Partners

Revelations

Author: PhileyX
E-Mail: phileyxback@yahoo.com
Web-site: https://www.angelfire.com/id/phileyx
Rating: PG
Category: MSR, WJR
Spoilers: Requiem
Prequels: Man Without A Face, The Matchbox, The Dinner Guest, A Nobody is Hard to Find, One of Us.
Disclaimer: All the characters here do not belong to me.
Author's note: It's done! Woo Hoo!!! 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
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.

XXXXXXXXXXXX
Revelations

Excerpts from the song 'Here With Me' by Dido.

No infringement of copyright intended.

Dole threw a quick glance at Jason and then back to the road in front of him. While they made their way steadily out of the state, he had spent the last few hours relating the events that had led to the creation of the Jason Alexander. But his son's face showed no reaction. He just stared blankly outside, seemingly mesmerized with the fading light of the evening sun. It came to a point where Dole wondered if he had heard a word at all. Clearing his throat quietly, he called out. "Jason?"

Jason jumped slightly at the sound of his name being called. His father's narration had held him in a trance where he watched the characters play their roles like a play. Unfortunately, this larger-than-life drama had an unknown ending. It remained to be seen if it would be a happy one.

He heard his father say apologetically. "I know this is difficult for you."

Impulsively, he shot back in a low voice. "More than you can ever imagine."

"You forget, my parents weren't exactly forthcoming either." He sighed. "If you were me, Jason, you would have done the same."

"I don't think so!" The former retorted harshly. "If I were you, I'm pretty sure I would have told my son that his mother was still very much alive!"

"And then what?" Dole countered back. "How would you explain why she couldn't be with him, to watch him grow up?"

Jason ignored the question. "I had the right to know!"

"I was just protecting you."

He smirked. "And look how that turned out!"

Dole sighed. "If you hadn't gotten back your psychic power, you probably would still be leading..…"

"What?" His son cut in. "A normal life?" The blue eyes shone intensely. "The kind of life you've always insisted I have, drumming it mercilessly into my unconsciousness, all throughout my childhood? Well you know what, Dad? It was never normal because I'm far from normal in the first place. I'm a fucking genius, for God's sakes!"

"Jason…."

He was yelling now. "And one of them? What the hell does that mean? What am I?"

"Jason!" His father firmly curbed his rambling. Then, he admitted softly. "I don't know what you are. All I know is that they wanted you. So your mother and I did everything we in our power to prevent that."

Jason turned wordlessly away and stared out the car window. He frowned when a familiar wave of senses hovered within his mind. It was only then that he realized that throughout the hours he was in the car with his father, he had not felt them. Come to think of it, they disappeared right after the Alien Bounty Hunter left. But now, it seemed to be coming back. Why?

Oblivious to his disconcertment, Dole softly told him. "I once thought that nothing could ever excuse my parents for what they did, for the lies they told. The truth was all that mattered to me and more I found out, the more disillusioned I became, the more I hated them. I thought they lied to me because I wasn't important. But I was wrong. You made me see that when I found myself doing the same for you. You made me understand that that they lied to me because I was important to them.

When you're a parent, you'd do anything to protect your children. And after what your mother and I went through, we didn't want that kind of life for you. Believe me Jason, we never expected this."

Taking a deep breath to soothe the growing pounding in his head, a dull feeling of dread overwhelmed Jason, as if something was about to happen. And he had a hunch that he was running out of time. He decided to skip to more pressing issues. "So I'm a genius, a psychic, a telepathic and oh yes, an alien. That's why this Alien Bounty Hunter wants me?"

"You're telepathic?"

Jason waved the question away weakly. "How am I a part of them? You and Agent Scully are human, aren't you?"

"We don't know how or why. I can only guess it has something to do with the fact that both of us were once infected with the alien virus. Maybe there were some side effects that we hadn't …. considered."

Suddenly, Jason gripped the edge of his seats tightly. His father happened to look over at that precise moment and frowned. "Jason? What's wrong?"

The latter ignored his query and hastily asked one of his own. "You mentioned that the consortium tried to create hybrids. Did they succeed?"

Dole hesitated before answering, still watching him cautiously. "Yes, but for some reason or another they never stopped trying. I don't think the hybrids measured up to the what they wanted." When Jason countenance became increasingly pale, he asked again. "Are you sure? Maybe I should get you to a hospital?"

Once again, he was ignored. "Let's say I'm what they wanted. What do they want to do with me?"

"The consortium worked with the aliens to save themselves. Creating hybrids may be just a lab experiment for the little grey men but I believe the consortium was hoping it would ensure the preservation of the human race, just in case the aliens changed their minds later. For all we know, if you're the perfect hybrid they have been working for all this while, they might just want to clone you."

The chills had returned and Jason was beginning to hear voices. But as hard as he tried, he couldn't understand the language that was spoken. His vision clouded and his hands shook badly. His father noticed his worsening condition and increased the speed of the car. Jason's voice had reduced to barely a whisper when he asked. "What are you doing?"

"Getting you to a hospital." Dole replied through gritted teeth.

Shaking his head weakly, his son murmured back. "Too late. They found me."

Dole head snapped to stare at him. "What?"

Jason opened his mouth to say something but before the words could come out, a blinding flash of light burst all around them. Dole squeezed his eyes shut as the painful illumination threatened to penetrate right through him.

Half a second later, everything was half dark again. The first thing he noticed was that the car had stalled in the middle of the road. Then as he turned his head directly to the co-driver's seat, he found that he was alone. Jason was gone!

Dole's heart froze. Forcing himself to move, he opened the car door and stepped out. "Jason?" He called, his head desperately turning about, hoping that his suspicions were not true. But there was no one outside either and the lonely road screamed back with deadly silence. "Jason!" He yelled this time. Again, nothing answered him. His frozen heart sank.

Jason was right. They found him. And they took him.

XXXXXXXXXXX

<Oh I am what I am
I'll do what I want
But I can't hide>

Dana pulled up into the hospital car park. As she strained her neck to look for a parking space, her mind wandered to the files she had just collected from the Chicago field office that her agents to sent over as per her request.

The Alien Bounty Hunter had called Will 'one of them'. It made her think of comparing her son's DNA with Gibson Praise's. After all the latter had the same DNA make as the aliens, having strands of DNA that were supposedly junk strands in human beings.

