TITLE:  The Genesis Project 
AUTHOR:  aRcaDIaNFall$ 
FEEDBACK:  is welcomed, cherished and framed at
arcadianfalls@yahoo.com.au. 
SPOILERS:  argh, hate this part. uhm... in no real order: The  
Unnatural, Arcadia, Emily, PMP... that's all, I think. ...Set  
probably after The Unnatural, but not post-episodic fic. 
CLASSIFICATION: SRA 
DISTRIBUTION: Other than Gossamer, please ask me first. :) 
SUMMARY:  Mulder and Scully find themselves responsible for the safety
of three children after an investigation into the deaths of two
scientists working on a top-secret genetics experimental project.  
DISCLAIMER:  I'll give you a lil hint: Any characters you recognise
from TV are property of the FOX network and I'm just borrowing them.  
AUTHORS NOTE:  I know this fanfic is terribly long and I apologise for
that. I also know that it's shippy enough to make a no-romo go into a
sugar-induced diabetic coma, so if the idea of Mulder and Scully is
enough to make you gag I suggest you back out now.  
This fanfic might be a lil difficult to follow as it changes
perspective with every new part, switching between Mulder, Scully, and
Jacqueline Moss. Each POV is labelled to minimise confusion. Because I
originally wrote the fic in 3rd person, there may be some bits where
I've missed a word in the rewrite and not changed a 'he' or 'she' to
'I' or something similar. Please just ignore those, or, if you have the
time, please just e-mail me letting me know where you spot any
slip-ups. Thanks! :) 
  

        - - - - } - - - - } - - @        t h e   x - f i l e s  
  

The Genesis Project (1/?) 
by aRcaDIaNFall$  
  

- JACQUELINE POV - 

I never believed in pixies or elves or fairies. Maybe I was just an
overly cynical child, but more likely it was my parents' influence.
They'd always been quick to dismiss any belief in mythical or imaginary
creatures. I think, though, that even if they hadn't told me, I still
would have known better than to believe what I read in books about
those diminutive creatures who would gather together in the garden in
the moonlight at midnight. I didn't believe it, but in many ways I
wanted to. I could understand what would drive people to believe in
these creatures; they wanted hope. They wanted an escape from the hard
reality of the world, an escape into a daydream world where they could
imagine themselves as something no longer ordinary or staid or mortal.
Sometimes I wanted that same thing. I wished that I could have that
innocence about the world back, that I could believe in a fantasy.
Sometimes I almost could, I could convince myself that despite all the
hard facts and logical arguments, such things might not be just a
figment of somebody's imagination.  
I liked to be alone at night in the dark house, awake while other
slept. I felt as though if I tried hard enough, I really could believe
that fairies sometimes danced along the marble countertop in the silver
moonlight, skimming gracefully across the row of saucepans, playing
hide and seek among the fronds of the indoor ferns. It was a frivolous
fantasy, but I would indulge myself in it. Even realists are allowed to
dream. 

But tonight I didn't want to dream. I felt jumpy even though I walked
calmly. The white tiled kitchen floor gleamed in the moonlight,
impeccably clean as it always was, my bare feet leaving slight
footprints that quickly faded. I didn't like that. I hated how any
proof of my presence could fade so quickly. The room was bathed with a
yellow light as I opened the refridgerator, my eyes ranging over the
contents. I reached in, selecting a small tub of low-fat yoghurt,
closing the fridge door quietly. I took a small spoon from the cutlery
drawer and peeled the lid off the yoghurt and dug the spoon in. I made
my way slowly into the lounge room, dropping down on the white leather
couch in a way I never could with Cate and Roger around. I cleaned the
tub out quickly and then sat, tapping the spoon on the plastic rim of
the tub as I thought. And thought, and thought, and thought. At night
is always the best time for me to think, when the house is absolutely
silent and there's no distractions. But I'd only just started to
grapple with my thoughts when a loud thumb above snapped me back to
reality. I stared up at the ceiling above me, my ears pricked, my body
tensed. I laid the empty tub of yoghurt down carefully and stood. I
went across the room and up the stairs, moving with what they always
call my 'catlike stealth'.There was utter silence when I reached the
top of the stairs and walked along the hallway in silent trepidation,
feeling in my bones that something had happened, something had gone
wrong. I pushed open the door to Joshua's room, breathing a faint sigh
of relief when I saw his small form on the bed, his chest rising and
falling slightly with each breath. I quickly closed the door again, and
moved a few feet down the hallway to open another door, this one
Astrid's room. Once again, I was met with the quietly reassuring sound
of steady breathing and the sight of a small angelic face framed with
chestnut curls. 

I quietly retreated, peeking in my own bedroom quickly just out of
paranoia, then knocking cautiously on my parents door. 

"Cate? Roger? Is everything okay?" My tone was quiet and emotionless,
the one I always adopted when talking to them, regardless of the
situation. The hairs along the back of my neck stood up and I glanced
behind me sharply, paranoid that somebody was in the house.  
Maybe I was just being paranoid, but I felt another presence.  

There was no answer, so I knocked again, then turned the knob gently
and eased the door open. 

Then I caught my breath sharply. 

The moonlight filtering through the window into this bedroom
illuminated no cherubby faces or white blankets or curly, unruly hair.
Only red. Blood red, the bodies beneath it barely recognisable. I'd
never seen something so terrible. 

I took a step back, pulling the door shut and leaning against it,
fighting for breath. I stood perfectly still as my mind worked
furiously, then, my heart pounding wildly, I used my terrycloth robe to
wipe the doorhandle. Then, just as quietly, I entered my bedroom, and
locked the door. 

There was silence in the house once more. 
  

        - - - - } - - - - } - - @        t h e   x - f i l e s  

- SCULLY POV - 

I knew who it was before I opened the door, but that still didn't stop
me from groaning when I saw Mulder standing there, dressed in faded
jeans, grey t-shirt, and black leather jacket. His Rambo-gear. Great. 

"I'm not going anywhere, Mulder. Not at this time of night," I mumbled
as I ushered him in, yawning as I shut the door behind him and locked
it. 

He looked surprised, then smiled ruefully. "Sorry to disappoint you,
but I wasn't planning on dragging you anywhere." He grinned, but as he
looked me up and down it seemed as if an awkwardness had come over him.
"Sorry, I guess it's a bit late... I didn't wake you, did I?" 

I shook my head, arms crossed, bare toes wiggling. Clearing my throat
quietly, I asked, "What's up?" 

Mulder sighed heavily. "I don't know. I just... I couldn't sleep. Just
stuff." 

I nodded slowly, sitting down on the couch and tucking my cold feet
under me. "Nightmare?" I asked. I made sure that my tone was light and
casual, but the look I shot him was shrewd, scrutinizing and
sympathetic. It wouldn't surprise anybody how often a man as haunted as
Mulder gets nightmares, but it might surprise a few people how often
the hard-headed Dr Dana Scully wakes up in a cold sweat. Mulder's
usually pretty willing to talk about his nightmares, and I'm willing to
listen, sympathise with him if I can't bring myself to tell him about
my own. I don't need Mulder to know how some of the things we encounter
disturb me - I have a hard enough time dealing with it myself, and I
don't need Mulder concerned about me any more than he is. So that's how
it goes - he has a nightmare and rings me up to tell me about it, or
sometimes I find that he's let himself into my apartment in the middle
of the night and slept on my couch. That's happened increasingly often
in the last six months or so. Sometimes he wouldn't want to talk about
it, he'd just tell me that it was 'pretty bad' and we'd leave it at
that. I think maybe those ones are about me.  
Tonight he surprised me, though, by shaking his head, dropping down on
the couch beside me with a chuckle.  

"No, I was watching "When children attack" on the Fox Network. Do you
know how scary some brats can be?" 

I rolled my eyes, not sure whether he was kidding or not. "No,
seriously, Mulder." 

He grinned at me, but then his grin faded and he looked down. I could
tell that something serious was on his mind when he started to fidget. 

"You were right... it was a nightmare, you know." 

I nodded slowly. "I thought so." And -? I added silently. 

He sat with his head down for a little longer, frowning, before he
looked up at me again. "You don't want kids, do you, Scully?" he asked
abruptly. 

I was surprised by the question - it definately wasn't something I'd
been expecting. I'd braced myself for hearing about some Diana-related
nightmare, which had been the most common for the past couple of
months, but this stung in a completely different way. I felt engulfed
by a wave of unhappiness and resentment. His question sounded so
offhanded, arrogant despite the unhappy frown on his face.  
"I don't want to get into this, Mulder," I said tightly. I didn't want
to get started about what I was missing out on. I'm not too big on
self-pity. 

He looked surprised by my reaction, then his face fell as though he'd
only just realised how insensitive the question was.  
"Sorry," he half-shrugged, looking guilty as hell. I felt as though I
should accept his apology and relieve him of his guilt, but I still
felt grim anger at the question, all the questions that had been
stirred up in my mind because of it. I didn't want those thoughts
awakened.  

"Sorry," he said again, softly. He reached to pat me on the shoulder.
"I didn't mean to hurt you." 

"I know you didn't," I said softly. I reached up to clasp my hand over
his, which still sat on my shoulder. I let go after a minute, letting
my hand drop back down into my lap. Mulder's hand remained for a few
more seconds before he retracted it. 

"I'll let you get some sleep, okay?" He stood and made his way over to
the door. "'Night Scully." 

I nodded mutely.  

Mulder stopped, sighing heavily, his hand resting on the doorknob.  
He turned back to face me, frowning. "Scully, listen," he began with
difficulty. "I know I can be a total asshole sometimes... I'm sorry
that I'm not..." he paused, searching for the right word, "nicer. More
supportive. You know..." He looked at me ardently, his expression
apologetic and entreating. 

I nodded slowly. "You're perfect the way you are, Mulder," I answered
simply, venturing a small smile. That was true. He was flawed, but he
was perfect for me. Well, except for maybe the ditching thing. 

He returned the smile, turning once again to leave. He opened the door,
then glanced back at me, and for some inexplicable reason, he brought
his fingers to his lips, then blew me a kiss with all the earnesty of a
teenager in love for the first time. 

I stared at him, bewildered, but then I smiled. I gestured for him to
shoo, and he left the apartment, closing the door after himself. 

      - - - - } - - - - } - - @        t h e   x - f i l e s  

- MULDER POV -  

I'd been waiting for Scully since before seven that morning, sitting in
my chair, swivelling around and around until I felt sick and then going
back the other way. I knew not to expect her until seven at the
earliest, maybe eight or nine even, depending on where she went before
she put in an appearance in my basement lair. Today she turned up at
exactly 8:15. I heard footsteps echoing in the corridor and I was out
there to greet her before she reached the office. Scully's footsteps
are as recognisable as everything else about her; her voice, her
lightly perfumed scent, her soft breathing as she sleeps. I think I
know her better than I know myself. In fact, I'm sure of it. She knows
it, but if I ever told it, she'd kick my butt. 

I greeted her with the wide smile I reserve for the occasion of
beginning of a new case. She must have recognised it because she drew a
deep breath, her eyes travelling to the sheaf of papers in my hand, a
very thick case file that I'd been skimming through again as I waited
for her. She took it silently and started to thumb through it. Now that
she'd finally arrived my patience had given out and I grabbed her
shoulders gently, turning her around and steering her into the
elevator. 

"The call came in this morning - I'd specifically instructed that any
cases involving employees of the Macfarlane Corporation be presented to
me immediately," I announced, jabbing a button.  

"What's so important about the Macfarlane Corporation?" Scully queried,
glancing up at me briefly before returning her gaze to the papers. "And
what's the Gen-" 

"The Genesis Project is something the Macfarlane Corporation runs as a
sideline to their production of medicinal drugs and equipment. It's an
experiment that's been going for the past twenty years or so, exploring
genes, mapping genomes, gene therapy, that sort of thing," I explained
off-handedly, giving Scully a gentle push out of the elevator, her eyes
still glued to the pages of notes. "An experiment not mentioned, oddly
enough, in this." I handed her the glossy printed pamphlet. It was
professionally slick, showing a collage of photos of a large modern
looking facility, labratories, an OR filled with shiny metallic medical
equipment and several vials and testtubes. Scully raised an eyebrow as
she studied it. 

"And we're rushing off to -" 

"Mansfield, Wisconsin," I supplied. 

"-in a great big hurry... *why*?" 

I flipped over a few pages, revealing black and white crime scene
photos. "Both executed, gun shot wound in the middle of the forehead.
Lot of blood. Weapon was left at the crime scene, no fingerprints." 

"They're husband and wife," Scully noted, scanning the written report.
"It's not a suicide pact?" 

I shook my head. "Nope. The weapon was dropped at the foot of the bed,
and death was instantaneous. A silencer was used, too - which would
explain why nobody heard the shots." 

Scully raised an eyebrow as she continued to scan through the report,
my hand on her elbow guiding her through the the rows of parked cars to
where mine sat. "Their deaths were reported by their daughter? And she
didn't hear or see anything?" 

"Nada," I shrugged. "She says she couldn't sleep so she was downstairs
having a midnight snack. She heard a thump, went upstairs, and found
her parents bodies." 

"Midnight snack??" Scully asked. She looked up at me, eyebrow raised.
"It says here that the crime wasn't reported until six fourteen a.m.
this morning." 

I nodded. "That's what it says," I agreed. 

"So she found the bodies... when exactly?" I couldn't blame her for
looking so utterly disbelieving. I know she finds it maddeningly
frustrating when the facts won't line up. But, unlike me, instead of
bursting she just looks skeptical about it all, frowns a bit, and
refuses to give up until she sorts things out. I admire her for that
immensely. For me such frustration just makes me want to kick the crap
out of something. 

"Just after midnight." 

"'Just after midnight' is not six in the morning, Mulder. Has she given
anybody an explanation for why she waited til morning to report the
murders?" 

"Well..." I drew the word out. She was gonna love this. "Apparently she
didn't want to wake her younger brother and sister." 

"You're serious?" she demanded, staring at me. I could see clearly that
she was trying to figure this whole thing out, tussling with the sheer
lack of logic in Jacqueline Moss' behavior. I'd been doing the same
thing all morning. The psychologist in me was awakened.  

