Wambli (Part 2) - Part Four of The Letter Series

"Oh, man, did you come to the wrong place!"

Episode 5x19-Folie a Deux

*****

Sam Colter knew he had been made the third time he saw the sheriff's deputy drive by, but he wasn't worried. His CIA credentials could get him out of the worst trouble if need be. And his find was far too important to leave just now. He still couldn't believe his luck.

Dana Scully. THE Dana Scully. And he hadn't even been looking for her. He had thought, as everyone in his acquaintance had, that she was dead. But she wasn't. She was here. And if she was alive, then it was a good bet Fox Mulder was, too.

Colter had only wanted to make sure O'Neil and Monroe found out nothing about the eagle from Ft. Marlene; that was why he had come to this one-horse-town in the middle of nowhere. But he hadn't expected to find gold. Gold in the form of a presumed-to-be-dead-but-obviously-not F.B.I. agent. He had already called in his find to his superiors, but now he wanted to know if this 'Sara Zweifel' knew the whereabouts of her former partner. Colter hadn't seen him yet, but that didn't necessarily mean anything.

He had seen the Indian deputy stop by the clinic around lunch, and he was quite sure that the Scully woman knew he was here. Colter thought this was a good thing; Paranoia breeds fear, and fear breeds carelessness. He was positive she knew where Mulder was, and he would keep his eye on her

until she lead him to the ex-F.B.I. agent. Then, they would have them both.

*****

"She's not what I'd call an open mind on the subject."

"She's a scientist. She just makes me work for everything."

"Yes, but I'm sure there were times when two like minds on a case would have been advantageous."

Episode 5x20-The End

*****

Ft. Marlene Research Center, Maryland

Is just so happened that Frohike had connections. His girlfriend, Katie, led them to her best friend's boyfriend, who happened to work for the government and had access to Ft. Marlene. It didn't matter that he was just a janitor, all the ID badges looked the same for all the employees, so the Gunmen were able to use his to copy from. At the start of the plan, it was decided that Byers would go in with Mulder, but both Byers and Charlie argued that maybe it would better if Mulder had someone to watch his back; someone who was good with a gun. They all agreed that Charlie should be the one to go in.

When Langly had started to transfer their pictures onto the fake badges, Charlie stopped him. "Uh, uh. I better be Clyde Jurisch." He nodded at the badge Langly was planning on putting Mulder's picture on.

"You want me to switch them?" Langly had asked. "Why?"

"Oh, come on," Charlie argued. "Do I look like a Robert Goldstein to you?"

His cheeks suddenly a bright red, Langly had switched the pictures.

Now, Drs. Jurisch and Goldstein were making their way through the near silent hallways of the government building. Mulder remembered the last time he had been here. He and Scully had been brought here several years ago after supposedly being exposed to some sort of contagion, a possible epidemic that the unfortunate Cassandra Spender had seemingly been spreading. It had been the beginning of the end for the conspiracy. Or at least, the original group of men who had made the first deal. He shook his head at the memory. So many bad things...and some good as well. Think of the good, he told himself. Well...It had been the first time he had seen Scully naked when he could actually *enjoy* it.

The place had evidentially closed most of its labs since then. The CDC still worked out of the facility, and it was presumed the military also had labs. And thanks to the skills of the Lone Gunmen, Mulder knew the CIA also worked from here. In fact, they were the creators of Project Nihm.

Charlie was showing definite signs of stress when they reached their destination, the fourth floor, though they had not met with trouble of any sort. Their fake keycards worked on all the doors, and the few people they passed took no notice of them. Everything was going perfect. That was probably why Charlie was so nervous, Mulder decided. And maybe it was with good reason. God knows nothing is ever this easy in real life.

Mulder began to regret ever bringing Charlie along. He should have taken Byers. Or better yet, he wished he had Scully by his side. Not that he didn't trust Charlie to watch his back. He just felt guilty for involving the man. If Mulder got caught, he was dead. He knew this. He accepted it, despite the fact that he had so much to live for now. But his wife had been right when she had said Charlie really didn't know what he was getting into. The man was loyal to a fault, and if something happened to him because Mulder slipped up, Mulder might well as die. His guilt would be too hard to live with.

But Charlie was here. And he was here. And there was no sense in turning back when they were so close.

They found the door matching the number they were looking for. A small plaque was visible off to the side: Nihm. "This must be the place," Mulder said. Using his keycard, he entered the room.

It was a typical lab, with tables set in the middle of the room, sinks set into countertops around the edges. Sterile. White. A window off to the left allowed them to peer into another room, this one empty; bare white walls and a padded floor. Hoses were coiled up on one side of the observation room; for easy cleaning, Mulder thought. As if animals frequented the place. On the opposite wall was a bank of TV monitors, all of them dark. He turned toward one of the computers and turned it on. Pointing to one of the file cabinets, he told Charlie to see what he could find.

As Charlie rummaged through the cabinets, Mulder fiddled with the computer, using the techniques Langly and Frohike had taught him. He bypassed two simple security blocks, then came to the password-protect. He pulled out a white index card, his cheat sheet, and started following the directions Byers had written down. More than once, he got turned around in the system, but finally, after more than 30 minutes, he got in. Charlie had already given up on the files, which were all full of files on subjects with distinctive names like 'Taryn' and 'Carmen'. But there was no real information. He was standing at Mulder's elbow when Mulder got into the computer files.

Here, the names Charlie had seen were found, only they had much more information. Including the fact that 'Taryn' was actually a wolf, and 'Carmen' a tiger. "Secret of Nihm, indeed," Mulder mumbled. "They aren't just testing eagles."

He slid a disk into the hard drive and started to copy as much of the information as he could. This copy would hopefully be enough to buy Wambli's freedom, as the vaccine he had acquired five years ago had given himself and Scully theirs. The file began to download onto the disk, but it was a slow process.

With a sigh, Charlie began to wander around the lab. "Do you think those other animals are smart like Wambli?"

"Most likely," Mulder mumbled. His eyes searched the files in front of him as they copied. "Alien DNA. Looks like they can find a variety of uses for it. Although, this DNA appears to be mutated."

Charlie had no idea what his friend was talking about, and continued his stroll. When he passed by the door on the far side of the lab, he stopped. He could here voices on the other side.

"Ian!" he hissed, still not used to calling his friend 'Mulder'. "Someone's coming!"

"Shit!" Mulder responded. "It's not even halfway done!"

"Let's go!"

But it was too late. The door opened and Charlie turned to face it. Mulder kept his back to it, closing his eyes and praying that he could talk his way out of it. The images of his children flashed behind his eyelids. He heard Scully's joyful laughter in his head. He stood and prepared himself to turn toward the new arrival, but a familiar voice stopped him.

"Hello, Fox."

Mulder's eyes popped open in shock at the words. No. It couldn't be. He turned sharply.

"Looks like I'm not the only one to return from the dead," the woman in front of him said with a soft smile. "Welcome to Project Nihm."

"Diana?"

******

"Mulder, this stinks. And not just because I think that woman is a...well, I think you know what I think that woman is."

Episode 6x12-One Son

*****

Mulder just stood there, speechless. Diana Fowley, alive and well. He shouldn't be surprised. He had never seen her body; never asked for the particulars in her death. If the truth be told, he had felt a strange sense of relief the day Scully had told him of her murder. His past with this woman, both in real life and in the dreamscape created for him by the Consortium, had been turbulent and mystifying. He had truly believed back then that he loved her. But the truth was, he hadn't known what love was.

Until Scully.

His past with Diana had seemed trite in comparison with the passion, trust and devotion he had found with his wife. But now, seeing her standing before him, several old feelings began to return: Wonder at her interest in him, excitement at her acceptance and belief in his work, dark despair at her abandonment, confusion at her return. Anger and pain at her betrayal.

"What's the matter, Fox?" Diana said, the smile still intact, but her eyes nervous. "Cat got your tongue?"

"What are you doing here?" He waved his arms around the laboratory. "You're not a doctor."

"Somehow, I get the feeling that isn't the question you really want to ask, just the one that needs to be asked," she said wryly.

"Well?" Mulder felt his equilibrium coming back slowly. Geez, he really wished Scully was at his side now. She wouldn't be so stunned that she wasn't able to think.

"I have always known of this project. There is a similar project being conducted in the Netherlands. When my 'death' was arranged, I was asked to help here."

"Doing what?" Charlie spoke for the first time. "What exactly are you trying to accomplish here?"

Mulder looked at him in surprise. Okay, so maybe he didn't need Scully here. In fact, it was probably a good idea, seeing as Scully would rather rip Diana's hair out than strike up a conversation with her.

"I'm sure you already know what we're doing here, though I don't know how."

"You didn't know I was coming?" Mulder asked, his brain working frantically.

"No. I had no idea you were in DC until I saw you on the security camera at the front entrance. That was a bold move, by the way. Anyone could have recognized you."

"Everyone thinks I've been dead for five years. They would have no reason to notice me." He paused. "You weren't surprised."

"No," she said again. "I've always known you were really alive, though not where you have been or what you're doing." Her brow furrowed slightly. "I asked, but he wouldn't tell. Even me."

"Who?" Mulder demanded.

"Who do you think?" Diana said, a sad smile on her face this time. "The same man that gave you a new life gave one to me, too."

"Spender?" Mulder asked. Without waiting for a response, he continued. "Even though you betrayed him in the end by letting Scully know where I was?"

She shook her head. "He never wanted you dead, even then. He thought it was best to let you die on that table, but he understood why I couldn't let that happen." She looked into his eyes, her gaze imploring. "But the rest of the doctors thought it best you die...and me."

"Spender helped you fake your death to keep you safe?"

She nodded. "Just like he did for you...and Scully."

"So," Mulder continued. "You decided to test animals in your new life?"

She laughed softly. "It's quiet here. A good place to hide and still stay within sight and sound of the new Consortium. Spender keeps me updated regularly."

"Are you in charge of this place, then?" Charlie asked.

"No. I only run the data section." She glanced at the computer. "I had thought that it was impossible to bypass my security." She looked at Mulder. "I guess I was wrong."

"Who is in charge?" Mulder asked.

"Dr. Megan Northam. She took over the project about six years ago." Her eyes got bright. "Look at this, Fox." She moved over to the dark monitors sitting against one wall and flipped a switch. All of the TV screens turned on, each one broadcasting a different image. Images of animals. "Did you know that there is an African Grey Parrot in Arizona that can count up to ten, distinguish between colors and shapes, and uses English to communicate certain phrases to his trainer? They have intelligence equivalent to a kindergarten age child!" She pointed to one of the screens, where a parrot sat perched inside a glass enclosure. "This is Ashley. She can count as high as you or I, she speaks four languages fluently, understands what she is saying, and can calculate the square root of 342!"

"Hell, I can't even do that," Charlie mumbled.

Mulder glanced at him, then looked back at Diana. "Why?"

She shrugged. "Because we can?"

He shook his head. "No." He took a step closer to her. "Remember, Diana. I know you. You don't even like animals. There has to be a better reason for you to get all hot under the collar for a project like this."

Diana stayed silent.

"Have you ever had one escape?" Charlie asked quietly.

"Not that I'm aware of." She looked at Charlie, her eyes narrowing. "They have no desire to. They are well cared for here. And happy."

"Are you sure about that?" Charlie continued. "You give them the intelligence of a human being, but are they emotionally prepared for it? Can they handle the pressure that comes with it? I know many child geniuses can't. They end up neurotic, psychotic, or worse, demented." He paused. "Not to mention that fact that *I*, being as smart or smarter than the average bear, wouldn't want to live in a cage." He was looking at the image of a grizzly, who appeared to live in a circular, barred cage.

Diana watched him for a moment, then her gaze fell on Mulder, who had also been eyeing the Nihm creations, all who were confined in some way, including an elephant who had the traditional leg irons worn by other captive elephants around both her back legs.

"Why are you here, Fox?" she asked after a moment.