What she found confirmed the Bounty Hunter's claim. The traces of alien protein in Will's blood stream that she formerly thought were insignificant turned out to be the exact match found in Gibson. The DNA structure however was different. Jason's was more intricately designed but had more resemblance to ordinary human gene than the former. So what did it mean?

She pushed her thoughts aside for a moment when she finally found a spot. Sliding her car in the space, she grabbed the files from the back seat and stepped out. The sound of her heels clicked noisily on the road. She didn't seem to notice, her mind once again preoccupied. But then her quick eye caught a dark figure near the entrance of the hospital. She turned her head slightly and stopped breathing instantly when she saw who he was. Dole?

He walked towards her slowly. His deadened eyes giving away the reason for his presence. Dana's shoulders dropped and she stood there rigid, unable to move. When he reached her, his soft apology confirmed her worst fears. 'No!' Her mind screamed internally. But out on the surface her face remained detached, totally impassive and she stared past him. Dole didn't know quite what else to say so he apologized again, this time his voice cracked with emotion.

She looked at him and saw his guilt written all over his face. Gathering her devastated thoughts together, she gently reached for him. "It's not your fault. You did all you can."

The tears building up in his eyes threatened to fall and he battled to control them. For twenty years, his worst nightmare was exactly this moment. That he had lost their son and he had to break the news to her. "Scully, I…." He couldn't go on.

"We'll find him." She told him confidently. "I found you." Then unable to bear his look of pain, she pulled him into her embrace. And Dole was instantly lost, crushing her tightly.

They weren't sure exactly how long they stood in the middle of the carpark holding each other but when they parted, there was a group of elderly ladies at the entrance, 'ooing' and 'aahing' at them. Waiting for their ride, they were rather impressed at what they thought was a passionate display of romance.

Dana and Dole hastily walked away from them. As they moved, she quietly asked him. "How?"

He was silent for a while and then he said. "One moment he was there, the next he was gone."

She closed her eyes briefly and sighed. "I was hoping it was Krycek. We'd have a better chance getting him back. How do you negotiate with an Alien?"

"I've been thinking about how they found him. Just before he was taken, he seemed ….uncomfortable."

"Well Joyce told me that his visions were more frequent. He was also having vivid dreams and sudden cold spells. That's why they were at the airport. They were on their way to DC to look for me."

"Maybe the Alien Bounty Hunter used the powers of the mind to find him?"

"What about Krycek?"

"I don't think he had anything to do with this."

She raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Krycek's a selfish bastard. He's been hunting Will and me for years. If he knew where to find him, he would have done it himself. Then he would have made a deal with them."

A thought suddenly struck her. "Maybe Krycek will help us get him back?"

Dole turned to stare at her. "What do you mean?"

"All Krycek wants is to live through the colonization. If we can convince him that Will is the key and that we know how to use him to immunize man from the alien virus, maybe we'll be worth dealing with."

His gaze intensed. "How is Will the key?"

She immediately went defensive. "I'm not saying he is. It's just a bluff."

He wasn't convinced that she had come up with that with just her imagination. There was something she was not telling him. His voice dropped to a low growl. "Scully?"

Sighing, she hesitated before elaborating. "After getting Joyce admitted, I requested for a few files to be transferred over from DC, specifically DNA results. All this time, I've been comparing Will's DNA with alien samples we've gathered in the X-files but I had unintentionally left out Gibson Praise. I'm not really sure but comparing the structure between them, Will is more a hybrid than Gibson Praise. Gibson's DNA structure is just too …." She struggled to find the appropriate word.

"Alien?" He offered and she reluctantly nodded. Her findings were beginning to make sense but he suspected that she wasn't too trilled to admit it. He softly prompted her. "Because Will was created naturally. Gibson on the other hand, was a biological experiment."

She refused to fully agree based on only the few loose facts that they had. "It's a just a theory."

"But a plausible one." He insisted. "They wanted Gibson desperately because they thought he was the one. But after they were done testing him, they let him go. So obviously, he wasn't."

"Mulder, it still doesn't mean anything. We don't know for sure if Will is immune to the alien virus."

He stiffened and blinked twice. "You called me Mulder."

Slightly stunned at the fact herself, she laughed a little. "Force of habit, I guess." Looking at him smilingly, she added. "It's been a while since we've argued about aliens."

He grinned then his smirk slowly vanished. "Actually if I weren't so concerned that someone would overhear you calling me that, I'd prefer it."

Her bright eyes dulled slightly. "Well, they've got Will. I suppose it doesn't matter what I call you now."

"No, I guess it doesn't." Gently, he touched her face, smoothing out the painful frown that creased her forehead. "We'll find him."

"What if we don't?"

"That is not an option, Scully."

She studied him for a while and told him. "If we don't….." He shook his head but she firmly held out her hand to stop his protest. "If we don't, I don't want to play anymore, Mulder." He frowned, not really understanding and she went on to explain. "I'm tired of this game. And I don't care if they win."

'If you quit now, they win.' The sentence that once strengthened their faith in their never-ending fight popped into his mind. He almost sighed, thinking that it was utterly tragic that until now, they were still battling on. And what was worse, it looked like they might actually lose this all-important round. Softly, he pulled her close and whispered in her ear. "Okay, we'll sit on the bench together."

She was slightly surprised at his words. Breathlessly, she asked him. "Go with you?"

"If you want. But there's a lot you have to leave behind." He warned.

Shaking her head, she replied. "Like what? Everything that is important to me is everywhere else except where I am."

His arm that was around her waist drew her nearer. She willingly moved into his warmth. He very slowly and deliberately rubbed her aching back and whispered. "I'll even let you pick the names."

She smiled and playfully muttered. "Oh I don't know. For something that sounds suspiciously like a laboratory apparatus, Petrie kinda grows on you." She sighed. "Mulder, John Dole, Vincent Alexander; how do you keep up with all the names? Don't you get like, really confused sometimes?"

He smirked. "Anything was better than Fox."

"But I like Fox."

Stepping back to capture her gaze, he softly told her. "Fine, Fox and Dana Petrie it is."

"Fox Petrie?" She grimaced at the sound of it and shook her head, thinking of the much better alternative. "We'd better find Will."

He smiled slightly. "We will."

