All of the characters you recognize belong to Chris Carter and Ten Thirteen Productions. I am just borrowing them for a little while. If you are one of the *it will never happen, it will ruin the show, Chris Carter said never* then back away now, cuz this one has relationship written all over it. :-D Special thanks to MacSpooky (cullinan@erols.com) for editing this monster for me. Your guidance and wisdom were greatly appreciated! This is dedicated to the best ( and only) triplets I know: Samantha. Melissa, and Joshua Ackley. These three were born one year before X-Files premiered, and their birthday is October 13. Spooky huh? Kudos to their hard working parents Karen and Paul. :-) Time Frame: I would set this one about 1999, 5 years after the events of Duane Barry, Ascension and One Breath. Now, on with the story..................... Baby Mine Part 1/9 By Debbie Gramlich (DGramL6525@aol.com) Samuel Fullerton III sat on egg shells. He knew that his boss was not happy. He had to try to convince him that the plan was not out of control, that Mulder and Scully had not ruined the experiments. But, he was not succeeding. Ever since that fiasco 5 years ago with the MJ-12 Files and Alex Krycek, things had been bad for him. And now, another project was trashed 7 months ago thanks to Mulder and Scully. His boss stared him down. Samuel lit a Morley and began to speak again. "Mulder and Scully only temporarily hampered our efforts. Their actions are of no consequence to the plan in general." "No consequence? How can you say that? Fox Mulder and Dana Scully have done nothing but cause us problems since they met. And now, now it seems that they have complete control over everything." Samuel hated that accent. Half British with a mix of too many years in America. "Mulder and Scully only think they have control. I have the situation well in my control." "In your control? The FBI has strict 'no fraternization' policies, yet Mulder and Scully have been married for almost two years, and she is pregnant on top of it. It seems to me that your rules no longer apply to them." "We still have the trump card. We can blow their happy little world right off the face of the map." In return, Samuel's boss looked at him with his eyebrows raised. "Well, I think it is time to play our cards." ********** Fox Mulder walked into Georgetown Medical Center with an extra spring in his step. The receptionist looked up and smiled. Everyone here knew him by now. Dana had been in the hospital for 5 weeks. And of course, Mulder spent every minute he could with her. He winced before he walked into his wife's room. "It's okay now, she isn't dying. She is fine. He smiled a little at his reluctance. That was a long time ago. Shaking his head, he entered Dana's room. The ultrasound technician was already there, getting set up. Dana turned to him. "Hi! I am so glad you are here." The technician, a fun loving girl named Em, smiled at Mulder. "Your wife's been misbehaving again." Mulder bent down to Dana and gave her a kiss. "What did you do now?" "Nothing." Dana said, not looking at him. "Why don't I believe that?" "I- It's just... I feel so silly being here. Mulder, I'm fine, the babies are fine... why do I have to stay?" Em looked at Mulder. "I'll be back in a few minutes." She winked at Mulder and left the room. Dana looked on the verge of tears. Mulder knew she hated being treated like an invalid. "Dana, you're a doctor. You know deep down why they are doing this." She still avoided looking at him. "They are doing this for your safety and the babies. We already lost one and your blood pressure is still going crazy. They need to monitor you guys constantly. We already lost one, and I couldn't stand losing you." Dana wrapped her arms around him. "I know, it's just... I miss being home. Being able to sleep wrapped around you at night. Being able to get up and move around freely without having a nurse help me." Mulder smiled at her. She stuck her tongue out at him. "I know. I'd need a tow truck to get me out of bed now. I still have 6 weeks left and I can't stand up by myself." Mulder hugged her tightly. They both loved the feeling of each other in their arms. Mulder missed her too. But, there would be plenty of time for them to be together when she came home. "Did you and the doctor talk about when you could go back to work?" Dana sighed a little. "I don't know. I really don't want to hire a stranger to take care of our children, but three are an awful lot for my mother to take care of at once." Mulder grinned. "Three is a lot for the two of us to take care of." She looked at him. "I guess I am going to have to accept the inevitable. I'm not going to be able to go back." "As long as you are sure. I don't want you to feel like you have to give up your career." Tears formed in Dana's eyes. "I know, but what-" Em came back into the room. "Uh, sorry to interrupt, but we have some stars here who want their pictures taken." Dana nodded and dropped her hospital gown. Mulder smiled and shook his head. "With all the people who have poking around every body cavity I have, there is no point being bashful now." Em laughed. "Wait until you deliver. Then they'll be more people poking around places you NEVER knew you had." Dana flinched a little as the fluid touched her skin. "I still think you stick that stuff in the refrigerator before you come here." Mulder stepped forward to hold Dana's hand. Em moved the hand held device around and smiled. "With Dana's small size, it was a miracle that she carried quadruplets for as long as she did. They were really crammed in there, and didn't have too much room to grow. But since the miscarriage, the other three seem to be really growing." Mulder and Dana watched the movements on the screen. They could see little hands and feet moving everywhere. Em pointed to the screen. "There's your son." Dana smiled at the image on the screen. "Joshua" she said. Em looked at her. "You finally settled on names huh?" Dana and Mulder smiled, proudly. Em loved working with these two. Quadruplet pregnancies were so rare, usually the result of fertility drugs or intrauterine surgeries. But the Mulders had used none. This pregnancy was an act of God. She had felt bad when Dana miscarried one. But, the other three had begun to thrive after that, so maybe it was for the best. "There are the two girls. It looks like they're cuddled against each other. What are their names going to be?" Mulder spoke first. "Samantha and Melissa." "But who's gonna be who?" Dana asked "We'll just let them fight over it when their old enough." Dana smacked his arm. Em handed the printed ultrasound photos to Dana. "Here are more for your collection." "Thanks." Dana answered with a smile. Em began cleaning up her equipment. "I'll be back in a few to get the rest of this stuff." "Thanks Em." Fox said. Em returned five minutes later. Fox had climbed into the bed and pulled Dana into his arms. Dana and Fox's hands were rubbing her huge belly. 'What a happy family they are.' Em thought. ********** The man known only as X read the instructions given to him by his boss. He knew that Samuel Fullerton was not a man to be messed with. But this was unbelievable, even for them. "You want me to give this to Scully." He asked again. Fullerton lit another Morley. "You give it to Scully only after she is home from the hospital with her children. After all, we don't want to hurt any innocent children do we?" X swallowed hard. Now that Scully was going to find out the truth, he wondered if she would find anything innocent ever again. ~CONTINUED IN PART 2~ Baby Mine Part 2/9 Dana and Mulder entered the hospital lobby holding hands. Today was the day, the babies were finally going home. They had the nursery all set up in their new house. For now, Melissa, Samantha, and Joshua would share a room. There was a spare room for when Joshua got old enough. Going back and forth from the hospital was tiresome. They tried to be involved in as much care of the babies as they could, but in a hospital it just didn't seem the same. Home is where they really wanted to be. The went up to the 7th floor nursery. All the staff was there and greeted them with hugs. "Well, there they are, the parents of the precious angels!" Fox and Dana