"Curiosity," he said, his expression blank. "An acquaintance told us of this place." He paused. "She used to reside here...until she decided to break out."

Her brows furrowed again in confusion. "I don't understand."

"Your people are trying to bring her back. Only she doesn't want to come back."

"How do you know?" Diana asked, becoming defensive. "What is she that she can communicate that to you?"

Mulder smiled. "I have connections, Diana. She has made herself understood to both Charlie and myself. She wants to be left alone."

Diana gestured toward the computer. "Is that what this is for? Breaking in and stealing information that the world is not ready to know?" She shook her head. "I may not know where you've been for the last five years, but I can see you haven't changed." Her eyes grew dark, challenging. "Same old Fox Mulder, truth seeker." She sighed. "I'm sorry, gentleman. But you have to leave the premises, now."

The door she had entered through opened, and three men in army uniforms entered, moving around Mulder and Charlie. Ready to escort them out.

Mulder looked at Diana. "You're just going to let us go?"

"What else can I do?" she whispered. "What else would I do?"

Mulder held her gaze until she finally looked away. Then, he and Charlie let the men lead them away.

"Wonderful woman," Charlie said after they had been deposited outside the front entrance. "Who is she, exactly?"

Mulder sighed. "My ex-wife."

************************************************************

"What ever happened to 'trust no one'?"

"I changed it to 'trust everyone'. Didn't I tell you?"

Episode 2x16-Colony

*****

Badlands National Park

North of Lincoln, SD

Sara drove moderately, occasionally checking her rearview mirror. Still nothing. No one was following her. Or, at least, not that she could see. But that didn't mean anything. She had already determined that the man shadowing her was good. Very good.

After Michelle had told her about the stranger in town yesterday, Sara had gone outside to see for herself if she had anything to worry about. She had told her co-workers she was simply going for a walk, and that is exactly how she played it. She walked down to the Sheriff's office. Casually. Slowly.

He followed.

She thought at the time that he was either very stupid and wasn't very good at this spy thing, or that he was very smart and was trying to make her nervous. The latter explanation was the one she was voting for, despite not wanting it to be true. When she entered the station, she found Lucas and Sam Lang, the counties two deputies, discussing something in front of Tricia's desk.

"Hey," Lucas said when he saw her enter. "We were just talking about you." He glanced at Sam. "Well, kind of."

"You were talking about that man out there, weren't you?"

They nodded.

"Please, don't worry about him. I know him from a long time ago. Ian probably sent him here to look out for me, and he's taking his job a little too seriously." She smiled at them, praying to God to forgive her for lying to these two wonderful friends.

"Are you sure?" Lucas asked.

Scully nodded and smiled again. "Michelle was telling me how worried you were, and I just thought I'd tell you it's all okay."

She chatted with the two men for a while longer, waiting for them to relax, then spoke with Tricia for a short time after the woman got back from lunch. Then she left to go back to the clinic. The stranger was nowhere to be seen, but Sara wasn't about to take any chances.

Once back in her office, she had called Susan and asked if the woman could keep Fox and Marisa overnight. It was an odd request, but Susan didn't ask questions. She told Sara she would stop by the Zweifel house in an hour (most everyone in town knew where the key was hidden) and pick up some clothes and other necessities for the kids. Sara desperately wanted to see her children, but if this man had just started following her, he may not know about them, and Sara wanted to make sure he never knew.

She waited until an hour past close before she drove home. She was very obviously followed. That night, she loaded her gun and kept it on top of the bedside table. She almost called Mulder, but she knew that might be dangerous for both him and her at this point, so she waited. She finally fell asleep around 4:30. She was up again at 6, calling Michelle to tell her she wouldn't be in to finish the paperwork she hadn't finished yesterday; telling her she was sick. Feeling guilty the whole time.

Now, here she was driving into the unknown. Into the Badlands.

She pulled the car over at a scenic turnoff and got out. And she waited. Soon, the same car that had followed her home came along, slowed as it passed her, and drove on by. Sara couldn't see through the windows very well, but she didn't need to. She had already seen the man's face yesterday. He had been unfamiliar to her, but that didn't make her any less nervous. With a sigh, she threw a small backpack over her shoulder and headed out into the rugged, rocky landscape.

She hiked for a good hour, then she settled herself onto the hard ground on the far side of a bluff, in the shade. She pulled out the small bottle of water from her pack and drank. Though still early in the day, the sun was already excruciatingly hot. She pulled out her gun, loaded and ready, and leaned back against the rock behind her to wait.

She didn't have to wait very long. The sound of footsteps on rock and heavy panting caused her to sit up quickly. Then, slowly, so as not to make any noise, she got her feet under her and squatted down facing the direction the man was apparently coming from.

He appeared around a bluff about fifty yards away from her, and it was obvious he was in distress. He had discarded the leather jacket he had been wearing yesterday and had a pair of sunglasses on. He walked with difficulty on the uneven ground. Without a doubt, he had not been expecting a hike out in this treeless, barren place. Sara stayed silent, knowing that, even with his sunglasses on, he would have a hard time seeing her in the shade; the almost white rock of the Badlands acted the same way snow did on a sunny day, blinding any and all who were not prepared for it.

Having been in the shade for several minutes, Sara was prepared.

She waited until the man was almost past her, then quickly stood and moved behind him, placing her gun against the back of his neck. "Who are you?" She had to raise her voice to be heard over the ever-present wind, which was gradually getting stronger.

"Agent Scully, I presume," the man answered calmly, raising his hands in surrender. "I should have known you wouldn't forget your training. And I should have known your familiarity with this environment would be detrimental to me."

"Who are you?" Sara repeated. "Who sent you?"

"It doesn't matter who I am or who I work for. The fact is, I found you."

Sara ignored the shiver that ran up her back at these words. "Turn around, slowly."

The man did as instructed. Sara glared at him, not at all amused by the slight smile on his face. Carefully, she reached over and pulled out his weapon from its holster. The she stepped back. "Let me see your ID."

He laughed. "What makes you think I'm carrying ID?"

"You're an agent of some sort, aren't you? Unless you're undercover, you're required to carry some. Now let me see it."

With a sigh, the man reached into his back pocket and took out what appeared to be a badge. He tossed it to her. She had tucked his gun into the waistband of her jeans, and easily caught the object one handed, never taking her own gun off of him. She flipped it open and wasn't surprised to

see that he was CIA.

"Well, Sam Colter. Now that we've been introduced, why are you here?"

"I'm watching you, Agent Scully. I hadn't planned on finding you, but here you are. Great how things work sometimes, isn't it?"

"You came about the eagle, didn't you?"

"You are a much greater prize than that eagle," he said, his eyes intense.

"Who are you working for, damnit?"

His eyes shuttered, and Sara suddenly realized why this well-trained operative had allowed her to see him. "You're waiting for me to contact Mulder, aren't you?" She started laughing. "I may be a great prize, but he's even better. Why get rid of just one of us, knowing that the other is undoubtedly near. Then you can kill two birds with one stone, is that it?" She laughed again, but the sound was filled with despair. It was over. He wonderful, fairy tale life was over. "You bastard!"

Sam Colter took advantage of her anger, diving in for the gun as she yelled at him. But she was too quick. She pulled the trigger just as he fell forward onto her. His weight pushed her backwards, and she staggered, almost falling herself. But she managed to dodge his body as it fell, face first, onto the ground. The doctor in her was immediately activated as she kneeled down and turned him over. Her bullet had ripped into his chest at close range; there was nothing she could do.

But he wasn't dead, yet. "They know where you are," he whispered. Then his eyes turned sightless, and his body stilled forever.

******

"Do I look like I'm having fun?"

"You look constipated, actually."

Episode 5x13-Patient X

*****

Mulder was dreaming.

In the dream, he was much younger. And much less jaded. In the dream, he was making love to his wife...Diana.

They were on a bed in a bedroom he didn't recognize. He was totally absorbed in the woman beneath him. She was naked, as was he, and they were touching each other with the familiarity of long-time lovers. He breathed in her scent, tasted her flesh. Felt desire pound through him. She was breathing hard, trying to speak, encouraging him to increase his intimate exploration. She bit his ear, and he moaned. He felt her legs open and gratefully slipped between them, pushing himself into her inviting depths. She gasped and begged for more. He began to move, suddenly anxious for the finish. She wrapped her arms and legs around him tightly, panting. A noise off to his right caught his attention, and he opened his eyes and turned his head to look. His vision was blurred with passion, but he recognized the person standing there almost immediately.

Scully.

She stood there, looking like she had the day he met her. Innocent, young, idealistic. Beautiful. She didn't move, she just stood there, watching them, her eyes sad. He tried to turn away, tried to expel her image from his mind. She didn't belong here. Not yet. But just as he was about to shut his eyes, he saw the shadow of a man move up behind her. He couldn't see the man's face, but he clearly saw the gun the man held. It was directed at Scully.

"No," he mumbled. But he could do nothing else. He looked at the woman writhing underneath him. Her eyes were closed and her expression was full of ecstasy; she was nearing orgasm. He continued to pump into her, almost as if he was under some kind of mind control. He *had* to finish. Then he could help Scully.

"Mulder." Scully's voice, full of fear.

"Fox!" Diana's voice, full of exquisite passion.

The shot rang out and Scully's body collapsed just as Diana screamed her completion.

"NO!" Mulder felt the shout tear from his throat as he woke up. He sat up on the bed abruptly, sweat pouring down his bare chest in tiny rivulets. He gulped in air, then lowered his face into his hands, trying to calm his racing heart. He shifted to the side of the bed, lowering his legs to the floor. He reached into his boxers to re-adjust his semi-arousal, then stood and went to his phone, which was sitting on Byers' dresser. He glanced at his watch, only to find that it was less than two hours since he had laid himself down, in the middle of the day, to try to catch up on some sleep. Charlie was trying to do the same in Langly's room.

He had to tediously dial the number to the clinic, because the phone couldn't speed dial long distance. He heard Carrie's voice answer. "Yeah, is Scu--, I mean is Sara there?" His voice sounded rough to his ears. He must have really screamed in his sleep.

"Ian?" Carrie asked. "Is that you?"

"Yeah. Is Sara there?"

"No. She called in sick this morning. Susan is still watching the kids. I guess she wasn't feeling well last night already."

Mulder sat on the edge of the bed. Sick? Scully was never sick. And why was he suddenly thinking of her as Scully again?

"Okay, thanks. I'll try her at home." He was about to disconnect when he heard Carrie ask a question.

"When are you due back, Sheriff?"

"Hopefully, soon," he answered, then hung up. He dialed the house number, but wasn't surprised to get the answering machine. Next, he called Susan's.

"Yes, the kids are fine," she said in answer to his first hurried question. "Ian, what is going on? You and Sara are both acting so strange."

Mulder sighed. "Susan, there may be some trouble coming to town. Hell, it may already be there. Promise me you'll take care of those kids, please."

"Of course, Ian. You know I will." She paused. "Are you in trouble with the FBI or something?"

"No. I wish it were that simple. Look, if you see or hear from Sara, have her call me right away. Okay?"

"You bet." Mulder felt himself smile as he heard the typical Dakota affirmative, then he hung up and left the bedroom.

Charlie was sitting on the couch, carelessly flipping through channels on the TV. He glanced over at Mulder. "Couldn't sleep either?" He shook his head. "It's abnormal to sleep when the sun's out. I couldn't do it."

"I know what you mean." He sat down on the edge of the couch next to the Indian, his body tense.

Charlie noticed. "What's wrong, man?"

"I can't get a hold of Scully. She supposedly called in sick to the clinic, and the kids have been at Susan's since yesterday."

"So? I'm sure she's fine."

Mulder shook his head. "Then why...?"

"Why what?"

Mulder sighed. "I just had this really weird dream, and I woke up feeling that Scully was in danger."

Charlie was silent for a moment. "Scully?" he said, reminding Mulder once again that he was calling her by her old name. "It seems to me from all that I've seen and heard around here that she can take care of herself quite well."

