J. EDGAR HOOVER FBI BUILDING - FEBRUARY 19TH 12:30 PM

Special Agent Fox Mulder put away his cel phone and cursed under his breath as his partner walked through the door to their basement office. "Now what, Mulder?" she asked, closing the door behind her.

"My mother." he said, slamming his briefcase on top of the desk and unlocking it. "She said she had something important to tell me."

"And?" Dana Scully looked at her partner, who had put his glasses on and began scribbling notes on a legal pad.

"She wants me to come out this weekend."

"So?" Scully's partner swiveled in his chair to look at her.

"I really didn't want you to work on this case alone." Before Scully could say anything, he handed her a file folder. "Read this."

"Vladimir Yeskorba, age 58, immigrated from Russia in 1942 with his family, bribery- " Scully looked up from the papers and at her partner. "A Russian's paying off people. What's new?"

"Keep reading, Scully." Mulder didn't look up from his work. Silently, she finished the paragraph, then threw the folder to the desk.

"A suspected alien clone?" she exclaimed in disbelief. "Is that what I'm investigating?"

"No, no. He's involved in more than that, Scully. Money laundering, illegal fundraising..." he stopped. "Murder, the Russian mob, the list goes on."

"But he's..." Scully stopped. "Why didnt you want me to work on this alone?" she asked.

"Our informant is Ailesky Rykvar. A convicted rapist. He preys on women, around late 20's to mid 30's. Typically red-heads." Mulder looked at his partner, then looked back down. "He was released three years ago, on parole, where he got a job at Yeskorba's company. I believe they sell...computer parts. Something like that. Anyways, he called me late last night, giving me all the details he could at that time. Rykvar wanted to meet with us tomorrow at noon, at... The Golden Finch. It's a resteurant off of Pennsylvania." Mulder pulled off his glasses and dropped them on the desk. "I just wanted to be there." His voice showed his concern.

"Well, I thank you for worrying, Mulder, but I can handle it myself." Scully patted her hip where her gun rested. "You go see your mother. I can take care of Rykvar."

Mulder sighed. "I'm just worried about you, that's all. After everything that's happened- to you, to me, to us- I'm worried."

"I'm fine, Mulder." Scully said through clenched teeth.

"Okay, okay." Mulder pushed his chair back from the desk and put his hands up defensively. "If you say you'll be fine, I believe you."Mulder closed his briefcase. "Everything you need to know is in that folder. If you have any questions, you know where to reach me." With that, he picked up his coat and briefcase and hurried out of the office.

"Ailens." she sighed.

THE GOLDEN FINCH BAR AND GRILLE - NOON, THE NEXT DAY

Scully tapped her watch, then sighed. "Don't stand me up, Rykvar," she mumbled under her breath. She took another sip of her coffee, then set the mug back on the table. Suddenly, there was someone sitting across from her.

"Ailesky Rykvar?" she asked cooly. The man nodded. His thinning white hair was parted in a poor attempt at a comb-over. Rykvar's piercing blue eyes peered out at Scully from under his bushy eyebrow. Rykvar grinned at her and stuck his hand out.

"Pleased to make your acquaintence, Agent Scully," Rykvar said in broken English. Scully returned the handshake, smiling warily.

"Mr. Rykvar, if you don't mind, I'd like to get down to business. What do you know about Vladimir Yeskorba?" asked Scully, leaning on the table.

"Very blunt. To the point, Miss Scully." Rykvar laughed. "Vladimir Yeskorba has bribed every person of importance in this country," he said.

"And why is that?"

"Didn't your partner tell you?"

"I want to hear you say it."

"Yeskorba is covering up the fact that he is actually..." Rykvar paused, searching for the right word. "Extrasterrestrial."

Scully tried not to laugh. "Alien." She frowned in disbelief. "And what exactly would lead you to come to this conclusion, Mr. Rykvar?"

"He told me."

"Oh, really." Scully pushed her coffee aside and looked up at Rykvar, who was staring at her intently. "And why would he do that?'

