Series Title: San Francisco
Chapter Title: Discoveries and Decisions.
Author: Hummbugg
E-Mail: humbug@hummbugg.com
Website: www.hummbugg.com
Rated: I'd say NC-17 at least toward the end anyway LOL.
Disclaimer: All credit to CC and Co. As always. 


Notes: If I have to pick a time line for my story I'd say just
after Sixth Extinction Amor Fati. Basically apart from the first
two episodes, season 7 and beyond doesn't exist. It's a very shippy
story but I have included a bit of x-files mythology and my own
mythology. I actually do have a plot it's not all fluff I promise
LOL. This first part of the story was basically written to set the
tone of the chapters to come. Think of it as the two part season
premiere before the regular one hour time slots LOL. 



Oh and feedback is always appreciated.


X

Mulder was fiddling around with the tape deck when Scully arrived
at the office that morning. "Hey Scully check this out."

He gestured to the seat in front of his desk and hit the play
button.

After a moment of static a friendly male voice made its way out of
the speaker.

"Michael and Charlotte Moore have four children. They aren't
filthy rich but they're doing okay. Michael is a freelance
journalist, and quite a popular one at that. He has worked hard to
get to this point in his life. I think that you will both
appreciate this man when you get the opportunity to meet him.

Charlotte better known as Charlie loathes her name. She has earned
quite a list of nicknames to act as a substitute for her real one.
On a day to day basis you may hear her referred to as 'Charlie'
'Mom' 'Mom Two' and last but certainly not least 'O'Neil'. Her
nieces and nephews all call her 'Mom Two'. It's no secret that she
holds the family together. Between tending to her husband and
children and extended family she somehow finds the time to juggle a
career into the act. Charlie Moore is a Professor of Psychology at
The University of San Francisco.

To an outsider they seem to be a happy, healthy upper middle class
family living in a charming old house in one of the trendier San
Francisco locales. This is all true, however most people don't know
how hard these two have worked to get to where they are. The odds
were against them from the start. 

I know that you are both aware of the mass collection of D.N.A and
cloning projects undertaken by the U.S. Government since the
1950's. Not many clones were successful and not many survived.
There are to date somewhere around twenty thousand clones living in
the United States. Most of them are unaware of what they are.

I belong to an unofficial organization that was started by men
like William Mulder who wanted a future other than extinction for
mankind. We fight on the side of the resistance. With intelligence
gathered by consortium spies, we began to create our own clones.
The clones are immune to the alien virus thanks to our growing
understanding of alien genetics. It would be fatal if the aliens
find out what has been going on all these years. Our belief is that
if we release as many clones as possible, and they start to
procreate passing on their immunity, humanity may just have a
chance at survival.

Michael and Charlotte Moore were both created using D.N.A.
collected shortly after the births of the original babies. When a
successful clone is generated it is released to adoption clinics,
police stations, social services shelters… basically wherever it is
safe to leave a child. The clones are wards of the state and are
either adopted or brought up as foster children. At the age of
eighteen we present the less fortunate clones with thirty thousand
dollars, the usual cover story is 'long lost relative leaves
everything to next of kin'. From that point on it's up to the clone
to decide which path it intends to follow. 

Michael and Charlie are two of the extremely few who are aware of
what is going on. They have proved themselves in many ways over the
years and I have drawn them into the fold. It helps to have a
journalist with a sizeable following around if you know what I
mean. Charlie is a brilliant psychologist. She's quite a popular
character around headquarters. I think Agent Scully will find her
especially interesting.

Michael and Charlie met before they found out what they are. It's
not uncommon for clones to cross each other in the same shelter or
foster home. These two met at a shelter in New York City. Charlie
was thirteen and to put it nicely… a handful. Michael was sixteen
and at the time very quiet and controlled in a way that masked the
diabolical genius that was rapidly developing within.

They hated each other at first or they at least pretended to. Both
were and still are highly competitive and intelligent individuals.
The childish pretences dropped the night Michael stumbled upon one
of the night shift interns attempting to rape Charlie in the
bathroom. Michael has since told me that he had no control over his
murderous impulses that night. His thought processes had simply
shut down and at sixteen years of age in all his skinny glory he
beat that intern within an inch of death. 

From that time on they put their heads together and managed to
come up with clever ways to drive their foster parents completely
insane with fury. Each time they were sent back to the shelter for
another round of processing which was entirely the point. They
didn't want to be separated but they didn't have much say in the
matter so they fought and hounded the system and managed to stick
together. 

At eighteen Michael was presented with his thirty thousand
dollars. He was a smart kid; he knew that the money was for
important reasons, such as college, accommodation and whatever else
he may have needed. Thirty thousand isn't a huge amount now but
back then you wouldn't have sneezed at it. On his birthday he woke
in the morning and packed the few clothes and belongings that he
had. He went straight to a used car lot and picked up a Mustang for
his very first car. It was his one luxury and he's managed to keep
it all these years. These days his eldest son gets a kick out of it.

Fifteen year old Charlie whom I imagine was furious and feeling
more than a little abandoned sat on the front steps all day glaring
at the people who went by. I knew she was waiting for him to come
back; I was waiting for the same thing. I happened to be staking
out the shelter that day from a car across the street. I was a
young man back then and quite an idealist. I was there for my own
reasons. I wanted to see if young Michael knew anything about
loyalty and respect. I had a feeling that these two would some day
be a part of our organization. I needed to see if they passed the
tests young life would throw their way. Sure enough to my relief
Michael passed with flying colors.

At six o'clock in the evening he pulled up in his black mustang as
proud as a peacock.

Half an hour later he left the place behind for good with
Charlie's beat up old suitcase in one hand and his other one
pulling her along behind him.

They wound up living in a seedy one bedroom apartment with a leaky
roof in Brooklyn New York. I didn't approve of their living
situation. I felt that Charlie was far too young to be living like
that but on further surveillance I was quite surprised and pleased
to discover that the bedroom was hers and Michael had invested in a
large comfortable couch which took up nearly half of the tiny
living room. 

He enrolled in college and she stayed in school. Michael worked at
night in a bakery and Charlie worked evenings and weekends at a
little donut shop one block from their apartment. Her meager wages
barely covered the food expenses and his stretched enough to cover
the rent and bills. They were determined to not whittle away at
Michael's money. They were waiting for Charlie's eighteenth
birthday, they wanted to put their money together, get themselves a
good education and hopefully with their combined funds build
something of a decent life.

You must be wondering why I have sent you this tape and this
information. I will be honest; I am older now but still idealistic.
I have followed the work that the two of you undertake. I know of
your quest and I know which side your hearts belong to. Many of us
involved in the organization feel that your alignment with the
resistance would be beneficial to the outcome of this war we are
sure to fight soon. You know as well as I do that in the end there
will be only two options; resist or serve. 

Michael and Charlie are expecting a visit from the two of you.
They have both been aware of you for some time and are eager to
meet you. I hope I was not presumptuous when I told them to prepare
for visitors sometime over the next couple of days. They have much
information to share with you and should you choose not to align
yourselves with us at least you got the chance to meet and gather
information.

I will finish up now and bid you good luck. Hopefully we will be
meeting soon."


X


Mulder and Scully had staked out the house from across the street
for a couple of hours. The lights were on inside and they could see
dim shadows moving about through the windows but so far they had
yet to maintain visual contact with the clones. They didn't need to
admit to each other that they were more than a little nervous about
this. What if it was a trap? They hadn't even seen photos of the
clones, they didn't know who to be looking for. They didn't realize
that they were in for the biggest surprise of their lives.

Finally they both agreed that it was now or never. Walking side by
side they made their way to the front door. Scully raised a finger
to jab at the door bell.

After a moments silence then the clattering of footsteps the door
swung open to reveal a teenage girl with sleek chocolate colored
hair. Her eyes were wide and blue and very familiar. She stood
staring at them for a moment; her eyes wide with shock, when her
mouth opened the last thing Mulder had ever expected to hear came
hollering from her throat. 

"DAD!!!! DAD WE GOT SHAPE SHIFTERS AT THE FRONT DOOR!!!"

Her hand dove into her pocket and she drew out a very familiar
cylindrical metal object. She flicked the little button half way up
the base with her thumb and the needle shaped blade shot forward
with an almost imperceptible whisper.

Mulder blinked and raised his hands in surrender. 

Scully watched in momentary shock as a second 'Mulder' approached
the young girl from behind.

"Dani did you stop to think that if they were shape shifters they
wouldn't have done something as obvious as change your mother's
hair?"

The young girl sheepishly retracted the blade and slipped the
weapon back into her pocket. "I was just practicing for the real
thing." She shot her father a crooked grin.

Another young girl joined them. Identical twins Scully noted.

"Yeah Dani Dad's right and besides… since when do shape shifters
go around dressing like government employees?"

"You think you're so funny Dana."

"Dani, Dana." Their father's voice held a tone of warning, but he
couldn't mask the underlying amusement. The girls both rolled their
eyes.

"Okay so if you're not shape shifters then who are you?" This came
from Dani who was eyeing Scully's hair.

Before either one of them could respond Michael stepped in with
the answer. 

"They're our originals. I told you two days ago that they were
coming. You never listen to a word your old man says." He shook his
head and clapped a hand over the backs of each of their necks. He
steered them away from the front door to allow Mulder and Scully
entrance to the house.

"You'll have to excuse my children. I'm Michael by the way."

He reached out a hand to shake both of theirs. Mulder felt
incredibly weird shaking a hand identical to his own.

"I didn't expect your children to be so grown up." Scully
commented, she had finally recovered enough from her shock to speak.

"The eldest is seventeen. We started way too early." His chuckle
was warm and he offered to take their coats. "Come in. Charlie is
in the kitchen. We've been looking forward to meeting you for a
long time."

They followed Michael to the kitchen. Scully felt extremely odd
having one Mulder in front of her and another Mulder behind her.
They finally came to a halt in front of an empty kitchen. Charlie
evidently wasn't there, but the vegetables she had been slicing and
the knife she had been using were resting on top of a chopping
board.

"Well she was in the kitchen." Michael shrugged and opened the
fridge. "Can I offer you anything?" Both agents declined. 

The silence in the kitchen was a little uncomfortable. Mulder had
a feeling this 'Charlie' would be a clone of his partner. The tape
had been weird to start with, this was even weirder but in some
spooky way it all made sense.

Fortunately the twins sauntered into the kitchen followed by their
older brother.

"Check it out. I TOLD you Mom had red hair when she was a kid."

Mulder wanted to laugh as Scully barely managed to not squirm
uncomfortably as the three teenagers checked her out. The boy
shrugged and smiled. 

"Hi. I'm Mark." He shook both of their hands respectfully. It was
obvious that these kids had been brought up properly.

"I'm Mulder this is Dana."

The twins eyes widened and Dana and Dani exchanged a glance. 

"Dad why didn't you-."

"Pure coincidence girls."

The identical sets of features shared an uncanny resemblance to
Scully. The girls obviously looked a lot like their currently
absent mother.

"Where's your mother?" Michael was back to perusing the contents
of the fridge.

