Title and parts: The Taking II(1/4) Author: Jenn Chiprich Email feedback: ipomea@msn.com Category: SRA Rated: R Summary: This story is a definite deviation from the kind that I usually write. This is the beginning of the second block of stories dealing with a possible future. I hope all enjoy it...let me know, I love to get e-mail. Thanks to all the readers that gave the first part a chance! Timespan/Spoilers: The story itself occurs in the future. There may be mention of episodes from all four seasons. Disclaimer: Well, all these fun folks from The X-files (Mulder and Scully) definitely do not belong to me(No matter how much I wish it). They belong to Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen Productions and Fox Broadcasting and are used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made from their use. --------------- The window was again open next to the bed. Scully watched the curtain billow out and back as if part of a living, breathing organism. She was propped up in the large armchair that Skinner and Mulder had moved up into the bedroom their first day here. Her petite body was wrapped completely in a woolen blanket, her head the only part of her visible to others. The chair was comfortable for her; she could seize a good night sleep within its warm comfort. Mulder, on the other hand, with his tall body had problems sitting well let alone sleeping in it. It was his week to have the bed. The door creaked opened and Fox Mulder entered. The lights were out in the room, so his lanky form was outlined from the light of the hallway. Her eyes followed him as he stalked across the room and groped for the bed. He must have missed, because a loud thud was heard followed by a curse. Dana grinned into the darkness as she heard him mutter about cramped bedrooms and women who decorated them. Soon the bedsprings creaked as he lowered himself onto the mattress. It had been a long day...long week for them both. Sleep would come quickly. She closed her eyes. Across the room came his whispered tiding. "Goodnight, Scully." It couldn't have been more than an hour later she was awakened. Mulder was next to her, tugging on her arm. "Come on, Scully, wake up." "Mulder?" she asked, instantly awake. "What is it? What's wrong." "It's ten below, that's what's wrong. The damn window won't shut and you are sitting over here chattering so loud I think it woke up the neighbors." He reached under the blanket to touch her leg, sucking in a breath. "You are an iced cube, Scully. Come on." She pulled the blanket around her more tightly. "Come on, Scully, where?" "You are coming over to the bed with me, Scully. You get the interior wall. Humor me, I don't want to be partnered with a popsicle." He reached for her arm. Dana shook her head, but realized that it was useless. He would either let her come over alone or he would carry her. "'Kay." she muttered quietly, rising up on her feet. Two minutes later Mulder had them tucked tightly into the blankets. "Tell me again why you and I offered to take the bedroom with the broken window." he muttered, reaching behind her to draw her up against him. "Because you wouldn't let my mother sleep in this room because of the heating problem." she whispered back, snuggling her face into his chest. "Okay, yeah, I remember now." he whispered. "Tell me again why I let you sleep on the chair on these really cold nights." "You don't let me; I tell you I am." Dana sighed. "It just happens on my weeks. You have got to be the only person I know who has warm feet in bed, Mulder." He chuckled. "That's me, Fox the furnace. Just chalk it up to my high performance metabolism, Agent Scully."They fell into silence. Only the rustling of the curtain on its trips out and back broke the quiet. Mulder shifted, pressing her against the wall more securely. Mulder smiled at the feel of her small hands tucked against his chest. Lately, whether it be due to neccessity or not, he and Scully had gotten closer. Their circumstances called for a close partnership; one in which either one could completely trust the other. No longer was the truth the quest that they pursued; it was life. Their lives, the lives of those they loved and humans in general, were at stake. By day, they presented a facet to those in power that they were loyal, worthy of being trusted. When they were alone, they plotted, searched, talked. For the last month, he thought, they had survived. He and Scully had positions of trust in the administration of the base on which they lived. High enough in the network to see what was going on, but not high enough to draw attention often to themselves. She sighed, warming and pulling herself against him tighter. He grimaced at the warm feeling that the contact created in his groin. "Ummm, Scully." "Hmmm?" "Dana...you're going to have to give me some room here.." he left the sentence opened ended. He knew that she would catch on. "Okay, Mulder." she pushed on his chest until there was six inches room between them. Sheepishly she met his eyes. "You're just so warm. Sorry about that." "I know." he