Gossamer | Story: "Generations 32: Missing Dana" by Macspooky & Evenstar, EowynThe Gossamer Project Author - Title - Date - Spoilers - Crossovers - X-Files - Adventures - Stories - Vignettes Other stories by: Evenstar, Eowyn - Macspooky Well, here's another "Generations" from our magic word processors. Extra kudos to Eowyn here. I sent her a story I had written but had some doubts about. She spotted the problem and immediately transformed it into what I had wanted it to be. We finished it on July 4, 1996 before the "Independence Day" invasion destroyed Washington, DC...snerk... Anyway, R for some language, but that's it really. Xfiles still belong to the same folks they belonged to in the last zillion parts to this series, so if they don't know who they are they can check out Vinnie's archive and find out. No infringement intended. Just totally unprofitable fun. Any comments can be sent to Eowyn at 72620.2447@compuserve.com (or eowyn7@ix.netcom.com) or macspooky@erols.com (or macspooky@erols.com). We love e-mail and I even got my flameproof suit out of the dry cleaners this week. "Missing Dana" by Eowyn and Macspooky Thought Walter Skinner as he entered his office. Angela had just informed him that a high priority kidnapping case had come in overnight. There were four victims so far, the latest a State Senator's daughter. He hated kidnapping cases, especially children, and when one of the victims was high profile it made their job doubly hard. There was the pressure from above, the fear of the media getting a hold of it-- that almost always put the victim in more danger--and if they failed, hard enough to take at the best of times, the publicity associated with it could brand an agent for life... whether they had been at fault or not. As he opened the file and the picture of the third victim fell out he felt like throwing up. Reading the file thru he knew that there was only one team that he could put on it. Reaching over he buzzed Angela, "Ask Agent Scully to come to my office ASAP, please." Dana Scully looked up from reading the file before her and cut to the chase, "You can't send Fox." "He's the best for the job..." "Damn it, Skinner, did you look at that picture? It will rip him to shreds." "He can handle it." "Of course he can but what will be the price? Do you remember what he went through when his mom was ill? Let me take Bothrington and investigate it." Dana looked at her boss. Seeing this file made her feel a little ill and not just because there were children involved. Seeing the picture of that little girl..... "You're a good team but you're not up to Mulder's skill." Walter Skinner looked at his agent and stepdaughter. One way or another, he had the feeling this case was going to have personal repercussions. "Let us try. If we don't make any headway then I'll call for back up and you can send Mulder. Let me do this for him, Walter. Please." "Dana, he's not going to thank you for this..." Skinner had noted the pleading tone in her voice. That wasn't something Scully did often. In fact, she and Mulder went out of their way not to seek favors in their professional lives. "Hasn't he been hurt enough?" Dana asked him somewhat plaintively. "I understand your desire to protect him, but he won't appreciate it. Think how mad you get when he tries to protect you." "This is different. Please, sir?" "Alright, Scully. Two days and then if you're not making headway Mulder joins the team." "Thank you." Dana said with relief. She stood up and left quickly. Walter Skinner sat back and sighed as well. Fox was not going to thank either of them when he found out. He hated being protected and cut out of the loop and having both Walter and Dana keep this from him was going to send him through the roof, no matter how the case was resolved. He knew it, but it was something that Scully obviously had to learn for herself... or, perhaps she did know and thought it was worth it to save her husband some pain. God only knew, she was deeply enough in love with him. He supposed she was already in Both's office briefing him. Well, at least he could say she had excellent backup. Bothrington was proving to be one of the best agents he had ever come across, and the dynamic duo was rapidly becoming a fearsome threesome. Fox woke up and glanced at the clock. Five AM, perfect. He would have time for good run and be back in time to put coffee on for his wife. He turned over to look at her sleeping face and remembered. Dana wasn't there. Her side of the bed was empty save for three small dogs one of which lifted his head and gave Fox a dirty look for interrupting his doggie dreams. Fox sighed and rolled back unto his back. Briefly he had forgotten. Dana and Bothrington were out of town on a case together and he was alone with the children. No run. Aunt Sophia had had to go out of town for a funeral. He was in charge. Aislinn would come and help him later if he needed it, but he couldn't very well call at 5 AM. That wouldn't be fair. Aislinn Amara O'Conner had proved to be a jewel with a disposition so sunny you couldn't help but smile around her, and so sweet natured that Fox would never consider taking advantage of her like that. No run... didn't matter. He sighed and got out of bed tiptoeing quietly to the shower in the hopes that he could sneak past Wally Wolf who had definitely inherited his sleeping habits from his father. He took a quick shower thinking about his wife. Mornings were chaotic in the Mulder house. Half the time she was in the shower with him in an effort to speed things along so they wouldn't be late for work. He would shave while she blow dried her hair. Today was Saturday, of course, and things were a little different on Saturday. If the babies weren't up yet, she would join him in the shower and they would soap each other lazily. He would press her against the wall with his naked body and as the water fell on both of them... He shook his head. No sense torturing himself. She wasn't here. He sighed wondering how he had lived such a celibate life all those years. Supposed he had just gotten used to it. Now that he had become accustomed to sex on a regular basis, he missed it sorely. All clean and looking in the mirror, the room felt empty. No Dana to rub his back as he shaved. He knew she wanted to shave him sometimes, but that was something he had never been able to bring himself to allow her to do. It would have been too painful. He had never