From l_loise@alcor.concordia.ca Sat Nov 02 09:35:35 1996 Birthright Series: The dislaimer to you, the reader. If there is one element to fanfic that is the most difficult, imposing, and ultimately, important, it is the issue of character reality'. It is important to a great many, including myself, that characters we know act within their own personalities, not doing anything that seems to be directly in contrast to the character as we know it. But this is a problem constantly plaguing many writers of MSR. I know that for myself, I strive to be as realistic as possible in what is, in X-Files reality, a situation where we are given *very little* to go on. Let's face it, kids, we all know how Mulder and Scully conduct an investigation... we're given examples of that every week. But never have we seen how Mulder and Scully conduct themselves in a relationship, let alone with each other. Who knows whether Mulder is a wicked-hot stud or a bit more on the nervous side? Who's to say whether Scully is very tender, a tigress, or kind of shy? People often act very different when in a relationship. I know that I myself have a different persona for work, friends, and in relationships, with a certain amount of crossover in between. Yet the way I behave with my co-workers, even the ones I have outside friendships with, vastly differs from my love relationships. Romance brings out the best, the worst, and the most vulnerable in many people, and you are often surprised by both yourself and your partner. But as far as Mulder and Scully go, only Chris Carter can show us the answers. And because he hasn't (yet, oh please god let it be *yet*), we can only guess and do the best we can with what we have. So what it all comes down to, folks, is a bit of leeway. Some mercy. Unless a character acts waaaaaayyyyy out of line, give us the benefit of the doubt. To quote Fox Mulder: Go with it.' That's enough for the lectures today. On with the show! Lisa PS And as to the safe sex debate... there is a reason why Mulder and Scully do not practice safe sex the first time around. Without it there would be no Birthright series. From l_loise@alcor.concordia.ca Sat Nov 02 09:53:14 1996 Birthright: Part One, Gemini Praecox This is a repost, kids, you may have already read it in it's virgin form, but I went back and renamed a main character(her name changed from Melissa to Samantha, The Field Where I Died' now makes it impossible for me to say that name without spitting). As well I tried to tidy up a sloppy ending somewhat, and I think that still may be a bit of a problem. I didn't plan out the X-File part of the story in detail, so it kind of got muddled by the end. But suspend your disbelief, folks, and throw me a bone. It's definitely more comprehensible than it was in its first incarnation. DISCLAIMER: Mulder, Scully, Skinner, Samantha(the elder), the X-Files, the fake FBI, and most of my mind belong to Chris Carter and 1013 Productions. So shall we sing the Disclaimer, theme, kids? (To the tune of Barney's theme song) They aren't mine They are yours So is their big blue Ford Taurus I'm just borrowing them for a piece of fanfic lit Please don't go and throw a fit RATING: X, MSR, one section A, one sectionNC-17(twill be clearly marked). I think that's it under Kelsy's system. We got a little of something for everyone. WARNING: There is angst. I The first time I posted this, I did not include the angst warning, and it upset someone. So here it is. Not as angsty as many things I've read, and the angst is *definitely* not what the plot revolves around, but it's there. Fear not, my brethren.... neither of the Holy Two die. SUMMARY: Mulder and Scully travel to Louisiana to investigate two young people who have been seen in conjunction with a white light'. They are forced to confront their personal beliefs and feelings for each other under the influence of the mysterious teens. _________________________________________________________________________ FBI Headquarters May 15 Fox Mulder stretched and crossed his ankles on top of his desk. Reaching for a styrofoam cup of coffee, he stared out the window at the quad of the FBI headquarters. Agents were gathered in twos and threes, discussing the score of last night's ball game, the early spring this year, or their latest case. Their latest case. Mulder swished the coffee around in his mouth before swallowing, hard. The warmth of the liquid spread through his belly and he squinted slightly, thinking. To hell with this, he thought, I'm sick of sitting around, doing nothing. He sprung out of his chair, knocking the coffee over in the process. The bitter liquid spilled across the top of his empty desk and over the edge to the carpeted floor. Mulder threw down the classified section of the Post over the stain and stepped on it to soak up the coffee. As the wetness spread over the newsprint, a small article in the bottom left-hand corner caught his eye: ...strange activities reported on the night of May 11... The rest of the story was absorbed into the wet carpet. Mulder shrugged and left to meet Walter Skinner. Dana Scully adjusted the small microphone that hung over the autopsy table, pulled the sheet back fromthe corpse, and began to speak: "Female Caucasian, approximately fourteen years of age. Hair, brown. Eyes," Scully quickly flipped up an eyelid with a gloved forefinger."Blue. No cause of death immediately apparent, but lividity indicates the patient died lying on her back. Estimated day of death- seventeenth of April. Time of death yet to be determined." Scully selected a scalpel from the impeccable silver tray. "Initial cut from sternum to umbilicus-" The scalpel slipped easily through the dead skin with the sound of a zipper parting. Scully glanced up at the face of the young girl, known only as Jane Doe. Feeling unprofessional, but unable to resist, she covered the girl's face with a clean sheet. The girl's death mask drove her to distraction. The abdominal organs were intact, of a good size, and healthy- there were no signs of disease or abnormalities in the adolescent's major organs. The pink lungs showed no sign of tobacco contamination and the liver was not damaged with alcohol abuse. Scully sighed. How could it be that parents could just let their daughter die, and never bother to claim her body, or even file a missing person's report? She felt a pang of tenderness for this abandoned girl. Scully gently placed an arm that had fallen off the side of the table across the girl's chest. It was then that she noticed the tiny bruises on the inside of her elbow. Track marks. This was the youngest smack addict Scully had ever seen. But why was it she was delivered to FBI headquarters? Scully called up to hematology and asked for a full battery of blood tests. Mulder knocked on Skinner's door and entered simultaneously. Walter Skiner had an open filefolder on his desk and was examining some photographs. Upon seeing Mulder, he slipped the photos into his inside jacket pocket and hastily shut the filefolder. "Um...Agent Mulder...what can I do for you?" "Getting me some bloody work might be nice." "Now, Mulder, you know there's a dearth of X-Files to investigate-" "The hell there is-" Mulder gesticulated wildly as he spoke. "Have you been down to the evidence rooms lately? There's about a million things I could be doing, but instead I'm sitting in my empty office reading back issues of Newsweek and counting how many secretary wear flats compared to pumps!" "Calm down, Mulder..." "What is going on here! There is absolutley no reason why I should be blacklisted." Skinner leaned back in his chair. "You haven't been blacklisted, Mulder." "Then what is it?" "I don't know." "Yes you do." Skinner paused. "I can't tell you." "Why not?" "Mulder, trust me. You don't want to know. It's for your own good." "Tell me, Skinner." Mulder slammed his hands down on Skinner's desk. Papers flew, but Skinner caught the filefolder before its contents escaped. "Don't push me, Mulder," he said, but Mulder wasn't listening. He was examining the label on the filefolder. "What about this one?" he asked. Skinner feigned ignorance and put a protective arm across the file. "What one?" "That file. That file your hiding. It's an X-File. Let me investigate