TITLE: Consequences AUTHOR: Grayalien RATED: PG for Language CLASSIFICATION: Adventure/Romance/Angst KEYWORDS: Mulder/Scully Romance; Skinner/Scully Friendship SPOILERS: Requiem SUMMARY: Mulder is returned and discovers some big changes in his life. FEEDBACK: Please: grayalien@iname.com DISCLAIMER: All characters and references are the property of Fox and 1013 Productions. Chris Carter is the master; I am but his humble servant. My imitation is intended only as the sincerest form of flattery, and unfortunately, but as it should be; he makes all the money and I make none. Walter Skinner paused at the door of Dana Scully's apartment before knocking. He always did these days. Part of him was always glad to see her. He knew he was in love with her, not that it mattered. He just wanted to look at her, talk to her, maybe to be able to touch her, in comfort. But another part of him dreaded seeing her. Even though her pregnancy had made her more beautiful than ever, it was hard to take the sadness in her eyes. A sadness he felt responsible for. Not that she blamed him. He blamed himself enough for them both. He had lost the man she loved, the father of the child she now carries. In the weeks that followed Mulder's disappearance, Scully had been obsessed. In her obsession, she almost became the man she sought. She took to sleeping on her couch. She relentlessly chased any possible lead; meeting and greeting every nut ball and geek that had claimed to have recently seen a UFO. She pursued any number of the nameless shadow men of the conspiracy that still remained alive. He didn't even want to think about what she may have done to glean any small piece of information that could lead her to Mulder. It almost became a ritual. She would return exhausted and frustrated from yet another wild goose chase; then came the angry words. He chastised her for running herself into the ground in her condition and risking her life chasing shadowy figures with questionable motives. She accused him of not caring and not trying hard enough to find Mulder. That always cut deep. It wasn't that he didn't care...he would have taken Mulder's place in a heartbeat if it would bring Mulder back home to her. It was just that where Mulder was, you couldn't exactly follow. The argument always ended with Scully collapsing on the couch in tears. He would hold her, and comfort her until she fell asleep; exhausted, but at least for a few hours, at peace until it started again. Skinner had let her carry on, against his better judgment. He helped her chase down leads, signed dummy case requisitions, signed off on expense reports and generally allowed her to operate unfettered below FBI radar. But as weeks stretched into months, no new leads turned up. "You don't call them, they call you." Even the conspirators who were also anxious for Mulder's return for their own reasons, told her that little could be done except to wait. They were fairly certain that Mulder would be returned, but no one could say when. One of the hardest days was when they cleared out Mulder's apartment. Scully, Skinner and the Lone Gunmen had packed up all of Mulder's things. Scully fought back tears through most of the ordeal. She said she wanted to keep most of his personal things at her apartment. His aquarium now sat on a table in Scully's living room. His basketball sat gathering dust in the corner. His books and even his porno movies were stacked in Scully's spare bedroom. "Mulder will kick my ass if I give you his porno's" she told Frohike. The "I want to Believe" poster now hung, conspicuously out of place, on the closet door in Scully's bedroom. Skinner had recently been notified that since there was only one agent working the X-Files, that agent could be moved to a cubicle elsewhere; their office was being converted to file storage. Scully had cried again when he told her. As Scully's pregnancy began to show, it became harder for her to continue to work. The "Mrs. Spooky" jokes stopped, replaced mostly by looks of pity and uncomfortable silence. Most people assumed that Mulder was dead, and since the truth "could not be categorized or easily referenced" that theory prevailed throughout the FBI. "Walter, how are you?" Margaret Scully smiled warmly and hugged him as he entered Scully's apartment. "I'm fine; Mrs. Scully" Skinner smiled and awkwardly returned the hug. This, too, had become something of a ritual lately. They had quite a scare a few weeks ago. Scully had started bleeding while at work and Skinner rushed her to the hospital. Her doctor said that it was her body reacting to stress and overwork, and that she needed to be on near complete bed rest throughout the rest of her pregnancy. Skinner immediately placed her on medical leave, confiscated her badge and revoked her FBI building pass card. He called her mother who immediately came to stay and take care of her daughter. Skinner was grateful for that, and Scully's physical and mental health improved dramatically under her mother's care. Skinner had taken to eating dinner with them a couple of nights a week. Mrs. Scully was a great cook and anything was better than going home to his lonely apartment. "Now, I told you to call me Margaret" Mrs. Scully said. "I'm sorry, I forgot" Walter looked sheepish, then asked "How's our little mama?" I'd tread lightly" she warned. "Dana's a little cranky. Her feet hurt and she's starting to feel like a whale, so say something nice" "I will, thanks for the warning" he said. smiling. "I have to tell you though, I think she's feeling better about things" Mrs. Scully said, lowering her voice to a whisper. "She's been talking about getting the nursery ready, she even said she was ready to move Fox's things down into her storage locker, so that we can start fixing it up. Maybe you can help me do that after dinner?" "Oh, that is great news" Skinner replied in relief. "And I'd be happy to help you move anything you need" "Hi beautiful!" Skinner poked his head into Scully's bedroom. He saw her standing in front of her mirror, holding one outfit after the other up to her, and then throwing them on the bed. Suddenly, something went flying by his head and landed on the floor behind him. He turned to see what it was, and saw one of Scully's shoes in the middle of the hallway. She turned to face him. "Don't fucking patronize me, Walter" she hissed. "I look like a Sumo wrestler!! My legs look like tree trunks!! I can't fit into any of my shoes and I have to pee every 5 minutes!" The color drained from Skinner's face. Scully turned back to the mirror and scowled again. "I'm glad Mulder's not here to see me...I look like I belong on Jerry Springer" Skinner opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. His mind went blank, and the tough ex-marine had to fight off a surge of sheer terror as he stood before this little round, red-headed woman with fierce blue eyes and bare feet, who looked rather like a beach ball. She turned to him again, and suddenly gave him a little smile. He couldn't believe it. He hadn't seen her smile since... Scully walked up and hugged him. "It's all right, Walter" she said softly looking up at him, then backing away while still holding his hands. "Come and sit with me, we need to talk" she said leading him over to the bed where they both sat down. "Dana, I." he started "Shhh....." Scully put her index finger to his lips to silence him. Then suddenly, she giggled. "You know, if Mulder were here, I think that he would have that same look of terror on his face that you have. " Scully had not been able to talk about Mulder like this since he disappeared, and Skinner had no idea where she was going with this. She looked down as she still held one of his hands and grew serious. "I know I need to get on with my life" she said. "I don't know when, or if, Mulder is coming back, but I do know that I could have lost my baby. Our miracle baby, Mulder's and mine, the baby I thought I could never have!" She shook her head and continued "but I also have to be realistic. Even if Mulder were here, I doubt this pregnancy would be any easier. It's hard to picture him as the domestic type, he'd probably be running like a scared rabbit by now" Skinner lifted her face to him " No, Dana, that's where you're wrong about Mulder. Yes, he can be self-centered sometimes, but when the chips are down, he'll step up and take responsibility. Mulder loves you more than you can possibly know, and as scared as he might be about becoming a father; he would embrace it with the same passion that he has for everything he cares about." A tear ran down Scully's cheek and she pulled her face back out of his hand to wipe it away. "Do you really think so?" She asked "I know so, I also know that he would think you are the most beautiful woman in the world, tree trunks and all!" Skinner's voice cracked with emotion and he couldn't go on, not sure whether he was talking about Mulder or himself. Scully looked at him with concern and squeezed his hand. She smiled at him through her tears, and he smiled back. "Let's go eat, I'm starving" she said getting up, pulling him with her. "Oh, there's a shock" he said grinning as he followed her out to the kitchen" It was late when Skinner got back to his apartment. But as he walked down the hall, his step was a little lighter than usual. He was tired from carrying Mulder's things down to Scully's storage locker, but he smiled to himself as he turned the key in the lock. Scully had actually been laughing and joking with her mother tonight, and she had shown him baby magazine pictures with nurseries; asking his opinion about how they should decorate the newly vacant room. Skinner had no clue about such things, but he said a silent prayer of thanks. He made himself a drink and sank into his recliner, switching off the light. He suddenly felt bone tired, the kind of tired where you felt like you could sleep for a week. He dozed off almost immediately, but suddenly awoke with a start as he heard a soft tapping at the door. He looked at his watch; it was nearly 2:00 am. "Who the hell could that be?" He struggled to his feet and peered through the peephole. He opened the door without removing the chain, "Krycek, what the hell are you doing here, do you have any idea what time it is?" he growled yawning trying to shake off the fog of exhaustion that had overtaken him. "We need to talk" Krycek said quickly. "Can't it wait till morning?" Skinner said obviously annoyed. "I don't think so!" Krycek replied, his tone was ominous. Skinner's eyed narrowed and suddenly he was very much awake. He quickly removed the