"One day, I was looking in Mr. Yeskorba's office for some papers I had to fill out. I pulled open a file drawer, and a small, cylindrical tube fell out." Rykvar pulled a paper from his pocket and slid it across the table to Scully. She unfolded it and gasped. On it was a hand drawn picture of a tool- the same type that Mulder had found at his family's summer home in Quonochataug.

"Do you know what this tool was for, Mr. Rykvar?" asked Scully cooly.

"I'm not exactly sure. You see, as soon as I dropped it, Mr. Yeskorba raced back into the room and took it from me. Later that day, I overheard a conversation between Vladimir and another man- an American. He didn't say much, just sat there, smoking a cigarette." Rykvar took the paper back from Scully. "I saw Yeskorba looking at the tool. Then, the smoking man took it from him, saying- 'You know that I could kill you with this.' I rushed into the room, afraid for Mr. Yeskorba's life.

"The smoking man held it to Yeskorba's head- the base of his skull-" Rykvar pointed to the area on his own head. "He didn't seem to notice me, although Vladimir did. The man whispered 'All it takes to kill a clone like you is this.' Then he threw the tool on the floor, smiled, and left." Rykvar sighed.

"Mr. Yeskorba took me aside after this, and handed me a check for a large sum of money. He explained everything to me, then made me promise not to tell." Rykver looked up at Scully. "Miss Scully, I have a family. Children. Grandchildren. I needed that money more than everything."

"I have a feeling that there is more to this than you're telling me, Mr. Rykvar." Scully said smoothly.

"There is."

"Then why don't you tell me?"

"I can't." Rykvar shook his head. "At least, not today."

"Well, then, Mr. Rykvar, I guess that I have nothing more here. Until you decide to tell me more, I'm done with you." Scully tossed a five-dollar bill on the table, turned, and stalked out the door.

As she pulled out of the parking lot, a sleek black car started its engine and pulled out behind her.

********

Dana Scully shoved her keys back into her pocket and swung open the door to her apartment, then rushed inside. Hurriedly, she slammed the door shut behind her and slumped against it. Her breath came in ragged, tortured gasps. Someone had been following her. Scully glanced out the peephole as she slid the lock into place. she said to herself. Her breathing slowed to normal, but her heart still raced. She double-checked the lock, then proceeded to turn off every light in her apartment, except for a small desk lamp. Quietly, she lifted the receiver of her phone and punched in a familiar series of numbers.

The line rang a few times, then an answering machine clicked on. "This is Fox Mulder. Leave a message after the beep." Scully cursed.

"Mulder- if you're there- pick up the phone," she hissed. "I think someone's followed me. If you get this..." Scully's voice trailed off as she heard her doorknob clicking against the lock. She let the receiver drop to the base and turned off the lamp. Slowly, she unholstered her gun and crouched behind the desk.

Suddenly, the door flew open.

******

GRENWICH, CONNECTICUT - THE SAME DAY

Mrs. Mulder sat next to her son on the couch. "It's so good to see you again, Fox." She smiled and clutched his hand. "There's so much I need to tell you while I still can.' Mulder looked in her eyes. His mother seemed paler than usual, and very frail.

"Take your time, mom. I'm here for as long as you need me." He patted her shoulder.

"I know, Fox, I know. But I should get this over with as soon as I can." Mrs. Mulder pulled her hand back and looked away from her son. "Samantha-" her voice caught on her long-lost daughter's name.

"What about Samantha?" Mulder turned his mother's head so she looked him in the eye.

"Samantha... is still alive. We've been in contact- written- since she was taken." Her voice was low and hushed. Mulder stared at his mother, too stunned for words. "The men your father worked with- after they took her, they didn't want us to know anything. But somehow, he convinced them.." Mrs Mulder picked up a stack of letters from the end table. The letters were tattered and yellowed with age, tied together with a red velvet ribbon. She untied the ribbon and handed her son the first one.

