From: bellefleur <bellefleur1013@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2008 17:48:09 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: The Valley of Shadows 10: Precious Gems by bellefleur
Source: direct

TITLE: The Valley of Shadows 10: Precious Gems
AUTHOR: bellefleur
E-MAIL: bellefleur1013@yahoo.com
DISTRIBUTION: sure, but let me know
RATING: PG-13
CATEGORIES: X/mythology
SPOILERS: Conduit; S.R. 819; Trust No 1; William; and 
everything in between
DISCLAIMER: Not mine; they belong to FOX, CC, etc.  
SUMMARY: An unexpected guest makes the small community 
question their commitments and priorities.

Notes: This story is the tenth part in a series that 
rewrites the end of season 9 and then branches off in its 
own direction.  Read Parts 1 through 9 at: 
www.geocities.com/bellefleur1013/shadows_toc.html

Since it is taking me so long to finish and post this 
series, I have also added a page with a detailed summary 
of each previous part to help refresh your memory on the 
story so far: 
www.geocities.com/bellefleur1013/shadows_det_summ.txt

Special thanks to Mims for the beta. 

*****
*****

"Are you sure about this?" Scully asked.

"Just try it on," Frohike said.

Scully repressed a sigh and fastened the beaded necklace 
around her neck.  This was the fourth one in the last 

week.  As much as she appreciated their efforts to find a 
portable means of blocking her chip's transmissions so 
she could leave the cave, she had her doubts this would 
work.

"So, what do you think?" Langly asked her hopefully.

She hooked a finger around the short chain and pulled it 
out far enough to get a good look at it.  The beads--
polished magnetite pebbles, actually--weren't as large 
and bulky as the third necklace, nor as small as the 
first one.  And the beads were painted a more convincing 
shade of turquoise than the last two tries.  From a 
distance, the necklace might pass for a genuine Navajo 
creation.

Scully turned back to the two expectant faces.  "They're 
nice.  Very tasteful."  Met with their satisfied grins, 
she withheld any comment on her real concern--would the 
magnetite beads actually work?

The gadgetry that Frohike pulled out of his large duffel 
bag was familiar from the last couple of attempts, but 
Scully still had no idea exactly what it consisted of or 
where they got it.  But apparently, this weird concoction 
of cables and antennae was supposed to determine whether 
any transmissions could be detected from the microchip in 
her neck.

Familiar with the drill by now, Scully obediently stood 
at the center of the small cave while Frohike walked in 
progressively wider circles around her, and Langly did 
something on their recently procured laptop.

"So far, so good," Frohike proclaimed.  But she took that 
with a grain of salt.  They'd had the same success on the 
third necklace, two days ago.  Yet the thing had been 
ridiculously large and too unsightly for her to wear on a 
regular basis, which she would have to do--in order to 
serve its purpose, the necklace could never come off.  
That included bedtime and showers.  While that previous 
necklace was effective, Scully had to gently explain how 
uncomfortable it would be essentially sleeping on a pile 
of rocks.  The question now was whether this smaller, 
lighter model was too downsized to do the job.

Having reached the limits of the small room, Frohike and 
Langly took their equipment and started down the tunnel.  
She waited patiently while they disappeared from sight 
for a few minutes, no doubt testing out her range.

When they finally returned, she heard Mulder's voice 
intermingled on their approach.  "What do you think?"

"Everything looks good," Frohike answered.

Mulder came into view first, talking over his shoulder to 
the guys as they filed down the tunnel.  "How sure are 
you?  Because we can't afford to take any risks with 
this."

"I built this equipment myself," Frohike replied.  "It 
tests every frequency known to man--and even a few that 
aren't.  We all know what's at stake here.  I wouldn't 
let her leave if I wasn't sure."

Stepping into the room, Mulder smiled at Scully in 
greeting.  He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss 
before returning to the conversation.

"What about internally?" Mulder asked.  "Do we know that 
the dampening field won't affect how the chip works?"

This was the dual problem they always encountered: they 
had to stop the chip from serving as a transmitter and 
homing device, but they couldn't affect its function 
inside her body as a repellant to the tumor.  

"No more than the walls of the cave would," Langly said.

Mulder turned to Scully with a look of concern.  She knew 
he wanted assurance of her condition.  "I haven't had any 
nosebleeds in almost a month now.  I can't offer a 
definitive diagnosis without an MRI or x-ray, but I have 
no reason to believe that the tumor has progressed any 
further."

He nodded thoughtfully.  Now that cancer had reared its 
ugly head once more, she knew it would be difficult to 
ever put this beast completely to rest.  The fears that 
had once been assuaged with the illness's long absence 
were now resurrected and would continually lie close to 
the surface, for both of them.  

Scully looked to the two Gunmen for reassurance of her 
own.  "So, you really think I can leave?  There's no 
chance anyone can detect the chip?  Because if there's 
even a slight possibility, I won't take the risk.  I'd 
rather stay here than put any of you in jeopardy."  
Actually, she couldn't stand the thought of spending 
another day in this prison cell, but where her son's 
safety was in question, there was no sacrifice too great.

Frohike and Langly shared a look, apparently seeking each 
other's agreement.  They turned back to her as one, both 
radiating confidence.

"As long as you wear that necklace, no one can track your 
chip," Frohike stated resolutely.

Mulder glanced at Scully, awaiting her decision.  She 
smiled at the Gunmen, "Thanks, guys, for all your hard 
work."

Frohike turned away with a shy half-smile, while Langly 
just nodded awkwardly.  Thankfully, they accepted her 
words as dismissal and didn't linger long.

Once the two men left, Mulder untied the curtain to drop 
closed behind them and then returned to stand before 
Scully.  He took her hands in his and looked into her 
eyes, his gaze questioning.  She knew he wanted her real 
opinion--the truth, and nothing but. 

She took a deep breath.  "I want to come home, Mulder, 
but this almost feels too good to be true.  I don't know 
that I'm ready to trust this will work."

Mulder nodded and then shrugged.  "I trust the guys.  And 
you know how much Frohike cares about you--and about 
William.  If he had any doubts, he would've told us."

"So, you're sure about this?" she asked.

He paused for a moment, then stated confidently, "Yeah, I 
am."


Relief washed over her, triggering her smile, which 
Mulder reciprocated.  "Come on home," he whispered, 
releasing her hands to hold out his arms slightly in 
invitation.  She gratefully fell into his embrace.  

They just stood like that for a moment, rocking slightly.  
"Do you want me to help you pack?" Mulder asked.

Scully loosened her hold and stepped back.  "Yeah, there 
isn't much, so we might as well get everything in one 
trip."  As Mulder shifted away, her eyes fell on the 
table behind him.  "Oh wait--"

He watched curiously while she crossed to the table and 
retrieved what she had placed there a short while ago.  
There was one significant drawback to being permanently 
sentenced to a necklace made of magnetic material: she 
couldn't wear any metal jewelry with it.

Scully turned around and held up her cross necklace.  She 
saw the sympathetic apology on Mulder's face as soon as 
he recognized what she was holding.  

"I'd like to give this to William someday," she said, 
"but he's really too young for it yet."  She hesitated, 
not wanting to force this on Mulder by asking, and still 
unsure whether he might gracefully object.  But it was 
important to her.  She kept her eyes on the necklace, 
rather than his expression, as she asked, "Will you keep 
this safe for me, for a while?"


He reached out and lifted the cross between his finger 
and thumb.  "I'd be honored," he replied softly.  

Scully looked up then and met his sincere and loving 
gaze.  He let go of the necklace and held down his collar 
on both sides, baring his neck to her.  As she fumbled 
with the clasp, she was amused that she was suddenly 
nervous over such a simple action.  It felt almost 
ceremonial, like confirming a covenant.  Or maybe it was 

just an affirmation of a commitment made long ago.