recognized Em Laurence's voice immediately. "Hey Em!" Dana smiled and embraced her. "You guys all set for 3, count em 3, new babies?" "Yeah, we've been ready since they were born three months ago." Em sensed a sadness in Dana's voice. "Dana, it wasn't your fault the babies were born early. They had to stay here in the hospital until they were big enough and strong enough to leave." "Oh, I know... it's silly, but I just can't help but feel that maybe somehow it was my fault. Maybe I didn't do something right while I was pregnant.... I know it's crazy but-" Em smiled and put her arm around her shoulder. "Well, they're almost three months old now, and going home perfectly healthy. Thank God for your miracle. You'll have plenty of time with them." Dana smiled and hugged her again. The nursing staff took pictures of the babies with their Mommy and daddy and Grandma Margaret. Those pictures went right up in the bulletin board behind the nursing station. An hour later, Fox and Dana Mulder laid red haired green eyed Melissa, red haired blue eyed Samantha, and brown haired green eyed Joshua into their new beds. The infants didn't seem to care one way or the other. They snuggled onto their sides and drifted back to sleep. One Month Later Fox Mulder stumbled into his office in the basement of the J. Edgar Hoover building. 'It would figure that Dana and I would have to have insomniac children.' He thought. He had never been so exhausted, but happy in his life. He missed having Dana here with him. But he supported Dana in her decision to take an extended maternity leave. And, when she did come back to work, if she did, she would only be on light duty. No more out of state cases for her. But, deep down, Mulder and Dana had come to accept the fact that she would probably never come back. Dana's mom had moved into their house when the babies were born. So, at least Dana had a hand with the three. All three babies lived on different schedules. It was nap time for one, when it was feeding time for another, then of course, the other one never quite knew what it wanted. But Fox also knew... he had never been happier. He'd never been more tired either, but the happiness he felt when with his family canceled those feelings out. There was a voice mail message for him from Skinner. It seemed the Director of the FBI wanted to see him in an important meeting at 9AM sharp. Great, just great. Whatever happened, they can't blame me for it this time. He looked at his watch. He still had 10 minutes so he though he'd call home to see how things were going. "Hello?" A harried Margaret Scully answered. He could hear all three babies crying in the background. "Mom it's me... what the hell is going on?" "Oh, we're having a party can't you hear? Dana had her ob/gyn appointment today with the new doctor who took over for Doctor Kress. She should be home any minute now, but in the meantime I am alone here with my adorable grandchildren." He could hear the sarcasm in her voice. "I still don't understand why Dana has to go to the doctor this long after the birth." He said. "Well, part of Dana's uterus ruptured during delivery. They want to make sure it is healing properly." She said/ He heard a winding noise, then a steady click-click-click. All three babies were silent. "What is that?" "Their baby swings. I know they are still a little small for them, but I padded their heads well with blankets. I used to do the same for Dana when she was a baby. She was so small. Melissa used to call the baby swing the *rescue squad*." Mulder smiled. "Okay, well I have a meeting with Skinner, so I'll call back as soon as I can to see how you're making out." "Okay Fox, talk to you later." Mulder hung up the phone and went up to face the bad news. ********** Dana laid back on the table with her feet in the stirrups. She had to admit, these new ones on the bottoms of the bed were more comfortable, but this was still so awkward. She hated going to gynecologists. But she knew that it was important to go regularly, especially since the hard pregnancy and delivery she had. The gynecologist she went to from the time she was eighteen had just retired. She has always liked Doctor Kress. At least the babies came before she retired. Dana wasn't sure what to think of this new doctor. He seemed very young, and kept mumbling to himself. But he made her relax a little the way he sat and talked to her before even attempting to start the exam. "So Dana, how's your babies doing?" Dana looked at Doctor Leone. "Oh, they're great. They've gained over five pounds since being home." Doctor Leone smiled. "That's good. I'm glad their doing so well. Dr. Kress kept telling me about these miracle babies she had delivered before she retired. It's nice to finally get to meet their mother." 'Yeah, I bet it is considering the end you're on' Dana thought sarcastically. 'Stop it. He is a doctor doing his job.' "Dr. Kress didn't tell me much about their delivery. Was their delivery easier then your first one?" "My first one? That was my first pregnancy." "Really? Hmm.... that's interesting." Dana looked at Dr. Leone. He was thumbing through Dana's records to see if, in fact, it was her first. "Why would you think it wasn't?" "The scarring in your uterus would indicate that you've had another pregnancy. The laparoscopy results would seem to indicate that." Dana was completely confused. "To my knowledge, I've never been pregnant before." Dr. Leone smiled. "The scarring may have been caused from an old infection or something. It is possible. There is no way that you could have been pregnant and not remembered delivering, right?" 'What a quack' Dana thought. ********** Mulder knocked on Skinner's office door. Walking in he froze. He did not expect what he saw. Skinner was there, of course, as was the man he knew as X. Mulder knew that X always had wanted to keep his identity a secret, so this was an absolute shock to him. Skinner noticed his hesitance. "We've met before Agent Mulder. I know what he does." Skinner motioned to a chair across from the two men. "What do you want?" Mulder asked. "What I want is irrelevant Agent Mulder. But, what they want is something different." X responded. He removed an unmarked VCR tape from his pocket. He set it on the table in front of Mulder. Skinner spoke up. "They want the X-Files closed, permanently. All files are to be turned over to them." Mulder was shocked. "No, they can't do that!" X nodded. "They knew you'd say that Agent Mulder. So, in exchange for the complete elimination of the X-Files, you will in return get what is on this tape. You have 48 hours to respond." X got up and walked out of the room. Mulder turned to Skinner. "Sir, you're going to let them get away with that?!" "Agent Mulder, I don't think we have much of a choice. You don't know what is on that tape yet." "Whatever it is, it isn't worth it!" "Agent Mulder....... what does Scully remember from her abduction?" The question totally threw Mulder off balance. "What does that have to do with anything?" "Just answer the question. Not from a professional stand point, but a personal one." Mulder took a deep breath. "She remembers very little. Bits and pieces really. She sees a train car, some Japanese scientists standing over her. Then she remembers a building. There were a lot of other people there too. She isn't sure, but she remembers feeling a pain in her lower abdomen.... and a lot of doctors and nurses rushing over to her. That's about it." Skinner pursed his lips. "Mulder, before you make any rush decisions, watch the tape. Maybe get Scully to someone who can stimulate her memory of that time." Mulder eyebrows furrowed. "What is on this tape?" Skinner looked about ready to speak when the door opened. Sharon Skinner entered the room. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize there was anyone here. Hello Agent Mulder." "Mrs. Skinner." Skinner kissed Sharon on the cheek. He put his arm around her shoulders, almost protectively. "Just remember what I told you Agent Mulder." Mulder nodded and left the room, tape in hand. ~CONTINUED IN PART 3~ Baby Mine Part 3/9 Mulder sat on the sofa, precariously trying to feed a squirming Melissa. She turned her head, then grunted for the bottle. Mulder put it in her mouth, only to have her turn her head another way and grunt again. He took a deep breath. trying to stay patient. 