniversary. We have high hopes for you and Fox." He looked at Mulder. "Son, how are you today?" His calm, controlled tones shook Mulder to his roots. "F....Fine, sir." He could say no more. Son? What the hell did he mean by 'son'? Mulder's mind raced back to the conversation with his mother. Had she lied to him after all? Did she have a relationship with this man? Was Cancerman his biological father?' Scully could see the thoughts racing through Mulder's mind. She ushered the couple into the living room so he could recover. Mulder slowly walked behind them, trying to control the urge to lose control. How could she do this to his father. No wonder he drank so much. Was that why Samantha was taken? He was protected because he wasn't really Bill Mulder's son? He was brought out of his spiraling black hole of thought by Scully's hand touching his arm. "Fox?" She said softly. She stood on her toes to whisper into his ear. "You've got to snap out of this." Mulder could tell she was growing nervous at his behavior. It was normal to her, but strange to everyone else. Mulder thought for a moment. He looked toward the crowd who had formed a semi-circle around the older couple. Giving Scully a weak smile, he nodded. There were too many questions to be answered, too many truths to uncover. Slipping his hand around Scully, Mulder prayed he'd faced the worst of the night's surprises. With pasted smiles in place, they rejoined the festivities. After waiting as long as he could, Mulder had moved into the kitchen to clear his mind. He was opening more wine for dinner when he smelled the smoke. He turned around, holding the bottle while twisting the wine opener. 'Calm Mulder, stay calm.' Like a mantra, he repeated it in his head. "Fox, I wanted to speak with you alone." He took another drag from his cigarette. Mulder didn't know if he suspected he wasn't the clone or not. Mulder didn't know how to react to him, so he remained silent. "You and Dana will be moving into your roles very soon. The date is fast approaching." Mulder nodded his affirmation. "When the fertilization has been successful, the two of you will move to Washington DC and take the originals' places." "What happens to the originals?" Mulder asked casually. "Everything you need to know will be programmed before you leave. Don't worry son, I'll be there with you. And the your mother will be close by also." The cork popped at that moment. "Dana and I are excited. We're anxious to begin our new lives.... With a baby." Mulder was proud he didn't choke on his rising bile. "I know son. This part of the project is a phenomenon. We've worked many years to arrive at this point in time." Mulder thought for a moment, incredulously, that he would see the elderly man smile. Instead he pulled out another cigarette. "So many lives have been sacrificed...." His voice trailed off as he lit the cigarette. Mulder wondered bitterly if the man before him felt remorse for his father's death. He fought hard against the urge to expose his cover by slamming the bottle of wine he was holding against the smoking man's head. Even if the man was a clone, it would feel damn good. Mulder didn't think this smoking man was a clone, though. Having a clone might mean he would have to trust someone with a portion of his power. "We better get back before the guests run out of wine." Mulder offered, holding the bottle up with a smile. "Yes, we can talk later, son." He put his hand on Mulder's shoulder as he passed by. Mulder remembered the speech about having no wife, no family, only some power. Yeah, power to reproduce humans and control them. Who needed a real family, when you could grow a whole town? Scully turned around as Mulder entered the room followed by their enemy. She questioned him with her eyes. He answered with a smile indicating they would discuss it later. He took his seat next to Scully, filling her glass with the wine he'd just opened. They continued to play the part of Fox and Dana, chatting and listening to the conversations around them. Mulder finished eating and slipped his arm around the back of Scully's chair. He told himself it was the charade they were portraying. They had been touching all evening, small gestures of affection. The truth was, Mulder knew, he liked openly showing affection to his partner. Tink Tink Tink. Mulder and Scully looked up as Kenneth stood, tapping his glass with a spoon. He looked at both of them, smiling warmly. "We're here today to celebrate the love of two special people." Mulder and Scully looked at each other then back to Kenneth. Mulder moved his arm from the back of the chair to Scully's shoulders. He noticed she didn't stiffen at the contact. "We wish them good fortune with their next, groundbreaking step, and eternal happiness. Salut." Everyone raised his or her glass. Scully felt her face warm with embarrassment. Another person stood up and gave another gracious speech. After several, they noticed Mrs. Mulder rise slowly. Scully put her hand on Mulder's leg, telling herself she was reassuring him. She thought about how nice it was to openly touch her partner. She rather enjoyed the contact and warmth passed between them all evening. "I'd like to extend my loving wishes to my son and daughter-in-law. I hope you will have a bright future." She flashed a bright smile that Mulder hadn't seen in years from his fragile, unhappy mother. "And I can hardly wait until I'm a grandmother." Mulder felt himself gasp quietly as Scully's fingers dug into his leg almost painfully. Everyone clapped and smiled at the embarrassed couple. Mulder knew it was his turn for a speech. He stood slowly, grabbing Scully's hand as he rose. For the act, he thought. "I'd like to propose a toast. To the most wonderful person I've ever known. She's walked with me through life for only a short time, but I couldn't see myself without her by my side. She is a giant of strength, honor, and loyalty." He kissed her hand as he spoke looking into her startled eyes. "And I love her with all my heart, mind and soul." Suddenly, Mulder could feel himself stop pretending. He knew that he was speaking from his heart. Scully's eyes widened in surprise. She thought he was going overboard in his role. If it were a different situation under other circumstances, not clouded in lies, she might have believed the words. But Scully knew Mulder, and his games. He was giving an incredible performance. Silently, she damned him for being such a good liar. She could feel a dangerous prickling in the corners of her eyes. Scully wasn't worried the others might see a woman cry at her husband's devotion; she was afraid Mulder might see her reaction and know the truth. When Mulder bent down and kissed her on the lips, she was prepared for an affectionate peck. She wasn't braced for the full lip-locked, tongue dueling exercise he pulled her into. Telling herself that she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of shocking her, she gave back with equal intensity. Scully was not prepared for the feelings that the words and kiss began to erupt in her. She fought them with determined logic the whole time he delved into her mouth's interior. When the kiss finally ended, she knew that logic had lost the battle. XXXXXXX Truth and Consequences 15/28 By Raine- rain@isomedia.com, & and Marsha Bare-Taylor- barelyhere@email.msn.com Classification: XRA Rating: NC-17 Disclaimer: We don't own anyone you recognize, they belong to Chris Carter, 1013, FOX. They are being used without permission, no copyright infringement is intended, and no profit is being made. Much thanks to Chris Carter for letting us feed our addiction this way and share it with others. Summary: After Gethsemane, Scully and Mulder decide to pay a visit to their friend Dr. Scanlon. Spoilers: Syzygy, Colony/End Game, Gethsemane, Small Potatoes, Tunguska/Terma, Momento Mori, Feedback: Please. Please cc all e-mail directed at one of us to the other, so we can both read and respond to it. XXXXXXXXXX They had forgotten about the group of people in the room. The group stared at them. Scully turned red with embarrassment, not sure where to place her gaze. She settled for staring at a spot on the ceiling. Mulder shrugged, straightening his disheveled collar and tie. Suddenly, he thought he would like another drink. A strong one. Scully ran her hand through her hair as Richa began to clap heartily from the end of the table. Everyone else joined in the applause. Mulder leaned over and whispered. "I guess that convinced them." Scully felt her world stop at his words. For a split second she'd believed he really cared. Now she knew she was mistaken. Again, she reminded herself futilely not to get too emotionally attached. She knew it was much too late to take her own advice. Forming a weak smile, Scully listened to the applause as it died down, and knew she wasn't going to be able to handle much more of the charade without cracking. Before anyone else could say anything, the doorbell rang once again. "I'll get it." Melissa jumped up from her seat and walked to the door. Everyone heard her excited greeting. Mulder heard Scully quietly gasp as Dr. Scanlon walked into the room followed by three older men. Mulder recognized the oldest man as Victor Klemper. He leaned over to Scully again. "He looks pretty good for a victim of heart attack." Mulder thought back to the picture of the young men with his father standing in front of the facility in West Virginia. The vaults in that facility had contained names of abductees. The files they had found contained Scully's and Samantha's names, along with at least several thousand others. Mulder studied the men as they entered the room. Were they the other men from that picture? Noticing a younger man walk in with the others, he asked, "Is that Scanlon?" Scully nodded without a word, fighting against the turmoil that was brewing in her mind. The woman next to Mulder spoke to him in a low voice. "You are very honored to have the Elders in your home." He knew he had better act quickly now that he knew how important these men were. He rose quickly and extended his hand to Victor Klemper. "Sir, it's an honor to have you in our home." You clone of a sadistic Nazi, Mulder added mentally. The lie was bitter in Mulder's mouth as he greeted each man. He approached Dr. Scanlon, the man who had tried to kill his partner the way he'd killed Penny Northern and the other women. Scully joined his side. He put his arm around her, noticing the rigidity of her posture. In spite of her almost painful tension, she extended her hand graciously to Dr. Scanlon. The man smiled warmly as he accepted her greeting. "We're looking forward to starting procedures for the insemination the day after tomorrow. Are you ready, Dana?" His bedside manner was exquisite. Maybe that's why Betsy and Penny trusted him so readily, Mulder thought grimly. They were looking for comfort and they found only more lies. "Yes. Dr. Scanlon, Fox and I are excited." Scully managed to sound sincere while screaming inside. She still had many questions about the ova that Dana had told them would be used for the fertilization. How could this man kill the women she'd met in Allentown with no remorse? What was the attraction these self-righteous men had that they could manipulate people's lives like so much cattle? Scanlon continued. "Tomorrow we will go over the procedures. Fox, you will be joining us, won't you?" "Wouldn't miss it for the world." Mulder replied looking down at Scully and squeezing her tightly with one arm. He could feel her stiff muscles as he pulled her close. He hoped the party would end soon. Mulder didn't know how much longer Scully could keep lying. Seeing Dr. Scanlon had to have brought back the painful memory of Penny dying in front of her, only to remind her of her own encroaching illness. Everyone crowded around the Elder's, shaking their hands. They treated the men like they were gods, Mulder thought. He reminded himself that in a way, they were. "Ah...and here is the one whose original started it all." Victor Klemper extended his hand to Mrs. Mulder. She graciously shook his and the rest of the proffered hands. Mulder looked at Scully, trying to hide his shock. His mother? She had been a part of this? He remembered the argument at the cabin before Samantha was taken. Her father, Cancerman, and his mother. Did she know where Samantha was all these years? How could she have lied to him, watched him devote his life to finding Samantha, and betrayed him so willingly? Mulder could feel an actual pain in his chest cavity, like someone had taken an ice pick to his fleshy coronary muscle. Did he dare ask about his sister again? Scully reached her arm around his waist, feeling his turmoil. They had both been exposed to so many revelations today. So many painful betrayals, conspiracies like bottomless pits. The touch was enough to shake his thoughts loose. She gave him a reassuring smile, trying to encourage him that they would survive this party. Then they would set out to expose the truths once and for all. He seemed to accept her silent vow with a forced, painful smile. Mulder wasn't sure he could pretend anymore. "Well, we're sorry to rush off, but there is much work to be done." Dr. Scanlon announced. He and his colleagues moved to the door followed by all their creations. Scully and Mulder pushed each other to walked them to the door, still clutching each others waists. They said their goodbyes with exhausting warmth. Both felt incredibly drained. Looking back at the table and mess, Scully sighed loudly. "I'm tempted to leave this until morning." She looked at Melissa. "Nonsense, you and Fox go sit down. The rest of us will clean this up." Melissa shoved Scully and Mulder into the living room. A few of the remaining guests had gathered there around the television, watching a baseball game. There was only one chair left, so Mulder sat down and pulled Scully into his lap. He was too tired mentally and physically to care about her reaction. Scully came willingly, signaling she was also too weary to think about it in any depth. After a few minutes, Mulder noticed Scully had relaxed and fallen asleep. She looked so peaceful lying on his chest. He wondered if she knew he'd meant what he said to her earlier. The realization of the truth had hit him during the toast, and he felt free enough to voice it to her. But her eyes had been unreadable, even though the kiss wasn't. He felt her passion matching his own as their mouths melded together. Mulder stroked her hair. Such soft fine hair she had. Firey like the sun, but soft like silk. He couldn't help but speculate that his controlled, rigid partner would not show that vulnerable side easily. Especially not to him. He kissed the top of her head. Mulder realized with a jolt that the juvenile games he'd been playing were some type of unconscious foreplay. He also realized it was a game he would like them both to win. Melissa and the others entered the living room from the kitchen to find the couple asleep. Melissa motioned to the other women not to disturb them. They walked to the remaining clones and quietly woke them. Everyone left the house without a sound. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX When Mulder raised his head and opened his eyes, everyone had vanished. He felt Scully stir. "Looks like the party is over," He said drowsily. A yawn rose from in his throat. Scully opened her eyes, then sat up. She looked around to find everyone had left without a word. She felt relieved not having to speak to anyone else but Mulder. Then it hit her that she was sitting on his lap. She'd fallen asleep against his chest. Scully groggily assessed the situation, and, confused, pulled herself from her partner's lap.. "Mulder." She rose from his lap, immediately missing the warm contact of his body. Shortly, she said, "I'm going upstairs." Scully didn't look at him, knowing her expression would betray the confused feelings she had been experiencing since his speech. Her feet trod quickly upstairs to put as much distance as she could between them. Scully grabbed the cotton nightgown from the bed and rushed into the bathroom. It was time for a cold shower, she thought. Mulder watched her quickly ascend the stairs. He felt the painful rejection with each of her firm steps. What had he done to cause that reaction? Dana Scully was the most mysterious, complicated woman he had ever met. Didn't she believe his speech? Could she not care for him after so many years together? He'd felt them connect many times in the past, or at least he'd thought they had. What was she thinking? He wanted to know once and for all. He vowed he would resolve the issues between them. There was too much at stake, and not enough time left to hide behind old emotional walls. Mulder rose from the chair and ascended the stairs. It was time to test his charms on his partner. If she accepted he'd be a happy man. If she didn't, he'd continue being her friend and partner. 