Intensive Care Unit
Friday
11:32 AM


"You have no right to keep my from seeing my own child! Now, 
either use that gun or get the hell out of my way."

Steve Talbot's voice echoed down the corridor, belligerent and 
crackling with fury. They turned the corner and found themselves 
immersed in barely contained chaos. A uniformed cop stood in 
front of the ICU doors, arms folded and face impassive as he 
absorbed the brunt of Talbot's righteous indignation. Dr. Hsu 
cowered in the cop's shadow, clearly unsure what to make of the 
man, while a several nurses hovered nearby.

Grey quickened his stride, reaching Talbot just as he appeared 
ready to give the officer a shove. "Back off, Steve. Officer Larkin 
is just doing his job. Which, it so happens, is protecting your 
daughter."

Steve whirled and directed his fury toward Grey. "I'm her father, 
for God's sake. Claire doesn't need to be protected from *me*."

Larkin, a blond cop in his early thirties, scowled up at Grey. "Sorry 
for the commotion, Detective. I tried to explain to this guy"--he 
cocked a thumb at Talbot's chest--"that access to the little girl is 
restricted, but he was too bullheaded to listen."

"Thanks, Pete. I'll handle it from here." Grey gave the man a slap 
on the back with a smile that disappeared when he turned to 
Talbot. "Follow me."

"You might have had the decency to call, let me know Claire had 
been found." Talbot shouldered Mulder out of the way and caught 
up to Grey as they passed through the doors to the ICU. 

"I've been busy." Grey growled the words through gritted teeth. 
"Evidently you figured it out."

"I tried to track Kira down at the station to see if you'd made 
progress. Somebody there told me what had happened." Talbot 
seized Grey's arm, stopping him. "Don't jerk me around, Grey. 
How is she?"

Grey glared at the restraining hand, lips parted to deliver a sharp 
retort. And then he seemed to really look into Talbot's eyes. After a 
moment's hesitation, he silently tipped his head toward the large 
glass window that looked into the ICU. Claire lay in the nearest 
cubicle, surrounded by tubes and wires, small chest rising and 
falling with mechanical precision as the ventilator breathed for her.

All the color drained from Talbot's face, and he swayed on his feet. 
"Oh my God. What's happened to her?"

Grey shook his head, gaze riveted on his niece. "We...we're not 
sure."

"Not sure?" Two quick steps and Talbot had buried his fists in 
Grey's shirt, dragging him forward until their faces were a hair's 
breadth apart. "What do you mean you're not sure? Three days ago 
that was a normal, healthy little girl! Who did this to her? What in 
the hell have you been doing about it?"

Mulder grabbed the distraught man by the collar of his shirt and 
dragged him off his brother. "Come on. What do you think he's 
been doing--sitting around twiddling his thumbs? He loves her 
too."

Talbot struggled, fighting to break Mulder's hold. No one noticed 
Kira stand up and hurry out of the cubicle.

"Steve? Steve, what's going on?"

At the sound of her voice, Talbot went limp. Mulder released him 
with a little shove and he stumbled toward her. "Kira, I'm sorry, I 
just wanted to..." The words trailed off to a whisper as his gaze 
returned to Claire. "What's wrong with her?"

Kira turned swollen, red-rimmed eyes onto Grey, her expression 
almost apologetic as she took Talbot's hand. "Come on in. I'll 
explain as best as I can."

Talbot spoke in hushed tones as he allowed her to lead him into the 
cubicle, meek as a child. "Can she hear us?" 

A core of steel lurked beneath Kira's weary reply. "The doctor says 
no, but I don't believe him."

Mulder and Scully exchanged a long look--she recalling hazy 
dream images of a rowboat on a solitary lake, he remembering an 
endless night of rambling monologues and the whisper of nurses' 
shoes. He brushed his hand down the length of her arm until their 
fingers were touching though not entwined, his voice pitched for 
her ears alone. "Neither do I."

"Grey. Let it go." 

Kristen's calming words pulled them back to the situation at hand. 
Grey was glaring through the glass, jaw and fists clenched, as 
Talbot took a weeping Kira into his arms. 

"Son of a bitch. I ought to..."

"But you won't." Kristen softened the hard edge to her voice with a 
hand on his arm.

Grey bristled. "You don't understand, Kris. You weren't around 
back then, you didn't see--"

"Then. Not now." Kristen stepped between him and the window, 
forcing him to see her. "This isn't about what *you* need, Grey; it's 
about what *Kira* needs. She's a big girl; she can decide for herself. 
Let it go."

Grey laced his arms across his chest. "Easy for you to say."

Kristen shook her head with a bitter little laugh. "With the mood 
you've been in? You really think so?"

It  pulled Grey up short. He let out a long, gusty sigh and reached 
over to brush a lock of hair off her shoulder. They stared into each 
other's eyes, his lips slowly curving into a faint smile.

"No. I think it's a job I wouldn't wish on anyone."

"Amen."

Mulder grunted as Scully elbowed him in the ribs but the gibe 
lifted the tension. The ICU doors swung open, admitting Dr. Hsu 
and Grey's parents. Grey turned hesitantly toward Scully.

"Dana, would you mind...?"

"Of course not."

"Kristen and I will wait right here." Mulder's gesture encompassed 
the cubicle where Kira and Talbot were now seated beside Claire's 
bed. 

Grey nodded, understanding the subtext. "Thank you."

Silence descended once Grey and Scully had moved off to speak to 
the doctor. Mulder focused on a nurse as she moved about Claire, 
checking her vitals and jotting equipment readouts onto the chart. 
His relationship with Kristen until now had been cordial but 
superficial--unlike Scully, who had formed a close bond with the 
agent while he and Grey were on the camping trip from hell. 
Despite better intentions, the current strain in his relationship with 
his brother left him uncomfortable in Kristen's presence.

"He's really broken up over what's happened between you."

It took a moment for Kristen's soft voice to penetrate his thoughts. 
Mulder darted a sharp glance at her face before forcing his 
attention back to Claire. He hoped his silence would convince her 
to let the matter drop. Too late, he recalled Grey's descriptions of 
her tenacity.

"He's afraid you've decided to shut him out of your life.  That 
you've made up your mind, and nothing he can say or do now is 
going to change it."

His answer sounded wooden, even to his own ears. "A little 
distance can be a good thing. He'll come to see that, eventually."

"He already has."

It pierced his defenses, tearing him in places already raw from 
Grey's rejection. He'd sucked in an involuntary gasp before he 
could reassemble a passive mask.

"At least we can agree on that much."

Pulling the same trick she had on his brother, Kristen stepped 
between Mulder and the glass. He was stunned to see fury in her 
green eyes. "He thinks it's good for *you*, Mulder. Not for himself." 
Ignoring his poleaxed expression, she plowed on.