'Don't lose your temper' he thought. Dana held Samantha and listened as Mulder told her and Margaret what had happened. "I don't know what is on this tape, but they obviously think it is something important enough to make me give up my work." He was saying. Margaret sat quietly rocking a dozing Joshua. He was the quietest of the three, but even then, he had his moments. Dana looked at Mulder, then towards her mother. "Mom, the reason we wanted you brought into this is that now you are a part of this. When you offered to move in and help with the babies, you were pulled into all this madness we've lived with the past years. You knew that, but didn't care. So, we don't want to keep any secrets from you." Margaret smiled at Dana. "Dana, I appreciate that. And you are right, I knew the risks. I've known the risks since your sister was shot. But you are part of my family. My daughter, my son, and my grandchildren, and I would put my life on the line for any of you." Mulder winced inwardly at the thought. To have another one of Dana's family killed for what had started as HIS quest, hurt him very much. Especially Maggie. She had always treated him with nothing but love and respect. He felt more love from her than he had almost his whole life. "Okay, then. We'll watch the tape together and decide what to do from there." He said. He stood, balancing Melissa in one arm, he slipped the tape into the VCR. It started as showing what looked like a one room house. The biggest room had a couple chairs, a dinner table with 2 chairs, and a double bed in the corner. Off to the side of the room a dim light was shining. A bathroom maybe? The room looked like a typical little apartment, except for one thing. There were bars on the windows. And the door was metal. Also noticeable was electrical type of lock. It looked like a card would open it A voice began. "Agent Mulder, Mrs. Mulder." Mulder and Scully recognized the voice of Cancerman. "Through the years we have had many dealings. You have caused me a lot of trouble with my associates. The little problem in Johnnastown caused us a lot of inconvenience. We don't like to be inconvenienced. So, we have decided to offer you a trade of sorts. We want it all Agent Mulder. We want the files at the FBI building, the files that you keep stashed at home. Pack them all into boxed and deliver them to us at a location that will be revealed later. The X-Files division will exist no more." Mulder paused the tape. "What is he crazy?! There is NO WAY I am going to do that because he tells me too." Mulder's raised voice caused the babies to start to fuss. Melissa spit up all over herself, and Samantha's diaper picked that moment to leak. Margaret calmly stood and put Joshua into the bedroom. Dana and Mulder had to take the girls and change them, and themselves. Mulder cursed silently. I have to learn to keep my temper under control, especially around the kids. "What could Cancerman possibly have that would make us" She paused as a little llok of sadness crossed her face. "- you want to give up your work?" Dana asked. "I don't know. But it must be something big." Mulder responded. Margaret returned to the living room, where the VCR was still paused. She sat in the rocking chair and rested her head against the back of it. She closed her eyes and began to relax and the soft voices drifted in from the bedroom. She liked to give them time together. With three babies in the house, they were all chronically exhausted all the time. Fox and Dana didn't have any time for themselves. Suddenly, she sat upright. Melissa? Mulder and Scully had just laid the girls down when Margaret's voiced screamed from the living room. Dana and Mulder ran out there to see Margaret staring in shock at the TV. Mulder saw that the VCR had unpaused. On the screen was Melissa Scully. Dana dropped to her knees on the living room floor and stared. Melissa was moving around the little apartment with a little girl. The little girl appeared to be about 5. Her hair was long and blonde, her eyes a beautiful shade of blue. Melissa was placing dishes on the table and talking to the little girl. The child didn't respond. She just watched her, with no expression on her face. Cancerman's voice continued. "As you can see, we took a little insurance from you. You, of course, know Melissa. She hasn't been the most cooperative prisoner we've ever had, but she served her purpose. And the child you see is our biggest surprise to you. Melissa has taken to calling her Katherine, or Kate for short. Melissa has pretty much been her mother of sorts. Kate is an amazing child. She doesn't talk or play or get excited about anything. But you see, Kate is gifted. Her intelligence registers higher than a most MIT graduates. The most amazing thing is, Kate mother was impregnated and delivered within a few months. Agent Scully, this is your daughter Kate." Mulder and Margaret looked wildly to Dana. Dana's face was ashen, her breathing erratic. Finally, her eyes rolled back and she fell unconscious to the floor. ~CONTINUED IN PART 4~ Baby Mine Part 5/9 Mulder drove to Talegunn's sports apparel. The anonymous e-mail he had received told him to be here at midnight with the files. Scully had protested. She wanted to go and back him up, in case it was a trap. But, common sense won out. If it was a trap, it was better that the babies had one parent and their grandmother. It was a terrible way to think about it, but Mulder knew it was the truth. Mulder pulled in front of the store and got out of his van. He grimaced at the thought originally of buying a minivan, but with three babies on the way he knew they needed the space. And tonight, it was serving it's purpose. A man walked out of the apparel store. He stopped at looked at Mulder. Mulder watched him. "Are you Talegunn?" Mulder asked sarcastically. "Nevermind what my name is, just give me the files." Mulder opened the side door of the van. Three men came out of the store and grabbed the boxes. Mulder couldn't watch them walk away. All the answers he had seeked for so long was walking away, piled in boxes like they were nothing but mere pieces of paper. With the boxes gone, the man turned to walk into the store. "Hey! Where's Melissa and Kate?" "Patience Mr. Mulder. Just go home and be with your family. Our end of the bargain will be met." The man left Mulder standing on the sidewalk. A moment later an unmarked van pulled out of the alley behind the store and sped down the street. Mulder thought he had been betrayed. Several hours later, after he, Dana and Margaret had finally gone to bed, he laid staring at the ceiling in their bedroom. The shadows danced around, laughing at him. The men in the shadows always laughed. Mulder heard one of the babies begin to move around. He hopped out of bed hoping to get to it before she woke the other two up. He walked into the nursery and picked his daughter up. He sat in the chair, rocking her back and forth, holding her as close as he could. Samantha was a little beauty. She and Melissa looked identical except for their eyes. Different colored eyes and a few inches was all you could use to tell the two apart. He stared into her beautiful little face. She was so innocent and trusting. A tear rolled slowly down his face as he watched her. There were so many bad things in the world. So much evil happening everyday. How could he and Dana protect them forever? A loud car horn broke his thought. It was coming from the front of the house. He jumped up, the baby in his arm and started for the front door. Dana and Margaret were right behind him, being woken by the loud noise. He opened the door to see the same black van speeding down the street. Standing on the curb was Melissa and a little girl known only as Kate. Melissa stopped watching the van and turned around. The first person she saw was Dana. Dana stepped forward. She was terrified and confused, not sure what to do. "Dana?" Melissa muttered. Scully shook her head up and down. That was all she was capable of doing at that moment. Melissa rushed forward and grabbed her in a big bear hug. Melissa was crying and still looked confused. Mulder