Wambli-Part 13/18 Summary and disclaimers in Part 1 ***** "Don't try and threaten me, Mulder. I've watched presidents die." Episode 2x08-One Breath ***** Mulder had to wait until after dark. He had spend the day holed up in Byers and Langley's apartment, alone for the most part, though Katie did join him later. She wasn't the best company, however, because she spent the majority of the two hours she was there writing on her computer. Mulder contented himself by reading over her shoulder. She hadn't seemed bothered by this; Mulder guessed Frohike did it all the time. Wambli was no conversationalist, either. She simply sat on her perch (an overturned, 5 gallon pail), and preened or slept, occasionally stretching her wings out as if she was making sure they were still there. Around five o'clock that evening, Mulder gave her a piece of raw chicken, which she devoured in minutes, leaving the long leg bone, but eating everything else. She slept for a long while after that. The guys, meanwhile, were out in search of answers. Mulder had wanted to go with them, but was reminded by Byers that most of their contacts knew who he was, and the fewer people that knew Fox Mulder was still alive, the better. So, he had twiddled his thumbs for several hours, praying either the Gunmen or Northam were learning something about his wife's whereabouts. It was almost 10 o'clock when Byers and the others returned. They all wore tired, sad faces, and Mulder knew without asking that they had found nothing. No trace. But then, why should they find anything? Mulder thought. They were looking for two women who were supposedly dead. He knew who he needed to talk to. He needed to talk to Cancer Man. But he had no idea how to find the bastard. And when Megan called shortly after the boys returned, she told him she was having no luck, and could she please go home and try again in the morning? So Mulder's next move was one he hadn't wanted to make, but felt he had no choice anymore. Just before midnight, he found himself knocking on the apartment door belonging to a certain Assistant Director of the FBI. Skinner was still awake, and he didn't seem at all surprised to see Mulder standing at his door. But when the older man, without a word, stepped back and motioned towards the living room, inviting Mulder inside, the younger man felt a wave of relief flow through him. He hadn't really known what to expect of the man whom he had neither seen nor spoken to in over five years. Skinner closed the door behind him. "I was wondering if you would show up." Mulder turned to face him. "How did you know I was in town?" "Rumor," the AD said with a smirk. "I have a friend of a friend of a friend who works at Ft. Marlene. He was absolutely convinced he saw Fox Mulder there the other day. No one believed him, of course. Except me." Skinner had been one of only two people who had known the truth behind the car explosions that had supposedly killed Mulder and Scully, outside of the men behind the set up. Margaret Scully had been the other. It was a secret that had created a solid friendship between the two years ago. Skinner had seen every new letter and baby picture the 'Zweifel's' had sent right along with Maggie. He was truly happy for the couple, even if he was a bit jealous of Mulder. "So," Skinner continued. "What the hell are you doing here?" Mulder moved over to the sofa and sat perched on the edge. "It's a long story, sir." Even Skinner seemed a bit startled by the automatic 'sir' Mulder added; it was an obvious sign of respect on Mulder's part, even if Skinner was more of a friend now than a superior. "But only one thing is important, now." "What?" "Scully is missing. Along with Diana Fowley." "Fowley?!" Skinner shook his head. "How is it I'm not shocked by you telling me about two 'dead' women having gone missing?" His voice was sharp and sarcastic. "What about your kids?" He had long since become attached to the little dark haired boy and baby girl, though he had only seen them in pictures. "They're fine. Safe." Mulder sighed. "People we trust are looking after them, and so far, we think their existence is still a secret." He meet Skinner's eyes with his own. "But Cancer Man knows. And I think that's who has Scully and Diana. I need to find him." "Mulder," Skinner began to pace. "I haven't had any contact with that man in years, thank God. I don't know where he is." "But I bet you know someone who does," Mulder said with confidence. Skinner took in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "I might," he said softly. "I just might." ************************************************************ "Hey, Scully? What are you wearing?" Episode 3x12-War of the Copropages ***** Scully didn't usually remember her dreams, but during her first night in the old cabin, she dreamed a dream with perfect clarity. It was probably because it was more of a memory than an actual dream. A recent memory. A happy memory. She dreamt of a night not so long ago, less than a year, when she and Mulder had celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary. She and Diana had not spoken to each other much since Scully had mentioned Paul Ricardo's name. Scully had plugged in the old clock radio that had 'generously' been given them by their captors, found the only station the thing was able to pick up, then settled on the couch, keeping all thoughts and feelings to herself. Diana had paced, but she too had eventually sat down. The station told them they were somewhere in Western Kentucky, but not much more. They had eaten, and once darkness had fallen, retired to their individual bedrooms, all with very little spoken between them. Nightshirts had been provided, but Scully had simply laughed at the idea of stripping down and becoming unprepared for a possible