Title: The Dissident Hybrid Mother Summary: M&S investigate a rash of what appears to be suicide amongst teenage boys. Anderson Residence It was a silent night. Her parents were already sleeping in their room. She was in hers as well, but not asleep. Sharon watched one of her favorite TV shows. She was thrilled because it was a new episode. The commercial break started and she decided to get her slippers that were on her brother's bedroom. She turned the lock, but his door was closed by the inside. "Funny," she thought. "He never locks it." So she went back to her room. The commerical break was over. Some time later, she heard a noise downstairs. She noticed that her brother's bedroom lights were on. They weren't before. It was odd. He had gone to bed early. Earlier than everybody. This time she could get in his bedroom. But he wasn't there anymore. "Was he downstairs?" she thought. She found it strange. She was a very curious girl, "What could he be doing down there? At this hour?" she thought intrigued. So she leaned over the top of the stairs to try to hear anything. There were little noises, but she took them for granted. "It's probably nothing. He must be fixing himself a late night snack in the kitchen," she said to herself, although she didn't quite believe it. "I'm gonna get back in my room. I've already missed most of the show." And she went back to her bed to watch TV. Fifteen minutes later, another noise echoed. A big one now. She got up startled. So did everybody else in the house. She rushed out of her room heading to her brother's. That's where the noise had come from. "Oh, no!" she kept thinking as she entered the room. "Everything is normal. There's no reason to worry." But what she saw contradicted her thoughts all together. Her brother sprawled on his bed with an injury behind one of his ears. His face was blue. At first, she was paralyzed by that sight. Then automatically she turned to her father who had woke up and come after her. He wasn't believing the whole situation. Her father looked at her mother but chaos was already installed in the house. They saw it but they couldn't believe it. "What happened?" was the great question on the family's mind for a long time. Though they could barely think straight. The police investigation was quick and concluded it to be suicide. They promptly filed and dismissed the case. Even after the body mysteriously disappeared from the morgue. Fact which the family never had any knowledge of. That incident drastically changed that family. They were never the same again. Especially the girl. Six Months Later "Hey, Mulder!" Scully entered their office. "Hey, Scully! What's up?" "Nothing much, actually...This is definitely a slow time for cases...Even the paperwork is all done..." "Then I'm happy to tell you the situation is about to change. Sit down. I want to show you something." He opened a file. It contained several papers and photographs. "What's all this, Mulder?" "I gathered this material with some sources of mine. Twelve apparently suicides. All on the same day, but in consecutive months. Look, the first one happened on May, 24th, the second on June 24th, the third on July 24th, and so on up until last month. Do you see a pattern, Scully?" "That's pure coincidence, Mulder. A lot of suicides happen every day. What makes you think they are connected?" "Look at the details, Scully. All victims look alike. They have basically the same description: Male, young, tall and strong. Kids, actually. And they all lived close to each other. Same neighborhood, check it out." "So it's a local serial killer. How did they die?" "Wounded in the head. Although their faces were blue, there was no indication of asfixiation." "This isn't an X-File, Mulder. It belongs in the homicide department. Once you've ruled out the suicide theory, that is..." "They aren't interested there. This case was buried a long time ago. I dug it up." "With which purpose?" "Today is November 22nd, Scully. Let's do some digging. Shall we talk to the families?" Mulder suggested to her as he put his jacket on and walked out of the room. Scully naturally followed him. Anderson Residence "Yes, may I help you?" "Ms. Anderson?" "Yes." "My name is Special Agent Fox Mulder and this is my partner Special Agent Dana Scully. We're with the FBI. Could we ask you some questions?" "Can you tell me what this is about?" "Your son's death." "After all this time...I really wouldn't like to get into all that again...It's enough that we could never give Stevie a proper ceremony. The police took care of everything. We never saw his body again. His coffin was closed. "It's important, Ms. Anderson. It won't take long." "Alright. Come in, please." They walked in and sat in the living room. "I know this is very hard on you, Ms. Anderson," Scully began. "But it would be very helpful if you could describe to us what happened on the night of May 24th, 1998." "I don't understand. I told everything to the local police at the time. They didn't seem to care. I was told it was only a