doubted that they told her what they were going to do. Melissa turned a little and looked towards Margaret. "M-m-mom?" She grabbed Margaret and Dana at the same time. All three stood there, crying, afraid to let go of one another. Finally, Melissa pulled away and turned back tot he street. The little girl still stood there. She had not moved. Melissa walked back towards her and took her hand, bringing her forward. "Uh, Dana, this is, this is Katherine." Scully looked at the child. She had straight light blonde hair which hung almost to her waist. Her eyes were blue, almost clear it seemed. She wore no expression at all on her face. Margaret gaped at the little girl. If she had red hair, she would have been the spitting image of Dana when she was in kindergarten. Margaret bent down to her. "It's nice to meet you Kate." The little girl blinked her eyes but said nothing. She studied Margaret, but no one was sure if it was out of curiosity or nothing better to do. Melissa spoke next. "She doesn't talk. I don't know why. She was about a year old when I was first introduced to her. It took a few months for me to get my strength back, but once I finally did they told me that she was my niece. I don't know if it is true or not. They just left her with me." Dana stared at her. Mulder stepped forward and bent down. "Well, Kate, you'll be okay here. I promise that." Kate eyes focused on him. She turned her head to Melissa and looked up at her. Melissa was shaking. It was the middle of summer, but she was shaking uncontrollably. "Come on Melissa, let's get you and Kate in the house and get you settled." Mulder said. They walked up the walkway into the house. Dana watched Kate walk holding Melissa's hand. 'There is no way she could be mine.' Dana took Samantha from Mulder and walked her towards the bedroom. This drew Kate's attention. Dana looked at Kate and turned her head away quickly. She felt like Kate's eyes were piercing right through her. ~CONTINUED IN PART 6~ From math.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!news.sprintlink.net!news- stk- 200.sprintlink.net!news.clark.net!world1.bawave.com!newsfeed.inte rnetmci.com!newsxfer2.itd.umich.edu!portc01.blue.aol.com!newstf01 .news.aol.com!newsbf02.news.aol.com!not-for-mail Thu Jul 25 09:59:57 1996 Article: 21789 of alt.tv.x-files.creative Path: math.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!news.sprintlink.net!news- stk- 200.sprintlink.net!news.clark.net!world1.bawave.com!newsfeed.inte rnetmci.com!newsxfer2.itd.umich.edu!portc01.blue.aol.com!newstf01 .news.aol.com!newsbf02.news.aol.com!not-for-mail From: xffmystic@aol.com (XFF Mystic) Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: Baby Mine Part 6-8 Date: 24 Jul 1996 15:18:54 -0400 Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-827-6364 end_of_the_skype_highlighting) Lines: 718 Sender: root@newsbf02.news.aol.com Message-ID: <4t5suu$19l@newsbf02.news.aol.com> Reply-To: xffmystic@aol.com (XFF Mystic) NNTP-Posting-Host: newsbf02.mail.aol.com Status: RO See Disclaimer in Part 1 Baby Mine Part 6/9 By Debbie Gramlich (XFF Mystic@aol.com) Fox Mulder laid in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Several weeks had passed since Melissa and Kate had moved into the house with them. He watched them both closely, looking for a sign that they were not who they claimed to be. Before the results of the bloodwork and genetic testing came back, he was positive that Melissa was who she claimed. The fierceness and shine was missing from her eyes, but there was still that little spunk that made her who she was. Kate was another story. It was almost easy to forget she was in the room with you. She seemed void of all feelings and emotions. She just watched. She would eat and sleep and watch. And to put it bluntly, it creeped Mulder out. Kate relied on Melissa for all intents and purposes. Melissa dressed her, bathed her, got her plate ready for her to eat, but Kate never seemed to be happy or sad about that arrangement. To put it simply, Kate just was. Mulder had taken a leave of absence from work. He didn't have any desire to continue anymore. The x-files were gone, and he was needed home. With not only the triplets to contend with, but Melissa and Kate, Skinner granted his request without question. Now, Mulder was glad he was home. The DNA tests had come through today. They did confirm that Melissa was indeed who she said. Her bloodwork showed a few abnormalities, but the doctors did not believe they were a threat to her health. Kate was a different story. The doctor was afraid of her anyway. When it came time for his technician to draw the blood sample, he consoled Kate, trying to make her laugh. Kate just stared at him. She didn't grin or laugh, just stared. The technician thrust the needle into her arm, and Kate didn't flinch. She continued to stare at the doctor. Her gaze seemed piercing, like it was looking right through you and into your mind and soul. The doctor quickly excused himself. When it came time for Mulder and Dana to get the results of Kate's DNA tests, Dr. Meeshy was glad that they didn't bring the girl with them. He flipped through the report again, still trying to make sense of it. Mulder knew something was wrong, and the doctor was trying to figure out how to tell them. "Well, Katherine is indeed your daughter, Mrs. Mulder. We ran over a dozen tests, they all said the same thing." Dana closed her eyes. Fox reached for her hand and squeezed it tightly. Dr. Meeshy continued. "There was something else. In a person's DNA, there should be a combination of two sequences, one from the biological mother the other from the father. It was easy pinpointing Mrs. Mulder's DNA because that was the only human DNA present." Mulder sat upright. "Excuse me?" Dana opened her eyes and stared at the doctor. He saw where Kate got her eyes from. "The other DNA pattern which is present in young Katherine is not of any human origin we have ever encountered. It is completely void of all the characteristics that makes human DNA what it is. We tested several animal DNA patterns just trying to find something that was remotely close to the other pattern in your daughters, but nothing came close." Dana braced herself. She knew what was coming next, a phrase that she has heard before. "The DNA would have to be characterized as extra terrestrial." Mulder sighed and shifted position in bed. Now he was more worried about Dana than anyone. She wasn't sleeping right. Many a night Mulder had held her while she shook violently from a nightmare. A night mare or a memory? Neither of them were sure. Dana's life was shaky as it was. She had given up her career for their children. He knew Dana would miss work. But she was raised by a mother and a father who was always gone. She wanted their children to have at least one parent at home. And if meant giving up her career, so be it. Their children were what was most important right now. But, does that include Kate? Whatever she is or however she came to be, she is Dana's daughter, and in turn, his stepdaughter. Dana showered love on the triplets, but she didn't show any emotion towards little Kate at all. She didn't talk to her or even attempt to make eye contact to her. 'How do I feel about Kate?' he thought. She didn't really give you a reason to love her. But Mulder also knew that she was a child, exactly what kind of child remanied be to seen. She needed love just like the three babies. But was he capable of giving it? Kate didn't care about that either as far as Mulder could tell. It scared Mulder though. Dana wouldn't open up to him. Everyone had noticed it. Melissa was the last to say something. But what could he do? Force Dana to open up about what she was feeling? Fox Mulder knew, there was no forcing Dana Katherine Scully Mulder into anything. Dana whimpered in her sleep. Mulder slid his arms around her and pulled her close. He had to do something. He would take Dana to see someone if he had to. Finally, after hours of restlessness, he drifted off to sleep. Dana walked down the hallway towards the babies room. She heard Joshua crying. 