Mulder let out a humorless laugh. "Yes. That she can. That hasn't ever stopped me from worrying about her."

His mind drifted to the dream. What had it been about? Was it just some screwed up mess from his overactive imagination? Or did it mean something? He couldn't see how. There was no way in Hell he would ever have sex with Diana again, especially with Scully watching! He couldn't for the life of him decipher it.

Years ago, he had been so happy to find Diana. They had met at the Academy. She had been beautiful, sexy, smart; his ideal. And she had been far less brusque than Phoebe had been. There had been no time for a real romance during the 16 weeks of training, but they had spent most of what little free time they had together. He had been assigned to DC, and she had been sent to Miami. About the same time he had joined the elite group of profilers at Quantico, she had been transferred to DC. That was when the romance really started. They had been married for less than a year when Mulder had taken a leave of absence from the Investigative Science Unit due to stress and decided to re-open the X-Files, a division he had not known anything about until he had met Arthur Dales several months earlier. After the leave was over, he had requested to continue on the

X-Files...with his wife as his partner. Patterson had been pissed. The Director had been confused. And Mulder had started the search for his missing sister in earnest.

In the beginning, Diana had been the perfect partner. She thought like him, believed in the unbelievable like he did, and never argued or doubted his observations. He never realized how much he hated that until much later, when he had found his true perfect partner. After she had left for Europe, telling him she needed to 'find herself', and filed for divorce, it had been easy for Mulder to bury himself in his work, ignoring the pain of yet another abandonment. Partner after partner followed, none every staying for more than a couple months. And then everything had changed.

She had been the complete opposite of Diana, yet was just as intelligent, just as beautiful. She had argued with him. She had disagreed with him. She had supported him. She had challenged him. For years, he had kept her at a distance, knowing that someday, she too would leave. He had just begun to think she was his forever when she did leave. For a month, he had wallowed in self-pity, mentally beating himself over and over again for ever allowing himself to fall for her. But their separation hadn't lasted long. While physically, they were thousands of miles apart, they kept in touch. The arguments and banter continued, though it was confined to the Internet. It had been over a year after her departure, after he had finally found a reasonably acceptable partner in Cat O'Neil, that he had seen her again. And what a reunion.

Six months later, the world was hearing about the funeral of two infamous FBI agents, and Ian Zweifel and Sara Wegner were getting married on Starbuck Island in the middle of the South Pacific.

He hadn't even thought about being with another woman since. So why the hell was he dreaming about Diana? Sex with her had never had the intensity it did with Scully. He shook his head. Psychologist or not, he couldn't figure out his own dreams.

He turned to Charlie. "I need to find out where Scully is."

"What about Wambli?"

Mulder hated to leave his current task, but as important as Wambli and the other animal test subjects were, Scully was more important. "Wambli, and the others, will have to wait." He stood. "But we'll be back."

******

"You're a doctor, not a lawyer."

Episode 4x23-Demons

*****

Scully sat out in the middle of the Badlands for nearly two hours after Sam Colter died. She was in shock, she knew, and she made herself stay in the sun, hot though it was, in order to stay warm. It had been years since she had had to kill another human being, and the feelings that were flooding through her were too powerful to contain. She had thanked God daily that that part of her life was over; the part where she was given a legal right to kill in self-defense or in defense of the innocent. As she looked at the gun in her hand, she realized with surprise that today had been the first time she had fired the thing in at least three years. Mulder had kept up his practice; it had been necessary for his job. But other that cleaning it on a regular basis, she had no need to handle hers.

And now a man was dead because she had used it once more.

With trembling legs, she finally stood and began the long walk back to the car. Immediately, her mind began to spin. What did she do now? What about her children? Her job? Her friends? Her home? Never in her life, even as a child, had she been as happy as she was here, and now it was over. All because of that eagle, and Mulder's stupid attempt to help her. Anger poured through her as she marched across the rocky ground. If only Charlie hadn't called Mulder about her. If only Mulder hadn't been curious enough to visit her. If only he hadn't been so damned open minded that he believed the impossible all the time. "Yeah, right, Scully," she mumbled to herself. "Like you would have ever fallen in love with him in the first place if he was any different."

When she reached the road, she stood looking at the two cars that sat at the pull-out, contemplating her next move. It was hard, trying to get her mind in Scully-mode once more, but she finally had a plan. Getting into her own car first, she drove a couple of miles up the road, until she came to an old dirt road that turned out into a small patch of trees by a creek. She drove over the rough ground until her car was safely tucked away behind the old cottonwoods, then hiked back up the road to Colter's car. Fortunately, she'd had enough sense to dig out his car keys before leaving, as she didn't think her tired body could make its way out to the dead CIA agent and back again. Getting into Colter's car, she headed home.

When she reached the house, she felt the tears come again. God, what a beautiful house, she thought as she stepped out of the car. Grizz and Ricky, who had obviously both just woken up from naps, came trotting around from the backyard, tongues hanging out, giving her two, big doggy smiles. Ricky tried to lick her face by jumping up at it. Grizz just started whining in his 'poor-me' voice, rubbing his huge body against her legs, his little stump of a tail moving back and forth at the speed of light. She patted them and smiled, but then had to clench her teeth as she felt the tears come.

Entering the house, she almost went to the phone. Should she try Mulder? she wondered. She saw the red, blinking light on the answering machine telling her she had messages, so she walked over and pressed the 'play' button. Three messages. All three were hang-ups. Mulder? Or someone else? Had Colter been in the house at all? Had he left anything behind? Warily, her eyes roamed the living room. Was the house bugged? Was the phone? With a grimace, she decided to wait and call Mulder later. He was probably so absorbed in his current 'assignment' now anyway, he wouldn't appreciate a call from her just yet. She quickly turned away from the phone and headed up the stairs, two little dogs following her, trying to get her attention.

With quick efficiency, she packed only her necessities, checked to make sure the animals had water, grabbed several other important objects, and left her home on the prairie. Possibly for good.

She had the tears under control by the time she reached Susan's house.

Susan Larson ran the only daycare in Lincoln, and it was a busy place on most weekdays. Scully parked the car and moved quickly up the walk, entering the house with a quick knock. It appeared that most of the kids were in the backyard, screaming and laughing and playing, with Susan's assistant Mary keeping an eye on them. Susan herself was in the kitchen making up the afternoon snack.

"Suz," Scully said softly, trying not to startle the woman.

Susan turned to look at her, her eyes wide. "Sara?! Are you okay? What are you doing here?"

Just then, Fox ran inside from the outdoors, apparently having seen his mother through the window. "Mama! Mama!" He raced toward her. Scully bent to him, her arms open, and scooped him up.

"Hey, baby! How are you?!" She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before he could avoid it; he had reached the age where he considered kissing 'silly'. With a smile, Scully turned to Susan. "Where's Marisa?"

"Napping," Susan asked, her eyes still concerned. "Sara. What is going on?"

With a sigh, Scully put the wriggling little boy down. "Susan. I need your help."

************************************************************

"If you're waiting for my usual theory as to what's going on, I don't have one."

Episode 4x20-Small Potatoes

*****

Washington International Airport

It was late in the afternoon when Mulder was able to call home again. Once more, he got the answering machine. One more try with Susan, he decided, as he disconnected and started dialing. The phone rang five times before she picked up.

"Hello?" she asked breathlessly, as if she had been running.

"Susan?" he asked.

"Yes. Is this Ian?"

"Yeah. Is Sara there? Has she been there?"

Susan let out an audible gulp and cleared her throat. "Yes. She was here a couple of hours ago."

Mulder felt his whole body go limp. "Thank God," he whispered.

Susan must have heard him, despite the whisper. "I wouldn't just yet, Ian. She's in trouble...big time."

"What do you mean?" Mulder sat stiff in his chair once again.

"She came over to ask me to take of the kids...indefinitely. She's afraid she's in danger. She wanted me to let you know that she was okay and taking care of things, and that the kids are 'in the clear', whatever that means." Mulder knew it meant that whoever Scully was running from didn't know about the children. "She called Kate and asked her to take care of the animals." Kate was one of their neighbors; the only veterinarian for miles, she would care for the animals without question.

"Did she say where she was going?" Mulder asked. "Did she leave any other kind of message for me?"

"Yes, actually."

"What is it?"

"Ian, I have to tell you. This is really scaring me."

"Susan! What did she say?"

"She said to tell you that 'they know where I am and they are looking for you. Don't come for me'." There was silence over the line for a moment. "Ian. Please. Who are 'they'?"

"No one you have to worry about," Mulder said, his teeth clenched. "Just take care of our children."

"Of course," Susan whispered.

After a few more comforting words, Mulder disconnected. He looked at Charlie, his eyes wide. "They found us." He stood and started pacing.

"Now what?" Charlie asked.

Mulder stopped and turned toward him. Charlie was shocked at the fear he saw in his friend's eyes. "I have no idea."

*****

"I don't trust you!"

"You've got no one else to trust!"

Episode 1x23-The Erlenmeyer Flask

*****

"It's been one hell of a shitty week."

Nick Remington silently agreed with Alicia Chase's comment as he readjusted himself in his seat. TB. Tired Butt. It had been his favorite phrase as a child, and he still used it, at least in his head. He had been working on finishing up his paperwork for four hours now, non-stop, and he really needed to get up and walk around. But he was almost done.

Chase had joined him in his office about an hour ago to help him finish the file on the stolen eagle case, or the YellowHawk/Zweifel case as he preferred to call it, since he was still convinced they were involved somehow. After he had asked Cat O'Neil and her partner out to ask around, he had been more than a little shocked when the two agents had returned from Lincoln the same day with nothing. Cat had told him that the sheriff and the police chief had seemed honest to them and that there was no X-File. He had almost been convinced Cat was lying because she wouldn't look him in the eye, but he wasn't about to accuse his friend of such things. Not without proof, anyway.

He had called to talk to the sheriff more than once since then, but was told each time that he was still out of town. He and Chase would have made another trip down there this morning had there not been several more important cases to wrap up. He was anxious to get back out to do some digging, but now it would have to wait until Monday.

He heard a noise at his door and looked up. Or maybe it wouldn't have to wait, he thought to himself as he recognized the person in the doorway. Alicia noticed his surprised expression and turned toward the door, her own expression changing from curiosity to shock.

Nick stood. "Mrs. Zweifel?" How had she gotten in here? Security at the Rapid City Federal Building wasn't as tight as Federal Buildings in larger cities, but Security should have called up that he had a visitor coming to see him.

"Agent Remington," she said softly. She looked different today. Her face appeared red, as if sunburned, and she looked exhausted. "Agent Chase," she added, glancing at Alicia. "Agent Remington, I was wondering if I might have a word with you in private?"

Nick looked at Alicia, who had cast a glance full of doubt his way.

Sara Zweifel almost smiled. "I assure you both, I'm not any danger to you. I may have told the guard I was here applying for the Clerks position that's open downstairs, but he still made me go through the metal detector. I'm not armed." The dry humor in her voice matched the look on her face.

"Agent Chase," Nick looked at Alicia, who looked embarrassed by Mrs. Zweifel's statement. "If you wouldn't mind?"

"Of course not," Alicia said as she stood. She nodded to Mrs. Zweifel and left the office, closing the door behind her.

Nick waved his hand toward the chair Alicia had just vacated. "Please. Doctor. Have a seat."

"Thank you," she said, then calmly sat in the chair, crossing her legs in an elegant manner, despite the jeans and hiking boots she wore.

"What can I do for you, Dr. Zweifel?"

"I understand you're a friend of Cat O'Neil."

Nick was a bit startled by her use of Cat's nickname. Professionally, she introduced herself as Catherine, not Cat. "I am. How do you know her?"

She paused for a moment. "She worked with my husband a few years back."

Nick couldn't keep his mouth from dropping open. "Zweifel was FBI?"

"Yes," Mrs. Zweifel said coolly. "As was I."