"This is the most recent one- from the first of the month." Mulder looked at the handwriting on the front. An elegant, calligraphic script spelled out the word "Mother" There was no return address, just a plain white sticker reading "Samantha"

"Sam-" Mulder choked. "Why didn't you ever tell me?" he asked, clutching the letter.

"I'm sorry, Fox. I never thought it was safe- until now." Tears ran down Mrs. Mulder's face. "They only send one a month, and there've been times when I don't get any at all, and I fear my baby's dead..." She buried her head in her hands an sobbed. "I couldn't loose her again. I'm so scared." Mulder wrapped his arms around his mother as she cried for years of heartbreak and loneliness.

"It's okay, mom." he whispered, holding her. "It's okay." Mrs. Mulder pulled away.

"Read the letter, Fox." He nodded. Unfolding the paper, he stared at the grown-up script of his sister. Mulder rememberd Samantha's childish scrawl, but not much else could be expected from an eight-year-old.

"I can't." Mulder dropped the letter and watched it flutter to the floor.

*****

SCULLY'S APARTMENT - ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND - FEBRUARY 20TH, 11:54 AM

Dana Scully awoke handcuffed to her stove, duct tape covering her mouth. She tried to scream, but was cut off by the feeling of cold steel pressed against her temple.

"Don't move," said a distinctly Russian voice. "I'm taking the tape off. If you scream, you're dead." She nodded fearfully. Scully couldn't see her attacker, partly due to the fact that her eyes were almost swollen shut, partly to the fact that all of the shades were drawn and the lights were still off.

Scully felt the tape being violently ripped from her face and gasped in pain. "shh..." the man hissed. She saw the gun he was holding aimed square at her chest.

"You are going to call your partner and tell him that you've given up on the case. It's bogus- a hoax perpetuated by Ailesky Rykvar just to flush the X Files out into the open." Scully's captor held out her cel phone and punched in Mulder's phone number, then held it to her ear. It rang once- twice-

"Mulder."

"It's me.." she said nervously.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Just letting you know that the Yeskorba case- it's all a hoax.Yeskorba's not affiliated with Cancerman, he's not an alien. It's just a plan to get us out in the open, to expose us."

"Well, can you hold off on closing the file until I get back?"

Scully looked at her captor, who shook his head. "Sorry, Mulder. Can't. It's worthless to investigate more." She coughed weakly. "It's just.." Her captor tapped his wrist. "I have to go."

"Scully, wait-" Mulder said. before he knew it, instead of his partner's uncharacteristically nervous voice, he was listening to a blank, emotionless dial-tone.

Mulder restrained from cursing in front of his mother, then hurled the phone to the ground. "It can't go on like this!" he shouted.

"Fox?" said his mother, looking up at him.

"Constantly second guessing me, leading me on, then dropping me. Trust no one, 'I only trust you, Mulder.' The Truth is out there, but only in science!" Mulder bolted from the couch. "We could have had it- right in ther palms of our hands. Cancerman to Yeskorba, Yeskorba to the clones- and she threw it away!" Mrs. Mulder watched as her son's angry tirade escalated.

"Calm down, Fox," she said, standing next to her son, putting her hand on his arm. "Sit down, we'll talk about it."

"NO!" he exclaimed. "You never talked. All those years, you knew why Sam was taken, you knew she was still alive, and you never told me. Now this. I can't understand- Why are you talking now instead of ten, twenty years ago?"

"Fox, that is not the issue here." said Mrs. Mulder angrily. "YOU are the issue. You're hiding so much- *emotion* inside, you're just going to explode. You're just like your father." She reached inside her son's jacket and unholstered his gun. "And this is the last thing you need." She took out the clip, placing it in her pocket, and tossing the empty gun on the couch.

Mulder turned away from his mother. "I have too much that's gone wrong. Not enough going right. instead of faking my death, sometimes, I just wish-"

"Don't ever think that, Fox."

"How can I not? Because of me, the only person that I trust- the only person that I *love*- is dying. No chance of a cure. *NONE* I can't let her die, but I can't help her survive. So many- too many- have died in my selfish quest for the truth. And it all leads back to Sam. And that choice."

