The Grand Illusion 1/4

Author: Maggie (X-Files_EBE@gurlmail.com)

Rating: MT / MSR / R - for language

Key Words: Mulder Torture / Consortium

Spoilers: The basics through Season 6

Archive: Anywhere, just keep Author Name and e-mail attached. Thanks!

Summary:The fourth etherworld war is raging, getting closer to Earth with
each passing day. One man must decide who will live and who will die. Mulder
and Scully are chosen to join the others on this "Noah's Ark." Will they
escape the experiments before it consumes them?

Disclaimer: They're not mine, so don't sue me. Don't worry Mr. Carter. I
won't hurt them. I'm only taking them for a little test drive. So, can I
borrow the keys now? Please? But seriously folks, all the characters
contained herein are property of Fox and 1013 Productions.

Author's notes: This is a sequel of sorts to one of my other stories, Chilly
Wig. It picks up where the last story left off, but if you ignore the very
beginning, you can follow the story without reading Chilly. Be prepared, it
gets a bit mushy at the end! NO ROMOS have been WARNED! Ta!

Thanks: to KatVictory, my best fanfic pal and great lift-me-up when I need a
little encouragement. So, thanks Kat. I could not ask for more! Also thanks
to my sister, Chris, who spent numerous hours sitting up at three in the
morning helping me type this. Finally, to my parents...thanks for putting up
with my X-Files ramblings! Love you all!

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

**Monday, 7:24 AM, J. Edgar Hoover Building**

Where we last left our two FBI agents.....

Mulder let Scully lead him over to his now clean desk, a huge cake taking
over much of the area. Holly grabbed a knife and cut a line down the right
side, allowing the words "Welcome Back, Mulder!" and the little icing fox
figure to remain intact.

"Wow! You shouldn't have! I mean, you've never done anything like this
before. Why start now?" He didn't give his partner a chance to respond
before going on. "What kind is it?" he asked in the manner of a child with a
new toy. Then he took a seat behind his desk

Scully handed him a paper plate with the small offering on it so he could
investigate for himself. "Swirl. We couldn't decide between vanilla or
chocolate, so we got both. You like it?" She raised her eyebrow slightly as
she watched him haphazardly shove a forkful of the moist cake into his
mouth.

"Mmsgood," he mumbled around a mouthful of the rich icing, a little of it
falling from his lips to the plate in his hand.

Skinner rolled his eyes and served himself a cup of punch. "Obviously you
are enjoying it. Mulder, you eat like a child."

The younger agent shrugged and stuffed another large bite into his mouth.

Frohike, Byers, and Langly stood toward the back of the room, each holding
their own pieces of cake. Their eyes played across the office like a child
at Christmas. It was a rare occasion for them to be allowed in the X-Files
office, or any part of the Bureau for that matter, and they were determined
to get some dirt while they were there. Skinner wasn't too fond of the trio
and they knew it, but Scully had insisted they be allowed to come for
Mulder's sake. The AD reluctantly agreed, so the Lone Gunmen weren't pushing
their luck. They actually were keeping fairly quiet, a slight remark here
and there about the decor, et cetera.

Jake, the security guard had taken his leave quickly in order to make it to
his post on time and Mulder waved him goodbye, helping himself to another
piece of cake.

"Mulder, don't eat too fast. You'll make yourself sick!" Scully warned in
the over-protective tone Mulder had grown so accustomed to. She poured him a
glass of punch for him the wash the treat down.

"No I won't. I'm fine. Besides, it's too good to savor for long. Where did
you get it anyway?"

"Mom made it actually. She wanted to put 'Fox' on it, but I made her put
'Mulder.' The fox figurine was a compromise." Scully's lips twitched into a
slight smile as she recalled the debate she had had only hours before with
her mother.

Mulder smiled and took a sip from the punch Scully handed to him. "Well,
tell her I like it."

"Will do," she replied.

"Well, I think it's about time we let Agent Mulder get some work done," said
Skinner, tossing his used cup into the trash can beside the coat rack. Holly
and the AD quickly welcomed Mulder back once more, then retreated to their
respective offices.

With everyone gone, the three guys finally felt free to speak. "So, Mulder.
We downloaded your medical files and had Delta-"

"Delta?" Mulder asked with a slight smirk, cutting off Byers. "Is that your
hacker mate-of-the-week?"

"Delta happens to be quite an expert in the field of paranormal medicine!"
Frohike shot back.

"Now there's a contradiction in terms," snorted Scully.

The Lone Gunmen ignored her comment and continued.

"Anyway, Delta about dropped a load at the breakdown point! He said this oil
is comprised of a silicon based substance that he's never dealt with
before," Byers stated.

"If we could get another sample-"

"Langly, I'm really not in the mood to discuss this right now," Mulder
sliced another piece of cake off and slid it onto his plate.

"Sure. Ok. Well, we got to get going anyway. D and D meeting in thirty
minutes back at Delta's pad. See ya around, Mulder."

The three took their leave and Scully and Mulder sighed in unison basking in
the welcome silence. As Mulder polished off his third piece of cake, Scully
dropped two files onto the little empty space of his desk.

"What's this?" he asked, tossing his plate into the garbage.

"A couple of cases the VCU wants you to profile. I told them I wasn't sure
that you would be up to it, but I'd ask you anyway. You don't have to do it
if you don't want to."

"I'll look into them. So," he said, leaning back heavily in his leather
chair. "What else is on the dossier for today?"

"Expense reports from the past two months." Her comment received the
expected groan and she continued. "Well, Skinner let you off pretty easy
since this whole incident, but now he is going to be expecting them. So,
I'll take half and you take the other and it will cut the time down
considerably."

Mulder, who in the past two minutes had completely tuned out his partner,
was sharpening a pencil, dropping the shavings onto his desk. He brushed
them aside with a quick motion of his hand and watched them flutter to the
floor.

"Hello? Did you hear a word I just said? Mulder, we have three background
checks to do later this afternoon also. You want to handle that or should
I?" He looked up at her and his classic puppy dog face answered her
question. "You owe me, buddy," she said and turned back to her computer.

"Everything."

Scully turned quizzically to her partner and was met with a broad smile. She
found it infectious and smiled back. Then she booted up her computer,
slipped in a disk, and began typing.

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

**Time unknown, Place unknown**

The lights in the large open room glowed a dim green and an eery hush fell
over the people gathered. The group formed an oblong circle, their attention
drawn toward the center. A man in a long white lab coat sliced a small area
of scalp away from the subject lying on the table. A young girl, not more
than eight years old with long brown hair, lie face down on the cold slab of
metal, a white sheet drawn up to her waist. The base of her neck was coated
with an orange stain of iodine, the small incision just above her hairline.
The crowd gathered closer and the leader held a small chip in the air,
gripped by surgical tweezers. He turned once for everyone to see the tool he
was holding. This device was a key. A key to unlock the mysteries of the
fourth, fifth, and even sixth worlds. The girl, a conduit. An orphan the
group had...acquired in a way. She would help them. Be loyal to them. Useful
in the final play.

He lowered the instrument and placed the tiny chip under a layer of tissue,
making it unnoticed by the naked eye. This placement was key also. The past
had proven the neck to be unnecessary to holding the microchip in place.
Many people had suffered, not part of the original plan. They had never
planned for humans to suffer in the wages of the fourth ether-world war.

As the chip was situated correctly, the man stitched the small wound and
walked away, the crowd parting for his exit.

In the far corner, a man clad in a dark suit puffed silently on his
cigarette, watching the young followers awe over the performance they had
just witnessed. The time was drawing near. Invasion was imminent. Exacting
the details was essential now. The innoculant may not be found in time. He
realized this. A new race may have to be created. He, playing his role as
Noah, would have to choose who would live and who would die when the
inevitable was upon them. A choice was made over twenty five years ago for
this same prophecy. With the decision set upon him, he was anxious for the
climax to arrive. Preparations had been made, Strughold's old land in
Germany being the center of the operation. The chosen ones would reside
there until the Great Confrontation had receded.

For now, the list of "lucky" ones was short, merely two hundred and
twenty-nine names, more to be added later. He had included the man whom he
felt was the key to stopping it all. He hoped he had not made a mistake by
allowing him his partner. But it may prove fruitful to be challenged in such
a way. Mulder never did much care for restraints.

He took another slow drag from his cigarette and then dropped the butt on
the floor, stamping it out with his shoe. He had work to do. Before the
others had even noticed his presence, he left the room.

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

**Monday, 12:18, J. Edgar Hoover Building**

"Scully, you ready to go to lunch? I'm starving! Let's go down to Bachman's
Deli and grab a bite, what do you say? I could go for corned beef on rye
right about now."

At the mention of food, Scully's stomach took it's cue to grumble. "Sounds
good to me." She smiled and grabbed her purse, heading out the door.

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

**Monday, 12:36, Bachman's Deli**

Scully set her salad and bagel chips on their table and slid into the booth
across from Mulder who was already engrossed in his over stuffed double
corned beef and Russian dressing on rye sandwich. A small serving of potato
knish was sitting off to his right, decked by a cup of iced tea. Scully
carefully lifted the lid of her coffee and emptied two containers of cream
in the steaming cup.

"So," Mulder murmured over a piece of corned beef hanging awkwardly from his
mouth. The action sent the piece sliding down his chin and he shoved it back
in hastily. "When do we get back out in the field?"

"When your ribs are completely healed. Which reminds me, how are they
feeling today?"

"Mm, fine. I, um, haven't been taking Dr. Alley's prescription. I decided
I'd rather deal with the pain than be doped up all day."

"Mulder!" Scully chided. "She prescribed it for a reason. If you're in pain
and wincing all the time, they're not going to heal properly."

Mulder took a sip from his iced tea to wash the sandwich down. "It's not
like I haven't had plenty of broken ribs before. I think I of all people
know how to take care of them. Besides, if I was still taking those damn
pills I would be too out of it to think, let alone work. Anyway, they don't
hurt much any more. Just a little ache when I jog."

"My God Mulder! What the hell are you jogging for? It's only been three
weeks-"

"And I need to get back into shape. Three weeks plays havoc with the
metabolism, Scully. I only started jogging again this weekend."

Taking a bite of her salad, Scully willed herself not to say anything that
she would regret later. "If I wasn't aware of your tendency to recover so
quickly, I'd think you were just plain insane. No, you are insane, Mulder.
Completely out of your mind."

He smiled into his sandwich. Maybe he shouldn't have told her that he'd
stopped taking the medication, but he figured she would have asked sooner or
later and he hated lying to her about it, but his ribs were feeling much
better and the other injuries he had sustained during his "lost weekend" had
all healed by now. "Would you feel better if I took them?"

"Mulder, you know this really isn't about that. I just want for this all to
be over. The drugs may have gotten you better faster."

"Scully, I'm fine. Really. They don't hurt, see?" He swiveled around
slightly and arched his back to prove his point. "Couldn't feel better."

Scully frowned as a semi truck honked it's horn on the street, the passersby
yelling explicatives in the direction of the driver. "Well, take it easy
anyway."

"Ok. Say," he said, changing the subject. "Those background checks. Anything
interesting?"

She set down her cup of coffee and folded her hands together on the table.
"One was pretty cut and dry. The other is holding me up, though. Someone
named Jacobs. It was meant to be a routine background check, but now I'm
suspecting there may be another agenda at hand. While I was speaking with
him, hushed voices in the background were giving orders of some kind. I
couldn't tell what they were saying." She shrugged. "It's probably nothing.
Probably a game of poker gone awry."

"Or a classic case of 'Love Triangles Revealed'" he joked. That earned him a
slight chuckle from his partner.

"Well, whatever it was, I'm not going to worry about it. I've already handed
the BKGs over to Skinner. How far are you on the expense reports?"

Uh oh. He knew this was coming. Unfortunately he hadn't devised an excuse
for only turning over one so far. "They're coming along." Well, that wasn't
necessarily a lie. Just a little white lie. Well, they WERE coming along. He
didn't say how fast.

"Good, I want to get out of here early today. My mother has invited us for
an early dinner to celebrate your return to work. She didn't say what she's
making, though. 'It's a surprise'" she said in her best "mom" voice.

Mulder groaned inwardly. He would have to haul to get the reports done on
time now. Why did that pencil sharpener look so interesting earlier in the
day? He now had 52 fully sharpened pencils in the bottom of his desk drawer
and didn't have a need for more than one at the most. "Yeah, um. Sounds
good. What time should I pick you up?"

"Five. And just wear something casual. It's just us three tonight."

"Ok. Well, let's get back to the office and finish those reports, shall we?"
With his hand placed lightly on the small of her back, he guided Scully out
the door toward his car.

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

**Monday, 12:53 PM, Washington D.C.**

As he rounded the corner on F street, he silently cursed his luck. There, up
ahead of him about sixty yards, were the two agents he had been trying to
avoid. Ducking around the corner once more, he patted himself down, found
the object in question, and nervously lit one up, inhaling the rich smoke
deeply. If they had seen him, it may all be over. No, he was better than
that and he knew it. But he also knew that he must act quickly. Just this
morning he had been informed the plans had been stepped up.