Once the chain was securely fastened around Mulder's 
neck, Scully tucked the cross away beneath his collar and 
then rested her hands on either side of his chest.  His 
own hands dropped away to her hips, pulling her slightly 
closer.  He leaned in, his kiss soft but lingering, and 
she knew it was just a foretaste of the homecoming 
festivities yet to come.

Scully pulled back with a smile and new eagerness to get 
out of this place.  "Let's go home."

* * * 

Mulder cursed silently as the plastic cup slipped from 
his soapy hands and clattered in the sink.  He held his 
breath and listened for a moment, but the back of the 
trailer remained quiet.  Grateful, he released the breath 

and made another attempt at rinsing off the cup.

Since putting William down for his nap, Mulder had 
managed to tidy up the mess of toys in the living room 
and clean up the table, floor, and chair decorated with 
the remains of William's lunch.  It was amazing how 
someone so small could make such a mess.  Although, 
whenever Mulder commented on that to Scully, she would 
make some reference to the boy's paternity.

As happy as he was for Scully to be living with them 
again, Mulder relished these brief moments of solitude.  
For two people who had lived so independently for so 
long, they still had problems adjusting to being crammed 
into a limited space.  The winter months were only more 
confining; at least in the summer, the front "yard" (dirt 
patch, really) had become their living and dining room, 
but the winter chill kept them indoors.  

A car rumbled up the drive as Mulder set the last dish in 
the drainer.  He figured Scully was back from shopping 
and would need a hand with the bags.  Pulling the plug on 
the sink, Mulder just then registered the dissonance: 
more than one car door had closed, in rapid succession.  
That wasn't Scully.

Footsteps clomped up the stairs, followed by a knock at 
the door.  Mulder grabbed a towel to dry his hands on his 
way to the entrance.  He mentally took stock of his gun 
still strapped to his ankle from his morning run, 
although he didn't anticipate needing it. 

Mulder opened the door and grinned.  "Joe!  We were 
wondering if you guys were ever coming back.  That was a 
long holiday."

Joe returned the offered handshake, and Mulder stepped 
back, their hands still clasped, giving Joe a subtle tug 
inside.  

"We had some business to attend to on the ranch, and I 
wanted to make sure everything was settled so we wouldn't 
have to rush right back," said Joe.  He stepped through 
the doorway, followed by his wife Pat--and then Mulder 
realized there was a third person with them.  A stranger.

Joe moved to Mulder's side and explained.  "We brought 
someone back with us, an old acquaintance of yours who 
was eager to see you again."

Mulder scrutinized the young woman standing opposite him, 
still on the top step.  She was in her mid-20s with 
shoulder-length blonde hair draping the coat, sweater, 

and turtleneck that she was bundled in.  She seemed thin, 
but not frail.  He couldn't place her, but there was 
something about her eyes that seemed familiar.  They were 
eyes he'd looked into many times, sometimes even in the 
mirror--the haunted eyes of an abductee.

Then recognition struck.  "Ruby?  Ruby Morris?"

She smiled a little, obviously relieved that he 
remembered, then nodded and looked away.

It had been eight years or more since he and Scully had 
found her returned by Lake Okobogee and then were 
summarily dismissed by her mother and told to have no 
further contact with the family.

"It's been a long time," Mulder said.  "How are you?"  
The question seemed trite, but he meant it sincerely.

"I'm okay now.  Better than I was a few months ago."  She 
shivered and rubbed her hands on her arms.  Only then did 
Mulder notice he had left her standing on the porch.

He backed out of the way and extended an arm in 
invitation.  "Come in.  Have a seat.  I'm sure it's been 
a long drive."

"We stopped off for lunch just before the reservation," 
Joe said.  "But we're all plenty glad to be out of the 
truck."

"The boys are parking the Winnebago down by the 
compound," Pat added.  Mulder assumed she was referring 
to Hank and Cody, the two friends who had accompanied the 
Fuhrmans previously to help with the construction.  "But 
we wanted to stop by and see you first."

Mulder gestured for them all to take a seat around the 
table, and he waited while they removed coats and gloves 
to settle in.  As everyone stilled, there was an awkward 
silence.  It was clear that Ruby had a story to tell, an 
explanation for why she was here, but she seemed to need 
a prompt.

"How's your family?" Mulder finally asked.

Ruby watched her hands fidgeting on the table while she 
spoke.  "Oh, you know.  Kevin's in high school now.  I 
haven't seen them in a while, though.  Mom and I haven't 
really talked ever since I moved out.  I don't think she 
cared much for the guy I was living with."

"But you're not living there now?" Mulder prodded.

"No, not since that August.  Not since they took me 
again."

Mulder said gently, "You were abducted, weren't you?  By 
the ship."

She nodded and bit her lip.  "I only remember flashes of 
it.  They did things to me, horrible things.  I was 
strapped to this chair, and there were lasers, and saws, 
and..."

Mulder could feel the searing pain down his chest, a 
phantom pain that he hadn't felt in so long.  He placed a 
hand over Ruby's.  "It's okay.  I know.  They did it to 
all of us."

Ruby's sad eyes met his.  "They did it to you, too?"

Mulder nodded.  He didn't want either of them to relive 
those memories further.  "Do you remember being 
returned?"

Her hand squirmed beneath his, and Mulder withdrew his 
palm from her clammy fingers.  "Not at first.  I just 
remember waking up a few days later, at the camp."

"The camp?" he asked.

"Absalom's camp."

Mulder was surprised at that news and encouraged her to 
continue.

"Absalom wasn't there anymore--I never met him.  But his 
followers were even more determined after his arrest.  
They found the ships whenever they could and rounded up 
the abductees.  These healers would come by.  They 
traveled from camp to camp and saved whoever they were 
able to.  But not everyone made it."

"Is that what happened to you?" Mulder asked.  "You were 
healed?"

Ruby nodded.  "All I remember was this warm tingling, 
from my head to my toes.  It's the first thing I felt 
when I woke up.  I was afraid I was still on the ship, 
but somehow I knew I was finally safe.  When I opened my 
eyes, there was this man standing over me.  I don't know 
who he was, and I never saw him again.  But by the next 
morning, I was completely healed.  Even the scars I had 
from when they took me before were gone."

"Jeremiah Smith," Mulder murmured, mostly to himself.

The front door swung open, right next to where Mulder was 
seated, startling him.  Scully struggled through the 
doorway juggling bags and keys, and he jumped up to help 
her.  

"I couldn't find that beer you wanted.  They only had--"  
Scully stopped short as she saw they weren't alone.  
Mulder wasn't sure if she'd even noticed Joe and Pat 
since her gaze was fixed on their unexpected guest.  

Mulder lifted two of the plastic bags from her hand and 
turned to reintroduce her to the young woman.

"Scully, this Ruby Morris.  You remember that case?  
Iowa, about eight years ago?"

Surprised recognition dawned over Scully's face.  Her 
eyes flickered warily to him, but she maintained a mask 
of courtesy and reached out a free hand to greet Ruby.  
"Of course.  It's good to see you again."


Ruby stood and reached to shake Scully's hand.  As they 
made contact, Ruby went rigid, like she had been shocked.  
She pulled back from the handshake, looking confused by 
her own reaction, then quickly sat and covered with a 
smile.  "It's nice to see you again too."

Scully turned to Mulder with a look of uncertainty.  The 
moment was odd, to be sure, but he guessed Ruby was just 
startled by an electric shock from their contact.  It was 
a common hazard with the dry winter weather.

A grocery bag slipped lower in Scully's hand, reminding 
them both of the interrupted task.  Mulder hurried over 
to the counter to set down the two bags he had already 
appropriated.  "Do you want me to help you put these 
away?"

"No, that's okay, I've got it."  In the kitchen, only a 
couple of steps behind their guests, the couple had a 
little more privacy--but not enough for a conversation.  
Scully looked at Mulder intently, clearly communicating 
that she wanted a further explanation of why they 
suddenly had this new visitor in their home.  But all she 
said aloud was, "Is William down for his nap?"  She 
turned to the counter and started pulling groceries from 
a plastic bag.