Nick felt his whole body tense. What the hell was this? Some kind of trick? She did not look like... Suddenly, he recalled where he had seen Sara Zweifel before. It had been nearly fifteen years ago, in Baltimore, when he had been assigned to help Tom Colton catch a serial killer who stole his victim's livers. The man had been caught, but not by Colton or himself. Victor Tooms had been captured after attacking another agent on the case.

"Dana Scully?" His voice was hushed, as if he was talking in a library with Marion the Liberian watching him like a hawk from the other side of the room. "But...you...you..." It was rare indeed that Nick Remington was struck speechless. "You're dead." His astonished whisper was so soft he could hardly hear it.

The woman sitting before him tilted the corners of her mouth up slightly. "Not anymore, apparently."

Nick sat staring at her for a moment, all the facts and rumors he remembered hearing about the infamous X-Files, when they had been run by Fox Mulder, running through his mind. He flashed back to the scene in the McCloud County Sheriff's Office that had taken place earlier in the week; to her confidence as she had walked into a room full of armed law-enforcement personnel and demanded to know what was going on; to her standing up to him when he had rudely asked her if she always stuck her nose in her husband's business; to her husband's apparent nonchalance at his wife's interruption, as if he wasn't at all surprised by it, maybe even expected it. Her husband.

"Mulder." He said, his voice no longer a whisper.

"You recognized me but not him," Dana Scully said with a smile. "I'm surprised. He was usually more visible in the public eye than I was back then."

"I didn't pay any attention to the public's version of events. During the Tooms' case, I was much more interested in the cute little red-head Colton had the hots for."

She flushed slightly, but didn't look away. "Poor Colton," she said in mock seriousness. "He never spoke to me again after that case...until my farewell party the day before I left the X-Files. I guess he figured that, now that I was out from under Mulder's influence, I could be forgiven." She laughed slightly. "I had to set him straight that night."

Nick found himself smiling. He had never like Colton. But the humor quickly died as the situation came to his attention once more.

"What exactly is going on, Agent Scully?"

"Please, not agent," she corrected. "You can just call me Dana."

"Dana, then. Why...Oh, hell! What the fuck is going on?!"

She sighed. "I need someone to trust, Agent Remington-"

"Nick, please."

"Nick. I know that you knew Cat O'Neil well enough to ask her out here to interview my husband, and I know by the way she spoke, she respected you. Now, I trust her, but she's all the way back to DC by now, and I need someone near."

"And here I am," Nick replied. "What do you need, exactly? Other than your apparent secret kept?"

"My secret no longer needs to be kept, Nick. It's already out." She leaned forward. "What I need now is for my children to be kept safe." She looked him in the eye, her blue gaze direct and true. "No one can know who their parents are. Not until I can ensure their safety."

"And how are you going to do that?"

"First, I have to find my husband. We'll figure the rest out together."

"You know where your husband is?"

"Yes. I do."

******

"FBI, my lord! I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight, knowing they're poking around."

Episode 6x07-The Rain King

*****

Katie Moore was sitting at her computer chatting with her on-line friends when the FBI came to her door. Not that having FBI agents visit was uncommon. It was just that this time they came to ask questions, not to drink beer and shoot the breeze with her boyfriend and his buddies. When the knock on the door finally got her attention, the 6-foot-tall red-head stood with a grimace (obviously she had been at the computer a little too long tonight) and bent over slightly to look out the peep-hole, which was a little lower than she would normally have it, but which suited the 5'2" Melvin perfectly.

When she recognized Cat and her cute, but unfortunately gay, partner out in the hall, she quickly opened the door. "Hey, you guys," she said as she walked back over to the computer. "Mel isn't here right now, but he should be back any minute. He just ran down to the Mini-Mart for some Ding-Dongs." She sat back down and quickly typed out a reply to LobsterQ, her friend from Florida.

"Ding-Dongs, huh?" Justin said, giving Cat a smirk.

"Don't even," she commented back.

"What?!" Justin's boyish face beamed innocence. Cat just glared back. "Hey, Katie!" Justin walked over to the woman, whose fingers were flying on the keyboard in front of her. "Are you ever not on the computer?"

"I'm not here when I'm sleeping or..." She glanced up at him, then looked away, blushing. Her pale complexion showed off the blush beautifully. She shrugged, but kept her eyes averted. "What can I say. This is where I make my living, and it's where I met all my friends." Katie was a writer, and a damn good one. Justin had most of her techno-thrillers at home. She and Frohike had 'met' in a chat-room dedicated to her fans, though she had logged on under an assumed name. It was her way of getting to know her fans. She had liked Frohike upon first 'meeting' and had set up a RL meeting only a month later. Frohike had been shocked to discover who she really was, but had recovered quickly. They had been inseparable ever since.

Byers and Langly had hated her at first, accusing her of stealing Frohike. But a pleasant truce had been established, and though Langly was still somewhat abrupt with her, Byers treated her like the sister she had, in a way, become.

"Are the others with him?" Justin asked Katie.

She shook her head. "No. I don't think so. Why?"

"They weren't at their apartment," Cat told her. "Do you by chance know where they might be?"

She shrugged again. "I'm not sure. They could be with that cute friend of theirs and that nice Native American fellow."

"What cute friend?" Cat asked, though she was pretty sure who Katie was talking about. Although, if it was Mulder, Cat wouldn't call him cute. Drool-on-the-floor-until-you-drop-dead gorgeous maybe, but not cute.

"I can't remember his last name, but I do remember his first, because it was a pretty neat name! Fox."

Cat looked at Justin with a smirk. "Told ya."

"Yeah," Justin said noncommittally. "Any idea where they would be going with Fox?"

She shook her head again. "Sorry, no." She glanced up at both of them, then back down to the monitor in front of her.

Footsteps outside the door alerted them to the imminent arrival of visitors. Only they weren't visitors; it was Frohike, Byers and Langly. All three stopped short upon sight of the FBI agents. Then Langly stepped forward, a big, cheesy grin on his face.

"Hey, Cat! What's up?"

Cat gave him a patient look. "Nothing much. Just stopped by to see if you guys could help us, but apparently you were all busy visiting with a friend." She stepped closer to Langly. "How is Fox, by the way?" Her voice and expression were casual. Too casual.

"Uh, he's fine," Byers said, his brow furrowed with worry. "He's gone now, though."

"Yeah," Frohike concurred as he moved to stand next to Katie, who had stopped her typing to observe the goings on in RL. "He just stopped by for a visit. We don't know what else he was doing here."

Cat nodded in understanding. "I see. And you weren't at all surprised to see him? I mean, considering where he has supposedly been the last five years?"

The Gunmen cast wary glances at each other, then, one by one, they looked at the floor. Katie, who was wondering not only what they were talking about, but what Frohike had done with the Ding-Dongs, asked, "If you guys are done talking in circles, may I ask what the hell is going on?" She directed her gaze to Melvin, who promptly grimaced and shrugged his shoulders.

Katie looked at Cat, her eyebrows raised in question. "Fox Mulder is supposedly dead," Cat said. "But we found out the other day, by accident, that he is not. These guys have known all along."

"Not all along!" Byers argued. "We weren't in on it for a few months. We mourned at their funeral just as hard as you did."

"Wait a minute!" Katie said. "You guys have been keeping secrets from the FBI?! Shame on you!" She swatted Frohike's tummy playfully, then turned back to the computer. "You better tell me everything tonight, Mel. Sounds like it might make a good book!"

"You don't know the half of it," Frohike mumbled. "Look, O'Neil. It wasn't our job to tell you a secret that could have endangered lives!"

"Yeah, yeah," Cat said. "I've heard this before." She sighed. "You're not going to tell us why he was here, either, are you?"

All three of the Gunmen shook their heads confidently.

Cat couldn't help but smile. "I didn't think so. Can you at least answer this: is whatever he came here to do done?"

Again, three pairs of eyes met each others fleetingly. Then Byers sighed and shook his head negative. "And something even bigger may be in the works," he said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Justin asked.

"You may not be the only ones who have found out about them."

Cat cast a worried glance at Justin. "Because of us?"

"I don't know," Byers said. "Maybe. Indirectly." He sighed. "I don't know."

In a soft but commanding voice, Justin told them, "You know where to find us if you need us, boys." With that, he and Cat left the apartment.

The room went dead silent.

Then Katie said in a brisk, cheery voice, "So, where are the Ding-Dongs?"

************************************************************

"Scully's...a much larger problem than you indicated."

"Every problem has a solution."

Episode 2x04-Sleepless

*****

24 hours later

When Mulder and Charlie arrived back in Lincoln, it was well after dark. They drove in Charlie's pick-up, which had been left at a friend’s house in Rapid, straight to Mulder's house, a good two hour drive. Mulder sped the whole way. It had taken forever to get from DC back to South Dakota, especially while making sure they weren't being followed; Mulder didn't trust Diana.

The house was dark and quiet. Too quiet. When he stepped out of the car, no dogs came to greet him. With a frightened chill running up his back, he ran up to the front door. Finding it locked, he opened it with his key and slipped inside, Charlie close behind. Without turning on any lights, he walked to the closet on the far side of the foyer and opened the door, finding the flashlight kept there for emergencies. Flicking the little battery operated object on, he turned the beam toward the living room. He heard Charlie gasp, and felt his own blood run cold.

The room had very obviously been turned upside down. Cushions were pulled off chairs. Tables were overturned. One glass lamp had fallen to the hardwood floor in front of the fireplace, its pieces scattered about. With a fiercely beating heart, Mulder walked over to the mantle of the fireplace, his eyes searching the pictures lined there. Several were missing; the pictures of his children no longer sat there. Whether they had been taken by the people who had broken in or by Scully, he had no idea. He prayed it was the later.

"Shit," he heard Charlie say behind him. The man had taken a detour into the kitchen when Mulder moved over to the pictures, and he had come back angry. "They did the same thing in there," he growled. "My God, Ian...Mulder...whoever the fuck you are. You weren't joking when you said they were persistent, were you?"

Lights suddenly shone bright through the front window as a vehicle pulled up in front of the house. Mulder flicked off the flashlight immediately, and he and Charlie ducked down out of sight, moving carefully toward the kitchen. Silently, they waited.

"Sheriff?" The man's voice was tentative, strained. "Charlie?" He entered the open front door, his own flashlight searching the room.

Mulder sighed and stepped out of the kitchen, his arms held carefully away from his sides so as not to appear threatening.

Lucas stood in the doorway, his weapon in his right hand, his flashlight in his left. He pointed both at Mulder as he came out of the kitchen. The gun immediately lowered as Lucas gave a sigh of relief. "Sheriff! I thought that looked like Charlie's truck out there."

"What the hell happened here, Lucas?" Mulder demanded. "Where's Sara?"

Lucas had reholsted his gun and raised his free hand up in a gesture meant to slow down Mulder's questions. "We found this earlier this afternoon. It must have happened the night before. The dogs and cats were okay, just scared out of their minds. Kate had a hard time catching Samson; that little dog can be a bastard. The big dogs had been locked in the barn. They're all at Kate's now."

"The kids, are they still with Susan?"

Lucas nodded. "She said you had called yesterday, just after Sara left."

"Where did she go?" Mulder felt his voice crack slightly with worry.

The deputy shrugged. "No one knows. She wouldn't say. I was under the impression she was going to meet you somewhere."

Mulder let his head fall back as he groaned. "Damn! She's probably in DC by now," he said softly to Charlie.

"Great," Charlie answered back sarcastically. "I thought you two were supposed to be able to read each others minds or something! Why didn't you know she'd follow you?"

Mulder just glared at him, but he was asking himself the same question. He knew he hadn't been at his best ever since his run in with Diana. Suddenly, the dream he had had made sense. It had been warning him not to be distracted by Diana while Scully was in danger. Too bad he been late in figuring it out.

"This house isn't the only crime scene in the area, Sheriff." Lucas' voice was soft and worried.