suicide," Only..." "We know that. But now there's reason to believe in murder, not suicide. "Murder? Who would want my son dead?" she asked. Scully mentally censored her partner. He shouldn't have mentioned murder to a sorry mother...What could he be thinking? Ms. Anderson was a beautiful woman, although she seemed a lot older than she actually was. "Pain could really damage a person. A portion of her must have died along with her son," Scully thought. "OK. Here is what happened..." And she told the events that took place on the night of the terrible incident. "So, up until then, there was nothing unusual about your son?" Mulder questioned. "Hmmm...no, I guess. Well, he was a teenager. You know how they behave." "What do you mean?" "He was a bit different those days. More silent and reserved. He'd spent a lot of time out of the house and when he was here, he'd stayed inside his bedroom. But we all thought it was an adolescent thing. You know, mood swings. "Thank you very much, Ms. Anderson. We won't bother you anymore. We appreciate the help," Scully concluded the conversation. "That's OK." "Thank you, madam," Mulder thanked her and the agents left the residence. In the Car "So, Mulder, are you satisfied? By what she told us, it could've only been self-inflicted. The boy hurt himself. It's very common at this age." "I beg to differ, Scully. You heard her say that his behavior was different from his normal one. And if you had let me, I was gonna try to find out why..." "Come on! There's no such thing as "normal" when it comes to teenagers. Have a heart! The poor woman..." Back in the Anderson Residence "Who were those people, mom?" the girl asked as she entered the house. "A couple of FBI agents." "Really? What did they want with us?" "They asked me some questions about your brother's death. They suspect it could not have been suicide." "I can't believe it. After all these months. What did you tell them?" "Nothing much. Don't worry." "OK. I'll go inside. It's time for my tea, Mom." The girl went into the house followed by her mother. First she entered the kitchen and drank a big cup of a blue tea. Then she slowly moved towards the basement and took the stairs. Her mother stopped in the kitchen, though. She wasn't allowed down there. In fact, nobody but Sharon could enter the basement, ever since Stevie died. Mr. and Ms. Anderson found it odd, but didn't question it. Everyone had his way of dealing with the situation, they thought. In the center of the basement one big tank could be seen. It was filled with a blue liquid and had a machine attached to it. And it had a name tag where we read "a.k.z.5.98/Sharon Anderson". Sharon lifted the cover and got into the water. She plugged the machine wires to a spot behind her left ear. The mechanism started to function. Hoffman Residence Ms. Hoffman lived alone. She had been a single mother at the young age of fifteen. After her son's death, she remained by herself. "Can I offer you some tea?" "No, thank you," Scully politely declined. "So, Ms. Hoffman, is that all you can remember from that day?" Mulder asked. "I'm afraid so. I wish I could be more helpful." "That was quiet enough, Ms. Hoffman. We apologize for the inconvenience. Have a good day," Scully said. "Thank you," Mulder shook hands with the woman and noticed a greasy substance on her hand. Scully went to the door and the lady hurried to open it. As she turned her back at Mulder, another item caught the agent's attention. Behind her left ear he saw a black stain. "Isn't it enough for you, Mulder?" Scully was getting tired. "No, Scully. I am more intrigued than ever." "By what?" Scully didn't get it," Another kind person, just like Ms. Marion Anderson. Another griefing parent." FBI Headquarters "I'm so tired, Mulder. All that for nothing. Each family was more ordinary than the other. You've dragged me along the whole day and what have we got? Nada..." "Scully, I noticed something peculiar on Ms. Hoffman." "What?" "She had a black spot behind her left ear." "Mulder, for crying out loud...it could be anything. An injury, an infection, a bug's bite..." "I know. But it wasn't like anything I've seen before. It was...different." "You're trying so hard to turn this case into an X-File, but it isn't, Mulder. When will you accept that?" Community Center A meeting was taking place. The audience was entirely female. Right beside the entrance there was a big table with a few thermos bottles and several cups. Every woman that walked in would get her cup and drink the liquid. They all seemed numb. One woman lead the conversation. Another woman stood out among the silent and subservient crowd. She was nervous. It seems she wasn't being affected by the beverage as much as the others. "So, we're all gathered here for our weekly reunion." Ms. Hoffman raised her hand. "Just a second. You know all questions will be answered in the end. First of all, let me begin with the inventory. These past three months we've had the Smith, the Jones and the Backenbauer. Was the equipment properly installed at your