chain and let Krycek into his apartment. "What is it?" His voice trailed off as he and Krycek eyed each other cautiously. Skinner didn't trust Krycek any further than he could throw him. He hadn't forgotten how Krycek had tried to blackmail him. Although Krycek appeared to try to help he and Scully search for Mulder, he was never sure whether Krycek had deliberately sent them out to search for the downed spacecraft knowing that Mulder would be taken. After learning that Scully was pregnant, he had promptly beaten Krycek within an inch of his life. He knew that Krycek was nothing, if an opportunist, and to have any dealings with him, was to do so at extreme risk. "I've have a contact in Oregon" Krycek began. "Who?" Skinner asked. "Doesn't matter" Krycek replied "He told me that two days ago, the local authorities picked up a man matching Mulder's description wandering along a mountain road. The man was dehydrated, had several days' beard growth, and carried no identification. They couldn't get anything out of him, not one word... so they put him in a mental hospital." Skinner who was still dressed, grabbed his cell phone, keys and an overnight bag he kept in the hall closet. "Where is this hospital?" He asked Krycek as the two men left his apartment. "What are you going to tell Scully?" Krycek asked as they drove to the airport. "I'm not going to tell her anything, and neither are you!" Skinner growled. "We don't know yet if it's Mulder, and if it is, we don't know what his condition is. I don't want to get her hopes up, or upset her until we know what we're dealing with" Krycek agreed. "I'll call Marita" Krycek said taking out his cell phone. Marita Covarrubias and Dana Scully had become unlikely friends since Mulder's disappearance. She had helped Scully investigate leads and make contacts within the conspirators group. She had always liked Mulder, and as she got to know Scully, she liked her very much. as well. She envied the love Mulder and Scully had for each other and as a woman, she sympathized with Scully's being pregnant and apart from Mulder. "We have no idea who he is, and we haven't been able to get a word out of him" Dr. Philip West, the attending psychiatrist at Rolling Acres Psychiatric Hospital near Eugene Oregon, said as Skinner displayed his badge. "Physically, he's healthy, he is recovering from dehydration and exposure, and he has been asleep for a good deal of the time. We've got him restrained, because we don't have any idea what to expect. I hope he's the guy you're looking for, I really can't help him unless I know something about him. Skinner held his breath as he followed the doctor into the man's room. He looked at the man lying in bed, let out his breath and whispered "My God" it was Mulder. Looking just the same as the day he left, he appeared to be asleep, and Skinner suddenly felt light headed and short of breath. He turned and walked quickly out of the room. The doctor followed. "This is your man, isn't it?" The doctor asked excitedly. Skinner had to sit down, his head was spinning "Are you all right Mr. Skinner?" The doctor asked concerned "do you want some water?" Skinner sat down heavily in a chair in the waiting area. "No, I'm fine" he said wondering how much he should say. "Yes, this is the man we're looking for. His name is Fox Mulder. He is an FBI agent and he has been...working undercover for several months." "What do you think happened to him?" The doctor pressed further. Skinner looked at the doctor for several seconds before replying, trying to figure out some plausible explanation. "I'm really not at liberty to say at this time, due to the sensitive nature of this case. Dr. West, will you please call me if there is any change in his condition? I need to make some arrangements to get him back to Washington." "Yes, I'll call you right away" the doctor answered looking a little disappointed. "Thank you doctor, I'll be in touch" Skinner turned and quickly left. Once outside, Skinner took several deep breaths trying to clear his head. He strode quickly to the car. 'Is it him?" Alex asked "Yeah, it's him" Skinner answered. "How did he look?" "He 'looked' fine, but he was asleep, the doctor said he still hasn't said a word." "We need to get him out of here without arousing too much suspicion" Alex said. "I'm open to suggestions" Skinner replied "they've got him restrained and he's probably drugged." Alex reached into his pocket, pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Skinner. Skinner looked at the paper. It appeared to be court order signed by a federal judge ordering FBI A.D. Walter Skinner to take one, Fox William Mulder into FBI custody. "Where did you get this?" Skinner asked eyeing Alex suspiciously "and who is Judge Aaron Weinstein?" "I don't know, but by the time they figure out that there is no Judge Aaron Weinstein, we will be long gone." Alex grinned smugly. Skinner glared at him for several seconds, then folded up the paper and put it in his pocket. "We'll have to wait a couple of hours, I told that doctor that I needed to make 'arrangements'" Skinner said starting the car. Marita had just fallen asleep when the phone rang awakening her with a start. It was already afternoon in Washington, but she hadn't had much sleep the night before, so she had called in sick. Alex Krycek had called her at 3:30 am and told her about the man that was found in Oregon, and that they were going to check it out. She had been unable to go back to sleep after that, until about 2 minutes ago. "It's him" was Krycek said as she picked up the phone. "My God!" Marita whispered "is he...all right?" "We don't know yet, but you're going to have to keep Scully occupied for a couple of days. We'll have to drive back with Mulder" "Easier said than done, isn't she going to wonder why Skinner left town so abruptly?" "She already called me this morning looking for him" Alex handed the phone to Skinner as the two men sat eating breakfast in a restaurant near the hospital. "Marita, this is Walter Skinner" "Sir; Dana is going to be suspicious that you left town on such short notice. You know she doesn't miss a thing, and I'm sure she will see through any attempt to divert her attention" Marita said emphatically. Skinner sighed "You may be right, I'll call her right now and tell her that we had some big break on a case and that I had to leave town. Do whatever you have to. I don't want her to know anything about this until we know more about Mulder's condition" Scully hung up the phone wrinkling her eyebrow in thought. "What's the matter, Dana?" Her mother had just come into the room "who was that on the phone?" "It was Walter, but he sounded strange." "What do you mean?" Her mother asked. "Well, I tried calling him this morning to thank him for helping us move all of Mulder's stuff last night and he wasn't home. He wasn't at work either, and his secretary said he was out of town and she didn't know where he went. Now, he just called to tell me that they had a big break on a case and that he could be gone for a few days." "That doesn't sound so strange" her mother said "I know, it's just the way he acted, Mom; he wouldn't tell me anything about the case, and he always talks to me about the cases they're working on. I guess he tries to keep me in the loop or maybe he just wants me to feel like I'm still doing something" Anyway, it just seemed like he called me to tell me that he couldn't tell me anything!" Her mother kind of wagged her finger at her and said. "I think you're reading way too much into this, honey, maybe he just couldn't talk about the case because there were other people around" Scully sighed and smiled at her mother "I don't know, maybe you're right, Mom" "What's for dinner?" "Marita's bringing it. She called earlier while you were still asleep. We're going to eat and wallpaper tonight" "Have you seen this condition before?" Skinner asked Alex. They were nearly out of Oregon, now. In the back seat, Mulder sat in handcuffs sometimes staring out the window, sometimes playing with the drawstring on his sweatpants. Everything had gone without a hitch. Dr. West had been very reluctant at first to release Mulder, but Skinner convinced him that Mulder was to be a witness in a federal mob trial and that he needed to be immediately taken into protective custody. He assured the doctor that Mulder would receive the finest psychiatric care by FBI psychiatrists. Flashing the phony court order sealed the deal and he and Krycek led a handcuffed Mulder out the rear exit without incident. Mulder had given no sign that he recognized either of them and still had not uttered a word; but he was able to handle the basics, eating, dressing himself, using the bathroom and he seemed to be able to understand and follow simple instructions. Beyond that, however, his mind was a blank. "They do something to them,, it's some kind of force field" Krycek explained "I don't know what, but it's designed to simulate a 'psychic break'. When these people are returned and found wandering, it is assumed that they have some kind of nervous breakdown or psychotic episode. They have no memory of what has happened to them. Usually, their families are so glad for their return, that they don't ask many questions. Depending on how much 'force' is used, both short and long-term memory can be affected. I'm no psychiatrist, but it looks to me like Mulder's amnesia is total" Skinner looked at Alex, then back at Mulder, who was still contentedly playing with his drawstring, seemingly unaware of their conversation. "Are you saying he could stay like this? Skinner asked, lowering his voice to a whisper. "I don't know, most people recover their memories within a few weeks to months." Alex said. "Some also recover the memory of their actual abduction, generally in dreams or through hypnosis. But even though the amnesia is artificially induced, it is genuine amnesia..." "and recovery from amnesia is very unpredictable" Skinner finished the sentence and Alex nodded. They drove in silence for a few minutes, then Alex continued "I've heard about a drug.." "What kind of drug?" Skinner asked. "It's supposed to counteract the effects of the force field. I've never seen it used, but I've heard that cancer son of a bitch say they developed it years ago for use on agents who were routinely exposed to the alien technology during the heyday of the project" "I assume that you know someone who has access to this drug?" Skinner asked unable to suppress the sneer in his voice. Alex gave him a dark look, but decided to let it go. "I'll make inquiries the minute we get