"He knows he's hurt you--badly. And he doesn't want to be 
responsible for inflicting that kind of pain again." She reached out 
a tentative hand to touch his arm. "You can put things back where 
they belong. It's not too late."

A headache began to build behind his right eye, fueled by fatigue 
and emotion too long repressed. Mulder massaged the bridge of his 
nose, desperately wishing he'd tagged along with Scully and Grey.

"There's too much you don't know, Kristen." He met her gaze 
squarely, anger beginning to eclipse the pain. "Too much you 
could never understand."

Her own temper flared. "I understand more than you think. I fought 
with my father before school one morning, Mulder, a real knock 
down, drag out. Stomped out of the house swearing I'd never speak 
to him again." Her eyes fluttered shut; she shook her head. "I never 
dreamed a car accident would prove me right." When she opened 
her eyes, the anger had turned to deep sorrow. "Not a day goes by 
that I don't wish I could make things right."

Mulder shifted uneasily. "I'm sorry about your father, but--"

"This is different. Sure." She sighed and stepped away, freeing him 
to return to his vigil. "Look, I know you and Grey have history, 
Mulder. You spent the first three decades of your lives without 
each other, I guess you can spend the next three the same way." 
She chuffed a humorless laugh. "What I can't figure out is why 
you'd *want* to." When he didn't respond, she sighed again. "I'm 
going to get a drink of water. Tell Grey-- Never mind, I'll tell him 
myself."

Mulder listened to her footsteps, the slap of rubber on linoleum, as 
he stared sightlessly at Claire's still face. The hollow, gnawing 
ache in his gut, no longer assuaged by files and theories, welled up 
like bitter acid in the back of his throat. *Put things back where they 
belong.* His breath caught raggedly in his chest, a sound 
somewhere between a laugh and a sob. If she only knew how much 
he wished he could.

There was a time when he'd grown so accustomed to rolled eyes 
and veiled insults that he barely registered them. Chalk it up to the 
wildly inaccurate rumor mill, professional jealousy, even simple 
inability to think outside the box--why he'd fallen from golden boy 
to monster boy really didn't matter. He believed in what he was 
doing, the importance of the work, and he'd convinced himself that 
was enough.

Then came Special Agent Dana Scully, forensic pathologist and 
would-be Consortium tool. He'd expected her to be beautiful and 
sexy--his weakness for pretty women wasn't exactly a well-kept 
secret. He'd suspected she would be brilliant--her thesis was damn 
impressive, and besides, his enemies were wise enough to realize 
that anyone less than his intellectual equal would never last the 
week.  

What had knocked him on his ass, the one thing he--and they--
never could have predicted, was her respect. 

He'd had to earn it, of course. Dana Scully never gave away 
anything for free. She'd indulged in her share of rolled eyes and 
incredulous laughter. But she'd listened, really listened, to his 
crazy, off-the-wall theories--challenging, debating, refuting. And 
the work had benefited.

That she'd given him her love as well as her respect was a precious 
gift he was still learning to accept.

He hadn't realized the addictive nature of that one-two punch until 
the last disastrous few days. That Grey seemed able to give him the 
one but not the other was a bitter pill to swallow. Five years ago 
he'd have taken what his brother had to give, grateful and 
unquestioning. But loving Scully had changed him, shown him he 
deserved more. Settling for less felt worse than just going through 
the motions. It felt like a lie.

Unpalatable for a man who'd dedicated his life to the truth.

"Hey." 

Scully's warm fingers encircled his wrist, causing him to 
practically leap from his skin. He looked down into worried blue 
eyes and a furrowed brow, reactions to whatever she saw in his 
face. Consciously slowing his breathing, he sent her an apologetic 
grimace. She studied him for a moment longer, then, with a quick 
glance over her shoulder, took his hand and tugged him down the 
hallway. 

"Mulder, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." A raised eyebrow and pursed lips prompted him to 
qualify the statement. "Nothing new, anyway."

She conceded the point but not the match. "Kristen seemed upset."

He sighed through clenched teeth. "Kristen has developed a Bob 
Vila complex." At Scully's mystified look he added, "She wants to 
fix everything."

"Ah." Scully pressed gentle fingers to the flesh above his right eye. 
"Headache?"

Mulder blinked. "Mindreader?"

Her mouth quirked, though the concern lingered in her eyes. "You 
squint a little. Dead giveaway."

"I'll have to remember that."

Scully trailed her fingers back through his hair before lowering her 
hand. "She's not the only one, you know, Mulder?"

He had to replay the conversation to pick up her thread. Despite his 
inner turmoil he felt more amusement than annoyance. "Yeah, I 
know. She's just not as subtle."

"Let's head back to the conference room. I can fill you in on 
Claire's condition while I hunt for some aspirin in my briefcase."

She'd barely finished speaking when pandemonium broke loose in 
the cubicle behind them. Two nurses wheeled a crash cart to the 
bedside of a middle-aged man whose heart monitor was emitting 
the shrill beep and erratic green line signaling cardiac arrhythmia. 
Within seconds a doctor rushed onto the scene and began directing 
the ordered chaos while a white-faced woman stood to one side, 
tears running down her face.

Mulder watched as the nurses stripped off the hospital gown, 
clearing the way for the doctor to apply defibrillator paddles to the 
patient's chest. The man's upper body arced off the mattress from 
the jolt of electric current, wringing an audible sob from the 
woman. Still, the monitor shrieked its warning and the green line 
jittered and jumped.

"Mulder?"

Scully had taken several steps down the hallway before realizing 
she'd left him behind. She frowned, irritated by his apparent 
distraction.

"Mulder, let's go. We..."

He dimly acknowledged the drone of Scully's voice as some kind 
of drug was injected and the paddles applied a third time. The 
green line stuttered for a moment longer, then settled into steady, 
rhythmic spikes. Mulder turned away from the flurry of smiles, 
tears, and congratulations, his own heart hammering as if it might 
burst.

"Mulder?" Fear, rather than annoyance, now sharpened Scully's 
question.

He waved her aside, tuning out all external distractions as he 
latched onto an idea so big, and yet so incredibly simple, it seemed 
too good to be true.

Could it work? 

What did they have to lose?

"Mulder! What is it, what's going on?"

He slowly raised wide eyes to her face. "I think I've figured it out, 
Scully. I think I know how to save Claire."


Raleigh Community Hospital
Friday
3:26 PM


"You wanna run that by one more time?" Grey's soft drawl 
verbalized the incredulity mirrored on every face in the room. 
"You're suggesting we *what*?"

An unwelcome sense of deja vu washed over Mulder. Combined 
with an excess of fatigue and lack of decent food, it left him off 
balance and disoriented. For a moment he was back in the BSU, a 
rookie profiler pitching theories that whizzed like fastballs over the 
senior agents' heads. 