grinned. "I'm only human though, Scully. It's kind of hard to maintain the distance we need when you snuggle like that." She sighed. "What did you think of that meeting tonight?" Fox shifted and wrapped his leg around her cold one. "That we had better collect the data as quickly and completely as we can. They are going to exert their control over us intensively. The order was leveled that all couples would be involved in the gestation process by the end of the year. They are serious. Deadly serious about that order." "What do you think that they will do if that command is not acheived? They want four hundred and some odd couples to be pregnant or have given birth in eleven months time. It's a tall order. Odds are against all pregnancies coming to a pleasant end." Mulder shifted. He knew what had come across his desk that morning. It was a report that sited that possibility. Also included was the plan outlined for the reaction to that possibility. "They'll liquidate those that don't." Fox caught the glint of her eyes in the dark. "Shit, Mulder. You know that includes us." "Uh huh. I know." "How am I suppose to do that, Mulder?" "Do what, Scully? Get pregnant? I really think you need my help with that one." She pushed on his chest. "I mean how am I to uphold my part in our plan if I'm pregnant? How could I risk my life knowing I'd be risking two? And you...how could I let you endanger your life if I knew that it wasn't just my partner but the father of my child that I would lose?" "Whoa, whoa, Scully. Calm down. Believe me I've thought of that. Don't you know how hard it would be for me to watch you doing dangerous acts while you were carrying? But, right now, I can't think of anything that we could do to avoid it. We have a few months. We'll see what we can do." he sighed and pulled her into a loose embrace. His voice lowered an octave. "What do you find out today?" Scully pulled from his arms and sat up, hugging herself across her chest. She lowered her head, biting her lip. Fox knew that this was the way that she coped with the horrors that she worked with everyday. He remained reclined and waited for her to start. "They brought in the drug today. Hundreds of ampules. They stocked them in the dispensory and locked the door. Jerry and I were ordered to assist. There are two containers for each woman on the base. After we stocked the room, they called us into a meeting to explain the consumption. Two injections per woman, one in the fourth, and one in the fifth month. We are to tell the patients that it is of nutritional value." He nodded stiffly, rubbing her back. "Based on the research at the clinic I've been involved in, this will allow them to control spontaneous point mutations. They will be able to steer the course of human evolution while still maintaining genetic diversity of the species. The end product, we are told, will be acheived in four generations." she hugged her knees now, bent over herself. Fox continued to rub her back soothingly. "I've been searching, Mulder. I've been trying to find out what they want to change. But so far...." she held her hands out and shrugged. He shifted his hips, moving over on the bed to give her some more room. "Once we find out where they're headed, Scully, we can backtrack to figure out why and then we can use that against them. I'm trying to figure that out with the reports that I'm getting across my desk." Dana nodded and sighed. "You make it sound so easy. But, seriously, Mulder, I think that we are going to have to start an information swap. I would definitely feel better if you could look at some of these projections and percentages..." "Scully, this is me here. I don't do numbers." "Trends, Mulder." she punched him playfully on his arm. "You definitely have a knack for those." "We'll have to try and get that swap together then." he stated, pulling gently on her arm so that she laid back again. "But you, right now, need to get some sleep. I, for one, am not going to eat less next week when you get docked for being late tomorrow." She nodded grimly and laid back down, letting him pull her back into his arms. The double bed was small enough for Mulder by himself, let alone with her also. Dana sighed and shifted on her side. "Mulder, if you give me an extra blanket, I could..." "You're staying right where you are, Dana." he muttered. "At least here I can keep an eye on you." He tugged at her until her head was nestled next to his and promptly fell into a deep slumber. End (1/4) (2/4) The sun peeked through the curtains next to the bed and fell on the two sleeping partners. A thin layer of frost had formed on the comforter the night before and the material was stiff. Mulder was the first to emerge from the warm cocoon, lifting his head from under the blankets. Scully followed a second later, stretching her arms over her head. Fox motioned to the clock, yanking down the rest of the comforter with one swoop of his long arms. "Up and at them, partner. We have one hour to be at our posts." Dana groaned and sat up and immediately began to chatter her teeth. "Why couldn't