Suddenly, Dana's cell phone rang in her pocket. She retrieved and answered it. As her eyes widened at the news that came from the other end, she grabbed his sleeve and pulled him towards the hospital again.

"What?" Mulder asked, absolutely puzzled but stumbled to follow her lead.

"Joyce." She flipped her phone shut and increased her pace. "She's gone."

XXXXXXXXXXX



Krycek nosily chucked the map to the co-drivers seat next to him and checked his watch. It took him more than forty-six hours to get here and he wondered if he was already too late. According to the JPL Topex Poseidon satellite, the positionary coordinates of the microburst activity was just up a mile ahead. Hopefully whatever it was, was still there.

Doubts still nagged him at the back of his head. For all he knew, this could be just another wild goose chase, like all the other sightings he had checked out throughout the years. But although finding Mulder and his son remained his top priority, he always kept in mind the possibility that perhaps the intelligent life forms knew a better way to track their abductees, like the gathering at Skyland Mountains years ago. Perhaps Mulder and his kid have been summoned to a meeting point. And perhaps he could whisk them away before they are taken.

He knew he was playing both sides but it was the only way to ensure his own existence beyond the date of colonization. If the aliens got a hold of the two FBI agents' love child, the boy may not survive the string of tests they would make him go through. Thankfully, the consortium has no idea the very existence of this miraculous biological hybrid. And he was careful not to allow them to find out, replacing the blood sample with another child's so that they would think that Mulder and Scully son is a nobody. The boy was his discovery and his alone. And he was determined find him.

Before long he had sped through the mile. Checking the GPS coordinates measurements and satisfied that he was exactly where he should be; he parked the car at the side of the road and got out. He was in the middle of nowhere. The remote road was quiet at this late time of the night. Reaching for his torch in his pocket, he started to head for the clump of trees nearby the road. The jungle of flora soon began to clear up after ten minutes of trekking through it.

Checking the numbers displayed on the GPS device, he noted that he was in the middle of the mass radiation field detected from the satellites. Cautiously he flashed his torch around. But the was nothing to interest him. 'Another false call?' He wondered.

His disappointment vanished when a sudden bright light brightened the forest. It came from behind and he turned around directly. Streaks of bluish light beamed from beyond the row of bushes. He walked towards it and squinted his eyes, trying to shield them and yet hoping to catch a glimpse of what was going on.

He saw two figures at the middle of a large empty clearing. Recognizing one of them, he immediately reached for his gun. The other was a young man in his twenties. He looked vaguely familiar. 'Could he be…..?' He wondered.

The two men seemed unaware of his presence. The Alien Bounty Hunter held a tube in his hand. At first Krycek thought it was the alien dagger that he always carried and that he was about to kill the boy. He prepared to shoot if necessary, resolving to aim straight for the back of the neck.

But then the Bounty Hunter moved to twist the tube with his hands. It came apart and Krycek saw that it was some kind of container. The boy looked on, mesmerized as the Bounty Hunter laid it on the ground in front of him and took a step back.

Now, Krycek was puzzled. 'What the hell is going on?' He wondered. Then it suddenly struck him. 'The Black Cancer! He's infecting him with the virus!' As the implications of such an act dawned on him, he stepped forward and ran towards them, yelling. "No!"

The Alien Bounty Hunter turned and glared at him. Krycek looked at the dazed younger version of Mulder standing a few feet away from him. The boy was staring at the black-oil-like virus that was slowly flowing towards his direction. It was as if he was in a trance of some kind. Krycek rebuked the other man harshly. "What are you doing? We want him unharmed."

Silent, the Bounty Hunter continued to look at him dispassionately. Slowly Krycek began to realize that something was not right. Moving back in alarm, he shook his head nervously. "You're on the other side, aren't you?" Once again, the stocky man did not reply. Instead, he reached for him, grabbing him strongly by his jacket.

Krycek struggled violently. "What are you doing? Let me go!" But the alien held on firmly. The next moment, Krycek felt the earth beneath him give way. Panicking, he looked down and saw that it wasn't what he thought at all. The ground was still intact; he just wasn't on it anymore. He was floating, hovering a couple of feet from the dirt. Then the intensity of the light grew brighter above him. He looked up and saw it, an alien craft suspended in the air.

At that very moment, Krycek knew that he would never walk the earth again. Glancing down for his last look below him, he caught sight of his prize hunt for the past twenty years and wished his last wish. A surprisingly selfless wish for the likes of him; that Mulder and Scully's son would be all right so that he would indeed be the key to the survival of the human race.

XXXXXXXXXXX



"What do you mean nobody saw her leave? This is the ICU, damn it!" Scully shouted at the nurse on duty.

"Agent Scully, I don't know what else to say except we're sorry. She was in bed when we checked her on our hourly rounds." The frightened nurse gushed.

Dana turned away and calmed herself down. Fortunately for the nurse, her phone rang in her pocket. She answered it. "Scully?"

"Agent Scully? It's Byers."

She sighed and rubbed her forehead tiredly. "Please tell me some good news."

Byers wasn't sure if it was but told her anyway. "It's gone."

"What's gone?"

"The alien activity outside Chicago city. We just pulled off the latest readings from the satellite database. The readings are back to normal since ten minutes ago."

Dana frowned, trying to piece the information together. If the satellite doesn't show anything, does that mean they took Will away with them? She pushed the last dreadful thought away and asked. "Anything else?"

"That's all I've got. So, have you and Mulder found anything?"

It was only then that she recalled that he wasn't updated with the loss of Will. But she just didn't feel up to the task and hastily ended the call. "I'll call you back."

"Scully?" Mulder appeared behind her.

She whirled around. "Yeah."

"I think she took off on her own." She raised an eyebrow and he explained. "There's a woman downstairs talking to a cop, saying that while she was helping her son into a wheel chair at the entrance, a woman slipped into the drivers seat and took off with her car. Joyce fit the description."

"How long ago?"

"About an hour."

She shook her head, confused. "It doesn't make sense, Mulder. Why and where would she go?"

"What condition was she in when you last saw her?"

"She was rather weak and her eyes were swollen. But other than that, she was okay."

"Maybe Jason contacted her?"

"How?" She asked incredulously.

He gave her an amused smile and gently tapped his own forehead with his finger. "In the car, he did mention telepathy. Perhaps he could communicate his thoughts to her. In any case, I think we should check out what we originally came to Chicago for." He turned to lead the way out.

