From: "Deenalynn" Date: Wed, 1 Dec 1999 18:24:19 -0800 Subject: Unreasonable Facsimile by Deenalynn part 1 of 10 Source: xff Unreasonable Facsimile part 1 of 10 Author: Deenalynn E-Mail: dee@sunwave.net Rating: R for language Spoilers: Assumes knowledge through season six Keywords: MSR Category: SRA Archive: Yes, please. Feedback: Yes, please! Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions, and Fox Broadcasting. I am none of the above. Missing parts may be found at Deenalynn's Fanfic Corner http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Quasar/5783/index.html Summary: What do you do, when everything you are turns out to be a lie? Unreasonable Facsimile part 1 by Deenalynn Colville, Washington October 19 6:30 a.m. Lisa Miller rolled over in bed and reached for her husband. Finding the space beside her empty, she sat up. "Nick?" "Over here," the shadow by the window answered. "What's wrong?" Lisa asked, concern evident in her voice. "I'm not sure. I had another bizarre dream." Nick rubbed his eyes tiredly. "This one was even stranger than the last one." He looked into his wife's puzzled eyes and grinned. "I think I should consider changing my before bed eating habits." He got up and came to the bed. Sitting down beside his wife, he said, "I didn't mean to wake you. That's why I got out of bed." "It's okay. I always have trouble sleeping when you're not beside me." Lisa reached up and brushed her husband's cheek. "Besides that, I have a doctor's appointment at 8:30." This was punctuated by a broad smile. "So, today's the day?" "Yup!" They shared a delighted grin. "God, Nicky, I can't believe we are finally going to be parents." Nick took his wife's hand. "Lees . . ." "I know, Nicky. I'm trying not to get my hopes up. Last time just about killed me. I just have a really good feeling. I know the home test didn't lie this time. I just *know* I'm pregnant." Lisa bounced out of bed. "Let's get going. I don't want to be late for this appointment," she said as she dashed into the bathroom. Nick shook his head and refrained from mentioning that they had almost two hours, and the doctor's office was less than fifteen minutes away. Getting up off the bed, he joined his wife in the bathroom. Baltimore, Maryland October 19 9:45 a.m. Margaret Scully dialed the phone. It was a number she regretted having had to commit to memory. "Assistant Director Skinner's office, how may I help you?" Walter Skinner's executive assistant answered on the first ring. "Hello, Kimberly. It's Margaret Scully. Is Mr. Skinner available?" "Of course, Mrs. Scully, I'll put you through." A moment later Margaret heard the deep voice of Walter Skinner. "Hello, Margaret, how are you this morning?" "Hello, Walter, I just wanted to check in before I leave." She then asked the same question she had been asking him every second day for the past four months. "Have you heard anything?" And he had the same answer. "I'm sorry, Margaret, there's been no news." Skinner wasn't sure which he hated more, the question or the silence that followed his answer. Margaret Scully closed her eyes and sighed. "I knew, that I guess. I know you would call me immediately, but I just need to *do* something. I am sorry to bother you at work." "It's not a bother, Margaret. I know how helpless you must feel. You're going to stay with your son for a while?" "Yes. Only for a couple of weeks. I need to be with family. You have the numbers where I can be reached?" "I have both Bill's number and your cell number. If I hear *anything*, I'll call." "Thank you, Walter. Goodbye." "Have a safe trip, Margaret." Margaret hung up the phone and sat heavily on the couch. In the four months since her daughter, Dana, had disappeared, along with her partner, Fox Mulder, Margaret had come to know their boss, Walter Skinner, very well. She knew that he was doing everything in his power to find her daughter, but she also knew that it was as though they had vanished off the face of the earth. On the night of June 23, Special Agents Dana Scully and Fox Mulder had simply vanished from their apartments. There were no signs of a struggle, their weapons and identifications had been right where they had left them the night before. No fingerprints or any other forensic evidence had been found at the scenes. There was nothing to tell anyone what had happened to the two agents. Colville, Washington October 19 8:45 a.m. "Well, Lisa, it looks like you did it." Dr. Richard Norris smiled at the excited couple. "You're pregnant." Lisa gasped and turned to her husband, "Oh . . . Oh, my God! Nicky? We did it. We're going to have a baby!" Her voice had risen in pitch and lowered in volume so she whispered the last. Nick grinned broadly at his ecstatic wife, then grabbed her into a tight hug. He could feel the sobs wracking her slender frame. "Hey? C'mon, Angel, don't cry, please." He tilted his head until he could see her eyes. "You know I can't stand it when you cry, even happy tears." Lisa offered up a soggy smile. "I just . . . I wanted this so much. I don't think I ever really believed it was going to happen." Nick brushed her bright red hair back from her face. "There is no one on earth who deserves to be a mother more than you do, Angel. It's only right that you get the chance." He placed a hand low on her abdomen. "I can hardly believe our baby is in there." "Talk to me again in seven months, when I'm as big as a house and you are my willing slave." "You'll be beautiful." Dr. Norris interrupted the happy couple, "I would like to schedule your first ultrasound for as soon as possible." He held up his hand. "Nothing to worry about. I just want to take a look." "I'm available any day after 3:30. If it's necessary, I can have someone else take my classes for a day." Lisa turned to Nick. "I'm going to have to arrange for maternity leave!" "Yeah, your kids aren't going to be too happy about that. They're going to miss you." Nick had to smile at the pure unadulterated joy shining in his wife's bright blue eyes. This had been something they had wanted for a very long time. Lisa hopped down off the exam table. "I wanna go buy baby stuff." "I hate to break this to you, Lisa, but the baby won't be here for about seven months." The doctor grinned at his excited patient. "I know! But if I go out and buy something then it will seem more real. I'll be able to believe this is finally happening to us. We've waited so long." Nick looked at the doctor and shrugged. "I'm not going to argue with her. Especially now that she has that convenient hormone excuse." He ducked as his wife took a swing at him. "You two get out of here and go shopping. Lisa, I'll have Shannon call you and let you know when your appointment is for the ultrasound." The doctor watched the happy couple leave the exam room, and picked up the phone. "It's done. She's pregnant," he said to the person who answered. "Very good, Doctor, please keep me updated on her progress." "Of course." Dr. Norris hung up the phone and smiled. Colville, Washington October 20 3:38 a.m. Nick Miller sat bolt upright in bed, breathing hard and sweating. Beside him his wife stirred awake. "Nick? What is it?" Lisa placed her hand on his back and rubbed gently. Nick shook his head to help clear the cobwebs. "These dreams are getting weirder and weirder, Lees." "What was this one about?" "I . . . hmm, I was in a sewer." "What?" "Oh, that's not the best part. I was chasing some sort of man-sized slug thing." Lisa wasn't sure how well her husband would react if she laughed at this point. "Uh, Nicky." "I know, Lisa, but this thing feels real. It is a danger and I'm afraid of it." "I'm sure man-sized slug things are really very scary, but it is just a dream, babe. C'mere, lie down." She pulled him until his head rested on her chest. "Close your eyes and think nice thoughts. Think about our baby, and how much fun we're gonna have decorating the nursery." Nick let his wife's gentle hands soothe him and he closed his eyes and was soon asleep. Lisa, however, wasn't so lucky. In the twelve years she had been married to Nick, he had never had nightmares. Now, almost every night, he was plagued by them. Some were a little difficult to take seriously, like the sewer slug or the chicken farming cannibals, but others were more disturbing. The ones in which he couldn't find her were the worst for both of them. He dreamed she had been taken from him and no one would help him find her. On those nights neither one of them got much sleep. **** When Nick and Lisa walked into the teacher's lounge at the high school they could instantly feel that something terrible had happened. "What's going on?" Nick asked Jason Tyler, another English teacher. "Kelly Dobson has disappeared." "What? What do you mean disappeared?" Lisa exclaimed. Kelly was one of her best students. "Evidently, she got a ride home from a man she works with at the restaurant. She never arrived. This was two nights ago. Her mom called the cops that night and they have declared her officially missing." Tyler ran his hand over his face. "Things like this aren't supposed to happen here." "What did the man she got a ride with have to say?" Nick asked. "That's just it. He's gone too. The FBI has been called in from Seattle and they are treating it as a kidnapping," Tyler said quietly. "They want to speak to all of her teachers. You both had her in your AP classes, didn't you?" "Yeah. She's a good kid, very bright," Lisa answered for both of them. "When do the FBI types want to talk to us?" "They are getting her class list together right now and are going to be contacting each of you sometime today." "God, I can't believe this is happening. We're supposed to be safe in our nice small town. This type of thing happens in the big city, not here." Lisa turned and leaned against her husband. Nick rubbed her arm comfortingly. "They'll find her. That's why they called in the FBI, so they can find her quickly. We have to make sure we look after the kids in our classes. They're all going to be scared and upset." Later that day Nick had just finished an English class when there was a knock on the classroom door. "Mr. Miller?" It was Dorothy Ellis, the school secretary. "The FBI agents would like to speak to you now if you have a moment." "I have a class this block, Ms. Ellis." "Yes, I know. Mr. Parker is taking it for you." "Good, then where do they want to speak to me?" "They're waiting for you in Mrs. Draper's office." Liz Draper was the principal of the school. "Tell them I'll be there right away." Nick finished putting his papers in his satchel and headed for the offices. When Nick entered the office, the two FBI agents seated at the desk looked as though they had seen a ghost. "Oh, for Christ's sake, what the hell is going on here?" One of the men came around the desk and approached Nick. "What are you doing here, Mulder?" "I'm sorry, were you expecting someone else? I'm Nick Miller, I was told you wanted to speak to me. Kelly Dobson was in my English class." Nick backed away when the FBI agent came even closer. "What the hell is going on here, Mulder? Last I heard you and that pretty partner of yours had vanished into thin air." Dale Laurence had worked with Fox Mulder on a case in Seattle a few years before. He knew he wasn't mistaken. "I'm sorry . . . ?" "Special Agent Dale Laurence. We've worked together!" "As I said, I'm sorry, Special Agent Laurence, but I'm afraid you've mistaken me for someone else." Nick looked to the other man. Kyle Adams had never met Fox Mulder, but every agent in the Bureau knew about the two missing agents and Kyle had seen pictures of the man. If this wasn't Fox Mulder, he was his double. Dale turned to his partner. "Adams, get the Bureau online. Let's show Mr. *Miller* what we're talking about." Laurence wasn't sure what Mulder was up to, but he knew the guy had a rather unusual reputation. "Here we go. Mr. *Miller*, would you care to take a look?" Nick was getting a little fed up with Agent Laurence's attitude. Deciding that the best way to get rid of him was to take a look at whatever it was they had pulled up on the computer, he was shocked to see a picture of himself. "Wha . . . ?" He looked again. It appeared to be a bulletin about the disappearance of this man Mulder and his partner. Evidently they were both FBI agents and had been missing for several months. "Do-- do you have a picture of his partner?" "I don't know what you're up to, Mulder--" "DO YOU HAVE A PICTURE?" Nick was starting to lose his cool. "Yeah. Here we go, the lovely Dr. Dana Scully." There on the screen was a picture of Lisa. "Oh, God, what the hell is going on here? How is this possible?" Nick turned away from the screen. "This isn't possible. Her name isn't Dana Scully. It's Lisa Miller and she's not a doctor or a