'Lover, partner and friend would be better.' He thought as he followed her. He entered the bedroom, looking around. Seeing the door to the bathroom closed, he sighed as he sat on the bed. Suddenly, he jumped off the bed and crossed the room to the bathroom door. He tried the knob. Slowly and quietly, he opened the door. Scully was bent over the sink washing her face. Mulder moved behind her and stood silently. Scully turned off the water and grabbed for a towel to wipe her face. She stood as she wiped the water from her face. When she pulled the towel away, she opened her eyes and glanced in the mirror, seeing hazel eyes staring back at her. The closeness of his body made Scully suck in a quick, startled breath. Slowly, she lifted her head to look at him in the mirror. Scully allowed him to see her wide, startled blue eyes, watching him. Her mouth hung open slightly, admitting and releasing soft, ragged breaths. His hazel eyes locked with hers in the mirror, and in the unblinking stare something passed between the two partners. It started with a touch, just the faintest brush of his long fingers on the back of her neck underneath her piled hair. The wisps of auburn hair moved as his hand slowly caressed the skin there, causing gooseflesh. His hand lightly touched, then moved so that the flat of his palm was grasping her gently by the neck. It was a decisive touch, an act of possession. Scully was riveted, astonished at how much of an ache appeared when he made contact. She honestly didn't think she had been aware of the ever-present loss, the lack of physically being apart from him until he stood there behind her. How, she wondered dimly, did one feel the loss of something they'd never had? Indecisiveness gripped her. She could accept this casual assumption he seemed to be making, or she could turn him away, sever contact. His presence here now, she knew, would change everything, would destroy any chance that her life would return to the predictable physical and emotional stability she had spent the last five years hoping to achieve again someday. One touch in return from her would sever it like the roots of a sapling. It would make her vulnerable. Could Mulder ever give her anything else? If she was wrong, Scully knew, giving in to him now could mean she would never leave world of conspiracies, clandestine meetings, and danger. It was a world that had taken her sister and a world where clones were produced to become part of some hideous conspiracy. Scully sighed, bowing mentally to reality. It was her world too, and she was lying to herself that it could just be ignored, escaped. Bending her head against the touch, she felt Mulder's hand burn into the nape of her neck, his fingers leave tickling trails of fire. It would be so easy to relax into his touch.so easy.She felt his lips press softy just where his fingers had been, barely pressing the sensitive skin. Involuntarily, she gasped aloud as a taunt tension wire of need uncoiled itself in her nervous system. Slowly, trying to force herself to think logically about the repercussions of their actions, Scully turned around to face Mulder. His hand dropped away to trail down her side. His eyes belied his confident actions. Dark with pain and raw with need, Mulder stared at her, pleading silently, but letting her decide. It was almost as if he knew she would be gone and was helpless to stop her. Scully realized she had never seen the full force of Mulder's emotional privation before this, in all the years and in all the things they had faced together. Something inside her in responded to his suffering and rose to fill the crevice. Scully knew then, suddenly, that it was enough. She could do this; she needed to try. She wanted this man. XXXXXXXXXXXX Truth and Consequences 16/28 By Raine- rain@isomedia.com, & and Marsha Bare-Taylor- barelyhere@email.msn.com Classification: XRA Rating: NC-17 Disclaimer: We don't own anyone you recognize, they belong to Chris Carter, 1013, FOX. They are being used without permission, no copyright infringement is intended, and no profit is being made. Much thanks to Chris Carter for letting us feed our addiction this way and share it with others. Summary: After Gethsemane, Scully and Mulder decide to pay a visit to their friend Dr. Scanlon. Spoilers: Syzygy, Colony/End Game, Gethsemane, Small Potatoes, Tunguska/Terma, Momento Mori, Feedback: Please. Please cc all e-mail directed at one of us to the other, so we can both read and respond to it. XXXXXXXXXX One pale finger rose to rest on Mulder's lower lip. Experimentally, it tested the give of the flesh and moved slowly to stroke the texture of the moist pink skin. Mulder's eyes never moved from Scully's as he allowed this, allowed his lip to bend underneath her probing index finger. Mulder's gaze never wavered until Scully stood on her toes, legs trembling. She touched only the counter behind her, lightly, for balance. The only part of her body that made contact with Mulder was her lips against his, barely skimming the surface. It hardly qualified as a kiss. Mulder groaned softly aloud at the soft pressure, and again placed his hand behind her neck, this time to seek Scully's lips and delve deeply into her mouth with his own, seeking, stroking, claiming. Their lips only to again press together at a different angle, with even more urgency. Scully's arms moved around Mulder's waist, holding on for dear life. They were both breathless, stunned at the force they were creating. Mulder struggled to think. How was it possible, after these years? Maybe it was because.He gave up. Later. His arms slid down to grasp her lower back, pressing her hips into his. As one, they stumbled backward to the wall by the door. Mulder's body covered Scully's, making the join of their bodies all one point of contact with no quarter given and no retreat attempted. Scully's smell enticed him, wafted over him, a clean shower smell with floral overtones. Mulder thought dizzily that he recognized the perfume she'd been wearing in the car on the way to Penticton. It was the perfume of the untouchable, of his aloof, emotionally detached partner. Look but don't touch. The thought of their nearness after years of wanting her, challenged and awed by her beauty and intellect, drove him crazy. He pushed against her, letting her feel his hard length. Mulder heard a satisfying whimper and the feeling of her thighs loosening in response. His, he thought. He wanted to possess her totally, to roll in bed with her as an invited guest, not as a sick, wounded man. He wanted. Thoughts drifted away to resurface and again take flight without him. Scully's hands took greedy handfuls of Mulder's shirt, jerking awkwardly upward, gathering the cloth and pushing until his bare chest was exposed. She kissed his skin, taking in his mild musky scent with satisfaction. Her deliberate kisses landed lower down on his chest, small moist ones accompanying strategic breathing, making a trail down his belly. Her small hand hooked into the top of his low-slung dress slacks, and Mulder could feel her fingers burning into the sensitive flesh below the cloth. He gasped, trying to regain his ability to breathe as she unhooked the button of his fly. Scully saw her chance to regain control and moved, backing away. Staring straight into Mulder's soft, stunned eyes, she reached behind her and unzipped her dress in one smooth motion. Stepping to the side, she left it in a pool on the floor with her reservations. Scully stood there before Mulder, wearing only her underwear. She was pleased beyond all reason at the involuntary widening of his pupils. With one hand on her stomach, Scully unclasped her bra from behind as she arched her back slightly. It landed on the tile to meet her dress. Mulder stared at the exposed flesh, a chest with perfect swaying breasts with stiffened red nipples. Scully looked up at her partner with a wry expression, struggling for air in the heated space between their bodies. The expression was recognition what they were doing to each other. It was also an admission of need, and a realization that it had been a long time coming. "Mulder-" Her words were cut off as their lips reconnected. This time the kiss was brief and harsh, pressing and pulling away almost immediately. When she opened her eyes, feeling the absence of his lips, Scully saw the top of his head as he leaned in toward her breasts. She could feel his warm breath on her oversensitive skin and smell the shampoo he had used on his hair. Wonderful, she thought. Scully gasped as Mulder's wet lips locked around her right nipple as a whole. Mulder then placed delicate bites over the entire surface of the breast, immediately returning to land light soothing kisses on the reddened area. Scully felt a rush of moisture, a delicious loosening between her legs. She arched back as far as she could against the wall she was pressed flat against, wanting to feel the whole of Mulder's skin on hers. She wanted to be sandwiched between the rough plaster wall and the heat of his skin, to feel him on her and inside her. She gasped for air. How could he have this effect on her after all this time? She needed him like chlorine needed to react. Potassium chloride, she thought with perfect irrelevance as she gave herself over to sensation. When Mulder had worked over both pale globes, he moved up and stared into her heavy lidded, glazed eyes. Pulling back, he grasped Scully's hand and walked one step toward the bathroom door. After a moment, Scully slowly followed the tugging hand. Suddenly she felt almost shy, standing there exposed. There was no denying it now. She needed him. The recognition sent waves of arousal through her, and the simple press of Mulder's hand suddenly seemed erotic, forbidden. Their eyes joined in a look of perfect understanding, but neither spoke as they moved into the bedroom. Mulder went to his knees on the bed, pulling her into his lap. Scully straddled him, reaching around his body to run her hands down the cleft of his back, back up to feel his thick shoulder muscles, around to run her hands down his chest. Closing her eyes, she confirmed emotionally what she saw with her eyes. Mulder, here. Real. And he was.She fell, pushed, to her back softly, her legs spread, her bare breasts moving up then downward with the force, her lips parted slightly. Scully watched, amused and intoxicated as Mulder struggled to remove his shoes then his pants, leaving his boxers. For the moment. The thought of confirmation thrilled her, sent dull, aching waves through the core of her body with a needy force that astonished her. They were doing this. Finally. She could feel tears prickling the corners of her eyes. How many times had she wanted this, thought about it, awoke alone sweating and reeling from it? So long.She opened her eyes and reached up to a kneeling Mulder, pulled him downward toward her. He obeyed. She pushed her body upward from the waist, slanting her mouth into his, feeling his straining erection through his boxers with her palm. No more waiting, no more rationalizing, no more control. This was real. Scully wanted nothing more to feel him buried to the root inside her, to feel their sweat as their bodies pressed into each other, becoming one. Mulder made a strange whimpering sound into Scully's mouth and jerked off her panties with one hand, down one side of her body then the other. He threw them away, then started work on his boxers. He cursed slightly as he had to let her go to use both hands to work the elastic over his erection. Then he flipped them over so she was sprawled on top of his form. As soon as they could think the same thought, Scully had straddled him, and they were there. Scully moaned his name aloud as she slipped downward, and he filled her. Complete, finally, she thought, and that was the last of her analysis, as the merest friction of his upward thrusting hips against her swollen clitoris made her begin to lose her mind. She pushed him into herself further than she would have believed possible, impaled herself until it was almost painful. Again, and again, until she had lost count, they had always been connected, apart but connected again. They pulled at each other, greedy, skin to skin, mouths blindly seeking. Finally, Scully broke away slightly, leaving only her legs wrapped tightly around him as she let herself go. Feeling her clenching around him, her incredible loss of control as she tossed wildly above him, Mulder had no choice but to follow, shuddering. He tried to keep from falling into unconsciousness as Scully collapsed on his bare chest. They didn't move for several long minutes. Finally, Mulder moved his head up to regard Scully and quipped, "Well, that lasted all of about a minute." His voice was rough gravel, his eyes amused. Scully slowly moved her head up, propping her chin on one hand as she looked up at him. "I'm sorry, you said something?" She was flushed, small red blotches covering her face and neck. Bending his head to look upward, Mulder got the answer to a question that had been troubling him. The first time he'd seen her blush, a slow red creeping up from her conservative neckline, he'd wondered where, exactly. the flush had originated on her body. Now, at last, he had the answer. Mulder turned Scully slightly to her side, reaching up to kiss his way from a mottled spot just above her left breast, following it to her forehead. Scully grinned at Mulder, enjoying his attention, and he smiled in response. Then, he.felt the real source of her wicked amusement. Her small hand, wrapped around his soft, spent anatomy. He groaned. "Jesus, woman, is there no satisfying you? It's not humanly possible, what you want from me." In contrast to his words, he could feel himself slowly stand at attention all over again. Scully smiled widely, moving to again drape herself over him. Her small, full breasts grazed his chest as she spoke in a detached, clinical voice. The contrast between her voice and her actions, facial expression, and words made him groan softly aloud. Kissing trails down his chest, she said, "I've been watching you, Agent Mulder, and I am full aware of the capacity your body has for.Endurance, and I intend," She stopped and began throwing small breaths as punctuation for her kisses as she lowered herself. She followed the small, dark trail of hair downward. Scully fully intended to finish what she started earlier. To her satisfaction, Mulder's muscles jumped involuntarily under her attention. She continued, "To utilize your full capabilities. After all, you have four years of frustration to answer for." When she lowered all the way down to take him into her mouth, Mulder let go of all the air in his lungs, uncertain that he would be able to breathe in again until he actually did. If he hadn't been so transfixed, he would have laughed. A grown man, an FBI agent, and he whimpered. He did it again for confirmation. Every dirty, adolescent fantasy he'd ever had about Scully, himself, and a warm Ford Taurus on a too-long highway was made real, made somehow pure, forgiven in the firm velvet suction of her mouth. So warm.he pulled her upward and rolled the surprised woman quickly underneath him. She would not reduce him to a pile of goo. This was her job, Mulder determined, and he was going to make her pay for making his body attempt mutiny. With one smooth movement, he pinned her arms up above her head. Mulder smirked with satisfaction down at Scully. She gasped as he pinned her. He gasped in echo as she narrowed her eyes and moved underneath him in revenge, letting him feel her, moist and waiting, against his upper thigh. Steady, Mulder thought. He said conversationally, "You know, Scully, I've wanted to do this for a long time. Do you have any idea how long?" He moved his hips slightly, holding her wrists with one hand. He knew that if she really wanted, she could probably escape, but she didn't seem to be all that interested in resisting. Her blue eyes were becoming glazed. He smiled evilly. "Scully, answer me." He punctuated his order with a grinding movement of his hips between her legs. So close, he thought, but not close enough. Scully made a soft noise of frustration. Reluctantly, she sighed, ".No." She moved her hips slightly underneath him again and was rewarded by a gasp. Mulder's eyes slitted. Restraint, he thought fiercely to himself. Think about something, anything else. An image of a snake swallowing a lizard. No, no. Jesus. The only images that came to his mind were so blatantly phallic and sexual in nature that he knew he was almost lost. He forced himself to smile. It came out as a grimace. "As I was saying, I've spent a lot of free, otherwise productive time thinking about this little sexual tension thing that has built up over the course of our relationship, and I've formed some theories. Would you like to hear them?" One of his hands began to trail down her belly, fingers leaving feather-light trails. He moved his hips well back to stroke down her body with his hand. His legs pinned her thighs, preventing her movement. "No," she gasped, lying, "Not really." "Now, now, Agent Scully. I would have thought that as a scientist," Mulder's hand reached it's destination, "You would appreciate the intellectual side of our attraction. I'm astounded." His long fingers began sliding, and pressing. Scully cried out underneath him, and bit her lip to hold back other sounds. Unbelievable, how sensitive she was, Mulder marveled. He kept his touch light as he continued talking. "Don't tell me that after everything, you, Dr Dana Scully, scientist, are not interested in this. I implore you," His fingers pressed harder on her sensitive clitoris, "Please hear me out." "Oh god, Mulder, what the hell are you-" Mulder interrupted as if he hadn't heard, his voice level, his fingers dancing lightly over her slick nerve ending. "Please, Scully?" He gritted his teeth for control. She was close, he could tell. She was turning red, and her head was tossing underneath him. "Mulder, please." She arched her pelvis upward. Mulder leaned in toward her and whispered in her ear. "Relax, Scully." She gasped in confusion and frustration. "Mulder, goddamnit-" "Listen to me, Scully. Relax your pelvic muscles. Let the tension go. Do it." She locked eyes with him and took in a ragged breath, forcing her muscles to loosen. When Mulder was sure she was relaxed, he continued stroking her, stopping just as she was reaching the edge. Then, again, only when Scully had relaxed completely from the brink would he continue. Mulder kept talking. "What I think is, Scully, is that I'm in love with you. That's why," Scully began moving to break his light hold on her wrists. Mulder guided himself to her and entered her with one hard thrust, groaning out loud at the heat and moisture. Scully made a low, inarticulate cry. Mulder wanted to sob with the sensation of hearing that sound and being inside her. Control be damned. What was she doing to him? Mulder continued, his voice hoarse with the effort to speak at all. "That's why I look at you, and I think about this," he punctuated his statement by pushing her back into the bed. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he drove into her, slowly, brutally, again and again. "And when you tell me. He gasped, not able to finish the thought, but continuing anyway. ".The happiest man alive. That's why. I thought about this...oh god.That's why. I want to have a life with you, Scully." She simultaneously screamed and convulsed her release underneath him and Mulder lost the ability to speak, much less reason, as again he followed her. XXXXXXXXX Truth and Consequences 17/28 By Raine- rain@isomedia.com, & and Marsha Bare-Taylor- barelyhere@email.msn.com Classification: XRA Rating: NC-17 Disclaimer: We don't own anyone you recognize, they belong to Chris Carter, 1013, FOX. They are being used without permission, no copyright infringement is intended, and no profit is being made. Much thanks to Chris Carter for letting us feed our addiction this way and share it with others. Summary: After Gethsemane, Scully and Mulder decide to pay a visit to their friend Dr. Scanlon. Spoilers: Syzygy, Colony/End Game, Gethsemane, Small Potatoes, Tunguska/Terma, Momento Mori, Feedback: Please. Please cc all e-mail directed at one of us to the other, so we can both read and respond to it. XXXXXXX Scully woke up, feeling momentarily trapped and claustrophobic until she realized where she was. The tangled sheet and entertwined legs were the result of.A huge grin spread over her face. Mulder. She moved to one side, propping her head up on one hand. Most of her partner's body was exposed as he lay spread-eagle , revealing a smooth brown expanse of muscle. Scully wondered idly how he managed to get a tan in between faking his death and embarking on this road trip. Amazingly, the thought made her want to giggle. She shook her head in amazement. Dr. Dana Scully, giggling like a teenager. More than that, that person was a teenager she, herself, had never been. It was amazing, the effect he had on her, the swing in emotions Mulder caused. Last night had been evidence of that in more than one way. She wondered, not for the first time, why in the hell they had waited as long as they had. If she'd had any idea at all he had shared her feelings, meeting Special Agent Fox Mulder for the first time would have been quite different. The thought of tackling the stunned agent as he was trying to show her slides and display his finest sarcasm was too much for her. This time she did laugh out loud. Mulder woke up, stretching lazily, his eyes closed. His arms swept the queen-sized bed above him. When he encountered flesh, a broad grin spilt his face. Still not opening his eyes, he started to explore. Before she could say anything, Dana found herself on top of him, only a strategically placed sheet separating their bodies. After a moment, even the sheet was nowhere to be found, and the urge to laugh had turned into something entirely different. XXXX "This is incredibly strange, Mulder." Scully stared at the white popcorn ceiling. Mulder was sprawled beside her as before, only minus the sheet and on the opposite side. He nodded. "It is." His tone was entirely self-satisfied, and she swatted him. With an effort she stared at him with her best forbidding expression. "That damn eyebrow," Mulder murmured. He grabbed her again. Scully disentangled herself gently. "Mulder-" "Ummhmm." Her voice was louder this time. "Mulder. Stop. We have to get ready." Mulder stared at her in confusion. "What could possibly be so important?" Then it registered. Mulder passed a hand over his face, all playfulness evaporated. Scully continued, oblivious, her tone a strange combination of happy and scolding that Mulder had never heard before but instantly decided he liked. He only hoped that he would be able to hear it again. She said, "Although, after last night, it's kind of ironic, considering we didn't use protection." Mulder took in a deep, shaky breath. "Scully, there's something I need to tell you." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX She would never be a mother. Never become pregnant, never give birth. The loss of it hit her with the force of a blow to the gut, again and again. It wouldn't stop, Scully knew, she would just have to learn to work around the pain. In time, the hollow ache would begin to seem natural until it healed or got used to the wound. She knew this with certainty because it was what she had experienced with her cancer diagnosis. She would die, or get well. One way or another, she would survive emotionally as long as she had to. The very idea, though logical, seemed unimaginable emotionally. How could she ever heal from this? These thoughts went through her mind in the time his words registered to the time, seconds later, when the first tears hit her cheeks. She shrugged off Mulder's arms, turning away and closing her eyes in a search for strength. Why was she so upset? She could still be a mother, still adopt if she chose. Besides, she was still struggling with cancer. Why should she mourn something she might never have experienced anyway? In the back of her mind, she realized now, she had always held the idea that someday she would be a mother as the payoff for everything she had endured. Her abduction, her sister's death, even her cancer. If someday she were to stay in remission, if she could somehow beat the thing growing unwanted inside of her, she would have that. She would replace it with another, healthier life. This would be the reason and the reward. To her child, she could give her hard-won lessons, and maybe they would benefit somehow, because she had made the world a better place. Ultimately, she knew suddenly, they were stupid, self-involved thoughts. Selfish, to think that all of the suffering somehow had a purpose, a noble reason to be revealed. It had been a coping mechanism with no basis in reality. Scully could see that clearly now. There was no reason, no logic to it at all. Every image, every fantasy she'd never had ripped itself away with the force of a lost reality. Another facet of the pain took advantage of her growing objectivity. Mulder had kept this from her, kept a vial of ova that he had stolen. He had not told her. The most intimate and vulnerable portion of herself, and he had not told her. This was the man she had laid herself bare before, this was the man she trusted. He had not told her. Again in her mind, she was underneath him, screaming aloud, all defenses gone in a way she'd never imagined they would be. Mulder had kept this from her. Gasping for air, she clawed her way free of his searching arms and left. She had no words for him. Mulder followed Scully out of the bedroom. He knew she needed time, but he was terrified to give it to her. If he did, he was convinced that she would never forgive him. She couldn't leave him; she had to understand. "Scully-" He trailed the nude, furious woman down the stairs. "Scully, please wait. Please." He almost wished he hadn't spoken when she whirled on the landing halfway down. "What, Mulder? What could you possibly say to me? You.You bastard. You knew. You knew what they'd stolen from me." She was shouting, oblivious to who might hear, who might be listening. Mulder closed the distance between them. "Scully, I'm sorry. I wanted to wait until you could deal with this, until you were better-" She cut him off furiously. "Oh, so you appointed yourself guardian of my fertility? Information given on a need to know basis? Thanks for sparing me, Mulder, I really appreciate it." Her voice was layered in sarcasm and bitterness. XXXXXXXX Truth and Consequences 18/28 By Raine- rain@isomedia.com, & and Marsha Bare-Taylor- barelyhere@email.msn.com Classification: XRA Rating: NC-17 Disclaimer: We don't own anyone you recognize, they belong to Chris Carter, 1013, FOX. They are being used without permission, no copyright infringement is intended, and no profit is being made. Much thanks to Chris Carter for letting us feed our addiction this way and share it with others. Summary: After Gethsemane, Scully and Mulder decide to pay a visit to their friend Dr. Scanlon. Spoilers: Syzygy, Colony/End Game, Gethsemane, Small Potatoes, Tunguska/Terma, Momento Mori, Feedback: Please. Please cc all e-mail directed at one of us to the other, so we can both read and respond to it. XXXXXXXXXXX "Scully, I didn't know it would happen like this, I-" Mulder hated the ineffectual tone in his voice. He had been scared to hurt her, so he had kept it to himself. More importantly, he had been frightened because he thought that she would know he was to blame for all her suffering. Again she cut him off. "What right do you have to keep that from me, Mulder? It's my." She cut herself off, moved in a different direction. "I will never have children, and I learned when you deigned to tell me? For someone so obsessed with words like trust and truth, that's a little of a stretch, saying you were keeping the information from me because I couldn't handle it. This from the man who wanted to inform the press when we were faced with a deadly disease and possible widespread panic. Remember, Mulder?" She shook her head, suddenly feeling very dizzy, but no less furious. She swept her arm upward in the direction of the bedroom. "You fucked me right there on that bed, you let me," Her voice rose, "Open myself to you in the most intimate possible way, and you knew. How could-" Suddenly, blood ran wetly from her nose. A thin stream escaped her hand, and dribbled onto the light colored carpet. "Shit." Scully stood there, momentarily paralyzed. Before she could do anything, Mulder was pressing paper towels into her hand. She shook her head, confused. Had he left? Hadn't she just been talking to him? Mulder guided her with a hand around her shoulders down the hallway to the sofa. Scully tried to shrug his arm off, but found herself stumbling, falling until he picked her up bodily and laid her down. Why was the room spinning? She closed her eyes. When she opened them, she saw Mulder leaning over her. He was kneeling on the floor beside the sofa and dabbing at her upper lip with a moist washcloth. Tears stood out in his anguished eyes. Scully cleared her throat with difficulty and said, "This doesn't mean I've forgiven you." She was far from joking, but began to laugh weakly anyway. Mulder stared at her for a second, his eyes searching her face. He closed his eyes and dropped his gaze, his hand dropping away from her face. Helplessly, he said, "I love you, Dana. I'm so sorry." In response, Scully nodded and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she said, "Just promise me, Mulder, that you will never keep anything from me again, or it's over. It stops right here, with one night, and goes no further." Mulder whispered, "I promise. I just didn't-" "I know. It's." She sighed, giving him a rueful expression. "I can't say it's okay, but I.I understand. Just give me some time, okay?" Mulder nodded. "I'll give you as much as you need, Scully. Just tell me what I can do." Scully sighed and pushed up off the couch. "The only thing you can do is impossible, Mulder, so let's just go ahead and get ready. I'd like to get this over with." After the emotional bombshell she'd just experienced, the only thing she wanted to do was get through the charade as quickly as possible. Suddenly, realization hit. She was about to face the man who was responsible. She had been pushing herself to her feet, and sat heavily back down. Jesus. She had thought it was hard lying to Blevins and the committee. How on earth was she going to let that man touch her without breaking out of her role as Dana? She stood and made her way back upstairs, leaving Mulder in the living room. After a moment, he followed. XXXXXXXXXXX 11:30 a. m. Scully and Mulder walked up to the main entrance of the large facility. Mulder bumped slightly into Scully as they passed underneath the twin security cameras, presumably by accident. She nodded slightly as the security guard approached on the other side of the thick glass double doors, indicating she noticed them. The thick, bulletproof glass doors looked as if nothing short of repeated rounds would breach them. Considering what procedures were actually done here, it wasn't too surprising, Mulder thought. Then he did a double take, disguising his shock by giving Scully a wide, vapid grin. Scully smiled tightly back at him when she saw it as well . The guard looked just like Krycek. A Krycek who was a security guard, wearing a generic blue uniform. Only he was carrying an automatic weapon. The Krycek look-alike reached the opposite side of the doors and, staring at the pair, pushed his weapon back onto his shoulder. Then he reached with his left arm to one side of the door. Mulder saw that this version of Krycek had two arms to choose from, and he relaxed slightly. The Krycek clone punched something in, and the doors slid open. Mulder cast a worried eye on the woman beside him. What he saw only marginally reassured him. She was the normal, stoic Scully, revealing no strong emotion. She wasn't acting like Dana, though, and that was what concerned him. This high-security facility would be the worst possible place to blow their cover. He reached over and grabbed Scully's waist, nuzzling her neck. Feeling her stiffen, he murmured, "You're Dana, remember?" Immediately she relaxed. Giving him a kiss, she let him deepen it until they were interrupted by loud coughing. Flat brown eyes stared at them. Scully had to keep herself from shuddering. Dana, she reminded herself. Act like Dana. She laughed lightly and shrugged at the Krycek clone. "Sorry." She felt Mulder's arm relax its hold on her waist in relief, and he grinned vacuously at the guard in mirror of her. The guard rolled his eyes and thrust a clipboard at them. In a flat, bored voice he said, "Names, origin date, purpose, appointment time and section. When you have that filled out, take the two copies there, orange and canary are yours, do not take the white, that is the official copy. The canary is yours to obtain your badge, which you will need for access to other areas of the facility. The orange is for the reception area of whatever section you are visiting today. Do not lose these copies. You can fill out the form at the waiting area at the end of the hall next to the restrooms in that direction." He gestured by swinging his weapon. "Thank you and have a nice visit." He walked back behind the half door and sat down, opening a magazine. Mulder and Scully looked at each other, both repressing grins of mirth. Neither needed to ask what the other was