Wambli-Part 5/18 Summary and disclaimers in Part 1 ***** "Don't you ever want to stop? Get out of the damn car? Settle down and live something approaching a normal life?" "This *is* a normal life." Episode 6x04-Dreamland ***** Outside Lincoln, SD The sun was hot, but the wind coming from the north was moderately cool, keeping the ride pleasant...if you liked wind. Wind was the only thing Sara hated about living on the prairie. It was a constant presence, and not a very polite one. In the summer, it could be hot, cool or stormy. In the winter, it was frigid, threatening any bare skin with frostbite. Only the Chinook winds that blew down off the Black Hills in the winter were welcome. These amazing winds could change the temperature from 10 degrees to 50 in less than an hour, and they brought a great deal of warm, spring like days to the area, even in February. But Sara could easily do without wind. Especially today. It made a persistent noise here in the grasslands, blowing through the grasses and few trees, as well as any man made objects in its path, never silent. And it gave the appearance of movement from every direction. This in particular bothered her. Ever since Mulder had left the night before last, she had been on edge. Looking over her shoulder, never relaxing while in public, checking the locks three, sometimes four times every night. Moira was still staying with her, and the woman's presence helped. But Moira was leaving to go back to Spokane tomorrow. Sara knew it was silly to be so paranoid when she had lived in this community for so long. Even if her true identity got out, she was sure most of the people would still look on her as a friend and keep her secret if she asked. But she still felt uncomfortable. The last thing she wanted was to involve her children or newfound friends in the horrors she and Mulder had lived with for years. They had escaped years ago with the help of three men; three men they had never believed they could trust: CGB Spender, Alex Krycek and the British gentleman only known as The Well-Manicured Man. Their deaths had been faked, their funeral had been held, and running on pure disbelief and hope, they had assumed their new names, married, and set out to start a new life. Coming to South Dakota four years ago, just after Fox's birth, had been like coming home. Lincoln was the perfect town; isolated, but not too far from a larger city, and not likely to attract too many strangers. The people were friendly and the environment, though harsh, was beautiful. For the first time in her life, Sara had everything she had ever wanted. This afternoon, she and Moira had taken Poker and Feisty out for a 'stroll'. Moira trained horses for a living, but still appreciated a relaxing trail ride on a quiet horse. Poker, Mulder's Quarter Horse gelding, was very quiet. A retired roping horse, the big buckskin was unfazed by almost anything; he had even allowed a screaming Marisa on his back at one time, reacting with nothing more than a twitch of his ears. Sara's mare, Feisty, lived up to her name, but was also a wonderful trail horse. The little grey Arabian mare suited Sara perfectly. PeeWee, the chestnut Shetland pony who lived with the bigger horses, was slowly teaching Fox the basics in horsemanship. Though Mulder could almost straddle the pony without ever taking his feet off the ground, little PeeWee was just the right size for the little boy. He was incredibly smart (as most Shetlands are), but he had been trained right from the start and was not spoiled. They were lucky to have him. They rode quietly side by side in the grassy ditch alongside the rode. Sara had taken Moira to a hill that overlooked the area. The Black Hills to the west, the Badlands to the north, the Bad River Reservation border just two miles to the south. Moira was used to wide open spaces, but not this wide, and was duly impressed. They didn't talk about Mulder or about Wambli, who was still safe in hiding with Billy. They didn't talk much at all. As they neared the Zweifel's gravel driveway, a car turned into it and headed down toward the house ahead of them. "Looks like you have visitors." Moira's word were meant to be a statement, but Sara heard the question in them. "I don't recognize the car," she responded. Then she sighed. "I hope it's not Remington and Chase." "Have you talked to them since Mul-, I mean Ian, left?" Sara shook her head. "No. Which is strange. I was sure Remington was going to pursue this thing." They guided their mounts up onto the gravel and headed for home. Sara could hear PeeWee squealing in the distance; he hated being left behind. Poker answered him, giving a high, trumpet-like nicker. They walked up the slight hill that looked down onto their house and saw that the car had parked behind Sara's Cavalier, but no one had gotten out. Grizz and Ricky were making sure of it. Though Sara knew the dogs would never really hurt anyone (although, she had an inkling Grizz might if he felt his family was threatened), she also knew that whoever was in the car did not know this. "Grizz! Ricky! Come!" Both dogs immediately turned away from the car and loped up the hill to meet her. Two people stepped out of the vehicle, which Sara could see now was a rental, and faced them. The two people on horseback recognized the two people on the ground first. "Oh, shit!" Moira hissed. She looked at Sara. "Should we run?" The question was half serious, half teasing. Sara answered in kind. "To where?" With another sigh, she moved forward to meet the two people that