it." Mulder made a move to grab the file, but Skinner predicted the move and slipped the file into a drawer. "That wasn't an X-File, Mulder." "What other kind of file would it be? Dammit, Skinner, answer me! Why can't I investigate this case!" Mulder lunged across the desk and grabbed Skinner by the collar. Skinner deliberately extracted his hand and placed it down on the desk, hard. "I'm going to pretend you didn't do that, Agent Mulder." Skinner stood and opened the door to his office. "I suggest you leave now, Agent Mulder, and take some time to cool off." Knowing that Skinner could not be swayed, Mulder angrily left and returned to his office, just in time to see Skinner leaving for lunch. Scully turned on the Stryker saw and lowered it into the bone of Jane Doe's skull. She winced slightly as the oscillating blade cut through the scalp in a neat circle. The brainpan was now ready to be removed. Steeling herself, Scully pulled the skull back from the brain. The suction made her throw her weight behind the pull, and she stumbled back as the skull and brain parted with a wet sucking sound. But it was the sight of the girl's brain that made Scully gasp. It was dark red with thick wells of clotted blood. Scully selected a delicate probe and began to examine the exposed organ. She turned on the tape recorder and began to speak: "The brain is highly developed, with an excess of grey matter. There are very thick lobes with deep chasms between the folds. Clotted blood has collected in these folds, more than usual. In life, the brain was inundated with blood and was richly nourished." Scully looked up as a technician from hematology entered with the reports. "It's strange, Doctor," the young man said, "though no trace of narcotics was found, tests revealed the blood contains a massive level of HGH- human growth hormone. Actually, the readings were off the chart. But they're accurate, and indicated a slightly different strain of the hormone- nothing we've ever seen before. I can't explain it." Scully reached for the reports. "Thank-you Blustein. I'm sure they are accurate." As Blustein slipped out, Scully turned back to the dead brain crusted in black blood. Suddenly, the girl on the table was her. She was surrounded by masked faces. A painful white light blinded her and causes yellow splotches to appear as she looked, panicked, at the doctors. She tried to move but discovered that she was firmly tied down, her body fastened prostrate, arms and legs spread. The room was silver and cold and painful. Scully tried to cry out, but no voice would come. This had happened to her before; she resigned herself to the agony she must endure under the alien doctors. But they didn't look alien... She rolled her head to the side and felt the cold steel of the examination table against her cheek. What she saw then made her mouth open in a silent scream. Fox Mulder lay on the examination table next to her, restrained and spread prostrate. He, too, was surrounded by masked, white-clad physicians. His green eyes were wide with panic as he stared over at her. Scully felt her eyes fill with tears that she did not attempt to conceal. Mulder stretched out his fingers on the arm closest to Scully. She did the same. Their fingertips touched in the small gap between each of their respective prisons. And then the pain began. Scully was jerked out of her reverie by the ringing of her cellular phone. "Scully," she said, wiping her sweaty palms on a towel. "Get down to Mr.Tasty's right now, I have something I have to show you." It was Mulder. "Mulder, can't this wait? I'm in the middle of something here." "No, it cannot wait. Come over here now, it's important." The line went dead in Scully's hand. She sighed and pocketed the phone. Turning to the corpse, she said: "Guess you're going to have to wait until later, Jane. Spooky calls." And she left the morgue, still shaken by the vision of their fingertips barely brushing in the cold room. _________________________________________________________________________ Scully entered Mr.Tasty's, the local greasy spoon. She spotted Mulder sitting alone in a booth near the back. A cook in a grease-stained apron was singing 'My Way' with a thick Greek accent as he moved with skill. Scully slipped in the booth opposite Mulder. "So what's good around here?" "I hear the meatloaf is OK." He raised his half-eaten sandwich in the air. "Don't feel like salmonella poisoning today, thanks." "Oh no!" Mulder looked at his sandwich and let out a girlie-scream. "Mad cow disease!" "No one would notice a difference, Mulder." Scully waved over a waitress and ordered a diet cola. "OK. Why did you drag me down here?" "This." Mulder placed the file on the table. "A new X-File? Did Skinner give you this?" Scully opened the cover and began to riffle through the pages. "...Not really. I guess you could say I borrowed it." "You mean you stole it." Scully looked at him, hard. "If you must be so literal, yes." "I don't want to be involved in this." Scully pushed the file across the table to him. "But you have to listen to this-" "No I don't." She began to gather up her things and stood. "I will not go down with you. You may think you're above the law, Mulder, but you're sorely mistaken." Mulder reached out and laid a hand on her forearm. She froze and turned slowly to face him. He wore a look of naked desperation. "Please Scully, just listen. Hear me out. And if you're not interested, you can leave and I'll never bother you about this again." he squeezed her arm gently. "Please." Scully slid back into the booth. She let her eyes stray down to her partner's hand on her arm. Mulder noticed and quickly pulled his hand away. "I'm sorry," he said hurriedly. "Oh no...don't be- it's OK," Scully blurted, flustered. She could still feel the warmth of his hand on her forearm, and she unconsciously she rubbed it. Mulder decided to change the topic. "Anyway- check this out." He pushed the file across the table and this time Scully perused it more closely. But Mulder jumped in, excited. "In Louisiana, on the Chabot Bayou, there is a young man and young woman living together. Ages are estimated to be 18-21. And these kids are considered a security risk." Mulder watched Scully closely. "These *kids* are considered a security risk. And there isn't anything in here to indicate any subversive activity. Until the night of May 1. A brilliant white light was observed and the man and woman were seen walking towards it as if in a trance. They were back the next day, with activity levels significantly lowered. No positive identity of these kids can be found. Townspeople say they are friendly, intelligent, and keep to themselves; they had only moved to the bayou in mid-April, from where, the locals don't know.It was eventually decided that these kids weren't the security risk that was originally presumed. Case closed." Scully sighed. "The file is closed, Mulder. These are just two reclusive lovebirds." "Lovebirds who wander like zombies towards a white light. Everyday natural occurence, right Scully?" "No. I mean yes. They live in the bayoux, Mulder. The swamps emit certain gases that can actually create bright light." "Strange things happen in the bayoux, Scully." "Strange things supposedly happen everywhere, Mulder. And they usually have a very simple explanation." "So explain it to me. Why do two 'normal' kids seclude themselves in the middle of a swamp and worship a white light?" "Where does it say anything about worship here?" Scully paused. "OK, Mulder, let's cut to the chase. This is about your sister." Mulder stared at the table, stony-faced. "I know how you feel about her, Mulder, but you can't assume that every case even remotely similar is going to lead you to her. Mulder... these kids came back. Samantha didn't. It's not the same phenomenon, Mulder." Mulder shrugged into his jacket and tucked the file under his arm. "I know it sounds ridiculous to your ears, but to me it means more than you know." "I do know, Mulder. I lost a sister, too," Scully whispered. Mulder paused, mortified. He hadn't meant to hurt her. "I'm leaving for Louisiana tonight." "What!" "I would really like you to join me, but it's up to you." "Mulder, you could get dismissed for this! You're going