special agent. She's a science teacher and my wife." He turned tear-filled eyes on the two FBI agents. "I, um, I'm not sure what . . ." "You had better sit down, Mr. Miller." Adams flashed a look at his partner. "Would you like me to send someone to get your wife?" "NO! I'm sorry, please, no, I don't want to upset her. We just found out . . . Just leave her alone for now." Adams nodded at his partner and they moved into the outer office. "I don't think he's playing us, Laurence. Did you see the look on his face when that picture of Scully came up?" "Yeah, I know, but then what the hell is going on here?" Dale Laurence was beginning to feel like he was in over his head. "I have no idea. But I think I know who can help." Adams pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. "Put me through to Assistant Director Skinner please." "Special Agent Kyle Adams." "Tell him it's an emergency." "Tell him it's about Mulder and Scully." "Thank you." "Sir, my name is Special Agent Kyle Adams, and I work out of the Seattle office." "Yes, Adams, reception said that this was about Mulder and Scully." Skinner didn't waste any time. "Yes, Sir, I believe we've found them, Sir." "Where are you, Adams?" Skinner was already reaching for his other phone. "Are they alive?" "Yes, Sir, very much so. But there is a problem." This was not what Skinner wanted to hear. "What is the problem, Adams?" "Well, Sir, Agent Mulder seems to think he's an English teacher named Nick Miller and that Agent Scully is his wife, Lisa." There was silence on Skinner's end for a moment. "Where exactly are you, Adams?" "We're in Colville, Washington, Sir. My partner and I are here looking for a missing girl." "I will be there this evening, Adams. Please keep Mulder and Scully under constant supervision. I don't want them disappearing again. You got that, Agent?" "Yes, Sir, we won't let them out of our sight, Sir." Adams heard the click as Skinner ended the call. He turned to Laurence. "AD Skinner is on his way here. He wants us to babysit Mulder and Scully until he gets here." "What the hell is going on here, Kyle?" "Hopefully, the AD can help explain when he gets here." He turned back towards the office. "Meanwhile we best round up *Mrs. Miller* and get our charges somewhere safe to wait for the AD." Nick looked up as the two agents re-entered the room. "Would you like to explain this to me now?" "I wish we could Mul- Mr. Miller. We've contacted someone who should be able to help. He'll be here this evening." "Who?" "His name is Walter Skinner. He's an Assistant Director with the Bureau, and he's your boss." Adams sat in the chair next to Nick. "Look, Mr. Miller, I don't know what's happening here, but we need to get your part- wife and get you somewhere safe." "How can any of this be? I know where I've been all my life. I know where I grew up, where I went to school, when Lisa and I got married. Oh, God, Lisa. This is going to kill her. We just found out she's pregnant." He covered his face with his hands. The two agents looked at each other. This was an interesting complication. **** Lisa watched as her husband approached. She had known and loved this man since she was fourteen years old, and there was something very wrong. "Nick, what is it? What's the matter?" She became even more alarmed when Nick grabbed her and buried his face in her hair. "Nicky, you're scaring me." Nick pulled back and looked into his wife's frightened eyes. "I want you to promise me something, Angel." "Anything, you know that." "Promise me that you'll remember how *much* I love you. Don't ever forget that, okay?" "Nick, what is it? Who are these men?" Lisa noticed the two agents for the first time. "These are Special Agents Adams and Laurence, they're with the FBI." Nick took her hand. "Angel, we need to talk. The agents are going to take us somewhere safe, and I will explain everything to you then." "Why do we need to go somewhere safe? Nick, what the hell is going on?" "Age- Mrs. Miller, please, I promise we will explain. As soon as we get you somewhere safe." Adams reached for her. "NO! I want to go to my own home!" Lisa pulled away and stepped closer to her husband. "Lisa, I think it's best if we listen to the agents. C'mon, Angel, let's go." Lisa looked at her husband. She could see the terror in his eyes. "Okay, fine, where are we going?" "We're staying at the Comfort Inn. We'll go there." Adams followed them out the door. Colville Comfort Inn Colville, Washington October 20 3:25 p.m. Lisa Miller stared at her husband in stunned disbelief. "You have got to be kidding me." She turned to look at the FBI agents. "I don't know who you two think we are, but you are dead wrong." Adams and Laurence had contacted the Seattle field office requesting other agents to look into the kidnapping of Kelly Dobson and were now seated in a motel room trying to convince a woman that she wasn't who she thought she was. "Look, Mrs. Miller, I know this sounds unbelievable, but I have met Fox Mulder, and the man you call Nick Miller is him." Laurence was beginning to worry about the woman. She looked awfully pale. "You are not listening to me, Agent Laurence. I have a life that I remember very clearly. My childhood, my adolescence, my adulthood, and there are no empty spots where I could have been someone else for a while." Lisa couldn't understand why her husband had given credence to what these two obviously disturbed individuals were saying. "As soon as Agent Adams gets his laptop connected, we'll show you the information we showed your husband." "Done," Adams said from the table in the corner. "Just give me a sec to get connected to our database." Lisa went to stand by the window. From this vantage point she could watch Nick unobserved. There was something in his eyes that disturbed her even more than the fact that he believed this nonsense, something she wasn't sure she wanted to identify. "Okay, we're in. Mrs. Miller, would you care to take a seat?" Adams pulled out another chair at the table and Lisa sat down. "About four months ago, every agent in the Bureau received a bulletin about two of our own who had gone missing. I'm going to show you that bulletin, okay?" Lisa nodded and looked at the screen. "Oh-- how-- I mean--?" She looked up at Nick and then back at the pictures on the computer. It was her, and the other was definitely Nick, right down to the mole on his cheek. "How is this possible . . . ? Our memories . . . ?" "I'm not sure, ma'am. Maybe when AD Skinner gets here he can help us figure it all out." Adams got up from the table and signaled his partner to join him in the connecting room, leaving the Millers alone. Lisa turned tear-filled eyes on her husband. "Nicky?" Nick knelt by her side and pulled her into his arms. "I don't know, Angel. I just don't know." Three and a half hours later there was a knock on the FBI agents' door. Adams opened it to find a large bald man scowling at him. "Can I help you?" "I certainly hope so, Agent Adams," Walter Skinner answered. "Assistant Director Skinner?" The man nodded. "Come in." Adams stepped aside and let the AD pass. Skinner wasted no time. "Where are they?" "They're next door, Sir." Skinner headed for the connecting door. "Sir? If you could hold up for a moment. There are a couple of things I think you should know before you go in there." "Yes, what is it, Adams?" "Please, Sir, have a seat." Skinner sighed and sat down. "What is so bad that I have to be seated, Agent Adams?" "Sir, Lisa Miller is pregnant." Skinner just stared at the man. "She also refuses to believe that she is anyone other than Lisa Miller. Her hus- partner seems a little more willing to believe us, but she absolutely refuses." "At least some things never change." Skinner had to smile at that. Then he thought about how he was going to explain all of this to Margaret Scully and his smile faded. "Well, I want to see for myself that they are my agents." Skinner rose and knocked lightly on the door. The soft "Come in" was a voice he was certain he'd never hear again. He opened the door and stopped. There curled up on the bed, asleep in her partner's arms, was Dana Scully. Skinner watched in amazement as Fox Mulder's hazel eyes filled with tears. "It's good to see you again, Sir." "Agent Mulder?" Skinner came further into the room. "Yes, Sir." End 1 of 10 Unreasonable Facsimile part 2 by Deenalynn "But Adams told me you didn't remember." "Up until the moment you walked into this room, Sir, I didn't." Mulder glanced down at the woman asleep in his arms. "I just hope seeing you brings her back too." He began to ease away from his sleeping partner. "Hmm, Nicky, go back to sleep." Dana Scully snuggled closer. "Scully? Scully, come on, wake up." Mulder shook her shoulder gently. "Lisa?" She opened one eye and glared at him. "Nicky, I'm tired, go 'way." "You have to wake up now. There's someone here to see you." She pulled back from him slightly and looked up at his face. "What?" "Look who's here." He nodded in Skinner's direction. The blank look on her face as she turned to Skinner told both men all they needed to know. "Do I know you?" An hour or so later Mulder entered Skinner's motel room, Adams and Laurence having moved to other quarters to allow the AD easier access to his agents. "She's calmed down and is resting." He ran his hand through his hair. "I want her to see a doctor, one we trust, as soon as we get her home." He sat at the table with the other man. "Why do you remember and she doesn't, Mulder?" Skinner was having trouble getting the vision of a hysterical Dana Scully out of his mind. "I'm not sure. I have been dreaming about our cases all along, maybe they just didn't do as thorough a job on me." "Mulder, Adams told me she's pregnant. Is he right?" "Yeah. We just found out yesterday." He turned his face away. "We were so happy. They made us believe that we had been trying to conceive for years." Mulder turned back to Skinner. "What if that's it? What if they've done something to the baby?" "Mulder, let's not buy trouble. I am assuming that you had a normal marital relationship?" Mulder blushed. "Yes, Sir." "Then who's to say this baby didn't just occur the old-fashioned way." "But, Sir, Scully can't have children." Mulder thought for a moment. "Unless they did something to her when they took her. We've been together constantly for the past three and a half months. There would have been no opportunity for them to artificially implant this pregnancy." "We'll have her examined as soon as we get her home, Mulder." Skinner clapped the younger man on the back. "Don't worry, we'll take care of her." "NICKY!" The scream came from next door. Both men rushed through the connecting door to find Scully sitting up on the bed, tears running down her face. "Scully, it's okay, you're fine. Shhshh, it's okay." Mulder sat beside her on the bed. She pulled away from him abruptly. "Don't call me that, please, don't, Nicky." Mulder looked up at Skinner, "Uh, Sir?" "I'll be in the other room if you need anything, Mulder." Skinner glanced back at the pair on the bed. If anyone was going to get through this it would be those two. Lisa watched the big man leave the room then turned to face the man beside her. "I, I-- I'm not sure what to say. Everything feels so, so unbelievable." "I know that, Scu- Lisa, but this is real. You are Dana Scully, and I am Fox Mulder." She was shaking her head before he was finished. "Maybe before I was this Scully person, but not now. The only person I can ever remember being is Lisa Collins Miller." Mulder stood up and began pacing. "Look, Lisa, I know this must be difficult--" "Were we lovers?" "What?" Mulder spun to face her at this unexpected query. "You heard me. Were you and Dana Scully lovers?" "No! No, we weren't. We were partners, friends, that's all." "Oh." Then something dawned on her. "You weren't, hmm, married to someone else were you?" That would be unbearable. Mulder recognised the fear in her eyes and sat beside her again. "No, I'm not married." "Oh. How about a girlfriend?" Surely there was someone. "No, I'm not seeing anyone at the moment." "Well, that's something anyway." At Mulder's raised eyebrow she continued, "I'm sure a wife or girlfriend wouldn't appreciate you returning after a four-month absence with your partner carrying your baby." Tears began to form once again. "What's going to happen to our baby? I mean, you're not my husband, you're not even my lover. What's going to happen when this baby's born?" "Are you sure you want to have this baby?" Mulder kept his voice soft. Lisa jerked as far away from him as possible. "How can you even ask me that? All I've wanted for the past twelve years is to have your child. We've cried about it and prayed about it and finding out I was pregnant was a dream come true. Of