back to Washington" he said. Scully awoke with a start. "Mulder?" She whispered out loud. Her room was pitch black except for the glow of her alarm clock. It was 2:30 am. She sat up in bed, trying to focus her eyes in the darkness. She could have sworn that she heard Mulder calling her name. Was it a dream? When he first disappeared, she had many such dreams. But they had gradually tapered off, and she hadn't one in a couple of months. Even then, it wasn't like this. She quietly got up and looked around the apartment. She didn't want to wake her mother by turning on the light so she sat down on the sofa in the living room "Mulder, can you hear me?" she whispered out loud again. She had not only heard him, she had felt him reaching out for her "God, am I losing my mind?" she wondered. Suddenly, she got the urge, and she quickly got up and rushed into the bathroom barely making it. "That's good, Dana, you made it almost 3 hours" she laughed to herself. By the time she finished in the bathroom and returned to bed, she decided that it must have been just a silly dream. Skinner slept fitfully. He hated motel beds; and he felt a little uncomfortable in the same motel room with one of his agents, but he wasn't about to let Mulder out of his sight this time. And he certainly wasn't going leave Krycek alone with him. Suddenly, he awoke, and in one swift motion was on his feet, drawing his gun from the nightstand as he did so. Mulder was speaking, he was calling "Scully, where are you, Scully?" "Mulder!" Skinner said sharply in the dark "are you all right?" There was no answer from the bed, but Mulder continued to softly call Scully's name. Skinner lowered his gun, quickly went turned on the light and rushed to Mulder's bed. Mulder was sweating, but clearly not awake. Skinner grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him gently. "Mulder, wake up!" He said. After several attempts, Mulder finally opened his eyes. He quickly recoiled as Skinner still had his hands on his shoulders. He jumped from the bed, still handcuffed and retreated to a corner of the room. "Mulder, can you understand me? You were calling Scully's name. Do you remember Dana Scully? your partner, your best friend, your..." he stopped. Mulder didn't say anything, but there was only fear and confusion in his eyes. He shook his head no. Skinner sighed in disappointment. "It's all right" he motioned for Mulder to get back in bed which after several minutes of uncertainty, he did. Skinner did the same, and before turning off the light, he looked at his watch. It was nearly 2:45 am. Dana Scully awoke still feeling a little uneasy. She decided not to tell her mother about her experience from earlier that morning, it would only worry her, and besides, it was probably nothing. She made several calls to people she knew at the FBI, trying to find someone who could tell her anything about Skinner's whereabouts. Even Marita said she knew nothing about his case or where he could have gone. "Well, it's time to try 'unofficial channels'" she thought to herself as she listened to the answering machine message. "I know none of you has a life at all, so pick up the damn phone already" she said loudly into the receiver. "Ah, the beautiful agent Dana Scully" Frohike purred. "I was just looking at my latest issue of 'Pregnant Babes in Bikinis' and dreaming of you" "Melvin, go fuck yourself" Scully said, she knew he had her on speaker, and he hated it when she called him "Melvin" "Oooooh baby!! I'm doin' that as we speak" he panted. Scully paused for a few seconds, considering that imagery, then said slowly and with emphasis on each word "Melvin, you know I'm a doctor, right? And you know that a doctor has tools... and even though I can't kick your ass right now, I have tools that will rip out every piece of hair on your scrotum, by the roots, one at a time." She could hear Byers and Langley roaring in the background. "I need to find out where Skinner is and where he has been the last couple of days" she told them after they peeled Frohike off the ceiling. "What 's your thinking on this, Scully?" Langley asked. "I don't know, I can't put my finger on anything specific; but I can't seem to find anyone who will give me any information, and it's not like I'm exactly on the inside track at the FBI anymore." She explained the odd phone call she had gotten from Skinner and about her little nocturnal experience from the previous night. "Wow, that' s a pretty 'Mulderesque' experience for you, Scully" Langley said. "Yeah, well I guess if you hang around somebody for seven years, some things are bound to rub off" Scully replied. "So you think Skinner's little road trip might have something to do with Mulder" Byers interjected "Well, I don't know, that's what I want you guys to find out" "What do you think?" Byers said as the three were huddled around Langley's terminal. "I don't know" Frohike pointed to the screen "There's Skinner, and this is definitely Alex Krycek, but there is someone else in the back seat" They were looking at a grainy piece of black and white video stream of a convenience store surveillance tape. "Could just be a suspect" Byers offered. "Yeah, but Krycek doesn't work standard FBI cases, this has "project" written all over it" Frohike said. "That could be Mulder in the back seat" Langley had just voiced what was on all of their minds. "What do we do now?" Langley asked each one looked at the others. "Well, we have to tell Scully" Byers said as though the answer was obvious. "You idiot" Frohike growled "What exactly should we tell her?" "Yeah, we got some guy in the back of a car that might be your baby's father, or it is one of the 5 billion other people on the planet." "I don't know about Skinner, either... I've never trusted him" Langley interrupted trying to ward off an argument. Byers got up and started pacing, talking as he paced "okay, what do we know for sure... We know that Skinner and Krycek left at 4:00 am and flew to Seattle under false names. They rented a car and drove to someplace near Eugene, Oregon where they remained for only a few hours. Sometime during this period, Skinner called Scully and told her that he had left town on a big case, an obvious diversionary tactic, then started heading back toward Washington with an unknown person. Using a trail of credit card receipts, we have determined that they are probably due to arrive back in Washington some time tonight. Byers continued. "Obviously, Skinner didn't want to arouse Scully's suspicion over his sudden departure, but he definitely lied about what he was up to, and he didn't want her to know he went to Oregon. Why?" "Because he's the man, and he's probably working for the other side" Langley said emphatically. Frohike shook his head vehemently. "You guys look, but you don't see!!" He said. "Skinner is in love with Scully, he has been for a long time...if he's not telling her what's going on, he's got a damn good reason; and its because he is trying to protect her" Langley and Byers looked at each other, then back at Frohike. The little man never ceased to amaze them. "How do you know?" Langley asked. "Because, unlike you guys, I watch and listen, instead of flappin' my yap" "Wasn't I the one who first told you guys about Mulder and Scully...before they even knew it themselves? " That much was true, they couldn't deny it. "Okay, so I guess that means that we don't tell Scully anything either" Langley said with resignation. "Not until we know more about what's going on here" Frohike said. "Well, let's come up with story and hope she'll buy it, and it better be good" Langley said. "She's gonna kick our asses!" Byers whined. "Byers, go fuck yourself" Frohike said, and then shuddered. Skinner was exhausted and it was nearly 10:00 p.m. by the time he returned to his office to pick up his messages. He had placed Mulder in the security unit of the mental health section at Quantico. There was no way could escape from there, and the doctors could be counted on to maintain the strictest confidentiality. Skinner didn't tell the doctors any more than he had to, only that Mulder had suffered some kind of psychological trauma that had manifested itself as acute amnesia. Krycek had immediately scampered off in to the night like the rat that he was, hopefully he was in pursuit of the illusive "drug" that would return Mulder to his smiling, sarcastic self. Skinner didn't know what to think about Krycek or the "alleged" drug, but he knew that there weren't many options. He walked into the dark outer office, fumbled for his keys in the dark and finally opened the door to his office. He switched on the light and headed toward his desk. He stopped abruptly as he noticed three men sitting his couch on the other side of the room. He recognized them as friends of Mulder's; he couldn't remember all of their names, "Byers" he thought was one, but he did remember Mulder referring to them as the "gunmen" for reasons he didn't know. Looking at these three, he could imagine what Scully referred to them as. "What the hell are you doing in here, and how did you get in!!!This is supposed to be a secure facility" he barked. "Rough trip?" Frohike asked issuing a challenge. "Where's Mulder?" Langley demanded. Skinner hesitated, looking at each of them. "I don't know what you're talking about!" He said shaking his head slightly. "Show him the tape!" Said Frohike. Byers took videotape out of his pocket, walked over to the TV and VCR sitting on a stand near the sofa, placed the tape in the machine and turned both units on. "Got any popcorn?" Langley asked, looking at Skinner. Skinner showed no reaction as the grainy surveillance tape popped up on the screen. It showed Skinner putting gas in the car, and Krycek emerging from the store carrying what appeared to be food items. Byers took the remote and paused the tape, advancing it one frame at a time as is panned over the rear window of the car. There could clearly see the lower torso of man in the back seat of the car, but the face was not visible. "Who's this?" Byers asked. "If it's any of your business, which it's not; it's a protected witness in a federal mob case" Skinner shot back without hesitating. "Yeah, right!" Langley mocked him. "If there's a point here, please feel free to get to it!!" Skinner said beginning to show exasperation. "Krycek's on the mafia detail, now?" Guess I missed the memo on that one" Frohike said meeting Skinner's gaze. "We know that you and Krycek went to Oregon under assumed names" Byers added. Skinner smirked a little and began rifling through papers on his