way over the line." "I don't care, Scully. I gotta know." "Is it worth your job?" "What job, Scully? Now if you want to join me, meet me at the corner of J and Oak at seven." He swung out of the booth in a flash of a khaki overcoat. "I hope to see you there," he shouted back to her from the front door. Scully put her head in her hands as she heard the chimes on the door signal his exit. CORNER OF J AND OAK 7:00 pm It was getting cool outside. Dana Scully wrapped her arms around herself and shifted from foot to foot. Mulder was late. Which was no big surprise. Skinner had told her to go, to make sure Mulder didn't go completely overboard. As it stood, Mulder faced disciplinary action- if he should push too far, he faced almost certain dismissal. It was her job to keep him toeing the line. As if anyone could. Just then a navy sedan pulled up and Mulder waved happily. Scully slid in the passenger seat without looking at him. "Knew you would come." "I don't want to be here." "I knew you couldn't resist a weekend in the bayoux with yours truly." "You grossly overestimate yourself, Mulder. I'm spending the weekend babysitting." She sniffed at the air. It smelled warm, sweet. "What's that?" "Bought you a present." Mulder reached into the back seat and pulled out a white box, the sides slightly grease-stained. Scully opened the string-tied bakery box to find a half-dozen cinnamon rolls, still warm from the oven. "Mulder, thank you," she said, licking the icing off one finger. "I know they're you're favorite. Plus, I thought it would keep your mouth full on the drive down there." He smiled. "You are such a comedian, Mulder." "I know. Now eat up." "Why are we driving to Louisiana?" "You ever driven through the South? It's beautiful." Mulder took a sharp turn onto the Interstate on-ramp. "It'll be the middle of the night. everything will be dark." "We'll catch the sunrise over the Ozarks. Beautiful." "Sounds like 'Deliverance' country to me." "Just eat the cinnamon buns, would you, Scully?" "Whatever you say, Ahab," Scully mumbled through a full mouth. **************** SAME DAY Chabot Bayou, Louisiana Samantha turned from the window. "Will? They're coming." He looked up from his book. "You think?" "I know." She shivered even in the humidity of the bayou. "Concentrate on it." Will shut the book and closed his eyes. "You're right," he said after a few moments. "It's going to be different this time, Will." "I know." "It's almost over for us." ********** SAME DAY The car Scully lay on her side, asleep in the passenger seat. The empty bakery box lay at her feet, and the warm smell of cinammon still hung in the air. Mulder watched her as she slept, breathing softly. A curled fist rested under her chin and a lock of red hair had fallen across her face. Mulder felt a rush of tenderness at the sight of her childlike vulnerability. Moving slowly, he brushed the hair from her face, letting his hand linger on the side of her neck, feeling her warm breath tickle the fine hairs of his forearm. He longed to wrap his fingers into her incredible hair, and kiss heer softly until she began to moan his name against his lips. But he knew he was deluding himself with these fantasies. Someone like Scully could never fall for a person as inherently... undesirable... as him. Anybody he had ever loved had left. He didn't want to lose Scully. He kissed the tip of his index finger and touched it to her lips. She shifted slightly in her sleep and Mulder quickly jerked his hand back, but continued watching her. The lights on the side of the freeway flickered orange across her face, more and more quickly until the lights blended and became a white light that pitched him back into frightening memory. The masked doctors were holding him back as he struggled. Over the shoulders of their lab coats he saw another group of doctors restraining Scully. They were attempting to drag her into an anteroom. She was struggling hard, kicking out her small feet and thrashing violently. She caught sight of Mulder and started shouting out to him, screaming his first name in desperation. Mulder managed to free himself briefly and ran towards the group of doctors surrounding Scully. But he couldn't penetrate the phlanx of physicians dragging her through the doorway into a room soaked with a blinding white light. The hypodermic stabbed into his upper arm as Scully was carried over the threshold of the room, reaching back her arm to him as the light swallowed her. The drugs overtook him and he sank to his knees as the door closed and she disappeared. Before he collapsed, he screamed. "Samantha!" Scully jerked upright in the seat. "What! what is it, Mulder?" He gripped the steering wheel, white-knuckled, his jaw clenched. "Are you OK, Mulder?" "I'm fine, Scully, I'm fine." "Are you sure?" "I'm sure." Scully paused. Something was obviously disturbing him. "Do you want me to drive? Maybe you could get some sleep. You look like you need it." "OK." Mulder pulled over and they switched seats. Scully pulled out onto the freeway. "Sweet dreams, Mulder. I'll wake you for the Ozark sunrise." ********* Chabot Bayou, Louisiana Samantha was up before dawn, venturing into the swamp with her retriever beside her. She poled her way to a small islet and disembarked. The swamp was already alive, even through the soft haze of dawn. Samantha cast out her shrimp net over the water and settled against the dog for a nap. ********** The Car Scully woke him for sunrise, and laughed at her disoriented, dishevelled partner. "Wake up. It's morning in the Ozarks. Enjoy it while you can, we'll soon be entering the lowlands." Mulder rolled down the window. "Smell that Scully. Just smell." Scully inhaled. "It's air, Mulder." "Fresh air." "Air nevertheless." she smiled over at him. "You're quite cheery this morning." "I hate to admit it, but you're right, Mulder. The South is a beautiful place." "Would I lie to you?" Mulder opened a cola and took a long swig. Scully winced. "One day I'm gonna take a long, leisurely road trip through here." "Well, you can count me in." "Really?" "Why not? As long as you keep me in cinammon buns." Scully laughed and rolled down her window. "I'll do my best." ************* Chabot Bayou, Louisiana They found the secluded house with the help of a Creole man who ran a bait shop at the outskirts of the closest town, which was really nothing more than a single street. The house was white with green trim, with a huge wraparound porch. A young man sat on the porch swing, with a border collie curled next to him. The dog pricked up his ears when the car approached, but the young man's expression didn't alter. Mulder and Scully left the car and climbed the steps to the porch. The young man stood to greet them. He had dark hair and blue-grey eyes. Mulder and Scully whipped out their badges. "I'm Agent Mulder, this is Agent Scully, we're with the FBI." "My name is Will." The yound man shook hands with each in turn. "Where's your girlfriend, Will?" asked Mulder. "My girlfriend?" He laughed. "You must mean my sister. Hold on a sec." Will turned his head and shouted. "Sammy! Our guests have arrived!" "I know." The voice came from directly behind Mulder and Scully. They swung around to see a young woman round the corner of the porch with a golden retriever at her heels. She was tall and sleek, leggy and long of limb. She wore a light blue cotton shift and a wide-brimmed straw hat. She wore no shoes, and rich swamp mud caked her toes. She gazed at them through lazy green eyes and smiled slightly. The two dogs ran down the porch and started to play-fight on the front lawn. The young woman took off her hat and shook down a thick mane of red hair that fell to her waist. "My name is Samantha," she said. After a pause, Mulder held out his hand. "My name is-" "I know who you are," Samantha said softly. "Really?" asked Scully, a hint of sarcasm lacing her voice. "Yes." "Sammy-" began her brother. "Those are our dogs down there." Samantha pointed over the side of the porch. "That's very nice, but-" Scully was cut off by the girl's voice. "Would you like to know their names?" More than a little annoyed, Scully replied, "Why not?" Samantha gestured towards the two dogs wrestling on the lawn, but was staring and Mulder and Scully penetratingly. "Their names are Spooky and Starbuck." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Time to go to part 2.... n please excuse the wonky spacing, it got lost in the transfer. From l_loise@alcor.concordia.ca Sat Nov 02 10:11:18 1996 After announcing the names of the dogs, Samantha disappeared inside the house. Will opened the door for a stunned Mulder and Scully. He ushered them inside. "You have to excuse my sister. She's a bit...dramatic." "To say the least," Mulder whispered. "Which of you is older," asked Scully, unfazed by Samantha's statements of a few moments ago. "She is. By about five minutes." "You're twins." "It appears that way, yes." Will smiled and gestured towards a faded green couch. "Take a seat. I'll get you some breakfast." "I'm already doing it, Will!" came a voice from the kitchen. "She's always one step ahead of me." He sat down in the rocking chair opposite them. "Well, Mulder, Scully... what brings you down to the bayoux?" "There's been reports of strange activities down here." "If you don't mind me saying, Agent Mulder, we're in Louisiana. You know, voodoo? Cults. You wouldn't believe how many animals we find floating in the water, their throats slit and all the blood drained out. Sam tried to spy on them once. Almost got the crap kicked out of her, too." The retriever padded in and sat at Will's feet. He patted the dog's head. "This pretty girl is Starbuck," he said, his eyes trained on Scully. "How did you know that?" asked Mulder. "Know what?" "Starbuck and Spooky." Will smiled enigmatically. "We know many things about you." "How?" "We can't tell you. It's not time." Scully glared at him. "Well, we don't have forever, Will." "I know that Agent Scully. Trust me, I know." Samantha entered with a tray in her hands. She gave a plate of bacon and scrambled eggs to Scully and placed a bowl of wheat flakes in front of Mulder. Mulder looked from Scully's dish to his own, disappointed. "How come I don't get any bacon and eggs?" "Bad for the ticker. Gotta watch your health. You want orange juice?" Saamntha held out a glass to him. "But *she* gets the bacon and eggs." "Her heart isn't in danger. Here. You want the juice." Samantha gave him the glass and sat on the floor, cross-legged. "I know you guys must feel totally freaked out and all, but really, tomorrow it'll all be clear." "Why not today, Samantha?" "Because it's not time." Scully stood. "Listen. I'm really getting sick of playing this little game. You can stick around if you want, Mulder, but I'm leaving." Samantha leapt up and caught Scully by the arm. They locked eyes. Scully felt sucked into those green eyes, hypnotized by them. She felt a flicker of recognition that disappeared as quickly as it had surfaced. Scully slowly sank back down to the couch. Mulder gazed at the twins, deep in concentration. Will spoke first. "We'll do our best to answer whatever questions you have right now. But there are certain things that we can't say yet. Tomorrow, it'll all be clear." Samantha curled up in the window seat. "Tomorrow, I'll tell you anything you want to know." "Why tomorrow?" Scully demanded. "Let it go, Scully. We'll wait until tomorrow," Mulder said, still staring at the twins. "Speak for yourself, Mulder." "You have nowhere else to go." "Don't tell me you're afraid of us," Melissa teased. "No, I am not afraid of you," Scully retorted. "Good. You shouldn't be." Mulder pulled out a small notebook. "OK. So can I ask you a few questions?" The twins nodded in tandem. "And you'll answer as many as you can today?" Again they nodded. "All right. Samantha and Will. Are these your real names?" "Yes." "Do you have a surname?" "Yes." "And that is..?" The twins stared at him, pokerfaced. "...something I'll find out tomorrow." Samantha smiled. "You have the right idea, Agent Mulder." "Where did you get your names?" "From our parents, like everyone else." Mulder perked up noticeably. "Your parents? Where are they?" Will and Samantha exchanged a look. Will spoke first. "They don't know where we are. They're too wrapped up in themselves, in their careers, to think about anything more important." "But we plan to change that. We're going to go home." Samantha wrapped her arms around her knees. "When are you going home?" Mulder asked. "Soon." "Where is home?" "We're not sure." "I'm not really learning anything new here, am I?" Samantha laughed. "No. Sorry." "Listen," Will sat forward in his seat. "There's no hotels or motels within two hours of this place. Why don't you spend the night? And in the morning, the four of us will sit down and have a long talk." Mulder was quick to agree. "Sounds fine to me." "Mulder!" Scully wanted to slap him for being so idiotic. "What?" "Don't worry, Dana. You're safe with us," Will said gently. "How did you know my name?" "When you showed me your ID. Your name was on it." Scully sat back, sceptical. "It's just one night, Scully," Mulder said quietly. "Yeah, Scully, it's just one night." Samantha smiled even as Scully glared at her. "Come on." She held out her hand. "Where are we going?" asked Scully. "We have a whole day to waste. Let me show you the bayou. It's something you city types have to experience first-hand." She pointed at Scully's feet. "But you're going to have to lose the heels. They don't work so well in the marshes. Just go barefoot." Samantha moved towards the door. "I'll meet you out front. And I won't be offended if you bring your gun," she added. Scully kicked off her shoes and stood. "Persistent, isn't she?" "Only because she likes you." Will grinned. "You'd better hurry up. Sammy gets impatient quick and boy, can she ever nag." "Sounds like someone I know," Mulder said pointedly. Scully smiled sweetly. "Get stuffed, Mulder. Now if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment with the swamp-girl." ********* Will hung upside-down from a branch of an ancient oak. "We haven't been here long." Mulder reclined in the fork of two huge branches. He hadn't climbed a tree for decades. He felt very comfortable, more relaxed than he had been in a while. Which confused him, being in a strange place with two decidedly strange kids. But he felt absolutely no fear of them. He actually felt a sort of affinity. "You don't seem to stick around anywhere for too long." "Not really, no." Will swung down and sat opposite Mulder. A curtain of thick Spanish moss hid them from the burning sun. "You're so much more... calm... than your sister." "Sammy feels things more strongly than me. She's just...bigger... than I am." Mulder passed Will the can of cola he was drinking from. "What do you mean, she's bigger than you?" Will took a long sip and handed back the can. "She's stronger, she's smarter, she's braver." "You jealous?" "Not in the least. We're partners. I do my thing, she does hers. If we both do it right, everything works out. We complement each other. You should know that about partnership, Agent Mulder." "You are wise beyond your years, pal. I'm not even halfway there." "All you need is a good teacher." "Who taught you?" "My dad." Mulder's face softened. "You miss him a lot, don't you?" Will turned away, the moss casting a jungle of shadows across his face. "More than you know." ****************** Scully clutched the side of the boat, her eyes wide with fear. "Don't worry, Dana. It was nothing. Probably just a gator." Scully's eyes almost popped out of her head. "Hey- I'm just joking- relax. Most likely a pelican or something." "Where are we going, Samantha?" "There's a little island out here I go to sometimes...just to unwind. It's my spot. Only Starbuck comes out here with me." Scully looked up at her, startled. "Starbuck. My dog." Drawing close to the tiny piece of land, Samantha nimbly sprung out. "And now you've been here too. Even Will's never been here." "Why me, then?" "Because you need it, Dana." Samantha pulled in her shrimping net. It was half-full. She tossed the shrimp into the boat beside Scully, causing her to leap away from the wriggling creatures. Samantha laughed and held out an arm. "Here. Let me help you out." Their hands joined briefly and then Scully was sinking into the black Louisiana soil. "Oh, Jesus, my pants." Scully tried to avoid the mud but only managed to step into a