A nod was his only recognition outwardly to the statement, but inside he was
cringing. He wasn't sure if he could pull it off in time. He would have less
than a week to gather the nine-hundred chosen ones. Tonight he would get
Mulder and Scully if it killed him. Time was running out.

Taking a quick peek around the corner, he watched as they drove away from
the curb, presumably back to the Hoover Building. He would have to keep
watch over them this evening. With any luck at all, he would fulfill his
assignment after all.

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

**Monday, 4:58 PM, Scully's apartment**

"You're actually here early!" Scully was tying her Docs as she let Mulder
in. With a quick glance at him she noticed what he was wearing. The same
brown suit he had worn at the office hung limply on his lank frame and black
loafers adorned his feet. She knew he had just come from work, but decided
not to ask why.

"Yeah, well I didn't want to keep your mother waiting," he said with a
slight smile. He actually had driven like a maniac to get here on time. He
had finished the reports on time, albeit sloppily, and rushed out the door
as soon as he could, which was still thirty minutes after he told Scully he
would "be leaving in a minute or two." He shocked himself that he made to
Scully's apartment before five. Maybe luck was running in the right
direction for him for once in his life. A nice dinner was planned for the
evening and then Mrs. Scully would probably want to play cards or something.
Even though Mulder wasn't big on cards, Scully's mom made it seem fun
somehow.

With Scully clad in black dress pants, a button-up black blazer with a white
tank top underneath it, and black Doc Martins (which she had bought on a
whim and never worn before), they were ready to go. She flipped the light
switch and closed the door, locking it as she did so. The evening at Mrs.
Scully's promised to be extremely normal, or so it would seem...

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

** Monday, 5:02 PM, outside Scully's apartment**

His dark sedan pulled up to the curb a block from Scully's place, too far to
be noticed, but not far enough to hinder his sight of her door. He had known
where Mulder would go as soon as he saw him exit on the opposite ramp he
usually takes, so he hung back, making sure not to be seen. Within a few
minutes, he watched as Mulder and Scully exited her apartment, heading
toward his car. As they pulled away and down the street, he hung back for a
moment, then slowly followed. They got on the freeway toward he knew not
what. It was the opposite direction of Mulder's apartment, but further away
from Scully's.

Nearly an hour later, they pulled up in front of a large white house, the
porch adorned with flower pots and citronella candles. The Cigarette Smoking
man had never been here before. As the two agents entered the house, the
door opened by an older woman with dark brown hair, he realized where he
was. It was Scully's mother. He let out a sigh as he realized he would have
to resort to older measures if he was going to gather the first of his "arc"
this evening, He quickly drove off to plan the act.

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

**Monday, 7:39 PM, Mrs. Scully's house**

"This is wonderful, Mrs. Scully. Where did you get the recipe?" Mulder
greedily stuck a forkful of the broccoli casserole into his mouth, fanning
the heat away with his hand.

Maggie Scully reached over and scooped some steamed carrots onto her plate
from the serving bowl sitting off to her right. "My grandmother made an
excellent casserole, eventually passing it along to my mother. As I was
going through her things after she passed, I found it. Unfortunately she
wasn't around to ask advice on how to cook it, so it's not as good as she
made it. But it's not too shabby if I do say so myself."

Scully glanced at her mom with a knowing smile. She in fact knew her mother
had created the recipe from scratch, NOT going through her mother's
possessions to find it. But Mrs. Scully was never one to take the credit for
anything.

"Well, I think it's great. You did a fine job, Mrs. Scully."

"Fox, it's Maggie. How many times do I have to remind you?" Maggie smiled at
her guest warmly, amused at the slight blush covering his boyish cheeks.

The conversation remained light throughout the remainder of the meal. With
their plates cleared and waiting in the sink to be washed they gathered in
the living room each with a cup of steaming coffee. The topic turned to
Maggie Scully's plans to visit Bill and Tara in San Diego. Mulder squelched
the feeling of guilt that always arose at the mention of Scully's brother.
The topic of Bill had never been a comfortable one for Mulder, but he
continued to listen intently to Maggie.

"Well, I'm only going to stay five days because Charlie also deserves a
visit. I haven't seen him in a few months, and I'm just dying to see the
kids."

With the change of subject, Mulder again felt as ease enough to speak. "How
is Charlie doing anyway?" Mulder asked setting his cup of coffee down on the
coaster beside him and leaning further back in the couch.

Mrs. Scully brightened at the re-entry of Fox into the conversation knowing
that the previous offense was Bill's. "Oh, he's doing just fine. He had a
promotion at work."

Scully pushed back an errant strand of red hair behind her ear and leaned
forward to rest her elbows on her knees. "Oh yeah? I haven't talked to him
in a couple weeks. When did this happen?"

"Just this past Friday. He said he tried to get ahold of you and could only
catch your answering machine. He didn't think he'd get an enthusiastic
response from your electronics."

Mulder let out a nervous titter, accompanied by another twinge of guilt. His
partner was probably with him. Once again, he was pulling Scully away from
her family. But from the look upon Scully's face at that moment it didn't
seem to matter. She was smiling and promising to call Charlie the following
day.

"Oh, Dana, I forgot to tell you. When Tara phoned me on Saturday she let
Matty talk. You wouldn't believe what he can say. 'Ganna, I pee bed last
night!' I could hear Tara in the background saying 'No no Matty! That's not
what you we're going to say. Come on, now!'"

The three laughed somewhat hysterically at the prospect of Bill's son having
a sense of humor, unlike his father. The Cigarette Smoking Man chose that
moment to unleash his plan upon his unsuspecting victims.

Mrs. Scully gasped and the coffee fell from her hands and onto the plush
carpet. "Oh my God!" she muttered under her breath. The stark white light
filled the room washing out all expression the company's faces held. The air
grew thick with the sound of a low but extremely loud humming.

Mulder, immediately knowing what was happening, grabbed Scully and Maggie,
and pulled them away from the window. 'No, not now! Not now!' The mantra ran
through his head as he attempted to squelch his fear. The chip. They were
after Scully! He wasn't going to let them take her, not this time! They
stood near the door of the kitchen, their eyes fixed on the window. The low
buzzing quickly turned into a high pitched scream. The three doubled over,
holding their ears in pain.

Suddenly Mulder heard nothing at all. All noise was vanquished from his ears
and he became attuned to the light. He would take Scully's place, maybe
perhaps he would find his sister. He stood erect and walked slowly towards
the window, stopping midway at the sound of his name coming from behind.

"Fox! Dana, don't!"

'Dana?' He turned slightly to his right and saw Scully standing beside him
staring at the source. She glanced at him and nodded slightly. He reached
out his hand and took her smaller one in his. They felt drawn to it, as if
they couldn't stop. Maggie kept calling for them, but they couldn't turn
around if they wanted to. They weren't sure if they wanted to.

The front door seemed to open on its own accord and the two agents,
hypnotized by the light, made their way outside, collapsing in unison in the
yard. Maggie sat crouched in the doorway crying, unable to watch as her
daughter and Fox were taken away.

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

**Altitude: 45,000 feet, Tuesday, 9:25 PM**

C.G.B. stubbed out his spent cigarette in the small ashtray of the console
on the arm of his seat, silently staring out the window into the night sky.
It was cloudy, like his mood. Many of the chosen ones had been gathered
already in the underground fort, but just behind him in the rear of the
plane were the two most valuable additions to his arc. Mulder and Scully lie
resting in a drug induced slumber having each been tranquilized at Scully's
mother's house. He was sure it would be the only safe way for him to
transport the couple to Germany. Once they saw him, the jig would be up. For
now, he would risk nothing.

The tests had been scheduled, the data carefully compiled. With the agents'
medical history of late, Scully's abduction and Mulder's infection with the
Black Oil, the results of the planned experiments were crucial for the
continuation of the human race. Van Humburg, a German biochemist, would be
leading the experiments. The Cigarette Smoking Man did not like the prospect
of another man taking over his esteemed role as the leader of the
now-understaffed Consortium, but at this time he had no other choice. Van
Humburg had made sure of that by refusing to help unless given the position.
C.G.B. had complied after much debate. Now it was time. The homefront was
moving closer to Earth. In a few short days there may not be much left of
the world he knew. The public would not know of this until the action was
upon them. All unnecessary media were left out of the loop.

The plane hit some turbulence and he turned to look at the two agents. Still
satisfied by their sleeping forms, he pulled another cigarette from his
pocket. 'These things are going to kill me sooner or later.' He vanquished
the thought as quickly as it appeared. He had been cured once before. He
could be cured again if need be.

Through the small window of the jet he could see the runway lights up ahead
not far. The landing strip was private, just a half a mile from Strughold's
land. Van Humburg had informed him that he would be meeting him when they
landed. Just then the Cigarette Smoking Man felt something he hadn't felt in
a long time. He was nervous. Taking a long drag on his cigarette, he didn't
let the emotion register on his face. Instead he climbed from his plush seat
and checked his bag one more time for the keys to the compound. He had
checked it six times since they had been in the air and although he found
the action unreasonable, he also found himself compelled to check. The keys
unlocked the main chamber. Van Humburg did not even own a key for this room.
CSM had acquired it by rummaging through Strughold's things. The main
chamber was where the majority of the experiments were to be conducted.

Feeling the descent of the aircraft, C.G.B. sat down stiffly in his seat,
buckling himself in quickly. Within minutes, the plane touched down and
through the opening door he could see his colleague standing near the edge
of the runway in the grass. Dressed in black from head to toe, the doctor's
white hair and beard made a stark contrast in the night. C.G.B. quickly
exited the plane and made his way over to Van Humburg, shaking his hand
coldly. He informed him of Mulder and Scully's arrival and ushered him into
the craft to retrieve his most valuable possessions.

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

**Wednesday 6:18 AM, Morgen Lager (Tomorrow Camp)**

Mulder awoke with a start, hoping it had all been a vivid nightmare, but as
he gauged his surroundings he resolved that it had not been. "Scully!" He
remembered Scully had gone with him. Looking around him at the dull gray
walls and dimly lit ceiling, he didn't see his partner. There were four rows
of beds lined against the walls, separated only by plastic sheets hanging
from the high ceiling. 'So, this is what it was like.' He grimaced at the
idea of being held in a place so dank as this. He turned his head to look
for Scully behind him. There, off to his left he caught sight of her red
hair nestled into a thick white pillow, her face contorted as if in deep
thought...or pain. "Scully!" He moved to go to her, but was horrified to
find himself strapped to the bed. What had he expected after all? They must
have learned from the last time to keep him restrained. He pulled on the
thick bindings, but the attempt was futile, only serving to burn the skin on
his wrists.

Giving up, he stared at Scully, willing her to wake. What had they done to
her, he wondered. His heart broke as he found the answer obvious. It was his
fault again. He always seemed to find a way to hurt her. Bill was right. He
was a sorry son-of-a-bitch. A tear ran down his cheek as he piled the blame
on even thicker. 'Why must you have your stupid quests, Mulder? You only end
up hurting the ones you love. It always ends the same way. God, you are so
fucking ignorant sometimes!' He couldn't bear to have Scully hurt, but he
just couldn't help the situation now. He turned his head away as he felt the
tear that had fallen moments before dry on his cheek leaving an itchy trail.
He twitched to relieve the disturbance and found it impossible. He scratched
his cheek against the sheets and was startled to hear a voice from behind
him.

"Ich sehe, da™ Sie wach sind. Gekommen."

Mulder stared in disbelief. It wasn't an alien like he had believed them to
be. It was a short man with pure white hair and a neatly trimmed beard. The
man was cloaked in what appeared to be hospital attire except the smock was
black. And what had he just said to him? Was that German?

"Gekommen," the elder man said, slowly releasing Mulder's bindings.

"What? I don't understand." The agent remained in position on the bed, not
wanting to risk a struggle before he knew what was going on.

The doctor sighed and attempted to recall his English lessons he had had as
a boy. "You are awake. Come, Mulder." His accent was so thick the
translation did very little to help, but from the man's outstretched arm,
Mulder felt he had to comply. He pulled his stiff legs over the edge of the
bed and stood. He didn't want to leave Scully, but at the moment he felt he
had no choice. He noticed two armed guards standing by the doorway. Although
shaking inside, his face and body language remained stoic. He quietly
followed the shorter man out of the large room where he was greeted by his
nemesis. C.G.B. Spender himself.

Anger welled up in Mulder and he lunged at the Smoking Man, falling short
when CSM moved out of the way. The agent fell hard, hitting his chin on the
uneven cement floor. He groaned in pain and he felt blood seep from his
fresh wound. One of the guards yanked him up by his elbow and pushed him
into a chair. Grimacing at the abuse, Mulder closed his eyes and lightly
touched his cut. The blood ran down his fingers and a tissue was tossed into
his lap by the doctor.