awaited her, only a little surprised to see their stunned faces when they recognized her. So, they weren't here to see her; they hadn't know she was here. That left only one other reason for their visit. Wambli had officially become an X File. ************************************************************ "That's why we like you, Mulder. Your ideas are weirder than ours!" Episode 1x16-E.B.E. ***** 1630 Texas Street Washington DC It was just starting to get dark in the city when Mulder and Charlie arrived at their first stop, but it was still muggy and sweltering. Charlie hadn't stopped complaining about everything: the plane ride (he hated to fly), the traffic in the city, the humidity. Mulder was too wired about the possible future that he didn't really hear the complaints. Charlie knew this and didn't seem too upset by it; he was just talking to ease his own nervousness about the whole bazaar situation. They made their way to the apartment via the back door of the building, walked up three flights of stairs, and came to number 33. Mulder had never been here before as the occupants of the apartment had just moved in several months ago, but he knocked on the door with confidence, knowing what to expect...mostly. Only two men lived here now; the third had moved out to live with his girlfriend a few blocks away. He cringed at the thought of what Frohike's girlfriend looked like. "Yes?" Byers' familiar voice came over the speaker built into the wall next to the door. Mulder glanced up at the video camera that peeked out from above the same door. "Byers, if you don't know who this is by now, your camera must be broken. In which case, you guys are slacking." Next to him, Charlie also looked up, his eyes widening when he recognized the camera. As they heard the dozen or so locks being disengaged from inside the apartment, Charlie turned to his companion. "Who the heck are these guys?" he mumbled. "Friends. Oddball friends, but friends." "I heard that," Byers said as he threw open the door. "Mulder! I don't believe it! I never thought you'd ever set foot in this town again." The bearded man stepped away from the door, allowing both Mulder and Charlie to enter, then moved in to take Mulder's hand and shake it in welcome. Mulder smiled and nodded toward Charlie as Byers closed the door behind him. "Charlie, this is John Byers. Byers, this is Charlie Yellow Hawk, Police Chief of the Bad River Indian Reservation." As the two men shook hands, Mulder looked around the front room of the apartment. Strangely enough, it looked like a normal apartment, except for the top notch computer equipment sitting at various locations around the room. "Where's Langly?" "He and Frohike are shopping." Mulder swung his head around to stare at Byers in astonishment. "Shopping?!" Byers smiled. "It's Katie's birthday next week, and Langly's out helping him find something for her." He shrugged. I thought it best to just avoid any association with the event; that way, if they get something really ridiculous, I won't get blamed!" Mulder laughed. "I really have to meet this Katie. Any woman who can get those two to go shopping must be special." "Oh, she's special, all right. We all love her. Just not like Frohike does." Mulder shook his head in disbelief. "Where wonders never cease..." There was silence in the room for a moment, then Byers asked the inevitable question. "Where's Scully?" Mulder glanced at Charlie, who looked at him with eyebrows raised. He debated with himself for a few seconds, then said, "She stayed at home." He saw the curious look in Charlie's eyes, but no surprise. Smart man that he was, he had probably already figured out that Sara also had a secret past. A loud pounding on the door caused all three men to jump. Byers walked over to it, looked at the monitor sitting on the table next to it, and opened it; he hadn't yet locked it up again after letting Mulder and Charlie in. Langly and Frohike stumbled in, laughing over some joke. They stopped short when they saw Mulder. Frohike reacted first. "Mulder!" He rushed over and gave the taller man a huge bear hug. Fortunately, Mulder had expected this, and he laughingly returned it. After the little man backed away, Langly moved closer. The two old friends clasped hands in greeting. "Langly!" Mulder exclaimed. "What happened to your hair?" The blonde man smiled. "I got rid of the ponytail a couple of years ago, Mulder. It just looked too ridiculous what with the fact that I'm losing everything up top!" "He just wanted to look like Skinner," Frohike said. "He's hoping Cat will someday see how much they look alike, and start eyeing him the way she eyeballs the Skinman." Mulder's eyebrows shot up. "Cat and Skinner?" He looked at Byers. He knew Byers and Cat had broken up, but had not heard this new piece of news. Byers blushed and shrugged. "Well, possibly. If they are, they are very discreet about it." Mulder shook his head again, hoping Cat knew what she was doing. Getting involved with your superior was dangerous. And nerve wracking, according to his wife. When he had pressed her on how she knew that, she had admitted that she and Skinner had gone out a couple of times several years ago. It had been during the time that the X-Files had been closed and he hadn't really been their boss, but it had still been a bit frightening. She had had to spend the rest of the night convincing him that nothing more that a few drinks and food had been shared between them on their nights out; she had been in love with Mulder at the time, and Skinner had