course I want this baby." "Lisa, you know those memories aren't real." "That may well be *Agent Mulder* but they are the only memories *I* have." They just stared at one another for a moment. Then Lisa broke the stand-off. "Do you remember *anything* about Nicky?" Mulder nodded, "Yeah, sort of. Of course I remember the last four months but as for the rest of his life? It's more like I remember hearing a story about someone else's life. I know what the memories are but there is no emotion attached to them." "Oh." She glanced away. Mulder reached for her hand. "All of my emotional memories involve Dana Scully." "I'm sorry I'm not her." Mulder gently brushed a tear from her face. "I know." He sat up straight and smiled softly. "Why don't you try to get some sleep?" He stood to leave. "Agent Mulder?" "Yeah?" "What happens next? I mean, you have your life back, but I have nothing. I'm not who I think I am and I'm not who I'm supposed to be. What's going to happen to me?" "I'm going to take you home. We will figure this out. I promise you that." He turned out the light and left the room. Skinner took one look at Mulder's face and made a decision. "You need sleep." "I'm fine, Sir." "You aren't going to do her or anyone else any good if you are exhausted, Mulder. She's going to need all the support she can get if--" "If what? There is no if. We are going to get her memories back. We'll take her home to her mother. Maybe familiar surroundings will help." "I hope so." Skinner watched Mulder pace. "What I want to know is how they created this in the first place. All these people, your students, how did they get to them?" "They didn't. Lisa and Nick Miller moved to Colville three and a half months ago. They wanted to get away from the big city and teach in a small town." Mulder sat again. "Neither one had any family left so they just packed up and moved." "How convenient." "Isn't it though? Look, Sir, I don't know what they've done or how they've done it, but if I can get my memory back, so can she." "Mulder, may I ask you a personal question?" "Of course." Skinner looked down at the table. "What are you going to do about the baby?" "I asked her about that. She became understandably angry. You have to understand, Sir, from where she stands this baby is a dream come true. Lisa and Nick Miller have been trying for years to become pregnant. Right now this baby is the only thing good she has left in her life." "But, Mulder, what happens if we get Scully back?" "Then she and I will have to discuss what we want to do." "What do you want, Mulder?" Mulder couldn't meet Skinner's eyes. "That is something I will discuss with Agent Scully, Sir. Now if you will excuse me I think I'll turn in." "Where are you planning on sleeping, Mulder?" "I think it would be best if I took the other bed in her room, Sir. She may wake up again." Mulder didn't wait for a reply. He left through the connecting door and closed it behind him. Fox Mulder lay in bed watching his partner. Even in sleep she looked troubled. What am I going to do if she never remembers, kept racing through his mind. He could understand *Lisa's* distress. Everything she knew had been taken from her in a matter of moments, her whole life was a lie. He, on the other hand, had his life back. He just wasn't sure what it would be worth without Dana Scully. **** Mulder woke to something tickling his nose. He opened his eyes to a veil of auburn. Apparently, sometime during the night, Scu- Lisa had switched beds. She now lay cuddled up in his arms, her head on his chest, holding on for dear life. He began to stroke her back and, realising what he was doing, pulled abruptly away from her. His sharp movement woke the woman sleeping peacefully beside him. She blinked sleepily at him for a few seconds then grinned broadly. "Well, babe, it looks like you aren't the only one having bizarre dreams. You wouldn't believe the doozy I just had." "Uh, Lisa." "It was so funny, there were FBI agents and a big scary bald guy and . . ." She looked at his face. "It wasn't a dream was it?" "I'm sorry." She got off the bed quickly. "I barely remember waking up at about three this morning and wondering why you were sleeping in the other bed. I thought maybe you had another nightmare and hadn't wanted to wake me up. It never occurred to me to wonder why we were in a motel room. I'm sorry, Agent Mulder, if I made you feel uncomfortable." She was babbling and she knew it, but she was powerless to stop it. Mulder reached out and grabbed her hand and was startled to feel her flinch. "Lisa, please sit down." She looked at him carefully then sat on the chair next to the bed. "You don't make me feel uncomfortable." She looked at him. He smiled. "Well, a bit, but probably not for the reasons you think. Dana Scully is my best friend. We have a very special relationship unlike any I have ever had. It is difficult for me to see you wearing her skin. I automatically want to treat you as though you were her. So the problem isn't you, it's me." She looked at him through tear-filled eyes. "Believe me, Agent Mulder, I know what you mean." "I know you do, and I am so very sorry for that." They looked at each other for a few moments and finally she spoke. "So, what is going to happen to me? You mentioned going home. Where's home for Dana?" "Washington, D.C. We work at Bureau Headquarters. You live in Georgetown." "Agent Mulder, is Dana Scully married?" "No, she's single. She's not involved with anyone either." "Does she have a family?" "Yes. Yes, *you* do. You have a mother, who I am sure is frantic by now, an older brother, Bill, who probably wants to kill me-- again-- and a younger brother, who will just be happy to have you back." "Oh. I haven't had any family for over ten years, ever since my Dad died." She looked out the window. "I never had any brothers. Why would . . . Bill?" Mulder nodded. "Why would he want to kill you?" "Bill and I, well, we just don't mix. He has some issues with . . . well, just about everything about me. Mostly it's because he loves you though, so I put up with him." "What about the younger brother . . . ?" "Charles. He and I get along fine. He used to live in Arlington, so I met him early on in our partnership. He's a good guy. Has four great kids, and adores his big sister." She had to smile at that. "What is it going to do to them if I don't remember being Dana Scully?" "We'll just have to make sure you do remember, won't we." Crystal City, Arlington, VA. October 21 10:25 p.m. The condominium was beautifully appointed and more than comfortable. Skinner had set agents at every entrance to the building. Lisa stood staring out the large window in the living room, waiting. Agent Mulder had promised her that he would try to explain everything to her this evening. She wasn't all that positive an explanation was what she wanted. All she could think about was her very strange and unsettling day. The flight from Colville to D.C. had been made in the comfort of the Bureau's private jet. When Mulder had questioned Skinner about it he would only say that rank did have a few perks. The trip had been tense and awkward for all. Adams and Laurence had accompanied them, Skinner wanting the extra protection for his two wayward agents. They had immediately gone to a doctor recommended by the Lone Gunmen. After extensive testing, she had declared Lisa physically normal and as far as she could tell the baby was healthy. She would want to see her later in the pregnancy for more tests. Mulder and Skinner had a brief argument about where they would be staying. Skinner had won, which was why Lisa now stood in his living room contemplating her future. It was terrifying to think that everything she had known to be her life was a lie. That her family, her career and most importantly her husband, were all a very elaborate fiction. She didn't turn to look when she heard someone enter the room. She could *feel* that it was *Agent Mulder* and it hurt to look at him. Mulder stood and watched the woman at the window for a few moments. As hard as he tried, he couldn't imagine what she must be feeling. He knew the pain of losing someone you loved. At this moment he was terrified that he would never get Scully back, something he couldn't allow himself to dwell on. She on the other hand had been told that her entire existence was a lie. "Ahem, Lisa?" Mulder joined her at the window. "Hmm?" She still did not look at him. "Do you want to talk now? Or would you rather get some rest? Skinner has made up the guest rooms for us. If you're tired, I can try to explain all of this in the morning." She finally turned to face him. "I'd rather hear it now. I'm not going to sleep for worrying about it, so . . ." She moved to sit on the couch. Mulder sat in the armchair opposite her. "Okay. This isn't going to be easy. I'm going to need you to keep an open mind." Over the next hour and a half he spun an elaborate and unbelievable tale of aliens and conspiracies that sounded right out of a Hollywood feature. When he had finished, he asked her if she had any questions. She stared at him for a moment and began to laugh hysterically. "Questions?" she sputtered. "You want to know if I have any questions?" He came to sit beside her on the couch. "I know this all sounds a little crazy, Lisa . . ." "A little crazy? This sounds completely insane!" Lisa jerked away as he reached for her hand. "You expect me to believe that our government has done this to us?" "I know this is hard to believe, but what I am telling you is the truth. Why do you think Skinner has twelve hand-picked agents guarding this building? What other reason could there be for erasing Fox Mulder and Dana Scully?" "I-- I-- God, this is crazy." She turned to face him fully. "Okay, let's just say I believe you. What happens next?" "We are trying to figure out a way to get Scully back. The Gunmen are working on that now and I have sent out a few feelers of my own. Hopefully it won't be too long. Other than that we need to keep you safe." He saw her face fall. "What is it, Lisa?" "You are working to try to erase me. When your Scully comes back I will no longer exist. It's . . ." "I'm sorry. I should have realised. I know all of this must be terrifying." Lisa gave a snort of laughter. "I'm a high school science teacher, Agent Mulder. The most exciting thing to happen in my life up to now, was when Terry Sharp tried to blow up the chem lab." Mulder smiled at her. He knew a cover when he saw one but he also knew it was going to be important to keep her spirits up. "Why don't you try to get some sleep? Tomorrow is going to be a busy day." "What are we doing tomorrow?" "Skinner is bringing Scully's computer over. I know she kept a journal. I thought you might like to get to know her a bit better." "I'd like that. What will you be doing?" "I'll be doing more research. See if I can help figure out what they have done to you." He flashed her a bright smile. "I'll also be trying to keep Bill Scully from killing me outright. Your family is arriving tomorrow." She squirmed uncomfortably. "Family? Am I going to have to meet them?" "Mrs. Scully has been frantic. She and her daughter are very close. I don't think I could stop her from seeing you even if I wanted to. I'm hoping that seeing her and yo- and Bill will help your memory." "Oh. Agent Mulder, may I ask you a question?" "Of course." "What happens if I don't get Dana Scully's memories back? What if I stay Lisa Miller?" Mulder sighed. "To be honest with you, Lisa, I'm trying not to let myself think about that. But if that happens we will deal with it. As far as the world knows, Lisa Miller exists. She has a social security number, a driver's license and all of the other numbers and pieces of paper that make us who we are. We would figure something out, I promise." Yes, but what would I be to you? That was the question uppermost in Lisa's mind as she got ready for bed. Would this man allow her to be a part of his life or would he cut her out completely? **** After a breakfast, during which Mulder and Skinner did everything they could think of to set her at ease, Lisa settled in with Dana Scully's computer. "Let's see what's so wonderful about Miss Scully," she said to the monitor as she waited for the machine to boot up. Lisa spent the next two hours getting to know the woman she used to be. All of Dana's thoughts and feelings were laid bare on the monitor in front of her. She finally pushed her chair away from the desk, her eyes burning. Wow! There was no doubt in her mind that Dana Scully was a very complicated lady. Her decision to join the FBI had led to a rift in her relationship with her father. She had always been very close to her family and this rift continued to cause her pain even as she found great satisfaction in her career. The