desk. "And you think we found Mulder, is that it?" No one spoke. "Look!" Skinner said seriously..."I 'm sorry about Mulder, I know he was your friend, he was mine, too; but you guys are way off the deep end on this...now I've got a lot of work to do, so if you don't mind..." Langley walked over and pulled the tape from the VCR. "Okay, we'll just show this to Agent Scully and see what she thinks." Frohike looked at Langley in alarm and frantically tried to signal him by imitating a slashing motion across his throat as he saw Skinner draw his gun. "Freeze!!" Skinner barked. All three men stopped dead in their tracks, as they heard the sound of a gun hammer being pulled back. "Turn around!" He ordered Langley and Byers. With their hands up and the tape in Langley's right hand, they turned around. "Now, slowly...give me the tape" Skinner said quietly. Langley did as he was told. "OK, now get the fuck out of here!!!" He said a little louder this time. The three men quickly started out into the outer office area. "You got another copy in the car?" Langley asked Byers, deliberately loud enough for Skinner to hear. "Yeah" Byers replied as Frohike closed his eyes as if in prayer. At that moment, Walter Skinner had more on his plate than most men could handle. He was in love with a woman who was pregnant with another man's child. That man was also a one of his best friends. Both of them were his subordinates. He felt responsible for that man being taken away, which caused the woman he loved to be unhappy. Now, the man had returned, but his mind had not, and Walter could do nothing to help him, the only hope resting with a man who was a known murderer and probably a traitor as well. In addition, he hadn't slept more than a few hours in the last 4 days. Before Frohike knew what had happened, Byers was vaulted head first over the top of Skinner's secretary's desk, and Skinner had Langley by the throat, slamming him against the wall, his glasses flying across the room. He continued to choke Langley, both men's faces turning red, Langley tried to breath and clawed at Skinner's hands trying to dislodge them. Skinner spoke with a quiet fury "if you ever, show that tape to Scully.... I'll hunt you down like a dog and skin you alive!!" Frohike took a step toward Skinner and trying to distract him. "Hey, man it's ok, let him go.... Its all right" Skinner suddenly realized what he was doing and released Langley. Langley fell to the floor coughing and choking while Byers peeked out from behind the secretary's desk. Nobody moved for several minutes, as Langley regained his breath. Frohike took a chance and put his hand on Skinner's shoulder. "Walter" he said quietly..."Can we talk alone for a minute?" "Skinner's attention was still on Langley, but after several seconds he turned and looked at Frohike. "What?" He whispered. "Come on, let's talk in here, man to man" Frohike nodded toward Skinner's office. Skinner shook his head in confusion, and warily backed up toward his office, never turning his back on the men until he got inside. Byers and Langley looked at each other, then at Frohike incredulously. Frohike gave them both a furious look and emphatically motioned for them to sit on the sofa in the outer office. He then walked into Skinner's office and closed the door. Dana Scully couldn't sleep. The baby had been kicking up a storm all evening and it was so stuffy in the apartment. She was lying on the couch, flipping continuously through channels with the remote. She didn't want to wake her mother, so it was on mute. It was perfectly still, except for the TV light, which flashed in a strobe-like fashion as she flicked through the channels. She had been trying to reach the gunmen for the last several hours, to no avail. They had called her earlier in the day and told her that they had a problem with their hard drive and they would get back to her. It sounded pretty lame, she had never heard of them having any computer problems before. She didn't buy it for a minute. She decided to turn off the TV, there was nothing on anyway... so she just laid there in the dark and watched the moon shadows move across the furniture. All of a sudden, she heard a faint voice call her name. "Scully, please help me, Scully" "Mulder?" Dana struggled to her feet, her heart pounding "Mulder, where are you, I hear you..." she whispered "Scully, I can't find you, I need your help?" His voice said again. "Mulder, I'm here, but I can't find you" she pleaded. Then the voice was gone. Dana stood in the middle of the room, trembling and near tears. This was not a dream! She had been awake the whole time. Mulder was near, she could feel it. "Hold on, Mulder, I'll find you ...I'll find you" she whispered. "You've got one minute" Skinner snarled, as Frohike crossed the room and sat down in front of Skinner's desk. Frohike noticed he was still shaking, but he sensed it wasn't from rage anymore. He could see that this was a man on the verge of losing control. "Look" he said gently. "I think we're all on the same side here. You're right, Mulder is our friend, but so is Scully. Langley was just yankin' your chain, that's all. He doesn't trust you. But none of us would ever do anything to hurt Scully in any way. And I think we have that in common." He could see Skinner relax a little. "I'm only trying to protect her" Skinner said, the desperation evident in his voice. "I know that" Frohike nodded and continued "I'm gonna level with you. Scully called us...she wanted us to find out where you had been.... She knows" Skinner's head snapped up in surprise. "What do mean, she knows?" "I can't explain it really, she said she could 'feel' him...that she heard his voice calling her at night. This thing between them, it's stronger than any of us" Skinner went pale, as he remembered Mulder crying out her name in the motel room. "Christ" he said shaking his head. "Why didn't you just tell me this in the first place? " "Before you threatened to 'skin' Langley you mean?" Skinner smiled. "Yeah" the two men stared at each other; each with a seed of newfound respect just planted. "What's wrong with Mulder?" Frohike asked. Skinner got up from his desk, picked up his keys and headed for the door. He turned back and looked at Frohike. "Come on" he said, "I'll show you" Skinner, Frohike, Langley and Byers all emerged from Mulder's room "Man; he's toast" Langley said shaking his head. "He didn't recognize us at all" just then; a doctor approached them from down the hall. "Doctor, can you tell me if there's been any change in Agent Mulder's condition?" Skinner asked. "No, I'm sorry, I wish I had better news. He seems to be getting more agitated when he's awake. And when he sleeps, he still keeps calling the name of "Scully." The gunmen looked at each other, then at Skinner. "Man, this gettin' very weird" Langley said. "Now, do you see why I tried to keep Scully from finding out?" Skinner asked. "Yeah, I do, but I'd say the dude upstairs has other plans, if you know what I mean!" Skinner looked uncomfortable, said nothing for a few seconds, then looked at his watch. It was after midnight. "Since Dana already suspects, I guess I can't avoid her forever. I'll stop and see her in the morning. He hesitated again, then continued. "Look, Langley, I'm sorry for what happened back there. I was way out of line; you too, Byers...I just lost it, and I'm sorry" " Don't worry about it" Byers said. "It's already forgotten for me". Langley rubbed his neck, which was still a little red...then he put his arm around Skinner as they walked down the hallway toward the exit. "Hey, man, you don't have to apologize to me. What goes around, comes around, I always say; and you gotta face Scully tomorrow morning, and man, its gonna come around and flatten you like a Mack truck...Have a good night, Wally." Langley slapped him on the back as the three men walked away from Skinner, leaving him standing alone in the dark outside of the building. When they were of earshot Frohike cuffed Langley on the back of the head. "What did you say that for? The poor guy hasn't hasn't slept for days as it is " "Langley just grinned. "Yeah, well who do think she'll be coming after when she's done with him?" Byers asked. No one spoke, as they kept walking. "For the love of God, Marita...you're supposed to be my friend...if you know anything..." Dana pleaded. She had called Marita and asked her to stop by that morning. Dana and Marita sat at the table, while Dana's mother made coffee. "I feel him, I know he's here, he's got to be...I heard his voice" Tears were welling up in Dana's eyes, and Marita's soon followed as the two women looked at each other. "Okay" Marita said. "But I don't know that much...They did find Mulder in Oregon, but something's wrong; he's got amnesia or something, I guess he hasn't spoken or anything and they don't know what to do, so they brought him back here. Dana squeezed her eyes closed and let the tears fall on her face. "Where did they take him?" "That I don't know. Alex said there's some drug that might be able to help him, but it hasn't been used in years and so far, they haven't found it or anyone who knows anything about it" "Alex Krycek?" Dana cried out in alarm? My God, Marita, Alex will kill Mulder!" "Dana, calm down...you're getting too upset. Her mother pleaded. "Dana, please, this why they didn't want to tell you. Skinner didn't want to upset you with all problems you've had with baby and everything" Marita said. "Look, I know you don't trust Alex, I don't know if I do either.... But I think he's been straight up on this" "why would he drag Skinner out to Oregon, to bring Mulder back here just to kill him. If he wanted to kill him, he would have done it already." "Dana, honey, that makes a lot of sense. "Her mother agreed. "I don't know" Dana said exasperated as she goes up and started pacing. "All I know is Alex Krycek is a murderer and a traitor and God knows what else...What the hell is Skinner thinking?" Dana, you've got sit down, you're getting yourself too worked up" Marita said. Her mother got up went to Dana's side, put her arm around her and said "Dana, please come in to the living room and sit down. You can't do this to yourself." "I know, Mom, I know" Dana said shaking her head as she allowed her mother to lead her into the living room to the sofa. Just then, doorbell rang. "Sit!" Her mother ordered "I'll get the door" Marita sat down on the couch with Dana, trying to calm her down. Margaret Scully looked through the peephole and saw Skinner standing outside. "Oh, God, this is not good, not now!" She thought