"I dunno."

He looked up for a minute to call out. "O'Neil! Get your butt out
here."

At that moment a petite blonde in flared blue jeans and bare feet
entered the room. Her hair was pulled back into a pony tail, a few
strands had escaped their confinement and framed her sweet oval
face. Mulder couldn't tear his gaze from the small smiling woman.

"I'm right here." She slapped affectionately at the hand holding
the fridge door open as she breezed into the kitchen with a sleepy
two year old perched on her hip. "You'll spoil your dinner."
Michael suppressed a grin and rolled his eyes. "Lighten up O'Neil."

The girls were snickering at their father and Mark was swinging
back on the hind legs of one of the dining chairs. Charlie plopped
the two year old into her eldest sons lap and turned to gaze at
Mulder and Scully. Her grin was playful.

"I never really pictured you as a G-Man before." She cut her eyes
cheekily to her husband before extending a warm hand.

"I'm Charlie. You must be Fox and Dana."

Scully's hand rose to grasp Charlie's. She marveled at the feel of
a hand exactly the same size and shape as her own sliding against
her palm.

Young Dana spoke up.

"Your name is Fox?"

Mulder suppressed the urge to groan in frustration.

"Fox…" Dani rolled the name over her tongue. After a moment she
nodded as if agreeing on something and turned her face toward her
twin. "I like it. Totally cool."

"Yeah." Dana chimed in. "Everyone's naming their kids crazy names
these days. You're like… an original." 

They giggled at the double meaning of her words.

Mark rolled his eyes and locked a long suffering gaze on the two
year old in his lap. "Wanna go play ball?" The two year old nodded
vigorously and began a loud baby chant.

"Ball! Ball! Ball! Ball!"

"Make sure you put his shoes on first." Charlie instructed her son
as he rose from the chair. He towered over his mother at full
height. "Where are your sneakers?" He asked his excited infant
brother.

"Neeks!" He cried happily.

"Some help you are." Mark muttered as he carried Jasin from the
room.


Everyone stood around the kitchen bench in awkward silence.
Finally Charlie picked up her knife and got to work on the
vegetables in front of her. "I figured this was going to be kind of
weird so why don't we just cut the small talk and get right to the
juicy stuff."

Mulder definitely liked Scully Two.

"Okay." He agreed. "What's O'Neil? Maiden name?"

Michael snorted and shot an amused grin at his wife who was
rolling her eyes in inevitable embarrassment.

"Haven't you noticed how abnormally tall she is for a woman?" 

He laughed as she reached over to pinch his bicep.

Scully still didn't get it. Mulder was catching on.

"She's a Shaq Attack."

She threw him a mock glare this time.

"I call her O'Neil cos she's such a damn midget."

"How many times do I have to tell you? I'm normal. YOU are the one
with the height problem. I should saw you off at the kneecaps." 

He reached out to tickle her ribs and she elbowed him in the chest
through her involuntary giggles. Scully suddenly felt slightly
uncomfortable. The two people in front of her for all intents and
purposes could be her and Mulder. It was like watching a really
weird movie of herself and Mulder acting like they shared the
intimacy of marriage. It was a little overwhelming to take in the
picture before her eyes; herself and Mulder with a tribe of
children and a nicely decorated house. There were no emotional
brick walls keeping them at a distance. He freely reached out to
touch his wife and she responded in kind, the intimacy flowed
between them with the ease only years of trust and familiarity
could produce. This was all so surreal.

She couldn't help the quick glance she stole of Mulder. He was
watching the couple in front of them with an awkward expression
only she could discern. She wondered if he'd ever thought of having
a life like this, if he'd ever thought of sharing something similar
with her. As she pulled her eyes from her partner she noticed that
Michael was pulling seats out at the table for them. The twins had
vanished and the adults had the kitchen to themselves. As Mulder
and Scully took their seats Charlie took a second to study them.

They had a sad air about them. The brief glances they exchanged
spoke louder to her than their words. She remembered years before
when Michael and herself had been young and struggling, barely more
than children they had battled through so much misery together. She
imagined that the air about them back then would have been very
similar to the vibe coming from the two that sat in front of her.
Despite the closeness they shared it seemed to her that an unhappy
weight hovered between them. They had known each other for a lot
less time than Michael and herself, it was possible that they
weren't involved. She smiled as her memories took her back to the
night that changed her life forever.


X


12:30am

She entered their crappy roach bitten hole of an apartment with a
sigh. 

"Mike you home?"

She wiped her feet on the tattered mat by the front door, the
bottoms of her flared jeans were soaked almost to the knee with
rain and she was shivering like a naked Eskimo. 

Her voice bounced back at her in the silent apartment. 

Since taking a new job at a factory Michael had been home before
her shift ended at the donut shop nearly every night. Usually he
met her out the front and they walked home together. He didn't like
her to be out that late on her own in Brooklyn. She knew how to
handle herself but he still didn't like it one bit.

She had been surprised to step out onto the street to find that he
wasn't there. She had made the short but cold trek home by herself,
hugging her arms around her thin coat for warmth.

Now in the kitchen she began preparing their dinner. Her stomach
growled mightily. Between school and work she hadn't had time to
eat all day. She was rapidly approaching the end of her senior year
in high school. Thanks to the money she had received last week on
her birthday she could now seriously think about which university
she wanted to attend. All the other girls she knew had families to
celebrate their graduation with. Sometimes she couldn't beat down
the envy that rolled through her. What she wouldn't give for a
normal life and parents to love her. She hadn't been well liked at
school; no one's parents wanted their kid hanging out with the
'orphan'. They all knew she lived with a 21 year old man in a one
bedroom apartment. She knew what all the parents thought of her.
She was nothing more than a tramp. She had heard the whispers in
the girls' bathroom. They all failed to see the irony of their
words. How could a virgin possibly be a whore? It wasn't all bad.
She had Michael, her only true friend. They loved each other, they
relied on each other. At least they had each other, in some ways
more than others.

A few months earlier Michael had started staying out late,
sometimes not coming home until early morning when she was getting
ready to leave for school. He always smelled of cheap beer and even
cheaper perfume when he finally did decide to show up. After
letting it slide a number of times she finally asked him where he
went when he didn't come home. The first few times she had asked
he'd just brushed her off. One night after arriving at their
apartment at three in the morning more plastered than she'd ever
seen him and looking particularly pleased with himself he'd given
her a blow by blow description of what it was like to fuck Rebecca
the boss's secretary who worked upstairs in the office part of the
factory.

He hadn't remembered their conversation the next day and she had
kept her broken heart to herself. She knew he was a young man with
the same urges and desires of every other young man out there. What
she didn't understand was why he hadn't ever tried to share them
with her. Did he see her as a sister? Was he not attracted to her?
Could he not love her that way? She had blinked back her tears and
cleared her throat of the lump threatening to swell to breaking
point.

She heard the door open and looked up.

Michael was home. He closed the door behind him, took a good look
around and sighed. He caught sight of her sad face looming in the
kitchen and frowned.

"What's wrong? You sick of this rat trap too?"

As much as she hated it, it was their home. A bus stop would have
been acceptable shelter as long as he was with her. She shook her
head and tried to present him with a smile. It was nothing more
than a watery twitching of her lips. Over the last few months she
had been thinking that maybe it would be better to use her money to
pay for on campus accommodation. He obviously wanted to date and do
all the 'normal' things that life entailed and she had a new and
supposedly exciting period of her life on the horizon. She would
miss this crappy little haven they had created together.

"I'm not sick of it. I'm just going to miss it, that's all."

His frown deepened on his young brow. "What do you mean you're
going to miss it?"

"I was thinking of moving on campus when I start univer-."

"Excuse me?"

"Michael we're not kids anymore we're getting older we can't keep
living like this."

She waved her hand to signify their living situation.

"You're going to end up a cripple if you continue to sleep on the
couch… and at least this way you wont have to go out all the time
to be with… uh… other people."

"No way Charlie. You're not going anywhere."

"Michael, be realistic. In the not so distant future you'll more
than likely have a uh girlfriend." Damn herself for stumbling over
that word.

"And you're going to want some privacy and a female room mate
sleeping in the only bed in the place is really going to cramp your
style and as perverted as I know you are there is no way in hell
I'm joining in for a ménage a trios."

She attempted a little humor to lighten the mood.

Evidently it hadn't worked. Michael stood there looking stunned.
It only took a moment for the deep ache her words had caused to
flash over his features before he composed himself into a blank
mask.

He shrugged. "Whatever. It's your decision anyway."

He casually sauntered to the couch and flipped on the television.
He wasn't fooling anyone, not himself and certainly not her. She
knew when Michael was hurt. Hurting him wasn't her intention, at
least that's what she told herself. Deep down there was no denying
the completely human tendency to want to lash out at the thing
causing you the most pain. This was her own way of inflicting
cruelty without being too obvious about it. Secretly she wanted him
to ache because of her as much as she did because of him.

When dinner was complete, they sat silently on the couch eating
numbly and staring at the rain beating down on their window. A loud
rumble of thunder caused the fine hair on her arms to stand on end.
She had never been one to appreciate a storm; she hated the out of
control fury that nature would sometimes unleash on the
unsuspecting planet. Michael loved storms. One night around a year
previously she had been trembling in her bed from the cold and the
fear of the powerful weather threatening to reach right into their
apartment. She hadn't wanted him to know she was scared. She didn't
like to be scared. In a moment of heart breaking tenderness he had
left his home on the couch and slid into bed behind her, wrapping
his arms securely around her middle and pulling her tightly to him
each time a loud blast of thunder split the sky. She didn't think
tonight's storm would bring him to her. His seething yet carefully
restrained anger would surely keep him chained to the couch. 

Sometime later she was in her bed again, trembling beneath her
blanket as she had done a year ago. Silent tears made moonlit
tracks down her cheeks. She didn't want to leave, not ever, but he
made it impossible for her to stay. She couldn't sit idly by and
watch him waste all the love and affection she knew he had to give
on women that would never know how to truly love him.

She hadn't heard his silent approach. She wasn't even aware of him
standing in her tiny match box room until his big warm hands were
running through the long waves of fiery red hair splayed across her
pillow. "Charlie I don't want you to go." She barely heard his
whisper above the frantic howling of the wind outside. She sighed
"I don't want to go either but I think it's the best thing for both
of us."

"How can it be the best thing for both of us if even the thought
of it eats me alive?"

"Michael you only want me here because you're used to having me
here. I'm your safety net and you're mine. It's not healthy to
cling to each other for that reason."

"But Charlie I… I think… What I mean is…" He lowered himself to
the edge of the bed with a defeated sigh. "You know I need you. I
had a chance to leave you behind three years ago and I didn't
because I didn't want to do this alone and I still don't. I don't
want you to leave Charlie. Please don't leave me." A flash of
lightening threw his face into momentary stark relief. His eyes
were haunted and terrified though not by the storm. A mighty crack
of thunder shook the glass pane in the window and she gasped. They
were barely more than children and yet the depth of their love for
each other was startling. 

