Persuasion

Author: PhileyX 
E-Mail: phileyxback@yahoo.com 
Web-site: https://www.angelfire.com/id/phileyx 
Rating: PG 
Category: MSR, WJR
Spoilers: Arcadia, The Amazing Maleeni, Hollywood AD, Requiem
Prequels: Man Without A Face, The Matchbox, The Dinner Guest, A Nobody is Hard to Find, Time Out, Redhead, A Father is Hard to Find, Visions, Second Time Round, Keeper, One of Us, Revelations, Persuasion
Disclaimer: All the characters here do not belong to me. 
Author's note: The prequels to this story can be found at:
https://www.angelfire.com/id/phileyx/Face.html
https://www.angelfire.com/id/phileyx/Matchbox.html
https://www.angelfire.com/id/phileyx/Dinner.html
https://www.angelfire.com/id/phileyx/Nobody.html
https://www.angelfire.com/id/phileyx/Timeout.html
https://www.angelfire.com/id/phileyx/Redhead.html
https://www.angelfire.com/id/phileyx/Father.html
https://www.angelfire.com/id/phileyx/Visions.html
https://www.angelfire.com/id/phileyx/Secondtime.html
https://www.angelfire.com/id/phileyx/Keeper.html
https://www.angelfire.com/id/phileyx/Oneofus.html
https://www.angelfire.com/id/phileyx/Revelations.html
Intro: This story takes place after the Requiem. Two years after his disappearance, a man appears claiming to be Mulder, with a catch; he just didn't have his face. Scully finds out he really is her ex-partner the unconventional way. Now the consortium is after their only son and she is forced to make the ultimate sacrifice; she gives them both up. Although intent on keeping herself away from her son, she is unable to stop herself from seeing Mulder. Will grows up without her and soon without his father too. Uncertain about his past, he struggles to understand the signs along his way, signs that would lead him to the truth and eventually his destiny. And as their child proceeds on his path, Mulder and Scully are left to determine their own.

XXXXXXXXXXXX
Persuasion 

      Excerpts from the song 'If You Want Me To' by Ginny Owens. 

                 No infringement of copyright intended.

<The pathway is broken
And the signs are unclear>

The blond was obviously flirting with him. But Dana was seated much too far away to tell if Mulder was responding to her come-ons. She continued to watch them carefully, through her dark sunshades. The shades, the bright scarf over her red hair and her almost dowdy choice of clothes were all a part of a hasty disguise. And it worked; no one in the airport gave her a second glance.

An announcement filled the air, politely asking all passengers of the New York flight to begin boarding. Dana remained in her seat, allowing the strange lady and Mulder to pass her by, towards the departure gate. It gave her a chance to check out the competition.

She was elegant. 'One of those who always looked immaculate, like dolls with matching outfits.' Dana thought and rolled her eyes in annoyance. Her hair was golden yellow, cut very short and deceptively simple. Her eyes were gorgeously green and she had to be a head taller than her. Next to Mulder, she looked perfect for him. Well, except for the fact that he wasn't hers to own. "Not in this life time..." Dana muttered under her breath.

It was one of the things she wondered about him; how he spent his time when he was away from her. Not that she didn't trust him; she just didn't trust the rest of her sex. After all, could she blame them for being attracted to him? All he had to do was stand there and it was enough to draw attention of every female within a two-meter radius around him.

They were now safely through the gate. Dana got to her feet and followed their trail, standing in line to hand in her boarding pass. The queue moved slowly, giving her more time to reflect on her words she had prepared for him.

He would be difficult to convince, she knew. It was tough enough persuading herself that this was what she wanted. For twenty over years, she believed that if only she had Will back, her life would be complete. She was wrong. Will had grown up and it seemed so had she. So what was missing? What did she really want? Was it Mulder?

It was a question that plagued her the past few months. And Mulder persistently stayed away. Tired of waiting and wondering, she threatened the Gunmen, got the information she needed and here she was, determined to find out once and for all.

She felt strangely liberated and yet somewhat terrified. She had walked away from her safe world, of her career in the Bureau, from her life's work in the X-files, away from her family, even from her newly found son. What if she found that being with Mulder wasn't what she wanted either? What if she started missing her previous life? Her brothers and their family? Her son? Maybe even her loneliness? And yet, what if she didn't and found peace.

When she saw him again a few seats away, her face twisted into a scowl. He was seated next to the very same blonde. And he was helping her push her seat back. It was unlike him to be so attentive. Something was obviously up and her curiosity instantly doubled. It made her a little impulsive and she headed towards the seated Mulder with the intention to make her presence known. Thankfully she had traveled light, easily squeezing past the other passengers that were in her way. Nearing her target's seat, her grip tightened as she swung her compact Samsonite with purpose. The solid travel case met its mark with a loud thud, followed by a muffled cry of pain.

Mulder grabbed his throbbing knee and snapped his head up to glare at the clumsy idiot that had hammered his or her luggage into him. "Are you bli...." His loud voice instantly died when the culprit lowered her shades and revealed a familiar pair of blue eyes. 'Scully?' He swallowed hard. 'What the hell is she doing here?'

Dana pushed her shades up and apologized profusely in a French accent. "Oh deer! Monsieur, I yam truly soree! Pliz let me get the hôtesse de l'air to get you ice!"

Mulder bit his inner lip at her ridiculous but believable act. "It's fine, really." He got up, grabbed her hand that was waving for a stewardess and pulled it down. "It's okay, Mademoiselle. I'm fine."

"Ah, but of course Monsieur. You are strong. Like a bull, eh?" She emphasized her point by trailing her hand very slowly down his arm. The blonde next to his seat scowled, making her smile even wider.

Meanwhile, he choked back a laugh. "Yes well erm... thank you, Mademoiselle. Perhaps you'd like me to help you to your seat."

"No no!" Dana put on a look of horror. "I wood never dreem of taking you away from your chéri." She purposely nodded in his companion's direction.

His brow immediately cleared getting the hint but not intending to explain anything to a French stranger. "And where is you seat, Mademoiselle?"

"It is at the behind, 51J." She replied and her quick gaze over the blond immediately made her gush. "Ah, such a lurve-ly ring! Monsieur, you are alreazy married! You should not go round helping Mademoiselles in détresse or your chéri will be angry witz you!"

'Okay, point number two taken. She's married, lay off!' He thought and smiled sweetly. "Well if you would not let me help you to your seat, you would be careful with your bag, wouldn't you? It's rather hard on the knees."

"Ah merci, Monsieur. I will remember your conseil." She shook her head, smiling wickedly. "Tsk tsk tsk! It is my fault, really. I like everything hard."