He blinked, shaking off the images and focusing on Grey. "You 
heard me."

"What we've heard is sheer nonsense. " Dr. Hsu stood just inside 
the doorway, having refused a seat at the large conference table. 
"Worse than nonsense--it's dangerous. Embarking upon such a 
course of action would be criminally negligent." He transferred his 
glare from Mulder to Kira. "Agent Mulder has no medical 
expertise, just a wild theory. You can't seriously be considering 
such a crazy, unconventional--"

"*Doctor* Mulder is an Oxford trained psychologist." Scully spared 
Hsu only a passing glance, addressing herself to those at the table. 
"He has more than a passing acquaintance with ECT and its impact 
on brain function. I suggest we hear him out."

This from the woman who had argued vehemently with him when 
he'd first shared his epiphany. That she would back him up, despite 
her own reservations, lifted Mulder's flagging spirits. He tipped his 
chin in a subtle gesture of gratitude before continuing.

"Yes, it's unconventional. So is Claire's condition. And frankly, 
after studying the medical records I can say without qualification 
that conventional methods have yielded nothing but dead children 
so far."

"I know the drugs haven't worked." Kira's voice trembled but she 
sat up straight in her chair, grimly holding on to her composure. 
"But she's still alive; she's still fighting. To take such an enormous 
risk... The treatment could kill her."

"Damn straight." Talbot pulled his hand from Kira's and leaned 
across the table. "Dr. Hsu is right; what you're suggesting is crazy. 
I'm not going to let you try to jump-start my little girl's brain like 
some kind of dead battery."

"What you're gonna do is sit back and keep your mouth shut." 
Grey's voice was excruciatingly calm. Dangerous. 

Talbot rounded on him. "Like hell I will! I'm her father, Grey. I 
have the right--"

"You lost any rights to Claire when you walked out five years ago. 
I let you sit in on this meeting as a favor to Kira, but so help me 
God--"

"Stop it! Both of you!" Scully's command silenced them. She 
glared at Talbot, then Grey. "It's time you two stop this senseless 
bickering and start thinking about Kira and Claire." When both 
men looked sufficiently chastised, she nodded for Mulder to 
continue.

"Your jumper cable analogy, however graphic, is inaccurate." He 
directed his words to Talbot with as much patience as he could 
muster. "Claire's brain is not dead--just the opposite. It's 
functioning at a level impossible to sustain. We can wait for the 
inevitable burn out. Or, we can intervene."

"By pumping electricity into her brain." No longer confrontational, 
Steve's reply held sullen disbelief.

"By using electricity to re-establish a normal pattern of 
electroconductivity across the cerebral cortex. Unconventional, 
yes. Risky, certainly. But perhaps the only hope for reversing 
Claire's condition."

Hsu grunted derisively. "I'm telling you now, I want no part of 
this...this madness. If you choose to pursue this course of action, 
you will do so without my participation." A piercing look at Kira, a 
scowl for Mulder, then Hsu turned on his heel and left.

Mulder waited a beat before continuing. "Fortunately, we don't 
require Dr. Hsu's cooperation. Scully and I have already talked to 
Dr. Pratt, who heads up the psychiatric wing. We've shown him 
Claire's chart, as well as the records for the other kids. Despite his 
own reservations, he's agreed to perform the procedure."

Grey lifted an eyebrow. "He has?"

Scully glanced at Mulder with pursed lips before replying. "So 
long as we provide a signed consent form exempting him from all 
liability."

Mulder leaned back in his chair, palms up. "It's up to you now, 
Kira. Only you can decide how we proceed."

Kira bit her lip, eyes welling with tears. "I'm holding my baby's life 
in the palm of my hand. One word from me could determine 
whether she lives or dies. No mother should be forced to make 
such a decision."

Scully's voice was very, very soft. "Perhaps not, Kira. But then 
again, that kind of decision is the very essence of motherhood." 
Mulder looked at her sharply but she refused to meet his gaze. 

After a long, uncomfortable silence, Kira shook her head and 
scrubbed at the tears on her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Fox. I know you 
mean well and that you truly believe this will work, but it's damn 
unorthodox and just plain dangerous. If Claire died from the 
procedure I'd never forgive myself." Her voice broke. "Or you. I 
have to get back to Claire; my parents will wonder what's keeping 
me." She shoved back her chair and practically fled from the room.

Talbot stood more slowly. "Maybe you do mean well, Agent 
Mulder. But I'd feel lot better if you stayed away from my 
daughter."

No one spoke for several minutes after Talbot's exit. Mulder rose 
and paced the length of the room, hand cupping the back of his 
neck. Eyes moving back and forth, Scully watched him, her 
expression a mixture of empathy and apprehension. Grey stared at 
the tabletop, tracing invisible patterns with his fingertip. And 
Kristen stared at Grey.

Grey finally looked up at his brother. "Kira's just trying to do 
what's best for Claire, Fox. It's a pretty radical idea; I don't think 
she was ready for it. Don't take it personally."

Mulder laughed, a harsh, humorless sound. "Personally? Nah. This 
is Spooky you're talking to--remember?"

"This doesn't have anything to do with--"

"The hell it doesn't!" Mulder slammed his palm against the 
tabletop, startling Grey to silence.

"Mulder..."

He rounded on Scully, past caring where he directed the anger and 
frustration. "You can't possibly understand what it's like to see...to 
*know* things that other people can only begin to understand. I'm 
sick of shouting out the truth like a damn prophet only to have it 
fall on deaf ears, or worse..." He trailed off, the fire in his eyes 
dying as he turned back to his brother. "To see that look. The one 
somewhere between pity and contempt. God, I'm tired of that 
look." He drew one hand down his face, shaking his head. "I have 
to get out of here. I need some fresh air."

Scully was by his side before he'd taken three steps, one hand on 
his arm. "I'm coming with you."

Mulder frowned. "Look, Scully, I..."

She folded her arms; raised an eyebrow. Mulder sucked in a deep 
breath and let it out with a resigned huff. His hand settled 
comfortably in the middle of her back and he guided her toward 
the door.

"After you."

Grey braced his folded arms on the table, dropping his head onto 
them. After several minutes passed he felt gentle fingers at the 
nape of his neck, sifting through tension-damp curls.

"Talk to me, sweetheart. What's going on inside that complicated 
brain?"

He moaned a muffled laugh. "I want a do-over."

Bafflement colored Kristen's response. "What?"

Grey lifted his head. "A do-over. It was a game rule we had when 
we were kids. If the dice fell off the table when you rolled them, if 
you served the ball and it landed on the line--then you got a do-
over. A second chance to get it right."

Kristen's lips curved and she stroked a lock of hair back from his 
brow. "If only life worked that way."