desperately. "Mom, who is it?" Dana called from the living room. "It's no one, I think it's just some kids fooling around " she said quickly as the bell rang again. "Mom, open the door!" Dana said, her voice quiet, but firm. Margaret hadn't noticed that her daughter had walked up and now stood behind her. Mrs. Scully looked at her daughter, then down at the floor as she slowly opened the door. Walter Skinner had gone over this a thousand different ways in his mind. Another near sleepless night hadn't done much for his state of mind, and he couldn't seem to quell the fear and desperation that gnawed at his fragile composure. When the door opened. He saw Dana standing there, behind her mother, tears in her eyes, trembling with rage. Without a word, she walked up to him, drew back and slapped him hard across the face. "You son of a bitch!" She screamed. He saw it coming, but he didn't try to deflect it...and when she threw herself at him. Pounding his chest, screaming and cursing him. He just put his arms around her, pulling her tight against him and closed his eyes until she stopped struggling. Margaret Scully rushed to her daughter "Dana, stop it, you can't do this!!" "She finally collapsed into sobs. Walter wanted nothing more than to stand there all day holding her, but he knew he couldn't. He released her into her mother's arms, and Margaret led her daughter back toward the living room. Skinner leaned up against the door casing, he was shaking and he couldn't seem to catch his breath. He tried to form a rational thought about what his next move should be, but none came. From the living room, he heard her voice again. "Walter, we're not finished yet" she screamed, her fury renewed. Skinner walked into the living room, not noticing that he had left the door open. Marita looked at him, and then looked away quickly. "God, he doesn't look too good" she thought to herself. It was true... he looked exhausted and defeated. Dana was sitting down on the couch now, but her eyes blazed with fury and she trembled as she spoke. "Have you lost your mind? When did you plan to tell me about this?" She demanded. Skinner tried to speak, but no words came. He surmised that none would make any difference anyway. "What's that, I didn't hear you" she said, now dripping with sarcasm. "I don't know" is all he could say, his voice barely above a whisper. "You don't know? My! That's a first...the great Walter Skinner doesn't have all the answers. Well, you certainly had them when you went sneaking off to Oregon without telling me." Her voice was rising and she was clearly trying to egg him into a fight, but he had no fight in him. " What was the plan? You thought you'd be the big man, and pull off a rescue on your own...ride in on a white horse and drop Mulder in my arms? Was that it?" Every angry word she spoke ripped and tore at his heart. "Dana, stop it" her mother hissed. "Mom, stay out of this" she glared at her mother. Margaret then noticed the open door and ran to close it. "Oh, I forgot, you took Alex Krycek with you. Dana continued. "Alex Krycek, a murderer who most probably killed Mulder's father and my sister...and is also most probably responsible for Mulder's disappearance in the first place!" She was shouting now. "You seemed to have enough of the 'answers' to decide that I didn't need to know that my partner, my best friend, my lover, the father of my child had returned!" Skinner's face reddened, but he still was unable to speak. She got up and slowly walked over to him. For a second, he thought she might strike him again, but she just glared up at him placing her hands on her nonexistent hips. "Were you going tell me before or after you let Alex Krycek, murderer, inject Mulder with some 'drug' that no one knows anything about?" Her loud voice echoed through the apartment "I guess you were going to make that decision for me, too." "Dana, please, you're upset" her mother pleaded. "Yes Mom, I'm upset" Dana said, not taking her eyes off of Skinner. "What gives you the right to make decisions for Mulder and me?" " I wasn't trying to ..." Skinner sputtered helplessly. "This is real life, Mulder's we're talking about and mine ...it's not about the FBI, or following protocol" she interrupted. "You not my 'boss' here!" "The FBI put Mulder and me together, to shut him up and to shut him down...well guess what? Things didn't go quite according to the plan.... because somewhere along the line we fell in love. Somewhere along the line, I broke the rules. I slept with my partner; I admit it, go ahead and write me up... Sir" "Dana, for God's sake, stop it!" Her mother hissed. If Dana heard her mother, she gave no indication of it. "I am the only family Mulder has now, me and this baby..." she put her hand on her stomach. "Any decisions about Mulder's life should be made by me!!" Suddenly, Dana felt weak and dizzy and began to fall backward. Skinner and her mother grabbed her on each side and helped her back to the couch. The doorbell rang again. Margaret and Marita were busy tending to Dana, so Skinner, looking for any way to put some distance between him and Dana Scully, strode quickly to the door. The gunmen had heard Scully all the way down the hall as they approached. "So, what'd we miss?" Langley asked as they all walked into the living room, trying to break the tension. "Walter, what happened to your face?" Frohike asked looking at the red mark that was appearing from where Scully hit him. "I ran into a door" Skinner said sarcastically, "Oh, that'll happen" Frohike replied barely concealing a smirk. "And you three...what the hell happened to you?" Dana demanded now recovered from her dizzy spell. "You'd better not tell me that you knew about this, too." "Dana, we only found out for sure, late last night. We didn't want to say anything until we had all the facts" Byers said "That's never stopped you before!!" She said with a sarcastic laugh. Frohike and Langley gave Byers a furious look as the doorbell rang again. "Jesus Christ, is this Grand Central Station or what?" Dana cried in exasperation. Frohike was closest to the door now; he only needed one step to open it. Alex Krycek stood in the hallway; a look of bewilderment crossed his face as he saw all of the people inside. Can I talk to you? He said glancing at Skinner and nodding his head toward the hallway. Skinner started to move toward the door, when Dana stopped him in his tracks. "Krycek, you bastard, whatever you have to say about Mulder, you say it to me!" Alex looked around the hallway nervously, then stepped inside the apartment and closed the door. He looked questioningly at Skinner, who nodded toward Dana. "Look, Dana" he started. "I don't remember giving you permission to call me Dana...Alex!" She hissed. "Krycek winced, he was about to tell her again, that he had not killed her sister, but then he noticed an older woman standing behind the sofa and decided against it. So he said "whatever you might believe, I didn't send Mulder out there to be taken." Scully ignored him. "Do you have anything useful, or not?" She demanded. "I found out that there's guy in New Mexico. One of the original doctors on the project...he's old, but he's still got all his marbles. Anyway, he knows about the drug, he helped develop it. The drug is stored someplace out there, too. I don't know where, but supposedly he does." "Get it! "Dana said slowly. "Bring me any medical records or research he still has on the drug." "I'm on it" he said as he turned and headed toward the door. "Krycek!" She barked. Alex stopped and turned back look at Scully. She struggled to her feet and slowly walked up and stood close to him. "If you double-cross me... there'll be no place...not in this world... nor in any other...that you'll be able to hide!" Although she spoke barely above a whisper, her fury thundered through the apartment. Alex put up his hands as if in surrender, backed quickly out the door and was gone. Scully turned back to Skinner, now. "I'm going to get dressed, then YOU are going to take me to see Mulder." She said slowly and deliberately. Walter and her mother both looked at her in alarm. "Dana, you can't walk, you're supposed to be in bed!" Her mother said. "Honey, I can't take you down, there, you're in no condition..." Walter stopped, just realizing that he had just called her 'honey' ."He had done it a few times before, but only when they were alone. He felt heat rising in his face and looked down at the floor as looks were exchanged around the room. Scully didn't hesitate "Don't 'honey' me.... " She said. She was in control of the situation now. "You find a way.... Get me wheelchair...put me on a stretcher...carry me.... I don't care.... Just do it!" With that she turned and walked into the bedroom, slamming the door. Walter Skinner had probably had worse days than this; after all, he had been to Vietnam. He had seen little children burned with napalm, seen friends blown to bits before his eyes. It's just that, right now, he couldn't remember what day that would be. He was a broken man. He always prided himself on being able to handle anything, always being the leader, giving the orders; always knowing what to do in any situation. But in a matter of a few minutes, a short, redheaded pregnant woman had kicked the life out of him. He had gone face to face with all manner of enemies without fear and come out the victor. But now he had suffered a defeat so thorough and devastating, that he no idea what to do. He sat silently in a chair, waiting, not speaking a word. The gunmen were talking quietly in another part of the room. They sensed it would be best to just leave Skinner alone. Mrs. Scully emerged from the bedroom, came over and sat on the ottoman in front of him. "She's almost ready". She said quietly. Skinner nodded, looking straight ahead, not really hearing her. "Walter, listen to me," she said. " Dana didn't really mean all the things she said. She's just upset and worried about Fox. I know you were only trying to protect her, and I'm grateful to you for that; and one day, she will be also" Skinner turned his head slightly and looked at Margaret Scully. He gave her a little smile but couldn't think of anything to say. He doubted that was true. Dana would probably never forgive him. The worst part was that she was right. In trying to protect her, he had tried to play God. But he was only a man, one without a clue. Dana and Marita emerged from the bedroom. Dana had put on a makeup for the first time in months. Her hair shown brilliantly and she wore a simple, yet attractive maternity suit. On her feet, she wore a