"You'll get the chance to ask her yourself. They've taken her into
custody on suspicion of the murder, which isn't surprising given how
suspicious - or stupid, if you prefer, though I've heard she's an
intelligent girl - she's been. They had to bring in her brother and
sister - she refused to let them go, and there was nobody they could be
left with. Social services should be arriving there soon." 

"They think she did it?" I could detect the growing impatience in her
voice. 

"She's the closest they can find to a suspect." I shrugged. "Parents
were pretty high-profile scientists, local PD want the killer caught.
According to Detective Gregson, who I spoke to, her 'suspicious
behavior' was enough to bring her in on." I couldn't help the cynicism
in my tone.  

Scully voiced my thoughts exactly when she demanded with sudden
vehemence, "A fifteen year old girl's parents have been murdered, and
they think she did it because she's acting strangely? Whatever happened
to physical *proof*?" 

I wasn't quite sure why she got so emotional about it. There are some
cases that just seem to push Scully's sensitivity buttons and really
bother her, and it seemed that this was going to be one of them. I
guessed it'd be plain to me eventually, and I'd just have to wait til I
figured it out and then beat myself up over my idiocy. 
I realised that she was staring at me, waiting for a response, and I
shrugged. "I didn't say I agreed with them, Scully." I studied her
curiously. 

Scully expelled her breath slowly. "I can remember being fifteen,
Mulder. It's a difficult time. And that's when life's running smoothly.
You have a lot of problems relating to your parents -" 

I cut her off. Time to play my final card. "But they weren't her real
parents. I looked up the Moss' medical files and records. Cate Moss
gave birth to a son eighteen years ago. Stillborn. No successful
pregnancies since." 

"So the kids are adopted?" She considered it. "That might-" 

I cut her off again, shaking my head emphatically. "Scully, there are
no records of these kids being born or adopted. No records of them
being immunised against anything, attending any type of school, having
a passport. According to the facts, these kids don't exist." 

Scully stared hard at me. "But they do exist," she said
matter-of-factly. "And if there's no records on them..." she frowned
pensively. "Mulder, they have to belong to someone, have identities.
How do you know they're not just lying about who they are?" 

"Why would they do that?" 

She shrugged helplessly. "I don't know, Mulder. You tell me." 

"Jacqueline claims that Roger and Cate Moss were her natural parents,"
I said slowly. "Why would she lie? Who's she protecting? Them?
Herself?" I shook my head. "I don't know," I admitted reluctantly, "But
I think we'll find out more when we interview her. She knows more than
she's letting on." 

What I didn't admit to Scully was that I did too. 

       - - - - } - - - - } - - @        t h e   x - f i l e s  
  

- SCULLY POV - 
  
Our first view of Jacqueline Moss was of a dark-haired girl sitting
with a sleepy little boy on her lap, her head bent beside his, holding
his fingers in hers, drawing on his palm gently. Sitting beside her was
a small girl, clutching a doll tightly in her arms. The young girl said
something, and Jacqueline turned her attention toward her, taking the
doll and kissing it's elbow before returning it to her little sister,
who accepted it with a smile, burrowing close against Jacqueline. 

"She kissed it better," I murmured, staring through the observation
window, fascinated by the scene. "Does that look like a murderer to
you?" 

Mulder shrugged. "Murderers come in all shapes and sizes, Scully. She
looks a lot more like the average murderer than some we've seen." He
raised his eyebrows at me. 

I had to admit, he had a point. I half-shrugged, and as I returnedmy
gaze to the window, I met Jacqueline Moss's steady, angry gaze.I
jolted, feeling like a small electric shock had just run through me,
rubbing my forehead as the girl returned her gaze to her siblings. 

"Did you see that, Mulder?" I whispered. I felt shaky and dazed and
fought for clearheadedness. "She looked right at me. Like she saw me."
I looked at him, wishing that he would say something reassuring. "How
did she know I was here?" 

He touched my shoulder gently. "She's probably seen enough movies to
know it's not really a mirror, that's all." 

I was unconvinced, frowning as I gazed through the window, trying to
decipher my confusion. "She looked angry, Mulder," I said finally,
still disconcerted. "Maybe they are right about her... or maybe she's
angry about something else." 

"Something else?" Mulder asked sharply. "Like what?" 

"I don't know," I said slowly, trying to shake off the odd feeling that
had taken hold over me.  

Mulder was silent for a moment, then touched my arm. "Come on, let's
talk to her." 

I followed him into the room, walking steadily, calmly, but feeling
still shaken. The atmostphere of the room was rife with hostility and I
could tell Mulder felt it too by the way his posture stiffened.
Jacqueline pulled her brother and sister closer and eyed us
distrustfully as the female officer who had been sitting in the corner
rose and left the room. 
"Who are you?" she demanded. She looked angry and sullen, but I could
tell that her hostility was masking fear. It was a good act, but not
good enough to fool me. Fear and I are well enough acquainted for me to
be able to see it in almost any form. 

Mulder and I produced our badges. "Agents Mulder and Scully, FBI," I
said crisply, my eyes fixed on her face. I was very curious about her,
and I was determined to get an explanation for what was at present the
most confusing aspect of the case - her reason for waiting six hours to
call the police. I couldn't imagine that anybody would want to stay
virtually alone in the house with dead bodies. 

Jacqueline glanced at the badges, then stared at us, her eyes watchful.
"Why are FBI involved?" 

Mulder ignored the question. "Jacqueline, could you tell us what
happened last night?" 

Anger sparked in her eyes. "I've already told three different people.
Ask them." 

"We want to hear it from you," I said steadily. 

Jacqueline transferred her gaze from Mulder to me. "What makes you
think that I know anything, anyway?" 

Mulder heaved a heavy sigh. "Jacqueline, we can have your brother and
sister taken away, if you won't co-operate. You know they shouldn't be
here in the first place." 

Her anger flared. "You can't do that. They don't have anyone else. They
need to stay here with me." She tightened her grip around them
protectively, and the two children looked up at Mulder and I wide-eyed,
but not frightened. The little girl, Astrid, ventured a small smile,
which I found myself wistfully returning. It was the first time I'd
seen them at close range, and I was surprised to see how small they
both were. The reports had said that Astrid was four and Joshua was
two, but they were both short and slight, and appeared a lot younger
than they were. They were cute kids, if not exactly adorable, with
matching mops of curly brown hair and huge eyes. They were both fully
dressed, and I wondered when Jacqueline had taken the time to dress
them. Before she called the police? After? I brought my gaze back to
her, tuning back into the conversation. 

"Tell us what happened last night," Mulder was saying calmly. 

Jacqueline glared at him, then said sullenly, "I couldn't sleep, so I
went downstairs and got myself a yoghurt. I heard a thump, I went
upstairs to check it out, and I found Cate and Roger dead. I called the
cops. End of story." 

"You didn't call 911 until quarter past six this morning," I countered.
"Why was that?" 

She rolled her eyes. "I didn't want to wake Astrid or Josh in the
middle of the night. I thought it might scare them to have police and
everyone arriving, so I decided to wait until morning to call." She
held my deliberately disbelieving stare defiantly. 

"Jacqui..." Mulder began. 

Jacqueline swung her gaze around to Mulder and glared at him. "My name
is Jacqueline." 

Yowch. I thought I was the only one who could make him wince like that.
"Fine... Jacqueline, why do you call your parents by their first
names?" 

"What else was I supposed to call them, 'Mom and Dad'?" She snorted.
"They didn't deserve to be called that." 

"Why not?" I asked, frowning. I added tentatively, "Because you were
adopted? Because they're not your biological parents?" 

Jacqueline thumped the table exasperatedly. "No! You don't understand.
We're who we are because of them. It's their fault that -" She cut off
suddenly, clamping her mouth shut with a fleeting look of dismay. She
quickly turned away, and murmured, "Hush," to Astrid, who was staring
at the ceiling, whispering something in a sing-song voice, too quiet
for them to catch. 

Intrigued, I left my seat and kneeled down beside the little girl.
"What are you doing over here, sweetie?" I asked gently. 

Astrid looked at me shyly. "Counting," she said, with surprisingly
clear pronunciation, pointing to the strip of tiles along the ridge
where the wall met the ceiling. 
  
"You were counting the tiles?" I asked, surprised. 

Astrid nodded, clutching her rag doll closer. 

"Astrid, why don't you take Jessi over to that corner to play?"
Jacqueline broke in suddenly, giving her a gentle push and glaring at
me. 

The little girl stood obediently, but I caught her arm, glancing
sharply at Jacqueline and wondering whether there was more than just
dislike in her expression. The fear was still there, and not nearly as
well masked as before. She looked as though she were panicking.  

"Wait a sec, sweetie," I said softly. "You want to tell me how many
tiles you counted?" I chided myself for being so suspicious, for taking
a leap of such Mulder-proportions, but I couldn't shift my gut feeling
that this was significant. 

Astrid glanced across nervously at her sister, and I asked again
quickly, "How many were there, Astrid?" 

"Sixty four," she answered reluctantly. 

"She doesn't know what she's talking about. It's just a random number
she's heard somewhere," Jacqueline protested. "Four year olds don't
know how to count. Not that high, anyway." 

Mulder ran his eyes along the row of tiles, counting silently. He met
my questioning gaze, and said slowly, "One off. It's sixty five." 

Jacqueline swore under her breath, and the toddler sleeping in her lap
woke. "Mommy?" he mumbled sleepily. 

"Yeah, Mommy's here," Jacqueline soothed gently, her attention diverted
momentarily.  

I had to bite my lip to stop myself from reacting to that. I turned,
meeting Mulder's gaze, and nodded. "Jacqueline, if you're not going to
co-operate with us, we're going to have to no choice but to hand these
children over to social services right now." I knew I had to be tough,
or we weren't going to get anywhere. "I know you don't want that to
happen. Just tell us what we need to know." 

Jacqueline bit her lip angrily. "There's nothing more to tell." 

Mulder leaned in closer to her. "Jacqueline, you're under suspicion for
the murder of your parents. Do you understand how serious this is?" 

"I didn't do it, dammit!" She thumped the table angrily and the little
boy in her arms stirred again and whimpered. She shifted him on her lap
and he settled down again. I wished that I was the one holding the
sleeping little boy in my arms. I envied her even then, my maternal
side bitterly jealous. I had to pull my gaze away from her to Mulder,
who was tapping the table impatiently, frowning as he thought. 

"Tell us about the Genesis Project," he said finally. 

The Genesis Project. I should have known there was something more to
it. Jacqueline looked startled and Mulder leaned back, looking grimly
satisfied at her reaction. I shot him a questioning glance but he
ignored it. 

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jacqueline muttered finally,
swallowing. 

"Yes, you do," Mulder said, his voice quietly dangerous. "It's what
your parents were working on. The study of genetics. And the creation
of children using this knowledge." 

That I hadn't guessed. I stared at him, my eyes growing wide. I felt a
dull anger at him for withholding the information from me and I stared
at him almost accusingly.  

Jacqueline dropped her gaze to her brother's dark curls, stroking his
forehead with shaking fingers. "They weren't really my parents," she
said finally, her voice cracking, her tone still sullen. 

Mulder stared at her, waiting for her to continue, but she was silent.
I reached out and touched his arm gently, indicating that I needed to
talk to him in private. We left the room, retreating to the small
observation room. 

I shot out my question the moment Mulder closed the door behind him.
"Why didn't you tell me about this?"  

"Scully..." he began. 

I held up a hand to stop him, then crossed my arms defensively. "I
don't want to hear excuses, Mulder. Just tell me. Tell me about the
Genesis Project, and how you found out about it." I felt so suddenly
drained of energy, that my voice was quiet and emotionless. I didn't
want to get angry at Mulder, there was no point. I just wanted him to
tell me the truth and then we could get on with things. 

"Frohike told me. He and Langly and Byers had been receiving e-mails
and faxes from undisclosed locations, leaking information about the
project. Seems that somebody wanted people to know what was going on at
the McFarlane Corporation." 

"And they told *Frohike*?" I shook my head. "And what was this
information they were leaking?" 

Mulder grimaced. "You're not going to like it, Scully," he warned. 

"Just tell me," I warned, rolling my eyes impatiently.  

"The Genesis Project's eventual aim was to create a human being -
incubator-gestated, genetically engineered. A series of scanned images
- CAT scans, blood tests, photos, doctor progress reports... all
backing up the claim that this was happening." 

"And you're saying that they did?" I stared up at him, not sure whether
or not I wanted to believe that what he was saying was true. I'd had a
hard time trying to maintain my skepticism in these things after what
had happened with Emily... 

"According to Frohike's source, things were getting out of hand. What
had started out simply as an 'what if' suddenly became reality - a
possibility. The idea of genetically engineering a human, one immune to
all human diseases, perfect in every way - it was a dream, and when it
was achieved, imagine the power these scientists must have felt - like
gods." 

"And you think that these three children - the Moss children - are
genetically engineered? Results of the Genesis Project?" I asked
quietly. 

"We've seen this before, Scully," he reminded me quietly, "the
Litchfield Project. The Berkowitz case." He paused a moment before
adding, "Emily." 

Yeah, Emily. Everything always came back to Emily. I hated that. I just
wanted to forget, because then it wouldn't hurt anymore. But there were
always cases, or even just people in the street who would remind me. 

"But in those cases, surrogate mothers were used," I argued tiredly,
"and you're saying that these children weren't even born - they were
just... created. They ...*grew*." 

Mulder nodded. "That's exactly what I'm saying." 

I slowly digested the information. "And the Moss' were killed because
of this project."  

He nodded again. "Maybe someone found out that the information was
being leaked." 
  
"You're saying that the parents were the leak? And were killed because
of this?" I asked slowly, considering the idea. Then I shook my head.
"No, Mulder. That doesn't make sense. According to your report, the
Moss' were heading the project. They had enough power to stop the
experiments if they wanted to." 

Mulder played with his lower lip thoughtfully, then sighed, watching
through the observation window as Jacqueline paced around the small
room, her younger brother and sister now sitting together on the floor
colouring with lead pencils on a yellow legal pad someone had provided.