thinking. Krycek, spending time via his clone as a minor bureaucratic functionary. Mulder steered Scully down the hallway, noting with a cautious eye the security cameras lining the sterile white walls. "Somehow it almost seems like justice, doesn't it?" Mulder murmured into her ear, feeling a satisfying shake of repressed laughter in Scully's shoulders. They sat side by side in waiting room chairs. Scully held the clipboard and pen. Staring down at it, she pressed back a worried frown. Two security cameras made a circuit of the waiting area, taking in everything with blank eyes. She reached over and grasped Mulder's jaw in an affectionate hold. Pretending to nibble his earlobe, she whispered, "What the hell am I going to put? Origin date?" Mulder shuddered at the wet breath in his ear and kissed her lightly in return, whispering with a small grin, "There was a scrapbook in the living room. Cute family photos." He gave her a deeper kiss, leaving Scully gasping and staring at him with narrowed eyes. He hadn't done that for disguise. Looking at her innocently, Mulder whispered into her ear, "I'm 06/05/95, you're 12/11/94." Once she filled out the forms, the couple followed the signs to the 'badge center'. A woman who, much to their profound relief, bore a resemblance to no one at all, instructed in the use of their green badges and gave them directions. She, like the guard, had a gun, although her was a semi-automatic instead. Mulder wondered vaguely if the 'doctors' were also packing. "You'll need to go down the main hallway, that's through the steel double doors there and all the way down to the elevator bay. There you'll need to use your badges, both of you, and pass the retinal scan machine in the wall. When the elevator doors open, go up three floors and exit to your right. To enter the ward, you're going to swipe the badges again." They thanked her as nicely as possible and followed her directions. After going through the double doors, halfway down the hall Mulder said softly, "Retinal scan?" He managed not to move his lips, and the words barely registered in case there were listening devices as well. Scully replied in the same fashion. "Should be the same." After a pause, he replied tightly, "Should be?" Scully shrugged. In spite of the situation, she was enjoying the look on his face. "Let's hope. It's meant to map the capillary pattern of the retina, and I'm not sure if that would change according to the differing lifestyles of our clones, or not." There was only a small, strangled sound in response. Mulder was trying to picture how they would escape if they were discovered. There were no windows to be seen here or at the end of the rapidly approaching hallway. He swallowed nervously and stared at Scully as they stopped in the middle of the hall. Three sets of silver elevator doors faced them, and protruding from the floor was a pedestal. A pair of what looked like rubber goggles was embedded in the concrete. Scully looked at him and smiled. It might have been meant as reassuring, but came out as a tight grimace. She wasn't sure, Mulder realized. By the time he thought to stop her, she had bent over the goggles and it was too late. A high-pitched beep emitted from the machine, and Mulder's blood ran cold. The sudden silence afterward, and Scully's slight smile and blinking eyelids relaxed him, and he copied her actions. After he bent over the goggles, a bright red light blinded him momentarily, and when he looked upward, he saw small spots for just a moment. Once they swiped their badges in the machine on the wall, one set of elevator doors opened. Mulder murmured to Scully, "I guess that's our ride." She nodded silently, her face expressionless, and moved forward, Mulder's hand pressed lightly in the small of her back. As they were lifted upward, Scully tried not to stare into the camera set behind the curved mirror in front of her. She realized that she was frightened, that she could deal with. Fear was an emotion she had practice with. However, more than that, she was angry. She was so incredibly angry that objects she gazed upon for more than a moment seemed to swim with the force of her fevered brain. The elevator door opened with a bright, cheery 'ping'. Mulder and Scully stepped off and turned right as instructed. A thin man that neither of the agents recognized passed by and smiled at them. And why not, Scully thought dimly, they were special. They were the clones that were going to expand the colony. Expand it with the flesh of women who were cut open to serve their master's sinister purpose. So why not wave to their version of Adam and Eve? Why not, indeed? To Scully, every clicking footstep that rang out in the hallway as they walked was one step closer to the man that killed the MUFON women. She was just a bit closer to the man that killed Penny. She was nearer to the man that almost killed her, that stole her ability to reproduce. She only prayed that she would be able to keep herself from killing him where he stood. But she didn't pray too hard. Abruptly, Mulder stopped, and Scully had to brace herself on his shoulder to keep herself from falling. She could feel tears burning, aching to fall in her tear ducts. She stared at the white and gray speckled tile on the floor. She would not let them, she vowed. Not until Scanlon was brought to justice. Mulder pulled her close gently with one arm. He took her gently, bringing her into a light hug. He whispered, "Are you sure you can do this, Dana?" At the gentleness in his voice, Scully almost began to cry in spite of her resolution, but she didn't. Instead she nodded, straightened, and pasted on a wide, happy smile. Together they moved forward to the end of the hallway, and toward Scanlon. After they swiped their green cards, the intruders were admitted via quiet sliding glass doors. After the doors closed behind them, the first thing that registered was the silence. The ward they were in was hushed, quiet in almost a reverent sense. People could be seen, but their movements were quick and purposeful as they passed through on their way to other labs. This was not a place where office water cooler talk was exchanged. The looks on the faces of what Scully presumed were lab assistants were serious and focused. She wondered if they were all clones, or if some were human, and if she would ever know the difference. Judging from her reaction to Melissa, probably not. But Scanlon, she knew, was human. If he wasn't, though, she didn't want to know. It might dull her anger. Honing her fury was what was keeping her upright, keeping the smile on her face. It was the hardest thing she'd ever done, Scully thought, this smile. It was the expression of a happy woman, a woman about to become pregnant, bear a child. It was a woman she knew that she had left behind forever. Mulder watched with masked apprehension as Scully's smile widened. Dr. Scanlon approached, his footsteps silent over the light carpeting. Smiling, he extended his hand as he was still approaching the couple. Enthusiastically, he cried, "Dana, Fox. Are you ready to make history?" This time, they both smiled. XXXXXXXX Truth and Consequences 19/28 By Raine- rain@isomedia.com, & and Marsha Bare-Taylor- barelyhere@email.msn.com Classification: XRA Rating: NC-17 Disclaimer: We don't own anyone you recognize, they belong to Chris Carter, 1013, FOX. They are being used without permission, no copyright infringement is intended, and no profit is being made. Much thanks to Chris Carter for letting us feed our addiction this way and share it with others. Summary: After Gethsemane, Scully and Mulder decide to pay a visit to their friend Dr. Scanlon. Spoilers: Syzygy, Colony/End Game, Gethsemane, Small Potatoes, Tunguska/Terma, Momento Mori, Feedback: Please. Please cc all e-mail directed at one of us to the other, so we can both read and respond to it. XXXXXXXXX "Good, good. How do you feel, Dana?" Scanlon squinted at her as he flipped through her chart. Scully beamed at him. "I feel great, Dr. Scanlon. Thanks for asking, I'm so excited." Scully dug her fingernails into the palm of her hand behind her back until she almost broke the skin. It took all of her strength not to flatten the man right there where he stood. The greater good, she told herself firmly. The greater good. Again and again and again. She felt Mulder take her punished hand with his and stroke her angry palm with his thumb. He understood, she thought. There and then, Scully knew that eventually she could forgive him. Dr Scanlon said briskly, "Well, Dana, your last visit was very positive. If it continues at this rate, you'll be the first mother here in Alpha. You should be excited, this is a wonderful opportunity for all of us." Something inside of Scully, seeing the smug look of accomplishment on Scanlon's face, frayed to near breaking. As if sensing her mood, Mulder adopted an anxiousness befitting a soon-to-be father, and asked, "Should I come into the examining room, or stay here?" Dr. Scanlon smiled reassuringly. "Dana will be just fine, Fox. Why don't you wait out here, and before you know it, she'll be right back out." Mulder nodded reluctantly. He didn't for a moment want to leave Scully with that man. Not that he was afraid for Scully; if anything he was afraid that his partner might decide control was overrated and that a quick, certain, face to face justice was the very best kind. He debated internally, finally forcing himself to slowly sit on the small decorative couch near the empty receptionist's desk. Dr. Scanlon led Dana down the hallway away from him, not noticing her smile slip as his hand touched her shoulder. Mulder flipped through an old issue of "Good Housekeeping', silently noting the attempt to make this a generic waiting room. Sitting here, it was easy to forget that this was a place where the technology existed to make copies of human beings. A copy of Scully. A copy of his mother. He put the magazine down, growing exponentially more restless and nervous. Finally, he rose, pretending to stretch. Unlike a normal doctor's office, there was no one around to observe him. The flow of people in the hallway just outside was irregular enough to make him wary, though. Mulder couldn't see any cameras evident, so he began pacing. When there was no response to his actions, he walked down the hallway, looking for the examining room that Scully was led to. He peered at the doors, looking for any sign as to which one it might be. XXXXXXXXXXXXX "Well, Dana, this shouldn't take too long. Just go ahead and strip, and we'll take a look." The expression on Scanlon's face changed slightly from blank professionalism to something else. It was something in the flat glitter of his eyes, Dana thought. Dread filled her. Why hadn't she considered this? Just because it looked like an examining room didn't mean it would be a normal examination. This was the time where the nurse would normally leave, giving her a gown and some kind of absurd paper sheet to drape over her legs so she couldn't see the doctor peering in between her legs. However, this wasn't a normal scenario. Everything here was just a little bit wrong, from the way the 'Elders' were treated to the absence of paper on the examination table beside her. The reality of it hit her with a vengeance. Dana and Fox had said they were trusting. Apparently, that trust extended further than she had thought. After all, why should the humans in charge treat their clones with human dignity, when they were not truly Homo Sapiens, only copies thereof? Scully prevented herself from thinking too deeply on how far that lack of respect might extend by taking a deep breath and unbuttoning her blouse. Knowing what she was going to have to do, and still keeping the smile on her face was the hardest thing she had ever done. With Scanlon watching impassively, Scully folded her thin blouse and placed it on the empty chair in the corner of the examining room. She slipped off her low-heeled shoes, and paused. When Scanlon made no move to leave, she started undoing her trousers. When her fingers touched the zipper, she fumbled, her smile faltering. She pasted it back on. Scully removed and folded her trousers, slipping off her panties and placing them in between her blouse and pants. She stood there, shivering in only her bra, wondering if her humiliation was to extend to a complete view of her body for only a moment. The look of slight surprise on Dr. Scanlon's face told her. It did. Stoically, Scully walled off her feelings somewhere deep inside and pressed hard. The humiliation and anger she harbored became a white-hot dwarf star, burning the lining of her gut. She reached up and removed her white lace bra. Then she sat up on the white vinyl of the table, feeling the material cling to her buttocks. Apparently, they didn't believe in gowns here, either. Scully closed her eyes and leaned backward to stare at the ceiling. Scanlon said, "Slide back a little." He wasn't even trying for a professional tone, Scully noted. It was a barked order. He'd left his bedside manner over in the corner with her clothes, it seemed. She slid, thinking of Penny. Scanlon locked steel stirrups into place at the business end of the table. "Okay, Dana, you know the drill." Indeed, Scully thought. She did. Her heels hit the frigid metal, and a chill ran up her spine at the cool air between her legs. She didn't need to look at Scanlon to know his eyes were on her breasts as he pulled up a rolling stool. With a creak, he took a seat between her spread legs. It wasn't until she noted he snapped on rubber gloves that she thought seriously about killing him. Right there, splattering his blood messily all over the sterile, white room. One quick lunge, a slow realization, and pain. His, not hers. For Penny, and in a perverse way, for Dana as well. What he did to her clone, he was doing to her by proxy. Scanlon opened the walls of her vagina with a speculum. There was no warning given, and involuntarily, Scully flinched. Scanlon said nothing. He remained there between her legs, silent. Scully stared at the ceiling, wondering idly if he had the capacity to see inside her to note what he had taken away, knowing it was impossible without much different equipment. Yet.Fear was beginning to take dominance in Scully when it happened. XXXXXXXXXXX Growing impatient and afraid, Mulder opened one of the four closed doors at random. He only realized he had chosen the wrong one when there was a loud crash, and multiple smaller, high-pitched clangs, the sounds of steel instruments hitting hard tile and bouncing. Instinctively, Mulder closed the door and moved quickly back into the waiting room, sitting and crossing his legs. He absorbed himself in a recipe for fabulous homemade chili when Scanlon came into the waiting room, looking annoyed. "Fox, did you see who did that?" His manner was entirely different from the gentle doctor leading Dana down the hallway. Mulder cursed himself for leaving her alone with him. Relief loosened his entire body when Scully emerged behind the doctor, walking toward him with a blank expression on her face. Only Mulder could see it change to blind hatred when the man spoke. "Dana, what are you doing? We're not done. I still have another test." She turned and smiled innocently. "Oh, Dr. Scanlon, I didn't know. When you left, I just assumed that meant we were done." Mulder said in mock-confusion, "Is something wrong?" Scanlon sighed and ran a hand through his sandy hair. "No, no, I suppose not. I'm sure everything is fine, anyway. Since you've already gotten dressed, we may as well deal with whatever else later. You two have a great day, all right?" He forced a smile. "Fox, I need you to be here on Thursday to donate sperm." Mulder froze as he processed the statement. He covered his shock by asking in a weak voice. "What time should I arrive?" "Eleven am will be fine. We'll take your sperm and fertilize the egg immediately. Then Dana, you need to be ready at any time for the implant." He explained. "Fine, Dr. Scanlon. I'll be waiting." The sweetness in her voice would have rotted anyone's teeth. Dr. Scanlon turned from them without a word and walked away. Mulder and Scully simultaneously released a relieved breath. Looking at each other, they headed for the elevators. Without speaking, the couple left, as quickly as they could. Scully clutched Mulder's arm with an iron grip until they were again in the car and driving away. XXXXXXXXXX Truth and Consequences 20/28 By Raine- rain@isomedia.com, & and Marsha Bare-Taylor- barelyhere@email.msn.com Classification: XRA Rating: NC-17 Disclaimer: We don't own anyone you recognize, they belong to Chris Carter, 1013, FOX. They are being used without permission, no copyright infringement is intended, and no profit is being made. Much thanks to Chris Carter for letting us feed our addiction this way and share it with others. Summary: After Gethsemane, Scully and Mulder decide to pay a visit to their friend Dr. Scanlon. Spoilers: Syzygy, Colony/End Game, Gethsemane, Small Potatoes, Tunguska/Terma, Momento Mori, Feedback: Please. Please cc all e-mail directed at one of us to the other, so we can both read and respond to it. XXXXXXXXXXX Mulder frowned in the general direction of the kitchen, where Scully had disappeared the minute they'd walked in the door. She wouldn't talk to him about what had happened in the examining room with Scanlon. She'd stared out the windshield without expression, barely responding to his attempts at conversation. That in itself was nothing new, there were many things in the course of their partnership that they'd avoided talking about. The only problem was, he thought, they weren't just partners anymore, and she was still shutting him out. He rose, resolving to find out what was bothering her. Scully stood staring down at a slice of white bread when he entered. Her arms were braced at the counter, and she didn't register his presence until he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Scully? Are you all right?" He kept his voice low. "Yes, I'll be okay, Mulder." She shook her head, still staring down at the lone slice of bread that she'd removed from the plastic loaf bag before she'd become lost in her thoughts. "Its.It's just, I'm tired of being a victim." He remained silent, waiting. She shook her head. "I mean, I wanted to do something, and I couldn't. I had to undress in front of him like I wasn't even a human being, and there was nothing I could do. I wanted to kill him, Mulder. I don't know if I can handle that again." Her voice was thick with strain. Mulder touched her shoulder, rubbing gently with his thumb against the light cotton blouse. He leaned forward and whispered into her ear, "You won't, Scully. I'm not going to let that bastard out of my sight." He wrapped his arms around her from behind, tucking her head under his chin, and they stared at the counter silently together. Finally, Scully pulled away, sighing. "Well, I guess we should call the Gunmen and let them know what's going on." She turned around and stroked his chest idly, looking up into Mulder's eyes. She reached to Mulder, pulled him down as she raised up, and kissed his lips lightly. Before she could settle back on her feet, Mulder grabbed her waist and deepened it, pressing her lightly back into the counter, settling in between her legs. When they disentangled, catching their breath, Mulder said fiercely, "I'll do anything for you, Scully. I want you to know that." Then, without waiting for a reaction from the stunned, flushed woman, he picked up the phone and dialed. XXXXXXXX "Hello?" Byers answered cautiously. He was relieved when he heard Mulder's voice. Glancing over at Fox and Dana who lay there, as usual intertwined, he lowered his voice. "Mulder. How's it going?" Again, he looked over at the couple. Strange, how peaceful they looked while asleep. He thought of his wife and smiled, listening. His smile faded at Mulder's description of the security guarding the facility the pair had visited. He couldn't restrain his hiss of frustration. "Christ, Mulder, it's Lombard all over again!" He listened, sighing. "I know, I understand, it's just-No, they're out getting food. I'll let them know. I guess Frohike will stay behind with the two lovebirds." He paused. "Yes, they are. It's almost sickening." Across the room, the man with his back turned gently nudged the figure spooned beside him with his hand. Dana nodded slightly, shifting against him. She too had been listening. Byers continued. "What time do you think? Okay. Yeah, I understand. Be careful, Mulder." He hung up and stared at the sleeping couple. He himself had always been such a light sleeper, he admired the ability they had to be so oblivious to their surroundings. Thinking he may as well take advantage of their slumber, he left quietly. Normally, he wouldn't dream of treating any assignment lightly enough to go get ice, but this was different. Even if they were clones, they were clones more in the visual sense of the word than anything else. In them, Byers thought, all the sharp edges and corners had been dulled, filed away in the service to obedience. Byers might have reweighed the evidence and revised his opinion if he had seen the small set of feet hit the carpeted hotel room. Seconds after he left, Dana peered through the small gap in the curtain, watching a plastic-bucket yielding Byers head to the end of the walkway. Quickly, she grabbed the bag that had been left by her counterpart on the table by the door and started searching. In a matter of seconds, Dana found what she was looking for. A badge, belonging to Special Agent Dana Scully. Footsteps. As quickly as she could, Dana replaced the leather-cased badge underneath the clothes. Looking again to make sure everything was the way it had been three minutes previous, she dove back into bed with her waiting husband. XXXXXXXX After Frohike and Langly came back with Chinese food, Byers indicated they should wake the still couple. Frohike sighed with exasperation. "Jesus wept. Don't these two bunnies ever do anything but sleep and get laid?" He walked over to the couple and shook Fox's shoulder. The two stirred, slowly moving and sitting up in bed. Byers dished out the Chinese with no comment. "So," Fox asked casually, "When do we begin the next phase of our assignment?" He looked up at Langly, who rapidly stared back down at his Moo Shu Pork. After a pause, Byers swallowed and calmly replied, "Soon, very soon. We are still waiting for word." He forced a smile at the couple and said, "Don't worry, it shouldn't be much longer." Dana and Fox looked at each other expressionlessly, then smiled back at him. They finished swallowing their silent meal, and Frohike motioned to Byers. Leaning over, he muttered into Byers' ear. "I don't trust them, I think they're getting suspicious." Byers nodded, whispering back. "I spoke with Mulder, it's going down tonight. It's up to you, but I think you should stay behind." Frohike nodded. "Fine, Langly can handle the systems as well as I can, if they're anything like before, and they probably are. You guys go, I'll watch them. I don't think there'll be a problem, but if there is I've got one of the guns the Mulder and Scully left behind." "Okay. Well, we'd better go." Byers stood and put on his light overcoat. Turning his back to the pair resting on the bed watching tv, he fished into Scully's bag and tucked her Sig in his pocket. Loudly, he called out, "We'd better go, Langly." Fox and Dana watched without comment as the pair left, then back at the television. On Frasier, a man was trying to stare down a dog. Frohike stared at them for a moment, silently marveling at how different they were from his friends. Especially Dana. So soft, with none of the fire, the sharp edges of the original that he admired so much. Sure, she was still a damn beautiful woman, drop-dead gorgeous even, but there was just something missing. He shrugged off the train of thought, opening one of the remaining cartons and digging with enthusiasm into four-star General Tsu's chicken. He was finishing off the last piece of crunchy, coated chicken and draining the last swallow of his YooHoo when he heard it. He'd been glancing up at Fox and Dana from time to time, but they hadn't moved so much as a muscle off the bed. When he looked up, though, Dana was standing beside the bathroom, and Fox appeared to be asleep. Frohike frowned. He hadn't noticed her get up. He would have to be more observant. Even if the pair were basically harmless, it was no reason to be careless. The chastising thoughts died as they began when he saw Dana crook her index finger at him, beckoning. Her other index finger was on her lips. He froze momentarily, torn. Even if it was a clone, it still looked remarkably like Scully. Scully calling silently for him with a small smile on her face. A naughty smile. Dear lord. Frohike shook his head prayed fervently for guidance. It wasn't exactly like cheating on his friendship with Mulder, was it, since it wasn't really Mulder. Was it? He knew it for the pointless rationalization it was, just as he knew that there was no way in hell that Dana wanted what every clue she was sending out said that she wanted. He even knew it was probably a trick of some kind. Somehow, though, he rose, helpless to stop his feet from moving, walking slowly ever closer to the perfect replica of the goddess of love. The Frohike version, anyway. He lost the ability to breathe as he drew closer and she pressed her index finger harder into her perfect round red puckered lips, widening her blue eyes to stare into his. Slowly, she bent down just slightly and.The world went dark. He was roughly shoved into the bathroom, and the door slammed shut behind him. He thrashed, finally dislodging the offending article. A jacket. Goddamn, he'd been hoodwinked with a pretty face and a strategic shove. The oldest trick in the book, and he, after all these years, had fallen for it. As he heard a thump that surely meant a chair wedging him in, he took small comfort in who had been responsible. XXXXXX Truth and Consequences 21/28 By Raine- rain@isomedia.com, & and Marsha Bare-Taylor- barelyhere@email.msn.com Classification: XRA Rating: NC-17 Disclaimer: We don't own anyone you recognize, they belong to Chris Carter, 1013, FOX. They are being used without permission, no copyright infringement is intended, and no profit is being made. Much thanks to Chris Carter for letting us feed our addiction this way and share it with others. Summary: After Gethsemane, Scully and Mulder decide to pay a visit to their friend Dr. Scanlon. Spoilers: Syzygy, Colony/End Game, Gethsemane, Small Potatoes, Tunguska/Terma, Momento Mori, Feedback: Please. Please cc all e-mail directed at one of us to the other, so we can both read and respond to it. XXXXXXX Once the thick wood chair was securely braced under the doorknob, Fox turned to Dana, who was busily strewing the contents of Scully's bag onto the bed nearest the door. "Unbelievable, how stupid they think we are." Dana looked up at him, ignoring the sounds of thumping and indignant yelling eminating from the bathroom. "I know. I would have expected better, especially from her. Four years of medical school, and still she thinks of me as that much different from her." She sighed and rolled her eyes. "It's interesting, really, the expectations I had about my original." She tilted her chin defiantly. "I think they'll know better now, though." Looking down at the strewn clothes, she sighed. "All work and no play. My counterpart obviously wouldn't know style if it bit her on the ass. Oh well, I guess I'm supposed to be her anyway." Fox came behind Dana and kissed her lightly on the neck. "Whatever you wear, hurry up, we need to be on our way to DC before they get back." He walked over and searched in Mulder's garment bag, fishing out the spare suit, shirt, and underwear. Fox whistled, holding up a garish green and yellow tie. "Not bad taste for a G-man, he must have some money." His wife only rolled her eyes in response. They dressed quickly, shouldered their counterparts' bags, and left the hotel room under cover of darkness. A few minutes later, the crunching of gravel under tires could be heard. XXXXXXX Byers and Langly met their partners in crime near the facility and went over the plans for the break-in. "Langly, you need to take the security off-line while we move through the facility." Mulder looked at the blueprints of the wiring of the facility that Langly unrolled on the hood of the van. Mulder grinned at the blonde man with fresh respect. "I don't even want to know how you found these." Langly smiled proudly. "What are we searching for, Mulder?" Byers looked up. "A cure for Scully, or any research results that look like they might be related. If we successfully breach the security and get out without being detected, we'll come back. But right now we have to find the cure the clones told us about." "Mulder, we need to look for the black cancer research area. Your headaches are getting worse." Scully's flat voice masked the growing fear that she felt for her partner's heath. "Later. We focus on you right now." He was adamant, his voice dismissive. Scully sighed with frustration. She was angry but knew it would be futile to argue. "I'll get busy. Give me 20 minutes." Langly rolled up the blueprints. He inserted the listening device in his ear. "Testing, testing. Can you hear me, guys?" "Loud and clear." Byers answered. Mulder gave him a thumbs-up. Langly pushed up his glasses with one finger, nodding and running one hand through his unruly blonde hair. Quickly, he walked around the building carrying a large bag. A few seconds later, he was gone from view. Minus Langly, the group moved closer to the gate of the fence to wait under cover of darkness. After several minutes, Mulder looked at his watch. He was growing more nervous as the time wore on. Byers said quietly, seeing the motion, "Mulder, Langly said he needed 20 minutes. It should be anytime now." Byers assured him. He remembered Mulder jumping the gun at the Lombard facility. "This facility has tighter security than the Lombard facility. Langly is working alone, so have a little patience." "Patience has never been Mulder's strong attribute." Scully smiled slightly as she spoke of her impatient partner. Mulder shrugged and looked at his watch again, sighing heavily. "Byers, it's clear." Byers put his hand to the earpiece. "We hear you. Which door do we use to gain access?" Byers listened attentively. "North entrance. The security guard will be making his rounds in 30 minutes. He checks the point for five minutes every half hour." Langly explained. "Let's go." Byers motioned to Mulder, who related the information in a low murmur to Scully. They moved in silence to the entrance. Byers looked into the camera. "Remember Byers, if anyone asks you are working in the fertility clinic. You're working with Dr.Scanlon." Mulder drilled Byers, who was dressed in a white lab coat. For no particular reason, he was carrying a clipboard. "Smile for your mother, Byers." Langly snickered into his friends' earpieces as he watched Scully roll her eyes and open the door. They slipped in quietly. Mulder motioned for Byers to go right. He and Scully would search in the opposite direction. XXXXXXXXXXX Her nerves were stretched as tight as human physiology would allow. A panacea for what she had believed was incurable. She couldn't let herself believe it, yet her mind was chanting it with every overly loud, echoing footfall. Alive, she heard in each echo of silence behind the footfalls. Whispering, it drew out the vowels, tasting the dangerous idea like a warm, juicy peach. What would she do if it were true, if the greedy voice inside her mind were justified? How would she emerge? The answers eluded her in the rattle of nerve and wondering and clattering shoes that was her body. They stopped in the main hallway at the retinal scan. "Okay, guys, it should be registering you as authorized now. Hell, it would register Frohike as cleared now. Go for it." Mulder related the Langly's words to Scully. Obediently, she bent down and received the tones that announced her a winner. Quickly afterward, she swiped the blank card, hoping Langly was a good as he seemed to think he was. It seemed to be working. The elevator doors opened, and the two stepped inside. Less than a minute later, they were stepping onto the B1 level of the facility. When they exited the elevator, the hallway stretched in one direction only-immediately in front. Scully swallowed and braced herself, wondering vaguely why it seemed everything important in her life was found somewhere in a basement. She kept her head slightly down against the glare of the security cameras, unsure if Langly had disabled this level as well. Langly said, "Oh, by the way, I should have disabled the cameras there as well." Mulder muttered, "Now you tell us." "Sorry." Langly didn't sound disturbed in the slightest. Mulder and Scully walked carefully down the hallway, trying to act as casual and natural as possible in spite of their nervousness. They paused at each door's small window to peek inside. "Bingo." Mulder looked at Scully, then knocked on the door. A couple of moments later, the door opened. "Fox, Dana, what you doing here so late in the evening?" A man with red hair closed the door behind the two agents. Kurt eyed them closely as they turned around. His eyes widened as he registered their expressions, and suspicion grew. "Agent Mulder?" He asked carefully. "Kurt, this is Agent Scully." She stared at the Kurts as several more appeared and gathered around the agents. Scully sensed that they knew why they were there. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Kurt moved closer to the pair. Mulder moved aside to allow him access to the silent woman. XXXXXXXXXXXXXX Byers walked silently down the hall, looking in the windowed rooms. He studied his clipboard when passed by a stranger, trying his hardest to look absorbed, professional, and calm. Calm, he thought, wryly. He grew more nervous with every step. "How does Mulder talk me into these things?" He asked himself out loud as he stepped up to the next door. Suddenly, it opened. "Excuse me." Byers held his breath. He was face to face with a tall, woman with large, deep blue eyes. "I was looking for Dr. Scanlon's research lab." Byers hoped he sounded convincing. The woman glanced at his badge. "Dr. DeLuca?" Byers forced a smile. "You've come to the right area. Please come in." She moved away from the door and allowed him to enter. "This place can be confusing, can't it? It's huge. I still get lost sometimes." She shook her head. "Sorry, I'm rambling. It's been a long night. I was going for coffee. Would you like a cup?" Byers nodded automatically. She smiled warmly. "I'll be right back, Dr. DeLuca." With that, she disappeared out into the hallway. Byers turned around and looked at the lab. Seeing an open folder on the desk nearest the door, he lifted papers and quickly skimmed them. When the door opened, he jumped involuntarily, looking startled as he replaced the papers. "I forgot to ask how you like your coffee." She registered what he was doing, and her eyes narrowed in confusion and suspicion. Byers snapped his head up as she stared at him. "Pardon me? What exactly are you doing? That data is restricted access." Byers tried to recover. "I was just um, I'm very interested in your research. I mean, Dr. Scanlon has spoken highly of you." He cleared his throat. The woman moved rapidly to her desk and opened the drawer. Byers knew he'd been caught. "Look, I don't want to hurt you, I just need to search this room. If you stay out of my way, I'll leave you alone." Byers chastised himself for his shaking voice. He hadn't expected her to come back so quickly, a foolish assumption. He should have been prepared. The woman looked up, smiling slightly. "Of course you won't hurt me." Her arm moved from behind the drawer. She was holding a gun, and it was pointed at him. Byers thought it looked like the biggest weapon he'd ever seen. Byers stammered, "Um, look, you don't understand." When had he started sweating? She continued smiling placidly, pulling a pair of wire framed glasses from her white lab coat pocket. With one finger, she settled them firmly on her nose, not breaking eye contact. "Oh, I think I do. You've broken in. At the very least, somehow you have entered a high security section where you do not belong. You're probably here to steal or destroy my data. What's not to understand?" Byers looked down at the hand holding the gun. It was rock steady. His only chance was to somehow reason with her. "Can I at least try and explain before you call the dogs on me?" His voice was strained, desperate. Agent Scully's life might hang in the balance. The woman glanced at her watch. "Sure, go ahead. I would rather continue with my work, but I guess I'm at a good holding point. You've got ten minutes." XXXXXXXXXXX Truth and Consequences 22/28 By Raine- rain@isomedia.com, & and Marsha Bare-Taylor- barelyhere@email.msn.com Classification: XRA Rating: NC-17 Disclaimer: We don't own anyone you recognize, they belong to Chris Carter, 1013, FOX. They are being used without permission, no copyright infringement is intended, and no profit is being made. Much thanks to Chris Carter for letting us feed our addiction this way and share it with others. Summary: After Gethsemane, Scully and Mulder decide to pay a visit to their friend Dr. Scanlon. Spoilers: Syzygy, Colony/End Game, Gethsemane, Small Potatoes, Tunguska/Terma, Momento Mori, Feedback: Please. Please cc all e-mail directed at one of us to the other, so we can both read and respond to it. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Byers swallowed nervously. "Um, okay. My friends, um, that is, the people I'm here for, have a problem, several actually, but I'm here for one in specific. One of them has cancer, and it's metastasized." "And what does this have to do with me or my research?" Her voice was cool, unimpressed. Again, she looked at her watch. "Nine minutes." "Her cancer is a result from being abducted a couple of years back. When she was away, tests were done on her, leaving her immune system decimated and her DNA branched." He searched the woman's face for any reaction and saw none. However, she didn't check her watch again, so he took that as a sign she was listening. Byers continued, trying hard not to sound as frantic as he felt. "When she was diagnosed with cancer, the doctor that originally treated her was Dr. Kevin Scanlon." The woman's eyes widened, her only visible reaction. "I still don't understand why I shouldn't turn you in." Again, she looked at her watch. "Seven minutes." Desperately, Byers said, "Look. I know you work for him, but even if you turn me in, you deserve to know what kind of man he is. I don't know what kind of research you personally do here, but the clones in this town come from stolen eggs. They performed experiments on her while she was gone, and gave her things to speed up her ovaries' production of eggs. These are what they use, from her and from other women. The side effect from that extraction is probably what gave her cancer, and the other women who had the same thing done to them are dead now. Dr. Scanlon was the doctor treating them." For a long moment, she stared at him, not speaking, her face blank. Then, slowly, she lowered her gun. Byers felt his lung release a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding, and decided to push his luck. "If-if," Byers took a deep, stabilizing breath. "If you don't mind me asking, are you.?" He let his voice trail off. If she was a clone, he didn't want to inadvertently insult her. Not while she was still holding that gun. She ran a hand through her hair and grimaced, shaking her head. Dark brown waves resettled on her shoulders. "No, I'm not. I'm actually one of the very few beside Dr. Scanlon that isn't, though." She shook her head ruefully. She walked toward Byers, her hand extended. They clasped, and she said, "I'm Samantha Mulder." Byers couldn't seem to let go of her hand. XXXXXXXXXXXXXX "Agent Mulder?" Mulder looked at Kurt. "What are you doing here?" Mulder said, "Her cancer has worsened. We need your help. You told me last time that there was no cure, but I had to try." The Kurt spoke in even, undisturbed tones. "We have made some discoveries since then, Agent Mulder. Also, you should be aware it was not me you spoke with, although I understand your confusion." He stopped speaking and regarded Scully calmly. Scully stared nervously at the ruddy, redheaded man. He couldn't have known she was coming, yet somehow, in his manner he seemed to be welcoming her. He smiled, extending an arm. Scully looked up into his eyes, sensing a calm, a peace in the face of evil that she'd always before associated with religion. She had seem that look once in a picture of Mother Teresa. Scully found herself relaxing in spite of herself. "We?" "Yes, there are others like me. I am Kurt Crawford. As are the others. Come." He crooked his hand, beckoning. Scully came, knowing she had little choice but to trust this man. In his hands, if there was one, lay the cure she sought. Her mind was difficult to quiet, though. It kept telling her the improbability of this being a cure. It asked her that if she was going to die, shouldn't she die with her dignity intact? She was, after all, a scientist. Shouldn't she die like one, and not sacrifice a lifetime's worth of beliefs to rush around in the hope that some untested, unproven miracle cure would save her? It was her eternal shame that these were only surface arguments. In the face of death, in the face of dying before she could begin a new life, she was at war. The one argument that stood on the 'pro' side of the decision making process was that she would live. That was the one that held her in thrall, held her paralyzed and captive. She would die with her beliefs, or she would live. And what would she have then? The Kurt looked down at her gently, her arm in his. He took her hand in a gentle grasp. "Mother." Scully jerked her hand away at his word and searched his serious face. As the implications hit her, she demanded, "What do you think that word means?" "It means you are our mother. Your eggs along with others like you made us who we are." He regarded her sorrowfully. "Please understand, we did not have any part in the decision to take your fertility from you. We would never wish you other than happiness. Surely, though, you cannot ask us to be sorry that we came into being?" He reached down, and his hand enfolded her again. He squeezed gently. Scully closed her eyes and nodded shortly. Too much. Her mind and body were simply refusing to deal with anything else, any further revelations. Her finely tuned, sharp intellect rested in a human's brain, and it was in danger of bending in a manner it wasn't designed for. Mulder said softly, "Scully, I-" Scully shook her head, cutting off his words. She was becoming too drained to deal with this now. In fact, all she wanted to do suddenly was to lie down. The stress of the last few days was catching up with her, which was all. The man before her had made her recall older, unpleasant stress on top of that, as well. And if what he told her was true.Suddenly her knees threatened to buckle, and she swayed slightly on her feet. Mulder put an arm around her and guided her to a chair at the back of the lab. Scully would have protested, but the world had tilted on its axis and she knew that she would fall otherwise. She felt a solid surface form as if by magic underneath her as she was lowered. Dimly, she registered wetness on her nose. Scully knew it was a nosebleed, but she couldn't think of the steps necessary to clean it off her face. Somehow, for the first time, it just seemed easier to let it go. For once, she thought, just forget about it. Why not. The Kurt's voice was talking from a distance. It almost sounded like he was walking away, she noted as she registered less and less. "We have little time left. Clean off the blood and I'll insert. Agent Scully, I will need to tilt your head back as far as possible now." As her head was tilted back farther than she would have believed possible, Scully thought about their intense tones as she drifted further away. It was funny, that much emotion coming from a man with such calm eyes. Maybe she was a mother after all. All other thoughts were crushed into dust like glass under a heavy boot as the pain began. The Kurts watched as the thin, silver instrument, so eerily similar to the instrument wielded by those who sought their death, was moved further and further into Dana Scully's nose. Her face contorted in an expression of utter torment. The assembled clones watched. One of the clones said, knowing the answer, "Isn't there anything we can do for her pain?" The other Kurts did not answer, nor did he expect them to. He'd simply felt compelled to say it. She was their mother. Mulder watched, forcing himself to be silent as the instrument moved further up into Scully's sinus cavity and finally broke into the area of the tumor. It was apparent from the expression on Scully's face that the agony was worsening. An audible hum began to come from the silver instrument as the tool busied itself burning, eating, and irradiating. It was all the same to the elements the tool was made from. Certain kinds of biological cells caused a reaction, and gave it energy. Enough energy, and it could make new things. It was at the critical point before the element explosively reacted that the Kurt pulled the instrument out of her nasal cavity. With one smooth motion, he handed it carefully to another Kurt for disposal, and watched impassively as Scully fainted dead away. Mulder watched in silent horror as Scully collapsed. He moved to her side, but Kurt put his hand out to stop him. Kurt picked up another slender instrument and, holding the woman up in the chair, inserted it into her nasal cavity. When it was retracted, a small piece of bloody, crusted metal appeared at it's tip. Kurt held it up to show Mulder, turning his wrist so he could get a good view. "What the hell is that?" Mulder said, both disgusted and puzzled. They insert these in each human subject. We only discovered it when the last victim was brought here. It is very difficult to detect with conventional x-ray or MRI equipment. But through trial and error, we discovered this," Kurt wiped off the slender silver tube and handed it to Mulder, "Was inserted during the time they were testing her. It holds a small amount of virulent toxin, which indirectly caused Agent Scully's tumor. Our research hasn't discovered what type of metal this is yet. But we have discovered the poison works against white blood cells which causes damage to the immune system and, as a result, the cancer." The clone looked back down at the unconscious woman, his features softening. "In a couple of hours we should know if her blood count is returning to normal. Then I'll give her an injection we have discovered will counteract the cancer that has metastasized into her bloodstream. It's an amazing medicine that we were given years ago to study and replicate." "Where did it come from?" Mulder asked quickly. His fingers played with the tube he'd been given, feeling the smooth, slender length. Kurt shrugged. "We never asked, nor would we have been told if we did express curiosity. You forget who we work for, Agent Mulder. Who our creators are." Seeing the man nod, beyond surprise, the clone continued, still watching Scully. "It works quickly with few side effects. "She'll recover in a few hours. There will be more blood, and her head will pound for several hours. But hopefully, the side effects will subside quickly." Mulder sat down and took Scully by the hand. He raised it to his lips and kissed her knuckles lightly. "I hope so." The clone watched the action, his face expressionless. Then, nonchalantly, he said, "The clones were to be placed when they abducted Agent Scully again." Mulder's head snapped up. "They were going to kidnap her?" He questioned. "Yes, and then they would have make up a convincing story about how she was given treatments for the cancer, most likely." "With me dead...What were they going to do, allow her to die?" He tightened his grip on her hand as he looked at her lovingly. "No, they were going to bring her back here and cure her, then reprogram her to join the colony like...like they did Penny Northern. If they were unsuccessful with her programming, then perhaps." "There's no end to the malice is there?" Mulder turned from Scully and locked eyes with Kurt. He knew beyond doubt that Scully would have ended up dead. "They believe in the project...and will go to any lengths to carry it out." The clone was nothing but matter-of-fact. The agent only nodded, deciding that for now, he would just be grateful that one woman, at least, might escape their reaching tentacles. XXXXXXX Truth and Consequences 23/28 By Raine- rain@isomedia.com, & and Marsha Bare-Taylor- barelyhere@email.msn.com Classification: XRA Rating: NC-17 Disclaimer: We don't own anyone you recognize, they belong to Chris Carter, 1013, FOX. They are being used without permission, no copyright infringement is intended, and no profit is being made. Much thanks to Chris Carter for letting us feed our addiction this way and share it with others. Summary: After Gethsemane, Scully and Mulder decide to pay a visit to their friend Dr. Scanlon. Spoilers: Syzygy, Colony/End Game, Gethsemane, Small Potatoes, Tunguska/Terma, Memento Mori, Feedback: Please. Please cc all e-mail directed at one of us to the other, so we can both read and respond to it. XXXXXXXX Scully stirred an hour and half later. She reached for her head and groaned. "Oh God, my head hurts." Her voice was low and hoarse. "It'll get better." Mulder stood over her. Scully tried to sit up, and blood ran from her nose. Mulder immediately produced a wad of tissues, which he held to her face. "Kurt said you would bleed more, but that it would stop, along with the headache." He reassured her. Scully replaced Mulder's hand with her own, holding the tissues securely to staunch the blood flow. Mulder held up the small piece of metal, catching his partner's eye. Scully squinted at it. "Mulder, what is that?" "This was in your nasal cavity. Apparently, it released a poison that led to your cancer." He explained. "That's impossible. The MRI would have detected it." Mulder smiled at her characteristic disbelief. He hoped that the Kurts were right and it was a sign that