'It's almost time for him to eat' she thought. Abruptly, he stopped. Dana entered the room. Kate was standing next to Joshua's crib, holding him. Dana rushed forward, the panic already creeping into her. She saw that little Joshua was covered in blood. Dana screamed- and jumped awake. Fox, who had also been awoken, reached to comfort his wife. She pushed him away and ran to the babies room. Kate was sitting in the rocking chair holding Joshua. "What are you doing?!" She screamed, snatching the baby away. Kate, of course, did not answer. Dana's earlier scream woke everyone else in the house, including Samantha and Melissa. All three babies started to cry simultaneously when Dana shouted. Mulder burst into the room with Melissa and Margaret on his heels. "What the hell is going on?": Dana ignored him and looked at Kate. "What were you going to do?" Kate blinked her eyes in response. Mulder grabbed Dana's shoulders. But she spoke before he did. "We have to do something about that damn monster." She said, burrowing her head in Mulder's shoulder. Melissa stepped forward. "Dana, you have no right to say that! She's your daughter for God's sake!" Dana looked at Kate and shook her head, almost as if to deny it. Kate walked to Samantha's crib. She put her little hand on Samantha's head. All three babies quieted instantly. They laid still, except for the occasional little hiccup. Kate walked back to her room, climbed into bed, and closed her eyes. ~CONTINUED IN PART 7~ Baby Mine Part 7/9 TAP TAP TAP The sounds were the only one's in the house that day. Margaret Scully sat on the sofa in the living room watching Kate play at the computer. Kate was such a mystery to Margaret. So many things had happened to Dana when she was abducted, things that Margaret didn't want to imagine. And sitting 10 feet away was proof that her daughter had been violated. The possibility that Dana had being impregnated, and given birth to a fully developed child in three months was ludicrous. But how could she deny the proof? Kate looked so much like Dana and Melissa had at that age. Even the medical evidence had proven Kate was her granddaughter. But Margaret had a hard time thinking of her that way. The babies were another story. They were little and innocent, and it was easy to love them. The terrible fact is.... whatever they did to Dana to make Kate able to be possible, is probably what gave the triplets to them now. Triplets were rare. Mostly couples taking fertility drugs were blessed with triplets. But Dana and Fox weren't taking any kind of drugs. It just happened. What was originally thought to be a blessing from God may not have been that to start with. Margaret was worried about Dana. She was holding all her emotions in check, not sharing anything. The strange out burst a few nights ago was frightening, not only for Margaret, but Fox and Melissa as well. Melissa was having a hard time adjusting to being home again. She was slowly but surely to the point where she could actually go outside again. but never alone, she was terrified of being left alone. Margaret sighed. And then there was Kate. Melissa took care of and protected Kate as if she was her own. In all essence, Kate was the only thing Melissa had those years she was missing. Kate never seemed to worry one way or another. She never showed interest in anything, except the babies. She always stared at them, tried to touch them. Dana shied away from her, especially when holding one of the babies. Margaret overheard a argument last night between fox and Dana. Dana wanted Kate sent away, somewhere where she wouldn't hurt Melissa, Samantha, and Joshua. Mulder refused, telling her that there was no evidence she wanted to hurt the babies. Also, exactly where could they send her? She was not normal, that was obvious. A rift was forming in their marriage, and it was terrifying everyone in the family. Kate's new project was playing with the computer. She would sit and type for hours on it, strange numbers and letters. Dana and Mulder had never seen her do this. Margaret had volunteered to watch Kate while they ran their errands and such. She was hoping that spending a little time with her would force some kind of emotion in her. But it was still hard. Kate was still more like an object than a child. Especially her own granddaughter. 'But it's not fair. Not fair to me and definitely not fair to Kate. She needs love just as much as anyone.' But did she want it? She never gave any indication one way or the other. Margaret had tried to hug her one way, and Kate stood rigidly, not excepting or rejecting it. Margaret sighed and sipped her tea. Kate needed love, Dana and Melissa needed help, and the babies needed constant attention. Where did that leave her and Mulder? Trying to pick up the pieces. That was what they are doing. Margaret just prayed to God that Dana and Fox's marriage was not going to be pieces that also had to be cleaned up. She looked up to see Kate staring at her. Margaret smiled at her and stood. She walked over to see why Kate was staring. Kate looked at her, then turned her attention back to the computer screen. Kate clicked the mouse and stated the printer. The printer whirred to life and spit out a paper filled with numbers and letters. It almost looked like a code of some sort. "What is it Kate?" Kate looked at her. Margaret was shocked as Kate raised her hand and pointed at the screen. She pointed to a particular set of numbers and symbols. "Kate, what is it you are trying to show me?" Kate looked up to her. The door suddenly was thrown open. Dana, Fox, and Melissa came in, each with a baby in arms. Kate jumped up from her seat and walked to the bedroom. Margaret took the paper from the printer and set it on the table. Dana looked extremely distraught. "Sweetie, what' wrong?" "Nothing, I'm just dead tired Mom." Mulder gave Margaret the 'we've got to talk look'. Margaret nodded slightly at him. Dana took Melissa from his arms and walked with her sister to the babies room. All three babies were fussing, so it would take a while for them to get them to sleep. "Fox, what is it?" "Dana is scaring me. She is acting completely irrational. She slept on the floor in the babies room last night. She is afraid Kate wants to hurt them." "Fox, I don't understand Kate, or could I even say I begin to understand her. But, she hasn't done anything to make me think she wants to hurt them." "I know. It's just....It is hard for Dana to accept Kate is actually her daughter. Whatever those bastards did to her is blocked in her mind. She won't go to some one to get help to remember. She just refuses it. She is refusing to love Kate." "And refusing you?" He sighed. "Yeah, in a way I guess she is. She won't share her feeling or thoughts with me." Margaret placed her hand on his. "Dana needs-" A voice interrupted them. "Dana knows damn well what she needs, thank you." They turned to see Dana standing there. Her eyes were ablaze. "Is this what the two of you do? Talk about me behind my back?" "Dana no! We-" "Stop it Mom! I heard you!" Dana was almost yelling at this point. The babies all began to cry in the bedroom. "You all think that there is something wrong with me! That I can't take care of myself!" Mulder stepped forward and reached for her. She slapped his hands away. "No! I took care of myself for years before you showed any interest in me Fox Mulder! I was your partner, that was all you cared about. What you wanted to do. Dragging me half way across the country, my life on the line over and over!" "Dana, that is not true. You know wh-" "It was always and still is what you needed! You needed a little company so you would curl up with a good video and magazine, or come on to every woman who would look your way! We were professionals working a case, and I found you with the damn detective on top of you! Do you know how that made me feel?! A girl was murdered while you were playing *let's see how many woman I can score this week*!" Mulder's face was drained of all color. He stood in shock, not quite sure what to say. Margaret had no idea what Dana was talking about. But Dana was out of control, that she knew. "Where were you when I needed you Mulder? Where were you when I was screaming for help into the phone? Where were you when they took me and put that thing into me?! Where were you then?!! Tell me! Tell me!" Kate's little head appeared in front of