She closed her eyes and bit her lip. "It's not right Michael. You
can't have me as everything but a lover. It's not fair to me."

She heard the breath catch in his throat. "What are you saying
Charlie?"

"I thought you knew me well enough by now to know."

His hands resumed their stroking through her hair.

"I want you as everything. I always have."

She was weeping openly now.

"No you don't. If you did you wouldn't go out at night to…"

She didn't finish her sentence, a deep sob had choked off her
words. She was absolutely humiliated. 

"If you think that what I do actually means anything to me then
you're sadly mistaken."

A few sniffles later. "Then why do you do it?"

He sighed.

"When we're in our thirties a three year age gap will be nothing,
but when you're a kid it's huge."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"Will you let me finish?" His hand left her hair to lay a gentle
finger over her plump lips.

"You've always… turned me on… Even when I was sixteen and you were
barely a teenager. I knew being turned on by a kid was wrong. I'm
not turned on by children, I may be a little warped but I'm not a
freak. I guess I ignored those feelings to the best of my ability.
Then that night… when I saw…" He paused for a moment, the night she
was very nearly raped was a painful memory for him too.

"I felt even more wrong about my feelings after that. You have no
idea how that night affected me."

"I was there wasn't I? I saw what you did to him."

"No beyond that. I can't stand even the thought of a guy looking
at you. Sometimes when we're out I see guys checking you out and I
just want to mow down every single one of them. I know you're
thinking its jealousy and yes some part of it is, which I might add
is only natural, but it goes way beyond jealousy. It goes right
back to that night he attacked you. I don't want anyone looking at
you THAT way. You shouldn't be looked at THAT way."

"Why shouldn't I be looked at that way? You don't think people
should find me attractive?"

"Something like that."

"Oh." She was confused and more than a little hurt. Did this mean
he didn't find her attractive? What exactly was his point?

"I guess I just feel that you're too special… you're above that.
You're above sleazy fantasies. It's a world you don't belong in and
I've always felt ashamed of mine. You're untouchable; at least
that's how I feel. I've been waiting for you to get older and
you're eighteen now. Not much of a kid anymore, you're a young
woman. A hot young woman I should state for the record." He
grinned, his attempt to lighten the mood.

"We've lived together in this shoe box for three years. Every
night of those three years you have come home straight after work,
completed your homework, tried to catch at least five hours of
sleep and then start the cycle again with school during the day.
I'm fairly certain you don't have the time to meet guys. I'm pretty
sure you're a virgin."

A streak of lightening and a loud roar from the sky briefly showed
him the embarrassment on her face.

"That thought has always comforted me. I've been hoping that you
were waiting until you were old enough to make an informed
decision. I know how special you are, I know no one could
appreciate or need you more than I do. I've been waiting for that
time to come too and I've been praying that you choose to love me."

He waited silently, listening to the fury tearing around their run
down building. He watched in the dark as her silhouette rose from
the mattress to kneel beside him. Her arms slid over his shoulders
to wind around his neck.

"I've always loved you."

He inhaled the scent of her sweet warm neck.

"Sometimes it's hard to wait when you're right under my nose.
That's why I do what I do. Sometimes I just have to get away from
here, sometimes I need to get away from you. I drive myself crazy
thinking about you and you're asleep only a few feet away with a
thin wall between us. There are plenty of other people out there as
frustrated and in need of relief as I am. I've been taking
advantage of that because I need to be able to keep my head when
you're around. I don't ever want to do anything to hurt you like
that asshole did but my intentions always fall short don't they?
I've hurt you anyway. I'm sorry for my behavior and I don't mean
for what I said to be an excuse. I know I've hurt you and my worst
nightmare is coming true; you want to leave."

Her arms tightened around him. 

"I won't leave Michael. Not if you promise to love me."

"There's no thirty day exchange warranty on me you do realize this?"

Finally through the waterfall of her tears he heard a bubble of
delightful laughter.

"Where do I sign?"

"On our marriage certificate."

"Don't get ahead of yourself." 

She squeezed him warmly, all fears of the storm shuffled to the
side.

"I'm serious. I want this to be official. I want it stated on
public record for every asshole out there to see. You are mine."

"And you are mine."

"Just the way it should always be. You think you could marry a bum
like me?"

"I can't show all my cards. You'll have to ask me to marry you
before you find that out."

"Marry me Charlie?"

She laughed and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "I'll tell you one
day if you seriously ask me." She felt the shattered pieces of her
heart beginning to piece back together one by one. 

"Okay. I'm asking seriously now. Marry me Charlie?"

"What?"

With a huge sigh he dragged out the words slowly. "Will… YOU…
marry… ME?"

"You're serious aren't you?"

"No I'm not serious… Of course I am! Now quit fooling around and
give me a damn answer before I make a moron out of myself."

"But you're such a cute mor-."

"Charlie." She knew the voice, low and deep with warning.

"Yes Michael. Let's make it official."


X


It was so beautiful to come back to reality from her day dream to
see the gorgeous man her youthful memory had become. He was staring
at her with affectionate eyes.

"Hey space face. You were miles away. Where did you go?"

"Somewhere nice." Her eyes lingered on his for a moment.

Scully felt the spark between them. After all these years they
still had that? That was certainly rare in this day and age. She
felt Mulder fidgeting in the chair beside her. She was relieved to
know that their clones made him as uncomfortable as they made her.
It was simply far too personal to see 'themselves' very openly
happy and in love.

"Why don't you tell us a little about yourselves?"

Charlie tossed her load of vegetables into two trays. She coated
them in a few splashes of olive oil and a light sprinkling of
rosemary then slid the trays carefully into the preheated oven. She
made her way to the vacant seat beside her husband and sat opposite
Mulder listening with interest as they spoke.

"Well you probably already know the basics right?" This came from
Mulder.

"Yeah we know what you do and why you do it. We're both quite
interested in the NON alien colonization shit storm of all time
work that you do." Michael's grin was crooked and Mulder was
instantly at ease.

"Investigations into the paranormal, strange adventures, close
encounters of the third kind how exciting. I've always thought your
work would be great material for a killer television series."
Charlie's eyes twinkled across the table from Mulder. He was
completely charmed by her. 

"Only MUFON members would bother to watch."

Michael laughed at Scully's dry comment. "Besides it's not all
that exciting. You should see the paperwork."

"Tell us about some of your cases." 

"Sorry M'am that's confidential F.B.I. business."

"Since when does the bureau hold jurisdiction over ghostly
sightings and werewolves? Come on we want to hear all about it."

"Well there was this one time when we got trapped in a research
compound in the middle of a blizzard with these killer arctic
worms…"


X


The sun had set and the children were complaining.

"Mom you're killing me if I don't eat soon I'm going to die."

"You can wait ten more minutes."

"The blood is on your hands mother."

The children obviously adored their mother. Mulder was hit by a
moment of melancholy. Scully could have had all of this if it
hadn't been for their insane life. He imagined she would have made
an exceptional mother, just like Charlie.

"Come on Mulder we should go I still haven't had a chance to
unpack-."

"Don't be ridiculous you're staying for dinner."

Charlie was shuffling around the table laying out plates and
cutlery.

"Thank You but we don't want to impose."

"You have to stay I cooked extra."

Michael was suddenly behind Scully, leaning past her to set wine
glasses on the wooden surface. "You don't want to refuse her food.
Her nose will be permanently out of joint."

Dana and Dani had entered the kitchen and stood either side of
Scully. "Yeah you've got to stay. I'll even let you have my glass."
Dana waved a cup in front of Scully with the name DANA printed on
the front in neon purple font. She shot the woman that shared her
name a cheeky grin and continued. "Besides we're studying physics
in science this semester and I need your help. You don't want me to
fail do you?"

"Yeah we heard you plagiarized Einstein for your thesis." Dani
chimed in.

Mulder barely suppressed a snort of mirth.

"Do you people know everything?"

"Not everything, but enough to know that you two are too busy
chasing down conspiracies and aliens to get a decent home cooked
meal in your stomachs. Now sit down and relax already." The order
came from Charlie who was now heaping steaming piles of rosemary
scented vegetables onto the plates resting on her large dining
table. 

The food was delicious. Obviously Maggie Scully's talent in the
kitchen skipped her daughter and was inherited by a clone. Mulder
took the opportunity to silently observe the family. Husband and
wife clinked glasses and took an appreciative sip of their red
wine. The twins were trying to flick peas at their older brother
while their parents weren't watching. The two year old shoveled
mashed vegetables into his mouth messily and grinned at his mother
through cheeks bulging with chewed up mush. He'd never wanted this
as a young man. He still couldn't imagine ever having it, but
watching their clones, their genetic photocopies enjoying a
wonderful domesticity made him a little sad. He had sacrificed so
much for his cause. He imagined it must be so nice for Michael to
come home every night to a beautiful and dedicated woman and
children who love him.

The only woman he could see himself making a commitment to
parenthood with was Scully. Not that they had a chance for that
kind of a life, but it was nice to know that of all the women on
the planet, Scully was the one he was inclined to mate with. He
took a moment to watch his partner. She was smiling at something
the eldest boy had said. 

A voice broke his reverie. "Hey mom you should dye your hair red
again. I think you were exaggerating a little when you said you
looked like Ginger Spice without the pump action push up bra."

Dana was giggling into her glass of milk at her loud mouth sister.

Charlie almost choked on her wine. Mulder's smile was wide and
shit eating.

"Dana pulls it off well. I don't."

"You're clones Mom not twins there's a difference."

"Enlighten me Dana."

"Dani's my twin but she looks better in pink then I do. Dana's
your clone you're one in the same. If she pulls off red hair then
so do you."

"You only think Dani looks better in pink because you despise the
color." 

"You only think Dana looks better with red hair because you prefer
blonde." Her daughter retorted.

"Actually I quite liked the stint you did back in the eighties
with black hair."

Michael had chimed in to tease his wife.

"I liked it when we were little and you had brown hair. We all
matched then." This came from Dani.

"What has the color of my hair got to do with anything?" Charlie
was exasperated.

Luckily she was saved by the ringing of the doorbell. 

Before either twin could leap from their chairs Michael shot them
both a warning glance.

"You're not answering the door until you learn to stop accusing
visitors of being aliens."

Dani pouted as her father went to answer the door.

Mulder and Scully heard happy voices making their way toward the
dining room.

"Aren't you happy to have me back big brother?"

Michael had returned to the dining room with the arm of a lanky
woman draped across his shoulders. Mulder and Scully both gasped. 

"That's Samantha."

Michael grinned. "No this is her clone."

"This is my sister Ally. She was the first successful clone of
Samantha Mulder. She wasn't created by resistance doctors.
Unfortunately the consortium had the original."

Michael's eyes were sympathetic and locked with Mulder's. 

"We're first generation clones created from two originals who
share the same D.N.A. In this case a brother and sister. That makes
us siblings in our weird family tree."

Ally grinned at Michael and Mulder. "I think I know how Mark feels."

"You have no idea." He muttered shooting a look at his identical
twin sisters.

Ally was staring at Mulder and Scully, she released a low whistle. 