Mulder didn't whether to laugh or curse. He was tickled pink seeing Scully act this way but her simple innuendo had his libido up in arms. And that was never good. He needed his wits about him at the moment. One false step and Alisa would be suspicious.

Not wanting to say another word, he just nodded his head at her and watched as sauntered gracefully to her seat, a few rows behind his. He then returned to his seat. Alisa gave him a look. He ignored it and muttered. "The French.... you gotta love them." She didn't reply.

XXXXXXXXXXX

<And I don't know the reason

Why you brought me here >

The flight was delayed due to bad air traffic. And they circled the airport for the third time. Mulder glanced at his sleeping co-traveler beside him. It still amazed him how some people could fall asleep so easily anywhere, even in cramped economy seats such as theirs.

Someone walked past his seat towards the restrooms in front. He raised his eyebrow when he saw the familiar red scarf. Checking once again on Alisa, he softly got out of his seat and followed in the French-woman-wannabe's footsteps.

He waited by the narrow passageway for her to emerge from one of the little rooms. A few passer bys shot him a curios look, wondering why he wasn't using a clearly vacant room. Ignoring their attentions, he took out his sunglasses and wore them as if he would be less conspicuous with them on.

She finally surfaced from the behind a door. Mulder removed his shades, took a quick look about him, making sure no one was watching before taking a couple of swift strides towards her direction.

"What the..." She began to say when he pushed her back into the small compartment, got in with her and struggled to close the door behind him. "Mulder!" She hissed softly. "We both can't fit in here!"

He proved her wrong. The result was that their bodies sandwiched tightly against each other, her face barely an inch away from his chest. He frowned, shook his head and quipped. "And you hear stories about couples doing it in air-plane res...."

She interrupted him. "Mulder, what the hell are you doing in here?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that, Mademoiselle?"

"I was peeing."

He gave her an admonishing look. "How are our friends, the Gunmen doing? You must have left them pretty beaten up, considering they swore not to tell you anything."

She defiantly looked back at him. "Come to think of it, it did take me more than a glare to get this flight number. So what's going on, Mulder?"

'So they didn't tell her anything else.' He thought and rolled his eyes. 'At least it wasn't complete betrayal.' But it still didn't mean that he wouldn't kick their asses when he saw them again. "Scully, go home."

"All right, if you're not going to tell me...." She smiled at him sweetly. "Why don't I tail you for a couple days? Maybe accidentally bump into you and make your chéri a little more jealous?"

He sighed and gave up. "Her name is Alisa Agafonov. She's got some information I need. The thing is, she's extremely paranoid."

"Really? A match made in heaven."

"No, I mean it. She's almost psychotically paranoid. If she even gets a whiff that I had anything to do with the FBI or any government organization, I probably would be killed."

"What kind of information?" He hesitated, reluctant to tell her more. She bit her lip and took a wild guess. "Information on why they abducted you?"

"Yes." He finally admitted. "I need to find out why I have this face, Scully. I still don't know why."

"How do you know she knows anything? How do you know you can trust her?"

"The Gunmen had already checked her out. She's clean."

She shook her head as if rebuking him for being so naive. "Nobody is clean when it comes to the X-files, Mulder. How did you find her anyway?"

He physically stiffened. "Oh. She.... contacted me."

And her eyebrow rose, knowing that there was definitely more here than meets the eye. "Has it anything to do with waking up one day and finding yourself in a strange place, not knowing how you got there?"

He looked defeated and surrendered the truth. "There were a group of us in that National Park that morning. She was there too. Everyone else was too scared to ask questions, except the two of us. So we kept in contact." Looking up, he frowned. "The guys told you?"

"No, Jason did. It was one of his visions." She looked at his chest and closed her eyes briefly. "That's why you left him, didn't you? You wanted to prepare him for the worst."

Mulder winced slightly at the memories and his head lowered, resting gently on top of hers. Moments later, he whispered. "Go back to DC, Scully. You have a life there. Better yet, think about moving to Chicago."

It was the opening she needed for the speech she had prepared and yet it seemed ridiculous to do it where they were. She opted to leave it for later. "Mulder, you can't do this alone. Let me help you."

"I'm not alone, Scully. The guys are helping me out. The best thing you can do right now is go home. You're easily traceable to the FBI."

She groaned. "I've come this far. I'm not going anywhere. And it's either you let me in now or I'll find my way somehow. And you know those guys can't so no to me."

"Nobody can say to no to you, Scully. Especially in a French accent." She grinned and he sighed. "Oh all right. Get a room at the Sheraton. I'll find you."

"Okay." He moved to go before she stopped him with a soft French purr. "Oh Monsieur? You will be careful, will you not?"

He laughed and sneaked a quick hard kiss on her lips. "God, you're adorable when you're jealous!" Then he left, replacing his sunglasses on his nose.

Dana waited for a moment before getting out of the compartment herself. When she did, a man almost bumped into her. "Oh I'm so sorry!" He muttered in amazement. "I saw a man leave. I thought this booth was empty."

Dana cringed and muttered thoughtlessly. "Yeah, he needed a hand." His eyes widened and she blushed, explaining further. "You know, being blind and all."

She nodded and quickly excused herself but not missing the confused man's soft murmur as she walked away. "Lucky bastard."

XXXXXXXXXXX

<But just because you love me

The way that you do>

They walked quickly through the airport crowd. And Dana followed inconspicuously from behind. When they exited the airport entrance, she saw Mulder frown and jerk slightly. Suspecting that something was wrong, she walked faster to get both Alisa and him in better view. Suddenly, a car pulled at the curb nearby and Alisa seemed to be nudging Mulder towards the car. He obeyed with great reluctance. And as he entered the car, Dana caught a little glint of metal slipped underneath Alisa's coat as she joined him in the back seat of the red Volkswagen. 'A gun.' She thought and carefully noted the car's plates as it drove away.

Hurrying to the nearest phone booth, she slipped in a couple of coins and punched the Gunmen's number. "Byers?" She called when someone picked up.

"Scully?" Langly's voice answered.

"Langly, Mulder was taken." She breathlessly told him.

"He was abducted?"

'Talk about a one-track-mind.' She thought and rolled her eyes. "In a manner of speaking. But this spacecraft had wheels and plates. A red Volkswagen G39 7CB."

"Oh." He sounded embarrassed. "Red Volkswagen... sounds like one of Alisa's cars."

She frowned. "How close are you following this?"

"Real close. We even know her hideout and where she's going to bring him. The only reason why we need her at all is because she can get him in."

"Get him in where?"

"It's a long story, Scully. Actually, I shouldn't be telling you anything. This chick is a whole lot more paranoid..."

"I know, I know, Mulder told me." She sighed. "Listen, I want you to dig deeper into her background..."