"This is ridiculous, Mulder," I said suddenly as I felt a pang of
concern for the welfare of the two small children. "They shouldn't be
in there. It must be terrifying for them." I turned away, and as I
reached for the door handle Mulder caught my arm. 

"Wait, Scully."  

I turned to face him, surprised by his sudden urgency. "What?" 

"Let them stay with her," he said gently. "They're happy. Let's go find
ourselves some coffee or something." 

"Mulder, don't try and distract my attention," I said with a spark of
anger. I could see easily what he was trying to do and it frustrated
me. "Listen, I know what you're thinking, but I'm not getting
personally involved here, and I'm not going to." 

That was a lie and I knew it, but I could handle it, I knew I could.
That was the most important thing. Becoming emotionally involved was
something impossible to do in so many cases, and I'd gotten used to
dealing with it the only ways possible. 

"How can you be so certain?" Mulder asked gently. Pressing his hand
against my back he guided me to the door which let them out into a
hallway, closing the door behind them. 

"Mulder," I protested. "I wasn't finished questioning her..." 

He didn't answer, but instead said mildly, "Let's just find some
coffee. Maybe lunch." 

"Mulder," I frowned at him. "You're acting like you're trying to
protect me from something... Either that or you're trying to hide what
you know." I crossed my arms and stared at him, feeling resentful that
he thought he had the right to -- 

"Lunch," Mulder repeated entreatingly. He looked at me pleadingly and I
nodded reluctantly. The two of us exited the building in silence. 

       - - - - } - - - - } - - @        t h e   x - f i l e s  

- MULDER POV - 

I couldn't come right out and say what I wanted to say to her. I don't
even know if I knew exactly what I wanted to say. I just yearned so
desperately to protect her from herself, even though I knew how much
she hated it when I tried to shelter her. We kept off the topic as we
sat on the patio of a small cafe down the road, instead discussing the
other elements of the case - the more factual, unemotional issues. We
ended up in a debate over Jacqueline's excuse for waiting to call the
police, but I think it was only really half-hearted on both our sides.
Eventually we both leant back in the sun, Scully staring down into her
glass of iced water, watching the icecubes bob up and down, while I
stared at her. I've gotten in the habit of just watching Scully,
sometimes. She must notice, feel my eyes on her, but she never says
anything. Maybe she likes it, I don't know. If she told me to stop it I
would, willingly.  
I could tell that she had something on her mind, that she was turning
it over, deliberating on whether or not she was willing to blurt it
out. When she finally did, it wasn't what I'd been expecting. 

"Mulder, that question you asked me last night... Why did you ask it?" 

I winced internally. It wasn't hard to see why she was thinking about
it again. I should have known better than to have taken this case. What
sort of idiot was I? I should have realised that this would hit too
close to home for Scully. Not just because of the kids, but because of
- Jesus, I'm a fool. Too late now, though. I sighed heavily.  
"I'd just been... thinking about it," I said honestly. That was true,
I'd been thinking about Emily, wondering for the thousandth time
whether I should have given her the cure despite what Scully said. I
could have changed the course of the last two years dramatically... 

"What was your nightmare about?" she prodded gently, staring up at me
with concerned eyes. 

"Doesn't matter." I shook my head. I couldn't even remember it clearly,
just the sheer terror in Scully's voice. That I could remember as clear
as day. I choked down the urge to pull her close to me, to reassure
myself that she was alive and still with me. There had been many times
I'd had similar urges, and only a few when I'd allowed myself to give
in to them. Only a few when I'd known that Scully would allow me to
relish her in such a way.I didn't want to offend her in any way by
ignoring her wishes - I had too much respect for her, as I always had. 

She looked down again at the glass in her hands, frowning. "What about
you?" she asked, looking up again. Her eyes were strong, clear blue,
and I felt they were penetrating right through to my marrow. 

I guess I already knew what she meant but I feigned ignorance anyway.
"What about me?" I asked casually.  

Her gaze didn't falter, though her frown deepened. "Do you ...want
kids?" 

"I haven't thought about it," I said, just as casual, not missing a
beat. 

"Yes, you have," she said with certainty. I should have known better
than to have thought I could have bluffed her. Not my Scully. 

"Maybe some day," I admitted. Even though the defining events in my
childhood had been terrible, the first twelve years of my life hadn't
been bad at all. They'd been pretty normal, actually. Sam and I had
teased and tortured each other endlessly, just like siblings around the
world. We were normal, and that sort of normality was actually starting
to appeal to me more and more as I started to feel older, felt that my
life needed something more. I never gave Scully hints of any kind.
Actually, if anything, I think I gave her the opposite idea, that I
thought kids were about as unnecessary in life as that yapping dog she
had once. But truth be told, the idea of having kids of my own wasn't
out of the question. It just wasn't... in the question. Scully was the
only woman I'd ever wanted to be the mother of my children, and even if
she were able to bear children, our relationship just wasn't at that
level. Not yet, anyhow. I wouldn't give up hope, though. 

But trust Scully to be direct. "When?" 

I was silent. I could hardly tell her my thoughts on the matter. I gave
a helpless half-shrug, designed more to evade the question than to
actually answer it. She stared at me for several long, long seconds,
then dropped her gaze back down to the table. 

"Mulder," she said quietly. "If your committment to me is stopping you
from finding somebody and starting a family..." She sounded calm as she
spoke, but she wouldn't meet my eyes. 

"Jesus, Scully! No!" I burst out, appalled by the thought. How could
she possibly question whether she the only one I'd ever want to spend
my life with? I didn't know how to express the absolute certainty I
felt that she and I belonged together, that I had no desire or need to
look at another woman while she was around. I couldn't express that.
Instead I just reached across the table to grab her hand, squeezing it.
I think maybe I squeezed a little too hard, because she winced. But I
didn't loosen my grip. "Scully, don't you even *think* that you're
stopping me from living my life, you hear me?" I was angry, angry that
she could question my utter dedication to her like that, but my anger
melted when I saw the confusion and, I thought, relief, in her eyes as
she sank down heavily into her chair. I was about to loosen my grip on
her when she clasped her other hand over it tightly. She looked up at
me slowly, a small smile on her lips. There were tears in her eyes.  

"And Scully..." I added slowly, "If you feel that I'm the ball and
chain around your neck, preventing you from leading a normal life..." I
didn't know how she could not think that. I knew that her working with
me had put a stop to her career ambitions as well as personal ones. She
joined the FBI wanting to distinguish herself, I knew, and working with
me she was distinguishing herself only as a rulebreaker and
troublemaker, called to the AD's office more often for reprimand than
congratulations. I knew how difficult that had been for her to accept,
but the very fact that she did accept it, and almost always without
complaint, was such an unmerited blessing for me. The few times that
she did rebel, refusing to accept what she must have otherwise thought
the inevitable, it was always a shock to me, reminding me how grateful
I should be to have her as my partner. 
She shook her head, and I knew I'd upset her, but I had to finish, even
as I felt her nails digging into my hand. "Just ask, Scully, and I'll
unchain you." A single tear slipped down her cheek as she half-nodded,
half-shook her head. I withdrew my hands from hers to brush away the
tiny droplet, but the spell broke the instant I let her go. She pulled
away a little, whipping a tissue out of her pocket and drying her eyes
in a blink-and-you-miss-it movement. I wonder how many times I'd missed
it before. 
She shook herself a little, self-conscious, and then pushed the chair
back away from the table to stand. "We should be getting back," she
said quietly. I nodded, standing slowly.  

Ten seconds later, we were back to our unenthusiastic debate about the
time discrepancy, and it was as if our conversation had never happened.
I was helping Scully with her coat - not that she ever needed help, but
it always made me feel like she was mine - when she let out a small cry
of "Hey..." 

She shrugged the coat on quickly and turned, staring down the road
after a shiny silver car heading out of town. She glanced up at me
sharply, frowning. "I could have sworn I saw Jacqueline Moss in the
passenger seat." 

"Did you see the other kids?" I asked quickly, frowning. I shoved a
hand in my pocket and digged for the car keys before remembering that
we'd walked.  

She frowned. "I... I don't know," she admitted. "I only got a
glimpse..." She shook her head. "Forget it, I'm sure it was just my
mind playing tricks on me." 

I nodded slowly, my hand on her back as I gave her a gentle push along
the footpath. "We'll go check," I said quietly. 

We reached the station and spent a few minutes searching for the
detective in charge of the case, eventually finding him cursing as he
fought with an old, ailing photocopier. "C'mon, damn thing," he
muttered, slamming the top down ferociously. 

"Detective Gregson?" I approached him cautiously. The detective turned
around, looking sheepish. I couldn't blame him for the treatment of the
photocopier, I'd done far worse. 

"Found me another suspect yet?" he asked dryly. 

I stared.  

"I'm sorry...?" Scully looked bewildered. 

"Charges were dropped against the girl," the detective explained.
"Thought you knew. Carl was s'posed to let you know." 

Scully and I exchanged quick glances, and I knew exactly what she was
thinking. 

"You let the girl go?" I tried to sound as casual as I could about it.
The detective nodded. 

"What about two younger children?" Scully asked sharply. "What happened
to them? Have Social Services been put in charge?" 

The detective shook his head, moving past and leading us over to a
battered desk with a high pile of paperwork. I could relate to that,
too. "An uncle claimed guardianship," he announced, holding up a
document. "Took them not ten minutes ago." 

"I'm assuming that you asked for some identification, proof that he was
who he said he was?" Scully asked, her voice hard. 

"He showed us his driver's licence, knew the kids' names, parents'
names," the detective said defensively. "They knew him." 

I nodded politely, then pulled Scully away. We had both realised the
real danger of the situation and picked up out pace as we exited the
building. We both went on full alert. I wouldn't call it panicking,
exactly, because we were both too grimly calm and professional about
it. 

"So where's this guy going to be taking these kids, Mulder?" 
Scully was wrestling with the maps I'd folded - well, kinda - and
shoved in the glovebox.  

"The MacFarlane Corporation had a ... some sort of facility just out of
town," I remembered, one hand on the wheel, the other roaming around
behind me as I sought my packet of sunflower seeds. I found it, pulling
out some seeds and offering Scully one, which she refused, before
tossing them in my mouth. 

"Did we have an address?" Scully began to rifle through the case file. 

"Uh... Felicity Road, I think it was," I said vaguely. I wasn't really
thinking about that. To be honest, my mind had wandered, despite our
urgency. The Moss' had no near relatives, which meant that the
so-called 'uncle' was a fraud. The kids had known him, though, so he
had to be somebody connected to the Genesis Project. Yeah, I should
have been thinking about all that, but my mind instead was turning over
my conversation with Scully from before.  
It had been one of those incredible moments between us when I really
felt that our souls had connected, and it strengthened my conviction
that we should stop putting ourselves through hell and give up all the
pretence and just admit to each other how we really felt. It made me
crave more intimacy between us, made me wish even more fervently that I
could wrap my arms around her and kiss the back of her neck, evoke a
little giggle from her. I had watched her sleeping many times, watched
her wake a few. I pictured her lying asleep, so beautifully peaceful,
unmarred by the evil in the world. I pictured myself beside her as she
woke, imagined the sleepy greeting smile on her lips, the tender touch
of her fingertips on my cheek. It was a fairytale story, I knew.
Nothing more than a dream.  

"Hey, Earth to Mulder??" Scully snapped her fingers in front of my
face. "You just missed the turnoff." 

         - - - - } - - - - } - - @        t h e   x - f i l e s  

- JACQUELINE POV - 

I wasn't going to be afraid, I didn't allow myself. Fear was too much
of a weakness. So instead I seethed. I glared at him, hating the calm,
impersonal expressionlessness of his face as he focused on the road.
Hating him because he stood for everything I hated, everything I'd
almost gotten us away from. Almost. It was so frustrating, so
sickeningly, depressingly frustrating to have gotten so close to
freedom, being treated for once not as a freak.  
So close, but not close enough.  
My anger faded into misery despite my best intentions and I sighed,
slumping down in my seat. What was the use in fighting it? I had no
chance. 

"What's going to happen now without Cate and Roger?" I asked quietly.
"Who's running the show?" 

It was the first time I'd spoken to him, but his reply was
characteristically unemotional. I might as well have been asking him
about the weather forecast.  
"That's none of your concern," he said calmly. 

"Yeah, right," I muttered. I twisted in my seat and looked back at the
kids in the back seat. Astrid looked wistful, disappointed, cuddling up
against Josh. I glanced out the window and saw what she was watching -
two small girls, about her age, skipping down the street, holding their
mother's hand. My heart went out to her. My poor little darling.  
"Stop the car, Darin," I said suddenly.  
I'd never been more certain about anything in my life. We were going to
get out, and I didn't care if I had to kill him to do that. "We're
getting out." 

I reached to open my door all the doors were automatically locked. I
guess maybe I should have anticipated that.  

"You're above doing something so stupid," Darin said coldly. The
bastard. 

Frustrated, I reached across, grabbing the wheel. The car spun wildly
and as Darin wrenched my hand away I was thrown back against the
window. I hit it with a loud 'smack', my head thumping against the
glass. My God, that hurt.  

"Your parents wouldn't have been impressed with that behaviour," he
reminded me coldly. "Clearly you're having trouble controlling your
temper." 

I was tempted to tell him where he could shove his threats but I bit
that back with difficulty, instead letting out a heavy sigh and falling
back in my seat in defeat, knowing what I had just done. No doubt there
would be a whole series of tests awaiting me when we reached the
compound, though who would now be running these tests I wasn't sure. I
felt a shiver run through me as I realised the gaping hole my parents
death had left, and the fact that someone, someone with even less moral
sense than Cate or Roger, would try to fill this void. Oh God.. 

"Duckie..." I turned as I heard Joshua whimper my name. "Duckie, I
don't want to go home..." 

I was about to respond, reach out to soothe him, when he grabbed my
arm, pulling me back into the seat. "From now on you'll be having no
contact with those children," he said sternly. "You've been given too
free a hand and things have not been going as successfully as we would
have liked. Understand?" 