the woman he loved was going to be well. "Scully, trust me. I saw Kurt pull this out of your head. He told me it is made of an unknown metal that is not detectable by conventional imaging equipment." She took it from his hand and examined it. "The poison interfered with your white blood cell production which caused the cancer. They stumbled on it accidentally when.um. When Penny Northern was brought to the facility." He noticed her questioning look. "Is she here? Do they know where she is?" "He didn't mention where she was located. Kurt should be back soon, they are supposed to take blood from you and give you a something to reverse the cancer in your system." Scully moved the tissue and noticed that the blood had ceased to flow. Mulder took the bloody wad of paper and handed her clean ones. A few minutes later the door opened and Kurt entered. "How are you feeling, Agent Scully?" "My head is throbbing, but I'm fine." Mulder laughed at her words, the first indication that she was back to the Scully he knew. "I need to take a blood sample to see how your blood count is doing. I assume Agent Mulder showed you the probe we extracted?" She held it up. "What type of poison was it releasing into my system? How could it escape the MRI and x-rays?" "The only thing we know is the wall that forms around it somehow shields it from detection. Have you experienced difficulty in breathing through your nose?" He asked as he busied himself with the syringe. Scully watched him as he prepared her arm. "Yes, but I thought I was developing allergies. After I had the first nose bleed, I took for granted it was just the tumor." She watched as the needle slipped through the skin and into her vein. Dark red liquid rushed into the tube. When it was full, Kurt removed the tourniquet, pulled the needle out, and placed a piece of cotton over the tiny puncture. Scully placed her hand over it and bent her arm to stop the bleeding. "I'll be back shortly. Do you need something for the pain, Agent Scully?" She noticed the Kurt's concerned look. "No I'm fine, it's easing a bit. If the pain doesn't stop soon, I'll ask for something. Thanks for everything." She placed her hand on his white sleeved arm. The puzzled look she got in response and his answer made Scully's eyes widen in surprise. "You're our mother." He turned around and walked out of the room. Scully stared at the door until it clicked shut, then she turned her gaze to Mulder. The grin on his face caused her to smile. "What?" She questioned. "Scully, you thought you'd never have children." Scully's eyebrow went up as she tried to process what Mulder was saying. "If this procedure works, do you think you'll have complications with the pregnancy?" Scully blinked rapidly in confusion. Mulder smiled and grinned at her. "This hasn't totally penetrated, has it Scully?" Scully finally recovered and said weakly, "What I don't remember, Mulder, is you saying anything about wanting a child, not to even mention-" Mulder placed a finger over her lips. "I want to be with you as long as you'll have me, Scully. And nothing would make me happier than us as parents." He removed his hand slowly and waited for her reaction. Scully remained silent as their eyes locked. She opened her mouth, closed it and thought. Then she shook her head as her eyes slipped shut. When she opened them again Mulder was watching her. "Are you all right? Is the pain worse?" He squeezed her hand. She smiled. "No, I'm fine, Mulder." She squeezed his hand in return. "I was thinking of you as a father actually. Imagining you changing dirty diapers, wiping runny noses." Scully watched his face change at the disgusting imagery. "Hmm, you're going to make me change diapers, Scully? Maybe I should rethink this proposal." "Oh," his partner said innocently, "Was that a proposal, Mulder? I didn't notice." The look of shock on Mulder's face was priceless. "Scully, I-" "Mulder, relax. I was joking. I feel the same way. We'll work out the details later, okay?" Scully smiled and closed her eyes for a moment. She would like nothing more, Scully thought suddenly, than to be his wife. In spite of her feelings, though, it was too soon. However, if she wanted to be a mother, she had this one opportunity. Barring a miracle, it would probably be her last. For as long as she lived, Scully thought. To her pleasure, the phrase meant something completely different than it had yesterday. Now, it meant hope, and possibilities. "I was just kidding, too," Mulder said suddenly. At Scully's startled jerk, he smirked slightly. "I've faced worst things than a dirty diaper." His partner grinned, surprised to be blinking back tears. One of the Kurt Crawfords walked in and closed the door. He looked at the two agents and smiled. "Everything looks well. I think we can inject you now and you'll be back to normal within 12 hours, although you'll be weaker than usual for a few days." Mulder squeezed Scully's hand again. Scully watched Kurt pick up the syringe and fill it with clear liquid. She picked up the bottle from the tray as he administered the shot. "This will make you drowsy for three to four hours." He looked at Mulder. "You should get out of here and go home before she becomes too sleepy to walk. I don't know how you managed to get past the security, but you don't want to attract suspicion when you leave." Mulder nodded. Scully sat up and swayed a bit as she grabbed her head. Kurt could see the pain in her face. "Do you want anything for the pain?" He assisted Mulder as they helped Scully upright. "No, I'll be fine. I have some aspirin in my purse if it doesn't ease off." She took a couple of steps, steadied herself and looked at her partner. "I think I'm ready." She gave Mulder a weak smile. He put his arm around her and they walked toward the door. Scully stopped and turned around meeting Kurt's eyes with her own. "I can't thank you enough for." He interrupted her. "No need to thank me." Kurt said softly. Mulder took his arm from around Scully's waist and extended it to Kurt. Kurt received his handshake with a firm, if cool grip. "I want to thank you too. Are you going to be all right?" Kurt nodded as he answered. "The project will go on, don't under-estimate their power, Agent Mulder. And...Take care of her." He smiled. Mulder slipped his arm around Scully's waist again and they slipped out the door. XXXXXXX Byers walked quickly down the hallway, trailing the woman ahead of him with what he hoped was a businesslike, purposeful pace. His knuckles were white on the clipboard he still carried. According to his watch, there were only two minutes left before the guard returned to his post. With difficulty, he forced his legs not to give into his fight-or-flight instincts and break into a run. Samantha looked behind her with a casual twist of her head and hissed, "If this is a trick, I'm going to-" "No trick," Byers muttered, although he was afraid. She was Samantha Mulder; there was no doubt of it in his mind at all. She was the right age, had the right looks, and the circumstances, he thought, were much too strange for her not to be a Mulder. If she wasn't a relative of Mulder's, then she should be. No, he personally had no doubt. It was her he was concerned about. Could she be trusted? Byers sighed, knowing he had no choice. Mulder needed to see her regardless. He hurried to keep up with her as the north entrance approached. He tensed for a long, stressful moment before he could see in the glass reflection of the double doors that the guard was absent his post. Samantha exhaled as she walked briskly up to the exit. It was the first indication Byers had that she was nervous as well. He was grateful he hadn't known that a second ago. Her authority as a lab tech had been his back up plan. Her reaction indicated, however, that there hadn't been one. Sam quickly, and precisely punched a code into the keypad, grinning as the doors slid open. With haste, the two exited and were gone. "What was so funny?" Byers demanded as he followed her. "Just that the code I just used belonged to Scanlon." Samantha said. "It seemed fitting that he should take the fall, if there is one." She forced a smile, walking briskly into the parking lot Byers smiled widely in return in spite of his stress, looking forward to a family reunion. He fished his headset out of the pocket of his lab coat and talked into his headset, causing Samantha to jump slightly. "Langly, I'm leaving with someone, a friend. I'll explain what's going on later." There was a long pause, then, "Can do, Byers. Later." Byers looked at Samantha as they walked into the parking lot. "We need to take your car." Samantha returned wryly, "So I gathered. I take it we're going to meet my brother?" Her tone was edgy with sarcasm. Byers asked, unable to stop himself, "If you don't believe me, why are you coming? I could be anyone." Samantha laughed bitterly. "I believe you about Scanlon, and that's all I need to know. If you're telling the truth about that, well, I'll give you a chance on the rest." They reached her car, a dark two-door Toyota. She got in and, reaching over, unlocked the passenger door for Byers. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Truth and Consequences 24/28 By Raine- rain@isomedia.com, & and Marsha Bare-Taylor- barelyhere@email.msn.com Classification: XRA Rating: NC-17 Disclaimer: We don't own anyone you recognize, they belong to Chris Carter, 1013, FOX. They are being used without permission, no copyright infringement is intended, and no profit is being made. Much thanks to Chris Carter for letting us feed our addiction this way and share it with others. Summary: After Gethsemane, Scully and Mulder decide to pay a visit to their friend Dr. Scanlon. Spoilers: Syzygy, Colony/End Game, Gethsemane, Small Potatoes, Tunguska/Terma, Momento Mori, Feedback: Please. Please cc all e-mail directed at one of us to the other, so we can both read and respond to it. XXXXXXXXXXXX "Goddamn it, what the hell am I going to fucking do now?" Frohike kicked the bathtub again. The hard rubber on the sole of his combat boot hit the ceramic with a satisfying 'clunk'. He resumed talking to himself. "Of all the ways to get taken in, this has to be." He growled in frustration and anger, turned and kicked the blocked door. "Shit," Another, heavy, 'thunk' as his boot landed. "The most moronic," 'Thunk!' "The most lame-brained," 'Thunk!' "The most bone-headed," This time, a higher pitched sound. The sound of metal yielding. The door gave just slightly. Frohike stared at it, his face red, debating for a second. Then he let loose, and with a cry, kicked the thin brown wood with everything he had. Two kicks later, the door flew open with the sound of snapping metal, and promptly closed again. The doorknob inside, lacking the supporting mechanism inside, fell with a clang to the tile floor. Frohike opened the door, pushing at the now-toppled chair blocking it. Limping painfully, he exited. A minute later, seeing the bags gone, and the clones with them, he started cursing in earnest. XXXXXXXXXX Mulder helped Scully into the house and up the stairs. Her nose bled a small amount during the ride from the facility to home, but had stopped almost as fast as it started. She lay on the bed and curled up on her side. Mulder sat beside her, incredibly grateful and relieved that they had found a cure for her disease. Some of the guilty burden he had been carrying since she was diagnosed lessened. Mulder watched her as she closed her eyes and relaxed to sleep off the medicine's effects. Soon, her even breathing indicated she had drifted off. Mulder watched her face soften as she breathed evenly in and out. What a beautiful mother she will make he thought, as he reached out and brushed her hair off her face. He wanted to stay there while she slept, but knew there were pressing issues to attend to downstairs. He bent over and kissed her lightly on the cheek as he whispered. "Welcome back, Dana." He stood and walked quietly to the door. Looking back once more to confirm she was well again, he closed the door and descended the stairs. Byers met him at the bottom, munching on a sandwich. "Make yourself at home, Byers." Mulder smiled at his friend and thought about his stomach for the first time that day. "I could say the same to you. Good stuff in the clone's refrigerator." He said with a full mouth. Mulder walked toward the kitchen, deciding Byers was right, all the food from the party was still there. He was so used to his own empty refrigerator that it was foreign to expect anything good to be there. But he wasn't at his normal home and this wasn't his normal life. Mulder opened the door and selected a few items to eat while he and Byers discussed their next plan. Mulder walked out of the kitchen with his hands full. He placed his drink on the table and sat down with a heaping plate on his lap. As he began to eat, Byers noticed his overstuffed plate. "Are you sure that's enough, Mulder?" He smiled. "I don't know, there's plenty more where this came from." Mulder's voice was muffled for a moment before he swallowed. "What did you want to talk to me about?" He said as he chewed on the overstuffed sandwich. Byers hadn't told him about Samantha at the lab because his focus was on his weakened partner. The bearded man cleared his throat. "Umm.Mulder, I found a lab where Scanlon was doing research. I met a young woman there." He looked at his plate again, not sure how he would break the news to his friend. "Can you trust her? What if she tells the Elders?" Mulder's paranoia kicked in immediately. "Don't worry, you'll understand soon. But be aware Mulder, she might be quite a surprise." Before Mulder could ask, the doorbell chimed. Mulder motioned for Byers hide in the kitchen since he wasn't known to the colony. He put down his plate and walked to the door. "Fox, aren't you going to ask me in?" She stared at him impatiently. His face must have shown his skepticism. Finally, Mulder realized he was being rude. "Fox, are you all right?" She pushed past him and walked into the living room. "Is Byers here? He said he would meet me here after I went home for a second." Mulder watched Samantha flop down on the couch as if she did it all the time. Byers emerged from the kitchen and said, Say hello to Samantha, Mulder." "Samantha?" Mulder croaked. After a long, stunned silence, he finally found his voice again. "Byers, can I see you in the kitchen?" He walked swiftly into the adjoining room. "Byers what the hell is going on? Is she a clone too?" "She said she's one of the few in the colony that isn't, Mulder. She doesn't know you aren't Fox, so there was no reason for her to lie." Byers shrugged helplessly, knowing that it might not be enough for Mulder to believe. The last time he thought his sister had returned to him, she had actually been a clone. The two walked back to the living room. Samantha sat on the couch, her arms crossed defensively across her stomach. "Is there something I need to know, Fox?" Her tone was impossible to read. Mulder was silent for a long moment in response. Without sitting, Mulder said, "Samantha. You told Byers you aren't a clone." He stared at her as if daring her to deny it. "Fox? Are you feeling all right?" She looked from him to Byers, concerned. "Just answer the question, please." Mulder said harshly. "Yes." She said slowly, as if waiting for the real question. Mulder swallowed. "I am the real Fox Mulder, Samantha. Your brother." He fought against the part of his brain that told him she was a fake, sent to fool him, yet again. Impossible, he told himself logically, but still the thought remained. Samantha stood, stammering. "What do you mean, my brother?" "We lived in the same family until you were eight, then one night you were taken from me. Do you remember?" Finally, Samantha pulled slightly on Mulder's hand, trying to see more of his face. "You look familiar, but that's because you look like Fox. I don't understand how you could be.I don't remember." She fell into a puzzled silence. Mulder spoke, a hoarse, accusing rasp. "You're a clone, aren't you? I'm being set up again." He folded his arms defensively. Samantha retorted with equal ire, "What do you mean, 'set up again'? Look, I don't know who you are, but I didn't have to come out here. If it hadn't been for Byers telling me about Dr. Scanlon, I would never have cooperated." She stopped talking, still staring at him. Then she spoke in a musing almost-whisper. "I don't remember anything like what you're saying, but I can't figure out why it seems so familiar to me." She shook her head in confusion. Mulder took a long look, trying to memorize her features. Against his will, he heard himself saying, "Do you know how to play Stratego?" After a long pause, without thinking, Samantha responded, "Light. There was.We argued about something.Shit. I don't need this! I can't remember, okay?" Her voice