The tenderness, at a moment it felt least deserved, did him in. Grey 
closed his eyes against the burn of tears. "I've made a hell of a 
mess of things, Kris."

"You've made some mistakes. Nothing that can't be fixed."

"I wish I could believe that."

"Believe it." When Grey opened his eyes and fixed her with a 
questioning stare, she explained. "I talked to Fox this morning."

"About...?"

"About the trouble between you two. About your fear that he's 
shutting you out of his life."

Grey's eyebrows drew together. "What's happened between me and 
Fox is just that, Kristen--between me and Fox. It has nothing to do 
with you."

"You're wrong. It has everything to do with me. For three days I've 
listened to your heart break over this rift between you. I love you, 
damn it! Do you honestly expect me to sit by and do nothing? 
Would you?"

Grey winced. "I see your point." He searched her face. "What did 
he have to say?"

She made a face. "Not much. He fed me a line about the benefits of 
a little distance. Not too convincing, really, since it was obvious he 
didn't believe it himself."

Grey swore under his breath. "He must be the most stubborn, 
pigheaded..." Kristen's pursed lips stopped him. "What?"

"Oh, please. You two are poster boys for the expression 'it takes 
one to know one.'"

Grey tried to feel outraged; gave up. "The point is, he's made up 
his mind. He's constructing walls thicker than Fort Knox."

Kristen leaned in, her voice turning to stone. "The point is, you 
have to change his mind; it will never come from him. He's been 
hurt too many times in his life not to have developed some 
impressive coping mechanisms--namely, making sure you don't get 
close enough to repeat the job."

Grey's eyebrows soared. "Since when did you become an authority 
on my brother? You barely know him."

She snorted. "Since Dana and I spent two days pulling your butts 
out of the fire after that little camping excursion you took last fall. 
Guess we've become closer friends than either of you realizes."

"Obviously." Grey ran his fingers through his hair. "The hell of it 
is that he's been right from the start. It's all gone down the way he 
said it would--Claire's disappearance, the way she was returned, 
even her current condition. Crazy as his ECT theory may be, deep 
down I believe he's really onto something. And yet, even now, I 
can hardly bring myself to admit it."

“Are you saying you think Kira should have tried the ECT?”

"I'm saying I think it makes a helluva lot more sense than pumping 
her full of drugs. Or sitting around and waiting for her to die." 
Surprise colored his voice. "Yeah. I guess I am." He searched her 
face. "Kris, do you believe in aliens?"

She gnawed on her bottom lip. "I don't know. But your brother 
does. And I've heard enough around the Bureau to understand that 
at least 90 percent of the talk surrounding him is fueled by pure 
jealousy. He's not a fool, Grey. Just a guy who doesn't give a damn 
about what most people think." She ran the backs of her fingers 
down his cheek. "Of course, you and Dana aren't most people."

"Dana told me he believes I don't respect him." Grey chuffed and 
shook his head. "Can't say I blame him, considering the shitty way 
I've treated him. But he's wrong, Kris. I'm proud as hell to be his 
brother."

"Then you need to show him. Words aren't going to get the job 
done."

Grey propped his elbows on his knees and cradled his face in his 
hands. "Sure. Simple. Except how in the hell am I supposed to 
accomplish that?" 

Kristen's hand returned to rest on the nape of his neck but she 
remained silent. He let his eyes close but was unable to shut out the 
memory of his brother’s agonized expression, his earlier words to 
Kristen echoing in his head. *The hell of it is that he's been right 
from the start. It's all gone down the way he said it would--*

He dropped his hands and bolted upright, eyes wide.

Startled, Kristen instinctively recoiled. "Grey?"

"I know." Hope kindled inside him, making his heart beat faster. 
"Kris, I *know* what I have to do."

"What?"

He stood, reaching down to tug her to her feet. "Let's go. I have to 
talk to Kira. Right away."


Hospital Cafeteria
Friday
5:39 PM


He hadn't said a word for at least fifteen minutes.

Scully wrapped her hands around the mug of hot tea, icy fingers 
gratefully absorbing the warmth, and surreptitiously observed the 
taciturn figure across the table. By the time she'd coaxed Mulder 
back into the building, he'd been shivering uncontrollably and her 
toes had turned numb. A trip to the cafeteria for a hot drink had 
driven the chill from their bodies. Mulder's spirits, however, had 
yet to thaw.

Her lips tightened as she took in the dark circles under his eyes and 
the uneaten sandwich on his plate. In just 72 hours, a week's worth 
of rest and relaxation had been undone. He'd poured his heart and 
soul into this case, done everything in his power for Grey, Kira, 
and Claire. His investigative work had been top notch, his 
deductive leaps eerily accurate, yet in the end it made little 
difference. For Mulder, this case could only be about another 
shattered relationship he couldn't repair and another little girl he 
couldn't save.

Frohike's call, informing them that one of the other children had 
died, seemed to have quenched the dying sparks of Mulder's hope. 
He hadn't spoken since.

Scully reached across the table, curling her fingers around his 
wrist. "Mulder--"

"I can't, Scully." When she raised her eyebrows, he jerked a thumb 
at the sandwich. "I can't eat that. Right now I can't eat anything. 
Please don't push, all right?"

"And you call *me* a mindreader?"

A weak smile tugged at his lips. "You've been taking turns 
scowling at me and that plate for the last ten minutes. Knowing 
what you're thinking hardly qualifies as mindreading."

"You've barely eaten all day."

He folded over the table, pressing his forehead to the hand clasping 
his wrist. "Probably for the best, considering."

She sighed, bringing her other hand up to stroke his hair. "You 
can't take this on, Mulder. You did everything Grey could have 
asked, and more."

He looked up at her, cheek nestled against the back of her hand. 
"Claire is going to die, Scully. Whatever good I may have done--it 
wasn't enough." He closed his eyes, but not before she glimpsed 
the shine of tears. "I wish the last three days had never happened, 
Scully. I wish to God I could erase them and just start over."

She could barely speak past the ache in her throat. "We haven't 
seen the end of this yet. Give Kira a little time to think things 
through. She's exhausted and half out of her mind with worry."

Pressing a kiss to her knuckles, he sat up straight. "I said I'd see 
this through to the end, and I will. But I can't lie to you, babe. I just 
want to go home." He slid her empty plate beneath his and slipped 
them onto the tray. "Be right back."

Scully watched him dump their trash in the nearest receptacle, then 
trudge across the cafeteria to return the empty tray. Distracted by 
the slump of his shoulders and her own morose thoughts, the light 
touch to her shoulder drove the air from her lungs in a startled 
whoosh.

"Dana?"

She spun and lurched to her feet, one hand automatically reaching 
for her weapon until she saw who stood behind her.

"Kira. I didn't hear you come up."

"Sorry." Kira's red-rimmed eyes left Scully's face and scanned the 
table. "Where's Fox?"

