From: To: Subject: [XFNC17ff] NEW If Alex Fell: Coming Around Again (1/7) Date: Wednesday, March 27, 2002 6:09 PM Seems like this has taken me months to finish. Oh wait, it has. *g* Hope you it. Frohike If Alex Fell: Coming Around Again Author: Frohike Email: frohike51@aol.com Rating: NC-17 Spoilers: None that I can think of. Distribution: Drop me a line and ask. I haven't turned anyone down yet. Disclaimers: As usual, this picks up right where the last installment left off, so if you haven't read the first four parts of the series, you're going to be lost. You can find them at my site, Frohike's Folly www.geocities.com/frohike51, Whispers of X, HOF, Gossamer and SPAK, to name a few. Seriously, go take a look at the first parts, unless you're willing to take a lot on faith. Mulder, Scully, CSM and Strughold, belong to the good people at 1013, FOX, etc. I don't own them and I'm certainly not making any money off of them. Alex Krycek technically belongs to the above, but since he's dead, a victim of a brutal and unnecessary slaying; I'm claiming him for my own, until such time as the Master of Yuppie Morbidity sees the error of his ways and finds a way to redeem himself. I've loved and cared for him, which is more that you can claim to have done, Mr. Carter. :-P Any brand names or movie titles used belong to their respective companies and are used without permission and with no disrespect intended. Katie, Matthew, Tyler and Miranda, as well as any peripheral characters, belong to me. Thanks to those who wrote and asked for more, and you know who you are, your emails are sources of great joy and inspiration. To Mimsy who reads every page as the story unfolds in my mind. And to Jen the Genie, wherever she may be. Feedback: Yes, please. Praise will make my day. Flames will be used to lure Alex to my door. Either way, I win. Can you say 'incendiary device'? Sorry, inside joke. Talk to me people. "I know nothing stays the same But if you're willing to play the game It's coming around again." Coming Around Again by Carly Simon Arista Records 1987 ============================= "Alex? What are you doing?" He held up one finger, without looking at her and stayed right where he was. When he was finished, Alex scooted back up to her side and kissed her. "Good morning." "Good morning to you, too. Now what were you doing down there?" Alex's hand slid down, gently rubbing her belly. "I was talking to our son," he answered. Katie smiled. "You were?" "Yeah." "What did you say to him?" "Well, this time, I told him to give his mom a break and lay off the morning sickness routine." "This time? Do you talk to him often?" Alex looked at her, wide-eyed. "Every day since we found out we were pregnant. You didn't know?" "No, I had no idea." Katie sat up and crossed her legs. "So, what do you two talk about?" Alex rolled onto his back and yawned. "You know, chicks, baseball, getting laid. Basic guy stuff," he said, sniffing and scratching for effect. Katie giggled as she leaned back against the headboard. "He's a little young for the getting laid portion of that conversation, don't you think?" "Well, we didn't spend too much time on the subject." Alex rolled back toward her and put his hand on her knee, moving it slowly upwards. "What about you? Are you too young for the getting laid portion of this conversation?" "No, thank goodness," she sighed, closing her eyes as he drew small circles on her inner thigh. "Good," he whispered. "Because it's a conversation I'm really interested in right now." His hand brushed against her center and he smiled at her sharp intake of breath. "And unless I'm mistaken, you're looking to explore the subject yourself." "Always," she answered. "No one gives better conversation than you, my love." Alex patted the spot next to him. "Come back here." Katie slid down next him. "Better?" "Much." He rolled over and touched his lips to her breast. "Still tender?" "A little," she said. "Want me to stop?" "No." Over the last seven weeks, they'd found her breasts had become extremely sensitive. Early on, she could barely tolerate the feel of fabric on her nipples, let alone his touch, but now, the heightened sensitivity was starting to abate. He moved from her stomach to her abdomen, kissing across where her scar used to be. It still amazed them to look down and see smooth skin, where once a long, jagged scar had crossed her body. He smoothed his hand across her. She looked down at him and ruffled his hair. He gave her hip a squeeze and started to move lower, but she felt a familiar flutter and tapped him on the head. "Alex?" The flutter gave way to a slow roll and she pushed his head away. "What?" he asked. Then he looked at her face, now taking on a slightly greenish tint, and understood. "Uh oh." He slid off the bed and grabbed the bowl on the dresser, just in time to save the bed from having to be stripped of its bedclothes. "Yuck," she said, wiping her mouth. "Next time, forget about chicks, baseball and getting laid and focus more on the morning sickness, will ya?" Alex took the bowl away and put it on the dresser. He pulled on a pair of jeans, then helped her to her feet and handed her a bathrobe. "No problem. Come on, let's get you cleaned up." Katie put on her robe and grabbed the bowl. "This is getting really old." "Dana said it should pass in a few more weeks," Alex said. "I know," Katie sighed. "That's what I keep telling myself." "I thought I heard a familiar noise," Miranda said, as they emerged from the bedroom. "Saltines and ginger ale are on the table waiting for you, Katie." Katie nodded and tried to smile. "Thanks, kiddo," she said, as she made her way into the bathroom. "Need a ride in this morning?" Alex asked. "No, Ty's on his way. You just take care of her," Miranda answered. "Hey, I know that food is the last thing on her mind right now, but why don't the two of you come by the store for lunch this afternoon? You guys haven't been out of the loft since we got home." "Yes we have," Alex protested. "We went to the grocery store the other day." "Alex! That was three weeks ago, after Katie's last appointment with Dana. Tyler, Matthew and I have been bringing in groceries ever since." "It's been that long?" "Yes, Alex, it's been that long. I really think that the two of you need to get out into the real world before Dana comes back next week. I don't think she's going to be thrilled if she finds out that you've been cooped up inside all this time." "You're probably right. I'll talk to her," Alex said. The elevator whirred, then the door opened. "Good morning all," Tyler said. "Ready to go, Mira?" "Yep, all ready," she answered. "Alex and Katie are going to stop by for lunch this afternoon." Tyler looked at Alex and grinned. "Finally. Lisa's been asking about you for weeks." "I haven't talked to Katie about it yet." "I'll take care of that. She in the bathroom?" Miranda nodded. Tyler walked back to the bathroom and pounded on the door. "Hey Katie!" he yelled. "You and Alex, the store, lunch, today. Be there. No excuses." He turned to look at Alex. "See, no problem." Katie opened the bathroom door. "Oh gee, how can we possibly turn down such a charming invitation?" "You can't. See you later?" Katie looked over at Alex, who shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, we'll be there," she answered. "Good." Tyler and Miranda got into the elevator. "See Mira, you just have to know how to handle these two. Honestly, they're such children," he said, as the door closed. "Why do we like him again?" Katie asked, shaking her head. "Because he keeps us in sourdough bagels?" Alex replied. "Oh yeah. I knew there had to be a good reason," she chuckled. "Well, if we're going out, I'd better take a shower. Care to help me scrub those hard to reach places, Mr. Krycek?" Alex pressed up close behind her and put his hand on her abdomen. "Sure you're up to it?" Katie leaned back and kissed him. "Oh yeah." ============================= Victor rubbed his eyes and closed out the files. He'd spent the last few hours trying to figure out why this office was subsidizing the cultivation of corn crops in the Middle East. The company's main focus was providing products and services for the telecommunications sector, so this side investment in corn crops made no sense whatsoever. And why the Middle East of all places? He picked up the phone. "Arturo, it's Victor. What do you know about Nature's Best?" "Nature's Best? It's a pet project of the CEO's; his contribution in the fight against world hunger. I think it has to do with growing crops in drought conditions, something like that. Why do you ask?" "Just curious. I'd never heard of it until a few hours ago when I came across an entry in the files. The numbers seem a bit extreme and the return on the investment is minimal at best. Anyway, I'll take it up with Strughold when I see him later on. Thanks for your help." "You're welcome, my friend." Arturo sat up straight in his chair, silently acknowledging the man who'd entered his office. "Victor? You haven't mentioned this to anyone else, have you?" "No, why?" "Strughold likes to keep his pet projects close to the vest, that's all. You might want to approach this subject carefully when you talk to him; he doesn't appreciate anyone questioning his investments." "I'll be tactful, of course," Victor said. "But questioning investments is part of my job." "I understand, just remember what I said." "I will. Thanks again for the information," Victor said. Arturo hung up the phone and turned to look at the visitor. "We may have a problem." "What kind of problem?" "Victor Jenkins is asking questions about Nature's Best." "Will the information you gave him satisfy his curiosity?" "I don't know. Depends on the answers he gets from Strughold this afternoon. Victor doesn't like loose ends, so if he thinks something isn't right, he'll dig until he finds the answers he's looking for." The visitor sat back in the chair and lit a cigarette. He stared at Arturo and smoked half before speaking. "Then I hope, for his sake, that Mr. Jenkins is satisfied with Strughold's answers." ============================= "What can I get you for dessert?" Lisa asked Katie. "Nothing. I'm stuffed," Katie answered. "Now you only had a sandwich," Lisa pointed out. "I know there's room in there for a little something else." "Lisa, you know and I know that sandwich was twice as big as normal, so don't try to lay a guilt trip on me." "But hon, you're as thin as a rail and you're eating for two now," Lisa protested. "Yeah, but the second one of us is about the size of a quarter, remember? I'm sure my appetite will increase to epic proportions in a few months, but for now, I've had enough." "Well, all right then; as long as you're not starving that baby, I'll let it go this time." Lisa turned to Alex. "I'll send some dessert home with you. Make sure this child eats," she said, wagging her finger at him. "Oh, yes ma'am. I'll make sure of it," Alex answered. "And you," she said, looking at Tyler and Miranda. "I expect both of you to report back, if this one doesn't do what he's supposed to do." They grinned. "You can count on it," Tyler said. Lisa nodded, then took their dishes back to the kitchen. "This is going to be a long pregnancy," Katie sighed, shaking her head. "And you're going to enjoy every minute of it. She's right, you know, you look like you're losing weight, not gaining," Miranda added. She pushed back her chair and stood up. "Well, I need to get back to work. My boss is a real slave driver." "You know it," Tyler said. "Now hop to it, girl. We have books to sell." Miranda rolled her eyes. "Yessir, Mr. MacCreedy, sir. I'll get right on it." "See that you do," Tyler said. He put his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair. "It's good to be the boss." Miranda snickered and put her hand on Katie's shoulder. Katie paled at her touch and felt cold chills, distracting her from what Miranda was saying. "Want to go take a look?" Miranda asked. Katie looked up at her, confused. "I'm sorry. What did you say?" "I said there's a great book on pregnancy you might be interested in. Want to go take a look?" "Oh, sure. Why not?" Alex looked at Katie and furrowed his brow. "Are you all right?" he whispered. Katie nodded. "I think so. Stay here, I'll be back in a few minutes." Alex started to follow them, but Tyler stopped him. "I saw it, too. She zoned out as soon as Mira touched her. Something's wrong." "You don't think it's the baby?" "No, it's not the baby. It's Mira I'm concerned about," Tyler said, frowning. "Katie was fine until Mira touched her." "So you think there's something wrong with Miranda?" "Could be. I don't know and I'm not about to question her right now." Tyler watched as Miranda handed a book to Katie. "My turn to get back to work," he said. "If she tells you anything. . ." "I'll let you know," Alex finished. He reached over and squeezed Tyler's hand. "We won't let anything happen to her." "I know." Tyler walked off, leaving Alex to sit and wait for Katie's return. He finished his drink, then got up as she went to the register to pay for her book. "All done?" he asked. "Yeah, let's get out of here," she said, taking the bag from the cashier. They waved goodbye to Miranda, then left the store. Alex moved toward the car, but Katie shook her head and started walking in the other direction. Once out of sight of MacCreedy's, Alex put his arms around her and made Katie stop. "What's wrong?" She looked up at him. "Something bad's going to happen." "To Miranda?" "Yes, but not just to her, I think. I felt Victor there, too." "Felt him where?" "In her head. All around her," she paused and let out a breath. "It's hard to explain, but whatever is going to happen will involve Victor." Katie put her head on his shoulder and held him tight. "I'm scared, Alexei." ============================= "I'm merely pointing out that you've invested a great deal of money in a company that isn't showing anything close to a profit. In fact, they've been operating at a loss for years now. It seems to me to that your money would be better spent on a company with a brighter future," Victor explained. Strughold sat still in his chair, never taking his eyes from Victor's face. "Mr. Jenkins, not everything has to make a profit to be successful. I am satisfied with the potential for Nature's Best and I intend to hold on to it for a long time." "Then I will respect your decision, sir," Victor said. "However, you must understand that it is my job to bring these things to your attention. I would be remiss in my duties, if I failed to point out such a large financial drain in the investments this company holds." "You've done your job well, Mr. Jenkins. Your objections have been duly noted. Can we consider the matter dropped?" "If that's what you want," Victor answered. "But, for my own edification, do you have a copy of the prospectus for Nature's Best? Any literature at all? I'd like to do some research on my own, so I can better understand what this company is about." Strughold stood up and walked Victor to the door. "I'll see if I can find it for you. I'm sure I have a copy in my files. Good day, Mr. Jenkins," he said, as he closed the door. Spender entered the room from the side door. "You heard?" Strughold asked. "Arturo said he was tenacious." "What do we do about him?" "Stall him, for now; see if he loses interest. We need his expertise for the next few weeks. If he continues to raise questions, we'll deal with him once he returns to the States." ============================= Victor sat down at the table with his meal and his laptop. He kept replaying the meeting with Strughold. Something wasn't right. There would be no prospectus forthcoming, he knew that, so he decided to research Nature's Best on his own time. Five hours later, after every conceivable avenue was exhausted, Victor still had nothing. Nature's Best didn't exist in any database that he could locate. Feeling more disturbed than ever, he decided to ask Alex for some help. Maybe those FBI friends of his would do him a favor and see what they could find. Gathering the little information he had from the books at work, Victor sent Miranda an email message for Alex. ============================= Matthew walked into the loft to find everyone busy. Tyler and Alex were taking measurements, Miranda was taking notes and Katie was watching intently. "What's going on?" he asked her. "We're going to add another room and a bathroom," she said. "Why?" he asked. "Because I said so," she answered. "Uh huh. Well, that's as good a reason as any," he replied. "What can I do to help the cause?" "Go get dinner," Alex called out. "We're starving and my wife refuses to feed us until we're done." Matthew turned to Katie, hands on his hips. "Are you starving these people, Hanna?" She nodded and grinned. "Oh Kid, starving is such an ugly word. I prefer to think of it as motivating them to finish quickly." "See?" Alex said. "What did I tell you?" "Want me to take her along?" Matthew asked, as he grabbed Katie's arm. "Yes!" came a unanimous cry. Katie grinned and walked to the elevator with Matthew. "Finish up while we're gone, or I'll eat all the french fries," she said, giving them a wink. Matthew rolled his eyes and pushed her into the elevator. "You are so mean." "You're just figuring this out?" Katie asked, just before the door closed. They took the brief ride and the walk to the car in silence. When he pulled car out of the garage, Matthew glanced at her. "What's wrong?" Katie looked over at him. "I need your help." "With what?" "I want to store some of my blood for later." Matthew's jaw dropped. "You want to do what? Why?" He shifted his eyes between her and the road. "Does this have anything to do with Miranda?" "How did you know?" "Tyler said you zoned out when she touched you at lunch this afternoon. Do you feel that something's going to happen to her?" "Yeah, but I'm not sure what. The feelings get stronger each time she touches me. So many images coming at me so fast that I can't sort them out, but they always end with a lot of blood." "Have you talked to Alex about this?" "He knows, but we haven't said anything to Miranda. I told Ty that I don't know what happened. I'm not sure he bought it, but I had to tell him something." "Well, we can store some of your blood, but we have no way of knowing what effect it would have on her system," Matthew said. "What if her body rejects it? We could end up doing more harm than good." Katie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I feel…I know, that this is her only hope of surviving. You have to do this for me, Kid." Matthew pulled into the lot of the nearest burger joint and parked the car. "I don't know, Hanna." "Matthew," Katie said softly. "I have to do this." Matthew looked into her eyes and resigned himself. "Let's talk to Dana tomorrow. If she agrees, then we'll do it." "We're doing it, even if she doesn't agree," Katie stated. "I know that it's safe to give blood during pregnancy, as long as the patient is healthy; I'm more than healthy, we all know that." "There's more to consider here," Matthew argued. "No, there's not. You and Dana will have to test and approve the blood, or whatever it is you need to do. It will be stored for my use, so it won't be in the general blood bank. When we need it for Miranda, it will be there, ready to go, no questions asked." "What about Victor? What if he objects?" "Victor's going to be with her when it happens. At least, that's how it feels. Alex and I have an open-ended power of attorney for Miranda, so if he's not able to make a decision for her, then we'll be legally able to do so." "You don't think he's going to survive this, do you?" Katie shook her head. "Why do you think we're building an addition to the loft?" ============================= After dinner, Katie decided that they needed to chalk outline the proposed addition. Matthew volunteered to go to the hardware store to get a new chalkline, when no one could find one among the tools. "Alex, why don't you come with me?" Matthew asked. "We can leave these three to their own devices for a little while, don't you think?" "Yeah, OK." Alex kissed Katie as he got up from the table. "Want anything else while we're out?" "No, I think we have everything we need," Katie answered. "All right. We'll be back in a bit." Alex followed Matthew to the elevator. "Alex," Katie said. He turned and walked toward her, meeting her halfway. "What?" "You are coming back, aren't you?" "You haven't asked me that in a long time." "You haven't left me in a long time," she countered. He knelt in front of her and placed his mouth close her belly. "Tell your mom that daddy will come back. I'll always come back." Alex stood, kissed Katie, then joined Matthew in the elevator. Miranda nudged Tyler and whispered. "Where can I get one of those?" Tyler chuckled. "You'll find one of your own someday." "Only if they allow human cloning," Miranda sighed. "I think he's one of a kind." "Who are we talking about cloning?" Katie asked. "Alex," Tyler answered. "Miranda's doubting her ability to find someone as wonderful for her very own." "You do have the perfect man, Katie," Miranda added. "No one's perfect, sweetie," Katie said. "Not even Alex." "Right," Miranda said, rolling her eyes. "What? He doesn't floss regularly? Forgets to put the toilet seat down? I know you can't be talking about his arm, so what exactly are his flaws?" "We all have our damaged areas," Katie said quietly. "Some are more visible than others." She gave Miranda a tight-lipped smile. "You'll have to take my word for this, where Alex is concerned." ============================= "I'll admit, she threw me with this whole blood banking idea," Alex said. "But she's adamant about doing it. It is safe, isn't it?" "In her case, I'd say it isn't a problem. I'm more worried about her mental state right now. Her feelings are stronger and more focused than I've ever seen them." "What do you mean?" Matthew reached up for the chalkline they'd been looking for. "Usually they're vague feelings about a person or an event; nothing clear, just a sense of something not being right. Sometimes a sense that something good is going to happen to someone. She's never wrong, but she's never been very specific either." He held the chalkline out toward Alex. "This feels pretty damned specific to me." Alex took the chalkline from Matthew's hand and pretended to examine it carefully. "What did she tell you?" "That whatever happens, she doesn't think Victor's going to make it, which is why she wants this addition to the loft." He looked at Alex. "She says that's all, but I know her too well; she's holding out on me." They walked to the register. "Did she tell you that she can't stand Miranda's touch?" "Yes." "But she didn't tell you why?" "She said that every time Miranda touches her that images come flying at her and they all end with a lot of blood." Alex paid the cashier and they left the store. "I was hoping she'd tell you more than that." "Is she saying anything more to you?" "No." "Then we're both in the dark?" "Looks that way. The only thing she has said is that she's sure her blood will make Miranda well again, which is why she's set on storing it now." Matthew opened the car door and got inside. "Do you think she really doesn't know what's going to happen or is she hiding something from us?" Alex got in and closed the door behind him. "If she's not telling you either, then I have to believe she really doesn't