"But ..."

"I know you did it already and found her clean but I don't buy it. I'll be staying at the Sheraton under the name Petrie, Laura Petrie. Call me as soon as you find anything."

"Petrie?"

"Yes. Like the dish."

"That was Mulder's idea, wasn't it?"

She stifled a laugh. "Bye, Langly."

XXXXXXXXXXX

<I'm gonna walk through the valley

If you want me to>

Mulder eyed the huge Aussie bloke in front of him and offered him a smile. The latter ignored the courtesy, still keeping a diligent glare on him. 'As if I were the one hitting on his wife...' Mulder silently grumbled to himself. Could he help it if he was just so irresistible? The thought made him want to grin but the scowling giant nearby changed his mind.

His wife soon walked over with an automatic. "You know how to use one of these?" She asked.

Mulder nodded and she passed him the weapon and a couple of bullet clips. He asked her. "Expecting trouble?"

"You never know." She replied simply and gave the signal for the whole group to move out.

Alisa's army contained four men. Her right hand man was her husband, Zack, who from the moment set him eyes on him, utterly hated his guts. The other three guys were only in it for the glory. They were Alisa's varsity mates who never quite grew up, living only to sabotage anything that had a government stamp on it. If the Gunmen had seven locks on their door, these guys were probably living in Alcatraz.

All six of them bundled into a cozy white van. Zack drove and seemed intent on driving into every ditch he could find. Mulder rubbed his sore head as another jerk slammed him against the rear door again, just next to where he sat. Fortunately for him, the journey ended ten minutes later.

Whilst one of Alisa's men stayed in the van, the rest prepared to infiltrate the Federal Statistics Center. Mulder watched them move swiftly and surely. They looked like they knew what they were doing and had done it a million times already. It was disconcerting. It made him wonder if there were more to them than the Gunmen's background checks.

The suspicion started ever since Alisa pulled a gun on him at the airport entrance. Their initial discussion of his involvement did not include food and accommodation but she made herself quite clear with a nudge of a gun that he had no choice on the matter. The reason she gave was that she was just taking extra precautions. Mulder rolled his eyes and thought. 'The distrustful bitch.'

He followed their lead quietly. Careful to keep out of their way, in hopes of making a few discoveries of his own. If he could, that is, for Zack was beginning to majorly piss his off. The latter kept him in sight every step of the way, always just a step behind from him. Mulder found that he could not do anything without him noticing.

The Federal Statistics Center was highly secure but like the Gunmen, these people did their homework well. They found an emergency fire exit, flame-torched around the lock until it fell off and swung the door open. Inside, the corridors were well-lit and immaculate white. Armed with fake swipe cards and already programmed access codes, they passed through each door access in their way with ease.

After a while, Mulder felt as if they were in some kind of maze. They seemed to be in a middle of a mass of passageways. But Alisa and her men strode on confidently. They knew which turns to take. And it thoroughly puzzled him how on earth could they have remembered such complicated directions?

They soon came to their ninth obstacle. Alisa turned and threw Mulder a meaningful look. 'This is it.' He decoded her silent message and his heart began to pound excitedly. Zack too must have caught his wife's gaze at him because his jaw tightened a notch. 'Ho boy....' Mulder grimaced internally.

One of the guys swiped a card through the system. A moment later, a green light flashed and the glass door opened automatically. They walked in cautiously, everyone a little more alert than before. The corridor continued on but Alisa nodded towards the nearest door on the left.

When they entered the room, everyone's eyes widened instantly. Nobody expected the sight that greeted them. After a moment of stunned silence, Alisa asked quietly. "How much time do we have?"

One of her men quickly recovered from his awe and answered her. "We have seven minutes, six seconds before the guards make their rounds."

"Right." She softly commanded. "Then let's get to work."

As the first man stood by the door, the other two immediately took their places in front of the computer terminals in the room. Meanwhile Alisa and Mulder walked towards the rows of large coffin-like containers. Zack continued to watch the latter grimly.

Mulder held his palm out and touched the glass. His hand trailed along the smooth surface and a storm of memories began to trash wildly within him. 'It looked the same, exactly the same. Only this time, they were empty.' He thought.

His expression told her that he knew what he was looking at. So Alisa asked. "What is it?"

His eyes remained locked on the glass pod as he told her. "They're hibernation pods. Alien hibernation pods."

She looked confused. "I thought you said what we were up against was just a virus?"

Nodding his head, he explained. "It begins as a virus. But when it finds a suitable host, it hibernates and gestate into a new form."

"What kind of hosts are we talking about?" He didn't reply. Before she could press him further, she was called aside by her men.

Relieved that he had moment to himself, Mulder's mind raced to make sense of it all. Alisa may have a trusted informant but it was obvious that she has still a lot to learn about alien colonization. It was why she needed him, to put the pieces together.

But nothing fit. Why were there pods here in the first place? For experiments? His head snapped about the room. It was plausible. Hibernation and breeding had to be done in a temperature-controlled environment. This room seemed to be well fitted with that capability.

He counted the number of pods. There were 28. 'Such an odd number.' He thought. Then fiddling with the metal catch, he released it causing the glass door to open upwards. It looked new, unused. And he wasn't sure if that was good news or bad.

"Two minutes." The man at the door announced.

Mulder glanced at Alisa. She was huddled with her two technical aids and seemed to be discussing something in great detail. His curiosity immediately heightened and he began to walk towards them. Suddenly, he felt a cold object nudge his arm from behind. It was Zack and from the scowl on his face warned him to remain where he was. Mulder's brow creased. 'Something's up. And it was something they didn't want him to know.'

He watched as the hushed discussion ended abruptly. Alisa slipped him a gaze but her countenance said nothing. When the one-minute mark was declared, the shorter geek removed the disc from the computer and slipped it into his pocket. His right pocket, Mulder noted with interest.

They quickly exited the room. Zack suddenly knelt down in the middle of the passageway and gave Alisa a boost. As quietly as she could, she pushed the ventilation cover open and climbed into the vent. One by one, everyone took their turn up.

Mulder couldn't tell how Zack, being the last, managed his way. And when they finally emerged from the stuffy vents safely onto the ground, he was bitterly disappointed to find that he did. Waiting until the calculated estimate of a duration of a round had completed, Alisa then expertly led them out the building through the same way they entered.

XXXXXXXXXXX

<Cause I'm not who I was

When I took my first step>

"I still think you're overreacting." Byers mumbled.

"Oh, am I?" Dana shot back. "Then why did you both immediately take a flight to New York?"

Byers sighed, his hands gripping the wheels a little more tightly. "We just thought you might need some backup."

"No, I think you got worried." She countered. "After all, you guys are more paranoid than Mulder."