they have sent us to Florida?" she asked, testily. Fox grinned knowing that Dana was a bear in the morning. "Why stop there? How about Hawaii?" Scully shot him the look over her shoulder. He grinned and smiled even wider when he saw her sleeping ensemble. "I've been wondering where my clean work shirts have been going." Dana leapt out of the bed and padded to her jeans, laying over the back of the chair. "It's warm and big, Mulder. Besides, it's in the free-for-all range when its crumpled and left on the chair." He smiled and climbed out after her, pulling his jeans from the closet. They dressed in silence. Mulder donned his green shirt. It was necessary for identification of his position: a psychological administration assistant. Scully donned her blue one, indicating she was part of the medical support. Occasionally, Fox looked over his shoulder to eye Scully. She was thinner than she had been when they left Washington. Her red hair was still shiny and well kept, despite of the lack of hair care products that were available. Dana's arms and legs were muscular and toned, due to the more strenuous daily life that they existed in now. She sensed his gaze and turned to him as she pulled her shoes on. "Find something interesting?" "Would I get shot if I said yes?" "No...I don't have a gun." "Then...yes." Dana smiled at his answer and straightened her hair in its ponytail. "You charmer." She sat back on the chair and relaxed, watching Mulder struggle into his jeans. She knew that they needed to start an information swap, and soon. Scully understood the terms that were being used and the statistics that were mentioned. It was the fact that these numbers were frightening to her; someday, she and those she loved, could be part of the numbers mentioned. Besides, Mulder was the half of the partnership that found relationships between things where it seemed that no relationship existed. If there was a trend, he could and probably would find it. The clock was ticking...they had to create a pathway to Colton less than two months. Somehow, they had to have information to share. Mulder stood with his back to her, buttoning his jeans. His shirt hung open on his chest. She let her eyes wander over the slope of his back and ass, smiling lightly that she could enjoy this sight often. Her eyes lingered on his jeans and a plan formed in her mind. -------- The clinic was quiet that day. Influenza and colds were on a downswing and the planned for increase in pregnancies had yet to be seen. It was on days like these that the Guardian on staff pressured those in attendance to help and input on research. This particular day was no exception. Dana Scully and Jerry Talbot sat perched in front of a row of computers. They were examining the results of the computer simulation that had been run earlier. Dana's terminal showed statistics related to chi squares and bottle necked human populations. "Jerry..take a look at this." Jerry Talbot, a man in his late forties with serious eyes, approached her and shrank down on his knees. "What have you got, Dana." She pointed a shaky finger to the numbers on the bottom of the screen. "They're planning on four children per couple. A different drug will be used on each woman during each different gestation. Four different mutations..." "Yeah, but what the hell are they trying to change?" Jerry rocked forward on the balls of his feet and grimaced. He was a genetics lab worker in the time before the taking. Mulder and Scully had befriended him early in their new life, the man having proven himself in help. He had had a thought the night before and was waiting for the proper time to share it with Scully. Now seemed to be the perfect time. "I was thinking. If we could get a sample..." "The only way I can think of is wait until I'm pregnant and take a blood sample immediately before degradation could occur." "There has to be another way, Scully, then wait for that. Knowing you and old Fox there, you two will fight fate until the cows come home. We could take a blood sample from any patient that comes in, stating that we are taking it for routine tests. Then..." "Isolate. Test it against our knowledge of the human genome.." "Which is like using stone cutting tools against lasers. We know next to nothing about our own genome compared to what they know of it." Dana snorted, "True, Jerry, true. But still...if we could possibly get the results of the human genome project...we may have a chance." "That's where Fox comes in. He has to get that information." Jerry grimaced as a noise came from the hallway. He shuffled to his chair and continued. "We can go backwards from there. Find out what they want to change about us and..." "Why and we'll have our answer on what to do to them. It sounds great now, Jerry, and you and I and Mulder have discussed this for days. We aren't any closer now than we were two weeks ago. We need to start something now." The sounds in the hallway were getting closer and Jerry swung his feet around. Dana hurriedly finished downloading the rest of the file that she was working on and removed