known it. Mulder introduced Charlie to the other men, then answered Frohike's question about Scully's whereabouts. "How're the kids?" the little man asked next. Mulder felt a goofy smile take over his face. "Fine. They're great. I wish you guys could see them." All three of the Gunmen had copies of his goofy grin on their faces. "Someday, Mulder," Byers said. "Someday." "That's the magic word, isn't it?" Mulder said with a soft laugh. "So," Langly started. "What brings you out of wedded bliss and into the lion's den?" "Ft. Marlene," Mulder said without preamble. The three men looked at each other warily. "What about it?" Langly asked. "Is it still open?" Byers shrugged. "I think some parts still are." "I need to get in there and find some files, on tests that were done years ago. And if these files aren't there, I need to know where they are. Are you guys up for it?" With matching smiles, the three men made their way to the computers that sat on the other side of the room. "Just tell us what you need, Mulder!" Frohike's gleeful reply echoed back to Mulder. And so the search began. ************************************************************ "The truth is an elephant described by three blind men..." Episode 2x09-Firewalker ***** Zweifel Residence Lincoln, SD "Moira," Sara said as she dismounted from Feisty. "Would you take the horses to the barn and unsaddle them please?" She pulled her mare's reins down off her neck and handed them to Moira, who was still on Poker. "Sure," Moira muttered. Then she turned the gelding and rode off, leading the little mare behind her. Both O'Neil and Justin stood there, their stunned expressions mirroring each others. With a sigh, Sara spoke first. "What can I do for you, Agents?" They looked at each other, then O'Neil stepped forward. "That's it? That's all you're going to say?" Her expression turned dark. "What can I do for you?" She let out a frustrated laugh. "Jesus! This is just fucking wonderful! I suppose 'Sheriff Zweifel' is your former partner, huh? My former partner?" Her voice was steadily rising, threatening to become a full-blown shout. Then Justin reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Cat," he whispered. With another laugh and a whispered curse, she turned away. Justin watched her for a moment, then faced Sara. "You're Sara Zweifel?" Sara nodded. "For the past five years." He shook his head in disbelief, but a smile was spreading across his face. O'Neil, who had heard Sara's answer, snorted. "How?" Justin continued. "I don't understand. Is the sheriff Mulder?" She nodded. "It's a long story, Justin." "Yeah!" O'Neil said, turning toward them again. "I'll bet." Her voice was still hard. "Where's Mulder?" "He's not here," Sara said softly. "He's away on business." She sighed. "I assume you're here because of Wambli." "Who?" Justin asked. "The eagle. The stolen, magical eagle who's wanted by the government." Sara couldn't help but put a little sarcastic edge to her own voice. "Remington sent you, didn't he?" "Yes, he did," O'Neil answered. "Why didn't he tell me it was you?" she asked. "He knows who you are." Sara smiled. "I thought he recognized me. I suppose he couldn't remember where or when. I don't recall ever meeting him before." "He worked in Baltimore around the time you started with the X-Files," O'Neil said, her voice suddenly subdued. Her mind, that brilliant mind that had worked so well with Mulder's, was busy. Her gaze had turned inward. Suddenly, she looked at Sara with wide eyes. "The children. We saw them at the Sheriff's office. How?" With a sad smile, Sara whispered, "That's a long story, too." "I think we have time," Justin said. "You're right. We're here about that eagle and Remington did ask us to come. But I think we have more important things to discuss. Don't you?" Sara sighed and looked at the gravel beneath her feet. "Scully?" "It's Sara," she corrected him. "Please remember that." She looked up. "No one here knows the truth. Except Moira." She nodded in the direction her friend had gone with the horses. "Who else does know?" Justin asked. "Skinner. My mother. The Gunmen. A friend from here, Charlie Yellow Hawk, was just told most of it the other day." She sighed again. "Moira. And now you." She folded her arms across her chest in a defensive posture, only realizing after she had done it that O'Neil was standing the same way. "Walter knew?" O'Neil asked. "He knew you were both alive? Damn him!" Her voice had risen again. "You can't be mad at him," Sara said, wondering about O'Neil's use of Skinner's first name. "He was under an oath not to tell anyone." "Yeah, but..." O'Neil's expression turned to confusion. "I..." "Cat took Mulder's 'death' hard, Sc- Sara," Justin explained. "And she and Skinner have become close. He should have known what it would mean to her to know the truth." "It would have put our lives at risk," Sara said. "Your being here now puts our lives at risk, as well as the lives of our children." "Children," O'Neil said, glad for the change of subject. "Back to them. How? I thought you were barren? That little boy was definitely Mulder's. Did you...?" "No," Sara smiled, knowing what O'Neil was hinting at. "They're mine, too. That story involves the Gunmen." "The Lone Gunmen helped you and Mulder have kids?" Justin asked, his face incredulous. "Well, it was more Frohike, but the others knew he was up to something and got themselves involved, too." Both agents stood there staring at her. She couldn't help but laugh. "Come inside. I'll tell you all I can." ***** End 5/18