It took a moment to sink it, but once it did, I wanted to kill him. I
honestly did. My blood ran hot and I felt myself being swamped by a
rush of anger. Almost before I knew what I was doing I swung at him,
hitting him hard in the jaw. Pain shot through my wrist. He was thrown
backwards with the impact and I took the opportunity to grab the wheel,
swinging the car across to the side of the road, and stamping my foot
down over his on the brake. Still dazed from my attack, he tried to
grab my arms to restrain me, but I hit him again, even harder than
before, knocking him out cold. My anger dulled, the rush of adrenalin
passing and leaving me feeling weak and trembly as I stared at his
unconscious, bloody figure.  
I was swamped with dread, terror that after this they'd deem me a
failure too, uncontrollable and insane. And that would mean the end,
the end of everything... 

I fumbled to open the car door and climbed out, falling to my hands and
knees on the ground in sheer horror at what I'd done, how easily I
could have killed him. I'd been warned of my own strength before, but
it wasn't something that I had, before now, really appreciated.  

"Duckie?" Astrid had climbed out of the car quietly and was standing,
staring at me. "What did you do to Darin?" 

I pulled myself upright, struggling to calm myself and stop myself from
shaking. "I, uh... I had to put Darin to sleep for a while so that we
could get away," I said shakily, fighting for composure. I patted
Astrid gently on the back, my precious, innocent little girl. "You
don't want to go back home, do you?" 

Astrid shook her head and I nodded, helping Joshua out of the car.
"Well," I said, pushing myself hard to sound cheerful, "We're going to
have a little adventure." 

Astrid's eyes lit up. "What sort of adventure? Can we go on a ship,
Duckie?" 

I laughed weakly, feeling more confident. We were free, finally free.
No more hoping and dreading and hating, just freedom. There was a vast
world out there to explore.  
"Maybe we will," I agreed. Her enthusiasm was contagious. I just knew
that we had to get away from the car as soon as we could, as far as we
could. "We're going to have to walk for a little while first, though." 

I went around to the other side of the car, opening the driver's side
door and checking Darin quickly before searching through his pockets,
producing a wallet. I pulled out a wad of notes with a vicious grin and
slammed the door shut again. Finally, I was in control. 

"C'mon kids," I grinned. "It's adventure time." I had no real plans for
where we were going or how we were going to make it. They were petty
matters, definately not the first thing on my mind. We were free, that
was what mattered for the time being. We were finally free. 
  

          - - - - } - - - - } - - @        t h e   x - f i l e s  

- SCULLY POV -  

We'd almost given up as being hopelessly lost when, refolding an
oversized roadmap, I saw a vaguely familiar sight further along the
road. As we drove closer I recognised three figures, Jacqueline in the
middle, holding hands with Joshua and Astrid as they roamed along the
side of the road. 

"Mulder, right ahead," I said quietly. 

"Yeah, I see them." He pulled over to the side of the road right in
front of them. Jacqueline stared at us, panicky, bringing her siblings
to a halt and gripping their hands even more tightly. 

"Stay here," I told Mulder softly as I exited the car. I wanted to deal
with this on my own.  

"They let us go," Jacqueline said defensively. "They said I was
innocent and they let me go and you have no control over us any more."
She took a step away from me as I approached her. 

"Listen, Jacqueline, we just want to make certain that you and your
brother and sister are safe," I assured her, taking another step
closer. 

"Keep away from me. Just let us go, okay?!" Jacqueline picked up Joshua
and began to drag Astrid along with her around our car. But Astrid,
holding a small posy of bedraggled flowers, most of them weeds, refused
to budge. 

"Hey, sweetie," I said gently, bending down. I knew Astrid was my best
chance. Jacqueline was too hostile, and Joshua too shy. "What happened
to your uncle?" 

Astrid shook her head, tugging her hand from her sister's grip.  
"He wasn't our uncle," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. 

"Astrid, we're going on an adventure, remember?" Jacqueline reminded
her pointedly, grabbing her sister's wrist. 

"Was he a bad man?" I asked gently, ignoring Jacqueline's anger. 

Astrid shrugged. "Just like all the others." 

"Did you want to go with him, Astrid?" I prodded. 

She shook her head. "But now Jacqueline says we're going on an
adventure and we get to be normal," she beamed happily. 

I nodded understandingly. Jacqueline angrily shifted the weight of her
brother in her arms, giving her sister a final tug, pulling her against
her. "Astrid, we're going," she said finally, throwing me a threatening
look. "We appreciate your concern," she said icily, "but we're
perfectly fine." 

"We know what you are." Mulder was standing beside the car, arms
crossed. "We just want to help you." 

"We don't need help," Jacqueline retorted. "We'll be fine on our own." 

"You can't claim custody of these children, Jacqueline. You're only a
child yourself." Mulder stared at her and she stared back at him
defiantly. 

"I'm not a child." Her tone was contemptuous and unwavering.
Distracted, she released her grip on Astrid, and I took the opportunity
to pull the child toward me, swinging her up into my arms. I was
surprised by how light she was. 

"Hey!" Jacqueline cried, infuriated. "You can't take her!" 

"Legally, you're not responsible for these children," Mulder said
coolly. "Agent Scully and I are going to find out who is. Until then,
the three of you will remain in our custody." 

Jacqueline tried to push past him to grab Astrid, but I shut her
securely in the back seat of our car. Jacqueline stared, agonised at
her captive sister. "You can't do this," she protested, teeth clenched.
I could see that she was near tears. "You can't. She's not safe." She
held Joshua tightly in her arms. 

"Why isn't she safe?" I asked softly. "We can protect her. And you and
Joshua." 

"You can't protect us from them," Jacqueline hissed, taking a step back
from me and glancing, tormented, across at Astrid, who was watching the
scene with her face pressed right against the window with innocent
interest. 

"From who? Who aren't you safe from?" I prodded. Mulder and I had
already pieced together the facts, but I was curious for more details. 

Jacqueline flicked her head to where Mulder still stood beside the car.
"Ask your partner. He knows. I don't know how he knows, he's not
supposed to, but he does. He'll tell you." 

Clarity dawned on me and I asked quietly, "You're the one who leaked
the information, aren't you?" 

Jacqueline didn't answer, and I pressed with more urgency, "They killed
your parents because they thought they were leaking the information.
They don't want this to get out, do they?" 

"They don't want *me* to get out," Jacqueline muttered. She let Joshua
slide to the ground, where he clung to her leg. She let out a small,
tired, defeated sob. "Please, just let us go." 

"We can't," I said slowly. I was filled with empathy for her. "And we
won't. We just want to help you, Jacqueline. Why won't you let us?" 

Jacqueline looked at me distrustfully, glancing back over at Astrid and
then back again. "I don't trust you," she admitted. 

"You don't have anyone else to trust," I reminded her. My eyes moved
past Jacqueline to a white car in the distance. Jacqueline turned
sharply, following my gaze. Then she let out a small half-strangled
groan. 

"That's them," she whispered. 

I stared for a moment before turning, grabbing the Joshua from
Jacqueline's arms. He was even lighter than his sister. 

"Get in the car," I urged Jacqueline. "Quickly." 

Jacqueline stumbled toward the car, unable to tear her gaze from the
rapidly approaching car. I thrust the little boy back into his sister's
arms as Mulder turned the keys in the ignition, climbing into my seat
and slamming the door as the car roared to life.  
Jacqueline twisted in the back seat, trying to get a good look at the
approaching car before Mulder hit the gas. Then she let out a sigh of
relief. "It's not them," she said slowly.  

"Are you sure?" Mulder demanded, tapping nervously on the steering
wheel. 

Jacqueline nodded, frowning. "Yeah, that wasn't them. But they're
coming. I can feel it." She shivered as she looked out through the back
windscreen again. 

Mulder craned his neck around to look out through the back windscreen.
"I can't see anyone coming," he said finally. "I think you're sa-" 

"Duck," I interrupted sharply. Jacqueline, turning back around in the
seat, saw what I had seen, the car heading toward us. She slipped down
in the seat, pulling her siblings down with her. Mulder, about to turn
off the ignition, instead pulled away from the curb hastily, creating a
cloud of dust as he did a U-turn, heading back in the direction we'd
just come, the tires squealing as we sped past the approaching car,
almost clipping the side. 

I glanced back, watching as the other car came to a skidding halt which
sent it careering off the road. "Faster," I murmured to Mulder, trying
to remain calm. I continued to watch the scene through the back
windscreen as the stationary car receded into the distance, two men
appearing from within and gesturing frantically.  

"It's safe now," I said quietly. I glanced ahead of us quickly as the
kids climbed back onto the seat hesitantly. Jacqueline was sitting in
the middle, Astrid and Joshua sitting on either side of them, both
clinging tightly to her, terrified. Jacqueline herself looked grim,
scared but trying to hide it. 

"You okay back there?" I asked, tryiing to keep my tone gentle. I
didn't want to deal with two kids scared of me. 

"We're fine," Jacqueline answered shortly. "What are you going to do
with us?" 

"We want to help you, Jacqueline, you know that," I answered slowly,
turning to look at the road ahead before glancing back at the trio in
the back seat again. "But we're going to need your co-operation." 

"Listen, I didn't ask for this to happen," Jacqueline retorted angrily.
"None of this is my fault." 

"None of what?" Mulder asked in mock ignorance, glancing back. 

Jacqueline rolled her eyes. "Jesus," she muttered under her breath. She
turned her gaze to Astrid, who was wriggling uncomfortably, and
strapped her seatbelt on, ignoring Mulder. She then turned to Joshua,
pulling him closer to her. "Josh needs a kiddieseat," she announced
pointedly to us. "It's dangerous for him to be in a car without one." 

Mulder and I glanced at each other and sighed heavily. Mulder made a
snap decision, swerving right suddenly and doing a U-turn. 

"We're stopping by your house," he told Jacqueline. "Give me
directions." 

"What, are you kidding?" Jacqueline went pale. "They'll find us there!
No, you can't!!" 

"Mulder's right," I objected. "They won't expect us to go back there -
we're heading in the opposite direction. We can grab whatever stuff you
guys need for the next day or so. Babyseats, clothes, whatever." 

"Kiddieseat, not babyseat," Jacqueline corrected, still looking scared.
"Josh isn't a baby." 

"Kiddieseat," I agreed. "Do you know how we could get into the house?" 

Jacqueline searched her pockets, then growled frustratedly. "They took
all my stuff at the cop station - my set of keys. I didn't get them
back off Darin." 

"No spare key?" Mulder asked hopefully. 

"Cate always said it was an invitation to thieves," Jacqueline said
grimly. "Cate didn't exactly have an optimistic view of the world." 

Mulder and I were both quiet, hoping that she would go on, but she went
silent. I watched in the rear-vision mirror as Astrid plucked at her
sister's sleeve, and Jacqueline bent her head down beside her sister's
to hear, grimacing when she heard what her sister had to say. I focused
on the road ahead, feeling guilty about eavesdropping on them. But no
sooner had I done that than Jacqueline spoke.  
"Okay, okay... Uh, Agent Scully?" she asked uncomfortably. 

I turned in my seat. "Yeah?" 

"Astrid has to go to the bathroom. I think she's kinda desperate." 

I groaned silently. "How much further to your house?" I asked, mentally
calculating how long we'd be able to take. 

"About seven or eight minutes, I think," Jacqueline said reluctantly.
"You turn left up here, on Holloway Drive..." 

"Can you hold it til then, sweetie?" I asked the teary-eyed four year
old, who nodded slightly. 

Mulder uncrossed his fingers and let out a sigh of relief. 
"We don't want to spend more than five minutes in the house," he
murmured to me. "We just grab anything the kids need, then we all pile
back in the car and hit the gas." He stopped, glancing behind. "Are
they following us?" 

"I don't think so. Do you think they recognised us?" I asked uneasily. 

"They could have gotten our plates," Mulder admitted. "And if they
did..." 

"Don't say it, Mulder," I murmured. I looked across at him, troubled. I
sighed. "What about these kids, Mulder?" I lowered my voice so
Jacqueline couldn't hear. "What's going to happen to them, Mulder? Even
if we can hide them now, somehow, protect them... We can't hide them
away forever, and this project - the MacFarlane Corporation seem to be
almost above the law.  And the moment we hand these kids over to social
services or whoever, they'll... they'll..." I stopped, not knowing
exactly what would happen. 

"They'll take us back to the labs and they'll do more tests and more
experiments," Jacqueline piped up, leaning forward toward Mulder and I
in the front of the car. "And life will return to normal for us." 

"Unless they find out that you were the leak," I pointed out. "What
would happen if they knew that?" 

"They'd probably cut off all communication I have with the world,"
Jacqueline said thoughtfully. "At the moment I get a lot of free time
online. That would definately go. And, if that failed, they might kill
me." She shivered as she said the last two words. "Not a pretty
thought." 

"What sort of tests?" I ventured cautiously. 
  
Jacqueline shrugged. "Just tests." She peered out the window. "We're a
few streets away from our house," she warned. 

I'd been hoping that she'd elaborate, but clearly she wasn't going to
co-operate. I was curious about her, fascinated about the lives they'd
led, already appalled at the inhumanity of the project. Astrid's
optimistic words echoed in my head: 'We get to be normal...' 

Mulder slowed the car, stopping parallel to the curb, but not killing
the engine. "How are we doing this?" he asked me quietly. 

"You and Jacqueline go inside with Astrid. I'll stay out here with
Joshua," I said quickly. I glanced back to the back seat. "That okay
with you?" 

She shuddered, but nodded stiffly. "Fine." 

I could see how scared she was and I wasn't too keen to put her under
this pressure, but we didn't have many alternatives. Besides, I doubted
that she would admit a weakness. 

"We can go through my bedroom window," she said reluctantly. "The
lock's broken so we can get in from outside." 

"What side of the house is your bedroom in?" I asked, trying to
visualise the house from fragmented crime scene photos. 

"Round the other side," Jacqueline said shortly. "It's okay, I'll climb
up and let them through the back door." She flicked her head in
Mulder's direction. 

He nodded, pulling out from the curb. We pulled up outside the house
and I recognised from photos Mulder had shown me, although the yellow
police tape made it blatantly obvious that it was the house we wanted.
I glanced back to the back seat, curious to see Jacqueline's reaction
to being home, but she showed no sign of emotion. She seemed pretty
good at holding things in. 