From the back seat, Langly informed them. "They seem to be coming to a stop." He looked at the numbers on the screen that told him the target's distance. "Less than a mile away."

Dana switched her flashlight on and studied the map in her hands. "Could be a gas station."

Byers bit his lip and tried convincing the determined redhead again. "Marita Covarrubias and Alisa Agafonov sharing the same sorority back in college could mean nothing, Scully. They isn't a trace of evidence that they have been in contact since then."

She groaned. "Byers, you've been going on and on about this for miles. What the hell is bothering you?"

"If Alisa spots our car trailing them, Mulder could be in danger."

"That's why we put a tracker on their van, isn't it? So we could follow them from a distance?"

"But we've got it under control. They got in and out without a hitch. We know exactly where their hideout is. So why are we still following them? Mulder will be fine."

"That's precisely the point, Byers. It was the Federal Statistics Center. And as you said, they got in and out without a hitch. It was just too easy!"

Langly snorted. "That building's child's play, Scully. We could get you in too."

"Fine." Dana growled irritatedly. "Then tell me this, how did you get that tracker on the van so effortlessly Langly? The guy inside didn't even bother to be on a look out!"

Byers frowned. "So you're saying it was a setup?"

"I'm saying that they were allowed access to see something. The question is what and why?"

"You're right." Byers suddenly said and she raised an eyebrow, surprised that for once, it didn't take much to convince him. But her triumph was quickly diminished as he slowed the car down and she saw that he meant she was right about the gas station.

Langly tapped her shoulder gently with the binoculars. She took it from him and peered through them. "Alisa's on her cell phone, two guys outside, Mulder and the rest are inside the station's convenience store."

"She's on her phone? Hoo-wie!" The gunman on the back seat chuckled and started tapping furiously on his laptop.

Dana glanced behind. "What's he on?"

Byers grinned. "It's a project he's been tinkering with. He created a computer virus that when released in a telecommunications system duplicates voice packets, transferring a copy to his IP address."

"In other words, phone tapping?"

He looked at her and recognized her glare. She was warning him to speak her language. "Sort of."

"What happened?" Langly suddenly exclaimed. "Why was I cut off?"

Dana looked into the binoculars again. "Maybe it's because she hung up."

"Already? Damn! I've only got two seconds length of packets."

"It probably says 'Goodbye' since you got the end of the conversation." She muttered sarcastically.

But Langly didn't join her mirth when he pulled his earphones off. His eyes were dead serious when he told them what the two seconds actually said. "Nope. There were three words. 'Ready to deal'."

Dana's face instantly paled. "What's the location of the receiver at the other end?"

Langly worked on her request and snapped his head up when he got the answer. "The numbers can be traced to the State Emergency Management Office, New York."

"It's a trap!" She muttered, her brain quickly thinking of a way to get Mulder out of it. Hurriedly, she released her safety belt and opened the car door.

"Scully, where are you going?"

"I've got the munchies." She answered but her face was solemn. "You guys want anything from the mart?" Stunned, the duo could only gaze back at her. "No? Okay then. Keep the engine running. I'll be right back." And they watched in disbelief as she walked towards the gas station.

XXXXXXXXXXX

<And I'm clinging to the promise

You're not through with me yet>

Mulder frowned at the packet of seeds. He hated this brand but it looked like he didn't have a choice. 'Or I could go for the honey-coated shelled ones.' He thought, picking up another packet and mulled over the decision carefully.

His eye noticed a movement in front of him, on the other side of the shelves. He looked over, saw Scully browsing and physically froze. Fortunately, he remembered that he was being watched and forced himself to act normal. It was then that she looked up, catching his gaze. Her face showed no signs of recognition, just nodded politely as she would to a stranger. 'She was playing along.' Relieved, he courageously returned the gesture and returned to his seed shopping.

He wondered why she was here. One of the reasons he could think of was to warn him that he was in danger. Or it could be that she was just stubborn and didn't want him to do this alone. After all, he was supposed to come looking for her but didn't. Well, it wasn't entirely his fault. He didn't know Alisa had plans to kidnap him.

"Excuse me." He heard her loudly call out to the man behind the cash counter. "Do you have any pest control? Rat poison? Traps?"

"Right at the back, the last aisle!" The man yelled back.

Mulder cringed internally. So he was in danger! He calmed himself down and thought of ways to escape. Taking a brief glance around him, he caught sight of Zack. The bulky man still had his eyes on him. 'Damn!'

He waited until she walked up the counter with a large rattrap in hand. Then, he casually joined her, standing next to her in line. As the manager counted her change, he asked in a friendly tone. "Rat problems?"

She looked at him briefly. "Yeah. Keep getting in and escaping through the back door."

"Here you go." The man behind the cash register handed her coins and the receipt. She thanked him and moved to go.

Mulder smiled. "Good luck."

"Thanks. You too, mister." She told him and sauntered out the door.

"She's too hot for you, Alexander." Behind him, one of Alisa's technical guys taunted.

'Oh like she'll even give you a second of a century.' Mulder almost shot back but didn't. He forced a smile as he eyed the shorter man's right pocket. "No harm trying."

The man snorted and paid for his purchase, a computer magazine. Mulder rolled his eyes. 'Dork!'

XXXXXXXXXXX

<So if all of these trials

bring me closer to you>

"You're lucky Alisa didn't recognize you from the plane!" Byers mumbled nervously.

Dana was safely back in the car and would roll her eyes if she weren't intently watching Mulder through the binoculars. "Oh just drop it, will ya?"

"Do you think he got the message?"

"Yes he did, Byers. And keep your foot on the gas. When I ask you to, step on it."

The latter sighed. "Maybe Langly should drive."

"Sorry bud, I'm on keypad control tonight."

Dana held up her hand to stop the inane chatter. "Okay, he's gone to the back of the store. That's our cue."

"Are you sure there's a back door?"

She gritted her teeth. "Byers?"

"What?"

"Drive!"

"Oh all right."

As quietly as could manage, Byers drove through to the rear of the gas station, near the back door. Dana ducked when Alisa and her men glanced towards their direction. Trying to act as normal as he possibly could, Langly got out of the car and started fiddling with the air pumps nearby.

"Where is he?" Byers whispered, his eyes darting between the exit and the waiting van.

"There might be one guy with Mulder. I see only four of them out here." She told him.

He groaned. "Oh great."

Out of the blue, Langly opened the door and rushed in. "I heard shouts. Get ready to dash for it!" Byers moaned louder. As if on cue, a dark figure appeared from the door and ran towards them.

Mulder stumbled and nearly fell over his feet when he heard shots behind him. Then taking a deep breath, he ran as fast as he could to the waiting car, just a couple of steps away from him. He scrambling in the back seat and smacked hard on Byer's headrest. "Go!"