"Finally Johnny Boy got his ass out of first and into second. I
thought we'd all be in nursing homes by the time he brought these
two up to speed." Michael grinned at his sister's less than tactful
way with words. "John is the man who sent you the tape. If you two
decide to stick around and check out what it is that we do we'd be
happy to take you out to meet him tomorrow."


X


Mulder was outside sitting on the front steps watching San
Francisco by night. He needed a moment to take a breather. It was
hard to watch the affectionate antics of Michael and Ally. It
should have been him and Samantha. The world was such a fucked up
place to live and the general population didn't even know the half
of it. He heard the front door swing open and close. Then a warm
figure plopped herself down on the step next to him. She stretched
her long legs out and sighed as the warm breeze played gently
through her mass of brown curls.

"I've been waiting a long time to finally meet you." She smiled up
at the dark sky.

"You have?"

"I know you've been searching for Sam for a very long time. We
weren't allowed to make contact with you until John gave us the all
clear. There's so much that I have wanted to tell you."

His hand slid into his pocket to gather up a few sun flower seeds.
He offered her one and she gladly accepted.

"I knew Samantha. She was a year older than me. We grew up
together with a boy called Jeffrey. His father ran the show pretty
much. Samantha and I were tested regularly. We both hated the tests
and the men that performed them. We were closer than sisters. I was
her and she was me and we were pretty much joined at the hip most
of the time."

Ally's smile was sad and wistful.

"She said she kind of remembered having a brother who had brown
hair. She wanted to run away, to find the family she could barely
remember and escape those awful medical procedures. We managed to
get away when she was fourteen. Sam was sick and weak from her last
round of tests. I begged her to let me take her to a hospital. She
finally caved. We weren't there long. I made myself scarce; I
didn't want the nurses asking too many questions. I saw Jeffrey's
father a few hours later making his way down the hall with two of
his cronies. Stupid me ran for cover, I was a kid, I was scared.
Sam went missing that night… I haven't seen her since. I've always
blamed myself for what happened to her and when I joined the
organization and learnt of you I knew you also blamed yourself for
losing her. I guess I've always needed to share that with you, just
so you know you're not alone in your grief for her."

Mulder swallowed past the lump in his throat. Ally's eyes were
bright with unshed tears.

"She was my sister too. Not a day goes by without me missing her
or thinking of her." She stretched out a hand to cover his
hesitantly. "When the resistance took me in they knew exactly what
I was and who had created me. I am known by both sides of this war
we're waging. I was fifteen and living on the street on the run
from the men who were trying to track me down when John found me
and gave me a home. I grew up at head quarters in New York City.
When I was eighteen I met my brother and Charlie. We're a small
number of clones who have been made aware of the project and our
involvement in the survival of mankind. They want you guys in on it
too. You and your partner have already uncovered so much on your
own. The organization knows they would be foolish to not offer you
a place within the ranks."

"What do we stand to gain from our involvement?"

"Other than the knowledge that your work will ensure everyone's
safety?"

"Other than that."

"You might just gain a family from it all." She looked pointedly
behind her at the front door. "Michael and Charlie are incredible
people. I know when you lost Samantha you lost your family. Maybe
it's time to consider accepting a new one."

"They're not family. They're clones."

Ally's expression was pained.

"We try so hard to be our own people and accept that instead of
being created out of the love of a set of parents, we were
conceived in a test tube. You may choose to think of us as nothing
more than science experiments but we're still human. We all share
D.N.A. with either you or your partner, in a normal world that
would be considered family."


X


Scully was poring over high school science textbooks. She was
assaulted by memories of all night study sessions accompanied by
her trusty flask of caffeine and mom's home made brownies. To her
surprise the young Dana didn't really need much help after all. She
was a bright kid and a quick study. Her sister Dani on the other
hand scribbled pictures of U.F.O's in the margin of her notebook
and sneakily copied her sister's answers changing them slightly
into her own words. She found it odd to see something of herself
and Mulder in a pair of fifteen year old twins. Scully finally
managed to drag her eyes away from the textbook and stare in
surprise as Charlie placed a steaming mug of fresh coffee in front
of her and a plate of brownies in the middle of the pile of books
and paper. "Mom! You're deliberately trying to turn me into a
whale." Young Dana moaned while eyeing the chocolate treat. "Shut
up and eat." Dani managed to get out before gleefully stuffing half
a one into her mouth.

"Don't be ridiculous Dana you're a twig like your father was at
your age. Eat up."

The fifteen year old blew a willful strand of hair off her
forehead and pulled a face at her mother. "Dana lets take a break
and do the quiz from Laura's cosmo." Dani slid the magazine out
from beneath her notebook and began flicking through the pages.  

"We took a break fifteen minutes ago." Dana grumbled around a
mouthful of brownie.

"What quiz?" Charlie pulled the magazine from her daughter's hand
and began reading the title out loud.

"How wild are you in the sack?" Her eyes widened and she flicked
the magazine closed.

"You two better have a good explanation as to why a fifteen year
old needs to take this quiz." Her blue eyes had narrowed. Mulder
chose that moment to enter the room and was amazed to see Scully's
famous interrogation face plastered to the blonde woman's features.
"One of you better start talking or I'm dragging your father in
here and he's not going to be pleased."

"Oh man. You're such a kill joy Mom." Dani crossed her arms and
pouted rather childishly. Dana rolled her eyes at her sister and
straightened to face her mother.

"Dani thought it would be funny so we borrowed it from Laura. You
don't have to drag Dad in here for a birds and bees talk. We
already know about the plethora of contraception available to the
general public. Neither of us are dating so Dad doesn't have to
send Mark out to beat anyone up and we certainly wouldn't make such
a major decision without consulting our mother first."

Plethora? When did fifteen year olds manage to sound so mature?

Mulder was struggling to keep his amused expression off his face.
Scully was watching the exchange between mother and daughter with
interest.

Charlie visibly relaxed. Michael had sauntered into the room and
slung an arm over his wife's shoulder. "What's up O'Neil?"

Dana and Dani's eyes were huge and pleading. Don't rat us out to
Dad PLEEEEASE.

She tilted her head back against his shoulder. "I've got a quiz
for you to take later."

Her eyes were sparkling and Mulder watched Scully blush furiously
at the implication of Charlie's words. Michael who was confused
just shrugged and Dani muttered under her breath. "Gross." Dana
frowned at her sister. Dani always tried to push it with their
mother by getting the last word in. Charlie was in a playful mood
tonight.

"Dani you really need to get past this idea that you were an
immaculate conception because there was nothing immaculate about
it."

"Should I be offended?" Michael's dry voice played at Charlie's ear.

"I don't believe that anymore… I'm thinking more along the lines
of adoption. The only thing going on behind your bedroom door is
knitting and sleeping."

"Since when do I knit?"

"Since I decided that the thought of you and Dad… oh man that's
just wrong I think I'm gonna gag."

Michael had a soft spot for their tactless twin. "It's okay Dani
Girl you can rest easy. We found you guys in a pet store. Your
mother insisted on bringing both of you home."

"That's more like it."


X


Next Day:

Michael and Charlie had accompanied Mulder and Scully to the
underground San Francisco office of the organization. The meeting
with John had gone well. He took them on a tour of the facility
finding himself extremely pleased at Scully's interest in the
cloning labs. Using clone and alien D.N.A. their scientists were
attempting to create their own vaccine against the alien virus.
Scully went from microscope to microscope bending down to peer at
the samples beneath. She was excited by their progress and the
gentlemen in the lab made her feel right at home by bouncing a few
theories off her.

Mulder got to witness the beautiful moment when Scully's
scientific ideals merged completely with the proof of alien life on
this planet. The best part about it was they were surrounded by
supremely intelligent and highly educated people who believed whole
heartedly in the existence of the alien's plan for colonization.
Mulder felt like he was among his own kind for once in his life.
The members of the organization treated him with respect and were
happy to listen to what he had to say. It was such an unbelievable
change from the treatment he and Scully received at the bureau. 

In the backseat of the car heading across the Golden Gate Bridge
Mulder gave himself some time to seriously consider the possibility
of joining the resistance. He would have to give up his position
with the bureau. He could stay on the east coast and work out of
the New York City offices but as he stared at the setting sun over
the bay he felt more at peace with himself than he'd ever felt back
home. The organization didn't offer much in the way of a salary but
the sheer volume of members provided what they didn't have back
home; protection.

He risked a sideways glance at Scully wondering what she was
thinking about.

Were they now at a cross road in their journey?

Would he go left and she go right or would they both forge ahead
together?

He knew if he chose to join the resistance that she would make one
of two choices. She would either go and get herself that normal
life she spoke of occasionally or she would once again follow him
into the unknown. At this stage in his life and their partnership
there was no point in denying what he wanted. He wanted her to
follow him always. He wondered if he would have to communicate that
to her or if she would simply know. The last time he had gone so
far as to tell her what he wanted he had been possessed with the
urge to make her his. If it hadn't been for a virus carrying bee
and a bullet in the head he would have followed through on his
desire to claim her. He knew without a doubt if the events in his
hallway had been allowed to unfold that night their relationship
now would be entirely different. Maybe this was for the best. Maybe
this was the chance for a new beginning for both of them. He hoped
that she saw what he did in this offer.

A movement startled him. The roof of the car was folding back and
the evening air assaulted his senses. "What's a sunset drive over
the golden gate if you don't have the top down?" Charlie's voice
played in the wind whipping through his hair. He turned to watch
Scully as she took in the beautiful view. The sinking sun set her
fiery hair ablaze as the short strands flew around the peaceful
smile gracing her full lips. It always slipped his mind that Scully
had been a California girl throughout her youth. He imagined that
she felt at home here in San Francisco. Maybe it would appeal to
her enough to make her want to join the resistance. He definitely
needed to work the west coast angle on her when the time called for
it. He smiled at his manipulative plotting. Was he that much less
of a person without her? He knew without a doubt that he was.

Mulder reached out to brush the wind whipped strands from her
face. His hand slid down to cup her jaw and he ran a thumb over her
ample lower lip. Her eyes met his in surprise. He saw curiosity
swimming around in the azure spheres and he answered her simply
with a close lipped smile. He didn't need to explain himself
because she already knew.

Mulder wanted the life they were being offered.


X


According to Charlie Friday night was pizza and videogame night.
The whole family and extended family were often in attendance. Dana
and Dani had informed Scully that you were only invited if you were
V.I.P. She soon discovered that she was on the guest list.
Although they had been retreating to their motel at night, they
had pretty much spent the entire two days with Michael and Charlie.
She marveled at how alike and yet completely different they were to
Mulder and herself. To her relief they weren't constantly draped
over each other. She didn't think she could handle a performance
like that. It was hard enough trying to keep up the professional
façade without having two very in love clones of each other shoved
in her face. When she had retreated to her room alone the night
before her mind had stubbornly taken her places she was a little
scared to visit.

Images of Mulder and herself happy and laughing, surrounded by
family and children and best of all open and honest love had
prompted an unstoppable slide show through her mind. She could do
nothing but lay there alone until it had passed. It simply wasn't
fair that they couldn't have that. Even if they could it probably
wasn't something Mulder wanted for himself. As always she had
eventually gathered her control by morning and had been ready to
discover what their visit was really all about.