"Yeah, I put him down in the bedroom.  He'll probably be 
up soon."

"Good.  I passed Gibson on my way back.  He was biking 
over to see William."

"You didn't offer him a ride?"

She frowned at him before returning to the groceries.  
"Of course I did, but he said he was fine.  The wind 
isn't as cold today.  Besides, there isn't really room 

for his bike in that car."

Mulder noticed Ruby watching them, but she quickly turned 

away when he looked over.  Joe and Pat were quietly 
talking, and he realized the young woman was probably 
feeling a little left out.  Mulder gestured to Scully 
that he was going back to their guests, and she nodded.


Returning to his seat, Mulder noted that Ruby seemed a 
little less at ease.  Her eyes shifted around, flitting 
toward the hallway, the door, the table--anywhere away 
from his gaze.  He imagined discussing her abduction 
experience had brought up some long-ingrained anxiety.

"So, Ruby," he ventured, "you haven't explained yet why 
you wanted to see me.  Actually, I'm kind of surprised 
you knew I was here."

"Well, I didn't know where you were.  But the word around 
the camps was that Joe had been helping you.  I figured 
he'd know where to find you."  She leaned forward on the 
table.  "It gives people hope, you know?  To see that 
someone's out there trying to find an answer.  For most 
of us, it's just enough to survive this.  But we know 
you're still looking for a way to fight it."

Mulder hoped he wasn't becoming some kind of hero figure 
to the abductees.  He hadn't given up on looking for 
answers, it was true, but life circumstances prevented 
him from looking too hard, and he always came up with 
more questions than solutions.

"Is that why you wanted to come here?" he asked.  "To see 
the work we're doing?"

Ruby frowned a little and rubbed her forehead.  A motion 
behind her drew Mulder's attention.  He glanced up at 
Scully, who had moved to the cupboards closest to them.  
She lingered there, trying to look casual, but he knew 
she was listening intently for Ruby's answer.

"Yeah, and because, I'd heard they took you too.  I 
thought maybe you'd understand.  And maybe you could help 
me.  Things have been so hard, so...confusing.  I know 
you tried to help me before.  Mom doesn't want to have 
anything to do with it.  I don't know if she even 
believes they took me this time.  She probably thought I 
just ran off again."

Something had been nagging at Mulder ever since Scully 
returned home, and as he listened to Ruby speak, he 
couldn't help but notice a pattern.  Whenever Scully 
moved farther away, to the fridge or the shelves on the 
opposite wall, Ruby relaxed a little.  But when Scully 
came closer, Ruby grew more agitated.  He had no idea 
what the connection was, but for some reason, Ruby was 
having a physical reaction to Scully's proximity.

A piercing wail from the bedroom interrupted his 
thoughts.  William only screamed that loud when he was in 
pain.  For a split second, Mulder and Scully shared a 
worried look before they both stepped toward the back 
room.  But Mulder's path was suddenly cut off by the 
front door opening.  

Gibson burst into the room.  His eyes quickly settled on 
Ruby.  "She's one of them!  She's a Super Soldier!"

At the announcement, Ruby stood and began to move away 
from the table, but Mulder drew his gun and leveled it at 
her before she could get anywhere.  Scully had paused at 
Gibson's unexpected entrance, but as soon as Ruby moved, 
Scully ran the rest of the way to the bedroom.

Ruby looked down the barrel of Mulder's gun and laughed 
coldly, sending a shiver down his spine.  He knew as well 
as she did the limited effect his bullets would have on 
her, but they could at least buy enough time for Scully 
to get away safely with the two boys.

"Show me the back of your neck," Mulder demanded, trying 
to assert his control over the situation.  Ruby just 
stared at him, her eyes still icy but losing their humor.  
"Do it!" he yelled when she didn't comply.

Ruby's face went impassive, and Mulder remained on his 
guard for any move she might make.  But then she 
surprised him by doing what he requested.  She turned 
around, lowered her collar, and tipped her head forward 
to bare her neck.  There were the tell-tale bumps.  What 
Scully had referred to as a distinctive mutation.

Ruby released her collar and turned, in slow, controlled 
movements.  "You can lower your weapon.  There's no need 
for me to harm you.  I only came for the boy."

Mulder's eyes flashed over to the young man standing next 
to him.  "Gibson?"  

"No.  William."

The chill down Mulder's spine turned to ice.  He followed 
Ruby's gaze down the hallway, where Scully stood 
clutching their hiccupping son to her chest.  They were 
both watching Ruby with terrified eyes.  Mulder knew that 
emotion well.

William's fist clutched the beads around Scully's throat, 
pulling so tightly Mulder feared he might hurt her or 
yank it off.  Not that it mattered anymore whether she 
was wearing the necklace or not.  But it suddenly gave 
him an idea.

Mulder quickly tried to formulate a plan without giving 
anything away.  He hoped that Gibson could read his 
incoherent thoughts and tried his best to focus them into 
clear instructions.

Taking a step to the left, Mulder placed himself directly 
in Ruby's line of sight to draw her attention.  "Why 
don't we have a seat so we can talk about this?"

"There's nothing to talk about.  I came for the boy.  I 
will kill you if I have to.  You know I'm capable.  And 
you know you can't stop me."

*We'll just see about that,* Mulder thought.  "Fine," he 
said, "but at least you can explain to me why you need to 
take him."  He gestured toward the table, hoping he could 
keep her occupied for a little longer.

Ruby shrugged, as though the delay was inconsequential to 
her, and resumed her seat.  Mulder glanced over at the 

Fuhrmans, huddling scared and bewildered on the other 
side of the table.  They were an unknown variable in all 
of this, and he hoped they would just stay still and not 
tip his hand.

Mulder returned to his seat, keeping his gun trained on 
Ruby but outside of her immediate reach.  "So, tell me 
why you want my son."

Out of his peripheral vision, Mulder saw Gibson slowly 
back away from them and into the living room.  Mulder did 
his best not to let his eyes wander from Ruby.  He wanted 
to maintain her focus strictly on himself.

"You assume I know things that I don't.  Really, we're 
just wasting time."

"They don't tell you why you should do these things, and 
yet you simply do them?"  Skilled profiler though he may 
be, Mulder had no experience with the Super Soldier 
psyche, if they even had such a thing.  He had no idea if 
they had any sense of conscience or individualism to 
appeal to.  

"It's not my place to question, only to obey.  They tell 
me what I need to know.  No more."

"And who are 'they,' exactly?" Mulder asked.  

Gibson had paused in the living room long enough to 
retrieve what Mulder had directed him to, and now was 
circling around into the kitchen.  Mulder feared there 
was a chance that Ruby's abilities extended to mind-

reading or some kind of clairvoyance, but so far she 
showed no signs of recognizing their plan.

"My superiors," she replied matter-of-factly.

"The military?  The aliens?"  Mulder didn't really expect 
helpful answers; he merely wanted to keep her talking.

"Is there a difference?"

Mulder raised his eyebrows at that curious response.  But 
there was no more time to pursue this line of inquiry.  
Gibson was in place.  He seemed to be hesitating, so 
Mulder offered a mental push: *Now.*

In a swift motion, Gibson stepped forward just long 
enough to drop a string of blue magnetite beads around 
Ruby's neck.  Her eyes went wide and her brow creased in 
puzzlement.  Ruby lifted one hand to her forehead, and 
the other to the necklace, but she immediately recoiled 
from it as though she had been burned.

Her eyes met Mulder's for a moment as some sense of 
understanding began to sink in.  The confusion yielded to 
determination.

Ruby leapt up from her seat and lunged toward the 
hallway, but Mulder's bullet was faster.  He shot for the 

chest, at close range, dropping her immediately.  She 
convulsed for a moment before falling motionless, her 
eyes fluttering shut. 