Although his head hurt where Mulder had attacked him, Zack was not about to give up. He shook his head, clearing away the grogginess and corrected his aim. He then pulled the trigger. The automatic sprayed a few bullets at the rear of the car before it sped off. Undaunted, he took a couple of steps, and redirected his shots.

Byers, Langly, Mulder and Scully ducked as the rear mirror shattered behind them. Dana glanced beside her and gasped. "Byers, you're driving! Get your head back up there and look where you're going!"

He obeyed her but soon wished he didn't. They were heading straight into Alisa's van! He panicked and swung the wheel left. "Oh no..." He muttered.

By that time, Dana braved herself to look up. "Byer's, the gas pumps!"

The latter's only reaction was to wince and she took a deep breath, bracing herself for the impact. Thankfully at the last minute, he swerved the car, avoiding full-on collision but still running through a corner of one of the pumps. Then, they heard the shots again.

"He's still shooting at us! The man's crazy!" Mulder bellowed. "There's petrol every..."

His voice died when a loud blast took them all by surprise. The car jerked in front, flaming heat enveloped outside their car for a fraction of a second before subsiding. The car raced on, gaining distance from the incredible temperature. And one by one, they dared look up at the destroyed gas station behind them.

"Gee Mulder, you must have really pissed that guy off." Langly muttered.

Mulder could not help but laugh. Dana raised an eyebrow, not understanding the joke but wisely deciding not to ask. Instead, she turned to Byers. "You okay, Byers?"

He nodded and mumbled under his breath. "Now you know why I usually don't do the driving."

XXXXXXXXXXX

<Then I will go through the fire

If you want me to>

Mulder entered the hotel room bringing in three large slabs of pizza. The mouth-watering aroma immediately caught their attention and the Gunmen looked up from their work.

"Just in time, Mulder." Langly proudly told him. "I managed to decrypt the security encoded files from the disk you passed me. Good thing Frohike taught you a few tricks before he left us, huh?"

"Yeah." Mulder smiled, thinking back to the time when the littlest Gunman offered to teach him the fine art of pick pocketing. He then looked about for Scully.

Byers caught his frown and told him. "She's in the showers."

Mulder nodded and walked to their side. "So, anything interesting?"

"Yeah but it's a whole load of medical jargon." Langly grumbled.

The other Gunman pointed to the title header and muttered. "CSF."

"What does CSF stand for?" Mulder asked.

"CSF or Cerebrospinal Fluid is the fluid contained the brain and spinal cord. It acts as a cushion, protecting the brain from sudden movements. It's also provides nutrients and immunological function."

As Langly scrolled down the page, he thought aloud. "Protein, glucose, potassium, calcium, bicarbonate, amino acids, sodium, chloride, magnesium.... It seems to be a list of biochemistry properties of CSF."

"Mononuclear leukocytes, Round, Monocyte/macrophage, Polymorphonuclear granulocytes, Erythrocytes... Aren't they some sort of cell types present in cerebrospinal fluid?" Byers wondered aloud.

"Yup." Langly agreed. "And the numbers beside them seem to represent it's numerical content, some sort of measurement. It's like we're looking at the nutrition listing at the back of a cereal box, only it's of brain fluids." Pausing, he noticed something else. "The list is indexed. There seems to be 28 separate records here."

Mulder's head automatically perked. "Did you say 28?"

"Yeah, why?"

Taking a step back and staring blankly at the opposite wall, Mulder told them. "There were 28 hibernation pods."

Byers made the connection. "Are you saying that these are the records of 28 people that had been tested in that center?"

"No." He almost whispered. "I'm saying that these are the records of 28 people that have been chosen for alien colonization."

"What?" Both the Gunmen were dumbfounded.

Mulder looked at them. "It didn't strike me until just now. There were 28 of us at the National Park that morning, five years ago. And I bet if you check the records of the missing people that disappeared on the same night I did twenty years ago, you'll find that the same number of them had abnormal brain activity a few months before."

"You mean...."

Mulder snickered and nodded his head. "That's right. We're alien food."

The three of them looked at each other for a while before all three of them cracked up laughing. In between guffaws of mirth, Langly sputtered in between. "Branded alien feed... And everyone thought you'd come up to nothing, Mulder."

Their laughter grew louder as Mulder supplied further. "Fucking Grade A."

Not to be outdone, Byers added. "Sorta like how Kellogs is to cereal."

"Or Whiskers is to cat food." And the hysteria continued.

It was only after a couple of minutes that they slowly began to sober up. And the amusement on their faces inadvertently turned into solemnity. If Mulder's theory were right, it would mean he would be taken again. The only question remained was when.

They heard the bathroom door in the adjoining room open. Scully had finished her shower. The Gunmen turned to look at Mulder. The latter eyed them guardedly. "I suppose swearing you guys to secrecy would be a complete waste of time."

The duo shared an embarrassed smile. Then Byers represented them both. "Mulder, give it up. You're never going to get rid of her, no matter how hard you try."

Mulder smirked but did not reply. He then turned and headed for the adjoining room, where his Scully was.

XXXXXXXXXXX

<It may not be the way I would have chosen

When you lead me through a world that's not my home>

She was already dressed, in the same clothes. The blush on her soft skin indicated that she had taken a really long hot shower. He walked to her as she stood in front of the mirror, drying her hair with a towel.

"Hey." She greeted him, seeing his reflection. "Did the guys find out anything yet?"

He hesitated but only for a moment. "They're still working on it."

Nodding her head, she turned to face him. He looked troubled and she immediately grew wary. "Everything okay?"

He smiled an assurance and whispered mischievously. "You know, we can lock the door and you can speak French to me."

She teased back. "Are you kidding? We've been here for like an hour now. Those two paranoid friends of yours probably have a bug fixed here somewhere."

Grinning, he leaned to kiss her softly. She kissed him back and then began. "Mulder..."

He quickly interrupted her, recognizing the start of her crusade to be with him. "No, Scully. I know we have to talk but I'm not really up for it tonight."

Sensing his low spirits, she opted for light humour. "All the more reason for me to do this now."

He smiled, touching her face gently. "Please, Scully. We'll talk in the morning."

Realizing that he had made up his mind, she sighed. "Okay."

"Thank you."

She raised an eyebrow, wondering and yet not daring to ask why the formality. Instead, she took his hand in hers and led him to the bed. "I'm bushed."

"Me too." He replied, pulling her beside him on the bed. As he tucked the covers around them, he whispered. "Scully?"

"Hmmm?"

"I love you."

She closed her eyes and smiled. "I know."