was loud and shrill. "Try," Mulder urged. "Please, look, I'm telling you the truth. I'm not a clone." "I don't get this," Samantha sputtered, "How could you-" Her eyes widened in shock, as if she remembered something. "Try, Samantha. It's not normal. They wiped your memory. Think. Can you remember anything from when you were little, when you were eight years old? Anything at all?" Mulder urged, trying to remain calm. "They told me it was normal, that it was because I was special that I couldn't.Why can't I remember? I don't want to." She started to sob when Mulder pulled her into his arms. Byers turned his head slightly away out of respect for their privacy when, finally, she hugged him fiercely in return. The doorbell chimed loudly throughout the house, interrupting the clasped siblings. Byers intercepted Langly at the door to explain what had happened inside the facility. Mulder pulled away from Samantha, and they moved to rejoin the others, silently acknowledging that they would have a lot to talk about later. Samantha answered the questions from the Lone Gunmen and Mulder about her about the facility. "I wish I could help more, but I only know about a few areas of the facility. I'll tell you what I know, but there are areas that are classified even to me." She shook her head at the rapid-fire questions. Her forehead furrowed. "My research is on the Black Cancer, so-" She was immediately cut off. Mulder asked eagerly, "What do you know about the Black Cancer?" He thought that a cure was unlikely, but he had to know. Sam said, "There is no cure for the Black Cancer yet, despite the tremendous pressure I've been under to find one." She shook her head, momentarily lost in her research, musing. "It's almost as if the worms know what we're trying to do, and they find some way to get around it. They shrivel and die if exposed, but inside a host, they're remarkably resilient. They can survive almost any condition besides death." She shook herself out of her reverie, unaware at the pain her words was causing. "Why do you ask?" The front door closed, cutting off the discussion. The four people in the living room watched warily as a small figure walked in. Mulder did a double take. It was Frohike. He was limping badly, and his shirt was shredded in several places. In addition, there were fresh bruises on his face and arms. He glared at them as he hobbled closer. Langly gasped at his injuries. "Oh shit, Frohike, are you ever messed up!" He rushed forward to look at his friend, but Frohike brushed him away skillfully. "There's no time." He was still smarting over being fooled by Scully's look-alike, and after events of the last couple of hours, he didn't want anyone focusing on him at all. Mulder took in Frohike's clothes, flushed cheeks, and injuries, and said, "What happened, and how did you get here?" Frohike coughed uncomfortably. "I'd rather not get into that right now, if you don't mind. Suffice it to say that it involved an overzealous trucker and some deep woods. I had to use my wits, as no one deigned to leave me transportation." Byers said carefully, "What do you mean by 'overzealous', exactly, Frohike?" Frohike colored a deeper shade of red. "It doesn't matter. We have a problem. Fox and Dana have escaped." Mulder deadpanned, "No, really?" As much as he wanted to probe more into how, exactly, the pair had managed to trick Frohike, he thought better of it. Mulder gauged Frohike's expression of near-fury at his facetiousness, and decided to let the rest go for another day. XXXXXXXXXXX Truth and Consequences 25/28 By Raine- rain@isomedia.com, & and Marsha Bare-Taylor- barelyhere@email.msn.com Classification: XRA Rating: NC-17 Disclaimer: We don't own anyone you recognize, they belong to Chris Carter, 1013, FOX. They are being used without permission, no copyright infringement is intended, and no profit is being made. Much thanks to Chris Carter for letting us feed our addiction this way and share it with others. Summary: After Gethsemane, Scully and Mulder decide to pay a visit to their friend Dr. Scanlon. Spoilers: Syzygy, Colony/End Game, Gethsemane, Small Potatoes, Tunguska/Terma, Momento Mori, Feedback: Please. Please cc all e-mail directed at one of us to the other, so we can both read and respond to it. XXXXXXXXXXXX Scully woke, still feeling a slight throbbing at her temples. She clutched the tissues in her hand, ready for more bleeding. As she rose, Scully held her hand close to her nose. Nothing came out. She moved from the bed to the bathroom to inspect her face for bruising and swelling. She inspected her nasal area, lifting her chin moving her head from side to side. There was no bruising, which surprised her. Ice would help what little swelling there was, she thought. Scully turned away from the mirror and walked out of the bathroom into the bedroom. She picked up her brush and ran it through her hair. Putting the brush down, Scully picked up a cloth hair holder and pulled her hair through it into a loose ponytail. Feeling remarkably well, she descended the stairs with thoughts of food to calm her growling stomach. She heard the voices as she descended the stairs. When she entered the kitchen, she noticed Byers, Frohike, and Mulder. They didn't seem to notice her at first because they were engaged in a deep conversation with Samantha. Scully walked behind Mulder, who sat next to the woman. Their eyes met and at Scully inclined head and questioning expression, a smile formed on the man's face. "Scully." Mulder jumped up, clearly agitated, "Are you feeling better? Is there any more bleeding?" Scully held up her hand to stop the deluge of questions. "First, Mulder I feel rather well for having a poisonous piece of metal removed from my nasal cavity. There hasn't been any more bleeding, but I still have a headache." She looked at the woman, then back to the man hovering over her. "Mulder, who is this?" He smiled. "This is Samantha Mulder, the REAL Samantha." He could keep the proud smile from his face. "Dana Scully meet Samantha Mulder." Samantha stood up and reached for Scully's hand. Scully instantly accepted the proffered hand. "It's nice to meet you, Dana." Samantha smiled. Scully nodded as she studied the woman gently shaking her hand. "It's... N-Nice to finally meet you too. Mulder has searched for you ever since I've known him. He's given most of his life searching for the truth....and for you." Her voice faded as she noticed the tears well up in Samantha's eyes. Scully looked from her to Mulder. "She doesn't remember anything about our childhood. They have selectively erased her memory." Mulder explained. Scully's face twisted. She watched Samantha wipe the tears from her eyes. "Do you think there is anyway to reverse the process?" Scully asked Mulder softly. "It's been several years since they erased my memory of the airforce base, and I still don't remember." Scully remembered the empty look in his eyes when she forced the man from the military to have Mulder released from his imprisonment. The confused look was the same one on Samantha's face at this minute. "Are you going to leave with us?" She asked Samantha. "Leave? To where?" Samantha looked at her brother. "To DC or Chilmark, to see mom of course." Mulder spoke in a matter of fact tone. "But I don't remember anything except my life here and now." Samantha sounded like a scared child. "Mulder, you can't force her." Scully tried to reason with him. "I won't leave her here." Mulder was emphatic. He stubbornly looked at Scully then Sam. "You belong with me....and with mom, your real mother." Sam looked at Scully. "Is he always this emotional?" Scully smiled knowing Samantha was trying to ease the tension that had built quickly from the determined man gazing at them. "Where you and the truth are concerned, yes." She noticed Mulder growing more upset at them making light of the situation. Scully was about to speak when she felt dizzy and her nose began to bleed again. When she swayed, Mulder was there to catch her. "Oh, I..." Scully held the tissue she'd been holding to her nose as Mulder held her up. "I think I'd better lay down again." Mulder helped her out of the kitchen and up the stairs to the bedroom. "Scully, I think you should rest until morning. If you're hungry I'll bring you something to eat, but you need to gain all the strength you can for the insemination." Mulder hovered over her like a mother hen. "Mulder, for once, I am not going to argue with you." Mulder tried to hide the surprised look on his face. Scully pulled the tissue from her nose. "I think it's stopped again. It wasn't quite so bad this time." She offered him a weak smile. Mulder took the Kleenex and threw it into the garbage. "You get some sleep." He bent over and kissed her forehead. "Mulder?" Her voice was soft. "Huh?" He was so close to her she could feel his breath. "Don't pressure Samantha. Okay? If she doesn't remember, no amount of force from you is going to change that. When this is over, she can come back with us. Maybe stay with you or me for a while until we can figure out a way to help her regain her memories." She searched his eyes for reaction. She could see the turmoil brewing into frustration in the hazel eyes locked with hers. Mulder sighed and sat up and looked away. She could tell he was fighting against what his heart was telling him. When he looked back at her, she could tell she'd reached him. He nodded his head. "It's just I've waited so long." "I know." She stopped and swallowed. After staring at him for a long moment, she said, "You know what I've discovered, Special Agent Mulder?" Mulder smiled and remained silent, questioning her with his eyes. "I've discovered that...I'm in love with you too." Scully couldn't hide her smile after finally saying the words out loud. "Special Agent Scully, I knew it all along. But I'm glad you finally admitted it." Scully swatted him on the arm and he laughed. "You get some rest. I'll bring you something to eat later." He gave her another peck on the lips and rose from the bed. As he walked to the door, Mulder heard her softly say. "You know Mulder if the insemination is successful we're going to have quit a problem child on our hands. Stubborn, a dreamer who won't quit." "Sounds like fun to me Scully." He heard her laugh softly as he closed the door behind him. XXXXXXXX A.D. Skinner's Office FBI Headquarters Skinner heard a knock at the door. When it opened his pale secretary had no words to say. She stared at him for a second before opening the door all the way. Finally, Kimberly found her voice. "Sir, Agents Mulder and Scully here to see you." She stammered. Fox and Dana pushed past her and stood in front of their superior. After gazing at the clones for a long moment, Skinner barked, "What is the meaning of this, Mulder? Where the hell have you been?" Skinner's angry, shocked voice snapped his secretary to attention and she closed the door. "Sir, I can explain." Fox had been programmed for his job with the FBI, but the final programming hadn't been completed. He was flying by the seat of his proverbial cloned pants. "Damn right, you will explain. And Agent Scully.You told me he was dead." He glared at her with accusing eyes. She wasn't used to such force living in the colony, but with Scully's programming, it wasn't hard to mount her resistance. "Sir, we can explain." Agent Mulder went undercover to find a cure for my cancer." She glared back at him. "Is this true, Agent Mulder? Was this death farce really necessary?" He redirected the force of his steely glare to Fox. "Yes sir, I believe it was." Fox tried hard to act uncaring in the face of Skinner's anger. "We successfully found a cure for Agent Scully in a secret laboratory in Canada." He sounded very convincing. He noticed Skinner's demeanor soften. He signed as he sat down in his chair. "Agent Scully, how are you feeling?" His voice had calmed to the stoic A.D. Skinner everyone observed when they encountered him. "I'm fine, Sir." Scully sat down in the chair to Skinner's right. "Although I do not understand how, the treatments seem to have been successful. I'm feeling much better." Her voice was strong and clear. The phone interrupted the Assistant Director's train of thought. "Skinner," He said shortly. "Sir, this is Agent Mulder. It's urgent that I speak with you." Skinner looked at Dana and Fox and averted his eyes to stare out the window. Mentally, Skinner reviewed how much vacation time he had accrued. No matter how this call went he had a feeling he would need it. "One moment." He hit the hold button and looked up at the two clone agents before him. For the first time, he noticed that the positions the agents normally sat in were reversed. Agent Scully was on his right and Mulder on his left. He braced himself and dismissed them. "I'll expect a full report. That will be all." Dana frowned at the dismissal. She wasn't used to such behavior. He noticed her frown. "Is there something else, Agent Scully?" He growled. "No Sir." She rose quickly and Fox escorted her out into the hallway. When they passed Skinner's secretary, she was still staring at them. Skinner said, "Agent Mulder, I was just speaking with you." He heard silence for a moment, then Mulder's muffled voice. "Frohike, you're right, they were just with Skinner." "How do I know this isn't a trick?" Skinner said harshly. "Sir, I wouldn't waste your time. But I understand your suspicion. The man you're talking to now has information about a certain gun that you might not want to become common knowledge. Is that good enough?" "Yes." Skinner managed. "Go on." Mulder continued, "I have a long story to tell you. And then I need your help." As briefly as he could, Mulder related what had happened to him since the murderous clone had kicked down his door. Skinner stared at his desk as he listened. "So, you're saying the two agents that just left my office are clones?" He spat out the last word like a bite of rotten fruit. His cool stoic demeanor was beginning to crack. He'd heard Mulder's unbelievable stories before. But this was too extreme for even his rogue agent. "Yes Sir. We need you to detain them in a safe place. They can't know you are on to them. They are very intelligent. They've been programmed with our FBI training as well as enhanced DNA. We've seen this before, it heightens their strength. If they become suspicious, they might try to overpower you." Mulder fervently hoped he believed what he was saying. "Agent Mulder.." Skinner paused. "Have you found a cure for the cancer?" He held his emotions in check with the force of long habit. "Yes, Sir. They have a facility where they have been working on cancer treatments. Agent Scully and I got in, and she was given what appears to be a cure." "Are you sure about this? Where is this facility, Agent Mulder?" He changed the subject as he moved the phone from one ear to the next. Mulder answered, "Penticton, BC." "Should I dispatch backup?" He clenched his jaw as he waited for the answer. How on earth he would explain that use of resources, Skinner didn't know. "No, sir. We have some friends assisting us. If we need further backup, we wi'll contact you." "Very well, Agent Mulder, I'll take care of matters here. I'll wait to hear from you." He took the phone away from his ear and stared at it as he replaced the receiver. Ever since the X-Files opened and Mulder began dragging monsters out of sewers, people who turned into werewolves, men who ate livers to hibernate, he'd been thinking he'd seen it all. After every carefully phrased report, the Assistant Director would shake his head, pull off his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose, and swear this one was the weirdest. Skinner shook his head. But this, without a doubt, was the strangest thing he'd ever seen. A knock sounded at his door. He cleared his throat. "Come in." His dazed secretary entered with a handful of papers. Kimberly placed them on the desk and paused before she turned around to leave. Skinner noticed her hesitation. "Is there something wrong?" His secretary looked at him, opened her mouth, closed it and thought. "Sir. Never mind. If it has to do with Agent Mulder, I don't want to know. Do I take it he's back on the payroll?" He nodded his head, confirming her question. She walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. Skinner halfway grinned as he agreed with his secretary. "You definitely don't want to know." He murmured to himself as he thought of a plan how to fool the clones in the basement. Looking at the papers in front of him, he took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. He thought to himself. 'I'm getting too old for this shit. I wonder if the Marines need a special services suicide agent.' He snickered, thinking, 'It might be less stressful than dealing with Mulder.' Replacing his glasses, he stood and and moved to the door. XXXXXXXXXXXX -END 25/28-