The room remained silent in the sudden stillness, the 
shot hollowly echoing in Mulder's ears.

Pat let loose a choked sob.  Mulder looked over to meet 
Joe's shocked eyes, as he held his wife tight to his 
chest.  "Mulder, we had no idea--we've never seen one of 
them before--we couldn't have...  Oh, God, Mulder, I'm so 
sorry."

Mulder clenched his jaw and nodded tightly, quickly 
casting his gaze back to the body at his feet.  He didn't 
look up again as he said authoritatively, "Scully, take 
William and go to the cave."

"No."  His head snapped up to meet her defiant look.  
Cradling William close, she slowly approached down the 
hall.  "I'm not going anywhere until I get some answers."

The door burst open behind Mulder, and he instinctively 
swung around with gun raised until he registered who had 
entered.  In all the commotion, he had completely 
forgotten that Skinner said he was going out for a jog 
and was due back soon.

Lowering his weapon, Skinner looked from Mulder to the 
body on the floor.  "I heard a gunshot."  Skinner's chest 
was heaving from exertion, and he swiped the sleeve of 
his sweatshirt over his sweaty forehead.

Mulder glanced down at Ruby once more.  She had not moved 
since falling unconscious, but the blood oozing from her 
wound had slowed.  In fact, it almost looked like the 
blood was now flowing in the opposite direction, 
retreating back into the wound.

"I'll explain later," Mulder said.  "We don't have much 
time.  We need to find some way to secure her before she 
wakes up."  He looked pointedly at Scully.  "And we need 
to get William to safety."

She nodded and looked past him to where Joe and Pat sat 
watching on, eyes full of fear and remorse.  Scully 
straightened her spine and headed toward them, carefully 
making a wide circle around Ruby, studiously avoiding 
looking down at the body and keeping William's head 
averted.  Mulder knew what Scully was about to do, and he 
admired her strength and courage.  He didn't believe that 
the Fuhrmans had intentionally brought this danger into 
their home, but he also didn't think he could force out 
even two civil words to them at the moment. 

Mulder only peripherally listened while Scully asked the 
couple to take William to the pueblo and they solemnly 
agreed.  His mind was preoccupied, making plans, while 
his eyes were fixed on the bright red spot at Ruby's 
chest.  He couldn't physically see the spot shrinking, 
but he didn't think it was just his imagination that it 
looked smaller than a minute ago.

Looking up at Gibson, Mulder saw the boy nod in agreement 
before he could even get the full statement out: "Find 
the other necklaces.  We need all the magnetite we can 
get our hands on."

* * *

Kicking a rock out of his path, Mulder realized it was 
the same one he had just booted in the opposite direction 
not thirty seconds before.  His shoes prints, distinct 
and separate a few minutes ago, had overlapped and merged 
into a continuous line, marking the same lap he'd been 
treading and retreading between the trailer and Skinner's 
camper.  He felt like an expectant father in a waiting 
room, but quickly shoved that image away when he 
remembered that he'd never had that privilege.

The sound of two mopeds speeding up the drive drew his 
attention, and he looked up from the dirt to see Frohike 
pulling up, Langly just behind with Gibson hanging on 
tight on the rear of the small motorbike.  They hastily 
parked and met Mulder next to the steps of the camper.

"What's the word?" Frohike asked.

Mulder nodded toward the camper.  "Skinner agreed to let 
us use his digs for an impromptu prison infirmary, and 
he's signed on as the official warden.  Scully's inside 
with him right now, tending to the 'patient.'  The bullet 
wound already healed itself, but she's still out for some 
reason.  We've got her restrained to the bed, and we put 
those extra magnetite beads to good use, but we won't 
know how much good it will do until she comes around 
again."

"What about William?" Langly asked anxiously.

Unsure whether his friend was inquiring after the boy's 
safety or his role as the bait in this whole plot, Mulder 
answered the simpler question.  "Joe and Pat took him 
down the cave.  They'll stay there until we know it's 
safe."

*If it'll ever be safe again,* Mulder thought.  With 
regret, he briefly met Gibson's worried eyes before 
looking away.

Frohike watched the closed door to the camper.  "Do you 
think we should take *it* down to the ruins instead?"

A wave of sorrow hit Mulder as he recognized that the 
young woman he'd reconnected with just a short while ago 
had now been reduced to something subhuman.  Another 
victim lost to the cause.  But the question Frohike asked 
pushed to the forefront; it was one that had already been 
tossed around.  Although that day on the train a year 

ago, Mulder hadn't remained in the rock quarry long 
enough to witness the fate of the shadowy man who pursued 
him, they'd all heard Scully's report of the man's demise 
when he drew too close to a wall of magnetite.  It was 
likely that their hills would have the same effect on 
Ruby.

"Maybe eventually, but we need to talk to her first, see 
if we can get some information."

The door to the camper squeaked open, and they looked up 

to see Scully standing in the doorway.  "She's starting 
to come around."

Mulder nodded and told his friends he'd rejoin them in a 
minute.  Inside the camper, he found Skinner keeping 
watch at the end of the bed, where their prisoner lay.  
Besides the string of turquoise beads around her neck, 
another bound her feet together, and a third was wrapped 
around her wrist, while the other wrist was handcuffed to 
a chair next the bed.

The space was only meant as temporary living quarters for 
one or two people, so there wasn't much room for four, 
especially when the fold-up bed was out.  Scully took a 
seat in the chair by the bed, and Mulder came to stand 
behind her.  They watched on while Ruby shifted on the 
thin mattress, struggling her way to consciousness.

When she opened her eyes, Mulder saw something he wasn't 
expecting: fear.

"Ruby?" he asked tentatively.

Her haunted eyes shot to him.  "Make it stop," she said 
plaintively.

Scully looked up at him, puzzled, then back to Ruby.  
"Make what stop?"

"Them.  What they're doing to me.  What they're making me 
do."

"What are they making you do, Ruby?" Mulder asked.

She closed her eyes, wincing.  "Bad things.  Things I 
don't want to do.  But I can't...stop...it."  She sounded 
like she was fighting even against the very words, the 
surface tremor of a battle waging deep within her.  

Mulder said gently, "Why did they send you here?  Why do 
they want William?"

"Because he's...the one."

"The one what?" Scully asked, a hint of impatience to her 
voice.

"I don't know.  The *One.*  They don't explain things to 
me.  I'm just supposed to follow orders."

"Like a good foot soldier," Mulder muttered.  

"How do you know these things?" Scully asked, her tone 
softer than before but still anxious.  "How do they give 
you your orders?"

Ruby closed her eyes and furrowed her brow.  "I hear 
it...in my head.  But not right now.  It's muted, 
somehow...distant.  I can hear my own thoughts again."

Scully stood and drew near to Mulder, a question in her 
eyes.  Quietly, she said, "Do you think the magnetite is 
suppressing her connection?"

He nodded, pensive.  "Like a collective.  They seem to 
transmit thoughts, through some kind of network.  We've 
broken that link, or least scrambled the signal."

Scully glanced down at the young woman.  "If this is 
related to the same technology as my chip, it would make 
sense.  The magnetite breaks the signal."  She returned 
her gaze to Mulder.  "But the question is, can we sever 
it completely?"


"Cut her off from the collective?"  

Ruby opened her eyes and looked up at them.  "Can you 
help me?"

Mulder didn't know the answer to that, but he knew they 
had to try.  If there was anything left of the real Ruby 
beneath the creature she'd become, they had to try to 
save her.  After all, he'd been abducted, like she had.  
He'd undergone the same tests and procedures--he'd almost 
become one of these things himself.

With a shudder, Mulder offered as reassuringly as he 
could,  "We'll try, Ruby.  I promise you, we'll try."

* * *

Scully waited until they were outside before she 
commented, "Mulder, I don't want to make her any promises 
that we can't keep."

He stopped next to their waiting friends and turned to 
respond.  "I only promised that we'd make an effort.  We 
can do that much, can't we?"