XXXXXXXXXXX

<But you never said it would be easy

You only said I'd never go alone>

It was suddenly very cold and Dana shifted in the bed, searching for his warmth. But he wasn't there. She opened her eyes and patted the darkness beside her just to be sure. "Mulder?" Nothing.

She leapt to her feet, tearing out of the room and into the next. Langly was nodding off on the couch while Byers was asleep on the bed. "Where's Mulder?" She yelled at them, causing them both to jump.

They looked about blankly and muttered. "Isn't he with you?"

Dana glared at them and moved to check their bathroom. In her haste, she knocked over a pile of printed papers. Mechanically, she knelt down to pick them up. The bold medical words caught her eye. And as she scanned through the sheets in front of her, her heart began pounding. "Byers?"

He softly broke the news to her. "We found that info from disk Mulder provided. It's a list of brain...."

She cut him off. "I know what it is! What does it mean?" The former shared a nervous look with his partner, making her yell again. "What does it mean, damn it?"

"It means they'll take him again." Langly finally told her. "They need him for ... I don't know... perhaps the gestation of the royal alien family or something."

Dana physically froze as the implications sank in. And from the guilty looks on the Gunmen's faces, she knew that Mulder knew about this before they went to bed. He just pretended that nothing was wrong, waited till she fell asleep. 'And then he took off!' She thought, her anger growing.

The rage helped her recover, her legs beginning to have some feeling again. She started walking to the door. And as her steps grew surer, she began jogging and then running.

XXXXXXXXXXX

<So when the whole world turns against me

And I'm all by myself>

Mulder put the key in the ignition and started the car. The harsh noise vibrated off the quiet walls of the underground parking lot, making him wince slightly. Although his body was pulling the car out of the space and heading towards the lot exit, his mind was far away.

He was still pondering about his choices, about Scully's choices and about theirs together. It was as if history was repeating itself. Once again he had to make this choice of walking away. He didn't want to. He knew she didn't want him to. So why was he more inclined to the idea of letting Scully lead her life back in DC without him? The harsh truth soon hit him cruelly in the face. It was because he was afraid.

Mulder suddenly jerked his head up when a figure appeared out of nowhere in front of the car. He hastily rammed against his breaks, the car squealing to a horrid sounding stop. 'Scully?'

He killed the engine, got out of the car and turned to face her. By then, his fury was immeasurable. Red-faced with wrath, he bellowed at her. "What the hell were you doing? I could have killed you!"

She answered him with left hook, hitting him squarely on his right jaw. His head flew back and his whole body thudded against the car. "What the...?" He held his face and looked at her in amazement. "What was that for?"

Her chin lifted defiantly as her blue eyes glared daggers at him. "You cowardly bastard!" She hissed. Gaping, Mulder tried to say something but she cut him off. "Don't bother with the they-will-take-me-again speech, Mulder. Nearly thirty years ago, they threatened that the date of colonization was at hand and yet, here we are..... Still alive, still human, still here....... Still stuck exactly at the same spot as we were in the midst of the X-files. In love but too terrified to do a single damned thing about it! So why don't we cut the save-the-world crap and for once, deal with us and only us!"

Mulder's lips emitted a tight smile. He reflected on all the trips he had made to DC in the past months just to see her. Surveilling from afar, watching her lead a life without him. It felt safe, safe both for him and for her. But it was far from what he wanted and needed. And seeing the blazing brilliance of the furious redhead in front of him now, he wondered what on earth made him think he could ever do without her.

Impulsively, he told her. "Okay, let's." Taking her by surprise, he pulled her into his arms. His kiss was hard and demanding as if he was letting go all the fears and frustrations that had nagged him for years. So she returned it with all her doubts and discontentment. It was only after a couple of minutes later that they finally pulled apart. As they struggled to catch their breath, Mulder muttered against her forehead. "Ow!"

She laughed and tiptoed to kiss his sore jaw. "Serves you right!" She growled, inhaling his scent. "I can't believe you were going to leave without saying a word."

"I wasn't" She heard him say. Looking up to chide him for lying, she saw that he was perfectly serious. He explained further. "I couldn't sleep and thought I'd get some seeds at the nearest convenience store."

She stared at him. "Oh." Realizing that she punched him for nothing, she began apologizing profusely. "Mulder, I'm so sorry."

He couldn't bear the look of misery on her face and reached to touch her lips. "Don't be. I was thinking of reasons to persuade you to go home. So I did deserve it." It was his turn to look mortally guilty.

Unable to bear it, she softly called. "Mulder?"

"Hmmm?"

"I love you."

It worked like a charm. He smiled and muttered. "I know." Then, he pulled her close for another exhilarating kiss. Catching her hand and kissing her palm, he whispered fervently. "Let's get another room for ourselves."

"That'll take too much time." She hastily replied when he began licking her fingers seductively. "Let's kick the guys out and use the room we have."

He chuckled. "What about the bugs?"

"Oh hell, let them hear!"

XXXXXXXXXXX

<And I can't hear you answer my cries for help

I'll remember the suffering your loves put you through>

"Thank you so much for dinner, Sally." 'Laura Alexander' or rather Dana Scully told the younger woman.

"You're most welcome. It was really nice to have you over." Sally Matthews smiled as she showed them out the door.

'Vincent Alexander' or Mulder shook her husband's hand. "Thanks for dinner and the beer, Ralf."

"Hey any time, neighbour." The latter grinned. "Maybe we'll shoot some hoops one of these days."

"Sure!" 'Vincent' smiled. "How about this weekend?"

"Great!"

'Laura' raised her eyebrow and shared a look with Sally, who laughed. They said their goodbyes once again, 'Laura' and 'Vincent' walking halfway down the gravel driveway before the host couple closed their door after them.

"Nice couple." Mulder softly announced.

"Yeah." Dana replied, pulling her cardigan over her shoulders.

"Normal."

She gave him an amused look. "Normal?"

Smiling, he answered. "Yeah."

"I guess." She laughed and shrugged. "I don't know, Mulder. I just can't believe after all these years, we'd be back here.... in Arcadia Falls!"

"Well, one of the nation's ...."

".... top-rated planned communities." She rolled her eyes. "But you and I both know that statistics can be deceiving."

"Well at least this time, I'm allowed to have a portable basketball hoop. And you can get the reflection pond you've always wanted."

She gave him a look. "Mulder, what are we doing here?"

"Getting a life."

"**This** is a life?"

"Bored already?" He grinned. "I knew it. You're all talk, Scully. But you just can't walk the walk."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Getting out of the car? Sitting on the bench?"

She considered his words and sighed. "Well, I have been in the car for more than twenty years, Mulder. It's hard to... just stop."

"Who's asking you to?"