know. She might hide the truth from one of us, but I can't believe she'd hide it from both of us." "I'm not so sure about that anymore," Matthew said. "At the risk of starting something unpleasant, do you think she'd tell Mulder, if she knew anything?" Alex stared out the window. "I don't know. Maybe." "That really bothers you, doesn't it?" Matthew asked. "Yes." Matthew patted Alex's leg. "You're claim is safe, buddy; don't worry about it. She likes Mulder, but her heart is yours." "I know. They've just gotten so close, so fast." "Welcome to my world," Matthew chuckled. "Wasn't so long ago that I was the only one in her life. Then this wet, smelly, bloody, stray puppy crossed our paths and pulled the rug out from under me." Alex's head dropped, his chin rested on his chest and he smiled. "I wasn't smelly." Matthew grinned. "OK, you weren't smelly, but you did make a mess on my back seat upholstery." Katie and Alex sat in the middle of the new room they'd chalked off. "What do you think?" she asked. "About what?" "The room. Is it big enough or do we need to make it bigger?" "Katie, the room will be great. There's plenty of space in here for everything she needs," Alex answered. He pulled her close. "Look, she'll have a large closet, right over there. Plenty of room for her desk and computer equipment. All of her furniture will fit in here with room to spare. It's going to be fine." "I know, it's just…" "Hey, Alex," Miranda called out, interrupting Katie's response. "My dad asked me to give this to you." She stopped short when she saw them huddled together on the floor. "Oh, I'm sorry." "Don't worry about it. What did he send?" Miranda walked over and handed him the note. "He needs some help researching a company and thought that maybe you could ask Mulder to see what he could find out." "Can I see the note?" Katie asked. Alex handed it to her. When she read the name Nature's Best, she began to feel lightheaded. She gave the note back to him and closed her eyes. "Tell your dad, I'll talk to Mulder tomorrow," Alex said. "I will." She nodded at Katie. "You'd better get her to bed, Alex. She looks pale." "I'm fine, sweetie, just a little tired," Katie said, never opening her eyes. "If you say so," Miranda frowned. "Well, I'm going in myself. Sleep well you two." "You, too," Alex said. Alex waited until he heard the door to Miranda's room close. "Should I call Mulder now?" "No. It can wait until tomorrow." He rested his cheek on her head. "Katya?" "Yes, Alexei?" "If you won't tell me what you're seeing, will you at least tell Mulder?" Katie sat up and turned to face him. "What?" "I said, if you won't tell me what you're seeing, will you at least tell Mulder?" he repeated. "I've told you everything; there's nothing left to say," Katie said. "Why would you think I'd tell Mulder something that I wouldn't tell you or Matthew?" "Well, you two have gotten awfully close and maybe you don't feel like you have to protect him." "Do you really think that I would confide in Mulder instead of you?" Alex shrugged. "Look at me," Katie said, touching his face. "I like Mulder. He's interesting, infuriating, funny as hell and not too hard on the eyes to boot. I enjoy talking to him and, to be honest, he's rapidly becoming as dear to me as Tyler and Matthew, but he's not you. No matter how close he and I become, you will always be the one I'll confide in first. I thought you knew that." "I hoped, but I didn't know," Alex admitted. He started walking her toward the bedroom. "I watch the two of you when you're talking; there's a connection that's so intense. I half expect you to start finishing each other's sentences." Katie reached out and opened the bedroom door. "We have bonded; I'll grant you that. Shouldn't come as a surprise to you, you know how I am with my friends." "It doesn't surprise me." Katie smiled and sat down on the bed. "But it makes you a little jealous?" When he didn't answer, Katie expression changed. "Oh, Alex. I wish you'd get over that. There's no competition. You are so used to fighting with Mulder about everything, that you're looking for something that isn't there." Alex looked down at the floor. "Matthew said the same thing." "Come here." "Over there?" "Yeah, over here." "What are you going to do when I get there?" "Horrible, unspeakable things," she answered. "Things that will make you scream. Things that will make you forget to be jealous of whatshisname." "That's a pretty tall order," Alex said, as he moved closer to her. Katie reached out and grabbed his belt. She pulled him up against the bed, almost making him lose his balance. "Afraid I can't fill it or afraid I might?" "I'm not afraid of you, little girl," Alex smirked. Katie undid his belt and freed it from the loops. "Oh, you should be, Alexei." She popped the snap on his jeans, pulled the zipper and yanked pants and briefs down before he knew what had hit him. "You should be." "Nope, not afraid. Aroused, but not afraid." "So I see," she said, as she raked her nails down his backside. "Ow! Be careful with those things." "Impressive, aren't they? I think it's the prenatal vitamins," she grinned. "I always wanted to have a nice set of fingernails. Must be the Freddy Krueger in me." She chuckled and pressed her nails into his flesh again. "Sure you're not a little afraid of me now?" "If I say yes, will you stop trying to impale me?" "Maybe." "Yes, now I'm afraid of you." Katie relaxed her hold. "See, that wasn't so difficult now, was it?" "Easy for you to say. You're not the one with blood running…Oh shit!" Alex gasped as Katie's mouth surrounded him. He bucked against her face, a reflex from the surprise assault. She dug her nails into his backside to remind him to stay still. "Sorry," he said. Katie didn't acknowledge the apology, instead, she relaxed her throat and slowly, very slowly, began to take him in. She'd never been able to accomplish this particular sexual feat with anyone before and she hoped that she wouldn't mess it up this time. After all, she'd promised to make him scream, hadn't she? 'She's not going to. . .' But just then, she did. "Oh God." 'Don't choke, don't choke, don't choke,' Katie chanted in her head. "Katie, too much. I can't. . . " he sputtered. 'Then don't,' she thought, just before swallowing. Alex made a sound she'd never heard before, then felt him pulse and surge down her throat. 'That's it baby.' Her throat started to close up on her. 'Not now. Don't choke, don't choke, don't choke.' Katie gave him a little time to calm down, before releasing him. She rubbed her jaw and smiled. It was going to be sore tonight, but some things were worth the discomfort. She looked up to see Alex just opening his eyes. "Told you I'd make you scream," she whispered. Alex climbed into bed and pulled her down next to him. "Yes you did," he replied. "When did you learn how to do that?" "I wasn't sure I had learned how, until I did it," she answered. "Wasn't sure I'd be able to follow through either." "You didn't have to, you know." "I know." Katie snuggled up against him. "Do you believe now?" "Believe what?" "That I belong to you and no one else. That you're the only one I want in my bed at the end of the day." "I never questioned your love, Katya." "Yes, you did. Maybe not directly, but you did. Whenever you waste your time being jealous of Mulder, you question my feelings for you. You are the air that I breathe, Alex; don't you understand that? You are my other half, the part that makes me complete and no one is ever going to change that." "I know that, logically, but when I see you two together, I don't always thin k logically. I just see him sitting or standing too close to my wife." "Then have a little faith in me. Know that he's never going to get that close." She took his hand and put it on her abdomen. "I have you, inside and out. Don't you ever forget that." Alex smiled and nodded. "I'll do my best to remember from now on." He tugged at her shirt. "You're still dressed." "Yes, I am." "I don't want you to be dressed." "You don't?" "No, I don't." "Well, I suppose I could get undressed, if that's what you really want." "Now would be good." "Right now?" Alex straddled her. "Lady, I'm giving you about thirty seconds to get those clothes off, before I tear them to shreds." Katie pulled her shirt off over her head and tossed it on the floor. "I love it when you get demanding," she said, as she unbuttoned her jeans. "I know," he smirked. Alex slid down and put his mouth on her belly. "Hey little one. Pay no attention to what's going on out here for a while, ok?" He pushed her jeans down to her ankles and she kicked them off. "Alex, that's a little weird." "What's weird about talking to my son?" "Nothing, usually, but given the circumstances, it just feels a little strange, like having a third person in the room watching us or something." "You didn't seem to mind when you thought Dana and Mulder might be watching out the window in Pittsburgh that night," he teased. Katie started to let out a snide, Mulder related remark, but thought better of it. "Not the same thing, Alexei. Besides, I was kidding that night and you know it." Alex kissed her belly and moved up toward her breasts. "Are you sure?" "Damn it, Alex!" Katie sat up abruptly and pushed him away. "Stop it! First you're pissing and moaning and playing the jealous lover over how close Mulder and I are. I tell you there's nothing to worry about, try to prove to you how much I love you, then you turn around and try to provoke me into saying something that will prove everything I've said was a lie! What's it going to take?" She bolted off the bed, grabbed her jeans and put them back on. Alex got up and tried to put his arms around her, but she twisted away from him. She pulled on her shirt and stormed out of the bedroom. He pulled on his jeans and trailed behind her. "Katie, stop. I'm sorry." "Not good enough, Alex." She searched the room until she found her shoes, then put them on and headed for the elevator. "Not good enough." He followed her and put his hand on her shoulder. "Where are you going?" She swatted his hand away and turned to face him. "I'm going for a walk. Alone." "No, it's late. You shouldn't be out there by yourself; it's not safe." "I can take care of myself," she hissed. "I walked these streets alone at night long before you ever showed up." She stared at him, until the door opened. "Just leave me alone right now," she said, just before hitting the close button. Alex stuck his hand in the door to stop it from closing all the way. "Katie? You are coming back, aren't you?" "Take your hand off the door." "Katie." "Yes, I'm coming back. Now let go of the door." Alex let his hand drop and watched helplessly as the door closed. Miranda listened to the commotion outside her room and waited until it was quiet before opening her door. She heard the elevator running and saw Alex leaning against the door. "Alex? Is everything all right?" she asked. He shook his head and went into the bedroom, emerging moments later wearing a shirt and carrying his shoes in his hand. "I'm going out," he said, as he put on his shoes. "She doesn't want you to follow her." "You heard all that?" "The walls aren't exactly thick in here," she explained. "And neither of you were being especially quiet." "Sorry," he mumbled. He stood up and started toward the elevator. "I'll be back." "Look, Alex, I know you don't want advice from a kid, but I really think you'd be making a mistake if you follow her right now." "It's late, she's alone and pregnant. I don't want her out there by herself." "She'll be fine and you know it. You're afraid she's not going to come back." Alex stopped, not turning to look at her. "That, too." "She'll be back. I don't know what this is all about, but I do know that, no matter what, she'll come back." Miranda walked over to him and placed her hand on his arm. "Come on, I'll wait up with you." He glanced at her. "I'll be all right. You need to get some sleep." "You need the company more. Come on, I'll bet there's a bad movie on somewhere we can watch until she comes home." Alex nodded and followed her over to the couch. ============================= Katie followed the path she used to walk every night, before Alex appeared in her life. She walked without thinking, just feeling the sidewalk under her feet. She moved past familiar buildings and across the same streets she'd crossed more times than she could remember. At the next turn, she found herself in front of the office building she'd pressed herself against the night she'd found Alex. She peered around the side of the building and into the alley behind Bandits, half expecting to see him there, slumped against the dumpster. <<"Hey buddy, what's your name?">> <<"Alex.">> <<"Well, Alex, looks like we need to get you some help.">> <<"No hospital.">> "I didn't send you to the hospital, did I? I kept you home and safe with me." ============================= "It's been an hour. I'm going after her," Alex said, getting up from the couch. "All right. You gave her some time on her own, maybe it's not a bad idea for you to go now," Miranda agreed. "I'm a little worried about her myself." Alex took the cell phone from the table and clipped it to his jeans. "I'll call you when I find her." "Thanks, Alex." He walked out the garage door, hoping to catch a glimpse of her walking down the street. When he didn't see her, Alex played a hunch and hoped it would pan out. ============================= Katie sat on the ground in the alley, hugging her knees and rocking. <<"Easy there Alex. Don't try to do too much moving around. Just tell me what you need and I'll get it for you.">> <<"I need to pee. And if you can do that for me, darling, go right ahead.">> She smiled when she thought of their first real conversation. "At least you're smiling now," Alex said. Katie jumped. "Oh shit, Alex, you scared me!" She scrambled to her feet. "I thought I told you not to follow me." "You did, but you've been gone a long time, so I decided to come looking for you to be sure you were all right." They stood there in silence, neither knowing what to say or how to start. Katie crossed her arms and stared at the dumpster. Alex rubbed his neck and stared at the ground. He unclipped the cell phone and called Miranda. "I found her. Yeah, she's fine. Get some sleep." "What was that all about?" Katie asked. "Miranda was worried. I told her I'd call as soon as I found you." "Oh." Alex waited to see if she'd say more. "Well, I can see that you're fine. I'll leave you alone." "Alex?" "Yeah?" "How did you know where to find me?" "Educated guess." "Based on?" "Based on where I'd go, if I'd been the one walking out the door." Katie leaned back against the brick wall. "Seemed like the right place to go to think." "I've been thinking, too." "And?" "And you're right. I have a big problem where Mulder's concerned." "Then we're in agreement on that point." Katie pushed herself off the wall and walked over to him. "Look, I can take the teasing. I've already told you that I think he's an attractive man and I'd be lying if I said my mind didn't wander from time to time. That's normal. You can't tell me you've never had a stray thought about another woman, can you?" Alex shrugged. "Yeah, that's what I thought. So we're both human; imagine that. Tease me all you want or be jealous, but you can't do both and expect me to know how to handle it. I'm getting tired of defending myself. I love you, not Mulder. I married you, not Mulder. I want you in me, on me and around me, every minute of every hour, you, not Mulder." She put her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest. "It hurts that you don't believe in me." Alex's head dropped to kiss the top of her head. "I do believe in you," he said. "I'm the one I don't believe in. Mulder reminds me of how many times I've screwed up, how many people I've hurt. He's the good one, Katie." "Making you the evil one?" "Essentially, yeah." "Bullshit. You're two people who've done what they needed to do to get to where they needed to be. Even when you were supposedly working against Mulder, you'd find some way to help him out." "So you're saying the end justifies the means? I don't believe that." "I'm not saying that it does. I'm saying that you can't fix what happened then, all you can do is go on with the here and now." "Just like that?" "Yeah, just like that." Katie took his hand in hers. "Come on, let's go home." They walked out of the alley and up the street toward the loft. Alex bumped Katie playfully. "You really think he's attractive?" She stopped and looked up at him. "Yeah, I do." "Even with that nose? Have you really looked at the size of that thing?" "I think it's a nice nose. Besides, you know what they say about men with big noses, don't you?" "They need more tissues during cold and flu season?" Katie groaned. "That too." She turned her head a little, examining his face carefully. "You know, you don't exactly have a button nose yourself, my love." "What are you talking about?" Alex touched the tip of his nose with his index finger. "I have a great nose." "Yes, you do," Katie said, with a wink. She tugged at his sleeve, directing him behind the building across the street from the loft. "How about showing me just how great that 'nose' is?" "Here?" "What's wrong with here?" "But you're pregnant." "Well, duh! All I'm asking for is a refresher course in how I got this way. Bet you've never done a pregnant lady in a back alley." "No, I've never done a pregnant lady in back alley." "Well, here's your chance. Better take advantage of me now, because in a few months I'm going to look like Shamu and this will be entirely out of the realm of possibilities." Alex slipped his hands under her shirt and squeezed her breasts. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," he whispered. Katie's hand went up to his left arm. "Loosen your grip with that thing." "Sorry," he said, removing that hand from her body. She put it back. "I said loosen your grip, not stop touching me." "OK." "So, what do you usually do with all of your back alley women, Mr. Krycek?" Alex unzipped her jeans and pushed them down. He cupped her through her panties. "Be patient and I just might show you." Katie pulled his face down to hers and kissed him hard. "I'm too horny to be patient," she growled. He shoved down her panties. "So am I." He let go of her long enough to drop trou himself, then pushed her back against the wall. "When you've got brick burns on your ass tomorrow, just remember that you asked for this," he warned. Katie smiled and tilted her pelvis. "I'll remember." "Hold on tight," he said, before slamming inside her. She cried out in pleasure and Alex quickly clamped a hand over her mouth. "Shhh. None of that out here, Katya. Not unless you want to be arrested for indecent exposure. Understood?" Katie nodded and he removed his hand. "I'll try to control myself," she whispered. "Eyes are everywhere." Kiss, thrust. "We're always being watched." Thrust, kiss. "Could be caught at any time. Can't take too long." Thrust, thrust, kiss. "Ever gotten caught?" His hand dropped to her clit. Katie whimpered loudly and Alex silenced her with a kiss. "No, and I don't intend to get caught now, so be quiet." "I'm trying to, but you're making it hard. You feel too damned good." "Then I'd better keep that mouth occupied," he said. He claimed her mouth, kissing her gently while thrusting hard and fast. His hand continued stroking her clit until he felt her shake. Only when she was done, did he allow himself to come inside her. Alex pulled out of her body and quickly hiked up his jeans. "Get dressed," he said. "The key to this is to not stay too long in one place." Katie fastened her jeans and followed him out of the alley. She took hold of his hand as they crossed the street to go home. They walked without talking into the garage and on the ride up in the elevator. "What's wrong?" Alex asked. "Is that what most of your past experiences were like?" "Yeah, pretty much." The elevator door opened and they stepped out to find Miranda sitting on the couch waiting for them. "Oh good, you're home. Is everything all right now?" "Yes, sweetie, everything's fine," Katie answered. "I'm sorry I worried you." "It's ok. I'm just glad you're home now." "That makes two of us," Alex said, giving Katie a squeeze. "Sleep well, Miranda." "You, too." Alex led Katie into the bedroom and closed the door. "What were you going to say?" "I was going to say I'm sorry. I didn't really understand how lonely you must have been all these years. That encounter in the alley, it felt good at the moment, but once it was over, I felt so empty, Alex. Like I'd served my purpose and now it was time to move on. And before you try to apologize, I know that's not what you intended and I did ask for it, so don't be upset. It just gave me insight into part of your past and it made me sad for you." Katie put her arms around him. "I don't want you to ever feel like that again." "So we can skip the back alleys from now on?" Alex asked. "Yeah, I think that's one experience that doesn't bear repeating." "Good." "You could have told me it was something you didn't enjoy," Katie said. "I would have understood." "I know. I thought it would be better with you," he explained. "There is one good thing." "What's that?" "Neither of us had to go home alone afterwards." Katie nodded and they both undressed for bed. She crawled in and curled up against him. "I'm really tired." "Then go to sleep, baby. It's been a long day." "Love you, Alexei," she murmured. "Love you, too, Katya," he replied. ============================= "Good morning, everyone," Tyler yelled. Miranda hurried out of her room. "Shhh. They're still asleep." "It's almost ten, what do you mean they're still asleep? They never sleep this late." "Hush, will you? Come on, let's go and I'll explain on the way." "What happened?" Tyler whispered. Miranda closed the elevator door. "They had a big fight last night. Katie went storming out of here around one, saying that she was going for a walk and didn't want Alex to follow her. I came out after she left, just in time to stop him from following her anyway." "What were they fighting about?" "I don't know, but they were both pretty upset about whatever it was. Anyway, I kept Alex here until two; then he couldn't sit still any longer and went out to look for her. I figured it was probably a good idea at that point, so I didn't stop him, but I did ask him to call me when he found her. He called about fifteen minutes later, but it was after three by the time they got home." "Is everything all right now?" Miranda shrugged. "I guess so. They didn't look mad at each other or anything. Katie looked kind of sad, but I don't know why." "How are you holding up? You look like you could use a few more hours of sleep yourself." "Yeah, I could. I'll be all right in a little while, after I've had a caffeine infusion," Miranda said. "Losing a little sleep doesn't bother me, but hearing them fight reminds me of what I used to have to listen to when my parents were still together. I know they're solid, but it brings back bad memories." Tyler put his arms around her and held her tight. "Mira, people fight, even Katie and Alex. It doesn't mean that they don't love each other or that they're going to end up like your parents. Don't let it upset you so much that you lose sleep over their problems. You couldn't have done anything to change what happened then and you can't do anything to change what