deeper patch. "It's unavoidable. Just hike your pants up around your knees." "What are we here for, Samantha?" The young woman pondered. "I'm gonna show you how to crab." "There can't be too many sizeable crabs around here." Scully swatted a mosquito from her face. "You're right. But the little guys add a nice flavour to a gumbo." Samantha crouched in the mud. "You look for these little dints, see? Then you dig in-" She pushed through the mud with both hands. "And ta-da! A crab!" Samantha held up the wriggling creature then tossed it into the boat. "Now you try." Scully stared at her for a few moments, pondering. The girl's enthusiasm was catchy and she wanted to see her smile again. But still, crabbing? "Come on. All work and no play makes Dana a very boring woman. Not to mention a lonely one." Scully smiled and crouched next to Samantha. "So I just dig down this little hole?" "You got it." Scully probed the mud with her fingers and gingerly removed a crab. She tossed into the boat. Samantha smiled, much to Scully's delight. "You're a natural." Scully returned the smile and plunged into the dirt for more. "I knew that you'd enjoy playing in the mud once someone gave you permission." Samantha held up a tiny blue crab, it's miniature claws waving in vain. She raised her voice to a cartoonish pitch. "Hey Dana. I'm a little blue crab named....Crabby. Please don't make me into gumbo. I taste horrible. I'd wreck the stew, I swear." Scully held up her recently-caught crab and lowered her voice to a masculine bass. "Please, young lady, let Crabby go. She's my wife and we have a bunch of little crabs down here who miss their mama. You wouldn't do that to our babies, now would you, Lady?" Scully couldn't believe it was her voice she heard; that she was playing childish games with an investigation subject. "Whatever you say, Mister." Samantha placed the little crab down on the ground and watched it scramble for the water. Scully's crab quickly followed. They laughed out loud and Scully forgot about the mud, the heat, the mosquitos and the fact that she was in the middle of nowhere with a girl she hardly knew. Then Samantha drew in a sharp breath. "Oh my god..." A water moccasin had slipped out of the brackish swamp and was winding it's way towards the young woman. Scully felt a surge of panic, which she quickly fought down. She drew her gun and aimed it at the snake. "Stay very still, Samantha. Don't move." "You can't kill a snake with a gun," was her tense reply. "I'm sure as hell going to try. Just stay still." Scully's hands were shaking. She had seen enough death for a thousand lifetimes. She aimed the gun, trying to steady her hand. The snake was getting agitated. "Help me." Samantha's voice sounded tiny and childlike. The snake reared back, and then it's head exploded as a bullet whirred dangerously close to Samantha's thigh. Scully quickly ushered the shocked girl into the boat. Samantha sat for a few moments, collecting herself. "I've never seen one of those on land before. They aren't usually that interested in people." Her voice was tightly controlled. Scully's hands were still shaking. "Are you OK?" "I'm fine." Those words, their inflection and obvious untruth, rang true with Scully. She had heard someone say that before, many times. Just like that. Samantha picked up the pole and started to head for home. She seemed to be recovering quickly, unlike Scully, who was still panicking within. She thought she would burst into tears with pure relief that Samantha was safe. "You're sure you're OK?" "I'm going to be just fine. And so will you." Samantha squeezed her hand. "I guess it was a good idea that you brought the gun, eh?" __________________________________________________________________________ Chabot Bayou 11 p.m. They had eaten shrimp cocktails and jambalaya for dinner, then lounged on the porch as the new moon rose and stars filled the sky. It was like nothing Scully had ever seen in the artificially-lit nights of Annapolis and Washington. Samantha pointed out different stars and constellations, while Mulder hypothesized on the possibility of life on each. He and Will argued about the ability of each system to sustain life, discussing the relative merits of methane-based atmospheres and the sustainability of lunar maria. Both the twins made it clear they had no doubt as to the existence of extraterrestrial life, and Fox thrived on their enthusiasm. Scully simply sat quietly on the porch, watching the three of them talk heatedly, lying on their backs in the grass. Will built a small fire and was barbequeing shrimp over the open flame. The three of them ate the shrimp with relish and talked comfortably about chemistry, physics, politics and parapsychology. From her vantage point on the porch, Dana could only hear the louder snippets of the conversation and their bell-like laughter drifting over the cicadas. Samantha broke through the night with the static of a portable radio, flipping through the stations until she found one playing some classic sixties rock. She got up and whirled by firelight, dancing in abandon to the audience of millions above her in the night sky. Mulder got up and held her hand and they danced a crazy shag, with Will circling them, clapping and egging them on. Two dark heads and one red flickered in and out of the moonlight, and Scully felt her chest tighten at the pure and honest beauty of their ritual. It was like they had been here always, in the seclusion of the bayou, immune to the cruelties of the world she was faced with every day. She felt an overwhelming urge never to leave this place, to stay in this atavistic paradise forever. And then they were waving to her from the lawn, beckoning. "Hey, Scully, stop being such a wet blanket and get down here!" Mulder popped a shrimp in his mouth. "You should try one of these. Yum yum!" The three of them were flushed with excitement and happiness. Dana felt as if she were intruding upon them. She wasn't allowed to feel that way for very long, because soon Fox was spinning her across the grass, picking her up and twirling in circles, and she heard shouts of joy and laughter. They were her own. The twins were dancing an exaggerated tango about ten feet away, the dogs running in mad circles around them. When the end of the song came, Dana and Fox stood close together, laughing and out of breath. But soon Mulder had stopped laughing and was looking at her strangely, his hand stroking her cheek. Scully felt compelled to both submit and run simultaneously. Then they noticed that the twins stood silent, watching them from the darkness. Embarrassed, they pulled apart. "Don't stop what you're doing on account of us," Samantha hollered, laughing. "We're going to head in now, anyway." Mulder smiled nervously. "I think it's time to call it a night." He snuffed out the fire and followed the twins and Scully inside. Watching them trot up the stairs and scatter through the house, calling to each other, Mulder felt an aching emptiness. So this is what a family is supposed to be like, he thought. From the time his sister had disappeared, all he had known was an oppressive silence. Samantha stood at the top of the stairs to the second level. "You guys can have the guest room. It's the last door on the right." "It's OK, Sam, I'll just grab the couch," Mulder said. "No you won't, the dogs sleep on the couch." "Don't you have another guest room?" Scully asked. "This is a pretty big house." "No," replied Samantha, and it was obvious she was lying. "Don't argue with her, guys," shouted Will from upstairs. "You'll never win." Mulder and Scully exchanged a look and trudged up the stairs. **************** The Guest Room The humid night was oppressive. Not a hint of a breeze rustled, and the thick air forced a slow languidity on all it's inhabitants. Mulder and Scully looked at each other from across the overstuffed bed. It was dressed in smoky burgundy with a fall of fine mosquito net drifting from a hoop on the ceiling. The window was open and the oil lamp Will had given them glowed softly, creating a room of shadows and light. "So. Who gets the bed?" Mulder reached out and touched the mosquito net. Scully paused for a few moments, and then said with deciiveness, "Me." "You're putting