Now that they were back at Michael and Charlie's she was more
confused than ever. She had never been one to dwell on her problems
in public. There would be plenty of time for that tonight when she
crawled into the big lonely bed in her motel room. People were
scattered all over the house in the midst of various conversations
and video game challenges. Scully found herself in the kitchen
alone with Charlie. They hadn't had a chance to speak one on one
and Scully found that despite the shock of looking at herself every
time she saw the woman, she was actually looking forward to having
a conversation with her.

They were standing side by side at the kitchen sink. Charlie was
washing and Scully was drying. "So tell me about how you met
Mulder." Scully watched as a smile identical to her own was thrown
in her direction.  "I thought you already knew our sordid little
professional history." Charlie laughed. "I know they tried to send
you in to Fox Mulder's basement dungeon as a spy, obviously
something went very wrong with that plan or it worked all too well
because seven years later you're still there. I want the unabridged
version of events. Dazzle me with your tale Agent Scully."

Oddly she didn't feel uncomfortable talking to the other woman. It
was much like talking to herself. "They assigned me to the x-files
in March of nineteen ninety two. Basically they wanted me to
scientifically debunk the work of Spooky Mulder." 

Mulder had been approaching the kitchen and was within earshot of
the conversation. He knew it was wrong to eavesdrop but he paused
for a moment. The opportunity to hear Scully tell it in her own
words was just too good to pass up.

"Yeah and?"

"And… well I couldn't debunk it but I couldn't exactly prove it
either. I'm not sure why they didn't pull me out of the x-files
when they realized I hadn't succeeded in doing the job they had
asked of me. We had been working together for around a year when
they shut us down the first time."

Charlie nodded. "Yeah the resistance was really pissed off when
that happened. They had been watching you and Mulder closely.
Things had started to take an interesting turn, you two had been
making incredible connections. They shut you down because you had
come too close to the truth."

Scully nodded. "A few months later I was uh taken and tested on.
I'm still not completely sure what they did to me…"

Charlie's eyes were hard. "They take you. They expose you to high
amounts of radiation and bloat your abdomen to breaking point, they
extract your ova and leave you barren. They place a metal implant
in the base of your neck so they can track you wherever you are. If
they need to they can control you like a puppet through that damn
chip or destroy you before you can even blink. Upon removal of the
implant the test subject begins to develop a nasal pharyngeal
tumor. Treatment is unsuccessful and the type and placement of the
cancer make it inoperable. You're left infertile and dying and they
couldn't give a rats ass who you are or what you stand for because
nothing is more important to them than their lies and conspiracies."

Mulder was blown away by the bitter familiarity in Charlie's
voice. He heard Scully speak up. "You were taken too?"

"I found an implant when I was nineteen. I had no idea what it was
or where it came from. All I knew at the time was that I woke up in
a hospital bed one morning after being missing for nearly a month.
I discovered the implant after I kept setting metal detectors off
at the airport when we left New York for San Francisco. I had it
removed. Over the next few months I noticed that I wasn't
menstruating. Thinking I was pregnant I took the necessary tests
and they came out negative. They ran a battery of tests on me. I
was completely barren. They told me that I had no chance of ever
conceiving a child. A few more months later I started to get sick.
Michael and I used up nearly all the money we had saved for my
medical bills. I almost died. During the last two weeks of my
illness I couldn't even look at myself in the mirror. I had
continued with chemo a lot longer than you. I was skin and bone and
bald. I was nineteen and I looked like a corpse. Thankfully John
finally managed to persuade his bosses to allow us to join the
organization. The first time I met John he had raced into my room
with someone you know as Jeremiah Smith. Jeremiah laid his hands on
me and I was healed completely. When I was strong enough John took
Michael and I on a tour of our facilities here in San Francisco. He
explained to us the reasons why we were created and how we could
help further the quest for human survival. He explained that
Jeremiah had not only released me from my illness but he had
returned what was stolen from me."

She paused to smile. "By the time I was twenty I gave birth to
Mark. Two years later the girls came along and thirteen years after
that we were pleasantly surprised by the consequences of our little
'slip up'. These days I'm considering getting my tubes tied."

She laughed as she rinsed a plate and handed it to Scully.

"I wasn't supposed to tell you about the involvement of the
Jeremiah's. They wanted to inform you of that only if you made the
decision to join. They don't want you to make your choice based on
personal gain. I believe that you should know what joining us can
mean for you. All you have to do is say the word and we can arrange
for one of the Jeremiah's to give back your fertility."

If Mulder had any reservations about joining they were now rapidly
fading into the background. They had a chance to make some of the
wrong done by them right again. Scully could finally be whole again.

"I'm going to need some time Charlie… this is a monumental
decision and it doesn't just include me. I don't think Mulder could
give up his basement dungeon so easily."

"I think once Mulder has all the facts he'll be all too eager to
join. You have a chance for a whole new life. Why would anyone want
to continue fighting a system that refuses to listen when they
could be working toward a common goal with people who share the
same passions?"

She had a point.


X


They were leaving a misty San Francisco behind. Scully was
surprised by the sadness that had enveloped her the moment they
stepped into the airport. Michael and Charlie had a relatively
happy, wonderful life. Their warm hospitality and easy charm had
made Scully feel welcome in the city she had once loved. 
Everything about San Francisco beckoned her to stay, even the fog
and the rain. As a child she had lived up and down the west coast
transferring every couple of years to a new base. 

If someone would have told her ten years ago that she would
seriously be considering joining an anti alien colonization
organization, that was a mouthful, she would have had the person
committed to a maximum security psychiatric facility.

Yet here she was.

"So what do you think Scully?"

She knew it wasn't going to take Mulder long to address the issue.
She'd barely had time to process her thoughts regarding her
decision. She didn't want to be swayed by the thoughts of finally
getting to leave that basement and the bureau behind. Somewhere
inside of her that basement she complained about had become as
familiar to her as home. Mulder had always been in that basement,
their work had always been there. She felt a little insecure about
leaving the nest despite the heartache the nest had caused.

"I think it's a very huge decision. I don't think we should take
this lightly."

"Neither do I, but I don't think we should let it slip by. Do you?"

"What about the X-Files? What about Samantha?"

He sighed. "I think I know what happened to her."

"What? How?"

"Ally told me. They grew up together, they were held at a base and
tested frequently. They ran away when Samantha was fourteen. She
disappeared never to be seen again and Ally stayed on the run,
living as a street kid until the organization took her in."

"What the hell? Mulder I don't understand, why didn't you tell me
this back at the motel?"

He shrugged. "I guess I just needed some time to process the
information."

"Mulder I can't believe it… just like that? You have your answer?"

"I have part of my answer. Now I want the rest."

"So what does this mean for you? What are you going to do?"

"I want to do this. There are so many more ways I can access the
information we've been searching for if we join them. Scully you
could be in those labs working with brilliant doctors and
scientists to save us all. Think about how much more you will
learn, how much more you will see. You asked me once if I ever
wanted to stop and get out of the damn car. I do. I want a safer
existence. I would love to just fade into the background but
continue with my work. No one knows me in San Francisco, I could be
a whole other person and no one would know. Doesn't that excite
you?"

"Our lives are in D.C."

"You call that a life? We are merely existing in D.C. Our heads
are barely above water. I need a change and god knows I know you do
too."

His eyes flicked briefly around the cabin of the plane before he
lowered his voice and his face closer to her ear. 

"Look I know I've told you this before. I mean it now and I meant
it then. I don't want to do this alone. I know I keep asking you to
follow me. I know what you have endured. I know I'm selfish."

He paused to rest his forehead against her temple.

"But I also know that you are all I've got. I know I have no right
to ask it of you but I want you with me on this. I want you to
regain a little of what you've lost. I want Jeremiah to restore
your ability to make your own choices."

He heard her sharp inhalation. "Who told you about that?"

"I overheard… Not intentionally."

She was uncomfortably silent.

"This could be your chance to get rid of that chip for good and to
have your body whole and healthy and controlled only by you. You
could have your fertility back."

Her eyes closed against his words. "I want to be a mother."

"I know you do."


X


The decision had been made. They were leaving the bureau to join
the ranks of the resistance. Of course they had needed a cover
story. They had discussed their plan at length. They couldn't
disappear, that would set off far too many alarm bells. They had to
appear as though they had given up. Agent Fox Mulder was hanging up
his badge and weapon. After years of chasing conspiracies, losing
loved ones and being subjected to medical torture, Mulder was
simply giving up. They'd had enough. Or so it seemed. The F.B.I was
ablaze with gossip. Mr. and Mrs. Spooky had made it official. Their
marriage license was on record for all to see. Their marriage was
simply a technicality, a necessary diversion to cover their real
plan, at least that's what they had been telling themselves. It
appeared that Mulder and Scully had simply gotten hitched and moved
to the west coast. Scully had successfully secured herself a
position in the San Francisco Field Office allowing them continued
access to Bureau resources. Charlie had managed to pull a few
strings and got Mulder on the personnel list in the Psychology
Department at the University of San Francisco. It was perfect and
the little drones at the Bureau lapped it up like cream.

Of course it had taken a few months to pull off. Mulder finally
organized the sale of his father's estate which consisted of a
couple of highly valued properties in New England. He had lowered
the prices a little to ensure speedy purchases. A bank account had
been opened in the names of Mr. Fox William and Mrs. Dana Katherine
Mulder. For legal purposes Scully now went by Mulder's name,
however in professional circles she would always be known as Dana
Scully. The day they had opened their account he had watched as the
pen in her hand signed a new signature. This signature contained
his name. Scully was his wife. Scully was his WIFE. They hadn't
discussed how their decision would affect their relationship. They
each weren't sure what the other wanted from their union in holy
matrimony. Once in San Francisco they would have to live together.
They had to keep up appearances. Each of them renting an apartment
would be too suspicious. Everything had to appear natural. What
Scully didn't know was that Mulder was quite comfortably well off
enough thanks to his inheritance to purchase property in their new
city. The icing on the cake was the nice amount of money they would
have left over to play with. He knew despite her nice furnishings
and clothing that Scully wasn't all that materialistic. He still
couldn't wait to tell her about the next few weeks he had planned.

He had finally moved from his apartment. He had sold most of his
possessions but left the couch, pinball coat rack and porn
collection to The Gunmen. At least when he had a chance to visit
there would be a little piece of his old life waiting for him as a
reminder of all that they stood to gain. The last two things on the
to do list were find a place to live in San Francisco and move
Scully out of her apartment. He had taken up permanent residency on
her couch. Things were hectic enough and they had a lot to do, he
wasn't sure about addressing the status of their relationship until
they were comfortably settled on the other side of the country. 

Scully was surveying her apartment critically when he returned in
the evening.

"I know you got rid of your stuff so I'm thinking we're going to
need to take mine."

"We don't need to take anything."

"Mulder we need furniture." She spoke patiently as if to a three
year old.