happened last night. Let them worry about their relationship, you just worry about the things you can control." "I know, but it's hard to separate when you care about the people who are fighting around you." "I hear that," Tyler agreed. He let go of her and took a step back. "Tell you what. Let's go in to the store and make sure that everything is squared away, then you and I are going to hit a matinee." "Really?" "Yeah, really. I'll even let you pick the movie." Miranda reached out and touched Tyler's forehead. "Hmm, no fever. Are you sure you're feeling all right?" she teased. Tyler laughed. "What do you want to see?" "Well, I've been dying to go see the new horror movie that just opened, Jeepers Creepers. I hear it really sucks." Tyler slapped his hand to his chest. "Be still my heart. You like bad horror movies? How come it's taken me so long to learn this about you?" Miranda smirked. "I don't know, maybe you haven't been paying attention?" "I would have remembered that! Does Katie know?" "I don't know. I think so." "Well honey, if she doesn't we have to let her in on this tonight. Now I know you're part of the family," Tyler grinned. "Get in the car. The sooner we get going, the sooner we can enjoy our afternoon of bloodshed and popcorn." "You know, Ty, coming from anyone but you, that statement would be scary," Miranda snickered. ============================= Katie yawned and stretched. "What time is it?" She turned to look at Alex, but found that he wasn't beside her. "Hmmm," she said, as she got up and grabbed her robe. "That's right, I said Nature's Best. I don't know how he heard about it, Mulder. He sent Miranda an email last night asking if you could help him dig up some information on the company." Alex paced the floor, his back to Katie. "I realize all of this and I agree. Well what do you want me to tell him? We have to tell him something. No, of course not, but what if they know he's already looking into it?" He turned around and saw Katie standing behind him. "Let me talk to him," Katie said. "Hang on a second, Mulder." Alex put his hand over the receiver. "I didn't know you were awake." "Obviously. Give me the phone." Alex reluctantly handed her the phone and sat down on the couch to listen to her end of the conversation. "Mulder, I have a bad feeling about all of this. Do you know what this Nature's Best thing is all about? No, don't tell me, I don't want to know. I think you should give Victor whatever you can though. I don't know why, I just feel like this is something you should do. Yeah, I'm sure. Hold on, I'll give the phone back to Alex. What? Oh, tell her I feel fine this morning. OK, here's Alex." Alex took the phone from her outstretched hand. "No, tell Dana, she really is fine. Nothing so far this morning, but if she makes it through, this will be the first day without it," Alex told Mulder. "All right, I'll forward it to him as soon it gets here. Yeah, me too. Bye." "Why didn't you wake me when you got up?" "I could say that I thought you needed to sleep, which you did," he added, "but that wouldn't be entirely true. Mostly, I wanted to make that call without you around." Katie frowned and crossed her arms. "Trying to keep secrets from me?" "No, I would have told you later. After last night, seeing your reaction when you read Victor's email, I didn't want you to put you through that again," he explained. Katie uncrossed her arms. "I guess I can understand that. Even Miranda noticed, so I must have looked pretty awful." "Speaking of Miranda, we need to talk to her," Alex said. "She didn't say so out loud, but she was pretty freaked out last night." "I'll talk to her when she gets home." Alex nodded. "So, you're not feeling sick this morning? Not that I'm looking a gift horse in the mouth or anything, but I wonder why." "I don't know," she answered. Katie sat down beside him and put her head on his shoulder. "Unless," she chuckled. "Unless what?" "No, never mind. Forget I said anything." Alex shifted positions to look at her. "No way. What are you thinking?" "Well, we did try something new last night," she hinted. "Which we decided we weren't going to repeat, so I hope you're not thinking that's the cure," he said. "That's not the new thing I was referring to, Alexei." "Then, what?" He looked confused for a second, then a smile crept slowly across his face. "Oh that." "Yeah, that," Katie repeated. "Maybe semen is the heretofore unidentified cure for morning sickness." "Interesting hypothesis, Mrs. Krycek. I'd be happy to help you research and test this theory." "Oh, you would sacrifice yourself to help me study this? You are truly a saint, Mr. Krycek." "I live for the pursuit scientific advancement. Who knows, maybe we could get a government grant, write a paper, win the Nobel Prize?" "I can see the headlines in the New York Post, now 'Dr. Deep Throat wins Nobel'," Katie giggled. "Or in Scientific American, 'Katie Does Alex: A Scientific Study of Fellatio and the Healing Properties of Semen'," Alex snickered. "How about Cosmopolitan? 'Suck that Sickness Away. Sexy Secrets for Getting Over Morning Sickness'." Alex laughed. "No, wait, I've got it," he said, trying to stop laughing long enough to force out his thought. "OK, how about this? Hustler, 'Chick Sucks Dick, Doesn't Get Sick'." Katie fell over on the couch, clutching her stomach. "That's gross, Alex!" He stretched out beside her, still laughing. "Yeah, but it's funny." "Yes, it is," she agreed. "So, are we going to test out this theory of yours again this evening?" He leered at her and wiggled his eyebrows. "I don't know, sweetheart. What if last night was a fluke?" She turned her head to the side to avoid looking into his eyes. "I wouldn't want to disappoint you if you I can't manage it again." Alex put his fingers on her chin and gently moved her back toward him. "Katya, I was just teasing. You don't have to, you know that." "I know, it's just that. . ." "Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's just that you know I liked it. It's just that it seems like everyone else can do it. It's just that… insert your excuse here. If it makes you happy and you're comfortable with it, then I'm certainly not going to make you stop. But if it scares you or makes you uncomfortable, then it's not worth it." "Really?" Alex kissed her. "Really." "OK." Scully pulled off the latex gloves and dropped them in the trash, while Katie sat up on the edge of the examination table. "You've lost weight, Katie," she said. "Are you eating?" Katie hopped off the table and reached for her clothes. "Yes, Dana, I'm eating. I just haven't been able to keep much down these past few weeks. It's only been the last two days that I've gone without puking every morning." "Your blood pressure is a little high as well," Scully added, making a notation on Katie's file. Katie zipped up her jeans and pulled her shirt on over her head. "Does that surprise you? Come on, Dana, I know Matthew's told you about Miranda and my feelings. I think I'm holding it together pretty well, all things considered." "You may appear to be holding it together, but your body's telling a different story. I'm not worried about your blood pressure, just yet; even with the increase, you're still within normal levels. Your weight is another matter. You've lost seven pounds since last month and even with the morning sickness, that tells me that you're not eating enough." "I eat when I'm hungry, just like I always have," Katie answered. "Lately, I guess I just haven't been that hungry." Dana made a final note in Katie's file, then put her pen down on the counter. "Well, you need to get hungry. I want those seven pounds back on and they need to bring about five of their friends with them." Katie's mouth dropped. "Twelve pounds? You want me to put on twelve pounds in the next month? Jesus, Dana, how am I supposed to do that?" Scully put her hand on Katie's back and guided her toward the door. "Eat, Katie. You don't have to eat big meals, just graze throughout the day. An apple here, a dish of ice cream there, you'd be surprised how quickly that adds up. And, since you're not getting sick in the morning, those bagels you're so fond of should help as well." Katie opened the door and walked into the waiting room. Alex and Mulder seemed deep in conversation, but stopped talking when they saw her. "Everything all right?" Alex asked. "Dana says I'm not fat enough." Scully frowned. "That's not what I said, Katie." She turned to Alex. "She's lost a lot of weight and that's not healthy for her or the baby. You're going to have to see that she eats, Alex. That doesn't mean force feeding her enormous amounts of food, just make sure she grabs a small snack in between meals." Alex chuckled. "Lisa's gonna love this." "You wouldn't," Katie said, her eyes going wide. "Lisa? The cook at MacCreedy's?" Mulder asked. "That's her," Alex answered. "She's dying for the chance to fatten this one up." "She's relentless, Alex," Katie whined. "I won't be able to set foot in MacCreedy's without her trying to shove something down my throat. She'll have Ty and Miranda bringing food home every day, with strict instructions to make sure I eat it all or face the wrath of Lisa. You'll be starting a reign of terror." Mulder put his arm around Scully's shoulder. "I don't know about you, but I'm getting hungry. MacCreedy's anyone?" "Et tu, Mulder?" Katie sighed. Mulder kissed Scully's cheek, then removed his arm from her shoulder and walked over to Katie. "Sweetheart," he said, as he put a hand on each of her shoulders, "You're too thin." He stood still, staring into her eyes, until Katie broke the connection. "Damn you, Mulder," she whispered. "How do you do that?" Mulder squeezed her shoulders and pulled her into an embrace. "I'm spooky that way." He moved back and smiled. "Alex, grab your woman. Let's get her moving before she changes her mind." Alex put his arm around Katie's shoulder. "Let's go, woman." Katie nodded and allowed Alex to lead her out the door and down to the car, with Mulder and Scully close behind. "It's lunch, Katie," Scully said. "You look like we're leading you to the gas chamber." "You don't know her, Dana." "I'll talk to her," Scully promised. "Yeah, you do that," Katie grumbled. ============================= Victor reread the files, shaking his head. "He can't be serious." "What are you shaking your head about?" Arturo asked. Victor quickly shoved the papers back into folder. "Oh nothing. Just catching up on some old mail." He put the folder on the table behind him. "Did you need something?" Arturo leaned against the doorframe. "No, not really. I just realized that you'll be leaving next week and I thought I'd see if you wanted to go out to dinner one night before you go." "Sure. How about Thursday?" "All right. You leave Friday night?" "Yeah, eight-thirty." "OK, sounds good," Arturo said. The phone rang. "Jenkins. Yes sir, I have those figures ready. I'll be right there." Victor hung up and gathered up some papers. "Gotta go. Mansfield wants the projections for the fourth quarter." Arturo smiled. "Better run; the master hates to be kept waiting." "So he keeps reminding me," Victor chuckled. When Victor was out of sight, Arturo slipped into the office and picked up the folder Victor had tossed on the back table. He quickly scanned the information inside. "Damn it, Victor." He picked up the phone and punched in an extension. "He knows everything. Yes, I'm sure. There's a file on his desk right now; I caught him reading it before Mansfield called. I can't figure out where he could have gotten all of this. Should I take it? Yes, of course, you're right, it would make matters worse. How soon? I wish there was another way. No sir, I'm not going soft; Victor could have been asset, that's all." ============================= "Good grief, it looks like MacCreedy's exploded in here," Matthew said. "What happened, Ty? Slow day?" "Those three," Tyler answered, pointing to Mulder, Scully and Alex, who were standing in the kitchen amid the stacks of containers, "decided that it would be a good idea to tell Lisa that Katie needed to put on some weight." "They didn't." "Oh yes they did," Katie said. "Dana told Alex that I'd lost weight and needed to eat. Alex thought that Lisa would love the chance to fatten me up. 'Lisa's gonna love it' he says. I tried to tell them that she's relentless, but did they listen? Noooo! 'I'll talk to her,' Dana says. Then Mulder puts the whole thing in motion by deciding that he's hungry and MacCreedy's is just the place he's dying for. He told me I was too thin and like an idiot, I let them drag me over there. This," she said, throwing her arm in a sweeping motion, "is the result. More food than the seven us could possibly consume in one evening, with the promise of more to follow." Matthew started snickering, in spite of Katie's glare. "I'm sorry, Hanna, but you have to admit that this is funny." "I do not. Furthermore, snicker at me again and I'll send you to Miranda's room and the two of you can snicker together until you get it all out of your systems." "She sent Miranda to her room?" Matthew asked Tyler. "Well technically, Miranda left of her own accord after Katie growled at her." Matthew looked at Katie, then back at Tyler. "Have you been in to check on her?" "Not yet. I thought I'd better stay out here and protect Larry, Moe and Curly." "I think I can handle things, why don't you go in and check on her?" Tyler pulled Matthew aside. "Why don't you go in and check on her while I get dinner ready? You've been looking for a chance to get to know her, sharing the wrath of Katie is a good place to start." Matthew hesitated. "I don't know, Ty." "Go on, she's beginning to think you don't like her." "I like her," Matthew protested. "Well, she doesn't know that. Go talk to her. I'll come get you both when dinner's ready." "What do I say to her?" Tyler rolled his eyes. "For crying out loud, Matty, I'm sure you'll think of something." He watched Matthew walk to the bedroom door and take a deep breath before knocking. "There you go," Ty whispered. ============================= "Come in." Matthew poked his head inside the door. "It's just me. I hear Katie growled at you, too." "Did you laugh at her?" "'Fraid so," he admitted. "Never a good idea when she's in one of those moods." "She is a bit," she stopped for a moment, trying to find the right word. "She is a bit changeable, isn't she?" Matthew laughed and closed the door behind him. "Changeable? That's one way of putting it. Manic is our usual way of referring to her mood swings. She'll get over it." He sat down on the recliner. "You do know about the hat, don't you?" "Yeah, Ty warned me about the hat. I haven't seen it yet." Miranda looked down at the floor. "She hasn't done much writing since I've been here." "No, I guess she hasn't," Matthew said. He watched Miranda's shoulders sag. "You don't think that's your fault, do you?" She didn't answer him. Matthew got out of the chair, walked over to the bed and knelt on floor beside her. "Hey, if she's not writing it's because she hasn't felt the need to put anything down. When the mood hits, no one can pull her away from her computer, not even Alex." Miranda looked at him. "Really?" He smiled. "Really." He got up and sat down beside her. "Listen, do you want to come stay with me and Ty this weekend?" "Is Katie really that annoyed with me?" "No, that's not what I meant. I just thought that with Mulder and Scully here, this might be a good time for us to hang out. I'm off for the whole weekend and I'm pretty sure Ty's planning on taking the weekend off, too. It was just a thought, you don't have to, if you don't want to." "Ty put you up to this, didn't he?" "No. I mean, he sent me in here to talk to you, but this is my idea; he doesn't know anything about it. We could see a movie, go skating, I don't know." "You skate, Matthew?" "Fastest thing on blades," Matthew said with a grin. "And Ty really didn't put you up to this?" "I promise, this whole thing will be a complete surprise to him." "In that case, I accept. I'd love to spend the weekend with the two of you," she said. "Wanna help me pack?" "Sure." Matthew walked over to the closet. "Will we be needing the steamer trunk or just a large suitcase," he teased. Miranda chuckled. "Toss me my backpack, smartass. As long as we aren't going to do anything requires me to wear something other than jeans, I'll be able to take everything I need in that." "Bullshit." "Just watch me." Tyler thought about knocking on the door, but changed his mind and slowly opened it instead. He watched as Miranda tightly rolled up a shirt and put it in her backpack. "I leave you two alone for fifteen minutes and you're running away from home?" "Actually, Miranda is going to spend the weekend with us," Matthew said. "If that's all right with you," Miranda added. "Matthew just sprung it on me." "Of course it's all right with me. It's great, but I'm not sure Katie's going to be thrilled with the idea." "Why?" "KatieGuilt," Matthew answered. "She's going to think that you're leaving because she yelled at you." "But that's not why I want to go," Miranda protested. "I know that and you know that," said Matthew, "but Katie may not see it that way." "So, who gets to tell her?" asked Tyler. Matthew looked at Tyler, then at Miranda. Miranda looked back at him, then over at Tyler. Out in the other room, they heard Mulder laugh and the three of them smiled. "Think he'll do it?" Miranda asked. "I think he's our best shot," Matthew said. "If Mulder runs interference, I think we'll be able to bypass the whole guilt trip thing." Tyler looked out into the room at Alex. "Just don't let him hear you say that." "Tyler. Are we eating or what?" Katie yelled. "Oh, right. I was supposed to tell you that dinner's ready." Tyler looked back at Katie. "We're coming, we're coming. Geez, I thought you weren't hungry." Katie walked over and grabbed his arm. "Well, I am now." She glared at Matthew and Miranda. "Are you two done laughing at me?" They nodded in unison. "Good, but I'm warning you, one stray snicker and you're both going to get it." "No stray snickers here, Hanna. How about you Miranda, any strays your way?" "Uh, uh, none here," Miranda said, shaking her head. "All right then, let's go eat," Katie said. They all went into the kitchen and grabbed plates. Tyler had decided to just put everything out buffet-style and let the gang have at it. Miranda made a point of sidling up to Mulder. "Are you all right?" Mulder asked her. "Yeah, I'm fine," she answered. "Mulder, would you consider doing me a favor?" "Depends." Katie looked over at them. Miranda smiled and tugged at Mulder's sleeve. "Out of Katie's earshot, OK?" Mulder nodded and when he'd finished serving himself, followed Miranda to the table. "What is it?" "I want to get out of here and spend the weekend with Ty and Matthew," she whispered. "Ordinarily, Katie wouldn't have a problem with that, but Matthew is afraid if I ask now, she's going to think I want to go because she snapped at me." "Is that the reason?" "No, of course not." Mulder took a bite. "Then what is the reason?" "Reasons," she corrected. "First, I'd like to get know Matthew. This is the first time he's taken any interest in spending time with me and I'd really like to take advantage of that." Mulder nodded. "That sounds reasonable. What's the other reason?" Miranda took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "You are." "Me?" "Yeah. I know you have things to discuss with Katie and Alex, things you don't want me to know about. I've noticed the way the conversation stops or seems to change direction, the minute I walk into the room," she said. "It's all right, I don't feel slighted or anything, I just think that the four of you need some time without the kid around, so you can talk about whatever it is you need to talk about." "We like having you around, Miranda," Mulder said. "But you're right, there are things we need to talk about and I'd rather you weren't a part of those discussions." "So you'll help me out?" "When do you want to go?" "Right after dinner, I guess." Tyler sat down next to her. "So, is he in?" "He's in," Mulder said. "Why me? Why not ask Alex?" "If we get Alex to do it, Katie will still feel guilty," Tyler explained. "She's going to think that he's covering for Miranda and she'll talk herself into believing that she's scared the poor girl away. I was thinking that maybe you could tell Katie that you asked the three of us to take a hike for the weekend, so that you'd have the chance to talk freely." "Tyler! I'm not going to ask him to set himself up to take crap from Katie on my account," Miranda argued. "No, he's right. If I put it that way, all of the blame rests on me and Katie won't spend the weekend feeling like a jerk." "But, Mulder…" Mulder put his arm around her shoulder. "Trust me, she won't get mad and if she does, she'll get over it once she realizes that it's in your best interest not to be here." Matthew sat down beside Mulder. "Everything taken care of?" "Yeah, everything's set," Tyler answered. "We'll take off after dinner." Dana took her place on the other side of Matthew. "Do I want to know what the four of you are talking about?" Mulder saw Alex and Katie making their way to the table. "Later," he whispered. Katie sat down beside Scully, while Alex pulled up the last seat and made a place next to Katie. "Is this enough to start with, Dana?" Scully sighed. "Yes, Katie, that's a good start." "So, what are we talking about?" Katie asked. "Weekend plans," Mulder answered. "Care to share?" "Actually, Matthew promised to take me roller blading tomorrow," Miranda said. "He did? Boy, that's something we haven't done in a long time." "Sorry, Hanna, no blading until after you've had this baby," Matthew said. "I knew you were going to say that," Katie chuckled. "My blades are in the garage, Miranda. You can borrow them, if you want." "Thanks. I left mine at home." "So, are you two going to pick her up or should I hand over the car keys now?" Tyler shifted in his seat. "Well, we thought we'd just take her with us tonight and not have to worry about it." Katie looked at Tyler, then at Miranda. "If this is about earlier, I'm sorry, sweetheart. I overreacted. I don't want you to feel like you have to get out of the house." Mulder reached across the table and patted Katie's arm. "She's not leaving because of you," he said. "She's leaving because of me. I asked them to give us some time alone." "Mulder, you had no right to ask her to leave!" "Yes he did, Katie," Miranda said. "I'm not stupid. I know you have things to work out. You'll be able to do it a lot easier if you don't have to worry about me. Besides, this will give me and Matthew some time to hang out together." "So, this isn't about earlier?" Miranda shook her head. "And you two are OK with this?" she asked Tyler and Matthew. Tyler smiled. "I've been looking for an excuse to get the two of them together. This seems like as good a time as any. What do you say, Katie, can Mira come and play with us this weekend? Please, please, please." "Yeah, Hanna, please?" "What do you say, Katie, can I go?" Miranda asked. Katie looked over at Alex, who simply shrugged and smiled. "Oh, all right," she sighed. "I can tell when I'm beat. Just bring her back in one piece." "Hanna, I'm a doctor. If she breaks I'll glue her back together, good as new," Matthew said, giving her a wink. ============================= "Enough, Mulder," Scully said. "We've