"Let's get this over with," she said quickly, undoing both her own and
Astrid's seatbelts and reaching to open the door.  

Mulder opened his door as the sisters tumbled out of the car, and then
leaned back over to whisper to me, "We'll be back in five. Keep the
engine running, okay? If anyone comes, go." 

"I'm not going to leave you here, Mulder," I objected immediately. No
way was I going to ditch Mulder, on his orders or not. "Just get in and
get out, okay?" 

Mulder nodded, climbing out of the car quickly, and I called past him,
"Jacqueline?" 

"Yeah?" She turned, firmly clasping her sister's hand, and I could see
the apprehension in her eyes. 

"Careful climbing, okay?" I tried to sound encouraging, but couldn't
keep the concern from her voice. 

Jacqueline frowned. "I'm fine," she said shortly. She turned and
followed Mulder toward the house, and I leant back in her seat, tired.
I'd offered friendship and understanding, it was up to her to take up
on it or not.  

"Duckie..." I heard a whimpered word from the back seat and turned to
look at the small dark-haired boy sitting there. His eyes were wide
with terror, and I realised that for the first time he was left alone
with a stranger. And God knows, I could remember how terrifying that
was to me when I was a little kid. 

"Hi, Joshua." I smiled at him gently. "My name's Dana. My par- friend
Fox and I are going to help you and your sisters. We're going to make
sure you're safe, okay?" My words didn't seem to soothe him - if
anything, he seemed more anxious and scared now that I was paying
attention to him, squirming in the seat and trying to wiggle out of the
seatbelt. 

"I want Duckie," he whimpered, lower lip trembling. He brought his hand
to his mouth and started to chew his thumb, his wide eyes on me. I
found myself amazed by the intensity of those deep blue-grey pools. It
was incredible. 

"Duckie?" I asked. I didn't understand. Then when I saw him trying to
wiggle across to touch the window, whimpering again, I understood.
"It's okay, sweetie, Jacqui's going to be back here real soon." 

His face creased up and he sniffed, a tear trickling down his cheek.
"Duckie," he whimpered again. 

I felt more maternal than I ever had then, even more than I had with
Emily. I wanted to pull this little boy into my lap, wrap my arms
around his little skinny body and hug him so, so tightly. I glanced
across at the house, calculating the risk and deciding I had to take
it, opening my car door and climbing out, sliding into the back seat
beside Joshua, popping his seatbelt and pulling him half onto my lap.
But he protested, struggling to get out of my grip. I felt so hurt by
that, releasing him and letting him climb across to the window,
kneeling on the seat as he stared out. More than anything I wanted to
hold a little child in my arms, to feel the warmth of their little
body...  
Physical contact was something I rarely had any more, and it was
incredible how much I missed hugs and even just the smallest of kisses.
Even Queequeg curling up asleep on the couch beside me as I watched TV
was better than cold loneliness. I craved touch, anything, anything
that would make me feel wanted or loved. Mulder's intimate, tender
touches, a warm hug from my mom, the weight of my little nieces or
nephews asleep in my arms or the tug at my clothing or the tight
squeeze around the waist. These moments, though only brief, were enough
to quench my loneliness, rehumanise me, reassure me that maybe I wasn't
as isolated from the rest of the world as so often I thought I was. 

But being pushed away only made these gulfs seem wider, more
impenetrable. I felt so utterly, utterly hopeless, so lonely and
unwanted, as I slid back into my seat.  

The front door suddenly swung open and Mulder, Jacqueline and Astrid
came piling out, each loaded up with tote bags and grocery bags full of
food. I shook myself, trying to stir some energy within me as I climbed
out of the car, opening the trunk and shoving to the side our Mulder's
and my luggage, making room, and helping to pack the bags as Mulder and
Jacqueline handed them to her. 

"You didn't get the kiddieseat," I noted once we were again heading
into town. I glanced back, noting with resigned jealousy that Joshua
was now in Jacqueline's arms, and seemed to be falling asleep
peacefully as he sucked on a cookie. Did Jacqueline know how lucky she
was, I wondered? 

"It was in the car, we couldn't get it. But we got food and clothing."
He shrugged. 

I nodded slowly. I knew I should focus on the case but I felt such
aching emptiness inside, so miserably tired and unwanted, that I didn't
want to. Nevertheless, I pushed myself. "Where are we going now?" 

"Car rental, then motel," Mulder answered briefly. He was frowning, and
I could almost hear his brain ticking madly as he thought.  

I nodded slowly to myself as I worked through the logic of it.  
"And then what?" I asked quietly. I sighed unhappily. There was no
up-side to any of this. "Mulder, we're in one hell of a mess. You do
realise that, don't you?" 

"I know," Mulder admitted softly. "We'll talk about it later, okay?
We've just got to get somewhere safe first." He reached down from the
steering wheel to give my hand a reassuring squeeze, and it was a
gesture I found intensely comforting. My only regret was that he let
go. I could have done with a lot more reassurance. 

We reached the airport car rental only a few minutes later, parking
across the street. "I'll be back as soon as I can," Mulder promised us
as he left. It was only once his figure had disappeared into the
building that I found the energy - or courage, I'm not quite sure - to
turn around and face the kids. Astrid and Joshua were asleep, which
surprised me a lot. Jacqueline was still very much wide awake, but my
awkward attempt to strike up conversation with her failed dismally. 

I couldn't tell you how relieved I was when Mulder appeared, swinging a
keyring between his fingers triumphantly. He broke into a jog as he ran
across to the parking lot, finding the car and parking neatly behind
our car. 

"I got some cash, as well," he announced as he opened my door. "The ATM
was there and I thought what the hell... If they know, then they'll
know we came here anyway, so I thought it was worth the risk." 

"How much did you get?" I asked nervously. I didn't like his tone. It
was deceptively light and casual.  

"Enough," Mulder answered quickly after hesitating for a moment. 

I caught his arm as he turned. "Mulder, how much?" I repeated, forcing
the words. 

"The maximum daily withdrawl amount," he said wryly. 

I sighed heavily, feeling my insides sinking. "You're not feeling too
confident about this, are you?" 

       - - - - } - - - - } - - @        t h e   x - f i l e s  

- MULDER POV - 

I could't lie to her. All I could promise was, "We'll get through this,
Scully."  
I knew it wasn't the most reassuring thing to say, but it seemed to
cheer Scully up, if even only a little. She'd had that distanced look
in her eyes since we'd left the Moss' place and I couldn't quite figure
out why. I guessed that maybe Jacqueline's sullenness had finally
gotten to her, though that didn't seem too likely. It seemed a lot
deeper than that. 

The kids were asleep in the car and Jacqueline woke them to move them
into the new car, along with all the luggage we'd picked up at their
place. Scully returned the car we'd hired on arrival in town, and soon
we were heading west, Scully driving, heading toward the motel I'd
picked out. The kids fell asleep again almost immediately and Scully
was silent, staring ahead, so I didn't push her to talk. We must have
driven along silently for almost half an hour before the still silence
was broken. 

"I'm getting hungry," Jacqueline informed us, sounding fed up and bored
now that her siblings were asleep. I'd always gotten like that on a car
trip, started bugging Mom and Dad once Sam fell asleep and left me with
nobody to tease and torture. It wasn't until I'd been able to drive
that I'd really been able to tolerate long stretches along empty
highways. And since Scully had been in the car beside me, I'd even
started to enjoy them. Sometimes we talked, sometimes I drove her mad
with my selection of cassette tapes or choice of radio station,
sometimes we just drove along, comfortable, alone in our own thoughts. 

This situation, though, was an entirely new experience. Something told
me that I wasn't going to have much opportunity to relish the quiet. 

I glanced back at Jacqueline. "We can't stop yet, it's not safe. Can't
you reach any food?" 

Jacqueline shook her head dismissively, falling back into the seat with
a sigh. "Doesn't matter. I'll have something later." 

"How much food did you pick up?" Scully murmured to me. I guess she was
trying to calculate how much food we'd need to feed the five of us for
a few days. 

I shrugged. "I don't know exactly. There was some bread, some crackers,
cookies, tins, some vegetables..." 

"Vegetables?" Scully's eyebrows rose. "I'm guessing that you're not the
one responsible for putting them in there?" 

"I put them in," Jacqueline answered sullenly from the back seat.
"Astrid and Josh and I are used to healthy food." 

I watched as Scully squirmed uncomfortably, focusing back on the road
ahead. Her grip on the steering wheel tightened and relaxed
continuously and I couldn't remember the last time I'd see her looking
so uptight. I didn't like it at all.  
After about an hour, she slowed to a halt, rubbing her eyes. "Mulder,
can you drive for a while?" she asked tiredly. "The sun is killing my
eyes..." 

I nodded, and as we both exited the car to swap sides, Scully caught my
arm, looking at me with clearly worried eyes. "Mulder, what the hell
are we going to do?" she asked. "If they know who we are..." 

I met her gaze evenly. The same thoughts had been weighing me down. "We
just have to hope that they don't," I assured her, without much
conviction. 

"I guess," she answered doubtfully, heaving a sigh. "Things are going
to be really difficult." 

I touched her shoulder briefly. "We'll talk more later, okay?" 

"How can you be so confident about this, Mulder?" she wondered
unhappily. "I just think about these kids and..." 

"Maybe you think too much about these kids," I answered quietly, my
gaze meeting hers. Outwardly, I was calm and quiet, but inwardly I was
wincing and holding my breath that she wouldn't hate me for saying
that.  

She licked her lips, then turned away, moving past me toward the other
side of the car. She'd taken it the wrong way. 

"Wait, Scully.." I grabbed her arm urgently. "That's not a bad thing,
okay?" 

She nodded slowly, then turned and climbed into the car. Moments later
we were driving again. 
  

We arrived at the motel late afternoon, tired, eyes aching, Astrid and
Joshua grumpy after the drive. I could kinda understand why my parents
had always snapped at us when we finally reached that holiday
destination, why my dad had sworn at us when we whined and fought - but
I wouldn't go there, I vowed. I wouldn't. 

We sat outside in the motel parking lot for several long moments in
silence, staring at each other. "So," Scully said finally. "What's our
story?" 

To be honest, I hadn't really thought of that. I guess it might have
been a bit suspicious to turn up with three kids, proclaiming ourselves
as FBI agents and billing the government. Yeah, that would definately
stick out. We had to keep a low profile, something ordinary...  
I grinned suddenly, knowing that my prayers had finally been answered.
For what seemed forever I'd been hoping we'd get another undercover
case, another opportunity for me to paw Scully at every opportunity,
for us to 'play house'. This was like a godsend. I grinned broadly at
Scully and nodded my head slowly as she raised an eyebrow
incredulously.   
"Mulder, no," she protested. "There has to be another option..." 

"If you wanna keep these kids safe, Scully, we're going to have to take
precautions, that's all. Lie low. And the most obvious solution to our
situation is that you -" I smiled at her wickedly, not feeling remotely
guilty about pushing this onto her "-and I coming back for another try
at a game of Happy Families." 

I beamed at her. She sighed heavily. "Something's telling me I'm going
to regret going along with this..." 

       - - - - } - - - - } - - @        t h e   x - f i l e s  
  

- SCULLY POV -  

The motel clerk materialised half a second after I'd rung the buzzer,
like some over-zealous Jack-In-The-Box. The kids were huddled in the
corner, Joshua in Jacqueline's arms, his head nodding sleepily. Astrid,
though clinging to Jacqueline tightly with one hand, was exploring the
various brochures and posters pinned on the walls. 

I summoned up my brightest, perkiest smile - a huge effort in the state
I was in, trust me - and requested accomodation for five people for "a
few days". 

Mulder draped his arm around my shoulders comfortably, pulling me close
against him. "If you have some sort of family suite, that would be
greatly appreciated," he added. I almost applauded the act - he seemed
amazingly genuine. I was also getting the feeling that he was enjoying
it. 

The clerk opened a heavy book and skimmed his finger down the page.
"All we've got available's a room with a double bed and two singles,"
he informed us, looking at us expectantly. "Otherwise you can get two
rooms with connecting doors -" 

"Uh, no," I interrupted briskly. "We'd prefer just one room." The
statement needed some explanation, I realised, and I added, "The
younger children suffer from separation anxiety. We prefer to keep them
close to us so that they can feel more secure."  
I almost applauded myself for coming up with that excuse with such a
fried brain. 

The clerk shook his head. "Well, folks, then all I can offer you is the
one room with the double and the two singles..." he shrugged
apologetically. "You could maybe push the singles together to make jest
the one big-" 

"That'll be fine, thank you," I cut him off, still smiling, feeling
sore jaw muscles already.  

The clerk turned the book toward us, handing them a pen. "Jest fill
this out and we'll have you all set," he announced, smiling. "Now,
what's your form of payment?" 

"We'll pay cash," I said immediately. I met the his surprised
expression and shrugged. "It's, uh... more convenient. We travel a
lot." As Mulder was poised to write I slapped his hand, taking the pen
from him and shooting him a pointed glare. "No way," I mouthed. 

I began to fill out the book, entering our names as Rob and Laura,
hesitating for a fraction of a second before finishing with 'Delaney',
my mother's maiden name. 

"So, where d'you folks hail from?" the clerk asked brightly. 

I kept my head down, letting Mulder answer that one. I was too tired of
thinking. "Actually, we're from... uh, California." I glanced up at him
and shot him a pointed glare. Typical Mulder. If he was going to start
pawing me like he did at the Falls at Arcadia... No way, Mulder. Nope. 

"Well, ain't that jest the funniest thing?" the clerk said agreeably,
"my sister Dolares lives on the Californ'yun coast! Say, wherebouts do
y'all live in Californ'ya?" 

I glanced up and saw that Mulder's smile was somewhat sly. "We move
around a lot," he said easily. "The last place we lived was called The
Falls at Arcadia... Wonderful place. Very strong neighbourly spirit." 
I heard a small gasp from him as my elbow connected solidly with his
ribs. Sorry, Mulder, but you deserved that.  