"He'll be right back. Can I get you something to eat? Some hot 
tea?"

Kira shook her head, not even bothering with the pretense of a 
smile. "No, thank you. I just really need to talk to Fox."

"I'm here." Mulder sent Scully an inquiring look as he detoured 
around the table to stand at her side. She responded with the slight 
lift of one shoulder.

"Fox, I need to talk to you, I..." Kira studied his face, her fingers 
twisting and knotting together. "...I know I kind of ran out on you, 
before, and I didn't want to give you the impression... I'm so 
grateful for everything you've done to help Claire. If I was less 
than...receptive to your suggestion, it's certainly not because I 
think...because I *don't*..."

"Kira." Mulder put his hand over hers, stilling them. "It's all right. 
You don't have to apologize. You're Claire's mother. You have 
every right to decide--"

"Please. Let me finish." She drew in a deep breath and blew it out. 
"I'm not like you, Fox. I believe in what I can see, what I can hold 
in my hand. Taking a leap of faith has never been my strong suit--I 
have a hard time believing in God, let alone aliens. But even I can 
see that whatever happened to Claire defies rational explanation. 
And I think that if anyone can make sense of such a completely 
senseless situation, maybe it's you." Her fingers clamped down on 
his in a bruising grip and her voice trembled with emotion. 
"You've been right about so many things up till now. I just...I have 
to trust you're right about this, too."

Mulder went very still. "What are you saying, Kira?"

She dropped his hand and stepped back, struggling to maintain her 
composure. "I've decided to have Claire undergo the ECT. I've 
already spoken to Dr. Pratt. They're going to be moving Claire up 
to the fifth floor within the next hour." She turned her gaze from 
Mulder to Scully. "He'd like you both to be there."

"Of course." Seeing Mulder was still struggling to assimilate Kira's 
news, Scully gave her a reassuring smile. "We'll be right up."

"Thank you. I'd better get back. Steve's...having a little trouble 
accepting all this."

She turned to leave, but Mulder caught her elbow. "Kira, wait." 
When she faced him once more, he released her. "I'm just 
wondering... What changed your mind?"

A wry expression crinkled the corners of her eyes. "There's no 
mystery there, Fox. My big brother can be very convincing when 
he believes he's right."

She turned and walked back toward the elevators, oblivious to the 
stunned disbelief she'd put on his face.


Waiting room
7:12 PM


Mulder found his eyes straying to the wall clock for the third time 
in ten minutes. Nearly half an hour had passed since Claire, Kira, 
and Scully had disappeared behind the double doors to the 
psychiatric wing. Time seemed to have slowed to a snail's pace, 
every tick of the clock fueling his rising anxiety and impatience. 
>From what he could see, Grey, his parents, and Steve Talbot were 
faring no better.

Across the room, Talbot resumed pacing, casting baleful glances in 
Mulder's direction and muttering under his breath. He'd been 
roaming the small room like a caged tiger for most of the past 20 
minutes, his agitation only exacerbating Mulder's nervousness. 
And evidently Grey's, as well. His brother ignored Talbot for 
several minutes, then pinched the bridge of his nose. Mulder 
tensed, expecting trouble. 

"Steve, do us all a favor? Sit down and shut the hell up."

Grey's words, amazingly, held weary resignation rather than 
animosity. Unfortunately Talbot, strung tighter than a bow, didn't 
hear the difference. Two quick strides and he was standing over 
Grey.

"Fuck off. You expect me to just sit and twiddle my thumbs, not 
knowing what's happening to my little girl? This is *your* fault, 
Grey. Anything happens to Claire, and so help me God, I'll--"

Grey slowly stood up. His lip curled and his voice dropped to a 
dangerously intimate level. "You'll what? Knock me around like 
you did Kira? Go ahead, Steve. Let's see how you do against 
someone your own size."

Mulder moved to separate them, but was outstripped by Grey's 
father, who wedged himself between the two men, expression 
stern.

"That's enough. Last time I checked they didn't allow brawling in 
this hospital. If you two aren't careful you'll be waiting out on the 
street." He gave Grey a look that said he expected more from him, 
then placed a hand on Talbot's shoulder. "Steve, everyone in this 
room wants the best for Claire. Casting blame is not only pointless, 
it's unfounded."

Steve shrugged off the touch, face twisted with anger and grief. 
"Why can't you all see how ridiculous this is? You won't listen to 
me, but you'll take advice from a guy that hunts aliens for a living. 
And you..." He stabbed a finger in Grey's direction. "You're the 
reason things have gotten so out of control. Kira never would have 
agreed to this...this *treatment*...if you'd've kept your mouth shut. 
There's nothing unfounded in--" He broke off with a pained cry, 
grabbing his head and crumpling.

Grey and his father caught hold of Steve's arms, easing him onto 
the linoleum as his eyes rolled back in his head and his limbs 
twitched and spasmed. Mulder knelt beside them, loosening the top 
button of Talbot's shirt.

Grey watched him, face pale. "What the--?"

"The tumor." Mulder ground out the words as he shoved aside a 
chair. "He's on medication for seizures, remember?"

Grey watched Talbot's body jerk and twist. "What do we do?"

"Nothing." Mulder stole a quick look over his shoulder; saw Grey's 
mother approaching with a nurse in tow. "Just make sure he doesn't 
hurt himself."

By the time medical personnel arrived, the spasms had ended, 
leaving Talbot dazed and semi-conscious. Mulder gave the young 
woman a brief rundown of Talbot's medical condition as she 
checked his vital signs. Once she was satisfied he had stabilized, 
she fetched an orderly to help her move him down to the ER.

"We'll run a few tests; make sure nothing else is wrong," she told 
them as Steve was carefully strapped to a gurney for transport. 
"He'll probably just need to sleep for a while. If, as you say, it's 
due to the tumor, there's really not much we can do but provide a 
place for him to rest and keep an eye on him."

"We'll come along." Grey's mother looked to her husband for 
confirmation. When he nodded, she turned to her son. "We'll be 
back as soon as Steve gets settled. Tell Kira--"

"I will." Grey looked at Talbot, pity darkening his eyes before he 
glanced quickly away. "I'll track you down if there's any news."

Once Talbot's little entourage had left, Mulder reclaimed his chair. 
His brother, however, remained standing, forehead creased and 
teeth gnawing his lower lip. After several minutes had passed and 
Grey showed no signs of moving, Mulder cleared his throat.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I just..." Grey sounded far away. Distracted. "I guess 
I was so worried about Claire, it never sank in."

"Steve dying?"

His brother nodded, shame flushing his cheeks. "To be honest, up 
until now I've barely given it a passing thought. And when I did..." 
He winced. "The only thing I felt was relief."

Mulder chose his words carefully. "He's not exactly the easiest 
person to like."