reading really got interesting when Dana joined the X-Files. She was continually conflicted by her dedication to her job and the Bureau and her strengthening bond with her partner. Lisa was staring at the screen saver when Mulder entered the room a few moments later. "So, how's it going?" He sat on the end of the bed. "Your partner was . . . complex," she said, unsure of his reaction. Mulder laughed. "Well, I guess that's one way of putting it." He came to stand beside her. "How far have you gotten?" "She has just saved your butt in Alaska." Lisa smirked at him. "You have a rather abbreviated sense of self-preservation, don't you? She worried about that a lot." "I know. It used to scare the hell out of her when I would run off on my own. It was something I was working on." He reached over her to turn off the computer. "Lisa. Margaret and Bill Scully are on their way here from the airport." "Oh." "Yeah. I know this is going to be tough for you, but it wouldn't be fair to them to keep them away. They've been worried sick for months." "But what's it going to do to them when they meet me and I'm not who they want me to be?" Lisa looked at her lap, then back up at Mulder. "I really don't want to hurt them, Fox." Mulder looked startled for a moment then nodded. "You won't. The Scullys are good people. To them you are family, that's all that will matter. I, on the other hand, may be in a bit of jeopardy." "Bill?" "Bill. Though your mom will protect me. I hope. Now they should be here soon. Did you want to be down there when they arrive or would you rather I spoke to them first?" "I'll be there. Just give me a few minutes to freshen up and I'll be down." Twenty minutes later Skinner walked through the door with an attractive dark-haired woman and a tall red-haired man. The woman was obviously trying very hard to resist throwing herself at the daughter she had been missing for four months. Her blue eyes filled with tears as she approached Lisa. "Hello, I'm Margaret Scully, Dana's mother." The hand she offered Lisa was shaking. Lisa took the hand in both of her own. "Hello, Mrs. Scully. I'm Lisa Miller." Margaret turned pleading eyes to Mulder. "Fox?" "Please, Mrs. Scully, sit down and I will try to explain this as best I can." "Explain it!" Bill Scully exploded. "How are you going to explain the fact that my mother felt the need to introduce herself to her own daughter. C'mon, Mom, Dana, we are leaving. Now." He reached for Lisa's hand. She shrugged him off and moved to stand beside Mulder. "I'm sorry, Mr. Scully, but I'm not going anywhere." "What? For Christ's sake, Dana, we'll take you home. Get you a good psychiatrist--" "I am not Dana Scully. I am Lisa Miller." Bill looked ready to do some serious violence when his mother stepped in. "Bill, that's enough. Walter and Fox both explained Da- Lisa's condition. We knew what to expect. Now sit down and let Fox explain what he thinks is going on." Half an hour later the Scully's were trying to absorb what Mulder had just told them. "So you think there is a possibility that we will never get our Dana back," Margaret whispered. "There is just no way of knowing right now, Mrs. Scully. Believe me, we will do everything in our power to return her memories. I just thought you should be prepared in case we can't." He glanced at Lisa. "There is one more thing you should know. Something we are all going to have to deal with even if we do get Dana back." He looked at Lisa again. She nodded and turned to the Scullys. "I'm pregnant." End 2 of 10 Unreasonable Facsimile part 3 by Deenalynn Silence. "You Goddamned-son-of-a-bitch I'll kill you!" Bill Scully lunged for Mulder only to be physically restrained by Walter Skinner. "Enough!" Skinner barked. "That's enough." He made sure he had Bill's attention. "Are you going to act like an adult?" Nothing. Skinner tightened his grip. "Are you?" "Yeah. I'm fine. Let me go." Bill shrugged away from Skinner's hold and turned back to Mulder, only to find his sister between him and his target. "Back off, Mr. Scully." Lisa's eyes were cold. "Dana . . ." "I. Am. Not. Dana. Scully. How many times do you need to hear it? I am not your sister. Maybe some day I will be again, but right now I am Lisa Miller and the man you are trying to maim is my baby's father. So back off!" Margaret laid a soothing hand on Bill's arm. "I think we all need to take a deep breath and have a seat." She tugged on her son's shirt. "I mean you, Bill." He sat. Margaret turned back to Mulder and Lisa. "Is it true, Fox?" He nodded. "Yes it is, Mrs. Scully. She's about nine weeks along." "But--" "Mrs. Scully, may I speak to you alone for a moment?" Mulder interrupted her. He led her over to the window, bent his head low to hers and said quietly, "I haven't told Lisa that Dana couldn't have children. With everything that has happened it was one more stress she didn't need. I didn't want her worrying about her baby. Right now it's the only good thing she has left in her life." Margaret reached up and touched his cheek. "Not the only good thing." He smiled in return. "How are you doing, Fox? This must be very difficult for you." "I try not to think about it. I'm concentrating on finding a way to get Dana back." "I know you are. Is there anything more I can do?" "I'd like you to spend time with her. I wish I felt it was safe to have you take her to your house. But right at the moment I want her here and safe." "I'll spend as much time as she wants. I can see that our visit today has upset her a bit. I will speak to Bill. Let him know that if he wants to help get his sister back, he will cooperate. I'm sure he'll be fine." "I know he loves Dana, Mrs. Scully, but this is hard enough on Lisa without him making things worse." "I will speak to him. Right now I'd like to spend some time with my daughter. Maybe get to know Lisa a bit." As she returned to the living room, Mulder had to smile and respect the incredible strength of the Scully women. Lisa visited with the Scullys for most of the afternoon. When Margaret saw her attention wandering she called an end to the visit, promising to return the next day. **** Over the next few days, Lisa saw little of either Mulder or Skinner. Instead she spent a great deal of time getting to know Dana Scully. Reading the journals and speaking to Margaret gave her a very clear picture of the woman whose body she now occupied. The later entries in the journals spent much more detail on her personal life and feelings and less and less on her work. There was very little Margaret could tell her about Dana's work, it seemed her daughter preferred to protect her mother from the more dangerous aspects of her life. One thing that was very clear to Lisa, was that Dana Scully was as much in love with her partner as he was with her. On the fourth night after their return to DC, Lisa woke up screaming. Her vision was just clearing when Mulder appeared beside her bed. "They, they were trying to take the baby. They told me that I wasn't stable enough. I couldn't remember who I really was so I couldn't be anybody's mommy." She sobbed. "Oh, Lisa." Mulder sat on the bed beside her. "No one is going to take this baby. You hear me?" "But if I don't remember . . ." "I am this baby's father. I'm not going to let anything happen to her, or her mother." He brushed her cheek tenderly. "Her?" He shrugged. "Just a feeling." "Fox, will you tell me about her?" Mulder looked confused. "About the baby?" Lisa smiled. "No. Tell me about Scully. The journals tell me all about Dana and the way she saw herself. I want to know how you saw her." Mulder exhaled sharply. "Well, I'm not sure what to tell you. Dana Scully is a great agent. She and I worked well together. I had other partners before her but--" "Fox, stop. I don't want to hear about the life and times of superagent Scully--" "You don't understand, Lisa. Being my partner was the most important thing Scully ever did for me. She was willing to accept the things about me that drove most people away. In the beginning it was all about the work and then eventually I came to realise that she accepted these things about me as my friend, too. I could tell her anything and she never once made me feel inadequate. She was smart and kind. She had infinite patience with me. She was the strongest person I knew. She was also stubborn and bullheaded. And at times she took herself way too seriously. She could close herself off so completely nothing could get through and it drove me crazy. Recently, even though it was very difficult for her, she eventually learned to let me be there for her. Sure, there were times when I could tell she thought I was completely insane, and there were times when I knew she was almost fed up with me and my-- quirks." They both grinned. "But she never gave up, you know. Even when I wanted to give up on myself, Scully never did. I had never had that before. Someone I trusted with every part of me, emotional and professional. It was . . . well, it was nice," he finished off weakly. Lisa smiled gently at him. "She sounds very special." "Very." He could still see confusion in Lisa's eyes. "What is it?" "It just that-- well, you are so much like Nicky and from what I can tell, I am absolutely nothing like Dana." She plucked at the quilt covering her. "Well, I wouldn't say you are nothing like her." She raised a familiar eyebrow and he had to smile. "Okay, you aren't much alike. You think I'm like your Nick?" She smiled wistfully. "Yeah, you're exactly like him." He cleared his throat. "Okay, well, I think I've kept you two up long enough." He helped her lay back down. "You go back to sleep. And please, don't worry about the baby. Nothing is going to happen to her as long as I am alive. I promise you that." He pulled the blankets up under her chin. "Okay?" "Okay." He stood to leave. "Fox?" He turned back around. "Thank you." "For what?" "Just thank you." He smiled, nodded, and left the room. **** Several days later Mulder returned home from work to find Lisa weeping in front of the computer. "Lisa?" He hurried to kneel beside her. "Lisa, what is it? What's wrong?" Lisa turned angry eyes on him. "Why didn't you tell me?" "What? What didn't I tell you?" He took her hand and led her to the couch. He wiped her tears and asked again. "Lisa, please, what's wrong?" "How was this baby conceived?" The question hit Mulder like a bullet. Damn, he'd forgotten, of course Scully's journal would have everything. "Lisa, I'm sorry. I never meant for you to find out like this. I had every intention of telling you myself once things were settled down." "So it's true? This baby isn't--" she broke off. "This baby is ours!" Mulder said forcefully. "Every test they have run says this baby is yours and mine." "But Dana said she couldn't--" "The people who did this to us are the same ones who stole Scully's ova. I don't know how or why they have done this but all of the tests say this baby is ours and perfectly normal." "I know that's true. It just hurts that this baby was created in a lab somewhere and not when we made love." She began to cry again. Mulder pulled her into his arms. "Shhh, Lisa, we don't know that. We don't know what they did to us when they first took us. This baby may very well have been created when we--" He cleared his throat. "When we made love." Lisa lifted her head from his chest to look at him. "Do you really think that's possible?" He brushed her damp hair back from her face. "Yeah, I really do." She smiled brightly at him. "I guess when you live in a world where tiny chips can cure incurable cancer, you learn to believe the unbelievable." "You read about the cancer?" She nodded, sobering. "She was a lot stronger than I would have been." Mulder nodded. "I know the feeling, Lisa. Believe me, I know the feeling." Washington, DC November 19 As much as it pained him, Mulder was beginning to believe that they were never going to get Dana Scully back. All of the research and investigation he, Skinner and the Gunmen had done had turned up nothing. No leads as to who had done this, and no information on how to reverse its effects on Lisa. He had moved the two of them into Scully's Georgetown apartment. Not a decision he had made on his own. When he had suggested that he and Lisa live apart, she had become hysterical. Terrified that she would be taken again and her baby would be harmed. So they lived together. It wasn't a bad arrangement. Lisa was used to living with another person and accommodated him easily. He had grown used to her company both during the three months he had physically been Nick Miller in Colville and at Skinner's place, so the adjustment was an easy one. There were still times, however, when all he could see when he looked at her was his partner. "Fox? *Fox*?" Lisa was seated at the desk