His mother glared at him, eyes brimming with tears. "That *choice* is why you're here. If I would have.. If they'd have taken you instead of Samantha, then you'd be gone, none of this would have ever happened. I'd be getting mysterious, angst-filled letters from some.. laboratory, being used for god-knows-what, tourmented and experimented on..." A tear glistened in the corner of her eye. "You'd be in that dark place that your sister is in." She looked up at her son. "We love you. You're not leaving us.

From the far corner of the room, the cel phone rung. Mulder looked at it and groaned. "Aren't you going to answer that, Fox?" Mulder shook his head.

"No. Whoever it is, they can wait."

"No, they can't." Mrs. Mulder picked the phone up off the floor, then handed it to her son.

"Mulder."

"Don't let this case go down without a fight." said a voice. "It's not as simple as it seems." The phone clicked off, and for the second time that day, Mulder was listening to a lonely dial tone.

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

SCULLY'S APARTMENT - FEB. 20TH, 4:13 PM

"I know you don't trust me, Dana." said the man, who had begun turning on lights. "But I trust you. I trust you with the rest of my life. Because I know you'll never tell anyone what's happened. Because you'll never get the chance." The man looked at her, his face still somewhat shrouded by the lack of light, but Scully could see who he was. Vladimir Yeskorba. She recognised his face from the photos in the X File.

"You won't get away with this, Yeskorba," she growled.

"I'd be careful how you treat me, Miss Scully. I've already helped you more than I planned."

"Help? I can barely move, thanks to you." Scully squirmed against the cold tile of the kitchen floor. Yeskorba had relesed one hand from the handcuffs so she could hold an ice pack to her swollen face.

"I'm going to forget that remark, Dana." Yeskorba grinned, then turned away. "I'll let you get some 'beauty sleep', don't try anything funny." Yeskorba dropped the curtain in the kitchen, blanketing it in darkness once again.

Scully groaned and tenderly touched her face. She winced in pain. "What a fine mess you've gotten yourself into, Dana." she muttered, closing her eyes. She could hear Yeskorba in the next room, rummaging through her apartment.

Scully ignored him and closed her eyes. "Sleep. Sleep is good." she mumbled, slumping against the stove.

<<

Scully awoke with a start. Sweat pored down her face. "Bad dreams, Dana?" asked Yeskorba. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the painful memories that were resurfacing.

GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT - FEB. 2Oth 7:39 PM

Mulder stirred in his sleep. *Fox* said a voice. *I'm scared.* Mulder moaned and tucked his legs to his chest. *Help me, Fox. I'm so scared.* said the voice-- Samantha's voice.

"Nooo..." he groaned, covering his eyes.

*imscaredimscaredimscared...*

"Go away."

*Help me, Fox. They're doing terrible things to me!*

"I can't do anything, Sam."

*Fox!*

"I can't help you!" He was awake now. His head ached with memories that he did not want to bring back. His mother was standing over him.

"Fox, wake up." she said, shaking his shoulder. He shook his head.

"No, not now."

"We have to talk. *Now*" Her voice took on a tone of urgency. Mulder sat up, blinking the sleep- the nightmares- from his eyes. "There's more I never told you."

"Not now, mom..."

"I know you're confused, scared, angry. Worried. But this is important." Mrs. Mulder sat down on the couch next to her son, who rested his forhead in his palms. "I just recieved a call-" She blinked. "It was- from.. him." Mrs. Mulder's eyes shifted downwards.

"What? Cancerman?" Mulder bolted from the couch and began pacing madly around the room. He ran his hands through his hair and stared down at the floor. "What did he say?"

"I.. I.." Mrs. Mulder's voice suddenly caught in the back of her throat. "Something's happening to Samantha."

Mulder's eyes grew wide. "What did he do to her?" he shouted. "If she dies, I swear I'll find that..."

"Fox, stop." she said weakly. "He wants to make a trade."