"Say, your missus don't look too much like she's spent too much time in
the sun," clerk observed. I glanced up, about to sign my false name,
and shot him a look which I don't think he caught. I guess he was
lucky. I pride myself on having a nasty deathstare. 

Mulder smiled jocularly. "She's not much of an outdoors girl, are you
-" he glanced down at the book and continued on smoothly, "Laura,
honey?" He smiled up at the clerk. "Has to protect her fair skin, of
course." 

The clerk nodded knowledgeably. "My sister Dolares, she's got real fair
skin, she has. And all her little kiddies all got fair skin too. Real
hassles, it is." He ran his eyes over Jacqueline, Astrid and Joshua.
"Still, don't look like your lot inherited like Dolares's..." 

Mulder nodded in agreement, smiling. I'd finished filling out our
details and caught the clerk's attention, fairly desperate to distract
him from the conversation. Irritated at Mulder's dominance over the
situation, I shrugged his arm off my shoulders.  
"Uh, Rob, why don't you take the kids and start unpacking when I get
everything sorted out?" I suggested, throwing him a look which
threatened harm if he didn't listen. I held out the key which the clerk
had laid down on the counter. 

"Sure, sweetheart," Mulder smirked. He bent down, laying a quick kiss
on my cheek, right on the corner of my mouth, then pulled away. "I'll
see you in a few minutes," he whispered, his tone dripping affection. 

My head reeled and my stomach quivered. It was like an electric shock
had just gone through me, I felt so alive, so shaken, so utterly...
*wow*. Oh - My - God. 
I shook myself, trying to focus properly again and watching, still
stunned, as Mulder announced cheerfully, "Okay, kids, let's go start
unpack while Mom finishes organising everything." 
He glanced back at me, grinning wickedly as he ushered the trio out
through the door. 
I could have killed him then, but if I had, I would have kissed him
first, for certain. He was teasing me like this and I don't think I
liked it. I'm not the sort of person who enjoys suspense.  
And God knows there'd been enough of that between Mulder and myself... 

I realised the clerk was talking to me and I looked up, smiling
politely at him even as I had no idea what he was saying. I tuned in
just in time to hear "- real fine fam'ly there." 

I muttered something polite, I can't even remember what. I hope it was
coherent. Then I slapped down a small bundle of notes, calming a
little, enough to speak coolly. "This should cover two nights. If we
decide to stay longer we'll let you know." 

"I 'ope you 'ave a nice stay," the clerk beamed perfunctorily. It
seemed a little like an overdone act to me, but maybe the guy was
genuinely kind. I couldn't be sure. I nodded, flashing him one last
smile as I thanked him. 

I entered the motel room, throwing off my coat with a tired, frustrated
sigh, my eyes ranging around the room, uninterested.  
There was a large double bed and two single beds side by side, a small
table with three chairs in one side of the room, a TV, closet, two sets
of drawers... the usual sort of motel room, the same atmosphere, but
not the usual situation.  
Mulder and Astrid came through the door, lugging an armful of bags
each. I grabbed the bags from Mulder's arms, dropping them down to the
ground and pulling him away from Astrid a few feet.  
"Mulder, we need to have a talk," I said firmly. I felt empowered at
that moment, and certain beyond all doubt that I had to set him
straight about the teasing. It was unprofessional, to say the least. 

"Uh, Scully..." Mulder indicated Astrid. I glanced across and saw that
she was staring at us with a puzzled frown. Jacqueline and Josh entered
the room, Jacqueline with a large bag of food and Joshua trailing
behind her. 

"How long are we going to be here for?" Jacqueline demanded, dropping
down the bags and looking at us expectantly. 

I drew a deep breath, wanting to show some control in the situation,
even though I felt I had none. "Hopefully just a couple of days. We
don't know for certain. Just until we can be sure they're not following
us." 

"And then?" Jacqueline demanded. "What happens when we do leave here?" 

"We don't know that either, yet," Mulder admitted. 

"Great," Jacqueline muttered. Joshua tugged at her jeans and she bent
down. "What is it, Joshie?" 

"Hungry," he said, pronouncing the word carefully but petulantly. I
couldn't remember how old he was. I was sure Mulder had said two, but
he looked younger, he was so slightly built. Jacqueline lifted him up
into her arms, talking to him softly and evoking a shy smile from him
before turning to face us.  
"Can we unpack some of this stuff?" She indicated the bags piled along
the wall. "I packed a bag full of Josh's toys." 

Mulder nodded, moving to switch the TV on and flipping channels until
he found cartoons. "This'll keep the kids occupied while we sort
through the bags," he explained. 

"We don't watch Television," Jacqueline said coldly. "We weren't
allowed. We didn't even own one." 

Mulder wasn't fazed. "You've got one now." He swept Astrid up and sat
her down on the bed in front of the TV, patting her on the head. She
stared curiously at the TV for a moment, then glanced up at Mulder,
frowning, then returned her gaze to the TV, her face scrunched up in
fascinated concentration as she watched. 
I watched the scene between Mulder and the child with the same amount
of fascination and curiosity, glancing surreptitiously at Mulder and
secretly cherishing the grin on his face as he watched Jacqueline
grudgingly settle down with Joshua beside Astrid. Maybe there was hope,
after all.  

Mulder and I began to sort through the bags, putting them into some
semblance of order, and unpacking the bag which held a selection of
educational children's toys. Joshua and Astrid, quickly tired of the
TV, grabbed the toys greedily and sat down on the floor to play with
them. Jacqueline sat with them, talking to Joshua as he made a tower of
blocks, and Astrid as she put together a complicated wooden puzzle. 

I watched them, fascinated. "Mulder, these kids' abilities are far
beyond their years. I've never seen a two year old so capable with his
hands before." 

"They're not normal kids, Scully," Mulder reminded me. 

Yeah, right. I'd almost forgotten that. They'd both been acting so
right for their ages, sleepy and grumpy, that it had been hard to
comprehend that they were different. Special. 

There was a happy shout from Astrid and she jumped up, clapping for
herself. "Finished!" she cried happily. She turned to Mulder and I,
beaming. "Look, I did it!!" 

Jacqueline tried to quieten her sister, but I returned the smile.
"That's wonderful, Astrid," I said encouraging, unable to keep the
happiness from my voice. Astrid's cheerfulness was contagious, making
me feel better about our situation, lifting my spirits. I wouldn't give
up on this case, on these kids, I vowed. 

I glanced across at Mulder, and could see that he was grinning.  
"What now, G-man?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. 

"Food!" Mulder announced, producing an opened paper bag of cookies and
offering to me. I took one and bit into it hesitantly, grimacing
slightly at the lack of sugar I usually associated with cookies but
downing the rest of it nonetheless. Mulder grabbed a handful for
himself, then put the bag down on the floor in the middle of the mess
of puzzle pieces and blocks. Both Astrid and Joshua immediately looked
to Jacqueline, who allowed, "Two each." 

I felt again the stab of jealousy as I watched Jacqueline mothering the
two children, the ease with which she talked to them, helped them, and
the affection with which the children responded. I wandered around the
motel room aimlessly, my eyes always returning to the trio sitting on
the floor. I switched off the TV, then sat down on the edge of one of
the beds, staring at a painting on the wall unseeingly, letting myself
relax for a few moments, zone out. 

"Dana!!" I was jerked back to reality by Astrid's persistant tugging on
my sleeve, and a picture was then pushed into my face. "I drew you a
picture, Dana!" she announced proudly. 

I blinked in surprise, taking the offered picture and looking at it, my
surprised growing. 

"It's you and Mr Fox," Astrid said happily. "I drew you together, but
it's for you." 

"Thank you, Astrid." I was genuinely delighted, amused by the name, 'Mr
Fox'. "It's a wonderful drawing." 

The drawing itself wasn't exactly a da Vinci - Astrid's mental ability
might be far beyond her age, but her artistic abilities were spot on
for a preschooler. But I didn't care. I was delighted by Astrid's show
of affection for someone she barely knew. She was a far more
affectionate child than I had ever been.  

Astrid returned to her drawing on the floor, but I continued to look at
it, smiling to myself. Childlike as the figures were, they still,
somehow, bore an uncanny resemblance to Mulder and myself, standing
closely together, my hand in his. Except, unlike too many days, we were
both smiling. 

Mulder appeared beside me and I flushed slightly as he took the picture
from my fingers, inspecting it. "Not bad," he said, returning the
picture. I glanced up at him apprehensively, but he was smiling. I
wondered what he thought of the fact that we were holding hands, a
gesture which, in our relationship, was rare and intimate.  
Intimate... I loved that word. I loved what it stood for in our
relationship. Everything from gentle touches to whispered
conversations.  

"Hey, Laaaaaura..." I realised I'd zoned out again when Mulder's
devilish tone snapped me back to reality. He'd thrown himself down on
the bed beside me, letting out a small, comfortable moan. 

I set my expression before turning to face him. I knew I had to be
stern, for our professional relationship as well as our personal one,
which kept inching forward when I wasn't looking. "Mulder..." 

Mulder held up a finger. "Nuh uh uh!" he reminded me, "it's Rob. And
we're married, remember?" He looked gleeful that I almost felt guilty
about ruining his fun.  

"Inside this motel room, we're Mulder and Scully, you get that?" I held
his gaze firmly. "We're Mulder and Scully and we are *partners*." 

He looked down at the bedcovers for a moment, then looked up again,
pouting. "That means no cuddling?" 

"No cuddling," I said resolutely, though even as I said it I knew with
all my heart that I was lying. "And stop doing that - that *thing* with
your arm around me. You've got more arms than an octopus, Mulder!" That
I felt slightly less dishonest in stating with vehemence - I don't mind
Mulder's touch normally, but when he does it deliberately to be
obnoxious it just zaps all the fun out of the touch. Well, maybe not
*all*... 

"Hey, I was just getting into character," he protested.  

"Mulder, we've been married for fifteen years!" I reminded him
pointedly. "We're not honeymooners anymore, okay? We've been married
for fifteen years and we're sick to death of each other!" 

Mulder pouted again, "How time flies when you're in love," he said
mournfully. 
  
I repressed a smile and shook my head. If he only knew... 

"Just snap out of it Mulder, okay?"  

Mulder mock-sighed, pulling himself upright. "So, oh wife of mine, what
are we going to do about the sleeping arrangements? We have three beds,
five people and no couch." He leered at me suggestively. 

Looking around, I grimaced. I have to admit, though, that the grimace
was purely for his benefit. I was already thinking warm fuzzy thoughts
about sleeping in Mulder's arms. But let that on to Mulder? No way.
That would be disastrous.  
"I really don't want to have to say this, Mulder..." I said eventually.
"But I think you and I are going to have to share a bed." 

Mulder's eyebrows rose. "But Scully, I seem to recall you just saying
-" 

I'd been expecting that exact obnoxious response. "Quit it, Mulder!" I
warned. "You're too tall to fit one of those single beds there, and so
I figured that if we pushed the two of them together the three kids
could squash... and then you and I-" 

"Share the bed!" Mulder finished. He placed a hand on my shoulders. 
"Honey, we're married - we have three kids," he said in a falsely
reassuring tone. He couldn't have made it plainer that he was mocking
me. "There's nothing wrong with us sleeping toge -owwwwww!!" 
  

       - - - - } - - - - } - - @        t h e   x - f i l e s  

- MULDER POV - 

I guess Scully must have had a lot of opportunities to perfect her arm
twist growing up, cos it sure was mean. No wonder her brother is so
bitter about life. Times like this reminded me how strong she is,
despite her size. Her grip on my wrist was like iron. 

"Mulder, I'm not your honey. Can I make that *any* clearer?" she asked,
her eyes dancing with a flicker of what I almost thought was amusement,
though I didn't dare act on it. "And secondly, we are *not* going to be
sleeping together, as we will be taking turns to keep watch all hours
of the day!" 

She loosened her grip a little and I pulled away, rubbing my sore arm.
"Okay, I hear you, I hear you," I muttered, wincing. 

Scully stared at me for a moment, then nodded, satisfied. 
"Good. And I'm not your mother, either, so you're going to clean up any
mess that you make." 

I mock-sighed again as she turned away. "This is your way of telling me
you want a divorce, isn't it?" I muttered mock-mournfully to myself.
Then I chuckled. I was going to annoy the hell out of Scully and enjoy
doing it. 

       - - - - } - - - - } - - @        t h e   x - f i l e s  

- SCULLY POV - 

It was like being a kid on holiday again. It sounded terrible to say,
because I should have been feeling all wary and insecure about the kids
- and I was, a little, just not, maybe, as much as I should have been.
I was focusing very much more on Mulder. Our relationship had felt
strange since our conversation in the cafe. Besides, it wasn't like we
had anything else to do. Jacqueline was with the kids, and was even
more possessive of them as Mulder is of me sometimes, which is saying a
lot. She was constantly with them, amusing and entertaining them,
helping them with puzzles, talking to them, admiring their pictures.
That pretty much left Mulder and I to sit and watch, which we did. And
wait. I hate waiting, and although I've strived to teach myself
patience I felt as though I was getting to the end of my tether. Mulder
was being more obnoxious that he'd even been, in my recollection, and
it was suffocating. He was like a bored little boy acting out for  
attention. I scolded him endlessly, prising his hands off me, pushing
him away. It wasn't that I minded his touch, but not when it meant
nothing more than to annoy. That didn't give me chills the way the
slightest touch sometimes could.  
Eventually Jacqueline seemed to thaw a little and sat down with a book
of her own, even though she kept glancing anxiously across at the kids
and then scowling across at Mulder and I. By the time Astrid and Joshua
were chasing each other around the motel room and squealing and
shrieking though, she was completely engrossed in her book, and didn't
look up once.  
I know this because I was watching her. It was fascinating to watch,
the way her eyes darted back and forth. It seemed she turned a page
every twenty seconds or so. It was incredible. It was only when Astrid
and Joshua collapsed exhausted on the bed, panting loudly and giggling,
that she looked up at them, and smiled. I was stunned to see that
smile. It was a bittersweet smile, wistfully joyous.  