sorting through mail. He started. "Hmm, what? I'm sorry, I guess I phased out a bit." He went back to reading his paper. "You were staring at me for a good twenty minutes. Anything wrong?" Lisa had come to enjoy the company of this man. He was in many ways just like her Nick. But in others . . . "I'm sorry. I didn't even realise I was doing it," he said with an embarrassed smile. "You were thinking about her, weren't you?" She moved to sit on the couch next to him. "I'm not sure what you mean." He wouldn't meet her eyes. Lisa smiled. "I know there are times when you look at me and see her. It's only natural. I do the same thing. We've both lost the person we love. We are bound to feel drawn to the person wearing their skin." She reached for his hand. He snatched his away. "I told you. She was my partn-" "Please don't insult my intelligence, Fox. You are in love with Dana Scully. It's not something to be ashamed of. From what I have learned, she was a very special lady. She would have been very happy to know . . ." Mulder stood abruptly. "I'm going to bed." He stalked off towards his bedroom. "Fox! Fox, please. I'm sorry." The last was said to a closed door. "Stupid, stubborn jack-ass. Not so different from Nicky after all," Lisa muttered to herself as she tided up and turned out the lights. Washington, DC November 27 "Lisa? There's someone here to see you," Mulder said, poking his head around her bedroom door. Lisa looked up from her reading. "Who?" "Ellen Michaels. She was--" Lisa hopped up from the bed. "I know who she is. She's Dana's best friend." She took a peek in the mirror and straightened her clothes. "Does she know?" "Yeah. I called her yesterday. She and Scully have always been close and I knew she would want to meet you." After making the introductions Mulder left the two women alone to talk. Ellen smiled at Lisa uncertainly. "This is so strange. I'm sorry, it's just that--" Lisa smiled and patted her hand. "I know. Margaret has the same trouble, don't worry about it. I think it's pretty natural that the people who knew Dana would find this awkward." Ellen visibly relaxed then looked towards the hallway. "How's he taking it?" "Fox?" Ellen nodded. "He's been great. Most of the time." When Ellen raised an inquiring brow, Lisa explained. "He *is* great. He never tries to push me to remember. He's been terrific about the baby. He's been very sweet and accepting of me as Lisa." "But?" "But there are times when I catch him looking at me and I see so much sadness in his eyes. Sadness that I'm not her. He tries to hide it and for the most part he does a really good job, but every once in a while I see it." Ellen nodded thoughtfully. "You can't really blame him for that, can you? He is crazy about you, rather, about Dana, sorry." "Don't worry about it. Did Dana talk to you much about him?" Ellen burst out laughing. "Oh, Lord in heaven, did she talk about him?" She wiped her eyes. "Honey, I would venture to guess that I know more about the inner workings of Fox Mulder than his mother." Lisa grinned. "Care to share?" Ellen grinned back. "I remember the first time I heard the name Fox Mulder. At first I thought she was kidding. I mean who the hell names their kid *Fox*, right? But it turned out she was serious. She was all excited about her first field assignment even though she wasn't quite sure what was expected of her. When I talked to her they had already been on a case together and all she could talk about was this new partner of hers. I believe the quote was: 'He's gorgeous, sexy, brilliant, charming and nuttier than a fruitcake, El!' That was when I *knew* there was gonna be something there." "Why, did Dana like nuts?" Lisa asked. "No! God, no. I had just *never* seen Dana react this strongly to a man before. Later on, when I asked her about him, she tried to deflect me telling me he was an obsessive jerk. But I could tell there was something special. After a while all she talked about was 'Mulder this' and 'Mulder that'. When I would call her on it, she would always try to put me off." "What kind of things would she say about him?" "Well, she would bitch and moan at first, how crazy he was and his ideas made no sense et cetera, then she would talk about how much he was willing to depend on her and how he never treated her as less of an agent because she was a woman. She also talked about the fact that he would flirt with her. She loved it. Even though she did everything in her power to hide it from him." "When did you meet him?" "Dana kept us apart for a very long time. You see, after that first time she never again mentioned what he looked like. Then I met him. Well. You know what he looks like and how charming he can be when he sets his pointy mind to it. He was on his best behaviour when we met over lunch. I was completely charmed. Told her that if she didn't snap him up I would." "Aren't you married?" "Funny, that's what she said." They both laughed. "Seriously, Lisa? Dana Scully is head over heels in love with her partner, has been almost from the start. And unless I am very mistaken, he loves her just as much." **** "So, Mulder, what did you get the little woman for Christmas?" Frohike looked up from the computer monitor to leer at his friend. "Do any shopping at Victoria's Secret?" It was Christmas Eve. Mulder was doing some follow-up research with the Lone Gunmen before he went home to Lisa. "I bought her a bunch of stuff. Did you find anything more on Dr. Norris?" "Ooh. A bunch of stuff. Like what?" Langly joined the conversation. "Stuff. What do you have on Norris?" A return trip to Colville had found Dr. Norris' clinic empty. Locals said he had just pulled up stakes one night shortly after the Millers left town. Mulder and the Gunmen had been searching for him. "C'mon, Mulder. You know we aren't going to let this lie. You might as well tell us. Or we could just check your credit card records." Langly booted up a second computer. "Visa or Master Card?" Mulder sighed. "I got her a pair of earrings." The two Gunmen just looked at him. "What?" "That's it? Earrings?" "No. I got her a few other things. Some bath things, a new robe, some perfume. You know-- *stuff*." The Lone Gunmen looked at each other and then at their friend. "Uh, Mulder?" "What?" "That sounds like husband stuff," Frohike said with a smirk. "Okay. That's enough. I have been this woman's partner for over seven years. I have been *living* with her for over five months. She is carrying *my* baby. What the hell would you suggest I get her?" Mulder stood and began pacing. "Believe me, I thought about it. Then I just said to hell with it and bought her things I knew she'd like. Do you have a problem with that?" He glared at his friends. "Uh, no. So do you want to know what we found out about Norris or not?" Frohike turned the monitor for Mulder to see. Mulder stared at the little man for a moment then looked at the monitor. "What am I looking at?" "According to this, Dr. Richard *Harrison* graduated top of his class from Harvard medical. That, however, isn't the most interesting aspect of his academic career." Frohike paused for effect, took one look at Mulder and continued. "You are never going to guess who his classmate and roommate was while he was there." "I don't have time for games, Frohike. Just spit it out," Mulder said, exasperated. "One Kevin Scanlon." Mulder stared at his friend incredulously. "Scanlon? *The* Scanlon? The one who *treated* Scully's cancer?" "That's the one. Evidently they were thick as thieves-- pardon the expression-- when they were at med school. They roomed together at the university and then did their internships and residencies at the same private hospital. A private hospital whose ownership is murky to say the least." Frohike handed Mulder a printout. "They have been very thorough. The closest we have come to finding out who actually owns the hospital is a few offshore accounts. We're still working on it though." He punched a few keys bringing up another document. "After that our illustrious doctors get a little tough to trace. As far as I can tell, they both moved a lot, working at various clinics all over the country, none of which bore up under our kind of scrutiny. In January of '97, Dr. Harrison became Dr. Norris and moved to Colville." "January '97. That's when we blew Scanlon's cover. When I found Scully's . . . Goddamn it! They've had this set up and planned for years. Shit!" Mulder threw the printout across the room. "That's what we figure too. Once you found the clinic in Allentown they set this up," Byers said quietly. "But why? I still haven't figured out their motive for this. Tests show the baby is normal, human, mine and Scully's. Why do this? Why now?" Mulder asked the room at large. "We still have a bunch of leads to follow up on, Mulder." Frohike patted him on the back. "Don't you worry." Frohike started to push Mulder towards the door. "Now, you go home and have a nice Christmas with your little woman. We'll take care of everything here." Mulder just glared at the little man. "Byers . . ." "Go home, Mulder," Byers said. "Lisa is probably worried sick. Scared she's going to have to spend Christmas Eve alone. If we find anything we will call you." Mulder took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. "You're right. I'm going. If you find *anything* I want to know. Immediately. You hear me?" Without waiting for an answer he left. End 3 of 10 Unreasonable Facsimile part 4 by Deenalynn Lisa was in a full blown panic. It was after five in the afternoon and Fox still wasn't home. She knew he was worried about the holiday and its effect on her. They had a rather loud discussion earlier in the week about whether he was going to accompany her to the Scully's on Christmas Day. He had felt that it was a time for family and he didn't want to intrude. She had snorted and informed him that in her mind he *was* her family so if he wasn't going to the Scully's, neither was she. That had stopped him. He had made a few grumbled remarks about never winning an argument with her no matter what her name was and then rather gracelessly caved in to her demands. Now she was beginning to worry that he wasn't going to show up for Christmas at all. Lisa was still pacing in the living room ten minutes later when she heard a key in the lock. She ran to the door, flung it open and hurled herself into the arms of a very surprised Fox Mulder. Mulder was a little shocked to find his arms suddenly full of his . . . whatever. When he felt her shaking, he became alarmed. "Lisa, what is it? Has something happened? Is it the baby?" She shook her head. "No." Her teary voice was muffled by his coat. Mulder tightened his hold on her when he realised she was crying. "Lisa, you're scaring me. Tell me what's happened. Did someone hurt you?" Lisa drew away a bit. Looking up into his concerned eyes, she gave him a watery smile. "No . . ." "Then would you like to tell me what this is all about?" As she moved away from him and back into the apartment, he followed. Lisa was having a tough time trying to decide how to explain this to him. "Fox, sit down. Please." Mulder sat on the couch. Lisa took a seat next to him. "I'm sorry I frightened you. Nothing's wrong. I'm fine. So's the baby." "Then what . . ." Mulder waved towards the door. "I was scared you weren't going to show up for Christmas Eve," Lisa said quietly, looking at the floor. Mulder sighed and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry." He opened his eyes and looked at her. "I was with the Gunmen. I guess we lost track of time." She gave him a rather bemused smile. "That's where Walter said you probably were." "You phoned Skinner?" Mulder's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "Yeah, and Margaret." "Mrs. Scully too?" Mulder shook his head and laughed lightly. "I am dying to hear where *she* thought I was." "She thought you were out doing Christmas shopping. But I know you went a couple of weeks ago, so it wasn't that." Lisa looked at her hands. "I'm sorry, Fox. I was just worried. After the fight we had about Christmas day, I . . ." "I'm the one who should be apologising, not you. It is Christmas Eve and you had every right to expect me home before now," Mulder said, taking her hand. Then he grinned. "So, what is that amazing smell, and do I *finally* get some of those cookies you've been hoarding?" "That smell is stew and if you would set the table we can eat." She grinned back at him. "And you only get cookies if you clean your plate." "Somehow I don't think that's going to be a problem." Several hours later they were sitting, watching the tree lights and talking. "Fox, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?" "Of course not." He sipped his coffee and took another bite of his sugar cookie. "Chances are it's