really told her about Kristin Kilar. Maybe when she got back... Stubble gone, he crept downstairs to the kitchen and put on coffee. The paper waited for him at the front door and he brought it in thinking that he ought to be able to enjoy reading it in peace for a change. He took it into the kitchen only to be greeted by the three dogs. Well, he couldn't walk them so he let them out the back. The small yard was fenced. He'd go clean up later...yeah right. Fox Mulder joining the pooper scooper brigade...fat chance. He drank a glass of juice standing near the kitchen counter and looked around the room. He had come to love it. Dana had wanted to paint it yellow and he had refused to let her. The kitchen in his family home had been yellow... too many memories... too much pain. In the end, she had had it painted white with one wall and the area beneath the old fashioned cabinets wallpapered with a climbing ivy print. It was quaint yet bright and cheerful. She kept a matching table cloth on the heavy oak table and clean white curtains hung on the windows. The coffee ready, he sat down and looked at the paper but didn't start to read immediately. Two high chairs sat against the opposite wall... his and hers... he smiled. One for his son... one for his daughter... On the counter sat a Big Bird Cookie jar, it's bright yellow coloring clashing with the decor. This room was seldom empty, seldom quiet. Looking back, he could hardly believe that he had not wanted this house with the sun streaming through stained glass lighting their lives. He wished she were here with him and that the sun was catching her red hair in its glow... his wife... his Dana. He heard scratching at the door and let the canines in and then heard a shriek coming from the family room. Heading in the direction of the noise, he took the cover off of Krycek's cage. "Morning, stupid," he said going in and taking off the bird's cage cover. "Open you legs, Scully... Up an at her... up and at her..." "Wish I could buddy, but she isn't here," he answered grinning. He went to the kitchen and got his filthy mouthed avian companion some orange slices. The parrot sat there holding one with his foot while he ate it. The sound of crying was heard from upstairs. Patrick was always up first... always. Fox knew that he had been lucky to sneak past the child for as long as he had. The kid had an incredibly acute sense of hearing. Course, it didn't take long before the wailing woke his sister. "Hey, big guy," he said. He picked up the baby and changed him. "Quit wiggling, Wally Wolf... I can't get the diaper on...." He tickled his son. No sooner had the child's feet touched the floor than Brenda started wailing too. A toddler could remain patient and trapped behind bars but for so long. "Morning, Brenda Starr," he said gently lifting her out of the crib. "Where's daddy's girl?" He sighed. From the looks of things he had better get busy changing both sets of crib sheets and washing all the bedding. Damned leaky diapers... Somehow sneaking Wally Wolf sugared cereal wasn't quite the same without Dana around to catch him. Fox looked at his son. He would not have believed it possible for a child so young to demolish that many Cheerios and banana slices. By rights the kid should be a blimp, but he had no body fat on him at all. Patrick drank his baby cup full of milk and held it out for more banging it loudly on the tray when it wasn't forthcoming quickly enough. Fox refilled the cup and snapped the lid on and with a sigh turned to his daughter and tried to entice her to eat a jar of baby peaches between sipping his now cold coffee. When she finished nearly 3/4 of it he congratulated himself. He loved her dearly, but he was sure sick and tired of playing airplane with her. Three sips of milk completed her breakfast. He tried for four but was greeted by a protruding lower lip and little arms crossed. He knew then that it was hopeless. It was the exact same look her mother gave him when she was about to rip him apart for one of his stupid unscientific theories. Somehow, he got them both dressed and clean sheets on the cribs. Then he went to the kitchen to scrape off the high chair trays as they trashed the family room. Looking at the mess that surrounded him, Fox sighed and decided it was time to take his children for a walk. By the time he got Brenda's jacket and hat on, Patrick had taken his off along with everything else he was wearing... Patiently, Fox redressed him. He thought Patrick had been broken of this habit. He didn't do it for his mother. One quick smack across the thigh in an exasperated moment had cured him of it. Fox was beginning to think the lecture he had given his wife had not been such a great idea after all. Maybe she had had a point when she had announced that she was only one person with two hands and that it was time to end this behavior quickly before she ended up strangling him later on. The kid was starting to undress himself again. Quickly he popped them both in the stroller. Yeah, Wally Wolf knew a real sucker when he saw one, and it sure as heck wasn't his mom. Fox sat on a park bench not unlike the one he used to share with Dana in the days before they had been married resting his feet. Patrick was getting restless so he gave the child a cookie. "Spent a lot of time on a bench like this with your mom, little buddy," he explained to his son. "That was in the bad old days before we had you." The boy gave him a cookie crumb grin. Fox wished she were here now. Those times had been lonely empty times filled with pain, the only relief coming when Dana had joined him on the bench and they would talk quietly. Back then he never could have imagined that they would have a child... children together and that he would one day be sitting like this with younger versions of themselves staring up at him. The twins began to get restless with the wheels not turning, so he got up and began the long walk home. Lunch was a messy affair. Patrick could easily eat three peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but he made it a point to smear at least one slice of bread all over everything within reach. Brenda had to be coerced to eat a quarter of a sandwich and a little fruit. "Nap time..." he thought. "Glorious nap time." Trouble was, Patrick had decided he didn't' want to go. He and Dana had argued countless number of times about nap time. "Hey, if the kid isn't tired, he isn't