me on the floor. You're going to make me sleep on an old wooden floor." He looked at her, incredulous. "I'll give you a blanket to sleep on." "Thanks for throwing me a bone, Scully." Mulder took the blanket and spread it out on the floor. "Good night, Scully. I hope one of us sleeps well." Mulder laid back on the comforter and stared at the ceiling. Tomorrow, he knew somewhere deep inside, would change his life forever. This house was almost ethereal, a soothing balm to all his wounds. He was happier than he had been in years. He turned on his side and found himself looking under the huge wooden bed. On the opposite side, he saw Dana's bare feet, dirty from the trip into the swamp with Samantha. She was moving about, snapping open her suitcase and removing what he assumed were her nightclothes. Mulder heard a zipper split open and her jeans fell into a denim puddle around her feet. The rush of desire that shot through him took his breath away. He watched, frozen, as those feet stepped into a pair of white shorts and sat on the bed. Slowly he raised himslef to see her sitting with her back to him, brushing her hair. Mulder silently crept across the bed until he was kneeling behind her, unnoticed. When she lifted her hair to form a ponytail, Mulder laid his lips against the nape of her neck, right at the base of her skull. He reached out his tongue and touched a drop of sweat, tasting its saltiness. Scully exhaled softly, and turned to face him, her lips inches from his. "What was that?" Her breath was surprisingly cool against his face. He smiled. "Mosquito bite." Scully got up from the bed and backed up. "This is not a good idea, Mulder." Her voice was an unconvincing whisper. He followed and stood tall in front of her. Dipping his head, he kissed her neck where it joined her shoulder. "Tell me to stop. You tell me to stop and I'll stop." He kissed a line up to her ear. "Just tell me stop and I will," he whispered, and then flicked out his tongue to trace the whorl of her pink ear. He suckled gently at the lobe and she shuddered. Mulder straightened up. "I don't hear you telling me to stop." Dana Scully looked up at him, her eyes full. She opened her mouth to speak, but changed her mind and closed her lips. Mulder stepped back. She trembled, backed up against a wall, her eyes following him. He tried to lighten his voice as he spoke. "Hey- cat got your tongue?" Scully tried to smile and shook her head. She looked so small and sexy, her face flushed and shocked. He fought the urge to take her right there, against the wall. He knew she wouldn't protest. But the sultry Louisiana night encouraged him to move slowly, for himself and for her. It was as if he was seeing her through new eyes. "God, you're beautiful," he said, his voice thick with desire. Scully ducked her head, embarrassed. "Don't look away." She looked up at him, tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear. "Are you sure, Mulder?" "More than anything in my life." He stepped forward and kissed her softly, cupping her jaw. Leaning into him, she skimmed his lips lightly in response. Mulder wound a lock of red hair around his finger and looked at her seriously. "I want to make love to you." She kissed him again. "I would like that very much." Mulder smiled. "But-" His smile faded. "there's two kids sleeping just down the hall." "They're asleep. Don't worry. Don't think. Let it go. Just feel. Open up and let yourself feel." Scully laced her fingers around his neck and pulled him close. he kissed her lips and the corners of her mouth and her eyelids. He kissed her until she became pliant in his arms. Her nails scratched his neck and shoulders as she kissed him back with a rough hunger. Mulder longed to move quickly and give in to his mounting excitement. Instead, he made a point of moving more slowly to prolong the moment. Dana's breathing became quicker and she unconsciously began rubbing her pelvis against him. The friction was too much for him to bear, and he stepped back before he lost control and came in his pants. Scully gazed at him with unabashed desire, her lips kiss-swollen and slightly bruised. She began to shrug out of her T-shirt, but Mulder held up a hnad to stop her. "Let me." And then the T-shirt was off and Scully's small, firm breasts were cupped in his hands. The nipples were such a light shade of pink they almost blended with the flushed skin of her breasts, and under the attentions of Mulder's fingers, they became stiff and darker. She was sighing now, the ache in her nipples making her push his head to her breast. As his soft sucking mouth surrounded her, she pulled off his shirt and ran her hands over his smoothly muscled chest, pinching his nipples and scratching across his belly. Then her shorts were off and Mulder's fingers were slipping into the wetness of her most private parts, and his face nuzzling between the lips and his tongue tugging and licking and making her thrash against the wall, moaning loudly as pleasure pulsed through her. Something cracked inside Scully and she pushed Mulder back roughly, unzipping his jeans and pulling them down impatiently, dropping to her knees as she stroked and licked and teased his hardness. Mulder's throaty groans increased in intensity until he pushed her head gently away. They watched eachother for a few moments, panting and struggling for control. Mulder lay down on the smoky burgundy bed, tented in mosquito net. He gestured for Scully to join him, and she crawled under the netting. "You are beautiful, Dana. The most beautiful woman I have ever seen. The most intelligent, gorgeous and overwhelmingly sexy woman I have ever met." Scully swung a leg over his hips and mounted him smoothly. Her eyes fluttered shut as he slipped inside her and she languidly rocked her pelvis against him. He cupped her buttocks and leaned forward to flick her nipples with a darting tongue. Dana arched her back in the moonlight and began to move quickly, desperately against him, her moans becoming hoarse cries of her partner's name. Mulder's hands were on her face. "Look at me. Look at me, Dana." Her eyes fluttered open and met his. Almost instantly, a powerful orgasm rolled through her, the exquisite intensity overpowering her. A tiny gasp escaped her mouth as she felt Mulder explode within her, his eyes glued on hers, his hands wound in her hair. Scully collapsed aginst him, their sweat and sighs mingling together in the sensuous Southern night. ********* Mulder and Scully didn't hear the clicking of two doors opening in the hall. Samantha and Will exchanged looks. "It is done," Will whispered. Samantha closed her eyes for a few moments. She looked up at her twin sadly. "The time has come." ********** Scully lay across his chest, the two of them a tangle of arms and legs and hair. Mulder kissed the top of her head lightly and shifted slightly, turning his head towards the window. What he saw there caused him to jerk upright, waking Scully. "What is it?" she asked in a sleep-thickened voice. "Look." Mulder pointed out the window as he struggled into his jeans. There were white lights gathering over the swamp. -------------------------------------- Once again, wonky spacing. Please keep lovin' me.... From l_loise@alcor.concordia.ca Sat Nov 02 10:37:19 1996 Oh, I forgot....visit part 1 for the disclaimer(now everybody rush away and do that, we all know the disclaimer is *the best* part of any story...) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mulder ran down the stairs, still doing up the button on his jeans. Scully followed close behind, holding their guns. They stood on the lawn, watching in awe as the white swirling lights spun and arced through the sky over the swamp, darting close before retreating and starting their tantalizing dance yet again. "Oh Jesus, Scully, do you see them?" Mulder drew his gun and started a slow approach towards the gathering light. "Mulder, you don't know the swamps..." Scully protested weakly, but knowing her partner's single-minded determination, she trailed a few steps behind. "Stop!" Mulder and Scully swung around to see Samantha running toward them, wearing a white sleeveless nightgown. Her hair formed a copper fan behind her as the wind suddenly picked up. "Get back inside, Samantha!" Mulder shouted, but the girl continued towards them. "Stop! Don't go in the swamp!" Her eyes were wild with fear. They gave Samantha their attention, but Mulder kept one eye trained on the growing ball of light in the swamp. "You can't...you can't go. They'll hurt you." Mulder froze. "Who? Who will hurt me, Samantha?" The girl stared up at him, her eyes shifting nervously from Mulder to the lights. She said nothing, her gaze glassy as she watched the white light. Mulder grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her, hard. "Who are they! Tell me, Samantha! Who are they, goddammit!" "Jesus, Mulder!" Scully grabbed the girl from under Mulder's grip and held her. "Can't you see she's frightened half to death!" And Samantha turned and cried into Scully's red hair, red hair just a shade darker than her own. But Mulder hadn't been paying attention. He was concentrating on the growing brightness and the wind that shook through the normally-placid bayou. He mustered his resolve and moved toward the swamp with purpose. Scully debated following him, but the need to stay with Samantha was stronger. "Mulder, be careful!" She chastised herself for saying something so weak in light of their intense experience of only moments ago. She could still feel the contrasting sensations of his gentle kisses on her body and the strength of him inside her body. The sound of Scully's shouted warning caused Samantha to spin around to see Mulder coming dangerously close to the edge of the light. Mulder paused briefly on the threshold of the other side. He lifted a foot to step over the border. "Daddy!" Mulder froze. The word thrummed through his mind, evoking a surge of atavistic emotion unlike anything he had ever felt. He offered no resistance as he was tugged out of immediate danger. Mulder sunk to the ground in shock, followed by an equally confused Scully. Tears streamed down Samantha's face as she searched the eyes of her father and held his hands, pleading. "Daddy, please don't go in there, it's not your time yet, if you go in there you'll kill all of us, and that's not the way it's supposed to happen-" "Just calm down and explain, Sammy." Scully laid a trembling hand on the girl's shoulder. "Don't let him cross over, Mom. He'll get hurt." "I'm not your-" But Scully knew that her thought was wrong. It went against every scientific instinct she had, but she knew, she *knew*, that this was her child. Although it denied all reason, both Mulder and Scully knew they were looking into the panicked face of their daughter. "They've come for me and Will. But I don't want to go. I don't want them to take me..." Paternal instincts, ancient and primal, surfaced in Mulder. He scooped up his daughter and carried her a yard from the light, which was swollen now, and emitting a low humming sound. He gazed at Melissa's face and felt a wave of love unlike anything he had ever felt before. He knew, in an instant, that he would gladly lay down his life for this girl who looked so much like... her mother. Mulder looked at Scully, who was biting her lower lip. Her eyes looked from Samantha to Mulder, confused by the massive rushes of emotion she felt. If there were any more revelations to deal with tonight, she felt her brain may explode. Samantha suddenly jerked upright. "Will!" Mulder and Scully followed her gaze. Will walked slowly across the lawn, his eyes glazed, not acknowledging anything but the seductive call of the pulsing white light. He moved slowly, in a trance, not seeing his parents, not hearing his sister's cries, his will smothered by the light. Mulder leapt up and sprinted towards Will. Samantha moved to follow him, but was held tightly by Scully. Samantha fought with the smaller woman, but discovered that her mother's petite body concealed a hidden reserve of great strength. She relaxed and watched Mulder approach Will, hoping that he would stop him, but knowing in her heart that it was impossible. Mulder stood between the light and his son, the muscles at his jaw working as he anticipated the battle with Will. But the young man didn't fight. His feet continued to move forward, even when he made physical contact with his father. Will moved forward with determination, but Mulder's body served as a wall preventing further progress into the light. "Why isn't it effecting you, Sammy?" Scully asked, breathless. "I'm stronger than he is," she replied with a small cry. Scully held her daughter more tightly and rested a cheek against her hair. The humming grew louder and Samantha clutched at her head and began to scream.. "I won't let you in!....I won't let you in...!" The white light formed a bluish tongue that lashed out at Mulder, lifting him off his feet and sending him flying. He landed with a hollow thump, close to Scully and Samantha, turning in time to see the light briefly flare and engulf his son. He tried to scream, but the breath didn't come. He was still winded from the fall. Scully wore an expression of horror, but the majority of her concentration was focused on Samantha, who was getting more and more antagonized, screaming and crying out and writhing beneath her mother, who curled over her protectively. As Mulder's mind began to clear, he became dimly aware of the content of his daughter's frantic babbling. It was hard to make out over the panicked assurances Scully was giving her terrified child. "Scully!" Mulder gasped. "Listen...listen to what she's saying..." They both turned their attention to Samantha's voice: "No, I don't want to go...don't make me go, Sam, please...I want to stay with them... I *know* that wasn't part of the deal, but I need them, Auntie, can't you see they need me too?" Mulder's face became a mask of terror as he heard her name, his sister's name, being cried out from the mouth of a daughter he never knew he had. Then Samantha was being torn out of Scully's desperate grasp and began to float, four feet off the ground, towards the light. She became curiously silent then. Before the light swallowed her, Samantha turned her head back to her parents and reached out an arm. 'I love you', she mouthed, and the light sucked her in. Mulder stood with the intention of rushing headlong into the light, in an attempt to end a life where every person he had ever loved had been taken away. He was fated to lose them all, and the agony of that revelation made him want to give it all up- plunge into the light, swim with the gators, or eat his gun. "Fox?" A tiny voice came from behind him. He turned to see Dana kneeling on the ground, her body trembling, her strength and professional demeanour gone. She looked up at him with full eyes and all thoughts of death left Fox Mulder's mind for the first time since he was twelve years old. His kids were dead, but Dana was alive, and he wouldn't leave her for the remainder of her life. He wrapped his arms around her and they held each other, to upset to cry. They didn't notice the light collapsing in on itself, becoming a soft blue glow that stretched back forever. Three forms stood on the edge of the blue, and various shadowy forms moved in the background. "Mom always said you were a softie, Fox." The woman's voice was unfamiliar, but her teasing tone struck a chord that was very close to home. Mulder turned to see a tall, dark woman shimmering on the periphery of the blue, flanked by the twins. All Mulder could do was let out a strangled gasp. This night was killing him. "Fox, you catching flies?" Mulder closed his mouth. "Sam?" he croaked after a few moments. "Hey, Spooky." "How...how do you know...about Spooky? You were gone.." The elder Samantha exchanged smiles with her niece and nephew. "We know everything about you. We always did. You know everything about us, too. But you forgot. Of course, you can't be blamed for that, everyone has to forget at certain times." She paused. "This is confusing you. Just think of us as your...archivists." "Sammy- I'm sorry..." Mulder took a few lurching steps towards his sister. "Stop, Fox. You can't come here. It's not your time." "I'm sick of hearing it's not my time!" She raised a hand. "It's destiny, Fox. It was all decided a long, long time ago. You are needed here. For Dana. And for your children." "I'm sorry, Sammy...I didn't mean