something Scully already knew. So really . . ." Lisa smiled softly. "I was curious about your family. I know your father passed away a few years ago. Dana mentioned it in her journal. But what about your mother? I know you talk to her, that you told her about the baby. I was just wondering why you weren't spending Christmas with her." "My mother usually spends Christmas with her sister in Portland. I can't tolerate my aunt's husband, so I try very hard to have a good excuse not to go. This year was an easy one." He grinned at her. "Mom did invite both of us out there. I think she's kind of excited to be a grandma." "What's wrong with your uncle?" "That man is *not* my uncle. He just happens to be married to my aunt. I have always believed that it is entirely possible that he is the most boring human ever to walk this earth." Lisa laughed. "Oh, Fox, I'm sure he's not that bad." "Oh, yeah? He makes boxes for a living. Now, there's nothing wrong with making boxes. I mean someone has to do it, right? But making boxes is the *only* thing that man can talk about. Sports, nope. Current events, nada. Cars, fishing, computers, gardening, zip, zero, zilch. Believe me, I have tried everything. No interest. He always manages to turn the subject back to his beloved boxes. I'm sorry, but there is only so much I can tolerate before I come unglued." Lisa was laughing helplessly by now. "How does your mother handle him?" "Ha! That's just it, she doesn't. She and Auntie Hellene spend all of their time together *catching up*. *I* get stuck with Robert and his damn boxes." Mulder watched, delighted, as Lisa doubled over laughing. It was a beautiful sound. Lisa looked up at him, wiping her eyes. "I'm sure you're exaggerating." "Not in the least. Actually, it's worse. They don't even have T.V. Robert says it's corruption for idle minds. Personally, I think he's afraid he may actually learn something worth talking about." Mulder just sat and watched as Lisa's giggles died down. "I still think you should be with your family at Christmas, Fox." "I am." Lisa was quiet for a moment. "Well . . ." She cleared her throat. "We have to get up early tomorrow so . . ." Lisa stood up and carried her cup to the sink. "You're right. Wouldn't do to be late for the Scully family Christmas." Mulder had followed her into the kitchen and when Lisa turned around it was into his chest. "Oh, excuse me." They did a little dance trying to get out of each other's way. Finally, Mulder put his hands on her shoulders to hold her still. Lisa looked up at him and their eyes caught and held. She could see every thought and emotion in those eyes. All Mulder could see was the woman he adored looking up at him with those amazing eyes. For just a minute, it didn't matter that she didn't remember being Dana Scully. All that mattered was the love he could see in her eyes. When her lips brushed his, he was suddenly shocked back to reality. He gently shoved her away. "Lisa, we can't." Lisa stepped back even more. "I know. It's just hard." She turned back to the sink to rinse the cups. "Fox." "Mhmm?" "Do you think that there is a chance that you-- I mean, if you don't get Scully back, do you think you and I could ever . . .?" Mulder sighed and scrubbed his face with his hand. "I honestly don't know, Lisa. Scully and I never had that kind of relationship. It feels too much like I would be doing this to her without her permission." "But if she doesn't come back, do you think you would ever be able to see me just as Lisa and not as your Scully?" Mulder smiled at the use of *your*. "I hope so. For both our sakes." "It's just that sometimes I feel so damn lost. I'm here, living inside some other woman's world. There are people around me that care about her, but none of them know me. You're the only one I feel close to, and yet, I know you wish I were her. I feel like I'm broken and no one knows how to fix me." "I'm sorry, Lisa. I wish there was something I could do. I know this must be awful for you. Everything you know and love is gone. But you have to know that I care about you, and not just because you're Scully. But because you're pretty special too." He brushed her cheek gently. "We're both tired and we have a very early day tomorrow. We should get some sleep." Home of Margaret Scully Baltimore, Maryland December 25 6:45 a.m. The house was decorated within an inch of its life. The living room looked like something out of the Christmas Wishbook, and in the middle of it all, there sat five children, almost trembling with anticipation. "Auntie Dana's here! Can we open the presents now?" a little girl squealed when Mulder and Lisa entered the room. "You can wait the few minutes it will take you to greet your aunt like a civilised being," the tall dark haired man said, getting up from the recliner. "Hi, Da- Lisa, Merry Christmas. I'm Charles." He leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Are you okay with the munchkins?" The children were now clamouring for her attention. Lisa smiled and nodded, turning to the kids. "Hi guys. So they made you wait for us, did they? Well, why don't you see if you can find everyone and we'll get this show on the road?" She grinned broadly as the children scattered to gather the rest of the adults. They had discussed the children at length the week before when it had been decided that Mulder and Lisa would be attending the Scully celebrations. It was decided that it would be too difficult for the young ones to comprehend the situation so Lisa would try to remember that she was Auntie Dana. She had studied family pictures so she would be able to identify each child by name. Soon the room was filled with the chaos of present opening. The children were in their glory and the adults were trying very hard not to look like they were in theirs. "Oh, Fox, it's lovely." Margaret Scully turned to show the little porcelain box to Charles' wife Gail. "My mom has always had one like it beside her bed for her rings and earrings. I saw that one and thought of you," Mulder said. "What a wonderful idea. I have always hated just leaving them on the bedside table. Thank you." "There's one here for someone called Lisa." Kyle, Charles and Gail's oldest son was playing Santa. "Who's Lisa?" "Oh. Well, that's one of my nicknames," Lisa spoke up quickly. "Why?" "Well, you know how sometimes there is more than one person with the same name? It can get confusing, huh?" Five nods. "Well, there was more than one Dana and it's kinda hard to find nicknames for Dana and I like the name Lisa, so . . . I picked it." Fourteen year old Kyle looked less than convinced but his eight year old little sister jumped in. "That's like in my class. There are *five* Jessicas. The teacher calls us all by different names. I'm Jessie." She pointed her thumb at her chest. That seemed to convince Kyle and he handed Lisa the gift. "It's from Mr. Mulder." Lisa took the large box and sat back down beside Mulder. "Oh my!" she exclaimed when she opened the box to reveal the deep blue robe. "Oh, Fox, it's gorgeous." She smoothed the velvety soft material. "I'm glad you like it. I knew Sc- yours won't fit much longer and you would need a maternity one." "Is Auntie Dana gonna have a baby?" Kyle had been listening carefully. "Yes, I am. In May." "Cool." At that, Bill got up and left the room. Mulder followed him into the kitchen. He found him just staring out the window into the backyard. "When we were kids I used to try to push the younger ones around. Melissa told me off, Charles ignored me, but Dana, Dana humoured me. It was funny. She'd let me get away with it up to a certain point and then knock me on my ass again. My sister is the toughest, strongest person I know. She would hate what is happening here. How do you think she would feel if she saw how cozy you are to that person out there?" "You really don't get it do you, Bill? You think I'm doing all of this on purpose. That as long as I find what I want, to hell with everyone else." Mulder moved so he was standing very close to Bill Scully. "I would do *anything* to have your sister back. Do you hear me? *Anything*. I hate seeing her like this. But you know what, there is a chance that we'll never get Dana back. That Lisa is the one who will be here with us. I owe it to Scully to make sure Lisa is safe and happy and that *our* baby is healthy and loved. If you have a problem with that, I am sorry, but I refuse to feel guilty for caring about Lisa. I love your sister, no matter what name she is using." The gasp from the doorway made him turn quickly to see Lisa standing there with a smiling Margaret. "The kids were wondering if you two were going to come back so they can finish opening their loot," Margaret said, still beaming. "Yes. We wouldn't want to ruin *anybody's* Christmas, would we Bill?" The rest of the day was rather uneventful. Bill seemed less tense and Lisa was thoroughly enjoying this family experience. They attended a beautiful Christmas Mass at Mrs. Scully's church, then came home and enjoyed a delicious dinner. Once they had stuffed themselves with turkey and all the trimmings, the adults settled in with coffee and conversation. "So, Mulder, have you been able to find anything that might help Lisa?" Charles Scully asked bluntly. "Actually, we do have a few leads right now. Nothing really solid, but they may head in that direction," Mulder answered. "So why are you sitting here instead of being out helping my sister?" Bill grumbled. "Bill! That's enough," Mrs. Scully said sharply. "That's okay, Mrs. Scully. Bill, I wanted to be out searching. But your sister and your mother both wanted me to be here today. So I'm here. I thought maybe Lisa having a nice Christmas was important, don't you?" Mulder had decided long ago not to let this man push him around anymore. "What, now you think we couldn't make a nice Christmas for Dana without you? You really are an arrogant bastard aren't you?" "Okay, that's enough, Bill," Lisa stepped in. "For your information, no, you couldn't have made a nice Christmas for me without Fox. I am only here because he agreed to come with me. He agreed even though he knew you would treat him this way. You know why? Because he cares about me. No other reason. I would think that would be good enough for you. I'm sorry that it isn't." She turned to Mulder. "Maybe we should go, Fox." "Lisa, wait," Bill said quietly. "Look, I'm sorry. It's just, it's hard. Please stay. I promise I'll behave." He nodded at Mulder. "We're not going anywhere. I'm going to have at least one more piece of that pie before you get rid of me." Mulder grinned at Mrs. Scully, and the tension in the room dissipated. **** Mulder and Lisa arrived home at around eleven that night to find several messages from the Gunmen and one from Skinner. After a rather tipsy sounding rendition of 'Jingle Bells', Frohike's voice came on the line. "Hey, Merry Christmas you two. Hope you survived the family thingy. Talk to you later." More 'Jingle Bells'. The next call was Byers. "Merry Christmas, guys. Mulder, we found something rather interesting. It's nothing that can't wait. Give us a call tomorrow. Bye." Then from Skinner. "Merry Christmas, Mulder, Lisa. I spoke to the Gunmen. They said they have some info for us. Let me know when you are going to see them, Mulder, I'd like to be there." "Are you going to call them tonight?" Lisa asked, settling on the couch. "No. Byers said it could wait. If it were important he would have said so or called us at your mother's. It's still Christmas, and I have one more gift for you." He pulled a small box out of his pocket. "I didn't want to give it to you in front of your family. I didn't want them to get the wrong idea." Lisa looked at him curiously. "What is it?" "Open it and find out." He smiled nervously. Lisa opened the little box to reveal a small emerald ring. The setting was old-fashioned and elegant. "Oh! Oh, Fox, it's lovely." "My father gave it to my mother when they found out they were going to have me. My mom sent it to me when I told her about the baby." Lisa blinked away tears. "I, ahem, I don't know what to say. Are you sure you want me to have it? I mean you should give it to someone you-- are you sure?" "I should give it to the mother of my child." He took the ring from her and slipped it on her right hand. "There, perfect fit." Lisa smiled up at him. "Thank you, Fox. You have no idea how much this means to me." She reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "You're welcome. I'm glad you like it." "I do." They just looked at each other for a moment. "Well, now, this little one and I are exhausted, and I think we should go to bed." **** Mulder and Skinner met the next morning at the offices of the Lone Gunmen. "Okay, guys, what did you find?" Mulder asked when Langly