been going over this since Miranda and the boys left two hours ago. Victor won't be back until the end of the week. We've already stored one pint of Katie's blood and Matthew's going to take another on Wednesday. We may need to supplement with additional amounts from other donors, depending on the extent of the damage to Miranda, but given the healing qualities, it may be enough to save her life." "I could use a change of subject, too," Alex added. Mulder nodded. "You're right; we've done everything we can, for now." He looked over at Katie. "So, what should we do to try and salvage the rest of the evening?" "I want ice cream," Katie answered. "Do we have any left?" Alex asked. "Yeah, but I don't want that. I want Oreo® ice cream." Mulder got to his feet. "Want anything while we're gone, Scully?" "Oreo® sounds good to me." Alex kissed Katie. "Anything else?" Katie smiled as he stood up and stretched the kinks out of his back. "No, just the ice cream." "OK." He turned to look at Mulder. "You know, Mulder, you don't have to go if you don't want to." Mulder shook his head and pushed the button to open the elevator door. He looked over at Katie. "Funny, but I would have expected that to come from you, Katie." Katie smiled. "Me, too. Who knows, maybe you can teach an old rat new tricks," she said with a wink. Alex smirked back at her as he and Mulder got on the elevator. "Mulder? Did I ever tell you about this really dirty dream Katie had involving Double Stuf Oreos®?" Katie's face turned crimson. "ALEX!! Don't you dare!" she yelled, as the elevator door closed. Scully grinned at Katie, eyebrow raised. "Double Stuf®?" Katie winced. "You're going to make me tell, aren't you?" "Oh, yeah," Scully said. "This is so embarrassing." " There's nothing to be embarrassed about. Erotic dreams are quite common during pregnancy." "That doesn't make it any less embarrassing, Dana." "Are you going to tell me about this dream or not?" Scully asked. Katie sighed. "Might as well. I'm sure Alex is telling Mulder as we speak. Just promise me that you won't laugh." "I'll try not to." "OK, Alex and I stayed up late one night watching a movie. One of the actors in this flick is someone I've had a thing for, for many years. Gorgeous man; piercing eyes, a voice that just washes over me like warm water on a cold day." Scully leaned in closer. "What's his name?" "Oh no, you're getting that out of me," Katie answered. "I have to have some secrets." "Fine, whatever. Go on." "In this movie, he picks up an Oreo ® and proceeds to twist off the top and eat the filling first. Now, I didn't say this out loud, but in my head I was thinking how much I wouldn't mind being that creamy filling right then." Katie looked over at Scully and saw that she her cheeks were turning pink. "You're blushing, Dana. Perhaps you're familiar with the feeling?" she teased. Scully smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Anyway, that night I had a dream about this scene, only instead of wishing I was the creamy filling, I became the creamy filling, so to speak." "There's nothing wrong with that," Scully said. "I'm not finished," Katie replied. "Sorry. Please continue." "Well, as you know, all sandwich-type cookies, by definition, have a top and a bottom encasing the filling, so…" "So?" "So, before I knew it, Alex was there completing the 'cookie'." "Oh!" "Yeah," Katie grinned. "Kind of gives a whole new meaning to the term 'double stuff', doesn't it?" Scully's cheeks were now bright red as she nodded in agreement. "It certainly does." She paused. "Do you really think that Alex would share this with Mulder?" Katie frowned. "You know, two weeks ago, I would have answered that with a resounding 'no way'. Now, I'm not so sure. We had a big fight about his jealousy problem where Mulder is concerned and I think he might just tell him as a way to prove that he's trying to get past it." "Does Alex have reason to be jealous?" "Dana! Are you asking me if I have designs on Mulder?" "No, but you two do have your moments and I can see how Alex might feel threatened," she answered. Katie's eyes widened. "Do you feel threatened by me? Because while I am quite fond of him, it's strictly as a friend; nothing more." "I know that. Just as know why Mulder's become so fond of you, so no, to answer your question, I do not feel threatened by you." "Why is Mulder fond of me?" "You remind him of Samantha." "His sister?" Scully nodded. "You're what he imagines she would have grown up to be like." "I didn't know," Katie said. "That's quite a compliment." "Yes, it is," Scully said. They sat quietly for a few minutes, before Scully spoke again. "The boys should be back soon." "Yeah, they should." She got up and went into the kitchen to get out bowls and spoons. She turned around and looked at Scully. "Dana? Do you think you could mention that Samantha thing to Alex sometime?" "Sure." "Thanks." Just then, Katie heard the backdoor open. "Alex?" "Yeah, baby, it's us," he replied. "Why are you coming in that way?" Alex put the ice cream down on the counter and kissed her. "Just giving Mulder the fifty cent tour of the place." Katie glanced over shoulder and saw Mulder talking to Scully. "So," she whispered, "do I have any secrets left?" Alex smiled. "Did you really think I'd tell him?" "I thought you might," Katie answered. "You know, to prove a point." "All right you two, quit whispering and hand over the ice cream," Mulder said. "Oh Katie, we stopped by the video store on the way back and picked up a movie." He reached into the bag in his hand, pulled out the box and handed it to her. "Alex said you were fond of this one." Katie took the box from Mulder and read the title. Her jaw dropped slightly and she threw Alex a sideways glance. Alex winked and grinned, then turned to serve the ice cream. "What?" Mulder asked. "Nothing, Mulder. Private joke. Yes, I'm very fond of this movie," Katie answered. "Dana? Have you seen this before?" she asked, holding the box up for Scully to see. Scully walked over and took the box from her hand. "No, I don't believe so." "Oh, good," Katie said. "I think you'll find it quite interesting." Alex put the ice cream away before joining them at the table. When they were done, he put the tape in the VCR, while the others found a spot on the couch. "Are you sure you didn't tell him anything?" Katie whispered. "Not a word," Alex whispered back. "But I couldn't resist teasing you just a little bit more." "Rat." Mulder reached over and smacked Katie on the leg. "Shhh, the movie's starting." Katie reached over and smacked him back. "No hitting." "Then be quiet," he said, smacking her again. She returned the hit. "You be quiet." "All right, children," Scully said, sternly. "Stop hitting each other or I'll turn off the movie." Katie and Mulder let out twin sighs and crossed their arms against their chests. "She's mean, 'Fox'." "I know, 'Sammie', but I love her anyway." Alex did a double take. He looked over at Scully, who simply smiled and shrugged her shoulders. Suddenly Alex felt better about a lot of things. He put his arm around his wife and pulled her close. "Can we watch the movie now?" Katie and Mulder exchanged glances and grinned at each other. "Yeah, I guess so, " Mulder grumbled. "Just keep hold of your woman, Alex." "No problem there, Mulder," Alex answered. Katie smiled at Scully and snuggled in against Alex's shoulder. Scully smiled back, then settled in against Mulder and began to watch the show. The four sat quietly, enjoying the movie. Alex's attention drifted from time to time, thinking about what he'd witnessed. It all made sense now. He felt relieved and somewhat embarrassed by all the time he'd wasted feeling jealous. Mulder's mind wandered as well. He hadn't intended to let Katie know how he felt in quite that way, but it had come naturally. A lot of things came naturally where she was concerned. Mulder looked over Alex, just as Alex was looking in his direction. He tipped his head at Katie and let the corners of his mouth turn upward ever so slightly. Alex nodded and gave him the same small smile in return. In that moment, a truce and a tentative bond of real friendship, was formed. Scully watched the movie intently, enjoying the story, oblivious to the momentous event that had just occurred inches from her. When the lead actor reached into the cookie jar and pulled out an Oreo®, she turned her head to look at Katie. Katie caught her eye and did her best to stifle a giggle. Scully tried as well, but failed miserably. Soon, both of them were giggling . "What is so funny you two?" Mulder asked. "It's a girl thing, Mulder," Scully answered. "You told, Scully?" Alex whispered. "She kinda dragged it out of me," Katie whispered back. "Why is it I always feel like I'm missing out on something?" Mulder asked. Katie patted Mulder on the leg. "Don't worry, Fox, Dana will explain it to you later." Scully felt her cheeks start to flush. "I will?" "Yes, you will. You might be surprised at the results," Katie said, wiggling her eyebrows. "So this is a good thing?" Mulder asked. "Yeah, Mulder, it's a good thing," Alex chuckled. "Now shut up and watch the rest of the movie." "I can't believe I let the two of you talk me into going blading at night," Matthew grumbled. "Of all the stupid things…" "Oh, for crying out loud, Matthew, will you please shut up!" Tyler snapped. "It's just a broken wrist." Matthew paced back and forth in the emergency room waiting area. "I know it's just a broken wrist, but I promised Katie we'd be careful and what happens? Inside of two hours we managed to break Miranda! She's going to have a fit when she sees this." Tyler shook his head. "And he wonders why they made him stay out here," he said to no one in particular. "Stop pacing, they're bringing her out now." "Here you go, Mr. MacCreedy. She's going to be in some pain for a while, but your niece will be just fine. We've given her a shot to get her through the next few hours and here's a prescription for something to help with pain later on." The nurse turned to Matthew. "I understand that Ms. Jenkins is staying with the two of you for the weekend?" Matthew nodded. "Then I guess we can dispense with the usual 'things to watch out for' lecture," she said. "I think I can handle it from here," Matthew said. "All right then, you're free to take her home. Take care, Miranda." Miranda yawned. "Thanks, Karen." "Yeah, thanks, Karen," Matthew added. Karen smiled and waved them off. "Just doing my job, Dr. Curry." Tyler knelt beside the wheelchair. "How are you feeling, Mira?" "Hurts, but I'm all right. I dunno what they gave me in there, but I feel kinda spacy. Can we go home now?" Matthew reached over and pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Sure thing. You two stay here, I'll go get the car and bring it around front." Miranda started to protest, but Matthew was out the door before the words had a chance to fully form. "He's gonna hover all weekend, isn't he?" "'Fraid so, sweetheart." "Oh great! Let me guess, he thinks this," she said, lifting her right wrist, "is all his fault, right?" "Yeah, and he's worried about having to face the wrath of Katie for breaking you." Matthew rushed inside. "OK, car's out front." Miranda stood up, almost losing her balance as she let go of the chair. Tyler caught her, put his arm around her waist. "Easy, Mira. There's no hurry." "Did you tell her I was your niece?" Miranda asked. "Well, I had to tell her we were related, otherwise we would have had to call Katie. It only worked because Matthew backed me up. You're lucky he's on staff here," Tyler said, as he guided her through the open door. "OK, I wondered why she kept calling you my uncle." Matthew opened the car door and stepped out of the way, allowing Tyler to help her in. "He was going to say that you were his daughter, but I made him change it to uncle," Matthew added. "I didn't want to have to answer any questions about that in the staff lounge." Miranda giggled. "You'd have a lot of 'splainin' to do, wouldn't you Matthew?" Tyler secured the seat belt for her. "All right, Lucy. Sit still. We'll have you home in no time," he said, before closing the car door. He looked at Matthew. "She's wasted." "Some people just can't hold their Demerol," Matthew quipped. "So, what's the plan?" Matthew moved to the driver's side and opened the door. "I say we get her home and settled in front of a movie, then figure it out once she's gone to sleep." "Then we're not going to call Katie?" "Not tonight. We'll tell her when we take Miranda back on Sunday." Tyler opened his door and got in. "She's going to be pissed that you kept this from her." Matthew closed the door and put the key in the ignition. "Yeah, but there isn't anything she can do right now anyway and I'd rather not interrupt their weekend. She'll get over it." Miranda leaned forward between the seats. "I won't let 'er yell at you, Matthew. It's not your fault I fell down. Stupid pothole's not sposed to be there in the middle of the sidewalk." "Yeah, Mattie, stupid pothole's not sposed to be there," Tyler chuckled. Matthew rolled his eyes. "Thanks guys, I'm sure that will make Katie feel much better. Now you," he said to Miranda, "sit back; we'll be home soon." He looked at Tyler. "And you…" "What about me?" "I'll deal with you later." Tyler grinned. "I was hoping you'd say that." ============================= Matthew woke up and reached for Tyler, but found only cool sheets instead. He opened his eyes, looked at the clock, then got up. "Ty?" he whispered, as he walked out of the bedroom, rubbing his eyes. "Over here." Tyler was standing in the doorway of the guest bedroom, looking in. "What's wrong?" Matthew asked. "She woke up crying a little while ago. I think she must have hit her hand on the headboard." "Is she all right? Did you give her the pain med?" Tyler nodded. "She's fine. I gave her a pill and sat with her until she fell asleep again. How come you're up?" "I woke up and you weren't there." "Oh. Sorry." "Coming in?" "Soon." Tyler kept his eyes on Miranda. "She's so small, Matthew. I just want to protect her from everything, you know?" Matthew put his arm around Tyler. "Kids have a way of doing that," he said. "Do you ever think about it?" "Having kids?" "Yeah." "Sometimes," Matthew admitted. "We're so busy with our jobs, though, that it was never more than a passing thought." Tyler sighed. "I know, me too. Seems like this is a conversation we should have had somewhere along the line." "Probably." "Come on, let's go back to bed," Tyler said. "Ty, if you want to talk about this, I'm here." Tyler smiled. "No, not tonight. Before too long, we'll have our hands full helping Katie and Alex with their new baby. I'm just tired and hearing Mira cry, I don't know, I guess it triggered something." Matthew followed Tyler into the bedroom. "You know, since you're having this sudden burst of parental responsibility, maybe you should call Katie in the morning and explain what happened." Tyler yawned as he crawled into bed and pulled the blanket up over his body. "OK, no problem." "I was kidding," Matthew said, as he pulled the blanket up. "I know, but I'll do it anyway," Tyler said, just before he fell asleep. ============================= Katie wandered out to the kitchen and was surprised to find Mulder already awake and sipping coffee from a Styrofoam cup. "You're up early." "I don't sleep much," he said. "Scully and Alex still asleep?" "Alex is. I assume Dana is as well." She took note of the cup. "You could have made some here." "That's all right. I know how much you hate the smell of brewing coffee. Besides, I wanted to get you something this morning." Mulder grinned and reached for the bag on the counter. "Here." She took the bag and turned bright red when she saw what was inside. "Ah, geez!" "What? I thought you liked them," he said, trying to look innocent. "Well, yeah, but…geez!" She pulled out the bag of Double Stuf Oreos® and put them on the table. "Kind of hard to look at them with a straight face now." "No kidding. Try buying them with that picture in your head. I never realized the erotic qualities of the Oreo®. Who knew you had such a dirty mind?" "Me? Look who's talking! I've seen your collection of videos, remember, sweetheart?" Mulder chuckled. "Must run in the family." Katie smiled and plucked the cup out of his hand. She placed it on the counter and wrapped her arms around him. "Thanks, Fox." Mulder hugged her back. "For what?" "For taking me into your family; for calling me Sammie. That meant a lot to me, you know." Katie pulled back and looked at him. "Do I really remind you of her?" Mulder nodded. "You fight a lot like she did and you don't take crap from anyone." "Tell me about her." "What do you want to know?" "Everything. Anything you want to share," she said, as she walked over to the couch and sat down. "Come on." Mulder picked up his cup and followed her over. "Everything?" "Whatever you're comfortable with." Mulder sat down on the opposite end of the couch, so Katie stretched out and rested her feet in his lap. He chuckled and squeezed one of her feet. "Contact?" Katie smiled and shrugged. "I should think you'd be used to it by now." "I am." He let his head fall against the back of the couch. "Sammie used to hold on to me, usually when our parents started fighting." "They did that a lot, didn't they?" "Yeah." Scully came out of the bedroom and saw Mulder and Katie on the couch engrossed in conversation. She moved quietly around them, hoping they wouldn't notice she was there. Alex came out of the bathroom just as she entered the kitchen. "Morning," Alex said. "Morning. How long have they been out there?" Scully asked. "Don't know. I just woke up a few minutes ago. I don't think they realize that we're up." "I don't think so either. What are they talking about?" "I don't know. Didn't anyone ever tell you it's not nice to eavesdrop, Scully?" Scully crossed her arms and stared at him. "Do you have any idea how utterly ridiculous that statement sounds, coming from your mouth, Alex?" Alex pouted and looked down at the floor. "OK, they're talking about Mulder's sister. Happy now?" Scully snickered. "Good to know that some things never change." The phone rang, just as he was about to deliver his not-so-nice response to her observation. "Saved by the bell, Scully," he muttered as he reached for the phone. "Hello. Morning, Ty; what's up? Uh huh. She did what? Is she all right? Good. Yeah, she's here, hang on." Alex carried the phone over to Katie. "Sorry to interrupt. Ty needs to talk to you," he said, handing her the receiver. Katie took the receiver from his hands, blowing him a kiss as she did. "What's up, sweetie? Uh huh. You guys went blading at night? What were you thinking?" She sighed and shook her head. "Is she all right? You're sure? You know, you guys promised you wouldn't break her. I can't believe I'm going to have to tell Victor we damaged his kid. Can I talk to her? Oh, all right. Have her give me a call later on, if she's up to it. No, I'm not mad. Tell that big coward standing next to you that I'm not going to yell at him." Katie laughed. "All right. Give us a call if you need anything. Talk to you later, Ty." Katie hung up, then put the phone on the couch next to her. "What's wrong?" Mulder asked. "Miranda broke her wrist roller blading last night." "Ouch." "Ouch?" "What do you want me to say? You're not racing for the door, so I'm going to assume that she's all right. A broken wrist hurts, but it's not life threatening. She'll be fine. You can't get upset over every little bump and bruise." "I'm not upset and you're right, 'ouch' pretty much sums it up. Kids fall down and get hurt all the time; I'm going to have to get used to that, aren't I?" "With Alex as his father and Mulder as his uncle, you'd better make friends with the emergency room staff," Scully added. "Hey," said Alex and Mulder, in unison. Scully stared at both of them, trying hard to hold back a grin. "How many times have the two of you been in the hospital over the last eight years?" "He's been in more hospitals than I have," Alex protested. "And how many times have you been injured and not given proper medical treatment, Alex?" Alex's right hand subconsciously reached for his left arm. He rubbed it idly for a minute, before realizing what he was doing. "Point taken," he conceded. "Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," Scully said. "No, you're right. I'm fine." He knelt beside Katie and put his head down on her stomach. "I won't let anything hurt him." "I know you won't," Katie said. "But we can't protect him from everything and the sooner we realize this, the easier it will be for both of us." Katie stroked Alex's hair for a few minutes, then patted him on the head. "OK, get up. It's too quiet in here and I don't know about the rest of you, but I could use some breakfast." "Sounds good to me," Scully said. Mulder pushed Katie's feet off his lap. "Want an Oreo ®, Sammie?" Katie blushed and threw the small corner couch pillow at him. "Shut up, Fox." ============================= Victor paced the floor in his office. Everything he'd come to do was done, giving him too much time to think about the information he'd received from Mulder about Nature's Best. The more he read, the more he realized the precarious position he'd put himself in. If everything in the files was true, and he had little reason to think otherwise, then his days were numbered. He sat down and thought about Miranda. The power of attorney he'd left for Katie and Alex was open-ended, but that wouldn't be enough. His most recent will provided for her future, but it also stated that she would be sent to live with her mother. At sixteen, she was now more than capable of making the decision as to where she wanted to live and he knew that Adriana would be her last choice. Knowing that he had little chance of actually getting to his lawyer in time, Victor began to draft an addendum to his existing will. Katie and Alex had so easily taken on temporary responsibility for his daughter and he hoped that they would be as willing to accept a more permanent arrangement. Ultimately, he wanted the decision to rest with Miranda, but he wanted his choice for guardianship on record in a legal document. The wishes of a sixteen year-old, coupled with the wishes of her custodial parent, would carry more weight in a court, should her mother decide to fight for custody. "Yeah, like that will happen," Victor scoffed. Once the document was completed, he asked one of the secretaries to sign as a witness, then sent it to his lawyer via International Express. He packed up what little he had left in his office, then closed the door for the last time. ============================= "How's the wrist?" Katie asked Miranda. "Are you going to ask me that every morning?" Katie grinned. "Probably." "Six days later, it still hurts," Miranda answered. "Not as bad as it did on Saturday, but enough to be annoying." "Looking forward to your last day of work?" Miranda shrugged. "Yes and no. I mean, I'm excited about my dad coming home, but I'm going to miss being here with all of you." Katie hugged her. "You have a home with us, any time you want one. I want you to remember that. We'll always be here for you." "You say that now," Miranda laughed. "Just wait until that baby comes though. The last thing you're going to want in this loft is another kid." "Don't even joke about that," Katie said, her eyes welling up. "We love you very much. No