Staring after him, Dana blinked. "Telepathy?" She muttered under her breath. Now how come Joyce never mentioned that to her?

"Come on, Scully. Let's go." He called over his shoulder without turning.

Catching the sorely missed but absolutely irritating gleeful tone in his voice, she rolled her eyes. She had forgotten how annoying Mulder could be when there was a huge possibility that he was right. Even more so when he was very unscientifically right. Sighing, she mumbled to herself. "God, I miss Dole!"

XXXXXXXXXXX



Joyce wasn't sure if it was her imagination. But as quickly as the flash of light surrounded her, it was gone. Frozen, she waited for half a minute to compose herself. It was then that she observed that the car engine had died. And the warm presence within her heart was now gone.

She was on the highway off Chicago towards Indianapolis. Jason had led her here. Although she wasn't sure how, she knew that he was with her at every turn. She had begun to feel him when she woke up from a horrid nightmare where he was taken by a bright light from his father. Shaking from the after-effects of the dream, she began to feel a warm comforting presence overwhelming her. And then, his familiar scent. Reminded of the time when he attempted to read her mind, she let herself relax. Soon, she began to move on autopilot, as if someone was steering her actions. But now, he was gone. She couldn't feel his presence anymore. 'Something's wrong' She thought. He wouldn't just suddenly stop guiding her. Something must have happened to him.

The thought made her perk up. She tried to start the car but it wouldn't budge. "Come on." She muttered and stepped lightly on the gas before and turning the key again but to no avail. Frustrated, she took the keys and threw it violently against the passenger window beside her. It nosily thudded on the pane and bounced onto the seat. Then taking deep gasps of breaths, she told herself that freaking out was not helping at all. So she opened the car door and got out.

When she faced the dark lonely road, she suddenly realized that she didn't know where she was supposed to go. Now that Jason was no longer with her, she had absolutely no idea. Then gathering her senses, she recalled that she was headed south. Perhaps that was what she should keep doing. Well, at least until she found a phone booth. Agent Scully was probably worried sick about her by now.

After walking for half an hour, Joyce began to wonder if she should stop to rest. Her weak body was protesting wildly for a break. But the night was too cold, she reasoned that she would be better off if she kept walking. It was then that she noticed a car parked at the side of the road, a few meters ahead.

When she reached it, she peered in and saw that the car keys were in the ignition. Frowning, she looked around, expecting the owner of the car to be somewhere nearby. "Hello? Is anybody here?" No answer.

Shrugging, she opened the car door and slipped inside. She already stole one car, another wouldn't hurt, she thought. Before she turned the key, her eye caught several sheets of photos at the co-drivers seat. She switched on the lights above her and took a closer look. They looked like aerial shots, taken really far from the surface of the earth, satellite shots perhaps. She read the fine print at the bottom of the page. "JPL Topex Poseidon, US Army?"

A thought immediately struck her. Agent Scully mentioned to her in the hospital that she and Jason's father came to Chicago to check up on something, something about satellite photos. Maybe this was it. Maybe they weren't the only one. And maybe, just maybe, Jason was leading her here too.

Feeling encouraged and stronger, she hastily opened the dashboard pocket, rummaging through the mess. When she found a torchlight, she smiled and stepped out of the car.

The forest was eerily quiet. Joyce took a deep breath to calm her nerves as she wondered where on earth to begin looking. Flashing her torch around, she soon caught sight of a disturbance in the bushes nearby, as if someone had walked through them. She walked towards it. 'Tracks.' She thought. There was definitely someone here. And thankfully for the wet earth, it was easy to follow so she did.

Soon she came to a huge clearing. It was then that she heard a soft sound from somewhere near her. It was sounds of someone breathing heavily. Slightly alarmed, Joyce pointed the torch towards the source. When she saw him, she almost dropped the light. "Jace!" Joyfully, she ran to him, clutching onto his shirt. "Jace, you're all right!"

But the stiff figure in front of her did not respond. He just stood there and he did not even bother to look at her. Joyce's delight quickly diminished. She held the torch up to his face. He didn't even blink an eyelid at the sudden brightness. He just stared ahead, above her shoulder. Confused, she called him again and was about to pull his face to look at her when she saw it.

His eyes were bright and wide open. But there was something there. One second it was there, the next it was gone. Joyce stared harder. There it was again! There seemed to be some kind of black liquid flowing across his eyes!

Then she noticed something else and abruptly stepped back in shock. There were slight lumps on his face. And they seemed to be moving about. It was as if something alive was traveling just beneath his skin. And there were a lot of them. She flashed the light to his arms. As a matter of fact, they were everywhere!

XXXXXXXXXXX

<Oh I am what I am
I'll do what I want
But I can't hide>

"Well?" Mulder asked from the driver's seat.

Dana balanced the torch with aching neck and frowned at the map, growling. "Next time I drive, you navigate."

He grinned. "But you're so good at it."

She threw him a glare. "We should be there in a couple of minutes. I still don't know what you expect to find."

"Hopefully, Will."

"How do you know Joyce was heading out here?"

"I don't." He admitted and sighed. "Call it a hutch, okay Scully?"

She rolled her eyes. "I've always hated your hunches. They may be right but they very nearly always get us into trouble."

"Well it's not as if we have anything else to go on."

"I can think of one thing. We find Krycek and make him talk. I'm sure he knows at least where to start looking. And if the rat refuses to talk, we'll just shoot him."

He quickly distracted her from her murderous thoughts. "Byers said that the microburst activity vanished about forty minutes after Joyce left the hospital. It was probably enough time for her to get to him."

"Sure. And maybe they're on their way to Mars, to their new home." She grouchily suggested.

He gave her a thoughtful look. "I never thought of that."

She groaned. "Mulder, I was being sarcastic."

"No. I meant, what if they took her too?"

"What on earth for?"

"They took you. Maybe they have a thing for redheads." He argued and then his eyes fixed on a stalled car up ahead. "Well it looks like we're about to find out."

"What idiot would leave a car stalled in the middle of the road?"

He pulled up behind the green station wagon. "An idiot that couldn't get it started." She looked at him with a frown, wishing he wouldn't talk in riddles. He explained when he caught her glare. "This car fits the description of the one Joyce swiped."