Grey snorted. "Tell that to Kira." He sighed; scrubbed a hand 
across his stubbled jaw. "I never thought I'd see the day when I'd 
feel sorry for the bastard."

"Lack of sleep, stress--I'm sure the past few days have aggravated 
his condition. It's not really surprising that he's feeling the 
repercussions. In fact, it's possible some of Steve's…anger 
management issues could be traced to this tumor."

Grey walked over and dropped into the chair beside Mulder. "It's a 
helluva way to die." He turned his head to study his brother's face. 
"Fox... Have you wondered if there could be more to Steve's tumor 
than meets the eye?"

"Why--just because Steve and Claire both are suffering from a 
malfunctioning of the cells in their brains?

"Quite a coincidence--huh?"

It coaxed a small smile onto Mulder's lips. "You know what I'm 
gonna say, right?"

Grey's mouth twitched. "I've heard it a time or two, yeah."

The grin faded and Mulder shook his head. "Steve said his tumor is 
located in the parietal lobe, which just happens to be the location 
of the children's epilepsy *and* the area of missing tissue. I can't help 
feeling there is a connection, at least on some level. If Claire and 
the other kids carry the genetic precursor for the abilities possessed 
by Gibson Praise, then perhaps Talbot carries the precursor to what 
they have. Maybe he's one step back in the evolutionary chain."

"So why the tumor? And please don't tell me aliens did something 
to him, too."

Mulder rolled his eyes. "Contrary to what you may think, I don't 
see little green men around every corner." He tipped his head back 
against the wall, thinking aloud. "There's an element of trial and 
error in gene mutation, with natural selection serving to ensure 
only the most desirable traits survive. Maybe Talbot's tumor is 
nature's way of weeding out a less successful attempt." 

He sighed rubbing the heels of his hands into gritty eyes. "We'll 
probably never know--though I'd definitely like Scully to take a 
peek at his medical records when this is all over."

Grey shifted in his chair. "I just hope it's soon. I can't take this 
waiting much longer."

Mulder watched his brother search for a more comfortable 
position, Kira and Talbot's words resonating in his head. Finally, 
he could keep silent no longer.

"Why did you do it?"

Grey's jaw tightened and he glanced away. "What do you mean?"

"Kira told me you were the one who convinced her that Claire 
should undergo the procedure."

"That's right."

"Why?"

When Grey didn't immediately answer, Mulder sat up and turned 
to study him. "We've been at odds over this case from almost the 
moment Scully and I got here. You certainly made no secret of the 
fact you wanted nothing to do with our investigation. Why are you 
backing me now, Grey?" His lips twisted into a grim smile. "Are 
you trying to tell me you've come to believe in aliens?"

Grey's reply was very soft. "No. I can't say that I do."

"Then why go along with this line of treatment; why put your neck 
on the block with Kira and the rest of your family? Talbot was 
right, you know--if Claire dies they will never truly forgive either 
one of us." Mulder shook his head, voice rising along with his 
anger. "If you did it out of regret, as an attempt to fix the trouble 
between us, then you needlessly risked Claire's life. And it doesn't 
prove anything."

"It should prove something to you. But not what you're thinking." 
Grey dropped his eyes to stare at his shoes for a long moment, then 
lifted them to Mulder's face. "I do regret what's happened to us, 
Fox. God help me, if I could take back the words, I would. But 
that's not the reason I talked to Kira."

The honest emotion in Grey's eyes was too much. Mulder looked 
away, blinking hard. "Then why?"

"Because as terrible as the past three days have been, they've 
helped me to understand something. Not that I believe in aliens." 
He chuffed. "Give me some time. It took Dana years--I think I 
deserve at least a week." The laughter faded from his voice. "I may 
not believe in aliens, Fox. But I believe in you."

Mulder sucked in a sharp breath as Grey continued. "You're a hell 
of an investigator. You find patterns, make connections most 
people would never see. And you're willing to look beyond 
established boundaries for the answers you need." He bit his lip, 
shame creeping into his voice. "Even if you wind up taking shit for 
it.

"You were right about this case. Every step of the way. And I 
think...I believe...you're going to be right about Claire. *That's* why I 
talked to Kira."

"You may be sorry." Mulder squeezed the words past the lump in 
his throat, then forced a smile. "Despite what I tell Scully, I'm not 
always right."

Grey's lips curved. "I'll take the odds, little brother."

Before Mulder could find his voice, the double doors swung 
outward, discharging Scully, Kira, and several medical personnel 
pushing a gurney bearing Claire. Mulder and Grey sprang to their 
feet.

"What happened? How is she?" Grey trotted alongside the gurney, 
staring down at Claire's still face.

"Too soon to tell." Kira's hand enveloped her daughter's; she 
looked very pale but composed. "Dana will explain everything, 
Grey. I'll see you downstairs."

Grey let them go, watching until they'd disappeared into the 
elevator. He turned to Scully, hope and fear clouding his face. 
"Dana?"

Scully pursed her lips. "Dr. Pratt delivered the mildest dose for the 
shortest amount of time. And it appears to have worked. The post 
treatment EEG shows a drastic reduction in electroconductivity."

"But?"

She lay her hand on his arm. "Claire's brain has suffered a 
prolonged period of extreme stress to the neurons and synapses. It's 
too soon to tell if there will be irreversible damage."

Mulder frowned. "What exactly are you saying, Scully?"

Her eyes drifted closed and she shook her head.

"Dana?"

When she looked up, Scully's eyes glistened with tears. "Claire's in 
a coma. We're not certain she'll come out of it." 


Raleigh Community Hospital
Saturday
6:16 AM


*Coffee.*

Grey's nose twitched. He sucked in a deep draught of the rich, 
steamy fragrance, forcing heavy eyelids to cooperate. Bleary eyes 
focused first on the styrofoam cup suspended just beneath his chin, 
then on Dana's smiling face. Accepting the cup from her hand, he 
smothered a yawn before taking a sip. Hot and strong, it chased a 
few of the cobwebs from his head. A larger swallow and he heaved 
a contented sigh.

"Darlin', you are a goddess."

She offered him a little smirk and raised her own cup. "Nope. Just 
a fellow addict." Her gaze cut over to the couch where his brother 
lay sprawled across the cushions, motionless. "Do I need to check 
for a pulse?"

Grey chuckled and patted the chair beside him. "Trust me, he's 
fine. I can see his chest move from here."

"Where's Kristen?" Scully took the proffered seat and nudged the 
loafers off her feet, wriggling her toes.

"Having some breakfast with my folks. I wasn't hungry."

She cocked one eyebrow, lips tightening. "You're as bad as 
Mulder. Both of you are going to wind up hypoglycemic before 
this is over."

"Speaking of which... Did you talk to the doctor?"