residences?" "Yes." "Yes." "Yes," they mechanically answered. "Perfect," the spokesperson continued. "Let me welcome you into our organization. The switches have been successfully completed. You must start the process immediately and you will be notified further ahead. Now, a more important subject. It has come to our knowledge that the FBI is around. I want to assure you that there is no reason to be concerned about its involvement. The situation is under control." The foreperson said those resting words in vain. She knew the girls would not be alarmed after drinking the tea. "But those agents kept asking me these questions. They didn't seem satisfied," Ms. Hoffman was worried," They arrived when I was in the middle of today's process. I was forced to interrupt it." "We're aware. Calm down." "But...I really think...it would be better..." she was losing control. "Ms. Hoffman, if you please." "No, I am sick of it! I want out! I've changed my mind." "It is enough! You'll be quiet and continue with your schedule. You know the outcome, if you disregard the rules. Understood? Very well," she proceeded," The units that didn't receive their visit yet, behave as instructed. The FBI's presence doesn't put the project in any kind of jeopardy. As long as you remember to drink your tea every day. Don't forget to get your week supply before you leave. That will be all for now. Thank you." With these words, the woman ended the meeting and disappeared into a backdoor. "Is it over?" a voice asked her. A shadow of a man smoking by the window. "Yes, but we had a little incident. One mother wants to quit the experience." "Was it taken care of?" "For now, but don't worry, it will be permanently put off." "I don't. You're the one that has to, Diana, if the situation starts to get out of control." Location Unknown "So, this is the situation: Mulder and Scully are butting in again. They already talked to most of the families. They are investigating." "Do they know anything?" "No. They got nothing, but you know Mulder. He won't stop until he gets to the bottom of this matter." "Do you want me to take care of him?" "No. I know how much you want to, Krycek, but right now, I have another job for you. Ms. Hoffman." "Oh, I knew it! I knew this mother would cause trouble. We shouldn't have taken an older woman. I told you to stick to the girls." "You know we were a little short and she accumulated all the qualities; despite being 35 years old. Her son was necessary." The Smoking Cigarette Man took a little break and lit up a Morley. Then he restarted. "You play a big part on this project, Krycek. I realize you've been requesting that for a long time." "I know and I thank you. I like to think that I'm honoring your trust. So to speak. But getting all those women to the base is no piece of cake. Approching them, luring them into bed, with no chemical devices, I might add, fooling them, then bringing them back is a complex process." "Just make sure you don't blow it this time. It's your last chance. Your only chance. We're very close to the first hybrid being born on Earth." Mulder's Apartment Bzz...bzz.. the doorbell rang. Mulder was asleep in the sofa and his TV was on. It was loud, so it took him a little while to realize somebody had been knocking at the door. "Yeah...wait a minute." He stood up, rubbed his eyes and went to the open it. "Agent Mulder! Please, you have to help me!" "Ms. Hoffman? What are you doing here at this hour?" "Please, hurry, let me in!" she sounded terribly disturbed. "Calm down. Wait..." "Oh, no!!!" Before Mulder could do anything, the woman went to the floor unconscious. The agent could see a shadowy figure taking the stairs. Mulder ran after him all the way up to the street, but the person managed to disappear. Then the agent went back to his floor and, what a surprise, Ms. Hoffman wasn't there anymore. There was no sign of her. "Where did she go?" he thought. ""I don't understand." Troubled and confused, Mulder decided to call Scully. "Hmm...yes..." "Sorry to wake you, Scully, but you're not gonna believe what just happened here." "What, Mulder? Where are you?" "In my apartment. I was asleep and Ms. Hoffman showed up at my door. Now she's gone." "What do you mean?" "It's a weird story." "Are you sure it's not a dream?" "Of course not...I guess." "Alright. Wait, I'm coming over." Ten minutes later, Scully was at his door. "Come on in, Scully. "Now tell me exactly what happened. You said Ms. Hoffman was here?" "Right. She came over. She was desperate. Paranoid. She asked me to help her and then she passed out before I could get her inside. So, I saw somebody run down the stairs and I followed. But, somehow he, or she, managed to escape. By the time I got back here, Ms. Hoffman had disappeared without a trace." "You say she fainted? Didn't you find any bruises in her body or anything?" "No, Scully. I'm telling you, there wasn't time to look." "This is very strange." "I'll say. She seemed to be suffering an extreme pain." "What, or better, who could she be afraid of?" "Let's