tired..." "But he is tired, Fox... He's grumpy for the rest of the day when he doesn't take his nap. You know kind of like you are if you have to go more than five days without sex." She had teased him before concluding, "Besides... I need him to take a nap." "That's a real women's thing, Dana. I wouldn't want to take a nap..." He'd looked at her face and stopped in mid-sentence. She'd had that 'I'll hurt you, Mulder' look on her face. Never suggest to Scully that it was a woman's thing--even if it was--but then again... hmm...maybe he was turning into a woman... he sure did need them to take a nap. He put the kids in their crib. Brenda grabbed her pink blanket and stuck her thumb in her mouth. Patrick wailed in loud protest. Fox thought about the mess downstairs that needed picking up. He closed the door. Within moments the crying had stopped. Maybe Dana was right and Wally Wolf really was tired. Still... naps... yuck...! He rewarmed the morning's coffee and spent a few minutes looking at the paper, then remembered the bedding in the dryer. It seemed as though by the time he had everything picked up, the kids were back up again and he hadn't even had a chance to look at the files he had brought home. By the time dinner time rolled around, the floor was a mass of blocks, shapes, animals, books... whatever... Krycek hadn't been quite fast enough and Patrick had managed to get a hand full of feathers before his father realized what was happening. They were still scattered around and the poor bird had a bald spot. Fox thought about warming the stew in the freezer. Dana had left it for them. "Pizza..." he announced. Dialing the phone was about as much effort as he felt capable of making. Fox watched his son. God, it was disgusting. The kid was working on his third slice cut up into small pieces and he only had six teeth. Fox hadn't realized that you could gum pizza like that. Brenda promptly spit hers out. He sighed. She got a bowl of ice cream... all she would eat... great dinner... "Your mother would approve," he sighed. He let them loose and started to eat his pizza only to discover Patrick in the trash can looking for more. "Patrick no," he screamed. The kid sat on the floor and started to cry giving him the gilts. Three hours until bed time and he had never realized that he could feel so guilty. Hell, he'd killed people with a certain degree of impunity and now he felt guilty about not letting his kid eat out of the trash can. He sighed. He would have loved to have watched the news, but it was bath time. He stuck the two of them in the tub together and they both looked at him expectantly. Playing "Rubber Ducky" was fun when Dana had done most of the child care all day, but at the moment he was aware of being acutely exhausted. "Couldn't we just skip it tonight kids?" he asked. Brenda held the stupid looking duck up to him and looked at him with her mother's eyes. "Da da uck.....Da da uck." What was a man to do? Gee, and to think he could be chasing serial killers. Sticking his hand in the water he began singing a chorus thinking that his daughter was displaying very early speech skills and that she was sounding awfully bossy already. "Rubber ducky you're the one..." "Ert Erie... Ert Erie..." she demanded as Fox made Best and Ernie have a water fight. "Okay, kiddies... shampoo time..." Jeez, if anyone had tried to tell him a girl the size of Brenda could scream that loud, he wouldn't have believed it. One would have thought he was killing her instead of just washing her hair. He hoped that Dana and Bothrington were enjoying themselves on a stakeout... in the mud somewhere... with frogs and worms and maybe a few snakes for good luck. He had problems with Dana working with another partner to begin with and his current domestic situation wasn't helping. The truth was, he felt inadequate to the task at hand. Well, he placed the two kids in the play pen, picked up a zillion toys for the fourth time, or was it the fourteenth, that day and collapsed. He smiled. Nearly bedtime and he had survived... only somewhat the worse for wear, but he had lived through it. He finally picked up the files thinking that perhaps Dana would call. He studied his children for a moment and smiled. Brenda looked so sweet in her little yellow nightgown, and there was nothing like the hug she gave him before he put her down at night... and Patrick... his Wally Wolf... his little bonus baby was just... Patrick was just... Patrick was out of jail. Somehow he had managed to swing his legs over the side of the playpen and escape and was heading right for the box of blocks...all 3000 of them or was it more? The child stopped and stared at his father putting a hand on his hip as though daring Fox to yell at him. "Broke jail huh little buddy?" he grinned. Oh, boy, was Dana gonna be pissed when she found out the prison was no longer escape proof. He couldn't help but chuckle as his bonus baby dumped the blocks. He heard a wail from the play pen. His daughter was highly insulted at having been left alone. "What's the matter big girl?" he asked. Suddenly she forgot about crying. She sized up the sides of the playpen. Fox found himself getting scared. He found himself gazing at what he had come to think of as the Scully look, the one Dana got when she was determined to follow him into danger no matter how stupid it might have been. The red hair fell in front of the face. The lower lip protruded. The eyes hardened. With all her strength Brenda struggled to push herself up on the railing. Each failure made her all the more determined. Finally she got one leg over the side, but the nightgown caught and instead of landing feet first, she landed with a thud on her butt. Fox started to jump up when it looked as though she might cry, but then the child grinned suddenly and got to her feet. "Bwen... ou... Bwen ou..." she announced and walked over to her brother. "Bwen ou..." she announced again in a slightly louder voice and promptly proceeded to deck him for leaving her behind. Patrick landed on his butt and promptly began to cry. Fox chuckled from behind one hand. Where was the video camera when you needed it? How could he describe this to Dana when she got home? And, how the heck could he reprimand his daughter for slugging her brother when he had so obviously ditched her in favor of action and adventure on his own, a definite Mulder trait that Scully women didn't appreciate, and, his