Dana. She had come out of her room and interjected herself in between them. Dana stepped away from her, horror in her eyes. She flopped herself down onto the couch. Her head dropped into her hands as she cried uncontrollably. Mulder sat next to her and pulled her into his lap. He rocked her back and forth, trying to soothe her. Dana curled into his lap. "It's okay Dana. We're gonna get through this." Margaret took Kate into the dining room. She didn't want to interfere but she wanted to hear what they were saying. "My God Mulder, what did they do to me? They took something from me... I-I don't know what but-" "Shhhh.... just rest. It's okay." "Nn-no it's not. I'm sorry, I am so sorry. I didn't mean what I said." He smiled. "I think you did back then. But now it's different. We're together, as one. One heart and one soul, always joined, never to be parted. Cancerman and all his buddies cant take that away from us." "But Mulder they already did. You know we may never even have had the babies if it wasn't for them. They did something to me. I can't blame my beautiful little babies for it, and Kate is-" "Kate is your daughter just as much as Samantha and Melissa. She is different. I'm not asking you to be June Cleaver to her, but just try Dana. Try to accept her for what she is. What she is isn't her fault either." "I know- it's just, I see her and I see those men coming at me from the bright light. She stands for all the terrible things that they did.I don't know what to think or feel about her. She terrifies me, and I hate her for representing all that they did. But how can I hate an innocent child who doesn't do anything?" "Just rest baby. We'll talk later.It'll come in time. Just give yourself and Kate a chance" She settled into his arms. He continued to rock her for a few more minutes, until they were both still. Melissa walked into the dining room and sat next to Margaret. "She'll be okay now Mom. That was what she needed." Margaret smiled. "It is amazing what a Scully female tantrum can do." Melissa smiled. "I've had a few of those myself." Margaret grinned. "A few? HA!" Melissa looked at her with feigned shock. "Who me? Besides, I seem to remember Dad never winning an argument with you." Margaret smiled at her. Kate looked from one to the other. She got up and walked into the living room. Melissa and Margaret immediately jumped up and followed her. "Kate, don't bother them." Melissa whispered. Kate ignored her. She stood staring at the sleeping forms of Dana and Mulder. His arms were still wrapped around her. Kate reached forward and took Dana's hand. She placed it in Mulder's. She looked at Margaret and Melissa, and walked back towards her bedroom. She still showed no expression on her face. ~CONTINUED IN PART 8~ Baby Mine Part 8/9 Dana awoke before Mulder did. She felt terrible. She had said things to him that she had no business saying. They weren't true, and she knew it. She was just so scared, and confused, and exhausted. Kate truly scared her. But now that she thought about it, she wasn't sure if it was Kate herself that scared her, or the idea of what Kate represented. Dana pulled herself off of Mulder and slid onto the couch. She saw a strange paper sitting on the coffee table next to it. She picked it up and began reading. It was a series of chemical compounds and formulas. Yet, it looked familiar somehow. But, she just couldn't place it. She set the paper down and tip toed into Kate and Melissa's room. Her Mother and Melissa were outside on the patio, enjoying the sunshine. She looked down at Kate. She certainly seemed harmless while she was asleep. Dana bent down and brushed a lock of hair from her face. 'God, she looks a lot like Daddy. How can I blame her for what happened?' Dana walked into the babies room. They were all sleeping comfortably. Dana caught sight of her mom and sister outside. Dana watched Melissa for a moment. She had been home for 7 months now. Her adjustment was hard, but now the Melissa that everyone knew and loved was starting to resurface. She looked down at the babies. Samantha and Joshua were asleep in their cribs, but Melissa was awake. Dana smiled and picked up her daughter. She responded by giggling and tugging on her hair. She sat in the wooden rocking chair, looking at her daughter. Melissa watched her back, seemingly confused as to why she wasn't being fed. "You know little one, I look at the three of you and I feel nothing but love. Why can't I feel that for Kate?" Melissa drooled on her hand. Then she looked at her and gave her a little three front teeth smile. "It's not her fault what she is." Melissa leaned her head back and began sucking on her fist. "In a way, I guess that maybe I should thank Cancerman. If it wasn't for whatever they did to me, the three of you may not be here either." Melissa laughed and clapped her chubby hands together. Dana couldn't help but smile. "Leave it to you to find everything amusing." She stood and carried Melissa into the kitchen. It was almost time for the other two to wake up. When they did, it would definitely be time to eat. She set their little baby dishes on the counter in preparation. Mulder had finally awoken. He relaxed and smiled when he saw Dana's radiant smile greet him. This was his wife, the mother of his children, the woman who he had given everything up for. Dana gave Melissa a teething cookie to gnaw on as she sat next to her husband. She leaned over and kissed him on the mouth. "Thank you." She said "For what?" "For being you. For giving me everything you are and not bat an eyelash at it." He leaned forward and kissed her again. "You're welcome." Melissa began waving her arms around, the wet cookie leaving messy pieces all over. Dana reached forward and picked up the paper she had found earlier, wiping the mushy mess off. "Do you know what this is?" He looked at it. "It's not mine. Has your mom or Melissa been playing with the computer?" "Melissa was on it once, that I know of. Never since then. I don't think Mom touches it." "Hmph. I don't know what it is. We'll remember eventually I guess." Cries from the bedroom area made both of them jump. "There's the rest of the troops" Mulder said. They walked into the bedroom. Kate had beaten them there. She had somehow managed to pick Samantha up out of her crib. As little as she was compared to the height of the cribs still made that a mystery. Dana immediately began to jump forward. Mulder reached out to put an hand on her arm. Dana stopped herself and bent down to Kate. "Kate," she swallowed. "What are you doing with the baby." Kate looked at her. She still held the baby. Mulder stepped forward. "Kate, do you want to help us with the babies?" Kate looked at him then back to Dana. She held Samantha out to Dana and placed her in Dana's arms. Kate walked out into the kitchen. Dana sighed in relief. "Mulder, how does she get the babies out of their cribs like that?" "I have no idea. Why does she do it? She doesn't show interest in anything else. Maybe if we include her in their care she'll respond to it, somehow." Dana shrugged. Dana balanced Melissa and Samantha in her arms as Mulder took Joshua. They walked to the kitchen and were startled to see that Kate had set the three high chairs next to the table. The babies dishes were set on the high chair as well. Kate was barely tall enough to reach the top of the high chairs. Dana and Mulder looked at her astonished. Melissa and Margaret entered the house. They looked at Dana and Mulder staring at Kate. "What's wrong?" Melissa asked. Dana pointed to Kate. "She-got, then- reached-" "What?" Mulder raised a hand to quiet them. "Kate, can you get pick some food out for them?" Margaret spoke up. "Fox, the baby food jars are in the top cabinets. I have to stand on tip toes to get them myself." Mulder ignored her. The four adults watched Kate. They were stunned when the cabinet door opened, without anyone touching it. Kate continued to stare at the cabinet. Four large jars of baby food disappeared out of the cabinet, only to reappear on the table a moment later. Dana's arms felt weak. Melissa jumped forward and grabbed the babies from her. Kate stared at the cabinet for a moment longer. The door shut easily. She turned around and looked at the adults