"Don't play hardball Mr. Mulder. I'm not in the mood. We're doing this for
your own good." CSM made a lame attempt to explain himself to the man.

"What the hell do you know about what's good for me and Scully?! I didn't
even think the word good was in your vocabulary, you son-of-a-bitch!"

CSM extracted a cigarette from his jacket pocket, but refrained from
lighting it for the moment, holding it in his fingers. "It will be explained
soon. Believe me Mulder. You'll thank me in the end."

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

Continued in Part 2

The Grand Illusion 2/4

Disclaimers, etc. can be found in Part One. You don't believe me? Go check
for yourself!

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

Mulder rolled his eyes upward, but didn't comment.

"K€mpfen Sie nicht dieses, Mulder. Er IST fèr Ihr eigenes gutes," Van
Humburg said.

"Would you speak English for God's sake!" Mulder was infuriated. He didn't
know where he was, what they we going to do, or why they wanted him and
Scully. "What the hell are you going to do to us?!"

"It is for you own good, Mulder. Do not fight this." The Cigarette Smoking
Man turned to the doctor. "Start with Agent Scully." Receiving a nod from
Van Humburg, he turned to leave.

"No! Leave her alone!!" Mulder was on his feet now, screaming at the two
men. The guards held him tightly around his upper arms, restricting his
movements as best as they could. "Let her be! Take me! Take me! Leave her
alone! Please! Please don't hurt her!" He didn't realize he was crying until
his vision blurred beyond the ability of recognition.

CSM turned back toward the commotion the younger man was making. He looked
to the doctor. "Take him also. They can stay together for now. Restrain him
ONLY if need be." He motioned for Van Humburg to translate for the local
guards.

"Nehmen Sie ihn weg! Halten Sie ihn nur not fall zurèck." The guards nodded
and pulled Mulder backwards toward a lone door.

"No! Let me go! Let me go!! Nooo!!!" Mulder was yanked through the doorway
and tossed into a corner.

"Sie bleiben dort, wenn Sie wissen, was fèr Sie gut ist!" said the taller of
the two guards after releasing their prisoner.

"What are you saying? I don't speak German!"

The guard smiled wryly and closed the door behind him. Mulder found himself
alone in a small room with two beds, a sink, a toilet, a table and two
chairs. Small, to say the least, living quarters perhaps. The sight of the
beds worried him. Along the edges were restraints and a metal rack for an IV
bag stood erect at the heads of them. He looked back at the door. Only a
small window which opened and closed from the outside was the only sort of
opening in the room.

He paced the small confines for what seemed like hours, planning his escape.
He was at a loss as to what was going on. As time passed he grew weary, and
hungry. He hadn't remembered being fed since he had eaten dinner at Mrs.
Scully's. Oh God! Had they taken her too! No! This was his fault. His damned
halfbaked idea to find his sister had turned into a disaster.

Suddenly he heard a commotion outside in the hall. In a moment's time the
door was thrown wide and Scully was pushed inside, causing her to land hard
on her knees from the force. Two trays of food were silently set on the
table as Mulder helped Scully to her feet. Before he could attack the
unknown assailant, he was gone.

"Oh my God, Scully. What did they do to you?" He sat her down on a bed and
checked her visually for any signs of any experiments. He saw none, but
wasn't convinced that she was unharmed.

Scully shook her head and tried to calm her nerves. "Nothing. I woke up in
some big room. There was plastic hanging from the ceiling. Then they dragged
me from my bed and threw me in here." She stared down at her hands as she
spoke. "What is going on Mulder? What happened? Where are we?"

He took her hands in his and rubbed his thumb lightly across her skin. "They
haven't told me much. Only that we are here for our own good. Cancer Man is
behind it. He spoke to me."

Scully raised her face to meet his gaze and for the first time he noticed
she was crying. He could feel his heart breaking a little more. "Mulder,
what did they do to you?" She reached out and touched his chin slightly,
pulling back as he winced at his once forgotten scrape.

"It's nothing. I fell. Stupid really."

"Mulder, it's going to get infected if you don't get the dirt out of it."
She glanced around the scarcely furnished room for something to clean the
wound with and spotted the sink. Pulling a handkerchief from the pocket of
her blazer, she wet the cloth and walked back to Mulder who was now sitting
at the table eyeing the trays of food suspiciously. "Here. This will help
some. It's the best we can do at the moment." She dabbed the cool fabric to
the dried blood, wiping most of it away with a single swipe. Cleaning the
cut revealed it to not be as bad as it seemed. A long scrape with a small
deeper cut in the center. Turning the handkerchief over she wiped as much
dirt away as she could and walked back to the sink. Rinsing the blood down
the drain, she barely heard the muttered 'thank you' from Mulder.

"Mulder, what are we going to do?"

"I don't know Scully. I've never been abducted before!" Seeing her face turn
red, he quickly lightened his tone. "I'm sorry, I'm just-. Was this what it
was like? You know, when you were taken?"

"I don't remember, Mulder. I can't say. I don't think I want to remember."
She sat quickly down in the chair across from Mulder and poked at the food
sitting in front of her.

Mulder suddenly lost the appetite he had had only minutes before. Scully was
the only thing on his mind and he couldn't believe that once again he had
opened one more old wound making it bleed fresh blood.

Over the next two hours they discussed what each of them knew of their
abduction, which didn't add up to much. Mulder told Scully that they kept
speaking to him in German and he didn't understand a word they were saying.
Scully agreed to translate for him, having taken German in college.

Ages later it seemed, there was a knock on the door and one of the guards
that Mulder recognized from earlier opened the door with a quick push and
looked from one agent to the other. "Gekommen."

"Come," Scully whispered to Mulder. They stood and exited the room as
ordered to. Walking down a long corridor they could hear crying and
whispering in the rooms on each side of them. Soon they reached their
destination and the guard opened the door allowing the agents' entry.

They found themselves in a large chamber, six aisles of equipment lining the
floor, the center displaying just two beds, each accompanied by its own set
of restraints. Mulder didn't like the look of this place. But escape seemed
to be impossible at the moment.

"Agent Mulder. Agent Scully." CSM regarded the couple with a sly smile.
"Welcome. Or as they say here in Germany, willkommen. You have been chosen,
the two of you, to make history. You are the key players in this game."

"Game? You think this is a fucking game?!" Mulder exclaimed, cutting off the
Smoking Man.

"Everything is a game, Mulder. Haven't you learned that yet? Life is just a
game. The pieces are taken one by one until the board is cleared." He'd used
the line before and he used again with no shame. He meant every word of it.
And Mulder and Scully were the two key players in this fantastic version of
Stratego. The future of mankind depended on them. They were about to learn
the rewritten rules to the game they were playing. "Dr. Van Humburg will be
leading the experiments under the direction of me. I will allow him to
explain the nature of these experiments."

"Wait! Let us go! Why are you doing this?" Scully struggled in vain to find
an answer to her questions, but the reply was not forthcoming. She watched
as Cancer Man walked away from the small gathering and out a door on the
side of the room. As the door closed behind him, several doors along the
walls opened and nearly a thousand people were ushered into the chamber much
to the horror of Mulder and Scully who were in the center of the crowd.

"Willkommen!" Above the doctor who stood on a podium in the center of the
room, was a screen translating into twelve different languages. Scully
wouldn't have to translate for her partner after all. Mulder read along as
the doctor spoke. "Alle Sie sind hier aus einem Grund. Ein Grund, der Ihnen
deutlich kurz gebildet wird. Die Welten sind am Krieg und wir sind die Mitte
der Aufmerksamkeit, die sie scheint. Sie sind beschlossen worden, um zu
leben. Gefèhl privileged. Sie sind in den guten H€nden." <" You all are here
for a reason. A reason that will be made plain to you shortly. The worlds
are at war and we are the center of attention it seems. You have been chosen
to live. Feel privileged. You are in good hands.">

Mulder grunted as he read the last line. Anything having to do anything with
the Consortium should not be considered being in good hands. The doctor
continued.

"Sie sind hier, zu èberleben die Schlacht, die unter uns rast. Sie leben
durch die Experimente, die Sie WEGEN der Experimente leben. Sie ist fèr das
gute der menschlichen Rasse." <"You are here to survive the battle that is
raging among us. You will live through the experiments. You will live
BECAUSE of the experiments. It is for the good of the human race.">

Scully unconsciously reached out and took Mulder's hand in hers. She could
the feel fear radiating off of him and it upset her. She was scared enough
for the both of them. It wasn't like him to feel so afraid. At least, she
had never been witness to his fear in such a way.

"Genie™en Sie Ihren Aufenthalt am Morgenlager. Ohne, welches Sie nicht
morgen sehen wèrde." <"Enjoy your stay at Tomorrow Camp. Without which, you
would not see tomorrow.">

'Tomorrow Camp? What the hell have we gotten ourselves into?'

"Sie werden alle mit so vieler Obacht behandelt, wie erforderlich, Ihr
îberleben sicherzustellen, aber nicht versuchen zu entgehen. Die Zeit des
Krieges ist nach uns. In einem Mal der Woche existierent die Welt, die Sie
kannten, nicht mehr. Die Ausl€nder sind îberprèfen dieses, da ich mit Ihnen
spreche. Sie haben uns die Wahrscheinlichkeit fèr Vergeltung gegeben, aber
wir haben keine Wahrscheinlichkeit des Kommens heraus auf die angemessene
Seite der Geschichte in diesem Fall. Mit diesem Fortress kånnen wir. Wir...
YOU sind hier, das Bestehen der menschlichen Rasse auszudehnen. Wiedergabe
findet, durch Paar zusammenzupassen statt. In einer zwei Tageszeit prepped
Sie fèr die erste Sitzung der Einpflanzung. Fèr jetzt genie™en Sie Ihren
Rest, w€hrend Sie ihn haben. M€nnern werden frèher Freitagmorgen gedauert.
Frauen, sp€ter am Tag. Danke fèr das Teilnehmen an der Geschichte." <"You
will all be treated with as much care as needed to ensure your survival, but
do not attempt to escape. The time of war is upon us. In one week's time the
world you knew will no longer exist. The aliens are making sure of that as I
speak to you. They have given us the chance for retaliation, but we have no
chance of coming out on the fair side of history in this case. With this
fortress we may. We...YOU are here to prolong the existence of the human
race. Reproduction will take place, pair by pair. In two days time you will
be prepped for the first session of implantation. For now, enjoy your rest
while you have it. Men will be taken early Friday morning. Women, later in
the day. Thank you for participating in history."> With that the doctor was
gone, vanishing into the floor through a small door. He missed hearing the
screams of horror coming from the crowd.

The crying men and women were ushered out of the hall and back to their
living quarters. Mulder and Scully hung back, still gripping each other's
hands. Scully remained quiet, her face - stone. Was it shock or fear or
what? Mulder couldn't read it. For the first time in years, Mulder couldn't
read Scully's facial expression. This worried him more than what the future
held for them. If this abduction and these experiments broke her spirit, he
would most certainly lose his sanity. Scully was the only thing keeping him
grounded throughout this. They had only been there one day. How would they
possibly survive an indefinate period of time in this prison?

With a gentle tug he led Scully back to their room. She still hadn't said a
word even after the door was closed and they were alone. Mulder sat beside
her on the bed, still grasping her hand. "Scully. Please talk to me. What
are you thinking?"

Scully blinked once. Twice. Then focused her eyes on Mulder's face. "I-I
don't know. I don't know." Scully wondered to herself what these
reproductive experiments would entail. She knew she couldn't bear children,
thanks to what they had done to her in the past. If this was a chance to
have a child, she wasn't sure if she should be happy or frightened to death,
especially under these circumstances.

"Scully, I promise I'm not going to let anything happen to you." 'Yeah, you
did such a good job protecting her before.' he thought to himself.

She broke their physical connection as she stood from the bed and made her
way over to the sink. She steadied herself on the edge as she released a
breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Mulder, I know what you're
thinking. This isn't your fault. We walked into that light on our own accord
and I don't blame you for a second."

Mulder stood to move behind her and gently wrapped his arms around her small
frame. "Scully, I know you don't blame me, but I blame myself."

Scully turned in his arms to face him and wrapped her arms tightly around
his torso. Burying his face in her shoulder, she whispered "don't."

All of the sudden the lights went out in the room. Mulder sighed into
Scully's hair, still smelling the slight floral scent. "I guess they want us
to go to bed now."

They blindly made their way over to their respective beds, and crawled
underneath the thin sheet, still clothed in their dinner attire. Within
moments Scully was asleep, but Mulder continued to stew in his thoughts.

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

** Wednesday, 11:17 PM, Room C73**

Van Humburg circled the bed quickly, tapping the syringe he held in his
hand. The young girl lying beneath the sheet cried silently as she watched
the old man lower the needle to her arm.