kids were both! "I know how you feel, little buddy," he chuckled picking up his son. He thought briefly about how his father would have walloped him for crying like that. Fox experienced a momentarily flash of pain as he picked up his son. "These Scully woman pack a powerful wallop even if they are little. Heck, I still cry." He planted a kiss on his little boy's head. Taking his daughter in his other arm, he hauled ass upstairs. It had just become bed time. The phone rang and he reached over and grabbed it. "Mulder," he muttered grumpily coming out of a sound sleep. He heard musical laughter from the other end of the receiver. "Eight thirty and Spooky Mulder was asleep. Old Wally Wolf did you in huh?" '"Yeah," he acknowledged. "Do you miss me?" "You wouldn't believe how much," he smiled fully awake now. "Especially this morning in the shower. Didn't have anyone to wash my back." He pouted. "Aw, you just miss me for my ability as a child care provider..." "Well... yeah... that too, but there is your beautiful body..." He told her what he would like to be doing with it. Finally, he told her how Patrick had broken jail and she informed him he had better shop for a crib rail extender because it wouldn't be long before he would be out of that too and setting the house on fire, or worse, interrupting their bedroom antics. Then she laughed when he described her daughter falling over the railing and getting up and slugging him. "Well, I hope you reprimanded her for hitting..." "Yeah, right Scully, like it would help..." he chuckled. They talked awhile about the case, and finally telling each other how much they loved each other, they had to hang up. Each was reluctant to say good-bye. Both were aware of the dangers of the job they did. Somehow, Fox had been left with the feeling that Scully hadn't told him everything, that there was something else on her mind, but he hadn't pushed it. He had wanted to keep the conversation warm and loving because he missed her so much. As he had done many times of late, he offered up a silent "prayer" for her safety and a "thanks" for the wonderful memories he had been given, something nothing could ever take away. Finally, Fox got to his feet and went downstairs. In spite of the animals and the children upstairs, the house felt very empty. He picked up a picture that was sitting on the mantle, a family picture. It was beautiful, he and his wife and their two babies... only one thing missing... Samantha... no Samantha... if he could just find her, or lay her to rest, he thought, his life would be complete. Not knowing her fate still ate at his insides all the time. It was easier to repress the pain now, but it was still always with him somewhere every moment of the day or night. Fox was excited. Dana was due home. When she had called him telling him that she would take a cab from the airport, he had noticed that she had sounded really tired. He tried to have things in order for her arrival. He knew how much she hated coming home to a messy house. When she finally walked in the door, the first thing he noticed were dark circles under her eyes, but she put down her suitcase and rushed into his arms. She had only been gone a few days and it had felt like a lifetime. Suddenly they became aware of little creatures tugging at clothing and scratching at legs. As Dana picked up her babies and hugged them, Fox yelled at the dogs, who more or less just looked at him as though wondering how HE had gotten out of HIS kennel and ignored him. Dana bent down and gave them each a pat on the head just as Krycek started screaming, "Open you legs, Scully... Open you legs, Scully..." "Jeez, can I have five minutes and a glass of ice tea first?" she laughed In spite of her exhaustion. "Patrick, I think you need a clean diaper. Come on, buddy. Upstairs you go." She set her briefcase on the coffee table and carried her son upstairs. "I swear you've grown just in the time I've been gone, big guy... Okay, Bren, you come up too. Might as well change you both...." Fox got her a tall glass of ice tea sensing that she wanted a few minutes with her babies and snapped open her briefcase eager to see the file that she was working on. She and Both hadn't said a whole lot about the case. She came downstairs with the kids and popped a Barney video for them. They were young, but Barney was usually good for about thirty minutes if they were lucky. "Thanks, sweetie," she said drinking the ice tea gratefully. "Where is Sophia?" She looked at her husband a bit anxiously, and then decided she really couldn't put off having him see the case file. "A friend died and she had to leave. She was pretty upset. Aislinn has been helping out. Actually I'm expecting her to get back any second." He had the file in his hand. "You look tired, Dana. Are you okay?" Actually, she looked beyond tired. She looked sad and upset although in typical Scully fashion, she had her emotions under tight control. "Yeah, I'm fine," she sighed. She looked at her husband knowing he was going to open that file and that there was going to be nothing she could do about it. Things were about to hit the fan in the Mulder household. She had known it would happen before she left, but she still felt as though she had done the right thing. It had been hard enough on her. "Child abduction cases are always rough," he replied sympathetically. In a way, he had been glad he hadn't had to go on this one although he hadn't really understood why Skinner had sent Both with Dana. Then he saw the photos of the victims and he froze. "What the f**k is this, Scully?" he demanded. The kids looked up at him. He didn't care about his language. Four little girls had been kidnapped. One of them was the image of Samantha... could have been Samantha... "Oh, God, Spook," she said softly, "I hoped... I prayed... it's nuts, Fox... I knew it couldn't be, but I prayed that it was her... that I could come home and tell you I'd found your sister... but it wasn't..." "Goddam it, Dana... It's her. Now I know why that bastard Skinner sent you and Both on that case. You lied to me... you all lied to me..." Mulder felt his control slipping, felt himself starting to say things he knew were hurtful, but being unable to stop himself. All he could see was a photo of a dark haired little girl in braids, and all he could feel was the knowledge that his wife and best friend had betrayed him by keeping this from him. Everything