matter how many babies Alex and I bring into this world, you will always be loved and welcome in our home and in our life. If you ever need us, for anything, we'll be there for you." "Katie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." Miranda said. "Are you all right?" Katie nodded and wiped her eyes. "I'm fine. Hormones, that's all." "Do you want me to wait until Alex gets back before I go to work?" "No sweetheart, I'm fine. He won't be gone much longer and I'm not about to make you late on your last day. Now, get out of here." "OK, I'm going." Miranda walked to the elevator door, then turned around. "I love you, too, Katie." After the door closed, Katie curled up on the couch and started to cry. A few minutes later, Alex came home. "I just got the most interesting goodbye from Miranda," he exclaimed. "She gave me a big hug and told me that she loved me. What was that all about?" He looked around the room, not seeing Katie. "Katie?" "Over here." He walked over to the couch and saw her lying down, wiping her eyes. "What's wrong?" Katie recounted her conversation with Miranda for him. Alex put his arm around her and held her close. "It's all right, sweetheart. We'll get her through it." ============================= "Are you sure you don't want to stay with us tonight?" Miranda asked. "No sweetheart. We'll stay at our place. After being on a plane for seventeen hours, I'm sure that making small talk with us is the last Victor's going to want to do. You take him home, give him a few days to recover from the jet lag, then we'll get together and officially celebrate his homecoming," Alex answered. "What time is it?" Katie smiled and checked her watch again. "About ten minutes later than the last time you asked. We still have about forty-five minutes before he lands. Why don't we go for a walk and see what new shops have opened since the last time we were here?" "I did see a sale sign in the window at the Discovery Store," Miranda said. "I suppose we could kill a few minutes in there." The three walked down the concourse until they came to the store. Once inside, Katie and Miranda began looking at the assortment of books and videos. Alex strolled over to the toys. A short time later, he returned carrying a bag. "What did you find?" Katie asked. Alex handed her the bag. "It's not for you," he said. "It's for the baby." Katie reached inside and pulled out a plush Siberian tiger cub. "It's beautiful, Alexei. Much more fitting than a teddy bear." "I thought so. Finding anything interesting over here, Miranda?" "No, not really," she answered. "I guess I'm not in the browsing mood." "Well, we still have another half hour. Why don't we go grab something to eat? I don't know about you, but those cinnamon buns smell especially good." "Some of the best in the area," Miranda added. "I'm game. How about you, Katie?" "Sure, I'm supposed to put on three pounds a week, as per Dana's orders and I haven't gained an ounce this week; maybe this will help." After filling up on cinnamon buns and milk, they headed back over to the gate to wait for Victor's plane to arrive. Katie watched as Miranda paced in front of the large window looking over the tarmac. "Are you all right?" Alex whispered. "I'm fine," she answered. "I just wish…" "I know, me too." Alex put his arm around her shoulder. "How soon?" "I don't know yet. Maybe I'll feel it when I see him; then again, maybe I won't. It's a crapshoot, Alexei, but if I had to make a guess, I'd say soon. No more than a week." Miranda turned to them, a big smile on her face. "Look, there it is!" When the passengers began to disembark, Miranda stood by the door peering down the gangway. Victor emerged early on, but Katie and Alex waited a few minutes before joining in on the welcome party. "Welcome home, Victor," Katie said, giving him a hug. "How was the flight?" "Not bad. We hit a few bad patches of weather here and there, but overall, it was a good flight." Alex reached out and shook his hand. "We're glad you made it back safely." "Yes, we are," Miranda added. "Let's go get your luggage so we can go home." Victor handed her the luggage tags. "Go ahead, we'll catch up in a minute. I want to talk to Alex." "Ok, c'mon Katie." Victor and Alex watched them make their way down the concourse, not talking until they were sure that Miranda was out of earshot. "You know what was in those reports, don't you?" Victor asked. "I've known about Nature's Best for a long time," Alex answered. He paused, then started again. "We could try hiding you and Miranda to keep you safe, but the truth is, it goes too deep. We may be putting you in even more danger by trying to help." Victor shook his head. "I'm not running anywhere. I know they're going to come after me sooner or later and I refuse to act like a fugitive. There is something you can do for me, however." "Miranda?" "I know this is a lot to ask of you and Katie…" "We've already talked about it. If the need should arise, we'll be there for her." "I sent an addendum to my will, to my lawyer. It states that I wish for you and Katie to be her legal guardians. This might infuriate Adriana, but we both know that she has no real interest in Miranda." Alex nodded. "She doesn't talk about her mother much, at least not to us, but from what Tyler's said, there's no love lost between the two of them." "He's been a good friend to my daughter," Victor said. "Miranda is quite fond of him." "Ty would say that she's been a good friend to him as well. They're very close." "So I've gathered from her emails." Victor looked at the floor. "I don't want this come out wrong, but is he… I mean, she tells me that he's our age and it seems a little odd that they're as close as they are." "Victor, there isn't another person in the world I'd trust more to take care of Miranda. I understand your concern about the age difference and probably about the sexual orientation as well, but Tyler's one of the most caring individuals I know. I wouldn't presume to try to explain their friendship, but I can tell you with all certainty, that there isn't anything he wouldn't do for her." Victor let out a breath. "Good. I hope I have the chance to get to know him." "Me, too." They began walking to catch up with Katie and Miranda. "You know, Victor, there's a chance that they'll let it go." Victor stopped and stared at Alex. "Do you believe that?" Alex frowned and looked at the floor. "No." "I didn't think so." ============================= Katie and Alex waved goodbye as Miranda pulled the car out of the parking space. When they were out of sight, Alex took her hand and led her to their car. "He's giving us guardianship of Miranda," Alex said quietly. "Is that what he wanted to talk to you about? Alex nodded. "He knows he's in danger; I didn't deny it." Katie stopped in her tracks. "You didn't tell him what I've been seeing, did you?" "No, of course not, but I wasn't about to insult the man's intelligence by denying the danger he's in. I told him that we'd already talked about taking care of Miranda, should something happen, and that we'd be more than willing to make sure she's provided for. He's already made an addendum to his will in case Adriana decides to put up a fight." "Does he think that she will?" "I don't know. He didn't say." Katie squeezed his hand. "C'mon, let's get going. I want a chance to shower and change before the game tonight." "Want to grab something to eat before the game or are we eating at the stadium?" Alex asked. "A little of both. I'm hungry now, but there's no way I'm turning down stadium hot dogs and nachos," she said with a grin. "Besides, Dana's going to be back on Friday and if I don't gain some weight between now and then, she's going to have a fit." ============================= Katie closed her eyes and stepped on the scale. "Well?" "Four pounds," Scully answered. "You did it, Katie." "Thank goodness," she said, as she stepped down. "I've been sweating this all week." "It's a good start, but you're still underweight, so don't slack off now," Scully warned. "What else is wrong? You look awful." "I haven't slept the last few nights." Scully crossed her arms and frowned. "And why not?" "Victor and Miranda are coming down this evening," she said. "Matthew's going to need your help Sunday night." "Are you sure?" "Yeah. Look, I want you take one last pint of blood, just to be sure we have enough." Scully dropped her arms to her side. "Katie, we've already pushed the limits with this. We've taken twice as much from you than is advisable under any set of circumstances." "And we've been able to do that because of my regenerative capabilities, Dana. You and I both know that I'm the exception to almost every rule right now," she argued. "Please, just one more? It's important." "Katie…" "Please, Dana?" "One more," Scully sighed. "But this is it, Katie. You're done, no matter what." "I promise. Now call Matthew; he has everything ready, but he wasn't about to do anything until you gave us the go ahead." ============================= Miranda looked over at her father, Mulder, Katie and Alex. "What do you suppose they're talking about, Ty" "Probably comparing notes between what you told Victor and what really happened while he was gone," Tyler teased. She slapped his arm and laughed. "Oh yeah, all my cheap, tawdry secrets are about to be revealed, just in time for the drive home. Wonderful." "You Jezebel, you," Tyler snickered. "No, seriously. Is everything all right? Katie and Alex seem a little quiet and even Matthew and Scully seem distracted." "I don't know, Mira. They've been like that since I got home Friday evening. I do know that Katie hasn't been sleeping well since about Wednesday. Matty says she's having nightmares, but I can't help thinking there's something he's leaving out." "You don't think there's something wrong with the baby, do you?" Tyler shook his head. "No, if that was the case, I'd know about it. Until they tell me otherwise, I'm just going to assume they're just concerned about her lack of sleep and leave it at that." "You about ready to go, sweetheart?" Victor asked. Miranda sighed. "Is it that time already?" "I'm afraid so." "OK, let me go grab our things." Miranda went into the bedroom to get her backpack and Victor's duffel bag. Tyler followed, taking the bags from her. "They're not heavy, Ty." "I know, allow me my moment of chivalry, will you? I don't get to exercise that muscle very often. Besides, you don't need to be putting any stress on that wrist." By the time they left the bedroom, everyone was waiting in front of the elevator door. All climbed in and rode down to the garage in silence; no one spoke until they were standing in front of Victor's car. "So, we're on for the game next Wednesday?" Katie asked. "Wouldn't miss it," Victor answered. Miranda opened the doors and Tyler tossed the bags into the back seat. Before getting in, she hugged everyone goodbye, saving Tyler for last. "I love you, Ty," she whispered. "I love you, too." He pulled back and smiled at her. "Chat tomorrow night?" Miranda nodded. "Of course, don't we always chat on Mondays?" "Just checking. Now get in and buckle up." Miranda sat down and secured her seatbelt. Victor did the same. Katie opened the garage door while Victor started the car. "Drive safely," she called out to him. "We will," he answered. "See you later and thanks for everything." Alex went over to Katie and pulled her into his arms. "How are you doing?" "Not good," she whispered, as she watched the car drive away. Tyler walked over to the rest of the group. "All right, will one of you please tell me what's going on here? I know something's wrong and I don't appreciate being left out of the loop." Mulder looked at Tyler, then at Matthew. "He needs to know, Matthew." "I know." Matthew turned to face Tyler. "We didn't want to upset you while Miranda was here." "Scully, I've got to go," Mulder said. She nodded. "I know. Be careful." "Where's he going?" Tyler asked, as Mulder got into his car. "Someone had better start telling me what the hell is going on!" "It's not good, Ty," Scully said. "What's not good? Is something wrong with Katie?" "No, Victor and Miranda," Matthew answered. He began to explain everything that had been going on in the last few weeks, with Scully stepping in from time to time to fill in anything Matthew left out. "You mean to tell me that you're all sure this is really going to happen and you still let them drive out of here!" Tyler yelled. "Are you out of your fucking minds!" "We tried to talk him into staying," Matthew explained, "but Victor wouldn't listen." Scully put her hand on Tyler's shoulder. "We tried to convince him to go into hiding. Mulder even had the Gunmen working on new identities for them. Victor refused." "I don't care, you should have done something!" "We are doing something, Ty; that's where Mulder went. He's following them now and if we get lucky, he'll be able to stop the accident from happening," Scully said. "And if he can't?" Tyler asked. Scully squeezed his shoulder, then dropped her hand. "Then he'll be there to call for an ambulance." Tyler stared at them, struggling to maintain some control and losing it rapidly. "And that's it? That's all we can do?" "What else would you suggest?" Matthew asked. Scully glanced at Katie and walked over to her while Matthew tried to calm Tyler. "She looks awfully pale, Alex; let's get her upstairs." Alex had no sooner begun walking her to the elevator, than dizziness overtook her and she almost tumbled to the ground. Scully grabbed one arm and helped Alex until he could support her on his own again. "Matthew," she yelled. Matthew ran to her side. "Hanna? Can you hear me?" "Kid. Go now," she stammered. "Are you sure?" "Yes. Take Dana and go." "I can't leave you like this," he protested. "We'll be right behind you. Alex, make them go now." Alex put his hand on Matthew's arm. "Go on. I'll take care of her." Matthew looked from Alex to Scully and back again. Both sent him the same message. He looked at Tyler and his heart nearly broke. "Ty." "Go help her, Matty." Matthew let go of Katie. "Don't wait too long," he said. "We won't be more than ten minutes behind you," Alex replied. Scully started the car and called to Matthew to hurry up. "No more than ten minutes," Matthew repeated. "I promise. Now get out of here," Alex said. Matthew ran to the car and got in. Scully pulled out as soon as his door was closed. "Tyler, we need all the paperwork," Alex said. Tyler looked at him, confused. "What paperwork?" "Power of attorney, Victor's will, that paperwork. I need you to go upstairs and get it for me before we go," he explained. "Where is it?" "Top drawer of the end table, right side of the bed. Everything's in a manila envelope." "Anything else while I'm up there?" Alex looked at Katie. "Yeah, get her a jacket or something; she's shivering." Mulder didn't waste any time catching up with Victor's car. He stayed a discreet distance back, not wanting Victor or anyone else to know what he was doing. He scanned the cars on the road with them, trying to see anything out of the ordinary. "Where are you, you bastards," he mumbled. A white sedan cut Victor off, causing him to have to hit his brakes. Mulder sped up to get the tag number, but instead of doing what Mulder expected, the driver zipped off down the road, oblivious to the accident he'd almost caused. Mulder backed off again, cursing under his breath. Another mile went by without incident, then, he saw a flash and heard an explosion. Victor's car swerved and spun off the road. The car skidded, the driver's side scraping the rock wall bordering the road, until it fell into a small ditch and stopped. "What the hell?" Mulder pulled off the road and placed the 911 call as he was getting out of the car. "I need an ambulance. There's a car off the road on US 219 south, about two miles from the ramp off 30," Mulder said. "I think there was some kind of explosion before they left the road. I'm on my way over there now. Look, this is Agent Fox Mulder with the FBI, I know the dangers involved, just get a goddamned ambulance over here now!" He shoved the cell phone in his pocket and ran the rest of the way to the car. Miranda wasn't moving and Victor, or rather what was left of him, was slumped over the steering wheel. Mulder could smell the gasoline leaking from the tank and fearing a second explosion, he reached for the door on Miranda's side and pulled it open. He picked her up and moved her away from the car. Within minutes, he heard the sirens. "Hang on, Miranda," he said. ============================= "You take her," Scully said, as the gurneys were brought into the emergency room. "I'll see what I can do for Victor." "She's not breathing on her own," yelled the paramedic. "Help me get her into the OR," Matthew said, grabbing hold of the gurney. The second paramedic shook his head at Scully as he wheeled the second gurney into an examining bay. She pulled the curtains around them. "He's in pieces," the paramedic said. "It's like a bomb went off in his face." Scully took a deep breath, then pulled back the sheet. Her head dropped and she covered Victor back up. "Would you have someone take him down to the morgue?" The paramedic nodded. "I'll take him down myself." Scully pulled back the curtain and spotted Mulder coming in the door. "Scully, I don't know what happened," he started. "Later, Mulder. Go see if Alex is here. I have to find Matthew." She grabbed an orderly. "Where's Dr. Curry?" "OR 3," he replied. "Down the hall and to your left." ============================= Alex pulled into the parking lot and saw the ambulance pulling away from the emergency room entrance. "Looks like they're already here," he said. He opened Katie's door and helped her out. Tyler got out of the car and stood by the door. He wanted to run inside, but he was afraid of what he might find. "Ty," Alex said. "I'm going in first. Take care of getting her inside, all right?" Tyler nodded and put his arm around Katie's waist. "I've got her; go on." He looked toward the hospital entrance. "Is that Mulder?" "Yeah, I think so," Alex answered. Tyler watched Alex run over to the man, stop for a moment, then continue on into the hospital. As the man got closer, Ty saw that it was indeed, Mulder. "How bad is it?" he asked. "Victor's gone," Mulder answered. "What about Miranda?" "She's in surgery now." Katie's knees buckled and Mulder grabbed her arm to help Tyler support her. "So dizzy," she mumbled. Mulder picked her up. "Tyler, get the doors. Hold on, Sammie. If you pass out on me, I swear I'll have them admit you." Katie's head snapped up. "No, no, I'm all right, just dizzy. Put me down, I can walk." "Not until we get inside," Mulder said. "It'll be faster if I carry you." Once inside, Mulder let her walk on her own. They scanned the room until they saw Alex at the nurse's station. "We are his next of kin," Alex explained to the nurse. "There is an ex-wife, but as far as any other family goes, we're it." He pulled out the paperwork and showed her the power of attorney for Miranda as well as the copy of the will Victor had given them the day before. The nurse examined the papers, then handed them back to Alex. "Mr. Jenkins has been taken down to the morgue," she said. "Dr. Scully has already identified the body and to be honest, it would be in your best interest to trust her on this. He was badly mangled in the accident; it's not the way you need to remember him." Katie touched his hand. "Alexei?" "He's gone, Katya." "I know. What about Miranda?" "Dana and Matthew are in the operating room with her now." "Why don't you go into the waiting room. I'll let the doctors know where you are," the nurse said. ============================= The OR nurse looked up at Matthew. "She's lost a lot of blood, Dr. Curry. I'm getting her typed now." "No need, we have blood for her," he answered. She looked at him, puzzled by his statement. "Request of the next of kin. Call the blood bank and tell them to send up the three units marked Krycek, from holding container two." The nurse hurried over to the phone and called in the request. "Quick thinking, Dr. Curry," Scully whispered. "Thanks. It was the first thing that popped into my head. Think she bought it?" "She made the call." ============================= Tyler paced the floor in the waiting room. "It's been four hours. Why hasn't anyone been out to tell us something?" "I'm sure they're doing everything they can," Mulder said. "She's in good hands, Ty," Katie added. "You know that." "Right now, I don't know much of anything," Tyler snapped. "Until tonight, I thought I knew you. But now, with all of this, the only thing I do know is that you kept me in the dark about someone who means a lot to me." "Hey, Tyler, that's not fair," Katie protested. "We were trying to protect Miranda." "And you didn't think I'd want to do the same?" "Of course we knew you'd want to protect her!" "Then why didn't you tell me?" "Because we didn't think you could handle it." Tyler stared at her, mouth open in shock. "YOU didn't think I could handle it? That's just beautiful coming from Little Miss Stability. Who the fuck are you to make those decisions for me?" Katie shrunk back against Alex. "I'm your friend and hers," she answered. "If this is your idea of friendship, then maybe I don't need friends," Tyler spat out. Alex rested his head against hers, wanting to say something, but knowing that now was not the time. If Katie wanted him to jump in, she'd let him know. Mulder walked over to Tyler and put his hand on his back. "Go for a walk before you say anything else," he said. Tyler turned and glared at Mulder. "Don't touch me and don't you dare presume to tell me what to do." "Then we'll go," Mulder said. "I don't think we need to be in the same place at the moment." Katie and Alex slid forward on the couch and started to get up, when Tyler stepped away from them and left the room. "He didn't really mean any of that," Mulder said. "He's scared." "We're all scared, Mulder," Alex said. "He had no right…" "Yes, he did." Katie stared at the doorway, watching Tyler as he pestered the nurse for information. "We've all had time to prepare. He's starting from scratch." She looked up at Alex. "I'd have reacted the same way." "Are you saying that we shouldn't have kept this from him?" Alex asked. "No, I still believe it was the right thing to do. I'm just saying that he has every right to be angry with us, with the situation, with everything. He'll come around, eventually. I hope." "And in the meantime?" "In the meantime, we love him and support him, just like always. Right, Mulder?" "I'd say that's about all you can do." Katie jumped up. "Matthew's out there." She ran to the desk and stood next to Tyler. "How is she?" "She's stable, for now." He glanced over at the nurse. "Come on, let's go sit down." Tyler was seething, but he followed them quietly back into the waiting room. Matthew dropped to the couch and ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm not going to lie to you." "That would be nice for a change," Tyler muttered under his breath. Matthew threw him a confused look, then went on. "I'm not going to go through the laundry list of damage to her internal organs. Suffice it to say that she's messed up pretty bad inside. We had to use all three units of blood. Under any other set of circumstances, I'd say she had little chance of making it through the night. The only thing she has going for her right now, other than her age, is our hope that your