Our dinner of pizza was a new experience to all three of them - "Cate
always said it was too unhealthy" - and by the time the meal, eaten out
of the box, sitting on the carpeted floor, was finished, Astrid and
Joshua were already looking and sounding sleepy. 

"I threw their pajamas in somewhere," Jacqueline muttered as she rifled
through the various different bags. Finally, she pulled out two small
pairs of plain children's pajamas, one blue and one red. 

Mulder and I were settled against the foot of the bed. I'd finally
given up on pushing Mulder away and he now had his left arm draped
around my shoulders. His touch was gentler now. I didn't feel so
pressured or bullied by him, as I had earlier in the day with his
agressive obnoxious teasing. In fact, I kinda liked it. Well, scratch
the kinda. I did like it. I wanted to close my eyes and snuggle down
against him, let him kiss my forehead, my cheek, my lips... I bit back
a sigh at the thought. I'm hopeless, I scolded. I shouldn't be thinking
such unprofessional thoughts, especially while we were in such a
potentially dangerous situation, but, God knows, I couldn't help it.  

"Do you want some help dressing them?" I asked tentatively. I had to
redirect my thoughts or I'd be up all night thinking about him...
again.  

"I'm fine," Jacqueline answered shortly, pulling Joshua toward her and
starting to undress him, her fingers quick and deft, as though having
performed the exact same task hundreds of times. Within minutes, her
younger brother was in his pajamas and tucked into one of the double
beds. Soon Astrid was snuggled in beside her brother, yawning, and
Jacqueline was sitting beside the bed, talking to them softly as they
drifted off to sleep. She was so - oh, almost infuriatingly maternal. I
envied her more and more as I watched her with them. At times I felt
that I could survive, that I could deal with the knowledge of the
inevitable. But to have to watch this was painful, so painful. 

Mulder stood and tugged me to my feet, and I settled down across on the
other bed as he tidied up the dinner mess. I sat with my knees up to my
chest, hugging them tightly. Right then, if Mulder had pulled me into
his arms I could have let him, gladly. The more I saw Jacqueline with
the kids the more and more miserable I felt, the lonelier. I wondered
if Mulder felt the same way, or whether he just wasn't bothered by
these things. From our conversation in the cafe, I thought maybe there
was a lot more to read into in his attitude than I'd assumed.  
He threw himself on the bed beside me, and we made some vague attempts
to discuss our next move before trailing off and watching the kids
curiously.  

"She's like a mother to them," I sighed softly. I made no attempt to
hide any emotion in my voice. I was tired, felt depleted of energy. 

"I think she probably was. She gave them the love and attention that
their adopted parents never did," Mulder said slowly. 

"Poor kids," I whispered. 

Mulder looked up at me, his eyes dark, gaze steady. "Scully, however
you feel about these kids, you can't lose focus," he reminded me
gently. Any remaining traces of annoying mock-affection had vanished
and his serious, caring expression was completely genuine, I knew with
all my heart. 

"I know that," I nodded regretfully. "I know." I sank back against him,
too tired and emotionally low to keep up the facade of pushing him
away, instead admitting silently my need for comfort and strength. 

Mulder's thumb was gently grazing the back of my hand, playing with
each individual finger, as we sat together in still silence.  
There was no need to talk. It was only when Jacqueline rose from her
sleeping siblings' bedside and approached us cautiously that I roused
myself, stretching and pulling slightly out of Mulder's  
grip. 

"Have you decided anything more yet?" Jacqueline asked shortly.  
Her arms were crossed and she wiggled her toes impatiently. 

I shook my head. "We've been thinking." 

"You know, you could help us out if you could give us some more
information about the project - names of people involved, anything else
you know," Mulder said pointedly. 

"I didn't know their names," Jacqueline admitted. She dropped down on
the edge of the bed hesitantly and studied her fingernails for a
moment. "They were all just doctors and scientists. Dr H, that sorta
stuff. Nobody was called by their real, full name. I guess it was a
security measure, or something." 

"How did you access the files you leaked?" My mind was starting to warm
up again, revived by Mulder's touch, the promise of a fascinating
revelation from Jacqueline. I tried to inconspicuously draw a notepad
and pen toward me to take notes of anything she said, but then suddenly
changed my mind, realising that in our position it would be dangerous
to keep hard copies of anything. We were hunted, and I felt it, the
pressure of it, in the back of my mind. That was what I had to focus
on, I told myself. Not the gentle touch of Mulder's rough, worn hands. 

"They all trusted me there, really. I don't know why. Maybe they didn't
know how much I hated them all. But they were always sending me on
errands, photocopying files, sending faxes to outside the compound."
She paused a moment, adding musingly, "I never really thought they'd
think it was Cate and Roger. I mean, that doesn't make any sense. But I
knew they wouldn't suspect me - I was their prize guinea-pig." She
rolled her eyes. "With my IQ I could supposedly take over Cate and
Roger's job one day. If things went according to plan, anyway." 

"The compound?" I queried. 

"The McFarlane Corporation has a large compound just out of town. It
was built about twenty years ago, expensively designed. That's where
most of the workers on the project spend their time as well as all the
above-board work they did. We were taken in a couple of days a week for
tests, tutorials, that sorta stuff." 

"What sort of stuff?" Mulder pressed, glancing at me, his eyes shining,
excited. 

Jacqueline sighed tiredly. "They were testing us on everything - mainly
mental stuff, psychological and educational, but some physical things
as well. It was about comparing us to..." she trailed off, shrugging.
"We both had tutors - Astrid and I - and they taught us some things." 

"Such as?" 

Jacqueline shrugged. "The usual. Physics, chemistry, biology -
genetics, of course, a lot of math. That's the earlier stuff I learnt.
Lately they were teaching me specifically about DNA and how to alter
cells and genes. Kinda interesting," she conceded, "but it was tedious,
constantly having to memorise things." 

"What about Astrid? What were they teaching her?" I asked, glancing
across at the small, sleeping child. 

"She was really only just starting - the basics of genetics, plus some
math, algebra and stuff." 

"They were teaching a four year old algebra?" I asked incredulously.  

"What about Joshua?" Mulder asked slowly. 

"He spent a lot of time with the child psychologist," Jacqueline
answered offhandedly. 

"Why did he need a psychologist?" I frowned and glanced across at him. 

Jacqueline shrugged. "He didn't. None of us really did. It was just
another way of monitoring our progress - monitoring us. Some of the
earlier results had been ... unstable. That was always one of the
biggest difficulties. Besides, his psychologist doubled as a teacher -
he was learning numbers, the alphabet, fluent speaking, correct
enunciation... the usual kid stuff." 

"Yeah, the usual kid stuff," I echoed under my breath. This was
unbelieable. "But he didn't seem particularly fluent before," I argued.
I admit it, I just didn't want to believe her. It was too impossible.
Despite Emily and the Berkowitz case and whatever others we'd seen...It
was just too huge to process, too unexplained, too illogical. 

Jacqueline shook her head dismissively. "He's just shy around
strangers. He's..." she smiled, "he's got a nickname for me, -" 

"Duckie," I remembered. I half-smiled.  

"Yeah," Jacqueline nodded her head. "He can say Jacqueline easily, but
he prefers Duckie..." She paused for a moment before adding, more to
herself than to her listeners, "So do I."  
She was silent for a moment, then shook herself. "I'm tired. Is it okay
if I get some sleep?" 

I nodded absently, my mind going over the incredible facts we had just
learnt. Not just the fact that a seemingly normal four year old was
doing algebra, but the fact that these children had been used as human
lab rats. I felt dull anger at the fact that these scientists had taken
away the freedom of these children - and the childhood of Jacqueline.
Nobody had the right to do that, to play God. 

Jacqueline grabbed a tote bag from the floor and disappeared into the
bathroom, latching the door behind her. Mulder and I met each other's
gazes. 

I sighed, very, very heavily. "So, what do you think?" 

Mulder shook his head slowly. "It's incredible, isn't it, Scully?" 

"It's so cruel," I answered, shivering. "They made these children, and
then they didn't allow them to be children. They made them to be lab
rats." My anger was rising. "They're children, Mulder, and look at the
life they've been living."  
Four year olds should be playing with dolls or having teaparties or
dressing pet cats in doll clothes and pushing them around in a baby
carriage, not spending all day learning things I hadn't learnt until
high school. It was unjust. With knowledge came a lot of
responsibility, an awareness of the world. Ignorance is bliss, they
say, and it's true for kids, I know it is. They should enjoy their
childhood, enjoy their innocence and blind faith in the world.  
"It's cruel," I repeated, a half-sighing whisper. 

Mulder bit his lip, reaching out to put his hand on my shoulder,
rubbing gently, bending his head close to mine. "I know it's unfair,
Scully," he agreed. "But if we get too attached to these kids, we're
going to become too emotionally involved. We have to remember that it's
not our job to be parents, it's our job to keep these kids safe and
catch whoever is responsible for their parents' death. And for the way
these children have been treated. It's not our job to... to care about
them." 

"Caring about others isn't part of the job, Mulder, it's part of being
a human being," I said softly, meeting his gaze unhappily. 

Mulder nodded in silent agreement, his hand still massaging my shoulder
through my clothing. "I know, Scully," he said finally.  

There was a squeak as the bathroom door opened and Jacqueline appeared,
wearing checked blue and green pajamas. 
Mulder and I pulled apart immediately, feeling uncomfortable under her
piercing, disconcerting gaze. Moments like that between us were so, so
private to both of us. 

"You get some sleep, Scully," Mulder said softly. "I'll keep first
watch." 

I nodded, climbing down off the bed and grabbing my overnight bag from
the floor, moving toward the small bathroom. 
"Goodnight, Jacqueline," I said, almost shyly, as I passed her, smiling
encouraging and hoping desperately that she wouldn't knock back my
attempt at friendship again. 
  
Jacqueline gave me the ghost of a smile as she climbed into the bed
beside her brother and sister. "Goodnight." 
She switched off the lamp beside the bed, so that half the room was now
swamped in darkness, and settled down with a sigh. 
  

       - - - - } - - - - } - - @        t h e   x - f i l e s  

- MULDER POV -  
   
I dropped down into the armchair which stood by the door, a position
where I could keep an eye on the two curtained windows and the door. I
heard the creak when Scully emerged from the bathroom, and dropped my
gaze to the weapon I cradled in my lap, not daring to look up at her. 

"You okay, Mulder?" She sounded mildly concerned. 

I glanced up at her, startled to see her standing there, clad in black
silk pajamas. "What? Oh, yeah... I'm fine." After a moment I added with
a daring grin that hopefully disguised how nervous I was, "*Very* nice
pajamas." 
I turned my head away deliberately, not meeting her gaze as I loosened
the tie which still hung around my neck, pulling it off and draping it
over the back of the chair. When I was finished, I looked back up to
find Scully still staring at me. I wondered if I'd gone red. I was
doing a damn awkward job of this. "What?" 

Scully shook herself. "It's... nothing." She yawned. "I'm hitting the
sack. Wake me up in a few hours, 'kay?" 

I nodded, smiling as she yawned again and then meandered off toward the
bed, watching as she climbed into the double bed and switched off the
light. In the moonlight I could see the silk of her pajamas, and I
contemplated my partner, her tom-boy, un-feminine image, and yet, the
little luxuries she allowed herself - silk pajamas and, as he had
discovered on their very first case, silk underwear. It only made her
even more irresistible to me...  
Damn. I wasn't going to go there, no way. I shook myself, muttering a
mantra I often used - "I will not perceive my partner as a sexual
object. I will not perceive my partner as a sexual  
object..." 

Scully stirred in the bed, sitting upright sleepily when she heard the
whisper. "Mulder, is that you?" she murmured, blinking as she tried to
focus in the dark. 

I swallowed hard. I'd only been muttering, quieter than a whisper. She
couldn't have heard, could she? If she'd been able to make out the
words, I'd be a dead man... "Yeah, I was just muttering to myself.
Sorry."  

"S'okay," Scully answered drowsily, snuggling back into the pillows
with such an adorable little sigh. She was soon fast asleep, and I sat,
leaning back in the chair, watching her as she slept, the moonlight
illuminating half her face, the rest hidden in shadows in a way I found
intriguing. The experience itself, of watching her sleep, was something
I always found so extraordinarily soothing and reassuring, keeping me
grounded, reminding me that we were only human, despite how we escaped
death enough to appear immortal. 
  

      - - - - } - - - - } - - @        t h e   x - f i l e s  

- SCULLY POV -  

I returned to sluggish consciousness slowly, aware of lean, strong
fingers stroking my cheeks gently. "Scully," Mulder whispered. 

"Already?" I murmured, still heavy with sleep. I wished I could have
frozen that moment in time, stretched it out, lay there for hours and
hours with Mulder touching me so gently like that. 

"You can have a little longer, if you want. I don't mind," he said
softly, smiling as I fought to keep my eyes open. 

It took all of my self-control to protest and struggle upright. 
"No, it's okay," I muttered, rubbing my eyes. "But thanks anyway." 
I kicked back the covers, switching on the bedside light as I climbed
off the bed and went in search of my robe, pulling it around me
tightly, and placing my weapon on the arm of the armchair Mulder had
just vacated, sitting down heavily in the huge chair. 

"I only need a few hours," Mulder said helpfully as he climbed into the
bed and switched off the light. "Only a few hours, and then you wake
me, okay?" 

"Just get to sleep, Mulder," I said tiredly, smothering a yawn. I heard
him murmur an answer, the sheets rustling as he made himself more
comfortable, and after a few minutes he was asleep, his breathing
falling into a steady and regular pattern. I stood and began to pace
around the room, feeling as if I would fall asleep if I sat still for
too long. I was used to all-night stakeouts, but this had been such a
long, emotional day that I was exhausted. Nonetheless, I was on watch
and I couldn't let my guard down. 

I stood by the window, peeking out through the curtains at the dimly
lit parking lot, and it was reassuring to see our rental car sitting
there, only a few feet away. Without it, I would have felt trapped,
without escape. The car at least offered a way of escape, a way to
freedom from pursuit. I was glad. I hated feeling trapped. 