Annoyance gave way to a genuine smile. "He's cautiously 
optimistic. Claire continues to show an increasing amount of brain 
activity. The EEG indicates something in the neighborhood of four 
to six cycles per second. If the improvement persists, she should 
wake soon."

Grey felt a goofy smile take over his face. "Coffee *and* good news. 
Definitely a goddess."

Scully held up one hand, obviously struggling to control her own 
enthusiasm. "There's still the possibility of brain damage. We 
won't know for sure until she regains consciousness."

"But you don't think so." Grey scrutinized her expression, looking 
for any sign of apprehension and finding none. "You think she's 
going to be all right. Don't you?"

"I think Claire's overloaded neurological system came dangerously 
close to self-destructing. And that the coma is her brain's way of 
shutting down for repairs."

Grey turned to look at his brother, something like awe creeping 
into his voice. "He did it again, didn't he?" He shook his head. 
"Even when the situation looks hopeless, he finds a way. He's a 
regular Houdini--put him in a locked room and he manages to 
conjure up the key."

Scully pursed her lips, unable to hide the twinkle in her eyes. 
"Mulder's methods rarely involve the front door, Grey. A more apt 
analogy would be to say he crawls out a window." She chuckled. 
"One that nobody knew existed."

Grey shook his head, one corner of his mouth turning up. "ECT. 
Nobody but Fox would come up with such a crazy...brilliant idea. 
We owe him Claire's life."

"I've been in touch with the other hospitals, detailed Claire's 
treatment and the results. So far it seems to be achieving similar 
success with the other children." 

"That's great, Dana. Really great."

He leaned back in the chair, aware of her sharp, assessing gaze as 
he continued to drink his coffee. Deliberately ignoring it, he smiled 
inwardly and waited for her to ask.

"Things have changed between you. Again."

He let the smile seep onto his face. "I hope so. How could you 
tell?"

"We haven't had much chance to talk, but..." She gestured at Fox's 
sleeping form. "He's relaxed for the first time in days. It's as if a 
weight has been lifted from his shoulders." She looked at Grey 
from the corner of her eye. "I didn't think it was simply relief over 
Claire."

"Upstairs, in the waiting room, we had a talk." Grey set his empty 
cup beside his chair, wincing. "Well, I did most of the talking, I 
guess."

Scully's lips thinned. "I'm glad to hear it."

Grey snorted. "Yeah. Amazing how clearly you can see things 
once you take your head out of your ass." Her chuckle warmed 
him, giving him the strength to continue. "I'm sorry, Dana. If hard 
times are a test of character, then I'm afraid I've failed. Miserably. I 
hope you both will eventually be able to forgive me."

Her small hand pried open his clenched fist and curled around his 
fingers. "You made a rocky start, Grey. But when push came to 
shove, I'd say you ended well."

Grey lifted their joined hands, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "I'd 
say you're being generous. More than I deserve."

"*I'd* say you're kissing my wife. Back off, Bubba."

Grey gave Scully's hand a squeeze and released it, watching his 
brother roll to a sitting position. Clothing disheveled and cheek 
creased by the couch, Mulder ran his hands through sleep-tousled 
hair and feigned a scowl.

Grey chuckled. "Better me than you. I've seen road kill in better 
shape, little brother."

"Looked in a mirror lately? I've got serious competition."

"None of us is exactly fresh," Scully observed dryly. "I'm having a 
hard time remembering when I last saw a shower."

Mulder stood and stretched, then shifted with a grimace. He pinned 
Scully with a reproachful pout. "At least one of us had a *complete* 
change of clothing in the overnight bag."

"Did I forget something when I packed?" Scully was all wide-eyed 
innocence. "I'm sorry, Mulder. We were in such a rush..."

Grey's gaze flitted between them, a slow grin taking over his face. 
"I've warned you about her, Fox. This is a dangerous woman."

"You have no idea."

The patter of running footsteps, and a moment later Kira appeared. 
Flushed and breathless, her eyes glowed with happiness and tears. 
"She's awake! I had to step out while the doctor checks her over, 
but she seems fine, more than fine, she asked where she was and 
she...she complained that she's hungry..." Kira's gush of words 
ended in a sob and she threw her arms around Mulder's neck. 
"Thank you."

Mulder blinked, his arms slowly coming up to return the embrace. 
"You're welcome."

She pressed a kiss to his cheek and turned, latching onto Grey, who 
had come to stand beside her. "And you." She lay her cheek 
against his and murmured into his ear. "You saved me from 
making a terrible mistake." Stepping back, she grabbed hold of his 
hand. "C'mon. I know she'd like to see you."

Grey allowed himself to be drawn down the hallway, casting a 
questioning look over his shoulder.

Mulder waved him on. "Go ahead. We'll go home and get cleaned 
up, see you back here a little later." He smirked. "Wouldn't want to 
scare the poor kid."

As they watched them disappear down the hallway, Mulder draped 
an arm around Scully's shoulders. Sliding her own around his 
waist, she leaned in to his side. "Everything's going to be all right 
now."

He kissed the top of her head. "Yeah."

Tilting her chin up, she looked into his eyes. "You did it, Mulder."

He grinned, tightening his embrace. "Nope. *We* did."


133 Waterbrook Lane
Monday
7:46 PM


The atmosphere was positively festive. Grey's parents and his 
sister Shannon regaled Kristen with stories of Grey's childhood 
exploits while Shannon's husband, Rob, rode herd over their two 
children, chasing them away from the soda. Scully and Kira sat in 
the corner with heads together, discussing everything from Claire's 
recovery to the novels they were reading. Grey and Steve, his 
condition stable for now, were eating chips and checking 
basketball scores, coexisting peacefully, for once. And presiding 
over it all, set up on the couch like a small queen, Claire nibbled 
pizza and soaked up the attention.

Mulder, ever the willing slave, delivered her third cup of soda, 
perching on the edge of a cushion when she coaxed him with big 
brown eyes.

"You feeling all right, slugger? Sure you're not too tired for all 
this?"

Claire rolled her eyes. "I wish people would stop asking me that. 
I'm fine, Uncle Fox." She looked up at him, lips parted as if about 
to speak, then pressed them together.

Mulder nudged her with his shoulder. "What?"

"It's nothing."

"Funny. Didn't look like nothing." He nudged her again. "Give."

She peered at him from beneath her lashes. "Promise you won't get 
mad?"

"You gonna call me names?"

"No."

"Use four letter words?"

A giggle. "*No.*"

"Then I promise I won't get mad."

She fiddled with her blanket for a moment, picking at a frayed 
edge. "Did your sister really get taken away by aliens?"

He felt his jaw drop. "I... Where did you hear that?"

"Mommy and Uncle Grey were talking once when they didn't 
know I was around. Uncle Grey said your little sister disappeared 
when she was eight, and that you believe aliens took her." She 
studied his expression carefully. "Do you?"