When they both peered into the empty automobile, Dana declared softly. "Well, she's not here. She must have walked. But where to?"

He was silent and looked thoughtful. Immediately, she guessed what he was thinking and firmly curbed his imagination. "Mulder, she walked. People who get abducted from their cars do not have time to remove their car keys and leave them on the passenger seat."

He resisted a smile. "Good point."

She rolled her eyes. "Come on, she can't have gone far. And this time, I'm driving. **You** can read the stupid map in the dark."

XXXXXXXXXXX



Jason blinked in the darkness. 'What the hell happened? And where was he?' He wondered and looked about him in amazement. He desperately searched his memory for a clue. He recalled being in the airport, the incident with the Alien Bounty Hunter, finding out he had a mother, talking with his father in the car and then….. 'That's right!' He froze. He was taken!

Vague images of what had happened after the bright lights in the car, flashed in his mind. He slowly pieced together the facts and soon discovered that he had a specific destiny now. Whatever his parents had fought for twenty years ago was now his fight because of who he is and most importantly, what he is.

When realization finally sank in completely, he started to walk in the darkness. His eyes were already accustomed to the night and fortunately the full moon was bright enough. He only took a few more steps when he saw someone in front of him. The person was crouched on the ground, arms holding his or her folded legs tightly, face leaning against his or her knees, shivering. Slowly, he stooped down and touched the person on the shoulder.

Something touched her and Joyce jumped up like a Jack-in-a-Box, screaming. The figure fell back in surprise too. In the darkness, she made out that it was human. 'Well that's a start.' She thought and her hands shook frighteningly as she struggled to switch torch on.

"Joyce?" A very familiar voice called out hesitantly.

"Jace?" She managed to croak back.

He sighed in relief. "It is you!" Taking a step towards her, he pulled her into his arms and hugged her hard. "You came." He muttered in her hair.

Bewildered but glad that he seemed back to normal, Joyce's returned the pressure and tears streamed down her face. When they pulled apart, she studied his face, touching his cheek. "I was so worried. There was something in you…." She trailed off.

He shushed her gently. "I know. It's gone now." Tracing her jaw line, he frowned at the sight of her wet, puffy eyes.

She shook her head and asked him about what she saw. "What was it?"

Unsure if she was ready for the outrageous truth, he carefully selected his words. "Joyce, it's all right now. I know what I am and I know what I'm supposed to do."

Apprehension filled her with the choice of his words. "You mean, you know who you are?"

"No." He firmly repeated. "I mean, I know what I am."

"Jace, you're scaring me."

He sighed, took her hand in his and told her softly. "It's gone. The chills, the pounding in my head, the strange feelings…. It's all gone. I don't know if I'll still have visions, real life dreams or read minds. But I do know that things are going to be all right."

"But I still don't understand what happened."

"When I started having visions, they sensed it and triggered my powers to a fever pitch to track me down. They thought I was another product of the sick bastards that have been hybriding human and aliens in the name of science. They didn't know I was the real thing until they realized I have their same rare genetic structure."

She shook her head, confused. "Agent Scully said that the Alien Bounty Hunter wanted you to hand you over?"

"Krycek did, not the Alien Bounty Hunter."

"So the Alien Bounty Hunter…."

A voice interrupted from behind her. "Had changed sides." Joyce and Jason turned to see his father and Agent Scully walk up to them. For a moment, the four of them just looked at each other, exchanging smiles of relief.

Then Mulder continued with his theory. "The Alien Bounty Hunter is working for the Alien Rebels now, against the colonization. He took you and tested you. And then he left you with the ultimate proof of all, the virus. So that you would know that you are the key."

Agent Scully softly added. "Immunity."

Jason slowly nodded his head. "And now we just have to figure out how use me to prepare for 'the day'."

Scully took a step nearer and suggested. "Vaccination?"

Her son looked at her thoughtfully and concurred. "It's worth a shot. It worked for the Small Pox." Then, he glanced at Joyce and grinned. "I suppose 'Go forth and multiply' is out of the question." The insinuation earned him a distasteful look from her.

And Scully muttered softly to Mulder, "Oh God! He's as bad as you."

The latter ignored the insult and declared loudly. "Come on, let's get out here before we get anymore unwelcome visitors, namely Krycek."

"I don't think we have to worry about him anymore." His parents looked at him questioningly. He graciously enlightened them. "Our Alien friend took him."

The information took the elder couple by surprise. Instantly, they fell into silence, both coming up with their own conclusion of the good news. Meanwhile, the four of them made their way back to the road.

Jason, Joyce and Scully approached the car when the latter noticed that Mulder had fallen back. He watched them from a distance instead. "Do…." She began to call, checked herself and tried again. "Mulder?" The younger couple froze where they stood and turned to watch the FBI agent retrace her steps towards the hesitating man. They exchanged curious looks.

"Mulder?" Dana called him again and this time he looked up to meet her gaze.

"I'm not going with you." He told her softly.

She was surprised. "Why not?"

"Because…." He paused and frowned. "Scully, it would safer if only one of us were with him."

The look on his face and his words made her realize what he was trying to say. And she couldn't believe it. She knew he was paranoid but this was ridiculous. "Mulder, it's over. Kyrcek is gone."

"Granted, Kyrcek is gone. But that doesn't mean that it's over."

"He's the only one who knows how you look like. No one else will be able to tie you with the past." She argued.

"How do you know that for sure? He may have told the consortium about Will."

Dana shook her head defiantly. "No, you said it so yourself. Kyrcek's a selfish bastard. He wouldn't have told them anything lest they found him first."

"If that rat figured out that Will could be the key, the consortium may have figured it out too. For all I know, they're looking for him as we speak."

"If what you say is right then he's in more danger with me than you."

He shook his head. "You have access to the FBI labs. It's what Will needs to develop the antivirus, vaccine or whatever it is that will save us when the time comes. Just keep to your current identities and he'll be fine."

Her frustration was mounting. "For God's sakes, what is wrong with you? Nothing indicates that Will is in danger of ever being found out. Even the Alien Bounty Hunter is a fucking good guy now! It's over!"

Mulder's voice increased. "Well, I'm not willing to take that chance!"

Absolutely incredulous, she stared at him in wonder. Why was he so determined not to let it go? Had he been fighting so long that he's too afraid to stop even though the battle had ended? Controlling her voice, she asked him tersely. "Mulder, is this about Will at all?"