I shook my head, turning slowly and resting her back against the wall
as I took in the darkened room, the two double beds with only a few
feet between them, Mulder's lanky form in one, the three children in
the other. I sighed, moving closer to the second bed. Jacqueline was in
the middle, lying on her back, spreadeagled. Her left arm extended out,
her hand resting on Joshua's curly head as he lay asleep, balled up
with thumb in mouth. Astrid was on the other side, nestled against
Jacqueline. They looked so young, so innocent, that I was beginning to
wonder whether I'd just dreamt all that they had discovered in the
evening. I sighed again and turned away, my fingers tightening around
my weapon as I returned to the window again, dropping down on a hard
chair beside it, so that I could watch both the room and the parking
lot. My mind drifted to Mulder - as it inevitably does - as I sat there
in silence and I contemplated our relationship. It was a question I
could never answer. Trying to analyse my feelings for him, his feelings
for me, what I wanted out of our relationship, what he wanted... it was
a challenge, a puzzle, and the more I thought about it, the less sense
it seemed to make. I myself seemed to have two different sides - Agent
Scully, who rolled her eyes at Mulder's come-ons and pushed him away
from showing any sign of affection, and then there was Dana, who would
accept Mulder's love and affection when vulnerable, would appreciate it
and be comforted by it. Dana who sometimes craved Mulder's touch, could
remember how close we had gotten in his hallway so long ago and relived
that night in her dreams... 

For almost an hour I sat, lost in thought, and then a sudden movement
startled me, bringing me back to reality with a jolt. Jacqueline was
sitting bolt upright in bed, gasping and choking. 

I was at her side in a second, flicking on the light. 
"What's wrong?" I asked quickly, alarmed. My eyes ranged over her
quickly, my mind jumping rapidly from one possibility to another.
Poison? Allergic reaction? To what? 

Jacqueline pulled herself out of the bed, moving past her brother
awkwardly, and stood, swaying slightly, looking green. "I..." she
began, before she suddenly clamped her mouth shut. 

I caught her arm and dragged her into the tiny motel bathroom,
switching on the light, just in time for Jacqueline to vomit violently
into the toilet bowl. I wet a facewasher, handing it to Jacqueline when
she finally stopped retching and slumped down on the bathroom tiles,
shivering. 

"You okay?" I asked softly. 

Jacqueline closed her eyes tiredly, wincing, I guessed, at the terrible
taste in her mouth. "What happened to me?" she croaked. 

"You threw up," I bit my lip. "Do you know why?" 

Jacqueline shook her head. "I've never done that before." She paused
for a moment before adding, "I've never gotten sick before." 

"Ever?" I felt my eyes widen. 

"We don't get sick," Jacqueline said slowly.  

"Until now..." I frowned. "What's different now?" 

Jacqueline snorted. "What's different now? Everything's different now.
Nothing's the same." 

"I meant, what has changed that would affect you like this?" I
corrected patiently. I really wanted an answer. "Is there anything
specific about your change of environment... different food, maybe?" 

Jacqueline stared at me. "I guess it must have been the pizza," she
said, unable to keep the interest from her voice. "But that doesn't
make sense. None of the ingredients have been known to cause problems
before..." 

I frowned as I remembered something. "All the food which you brought
from your house were low in fat and sugar. Could that have something to
do with it?" 

Jacqueline shrugged, brow furrowed in concentration. "Maybe." 

"But, why aren't Joshua and Astrid reacting in the same way?" I
queried. "If they have the same intolerance you do to these things -" 

Jacqueline cut me off, rubbing her arms through the flannel pajamas,
trying to stop herself shivering. "You don't understand. Josh and
Astrid and I are the same, but we're different - from different
batches, so to speak." She met my confused glance and gestured
impatiently. "Biologically, we're siblings, made from sperm and ova
donated by the same two people. But apart from that, we're completely
different. Every new batch was a 'new and improved' version of the
last. But there were always so many things that could go wrong...
things that  
did go wrong. We're the only successes out of dozens of attempts - with
sound bodies and minds." She spoke quickly, words almost tripping over
each other. She sounded impatient, tiredly frustrated, only slowing at
the end when she spoke the last four words. Sound bodies and minds. I
didn't like the sound of that at all. 

"How could that be?" I asked, intrigued. "What made you three successes
when the others were failures?" 

Once again, Jacqueline frowned in thought. "One time, when they were
drawing blood from me, they told me that my DNA was near-perfect. And
that they needed it to create other children to be like me." 
She shook herself, pulling herself up off the floor. "I'm cold," she
muttered. She wandered back into the motel room, over to the window
where I'd been sitting, picking up my weapon, which I had forgotten in
my hurry, and swung it idly between her fingers. "You shouldn't leave
this out with the kids around," she murmured. 

I joined her at the window, touching her arm hesitatingly. 
"You were the only successful result at first?" I asked softly. 

Jacqueline shook her head. "No, there were three of us at first, David,
Susan and I. But Susie died of heart failure when she was three, and
when he was four, David ... David went out of control. He ended up
killing himself by throwing himself against a wall again and again and
again... in front of me." She paused reflectively, then sighed. "They
tried again only a few months after David died, creating six children,
but none of them survived more than a few months. Experiments
continuedthat way for years - when one attempt failed, they would make
a few adjustments and then try again. But it seemed that with every new
batch, they were getting more and more off-target. Many of the foetuses
had birth defects, many died within hours of first breathing air. Some
of them were deformed..." 

I was unable to help the shudder that ran through me, followed by a
familiar wave of dull grief at the thought of tiny babies brought into
the world as only a science experiment, dying. It seemed so unfair that
these people created children in the dozens - and if one child failed,
they just created another. Chance upon chance they had. And I had none,
no chance of ever having a child of my own. It was just so unfair, so
terribly unfair...  
I shook myself, pulling my robe closer around me, and gestured for
Jacqueline to continue. 

"When I was nine, they decided that they needed to return to where
they'd begun - I was their first, and, at this time, only success. They
said I was just a fluke, but the fact remained that I was alive and
mentally stable, while all others had perished. They drew blood from
me, using the genetic coding to create two new children - twin boys,
Jack and Andrew. And, at first, they seemed to work out okay. But
somehow, their genes were unstable - maybe it was something that had
been altered in an attempt to eradicate my flaws - and they died when
they were only six months old. Astrid was next - there were six in her
batch, each of which had genetic code similar to my own, but altered
slightly to  produce, hopefully, a superior product. Three of the
children in this batch died near the end of the gestation period, a
fourth died soon after birth from untreatable anaemia. Only Astrid and
Laura remained, but they'd already detected flaws in Laura - mental
instability and deafness, among other things, and so they focused on
Astrid, which was fortunate, because Laura died six months later." 

"She was the second success," I said slowly. I felt such jarring
emotions, fascination by the science of the project, repulsed by the
lack of humanity, callous disregard of human life. 

Jacqueline nodded. "I was eleven at the time, but when she was only a
few days old, they put her in my care. I was taught how to feed her,
bathe her, change her... until she was of an age where she could begin
to learn, she was of little use to them." She sank down on the floor,
whispering, "She was so tiny. And she knew me - she'd look up at me and
she'd recognise me... she trusted me. And I love her as much as a
mother loves her child, and that's why I can't let you take her away.
Or my Joshua." Her tone became desperate and pleading and I felt such
terrible empathy for her. I didn't know what our chances were of
keeping these kids safe. We'd try, I knew we would, but we didn't
always win, even when we did push ourselves past the limits. 
We'd lost Gibson, I kept reminding myself of that. And as determined as
I was that we would be careful, so deathly careful, about the safety of
these kids, I couldn't promise anything, even to myself. 

I held her gaze for a moment. "Jacqueline, we don't want to split you
up. We're going to do everything in our power to ensure that you stay
with them, and that you're all safe." 

"Everything in your power isn't enough," Jacqueline whispered,
resigned. "They're going to find us, sooner or later. We can't hide
forever." 

I was silent for a moment as I bent down, patting Jacqueline's shoulder
reassuringly. She was right. We couldn't hide forever, waiting,
waiting, waiting to either be found or just wait forever. "We'll do
what we can," I whispered. That I could promise. I stood again. "You
should really try to get back to sleep," I suggested softly. 

Jacqueline nodded, hesitatingly accepting my hand up. "Thanks, Dana,"
she said awkwardly. 

I smiled in response, leaning back against the wall as Jacqueline made
her way back to the bed and wiggled in between her siblings. I went
over all Jacqueline had just told me in my mind, the complexity of what
Mulder and I had gotten themselves involved with growing. The Moss
children weren't just results of the experiment - Jacqueline was the
key to it. Without her, they didn't have the right DNA map. 

I walked quietly across the room, finding my overnight bag in the semi
darkness and digging through it, trying to find my notebook. Instead,
my search turned up my diary, a small spiral-bound book. I flipped
through it, through pages and pages of the same neat writing - writing
which in no way reflected the turmoil within me while making the
entries. I returned to the window, making myself as comfortable as I
could be on the hard chair, my diary resting against my knees as I
began to write. Some times my words flowed smoothly, but today they
came with difficulty, jerkily, as I tried to express my feelings about
the case and our current situation, hiding like mice in a hole, not
knowing whether or not the cat lurked outside.  
Eventually, I closed the diary, hugging it tightly as I stared out the
window unhappily. 

"Scully?" 

I jumped as I felt his hand on my shoulder. "Mulder, you startled me."
I exhaled heavily in relief. 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said softly, his hand moving to
caress my hair lightly. His attitude and actions were confusing me, to
say the least, and I was so very nearly asleep that I didn't know what
to make of it. "I woke up, so I thought I'd relieve you." 

I uncurled myself, pulling myself to my feet and looked up at him
sleepily, clutching my diary. "Yeah, thanks," I murmured, glancing at
my watch. Mulder had gotten just over three and a half hours sleep.
That wasn't enough for anybody, really... but if he was volunteering...

"You get a few hours, okay?" Mulder smiled. 

I nodded, returning my diary to my overnight bag before crawling into
the bed. "I had a talk with Jacqueline," I murmured, relishing the soft
warmth of the bed and the way the sheets smelt pleasantly like Mulder.
It reminded me of those rare occasions when he'd held me, and I'd been
comforted by his strong, protective arms around me, the shared warmth.
Dana moments. 

"We'll talk about it tomorrow," was Mulder's answer, and I nodded
sleepily, already half asleep. 
  

It was just past seven a.m. when I woke up, finding light poring into
the room. Pulling myself upright and blinking a little, I stared across
the room at where the three kids were sitting, all fully dressed and
wide awake on the floor in a circle, playing Memory with dozens of
cards. 
I slid out from between the covers, picking up my robe from where I'd
dropped it on the floor beside the bed, and pulling it on tightly as I
moved across to crouch down beside them on the floor, running my hands
over my hair to smooth it down a little. 

"Morning," I said softly, watching as Joshua found three pairs of cards
consecutively. 

To my shock, Astrid flung her arms around my neck, making me lose my
balance and almost fall sideways. "Dana!!" As usual, she was full of
energy and affection. It was amazing. 

I felt a grin spreading across my face as I pulled Astrid into a brief
hug before releasing her. How wonderful it felt to receive such a show
of affection. "How long have you lot been awake?" 

"Since six," Jacqueline said briefly, but I could have sworn that her
answer was not as sullen and short like the day before, slightly more
friendly and open, more trusting. "We always get up early." 

I nodded, licking my lips and glancing around. "Where'd Mulder go?" 

"Mulder?" Jacqueline queried, a faint mischievous smile lighting up her
expression. "I think you mean Fox." 

I stared at her, confused by the game Jacqueline seemed to be playing
with me. I drew a deep breath, then conceded, "Uh, yeah... Fox." The
word sounded strange coming from me and I smiled hesitantly at
Jacqueline. 

She nodded, smiling. "He just drove down the road to the gas station to
fill up the tank - just in case. He should be back soon." 

I nodded. "I'd better wait until he gets back to have a shower," I
murmured, more to myself than the others, adding more audibly, "We
shouldn't leave you guys alone. It's too risky." 

"Actually..." Jacqueline shrugged apologetically. "Fox gave me your
weapon before he left... I know how to use firearms, and he thought it
would be okay, instead of waking you up." 

My eyebrows rose. "Really?" 

"One of the guys at the compound used to teach me how to shoot..." was
Jacqueline's half-attentive answer as she packed away the Memory cards
with the help of Astrid and Joshua. 

"Sounds like you were taught a lot," I said dryly. I wasn't very happy
about that, I don't think. Maybe I felt jealous because Mulder had
trusted our safety to Jacqueline, I don't know. I pulled myself upright
as he came through the door, grinning cheerfully. 

"Morning Scully," he said lightly, flashing me a smile. I wondered why
he was so exuberant, but didn't question him on it. 

"You're looking good for someone who got about three hours of sleep," I
remarked, feeling so energetic. His exuberance, like Astrid's
cheerfulness, was infectious. I smiled at him playfully. 

"Don't hate me 'cause I'm beautiful," Mulder retorted teasingly. 

"I wouldn't hate you if you were," I smiled. Although I tried hard not
to show it, I loved it when we played our little games like this.  

"Sorry to interrupt the flirting," Jacqueline remarked dryly, "but
would we be able to get some breakfast?" 

*Huh?* Mulder and I both stared at her. 
"Flirting?" I queried incredulously. Mulder and I didn't flirt. We
joked around sometimes, teased each other. Our most humorous
conversations usually took place in autopsy bays, oddly enough. But we
didn't flirt. Nope, no way. 

Jacqueline laughed, but didn't repond, instead producing a hardcover
story book, Enid Blyton's 'The Faraway Tree'. Her siblings wiggled up
on either side of her as she opened the book and began to read to them
in a quiet, clear voice. 

"Well..." I began, bringing my gaze back to Mulder and licking my lips
nervously, aware that Mulder's gaze on me was ...strange, to say the
least. I have to admit, his teasing had been more heavyhanded than
usual. His innuendos had never been so blunt before. I wondered if he
was trying to tell me something and I was just afraid to listen to him
long enough to find out what. But why was I so afraid? 

Mulder raised his eyebrows in response, rocking back and forth on his
heels as though uncomfortable or nervous. "You know, married couples
can still flirt