go over her house again. If she is there, we talk to her and get this story straight. If she isn't, then we take the opportunity to search the house. See if we can find anything." "Fine. By the way, cute outfit, Mulder," Scully joked. Entangled by the whole situation, Mulder had completely forgotten to put some clothes on. He still wore the pieces he had slept in: boxer shorts and a tight undershirt. "Ahh...thanks," he answered in a shy voice," I'm going to take a bath now. Can you wait?" "Sure." "Excellent. I'll be quick." "Hmmm...Mulder looks so great," Scully thought." "He sure has a nice body." "Ahh.." she moaned. If only... Hoffman Residence Mulder and Scully had been knocking at the door for fifteen minutes. There was no answer. Mulder went to look for a back entrance and discovered an open window. He got inside the house and opened the front door to Scully. "Mulder, we shouldn't be doing this without a warrant." "And who would give us one? Based on this story? You're kidding." An hour later.... "Did you find anything up there, Scully?" "No, not a single clue. How about you?" "No, this place is clean. Wait a second..." "What?" "I just found a trapdoor. I guess it's the basement. I am going to check it out." Mulder went inside. "Scully come here! Take a look at this." "God!" she let out as she stepped into the room," What the hell is that?" The agents saw a tank just like the one on the Anderson's house. It also had the machine with the wires and the blue liquid in it. On the label it was written: "a.k.y.9.98/Susan Hoffman". "I don't know." "Why would this lady have a tank this big in her basement?" "And with her name on it. Talk about possessive...hehe...Look." Mulder showed her the tag. "I'm taking some of this liquid to the lab. Maybe we'll get something out of its analysis. "I am particularly intrigued by these wires. What do they do?" Mulder wondered. "Scully, remember what I said about a black stain on Ms. Hoffman? So, I'm sure it has something to do with all this. And I didn't tell you, but her hand was extremely greasy when I shook it. I bet it's from this oily blue water. "But if you're right, it means she submerged in this tank." "Scully, did you ever see that movie "Cocoon...?" "Mulder, save your jokes for later, let's go." "Wait, just let me get a glass of water. I'm sure Ms. Hoffman won't mind." "Very funny...But, as a matter of fact, I'm pretty thirsty too." "Wow!" Mulder let out when he opened the refrigerator," Look at all these jars. What's this blue beverage? Humf.....Blue....Just like the water in the tank." "Well, it sure ain't the same density, Mulder. I can tell you that. I'll get a sample and we'll send it to the lab as well. "It's that tea, Scully! The tea she drank when we met her. Remember, she even offered us some." "You're right. I do remember. Let's go now." Krycek's Apartment "Sharon, what are you doing here?" Krycek asked surprised. Sharon Anderson had sneaked into his place while he was in the shower. She waited in his bedroom. "Alex, I had to see you! You don't call me anymore...I feel as if you had abandoned me...or just used me...I thought we had something special...You told me you loved me...it's been half a year! I miss you so much! Besides, it's starting to show. In fact, it should've already, I don't understand. I'll manage to disguise it for a while, but eventually people will ask who the father is..." And she went to kiss him. He shoved her away. "Hey, I'm naked!" He had only a towel wrapped around his waist. "Let me put some clothes on first." "When did you become so prude?" "I'm serious. Why don't you wait in the living room and I'll be right with you, ok?" "Fine..." "Good god!" he thought. "Now this. I have to get this idiot out of here before she messes everything up. How come she is so lucid? Does this thing wear off?" " Oh, my God!!!" the girl screamed. "that's Ms. Hoffman! What have you done with her? Is she dead? Jesus!" she had gone into the kitchen and discovered the body in the pantry. "Damned! You stupid bonehead! Nobody taught you to mind your own business?! And haven't you drank your tea these days?" Before she could do anything else, Krycek grabbed her and, in a fast move, her body went to the floor. "Great! Now I've got to take care of two girls! When he finds out one of them is Sharon, he is gonna kill me..." FBI Headquarters "So, what did you find anything?" Mulder asked Scully. "Oh, yeah...This liquid's components are highly unique. Human fluids mixed with a new vitamins chain, I think. But it's a combination I've never seen before. And it has something else I can't quite assess." "You're talking about the water from the tank?" "Yes. The beverage we found in her fridge, on the other hand, has a very powerful hypnotic principle, aside from those components I just mentioned. What about you? Any progress?" "After we left Ms. Hoffman's, I paid a little visit to the Andersons again. Ms. Anderson told me she's been terribly worried about her daughter Sharon. Yesterday she had a big fight with her. The girl's been