the disk from the terminal. Silently she pulled her shirt up and tucked the disk into the extra material that she had stapled into the waist band of her jeans that morning. "Get your partner to work on it then, Dana. And tell him to keep his paws off of you until you two decide that you can handle everything." he punctuated the last with a smile, knowing that Dana would take it was a joke. Any other conversation was cut off by the entrance of the Guardian. ----- Jerry stood in front of Dana in the line that was leaving the clinic. Today was one of the days when they spontaneously searched the workers as they left. Scully looked over his shoulder and muttered a curse. She silently fingered the outline of the disk in her jeans; it wasn't too noticable. Still, if she was completely searched, they couldn't help but find it. Jerry sensed her agitation and sought to sooth it. "Dana, they aren't searching everyone, just randomly. Stay calm." She nodded and took a deep breath. Dana also chided herself internally. She was an FBI agent for Pete's sake, she could handle this. The column of people moved slowly forward. Dana concentrated on keeping her eyes cool and her movements controlled. Jerry began to fidget. She grinned quickly, he was going to cover for her. Too soon, the Guardian loomed in front of them and Jerry's fussing drew the attention of the authority figure. He was pulled into the adjoining room to be searched as Dana was waved on to leave. She caught his eye as he was led into the room and inclined her head. He smiled back to let her know that he could handle this and that she needed to continue...he would be in touch later. Scully pushed through the outer door and into the cold air beyond. She shoved her hands into her coat and moved through the crowds that were pushing with her towards home. This hadn't been the first time that Jerry had covered for her, and she knew that it wouldn't be the last. Another young woman jostled her arm and she pulled more tightly into herself. All she needed at the moment was to have someone 'accidentally' brush up against her and find the disk. Around her, people maneuvered like a dull confused sea. There was no expressed happiness, no profound joy. Everyday the throngs pressed to their jobs. Everyday they pressed for home. No one was late to work; no one was late leaving for home. There was no overtime now, and lateness in the morning could result in being docked rations and food was scarce to begin with. Jobs, tasks were to be completed quickly and concisely. Interaction between humans on the job was discouraged...strongly. So existence in the job field was tedious. Happiness never resulted. Dana rounded the corner and saw her ex-boss, Skinner, making his way through the masses of people. His form was not hard to pick out; his tall and strong form stood out well. His bespeckled eyes made contact with hers and they came together with no thought. "Dana." "Sir. How are you?" "Fine. The day was a bitch though. Paper work never seemed this long before." he shuffled down the street that still had snow piled up on the edges. His hands were stuck deep into his coat pockets and he seemed smaller than usual. Scully knew that he had a hard time at work each day. His position of authority here had no perks, no reason for drive. He existed in his job completely for the furtherment of the Guardians plans for the humans and for no other reason. It was a position that Judas would have been proud of, but not Walter S. Skinner. "Well, you and I and Mulder have two days off..." He turned to her and smiled a tight smile. "And our moonlighting jobs are going to keep us busy, aren't they?" "It's better than the crap we deal with at the other jobs, isn't it?" she returned the tight smile and motioned toward their house up ahead. "Tonight, though, I have something to show you two." He nodded as they approached the front walk. "Scully..." He hesitated on the walk, his eyes turned toward the house. Dana likened the kind glint that came to his eyes to that of a little boy. "Do you mind...I mean to say...your mother and I...." Scully pulled on his arm to get him to start up the walk. "No, Sir, I don't. I trust her with you and she seems taken with you. Let's go...those tow are probably waiting for us." End (2/4) (3/4) Maggie Scully stood in the kitchen shaking her head. Fox Mulder really was an infuriating man. He was following her around the kitchen tasting the various foods that she had prepared for dinner. "Fox, dear, didn't your mother ever feed you?" "Not like you, Mrs. Scully." he sat down in the chair by the table, knowing that he was pushing the limit. It was just that she cooked so well. "If I had known that you could cook like this with even limited resources, I would have asked you to adopt me." Maggie smiled a sad grin and turned back to the stove. Having Fox around was like having another son. "I adopted you years ago, Fox." He laid a hand on her shoulder and squeezed." I know. And I.." The door opened into the kitchen and Walter entered followed closely by Dana. Both parties were