Unsure what she was implying, he frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I'm wondering if given the choice, you would still choose to stay away from us." His jaw tightened furiously but she persisted. "I don't doubt that you love us, Mulder. I doubt that you love yourself enough to be happy, to a take a chance on life. For once, a normal life."

He studied her face intently but revealed no emotion of his own. "Thank you for the psychological analysis, doctor. But let me remind you that I'm the shrink."

"Mulder." She growled.

Unfazed, he took a step towards her and hissed. "I'll tell you what, Scully. You take our son and live that normal life. I'll just carry on feeling sorry for myself. Besides, he needs you more than he needs me." Then he strode away, leaving her speechless with anger.

When his father walked towards Jason and Joyce, one of them asked hesitantly. "Everything okay?"

Mulder's face twitched. Although knowing they probably heard everything, he lied anyway. "Yes." He gently put his hand on his son's shoulder. "Listen Jason. Your mother will take care of you. I think it's best if I stayed away for a while, just in case."

Jason looked in his eyes and repeated. "For a while?"

He smiled. "I promise."

"Okay."

Mulder surprised him with a quick hug. And then he turned to Joyce. "And you, young lady. You are to go back into that hospital until you are better, understood?"

This time Joyce took the initiative and gave him a fierce hug. "Take care, Mr. V."

When she let go, he gave her a quick peck on the cheek and smiled. "It's Mulder."

She grinned and teased. "Somehow Mr. M doesn't really have the same ring to it." And Mulder laughed.

Dana watched their goodbyes with a surprising amount of growing disconcertment. It struck her that if she were the one leaving, the goodbyes would never have the same intimacy as what she had just witnessed. And it made her realize that she was a long way from truly becoming a part of the family, which they already were.

Her heart constricted. Maybe this normal life she had been fantasizing about ever since she heard of Krycek's sad fate was just wishful thinking on her part. Perhaps she had missed her chance when she gave Will up twenty years ago.

Meanwhile, Mulder turned to look at Scully. She was staring at the ground. Not wanting to leave without an attempt to smooth their recent differences, he told her. "Be careful, Scully."

Dana took a deep breath to control her tears before she looked up. It took everything she had left to maintain a steady tone. "You too."

He nodded and walked towards Krycek's car. Getting in, he drove off, leaving the three of them staring after him.

After half a minute, Jason and Joyce were ready to go but Agent Scully stood transfixed, still vacantly looking at the dark road. Joyce shot Jason a look and he frowned, shaking his head in refusal. She rolled her eyes and mouthed silently to him. "She's your mother!"

He mouthed back. "Yeah, but what the hell am I supposed to say?"

She glared at him and he grimaced resignedly. Reluctantly, he took on the commission and his mind raced for something comforting to say. It was almost an impossible task since he wasn't really sure what was bothering her in the first place. He decided to place his bets it was the argument with his father. Stepping up to her and gathering his courage, he gently asked. "Are you all right?"

She started slightly, unsettled that she was caught day-dreaming. "Yes, I'm sorry. Let's go."

Jason quickly stopped her. "Agent Scully?" For a moment she went still and he wondered if he had said something wrong. But when she looked up at him, he hastily spoke his mind before he lost his guts. "I don't know if Dad ever told you this. But once in my teens, he woke up and found himself somewhere strange. He couldn't remember how he got there. And he wasn't the only one. There were others with him. They were like him, former abductees. All gathered at one particular spot, not knowing why they were there."

She stared at him in shock. "He told you this?"

Shaking his head, Jason answered her. "No, it was a vision I had." He paused and bit his lip. "Anyway, one of the feelings I felt in him was fear. Fear that one day, they would take him and I would be abandoned. So when Krycek spotted him nearby our hometown, he decided that it would be best that he had more time to prepare me for what he thought was the inevitable."

"So that's why he left you." Dana muttered under her breath.

"It was a secondary reason. But I suppose it strengthened the first." He offered quietly. "And maybe now, he's protecting you too." Unsure, she met his gaze hesitantly. He gently suggested. "Maybe he still thinks they'll take him again."

Her voice dropped to a whisper. "And do they?"

He figured she thought he saw the future in a vision too. He shook her head to refute her belief. "I'm sorry, I don't know for sure. But I do know that he wants very much to believe that everything will be all right from now on. Give him time."

She fell into a silence. It figured that Mulder would keep such an incident from her. He probably didn't want to alarm her more than necessary. But it still hurt that he didn't tell her. And there was another matter that puzzled her. If his fear of being taken was truly the reason why he was so resolute on staying away, why then did he talk about going away with him? Then again, perhaps he too was just indulging in a fantasy of his own. One he knew would never materialize but it did feel good thinking about it for a moment. She sighed. If only their life started out simpler.

Then realizing that Jason waiting patiently beside her, she took his arm and gently squeezed it. "Let's go home, Jason."

He nodded and they walked to the car together. Catching Joyce's eye, Jason gave her quick wink before he took the driver's seat. She smiled, proud of him.

XXXXXXXXXXX



The presenter cleared his throat, getting the attention of all present. "Ladies and gentleman, thank you for coming. Today, we honour the excellent men and women who have contributed during the eight days of terror that held our city hostage. For one terrifying week, terrorism became from something you saw on the news to our very own reality. And the only reason why we are still here today is because of the dedication of this team of professionals seated in front of you."

Pausing for a moment to allow the cheers and clapping to die down, he soon continued. "These nine individuals come from four different government agencies. They had worked incessantly behind the scenes to curb the effects of a deadly biological weapon released in our water systems two weeks ago. And today, the city of Chicago wishes to show our sincere appreciation to their heroic efforts.

Once again the on-lookers loudly applauded. The speaker held out his hand and the noise died down. "We will now present the special awards of honour….."

Assistant Director John Doggett was immediately distracted when he caught sight of a familiar redhead walking hastily through the conference hall door on the left. He caught her eye and smiled. She smiled back and walked towards him, taking her place by his side.

He softly whispered to her. "You made it, just in time."

She growled, irritated but not with him. "Traffic."

"I saw you around last month. You've certainly been spending a lot of time in Chicago these days."

Frowning, she thought about the blonde bellboy incident and wondered if he was insinuating something. "Jason has a girlfriend, Doggett. Besides, I prefer them younger, remember?"