acting very strange lately. She seems anesthetized all the time. Now we know it's the tea. Her mother remembered that that's how her son was acting too, right before the incident. Moreover, Ms. Anderson noticed she's gained some weight these past weeks. It turns out the girl is pregnant but refuses to name the father. She's been spending time in the basement of the house and she's forbidden her parents to go there. Guess what I found when I went downstairs? "Another tank?" "Exactly. But the water was not as blue as Ms. Hoffman's. It was almost white." "Why would that be?" "I don't know yet. But when the girl left the house this morning, I followed her." "Mulder!" "Guess where she went. Or better, guess who she met with." "Who?" "Alex Krycek." "Krycek? Really? What's the connection?" "I plan to ask him right now." Krycek's Apartment Krycek had wrapped up the two bodies and was getting ready to take them out of the building. He realized what was in stake at that point. The responsability. After all, it was the carrier of the first unborn human hybrid that lied unconscious in his hands. He saw Mulder and Scully get out of the car so he had to bring them back to the apartment instead. "I can't believe it! Shit!" He didn't have much time so he hid the women in the pantry again. He left the door slightly opened, though. Then he took the fire escape. As he rushed down the stairs, Mulder saw him. "Scully, take the main door. I'll get him here." So Scully went into the building and Mulder started climbing. "Where do you think you're going, buddy?" the agent asked him pointing the gun at his chest. Krycek automatically turned around and hurried back to his apartment. Scully waited for him with her gun. "Alright, you're trapped. Now start talking. What was Sharon Anderson doing here?" "Nothing. We're dating, that's all." "Don't you try to fool me with this crap!" Mulder grabbed him by his collar. "Mulder, come here! You should see this." Scully was in the kitchen and she found the bodies. "How the hell did you find out my address?" Krycek wondered. "I knew it was you in my building that night. I'm waiting, Alex. Why did you kill these women?" Mulder took a glance at the corpses. "Relax, they're not dead." "But they have no pulse! Look how blue their faces are! And look, the same bruises! We've got to take them to a hospital fast!" Scully said after she checked their vital signs. "There's no need," Krycek explained. Mulder cocked his gun. "OK. I'll tell you. I'm screwed anyway. They are part of an experience to generate hybrid organisms. We impregnate these girls with the hybrid eggs without them knowing so. Then they're hypnotized into using a machine which will accelerate the gestation." "You said hybrid eggs?" Scully asked. "Yes. It's the extraterrestrial egg cell fertilized by human semen." "Male semen extracted from the boys, the suicidal..." Mulder added. "They were not suicides. It was a mere cover up. They were put in this same sort of coma state to be taken to the base. And they are still there, producing the substance. Serving as donors...." "God, let me see if I understood: these girls carry their brother's embryos?" Scully was skeptical as usual. "That's right. Although in Ms. Hoffman's case, it's her son's. She was an exception. And she became a rebel." "Did it happen because of her age?" "They think so. Somehow the active component in the tea had no effect on her." "And where do you fit in?" "All girls think I'm the father of their child, but I merely con them to the base." "But why abduct members of the same families?" "They figured they'd be more susceptible, more fragile. Easier targets." "Where is the base?" "I don't know," Krycek dissimulated. "You're going to lead us there," Mulder ordered. "I'm telling you. I don't know its location." Mulder grabbed him again. He knew Krycek could not be trusted. "It's true! I am supposed to dump the bodies at the same place where I leave the girls after they deliver." "Fine. Let's go." "Can you wake them?" Scully interrupted the men. "No, I don't have the antidote. But I know someone who does." "Who?" Scully imediatelly asked even though she had a pretty good idea of who Krycek refered to. "Diana Fowley," he confirmed. "Could Diana be this deeply involved?" Mulder thought. Once again he refused to admit that possibility. Scully stared at him. "Scully, you go with Krycek. See if you can establish any contact with these people. Find out the base's location, so we can get to the boys. Take the bodies as a bite. I really think you should take some backup with you." "No, it's fine. It would draw attention anyway." "OK, if you think so....I'll get the medicine from Diana." Strong Street Alley Krycek and Scully had placed the two bodies inside a garbage deposit and waited a few feet away. "Is this the normal procedure? This is how you always do?" Scully inquired. "Yes. Wait...." Krycek paused," No, this isn't right. Run Scully!!!" he shouted. A black car appeared out of nowhere and started shooting at them. She ran as she was told