opened the door to admit the two men. "After we found the info on Scanlon and Harrison, we did a little more digging. Seems there were a few other bright young men who followed in their footsteps. We have managed to find two of them. A Dr. Andrew McNeill and a Dr. Lance Stewart. Both have been practising in small town clinics for the last ten years or so. However, a little snooping into their financial status tells me that they both have squirrelled away a hell of a lot more money than any small town doctor should be capable of." "Do you have anything on them other than where and when they went to school and an obvious talent for money management?" Skinner asked. All three Gunmen looked at Mulder as though shocked they needed more. He smiled at them. "What else do you have, guys?" Byers sniffed, offended. "Both of these men receive regular payments into Cayman Island accounts. Payments totalling more than two million dollars a year, for the last fifteen years. Now even if they are both money wizards, it seems unlikely they would be that good." He smiled smugly at Skinner. Mulder hid a smirk and asked, "Where are they now? Do you have current addresses on them?" "You bet. Dr. McNeill is in Blackwood, Texas, and Dr. Stewart is in Bellefleur, Oregon. I think you're familiar with both towns, Mulder?" Dulles Airport Washington, DC December 26 3:48 p.m. "Lisa? Hi, it's Fox. Listen, I'm not going to make it home tonight. I have some work I have to do." Mulder spoke into his cell phone as he and Skinner hurried to their departure gate. "Is everything okay, Fox?" Lisa asked. "Everything's fine. I just have to go out of town and I'm not sure when I'll be back. I just didn't want you to worry." "Oh. Okay. Well, you will call and let me know you're okay, won't you?" "Of course. Look, I have to get on my plane now. I'll call you when I get there, okay?" He handed his boarding pass to the gate attendant. "Okay. Fox?" "Yes?" "I'll miss you." She hung up. Mulder stared at his phone for a moment before disconnecting. He then followed Skinner down the jetway. The flight to Portland was long and crowded. Skinner had booked them into business class allowing them more comfort and privacy. "What did Lisa have to say?" Skinner asked his distracted travelling companion. "Hmm? Oh nothing, just wished us luck." Mulder turned to look out the window. "So how was Christmas?" Skinner knew they had spent the holiday with the Scullys. "Christmas was-- good. Nice. Mrs. Scully was great, of course, and Charles and his family are terrific. Lisa had a good time, I think." "How about you? Did you have a good time? Did Bill manage to behave himself?" Skinner had seen firsthand the way Bill Scully treated Mulder. Mulder snorted. "Not likely, though he was better than I expected. I think Tara threatened to cut him off if he didn't play nice." Skinner smiled. "What did he do?" "Nothing in particular, I guess. Just generally obnoxious. Lisa did have at him though." Mulder smiled at the memory. "Oh, really? That must have been a sight to see." Mulder chuckled. "It was. She let him have it about the way he treated me, the way he treated her and for trying to ruin Christmas. I think he finally clued into the fact that I'm not going anywhere. That I really do care about his sister." Mulder turned to the window. "Mulder? Is there something you'd like to talk about?" Skinner asked quietly. "Like what, Sir?" Mulder didn't turn to face his boss. "About you and Lisa." "Lisa and I are fine, Sir." Mulder still didn't meet his eyes. "Are you sure? If you need someone to talk to, I'm here. I know this must be very difficult for both of you." "It's-- I-- damn it. I'm not even sure how to explain it to you. There are times when it's physically painful, I want Scully back so much. Other times-- when I'm having a good time with Lisa-- I feel so guilty because I haven't thought of Scully. I'm not sure what to do. We're having this baby together and I haven't asked Scully what she wants. What if she doesn't want to have my baby? What if when we get her back, she hates the fact that she is carrying my child? Or worse than that, what am I going to do if I never find a way to get her back at all?" Mulder finished breathlessly. Skinner wasn't sure which question to address first. "Mulder, you and I both know that Scully will be thrilled to be carrying your child. As for the rest of it, I have complete confidence that you will find a way to bring Dana Scully home. Feeling comfortable with Lisa is nothing to be ashamed of. After all, she is Scully and you're bound to have that connection to her. It's good for both her and the baby that you're able to provide a happy and safe home for Lisa." He patted the younger man on the arm. "Scully will understand everything, Mulder. You two have been through some really tough times and managed to come through it all stronger and closer. I can't see this time being any different." Mulder smiled weakly and said, "Thank you, Sir. I know all of that. It's just there are times when it all seems to be too much, you know?" Skinner nodded and they turned their attention to what they were going to do when they found Dr. Stewart. End 4 of 10 Unreasonable Facsimile part 5 by Deenalynn Bellefleur, Oregon December 26 7:55 p.m. They pulled up in front of the address Frohike had given them for Dr. Stewart. "Okay, we're here. Now you promise me, Mulder, that you are not going to go off on this man. We need his help. Lisa needs him. *Scully* needs him." "I know, Sir. I'll keep it under control." The house was modest in size and in a nice neighbourhood as befitted a small town doctor. There was an SUV in the driveway beside a smaller import. There were several bicycles leaning against the garage and other toys littered the lawn. It made Mulder queasy that this man had children of his own. An attractive woman in her thirties answered their knock. "May I help you?" "Yes, ma'am. We're looking for Dr. Stewart," Skinner said politely. "I'm sorry, Lance doesn't see patients at home. You'll have to call the clinic for an appointment or check at the hospital." She began to close the door. Skinner stopped her with his hand on the knob. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but we aren't patients and it really is very important that we see Dr. Stewart." "Who is it, Mary?" A tall blonde man in his forties came up behind her. He looked at Skinner. "Is there something I can help you with?" "Are you Lance Stewart?" "Yes, I am." He put his arm around his wife. "I'd like to ask you a few questions, Dr. Stewart." Mulder stepped out from behind the door. Stewart took one look at Mulder and bolted into the house. "Back door!" Skinner yelled at Mulder as he took off after the doctor. Mulder caught up with Stewart in the backyard as the man was about to go over the fence. "Hold it! FBI. I'm armed." Stewart stopped and raised his hands. "Get down on the ground, hands on your head." Mulder kept his gun trained on the doctor. Skinner came out the back door. "Would you mind telling me what this is all about?" the doctor asked as he knelt. "You know damn well what this is all about, *Doctor*." Mulder frisked him then handcuffed him. "You come into my house, pull a gun . . ." "Why did you run?" Skinner asked, hauling the man to his feet. "I saw the guns and . . ." "Wrong answer, *Doctor*. We both had our guns holstered. Now, let's try again. You were fine until you saw Agent Mulder. Then you ran. Why?" Stewart sighed heavily. "Can we go somewhere else and talk? You're scaring my wife and kids. Besides, they can hear us here," Dr Stewart whispered. "No problem. Let's go." Skinner grabbed his elbow and started to lead him to the front of the house. "Are these really necessary?" The prisoner wiggled his cuffed hands. "Yes." Shoreline Inn Bellefleur, Oregon December 26 8:25 p.m. "Start talking," Mulder said as soon as they entered the room. Skinner secured Dr. Stewart to the bed, then joined Mulder at the table. "I'm not sure what you want to know," Stewart whined. Mulder stood quickly. "Mulder!" Skinner barked. "Sit down." Mulder glared at his boss but sat. Skinner stood and went to sit beside the good doctor. "Now, Dr. Stewart. May I call you Lance? Good. Now, Lance, as you can see, Agent Mulder is just a little on edge. My advice to you is that you really ought to cooperate and answer his questions." "But . . ." "Uh, Uh, Uh. This is very important to both of us. Now talk." Skinner moved back to the table. "What do you know about what was done to Agents Mulder and Scully?" Stewart sighed. "It's a combination of drug therapy and deep hypnosis. I have no idea why it failed with Agent Mulder. Maybe his memory has something to do with it, but we thought we had accounted for that." "We tried hypnosis and got nothing," Mulder said. "You don't know her trigger words. With this particular treatment you will get nowhere without the triggers. I have no idea what they are. That wasn't my end of things. Only Richard knows them. Even if you know them, you'll still have to counteract the drug." "There are no drugs in Scully's system or in mine. We've been tested over and over." Mulder ran a hand through his hair. "It's virtually undetectable, unless you are looking for it specifically. It comes up as a very slight hormonal imbalance. In light of her pregnancy, I doubt if a doctor would even find it remarkable. As for you, I don't know. Maybe that's why your memory came back." He shrugged. "Okay, it's a drug. What's the antidote?" Skinner asked. "I can't tell you that." Skinner grabbed the man by the front of his shirt and lifted him off the bed, stretching his cuffed wrist to its limits. "Sure you can." "Okay, okay, just put me down." Skinner dropped him on the bed. Having little use for cowards, he found this man particularly distasteful. "There is an antidote, but I don't have it. It's in the lab." "Can you get it?" Mulder asked eagerly. "Yesterday I would have had no problem. But I'm sure by now they know you have me. So I'll probably be dead before morning." The whiny tone was back. "I really hope you aren't looking to me for sympathy, Dr. Stewart." Skinner's tone left no doubt as to his feeling towards the doctor. "I have a wife and kids. Do you know what this will do to them?" Mulder lost it. "So the fuck what. You made the choices, *Doctor*, out of greed. You decided it was okay to work for these men. Men who thought nothing of taking innocent women from *their* homes and families. You chose to help these men experiment on those women. You *chose*, Doctor, to take my life and that of my partner and play games with them. I do feel for your wife and children, *Doctor*, but I can't help feel that they will be better off without a man like you in their lives." Skinner put a calming hand on Mulder's shoulder. "Don't worry about your employers, Dr Stewart. Just get us that antidote." "But . . ." "They have no idea what we talked about here tonight. And you aren't going to tell them." Skinner sat down beside the doctor and explained what was going to happen. Stewart residence Bellefleur, Oregon December 26 11:12 p.m. Every light was ablaze when Mulder and Skinner returned Stewart to his house. "They'll probably contact you tonight. Mulder and I are heading right to Portland. Hopefully that will put them off." "And if it doesn't?" Stewart asked. Skinner shrugged. "If it doesn't, then you'll have to do some fancy talking to convince them, won't you?" His wife met him at the door when Stewart walked up the stairs. "Oh, Lance." She threw her arms around him. "Honey, what did those men want? Were they police? I saw the handcuffs and didn't . . ." "Its okay, Mary. It was a big misunderstanding. A case of mistaken identity." He patted her arm reassuringly. "But why did you run, Lance? I don't understand." "It's not important. As I said, it was a misunderstanding. Let's go to bed. Okay?" He kissed her forehead and led her upstairs. They had just settled in when the phone rang. "Dr Stewart." "Ah, yes, Doctor. Did you have an interesting evening?" The voice on the other end was all too familiar. "Hang on a sec. Honey, I'm going to take this in my office. You go to sleep." Stewart went down the hall and closed the office door behind him. He went on the offensive. "How the hell did the FBI find me? You promised me I was clean." "Mr. Mulder has some talented and determined friends. What did you tell them?" "There was nothing I could tell them. They're looking for Richard and Kevin. I have no idea where they are." Stewart held his breath. "Is that all they asked you?" "What else? They know we all went to school together, and have worked together in the past. They thought I would know where they are." Stewart was sure the other man could hear his heart pounding. "You're sure that's