else was forgotten in that moment. "I know my sister when I see her... I'm going out there. I'm going out there now..." Fox leapt to his feet. He knew he wasn't reacting rationally. He only knew he had a picture of a little girl, a little girl who looked just like his sister, and they had kept it from him. All his old paranoia resurfaced in that moment. "Fox, you can't," said Dana softly. "Try and stop me..." "Fox, listen to me... please..." "Get out of my way..." The two of them rose to their feet as the children turned to look at them unaccustomed to them speaking to each other in harsh tones. Aunt Sophia heard the shouting as soon as she got to the door. The children were screaming hysterically in the background. "Fox, I wouldn't lie to you... you know that..." "You already did," he shouted in reply. Sophia heard a crash. Normally she would never interfere in a domestic dispute, always allowed her nephew and his wife absolute privacy, but this argument was unlike any she had ever heard between the two of them. She let herself in with her key, another thing she would never have dreamed of doing when they were home or without permission. The twins were clinging to Dana's leg. The dogs were cowering in the corner. The coffee table had been knocked over and a file scattered on the floor. "Sophia... thank God you are here... Would you take the kids out please" Dana asked in a controlled voice. "Fox, please... If you'll sit down and listen I'll explain." "I don't know what is going on here," said Sophia forcing herself to remain unruffled, "but I think you need to calm down, Mulder. You are looking an awful lot like your grandfather right now or your father at his worst." Fox sat suddenly just like that. Aunt Sophia's words had penetrated his fury where his wife's pleas and his children's tears hadn't. Her words had felt like a punch in the stomach, a hard one. He crossed his arms and he looked angry, but he did sit. He felt betrayed... betrayed by his wife... betrayed by Skinner... even by Both who was an outsider. They had gone on a search for Samantha without him. They had left him behind. They hadn't even told him. "I'll explain everything, Fox," said Dana. "Just let me get the kids calmed down... Please stay, Aunt Sophie. You should hear this too..." "I'm not going anywhere, Dana," the older woman reassured her. Her eye had caught the picture of the little girl that had fallen from the file and she knew this concerned her niece. Even without the photo she knew only two things could upset Fox like this, something to do with his sister or someone putting his family in danger. Also, if her nephew had been angry enough to toss furniture... no one understood the Mulder temper better than Aunt Sophia, and she was not about to leave until she was certain Fox had himself back in check. Fox sighed and reached out for his son. He knew he had lost control in a way he had promised himself he never would again. He thought he had outgrown that kind of fury. He had let his anger get to him in front of his kids, had knocked over the table in a rage and had once again come very close to hitting his wife... hitting Dana... jeez... about the only thing he could say positive about his action was that the goddam dogs had run for cover and hadn't had the nerve to come out yet. He felt himself shaking inside. But the lies from the people closest to him hurt... they hurt like the devil. If he couldn't trust Dana and Walter who could he trust. "It's okay, Wally Wolf," he said hugging his son close. "Daddy's sorry. Daddy didn't mean to scare you." He reached out for his daughter too and pulled her into his arms. "Daddy's sorry, Brenda Starr. Daddy would never hurt you, or mommy... never ever..." He rocked them for a long time as Dana straightened the table and the file. She knew he felt hurt and betrayed, had known he would, but hadn't anticipated that he would lose his temper to the extent that he had when she had tried to thwart his efforts to immediately pack and leave. She felt hurt too, hurt that he would think she would betray him, and disappointed that she had not found Samantha for him and thus making his life complete. "I'll go put a pot of coffee on," said Sophia tactfully. They needed some time to themselves. "Fox?" said Dana softly.... "I"ll listen, Scully," he said quietly. "I'll listen, but if I don't like what you have to say, I'm getting on a plane and going out there. And either way Skinner is going to hear about this." He realized his voice had started to rise again. He felt the children tense. He forced himself to remain calm. Sam was the last thing missing from his life, and he wanted her to be there so very much, to see his children... "Sam," he murmured closing his eyes. "Oh, God, Sam... I still miss you so much..." Dana looked at him sadly detecting the unshed tear, the one he wouldn't allow to fall. Fox was so happy with his family, but the driving force of his life was still with him, and he was still racked by pain for his missing sister. She had handled him badly, she knew, but she had been so tired and so frustrated herself. And a little voice inside wondered if she shouldn't have trusted him to handle it and come along, even knowing the pain it would cause. "Hold me, Fox," she said softly. He got up and handed her one of the children. With the arm that was now free, he embraced his wife and his kids with a sigh. For better or for worse, he had married Dana and had two kids with her. He couldn't let himself forget that. Nothing should come between them, not even Sam. He had been out of line to lose his temper as he had. He wouldn't trade his current life for anything, the hugs, the memories... his beautiful wife... Finally, Dana broke the embrace and picked up the file. They went into the kitchen and sat at the table. Wally Wolf saw the prospect of food. With a smile, she put the kids in their high chairs and Sophia put out raisins and animal crackers. The adults sat down. "Fox," said Dana softly, "this case came to Skinner as a routine kidnapping except for one thing. One of the children was related to an important politico. It was Skinner that saw the photo and the resemblance. In truth, he didn't want to get your hopes up...." "He had no right..." "Fox, he cares about you... okay... you promised you would listen...." She felt her sense of alarm rising. She did not want another scene with him, at least not now. Mulder nodded. He