"You are." She frowned. "Unless it's my father's ghost that left the job advertisement for a resident doctor at the Arcadia Medical Clinic on my table this morning."

"And if it was?" He gave her a questioning look. "Would you spend more time considering it?"

"Mulder..." She warned him to be serious.

"We've reached our destination, Scully. Isn't this where you wanted to be?" His eyes narrowed in such a way that told her he was almost afraid of what her answer would be.

She touched his arm to assure him. "Of course it is. But we can't just change our names, get boring jobs and expect us to lead normal lives from then on!"

"Why not?" He shrugged. "I did it for nearly twenty years."

"No, you didn't. Every once in a while, you came looking for me."

"You're right, I did." He eyes twinkled mischievously. "But you see, every superhero has a geeky alter-ego."

"What?"

Mulder put on an affected presentational tone. "By day, she's the mild-mannered Dr. Laura Alexander MD but by night, she's the delectable, ass-kicking, Special Agent Dana Scully." He waggled his eyebrows.

Beginning to understand what he was getting at, she bit her inner lip and asked. "And just what will you be, Tony Randall?"

"I'll be the tall, handsome, sexy professor in a nearby college. Specializing in human occults and historic mythology, of course."

"Ah." She nodded her head to humour him for a while. Then, she snapped. "Are you nuts?"

He sighed. "I've done this before, Scully. And with the power telecommunications these days, we don't have to be in DC to keep up with the X-files. We can be the brains here. Then you can give Maston and Landell the information we find out."

"Right. And what am I supposed to tell them? That I got the information from the Tooth Fairy?"

"You tell them the truth. That it's tough to let go after so many years." His face became solemn. "After so many lives."

She frowned and studied his eyes silently. He wasn't kidding when he said he had done it before. The Gunmen had always kept Mulder in touch with her ex-subordinates' work and with her as the middle person, offered advice whenever necessary.

"Scully, you and I both know that we are not capable of just walking away."

"Don't you think that's sad?" He looked confused and she elaborated. "That we need the X-files to complete our lives?"

He thought about their conversation by the car a few months ago. She had called him a coward. But as days went by, it looked liked she was turning into one herself. She was afraid to try to live the normal life she had craved for once upon a time ago. "Maybe we don't. But we're too afraid to find out."

Her heart immediately felt heavy. She knew that he recognized the signs of restlessness within her. It's probably why he decided that it was time to occupy her time with a substitute career. She wanted him to know that it wasn't because she didn't love him enough. "Mulder, I don't know why I feel this way. But what I do know is that you make it easier for me to be here."

He smiled, hesitated and his voice suddenly fell into a soft whisper. "Marry me, Scully."

She blinked. "Uh... I thought we are married."

He shook his head. "On paper but we didn't have the ceremony."

'Was he really serious?' She stared at him in wonder before saying. "After all we've been through, I didn't think it's necessary."

"Humour me." Then from his pocket, he pulled out a piece of paper, unfolded it and held it before her. Still in a daze, she took it from did. And as she read its contents, her eyes grew wider. 'He was serious!' And the church marriage application in her hand told her that he arranged a church wedding, complete with a Mass!

He told her softly. "All our lives we've been searching for the truth and yet, we're living a lie. Maybe it's why we feel that this isn't real, that it's not going to last. Let's make it real, Scully."

Somehow he made sense but there were other implications she didn't like. "But our real names are on this document. Mulder, it's proof of your existence after your abduction!"

He gave a half-laugh. "And who the hell is going to check church records?"

"Well, someone might!"

"I'm supposedly more paranoid than you are and I say no one will." She started to protest again but he hastily interrupted her by touching her lips. "Scully, I refuse to leave this world as just a statistic! With a life history that not only can be traced with the X-files but also ends as an X-file."

Dana was stunned, not realizing that this bothered him at all. "But you remain a legend, Mulder. After twenty years, Jason still hears stories about you."

"Yeah? And how many of the stories are true in the first place? I can tell you of one legacy that I leave behind which is an utter lie from start to finish. **Our** legacy actually. The Lazarus bowl? A movie supposedly inspired by us. But who was the amalgamation loosely based on you in love with, Scully? It wasn't me, was it?

She almost burst out laughing. "Oh for God's sakes, no one took that movie seriously! When I began showing, I'm pretty sure the general assumption was that Spooky Mulder knocked me up."

Shaking his head in frustration, he grabbed her hand. "That's not the point!" He tightened his grip and stared intensely into her eyes. "I want at least one world to know the truth. The truth about us without a doubt. That Fox William Mulder belongs to Dana Katherine Scully and vice versa." He paused for while, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Even if it's a world I don't believe in.... Even if it's only in front of your God."

Trying her best to recover from her shock as a result of his unusual admission, she mumbled. "You're serious about this, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am."

The moment seemed to last forever before she finally said the words he needed to hear. "Yes Mulder, I will marry you."

He almost choked on a gasp of breath. "Finally." She laughed and he pulled her to him. After a long heavenly kiss, he smiled. "We don't have to call your brothers to the wedding, do we?"

"But who's going to give me away?" She whined back playfully.

Shrugging, he suggested. "Maybe a young man with your eyes and my nose?"

She pictured it in her mind and giggled. It was rather funny, their grown up son giving his mother away to his very own father. After the chuckle passed, she looked up at him and just to be sure, asked for the second time. "And you're absolutely sure you want to do this?"

He groaned loudly. "God yes, woman! Do we really have to go through all this again?"

"I'm sorry." Grinning, she justified her disbelief. "But I'm a scientist, I need to be sure. Especially with the paranormal."

XXXXXXXXXXX

<And I will go through the valley

If you want me to>

Jason looked up when Joyce walked into the living room, squinting at the relative brightness of the room. "Jace, what are you doing up?"

He decided not to make her sick. "I couldn't sleep."

"Hmm." She acknowledged and sleepily made her way to the kitchen. When she returned, she was holding a tub of ice cream.

"It's freezing and you're eating that?"

"Hey do I say anything about your Oreos, cookie boy?" He rolled his eyes and raised his hands in mock surrender. She sat next to him, bringing her feet up and tucking them warmly in between the couch cushions. "What time is it anyway?"

"A quarter past three." He muttered, his eyes back on the TV screen.

She was silent for a moment, watching the movie with him until it came to the scene where the vampire hunter was bashing a stake into Dracula's heart. "That reminds me, my parents are coming this weekend."

Jason stiffened slightly. "Right. I'll clear my things from your room."

"Okay. Or..." She casually responded. "Or we could just tell them."

At first, she thought he didn't hear what she said. But half a minute later, he switched the TV off and turned to face her. "Does this really bother you?"