pair of dark-colored, canvas tennis shoes. Skinner picked her up in his arms with one swift motion, her added girth and weight not affecting him in the least. An awkward silence hung between them in the elevator. Scully had her arms around his neck as he carried her, but she was tense and refused to look at him. Getting her in the car was a bit more of a logistical problem. Mrs. Scully opened the door and Skinner very gingerly leaned in with her, setting her in the seat. He took his time, knowing that once she was in, he would have to let her go and he wanted to make it last as long as possible. He was facing her now; her arms still around his neck. He could smell the fresh scent of her hair, and she had put on perfume. God, how he wanted to bury his face in her hair and beg her forgiveness. As he started to pull away, she noticed the mark on his face, now turning from red to purple. The doctor in her took over and she reached out to examine it. He flinched when she touched his face, more in surprise than pain. Scully flinched back as if in sympathy, then quickly took her hand away and looked down without saying a word. Once they got to the hospital, Skinner placed Scully in a wheelchair and wheeled her to Mulder's room. What would happen next, he didn't know; but he was scared to death. Everyone left the room and headed to the waiting area to give them some privacy, all except for Skinner. He went to an adjoining room that had a small, two-way window and waited. What he saw was astounding. Mulder clearly didn't know who she was, and yet he displayed none of the agitation that he had shown with others who came near him. Scully wheeled herself up next to the bed. She extended her hand and took his. Skinner expected Mulder to pull away, but he didn't, he just looked at her with curiosity. Then she slowly got up out the chair and sat on the bed next to him. She began to touch him. She traced his face softly with her fingertips. Instead of reacting with fear, Mulder reacted with delight. He grinned at her and reached out and touched her face in the same way. Scully awkwardly climbed onto the bed. and straddled him. Mulder looked down in curiosity at her bulging stomach. Scully smiled at that and resumed touching him. Skinner felt like a voyeur, but he couldn't tear himself away from the love dance that was playing itself out in front of his eyes. With neither of them saying a word, they touched, they nuzzled, they kissed. Scully's face was flushed with love and excitement as Mulder touched her, she looked incredible. It was both the most erotic, yet the most tender exchange Skinner had ever seen. Mulder reacted with awe and delight as Scully led him through each new cadence of their dance. "This may not be the Mulder, we knew" Skinner thought "but this is certainly no mindless man" It continued for some time...but finally, Scully was beginning to come back to reality, realizing that this was really not the Mulder she loved. Tears flowed freely down her face now, and Mulder seemed confused by them. Scully finally got back into her wheelchair and started to back away. Mulder tried to follow her; his arms outreached trying to make her stay. She was openly sobbing now, and Skinner was becoming gravely concerned about her. Scully reached her hand to his and they touched fingertips briefly. She looked at him and somehow seemed to convey that she would be return. Mulder settled back on the bed and watched her leave. Dana was weeping uncontrollably when she came out of Mulder's room. Skinner rushed to the door and opened it, wanting only to hold her and comfort her while she wept. But her mother was already there, holding her, trying to quiet her sobs. A hospital routine quickly established itself. Scully refused to leave Mulder's side. She ordered Skinner to put another bed in Mulder's room pushing the two together. By day, she worked, pouring through medical books on amnesia. She ordered tests; she studied Mulder's brain wave patterns. She called psychiatric experts in the field of amnesia. Somehow, she managed to get some of them to drop whatever they were doing and come halfway across the country to examine Mulder. Skinner refused her nothing; he signed off on travel requisitions and doctors consultations, tests and more tests. All of the doctors agreed that the best chance Mulder had to recover his memory was by association. Pictures, personal belongings, anything that would trigger memories of his old life. Scully showed him files from cases they had worked on. She ordered Skinner to go to her apartment and bring some of his personal items. His "I Want To Believe" poster now hung in his room. Mulder showed interest in everything, but so far, nothing had triggered a return of his memory. At night, Scully would order Mulder to sleep in his own bed, but by morning... he was always sleeping in her bed with his arms around her. One day, while she sat reading yet another medical journal and Mulder sat watching her read, she motioned for him to come and sit by her. She took his hand and placed it on her stomach. As if on cue, the baby kicked and Mulder's eyes widened and flew to her face in surprise. She smiled and he laughed out loud for the first time. Mulder was fascinated by this new discovery and kept touching her stomach waiting for the next kick. He obviously didn't understand what was happening...it more like a child just discovering that his mother was having another baby. Scully was patient, always stopping whatever she was doing when he wanted to touch her. Days passed. Skinner watched, Margaret Scully worried. Dana barely noticed them as they brought her food, changes of clothing and anything else she asked for. Scully's obstetrician visited her regularly, satisfied that she was at least, staying off her feet. No one had heard from Alex Krycek since the day he left Scully's apartment. She had been very skeptical about the existence of this so-called "drug" that would awaken Mulder like some Sleeping Beauty kiss. She didn't give it much thought as she continued to try use conventional methods to try to reawaken Mulder's memory. When Skinner entered their room, his jaw dropped. Mulder was holding a baseball bat. Scully was trying to teach him how to swing. She stood behind him, her hand on his hips. "Hips before hands" she was saying. Tears were flowing down her cheeks, although he wasn't sure why. She turned to look at Skinner and saw Alex Krycek coming in behind him. When Mulder saw Krycek, he froze in mid swing. He then lunged at Krycek swinging the bat as Skinner and Krycek dove to the floor. "Mulder" Scully yelled. This distracted him and turned to look at her. "Get out of here, now!" She whispered furiously. Skinner and Krycek quickly retreated as Scully continued talking to Mulder, keeping his attention until he calmed down and finally gave her the bat. Scully finally emerged from Mulder's room. "Is he all right?" Skinner asked "He's asleep; I gave him a sedative" she answered, then looked at Krycek. "All right, what have you got?" "There it is" he said. motioning his head toward the table. On it, sat a very old archive box, and top of that, was small leather container case. Scully carefully opened the leather case. Inside was a vial containing a clear liquid. The label was worn and part of it was missing. She didn't recognize the lettering as any known drug. Skinner and Krycek stood behind Scully as she examined it. Then she put it away and opened the archive box. In it were old files, research notes on the drug program. "I'll have to go over these, she said turning to face them. "There's something else" Alex said hesitated "What?" She asked. "Well, the old guy, the doctor..." "What about him" Alex was hesitant, not knowing what to say or whether she would believe him or not. "He said that the drug is very dangerous....it WILL cure him...but it could also kill him. That's why they stopped using it, several agents died who used it. They decided that so many agent deaths would attract too much unwanted attention to the project." He said it should only be used in the most extreme amnesia cases." Her face showed no reaction, but Skinner's did. "Was that necessary?" He demanded glaring at Krycek. Krycek shrugged, "What do you want from me? She said she wanted to know everything.... She needs to know everything" "I'm fine" she said in a clinical detached voice. "But I have a lot of work to do, so if you'll excuse me....Alex" She picked up a stack of files and walked back through the door into Mulder's room. Krycek knew that that the use of his first name was as close to a 'thank you' as he would ever get from Dana Scully. He was not normally an introspective man. In his line of work, if you stopped that long, it could get you killed. He looked at Skinner who had sat down in a chair watching Scully through the window. He wanted to say something, but decided to leave him to his private hell. He looked around the room. Scully's books and files were everywhere. He then looked through the window into Mulder's room. He remembered when he and Mulder had first worked together. They had almost been friends, then. He didn't have any friends now, he couldn't afford them. The room looked almost like a home...with the beds pushed together, and pictures on the walls. Scully had made a home for herself and Mulder in this sterile hospital. Then he looked at Dana Scully. There she was with files spread all over the bed. "If sheer will could bring this man back to life, her will would" he thought. "God, she was amazing. Fiercely protective and thoroughly loyal to Mulder. She's walked through fire for him and would die without hesitation for him." He looked back at Mulder again. Then he turned and started toward the door. As he pulled it open, he stopped and took one last look around the room. "How would it be?" He wondered "to have a woman love you this much?" As he walked toward the exit, Alex suddenly stopped and entered another room. He hadn't been in a church since he was a child, but he now approached the altar of the hospital chapel and dropped to his knees. "Can you give me a minute alone with him before we do this?" She asked the doctor. The moment of reckoning had arrived. She had studied the reports, ran the tests, argued, cried and prayed. There wasn't any more anyone could do. The doctor nodded and said "just let me know when you're ready" Everyone was waiting outside, her mother, Skinner, Marita, the gunmen. She got out of her chair and sat beside Mulder. He was already under anesthetic, ready for what was to come. Life had consequences, there