handed Patrick some more animal crackers. Brenda seemed to be making "designs" with hers. Sooner or later Patrick would try to snatch them. "As it turned out, it was a routine kidnapping except for the fact that the next to last victim looked so much like Samantha." Dana filled him in on the details. "Fortunately, we were able to save the last three. We got there in time." "But you still say she isn't Sam... maybe she was adopted... if there was some sort of time warp..." His mind raced. He had always thought that Sam would be grown up, but what if she were just a child... "Damn it, Fox... you think Both and I didn't investigate?" She felt her own temper rising. "I knew you would think of that time warp business. I know you. I may think it's nuts, Fox, but that didn't stop me from checking everything out thoroughly." The children were looking at her. She forced herself to remain calm. "What I found out was that Deborah's mother was artificially inseminated eight years ago. Her husband's sperm count was very low, and they desperately wanted a child. They were already in their late thirties. After their little girl was born, the mother hemorrhaged and they had to do an emergency hysterectomy. Oh, Fox, if you could have seen them. They were frantic. Their only child was gone and there would never be another..." Fox watched as a pained shudder ran through his wife's body. He remembered how desperately they had wanted her to conceive, how afraid they had been that she they wouldn't be able to have children after her miscarriage. "Anyway," continued his wife, "what I think is that Deborah is related, is either your half sister or is perhaps your half sister, Aunt Sophia. I'm having DNA tests run. Pendrell is doing it so I know the results can be trusted." "That sorry son of a bitch," muttered Sophia... She sighed realizing she had cursed in front of the children. "Yeah, that sounds like him... I bet he arranged to have sperm stored everywhere. Not one for putting all his eggs in one basket... not dear old dad... and if he couldn't, he would have ordered Billy to and Bill would have done as he was told." "Debbie's mother was very cooperative, Fox. I explained to her that we had to ask these kinds of questions in case the kidnapping had something to do with her being adopted or anything like that. Both went along with me. She told me the name of the sperm bank they had dealt with. It turns out that..." Sophia interrupted here. "It's a subsidiary of one of the SOB's firms... one of many... They were always on the cutting edge of technology in that area... could have been going on for years... It's beautiful don't you see... perfectly legitimate, and what a way to hide experiments... to have access to carefully screened gene pools... sperm banks... infertility clinics... all giving people what the want the most... babies... and for a man with an ego like William Mulder's... think of it...any number of children..." She shuddered. "He could leave children all over and take no responsibility for them...." "How do you know?" asked Fox. "There are names on the disk... names that seem to be there for no reason that I could discern... 62 to be exact. One of those names is Deborah Hunter... just like this little girl. I remember. I couldn't make any sense of it. I think I understand why now. I will continue checking of course." Fox sat back in his chair feeling as though the wind had been knocked up of him. He sat silently for a long time and then moved by rote when Patrick started demanding more milk. "I still have to see her," he announced. "Oh, Fox, no," said Dana softly. She reached across the table and placed her hand over his. "Don't you see how it would disrupt their lives? They adore their little girl. Her daddy accepts her as his own. She's his little princess. They were so grateful to get her back... and they are wonderful parents, Fox... wonderful..." Dana didn't say anything, but in her heart she shuddered praying that no one else was watching these children. She knew someone probably was, but prayed not. "Goddam it, Dana..." "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Fox. I wanted to bring you Samantha, and all I've done was bring you more heartache... but please, trust me on this..." "Why should I? You didn't tell me before you left..." "Fox," said Sophia quietly, "Dana is right. It would be too disruptive at this time. The child has just been kidnapped and returned. Don't you remember how it was when your family fell apart, Fox? Have you forgotten?" Fox sighed and nodded. He hadn't forgotten. He would never forget. He would never forget the time he spent in that children's shelter, what the older boys had done to him........He forced the thought away. No...he would not forget. Sophia looked at her nephew. "Let's get the results of the DNA tests back. If they show that Deborah is related, I will get in touch with the parents quietly. An older woman is far less threatening than the FBI. I'll simply tell them that I have reason to suspect that I may be related to Deborah through the biological father and if... and I do mean if, Fox... Deborah wants to find us one day, she will know where to look..." "And you will keep researching those other names?" he asked his aunt looking for reassurance. "Of course," said Sophia gently. "I want to find Samantha as much as you." Fox nodded, discouraged. "Alright for now, but if Dana's guess is correct and the other names check out as well we might not be able to leave them alone." Both women looked up questioningly, he explained. "They may be part of an experiment... might be in danger from who ever is behind all this. Yeah I know that grandfather started all this... but he wasn't the only one involved and they are still around. If our suspicions are correct then the parents will have to be contacted and told some of the truth. They need to be on the look out for anything strange. Doctors performing tests or unusual vaccinations or vitamin shots. So for now we leave them alone but if she's my half sister or my aunt she has to be protected. Agreed." Dana and Sophia nodded. They wanted to disagree but couldn't, Fox always managed to be at least one jump ahead. Dana realized that it had been futile to hope that he wouldn't think of this. Sophia, feeling heartsick herself, forced a smile. "Now, I have got to collect my poor terrified critters and take them downstairs. Why don't you put your little