walking slowly. Dana's reason was obvious from the outline of the disk in her jeans. Mulder frowned and then met her eyes. "Scully...?" "I brought home some infor.." "You walked out of work with a disk? Scully, if you had been caught, you would have been killed. I told you this morning that I knew we had to do this, but that we needed more time to figure out how." She caught his gaze with the blue fire in hers. "I knew the risks, and I was willing to chance them. I know how to take care of myself, Agent Mulder. Besides, from the information that we have been seeing, it was better to start sooner than later. The opportunity presented itself and I took advantage of it." He lowered his eyes and backed down. No matter how well the four of them co-habitated the house, neither he nor Scully was comfortable arguing in front of Skinner or Maggie. Even as he lowered his eyes, Dana knew that she had not heard the last of the exchange. Skinner had since turned to look at her. "Is that what you were telling me about when we were walking?" "Yes, although either you or Mulder are going to have to take the disk into work with you to see the contents. I can tell you what is on it, but as they say, seeing is believing." Maggie moved forward from her spot next to the stove. "Dana, honey, I wish that sometimes you would think about the risks to yourself first and solutions to other problems later. I'm sure that whatever is on that disk is important. And I'm sure that you, Walter and Fox can use it to the best of your abilities. But..." "I know, Mom." Dana laid a hand on her mother's arm. "I know I'm your only child left. But if we don't take risks...." Silence fell over the room as each person fell into their own reveries. Mulder raised his head and made eye contact yet again with Scully. The sparkling green of his eyes was clear that night, not clouded with pain. She could tell that he was proud of her, but worried none the less. Dana moved to the table and sat down. "Let's eat and then we can talk about the information." End (3/4) (4/4) Skinner removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose wearily. He was not shocked by what Dana had told him. He had suspected and knew about most of it already. It had always been on the rim of his consciousness, hearing other people talk about it brought reality to the thoughts. "What about the Human Genome Project?" "Well, Sir, as I was saying...it was a Project put together that incorporated scientists from the highest echelons. The purpose was to map all the genes in all the different chromosomes in the human genome. It was mostly completed before the coming of the bees." "But if it wasn't completed...how did the Guardians use it to their advantage?" Mulder shifted in the chair and lifted his head from his palm where it had rested. They were jammed into the small utilities room in the back of the house. It was the only room that did not have a window and the only one that they were sure wasn't able to be observed. "They already had that knowledge of us, Skinner. The genome map would be of great use to us, though." "That's right." Dana concurred. "It would make isolating the changes easy in comparison to what we would have to go through now without it. Our only major problem is how to get a hold of it." Skinner bit on his lip. "Is there something I could do?" Scully looked to Mulder and the man shook his head. "No..you are in a position that is too high observed. They would think that you or Dana could get a hold of the information; you have ready access to it. I'm the only one here that would have the chance of getting it. Although, it is going to be harder for me, it would be the less chancier." Scully nodded. "Jerry had already said as much. Though he and I came up with another idea...." "Ooohh. Dana, I love it when you have ideas." She shot him a look and sat forward on the dryer. "HE and I figured how to get a sample. Through routine blood tests. Although, we will have to wait for the shots to begin to the women. That will take two, maybe four months. Think you could get the project by then?" Mulder bit his lower lip and grimaced. "Possibly. I'll have to get in touch with Byers to do it. It will take me a little while to patch up with him. The longer it takes, the less likely it will be for them to find it and sever it, the patch that is." he shrugged. "If all goes well, I could probably have it by a month from now." Dana smiled, evidently happy with that turn of events. "I'm impressed." Mulder returned the smile with a grin of his own. "Don't get too happy yet, Dana. I still have to accomplish the feat." Walter chuckled lightly. Both Scully and Mulder eyed him cautiously. HE explained, "I'll finally get to see you two work, up close and personal. I never thought that would happen." Mulder leaned back and put his legs up on the dryer next to Scully. "I have something else to add to this little show and tell also. I had a very disturbing report come across my desk today." he trained his gaze on Scully and continued. "Mind Control." "Excuse me?" "Mind control. It's