"What do you mean?" Mulder asked.

"A body was found by some hikers up in the Park earlier today. No identification. But he was wearing a holster, as if he had been armed. We found no weapon."

"And?" Mulder was getting very nervous.

Lucas sighed. "I recognized it as the same man that had been following Sara the day before. She told me not to worry about it, that the fellow was a friend of yours, and that he was just keeping an eye on her for you." He shook his head. "I didn't believe her, but what was I gonna do? Call her a liar?"

"How was he killed?"

"One shot to the chest at close range. Looked like a 9mm, but we haven't gotten a full report on it, yet. The body's been taken to Rapid, but it might be a few days before any results come in." The three men were silent for a while. Then Lucas spoke again, and his words were some of the most beautiful words Mulder had ever heard. "What do you want us to do, Sheriff?" Complete and utter trust filled the young Lakota's voice. Mulder knew that Lucas was aware of something dangerous and deadly going on. He probably suspected that Scully had shot the man up in the Park. He, and others in town, were probably scared shitless about all that was going on. But they trusted him and were willing to help him in anything he asked. It thrilled Mulder knowing he had such friends when once upon a time he had been almost completely alone. It also terrified him.

"Lucas, I hearby pronounce you Acting Sheriff of McCloud County. I place under your protection my children and all the residents of the County." He waved his arms around the messy room. "The people who did this are bound to be back, and they will be looking for me and my wife. Hopefully, they know nothing about the kids, and I want it to stay that way. All right?"

Lucas, his eyes wide with fear and excitement, nodded. "Yes, sir. You have my word. Myself, Susan and the other residents of Lincoln will keep your family safe."

Mulder nodded, then turned to Charlie. He held out his hand. "Well, Chief. It's been fun."

"Whoa, whoa! Wait a minute!" Charlie shook his head. "I'm already a part of this! I'm staying with you, buddy! You can't do this alone!"

"You don't even know what I'm going to do!" Mulder said, exasperated.

"Yes, I do," Charlie argued. "You're going to find your wife, and then you are going to try your hardest to get your life back."

Mulder eyed him for a moment. What he said was true, but it may not be possible. And it was bound to be dangerous. He looked at Lucas again. "Remington--"

"Has already been here," Lucas interrupted. "He came to look at the body. I don't know why, but I got the idea he knew what had happened to the man."

Mulder nodded to his deputy, then he and Charlie left in the old pick-up.

"Where to now?"

Mulder gave the Indian a smile. "I think we better pay a visit to Agent Remington, don't you?"

*****

"...something found me."

"What?"

"Fate. Destiny. Whatever it's called when the choices you thought you had in life are already made."

Episode 6x12-One Son

*****

It was almost midnight when Scully found the address she had been looking for. She was exhausted, stressed and frustrated, and she began to remember why she had not missed DC. The traffic was horrendous. She'd give anything to be sitting in her car in the middle of the prairie waiting for a flock of sheep to cross the road than being stuck in traffic. But now she was here, and more than a little relieved. "Mulder, you better be here," she whispered to herself, getting out of the car and heading for the worn, but well-kept, apartment building.

Climbing the stairs inside the doorway quietly, she kept her whole body as alert as she possibly could. A woman alone in a darkened hallway was not a safe thing...even if she was armed. Finally, she reached her objective, hidden camera and all. Quickly, she knocked on the door.

She heard the mumbling and grumbling coming from the other side as several locks were thrown. Not as many as at the old place, she thought to herself, but still more than your average city dweller would have. The door flew open, exposing the shocked faces of Byers and Langly.

After staring at her for one silent second, both men reached through the door and pulled her inside, slamming the door closed behind her.

"Scully!" Byers said, his voice astounded.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Langly said, fear lacing his voice.

"What do you mean what am I doing here?" she demanded. "Hasn't Mulder been here?"

"Yeah," Byers said. "Of course he has. But he left last night."

"For where?"

"To find you," Langly said softly.

Scully felt her shoulders sag. "Damnit! I told him not to come for me! I'm sure Susan told him!"

"I'm sure she did, too," Byers confirmed. "But did you actually think Mulder would listen if he thought you were in trouble?"

Scully moved further into the room and flopped down on the couch. "They'll be there waiting for him!" With a heavy sigh, she let her head rest on the back of the couch, closing her eyes. Suddenly, they flew open and she stood. "Phone?"

"Right there," Byers said, pointing out the cordless next to one of the computers.

Scully rushed over to it, grabbed it and began dialing. For a long moment, she listened to it ring. No one answered. "Shit!" She slammed the phone back down into its cradle, then looked up at the two men in front of her. They both wore worried expressions. Whether they were worried for Mulder, or for their own safety in the aftermath of her apparent temper tantrum, she didn't know. "Was he going to contact you soon?"

They both shrugged. "He did say he was coming back to figure out what to do about the Nihm thing, but not until he knew what was going on at home." Byers moved closer to her. "We'll keep trying to reach him, but I'm sure he knows to be careful. He won't get caught, and when he realizes you came out here, he'll be back ASAP."

Scully fell onto the couch again, rubbing her hands across her tired eyes. "You guys got a bed I can pass out on?"

Byers sat next to her. "You can use mine. We'll keep trying Mulder."

Scully let her hands drop and looked at him, a small smile on her face. "Thanks," she said softly. "What a reunion, huh? It's good to see you guys."

Byers smiled back. "It's good to see you, too, Scully."

A sudden knocking on the door made all three jump. Scully stood quickly and headed for the bathroom. "Unless that's my husband or Frohike, I'm not here."

"You got it," Langly said as he moved for the door. "What is this?" he mumbled to himself. "Grand Central Station?" Then he saw the two people standing outside his door on the monitor. "Oh, shit!"

Both Scully, who had reached the other side of the room, and Byers turned to look at him. "What?" Byers asked, walking quickly over to the monitor. "Oh, no," he said softly, glancing at Scully.

"What?" Scully demanded.

Byers shook his head. "Hide."

Scully didn't argue. She ducked into the room, but kept close to the door so she could hear what was going on. She heard the door open to admit whoever was in the hallway. She tried to take a deep, silent breath in hopes of slowing her pounding heart. Was it someone she knew?

She heard Byers speak first. "Well, this is a surprise. The fact that you're here, I mean." No response. "What can we do for you ladies?"

"I'm Dr. Megan Northam," a woman's voice said. "We were hoping to find Fox Mulder here."

Scully felt her brow furrow. How did she know about Mulder having been here? Doctor? Did she have something to do with this Nihm thing Byers mentioned?

"He's not here anymore," Langly said. "He had more important things to attend to."

"More important?" the woman said. "He risked exposure to try to get into my lab and steal my files, yet now he has something more important to do?" Her voice was incredulous. "What?"

"Family." Another woman spoke. Though it was only one word, and it wasn't very loud, Scully recognized the voice immediately. She heard it often enough in her nightmares. "Am I right?"

Taking a deep breath and ignoring her exhaustion, Scully stepped out from behind the door. "Yes. That's exactly right."

Both women had been facing away from her, and at the sound of her voice they spun around. Dr. Northam's expressive green eyes widened in astonishment. Diana Fowley's blue ones narrowed.

"Agent Scully," the tall brunette said. "Fancy meeting you here. Look's like all us 'dead' people are popping up all over the place."

"What do you want Mulder for?" Scully asked, her teeth clenched. She could have happily lived the rest of whatever kind of life she had left without knowing this woman was still alive.

Fowley glanced at Northam, then the doctor took a step closer to Scully. "We need his help. We understand he knows of an animal that escaped from the Project several years ago. We believe this animal, an eagle, has information that could be dangerous. Not only to the Project, but to the world."

***********************************************************

"Sometimes the only sane response to an insane world is insanity."

Episode 3x07-The Walk

*****

6:15 A.M.

Denny's Diner

Rapid City, SD

Nick Remington was sitting at a corner booth when Charlie and Mulder arrived. The meeting, which had been arranged last night after midnight, had been scheduled for 6, but Mulder and Charlie had waited several minutes before entering the 50's style restaurant, checking to insure that Remington hadn't been followed. It wasn't that Mulder didn't trust the man, though it was hard to trust anyone at this point; it was because he didn't trust who Remington might be working with. Namely, the senior agent here in Rapid, a 20 year veteran by the name of Richard Turner. Mulder had known the man when he had been a profiler, and Turner was, and always would be, 'old school': against women and minorities in the Bureau, a stickler for protocol, and a hard-ass extraordinaire. Mulder wanted nothing to do with the man.

With unusual precision, Mulder and Charlie slipped in opposite doors of the diner and converged on the table where Remington sat, surprising the man, but not frightening him. One point for him, Mulder thought. Mulder slid easily into the booth next to him and Charlie sat across from them.

Remington eyed them both for a moment, then took a casual sip of his coffee. He nodded toward Charlie. "Chief Yellow Hawk." Then he turned to Mulder. "Agent Mulder."

Mulder gave him an impertinent grin. "Did you figure that out on your own, or did you get assistance from my wife?"

Remington flushed slightly and looked down at the cup in his hands. "There is no telling if I would have ever figured it out on my own, even with the fact that your wife was so familiar to me." He looked over at the former agent. "I never met you personally...but I sure remember the stories."

"I'm sure you do." Mulder stopped and looked up at the approaching waitress. He and Charlie both ordered coffee, and after they were served and the young woman left, turned back to Remington. "The man they found dead out in the Badlands yesterday. Who was he?"

Remington raised his eyebrows. "What makes you think I know?"

"I'm assuming you found out through the same source that told you who I was." He kept his eyes fixed on Remington's.

"You think your wife had something to do with this man's death?"

Mulder didn't reply. But he also didn't stop staring at the agent.

Despite his cool reserve, Remington was starting to get unnerved by that stare. He looked down again. "He was CIA, officially. But we're pretty much convinced he wasn't working just for them. He apparently came out to make sure Cat and Monroe didn't find out anything about your eagle. He found you wife by mistake."

"We?" Remington looked up at Mulder's question, his expression confused. "You said *we* were pretty much convinced."

"Your wife and I."

"Where is she?" Mulder felt his voice grow hard as he tried to cover up his worry.

Remington started to laugh. "She went looking for you, you idiot!"

Mulder closed his eyes, hiding the frustration that had swamped him at Remington's words. Across from him, Charlie groaned. "Figures," the Indian mumbled.

With a soft curse, Mulder pulled out his cell phone, which had been turned off to save the batteries. Quickly, he turned it on and dialed up the Gunmen's number. He waited impatiently, his finger tapping the table. Remington and Charlie just watched him, amusement on both of their faces.

Finally, a tired sounding Byers answered. "Lone Gunmen."

"I can't believe you guys still answer the phone like that!" Mulder said.

"Mulder?!"

"Is she there?"

"Yeah! Hold on!"

Mulder let out a sigh of relief, and unknown to him, so did both Charlie and Remington.

"Mulder?!"

He couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face at the sound of her voice. "Hey," he said softly. "What the hell are you doing in DC?" His voice was the complete opposite of his words, calm and relaxed. "Who's taking care of my kids?"

He heard Scully sigh deeply. "You know very well where the kids are and why I'm in DC. But then again, maybe you don't, seeing as you didn't listen to Susan when she told you not to go back home." Mulder had to bite his lower lip to keep from arguing with her. "Where are you?" she asked.

"I'm sitting in a corner booth of a restaurant on 8th Street in Rapid with a certain Indian Police Chief and an FBI agent of your recent acquaintance."

"You're with Remington?"

"Yeah. He thought it was pretty funny how we missed each other, you leaving to find me as I came back looking for you." He glared at the agent as he said this. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she said. Ignoring Mulder's soft 'of course,' she continued. "Tired...and a little concerned."

"Concerned? Why should you be concerned? The dark forces of the United States Government have realized two of their worst enemies, whom they believed were dead, are still alive. What's to be concerned about?"

"That's not the only thing I'm worried about," Scully replied, still ignoring his sarcasm. "You remember Wambli? You know, the eagle that started this whole mess?"