"Silence," the doctor cautioned as he slid the needle into her upper arm.
Within a matter of minutes, the girl fell into a deep slumber. As Van
Humburg prepped himself for another implantation, he lifted the girl's
eyelids one by one revealing the deep brown irises gazing back at him. The
haunted look he received was much like her mother's. The same tests had been
performed on her when she was a child. The daughter, proof of the
experiments and tests he had worked on for so many years, was a success.

An assistant pulled the girl's long brown hair from her face and tied it
with a white ribbon. The doctor donned a pair of latex gloves and turned the
girl on her side, checking the recent implant site. Satisfied by his work,
he began the incision in her gums, precisely inserting the tiny chip which
held her entire family and medical history in its code. All the occupants of
Tomorrow Camp would be supplied with these. Teena was the first success of
the subjects he had chosen. He had acquired her when the tests had failed on
her mother two years previous. Teena had proven to be the exception to the
tests, healing quickly from the experiments. It must run in the family.

With his work done for the evening, Van Humburg retired to his room, leaving
the assistants to clean up after him. The girl would be well enough soon to
be proof of the good of the project for the rest of the colony to see. They
did not know how lucky they were to be chosen. With Teena, they would learn.
Saturday was planned for the day to unveil her to the citizens of the Camp.

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

**Friday, 4:18 AM, Room C16**

Mulder lie staring at the speckled ceiling of the room he was sharing with
Scully. Today was the day they would be taken. He could only imagine the
pain they were going to go through, although he had no idea what was
planned.

The previous day had passed uneventful for the most part. Scully and he
talked endlessly, making each other promises that no matter what happened,
it wasn't their fault. Mulder had almost believed it by the time Scully was
done arguing her side. Almost. But there was still that twinge whenever he
thought about where she may be if it wasn't for him.

Now he was just waiting for them to take him away. He had been awake for
about an hour at least, just staring at the ceiling, dreading the day's
events. A schedule for the day had been brought to them with their dinner
the night before. Six AM: the men would be taken to the chamber. Ten AM: the
men would be taken back to their rooms and the women gathered into the
chamber. Six PM: the women would be taken back to their rooms. Ten-thirty
PM: a joint examination conducted in the living quarters. Eleven PM: lights
out.

Mulder was not looking forward to this at all and it was still beyond him
how he was going to get out of this. For once in his career he felt
helpless. He thought that unless by some intervention of God or another
unseen higher power, he would not be able to resist.

He turned his head slightly to stare at Scully's sleeping form. He listened
silently last night as she had cried herself to sleep for the second night
in a row. He could nothing to ease her pain. She had confided in him
yesterday that she was worried about being pregnant, knowing that she had
been bearen since her last abduction. She didn't know if she could handle
it. But she also wondered if this wasn't an undercover miracle of sorts.
Since Emily had died, she had longed for a child so badly that her heart
broke a little more each time she thought about it. For the most part, she
tried not to think about it, avoiding the subject of children whenever
possible.

Mulder listened silently as Scully told him of the trips she had made to a
fertility clinic in D.C. He hadn't known and it surprised him that she was
so serious about this. She, after all, seemed so career oriented that the
idea of Scully wanting children had never occurred to him.

With a glance at his watch, which they had graciously let him keep, he
noticed the time. 5:26. Not too much time left. He needed to talk to Scully
before he was taken. He sat up and straightened his t-shirt which had been
twisted in his fitful slumber. With a slight brush against her arm, she
woke. Eyes focusing, she sought his face and sat up. "What time is it?"

"It's about 5:30. Not too much longer," Mulder said with a sigh.

Scully stifled a yawn and brushed her fingers through her mussed hair,
attempting to tame the wild locks which severely needed a good brushing.
Realizing that Mulder looked worse off than she did, she gave up the futile
attempt. In the past four days, Mulder's five o'clock shadow had grown to a
twelve o'clock-the-next-day shadow. She liked him like this in a way. It
felt more wild. But now was no time to be thinking such thoughts. "Are you
ready?" The question was a whisper, timid and lame.

"I suppose I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Scully, I want you to know that
whatever happens, I just-"

"Don't, Mulder. We'll get through this." She smiled slightly at his worried
expression, offering what little reassurance she could muster at the moment.
She wasn't sure herself that they would get through this, but they had to
try. She reached out and placed her hand on top of his. The gesture seemed
to work. He relaxed visually and his breathing became less ragged.

A knock interrupted their short-lived peace. "They're early," Mulder
muttered. The door flew open and a guard whom Mulder didn't recognize
motioned for him to follow. With another look at one another, they both
stood. Without words they spoke volumes. No words could define the bond they
shared.

The pause must have been a moment too long and the guard jerked Mulder away
from Scully and slammed the door behind him. Scully's eyes brimmed and
overflowed. She had to sit or she felt she would pass out. This was her
worst nightmare coming true. 'God, I hope you know I love you, Mulder.'

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

**7:00 AM, Main Chamber**

Mulder lie in the room, surrounded by hundreds of other frightened men. He
had been bound to the bed, his arms pulled tightly against his sides, his
legs spread wide. A shield of fabric hid the area below his chest and not
seeing what was happening was more torture than he thought he could stand.
After a brief introduction by Dr. Van Humburg, the many doctors in the
compound set to work. Van Humburg had not released any details as to what
exactly was going to be done, which worried the men even more. They lie
naked, stretched out on these beds, knowing their fate lie in a stranger's
hands. The air in the chamber was cool and made Mulder's skin tighten. He
wondered if he had ever been so humiliated in his life. The doctors and
specialists walked slowly around the room, analyzing each subject in German.
That he could not understand what they were saying only served to heighten
his sense of fear and embarrassment. He prayed Scully wouldn't be subjected
to this amount of criticism.

After what seemed like hours, the men set to work. Dark face shields were
placed over the men's heads, the doctor explaining that the lack of
perception would not allow them to feel pain. 'Oh yeah, I'm real comfortable
with this,' Mulder thought sarcastically. The world grew black and the
shield was placed over his eyes. He could still feel the doctor's hands on
him, so he wondered how much he had lied about the ability of this shield.
He could feel two sets of hands probing his abdomen, but as he felt the
hands move lower, all sense of feeling left.

'Maybe this really does work! God, I bet I'll be feeling it tomorrow.'
Suddenly Mulder felt a warmth spread through his midsection and his breath
quickened. What was happening? He needed to know. Damn! Why did he have to
take French in school? When the hell did he ever plan on going to France? He
could feel the hands on his stomach again. Three hands. Where was the
fourth? The heat continued to grow stronger and he moaned into the face
shield, the sound echoing oddly in his ears. He felt strangely fine. Like he
was floating. His breath was still very fast and he could feel his heart
racing, but the warmth. The heat felt so good. Only two hands on his stomach
now; no still three. His senses were becoming deluded by the rushing blood
in his brain. The heat was so powerful. He had never felt anything like this
before and he hated to admit it, but he liked it. It was calming. Like it
had taken over his being. Just as he was drifting asleep, a sharp pain in
his groin caused him to jerk fully awake.

"Shit! God! What the hell?! Hey, this shield is defective! Owwww!!" He
arched his back to try to avoid the source of the pain, but the hands pinned
him down with little effort. Wriggling beneath the straps, Mulder groaned as
he felt his body tighten. 'No! Stop!! What's happening to me?!' His body was
betraying him once again. The doctor's continued their work until their
subject was spent. Mulder collapsed from the after-effects of the test and
fell into a deep sleep.

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

**9:54 AM, Room C16**

Scully sat wringing her hands in front of her. She said a silent prayer that
Mulder was alright. Just as she was finishing, the door opened and the guard
dragged Mulder into the room, dropping him on his bed. "Oh no, Mulder!"
Scully rushed to his side and brushed the hair away from his eyes. His face
had been shaved and she ran her hands over the smooth skin. Whatever they
had done to him had obviously hurt. He winced as she hugged him and she
pulled away quickly.

"Gekommen."

With another long look at the still figure of Mulder, she followed the guard
out the door toward she knew not what. He was leading her to the main
chamber it seemed. Once there, she spotted the beds, all appearing to have
been used recently. 'The men,' she thought bitterly. 'What did they do to
them?' Given no time to think on this, she was dragged to a bed near the
center of the room. Told to get on the bed, she complied quickly, not
wanting to experience the consequences of rebellion. The guard stripped her
clothes off of her body with no emotion as if he did this. The feeling of
violation was overwhelming and a sob caught in her throat.

Once she lie naked on the starched white linens, the guard strapped her arms
to her sides and strapped her ankles at opposite corners of the bed. Then
the guard quickly pulled a sheet up over her. Catching the scent of Mulder
on it, she cried openly. She had never felt more vulnerable than she did
right now. It was not a pleasant feeling by far. "Please, leave me alone,"
she whispered in vain to the guard. He ignored her and left to continue his
work.

With all the women, many of them sobbing, in place, Dr. Van Humburg made a
quick introduction, still not explaining his exact plans. They were told of
some face shield to block the pain and one was placed on her face. Again she
could smell Mulder. In a way it comforted her. It was as if he was there
with her and none of this was real. But it was real and a moment later she
felt the sheet being drawn back. She had never a felt a humiliation such as
this before. She could feel an injection in her hip and cursed the liar who
proclaimed that a piece of black plastic could conceal all pain. Soon her
lower body was numb, as was her mind. She kept replaying the week's events,
but still could not figure out how they had gotten themselves into this
mess. It wasn't Mulder's fault. It wasn't her fault. She had come to terms
with it almost. It was something they would both overcome together. They had
to. Getting home depended on it. Whatever happened here today, whether she
was violated or impregnated or whatever the outcome, Mulder and she had
promised that they would get through this together.

With another prick in her hip she felt herself floating away. The darkness
overtook her and she fell into a dreamless sleep.

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

**5:57 PM, Room C16**

Any minute now Scully would be back. He had to know what they did to her. He
had woken at two and had paced the room for nearly four hours waiting for
the return of his partner. He was more fearful for her than he was for
himself.

At one minute before six the door opened and Scully was dragged into the
room by the same guard that he remembered had taken him earlier in the
morning. She was half asleep and her clothes were hanging awkwardly on her
body, as if she hadn't dressed herself. 'Well, what did you expect? They
stripped you too!'

"Scully!" Mulder knelt beside her bed and stroked her hair as she slowly
became more alert. "Scully. Are you ok? No, stupid question. I'm glad you're
back."

Fully awake, Scully recalled what they had done to her, at least as much as
she could before the drugs took effect. Breaking down into heavy sobs,
Mulder was stunned. He had only seen her cry like this once before. He
didn't want to imagine the horror she had been through. He brought her into
his arms as best as he could with her still lying on the bed and let her cry
into his shirt. "Oh Mulder," she stuttered through her sobs. "I feel like I
was raped. Oh God, they, they took my clothes off and, and-" Mulder wasn't
sure if he could bear to listen to her horror story, but to his surprise she
said that's all she could remember.

"Well, maybe they didn't do what you think they did. Maybe they just-"

"I can feel that they did what I think they did. God, Mulder, what's going
to happen?" Her sobbing continued and he had no choice but to hold her tight
and rub small circles on her back in and attempt to calm her. In a few
minutes she was calm enough to talk. They compared stories and cried
together once more.

A late dinner was brought to their room at seven but they had no appetite,
leaving the food to cool on the table. At ten-thirty, a doctor they didn't
remember meeting, came by to check on the "most valuable patients." With a
quick visual examination he was done with Mulder. Seeing that he was up and
talking was proof that the test had not failed. Laying Scully on her bed, he
probed her abdomen with gloved fingers. Seeing her wince, he smiled slightly
at her. "That is normal. Some discomfort is always felt at first. It will
get better. Until the final stage that is. But seeing as you are a doctor,
you know about the process. Get some sleep. Here is the schedule for
tomorrow." He pulled a yellow sheet of paper from his pocket and dropped it
on the table, retreating quickly from the room.

Mulder slowly rose from his position on his bed and strode over to the
table, picking up the piece of paper. "Nothing until tomorrow evening. Then
a meeting in the Main Chamber at eight PM." He folded the sheet in half and
tossed it onto the table. "Jesus, Scully. Why do we let ourselves be tested
like this? They can't do this! It's not right!" He rested his head in his
hands and closed his eyes momentarily.

"What can we do, Mulder? We don't have a choice unless we try to escape."

Mulder shook his head, then looked up at her. "Well, what's stopping us from
trying to escape?"

Scully's eyes grew wide at the suggestion. "Mulder, the METAL door is locked
from the OUTSIDE and even if we could get through that, there are armed
guards standing every few feet in the hallway, we don't know the way out of
this place anyway seeing as we were both incapacitated when we were brought
here. Then, if what they say is true, once we did get out into the world,
what kind of world would there be to go to? I hate this as much as you do,
but for now at least, we are stuck. It may be better to just go along with
it. For now." Seeing the dejected expression on Mulder's face, she quickly
closed the distance between then and encircled him with her arms. "We'll get
out of this somehow."