She looked at the anxious faces watching their exchange.  
"If they already know where we are, helping Ruby may be 
the least of our concerns.  They could have a whole army 
of those things on the way here as we speak."

Mulder shrugged.  "We could ask Ruby.  She might know."

"She hasn't been very helpful so far.  And if it requires 
reopening her line of communication, I'm not sure it's 
worth taking the risk."

Mulder glanced over at Gibson with raised brows.  Scully 
assumed Mulder was asking a question.  She appreciated 
that these two had formed a certain bond in the months 
they lived here together, just the two of them, but she 
really wished Mulder would express himself aloud in the 
presence of other people.

Gibson watched the camper for a moment, and then spoke.  
"She doesn't know much about them, just that she wants 
them out of her head.  She's fighting against the voices.  
She's afraid that she'll get lost in them and won't be 
able to find herself again.  She'd rather die than let 
them have her."

The all remained quiet for a moment at that 
pronouncement.

Finally, Frohike ventured, "So, what if they are on the 

way?  The pueblo isn't ready to house all of us, and we 
certainly can't withstand a military attack."

Mulder shifted his feet and put his hands on his hips.  
"It's enough to house William, and someone to take care 
of him.  That's all I'm worried about, especially since 
he's the reason she was sent here."

"Did she tell you why they want William?" Frohike asked.

Scully shook her head.  "No, she says she doesn't know.  
All I can guess is that they knew whatever Jeffrey 
Spender understood about William, but they didn't know 
about the injection."

"Or the injection didn't undo everything we thought it 
did," said Langly, earning him a glare from Frohike.

Turning to Scully, Mulder launched in with an enthusiasm 
that she immediately recognized: he was presenting his 
latest theory.  "If these things are connected as a 
collective, maybe they function like the Borg."  He 
apparently took her raised eyebrow as a question, and 
clarified, "You know, Star Trek?  The collective ignores 
you until you're a real nuisance.  We could be no more 
than a fly that needs swatting."

She rolled her eyes.  "Mulder, this is reality, not 
science fiction."

"There's a difference?" he asked, faux innocent.

Scully ignored him and asked the guys, "Do you know where 
Susanne is?"

"Back at the hogan," Frohike answered.  "Byers is with 
her.  He didn't want her anywhere near that thing."  He 
tilted his head toward the camper.

Scully nodded and said, "I'm going to go talk to Susanne.  
We'll need to set up the lab and work on a way to 
administer the magnetite internally.  Hopefully, we can 
create some kind of antidote, or at least a weapon."  She 
looked at Mulder.  "You might want to see if there's any 
way for us to manufacture magnetite bullets.  I don't 
know how much good they'll do, but it's better than 
nothing."

She turned then and set off toward the trailer.  The 
chatter continued behind her, but she tuned it out.  Once 
again they found themselves in a dangerous situation with 
too many unanswered questions.  But her son was at the 
center of it, a scenario she'd already been through and 
didn't care to relive again.  She had thought the last 
time would be the last time.  But even for the heart-
wrenching decision she had made, he was still in danger.  
Was it her fault for coming here, or for replacing the 
chip?  As long as he was with her, would he ever truly be 
safe?

* * *

A burst of wind whistled through a crack somewhere, like 
a ghostly cry.  Scully instinctively pulled her jacket 
tighter around her.  The small space heater, powered by 
the generator, helped to fend off the January chill, but 
far more cold seemed to be seeping through the walls and 
doorway.  Insulation would be her next request for their 
makeshift lab facility, but she knew that Joe and his 
crew had more pressing things on their agenda.  

They had stepped the renovations on the complex, now 
working 24-7 with every able-bodied male of their small 
community.  The room designated as the lab was one of the 
few largely intact dwellings on the ground level of the 
pueblo, and they had at least managed to put on a roof 
and make the inside clean and workable, but Scully didn't 
consider it a finished product.  The draftiness, however, 
did mean they had good ventilation, which was essential 
to their current project.

Glancing over her shoulder, Scully verified that Susanne 
was preoccupied before she reached inside her pocket to 
retrieve a vial.  Wearing a bulky coat while she worked 
provided at least that one benefit of easy concealment.  
Scully deposited the small vial of blood in the rack next 
to the other vials, but at the opposite end so she 
wouldn't get them mixed up.  

She tried to keep her hands steady and look nonchalant 
as she extracted a drop of the blood sample and placed it 
on the slide.  Taking a deep breath, she set the slide on 
the microscope.  The moment of truth had arrived.  She 
feared what she might find, but she had to know.

"Susanne?"  

Scully jolted and spun around at the sound of Byers' 
voice behind her.  Oblivious to her reaction, he 
continued, "Frohike said you wanted these right away."

"Thank you, John."  Susanne reached out to take the 
bucket of rocks from his hand, but he bypassed her to set 
it on the floor next to her work table.  Joe had tasked 
Frohike and Langly with slowly digging out the passage to 
the water source, which would double as an escape route.  
The rock they removed provided an essential supply of 
magnetite, but the fine particles needed to be extracted 
from the rock before it could be used for their current 
purposes.

"How are things going?" Byers asked, leaning against the 
adobe doorframe covered only by a Navajo blanket.  Scully 
wasn't sure which part of the construction project he'd 
been assigned to, but he looked more weary than she'd 
ever seen him.  She fought back a smile as she took in 
the dusty coveralls he wore, a far cry from his usually 
pristine and professional attire.  She amusedly wondered 
whether he was wearing a three-piece suit beneath the 
work clothes.

Susanne removed her protective goggles and settled her 
awkward weight back on her stool.  She still had over 
three months left to go in her pregnancy, but with two 
babies to haul around, she was growing rapidly.

"Dana's been working on the blood samples, but I'm afraid 
things aren't progressing quite as we had hoped."

Byers turned to Scully.  "Oh?  How so?"

Scully took off her latex gloves, happy to give her hands 
a chance to breathe.  "Well, we started with the blood we 
had taken from Ruby and Walter.  If our theory is 
correct, then the carbon-based nanites in his blood 
should be the perfect vehicle for an antidote to Ruby's 
magnetite-based nanites."

At Byers' confused expression, Susanne jumped in.  "My 
assumption that the technology behind the Super Soldiers 
is the same as the nanites used on Walter was correct.  
When we examined Ruby's blood, we found it teeming with 

nanites, a far higher concentration than in Walter's 
blood.  But Ruby's nanites are composed of magnetite."

"So, same technology, but different composition," Byers 
summarized.  When both women nodded, he asked, "Then how 
would one be an antidote for the other?"

Susanne explained, "Think of the magnetite nanites as 
tiny magnets.  In order neutralize them, each one needs 
to be paired with something magnetic--such as a metal or 
other substance that would attract and hold the magnet.  
Under the right conditions, carbon can be used for this 
purpose.  I believe that was the original intent for 
creating the carbon-based nanites.  With their ability to 
rapidly multiply, only nanites would be able to reproduce 
as needed to match the quantity and abilities of the 
magnetite nanotechnology."

"But you're saying this won't work?" Byers asked.

"Not like we'd hoped," Scully said.  "We tested a sample 
of Walter's blood with Ruby's, and while the carbon 

nanites did show a slight attraction to the magnetite, it 
was in no way strong enough to bond with and disable 
them."

Susanne offered, "In the long run, I really do believe 
this is the best solution to countering the Super Soldier 
biology.  However, we need to be able to reprogram the 
carbon nanites, and we simply don't have that kind of 
knowledge or technology at this point."

Byers frowned at this news.  "So, where does that leave 
us?"

"With Plan B," Scully said.  "To return to the analogy of 
tiny magnets, if we can still introduce a magnetic or 
paramagnetic element to attract the magnetite, we think 
we'll be able to neutralize them.  To that end, we're 
working to create an effective ferrofluid--basically, a 
liquid delivery system for magnetite particles.  These 
particles are the equivalent of finely ground iron 
filings, so they behave like a metal would to attract the 
magnetic nanites.  We can inject this fluid directly into 
Ruby's bloodstream, and hopefully it can bond with the 
nanites to render them ineffective."