escape. Instead, she had slipped off her shoes and laid down on the bed, on top of the covers. She had tried to control her breathing, paying close attention to the movements of the guards outside, and occasionally noticing the music coming from the radio she had left on through the half open door of her bedroom. It had taken hours to fall asleep. Then, she had dreamed of the night from last September. She had been five months along with Marisa that night, but that had only made it that much more special. Fox was spending the night at Mary's, and Mulder had gone all out for the 'party'. The party with only two people on the invite, her husband and herself. The kitchen had been filled with candlelight, and late blooming flowers from her own garden peeked out from every nook and cranny, making the room smell wonderful. They had an exquisite dinner together. And they had danced. In fact, it was probably the music coming from the radio in the cabin's living room that had brought about the dream in the first place. Specifically, one certain song. The last song they had danced to that night. *Every time out eyes meet, this feeling inside me, is almost more than I can take.* *Baby, when you touch me, I can feel how much you love me, and it just blows me away.* It had been the end of a very warm day in mid September. Summer was hanging on tight, trying it's hardest to not give up it's grip to autumn, and the crickets were still singing loud and clear as they moved together, barefoot, on the back porch, the music reaching them through the sliding screen doors from the stereo in the living room. I've never been this close to anyone, or anything. I can hear your thoughts. I can see your dreams. It hadn't taken much for both of them to become highly aroused, despite the bulge that was their child insinuating itself between them. Mulder had sported an impressive bulge of his own long before the song was over. Without one word, he had backed away from her, grasped her hand, and lead her into the house. *I don't know how you do what you do, I'm so in love with you, it just keeps getting better.* *I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side, forever and ever.* *Every little thing that you do, baby, I'm amazed by you.* They hadn't even made it upstairs to the bedroom. Mulder had easily dispensed of her denim dress and his jeans, and she had removed his shirt with little trouble. The couch had become their immediate destination, though if she hadn't been pregnant, the floor would have been their first choice. Or the kitchen table. *The smell of your skin. The taste of your kiss. The way you whisper in the dark.* *Your hair all around me, baby, you surround me. Touch every place in my heart.* Mulder had stretched out on his back. His lean frame was too long for the sofa, so he had bent his knees up, bracing his feet on one of the armrests, laying his head against the other. Scully had straddled him, her buttocks sliding against his hairy thighs. She had leaned over him, kissing him hard, while bringing her wet center down to his hard length, which was standing ready for her. *And though it feels like the first time, every time, I want to spend the whole night in your eyes.* As her tongue slid into his mouth, his penis slid into her body. With a contented sigh, she had sat upright, and slowly she had began to ride him. He had kept his hands tight on her hips, helping her to raise and lower her body over him, though they occasionally strayed up her ribcage to fondle her breasts, which had been super sensitive due to the baby. *I don't know how you do what you do, I'm so in love with you, it just keeps getting better.* She had one hand on the back of the couch, the other resting on his arm as it moved up and down with her movements. Her grip on the sofa tightened as Mulder began to talk to her. He loved to talk to her during sex, because he knew that he could make her go over with words alone if he so desired. "That's it, babe. Just like that. God, you are so beautiful, do you know that? Especially when you're all flushed like you are now. Ready and willing to come for me." *I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side, forever and ever.* She clearly remembered looking into the glorious hazel depths of his eyes as she felt the slow, wonderful ache in her body grow. Oh, how she wished it could last forever, that feeling! But at the same time, she so wanted to reach its pinnacle. She wanted to fly! And Mulder was so good at making her fly. *Every little thing that you do, baby, I'm amazed by you.* When Scully woke to her first morning in the old cabin in God-Knows-Where Kentucky, she had a smile on her face. But the smile quickly faded when she remembered where she was. When she stood and entered the living room, she found Diana already there. Scully didn't bother with a single 'good morning' or 'did you sleep well?' She simply looked at the other woman and said, "We need to get out of here. Tonight." ************************************************************ "You don't believe in ghosts?" "That surprises you?" Episode 6x08-How the Ghosts Stole Christmas ***** J. Edgar Hoover Building 6:30 A.M. When special agents Monroe and O'Neil met each other by accident on the way to their basement office, they both teased each other about how early they were arriving to work. The fact was, they both wanted to figure out what exactly was going on with the Zweifel's and Ft. Marlene, and were anxious to get on it, even if they had only run into dead ends so far. They were still laughing and joking with each other when they arrived at the office. Justin was the first one to notice that the door was not only unlocked, but half open. With a warning glance to his partner, he drew his gun and shoved the door