With sad eyes, he looked down at the small woman in front of him. "How?" he
whispered. She shook her head and leaned into him, willing him to hug her
back. His arms wrapped around her and they stood like that for a long time,
basking in the feel of the other's heart beating so close to their own.

Pulling back reluctantly, Scully admitted she was tired. "Let's get some
sleep then," agreed Mulder. He crawled into bed just as the lights went out,
leaving Scully standing beside her bed.

"Can I sleep beside you?" The request was so timid that he wasn't sure he
had even heard it.

"What?"

"I'm not feeling well. I-can I sleep beside you." Scully's voice had a
slight catch in as if she were on the verge of tears. He wasn't about to
tell her no, not that he would have anyway.

"Yeah, yeah. Come on." He felt her hands feel around in the darkness for his
bed and soon she was under the blanket, spooned up beside him. The feel of
her body so close and the heat radiating from her made him glad she wasn't
much closer. If she was she would have known just how pleased he was to be
sharing the same bed with Dana Scully.

Within a few minutes both agents were asleep, receiving what promised to be
one of the last nights of good sleep they were given.

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

Continued in Part 3

The Grand Illusion 3/4

Disclaimers, etc. can be found in Part One. You don't believe me? Go check
for yourself!

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

**1:25 AM, Room C73**

Teena lie clutching her blanket to her chest, a lone tear running quietly
down her face. Today was her "big day." Her mother had told her, just before
she died, to not be worried. They would take care of her, but even as she
said the words, six year old Teena had not believed them. She wanted to
believe, but believing meant relinquishing her control, what little of it
the young child had, to the doctors who were killing her mommy. So she had
lain in her mother's arms, listening to her soft breath until it slowed to
just below hearing level. Teena cried and ran her fingers through her
mother's soft brown curly hair, absently wishing her hair were curly so she
wouldn't have to wear braids so often. She remembered her mother telling her
that when she was just a little girl, she wore braids all the time. She
often told her that Teena looked just like she had when she was young.

But curled up in her dying mother's arms, she couldn't help thinking of how
much she hated her for making her wear braids all the time. Teena wasn't
thinking of how much she would miss her or how much she loved her or even
how much she hated the doctors. She wanted curly hair! So as her mother
breathed her last breaths, Teena pulled out her braids and wrapped strands
of hair around her fingers, trying in vain to make the straight locks into
ringlets. Seeing it was impossible, she broke down into tears and ran away
from her mother. She wasn't there when she died. And even though Teena was
only eight now, she hated herself for it.

"Mommy, I'm sorry," she whispered into the darkened room. No reply. Did she
really expect one? Of course she did, but every night she received none.
Only more proof that she was a bad girl and deserved the treatment she was
receiving now. It was her punishment for wanting curly hair. She had kept
her hair in braids whenever she was alone now. Before the doctors would come
and take her away, she would pull the braids out, making one more obstacle
for them to go through.

Teena didn't like this new place. She was almost used to the little room she
had grown up in. Then a week ago, they had moved her here. The walls were
gray and pasty and she hated looking at them. With her markers, the one fun
thing they had afforded her, she drew a rainbow on one wall, shocking the
doctors. How did she know what a rainbow was, they asked. She didn't tell
them. Her mother had shown her when she was only four. It was a picture book
called the Wizard or something. She couldn't remember, but she always
thought the rainbow was so pretty. Once she had asked her mother what was at
the end of a rainbow. Her mother had gotten a faraway look in her eyes and
replied, "home." Teena sometimes wondered if her mommy had ever found her
end of the rainbow.

Today she would meet everyone, all the newcomers. She had been told not to
say anything and found that not to be a difficult task, she hardly spoke
anyway. Only to herself and her mommy. And Emily, her invisible friend. She
was sure Emily was real, but when she asked Dr. Mike about why she was given
a new friend, Dr. Mike began to laugh and told her she was silly. Dr. Mike
was the only nice doctor there. On her eighth birthday he snuck in a bowl of
ice cream. It was first time she had had it and it was wonderful. Not long
after that, though, Dr. Mike was gone. No one would tell her why he left.
Probably her fault again. She was always making people leave.

With a few more promises to her mommy to be good, she drifted off to sleep.

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

**Saturday 7:40 PM, Room C16**

The day had gone drudgingly slow for the two agents. Scully had not felt
well and stayed in bed the entire day, only able to hold down half a glass
of water. Mulder had pulled a chair from the table over to the side of her
bed and talked to her. She joined in the conversation whenever she felt
lucid enough, but for the most part she slept as he talked. He didn't mind.
She needed to sleep and he needed to talk. If only to relieve a little
tension. He didn't want to go to this meeting tonight. God only knew what
they had in store for them. More tests? More "surprises?" He wasn't sure he
could take much more of this. Scully was sick, she needed a real doctor. He
wasn't feeling well either, but it was mainly psychological. As his mouth
was talking about sports and past cases, his mind was reeling a mile a
minute on what the future held for them. Was Scully pregnant? God, what
would he do if she was? There was no time to think about this matter. She
was all that mattered and he would protect her with his life if need be.

Only twenty minutes until the meeting. He hated to wake Scully, but it would
be best if she was up when the guards came. "Scully, we have to get you
ready to go. It's 7:40."

She mumbled and rolled over, then sat up as a pain shot through her abdomen.
"Aaaghhhh!!" The scream broke the silence of the room, reviving all the
fears that may have dissipated for the time being.

"God, Scully! What? What is it?" She didn't answer right away as she was
biting on her lip, her eyes closed tightly against the pain.

"I don't know! It just hit me. It's, it's gone now." She released a slow
breath and opened her eyes, meeting Mulder's frightened face. She smiled to
reassure him, but it never reached her eyes. She couldn't reassure herself
everything was ok. How could she possibly expect to reassure her partner who
knew her better than she often knew herself? She stood and pulled her blazer
over her white tank top, blocking the chill of the air. Walking to the sink,
she tried to regain her composure and attempted to figure out what was
happening to her. Without knowing exactly what they did, she couldn't be
sure, and that fact alone scared her nearly to death. She leaned over the
sink and splashed cool water on her face. She absently wished she could wash
herself down the drain. She smiled at the thought, reminded of childhood
bathtime fears.

Mulder was surprised to see the smile on Scully's face. It reached her eyes
and made them shine with a rare happiness. "What?" he asked, curious as to
her change of mood.

"Just memories, nothing."

He was about to pursue this subject when the guard knocked at their door.
The door opened and before he could get the word out of his mouth, Mulder
cut in. "Gekommen. Yeah, yeah. You really need a new pick up line, buddy."
He patted the guard's chest as he walked past him, Scully's armed linked in
his.

Much of the crowd had already been gathered in the chamber, but Mulder and
Scully were ushered toward the center anyway. A small stage with two chairs
sat not fifty feet from them. Within a few minutes, Van Humburg made his way
to the podium where the PA system was set up.

"Dieses ist Teena. Sie ist die Kompilation meiner grå™ten Ausfèhrungen. Um
sie ist, was alle wir sind, die sich bemèhen. Verkollkommnung im Verstand
und im Kårper. Sie, Sie konnten sie sein. Sie sind sie."

Once again, Mulder read the translation on the screen above. <"This is
Teena. She is the compilation of my greatest achievements. She is what we
are all striving for. Perfection in mind and body. You, you could be her.
You WILL be her.">

Mulder watched as a little girl stepped out from behind the doctor's broad
form. "Oh my God," muttered Mulder. "Samantha."

Scully stared in disbelief at the girl in front of them. She looked exactly
like the picture on Mulder's desk of his sister. With her arm linked in
Mulder's, she could feel him start to sway. She moved her arm around his
waist to steady him.

"Sam," he whispered. The little girl looked directly at him, as if sensing
who he was. She smiled slightly and her face blushed as the man continued to
stare at her so intently. "Samantha."

What? What did that man just say? Did he-?

"Samantha!!" Mulder yelled, the sound reaching above the noise of the PA
system.

Teena's expression turned to one of fear as the strange man said her
mother's name. She shook her head and started to cry. "Noooo!!" A doctor
pulled her away from the stage and Mulder was told to be quiet or face the
consequences.

"God, no. Please..." Scully tried her best to steady Mulder as he spoke, but
he seemed to be losing all control. He slipped from her grasp and fell to
his knees as Van Humburg told of how they had acquired eight year old Teena.
"Samantha..." His body was wracked with sobs for his sister. The truth was
here, handed to him by an old German doctor, but it wasn't the truth he
sought. No. It wasn't Samantha. And now his niece was being subjected to
these experiments too. It was all his fault. All his fault. "Nooooo...." he
cried and Scully did her best to try to comfort him, although she knew no
comfort for this realization of truths was forthcoming. This once strong man
was breaking down before her very eyes and she could do nothing to prevent
it. She felt helpless.

They couldn't take this anymore. They would have to find a way out of there.
And Scully was sure that with Mulder's genius and her cunning they would be
able to escape soon enough.

The Cigarette Smoking Man stood off to the side, not allowing the agents a
view of him. But he could see them plainly. Mulder was crumpled to his knees
with his hands balled up to his eyes. Scully it seemed was trying to
reassure him that everything would be ok. The couple seemed lost in each
other. Maybe allowing Mulder the chance to see his niece wasn't such a good
idea after all. Teena was the next best thing to his sister and CSM thought
that he would be pleased. Once again he was sorely mistaken.

Van Humburg finished his presentation of "proof" he was doing the right
thing and sent everyone back to their rooms. Mulder stumbled slowly along as
he leaned on Scully for support. It took a long time to reach their room and
when they did, Mulder collapsed on his bed and cried himself to sleep, not
allowing Scully to even touch him. This broke her heart, but she wasn't mad.
She couldn't imagine the pain he was feeling at this moment. The truth he
had been searching for, his lifelong quest, ended prematurely by the evil
forces of the consortium. Scully crawled into her own bed and quietly cried
herself to sleep, vowing to plan an escape the following day.

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

**Sunday 8:02 AM, Room C16**

Scully woke to the sound of food trays being placed on the table. With a
quick glance, toward the sound, she noticed Mulder lying with his head
resting on his arms on the table, asleep. He must have woken sometime in the
night. She suddenly felt guilty for not waking with him. She was sure he
needed to talk. But then again, he may not want to.

She pushed the blanket back and stood, walking over to the table. The
steaming hot biscuits and oatmeal actually looked appetizing for a change
and she guiltily ate a biscuit. She took a seat across for her sleeping
partner and quietly ate the food on her tray. She rarely ate more than a
bagel or granola bar for breakfast, but for some reason she was extremely
hungry today. Maybe it was the prospect of concocting a plan of escape that
fed the return of her appetite. She couldn't be sure. She scooped up a
spoonful of oatmeal, and then silently cursed herself as she dropped the
utensil onto the table, the clatter causing Mulder to stir from his
much-deserved rest.

"I'm sorry, Mulder. Go back to sleep. I'll be quieter." She noticed his
weary eyes were rimmed with redness of recently shed tears. Again she cursed
herself for even thinking he would have gotten much sleep with the horrific
news he had received not twelve hours ago.

Mulder shook his head and yawned slightly. "It's ok. I need to wake up
anyway." He picked up a spoon and poked at his thick oatmeal. "How can you
eat this shit?"

Scully smiled slightly. "I was hungry." Mulder made a low noise in the back
of his throat simulating gagging, then pushed the tray away from him. He
scrubbed at his face with his hands and sighed, blowing the air through his
pursed lips.

"Mulder, I'm really sorry. About Samantha. I can't tell you how much-"

Mulder shook his head and reached across the table for her hand. She placed
her hand in his as he spoke. "I think deep down...I never expected to find
her. I think I've always know I never would. But this..." She could see
tears brimming in his eyes again and she squeezed his hand in assurance that
she was there. "This is just so final. The Truth with a capital T.....is a
God damned lie." The tears found their escape and rolled down his already
swollen cheeks.

"Mulder, we have to get out of here. We have to try."

He swiped at his tears with his free hand and looked up to face his partner.
"Weren't you the one who said it was impossible?"

"I changed my mind. We have to try." He nodded slightly, confirmation that
the words were sinking into his already muddled brain. She lowered her voice
and covered his hand with both of hers. "And we have to take Teena."

Mulder jerked his head up to make sure he'd heard her correctly. A spark of
something Scully recognized as determination shined for a second in his
eyes. "Teena? Are you sure?"

"Of course. Aren't you? She's...family."

Mulder smiled and brightened at the new task he was given. "I know that I'm
sure, but I don't want you involved in something that is so personal to me.
You might get hurt. Or killed." He mumbled the last sentence, but she had
heard it plainly.