"Oh God, not again." Mulder rubbed his temples.

"He says Samantha's getting restless. She's catching on to what's happening to her. Our Sam wants to reconnect. To come home. He said if I come, she'll be returned. I know how much Samantha means to you, so I agreed."

"Mom, no--"

"Listen, Fox. I'm old. I've lived my life. Done everything. I've seen you become respected by everyone in your field- you have so much to look forward to. But I don't." Mrs. Mulder grabbed her son's arm. "This is for the best. You and Samantha have the rest of your lives ahead of you." She looked into her son's eyes. "Believe me, Fox." she pleaded, holding his hand in hers.

"I can't, I *won't* let you do this, mom" Mulder looked away.

"I muct. And you can't- *won't*- talk me out of it." Her voice was firm and unwavering, even as her eyes flooded with tears.

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

CONNECTICUT - FEB. 20TH 7:50 PM

Mulder's cel phone squeeled from the floor. His mother had left, off to make a trade, and probably wouldn't be coming back. The phone squealed again, urgently. Recutantly, he lifted it to his ear.

"Mulder--"

"Agent Mulder? This is Ailesky Rykvar," whispered a Russian voice. "I shouldn't be talking to you-- I'm risking my life on this." The voice became quieter with each word. "Your partner has been abducted."

"What?" Mulder exclaimed, rising from the couch. "By who?"

"Vladimir Yeskorba." Mulder cursed. "Who isn't an alien. Yeskorba paid me off. He wanted me to distract you and your partner. You, sir, were the original target for *abduction*, but when you didn't show, she was the only choice. I believe she is in danger, Mr. Mulder. I would go back to her now, before Yeskorba kills her. And he'll do that if you don't stop him." Before Mulder even had a chance to reply, the man hung up.

Mulder cursed and tossed the phone in his pocket.

*****

SCULLY'S APARTMENT - FEB. 20TH 10:07 PM

"Dana, we have a problem." Vladimir Yeskorba looked at his captive. She was still slumped against the stove. The swelling in her face had gone down some, but the angry bruises still showed. She grunted and tucked her legs closer to her chest. "I need to leave."

"Then leave. Be done with it. Go, come back, do what you want." she growled. "Just don't you dare touch me again."

"Dana, Dana." Yeskorba smiled and put his hand under her chin, forcing her head up. "You know that I only did that because I had to. I didn't want to hurt you like that."

Scully shook her head. "LIAR!" She screamed. "You're a LIAR!"

"And you're a fool." Yeskorba laughed haughtily, then kicked Scully in the side. "Shut up. I'll be back in a few hours." Yeskorba glared at her as warm tears rolled down Scully's cheek.

*****

Scully tugged at the handcuffs, which clinked against the side of the stove. "Come off, damn it!" she screamed. kicking at the stove. She had successfully pried part of the oven door handle loose, but had failed to remove enough to slip the handcuffs through. Scully cursed loudly and struggled to stand up. "I'll get out of here if it kills me," she mumbled.

Slowly, painstakingly, Scully began dragging the stove across the floor. Sweat pored down her face and she paled from the strain. "Why didn't I think of this sooner?" she groaned as the cord snapped and the stove tumbled forwards a bit.

Finally, the stove was where she wanted it. Close enough to the doorway to reach her end-table, but hidden enough as not to be seen. Scully stretched her leg out and hooked her foot around the leg of the end-table, dragging it a few inches closer to her. When it was close enough, she opened the top drawer and found a small screwdriver. For the first time, she saw an actual purpose for the tool. Scully unscrewed the handle and pulled the handcuffs off the rack. "Thank God." She rummaged around in the end-table for her keys, and found the one she was looking for. She twisted her wrist to put the key in the lock. ::twist::- *click* Scully threw the handcuffs to the ground. "First mistake, Vladimir."

She grabbed her gun, cel phone, and car keys from her desk, where Yeskorba had left them. "Second mistake."