Byers looked over at the bucket he had brought in.  
"That's what the rocks are for?"

Susanne nodded and gestured to her work station.  "I'm 
using a solution on the rocks to extract the magnetite.  
Only fine particles will be useful for the ferrofluid.  
Then we coat the particles with a surfactant, so they 
don't stick to each other, and use some kind of oil as 
the carrier fluid.  That's what Dana's working on right 
now, testing different oils with the blood samples to see 
which will work the best."

Scully smiled tightly as they both looked over at her, 
and she self-consciously took half a step to the left so 
that she stood directly in front of the microscope.

Beyond the doorway, a distant voice called out over the 
construction din, "Anybody seen Byers?"

Pulling aside the blanket that draped the opening, Byers 

leaned out the doorway and yelled, "I'll be there in a 
minute!"  Returning inside, he smiled and looked to each 
of them in turn.  "I need to get back out there."  He 
walked over to Susanne and kissed her on the cheek, 
briefly stroking her distended belly.

Before he left, Scully asked him, "How's the work 
progressing?"  She'd been in the lab most of the day and 
hadn't seen much of what was going on, but the noises of 
hammers and drills had echoed around them nonstop for 
hours.

"At least one more of the units is nearly livable.  But 
we've got a long way to go before turning this place into 
a self-sufficient compound to house a dozen or more 

people."  He darted a look at Susanne, and she quickly 
dropped her eyes.  "Joe has plan though, and things are 
moving along."

"Hey, Byers!" the voice called out again.

"Sorry, but I need to go.  I'll check on you later, 
Susie."

At his exit, Susanne's smile quickly faded.  She turned 
back to her table, replacing the goggles and recommencing 
her work.

Scully stood for a moment, contemplating the brief 
exchange she had just witnessed between the couple.  The 
entire group was on edge with recent developments, and 
they each had their own opinions on how to deal with the 
situation.  For the two scientists among them, it meant 
looking for a scientific solution.  For the men, it meant 

focusing on ways to protect or fight.  But Scully 
wondered if maybe Susanne or John felt they should be 
pursuing another option.

She was about to return to the microscope when Susanne 
abruptly stopped and looked up.  "Dana, do you think..."  
she hesitated, then forged ahead.  "Do you think we'll 
really be safe here?"

Scully wasn't sure how best to respond.  She had her own 
doubts, but she wasn't ready to express them to anyone 
but Mulder.  

"We don't know enough about how Ruby found us, or how 
much they know of our whereabouts."  She touched the 
turquoise beads hanging from her neck and worried them 
with her fingers.  "We also don't know if the magnetite 
necklace was effective enough at breaking the signal."  
For Ruby, or for me, she thought.

"Maybe we never should've gone into town to get the 
ultrasound.  If someone there recognized me and knew I 

was back in New Mexico--"

"We can't all second-guess ourselves.  The fact is, we 
don't really know how it happened.  And unless Ruby can 
tell us, we may never know.  But as for whether we're 
safe here...time will only tell.  If we run, I'm not sure 
where to, or for how long.  We simply don't have a lot of 
choices."

Scully wondered what choices Susanne and Byers had been 
considering, but Susanne fell silent as she caressed her 

belly and stared down at the beaker in front of her.  

Compelled to offer some reassurance, Scully added, "At 
least there's strength in numbers.  We're not alone here, 
and we're not exactly helpless.  Personally, I put more 
faith in what we can accomplish scientifically than in 
the defense of these walls."

Susanne smiled a little.  The two women had that one 
thing in common--they both understood the language of 
science, and that this war would be fought as much under 
the microscope as with weapons and might.

Susanne nodded and resumed her work, not looking up from 
it again.  Scully tried to draw strength from her own 
words and turned to face her interrupted task.  The slide 
sat waiting on the microscope.  She had only to look at 
it.  

Besides the blood drawn from Ruby and from Walter, Scully 
had quietly drawn another sample, hidden away in her 
pocket until now.  She felt guilty for seeking some time 
alone with her son as a ruse for this deception, and even 
more guilty for the question in his eyes when she pricked 
his skin with the needle, all the while whispering her 
apologies.  His face had scrunched up with the pain, but 
she was the one who shed tears.

Now, his blood awaited her verdict.  She had spent ample 
time examining the nanites from both Ruby and Walter, so 
she knew exactly what to look for and at what 
magnification.  She had been told that William was 
normal, that whatever had caused him to control mobiles 
and spaceships was long gone, but she needed to know for 
sure.

Drawing a deep breath, Scully leaned forward and looked 
through the microscope.  After a long, tense moment, she 
sat back on her stool, closed her eyes--and she smiled.

* * *

Squelching a yawn, Mulder knocked on the door to the 
small camper.  The sun was setting over the mountains, 
and he struggled to remember what day it was.  None of 
them had rested much since the Fuhrmans returned with a 
guest in tow and turned their world upside down.  He 
thought about turning around to ask Scully, but before he 
could, the door opened.  Skinner greeted him and stood 
back, allowing the two of them to enter.

On the bed, Ruby lay motionless with her eyes closed.  
She appeared to be sleeping, but not peacefully; her brow 
remained tense even in slumber.  The handcuffs had been 
removed, replaced by another string of magnetite stones 

that had been hastily assembled, but not painted like the 
others.

"How's she doing?" Mulder asked quietly.

"She's been restless all day."  Skinner looked at Scully.  
"I don't think the sedatives you gave her earlier helped 
much.  But exhaustion finally won out, and she was able 
to sleep."

"I wasn't sure whether the medication would have any 
effect," Scully responded.  "There's still too much we 
don't know about her physiology."

"Is it ready?" Skinner inquired.

Scully nodded and reached into her bag, retrieving a 
large  syringe filled with a thick black substance.  
Mulder was hesitant to wake Ruby, but waiting would only 
extend her anguish.  He brushed a gentle hand over her 
brow, which was fevered to his touch despite the lack of 
proper heating in the camper.


"Ruby?" he called softly.

She shifted a little, his hand slipping away as her head 
turned to the side.  Her expression was pinched as she 
slowly opened her eyes.

"Agent Mulder?"  Ruby caught sight of Scully standing 
behind him.  Returning her gaze to him, she asked, "Is it 
time?"

Mulder nodded and stepped back to give Scully room to 
work.  She immediately slipped into professional mode, 
projecting a confidence he knew she didn't quite feel.

"Ruby, we've prepared what we hope to be antidote to the 
technology that has invaded your body.  However, I need 
you to understand the risks.  We've only been able to 
test this on a small blood sample, so we can't be sure of 
the dosage or the exact side effects.  At best, there 
could be no reaction at all.  At worst, this could cause 
you more pain, or you could die."

Ruby shook her head.  "I can't live like this any longer.  
I do horrible things, and I can't stop myself.  All I can 
do is watch, trapped from the inside.  I'm not me 
anymore.  If we can't stop this--it's worse than being 
dead."

Scully lay a hand on Ruby's shoulder and nodded.  Mulder 
wondered if Scully was recalling her own experience of 
helplessness at the hands of alien technology.  He 
himself was accosted by a vision of being strapped to a 
chair naked while the sound of drills descended, but he 
shoved it away.  And to think: he was one of the lucky 
ones.

Scully uncapped the syringe and guided Ruby to lie on her 
side, her back facing them.  At Scully's glance, Mulder 
recognized that she would need help holding Ruby's hair 
and collar out of the way to access her neck.  Trying not 
to impede Scully's access in the tight space, he kept his 
body out of the way but reached an arm across to push 
back Ruby's hair.  Scully pulled down the edge of the 
turtleneck, revealing the trademark ridges at the back of 
the neck.  With a steady hand, she inserted the long 
needle between the ridges and pushed the plunger.