"Mulder, I want to help you. If we don't get out of here soon there is a
strong chance that we will die here anyway. I need to see a doctor, you need
to see a doctor. And we can't let Teena be subjected to any more of those
God-forsaken experiments."

He was genuinely shocked at the willingness of Scully to help him. This was
his quest and he wasn't about to ask her for help, but she had offered,
almost pleaded to be involved. What he would do for this woman. And, now he
knew, what she would do for him. They were so much more than partners. They
shared something so strong that the span of time and the strength of their
pain they felt could not break their bond.

"Well, what's your plan?" asked Mulder.

Scully smiled and began to talk.

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

**Sunday 9:18 AM, Room C73**

Teena sat with Emily and colored a picture on the wall. The doctor's had
agreed to let her decorate her room as long as she behaved during the tests.
This was her one escape during the day. And today was a day that she felt
the need for an escape.

"Can you hand me the orange one, Emmy?"

"Sure," said the younger girl. Emily was only four, but very mature for her
years. Teena was never sure how she got into her room with it being locked.
When asked about it, Emily would just shrug and say, "got my own key to the
place, I guess." Emily handed her friend the orange marker and picked up her
green one, continuing on her tree.

"What are you drawing, Teena?" she asked.

"An orange, silly!"

"Oh!" They shared a rare laugh as Teena drew three small orange circles on
the wall. There were no tests scheduled for today or the next three days, so
Emily had agreed to stay and keep Teena company.

Teena couldn't help thinking about that man in the crowd. He had called out
her mommy's name. Did he know her? Did he know if she was ok? He scared her.
Maybe it was another part of her punishment. She deserved it, after all.

As her friend brooded silently, Emily pulled out the red marker and moved it
toward Teena's face. With three quick movements she had drawn a happy face
on her right cheek. "Hey!" she said, laughing. "I'm gonna get in trouble for
that!"

"Nah, just blame it on me. They can't hurt me." Emily stood up as tall she
could and beat on her chest to prove she was invincible. This earned another
laugh from Teena.

"Of course not! You're 'invisible!'" Teena howled in glee. She jumped up and
grabbed Emily's hand. Pulling her up onto her bed, they began to jump,
contesting to see who could jump the highest. The man from last night had
been forgotten, not to be thought about again.

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

**Sunday 5:48 PM, Room C16**

A plan, although somewhat crude, had been worked out. They would surprise
the guard when he came in. They had noticed that at every meal time, the
guard would slide the window open, look at where they were in the room ,
slide the window closed, adjust the tray in his hand which usually took a
couple of seconds, then open the door, setting the trays on the table. Then
he would leave. The entire act took only ten seconds, so they must be
precise with their timing. As soon as the window opened, that was step one,
remain in position. When the window closed, hop into position-Mulder beside
the door, Scully behind the door with her chair. Step three; if, no WHEN,
they knocked the guard out, they would grab the gun and make their way down
the hall while the rest of the guards were making their rounds in the other
corridors. Only one problem. They had no way of knowing which room Teena was
in.

It was almost dinner time. They were ready to unleash the plan, praying it
would work without getting them killed. A few minutes later, the window
opened, then shut. They jumped from their chairs, ready to attack. The door
swung open and Mulder struck him on the back of the neck, the trays of food
scattering to the floor. Scully followed through with her chair,
successfully rendering him unconscious. Scully grabbed his key cards and
Mulder grabbed his gun, checking quickly to make sure it was loaded. Then
they took off down the hall. They were sure Teena wasn't in this hall. When
they had passed the rooms on the way to the Main Chamber, they had each had
a look inside the rooms. No girl was living in any of them. Only more
scared-for-their-life couples being subjected to the same awful tests they
had been through.

They ran quickly down the hall. By their calculations, they had about seven
minutes to find Teena's room. It seemed like an impossible pursuit until
Scully dropped the keycard from her hand. She stopped to pick it up and
distinctly heard laughing coming from the room behind her. Two voices,
girls.

"Mulder!" she whispered. She pointed toward the door and cautiously slid the
key card through the strip. It didn't work. She grabbed the other one. Still
nothing. Damn! To come all this way and not be able to get in! She tried
both cards again, but it was useless.

"Where did they go?!" Mulder and Scully heard two guards coming from around
the corner of their hallway. Scully tried the cards one more time. Mulder
fumbled with the gun, his finger on the trigger, but it was blocked by
something. He looked down at the trigger and for the first time noticed a
small card hanging from the safety. "All Access" it read.

"Shit, move!" Scully stepped aside and Mulder slid the card through the
strip. With a short beep, the lock on the door released, giving them access
to whatever lie on the other side. They didn't give it much thought before
slipping quickly into the room and crouching beside the door. They held
their breath, eyes closed, as they heard the guards' footsteps down the
hallway. The window to the room slid open and quickly closed. The sound of
footfalls faded away as they moved further down the hallway.

Sighing, they slid to rest on the floor, backs against the door. It was at
this time that Mulder opened his eyes. There, sitting in front of him was
Samantha, but not Samantha. Teena. They looked just alike. He opened his
mouth to speak, but found words fleeting. Scully reached over and laid her
hand on his arm reassuringly.

"I don't know, Emily." Teena turned sideways toward the wall, seemingly
talking to thin air. Then she turned back to the agents. "Emily wants to
know why you're here."

Mulder shook his head to clear it, but it didn't work. Scully took over the
answers. "We don't want you to hurt anymore. We're taking you with us.
Home."

"The end of the rainbow?" Teena asked pointing toward her drawing on the
wall. Mulder glanced over and the memories came rushing back from his
childhood. Samantha's favorite movie was the Wizard of Oz and she thought
she was Dorothy. That was why she had always made their mother fix her hair
in braids. For hours on end she would taunt him with "Over the Rainbow." One
summer day, they were on the beach as they usually were during that time of
year and she had been singing it all day. He yelled at her and pulled her
braids telling her to go home. She proclaimed she was home. He remembered
saying, "Oh yeah? You don't know where you are, do you? You aren't home!"

"Am too!"

"Are not!"

"Am too!"

"Ok, where is home?!"

"Here," she said. "At the end of the rainbow!" Samantha pointed up at the
sky and sure enough, a rainbow arose from where they stood. He had rolled
his eyes then, but now he couldn't help but smile at the memory.

"Yes, Teena. The end of the rainbow." Mulder found he was able to speak
after all as he promised the little girl everything he would never be able
to give his long lost sister. He would find her rainbow again if it killed
him.

Scully smiled at Mulder's new-found cause. "I like your name, Teena. Why did
your mommy name you that?" Scully asked, knowing it was Mulder's mother's
name.

Teena shrugged. "Mommy said she remembered it from somewhere when she was
little and she thought it suited me." Mulder nodded at his niece.

"Dana, Emily wants to know why you are here."

Scully sat back, horrified at the little girl's question. And the fact she
knew her name. Her face paled and she closed her eyes as visions of her lost
daughter invaded her conscious. "Why did you call me Dana?" she asked
softly.

"Emmy told me that was your name. Is she wrong?" Seemingly interrupted but
some unseen force, Teena leaned over. "Well, even you can be wrong Emily!"

Mulder pulled Scully into his side, willing her to stop the tears before
they started. One more pain that he had caused. "We're here, Emily," Scully
began. "Because we want to help your friend, Teena."

'Good save, Scully,' thought Mulder.

"Ok Emily. Emily says that she is leaving now and that I am safe with you."
With a smile she grabbed a marker and drew a happy face to match the one
adorning her cheek on the wall. "No more tests?" she asked toward the wall.

Mulder rose and walked to the little girl, then crouched to her eye level,
turning her gently to face him. "No more tests. We're going home."

Teena smiled and drew a happy face on Mulder's right cheek. "Goodie!" They
hugged each other tightly and then went back to help Scully up, who was
sitting watching the family drama unfold before her. Mulder slid the pass on
the gun through the strip and pulled the door open slightly, checking for
any unwanted visitors. Seeing none, he nodded to Scully who was standing
holding Teena's hand. He handed the gun to her and lifted Teena up onto his
shoulders with one boost. Then they quickly made their way into the hall.

"Now where to?" asked Scully.

"Left! Go left!" cried Teena from atop Mulder.

"It seems we have our own navigator! You know the way out of here?" asked
Mulder.

"I think so. Go left. There should be two hallways we pass. At the third
one, turn right. No, no. Left. Yeah. Left. Then up a long staircase to a big
door. But that's all I know."

"Well, it helps a lot," puffed Scully, running to keep up with Mulder. Even
with Teena on him, his long legs made the journey a lot faster than her
short legs did.

All the guards were in the opposite wing of the compound searching for the
agents, so they had no trouble making it to their destination. The large
door at the top of the staircase served to be a problem, however. It had no
area for a key card and jimmying the lock was definitely out of the
question. Only one option was left. Shoot the lock off. It would draw
attention to them, but by the time they made it to this side of the
compound, the trio would be long gone.

With three shots, the lock lay flopped open on its side. Mulder yanked the
ruined metal aside and pulled the door. It wouldn't budge and he could hear
the guards rushing his way. Dozens of voices compacted together and drifted
up the long corridor.

"Come on, Mulder!" Scully pulled on the door too. The voices were closer
now, shouting commands in German and some in broken English. With a loud
snap, the door flew open knocking the three to the floor. They scrambled
quickly to their feet just as the guards rounded the corner.

"Anschlag!! Oder wir schie™en!"

"Go, go, go!" yelled Scully. "He said he's going to shoot! Go!!" They ran
outside, closing the door before the guards could even make it up the
120-odd stairs. They ran around the side and away from the complex. The sky
was dark, the moon not even visible. With Teena once again propped on
Mulder's shoulders, they ran as fast as they could away from their prison.
They weren't sure what direction they were going, just away.

Suddenly it was made painfully clear that they had been told the truth about
one thing. Their world was under an attack. A huge craft hovered in front of
them, then shot off like a bullet. "Oh my God," muttered Scully. She didn't
believe what she had just seen. They stared for a moment longer at the sky
and Mulder set Teena down, feeling sure for the moment that they were safe.
Suddenly an even larger craft appeared in from of them.

It was round, a green incandescent light surrounding the ship. A bright
light shone from the bottom, illuminating the night sky and the Earth all
around them. They took this opportunity to gauge their surroundings. Off to
the left was what looked like an airport, to the right was nothing but corn
fields, behind them, the compound. With a quick decision, they ran left
toward the dimly lit landing strip.

The ship sped off and once again they were left in the dark with little more
than their sense of direction to guide them. As they reached the field, they
followed the line of lights until they were near the building. It was little
more than a small shack, really, but through the windows, Mulder could see
radio equipment. They made their way around the side and, breaking the
window in the door, let themselves in.

Mulder immediately tried the radios, but only got heavy interference on
every frequency he tried. Scully sat down with Teena and began to rebraid
her hair, the run making them fall loose from their holders.

"Mulder, I think we need to try to find something to eat. We didn't eat
dinner and neither did Teena."

"Yeah, good point." Mulder discarded the useless radio equipment and checked
the small pantry against the wall. The shack was set up like a small house,
the operator of the airport obviously spending a great deal of time here.
There was a cot in the corner, a small wood-burning stove in the center of
the room, and a pantry leaning slightly crooked against the wall by the
door. Mulder swung the loose door open and revealed several cans of soup, a
half a pack of Leibniz cookies, and a large jar of Nutella. There were a few
other items, but these were the things that still seemed safe enough to eat.
Mulder cut open a can of vegetable soup with a rusty knife, pouring the
contents into a large metal pan sitting on the stove. Stuffing a large log
into the mouth of the oven, he quickly lit a match and tossed it in, the
semi burnt kindling catching fire easily. Within a few minutes he had warmed
the soup to just below boiling and the three ate greedily from the pan
seeing as there were no dishes to be found in the small shack.

After they had finished, they sat together and planned their next course of
action. Scully noticed Teena's eyes drooping slightly and she led the girl
over to the cot. Mulder watched in awe at the ease of Scully's actions
wondering if the FBI was her true calling in life after all. She would make
a wonderful mother. Scully pulled the thick comforter up to Teena's chin and
leaned over to kiss her forehead. Mulder stood and approached the two, then
leaned over and placed a chaste kiss alongside the area Scully had just
touched. Teena smiled slightly in her sleep and rolled over to face the
wall.

"Well, I guess that takes care of the argument over who gets the bed,
doesn't it?" mused Mulder with a warm smile playing on his lips.

Scully walked back to the table and sat down wearily in the chair. The soup
hadn't sat well in her stomach and she thought maybe if she would just stay
still for a while she wouldn't feel sick. She was worried though, and even
more worried that Mulder would notice her mood. She didn't know what they
had done to her, but she had a pretty good idea she would be reaping the
consequences soon.

"You ok, Scully?" Mulder sat down across from her, compelling her to speak
to him.

"Yeah, just a little tired."