"Yeah," he said, drawling the word. "What about her?"

Scully was silent for a moment. "I met someone last night who told me something about her that we didn't know."

Mulder felt ice move through his veins. "What?" He really wanted to ask 'who?', but first things first.

"I think you better wait until you get back here, first. Then you can talk to Dr. Northam yourself."

Mulder didn't stop to analyze why he felt so relieved to hear she had talked to Northam. "Okay," he responded.

"And if you can, you better bring Wambli back with you."

Mulder felt his mouth open in astonishment. "Now, wait a minute! This whole thing started because she didn't want to go back. Now you want me to bring her there?"

"Mulder, just trust me on this. We need her back here."

"We?" Mulder asked incredulously. "Who told you this? Northam?"

"No," Scully said softly. "Diana."

Mulder sat stunned for a moment. Then, in a voice as cold as a Dakota blizzard, said, "You spent how many stressful hours of your life years ago trying to convince me not to trust that woman, and now you want me to take her word on this?" He clenched his teeth to keep from yelling out a curse.

"Mulder, she showed me something you need to see, something that makes me believe her. Please, just try and get the eagle here."

"What about this spook you shot?" His voice, he discovered, was still cold.

She was silent for a long moment. He was about to say her name when she spoke, a tremor in her voice. "It was self-defense."

"God, Scully! I know that!" The fear and sadness in her voice tore him up. "Scully? Come on, babe. Stay with me here."

He heard her take a deep breath. "I cleaned house afterwards. Pictures. Clothes. I left it all at Susan's. But it may not be enough. Mulder, we have to finish this...for Fox and Marissa's sake."

"And you think this thing with Wambli will finish it?"

"Yes," she whispered. "It might even get our lives back."

Mulder couldn't for the life of him figure out how they could ever get their lives back, but he had faith that Scully knew what she was doing. Before he could say another word, he looked up to see another familiar face enter the diner. Charlie's 'oh, shit' across from him echoed his own thoughts. "Scully, I gotta go. I'll do my best to get Wambli out there, but it's not gonna be easy if she's not willing to go. Just promise me you'll STAY THERE!"

She laughed softly. "I promise. Be careful."

"I will. And please, please, don't kill Diana." His voice held a touch of humor...but only a touch.

"I'll do my best," she responded in kind. "Love you."

"Love you, too." He disconnected, then looked up to face the new addition, who had moved to stand next to their table. He looked at Remington, whose eyes were glued to the table in front of him, and then at Charlie, who was watching their visitor with wide, innocent eyes. Mulder turned his own eyes

up again.

"Mind if I join you?" Alicia Chase asked, a smile on her face, a glower in her eye.

******

"Don't you see? We're all in hell. I'm the only one who knows it."

Episode 6x15-Monday

*****

Ft. Marlene, Maryland

Project Nihm

Scully had been invited to meet the subjects of Project Nihm.

The invitation had been bestowed by Dr. Northam, though Fowley was tagging along. Scully wasn't too comfortable with the idea of spending time with Mulder's ex, but she was very curious about the project, and knew the opportunity to view it in depth was rare indeed. Top Secret government projects tend not to give out public tours. Though she didn't trust Diana any farther than she could spit (which wasn't very far), she felt the honesty and sincerity in Megan Northam like it was a palpable thing. Megan was a scientist, and was far more fascinated in the discovery of things than in destruction or domination.

Scully's natural instinct was to rebel at the thought of testing animals. Though she had worked with lab rats and mice in medical school, she had never approved of non-essential testing. If it didn't have the incentive of possibly saving human lives, she would have been against it completely. Knowing little about Nihm, she wasn't about to broadcast her opinions until she was better informed. But she couldn't see how making animals as smart or smarter than humans accomplished anything other than enlarging the ego of the initiators.

When she entered the lab with the two other women, one of the handlers, or 'teachers' as Megan called them, was working with a young female wolf called The Lady. Apparently, she was the daughter of one of the Project's success stories, Taryn. The Lady's father had been a normal, untested gray wolf, but thanks to Taryn's DNA manipulation, The Lady had been born with above average intelligence. She didn't appear to be as smart as her mother, but was very intelligent nonetheless. Scully was doubtful; Charlie had long ago told her stories of how smart wolves were and had always been. Their natural intelligence had long been underestimated by most people. Most Native American tribes had learned to respect the wolf because of their similarities to humans. It wasn't until Europeans arrived with their tales of 'Little Red Riding Hood' that the wolf came to symbolize evil in America, and was promptly exterminated. Recently, the government had been attempting to reintroduce the wolf into the lower forty-eight states. Charlie, as well as many other Lakota, had been trying to bring the governments attention toward the Black Hills. With thousands of acres of wild forest land, two species of deer, Bighorn and Mountain Goats, as well as much smaller game, Paha Sapa was the perfect environment for the wolf. But, of course, the local ranchers and hunters saw things differently.

The Lady's teacher was a young woman named Tami. The two sat together in the training room, which was a large, circular room just off the main lab, with rubber mats on the floor, and a one-way mirror that allowed people in the lab to observe their activities. Tami was sitting on the floor with large, white tiles with big, black shapes on them. She was asking The Lady to distinguish between the shapes by having the wolf nudge the star shape whenever two tiles were held up. When Tami held up two tiles, neither of which was the star, The Lady sat quietly, looking at her like she was crazy.

Scully wasn't impressed. "I've seen this same testing procedure done with horses," she said softly. "Most of them passed the test, too, and I believe their intelligence level isn't nearly as high as a wolf's."

"Yes, but The Lady is young," Megan said with a smile. "She's not even a year old yet. And, just like with human children, she had to start at the beginning. Human children aren't born knowing how to read and write. Their IQ is based not on if they can learn, but how much and how quickly. We judge the 'children' here by the same criteria." She looked at the two figures in the room. "Taryn was our first successful subject after the procedure was changed," Megan said softly. She had told Scully about the change last night, when she had explained about Wambli. The testing procedure that had originally been a success had also been dangerous, and all the subjects but Wambli, who had been called Dawn back then, had died. After Dawn's escape, they had assumed she had died, too. "Taryn's IQ is equivalent to mine. If, with The Lady, we can prove that the altered DNA can be passed on through the offspring...well, let's just say it would be wonderful."

"Why?" Scully asked, still not clear on the motive behind the testing. "Why is it necessary to change the way things were meant to be? Because you enjoy playing God?"

Megan seemed startled by Scully's questions. "Of course not! We are not trying to be God."

"You could have fooled me," Scully said softly. "I see no reason, scientific or otherwise, to be doing this. What is going to become of your successes? Are they going to somehow become members of human society? Doubtful. Or are they going to spend the rest of their lives here, playing games behind one-way-mirrors?"

Dr. Northam stood stock still, a stunned expression on her face. "I...I guess I haven't thought that far ahead." Her voice was soft, almost timid.

"You haven't thought that far ahead?" Scully was getting angry now. Yet, she understood Megan's ignorance; working on an amazing project like this was bound to warp the mind into thinking of nothing but the project. Single minded and set on one goal, Dr. Northam wasn't the only scientist to create without really thinking about the final outcome of that creation. A certain man by the name of Robert Oppenheimer came to mind.

"You may not have thought that far ahead," Scully said to the doctor. "But I bet others have." She looked over at Diana, who had been standing silent in the back of the room. "What is it Fowley? Military? Defense? Will these animals be trained to spy for us? Or even fight?"

Diana stood there, a small, secret smile on her face. "What makes you think I know anything about 'their' plans, Scully? Even before my 'death', I wasn't always in the loop."

Scully walked toward her, more than a little pleased when Diana's eyes turned nervous. "So, my being here is just a coincidence?" she asked. "This little tour I'm being giving is just a way to keep me busy until my husband," she was sure to emphasize 'husband', "arrives with Wambli? Or should I say Dawn?"

"Why else, Agent Scully?"

Though she hadn't been an agent in years, the title still sounded right to Scully's ears. She shrugged. "I don't know. All I know is that a CIA agent was sent to trail me, hoping to find Mulder, and then most probably, he was told to kill us. And now, here I stand, in a CIA operated facility. I find that ironic, don't you?"

Diana's brow had furrowed at Scully's words. "They know?" she asked, and her confusion seemed genuine. "They know you're alive?"

Scully felt her heart begin beating even faster at the realization that Diana didn't even know she and Mulder's cover had been blown. The older woman had obviously not been in the loop this time around.

A smallish man in a lab coat and wire-rimmed glasses peeked in from the hallway. "Dr. Northam? You're wanted in operations."

"Thank you, Damon." The doctor turned toward the door. "I'm sorry," she said to Scully. "If you'll excuse me?"

Scully nodded automatically, then turned back to Diana, who still looked worried, though not about Scully anymore.

"You didn't know," Scully said. It wasn't a question.

Diana shook her head. "But if someone from the CIA knows, then he will, too."

"Who?"

Before Diana could answer, four armed guards came in through the door Megan Northam had just disappeared through. They trained their weapons on both Scully and Diana. "Ladies, if you wouldn't mind coming with us?" Though the Sergeant asked politely, Scully knew he wouldn't take no for an answer.

She looked over at Diana, who really looked worried now. "Spender," she said quietly, then proceeded to allow the guards to escort her out. Scully had no choice but to follow.

*****

"How can an eight-year-old boy who can barely multiply be a threat to National Security? And people call me paranoid!"

Episode 1x03-Conduit

*****

Wambli was beginning to get very impatient.

The witch woman had visited a few days ago to tell her all would be well, the wasicu and the Indian cop were working on a way for her to remain free and unaccosted. Wambli wanted desperately to believe this was true, and so she had waited. For nearly a week, she had waited. She was tired of waiting.

Though she was kept as other captive birds of prey, tied outside on her leash with shade and water within reach, she was not as content as a normal eagle would have been. Most birds fly for only three reasons: for food, to migrate, and to find and win a mate. In captivity, the food situation is not a problem. Because of this, there is no need to migrate, either. And companionship is usually taken care of as well, even if it is in the form of humans. Most raptors settle in to captivity well, though by definition, the only captive raptors should be those raised in captivity or those with some handicap that prevents them from living in the wild. Simply put, if all their needs are met, they have no desire to fly. They have no fond memories of soaring above the clouds; or of diving at speeds unknown to man outside of a machine.

But Wambli did.

When Wasichu finally came back, he seemed very nervous, and Wambli was convinced he had failed and was afraid to tell her this. But what he ended up telling her was even more worrisome. He wanted her to go back to Maryland...with him. He would protect her, he said, and he would find a way to bring her home as soon as he could. His wife, the red-haired woman who had been with him on his last visit, had asked this of him, and though he wasn't sure on the details, he trusted her enough to do as she asked. Wambli didn't trust her. But she wanted to trust him.

She considered her options. She could refuse to go and request to be released, risking capture by the men she was hiding from. She knew asking to be released in itself was risky, as there was no way to tell if Wasichu would let her go. If not, she would have to fight him, possibly causing injury to herself and all those who tried to stop her. The last option, the one she liked the least, was to agree to go with him. Though she hated the thought of giving up, knowing the men from Nihm wouldn't give up until she was captured or dead gave her no real choice. After a long time to contemplate her choices, Wambli decided to go with Wasichu, putting her future in his hands.

******

"I'll build the ark, you gather the animals."

Episode 6x07-The Rain King

*****

It wasn't easy getting an eagle shipped by air from South Dakota to Maryland, especially when you were trying not to attract too much attention. But with Remington, and now Chase, helping, they were able to get on a flight leaving Rapid around 5:30 in the morning. With a stop and plane hop in Minneapolis, the flight would land in Baltimore at about 2 in the afternoon. Mulder and Charlie would then rent a van and drive to DC. They would take Wambli to Byers and Langly's place, then find out the details of this 'plan'. Mulder would not just give Wambli to her former captors; he needed to know why first.