She wasn't really sure if it did. "Not really. You are a part of my life and they know that. Whether or not we're involved, it shouldn't matter. But I'm curious. Why don't you wanna tell them about us?"

He took a deep breath. "For one thing, your father will kill me."

"No he won't. He loves you and so does my mom. You're practically a son to them. In fact, all my relatives love you. And the moment you entered med school ..." She rolled her eyes. "All my aunts were virtually throwing all their daughters at you."

"Don't remind me." He groaned, thinking about all the dinners where he had to fend them off.

"I could never figure out why you didn't give a few of them a go. Sandy's gorgeous, with ample breasts. Felicity is stunning and absolutely delightful when she wants to be. Again with more than ample assets... You know what?" She looked down forlornly at her chest. "I think I'm the only one in the generation to be stuck with these."

"Yeah, you're right." He agreed, thoughtlessly. She snapped her head up and glared at him. He hastily thought of a recovery. "Uh... I mean..."

"Oh never mind what you mean." She cut him off and sulked with a spoonful of ice cream.

Wincing, he tried to steer the conversation to safer topics. "Anyway as I was saying, your dad **will** kill me. Do you remember Senior Prom?"

Her annoyance was forgotten. "Of course."

"When I went next door to pick you up, it felt like it wasn't a big deal. After all, I was bringing my best friend to the Prom. How romantic was that?"

Joyce chuckled. "Yeah, I know."

"But then, you came down that stairs with that amazing dress and I was totally .... blown away."

"You were?" She gave him a suspicious look, thinking he was mocking her.

"Oh yeah." He grinned. "I hid it well from you but your dad, he saw right through me. Suddenly I was so nervous, I couldn't even pin the corsage on without hurting you. And when your mom came to the rescue, your dad pulled me aside."

"You're kidding!"

"Nope. He looked me straight in the eye and told me that would murder me if I ever saw you naked."

Joyce was absolutely incredulous, her spoon hanging in midair. "Why didn't you ever tell me about this?"

"I couldn't. Because we would be laughing at how silly your dad's fear was although it was completely justified. Because for that one night, I actually wanted you."

Her gaze softened. "Well, you've got me now."

"Yeah, I've got you now." He smiled and gently tugged the tub from her, laying it on the coffee table nearby. Slowly, he crept closer, trailing his fingers carelessly against her soft skin. She waited in anticipation, tracing the seams of his T-shirt playfully. He finally kissed her, slow and thoroughly.

It had barely lasted for a minute before he pulled away abruptly. "What?" She asked. He took a deep breath and gave her a look. She was visibly taken aback. "Already? We've scarcely begun!"

He winced and sighed. "Let's just say it's been a while."

She watched him draw back to his previous spot on the couch, looking rather defeated. And guilt began to tear her up. After all, if it weren't for her own misgivings, he would be getting some like any normal boyfriend would. "Jace, I'm sorry."

Hearing her soft apology, he snapped his head up. "For what?"

"For six months and two weeks of sexual abstinence."

He tried his best to keep a straight face but failed miserably.

"And what's so funny?" She demanded to know.

"Look who's keeping count?" He teased.

She blinked and laughed. "Well, it was the best sex I ever had."

"Me too." He whispered wistfully.

The tone of his voice made her serious again. "Jace, you're already so much a part of me. Letting you into my mind is....." She trailed off. "I'm just not ready for that."

"I know and it's okay." He shook his head, leaning closer to lift her drooped chin. "Now will you stop treating me like a horny maniac who can't get through a day without jerking off?"

Laughing, she kissed him briefly on his lips. "All right."

"Wanna hear something totally disgusting?"

"Will it be as effective as taking a cold shower?"

"Better." He grinned and she immediately was curious, nodding for him to go ahead. "I had a vision. It's why I couldn't sleep."

"Of what?"

"My parents."

She cocked her head. "You're kidding? Not again!"

"It seems to me that any important turning point in the lives of people that matter to me, just rushes into my mind, as hard as I try to block it out."

"But they were just having sex."

"Ah but not just ordinary sex. Mind blowing sex." Cringing, he muttered under his breath. "No doubt a celebration after the acceptance of his proposal."

Joyce's head snapped up. "He finally proposed! Oh my God, he finally did it! And she said yes?"

Jason groaned loudly. "Repeatedly."

'Repeatedly?' She frowned and then realized what he was talking about. "Not the sex, you idiot! I meant the proposal!"

"Oh that." He looked embarrassed. "Yeah, she said yes."

"That's fantastic!" She giggled happily. "Isn't this great? You'll be attending your parents' own wedding!"

"I guess. It's kinda weird though."

She took a moment to reflect on his words. "True. But you are happy for them."

"Of course I am." He smirked. "After listening to some the stories in the Bureau, I wonder why it took them this long. But it's nice to know that everyone knew without a doubt who my father was even before he did."

"Mulder." She whispered and then tried saying his real name aloud. "William Mulder.... I like the sound of it."

Jason smiled. She was beautiful, looking blankly at nothing in particular, wondering about his alternate identity if life were different twenty years ago. Unable to help himself, he shifted over and touched his lips against hers. She responded to him tenderly. This time they made it to second base before he pulled away gently. "Do you want me to stop? I'm beginning to hear you."

She looked into his blue eyes. The expression in his eyes was a mixture of need and warmth. Then unexpectedly, she saw a slight tug in his features. She frowned, asking. "What are you doing?"

"Trying my best to suppress it." He explained.

"Is it working?"

"Not really." He sighed. "It's difficult to concentrate on two things at the same time."

She smiled and kissed him lightly. Settling in his arms, she listened to his pounding heart and found that it was indeed in tandem with hers. It was then that she made a brave decision. "Jace?"

"Hmm?"

"Promise me something."

"What?"

"That whatever you hear, you will always remember that I do love you."

Her words struck him deeply. He realized that he had been wrong all along. He had thought she was afraid of his mind being able read hers. But she never was. She was only terrified of her own mind, her own thoughts and her own whims that she could not control. Fearful that they would betray her heart and expose opinions that she did not mean. Loving her more now than ever, Jason whispered back with all his heart. "I promise."

"Oh there's one more thing." She added mysteriously. "Promise me that you'll do whatever I ask of you."

"Whatever you ask of me?" He raised an eyebrow as she looked up at him, grinning. Suddenly, he heard her thought. It was a rather saucy thought. His brow instantly cleared. "Oooh, requests such as those...."

XXXXXXXXXXX

End of Persuasion 
Author: PhileyX 
E-Mail: phileyxback@yahoo.com 
Web-site: https://www.angelfire.com/id/phileyx
Hopefully there will be two more installments on the way. Please, drop me an email. Let me know that it's worth the effort. Thanks!