was always the road not taken. If she didn't do this, Mulder might remain as he was, a man trapped in a life not his own. Yet, to get him back, she must risk losing him forever. She was crying now. She picked up his hand and placed it on her stomach. She remembered back to the night that they had first made love. Mulder had needed a little coaxing...not, much. He was afraid that after all this time, all the flirtations, the innuendo, the history...that the real thing wouldn't measure up. He didn't want to disappoint her. She remembered how she told him that she loved him completely and if he loved her as much, there couldn't be any disappointment. And there wasn't. They hadn't gotten much sleep that night. She imagined that the neighbors probably didn't either. After 7 years, they had a lot of catching up to do. The couch, the bed, the kitchen counter, the desk, the bathroom sink, the shower...they all got christened that night. Her cheeks still got warm thinking about it. She remembered getting up the next morning. They were both exhausted, but they had a meeting with Skinner. There was a little nagging doubt in the back of her mind as she returned home, showered and changed for work. "What if things "get weird" between us?" They didn't. When she got to work, Mulder was there, like always. As they entered Skinner's office, Mulder gave her a little wink and she gave him "the look" just like always. They had both collapsed into peals of hysterical laughter when they returned to their office afterward. "God, do you think he noticed anything?" They asked in unison. If he did, he never said a word. With that, sex had taken its place among the many other layers of their partnership, no more or less important than the rest. If anything, it was better than ever. Skinner watched Dana from the other room. During the last couple of weeks, he had scarcely done anything else. He was glad that it was finally going to be over. For better or for worse, it had to end. She couldn't take much more...neither could he...neither could they all. At first Skinner thought she might be praying. Then he realized she was clutching her stomach. He rushed into the room and caught her in his arms just as she slid off the bed onto the floor. He could see pain and fear in her eyes. "God, what do I do?" Skinner thought frantically; he didn't want to leave her. "The button!" He remembered that there was a panic button somewhere on Mulder's bed. He struggled to find it with one free hand as he cradled Dana against him. It seemed to Skinner like they were standing still as the world spun around them. Doctors and nurses were running; equipment and beds were being moved. "You've got to let her go, sir" he heard an echo in his ears, as someone seemed to be yelling at him, but he couldn't hear what they were saying. They put her on a stretcher and started rushing her out of the room. Then, he heard her calling his name...she had barely spoken it since that last day in her apartment. She had barely spoken to him or even noticed him since that day. All she saw was Mulder. He jumped to his feet and ran after the stretcher as they were racing her down the hall to the elevator. Her mother, who had been waiting in the lobby, was at her side. telling her to relax, that everything would be fine. Walter came up on the other side. She reached her hand to him and he took it as the elevator door opened and they pushed her inside. "He bent down, putting his other hand on her forehead, then stroking her face. "It's okay, honey...everything's going to be fine...you'll be fine" he murmured. Pain ripped through her again and she clutched his hand tightly as she struggled to keep from crying out. "God, why can't they do something?" He thought desperately. "Mulder, you've got to stay with Mulder" she whispered. "Promise me..." Even in her pain, she only thought of him. Now and forever, Skinner knew it would always be Mulder. "I'll will...I'll take care of him, don't worry!" He whispered hoarsely. "Walter" she said again "Shhh. " he tried to quiet her. "I need to tell you something else" "what is it, honey" he asked. "I'm sorry" she said. Skinner looked at her in confusion. "That day at my apartment...the things I said...I was upset, I didn't mean it" "Don't " he whispered "Don't think about that now" The elevator door opened they started pushing her out. Skinner had to release her hand as her mother continued. She struggled to lift her head to look back at him. "Mulder....Go!" She cried. Skinner watched as they rushed her down the hall and she was gone. It took everything he had not to rush after them. He didn't want to leave her, but he had promised her...He didn't wait for the elevator this time. He took the stairs 3 at a time as he sprinted up three floors. He was barely out of breath when he emerged back upstairs near Mulder's room. The gunmen rushed toward him. "How's Scully?" All three asked in unison. "I don't know." He said shaking his head "Where's Mulder!" They're still waiting in there...they want to know if they should go ahead and administer the drug" Langley said nodding toward Mulder's room. Skinner didn't answer, he left them standing there as he quickly headed toward Mulder's room. As he entered, he saw Mulder still lying unconscious of the table, mercifully unaware of what was going on around him. The doctor stood up "what would you like us to do, sir?" He asked. Skinner closed his eyes for a brief second. "Do it!" He said quietly. The doctor quickly and expertly prepared the injection. Skinner noticed that Mulder was in restraints...and several large male nurses now stood around the table. He didn't have time to consider the implications as the drug began to take effect. Mulder began to go into a seizure..shaking violently. He growled like an animal and struggled against the men who held him down. Then he let out a blood-curdling scream. Skinner, unprepared for what was happening, ran from the room. The gunmen were standing outside pacing; they had obviously heard the screams. "What's going on in there?" Byers asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Skinner looked at each of them. "I think he's dying!" He said helplessly. Skinner sat unmoving, almost in a trance as the gunmen paced back and forth by Mulder's door. How was he going to tell Scully that they'd lost him? Just then, the doctor and several of the male nurses emerged from Mulder's room. Skinner felt paralyzed as the doctor walked over to him. "Agent Mulder is resting quietly now." He said "What?" Skinner whispered incredulously. "I think it went well. From what I was able to learn from Dr. Scully, most of the deaths occurred almost immediately after injecting the drug. The seizure you witnessed was a normal reaction that's why we had him restrained. But it seems that if one survives the initial injection, then the chances for success are excellent. Of course, we won't know anything until he wakes up, which won't be for several hours" Skinner felt every muscle in his body relax. He tried to stand up to shake the doctor hand, but his limbs were like jelly. Margaret Scully quietly approached Walter Skinner who appeared to be asleep in an overstuffed chair in the lounge outside Dana's room. The doctors had been able to stop the labor for now, but they decided to keep her as sedated as possible until they knew more about Mulder's condition. She carried two cups of coffee and set them down quietly, then she sat down, trying not to wake him. She considered him for a moment as he slept. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Fox Mulder was not the only man in love with her daughter. She had tried to avoid thinking about how this would all play out. Skinner then stretched and opened his eyes. When he saw Mrs. Scully sitting there, he quickly sat up in embarrassment. "I brought you some coffee" she said smiling as she handed him one of the steaming cups from the end table. "Thanks" he said giving her a small return smile as he took a sip. They both sat in silence for a few minutes. Then Margaret spoke. "I know this has to be extremely difficult for you" she said gently He looked up at her with questioning eyes but didn't say anything. She continued. "It's not hard to see that you care for Dana very much" "how is it that women always know these things?" Skinner wondered to himself in exasperation. He was suddenly very uncomfortable as he recalled some of the very "unprofessional thought he'd had involving her daughter. He felt embarrassment creeping quickly into his cheeks and he couldn't think of a thing to say. Mrs. Scully could see that she had embarrassed him so she patted his hand and got up. "I'm going to go down to the gift shop" she said and walked away. Fox Mulder emerged from the stairwell near Dana Scully's room. He looked back at the gunmen who motioned him onward. They had undertaken this stealth mission to sneak Mulder passed Nurse Ratchet upstairs. Their jaws had dropped when he had emerged from his room a little while ago, demanding something to eat and looking for Scully. The nurse promptly ordered him back to his room. As he devoured the last of the chips and candy bars they brought him from the vending machine, they tried to explain to him how long he had been gone. He really didn't believe them. But his next order of business was Scully. The gunmen decided to leave the whole pregnancy topic alone. He would find out soon enough, they figured; they weren't sure how much he knew. He seemed to know that she was also a patient in the hospital, although he never asked about why she was there. The whole thing was too much to contemplate, so they focused their energy on devising a plan to get him passed the nurses, and hopefully the rest would take care of itself. Mulder was about to approach the nurses' station to ask where Scully's room was when he glanced over and saw her mother asleep in a chair in the lounge. He walked over to her and stood watching her for a few seconds, then reached down and took her hand. She stirred and looked up. "Hey, Mom" Mulder said giving her a broad grin. "Oh, my God...Fox!" She jumped up and grabbed him almost pulling him over. He laughed, a little embarrassed as she clung to him, saying "Oh my God" over and over again. "It's okay, Mom" he said smiling, trying to extricate himself from her hug." She looked at him with a thousand questions in her eyes. "Where's Dana? Is she all right; is the baby all right?" He asked. She stared at him, and he looked around in confusion as he tried to figure out what he had just said. "She's fine" Maggie said looking at