blood will do what we think it will do." "It will," Katie said. "It has to." "When can I see her," Tyler asked. "Soon. Dana's getting her settled in ICU right now. She'll come and get us when Miranda's set." "I want to see her as soon as soon as possible, Matthew." "I know you do, Ty. After we get her settled in, I'll take all of you back for a few minutes." Tyler crossed his arms and scowled. "No, I'm going in first and I'm going in alone. I don't want them anywhere near her right now." Matthew stared back at Tyler. "What's going on?" He looked from Katie to Alex to Mulder and back at Tyler, but no one offered an explanation. "Look, I've just spent the last five hours knee-deep in this child's insides and the last thing I need is the silent treatment." The silence continued, until Scully came into the room. "All right, she's settled for now. You can come back two at a time, but only for a few minutes." Tyler headed to the door. "Let's go," he said. Scully looked over at Katie. "Coming?" Katie shook her head. "You're sure she's all right?" Scully shrugged. "She's stable. Now we wait and see. Why don't you come back and see her?" "No, take him. I'll see her later." "Just take him back, Scully. I'll explain later," Mulder said. "Can we go now?" Tyler asked Scully. "Yeah, sure," she answered. "Follow me." Matthew watched them leave, then turned his attention back to the other three people in the room. "OK, he's gone. Now what the hell happened in here?" "He's very hurt and very angry," Katie said. "And he blames me for not telling him what was going on." Alex hugged her tight. "He blames all of us." "But mostly he blames me." "What did he say to you?" "Doesn't matter," she said. "Just let him take care of her. That's what he needs to do and maybe he's the best person for the job." ============================= Scully stopped outside the doors to ICU. "Before we go in there, I want you to understand what you're going to see. She's in a coma. We have her hooked up to a respirator to help her breathe. There are IV and catheter tubes in her body as well." "I get it, she's messed up. Now let me in there." "I just want you to be prepared." Tyler frowned at her. "Look, I'm as prepared as I can possibly be. I want to see her now." Scully opened the door and led him back to her bed. She watched his eyes widen in shock and pain. He paused for an instant, then pulled a chair up to the side of her bed. She watched for a second, then went over to the nurse's station. Tyler took Miranda's hand in his. "Oh God, Mira. I'm so sorry." He reached up and brushed the hair away from her face. "I'll take care of you. I promise." About ten minutes later, Scully came back into the room. "Time to go, Ty." He looked up at her. "I'm not leaving her." "She needs to rest." "She's in a fucking coma, Dana. How much more rest can she get?" Tyler settled back in the chair. "I'm not leaving. She needs me here. She needs to know that she's not alone." "There are plenty of trained nurses on the floor who will be monitoring her from the desk and who will be physically checking in on her every half hour," Scully said. "And none of those people is me," Tyler argued. "I'm not leaving her; not now and not until she's able to kick me out on her own, so I suggest you make that point crystal clear to the nurses and orderlies on staff, as well as to that group out in the waiting room. They didn't have the decency to warn us, so now they can wait it out by themselves. See how they like being kept in the dark." "Tyler, what are you talking about?" "You know damned well what I'm talking about. Go away, she needs her rest." Tyler put his head down on the bed. "It's OK, Mira, I'm not going anywhere." Scully backed away slowly. If she forced the issue at this point, Tyler would probably cause a scene that would end up upsetting and possibly endangering the lives of everyone in ICU. He was clearly distressed and almost beyond reason, but she felt that leaving him with Miranda was safest thing for everyone at the moment. She left word with the head nurse that he was allowed to stay, then went out to the waiting room. Katie was taking her turn at pacing in the waiting room. Mulder sat next to Alex, watching her as he sipped his third cup of coffee. "Everything all right, Dana?" she asked, when Scully entered the room. "Tyler refuses to leave the ICU and he's made it quite clear that he doesn't want any of you to come back there. I tried to reason with him, but he appears to be beyond reason at the moment." "He blames us for everything," Alex said. "So I gathered. What do we do now?" "We let him take care of her," Katie replied. "And we hope that he'll eventually understand why we did what we did." ============================= "Tyler, it's been two days. You have to let Katie in to see her," Matthew said. "Go home for a little while. Grab a shower, change your clothes, take a nap in a real bed, check on the store, get out of this chair and do something outside of this hospital. She's not going anywhere." "She might come out of it while I'm gone. I don't want her to wake up and find out that I'm not here." "I don't think that's going to happen in the next couple of hours." Matthew took a chance and put his hand on Tyler's shoulder. For the first time since the accident, Tyler didn't push him away. "I'm sure Mulder will drive you home; I don't think you should be behind the wheel in your current state of mind." Tyler looked up at him and sighed. "Don't trust me to operate a vehicle either?" "You're physically and emotionally exhausted, so no, to answer your question, I don't trust you to be able to safely operate a vehicle." Matthew bent down and placed a kiss on Tyler's head. "Believe it or not, I love you and I'm not about to take the chance of seeing you and Miranda in adjoining ICU beds." "Have they been waiting out there all this time?" "No, I made Alex take Katie home that night, not long after you refused to let anyone else back here. She left without putting up a fight, if you can believe that. You hurt her bad, Ty, but she loves and trusts you enough to know that you are probably the best thing in the world for Miranda right now. She put aside her legal right to kick your ass out of here, because she knows how much you need to be with her." Tyler rubbed his thumb across Miranda's fingers. "Is she all right?" "Katie?" "Yeah." "She's hanging in there, but she really needs to see Miranda," Matthew answered. "So does Alex and I think Mulder needs to see her as well, even though he's not saying anything." Tyler put his head down on the bed. "I'm guessing they're out in the waiting room." "Yeah, I called them about an hour ago, hoping that I could talk you into letting them see her." "Bring Mulder back." Matthew let out a deep breath. "OK, does this mean you'll go home for a little while?" "It means bring Mulder back here. I'll figure that out once I see him." "Fair enough," Matthew said. "I'll be right back." Matthew hustled out the door and down the hall to the waiting room. "I may have talked him into taking a break," he said to Katie and Alex. He turned to Mulder. "He wants you to come back there with him. I told him that you'd be willing to drive him home and I think he's considering it." "What do you want me to do?" Mulder asked. "Just talk to him; try to convince him that he needs a shower and a change of clothes. Tell him anything, promise him anything, just get him out of here for a while. He needs a sanity break." Matthew paused and ran his fingers through his hair. "Please, Mulder. He specifically asked for you; I think you may be the only one he'll listen to." Mulder nodded and stood up. "I'll see what I can do." Matthew led Mulder back to ICU and took him back to Miranda's bed. "Here he is, Ty. I'll be out in waiting room." Mulder walked over to stand beside Miranda. "It never gets any easier." Tyler raised his eyes from Miranda's hand. "What?" "Seeing someone you care about like this." "Have you done this before, Mulder?" Mulder chuckled. "More times than you can possibly imagine. I've been on both sides of the wiring." "Do you think she knows I'm here?" "Yes, I do." "So she probably knows that Katie isn't here?" "Probably." "And maybe she needs to know that Katie's here for her, too?" "Maybe." Tyler looked at Mulder and tried to smile. "You're not much of a shrink, are you Mulder?" Mulder shrugged. "Don't have to be, when the patient already knows the answers to the questions he's asking." Tyler put his head back down on the bed. "Promise me that you'll bring me back and that they won't keep from seeing her when you do." "No one is going to keep you from her, Ty. I promise." "OK. Give me a few minutes. I'll come out and get you when I'm ready to go." "All right. I'll be waiting." When Mulder was gone, Tyler started talking to Miranda. He told her that he was going away for a little while, but that he'd return. "Katie and Alex will be here until I get back," he whispered. "See you in a little while." Tyler got up and backed slowly out of the room, not wanting to turn away until the last possible second. As he passed by the nurse's station, he made a point of saying he'd be back. He then left the ICU and walked down to the waiting room to get Mulder. Mulder spotted Tyler out in the hall. He motioned for him to come in, but Tyler shook his head. "He's not ready to come in here just yet," Mulder said to Katie and Alex. "That's all right," said Katie. "Maybe later." "I'll keep him out of here for as long as I can," Mulder said to Matthew. "Just get him into a shower and some clean clothes, that's all I'm asking," Matthew replied. "I'd love it if you could talk him into getting some sleep, but I'm not going to hold my breath on that one." ============================= Mulder nudged Tyler. "Ty, we're here." Tyler yawned and opened his eyes. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep." "You needed it. Have you slept at all the last two days?" "Not much," Tyler admitted. "Catnaps here and there, but nothing lengthy." They got out of the car and went into the townhouse. Tyler went back to the bathroom to take a shower, while Mulder headed into the kitchen to get something to drink. He turned on the television and flipped channels until he found something worth watching. Tyler walked out of the bathroom, clad only in clean jeans and towel drying his hair. "What are you watching?" "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein." Tyler plopped down on the couch next to Mulder and dropped the towel in his lap. "Any good?" "Yeah, if you like Abbott and Costello," Mulder answered. A little while later, Mulder chuckled at one of his favorite lines. He looked over at Tyler and saw that he'd fallen asleep again. Mulder plucked the damp towel from his lap and carried it into the bathroom. He went into the bedroom, got a blanket, brought it out to the couch to carefully cover the sleeping man, then sat back down to enjoy the rest of the movie. ============================= "Have you noticed any changes?" Katie asked Matthew. "Well, there is this," Matthew said. He lifted the blanket covering Miranda's left arm. "See this mark? I made this after we got her settled in here on the first night. At the time, it was touching the edge of this cut and now look where it is." Katie and Alex leaned over to take a closer look at the area Matthew was pointing to. "Oh my God, it's healing," Katie said. "Do you see that, Alex?" "I see it. Is she healing like this inside as well?" he asked Matthew. Matthew shrugged. "We don't know yet. Dana wanted to wait until she was out of the coma before checking beyond the external. We want to keep her as still as possible until then. I sure would love to x-ray that wrist though." He saw Katie's disappointed expression and went on. "Hey, Hanna, this cut is a good sign. You can't expect her to snap out of it quickly, you know? Remember, you have a whole system full of this, while hers is operating on a diluted formula. It's working, we have to believe that." "I know it's a good sign," she said. "I'm just. . ." "Impatient?" Katie chuckled. "Yeah, that would be the right word." "Matthew, have you heard from Dana yet?" Alex asked. "No, but given the problems we've encountered trying to contact Adriana, I'm not surprised," he said. "Her office swore she'd be in this afternoon, so we just have to hope that Dana's able to find her." ============================= "Can I help you?" Scully walked over to the young woman sitting behind the large glass desk. "Yes, I need to see Adriana Jenkins." The young woman looked down her nose at Scully. "Do you have an appo intment?" "No, I don't, but it's urgent." "I'm sorry, but Adriana is very busy and doesn't take walk in appointments with anyone. If you'll tell me what this is in reference to, I'll be sure to give her the message," she informed Scully. Scully pulled out her badge and flashed it at her. "Look, I'm Special Agent Dana Scully with the FBI. This is in reference to her daughter, Miranda, who has been lying in a coma for the past two days. We've been trying to locate Mrs. Jenkins ever since, but no one seems to be able to put us in touch with her. So, if she's in the building, I suggest you take me to her right now." The woman picked up the headset and punched a button. "Sherry, I need Adriana down here, right now. I know she's busy, but she needs to get down here; it's an emergency. I'll take responsibility, just get her down here now!" She hung up the phone. "She'll be down in minute." ============================= Mulder woke up, temporarily disoriented and feeling a weight on his legs. When he looked down, he saw that Tyler had shifted positions and was now asleep with his head in Mulder's lap. Not knowing quite how to handle this turn of events, Mulder simply picked up the remote and flipped channels for another movie to watch. After about thirty minutes, Mulder's bladder got the better of him and knew that he'd have to wake Tyler. "Ty," he said softly, as he ruffled the sleeping man's hair. "I need my legs back." Tyler grumbled and nestled in closer, his head adding more pressure, increasing Mulder's discomfort. Mulder jostled Tyler's shoulders. "Ty, wake up or you're going to be sleeping on a waterbed." "Jus' a few more minutes," Ty mumbled. "'Fraid I don't have a few more minutes," Mulder said, as he slid out, dumping Tyler's head on the couch. Tyler's eyes opened and he watched Mulder make a run to the bathroom. He sat up slowly, trying to piece together what had just happened. He looked at the couch and his position on it and scratched his head. His cheek felt funny and reached up to rub it. It felt rough, like he'd been pressed up against. . . his eyes widened, oh shit, like his face had been pressed up against a pair of jeans, Mulder's jeans to be precise. He heard the toilet flush and the sound of water running in the sink. He felt his face flush and wondered how he was going to face Mulder. "Sorry about the rude awakening," Mulder said, as he came out of the bathroom. "Don't worry about it," Tyler answered, not looking up. "Well, you've showered and slept; how about we get some food into you before we go back to the hospital?" Mulder walked past him and into the kitchen to see what was in the fridge. "Omelettes sound good?" "Sure." Tyler got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen. He pulled out the frying pan and a mixing bowl, while Mulder got the eggs and cheese and put them on the counter. Then leaned back against the counter and stared at the floor. "What's wrong?" Mulder asked. "I. . .uh," Tyler stammered. "I'm sorry about the couch thing. I wasn't, well, you know." "Making a pass at me?" Mulder said, finishing Tyler's sentence. Tyler shifted feet, but didn't answer. "Lighten up, Ty. You were exhausted and you fell asleep. It's human nature to move toward the warmth of another person's body. Now, I have cheese and eggs here. Is there anything else you want in this omelette?" "No, cheese is fine." ============================= Adriana emerged from the elevator and charged at the receptionist's desk. "This had better be important," she snapped. Scully approached the desk and spoke before the shaken receptionist had a chance to reply. "I can assure you that this is extremely important, Mrs. Jenkins." Adriana glared at Scully. "First, I am NOT Mrs. Jenkins. I rid myself of that wretched name many years ago. The name is Adriana, just Adriana. Second, I do not appreciate being so rudely pulled away from a business meeting. I have an office full of Brazilian importers interested in my current line and in my having my full and undivided attention. So, whoever you are, you have thirty seconds to state your business before I have you thrown out of here." "I'm Dana Scully, federal agent and medical doctor. Your ex-husband and daughter were involved in a serious accident two days ago. Right now. .." "Yes, yes, yes, I know. Victor's dead and Miranda's in a coma," Adriana blurted out. "I got the message. What do you want me to do about it?" Scully's eyes went wide. "What do I want you to do about?" "Look, Victor's dead. So what? As far as I'm concerned, he's been dead for the last three years. And Miranda? Well, that ungrateful little snot made it perfectly clear that she wanted nothing more to do with me, so I've washed my hands of her." "She's your daughter," Scully said. "How can you just erase her from your life?" Adriana put her hands on her hips and cocked her head to one side. "Look, she doesn't want me in her life, I don't want her in mine, what's the problem? My time is too valuable to waste relationships that aren't positive or at least lucrative. She wanted to make her way on her own and I intend to let her do just that." Scully felt her blood boiling, but fought to keep a level head. She opened her briefcase and pulled out some paperwork. "If that's the way you feel, then I guess you won't mind making it legal." She held the papers out in front of her and Adriana snatched them from her hand. "Victor's last will and testament," she explained. "In it he names Mr. and Mrs. Alex Krycek as his choice for legal guardianship of Miranda in case of his untimely demise. He anticipated your reaction and had paperwork drawn up for you to sign, in this eventuality." Adriana flipped through the document until she came to the page in question. She glanced up at the clock on the receptionist's desk and frowned. "If I sign now, will you go away and let me get back to my meeting?" "Don't you want to read this over with your lawyer?" "No. Like I said, the ties have already been cut." She walked over the receptionist's desk and took a pen from the cup. "You're a notary, aren't you?" she asked the girl at the desk. The girl nodded. "Good, pull out your stamp and witness this for me." Adriana signed the paper and waited until while it was notarized, before turning back to face Scully. "There, they can have her and I can get back to my life. Good day, Ms. Scully." Adriana dropped the pen on the desk and made a beeline for the elevator. Scully picked the paper up from the desk and looked at it, before placing the document back in her briefcase. "Charming woman you work for," she said with a frown. "You caught her on one of her better days," the girl whispered. "Is Miranda going to be all right? She was always such a sweet little thing." "She's in pretty bad shape," Scully answered. "But Miranda's strong and she's surrounded by people who love her. I believe she'll be fine." Mulder and Tyler sat at the table eating their omelettes in silence. Ty was still embarrassed at having awakened with his head in Mulder's lap. He snuck peak at Mulder from time to time, but always looked away before being caught. "Will you cut that out?" Mulder finally said. "What?" "Looking at me like some unwritten rule has been broken. Like you've crossed an imaginary line and now you have to keep your distance in order to appease me. I'm secure in my sexuality, Ty, and in our friendship, so stop acting like you're afraid of me." "Sorry," Tyler mumbled. "Besides," Mulder said, as he got up to put his plate in the sink. "Everyone knows that if you were going to make a pass at someone other than Matthew, it would be Alex." Tyler spun around in his chair. "What makes you say that?" Mulder ran some water over his plate, then turned around. "Maybe it's the way you always check out his ass when he leaves the room." "I do not!" Mulder folded his arms across his chest and raised his eyebrows, not saying a word. Tyler frowned. "Maybe I do, sometimes," he admitted. "Sometimes?" "OK, most of the time. Happy now? Geez, I'm married, I'm not dead, Mulder." "So this is settled now?" Mulder asked. "It's settled. But, for the record, Mulder, I would never make a pass at Alex." "I know that. You're in a committed relationship based on mutual trust and love and you would never do anything that would be detrimental or undermine what you have." Tyler grinned and nodded his head. "Yeah, that and Katie would beat the shit out of me if I ever laid a hand on the guy." Mulder chuckled. "Glad to have you back, Ty. Ready to go to the hospital?" "As soon as I toss on a shirt and a pair of shoes." Mulder picked up the dishes and rinsed them in the sink, before going out into the living room to wait. Before Tyler emerged from the bedroom, Mulder's cell phone rang. "Mulder." "Mulder, it's me." "Hey Scully, have you spoken to Miranda's mother?" "Yes I have, and Mulder, I am now firmly convinced that some people in this world should never be allowed to have children." "What happened?" "That woman looked me in the eyes and had the nerve to ask me what I expected her to do about Victor's death and Miranda's being in a coma! As far as she was concerned, I was simply inconveniencing her with news that she had absolutely no interest in hearing. Mulder, she signed away her rights to Miranda as easily as if she was signing a credit card receipt." "Tyler did say that she wasn't the nurturing type." "I know, but how can anyone throw away their own flesh and blood so callously?" "I don't know. Are you all right?" "I'm fine." "Scully." "Sorry, poor choice of words. I'm angry, but I'm all right. I just want to get home." "Where are you?" "On my way to the airport. I should be there in a few hours." "Good. I'm getting ready to take Ty back to the hospital, right now." "Back to the hospital? You mean you were able to get him to leave? Is he all right?" "I think he's finding his way back. We'll see what happens when we get to the hospital. Katie and Alex are with Miranda now." "Does he know that?" "He does." "That sounds promising. All right, I'm going to stop by the hospital to check on Miranda, but I don't intend to stay long." "I'll either be there or at the loft. Depends on what happens in the next hour or so." "OK. See you soon." Mulder put the cell phone back in his pocket, just as Tyler emerged from the bedroom. "Hospital or Dana?" Tyler asked. "Scully," Mulder answered. "She's on her way home." "How did it go with Adriana?" "She signed over her rights to Miranda, so I suppose it went well in the long run. Apparently Adriana is not terribly interested in her daughter," Mulder said. "Scully's sounds pretty upset." Tyler sighed. "I'm sorry she had to go through that, but we did warn her. Some people should never be allowed to have children." "That's what she said." "Come on, let's get out of here." Matthew checked his watch and glanced at the door. Mulder and Ty had been gone for almost three