and managed to be safe. When she turned around and went back to the alley, she realized she was by herself. Both Krycek and the mysterious car had vanished. She hurried to open the deposit to make sure the girls were still there, but she knew she'd find nothing. "Damned! He tricked me!" Diana Fowley's Apartment Diana spoke on the phone with the Smoker. "Yes, I understand it." "That's right. They talked to Krycek." "What now?" "Expect a visit from your friend Mulder..." The doorbell rang. "He is here. I have to go," Diana hung up the phone. "Fox, you came to see me?" she said when she opened her door." She tried to kiss him, but he didn't let her. "What's the matter?" "Can I come in?" Mulder sounded cold. "Sure. Sit down." "Ok. I'll be brief. I need the antidote." "What? What are you talking about?" "I don't have time for your games, Diana. Just give it to me." "I don't have it, Fox. I swear. The antidotes don't leave the base." "That's fine. You're taking me there. I know you have access." Base Rosemary "Alright, people! We've got to move fast!" the doctor in charge shouted at his staff," Let's put her in Unit 1 for fifteen minutes. Then get ready to iniciate the birth." As the medical crew took care of Sharon Anderson in the lab, Krycek was handled in one of the facility's many rooms. "You've failed..." "Allow me to explain!" "...And that means I've failed as well, when I brought you to the project." "I did my part. I don't understand what happened to her. She was in a very high state of conciousness. Quite lucid. If you want to hold someone responsible for this mess, Diana is the one to blame and you know it. She was in charge of the hypnotic treatment." "Quiet!" "Oh, I know. She is your protge. That's another thing I don't get. Maybe you can explain it to me. Why do you spare her? Why are you so condescendent on her?" The Smoking Cigarette Man turned his head and looked at the men that stood by in the back of the room. At his sign, they came forward, held Krycek and took him away. "No!!!" he screamed," This isn't over! I'll be back!" The Smoker stood still, lost in deep thoughts. Memories from six years ago came to his mind. The image of himself meeting with Diana in Europe. She handing him the female alien she had just discovered in Germany. He agreeing to favor her in the future project of breeding human hybrids from that source. And for once he honored his word. After all, she was put in charge of part of the experiment. "But now why couldn't he betray her like he did with everybody else?" Somehow he wasn't able to answer that. A nurse interrupted his reminiscences. "Excuse me, Sr....You're being requested in the O.R." "I'll be there in a second." The Smoker finished his Morley and headed to the Operating Room where Sharon Hefner was about to deliver the hybrid. At the very minute that he walked in, the chief physician lifted the baby. It looked like a normal one, though the head was definitely bigger. "Ladies and gentlemen, you have just helped create history," first he predicted," Is it healthy?" then he asked. "Yes. It is a success," the doctor answered. "Very well. You got ten minutes to clear everything out and evacuate this area." "You heard him! Let's move!" the doctor ordered his crew. The workers started removing the tanks while the boys were being ligned up and guided to a truck. The baby was placed in a small incubator which the Smoker carried as he left the base. In the Meantime... Mulder followed the directions Diana was telling him. The base was located on an old and unsuspected building on the west part of the town. Distant. "So tell me, Diana, why? What justifies ruining the lives of all these girls? It's sickening." "You have to think bigger, Fox. See the bigger picture." This case had really affected Mulder. He couldn't help connecting the hybrid mothers to his sister Samantha. They all have been forced to lose their youth. His cell phone rang. He was driving so Diana answered it. "Hello?" "Who is this?" Scully asked angry. "Agent Scully..." "Agent Fowley...Is Mulder with you? I have to talk to him." "What is it, Scully?" Mulder picked the phone. "Mulder, I've lost the bodies. Krycek fooled me!" "I'm not surprised. Listen, I'm going to the base. Call for backup and meet me there. It's west side..." And Mulder gave her the address. Ten Minutes Later Three hundred miles away, the Cigarette Smoking Man turned and looked at the building. It had just started burning. Then he glanced at the baby and ordered the driver to keep going. A little while after that, Diana arrived with Mulder. "Oh, God!" she said when she noticed the fire. "Do you see what they're doing?" Mulder screamed furiously," They're covering it up! They'll get away with it once again! I'm going in!" "But Fox, you hate fire! You might get severely hurt!" "I have to get some proof, Diana. Remains." Covering his face with his shirt, he started passing through the rooms. He finally got to the O.R., but it was completely empty. Then he kept going, experiencing more and more difficulties to