Wambli was amazingly calm. She had barely seemed to fit into the large dog kennel, but she could turn around easily enough. Mulder had to remind himself that she was made up mostly of feathers. Charlie was worried that the eagle would break a tail feather or a primary wing feather, both of which might be harmful to Wambli; she needed every one of those important feathers if she was to fly again. Damaging just one would affect her coordination and speed during flight. Mulder told him that Wambli was most likely aware of this and would be careful. But now he began to worry as well. After all, the eagle had to ride in the cargo space of the plane, and they would have only limited contact with her in Minneapolis before getting her back in Baltimore.

Other than the slightly bumpy ride just outside of Rapid, which was almost always in existence thanks to the unreliable air currents coming off the Black Hills, the flight to Minnesota went smoothly. The wait at the Minneapolis airport seemed to take forever. They were allowed to visit Wambli for a short time before being loaded onto their next flight. They were taking a risk letting her out of their sight, but they felt a bit more comfortable that, at Remington's suggestion, they had listed her as a young Bald Eagle instead of a Golden Eagle. Since Bald Eagles didn't get their white head until they were about four or five years old, nobody except the most diligent of bird lovers would be able to tell them apart.

They finally made it to Baltimore. While Charlie retrieved the mini-van, which had already been reserved and paid for by Remington, Mulder retrieved Wambli. He looked in on the eagle, bending over to look through the metal screened door, and was greeted with a loud screech and a hiss.

"She's been like that the whole way," said the attendant who helped them load the crate in the back of the van, which Charlie had driven around to the loading zone. "Mean bitch. It is a girl, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Mulder answered. "She's just tired. Needs to get out and stretch her wings."

Due to traffic, they didn't arrive at the Gunmen's until around 4. Wambli didn't make a sound the whole way.

Mulder called ahead, talking to Byers, who told them they would be ready. Frohike and Langly were waiting at the curb when they pulled up. Excitement pouring through him, Mulder directed the men as they carried their live cargo to the elevator, and then to the apartment. A tall red-head was waiting just inside door, which was being held open by Byers. Carefully, the crate was set on the floor.

Mulder let his eyes scan the room as Wambli began, for the first time, to beat against the side of the crate. He opened his mouth to ask the inevitable question, but Charlie spoke first.

"Get her outta there before she breaks something!"

Spurred on by his words, Mulder grabbed the eagle glove that had been strapped to the top of the crate, and pulled it on his left arm. The four layers of leather covered his whole arm almost up to the elbow. He had received a crash course in eagle handling by Billy Moran, and had even read through a book about falconry on the flight. And though he knew this eagle could be reasoned with like a human, he was still nervous. Carefully, he leaned down in front of the crate, opened the door, and held his arm out with his forearm horizontal from the ground and parallel to his body.

Wambli strode out of the crate, raised her hackles, then hopped out onto the glove in front of her. Mulder stood... and nearly fell back down on his knees.

Charlie laughed. The Gunmen and the woman, whom Mulder assumed was Katie, stood staring, their mouths hanging open. Mulder had known the bird weighed a good 15 pounds, but he hadn't realized that 15 pounds on only one arm could be so heavy. It didn't help that Wambli was gripping him arm through the glove, showing him her displeasure by squeezing him with her powerful talons.

"All right, all right, all right!" Mulder gasped. "I get the picture. You didn't like it in there!"

The squeezing stopped, and the bird readjusted her stance on the glove, widening her feet so that her right foot sat close to Mulder's elbow and her left on his fist. This evened out her weight a bit more, and she didn't seem as heavy. Then she spread her wings, causing both Charlie and Byers to step back out of their range. Starting slowly, then speeding up, she began to flap them, stretching them, getting the blood pumping through them once again. Her grip on his arm tightened again, and he realized it was so her body didn't lift off her perch. As it was, Mulder felt his arm lifted slightly, her weight almost disappearing as she 'flew'. Papers and other loose, light objects went flying as the wind kicked up by her pumping wings got stronger. Mulder felt a huge grin spread across his face, and he heard Katie laugh in enjoyment.

Finally, the eagle stopped her exercise and folded in her wings once again. Mulder brought his elbow in toward his body, leaning it, and therefore Wambli's weight, on his hip. Then he looked at Byers' smiling face. "Where's Scully?"

Byers' smile immediately disappeared.

************************************************************

"You can't ask the truth from a man who deals in lies."

Episode 4x15-Memento Mori

*****

Former Special Agents Dana Scully and Diana Fowley sat side by side, nervously watching the tall man they had been brought to pace the floor in front of them. He hadn't said a word since they had been escorted into the tiny office on the top floor of an old, antiquated building off Sherman Street over ten minutes before. But they could tell he was angry.

Cigarette smoke filled the air, and Scully had to repress the urge to cough. As much as she tried to tell herself she wasn't afraid of this man, the truth of the matter was, she was terrified. She had always been frightened of him, but had managed to keep that fact to herself for years. It didn't matter that she hadn't seen him in over five years. Nor did it matter that he looked far older than five years of aging would normally allow. He still had power. Terrible power.

Only today, the man known as C.G.B. Spender seemed scared. He glanced at his guests from time to time, glowering at them from under heavy, grey brows. Finally, he stopped and turned to face them. Scully felt herself tense, and knew that the woman next to her had also stiffened in anticipation. He stared at them for a long while, then shook his head sadly. Taking another puff of the cigarette in his hand, he turned and left the office.

Scully felt her mouth open in confusion as she watched him leave. After the door closed behind Cancer Man, she turned to Diana. "What the hell was that all about?"

Diana looked at her for a moment, the shrugged and stood. Scully watched as she walked over to a small window on the far side of the room.

Scully sighed, then said, more to herself than to the other woman, "Why do I have the feeling he was more scared than angry? And that it is himself he's scared for, not us?"

"You're probably right," Diana said, turning to face her. "He and Creswell risked their lives by helping you and Mulder five years ago."

"Creswell?" Scully was pretty sure who Fowley meant, but asked anyway.

"The Englishman who helped fake your deaths. He died over a year ago, but his presence is still felt within the Consortium."

Scully felt a moments regret at the death of the man Mulder had called the Well-Manicured Man. Though not a friend, he had always seemed to be on Mulder and Scully's side on many occasions. He, Spender and Alex Krycek had all been involved in the car bombing ploys that had helped disguise her and Mulder's escape. Scully had never known who else was involved, but she had known that the three men had been helping them against the orders of the rest of the Syndicate, who had wanted them dead.

"I can understand why he's nervous that the Syndicate has discovered Mulder and I are still alive, but why are you here?" Scully asked the other woman.

Diana looked out the window. "I assume he discovered that I had known Mulder was here and didn't tell him. He's probably just pissed at me." She looked over at Scully again. "The Syndicate discovered I was still alive two years ago. Spender talked them into letting me live, but he was threatened and demoralized by the experience. I suppose he's afraid the same thing will happen now that you and Mulder have been found out. Only it will be worse this time; you and Mulder are more of a danger to them than I ever was." She looked back out the window. "Both of you are still marked for death...and now, Spender will be, too."

Scully felt a laugh rise from her throat. "Spender won't die. He can't. You can't kill the devil."

"You still call him that, even after everything he did for you?" Diana walked toward her. "He gave you the last five years of your life, Dana."

Scully didn't comment. Diana's last statement was true, and Scully hated that fact. She also hated hearing her first name come from Diana's lips. She felt herself stand and walk past the taller woman to the same little window, looking out curiously; it was a wonderful view of the building next door...and nothing else.

"How did you get involved in this anyway, Agent Scully?" Diana asked from behind her. "Was a quiet, peaceful life too boring for you?"

Scully turned toward her, her eyes flashing. "I didn't want to be involved in this," she said. "If that CIA man hadn't been following O'Neil and Justin and found me, I never would have left my children or my home."

Scully couldn't help but see the surprise in Diana's eyes. "Children? You have children?"

Folding her arms across her chest, Scully stepped closer. "You didn't know?"

Diana shook her head. "Spender told me you and Mulder had been 'saved' like me," she stated. "But, he told me nothing about where you went or what you were doing. I wasn't even sure if you were together, but I guessed by the ring that Mulder was wearing that you were." She gave Scully a wry smile. "As much as I hated to admit it, I could tell he loved you from the moment I first saw you together." Her smile faded. "I didn't know you had children. I thought you were..." She didn't continue.

"Barren?"

Diana looked at the floor. "Yes."

Scully was silent for a while. Did she really want to discuss her personal life with this woman? Finally, she said, "Miracles happen."

Diana looked up. "Fox found your ova?"

"Some, yes."

The brunette sat heavily on one of the office chairs. "How many?" When Scully's brow furrowed, Diana elaborated. "How many kids?"

"Two. A boy and a girl."

Diana nodded. "I understand that the longer the ova are frozen, the less viable they become. You must have been lucky to get pregnant twice."

Scully felt her eyes drop to the floor. "Three times, actually. I miscarried our second child at four months." She remembered the day as if it was yesterday rather than three years ago. Because the ova Mulder had 'rescued' did indeed lose their viability as they aged, they had decided to try for child number two less than a year after Fox had been born, shortly after having settled in Lincoln. There had been no determined cause for the natural abortion, and Scully had physically healed just fine. But she had been too scared to try it again; she didn't want to suffer more heartbreak. Finally, after many late night discussions with her husband, they had tried again. "It took three attempts before Marisa was conceived," she said softly, not knowing why she was telling Diana this.

"Marisa?" Diana smiled slightly. "And the boy?"

Scully walked over to the desk and leaned back against it. "Fox."

Diana laughed. "I'll bet you had a hard time getting him to name his son that!"

"It took a bit of coaxing, but I managed," Scully said with a smile.

"Good," Diana said with a nod. "It's a good name. One that little boy should be proud of."

Scully felt her smile fade. "Yes," she said softly. "What's going to happen to us, Diana?"

The other woman's smile also disappeared. "I don't know, Dana. I really don't know."

They looked at each other for a while, both feeling slightly shocked that they had actually spent the past few minutes in pleasant conversation. Then Diana stood. "What I do know, is that when Fox finds out you're missing, he's going to get very angry." She paused. "And an angry Fox Mulder is not a good thing."

******

"I've got my own set of problems now, thank you."

Episode 3x08-Oubliette

*****

Ft. Marlene, Maryland

Mulder was not really surprised when he was allowed past the Ft. Marlene security without question, even if he had been kicked out of the place a few days earlier; he had a feeling he was expected. But when a lovely woman of middle age strode down the hallway to meet him, her brown hair held tightly back in a bun, a white lab coat covering a flower print sun-dress, her face full of concern, he was surprised.

"Fox Mulder?" the woman asked him as she drew near.

"Yes," Mulder responded, stopping to let the woman come to him. "Dr. Northam, I presume?"

Megan Northam stopped in front of him, her green eyes wide. She nodded, then with a soft curse, turned away. "Please follow me." She began walking up the hall without looking back.

With a grimace, Mulder followed. She led him up to the same floor he and Charlie had found the lab on, but took him to an office instead of the actual laboratory. There, she turned to face him again. "Do you have Dawn?"

Dawn? She must mean Wambli. He folded his arms across his chest. "First things first, Doctor. Where's my wife?"

Northam lowered her eyes. With a sigh, she said, "I don't know."

Mulder let his arms drop as he leaned menacingly toward her. "What do you mean, you don't know? She came here earlier today for some kind of tour, given by you. Isn't that so?"

Northam looked up again, nodding her head. "Yes. Diana and I showed her the facilities this morning."

"Diana? Great!" he said under his breath as he leaned back. "And?"

"And I was called away to answer some questions in Operations. Questions that seemed very trite. When I got back to the lab, they were both gone. No one will tell me anything, but I'm almost sure they didn't leave on their own."

Mulder felt himself walk over to Northam's desk, casually glancing down at it. "Why was it so important for me to get the eagle here?"

"Is she?"