hours and he was sure that they'd be walking in the door at any minute. "Think we should go before they get back?" Katie asked. "No, of course not," Matthew answered. "Actually, I'm hoping that he'll have cooled off by now. Mulder's managed to keep him away for quite a while, so that has to be a good sign." "I hope Mulder's heard from Scully," said Alex. "I'd like to know what we're up against." "I don't think Adriana is going to be a problem," Katie said. "Why not?" "We've left too many messages, Alexei. She knows what's going on and she doesn't give a damn." "Maybe she hasn't checked her messages," Matthew offered. Katie shook her head. "No way. Deals are made and broken by a phone call; there's not a chance in the world that woman hasn't checked her messages for two days. She knows and she doesn't care." She reached out and stroked Miranda's cheek. "Miranda's ours now." "Signed, sealed and about to be delivered," Mulder said. "I'm going to have to put a bell on you, Mulder," Katie chuckled. "You're too damned quiet. What do you mean?" "Dana called. Adriana signed the papers," Tyler said. "The bitch just signed her away like so much useless garbage." "Is that what Dana said, Mulder?" Alex asked. "That sums it up, yes," Mulder answered. "How's she doing, Matty? Any change?" "She hasn't regained consciousness, but take a look at this." Matthew pulled back the blanket to reveal Miranda's left arm again. "She is healing." "I know," Tyler said. He walked over to the right side of the bed and lifted the covers by Miranda's leg. "I made my own mark over here that first night." Katie put her hand over Tyler's and squeezed. "She's going to be all right, Ty." "Sure she is. She has all of us now." He turned his hand over and held hers tight. "Look, the last few nights. . ." She kissed his hand. "No, don't. It's ok." "I love her, Katie," he whispered. "I know you do." "I need to be here when she wakes up. I need to be the one who tells her what happened," he said. "I agree," Katie said. "You should be the one to do that. She's going to need all of us, but I suspect that she's going to need you most of all." "Well, now that everyone has kissed and made up, I want you to go home," Matthew said to Katie. "You haven't eaten in hours and you need to get some rest." "Look who's talking, Dr. Curry," Tyler smirked. "When was the last time you slept or ate anything?" "I'm going home in a little while," Matthew answered. "Miranda's stable, so I'd already decided that I was going to get some rest as soon as you got back." "Scully said that she's going to stop by on her way home from the airport," Mulder said. "She said she wouldn't stay long." "Good, she probably needs some rest too, after having to deal with Adriana," Tyler said. "We'll be fine. If anything happens, I'll call everyone." Katie stood up. "We'll be back in the morning. Do you want me to stop by the store and let everyone know what's going on?" Tyler sat down. "I called Lisa yesterday. She's taking care of things until I get back. Maybe you could stop by. I know she'll feel better if she gets to talk to one of us in person." "No problem. I'm sure the nursing staff will appreciate all the goodies she's bound to send us away with, too," Katie said. "I have a feeling that she's probably been baking to keep busy." Tyler smiled. "No doubt. All right, get her out of here, Alex. Oh Mulder, make sure they both eat something, will you?" "I'll feed them at gun point, if necessary," Mulder joked. Tyler grinned. "No, that won't work. Threaten them with Lisa instead." Katie gasped and feigned fear. "Oh God no! Not that! We'll eat, Mulder. I promise." "And peace returns to the valley," Matthew quipped. "Now get out of here." Katie kissed Tyler and Matthew goodbye, before taking both Alex and Mulder by the hand and leading them out the door. Matthew walked over to Tyler and knelt down beside him. "I thought they'd never leave," he said. "Are you really ok?" Tyler leaned down and gently kissed Matthew. "I'm fine. I understand why things happened the way they did. Can't say that I'm happy about it, but I know that you all had my best interest at heart." "I wanted to tell you so many times," Matthew said. "You're getting better at keeping secrets," Tyler said. "Is that a good thing?" "I'm not sure." ============================= The short, dark-haired orderly slipped out of the ICU and into a supply closet. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed. "They've left for the evening." "And the girl?" Spender asked. "Healing, just as we suspected." "Any word from the mother?" "Yes, she's signed over her rights, so she won't be an issue." "Good. Things are proceeding as anticipated." He reached over and put out his cigarette. "Your services are no longer required Mr. Morales. Payment will be made through the usual channels." "That's it? I understood that we were going to take the girl for further study." "You understood wrong." "Yes sir. Were you aware that Mrs. Krycek is pregnant?" "I am aware of that fact." "Yet you still want me to leave them alone?" "Yes. None of these people are to be interfered with in any way and you are not to share this information with anyone. Am I making myself clear on this point?" "Yes sir, crystal clear." "Very well. Goodbye, Mr. Morales." Spender hung up the phone and lit another cigarette, before dialing. "Morales has become a detriment, take care of him." He returned the receiver to its cradle and sat back in his chair. The Consortium had failed in its efforts to successfully rear a child born of parents with the immunity. All three children had died in infancy, a fact he'd kept from Katie when he'd given Alex the vaccine. However, none of the parents had exhibited the remarkable healing powers that he'd seen in her. Once again, he held in his hands a potential cure for the diseases plaguing the world. This time, instead of tossing it into the lake, he was determined to keep it safe. His time was rapidly coming to a close and the gift of silence, was to be his final act of contrition. An act made too late to save what was left of his soul, but one that would allow him to die at peace with himself. ============================= "So what did you say to him, Mulder?" Katie asked, in between mouthfuls of fried rice. "Nothing really. He needed time to calm down, that's all. The nap and shower didn't hurt either." He looked at his watch. "Speaking of which, as soon as Alex gets out of the bathroom, I think I'm going to take a shower." "And when she gets back, maybe the two of you should take advantage of the whirlpool," Katie suggested. "There's still a bottle of white wine in the fridge, candles in the closet in the bathroom. . .warm water, wine, candlelight. . .what do you think?" "I think she'll love it. Sure you don't want to take advantage of it yourself, without the wine, of course?" Katie sighed. "I'd love to, but Dana and Matthew said I'm not allowed in the whirlpool until after the baby is born. They say that soaking in the hot water isn't good during pregnancy." "In that case, I believe I will take you up on your offer. Thanks." Alex came out of the bathroom and stopped at the refrigerator to grab a drink. "What offer?" he asked. "Mulder and Dana are going to go on a little whirlpool vacation when she gets home," Katie answered. "Good idea. Word of caution, Mulder. The bench can get a little slippery, so watch your ass." Alex grinned and winked at Katie. Katie giggled, remembering their mishap in the tub, which left her with skinned hands and Alex with a bump on his head and a large scrape on his back. Mulder looked at the two of them and shook his head. "I don't think I want to know." He got up and went into the bathroom to take a shower. Alex watched Mulder walk away and when the bathroom door closed, he turned to Katie. "Come here." "Why?" she asked with a smile. "Just come here," he repeated. Katie got up and stopped about a foot in front of him. "OK, I'm here. Now what?" "Little closer." She hesitated and put her hands on her hips. "I'm not sure your intentions are honorable, Mr. Krycek." Alex lowered his eyes and stared at her. "I can assure you, Mrs. Krycek, that my intentions are anything but honorable." He reached out and pulled her against his chest. "As a matter of fact, my intentions are lewd, lascivious and quite possibly illegal in certain municipalities." "Well, hell, why didn't you say so in the first place?" she asked. Alex leaned down and kissed her, gently at first, then with such force that it almost took her breath away. She started to say something, but he never gave her the chance. His mouth kept hers busy, while his hands worked their way under her shirt. Katie moaned into his mouth when he gave her nipples a tug. "Hurt?" Alex whispered. "No." He pushed her shirt up and brought his mouth down to her left breast. "You'll tell me if I get too rough, right?" he asked, just before flicking his tongue across her nipple. Katie's knees buckled. "Yes." Alex devoted considerable time to her breasts, then slowly trailed his way down her stomach. He popped the snap on her jeans and had the zipper halfway down, when they heard the sound of a clearing throat. Katie reacted first, pulling her shirt down quickly, trapping Alex's head underneath. Alex freed himself from her shirt and tried to straighten up with as much of his dignity intact as possible. "Sorry to intrude," Scully said. "Next time I'll fire a warning shot." Katie giggled and stepped in front of Alex; Alex ran a hand through his hair. Both were flushed with a combination of embarrassment and sexual frustration. "We probably should have thought before starting this out here," Katie sputtered. "Um, Mulder's in the shower. How was your trip?" "The flight was nice," Scully answered. "Mulder told us about Adriana," Alex said. Scully waved him off. "I really don't want to talk about her. The papers are signed giving you full custody of Miranda and that's all that's important." Alex put his arms around Katie and rested his chin on her head. "Did you get a chance to see Miranda?" "Yes, I did. She's doing as well as can be expected. The small cuts are healing quickly, which gives me reason to be optimistic about the larger injuries. I told Tyler to call us if anything changes during the night." Scully noted that Alex was gently swaying Katie in his arms and changed the subject. "Mulder's in the shower?" "Yeah, but it sounds like the water's off now. He should be out soon," Katie said. "Then why don't you two go finish what you started. I'm sure Mulder and I can find a way to entertain ourselves for the rest of the evening." "I'm sure you can," Alex said. He straightened up and nudged Katie. "Race you to the door." Katie rolled her eyes. "Have a good night, Dana. Oh, tell Mulder the corkscrew is in the drawer next to the refrigerator." "Ooookay," Scully answered. "Why am I telling him this?" "You'll see." Katie grinned and followed Alex into the bedroom. Scully walked into the kitchen and removed the corkscrew from the drawer. Using her finely honed skills of deduction, she opened the refrigerator and removed the only bottle that would require the use of such an implement. Wine, whirlpool and Mulder. After the day she'd had, that sounded like perfect reward. She opened the wine, pulled down the first two glasses she found in the cabinet and made a beeline for the bathroom. "Ready or not, Mulder, here I come," she said to herself. ============================= "I can't believe Dana caught us like that," Katie giggled. "I can't believe you pulled your shirt down over my head!" "It was a cover up response. Really Alexei, I would have thought your reflexes were faster than that," she teased. Alex pulled off his shirt and tossed it on the floor. "Are you calling me slow?" "Well, you are still half dressed, while I, on the other hand, have been lounging here naked for the last minute and a half." "Oh, is that it? I'm not slow darling, I'm simply taking the time to appreciate what I have waiting for me." He pushed off his jeans and slid into bed beside her. "Now, I believe I was about here," he said, putting his mouth on her breast. "Mmmm, yeah, you were there," Katie said, "but if I'm not mistaken, you were headed south about the time we were so rudely interrupted." "I'll get there," he mumbled. "Just gotta retrace my steps, get my bearing straight; never been caught before." Katie put her hands on his head, stopping his downward movement. "Changed my mind. Get up here and get inside me now." Alex raised his chin. "Just like that? No preliminaries, no taking the time to enjoy the moment?" "Yeah, just like that." His hand eased down to her curls and he lightly brushed against her lips. Katie bucked and moaned. "Are you sure?" he asked. "Because after two days, this could very well end up being a quickie." "Get up here," she growled. He moved slowly, kissing his way up her belly to her breasts, trying not to smile at her growing impatience. His hands followed just as slowly, until he felt her hands grab his hair and her heels push into his ass. "Damn it man, do I have to be blunt?" Alex looked up and gave her his best 'what could you possibly mean?' look. "Oh no you don't," Katie said. "Drop the clueless routine and fuck me now!" He gave her an evil grin and drove home hard, nearly sending her into the headboard. "How's that?" "God yes," she gasped. "Harder." Alex had no trouble respecting her wishes. All of the fear, frustration and anger that had been building over the last few days came out in their lovemaking. Katie matched him thrust for thrust, clutching at his backside with such force, that she left marks when she came. Alex followed quickly and collapsed on top of her. He didn't move until he felt her start to shake underneath him. Alex rolled off and pulled her into his arms, holding her tight as the tears rolled down her cheeks. "Let it out, baby," he whispered. "You've been strong long enough." ============================= Scully opened the bathroom door and found Mulder hard at work, strategically placing candles all over the room. He whirled around when he heard the door open, then smiled when he saw who it was. "Scully! Hi!" "Hi, yourself. Nice outfit," she said, pointing to the towel slung low across his hips. "You like? I happen to have a matching one right over there. Why don't you try it on for size?" "I believe I will. Where should I put these?" she asked, holding up the wine and glasses. Mulder patted the side of the whirlpool. "Right here. I'll pour, you change." Scully nodded and put the things down. True to his word, he poured the wine into the glasses, then sat down on the edge of the tub to watch her undress. He was fascinated by the way she stopped to fold each article of clothing and place it carefully on shelf by the sink. She removed her panties and dropped them on top of the pile. Mulder took a sip of his wine. "Not going to fold those, Scully?" "No, Mulder, I'm going to live dangerously and leave them just the way they are." She joined him at the whirlpool. "I think I'll try on that matching outfit a little later. Coming in?" "Right behind you," he answered. Mulder stood and dropped his towel on the floor. He climbed in and sat down beside her, then reached for her glass. "Here, you look like you could use this." "For starters," she said, taking the glass from his hand. She took a sip and closed her eyes. "Mmmm, this feels so good." "Katie thought it might do the trick," Mulder said. "She was right. Nice way to keep us occupied, too." "What do you mean?" She took another sip of her wine. "When I came in tonight, she and Alex were, well, let's just say I caught them in a compromising position." Mulder arched his eyebrow. "Oh?" "Not quite that compromising, Mulder, but well on the way there. Did you know that Alex blushes?" "No, I didn't. I would have thought that he was beyond embarrassment." "Apparently not," Scully said. "It was good to see them like that. They needed find a way to let go of some of the stress. I worry about Katie sometimes. She's not very good at taking care of herself, despite her posturing." Mulder took a drink from his glass, then set it down. "Maybe that's why she's surrounded herself with people who know how to fill in the missing pieces. Don't worry, Alex is with her; she'll be fine." Scully chuckled and Mulder shook his head. "I know, sometimes I can't believe the words that come out of my mouth where he's concerned either." He touched her cheek, then kissed her. "Can we talk about something else for awhile?" She kissed him back. "Can we not talk at all?" Mulder slumped back against the wall of the tub. "Sure, we don't have to talk." Scully shook her head and stood up. "That's not what I meant, Mulder." She straddled his lap and sat down, feeling his erection strain against her. "Oh," grinned Mulder. "I thought when you said you didn't want to talk. . ." She leaned over and brought her mouth close to his. "Shut up, Mulder." ============================= Alex woke up a few hours later to find that Katie had rolled out of his arms and was sleeping peacefully beside him. He watched her for a moment, then slipped down to talk to his son. "Hey. I'm glad you stopped making your mommy sick," he whispered. "She's asleep right now, but you already know that, don't you?" Alex gently caressed her skin, tracing the site of the now completely gone, scar. He felt something under his hand and moved over the area again. "Is that you under there, little guy?" He ran his hand over the spot again and again, just to be sure. "Well I'll be damned." Katie yawned and reached out to ruffle Alex's hair. "What are you talking about now?" "You're starting to get a little belly. Did you know that?" Katie looked down. "I am not." He rolled off of her and sat up. "Wanna bet? Right here," Alex said, molding his hand to her abdomen. "Just a slight rounding. You probably can't even see it, but it's there. Give me your hand." He put his hand over hers and guided it to the spot. "Feel that?" "That's dinner, Alexei. Besides, I'm just hitting three months; it's a little early for me to be showing." "Well, you're not really showing yet. No one else would notice unless they spent a lot of time looking at your naked body; a pleasure that is mine alone now." "I think you're seeing what you want to see." "Deny all you want, sweetheart, but I've spent more time down here than you have and I'm telling you, that's our kid making his presence known." Katie rolled her eyes. "Tell you what, we'll have Dana take a look in the morning and she can tell you how silly you're being." "Fair enough. If I'm wrong, then you get to make me look like an idiot in front of Scully. What do I get if I'm right?" "Well, seeing as how you're not going to be proven right, I'll let you decide." Alex gave her an evil chuckle. "Anything?" "Yes, smartass, anything." "Remember that maternity shirt we saw the other day? The one that said 'Baby on board' with the arrow pointing down to your abdomen?" "Yes." "If I'm right, then you have to buy it and wear it home the next time we go to the mall." "I hate that shirt, Alexei," Katie groaned. "It's so stupid." "I know, that's what makes this so much fun. Is it a deal?" Katie frowned. "Yeah, it's a deal." Alex slipped back down to her belly. "Hear that son, your mom says it's a deal. She's gonna look awfully cute in that stupid shirt." ============================= Mulder reached out and smashed the snooze button on the alarm clock. His arm fell across his head with a thump. "Why do they have to make those things so damned loud?" he grumbled. When she didn't answer, Mulder turned his head slowly to look at Scully. "Scully, time to wake up." "I heard the alarm, Mulder. I was hoping it was a bad dream." "I feel like shit," Mulder said, closing his eyes. "What part of last night was a bad idea?" Scully sat up and promptly cradled her head in her hands. "It wasn't any one thing; it was the combination of the heat, the alcohol and sex. I think we're dehydrated. We really should have known better." Mulder looked up and gave her a pained smile. "But it was worth it, wasn't it?" Scully chuckled, then pressed her hands to her head in pain. "Yes, Mulder, it was worth it." She swung her legs over the side of the bed, took a deep breath, stood up and put on her robe. "All right, up you go. Let's start pumping some fluids back into our systems." Mulder sat up and shut his eyes against the pounding in his skull. "There's a dirty comeback line in there somewhere," he said. "I'm sure you'll find it later. Right now, there's a glass of water and some acetaminophen out there with my name on them." She turned her head slightly to see what he was doing. "Coming? And yes, I know there's a dirty retort in that statement, so don't bother." "Ah, you're no fun when you're hungover, Scully. I'm right behind you." Scully opened the door and shuffled out into the kitchen. Katie and Alex were already up and eating bagels. Her stomach rolled at the thought of eating. "You all right, Dana?" Katie asked. "You look like hell this morning." "You should see the other guy," Scully answered. Mulder trudged out behind her. Katie snickered. "Oh my, I see what you mean. Gee, Fox, you look a little hungover this morning. How about I fix you a nice, big, greasy, omelette with a side of bacon and maybe some hash browns?" Mulder's stomach lurched and he put his hand over his mouth, just in case. When the feeling passed, he glared at Katie. "Was that nice? You have a real mean streak in you, Sammie." "Yeah well, if you can't tease family, who can you tease?" Katie got up and pulled out a chair for him. "Sit. You too, Dana. I'll get you both some water and something to help stop the little men from tap dancing in your heads." "Scully," Alex said, after he was sure Katie wasn't listening. "When you're feeling a little better, will you take a look at Katie for me?" "Something wrong?" Alex smiled. "No. I think she's starting to show. She thinks I'm crazy, but I swear there's a little bulge now." "Could be. It's getting to be about that time. I'll check her out when we get to the hospital. I wanted to let you both hear the baby's heartbeat this week anyway." "We can do that already?" Alex beamed. "It's not too early?" "No, we could have done it sooner, but the last time I was here, the equipment wasn't functioning properly." "That's great. Hey Katie," he called out. "Scully says we can hear the baby's heartbeat today." "Tone down the enthusiasm, wouldya, Alex," Mulder groaned. "Oh, sorry Mulder, I wasn't thinking." "Uh, huh," Mulder grumbled, putting his head down on the table. Katie came back with two glasses of water and a bottle of acetaminophen and put them on the table. "So, did he tell you about the belly?" Scully opened the bottle and handed two pills to Mulder and took two for herself. "Yes, he did," she said, before swallowing the pills. "He could be right, you know. It is about that time. We'll take some measurements and see when we get to the hospital." "You won't need to measure, Scully," Alex said. "You'll be able to feel it." Mulder raised his head just enough to look at Alex. "Have you two taken a shower this morning?" "Not yet," Alex answered. "Why?" "I think he's looking for a polite way to tell us to get lost, sweetheart," Katie said. "Polite? Mulder? No way." Mulder fought through the pounding in his head to sit up. He reached over and grabbed the collar of Alex's shirt and pulled him down to the table. "Get lost, Ratboy," he growled, then