to let them take you..." "There was nothing that could be done. But if you need to hear it, I forgive you, Fox." Scully's gaze was frozen on the figures in the blue light, her eyes wide and hypnotized. Mulder swallowed. "Where can I find you, Sam?" "Fox, you will never see *this* Samantha Mulder again. Her body is dead. But you can find me, Fox. I'm right behind you, always. All you have to do is look." "Why?" The question came from Scully. Mulder jumped in surprise- he had almost forgotten he was not alone. "Why what, Dana?" "Why did you bring them here if you were only going to take them away?" Will hung his head and the young Samantha began to cry, her tears an eerie, iridescent blue. "Destiny, Dana. Samantha and Will came to you to fulfill their destiny..." ****** Scully saw the needle, silver, impossibly long, with a thick barrel. It descended towards her, puncturing the skin to the left of her navel and pushing its length deep inside her, through her, and excruciating pain slammed in waves up her body. The doctor drew back the plunger and Scully felt herself fading, fuzzy around the edges, closing in, hearing the blood hiss in her ears before surrendering to the black. "OK, we got lots here. No worries, boys." Mulder recognized the voice as being distinctly human as it emptied the bloody contents of the syringe into a large petri dish. Scully lay to his side, unconscious, breathing shallowly. Her skin was grey and the gauze across her abdomen was quickly reddening with blood. "Well, now it's your turn, Daddy." Cold hands yanked his scrotum up roughly. Unlike his partner, Mulder was lucky enough to pass out before the pain caused him to. ************** "You both remember, don't you?"Samantha asked, smiling gently at her brother and his partner. Mulder and Scully nodded dumbly. "Let me explain... they are taking genetic material from ...respected... people who fit certain desirable profiles... and they are creating the perfect baby. These children progress at a superhuman rate and are vastly successful in all arenas of human endeavor. The geneticmaterial is harvested, adjusted, and then reintroduced into the host mother. Then the child is monitored closely throughout its development.You were perfect choices. Not only do you live in DC, but you've bothhad, well... some interesting experiences that lower your credibility." "I don't understand..." Scully struggled. "You know how many react to the subject matter of the X-Files. Your trying to explain an abduction experience and subsequent pregnancy would be laughed off. The very nature of the X-Files jeopardizes your credibility in these kinds of situations. You only have each other to believe in. That, combined with a little faith, is all you need." "But, who are they, then?" Dana gestured to the twins. "They were going to impregnate you in less than a week, in DC, if the genetic material was ready and you passed their health tests." "That still doesn't explain-" "It's destiny, Dana. They were trying to create a devastating new path for your life, and my brother's, to take. These people are trying to manipulate destiny. The twins are your destiny, and Samantha and Will refuse to be erased. They came here, they came to you, to ensure their...creation. And now that they are with you, you won't be touched. You cannot impregnate a woman who is already pregnant. It's all safe, now. Fate has been realigned." Samantha smiled serenely. "And Fox- one more thing. If you ever mess with that woman or your kids I swear I'll haunt you until your dying day. Rattling chains, flying dishes, the works. Don't even think of calling my bluff on that one, big brother." She looked over her shoulder. "I've been here too long already. I have to go now." She turned and began to recede. Mulder's voice rose in a desperation Scully had never heard before- a high-pitched, keening wail that brought him to his knees. Before she was absorbed by the light, his sister's voice drifted over them, gentle and caressing, a sigh carried on the shoulder of a breeze. "You are not alone, Fox. You never were." The light fell in on itself, engulfing Mulder and Scully before dying out. Mulder was still kneeling, his head on the ground. He shook with the force of silent sobs that wracked him, his fingers digging deep into the loose Louisiana soil, anchoring him. Scully crawled over to him, wrapping her arms around his chest and resting her face on the small of his back. She clung to him as if her very life depended on it, and right now, it felt as if it did. Mulder twisted around and laid his head against her shoulder. Holding each other, they rocked back and forth as one entity, their cries joining the chorus of the midnight swamp, united with the crickets, the pelicans, the alligators and the soft sucking of water in perpetual sluggish motion. ************ Scully was the first to open her eyes. They lay, damp and dewy, beneath the early-morning sky. Perhaps, she thought, lost in thought, last night was all just a dream. Samantha, and the twins, and Mulder breaking down. Scully hoped that what his sister revealed was just a figment of her sleep-deprived dreams, but the vivid memories denied this. What she had seen was real, tangible, as tangible as the house that stood a few yards away. Sculy recoiled in shock, and shook Mulder awake. The night's sleep seemed to have helped him recover. The look he gave her was penetrating, deep, as if he knew everything about her. "Mulder...look." His eyes followed her finger to the house. It was dead. The windows and doors were boarded up, the paint peeling, the wood grey and rotten. When they approached the house they found their luggage neatly packed and waiting in front of the boarded door. Dust coated the porch, and it was obvious that this site had been unoccupied for years. But something caught Scully's eye. A piece of paper, old and yellow and curling, hung on the door, held up by a rusty bent nail. She pulled the note down and read it. 'Mom and Dad- See you in 9. Love Sammy and Will' Scully felt a surge of warmth deep in her abdomen and knew for certain that the previous night *did* happen. She caught Mulder's hand and pressed against his side. He kissed the top of her head. "I always said that we aren't alone, Scully." "I'm forced to agree with you this time. But don't expect it very often." Mulder threw back his head in mock exasperation. "Oh god- having to live with both you *and* Sam, what a trial!" Mulder eyes narrowed. "Scully. What's that?" There was a black splotch marring the lawn- the fresh remains of a bonfire. Beside the charred pit stood a transistor radio. Mulder bounded down the steps and to the pit. He leaned down and fiddled with the radio, until he found a song he liked on a classic rock station. It was a Van Morrison tune, 'Into the Mystic'. He stretched out an arm to Scully. "A dance?" He said, smiling nervously, unsure of what her reaction would be. Scully watched him for a few moments, her lip curling slightly. Then she was taking Mulder's hand and allowing herself to be drawn against him, one hand resting over his heart. They danced imperceptibly, barely moving under the cypresses. Mulder let his fingers stray from the sharpness of her hip and across her belly. He felt the warmth there, too, and sensed the pieces falling into place. One of the most perplexing mysteries of his life had been solved. The song wound down and the DJ started to speak. Scully cupped his face in her hands. "What do you say we head back to DC? Uncler Skinner is expecting us." "All four of us?" Mulder laughed. "Well, that'll be harder to explain..." A soaring song from the radio interrupted them- a song from the rock opera 'Tommy' that seemed appropriate to the moment: 'Listening to you, I get the music Gazing at you, I get the beat Following you, I climb the mountain I get excitement at your feet' 'Right behind you, I see the millions From you, I see the glory From you, I get opinions From you, I get the story' Mulder wrapped his arm around Scully's waist and they began walking towards the car, knowing that this was not their last trip to this spot. THE END ...now e-mail me comments and then read BIRTHRIGHT 2: Of Darkness and Blind Eyes. And yes, that's an order direct from AD Skinner.