His hand drew a slip of paper from his pocket and he waved it at
her. On closer inspection she realized it was a bank check. "You
can buy all the furniture you want just as soon as I get down to
the bank." Her eyebrow elevated and she pulled the check from his
fingers to look at it. Her eyes grew round and wide and she hissed
at him.

"Mulder where did you get this? Is this fraudulent?" 

He laughed delightedly. "Scully it's not THAT much. I think I'm
offended. Have you always thought I'm some broke bum?"

"Where did you get this?"

"I finally got around to selling my father's properties."

She nodded and handed it back to him.

"There's still no need to spend unnecessarily. There is nothing
wrong with my furniture you shouldn't waste your money on things
you don't need."

"Well I feel that when a person is lucky enough to buy a house
they should at least get new furnishings to go along with it."

"What are you talking about?"

He waggled his eyebrows and produced two airline tickets from his
coat.

"Return trip to San Francisco. You and I have some china patterns
to pick out."

Again with the eyebrow.

"Since The X-Files are closed and you don't start your new
position for another three months I thought we could check out the
real estate out there. The flights aren't for another week. We can
pack this place up in the meantime. Then we'll fly out, check into
a motel and find a place to rent for a couple of months until we
finalize a purchase."

"I have to admit Mulder I'm seeing a whole new side of you."

"I've been unhappy for a long time Scully. I've been given an
opportunity to change that. I've got a positive goal to strive for
and that's a good reason to start thinking about stability. I've
got you to consider as well."

"Mulder I made my own decisions."

"You've always had to make decisions because of me. Now it's my
turn."

"We may be legally married but I'm not your responsibility you
don't have to make decisions based on my-."

"You are my responsibility just as much as I've been yours. We've
always taken care of each other, it's just a little different now."

"Different how?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

"On how different you want it to be."

They were interrupted by the burring of Scully's cell phone.
Relief and disappointment flooded her senses as she reached for the
phone. 

"Scully."

"Hi Dana. It's Charlie."

"Charlie. Hi."

"I know this is short notice and all but are you and Mulder doing
anything this weekend?"

"Well we were going to start packing up tomorrow but-."

"Why don't you postpone that for a couple of days? Guess where we
are?"

"Where?"

"New York! Our old stomping ground. We're here to visit head
quarters." 

"Oh uh that's nice."

Charlie laughed. "Why don't you two grab a flight up here. There's
a complimentary room waiting for you in a very famous five star
hotel."

"What?"

"Yeah the guys over at H.Q. want to meet you and Mulder. They
reserved a room in case you decided to visit with us. Say you'll
come! We're child free for two whole nights in New York City with
free and fancy accommodation. You're not going to be able to enjoy
the delights of the east coast as often as you'd like soon enough.
You may as well take advantage of the opportunity."

Scully was silent and Charlie waited for her to contemplate her
decision.

"Mulder how do you feel about going to New York this weekend?"

He stared at her in surprise. "I uh sure. Whatever."

"See you soon Charlie."

Scully pressed the off button with a smile.

"I'm not sure I like the influence that evil clone of yours has
over you."


X


They hadn't had time to resume their conversation. Scully had
booked two flights for later in the evening. They would touch down
in N.Y.C at 11:15pm. She was filled with sweet anticipation. Mulder
may have danced around the true nature of his reasons for wanting
to splurge but she saw right through his little performance. Mulder
wanted to play house with her. He wanted to buy them a home, he
wanted to put his roots down and he wanted all of this with her.
Her knowledge of his feelings set her stomach to butterfly
overdrive. In a few short hours they would be sharing a bed and a
mini bar in a beautiful room overlooking an incredible city.  

Not many people were on the late flight. The passengers were
scattered about in small clusters. Mulder sat in the aisle seat
with his long legs stretched out and his head thrown back against
the headrest. Scully stared at the column of his strong throat. He
looked absolutely delicious. His head rolled to the side and his
eyes opened to meet hers. One side of his generous mouth pulled
into a quirky half grin. He reached out to idly caress her left
hand. He broke his gaze to look down at her slender digits. "You
need a ring Scully."

"It's ridiculous that people should base the value of a marriage
on a shiny treasure."

"I was referring to the symbolic value of exchanging rings. Not
the ring itself."

"You want me to wear a ring?"

"For keeping up appearances of course."

"Of course. I should have thought of that." They shared a smile. 

"So in keeping up appearances would this be the honeymoon?" Her
smile was shy. He didn't answer her. He brought a warm hand between
them to stroke the smooth flesh of her cheek instead. It only took
a brief moment to scan her eyes for any uncertainties. He bent
forward and pressed a chaste but lingering kiss on her strawberry
lips. When he pulled away her eyes were still closed and a small
smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. 

"Nothing stung you?"

Her eyes opened as her mouth stretched to a full powered Scully
smile.

"Don't tempt fate Mulder."


X


It was midnight by the time they got to the hotel. Michael and
Charlie were waiting in the lobby. Charlie embraced them like old
friends. She was much more demonstrative than Scully when it came
to her affection. As her small curvy frame pressed briefly into
Mulder's the sweet suspense of what lay ahead was sent into over
drive. A body very much the same as the one in his arms would
hopefully be wrapped around him like a glove in a few short hours.

"There's this bar down the street; they're showing a late fight.
You wanna catch it? I'm too wired to sleep." Mulder thought
Michael's idea sounded great. A few beers in his system would
soothe the frenzied urging of his body to stake his claim, so to
speak. He wasn't an overly romantic person and thankfully neither
was Scully, but he had enough sensitivity in him to want an
incredible night for her. There was no formal wedding, no
honeymoon, and no cheesy photos of an equally cheesy wedding
reception. Thankfully they had managed to escape that, however it
all came down to this one night. There were many things he couldn't
give her but a decent orgasm wasn't one of them. Tonight he wanted
her toes to curl.

"Sounds great we'll check in and go."

Charlie wrinkled her nose.

"I can think of better things to do than watch two sweaty guys
beat the crap out of each other."

"I thought you liked that kinda thing O'Neil."

"Dana and I are going to stay here. There's a hot tub and a bottle
of red waiting in my room. What do you say?"

"Nothing beats a bottle of red."

Charlie looped her arm through Scully's. "You're lucky I thought
to throw in an extra bikini. I had a feeling we'd have a hot tub."
Charlie was leading Dana toward the elevator with Michael and
Mulder trailing behind having second thoughts about catching the
fight.


X


Scully wasn't uncomfortable with her body. She knew she wasn't a
supermodel but she wasn't unattractive either. She usually didn't
feel comfortable revealing too much skin. She had thought being in
a hot tub with another near naked woman would have sparked some of
that discomfort. She didn't feel the slightest bit uneasy. The
woman in front of her WAS her. Three pregnancies had changed her
body a little. Charlie's hips were wider and her breasts were
bigger. She had very faint barely noticeable white stretch marks
around her hips. She was in good shape. She exercised regularly.
Her stomach was flat and her thighs were firm and slender. She
could have been staring at herself in a mirror. They both had
nothing the other hadn't seen before and neither had any need for
self consciousness in front of each other. 

Charlie hadn't been joking. She had actually packed three bikinis. 

"Why three bikinis you're only here for two nights?"

"Oh I had a feeling Michael and I would be checking out the tub
fairly regularly. A girl can't be seen in the same thing twice."

Charlie's grin was sly over the rim of her wine glass. The hot
bubbly water and the smooth flow of the alcohol had her relaxed and
talkative. It didn't take Scully long to fall into the same
wavelength.

"So how's married life?" 

"We're not officially married yet."

"What do you mean? The paperwork went through months ago… Oh."

"Uh huh."

"Why not?"

Scully shrugged. "I guess we haven't been ready."

"And now?"

"I think we're ready."

"Have you discussed what I told you about the Jeremiah's?"

"Briefly."

"And?"

"We didn't discuss children if that's what you're asking."

"What have you discussed?"

"He wants to look into real estate. He wants a home for us."

"You want the same thing?"

"Yes. I want it all. When I was younger I was too caught up in my
career to even think of having a family… until it was too late. I
feel very envious of you and what you have."

"Don't be envious. You'll have everything that you desire soon
enough. Once you guys are settled I'll take you to see Jeremiah.
He'll get the ball rolling."

Scully reached out to the side of the hot tub for a fresh bottle
of wine and the cork screw. 

"Don't have too much to drink. You don't want to be too plastered
when he gets back." Charlie sent a small splash of water in
Scully's direction with a playful flick of her hand. "What exactly
are you implying?"

Charlie's grin had an underlying evil quality to it.

"You'll find out soon enough."


X


The fight was over and Mulder had a nice beer buzz going. "You
know she looks damn good with red hair. I've been telling her for
years." Michael took a swig from his bottle of beer. He'd had quite
a bit more than Mulder. His tongue was loose and his thoughts were
with his wife in that hot tub. 

Mulder laughed. "Yeah but she pulls off blonde quite nicely too."

Michael nodded his agreement and leant back on his chair.

"So she made an honest man out of you. How's that working out?"

"It's been a little slow to start but we're getting there."

"Slow to start? Oh."

Mulder didn't know how comfortable he felt talking about Scully in
such a personal context. Then again the man sitting across from him
WAS him and he was married to the same woman Mulder was married too
essentially. It was far too confusing to think about. Even Mulder
of all people found it a little unbelievable at times.

"I thought you guys were already involved."

"No, well not intimately. It's complicated."

"Did you want to marry her or was it all for the cover?"

"We're not exactly the marrying kind. We made it official for our
cover. It wasn't until after we went ahead with it that I realized
I wanted it."

"So what's stopping you?"

"Hopefully nothing." Mulder's smile was enigmatic as he took
another swig of beer.

"Let's get out of here?"

Mulder was relieved; he wanted to get back to Scully. He was
feeling calm and mellow and in the perfect frame of mind to provide
them with hours of mind numbing pleasure. Both men stood and swept
their room cards and loose change off the table and into their
pockets.


X


Swipe.

Beep.

Swipe.

Beep.

"Damn thing wont let me in."

"I'm feeling a little tanked. Maybe I'm in that room and you're in
the other one."

"Yeah I'm feeling a little fuzzy myself." Mulder laughed as
Michael's card worked in the door Mulder had been standing in front
of. Michael threw him a thumbs up and slid into the dark room,
closing the door softly behind him
.

Mulder slid his card into the door Michael had just been
attempting to open. It worked on the first go and he slid into his
own dark room. He didn't bother turning on any lights, not wanting
to wake her so rudely if she was asleep. He undressed quietly in
the dark. All he could see of her was a faint outline provided by
the whisper of moonlight filtering into the room through the
window. He decided to leave his boxers on; he wasn't going for
shock value.

He slid into bed behind her and was pleasantly surprised when she
rolled over and draped a warm arm and leg over him. "Hi."

"Hi."

"How was the fight?" She was rubbing her face against his chest
like a sleepy cat.

"Pretty boring. How was the hot tub?"

"Oh it was wonderful. I'd hoped I could have shared it with you."