He kept his reply calm and matter-of-fact, though he had a feeling 
he knew where Claire was headed. "Yes. Yes, I do."

Her brow furrowed as she considered his answer, teeth gnawing 
her upper lip. Several minutes passed, and he'd just begun to hope 
he'd dodged the bullet, when Claire spoke again. "Is that what you 
think happened to me?"

He choked out a laugh. "You hear an awful lot, don't you?"

"Is it?"

Mulder's eyes swept across the room, but no help was forthcoming. 
All around him people continued to eat, chat, and laugh, 
completely oblivious to the fact that an eight-year-old girl had just 
backed him into a corner. He met Claire's gaze squarely.

"Yes."

If she was upset by the confirmation, she didn't show it. "I don't 
really remember very much."

"What do you remember?"

She squinted a bit, as if trying to decipher a picture in her mind. 
"Light. A really bright light, except... Instead of being warm, it felt 
cold." She shivered, her expression too old for her years.  
"Whoever took me away, I don't think they liked me very much."

Mulder tucked the blanket around her with unsteady hands. A 
dozen responses flickered through his mind, but he discarded them 
all. In truth, Claire's observation seemed eerily accurate. 

She watched him, face solemn. "You know what's not fair, Uncle 
Fox?" When he raised his eyebrows, she continued. "They gave me 
back to my mommy. Why didn't they give your sister back to 
you?"

The familiar pain pierced his heart, though its edges were blunted 
by old secrets revealed and new relationships forged. Mulder 
managed a smile at her childish outrage. "Lots of things aren't fair, 
sweetheart. But I'm really glad you're here now, and safe. And that 
you're going to stay that way." He tweaked her nose and was 
rewarded with another giggle. "I believe that, too."

Claire's cousins, Patrick and Amanda, chose that moment to bound 
up to the couch. Patrick thrust a box onto Claire's lap while his 
sister perched on the coffee table.

"Hey, Claire, wanna play Monopoly? You can be the dog."

Amanda, remembering her manners, smiled up at Mulder. "You 
can play too, Uncle Fox. Patrick called dibs on the race car and I've 
got the shoe, but you could be the hat."

Mulder grinned. "You know, it's been a long time since I've had an 
offer that tempting, but I think I'll go have another slice of pizza 
instead. Maybe I'll catch the next game."

He wandered into the kitchen, grateful for a respite from the 
commotion of the living room. Bracing his palms on the counter, 
he stared out the window at the backyard. Moments later arms 
encircled his waist and something soft and warm draped itself 
along his back, coaxing a smile onto his lips. Scully.

She pressed a kiss between his shoulder blades. "What's the going 
rate on thoughts these days?"

He shrugged. "Not sure, but I doubt they're worth the investment."

She moved to his side, peering up at his face. "Mulder, when you 
leave a party to brood in an empty room, I'm all ears."

"I'm not brooding."

Her raised eyebrow communicated more clearly than words what 
she thought of his evasion. Mulder chuckled, in spite of himself. 

"I'm not, really. I just... I had a talk with Claire a few minutes ago."

"And?"

He finally turned to face her, lip caught between his teeth. "It 
reminded me of all the children who didn't make it home. Claire's 
right--it isn't fair."

"That must have been some talk."

"She's some kid."

"She is. And she's home now, alive and well. As are eleven of the 
thirteen other children taken when Claire was. They're going to get 
their driver's licenses, go to the senior prom, fall in love... All 
because of the work you did--" At his warning look, she amended, 
"--we did--on this case. Do you hear what I'm telling you, 
Mulder?"

"That we've ensured years of sleepless nights for their parents? 
Ow!" He rubbed his ribs where she'd punched him. "All right, all 
right. I'll stop brooding."

"Thank God for that." Grey stepped into the kitchen, giving Scully 
a wink. He jabbed a finger at his brother. "Only you could get 
morose in the middle of a party."

Mulder folded his arms, feigning an air of injury. "You know, I 
don't have to stand here and take this. I was invited to join a very 
high stakes game of Monopoly. They're even saving the hat for 
me."

Grey chuckled. "I wouldn't if I were you. I've played with that 
crowd and they're a ruthless bunch. Plus, Patrick cheats."

Scully chuffed. "Sounds like a near miss, Mulder."

Grey sobered, studying their faces. "You know, we don't have to 
stay. You two look tired, and you've got an early flight."

A silent consultation with Scully, and Mulder shook his head. 
"We'll hang around a bit longer. After all, I still haven't heard half 
those stories your folks are telling Kristen."

Grey groaned.

Scully kissed Mulder's cheek and pulled away. "I told Kira I'd 
bring her something to drink. Are you two coming?"

Grey glanced at his brother. "We'll be there in a minute." Once 
she'd left the room, he cleared his throat, eyes dropping to the tile. 
"Fox, I... I wanted to talk to you before you left."

"Okay." Mulder frowned at his brother's obvious discomfort.  
"Grey?"

Grey looked up. "I just need to know... Are things okay between 
us?"

Mulder considered carefully before replying. "Yeah. Yeah, they 
are."

Grey's whole body relaxed. "I'm glad."

Mulder grinned. "You know, I'd almost forgotten what it was like 
to fight with a sibling." He ran his hand along the yellowed bruise 
on his jaw and cocked an eyebrow. "I can live without it."

Grey was oblivious to his attempted humor. "Me too." He sighed. 
"This is important to me, Fox. I spent a lot of years wondering 
what it would be like to have you in my life. I don't want to mess it 
up."

"You haven't." Mulder shook his head. "Maybe even the opposite."

Grey's face twisted in confusion. "Come again?"

"Look, the last three days have been hell. There've been times I 
thought we should just pack it in, call it quits. But I think we both 
learned something about each other, Grey. And that maybe we've 
come through this better. Stronger." A pause. "You might even say 
we evolved." He chuckled softly at his own joke.

Grey eyed him warily. "Why do I get the feeling I don't know what 
the hell you're talking about?" He held up both hands. "Never 
mind. I don't want to know." He tipped a thumb toward the living 
room. "What do you say we check out that Monopoly game? See if 
we can catch Patrick cheating?"

Mulder pushed himself off the counter, grinning. "I'd say that's the 
second best offer I've had all evening." He stretched out his arm 
with a flourish. "After you, Bubba."


End


AUTHOR'S NOTES: It's hard to believe I've completed the 
eleventh installment in this series. A huge thank you once again 
goes to everyone who has encouraged me along the way. It's been 
such a pleasure to receive your feedback and hear your thoughts. 
And, of course, many, many thanks to my wonderful betas: Deb, 
Vickie, Suzanne, and Michelle. You gals make me work for every 
chapter, and the story is better for it.