Smiling, he defended himself quickly. "That wasn't what I was thinking."

She didn't answer for at that moment, Jason was called up to receive the award. Watching her son walk up the makeshift stage, she pretended she was witnessing all the graduation ceremonies she missed.

While he clapped, Doggett glanced over to catch her wistful face. He waited for a moment before he accredited her. "You certainly know how to pick 'em. Not many FBI trainees get an award for outstanding contribution in a national crisis."

"Well, I did tell you he's a genius."

"I've been getting calls about him. They want him as a consultant at field offices."

She looked at him, a slight crease on her forehead giving her away. "But he's only a trainee."

"Dana, that boy single-handedly figured out how to eradicate an unknown chemical hazard within two hours! Two hours! The CDC worked on it for six days without any progress whatsoever!"

She cautiously suggested. "But he's still under you. You can refuse."

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I thought you wanted him to make it. If he played his cards right, he'd probably get your job one day. Or is that what you're worried about?"

She gave him a look. "No. I just don't want him to end up an X-file."

Understanding, he smirked. "You mean another Spooky?"

Giving him a playful glare, she shot back. "In his case, a Biochemical Whiz Kid. Didn't they have unappealing names for dorks back in your high school?"

Turning his eyes back to the stage, he shook his head slowly. "He's an extraordinary young man. A great eye for detail and really good at piecing things together."

"Yes." She agreed under her breath.

Doggett cocked his head and slyly suggested. "Maybe it runs in the family." It obviously created the effect he intended as she stiffened beside him. Courageously, he went on. "I know those blue eyes anywhere."

She was unable to breathe for a moment. But as hard as she tried, she couldn't convince herself that Doggett had any other meaning than the obvious. He had guessed the truth. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Doggett…"

He interrupted her. "Don't bother to explain." She closed her mouth and pursed her lips meditatively, wondering if he was still pissed at her for holding him at bay, years ago. But his next sentence comforted her troubled thoughts. "So now you know, I have more faith in you than I let on."

She smiled and teased. "Right. And I suppose you ratted on me because you wanted Skinner to promote me."

A lazy smile brightened his face as he joked back. "Well, you certainly weren't sucking up to him. Someone had to do something."

She rolled her eyes. "Bull! You just wanted to get off the X-files!"

Their playful banter was interrupted when an agent stepped up and whispered into Doggett's ear. When the subordinate left, he sighed, touching her arm. "Duty calls. I'll see you around?"

She nodded. He turned to go but she stopped him by calling his name. She hesitated for a moment before asking. "Do me a favour. Keep an eye on him for me, will ya?"

He studied her serious face. "Sure."

"Thank you." She smiled and he smiled back. Lifting a hand as if to wave, he then walked off.

"Agent Scully?" Dana turned at the sound of her name and found Joyce standing behind her.

"Hi." She glanced about the younger redhead. "Where's Jason?"

"Some reporters got a hold of him and are drilling him to death. He'll be along shortly." She explained and then totally surprised her by giving her a fierce hug. "It's good to see you here. I nearly thought you wouldn't make it."

Dana was rather flustered at the affectionate gesture and blushed. "I got erm… held up. Well…. I guess congratulations are in order."

Joyce raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Not to me, I didn't save the city. The Brainiac deserves that praise and I'm sure he'd like to hear it from you."

The agent caught her meaningful tone and hoped she wasn't capable of blushing anymore than she already was. She struggled to find a less personal topic. "So how is everything?"

"Fine, I guess. It was a good idea to attach him to a FBI research project amidst his training. Jace has access to the facilities at any time and no one suspects a thing. You must have pulled quite a number of strings to get him in it."

She smiled and thought of her ex-partner. "Only one. He sort of owed me."

"Progress is rather slow and frustrating." Joyce sighed and whispered. "Jace has resorted to meditating on his data, hoping to discover other dimensions of his extraterrestrial powers. Hopefully one that could help him with the solution."

"He shouldn't be too hard on himself. After all, there are others who have been working on it for more than fifty years without success."

"Talking behind my back again?" Jason interrupted their hushed conversation. He was truly happy to see his mother, mentally noting it was the first time she had been present for an achievement of his.

Dana gazed at him and wished him congratulations. He held out his hand and warmly shook hers. "Thank you."

Staring at their formal exchange, Joyce's incredulously whacked him hard on his arm. "What is wrong with you?"

"What?" Jason looked at her in amazement. He wasn't the only one, Dana was too.

Joyce proceeded to give him a fierce glare. Instantly, both mother and son understood. As he blushed, Dana quietly came to his defense. "I don't think it's wise for a trainee to hug an SAC here, Joyce."

"You see? I had a good reason." He hissed at her too.

'Yeah right!' Joyce thought and rolled her eyes. But before she could say anything, her cell phone vibrated in her pocket. She excused herself to take the call.

Not wanting to talk in the middle of the crowded hall, Jason signaled Joyce and then motioned his mother to move to a private spot behind a showcase at the edge of the room. Dana followed her son's lead. On the way, he casually made conversation. "How have you been?"

"Busy. I've been trying to clear up some outstanding work." She rolled her eyes. "Maston and Landell nearly got killed again and the X-files are on a review, again."

He grinned and teased. "Quite a month you had."

She returned the smirk. "Not nearly as exciting as your two weeks."

Slightly embarrassed, he shrugged modestly. "A lucky guess."

"And you're sure you want to keep doing this?" She asked him seriously. "I can get you access to the labs without you being in the Bureau, you know."

He groaned. It wasn't the first time they've had this discussion. "The FBI isn't that bad."

She grimaced, disagreeing and whined softly. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather be a doctor? It was once, your ambition."

"And it was once, yours too." He gently reminded her.

Caught, she glared at him but not angrily. "I don't know why I bother arguing with you." Sighing, she shook her head. Like his father, he knew exactly how to twist her around his little finger.

"Dad said you've always wanted me to be a doctor."

She raised an eyebrow. 'Dad lied.' She thought but answered. "I wanted you to be anything but a FBI agent."

"But I'm not intending to be an agent." He insisted, reminding her that his interests were in the sciences and was hoping to work in the high-tech lab facilities they ran.