Her mouth captured his, he could taste the wine and desire in her
languid kisses. He was quite pleased, he hadn't needed to initiate
anything, she was more than willing to participate. He felt her
small hand tracing him through the silk of his boxers. It didn't
take him long to thicken and lengthen and rise to meet her. She was
trailing wet open mouthed kisses down the side of his neck and over
his collar bone. His hands weren't idle for long. He reached out to
begin his own exploration and his hands came into contact with bare
flesh. Everywhere he touched her she was bare. She was naked! Jesus
Christ she had been waiting NAKED in bed for him to get back from
the bar. "Lose the pants." Her lips wrapped around an earlobe as
she tugged on his boxer shorts. Mulder did as instructed. Before he
could make a move for her she had straddled him, placing herself
firmly on his lap. They both moaned as their sensitive flesh made
contact. 

Charlie ground herself against the thick rod of his arousal.
Nineteen years she had shared a bed with her husband and she still
hadn't grown tired of loving him. 

x::x::x::x::x::x


Michael undressed in the dark silence of the room. He slid every
last piece of material off his body into a pile on the floor.
Finally he crawled into bed beside the sweetly scented woman lying
quietly on her side.

"You awake?"

"Yeah. How was the fight?"

"Who cares about the fight?"

He reached out to draw her toward him. "I've been thinking about
this for hours."

He found her lips in the dark and sucked the full lower one into
his mouth.

He pulled a pajama clad leg up over his hip so he could press his
hard length against her center. When did Charlie start wearing
pajamas? As long as he'd known her she had worn a tank top and
panties or a wife beater and sweats to bed. It didn't really
matter. He just wanted to rip the damn things off and take the time
to make her squeal.  Making love quickly and quietly like mice in a
house full of children could get a little frustrating at times.
Tonight he didn't want her to hold back on those full throated sobs
that drove him insane with the need to fuck her senseless. 

Scully gasped as he made short work of removing the thin layer of
material between them. Even though it was dark she knew he had
tossed her pajamas blindly away from the bed and she also knew that
he was completely nude. There had been no 'pre-game' activities.
The moment he slid into bed he had made it extremely clear that he
intended to have her. His mouth was currently latched around her
left nipple and his hands had immediately zoomed in on all her
secret sensitive places. How did he know where and how to touch her
when they'd never shared an experience like this before?

She cried out softly as he bit down on her other nipple. He gently
soothed her assaulted peak with the flat of his tongue. The very
tips of his fingers explored the delicate folds of flesh housing a
certain little cluster of nerve endings that were screaming to be
touched. She moaned in frustration and his laugh was low against
her chest. "I know what you want." She felt him reach up and over
her. He snagged a pillow and drew it down to him. She felt him rise
to his knees and a moment later a strong arm slid beneath her hips
to lift her lower half off the mattress. He stuffed the pillow
beneath her ass and lowered her back down. 

"You don't have to-."

"Yes I do. I've been thinking about this for days."

He spread her thighs open wide and moved to lie between her
outstretched limbs. She was sorry that she couldn't see any of this
but she didn't want to stop to switch on a light. The first contact
he made with her aching clit was a strong jet of cool air pushed
through pursed lips. Her hips bucked involuntarily. She wound her
hands into the sheet and clutched at the material firmly, trying to
hold onto the precarious control she had over her highly sensitive
body.


x::x::x::x::x::x


His hands were slow in their exploration of her as she sat over
him. Her husband knew exactly where and how to touch her to get
maximum results. Tonight it seemed he wanted to slow down, and
learn how her body worked all over again. As sweet as his gentle
caresses were her main desire was for his loss of control. She
missed the wild furious love making they had shared in the past and
tonight she wanted a taste of that insatiable lust.

"Put your hands behind your head."

He slowly complied and she heard the whisper of his skin brushing
against the pillow as he folded his arms behind his head, his hands
came to rest against the back of his skull.

"Leave them there and whatever you do… don't try and stop me."

He felt her move back over his knees. Her small round ass sat
lightly against his shins. He felt her warm breath on his straining
erection and instantly knew what was coming. He felt a wet warm
tongue snake out to leave a moist trail over his tender balls. She
parted her lips to gently coax one into her mouth and she suckled
with just enough pressure to elicit a moan from deep inside his
chest. Her answering hum of pleasure raced through his balls and up
his shaft in the form of pure electricity. 


x::x::x::x::x::x


One hand held the back of his head firmly in place as she writhed
helplessly against his mouth. He knew his wife enjoyed this
particular act but tonight she was somehow different. Her responses
were more exaggerated than usual; he was reminded of the very first
time all those years ago that she had let him pleasure her this
way. Her cries were hoarse and ragged and he had to lay a hand over
her pelvis to limit the force of her involuntary thrusting. With
his other hand he slid two fingers inside her slick opening. He
pressed against the front wall of her passage to find the often
elusive point in her that sometimes caused her to scream. He
located the telltale change of texture to her interior flesh and
worked it with the pads of his fingers. 

Something very different to anything she had ever felt before was
starting to take over her body. The orgasm she felt hovering just
beyond the horizon from the strokes of his skillful tongue against
her swollen clitoris was overlapped by the deep throb of pleasure
that bloomed from inside of her. Vaguely she wondered if he had
tapped into the mythical g-spot everyone was talking about these
days. None of the other men she had been with in the past had
managed to locate the point inside of her that had the potential to
short circuit her brain.

It made perfect sense that Mulder would be the one to play her
body like an instrument. Her pelvis seized up as the sensations
drew back, gaining the momentum to rush forward like a tidal wave.
She cried out at the fierce orgasm that plagued her from the stroke
of his fingers within her tight body. She felt the muscles in her
thighs contract as her lower half vaulted off the bed against his
face. His fingers slid out of her to spread her small petals of
flesh wide open. She felt her screaming clitoris being drawn into
his mouth and he sucked on her firmly and relentlessly. A second
orgasm followed on the heels of the first. She sobbed wordlessly as
spasms wracked through her besieged body. 

He could barely keep up with her violent thrusting. He leant down
heavily on the arm he had across her hips. He kept her pinned to
the pillow under her ass as he continued his assault on her taut
bundle of nerves. Eventually her writhing ceased and she lay as
limp as a wet rag with her hips still trapped beneath his arm. 

x:x:x:x:x:x


Mulder had to regain control of this situation before it ended far
too soon. Her incredibly tactile mouth tugged and suckled at his
burning flesh. He tried hard to keep his writhing to a minimum. He
didn't want to cause her any discomfort. As skilled as she was she
could barely take half his length into her mouth, but she more than
made up for it with her hands. Where the hell had she learnt to
give such an incredible blow job? On second thought he really
didn't want to know. She was his WIFE, she belonged only to him.
The thought of that sent a thrill of pleasure rippling through him.
The wet noises her mouth made danced delightfully around his ears.
She would suck him dry if he let her, but he couldn't. As much as
he wanted her amazing mouth to drive him over the edge he needed to
take a more pro-active role in their nocturnal activities. He
allowed himself a few more moments of bliss, waiting until he felt
the stirrings of an impending orgasm low in the muscles of his
abdomen before he asked her to stop.

She appeared to be ignoring him. "I'm gonna… fuck… you gotta stop."

He brought his hands out from behind his head to reach down for
her shoulders. Her reflexes were quicker than his passion fogged
intentions. Her hands darted out to grip his wrists and she slammed
them down onto the mattress, trying to bear the full weight of her
upper body on her arms to pin him. Her mouth hadn't once ceased its
frenzied rhythm over his cock.

As he tried to pull out of her grip he felt his balls clench and
the fire of his orgasm began to race up his shaft. When he finally
freed himself from her his hands dove into her hair to clutch at
the long thick waves. His hips jerked and he cried out as he filled
her merciless mouth with liquid desire. His release was tainted
with the knowledge that the hair he clutched in his palms did not
belong to the woman that it should have.

When he was able to, he sat up dizzily. He felt her arms try to
circle around his shoulders. He held her back. "Stop."

"What's wrong?" She was just as breathless as him.

"I'm not… I thought this… If this was on TV I'd be laughing right
now."

"What are you talking about Michael?"

"That's just it. I'm not Michael."

There was dead silence for a shocked moment.

"Just stay there, cover yourself, I'll turn on the light."

He pulled his clothes on in the dark, luckily he remembered where
he had left them. Once he was safely tucked in and hopefully
passable he hit the switch. He squinted against the harsh light
that assaulted his eyes. As his vision grew accustomed to the
bright intrusion he saw the blonde version of Dana Scully sitting
up in the bed with a sheet tucked modestly around her breasts. Her
cheeks were flushed bright red with embarrassment. To his surprise
he discovered mirth twinkling in her wide blue eyes. She found this
amusing?

Full throated chuckles escaped her swollen lips and she slapped a
palm over her mouth trying to hold them at bay. It was no use. 

The chuckles became giggles, very Un-Scully like giggles.

"I didn't know you and Dana were into swinging."


. 
x:x:x:x:x:


THAT had been incredible. He was amazed by the overt
responsiveness and sensitivity that he hadn't felt in her longer
than he'd like to admit. He had managed to finally get her out of
the house, away from the kids and everyday life and this was how he
had been rewarded. He wasn't stupid, he was going to make sure they
got away more often.

She felt him slide up to cover her with his body. With great
difficulty she managed to raise her almost paralyzed legs to wrap
around his hips. She could feel the complete length of his arousal
pressed against her swollen labia. She'd never admit it to Mulder
for fear of what her confession might do to his ego; but he was one
well hung man. To put it bluntly he was hung like a horse and she
had never had the pleasure of having something so thick and long
inside of her. She wondered idly if she had enough room to
accommodate all of him. 

He reached out in the dark to press an affectionate kiss to her
lips. 

"What's up with you tonight O'Neil?"

Scully froze. What the hell? 

"What did you just say?"

His hand reached out to run through her hair. "I said what's up
with-."

His voice fell silent as he encountered straight silky chin length
strands of hair. 

The first two words out of his mouth described the situation
perfectly.

"Holy Shit."

Followed quickly by: "She's going to kill me."

Scully shoved him off her and leaped from the bed to scurry around
the dark room hoping to find her pajamas in the next three seconds.
He knew what she was doing and tried to make the situation a little
less awkward.

"Hold on. It's ok. Just go into the bathroom. I'll switch on the
light and find our clothes. Go on it will only take a second."

He saw her dark silhouette hastily make its way to the bathroom.
Once the door was closed and a faint strip of light could be seen
through the small space between the door and the ground he left the
bed to find the light switch.

Once he was fully clothed he scooped up her pajamas and knocked on
the bathroom door. "I'll leave your pajamas on the bed. I'm going
to find Charlie."

"Okay. I'll uh be there in a minute."

When she heard the door close behind him she hurried out to
hastily clothe herself. She pulled on a robe over her pajamas for
good measure. She was humiliated beyond any kind of humiliation she
had ever felt before. What would Mulder say when he found out? At
the thought of Mulder a sense of almost comical dread spread
through her. Was he in the other room with Charlie acting out a
similar experience? She pulled the robe tight and tied the sash
before making her way out of the room.


x:x:x:x:x:x



All four of them met in the hallway between their rooms. 