Scully hurriedly scribbled a note on a sheet of paper and set it on the desk. On her way out the door, she pushed in a familiar combination of numbers- "Mulder, it's Scully- I'm going to your apartment."

*****

SCULLY'S APARTMENT - FEB. 2Oth 10:55 PM

"SCULLY!" The door flew open. Mulder drew his gun and raced into the apartment. "Scully? Where are you?" No response. He called her name again. Mulder saw the broken chair in the living room that Yeskorba had slammed into Scully after he had... *violated* her. He saw the trail of blood on the floor leading to the kitchen. "DANA?" he shouted. Mulder stepped into the kitchen and saw the stove and handcuffs. Then, on the desk, he saw Scully's note.

"Mulder I need your help- Apt. 42" it read.

Suddenly, he knew where she was.

*****

2360 HEGAL PLACE - APARTMENT 42 - ALEXANDRIA, VA - FEB. 20th

She heard the door open, and silent footsteps fell across the room. Dana Scully leveled her gun at the unseen intruder. "Freeze!" she called out nervously. She heard a murmured response, but the footsteps continued to approach. "Freeze! Federal agent! I'm armed..." Her fingers tensed around the gun. Again, the quiet response, and the footsteps. Scully heard the sound of a gun being drawn from its holster. Fearing for her life, she shouted once more: "Federal Agent! Put your weapon down!" She heard her opponent disengage the safety. "I will shoot!" The footsteps persisted. Scully could *hear* her heart beating. She took a deep breath and blindly pulled the trigger.

A bullet exploded through the air, cutting through the disturbing silence like a knife. Scully heard her *attacker* scream, then a dull thud as he fell to the floor. Nervously, she reached for her flashlight, which had rolled away from her in the rush to save herself. Flicking on the beam, she swung it around the apartment.

Swinging the beam downward, she saw her attackers form, crumpled in a ball, and gasped. She recognized that wild shock of brown hair. "M...mulder..." she whispered. Her gun dropped from her hand and clattered to the floor.

Scully fell to her knees beside Mulder's still form and rolled him over. His blood seeped from a fresh bullet wound to the chest. "Oh, God, what have I done?" she moaned, starting to check for a pulse. Mulder's eyes rolled back in his head, and his mouth gaped open. Scully watched as he let out a low moan and his head turned towards her.

"Why--" he groaned. Scully took off his tie and began unbuttoning his shirt. Scully's eyes clouded with tears as she tried to help her fallen partner. "Dana-" he choked. Weakly, he reached over and clasped his hand over hers. His full lips moved soundlessly.

"I'm going to help-" she whispered, reaching for her cel phone. She punched in a number, waited, then said: "This is FBI Special Agent Dana Scully, ID number 2317-616, requesting paramedics at 2360 Hegal Place, Apartment 42. Agent down with a gunshot wound to the chest-"

Mulder looked up at her. "Dana-" She let the phone drop to the floor. "I.. I love you." Scully broke down as his head rolled back and his eyelids fluttered shut. All of her medical training left her and she screamed.

*****

MULDER'S APARTMENT - SHORTLY THEREAFTER

The paramedics found them like that, Scully hunched over Mulder's lifeless body, sobbing madly. They pulled her off, and tried to resuscitate the fallen agent. A EMT tried to hold Scully back, but she broke free, refusing to leave her partner's side. "I love him, oh God, he can't die now, oh God, I've killed him-" Scully wailed, clutching her partner's hand. Scully was given a sedative, which left one agent knocking on death's door, and the other totally oblivious to everything around her, except the fact that she had shot her best friend.

******

VIRGINIA HOSPITAL - FEB. 21st, 4:29 AM

Dana Scully sat up quickly. "Mulder!" she exclaimed breathlessly. She felt a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Dana." Scully looked over, startled, into the face of her mother. 'It's going to be fine, dear." Scully dissolved into tears and sank into her mother's arms. "Oh, mom, I've killed him.." she wailed, clutching at her mother's shirt. "It's *okay*, Dana." "Who called you?"

- Sorry for the ending... Computer Shutdown!!

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