one's down for a nap? I think you need to spend some time together, and me, well... I need to grieve for a lost friend..." She got to her feet and patted her nephew's shoulder. Kissing each of "her" babies, she called her dogs, got Krycek's cage and left. Still angry and upset Fox got up and grabbed his jacket. "Where are you going?" "To talk to Skinner about this." "Fox, wait you don't understand..." She heard the door slam on her last words, "It wasn't his idea." Sighing she hoped that Skinner was in a good mood 'cause if they both started yelling who knew how long the fight would last. Her boss was going to pay the price now for listening to her. "Are you sure you don't mind me sitting for Bill and Maureen?" Meg Skinner asked her husband. "Not at all, Meg. I understand that they got caught in a bind with their sitter sick and Michael's play and all. It would be too hard to take the baby. You sure you don't want to leave Fox here with me?" "You'd never get any work done with JF running around dear, besides they can keep each other amused." "Drive safely and call me before you leave to come home." "Sometimes, dear, you're a bit of a worry wart." Meg was only half kidding. Walter tended to be over protective. As she got ready to leave she quized her husband, "Is there something you aren't telling me? I get the feeling that you're trying to get rid of me." Walter sighed. She knew him too well. "Dana is due back tonight and there are certain aspects of the case I sent her on that are bound to piss Fox off. I figure he'll show up either tonight or tomorrow to yell at me. All depends on how long Scully decides to put off telling him about the case. Knowing her she'll face him with it right away." "He gets so protective of her sometimes, he really ought to accept the fact that she can take care of herself and that it bugs her when he gets too smothering," Meg replied. Wondering just who those comments were directed to, Walter went on to elaborate, "It's not Mulder that's being overly protective this time, but Dana. She knew the case would upset Fox so she requested that I assign her and Bothrington to it. I did as she suggested but Fox is going to be angry when he finds out about it. I figure he'll be over here to yell shortly." "And you want me out of the way...?" "He has to work so hard at restraining himself when you're around... doesn't want you to hear him cuss and shout. It'll be easier on him and he'll get over it faster if we don't have an audience." He took her in his arms and kissed her. "Don't worry, love, I can handle Fox." Meg sighed and left, Walter returned to the paperwork that he had brought home. Half an hour later the front doorbell rang several times and then when Walter wasn't fast enough, someone started pounding. Skinner thought, checking his watch. The AD opened the door and Mulder stomped in, he didn't bother with a preamble. "I thought you trusted me, respected me and my work." "I do..." "Well you have a piss poor way of showing it. How could you? Didn't you think I could seperate myself from the situation enough to do the job? What'd you think, that I would lose it and blow the case? F**k it, Walter, I thought you trusted me." Fox paced back and forth in the living room speaking loudly at his boss, it wasn't quite a shout. "I do trust you but I also trust Scully and Bothrington and knew they could handle it with less emotional distress than you could." "So now you think I'm some kind of basketcase? Why don't you have me committed and get it over with, or drum me out of the Bureau if I'm so fragile and can't handle the stress? I thought I could trust you." The last comment cut Walter to the quick... they'd spent years developing the trust they shared and he couldn't stand to think that this had hurt that. He found himself at a loss however, at how to proceed-- how to explain to Fox why he'd allowed what he had--without betraying Dana and her part in the decision to his son in law. He'd been so concerned about Fox's words that he hadn't noticed the younger man watching him intently. "What aren't you telling me?" "I don't know what you mean," Skinner lied. Mulder knew him too well and saw right through the lie. In one of his blinding flashes Fox realized the truth. "It wasn't your idea not to send me on this case, was it?" When Walter refused to look at him Mulder strode over and grabbed him by the shoulders forcing him to meet his gaze. The look they exchanged was long and hard, and by it's end Walter knew that Fox knew the truth. He decided to explain further. "No it wasn't my idea. I'd called Scully in to get her input on how to approach you with it so that you didn't go off half cocked. She thought it would be easier on you if she did the investigation... I just gave in. But she was right, son, this way was much less painful for you." "How can you say that? How do you think I felt knowing that the two people I love and trust most in this world had betrayed me." Skinner sucked in hard at Fox's words. "We didn't betray you, Dana was just trying to protect you." "What right does she have to make those kind of decisions for me? I'm an adult and don't need to be coddled." Walter lost a bit of his temper... he couldn't seem to get Fox's words out of his mind... he snapped at his agent, "She has the same rights you have. Now you know how we feel most of the time when you go running off on your own to protect us, leaving us behind to sweat, worry and pray that you'll come through it safe and sound." Fox opened his mouth to shout but at Walter's glare snapped it shut. The shoe was well and truly on the other foot and he didn't like it... not one little bit. He opened his mouth again to reply but Walter interrupted. "And don't you dare say that that's different, 'cause it isn't, not the least little bit." The anger drained out of him suddenly and he collapsed onto the couch. Walter went over to sit beside him and put an arm across his shoulders in comfort. "Fox, I know it's hard to be protected. I don't like it any more than you do. Remember what you had to go through when they tried to set me up for murder? I fought you tooth and nail and would at the very least be out of a job and most likely in jail if you had let me get away with it." His son smiled up at him a bit of a cocky grin on his face, "You gave in eventually." "Only because I knew you'd never let it go... 