Mulder looked at her, a grin on his face. But there was no humor in his eyes. "You first."

Northam sighed. "Dawn is the last of the original test subjects. All the others died. I had assumed she had died as well, though her file was still open. I wasn't here back then, so I never worked with her directly."

"How did the others die?"

The doctor bit her lip, then answered. "As I told your wife, the DNA they used back then contained the alien virus. It was the only way. We couldn't isolate it."

"So, all the subjects were infected with the virus?"

"Yes," Northam whispered. "I understand you know what the virus does?"

Mulder nodded. "How did Wam--, the eagle survive?"

Northam shrugged. "All we know is that they all lived for quite a while as carriers. They didn't become infected until later. I assume Dawn never did become infected. But she is most likely still a carrier."

"Meaning...?"

"Meaning that her blood and saliva could carry the virus. She hasn't bitten you, has she?"

Mulder felt blood begin to rush in his ears. "No. Of course not." Wambli could have passed on the virus? It was a frightening thought. Though he was immune, 99.9% of the population wasn't. "Even as a carrier, would the vaccine help her?"

Northam shook her head. "Our vaccine can only kill the virus within the first few days of infection."

"The first few days *after* infection," Mulder clarified. "But she isn't infected. She is a carrier."

Northam bit her lip again, and Mulder realized how distracting it was. She reminded him of a teenage girl who had stayed out past curfew and was now bracing for a lecture from her parents. "I don't know," she finally said. "Our vaccine is very unpredictable. We haven't had need to use it

in years."

"What about Hendrickson's vaccine?"

Her eyes widened. "I didn't think that existed. I thought it was a myth."

Mulder smiled. "It's no myth," he told her. He had gotten hold of the vaccine created by Dr. David Hendrickson five years ago, and it had been the final straw for the Syndicate; they had wanted him dead, and the vaccine in their hands. Instead, he and Scully had secreted it away and, with the help of Dr. Chloe Wood, had the vaccine successfully replicated and hidden away. Only five people knew where the several hidden stashes were. He and his wife, Dr. Wood, and the current agents in charge of the X-Files. "If I could get a hold of some of Hendrickson's vaccine, could we try it on Wambli?"

"Wambli?" Northam tilted her head.

"Dawn. It's what she has since named herself."

The doctor raised her chin. "I suppose it's worth a try. If she wasn't carrying the virus anymore, it's possible my superiors will leave her alone." She looked at Mulder intently. "And that's what you want, isn't it?"

Mulder nodded. "I promised her I'd help her. And she doesn't want to come back here."

Northam looked sad for a moment, and Mulder wondered if she was thinking about all the other animals under her care. "Okay," she said finally. "I think we should try it."

"All right," Mulder nodded again. "I'll get you the vaccine...on one condition."

"What?"

"You help me find my wife."

*****

"Working with these people, it starts driving you crazy, too."

Episode 4x22-Elegy

*****

Alex Krycek watched as the man before him paced. He was enjoying the show, he had to admit. Watching Spender slowly lose his mind was entertaining, as long as he kept control of himself and didn't follow the bastard over the edge. Which was highly possible with all that had been going on in the last several days. Ever since the Syndicate had discovered that Mulder and Scully were still alive.

The last five years had been relatively quiet without the two persistent FBI agents digging around. Not that Monroe and O'Neil weren't good at their job, they just didn't have Mulder's passion or Scully's loyalty backing them up. Mr. and Mrs. Spooky were a hard act to follow. Besides, the new Syndicate didn't have as much to do as the old one did. The aliens they had long ago made a deal with had backed off. Little to no communication had been achieved in five years. They knew the vaccine was out there. They knew an invasion now would not succeed. But with Mulder and Scully back, they, too, might show up and join the party. Damn. Just when life was getting easy.

The old man was scared. The Syndicate had not been happy with him after finding out about Fowley. They would be even less pleased now. And if they decided Spender had to die, there wasn't much Alex could do to stop it. Hell, he wouldn't mind helping them do it, despite the fact that Spender had treated him well in recent years. He wasn't just an errand boy anymore; he had some semblance of power. The Syndicate listened to him. They took him seriously. And he knew he would never have achieved that kind of recognition if it hadn't been for the man in front of him. Spender had supported him. Had even seemed to trust him on occasion, which still amazed him. When he had been asked to help fake Mulder and Scully's deaths years ago, he had been surprised; it was no secret he could do without the two agents, despite his admiration for Mulder and his natural attraction to Scully. But he had helped. And he had not regretted it.

With Creswell dead, the finger pointing would be directed at Spender. But Spender might incriminate him. Krycek knew he could always fall back on the 'I was under orders' ploy, but even that might not save him.

"Alex," the man finally said, stopping his pacing, but not his smoking, to look at him. "I need you to do something for me."

"What?" Krycek was no fool. He would find out what the man wanted before saying yes or no, though he instinctively wanted to say no.

"The children. I need you to find them."

"What children?" Krycek was curious now.

"Mulder's children. He has two, but I don't know where they have been hiding since both their parents have come back to DC."

Mulder and Scully had kids? Krycek was more than a little shocked by this news. "Why do you want to find them?" He would never admit it out loud, but the thought of harming small children disgusted even him.

Spender sighed. "I want you to find them and bring them to me."

Krycek opened his mouth to refuse, but Spender interrupted him.

"They need to be protected," he said sharply. "If the Syndicate finds out about them, they may be in danger. They know both Mulder and Scully are immune. They will want to know if the children are, too."

"And you don't?" Krycek asked.

"It doesn't matter to me whether they are or not. I just want them to be safe."

"And you really think they will be safe with you?" Krycek stood and walked over to the old man. "What makes you think they won't be just fine right where they are?"

"I can protect them," Spender continued. "I need to protect them." His eyes had gone wild.

Krycek backed up a step. He wasn't going to ask why the man was so intent on protecting the children; he felt that he already knew. "They will be safer where they are," Krycek said, keeping his voice calm. Trying to get the old man to see reason. "I'll find them. I'll make sure they're safe. And I'll look out for them. But I won't bring them here."

Spender stared at him hard for a long moment. Then, with a heavy sigh, he nodded his head. "You do that, Alex. You keep them safe. They are, after all, our future."

Krycek was silent for a while. Then he asked, "What about Scully and Fowley?"

"They must be protected, too," Spender said softly, and Krycek knew without a doubt that the old man had finally lost it. "I have sent them away. Where no one will find them."

"And Mulder?"

A wide smile spread across Spender's face. "Mulder. Ah, yes. He is too important for them to kill. I'll make sure they are aware of that. Maybe...maybe, they'll even let him take my place after I'm gone."

Krycek had known the man before him for more than ten years now, and never had he seen the bastard this illogical. He knew his life was over, that the Syndicate was about to wipe him out of existence. Yet, he hoped that Mulder, who had been the Syndicate's worst nightmare for over a decade, would become a part of the whole? Krycek knew Mulder had already turned down a similar offer years ago. What would Spender use to entice the man this time? And would it work?

******

"It comes down to a matter of trust. I guess it always has."

Episode 6x01-The Beginning

*****

"You know, you have got some nerve! I hope you realize that when Spender finds out about this, your ass will be on the street, bared to the world and freezing!"

Scully's eyebrows shot up at Diana Fowley's comment to their guard, but she kept quiet. She had already decided that heckling these expressionless men would do no good. They were automatons, only able to follow orders given to them by specific people, totally ignoring anything anyone else did or said. Fowley obviously hadn't figured that out, yet.

"Life as you know it will disappear when he finds I'm missing," the dark haired woman continued. "If you think..."

"Miss Fowley," the man said as he walked toward the door, surprising both women. "Mr. Spender is the one who asked that you and Miss Scully be brought here. He says it's for your protection. Now, if you would please just relax and cooperate, I think we'd all be a whole lot happier." With that, the man left the two startled women, locking the door behind him.

They had been brought here this morning, to this three room cabin in the middle of nowhere, after having driven all night. Scully had no idea whether they had gone north, south or west, so she couldn't even begin to guess where they might be. But she did know, thanks to the generous amount of food stored here, that they were expected to stay a long while.

Diana's shock only lasted for a while. "Protection, my ass! I don't need protection! They already know I'm alive." She walked the length of the long, front room, bending over to look out the small window into the trees beyond. Just as she bent over, an armed guard walked by the window. One of many, Scully assumed. Diana stood straight and glared at Scully, as if it was all her fault. "Why the hell am *I* here?"

Scully shrugged and moved over to the old, ratty couch in the middle of the room. "Hey, how should I know? He's your confidant, not mine."

Diana opened her mouth to argue, but then closed it. With a sigh, she walked over to the other side of the couch. She looked as if she was about to sit, then noticed Scully's glare. With a twist to her lips, she moved over to an old rocking chair instead, dusting off the seat before sitting on it.

"Now what?"

Scully leaned her head back against the cushions behind her and closed her eyes. Her whole body ached, especially her head, and all she wanted was to soak in a hot bubble bath, then bury herself under her fluffy comforter back home and sleep, preferably with a certain McCloud County sheriff wrapped around her. She opened her eyes again at the thought of Mulder, and looked at Diana. "You have absolutely no idea why he would want to keep you here?"

"No," Diana shook her head. "Like I said earlier, I thought he might be mad at me for not telling him Fox was back, but I am not in any danger from the Syndicate like you are." She turned her head away to look out the window again. "Unless he thinks I..."

"What?"

"He has been acting odd, lately. Alex is convinced he's finally gone insane."

"Krycek? He's still involved?"

Diana let out a humorless laugh. "Still? Once involved, you are a part of it for life. I thought you knew that."

"Which is why I preferred to be 'dead'." She stood and started roaming around the room with her arms folded. Getting her bearings. "He'll use this against Mulder," she said. "I don't know what he wants this time, but you can bet Spender knows that Mulder will do anything to find me." She glanced at Diana, who was studiously examining her folded hands, which she had placed in her lap. "But once again, the question arises: Why are you here?"

Diana's head shot up at Scully's question, her eyes flashing as she recognized the inference that Mulder would not be concerned for her. "Maybe Spender just wanted someone to keep you company," she said, sarcasm thick in her voice.

Scully felt her lips curl in a wry smile. "Oh, I'm sure. I mean, everyone knows what wonderful...friends we are. It's not like we would love to rip each others throats out, or anything."

"You know, Agent Scully," Diana said as she stood. "I don't think I've ever seen this side of you before."

Scully laughed. "You don't know me well enough to have seen any 'side' of me, Agent Fowley," she said. "You don't know me well enough to have any opinion of me, I'm sure."

"And yet, you obviously have opinions of me," Diana argued. "What is it, exactly, that you hate me for?"

Scully felt her mouth drop open in astonishment. "You're not serious, are you?" she asked. As tired, sore and frustrated as she had been in the last several days, Scully felt she was ready to snap. Diana made the perfect punching bag. "You want to know something, Fowley? I do know you. And you want to know how? Because Mulder told me the whole, fucking story."

Diana's eyes widened. Obviously, hearing the saintly Dana Scully swear was a shock to her system. Or maybe it was the knowledge that Scully knew about her past with Mulder. "He told you...what?" Diana asked. "We fell in love, we got married, we re-opened the X-Files, I got a job offer in Europe and we broke up?"

Scully raised her chin, her eyes flashing fire. "You forgot about Paul Ricardo."

Satisfaction poured through Scully as she watched Diana wilt before her. Obviously, she had believed the subject of Paul Ricardo was something not even Mulder had been aware of.

"Fox knew?" Diana's voice was barely a whisper.

Scully swallowed and nodded. "Yes."

Diana sighed, then lifted her eyes to Scully. "I..."

A knock on the door interrupted her. The door was unlocked, and one of their guards slipped inside with a small clock radio. "For your listening pleasure," he said sarcastically, and set the object on the table. He turned and left.

Scully and Diana just stared at it. Neither of them moved or spoke for a long time.

************************************************************

End of Part Two

Part Three