When the syringe was emptied, they settled Ruby onto her 
back again, and then stepped back to wait.

But nothing happened.  Ruby's eyes were slightly glassy, 
as they had been when she first awoke, and her gaze 
seemed to be turned inward to gauge her body's reaction.

After a few minutes had passed silently, Mulder asked his 
partner, "How long do you think it will take before we 
see--"  But he was brought up short as Ruby's eyes 
suddenly became alert and shot to his.  "Ruby?"


Her face registered alarm and confusion.  Her lips parted 
as if to speak, but all that emerged was a gasp as she 
suddenly spasmed.

"Oh, my God," Scully said.  And then he noticed it--
Ruby's veins had grown dark and were bulging beneath her 
skin.  The black strands pulsed grotesquely, struggling 
to break the surface.  Then the coloring seemed to seep 
from the veins into her pores as her skin grew ashen--
literally, he realized.  The outer layer began to crumble 
away like fine sand which, devoid of moisture, could no 
longer hold its shape.  

As the effect rapidly expanded, he drew his horrified 
gaze back to Ruby's eyes.  She watched him with a mixture 
of surprise and despair.  He wanted to apologize to her, 
but the words were stuck in his throat.  He was afraid 
that if he let them lose, he might gag instead.  
Resignation settled over her face as the desiccation 
crept over her body and turned her golden hair to gray.  
Her eyes held him fixed until the darkness overtook them; 
the ashen orbs crumbled into their sockets, followed by 
what remained of her face.  And suddenly all that lay 
before them on the bed was a pile of sooty dust.

Still in shock, Mulder turned, catching Skinner's 
impassive expression.  But he saw the flicker of emotion 
that lay behind that finely honed Marine control.  
Looking down at his partner, Mulder found her watching 
the bed with watery eyes and a trembling hand pressed to 
her lips.  When her stunned gaze met his, he 
instinctively pulled her into his embrace.  Whether it 
was more for her comfort or for his, he wasn't sure.

They held each other tight as the camper remained quiet.  
After a long moment, Skinner said softly, "She's at peace 
now.  That's what she wanted."

But as Mulder rested his head against Scully's and 
shifted to glance once more at the blackened outline 
against the white sheets, he wondered if that small 
comfort would ever be enough to mitigate his overwhelming 
guilt.

* * * 

Skinner tossed the last shovelful of dirt onto the small 
grave while the group watched on silently, standing in a 
half circle at the base of the hillside.  With his boot, 

Mulder packed the dirt firm, flattening the mound, and 
smoothed it around the white cross.  A light snow had 
begun to fall as they worked, dusting them with fine 
flakes that quickly faded away.  

The only identification on the marker was the "R.M." 
carved at the junction of the crossbars.  The grave held 
merely a box of ashes, but a box tightly sealed.  They 
remembered well enough the mysterious resurrection of 
Billy Miles after his encounter with a garbage truck.  
There was too much at stake for them to take any chances.  
Whatever the box might not be able to hold back, they 
hoped that the magnetite in the adjacent wall of rock 
could. 

Finished with their work, the two men stepped back from 
the grave and joined the onlookers.  Mulder came 
alongside Scully and asked her solemnly, "Would you like 
to say a prayer?"

She felt herself blush as all eyes turned to her.  Beyond 
"Hail Mary" and "Our Father," she didn't really know any 
prayers, especially one appropriate for the occasion.  
The best she could think of was to recite Psalm 23, 
although she felt that choice was more influenced by a 
movie cliche than personal experience.

Shifting the drowsy William in her arms, she started in 
on the psalm.  She hoped that it would flow automatically 
from her tongue, a latent memory from childhood.  "The 
Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me lie 
down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still 
waters. He restoreth my soul..."  

Scully flushed even more as she realized that she 
couldn't remember the next words.  The uncomfortable 
pause was filled when Skinner took up in her place.  

"He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his 
name's sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of 
the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art 
with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  Thou 
preparest a table before me in the presence of mine 
enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth 
over." 

As the words once again became familiar, Scully joined 
him to finish the psalm.  "Surely goodness and mercy 
shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell 
in the house of the Lord for ever."

A soft chorus of "Amen"s sounded out.  After a long 
moment, Mulder took the initiative to step away, and the 
group began to walk back toward their camp in silence.

The grave lay in the same valley as the ruins, but a 
short distance away.  The pounding of hammers rebounded 
off the high walls, a reminder of the work left to be 
done.  Only Hank and Cody had politely demurred from 
attending the funeral and stayed behind to make the most 
of the remaining daylight.  

Now that efficiency and safety had taken precedence over 
secrecy, the group of refugees no longer tried to hide 
their presence in the valley.  Just beyond the ruins, 
they had circled their wagons--or, rather, their 
motorhome, camper, and trailer.  The latter was the least 
mobile of the three, but it was small enough that Joe's 
truck had been able to haul it over for them.  With two 
of the rooms at the pueblo essentially habitable, Frohike 
and Langly had moved out of the boarding house, adding to 
the number at their impromptu campsite.

The lingering issue was water and a septic system, moving 
these basic needs up the list of priorities.  The 
hillsides could provide a certain amount of protection, 
but beyond that, the small community was still too 
dependent on outside resources.  

As they approached the trailer, the group slowed and 
stopped, ready to say their goodbyes for the night.  Some 
of the men would return to the construction for the 
evening shift, but it was time to put William to bed.  

Scully looked over to Susanne and Byers, who stood facing 
where their car was parked.  There was something in 
Susanne's expression that compelled Scully to say, "We 
can make room for you in the trailer if you'd rather not 
return to town tonight."

Byers and Susanne shared a look, and as Byers turned back 
toward them, he seemed to have reached some kind of 
decision.  "Actually, we've been wondering, if 
perhaps...staying in this area is really the best idea.  
With the babies coming, it might be preferable for us to 
be...closer to medical facilities."

Scully knew what he was actually saying, and as she 
glanced at Mulder, she saw that he understood as well.  
The doubts they all had were finally being voiced.

Mulder pivoted and looked at the pueblo, cast in shadows 
by the fading light beyond the ridge.  All eyes followed 
his, and the group stood quietly looking toward their 
hope and refuge, while they awaited the response that 
Mulder seemed to be formulating.

Turning back to Byers, Mulder spoke softly.  "I can't put 
into words exactly, but I need you to trust me on this, 
John.  We're safe here.  Safer than we'll be anywhere 
else."  Mulder tilted his head back and looked up to the 
indigo sky.  "We're not alone in this place.  There's...a 
presence watching over us."  

He brought his head back down and perused the circle of 
faces.  "We're here for a reason.  I understand if any of 
you want to go.  And I'll respect that decision.  But as 
a friend, I ask you to stay."  As he finished, his eyes 
landed on Byers once more.

Without breaking Mulder's compassionate gaze, Byers took 
Susanne's hand in his.  "What about the town?  Do you 
think we'll be safe there?"

Mulder nodded.  "As long as you're with the Hosteen's, 
you and Gibson, I think you'll be safe.  Albert's spirit 
is strong with that family."

Byers looked down at Susanne then, and they held another 
silent conversation with their eyes.  Finally they turned 
back to Mulder as one, and Byers nodded his silent 
affirmation.

A throat cleared behind Mulder, and Joe stepped closer to 
the group.  "I appreciate that you've all been so 
gracious to us, but I think we've overstayed our welcome.  
As soon as the construction is done, me and Pat and the 
boys will clear out of here.  And I think we all know 
it's best if we never returned again."

Scully hastened to speak the words that she knew Mulder 
would still have a difficult time voicing.  But they 
needed to be said.  "No one blames you for what happened.  
You have to understand that.  And I think we would all 
feel it was great loss if you left us now."

Joe dropped his head and nodded, acknowledging her words 
if not fully accepting them.  Pat drew closer and stroked 
a hand over his back.