'sides you knew the reason I'd clamed up was because I was scared... you always could read me too well for my own comfort. So finally I gave in and let you do your job. Which is why I'd originally planned on sending you and Dana, but sometimes she worries so much about you... hurts so much for you that I can't turn her down. If you're determined to shield her then you're just going to have to accept the fact that every now and again she is going to insist on doing the same for you." Sighing Fox leaned into the embrace and they sat like that for several minutes. "I'm sorry, dad, but I really could have handled it." "I know that you could... but in the end I asked myself 'why should you have to, why can't someone else take the brunt of the investigation for a change? They did a damn good job. But I promise that next time I won't let Scully sway me from assigning you. Okay?" Fox Mulder nodded and smiled at his friend and boss and changed the subject to less painful topics. All was forgiven. Dana watched as Fox seemed to hug his children extra long before tucking them in for the night. She was so exhausted she felt as though she could sleep for a week. "I'm ready for bed myself," she sighed. "Come and lay down with me, sweetheart. It's hard to sleep without you." He nodded. They both slipped out of their clothes and got ready for bed. Funny, while she had been gone he had had visions of dragging her to bed and making love to her until they couldn't move when she returned. Now he simply felt tired. They got under the covers but did not touch. There was hurt between them now. Dana was starting to feel the sting of his words in a way she hadn't during the heat of the moment. "I'm sorry, Spook," she said softly, "But we did the right thing." She knew they needed to talk, to clear the air. "I don't know," he replied after a long period of silence, "I guess judging by the way I reacted... maybe, but I really don't think so. Honey, the reason I'm so good at what I do is that I see things differently than others do. And sometimes that difference is vitally important to solving the case. You and Both were lucky this time that it wasn't." He held up his hand as she started to interrupt, "You are both excellent investigators, two of the absolute best but they don't call me Spooky for no reason. My gift has nothing to do with training, it's all instinctive but that means that you can't duplicate it or teach it. You can't protect me like you tried to do... the cost could be too high. Please try to understand and I promise to try and not be so over protective myself. Deal." He quirked an eyebrow at her. "Deal," she replied with a smile. They were silent for awhile when she asked, "What else is bothering you, Fox?" "One day, Dana, I'm afraid that I'm gonna lose it and I'm going to hit you and you'll leave me and...." "You aren't going to hit me, Spook, and I'm not going to leave you, but it did hurt... you know... I mean what you said about not trusting me... It hurt a lot... and Both is a good friend, Fox. He really is. When we rescued the children, the kidnapper almost got me. Both risked his life to save me. He just missed getting shot... Except for you, there couldn't be a better partner." Fox nodded. "I know you are right. I'm sorry, Dana... really sorry... I had no right to say what I said to you. I..." Exhausted though she was, she reached over and pulled him close to her, and they began to make love hungrily. "I love you, Fox," she cried. "I know, angel... I know... I love you..." He filled her with himself and buried his face in her neck. "I'll always love you, Dana... always..." Reluctantly he rolled off of her but kept her close. "They'll never take this away from us... never..." "We'll find her, Spook," murmured his wife. Sleep crashed down around them as they clung to one another. Fox dreamed... not of Samantha... but of how he had missed Dana and how she had returned. A little later that night Fox awakened from a dream, a bad dream. His wife had her back to him and he heard the sound of sniffling. He realized that Dana was crying. It was something she seldom did, only when she had been pushed beyond the limit, and even then she always tried to keep it to herself, never to do it in front of others. For a moment he debated whether or not to let her know he was awake, but finally couldn't stand it any longer. He pulled her into his arms. "What's wrong, Dana angel?" he whispered softly. "I... I... knew it couldn't be her... but I wanted it to be..." she replied mortified that he had awakened, yet relieved in a way. "Of course you did, angel..." he stroked her head. "You don't understand, Fox... since I've had the babies... I'm always so tired and busy... and... sometimes... sometimes I don't feel as though I'm much of a partner anymore... I wanted... I wanted to be the one to find her... I wanted to be your hero..." He held her a little tighter. In spite of himself, he smiled a little. Dana was always so good at covering up some of the conflicts that she felt between her career and her family... her chronic tiredness. It was, of course, every woman's dilemma, but he wouldn't dare say that to her. She never wanted to admit when it was catching up with her. "You are my hero, Short Stuff," he said. "You'll always be my hero, and you are as much of a partner as you ever have been... more in fact. I guess sometimes I get so caught up in everything that I forget to tell you." He reached over and grabbed a handful of tissues. "Blow you nose," he commanded. She did so. Lifting his head on his arm he gazed at her profile. "Better now?" he asked gently taking the tissues from her and tossing them on to the night table. She nodded. Oddly now that she had said what was on her mind, she did. "Besides..." he grinned, "You might not have found Samantha, but it looks as though you have found me 62 other siblings or aunts and uncles... Talk about overkill, Scully... I mean, jeez, where are we going to put them all in this house..." He reached under the covers and found her ticklish spot, and didn't stop until the room was filled with their laughter. The End. The Gossamer Project Author - Title - Date - Spoilers - Crossovers - X-Files - Adventures - Stories - Vignettes Other stories by: Evenstar, Eowyn - Macspooky Please let us know if the site is not working properly. Set story display preferences. Do not archive stories elsewhere without permission from the author(s). See the Gossamer policies for more information.