once more. They stared at her stunned. Se looked back at them. Mulder could have sworn he saw a little look of satisfaction on her face. ********** Later that night, after all the theories and probing questions of Kate's little ability were discussed, everyone was settled into bed. They asked Kate what else she could do. She just stared at them. Finally they gave up. But, now they had something to keep an eye out for. After the everyone had been settled into bed, Dana and Fox made love for the first time in a long time. Whether is was just the physical expression of their love, or a need that only each other could fill with all that was happening around them, neither of them knew. They just basked in the glory and satisfaction. It was something that had been achingly absent in their marriage. But between the birth of the babies, Kate and Melissa moving in, and the general chaos of having not one, not two, but three babies in their home, their life was never boring. But tonight was different. It was like a weight had been lifted from Dana's soul. They has enjoyed one another like they hadn't since Dana's early months of her pregnancy. Why was tonight different? Neither of them were sure. Now that they knew Kate had this, power for lack of a better word, they should be terrified. But it was like one of the many secrets Kate had was revealed to them. Dana laid on top of Mulder, drifting in and out of sleep, his arms completely wrapped around her, keeping her safe and warm. Something was still on her mind. She couldn't shake that formula which she found in the living room. She knew that she had seen it somewhere. "Oh God! Mulder!" He jumped awake, almost dumping her onto the floor. "What is it?" "That formula, I think I know what it is." She jumped out of bed and grabbed Mulder's T-shirt to cover her naked body. She went into the living room, turning on lights as she went. She picked the paper up and began reading it again. Margaret, who had been awake reading, came into the room to see what the lights were. Mulder emerged from the bedroom, dressed only in his boxers. He still looked half asleep. Margaret stifled a giggle. "Mulder, you shorts are on backwards." He blushed furiously. "Oh, uh, whoops." Dana was completely engrossed in the paper. "Dana, what is it?" He asked. Margaret looked at the paper. "That is what Kate was typing on the computer. She printed it and tried to show it to me. But I don't know what it is." Dana's eyes looked pained. "I think I understand now. Why she tried to show it to you. It is part of the answer of what she is." Mulder sat next to her. "And that is?" "Purity control." She answered. ~CONTINUED IN PART 9~ From math.ohio- state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!news.sgi.com!newsfeeder.sdsu.edu! nntp.primenet.com!news.cais.net!world1.bawave.com!newsfeed.intern etmci.com!newsxfer2.itd.umich.edu!portc01.blue.aol.com!newstf01.n ews.aol.com!newsbf02.news.aol.com!not-for-m Thu Jul 25 10:00:39 1996 Article: 21801 of alt.tv.x-files.creative Path: math.ohio- state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!news.sgi.com!newsfeeder.sdsu.edu! nntp.primenet.com!news.cais.net!world1.bawave.com!newsfeed.intern etmci.com!newsxfer2.itd.umich.edu!portc01.blue.aol.com!newstf01.n ews.aol.com!newsbf02.news.aol.com!not-for-mail From: xffmystic@aol.com (XFF Mystic) Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: Baby Mine Part 9 Date: 24 Jul 1996 16:02:51 -0400 Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-827-6364 end_of_the_skype_highlighting) Lines: 399 Sender: root@newsbf02.news.aol.com Message-ID: <4t5vhb$25r@newsbf02.news.aol.com> Reply-To: xffmystic@aol.com (XFF Mystic) NNTP-Posting-Host: newsbf02.mail.aol.com Status: RO Baby Mine Part 9/9 A few more weeks passed. Kate didn't exhibit behavior any different to what it had always been. Despite the best efforts put forth by Fox and Dana. Kate continued to pay most of her attention to the babies. It made Dana very uneasy, but she swore to herself that she would give Kate a chance. A chance to do what she didn't know. Melissa went out and found a job. It was only part time, but it seemed to keep her mind at ease. She still suffered horrible nightmares, sometimes they would rock the whole family out of bed, but they seemed to be getting less frequent. Mulder had gone back to work on a more permanent basis. He was working with violent crimes again, his profiles helping to catch one person after another. But in his heart, he believed that he would someday return to work on the x files. The work that Kate had done on the computer had been turned over to the Lone Gunmen. Mulder still couldn't believe that the group of three had never been caught by the government. The preliminary results on the chemical formulas proved just as Scully believed. It was what they had come to know as Purity Control. There were still a lot of formulas and codes which needed breaking. The Gunmen had been working feverishly, getting little clues here and there. Mulder believed that once it was all pieced together, there would be enough evidence to expose Cancerman and his whole group. Mulder read over what the Gunmen had sent to his office. There still wasn't enough to form any theories on. He glanced at his watch. 'I better get going' he thought. He was supposed to meet Margaret, Melissa, and the babies to go shopping for Dana's birthday present. They had discussed earlier, leaving Dana home alone with Kate. It was a way to push Dana towards her daughter. Mulder just hoped it didn't blow up in their faces. ********** Dana leaned over the bathroom sink, carefully applying a light coat of eye shadow. She had to run to the market before dinner. She looked like hell, due from the lack of sleep and worrying constantly. She sensed a presence in the bathroom with her. She looked down to see her own blue eyes staring back at her. "Hey there, Kate. What are you doing?" Kate, of course, didn't answer. "Well, I have to go to the market. Do you feel like going for a ride?" Kate's eyebrows furrowed, watching Dana. Dana smiled. "Oh, I see that you have never seen make up." She picked up her blush brush and bent down. She brushed the pink color over Kate's cheeks. Kate's eyes widened and she stepped back. She rubbed her hand over her cheek, as if in shock. "Don't like it huh?" Dana grinned and continued with her eye shadow. She held the container in her hand. Suddenly, the container was gone. She didn't drop it, it just disappeared. She turned in shock to Kate who was holding it. She took the brush out and handed it to Dana. "Oh, I see what you want." She bent down and began putting the eye shadow on Kate's eyelids. ********** Mulder turned the doorknob, thankful to God that he was finally home. Shopping with the Scully's was worse than he thought it would be. Slow music assailed him as he entered the house. It was coming from his bedroom. He walked towards his room, Melissa and Margaret in tow. He stopped in his tracks at the door. Dana was dancing with Kate. Kate and Dana were holding hands. Kate's little feet were on top of Dana's. He cleared his throat. "Uh, hey there girls." Dana turned and smiled. He caught a better look at Kate, and almost bust out laughing. Kate's face was done up with make up, including fire engine red lipstick. She was wearing a dress, which was at least ten times to big for her. A feather boa was around her neck. She looked like a princess, whose clothes had suddenly grown. Dana walked to him. "Hi there." She tickled the babies a little, and set them down to the floor. Melissa bent down to Kate. "What happened to you? Huh?" She asked with a smile. Kate looked at Dana. She reached her arms to up to her. Dana picked her up into a giant bear hug. Kate rested her head on Dana's shoulder. They began to dance again. Margaret's heart melted. She looked to Mulder, and saw him wiping tears from his eyes. 