"Just a little? I'm beat!" He stifled a yawn with the back of his left hand,
resting his still-sore chin in his other one. "I think I could sleep until
the next millennium!"

"Only five more months? I can top that." Scully leaned her head down on her
arm and listened half-heartedly to Mulder talk about everything from
wondering if his goldfish were still alive, to possibly adopting Teena.
Teena was the only subject she paid full attention to. She wondered what
would happen to the girl. She seriously doubted whether Mulder would be apt
enough to raise a little girl or if he would even want to. With little more
than a few unattached thoughts, she slowly drifted away into the oblivion
that had seemed to be calling her name all evening.

"I wonder if Skinner is thinking about us right now." He chuckled slightly
at the prospect of their boss caring that much. Well, AD Skinner really was
a good man when it came down to the bottom line. Sure they had had their
share of problems. He was their boss, they were supposed to have problems.
But the AD always stuck by them when he felt it was the right thing to do.
Mulder admired him for that.

"Scully?" Staring off into space, Mulder hadn't been aware that his partner
had fallen asleep. He was about to drop also, but before he succumbed to the
rest he so deeply desired, he lifted Scully from her uncomfortable position
at the table and carried her over to the cot, laying her down next to
Teena's sleeping form. He pulled the extra blanket from the bed and wrapped
it around his shoulders, settling into the far corner for what he was sure
to be a short night's sleep.

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

Continued in Part 4

The Grand Illusion 4/4

Disclaimers, etc. can be found in Part One. You don't believe me? Go check
for yourself!

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

**Monday 12:57 AM, Airfield**

They had only been asleep for a couple of hours when a noise in the distance
woke Mulder. He groggily lifted his head, momentarily forgetting where he
was. Glancing across the room, he saw that Scully and Teena were still
asleep, so he quietly stood and made his way over to the window. Pulling
back the rotting sheet hanging limply on the frame, he peered out into the
night sky.

There were two bright lights shining back at him. At first he thought it was
the alien craft again, but it was a helicopter. A helicopter! What would
that be doing here?

"Scully! Wake up! We have to get out of here! Scully, Teena! Come on!"
Mulder tried as quickly as possible to wake the two girls and within a
couple of moments, they were wide awake.

"What's going on?" asked Scully.

"Look for yourself," replied Mulder, pointing out the window. He then turned
to ready the gun in case it was needed. Teena crouched on the bed, afraid of
what was going on. They were after her, she thought. She had promised she
would be a good girl and she had broken that promise once again. She leaned
against the wall, hugging the thin pillow to her chest.

"Scully, I think this may be our best chance to get home." He turned back to
the window, peering through a small hole in the sheet. "Just follow my lead
and cover my back. Teena, you stay behind Dana, ok?" He smiled at the little
girl's scared face to reassure her that everything would be ok. Then he
turned back to Scully. "I can't fly that thing. One of them has to. Cover
me!"

Before Scully could get a word in edgewise, he threw the door open, gun
poised to fire in necessary. Both of the occupants of the helicopter were
still in their seats. He cautiously made his way over to the aircraft,
ducking low underneath the spinning blades.

Once the men were in his view, one of them turned to looked at him. "Mr.
Mulder. You and your company are to come with us," the man yelled.

Mulder covered one ear with his free hand and strained to hear over the roar
of the wind what this unidentified man was saying to him. "Why? Why should
we go with you?!" he yelled back.

The man quickly pulled a gun from his jacket and released the safety, aiming
at Mulder's head. "Come with us."

'Good enough reason, I suppose,' Mulder grumbled to himself. He turned
around, giving Scully and Teena a distressed look and waved them toward the
helicopter. They complied, somewhat reluctantly and within minutes, they
were in the air.

Scully hated the idea of being taken back to the camp, but it seemed that's
where they were going. But as they drew closer to the compound, they didn't
descend. They kept flying straight over the hidden camp.

"You mind telling me what this is about?" Mulder spat viciously. The man in
front of him trained the gun on his chest, making Mulder shutter inside just
a little, but he kept his cool. "Why not," he muttered. "This shirt is
already beyond repair."

"I suggest you keep your mouth shut and let us do the flying." The man
turned around once more and Mulder relaxed some. Teena and Scully were
sharing a hug and Mulder felt somewhat jealous of them. He scooted closer on
the leather seats and wrapped his arms around the two girls, trying to calm
Teena down somewhat.

After another forty-five minutes, they were hovering over a small landing
pad on the top of a two-story building. When they were settled, the man
jumped from the helicopter and motioned with his gun for their exit. Mulder
jumped out and helped Scully and Teena down, then turned toward their
captor.

"Are you going to let us in on this or are we just going to play this game
all night?" Mulder was tiring quickly of this game and made it clear. His
rage grew stronger when the man didn't answer, but only pointed toward a
door heading down to the second floor. He balled his fists at his sides and
stiffened his muscles, ready to scream at the man's lack of conversation. He
gritted his teeth and squinted his eyes to two small slits, but immediately
melted with the touch of Teena's hand on his. He loosened his fists and she
held tightly to his left hand, pulling him slightly toward the door the man
had just pointed out to them. With another long look at the stranger, the
three walked toward the door. As Mulder reached for the doorknob, the
helicopter took off, stranding them in this unknown hell.

Mulder cautiously opened the door and looked down the stairwell. At the
bottom he could see a flicker of light peeking around the corner. Someone,
or something, was down there. They slowly made their way down the steps,
Mulder leading them, the gun poised to fire.

At the bottom of the steps they found themselves in a small room, not much
larger than the room they were being held in at Tomorrow Camp. It held no
furniture, only two gas lamps hanging on opposite walls. The floor was
covered in an old Oriental rug, cigarette burns speckling the once-beautiful
design. The walls were the color of ripe peaches and strips of polished wood
lined the ceiling. On the right side of the room as they entered was another
door, a large door with a shiny brass doorknob. Scully glanced at Mulder,
then walked over to it, turning it slowly. She stopped as they heard a noise
coming from inside. Papers rustling and a loud thud. Mulder steadied the
gun, his finger on the trigger as Scully continued to turn the knob. With a
soft click, the latch opened and Scully counted softly to three.

She pushed the door quickly and Mulder rushed inside. To his shock a man
peeked up from behind the desk, papers gripped in his right hand. "Krycek!
What the hell are you doing here?"

Alex Krycek stood slowly, facing down the barrel of the gun. "I might ask
the same of you Mulder." Teena looked at the two men, confusion written on
her face. Krycek noticed her staring at him. "I see you found your niece. It
took you long enough."

Mulder was more than a little confused. "You knew about her?" he asked
angrily.

"Mulder, we all knew about her. Teena was the subject of much discussion in
Consortium. Ever since they killed your sister," Krycek said the last words
just for spite. "They had to have another toy to play with."

"What are you doing here, Krycek?" asked Scully.

He shrugged his shoulders and stuck his chin in the air. "I came for this."
He held out two photo-copied sheets of paper and a map. "And for you."
Krycek sat back in the desk chair and propped his feet up on the heavy
wooden desk as if it was the most natural thing in the world to have a gun
pointed at him.

"What's this?" Mulder asked, staring at the sheets of paper he held.

"Reconnaissance data with the aliens. It seems their war is ending," Krycek
replied with a broad, yet sly smile. "And Spender will never know. I've made
sure of it. That S.O.B. can stay down in that hole till he dies for all I
care!" He rubbed his left arm, his prosthesis chafing his skin slightly.

Scully grabbed Teena's hand and led her to a long leather couch against the
far wall as Mulder continued the interrogation. "That doesn't explain why
you came for me. For US. What do you want with us?"

Krycek rose and poured himself a shot of Scotch. "You, Mulder, have been
proclaimed to be the key," he said toward the wall. "But these are the
mindless ramblings of mad men. There are no more doors to unlock. No need
for a key." He spun around to face his old partner. "The forth ether-world
which has been raging for fifty years is ending. Spender, with his stupid
tactics and games had been preparing for the invasion for thirty years, even
giving up Cassandra, as you know."

"I know all this! What do you want with me?" Mulder spat.

"You, Mulder, are not done yet. You are a key, but not for the doors that
Spender thought. You are for something much greater." Krycek gulped the
Scotch with one thrust of his hand and wiped the drop from his lips. "I
can't tell you why you are needed. I was sent to get you."

Mulder had had enough of Krycek's lies. He knew not to trust him and he
couldn't believe he was standing here listening to him. Why didn't he just
shoot him and be done with it? No, Krycek had sparked his curiosity. He
wanted to know what was going on. He rounded the desk and shoved Krycek
against the wall, pinning him with his elbow. "Tell me what you are here
for, Krycek, or so help me, I'll-"

"You'll what, Mulder? Shoot me? Go ahead, but you'll never get home. And
you'll never find your precious truth!"

"I found my truth! They're sitting right behind me! Now," he said releasing
his grip on the younger man. "You were saying. We're going home? How?"

"I was sent to bring you back. Be assured, it's not from the goodness of my
heart that I am doing this. We have our motives. But I can assure you that
your child has a place. In four short years the Planetary Defense Network
will have evolved into the largest populated base on Earth. We know your
future, Mulder. We make your future."

Scully sat stunned on the couch. She didn't even understand half of what was
being said. She watched silently as Mulder's face turned six different
shades of red, then paled dramatically.

"You have no control over my future!"

Krycek ignored Mulder's disbelief and went on. "Spender's group was wrong in
so many ways, but his time is through. The dawning of a new age is upon us.
You will go back to Washington D.C., you will be examined by doctors,
questioned by the FBI, and finally, in nine months time, be visited by one
of our group explaining to you the importance of your child. Be wary,
Mulder. Watch your back. One false move..." He didn't finish his statement,
only took a seat again at the desk.

"You still haven't said how we are going to get home."

Krycek closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the leather cushion.
He outstretched his arm and pointed to his left. A door they hadn't noticed
before stood cracked, begging to be fully opened. Mulder slowly walked over
to it and pulled the handle, opening it wide. There was a staircase leading
down. "Go," said Krycek.

Mulder looked over at Scully and Teena and they rose to join him. They began
their descent down the steps. The light was dim in the hallway and their
shadows played over the brick walls. Mulder replayed the conversation he had
just had with Krycek in his head. He didn't trust him, but there was no
other choice at the moment. They had to try to find a way home.

At the bottom of the steps, there were two hallways, one going right, the
other straight ahead. They chose to go straight hoping it was correct,
although they had no idea where they were headed to anyway. The air was
thick with mildew and Scully wrinkled her nose at the smell. Teena pulled
the collar of her shirt up over her face, trying to block the odor as best
as possible.

After nearly a half an hour they came to a door. It seemed to be a dead end,
but as they tried the knob, they found it opened easily. Stepping through
the opened door, they were outside. Was this right? Was this where Krycek
had intended them to be? Their questions were quickly answered as a large
black car pulled up next to the building, blowing dirt up into the night sky
as it did so. The passenger side window rolled down and a strange man stared
at the trio with disgust. "Get in," he said with a thick German accent.
Mulder and Scully looked nervously at each other and, grabbing Teena's hand,
climbed into the back of the car. Scully sat in the seat in front of Mulder,
Teena taking up residence huddled against her uncle in the back. A black
screen separated the front section of the vehicle from the back so they
couldn't ask where they were being driven. As they pulled away from the
building they watched Krycek walk slowly away from it, then turning back
toward it, he pushed a button on a control he was holding.

"Get down! Get down!" Mulder pushed Teena onto the floor to avoid the blast.
The explosion ripped through the thick night air and stung their ears.
Scully looked back with an expression of horror. What had just happened? Why
had it just happened. There would be no answers.

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

**Monday 9:24 AM, Place unknown**

They sped down the road for hours, still not sure of their intended
destination. Teena had fallen asleep, her head resting on Mulder's lap.
Scully had dozed off thirty minutes ago. But Mulder could find no peace that
his eyes so dearly needed. He sat running his long fingers over the texture
of Teena's tight braids recalling summer days on the beach with Samantha.
Teena scared him. Where had she come from? Who was the father? Was she
herself an alien/human hybrid?

She was the only thing left of his sister, and although scared as hell, he
would try to adopt her. She moaned softly in her sleep and he ran his hand
across her cheek savoring the feel of her milky soft skin. He listened
quietly as the hushed breathing of his partner and Teena filled the small
cabin.

Soon the car was pulling up in front of a large airplane, the engines
already running. Mulder wasn't given a chance to gently wake Scully and
Teena as the doors were yanked open and they were pulled from their seats.
Two large men pulled the three up the steps and onto the plane. There were
only twenty seats on the private jet and they sat down as close to together
as they could near the rear of the plane. Teena was crying silently and
Mulder and Scully did their best to comfort her. They weren't given much
time, however.