Scully looked mortified, Charlie was barely suppressing her
giggles and Michael and Mulder appeared to be sizing each other up.

"I think we picked up the wrong cards by mistake." Michael
muttered. He fished the card from his pocket and exchanged it for
the one Mulder had. 

Mulder glanced at his red faced partner whose eyes were stubbornly
locked on the ground. He moved to stand next to her and Michael
moved to stand by Charlie.

"Okay so now that everyone is where they need to be can we just
forget this ever happened and agree to never mention it again?"

Charlie's restraint snapped at Michael's words and she started
laughing all over again. "I thought we were just starting to get to
the good bit." 

Scully's blush deepened and Charlie's amusement escalated. She
began nudging her husband toward their room with her shoulder.
"C'mon you unfaithful troll. Let's go to bed." She turned her face
and chuckled into his chest. 

He swiped his card into the correct door and stood back to allow
her to go in first. As he turned to close the door his eyes met
Scully's. A shiver worked its way down his spine. She had been a
wildcat beneath his touch. He didn't think he was going to forget
that little encounter in a hurry. Mulder was one lucky bastard.
Then again so was he. He threw Scully a knowing smile before he
closed the door firmly behind him.

Mulder's eyes narrowed. What was all that about? How far had those
two gone before they made their discovery? Had Michael been inside
of her? Had he been where Mulder had never been before? Under any
other circumstances he wouldn't have dared ask Scully such personal
questions, but tonight was different. They were married now, they
both knew it meant more to them than a cover story. They had both
obviously acted on their feelings, just with the wrong version of
each other. He HAD to know about the events in their room.

"What happened in there?"

She looked uncomfortable.

"Not much." 

Apart from the single most incredible sexual experience of her life.

"How much is not much?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Scully don't play dumb it doesn't suit you."

She sighed. "We didn't have intercourse if that's what you're
asking."

He pondered her answer for a moment.

"But something happened?"

Now she really looked uncomfortable. "Must we have this
conversation out here?"

She had a point. He led her to their room and closed the door
firmly behind them. He surveyed the bed. It looked like a whole lot
more than sleeping had been going on in there. He eyed the pillow
strewn haphazardly in the middle of the mattress. It still held the
sunken indentation caused by her writhing ass.

"So what happened?"

Her eyes flicked nervously to the bed then back to his face. When
she could no longer meet his gaze she brought her eyes down to lock
on his chest.

"We uh we were just… fooling around… as soon as we realized what
was going on we came to look for you and Charlie."

"Must have been some pretty heavy duty fooling around. I think the
bed speaks for itself."

"Don't you dare interrogate me Mulder. I didn't do anything wrong.
I thought it was you. I'm already humiliated enough don't push it
with me."

"I'm not accusing you of doing anything wrong. I'm just curious."

"About what exactly?"

"Well you obviously thought it was me… I guess we both got to 'try
before we buy' in a really warped way. How did it make you feel?
Did it feel right? Did you feel weird about it?"

"It felt perfectly natural." A thought occurred to her that made
her sick to her stomach. "Did it not feel that way for you? Do you
not want to go through with this? If you've had a change of heart
I'll understand."

He smiled at her brave but completely untrue words. How typically
Scully to let him off the hook unscathed while her heart cracked
open silently in her chest.

"You're a sweet gal and all but I'm running off to Mexico with a
blonde 
Uber-Scully. Maybe I'll send you a postcard."

She looked up into his grinning face. Her own smile began to grow
and she pulled him into her arms for a tender hug. 

"Lets just go to bed and forget this ever happened. We can start
over tomorrow."


X


The organization members they met in New York had been just as
welcoming as the ones out west. One of the scientists had Mulder
bailed up for an hour excitedly discussing warps in the space time
continuum. With every minute that passed Mulder's enthusiasm grew.
He couldn't wait to be fully ensconced in his new life. He knew
Scully was eager too, he could tell by the way she zipped around
the labs in all her red haired dynamo medical encyclopedic glory.
The familiar sight of her in business mode brought a fond grin to
his face. The F.B.I days were over but they would always work
together in some capacity. Mulder had been a little taken aback at
first at how most of the members treated each other with casual and
sometimes affectionate familiarity. This was more than a place of
work for these people, it was a home, a quest and a family. He
watched as Charlie playfully swatted one of the lab techs with a
file. Her mouth was curved prettily and her luminous eyes shined
with happiness. Over the last few hours he had gained even more
appreciation for that Scully mouth. He had been haunted by images
of both of them pleasuring him together. In his mind he saw two
identical faces working over his flesh; one a pretty blonde, the
other a sultry red head. He pushed the thoughts away. Now was not
the time to indulge in private perversions.

It was obvious to him that Michael was thinking along similar
lines. He had caught the few glances Michael had stole of Scully
over the last couple of hours. His curiosity was bordering on
morbid. He HAD to know what happened. It would be childish of him
to come right out and ask either of them. His curiosity didn't
really stem from anger or jealousy. How could he possibly be
jealous? All four of them had honestly thought they were with their
correct other. He certainly wasn't angry. He was a little
embarrassed, that was only natural but the need to know was killing
him. He had missed out on her reactions to being intimate with him
for the first time. Mulder felt disappointed; even though they
hadn't technically been intimate with each other there was still
going to be some level of familiarity between them. He knew what
Charlie's lips felt like all over his body, that meant he knew what
Scully's lips felt like. Did Scully know what he felt like because
of Michael? Was she familiar with his hands and mouth? Had she been
unbearably aroused? Stop stop stop. He had to STOP thinking about
it.

Charlie's voice didn't help to break the spell.

"You guys want to grab a bite? If I don't eat soon I'm going to
start gnawing on my own arm."   

The last thing he needed was to think about her gnawing on anything.


X


They casually strolled their way along the foot path. Michael and
Charlie were in the lead. They were dressed professionally today.
He marveled at the similarities and differences between Scully and
her clone. They both wore black suits with skirts. Charlie's skirt
fell to roughly two inches above her knee. Scully's skirt primly
covered her knees but had a short slit at the back which allowed
for the occasional glimpse of the back of a toned thigh. Charlie
wore very sheer black stockings with a line of delicate stitching
that sat perfectly straight and aligned with the backs of her
calves and disappeared under her skirt to continue its journey to
mid thigh. He noted that she wore sky scraper heels like Scully,
however hers ended in a long sharp point at the toe and the heels
were quite thin. Scully had opted for sheer stockings also, however
hers were flesh toned giving her a natural bare legged appearance.
Her heels were also black but they were round at the toe and the
heels were thicker and sturdier than Charlie's. Both women
complimented each other nicely. Charlie obviously liked to play up
her femininity when she was in professional mode. Scully on the
other hand liked to play it down. Mulder had grown to love the
ability to observe two versions of the same woman. Watching them
together, especially in conversation could be extremely amusing.
They mimicked each others speech patterns and facial expressions
perfectly. 

Charlie's cell phone chirped some ridiculous ring tone. He vaguely
recognized it as Eye of the Tiger. She reached into her pocket to
bring it out. "It's Dana." She flipped her phone open.

"Hi baby."

"Hey Mom."

"What's up?"

"I don't want you to freak out because everything is okay. We're
at the hospital with Ally. Jasin started having seizures last
night. He seems to be okay now. They think he might have epilepsy,
they're running some tests right now. Ally's trying to get a hold
of one of the Jeremiah's."

"We're coming home as soon as we can sweetie. We're going to grab
our stuff and get the first flight out of here. I'll call you from
the plane."

Charlie thumbed off her phone. "What's wrong?" Michael looked
concerned, almost afraid. "Jasin is in hospital. He was having
seizures they don't know what's wrong with him." She was dragging
her husband behind her frantically as she skipped along
precariously in her too high heels. "We've got to go home."

"Okay. Charlie stop for a second. Charlie stop!"

He wrapped a strong hand around her bicep and tugged her to a
stand still.

Keeping a hold on her arm he spoke quickly to Mulder and Scully.

"Listen you two stay. Enjoy your last night here. They're going to
set up your security clearances at headquarters after lunch. You'll
need to go back their for finger print and retina scans. Once
that's done the rest of the day is yours. We'll call you when we
get home."

To Mulder's surprise Scully moved forward to embrace Charlie. 

"You call me know the second you know what's going on."

Charlie tearfully squeezed her back. "I will."

She pulled away and hurried down the street with Michael to hail a
cab.

"Looks like it's just the two of us G-Woman."

Mulder offered Scully his arm. She accepted it with a small smile
and looped her smaller arm around his. 


X


The security clearances had been issued and they were now
officially members of an unofficial organization. Scully felt the
stirrings of a smile every time she thought of that. On a purely
childish impulse Mulder had dragged her into a video game arcade
for a quick round of 'shoot em up' which turned into two hours of
non stop competitive bantering and gleeful ticket collecting.
Mulder was currently counting their winnings. "Lets go get our
prize." Scully smiled at his boyish enthusiasm. "You can pick the
prize. I'll go get us a couple of sodas."

He happily wondered off in the direction of the prize counter with
the tickets clutched firmly in his palm. She shook her head
affectionately and made her way to the drink machine.

Mulder eyed all the crappy little trinkets displayed under the
glass cabinet. One of them stood out above all the others. He was
hit by a moment of inspiration. Scully was going to wear a ring
whether she liked it or not. He couldn't hide the grin on his face
as he pointed out his decision to the bored looking assistant. 


X


"I'm glad we came here."

They were standing at John Lennon's memorial in Central Park. 

He smiled down at the top of her head. "Me too."

"You know Scully maybe John Lennon was right."

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe when colonization is fought and conquered the world will be
more like the way he 'Imagined'."

"It's a nice song with a nice message but the world will never be
that way. Not as long as mankind inhabit the earth. There's too
much evil in human nature to ever truly accomplish peace."

""What about on a smaller scale, on an individual level? Do you
think you could ever be at peace with your life and the world
around you?"

"I haven't felt at peace with myself in a very long time, but I'm
starting to. The last few months have been almost too good to be
true. I'm happier now. I'm not stuck in that continuous loop
anymore. I'm moving forward in a straight line. All of that brings
some measure of peace."

He was fumbling around in his pockets as she drew her answer to a
close. He finally found what he was looking for and clasped it in a
closed fist so she couldn't see what it was.

"I didn't know what feeling at peace with myself meant until a few
months ago. I think what really brought it all home was seeing you
sign my name on that bank form. I guess I need to thank you for
that."

He brought her hand up to press a kiss to the cool skin. With his
other hand he presented the prize he had been hiding and slid it on
her finger. She stared down at the hot pink tacky chunk of plastic
adorning her ring finger. The bright peace sign stared up at her in
the fading sunlight and she blinked back the tears suddenly forming
in her eyes. Her chin rose from the gentle pressure of two warm
fingers and her lips parted to meet his as the sun set over New
York City.


STAY TUNED FOR THEIR ARRIVAL IN SAN FRANCISCO. 









 

    Source: geocities.com/x_sanfrancisco_x