all they wanted to talk to you about? They asked you nothing about Agent Scully?" "Mulder mentioned her when they asked about Richard, but that was it." The silence at the other end threatened to snap Stewart's nerves. Then, just when it became almost too much, "Good work, Dr. Stewart. You handled yourself very well." And the line went dead. Sheraton Hotel Portland, Oregon December 27 2:25 p.m. Mulder's pacing was starting to get on Skinner's nerves when the phone rang. "Mulder." "Your boy is a clever one, Mulder. Sent us the formula hidden amongst his kid's chemistry homework. If his bosses have a tap on the kid's computer, and I'm sure they do, I have a tough time believing they will catch this one. He even sent a goofy letter bitching about the teacher." Frohike's admiration for the doctor's stealth was obvious. "I don't care if he got it to you by passenger pigeon. Can you make this work?" "Yeah, I think so. It could take a while to synthesise it though. We're already working on it." "Thanks, Frohike. Have you guys managed to dig up Dr. Norris yet?" "Nothing yet, but we have a few new leads that look pretty good." Frohike sounded confused. "Why do you still need him if this is the antidote for what they did to Scully?" "That's only part of the cure. We also need the trigger words to get rid of the hypnotic block. Only Norris knows what they are," Mulder said. "We're heading to Blackwood next to see if . . ." "If you're going looking for Dr. McNeill, don't bother. According to a friend of ours in Dallas, Dr. McNeill took a header off his hospital roof yesterday afternoon." "Shit! How? That was before we talked to Stewart. They couldn't have known." Mulder threw his notes across the room. "I don't think they had to Mulder. From what our friend could dig up, it seems McNeill's daughter was recently diagnosed with a tumour. A nasopharyngeal tumour." "Damn! They took his kid." Mulder swore softly. "Well, I guess there's nothing we can do there now. We'll be heading home tonight." "You want me to call Lisa and tell her you're coming home?" "No, I'll call her when I get our flights. Thanks again, you guys." "No problemo, Mulder, you know that." With that the Gunman hung up. Mulder turned to Skinner who had been waiting impatiently while he spoke to Frohike. "McNeill is dead. They got to his family. His daughter has the same kind of tumour Scully had." He sat down heavily on the bed, and scrubbed his face with his palms. "What is it about these men that can make a father sacrifice his daughter?" Skinner didn't answer. He knew Mulder didn't expect one. "We should call the airline and see about flights. It could be tough to get one today." "We got one yesterday." "We got lucky and I flashed my badge." Skinner waited for the flip remark. Mulder just stared out the window at the river below. "Hopefully, our luck is still with us." Office of Dr. Angela Low Alexandria, VA January 23 1:15 p.m. "So, Lisa, how have you been feeling?" Angela Low was the OB-GYN the Gunmen had set Mulder and Lisa up with. "Great. I have tons of energy and am eating everything in sight." Lisa lay on the table, waiting for her ultrasound. Angela was just finishing up her exam. "Well, you aren't gaining an inordinate amount of weight so I wouldn't worry too much about it. And I'm glad to hear you're feeling good. How's Fox?" She flipped a blanket over Lisa's legs and abdomen. "I thought he would be here." "So did I." Lisa checked her watch for the tenth time in two minutes. "He said he would be here. He had to go into work, but he was going to get away in time for this appointment." "Well, we are running a little early and the ultrasound technician isn't here yet, so he still has plenty of time." Angela patted Lisa's arm and jotted a few notes in her file. "Everything looks great so far. You're nice and healthy, blood looks good, weight gain right on target." She smiled at Lisa's wrinkled nose. "You have that goofy, pregnant woman grin I like to see." Lisa laughed. "Thanks, Angela." "I'm not late, am I?" Mulder came flying through the door, panting. "Nope, the technician isn't even here yet." Lisa reached for his hand. "How come you're running?" "I got stuck in a meeting with that idiot Robson. I swear that man loves the sound of his own voice. Skinner finally rescued me and sent me on my way." He dropped into the chair beside Lisa's bed. "How are you two doing?" "Angela says we're great. Everything checks out good so far. No sign of the hormone in my blood at all." She smiled as Mulder's shoulders slumped in relief. Mulder had worried about the effect the antidote might have on Lisa and the baby. Lisa ran her fingers through his hair. "Fox?" He looked up. "We're okay. I can feel it. My blood is healthy and now we get to see our baby is too." Mulder brought her hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss there. "I know. I just worry, it's in my nature." Twenty minutes later they were staring enraptured at the tiny heartbeat on the screen in front of them. "Sounds good, you two. Looks good, too." Angela realised they weren't listening and just sat and watched them watch their baby. Tears were running down Lisa's cheeks, collecting in her hair. Mulder still held her hand pressed to his lips. Even though this was Lisa's third ultrasound, the previous two had been under the assumption that *something* had been done to Lisa and they had been so relieved to see a healthy normal baby they hadn't let themselves just enjoy the moment. "Her little heart beats so fast," Mulder exclaimed, his voice filled with wonder. The technician smiled. "It's a perfectly normal and healthy sounding heartbeat. Want to listen?" Mulder just nodded then his eyes widened in wonder as the sound of his child's heartbeat filled the small exam room. Lisa's sob tore him away from the screen. "Lisa? What's wrong?" He stroked her hair away from her face gently. Her smile was brilliant. "Nothing's wrong. Have you ever heard anything more amazing than this?" Mulder kissed her cheek then rested his forehead on hers. "No. I never have." **** The trip home was made in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Lisa was clutching the fuzzy grey picture of the baby. She thought back to Fox's recent behaviour. He had been much more affectionate lately. More willing to touch her. Small things really, a quick hug before bed, a hand on her elbow or back when they walked, even an occasional peck on the cheek. She had discussed it with Margaret and found out that while the touches were nothing new, the kisses and hugs apparently were. Margaret told her that Fox had always been very tactile with Dana and it was something Dana had a tough time getting used to at first. Lisa wasn't having that problem. She liked the touches, looked forward to them. She wondered what Dana Scully would think of the changes in her partner's behaviour. Mulder in the meantime was just remembering the sound of his child's heartbeat. Lisa had been right when she had said it was the most amazing thing she had ever heard. Mulder just hadn't expected to be so completely bowled over. He was more determined now than ever that *no one* was going to get to Lisa and their child. When they got home, Lisa went immediately to call Margaret to tell her about their appointment. Mulder checked the messages. There was just one from Frohike. "Hey pops. I hear things went well at the exam today. Congrats. Angela says everything is just peachy. She also mentioned a certain FBI type getting all emotional and kissing a certain lovely redhead. Care to share, Agent Mulder?" Mulder shook his head. He and Lisa had given Angela permission to share their medical records with the Gunmen, hoping it would help the investigation. "Fox. Fox!" Lisa's voice interrupted his thoughts. She smiled brightly when he looked up at her. "Margaret's invited us for dinner to celebrate the ultrasound. Is that okay with you?" Mulder laughed. "Only a grandmother. Of course it's okay." Lisa went back to her phone call. "We'll be there, Margaret. What time? Six sounds good. We'll see you then." Lisa hung up the phone and was surprised to find herself in a tight embrace. "Ooomph. Fox? What is it?" He smiled softly. "Thank you." He kissed her forehead and buried his face in her hair. She returned the smile. "You're welcome." She wrapped her arms around him and settled against his chest. **** Dinner with Margaret was wonderful as usual. Lisa caught her up on all the baby happenings and Fox filled her in on the investigation. Talking about returning Dana made Lisa a bit uncomfortable, but she had grown used to it. She realised that Fox would likely never stop trying to return Dana Scully. "So, are you going to find out what the baby's sex is?" Margaret asked as they sipped tea after dinner. Mulder glanced at Lisa and smiled. "We haven't decided yet. I'm pretty sure it's a girl." Lisa rolled her eyes. "What? *You* think it's a girl too." "Did you ever think maybe I'm humouring you?" Lisa grinned at his pout. "I'm kidding, Fox. I have a feeling too." Margaret watched them interact. It amazed her how easy Fox was with Lisa. Much more so than he ever had been with Dana. Maybe it was the difference in the two personalities. Lisa was much freer with her laughter and smiles than Dana had ever been. Much more affectionate. Fox was probably responding to that. Please, God, don't let him fall in love with Lisa. I don't think he could take losing her again when we get Dana back. Margaret's little prayer was interrupted by Mulder saying, "We should be getting home, Mrs. Scully. It's getting late." He helped Lisa to her feet and hugged Margaret. "Dinner was wonderful, as usual. Thank you for having us." "Thank you for coming, Fox. You know I love seeing both of you." She hugged Lisa and patted her tummy. "You two take care. Night, baby. Good night, Lisa." **** "Fox, can I ask you a question?" Lisa asked as they entered their apartment. "Sure." He sat on the couch and patted the cushion next to him. "What's up?" Lisa sat beside him and angled herself to face him. She reached out and took his hand. "Fox, what's going to happen to you when you get Dana back?" Mulder blinked in confusion. "I'm not sure what you mean." "I mean, you have been living here with me for months. You've been a part of this pregnancy every step of the way. Will you go back to living alone? Will you still be involved? What?" "Lisa . . ." Mulder ran a shaking hand through his hair. "I don't know. That's one of the things that has kept me up at night. I am hoping Scully will want me here, but I doubt it. I've told you before, she and I didn't have that kind of relationship. As for the baby, I don't think Scully would try to keep me away. But I have *no* idea how involved she'll want me to be. Scully was always so, guarded, about her personal life." He turned sad eyes on Lisa. "I do know there is no way I will let her keep me from this baby." He touched her briefly. "You know, I never really thought about having children. It was just something I've never thought would be a part of my life. But this little one . . . I had no idea I could have so much love for someone I've never even met." "You have to remember that Dana is going to know how you feel about her. She'll remember everything you've said to me about her. Maybe that will change things." Mulder smiled sadly. "I hope you're right, Lisa. I really do." Georgetown, Washington, DC February 17 5:34 a.m. "Fox, wake up." Lisa shook his shoulder. "Fox!" "Hmm, wha- Lisa?" He sat bolt upright. "What's wrong? Is it the baby?" He turned on the lamp beside his bed to reveal a brightly smiling Lisa. He glanced at the clock. "Lisa?" "Yes, it's the baby." She grabbed his hand and laid it on her swollen belly. "She's awake and doing cartwheels." "Oh God." Mulder felt his child move for the first time. "Oh." He looked at Lisa. "When did this start?" "I woke up and had to go to the bathroom, *again*, and I felt her move. This is the first time I've really been able to feel it from the outside. I mean, I could feel her move on the inside but this is different. I thought you'd want to feel it too." Lisa was pretty sure she was babbling, but didn't really care. She watched as Mulder laid his cheek on her tummy. "Hi, baby. This is your daddy. You getting bored in there?" He grinned. "I think she's just gunning for bigger living quarters." "Ha. Her living quarters get too much bigger, I'm gonna burst." They both laughed. They sat quietly for a few more minutes feeling the tiny movements of their child. Then Lisa said, "she feels like she's settling down now. I should go back to bed." She moved towards the door. "Lisa. Thank you for waking me up. I wouldn't want to miss something like that." Lisa smiled and pulled the door shut as she left. End 5 of 10