Looking at his earnest face, she smirked. Somehow, it wouldn't surprise her at all if he ended up exactly where she and Mulder started their incredible journey, in the basement with the X-files. His interests may be the sciences but his passion was the inexplainable, just like his father.

Deciding to let the matter rest, she brought up an issue that she had been mentally rehearsing on the way to the ceremony. "Jason, there is something I need to ask you."

Her solemn tone prickled his senses. "Okay."

"I have been thinking of retiring." His eyes immediately widened. She hesitated and then softly admitted. "Actually I already have the papers filled. But I'll only send them in if you say yes."

He was shocked and it took him a while to find his voice. "Why?"

She wasn't sure if he meant why she wanted to retire or why she needed his approval. Deciding on the former, she said simply. "Because I'm tired. It's time to rest on my laurels."

'She's retiring because she's tired?' He thought and instantly made an intelligent guess. 'More like she's retiring to elope!' He shook her head telling her that he didn't quite believe her. "Dad hasn't been coming around, has he?"

'Doggett was right. He is a marvel!' She pursed her lips and reluctantly confirmed his suspicions. "I have information that your father will be taking a flight from New York tomorrow morning. My only hope to catch him is the only seat I could find. The plane leaves in an hour."

"Today?" He nearly gasped.

She looked into his eyes intently. "Jason, getting together with you these past few months has been a dream come true. Unfortunately for me, you're not a little boy anymore. You have your own life now. You have Joyce. The truth is, you don't really need me. Everything you need is standing beyond this partition, with a cell phone to her ear."

He looked down for a moment before a trace of a smile appeared on his lips. His voice was low. "I know. But I only just found you."

Her heart ached at his words. "That's why I'm asking you first. If you want me to stay, I will." Then she rolled her eyes in mock disgust. "To tell you the truth, I'm kinda hoping you would because the prospect of convincing your father doesn't exactly trill me."

He laughed. "He can be stubborn. Although he resolutely maintained that my obstinacy came from you."

She mentally made a note to kill Mulder for that. "Determination maybe, but if there's a trace of pigheadedness, that's from your father's gene pool."

Sighing, he returned to the grave matter. "I just thought I would have more time with you. But you're right. It's about time you two got together. He needs you."

"I hope so." She whispered back sincerely.

They were diverted when Joyce appeared before them. "Sorry about that, work. What's up?"

"Agent Scully's retiring." Jason updated her quietly.

Joyce was stunned. Her hesitance indicated that she suspected that there was more than meets the eye. "Really? Congratulations!"

"Thank you." Dana gave her a little smile before frowning. "Oh, I nearly forgot. I have something for you." She told her son while she searched her pocket. Retrieving a small box from it, she passed it to him. "I think you'd like it."

He thanked her and shot Joyce a quick look before opening it. Inside was a key chain. Jason peered closer to read the words on it while Dana did not miss Joyce's swift look of disdain. Leaning to whisper in her ear, Dana explained. "His father gave it to me for my birthday. I'm hoping Jason would appreciate it more than I ever did."

The younger redhead was incredulous and hissed back in amazement. "Mr. V gave you a **key chain** for your birthday?"

"Uh-huh." Dana replied under her breath, rolling her eyes.

"God! I'd kill Jace if he ever did that to me!"

Dana almost chuckled but Jason claimed back the attention, gushing. "This is so cool! Thank you. I love it!"

Joyce gaped and looked at Dana who was trying hard not to burst out laughing. She kindly justified her son's delight. "It's an Apollo 11 moon landing commemorative key chain." And Joyce had no choice but to pretend to be impressed in front of Jason.

Suddenly, they heard the presenter ask for the nine newly awarded men and women to the stage for a group photo. Jason looked at his mother, obviously reluctant to end their conversation just yet. Who knew when they would meet again?

Understanding his gaze, she softly declared. "I'll visit. It's different this time."

Joyce wasn't really sure what was going on but from the looks on the faces of both mother and son, she was getting a pretty good idea. Without even realizing it, she moved her arm to touch Jason, offering him emotional support. He felt her and took a deep breath, preparing himself for the goodbye.

Dana was surprisingly composed as she wished Joyce goodbye, returning her previous hug. Then, she took Jason's hand and squeezed it. "I'll see you real soon."

"Okay." His heart was unbearably full as he strived to talk without croaking. Suddenly, he felt an intense pressure at his lower back. He frowned, fully knowing that the culprit was Joyce. He hesitated for a few seconds and thought. 'Oh what the hell!'

Taking a step forward, he impulsively pulled a stunned Agent Scully gently into his arms. Her stiff body soon relaxed and her arms slowly went around him. He closed his eyes, thinking about all the times when he was a child and he wished his mother was still alive. Her perfume soon drifted into his senses and he unexpectedly found it familiar. From one of his visions, he thought. He was a barely a year old and like the present, she was saying goodbye to him. It was the night when they had first separated.

Dana on the other hand, wasn't breathing. Her mind was working but could only think of one thought. 'He's hugging me!'

Jason bit his lip and forced himself to speak his mind. "Take care." The pause seemed to go on forever before he finally said it. "Mom."

She blinked, unsure if she had heard right. The tears that she had so valiantly controlled since she started to say goodbye, spilled down her cheeks. And it took her several seconds before she realized that they were in public. The thought made her stiffen and she pulled away from him unwillingly.

Hastily brushing her tears away, she gave a half laugh to cover her embarrassment. Jason coloured slightly, feeling a little awkward himself. And Joyce had her hands clasped against her lips, watching in amusement and delight.

Dana recovered first and whispered. "I'd better go."

"Yeah." Her son muttered.

She looked up and smiled at him for a moment. Then, she turned away quickly before he caught another onslaught of tears. As she made her way to the exit, he followed her with his eyes, leaning against the frame of the temporary partition.

Joyce took to his side and waited until he spoke. His soft voice intoned amazement. "I made her cry."

She wanted to laugh but checked herself and only permitted a smile. "Yes, you did." Then taking his hand in hers, she squeezed it gently. "Felt good, didn't it?"

"Yeah." He grinned, still staring straight ahead. "It felt real good."

XXXXXXXXXXX
End of Revelations

Author: PhileyX
E-Mail: phileyxback@yahoo.com
Web-site: https://www.angelfire.com/id/phileyx
Thank you to all who wrote to me throughout this series! Couldn't have done it with your encouragement!