breathe, since the smoke had become very strong. Until he heard someone screaming. "Help! Help! Help me!" Mulder followed the voice to a dark cubicule where he found Krycek tied up to a chair. He had several bruises all over his body and he was almost out. "Mulder, untie me! Untie me, please!" he desperately begged. The agent granted his request. "We have to get out right now!" "I must find evidence first." "You're insane! We'll be both dead!" Krycek turned to the exit way and Mulder went in the opposite direction. "It's useless. It's too late," Krycek shouted," This operation was already completed. They leave nothing back. You won't find anything here." "I'm not giving up this time." Mulder kept searching. Krycek went along; he was too weak to pass through the flames by himself. Otherwise, he would've been long gone. "Look! It's Sharon Anderson!" Krycek called Mulder's attention. "Jesus!" Mulder went closer to the body," She's dead." "That's because they have no use for her anymore. She already did her part. This means the hybrid is alive." "Despite that, we've got to take her body out of here. For her family." Mulder worried the Andersons would not survive losing another child. "You're nuts! We'll never make it with her slowing us down." Outside the Building Scully arrived and brought along the force this time. Three police cars parked right in front of the gate. "Diana, where is Mulder?" Scully desperately asked after spotting the flames. "He went inside!" Diana was pretty shaken too," I tried to stop him, but you know how stuborn he can be." "Call the firemen! I'm going in!" Scully said and put on an oxygen mask. Then she went into the building escorted by two policemen. "There is a Federal Agent in here! Search the whole facility. We're not leaving without him!" The rescue group strived only to find the unconnscious bodies of Mulder, Krycek and Sharon on the floor of the last room. Outside the building, the firemen worked on stopping the fire that had completely ruined the estate. With the hoses and the water jets, fifteen minutes later, they were able to prevent the fire from spreading. The two guys were receiving the proper medical care in the ambulances. They inhaled a lot of smoke. The girl was sent to her family. "Mulder, how do you feel?" Scully stood next to her partner as the ambulance drove them to the nearest hospital. She had been waiting for him to wake up. "I've been better," he joked. "Another one of your unthought crazy actions. You almost died." Scully had gone through a lot of mixed emotions. First she felt relief that he was fine. Then she felt anger at him for being so impetous. She also felt thankful. The table had turned this time. Normally he was the one who rescued her from the danger. Today she had the chance to do the same for him. The one person she couldn't see herself without. Yes. She confirmed what she knew for a long time. She couldn't bear to be without him. She could not lose him. Now she felt tender to be by his side. That near death situation had trigged a desire she didn't want to refrain anymore. But that wasn't exactly the time to get into that. It could wait. "Again I was this close, Scully. I refused to come back empty-handed this time. I'm so tired of fighting and ending up at the same point where I started." Scully understood his feeling. She herself had lost count of all the times they had come back to point zero. "Where's Diana?" he asked. "I have no idea." Diana had fled the scene a long time ago. Syndicate Meeting They were assembled and waited for him. The Cigarette Smoking man arrived with Diana Fowley. "You all know Diana," he said. "We've been waiting. Do you have news for us?" "It's not so good, I'm afraid. We've encountered some rocks in our way." "Mulder and Scully?" "They got too close." "What about the hybrid? Has it been preserved?" "Yes, of course," he paused. "Krycek has been put aside." "I knew it. He was never capable of handling this amount of responsability. It's your fault. This was your idea." "I admit it was a mistake putting him in charge," he answered and lit up a cigarette. "It's time for Plan B. A new project must be formed elsewhere. It's imperative that we enlarge the number of donors." "Should we waste the ones we've got?" "No. We'll take them. They may be useful. Even though another target group has already been selected." The Cigarette Smoking Man nodded and looked at Diana. Kennedy Airport Through the speakerphones: "Good evening ladies and gentlemen. This is your flight commandant speaking. We're now leaving New York City. Our schedule is to arrive in Prague within ten hours. We'll be flying in a high altitude so fasten your seat belts and have a pleasant trip. Diana Fowley occupied the 16-C seat and watched throughout her window as the plane's engine prepared to take off carrying a very precious cargue in the luggage's compartment. The newborn. The End Note: Hey I would love to hear from you! Even if you didn't like it! :) So write please!"
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