'Things are going to be alright after all' he thought. ********** The following morning, Mulder signed onto his e-mail provider. He noticed an e-mail message which had not been sent yet. He clicked the send button, figuring Dana had been pulled away from the computer before she could send it. He went about his business, forgetting about the message. ********** Samuel Fullerton watched the report flash across his screen. Yes, there it was. Someone had sent a virus, via e-mail, to the computer mainframe which housed all the records on abductees. The whole system was inoperable, indefinitely. He knew where it had come from. He didn't even have to see the trace to know where it came from. 555-5925. The home of Dana and Fox Mulder. All the projects and plans were ruined now. The data was useless. 'They will pay' he thought. They will pay. ********** Several days later, the Mulder family was playing in the front yard. It was still pretty chilly out, but didn't feel anything like the late February day it was. Kate wasn't playing. She watched everyone else play though. Dana had come to sit next to her, pulling her into her lap. She began to brush her hair. 'Isn't that cozy' Samuel thought. Usually, he would have let one of his men handle this situation. But he needed this done right. His past experience had told him that he could trust no one but himself. He would make sure that Fox Mulder and Dana Scully Mulder would never interfere with him again. He looked down the scope of the rifle. 'Which one to choose' he thought. He looked at Melissa and Margaret, sitting on the ground rolling a ball back and forth with the babies. They tried to reach for it, but would topple over and laugh. 'No' he thought. Melissa could prove to be valuable to us in the future again. He seriously doubted that Margaret Scully had anything to do with their work. 'Ah, what beautiful babies they have though.' The two girls with red hair, they look so much like their mother. And the boy, the spitting image of his father. >From this distance, with this weapon, I could take two of them at once. He lowered the rifle and took aim. ********** Dana continued to brush Kate's soft blonde hair. She smelled so pretty. Not a smell of lotion or powder, but just the smell of her. That certain smell a person sometimes has. 'The smell of innocence' her father had once called it. Suddenly Kate jumped up from Dana's lap. She ran towards the babies, jumping on top of them. The babies automatically began to wail. Dana jumped up, running towards Kate. "What the hell are you doing? You're gonna hurt them!" Mulder came forward to help pull Kate off, suddenly, they heard a loud popping sound. He knew what that sound was. The sound of a rifle being shot. Kate's little body completely covered the crying babies. Dana fell to the ground for cover, as her sister and mother scurried behind the hedges in front of the door. Kate suddenly stood, still blocking the babies from the direction of the shot. Dana crawled over and scooped the three of them up, pulling them to cover with her. That was when she saw it. Kate had blood on the front of her dress. Blood was running from her stomach area, pooling on the ground beneath her. "Oh God, NO! KATE!" Kate stared at the opposite side of the road, to a little stone wall about 20 feet away. Mulder watched amazed as a portion of the wall suddenly disappeared. There was a man who Mulder knew immediately. Cancerman. He stood there in shock at suddenly being exposed. He still held the rifle. Suddenly, a shot rang out from behind Mulder. He spun to see Melissa standing there with Mulder's service gun in her hand. He looked back to see Cancerman laying on the ground. Kate crumpled onto the ground. Dana crawled over to her, soon to be joined by Margaret. Fox had gone over to Melissa to get the gun. "He won't hurt anyone anymore." She muttered. He nodded his head. Kate was bleeding heavily, her breath was shallow and slow. Dana screamed at Mulder. "Call 911!" He ran inside and dialed. By the time he came back out Dana had ripped Kate's dress open and was trying to stop the bleeding. Melissa had gone over to comfort the terrified babies. She watched as Dana fought to save Kate's life. "Come on Kate, stay with us. I just found you dammit and I won't lose you now. Kate? Kate?!" Kate's face was pale. They could hear the ambulance sirens in the distance. Neighbors had come out of the house, causing a scene. Kate opened her eyes and looked at Dana. She reached her fingers up and brushed Dana's cheek. "Mommy" she whispered. Dana nodded her head, tears flowing freely. "Yes, yes I'm your Mommy. Stay with me Kate, please.!" Kate closed her eyes. Finally, her breathing stopped and she was still. ********** It had been two weeks since they buried Kate. The whole family was in shock by what had happened. Dana blamed herself for not wanting Kate to start with. Mulder blamed himself for believing Cancerman would leave them alone. It broke everyone's heart to see Margaret in such pain again. And Melissa... she was a wreck. Kate was all Melissa had for four years. And suddenly, that was ripped away from her. The family was in chaos yet again. Dana finally sat down at the computer. She could smell Kate on the keyboard, smell her in the chair. She inhaled deeply, never wanting to forget that scent. She turned on the computer and waiting for it to boot up. She found Kate's hairbrush sitting next to the printer. Dana picked it up, holding it next to her cheek. The tears began to flow again. The computer suddenly beeped, drawing Dana's attention to it. The printer has documents pending. Do you wish to continue the printing process. Click yes, or close application to terminate the print. Dana clicked yes. Her eyes widened as she saw what had come out of the computer. It was a all of Kate's records. "Mulder? Come look at this!" He came into the room, taking the papers from her. The printer continued printing page after page, finally stopping after about ten minutes. "My God. She accessed all of the consortium's records and sent a virus to them. The virus copied to the information and sent it back to us. It then destroyed their record banks." Dana wiped her tears. "She put an end to it all. The abductions, the tests, the experiments, all of it." "I have to take this information to Skinner. We can use this to put the whole Consortium behind bars." Dana watched as Mulder rushed out the door. She walked into the babies room. They were all asleep, resting peacefully. Dana sat in the rocking chair and watched them. Finally, she looked towards the sky. "Thank you Kate" she said aloud. She felt a slight warm breeze cross her. She could smell her, smell her baby. Her whole body warmed. She knew that Kate would be with her forever. She walked back to the living room. The screen saver had not come on the computer. Dana sat down to figure out what was wrong with it. She saw one more file pending for print. It was titled Mommy. She clicked the file open. Inside were few simple words. Thank you for being my Mommy and Daddy. Mommy, don't feel bad. Feel happy, take care of my Melissa, Samantha, Joshua, Sheila and Steven. Give my brothers and sisters the love you tried so hard to share with me. Daddy, you love your family with all your heart. But I know the answer you need. Go to 595 Delsea Drive, Fayeteville, West Virginia. She is there. Kate 'Oh God, she knew this would happen. She knew she was going to be killed.' Dana's sobs were causing her to be dizzy, she sat on the couch. Suddenly, what little bit of breakfast she was able to eat met the floor. The dizziness subsided a little. Dana thought of the note as she stumbled to the kitchen to get paper towels and cleaner to clean her mess. 'Sheila and Steven? Who are Sheila and Steven?' Dana put two and two together. 'Oh My God!' 'Sheila, Steven, Samantha!' Melissa wandered into the room, and stood transfixed on her sister. "What the hell are you doing?" Dana smiled through her tears as she grabbed the phone to call Mulder. "I'm pregnant and I know where Samantha is!" Melissa looked at her as if she was crazy. Weirdness was always going to be around them. Scully quickly dialed Mulder's cell number. Her crying was mixed with laughter now. It took Mulder a minute to figure out what she was saying. "Fox, it looks like Kate left us one final gift." The End Send all comments to XFF Mystic@aol.com The Gossamer Project Author - Title - Date - Spoilers - Crossovers - X-Files - Adventures - Stories - Vignettes Download Other stories by Gramlich, Debbie /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. /