him astounded, also trying to figure out what was going on. "The baby's fine, too. They were able to stop the labor" Mulder looked relieved. "Where is she? He asked eagerly. She pointed to Dana's room and he sprinted off before she had a chance to tell him that Dana would probably be asleep. "What just happened here?" She asked herself. She watched as he stopped and hesitated by her door. He reminded her of a little boy. He was so excited, but scared at the same time. He glanced back at her for reassurance. "Go on" she mouthed to him and motioned with her hands. "Maybe I'd better give them some privacy" she thought gleefully. "I'll go get something to eat" she thought and practically skipped down the hall toward the elevator. Mulder pushed the door open without making a sound and entered. He wanted to surprise her, but nothing could have prepared him for what he saw. He peeked around the curtain and saw her lying there. She was asleep, but sitting next to her on her bed was Walter Skinner. He was holding one of her hands to his face, kissing it. Mulder watched as Skinner bent forward tenderly touching her face, stroking her hair. He was whispering something to her, but Mulder couldn't hear it. He didn't need to; he already knew the words by heart. Mulder felt the air closing in around him. He stood there, frozen to the floor. Panic and confusion were filling him. He knew he had to get out of there. Somehow, he managed to back himself out of the room without being noticed. When he got back outside. He flopped down into a chair right by the door. His heart was pounding and he couldn't catch his breath. "What was happening here?" He had only half believed the gunmen when they told him how long he had been gone; but he had never considered the possibility of what that absence meant in terms of the people he had left behind. "I guess that's what you get for missing so many staff meetings, Mulder!" He thought bitterly. The present and the past were still a huge jumble in his mind. He hadn't had time to sort it out. He remembered Scully being with him right upstairs. Touching her, sleeping with her...the baby!" "But Skinner...what he saw just now, what was that about?" He knew that touch. If anyone knew about the ways that a man touches a woman when he loves her, it was Fox Mulder. Unfortunately, he didn't have any more time to consider the matter as Skinner opened the door and emerged. He was obviously lost in his thoughts and he didn't notice Mulder sitting there. He paused, leaning against the door casing and closed his eyes. "Hey, Skin man" Mulder said. "Mulder?" Skinner whispered; his face was blank for an instant as it registered, then he erupted into a broad smile as Mulder stood up. The two men embraced each other for several seconds. Skinner recovered his composure and awkwardly pulled back from Mulder. "Welcome back, Agent Mulder" he said trying to use his best "professional" voice. "Thank you 'sir', and not a moment too soon, I see" Mulder said with that smiling sarcasm that was Fox Mulder. . Skinner looked at him in questioningly, missing the implication at first. "Have you been cutting in on my action, sir?" Mulder asked simply, still smiling, but his eyes were unreadable. Skinner was thunderstruck as it slowly dawned on him that Mulder must have seen him with Dana just now. "Ahh... Mulder" he stammered, trying to come up with something, anything. Mulder was back. Brilliant, wisecracking, infuriating, he was back, and Mulder never missed a thing. Skinner knew that there wasn't much point in trying to deny what he had seen. He tried several times to say something, but nothing came out. Mulder just stood there, grinning at him. Mulder had to admit he was thoroughly enjoying watching Skinner squirm. How many times had Skinner had him on the hot seat? "Payback's a "b****, " Mulder thought to himself and just kept grinning at Skinner. "I.." "She.." Skinner stammered again. "She does get under your skin, doesn't she, sir?" Mulder asked, finally deciding to cut Skinner a break. Skinner looked serious for a moment, then finally said "You don't have to worry, Mulder, I was just minding the store until you got back" "I appreciate that , sir..It's nice to know I can count on you to...watch out for her when I'm gone!" Mulder said still smiling. Mulder had only been back a few minutes, and already Skinner wanted to wring his neck. "Agent, don't you have some work to do?" He asked sternly. "Yes, sir!" Mulder said emphatically, still grinning at him and looking over his shoulder as he walked into Scully's room. Mulder sat in the chair, just watching her sleep. "God, she is so beautiful!" He marveled. And the baby, his baby. "How was this possible?" He wondered. They hadn't taken any precautions because they didn't think they needed to. She was supposed to be infertile. He smiled a satisfied smile. "My boys found a way!" He thought proudly. He wanted to reach out and touch her, but he didn't want to wake her; or was it because he was afraid now, uncertain if he still had her heart. She stirred and opened her eyes. She was groggy from the sedative and she looked at him for several seconds before it really registered with her. Mulder grinned "Hey Scully" he said "you're not going to shoot me are you...for ditching you again? " Scully's eyes widened and her lips began to tremble. They gazed into each other's eyes, Mulder smiling lovingly at her. "Oh, I'm getting pretty used to it by now." She answered, then glanced down and placed her hand on her stomach "you always leave me with the dirty work, Mulder" There were tears in her eyes now as she gazed up at him again. Mulder laid his hand across her stomach on top of her hand. "So, anything new around here?" He asked. "Oh, you know...same old.. same old.." She said dissolving in sobs as he came forward and took her into his arms. He climbed into bed with her, holding her, rocking her as she clung to him. Skinner watched carefully from behind the curtain. Gradually, her crying quieted. She finally sat up to look at him. Mulder had tears in his eyes now as he stared into her eyes, touching her face softly. "I'm so sorry I left you alone." He whispered. With that, they began the familiar dance Skinner had witnessed before. Slowly, wordlessly touching, nuzzling, kissing, loving. The only difference was that this time, it was Mulder who was leading. Skinner silently slipped out of the room and started walking. He had to get out of there. How he found his car and managed to drive home, he'll never know. But he soon found himself standing inside his empty, dark apartment. He kicked off his shoes, took off his coat and tie and threw them on the couch. He started to make himself a drink, then decided against it. He was tired...so very tired. He went into his bedroom without turning on the lights and flopped down on his bed. It started slowly. At first, he was able to force it back down, but he had been forcing it back for so long he just didn't have any strength left. He sobbed openly, deeply and uncontrollably. Prologue: "Mulder, will you stand still?" Skinner asked in exasperation as they both stood facing each other in full formal attire. Skinner was fumbling with this large fingers trying to fix Mulder's bow tie. "God, I hate these monkey suits!" Mulder said sighing in frustration as he fidgeted. "Shut up, Mulder, at least you get a reward when this is over, all I get is to go home to an empty apartment." Mulder grinned. Margaret Scully knocked lightly on the door and entered. In her arms, she carried a squirming baby girl with bright red hair. "Are you two almost ready?" She asked. The baby squealed and tried to jump out of her arms when she saw Mulder. "There's my girl" Mulder said as he ducked around Skinner and took her from Mrs. Scully. Skinner watched as Mulder swung his child up over his head, then brought her back down to his face, kissing her and making faces as she squealed with delight. He remembered how Dana had worried about whether Mulder could be domesticated. At least he had been right about something. Bill Scully opened the door and poked his head in. "Mom, Dana needs you, she's got some problem with the dress or something" Mulder reluctantly handed little Samantha back to Mrs. Scully. "OK pumpkin" he said softly " I have to go marry your mom quick before she changes her mind" "Oh, Fox!" Mrs. Scully scolded as she carried the baby out the door with her. "Let's get his show on the road, Mulder, I have to catch a flight back to San Diego at 6:30" Bill said to Mulder now. "Ok, Ok!" Mulder replied in exasperation. "By the way, Mulder," he added. "You know I don't like you, never did; but for reasons I can't fathom, my sister does, so don't even think about running off today. "Why Bill, I'm touched by the familial concern" Mulder said sarcastically grinning at his future brother-in-law. "Hey, no problem, buddy!" Bill replied, just as sarcastically as he ducked out the door. Mulder and Skinner were alone in the room now. They stood looking at themselves in the full-length mirror, making a few last minute adjustments. Tension hung in the air. "You know, Walter, we're a couple of damn fine-looking men...wanna to go pick up some chicks?" Mulder asked admiring himself. Skinner gave Mulder a look, then laughed out loud. It worked; the tension was broken. "Mulder, I..." Skinner said trying to be serious. "I just wanted to say... " "Gee... Dad" Mulder said grinning as he leaned in toward Skinner and kind of whispered. "This isn't the 'sex' talk is it, cause I already know about that" Skinner sighed and shook his head. "Mulder, you know you hit the jackpot, right" he asked looking intently at Mulder. Mulder looked back at him, they were both serious now. "Yes, I do" Mulder said. He hesitated for a second, as he looked thoughtful. "Every day that I wake up and see her lying next to me, still here, I have to pinch myself" Skinner could have done without that image, and he was a little embarrassed by Mulder's sudden intimate revelation. But he was glad that Mulder had obviously given this some thought. "You've got the brass ring, Mulder...what most men only dream of This truth you've been searching for all these years...you know you've got it right in the palm of your hand" "I know that, sir" Mulder replied quietly. "Don't screw this up...because if you ever hurt her, I'll have to break your neck" Mulder smiled slightly and looked down, then back at Skinner. "Believe me sir, that thought will be ever present in my mind" "Ready?" Skinner asked "as I'll ever be" Mulder answered as they headed toward the door.