A large man in a dark gray suit, sporting a thin black mustache boarded the
airplane and stood in front of them, seemingly preparing to speak. "You have
been told we are to go back to America." The man had an accent that Mulder
couldn't place. "We have plans for you. After today, we will not meet again
for four years. At that time, the plans will be in full action. You will be
made aware soon enough. Know for now that we, my group and myself, are not
standing for the same policy as Spender's group. You will learn more at a
later time. That is enough for now."

Mulder opened his mouth to ask a question, but the man walked quickly down
the steps and away from the plane. The door closed and the engines sped up
to full throttle. Taxiing down the runway, Scully eyed Mulder with an
unspoken question. What would happen when they got back to America? They
were under the impression that the war had destroyed all the countries, but
if so, how were they able to fly home?

Thinking no more on this question with the answer impossible to know, Scully
stared out the window. It wasn't long before it was only dark water she
could see below them. Her eyes were heavy, as was her heart, and she rested
her head against Mulder's shoulder, quickly falling asleep.

Mulder watched Scully sleep and begged God that she would be alright once
they got back to D.C. She didn't look well. Her face was paler than usual
and her breathing, while soft, was uneven. He would make sure she saw a
doctor as soon as they got home. Home. He couldn't believe it. Two days ago
the prospect of going home had seemed a million miles away, but here they
were. The trip, while painful and nightmarish, had given him the truths he
had sought after for so long. The answers he found were not the ones he
wanted, but he had gained Teena in the ordeal. And as he looked down at her
sleeping form, he couldn't help but smile at the sight. She was exactly like
his sister. Even the way she chewed on the inside of her cheek when she was
nervous.

And they were going home now. Things would get better. This had been one of
the most terrifying weeks of his life, but they had survived. This new
consortium...he wasn't sure their intentions were much better than the
Cigarette Smoking Man's, but they were taking him home and that was one
thing to be thankful for.

With his arms wrapped around his two favorite ladies, he soon fell asleep,
allowing the ten hour flight to pass by in a daze.

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

**Wednesday 6:32 PM, Georgetown Medical Center**

Mulder could feel the light surrounding him even before he opened his eyes.
It was so bright that it burned. He groaned and tried to turn his head, but
he was so weak. Suddenly he felt someone's hand on his and jerked his eyes
open, immediately regretting the action. His head pounded with the
deliverance of one more pain in his already sore body.

"I'm sorry, Fox." Mrs. Scully gently laid her hand on Mulder's arm. He
looked at her face and noticed a tear stain plainly evident on her cheek.
"How are you feeling?"

Mulder swallowed painfully and, Maggie, noticing this action, spooned a few
ice chips into his mouth. He closed his eyes as the chilled liquid slid
mercifully down his ragged throat. "Where's Sc-Dana?"

Maggie smiled and rubbed his arm. She moved out of his view to reveal her
sleeping form in the next bed over. "She's ok," she said before he could
even ask. "She was very dehydrated and malnurished as were you, but they've
taken care of that."

Scully's mother's face took on a faraway look and she closed her eyes
briefly. "Is she...pregnant?" Mulder found the question extremely hard to
ask.

Maggie nodded slightly and forced a smile onto her face. "As soon as she is
well enough they are going to do a DNA test to see-"

Mulder cut her off by shaking his head. "It's mine. There's no need. It was
part of the-" He swallowed. "The experiments. I'm sorry, Mrs. Scully." He
suddenly didn't feel comfortable calling her Maggie.

Tears welled in her eyes and she smiled a true smile this time. "Fox, it's
not your fault." She ran her fingers through his mussed hair. The gesture
reminded him of his actions the day before on his niece.

"Teena!" Mulder's eyes grew wide as he began to panic.

"Teena is fine. She's in the pediatric ward."

"I need to see her!" Mulder pleaded.

The noise caused Scully to stir in her bed. Maggie walked over to her
daughter as she awoke for the first time since their arrival at the
hospital. Mulder propped himself up to get a better view of his partner.

"Mom?" she rasped. "Where am I?"

"You're at Georgetown Medical Center. How are you feeling?" Mrs. Scully
stroked her daughter's hair lovingly.

"Not as bad as I was. How did I get here?"

"You and Fox and a little girl, Teena were brought here early yesterday
evening. I'm so glad you're ok, honey." She was crying openly now, pleased
to see her daughter was finally awake.

"How is Mulder?"

"I'm fine."

Mulder's reply surprised Scully and she turned her head toward the sound.
Mulder was propped up on his right elbow, resting on his side. His hair was
a disgrace as hers probably was too. The happy face that Teena had drawn
days before was fading and looked a little lopsided. "How is Teena?"

"She's in the pediatrics ward. She's ok, though. She was up this morning
coloring."

"Mom, I think I should tell you something. About what they did to me."

Mrs. Scully leaned over and gave her daughter a hug. "It's ok, honey. I know
already. You're fine. Everything will be fine."

"At least until we have to deal with Skinner's fury," joked Mulder.

"That reminds me. He dropped by late last night and said he'd be back
tomorrow morning. He would be out of town today for some reason. He was
really worried about you two. As was I." Her voice lowered to just above a
whisper as she recalled the horror the past week had bestowed upon her. The
assistant director had visited with her several times trying to piece the
facts together, but they hadn't concluded much. Only a week into it and he
was beyond himself. "Walter wanted to make sure you were safe, but he
couldn't stay in town. He had an emergency."

'Walter?' thought Mulder.

"Dana, I need to call Bill and Charlie and let them know that you are ok.
Can I leave you two alone for a couple of hours?" She looked from one agent
to the other and smiled, knowing with each other, they were in good hands.
With a quick hug for each of them, she left the room leaving them alone.

"Scully, are you ok?"

She stared at the ceiling and sighed, then turned to face her partner.
"Strangely enough, I think I am. What about you? Can we deal with this?"

Mulder knew what she was talking about even though she didn't say the words.
"Together. Always." Two words filled the air with the vow he had given her
years ago and never spoken. Scully smiled and a tear slid stealthily down
her cheek, coming to a stop at her pillow.

"Oh, you two are awake." A young orderly appeared in the doorway dressed in
scrubs decorated with cartoon cats. "Good! This little critter has been
begging to see you all day!" From the other side of the doorway popped Teena
dressed in a light pink child-size hospital gown, a smile shining on her
freshly washed face.

"Hi!" she squealed. She ran over to Mulder's outstretched arms and gave him
a tight hug.

"Easy now, T. Don't kill the man!" The orderly turned back to the elder
patients. "My name's Mark and if you need anything, just tell Teena. She's
been good at finding me all day. Even when I try to hide from her," he
laughed at his little joke, delighting in the giggle he received from the
little girl. With that he was gone.

"I'm glad you're awake now." Teena curled up beside Mulder, her arm
stretched across his stomach. "They wouldn't let me come see you, but a nice
woman came and talked to me. She said her name was Maggie. Have you seen
her? She said she would be back before I went to bed, but I haven't seen
her."

Scully smiled and tilted her bed at more of a sitting angle. "Maggie is my
mommy. She'll be back in a little bit." Teena grinned and climbed from the
bed to move over to Scully.

"Your hair looks like my markers."

Mulder and Scully laughed at the astute observation and Scully gave the
little girl a kiss on her forehead. They talked for about an hour before
Mark came back.

"T, it's time to get ready for bed now. You can play with your friends
tomorrow." Mark winked at the agents as Teena groaned. He took her hand and
led her back to the pediatrics ward after they had said their goodbyes to
each other.

Scully's mother had kept her promise to come back a while later, then
visited Teena before she went to bed. Now the two agents were lying in the
dark, not able to go to sleep. Mulder stared up at the ceiling and pondered
what the future held for them.

"I want to adopt her, Scully," he said out of the blue.

This caught her off-guard and she wasn't sure what to say. "Are you sure? Do
you know how difficult it will be? You work at a job that requires ninety
percent of your time. How would you be able to handle raising a little
girl?" She hadn't meant to sound as if she were trying to talk him out of
it, but she was worried Teena would be too much for him.

"I've seen you with her. You're wonderful, Scully." With a slight catch in
his tone he continued. "I think our child will have a wonderful mother."

She was glad he couldn't see her now because she had tears falling freely
from her eyes. It touched her that Mulder thought she would be good with
children.

"When I first saw you with...Emily, my heart yearned for something
indescribable. I can't explain it, I just realized what we are each missing
in our lives."

"Mulder, I don't know if I'm going to be able to handle this. Having a child
and balancing the FBI alone. I'm not sure if I can keep working. And I don't
expect you to-"

"Please, hear me out. We've spent so much time chasing after the truth. We
have the truth now. You are my truth. Teena is my truth. I want to be there.
I know I couldn't walk away even if I wanted to. Scully..." He wasn't sure
how to go on. "Scully, I want you to marry me."

"Mulder." A sob escaped her lips and she turned her face into the pillow to
quiet herself.

"I love you, Scully. I hope you know that. And even if the feeling isn't
reciprocated, I just need you to know." He suddenly felt very naive for ever
thinking she could ever return the feeling as strongly as he felt it.

With a few small sniffles, she spoke again. "Mulder, I love you too. With
all my heart." Surprising her, he had crawled from his bed and made his way
over to her bedside. He leaned over and placed a sweet kiss on her lips.

"Will you marry me, Scully?" He whispered the question into her cheek.

Her nod was barely perceptible, but he relaxed as she accepted his proposal.
He had waited nearly seven years to ask that and it had taken another
abduction to make him realize that there might not be another chance.

Scully pulled him into her bed and they held each other close, quickly
falling into a dream-filled sleep.

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

**Two weeks later, 1:25 PM, Scully's apartment**

Mulder and Teena each carried a box stuffed with cards into Scully's living
room. Today they were going to fill out all the wedding invitations. A small
outdoor ceremony was planned for the following month. Not many guests were
on the list, mainly family and a few colleagues from work. Skinner was
chosen to be the best man and Scully had asked Holly to be the maid of
honor. Both had accepted graciously to the happiness of the bride and groom.

Scully was out shopping with her mother so Mulder and Teena had decided to
make out the invitations themselves to surprise her. "Hand me the tape, will
you, T?" he asked, the orderly's nickname for the girl catching on.

"Here, daddy." The word still fell awkwardly on his ears, but he was
beginning to like the sound of it. Scully's pregnancy, although still in the
first month, seemed to be going ok, the DNA tests confirming it was his
child.

They had begun searching for a larger house and a friend of Scully's had
informed them that a two-story, four bedroom, three bathroom home not far
from Scully's apartment was up for sale at a fairly moderate price. The
couple, along with Teena, had checked it out a couple of days ago and
immediately fell in love with it. The agent got them a good deal and they
planned to move in the weekend before the wedding.

The Lone Gunmen had been over the night before to have dinner with the three
of them, each one marvelling that Teena looked so much like Mulder. They
weren't aware of the reasons why. Langly joked about Mulder finally "doing
the deed" with Scully and how it was about time. Mulder and Scully laughed
at the bad joke. The three men didn't know many of the details of their
abduction, only that it had resulted in the coming out of more truths. The
major truth being the love that Mulder and Scully shared finally being
spoken.

So there they were, Teena and Mulder, sitting on the floor of Scully's
living room, stuffing the envelopes with the invitations. The TV blared a
music video by Bree Sharp (whom Teena had grown to love in the past week)
and a cake sat hidden away in the stove awaiting Scully's arrival.

Everything for the trio seemed to be working out on the good side. Work had
been going rather smoothly, Teena spending the day at Maggie's house for the
past week they had been back at the office. After they would get off for the
day, they would drive to Scully's mother's house and have dinner with her.
She insisted, of course. Mulder had been spending most of his nights at
Scully's place, getting accustomed to being with her for twenty-four hours a
day. He didn't mind it yet. Teena was fitting in well in her new-found
family and had even made a friend named Leigh who lived down the hall from
Scully. The clan seemed to be doing ok for themselves.

The wedding plans were coming along smoothly also. They had booked the
wedding in a small park in Washington. The gown Scully had picked was
beautiful. A white satin full-length dress that just caressed the tops of
her feet. It gathered in the back with shimmering beads falling down through
the lace, puddling around the edge. The neck was scooped low, showing just
enough cleavage to allow for the imagination to work overtime. Her veil fell
to her waist, the dried flower crown bought by Melissa in a fit of romance
many years before. Scully had always loved it and wanted to wear it in her
wedding one day.

They decided to honeymoon in Mexico, taking Teena along with them. She of
all people deserved a vacation. The tickets for Cancun were bought by Mrs.
Scully as their wedding present. Everything in their lives seemed to be
falling into place now.

What the future held for them was yet to be determined, but they were living
in the present, making every moment count. And as Mulder and Scully held
Teena's hand as they climbed the steep hill in Montgomery Park last weekend,
the rain having stopped only minutes before, they knew that they were home.
Mulder had leaned over to Scully, kissing her fully on the lips as Teena
watched a rainbow peek out from behind a cloud, a broad smile gracing her
eight year old face. Yes, they were definitely home.

The End. Feedback is greatly appreciated!!

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