Mimicking the gesture, Scully touched a hand to Mulder's 
back, but communicating something entirely different.  
She knew the words of forgiveness would not be effective 
until spoken by Mulder himself.  He had become a leader 
to them, and his words carried weight.

Mulder didn't turn to look at her, but she knew he 
understood as she felt his shoulders heave with a sigh.  
He took a step forward, and her hand slipped from his 
back.  


"If anyone should leave, Joe, it's Scully and me.  We're 
the reason Ruby came here in the first place.  It doesn't 
matter how she found us.  It was her mission, and she 
would've accomplished it one way or another.  But we're 
the ones who have really put the rest of you in danger."

Scully recognized what Mulder was doing, the psychology 
of his tactic, but she still couldn't help but smart at 
the truth of his words--and the word he had purposely 
omitted.  The name of whom Ruby had truly come to find.

Byers was the one who answered.  "No.  We all go, or we 
all stay.  We're in this together now.  All of us."  

Mulder walked over and rested a hand on Byers' shoulder, 
a show of appreciation for his solidarity and trust.  
Then Mulder stepped over and extended a hand to Joe.  
"What do you say?  Will you join us?"

After a moment of hesitation, Joe reached out and 
returned Mulder's clasp.  "You and Pat, and Cody and 
Hank--you're all welcome here," Mulder said.  "But you 
need to understand what we're up against.  You've seen it 
now, firsthand."  

"I've seen it," Joe said.  "And if I didn't believe it 
before, I believe it now.  I promise you--all of you--
that I'll never let myself be used like that again."

The men dropped their handshake, and there was an awkward 
lull.  Finally Skinner came over to genially slap Joe on 
the back.  "Well, it looks like we've still got some work 
to do.  Who's ready to join me?"

The two men headed off toward the ruins, then Frohike and 
Langly waved their goodnight to the rest of the crowd and 
turned to follow the pair.  

Scully shared a reassuring smile with Susanne and then 
turned and mounted the steps to the trailer.  As she held 
William tight, his warm puffs of breath struggled to fend 
off the icy breeze tickling the nape of her neck.  

* * *

He was immobilized.  The pain searing his chest, throbbing 
through every nerve in his body, was so continuous that he 
had almost grown accustomed to it.  At least the pain 
reminded him he was still alive.

A new sound emerged.  A whirring--a buzzing.  Out of the 
brightness above him, the metallic drill descended, 
poised over his face.  He was powerless to stop it.  He 
wanted to scream, but he knew the futility.  No one could 
hear but his captors, the shadowy beings that skirted his 
vision and hid in the light.  He felt helpless, trapped, 
and utterly alone.

With a start, Mulder woke from the nightmare.  His entire 
body felt chilled, from the inside out, and he 
immediately sought out Scully's warmth in the bed.  His 
questing hand came back empty, as it had for too many 
nights.  He thought of her sleeping by herself in the 
cold, dark cave, and shivered.

Drawing the covers closer, Mulder rolled over onto his 
back and cocooned himself in the blanket.  Something 
tickled his neck.  As he automatically reached up to 
scratch it, his hand encountered a chain and a pendant--
Scully's cross.  

His eyes flew open as his mind caught up with reality.  
Scully wasn't living in the ruins anymore.  She should be 
in bed next to him, but she wasn't.  The room was dark 
and still.  He listened carefully for sounds down the 
hall, but his ears roared with deafening silence.

Taking no chances, Mulder quietly retrieved his gun from 
the nightstand as he slipped out of bed.  He bypassed his 
shoes and padded to the door in his socks.  It was 
slightly ajar and opened without a sound.

The soft light emanating from the living room soothed his 
anxiety a little, and Mulder held his gun arm slack at 
his side while he noiselessly approached.  At the end of 
the short hallway, he stopped, finally catching sight of 
Scully.  She sat in the rocking chair in the corner, 
holding a sleeping William to her chest.  One of her feet 
was planted on the floor, steadily rocking them, but her 
eyelids were heavy.  Her head jerked up suddenly as she 
came fully awake, and she looked over at Mulder.

"I didn't hear him cry," Mulder said softly.

"He wasn't crying," she replied, barely above a whisper.

Mulder set his gun on top of the bookshelf next to him--
well above William's reach--and slowly crossed to her 
side.  "Were you?" he asked, keeping his tone gentle.


She lowered her eyes to their sleeping son.  After a long 
pause, she answered, "Only in my heart."

Mulder's arms felt empty as his soul ached.  He would 
have crawled onto the rocker with them, had there been 
room.  Instead, he held out his hand.  Scully stopped 
rocking.  Her melancholy eyes held his for a moment, and 
then she adjusted William more firmly in her grasp and 
reached for Mulder's hand.

Pulling her gently, he lifted her weight from the chair 
and led her the two steps over to the couch.  He settled 
along the length of the cushions and then guided her to 
sit between the vee of his legs and lean back against his 
chest.  He grabbed the Navajo blanket off the back of the 
couch and draped it over their entangled legs.  Once they 
were positioned comfortably, he wrapped his arms around 
hers, which were tightly wrapped around their son.

Scully snuggled closer and let loose a weak chuckle.

"What?" Mulder asked, bending his head forward to see her 
face.

"We might as well go back to bed.  I don't think this 
couch was made to sleep three."

He chided good-naturedly, "You're the one who didn't want 
to make of habit of him sleeping in our bed."

"That was before I realized I couldn't fit into his."

She was joking, he knew, but he recognized the gravity 
behind her words.  His only reply was to kiss her brow.  

William let out a little mewl and shifted in her arms, 
then he settled back into his peaceful slumber.  Mulder 
gave into his impulse and stroked a hand through the 
boy's wispy strawberry blond curls.  

Scully lay still in his arms for so long that Mulder 
thought she had fallen asleep.  He was starting to drift 
there himself, until her whisper brought him fully alert.  
"Why do you think Ruby came for William?  What do they 
want with him?"

Mulder had no simple answer for that, and too many 
horrifying suggestions that he didn't want to share.

Offering a momentary reprieve, Scully continued, "After 
what happened at his birth...  They could have taken him 
so easily.  But they let us keep him.  I don't understand 
why--why not then?  Why take him now?"

"I don't know.  Maybe they think he's more than he really 
is--which is just a normal little boy," he was quick to 
add.

"But what if...they know something we don't, about what 
he is?"

"Do you really believe that's true?"

"No," she said firmly.  "I know that he's normal, and 
healthy.  But how can we give him a normal life?  Living 
here, always looking over our shoulders for the next 
threat?  That's no way to raise a child."

She was right, he knew.  They couldn't hide their son 
away in a cave for the rest of his life.  But it wouldn't 
be forever.  He had to believe that, in spite of the fear 
gripping his heart.

"I don't have all the answers, Scully.  I wish to God I 
did.  But I do know we'll do everything in our power to 
keep him safe."  

Mulder ran a finger down William's soft, chubby cheek.  
The boy lay there so trustingly in their entwined arms.  
If there was one thing Mulder knew, especially with 
Scully by his side, it was how to never give up despite 
the odds.  Whatever the outcome, that was the legacy he 
would leave for his son.

"I told you once there was nothing more important to me 
than finding my sister," Mulder said quietly into 
Scully's ear.  "But I know now there is something so much 
more important.  I promise you, as long as I have breath, 
I will never stop fighting for our son.  For his future."

Scully sniffled and slid a hand down his forearm to link 
her fingers through his.  Grasping his hand tightly, she 
lifted it to her lips and kissed the back of the 
knuckles.  Then she settled their joined fists against 
her chest, right above her heart and next to their son.

Mulder heard her take a deep breath, but no words 
followed.  He knew what she wanted to say.  In answer, he 
pulled his other arm more tightly around her, cuddling 
his family close.  

No one would ever take this away from him.  Never again.

***********
End part 10
***********

More to come...someday.  Just remember: Good things 
come to those who wait!


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