open the rest of the way with his shoulder. Cat had her weapon out and ready behind them. The sight they found, however, stopped them in their tracks. A man was sitting at Cat's desk, his feet propped up on the desk blotter, chewing on a pencil and looking like he had not a care in the world. He wore a T-shirt under his leather jacket, and work boots with his jeans. His face displayed several days growth of beard, and his hair, though short, was mussed. At first glance, he looked as if he had no business even being in the FBI building, unless it was as a tourist. Yet, both agents knew right away that behind that desk was where he belonged. It had been, after all, his desk first. "Mulder?" Cat whispered behind him. Justin felt a shiver run up his back. Though he had learned earlier in the week the man was still alive, seeing him there, behind that desk, still made him feel as if he was seeing a ghost. Movement out of the corner of his eye made him turn his head. AD Skinner was leaning against Justin's own desk, his hip resting against the corner. "What's the matter, Monroe?" Fox Mulder asked from his reclined seat, twirling the pencil in his hands. Reading his mind. "You look like you've seen a ghost." "Mulder?" Cat said again, a little louder this time. Her body had relaxed slightly, now that the shock was wearing off. She had returned her gun to its holster and was looking at her former partner expectantly. "I like what you've done with the place, Cat," Mulder said as he finally sat upright, letting his feet drop to the floor. The 'I WANT TO BELIEVE' poster still hung in the corner, and there were still several books and pictures that had been there since Mulder and Scully had moved back in after Jeffrey Spender's death. But there were many changes as well, including several personal photos of family and friends displayed on the two desks; O'Neil and Monroe actually had lives outside of this office. Prominatley displayed on the wall behind the main desk was a picture of the two agents who had made the X Files famous: Special Agents Mulder and Scully, dressed in their professional clothing of choice, stood side-by-side, looking seriously at the camera. "How did you get in here?" Justin asked, feeling more than a little silly at having been caught so off guard. "There are security cameras everywhere. Someone would have seen you." "We know where all the cameras are," Skinner said quietly. "And the ones that are hidden even from Skinner...Well, let's just say that the people that control them already know about me, so..." Mulder shrugged dramatically. "Why are you here?" Cat asked, her voice still rough. Justin could tell, though she was trying to remain calm and collected, that she what she really wanted to do was run over to Mulder and hug him. She had spent more than a year working with the man, learning from him, and while she had long ago given up on any chance of a romantic relationship with him, she had considered him a friend. Justin felt a surge of jealousy at the thought. Though he, obviously, had no interest in Cat sexually, he still considered her 'his'. "We need some information," Skinner said. Justin looked at his boss, and suddenly realized how odd it was that he could be jealous of Mulder, but not of Skinner, who had been quietly dating his partner for the last few months. He didn't really understand it, but knew he didn't have time to analyze it right now. "Information?" he said in response to Skinner's statement. "Such as?" Skinner looked over at Mulder, and the younger man stood from his seat. "Scully is missing." "What?!" Justin asked sharply. "We just saw her a few days ago!" "Yep," Mulder agreed. "And you lead someone else to Lincoln who saw her, too." "Who?" Cat asked, folding her arms in an attempt to stay focused. "A spook by the name of Sam Colter. Know him?" He paused while Cat and Justin looked at each other, recognition in their eyes. "Not that it matters," Mulder continued. "He's dead." "But he didn't die before he alerted others to the fact that Scully was alive," Skinner added. "Did these *others* take Scully?" Justin heard himself ask. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if she were dead, really dead. It would be his fault. Indirectly, he knew, but still his fault. Colter had followed him. "No," Mulder said softly. "She ran. But she got cornered here in DC when she came looking for me." He paused again. "I think our old friend CGB took her, probably thinking he could either trade her for his own life, or maybe even in some strange way, to protect her." He took a step closer to the two younger agents. "I need to know where he is. He and I need to have a little discussion." "What makes you think we know?" Cat asked, becoming slightly defensive. Mulder didn't look at her. Instead, he smiled at Justin. "You can answer that, can't you, Monroe?" Justin knew without a doubt he wouldn't be able to lie to this man. Though he was a couple of inches taller, and much huskier, than Mulder, the man intimidated him like no other. Always had. "I don't know where he lives," he said, his voice quiet. "But I think I know how to reach him." "Justin?" Cat's voice was incredulous. "Aw, don't worry, Cat," Mulder said with a smile as he backed away from them. "Spender always finds someone to keep under his thumb. For a long time, it used to be Skinner. I don't hold it against him, either." "Gee, thanks," Skinner muttered. "So, Monroe," Mulder continued. "You gonna work with us?" "Of course," Justin said. He wouldn't look at his partner, but he could feel her accusing gaze on him. "But only for Scully's sake," he continued. "And the sake of your children." "That's all that matters, Monroe." Mulder's smile faded and his eyes became hard. "They are all that matters." ***** End 13/18