pushed Alex away. "Now there's the Mulder I know," Alex laughed. "Come along dear, I believe these two would like to be alone." Tyler rolled his head back and forth, trying to work out the kinks. He'd fallen asleep with his head on Miranda's bed again and it was wreaking havoc on his neck. He gripped her fingers in his hand and squeezed gently. "Come on, kiddo, wake up. Too many more nights like this and I'm going to need to find a chiropractor." He relaxed his hold and kept talking. "You know, I've been talking to you for the last three days and you haven't said a word to me. People are going to think I'm insane if you don't speak up pretty soon. Hey, the night nurse told me that the Pirates got their butts kicked again last night. I think Katie's right about the new stadium being cursed. Maybe we should try calling one of those psychic hotlines and get someone over to exorcise the place. What do you say? Sound like a plan?" he asked. "No? Hmmm, well, what if we asked that guy, John Edwards, to channel Willie Stargell. Maybe Pops can chase the evil spirits away." He closed his eyes and let his head drop forward. "Yeah, I know, stupid idea." He began to slowly move his head back and forth again, feeling the muscles loosen slightly. On the third rotation, he felt something brush his fingers. He stopped, but didn't lift his head. When it happened again, his head snapped up and he saw Miranda's fingers moving against his. "Hey, she's moving," he called out to the nurse. "Her fingers are moving." He turned back to the bed. "Mira? Open your eyes, sweetheart, I know you're in there." The nurse ran to Miranda's bedside and saw her eyelids twitching. "I think she's coming out of it," she said. "Miranda? Honey, open your eyes if you can hear me. I know it's hard, but give it a try." "Come on, Mira," Tyler whispered. "Squeeze hard if you can hear me." Miranda squeezed his fingers. He could see her eyelids fluttering as well. "That's good, Miranda," said the nurse. "Keep trying, you're almost there." Miranda's eyes opened and she tried to focus on the voices she was hearing. She tried to take a breath and couldn't because of the tube in her throat. Her hands flew up to her neck and she began to panic. The nurse grabbed her hands and held them down. "Calm down, Miranda. You have a tube in your throat to help you breathe; it's all right." She called out to the nurse behind the desk. "Page Dr. Curry, now!" Tyler took Miranda's face in his hands and turned her head toward him. "Mira, listen to me. You have to stop fighting us. Calm down, you can breathe, I promise. We'll take this thing out of you as soon as possible, but for now, you're going to have to relax." He turned to the nurse. "How soon can we get this thing out of her?" "As soon as she calms down," the nurse answered. "Hear that, kiddo?" Tyler looked up at the nurse to find her nametag. "Gina, here says we can lose the tube as soon as you settle down." He watched the muscles in her face start to relax. "Good, that's it. Just relax." Gina slowly let go of her hands. "All right, Miranda. I'm going to remove the tube now. It's going to be a little uncomfortable, but I'll do it as quickly as I can. Your throat is going to hurt when it's out, so don't try to talk right away. Mr. MacCreedy, I'm going to ask you to hold both arms, just to be sure she doesn't panic and try to fight me again." Tyler held Miranda's arms, as requested. Tears streamed down her face as the nurse set about the unpleasant task of removing the tube. "Hold on, it'll be over in minute," he told her. As soon as the tube was out, Miranda opened her mouth. "Don't talk," Tyler said. Miranda strained to speak anyway. "Dad?" Tyler took the corner of the sheet and used it to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "Not now, sweetheart. Matthew will be here soon." "Ty?" she mouthed. He looked at her and shook his head. Fresh tears sprung from her eyes and put his arms around her as best he could. "I'm sorry, Mira. I'm so sorry." Matthew arrived twenty minutes later and found Tyler still holding her. "Hey, I heard an ugly rumor that someone on this ward finally decided to wake up," he said softly. Tyler sat up and turned around. "Yeah, you missed all the excitement, but come see for yourself." Matthew came closer and put his hand on Miranda's forehead. "Hi, sweetheart. I know you're feeling pretty awful about now, but it will get better, I promise." Miranda reached for his hand. "Dad's gone?" she whispered. Matthew hesitated. He looked at Tyler. "She knows," Tyler said. "'Dad' was the first thing out of her mouth. I had to tell her." Matthew nodded and turned back to Miranda. "There wasn't anything we could do for him. I'm sorry." Miranda turned her head away from him and closed her eyes. "You shouldn't have told her anything just yet," Matthew said with a frown. "It's too early." "I didn't offer the information first, she asked, Matthew. There was no way I was going to keep that from her; she needed to know and she needed to know right then. What would you have done?" "I would have stalled until one of her doctors arrived," Matthew answered. "But it's not worth arguing about. If you say she needed to know, then she needed to know." "Thank you." "I called Katie as soon as I got the page. They should be here soon." Matthew saw that Miranda's eyes had opened again. "I'll only let them back for a few minutes, but if you get tired, just close your eyes. You don't have to stay awake." He smiled, then looked over at Tyler. "I'll be right back. Want me to bring you some coffee?" "Please." Matthew went out into the lobby to wait for the rest of the gang to arrive. He didn't want the lot of them rushing back at the same time and he needed a minute with Dana to update her on Miranda's condition. Ten minutes later, they arrived, with Katie in the lead. Her hair was still wet from the shower, as was Alex's, he noted. Mulder looked a little worse for wear and Dana, well, she looked like Dana. Katie rushed up to him. "How is she? Can we see her?" "Slow down, Hanna. She's awake and breathing on her own. Vitals are strong, but I don't want to wear her out. I want Dana to take a look at her first, then we'll let you come back and see her for a few minutes." "Ok. We'll wait out here then." Matthew shifted his feet. "There's one more thing," he said. "She knows about Victor." Scully stared at him, not happy with this news. Matthew shrugged. "I know, I didn't tell her. Apparently she asked as soon as the tube was pulled out. Ty didn't want to tell her so soon, but she asked and you know how he feels about keeping things from her. She doesn't know the details, just that he didn't make it." "Well, let's keep it at that for as long as possible, shall we?" Scully said. "You go on back and take a look at her," Matthew said. "I promised Ty I'd bring him some coffee, so I'll join you in a few." "We'll go the waiting room," Katie said. "All right, see you in a little bit," Matthew said. Katie, Alex and Mulder waited for almost thirty minutes before Scully came out. "Everything all right, Scully?" Mulder asked. "Everything's fine," she answered. "If I hadn't already seen this with you, Katie, I'd be stunned at Miranda's progress. Matthew's taking her down to x-ray right now to get a look at her wrist. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to find that it's completely healed." "So we can't see her yet?" Katie asked. "X-ray will take a little while. In the meantime, I've arranged for an examining room so we can take a look at you and hear the baby's heartbeat." Alex squeezed Katie's hand and pulled her to her feet. "Let's go. I'm looking forward to saying I told you so." Katie frowned. "You're going to be a real pain in the ass about this if you're right, aren't you?" Alex grinned. "Oh yeah." "All right, let's go. Maybe hearing the baby's heartbeat will make him forget about that ridiculous bet," she said to Scully. "Not a chance, sweetheart, I never forget a bet." "Somehow, I knew you'd say that." They started walking out of the waiting room, when Katie realized that Mulder was still sitting. She stopped and turned around. "Mulder?" "What?" "Aren't you coming with us?" Mulder shrugged and looked at the floor. "No, this isn't any of my. . .I mean, I'll wait here for you." Katie looked up at Alex, who nodded and let go of her hand. She walked over to the chair and reached for Mulder's hand. "It is your business. We're all in this together and I want you to be there when we hear him for the first time." Mulder hesitated. Katie bent over and touched his cheek. "Please, Fox?" "Come on, Mulder. You know you want to," Alex said softly. Mulder looked Alex, then at Katie. She motioned toward the door and smiled, before moving back to Alex's side. The corners of Mulder's mouth arched upward slightly. He lifted himself off the seat and followed them out of the room. ============================= "Katie?" "What?" "How come we're not making any plans for Halloween? Ty told me all about the annual horror movie marathon you guys always have and I just wondered why no one was talking about it for this year." Katie faced Miranda. The young woman in front of her was the picture of health. No physical scars existed to tell the story of the horrific ordeal she'd gone through just a short three months ago. "We thought that maybe we'd skip it this year." "Because of me?" "You've been through so much and we didn't think that you needed a night of horror right now. We thought it might. . ." "What? Upset me?" Miranda asked. "You and Alex have been so good to me, but sometimes you tiptoe around like you're afraid I'm going to break. Matthew does the same thing and it's starting to make me crazy. Ty's the only one who's not walking on eggshells anymore." Miranda walked over to Katie and hugged her. "I miss my dad and that's never going to change, but I can't stop living because he's gone; he'd hate that. Can we please go on with the marathon?" "I don't know, sweetheart." "Please, Katie? I promise I'll keep Ty from showing Plan 9 this year." "He told you about that?" Katie chuckled and pulled back from her. "If you can get him to promise to put that awful tape away for this year, then we'll do it." Miranda beamed. "Done. Ty said that was an offer you wouldn't be able to refuse." "Oh, so you two set me up? Pretty sneaky, kiddo." "After spending weeks listening to Ty tell me all about you and Alex, I realized that there was no way I could let you two give up Halloween this year. It's kind of an anniversary and birthday all rolled up into one." Katie look taken aback. "What do you mean, anniversary and birthday?" "Well, Ty tells me that he's pretty sure you and Alex figured out you were in love with one another on Halloween last year. I asked Matthew and he agrees. And, since no one around here seems to have a birthday, that they'll own up to, I've decided to make Halloween everyone's official birthday, since it's the first time the four of you did something fun together." "Wow, you've been giving this a lot of thought," Katie said. Miranda shrugged. "I've had a lot of time on my hands. Ty won't let me go back to work until after Thanksgiving and these senior year correspondence courses aren't exactly tough. I'm so far ahead in the coursework, that I should be done with most of the classes next week. I'll have all the credits I need to graduate by January." "Are you sure you don't want to go back home to finish school, be with your friends, go to the Prom?" Miranda shook her head. "No, that's not my home anymore. I need to be here with all of you. You're my family; you, Alex, Matthew and Ty." She put her hand on Katie's belly. "And this little guy." The elevator door opened. Alex strolled over to Katie and Miranda. "Everything all right?" "Why wouldn't it be?" Katie asked. "I don't know, you two look like you've just finished solving a big problem or something." "Well actually, we have," said Miranda. "We've decided that the annual Halloween movie marathon is on for this year, so if you'll excuse me, I have some errands to run." She stood on her tiptoes and gave Alex a quick kiss on the cheek, before grabbing her purse and walking into the elevator. "When did 'we' decide this?" Alex asked. "Apparently she and Tyler have come to the conclusion that we've been too protective and have conspired to give us back our Halloween celebration," Katie replied. "He even agreed to give up Plan 9 this year." "Do you really think this is a good idea?" "I'm not sure, but it seems important to her that we continue the tradition. Apparently, the general consensus is that we realized we were in love with one another that night." Alex wrapped his arms around her. "I'd say that's a fair assumption, wouldn't you?" Katie smiled up at him. "I felt it before that, but I allowed myself to believe for the first time, that night. She said something else." "What was that?" "She said it was also a birthday celebration." Alex moved his good hand down to her abdomen, rubbing gently. "A birthday celebration? Where'd that come from?" "She said that since none of us seem to have a discernible date of birth, that she was going to make Halloween our collective birthday." Alex laughed. "She has a point. Why haven't we celebrated anyone's birthday?" Katie rested her hand on top of his. "I stopped caring about the time my parents died. Matthew gave up on his the same year, as I recall. We never really talked about it after that. I think that Tyler mentioned it when they first started going out. Birthdays were not exactly pleasant experiences for him as a kid, so he never bothered to celebrate his either. What's your excuse?" "I think the last one I celebrated was my sixteenth and you know how that one turned out." "Ah yes, the year of the hooker." "Yeah. Anyway, that was the last one I remember. I guess it never seemed important enough for me to bother with." "Maybe Miranda has the right idea. Our family really started on Halloween, so it is a birthday of sorts." Just then, the baby kicked against their hands. "I think he likes that idea," Alex said. He leaned down and kissed her neck. "How long do you think she'll be gone?" he whispered. Katie moved her head to one side, allowing him a greater expanse of flesh to work with. "No idea." "Then let's not waste any. . ." The ringing phone cut off the rest of his s entence. "Let the machine get it," Katie said, as she turned in his arms. Mulder's voice came through the speaker. "Alex, if you're screening, pick up. It's important." "Shit," Alex hissed. "Better get it," Katie sighed. Alex ran to the phone and picked up the receiver. "Yeah, Mulder. What is it? Are you sure? I don't know, we've been told this before. How do we know. . .? She did the autopsy? How did that happen? No shit? I'll be damned. This calls for a celebration. We're doing the annual Halloween marathon after all, why don't the two of you join us? Great. I'll tell her. Thanks for letting me know." "What calls for a celebration?" Katie asked as Alex hung up the phone. "Spender. The old bastard is dead." "Oh." Katie walked toward the window with Alex close behind. "Oh?" She shrugged. "Katya, he was evil incarnate." Katie stared out the window. "I know." Her hands rested on her belly. "I also know that he was probably involved in Victor's death." "Mulder tell you that?" "Not directly. I overheard you two talking one night." "Oh." Katie glanced over her shoulder. "Look, I know how much you, Mulder and Dana hated this man and after hearing the horror stories, I'm not about to defend him, but," she paused and dropped her gaze down to the floor. "But what?" "He's also partially responsible for this," she said softly, rubbing her belly. "Maybe it's totally selfish, but in spite of everything, there's a part of me that's grateful to the man. He gave me the one thing I thought I'd never have." Alex pushed her hair to one side. "You know he had an ulterior motive, don't you?" Katie brushed his hand away. "I'm not stupid, Alexei; of course he did. I'm sure we were intended to be closely watched lab rats, in spite of his promise to the contrary." She moved away from the window and from him. "This bothers you, and I'm sorry, but if you can't deal with my conflicting emotions, then give me the space to deal with them on my own." He took a step toward her. "That works both ways. I understand what you're saying, but I'm not ready to see it through your eyes yet. Maybe one day I'll be able to look at him that way, but right now, all I can feel is relief." Alex held out his hand. "Don't walk away from me, baby. Not over him. Please." "You're not mad at me?" Katie asked, taking a tentative step in his direction. "Why would I be mad at you?" he asked, letting his hand fall back by his side. "Maybe because I was defending someone you hated. Or because I was being weak in the face of the enemy." Alex's eyes opened wide. "I'm not mad and you're not weak. I know how you think, how you find good in people that no one else can see. You found it in me when I couldn't see it in myself." He moved forward, not quite closing the space between them. "Like I said, I can't see it your way yet, but that doesn't mean I don't understand why you feel the way you do." Katie nodded, the corners of her mouth turning slightly upward. "I, uh, think I need to go for a walk." His shoulder's sagged and he looked down at the floor. "Yeah, ok," he mumbled. Katie held out her hand. "I was hoping you'd come with me." He looked up, then took her hand. "Always." ============================= "Matthew, we're on for Halloween. Of course, Mira had to play the Plan 9 trump card," he added, rolling his eyes at Miranda. "But, the annual celebration is back on. Me, too. We're taking dinner back to the loft tonight. Lisa decided that Katie needed one of her special pot roast dinners and once she gets into that mindset. . ." Tyler laughed. "Exactly. All right, we'll see you shortly. Yeah, love you, too. Bye." Tyler hung up the phone and smiled at Miranda. "So he's still cool with the idea?" Miranda asked. "He's cool with it," Tyler answered. "I think he's secretly happy about not having to sit through Plan 9. He really hates that movie, but he won't admit to it because he knows I love it." Miranda grinned. "Oh yes, the things we do for love." "Are you sure you're going to be all right tomorrow night?" "I'll be fine, Ty." Miranda put her elbows on the desk and rested her chin on her folded hands. "My dad and I used to go to horror flicks together, remember? He would have loved to have been a part of such a long standing tradition." "Just checking. If it gets to be too much, let me know and I'll get you out of there." "If it gets to be too much, I'll go to bed." She lifted her head and pointed a finger at him. "Don't you start worrying about this, too. I need to feel normal again, all right?" Tyler chuckled. "All right, kiddo, anything you say. Miranda sat back in her chair. "Good. Now, what movies do we need and where do we have to go to get them?" ============================ Mulder took in the trays of deli meats and cheeses, the assortment of soft drinks and bottled water, the breads and crackers, and the small chocolate cake at the center of the table. "You do this every year?" "Ever since high school, in one form or another," Katie answered. "Usually we have sangria, but that necessarily has given way to the soft drinks and bottled water." She pointed to the cake. "That, however, is new. Miranda's decided that all of our birthdays are now to be celebrated on Halloween." "There's a certain symmetry to that idea," Mulder said. Miranda snuck up from behind and linked her arm with his. "I thought so, too, Mulder. I'm glad you agree." "So, beautiful, you spoken for yet?" Mulder teased. "Not yet," Miranda sighed. "All the men I love are married or spoken for. And besides, I thought I might finish high school before I settle down. What's your excuse?" Mulder slapped his unoccupied hand against his chest. "Hey, I've asked, but she keeps turning me down." He turned to look for Scully and saw her sitting on the couch, deep in conversation with Alex. "It's not time yet." Miranda's hand slid down and she gave his a squeeze. "Don't let her wait too long." Tyler came out of the kitchen and put the plates on the table. He watched the exchange between Mulder and Miranda and saw her expression change from lighthearted to serious. When Mulder put his arms around her, Tyler decided to intervene. "All right everyone, let's get this show on the road. You two," he said, waggling his fingers at Mulder and Miranda. "No more of that poignant moment crap; tonight we feast and delve into the darker recesses of the mind, no sweetness and light, you hear?" Miranda stepped away from Mulder. "No sweetness and light, gotcha." She looked at Mulder and shrugged. "I didn't know there were rules for the evening, did you?" "I must have missed the memo," Mulder replied. "Let's go eat before they make up a rule about that, too." Katie came back with Scully and Alex in tow. "We can eat now?" she asked. "Listen to that," Scully chuckled. "Three months ago we had force feed her." "Three months ago, this one wouldn't let me keep anything in my stomach. Now, he's letting me eat, but he won't let me keep anything in my bladder. Remember that when I have to ask you guys to pause the movie." Matthew strolled over, eating a sandwich. "We thought of that already," he said, as he stuffed part of his food back into his mouth. "I brought you something from the hospital." He reached down for the bag on the floor beside the couch. "We're not stopping in the middle of a movie, so if you have to go. . ." he pulled out a bedpan and handed it to her. "Oh gross," Katie said, laughing. "What? It's been sterilized," Matthew said with a grin. While the others laughed with them, Miranda picked up a knife and tapped it on a glass. "All right everyone, time to cut the cake. Gather round, if you would, please. Matthew, would you hand everyone a drink?" Everyone moved toward the table and gave her their undivided attention, as Matthew handed each person bottle of water. "Tonight," she started, "is the beginning of a new tradition." "Uh, oh, this is going to be a long one," Tyler teased. "Shut up, Ty. I worked hard on this speech. Mulder, if he interrupts me again, you have my permission to shoot him." Alex snickered. "Yeah right, if he doesn't drop his gun mid draw." "I can still take you out, Ratboy," Mulder growled. Scully and Katie rolled their eyes and took hold of their men. "Enough, you two," Scully said. "Now apologize to Miranda." "Sorry, sweetie." "Yeah, sorry, Miranda," Mulder said. "Thank you, now let's try this again. Tonight is the beginning of a new tradition; a celebration of life to honor those present, those we've lost and those we've yet to meet. We celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, but most of all, we celebrate the family we've become. Much has happened in the last twelve months, some good, some not so good. Katie and Alex met and fell in love. Mulder and Alex went from being enemies to being friends. We've all witnessed a couple of miracles in the form of Katie's baby and my recovery. I've lost a father, but. . ." She looked over at Ty and took a deep breath. "Well, at the risk of breaking the 'sweetness and light' rule, I guess what I really wanted to say is that I love you all and thank you for making me part of this family." Katie opened her water and raised it into the air. "To us." "To us."