uses and benefits. It isn't like a B rate Saturday afternoon movie either. They are planning for resistance from the humans here. And this is their plan. Mind control. Panic will be widespread if the breeding experiment that they are going to perform succeeds. They will have to cloak us all with a state of denial to be able to submerge the panic. We at the mental health clinic are being asked to evaluate the plan. It so far sounds thorough in its scope." He stopped to see both Skinner and Scully speechless. "I just thought that I would share the knowledge." "Great, just great." Scully muttered under her breath. "And, if they implement the plan, how are we suppose to avoid it?" Skinner kicked into the conversation. "There are exercises that we could practice that allow your mind to stay free. Every good marine knows a few; comes in handy if you're ever captured." Mulder nodded. He looked at his watch. "We've been in here one half an hour. Gotta head out soon, or they'll think that we are planning something. Scully, think you could make me one of those denim pockets on my jeans? I could take that tape in with me to work and look at it." She smiled as she jumped down from the dryer. "What's the matter, Mulder, forgot your sewing skills? Sure. I'll make one for you tomorrow." With that final word, she pushed through the door into the kitchen. Mulder followed her with his eyes. Skinner watched the younger agent and sighed. It was obvious that this occurrence had strengthened the bond that those two shared. Often now, when he observed Fox he caught glimpses of strong emotion in the man's eye. It was unlike the anger that had been seated there for the last year, or the anguish that had ruled eternal for years previous. No, it was love. Unadulterated, unabashed, unyielding love. It literally lit a fire behind those green eyes. Deeper in the hazel depths, Walter could see desire, lust. Deeper still, he could make out need. It was good that the two of them had each other for reliance and strength...Skinner just hoped that the bond would be strong enough to survive the hell they were about to enter. Mulder rose from his chair and left the room, after giving Dana about four or five minutes start. Skinner would remain behind to exit approximately ten minutes later. He and Scully had other things to discuss that night, and he was eager to begin. ------ Maggie turned down the sheets on the bed with a heart-heavy sigh. Walter was over in the corner, finishing his reading for the night. The window next to the bed was cracked; she would shut it when she climbed in to the covers. "Walt, you should really turn off the lights. Curfew is almost here." "I know, Mags. Just want to finish the page." Silence fell over the room and Maggie climbed into the double bed. The covers were cold, devoid of human warmth. The coolness swallowed her and she chattered. Walter raised his head toward the sound and shut the book. She was cold without his there and it made him feel good to be needed for his essence again. It had been so long since another human had needed him simply for himself. He climbed in behind her and pulled her against his warmth, reaching behind himself blindly to turn off the lamp. Maggie snuggled toward his warmth and smiled. "Thank you, Walt. It gets lonely over here." He chuckled and sighed, "I should thank you for that same thing, Mags." The starlight visible on the clear cold night twinkled through the curtains. The silence that descended was peaceful. Maggie laid an arm on his, and began in a small tone. "It will take time, but I am growing closer to you." "I know. I'll wait." She nodded and closed her eyes. The silence returned, calling upon its old friend peace to join it. The two people basked in the combined cocoon and fell into a deep slumber. Both were asleep when the conversation in the next room began. -------- Fox paced the room in the half darkness, unsure of where to begin. Scully sat on the bed, clad only in his shirt and a pair of old sweatpants that she had found in the back of the closet. Her hair was damp from her shower, and he frowned thinking of the cold that seeped into the room from the window. He opted for a close conversation and joined her on the bed. Quickly he had the both of them seated up against the wall, their feet out toward the window. The blanket was wrapped around them tightly and he rested her against his chest. She went, pliant, snuggling for warmth. He shook his head into the damp tresses on her head and closed his eyes. "Why did you do it, Scully?" "Do what? Get the disk here? I had to, Mulder." "And if you were caught?" "I wasn't. It's not an option to think about this." "But if you were caught, Dana? What then? We wouldn't even know what happened to you. You would have just disappeared." "So..what, Mulder? You are the only one that is allowed to take chances in this partnership? I have as much at stake here as you do...maybe more. Come on...you weren't this protective when we were still in DC. When we were killing people that we knew and trusted, when I used to go into danger all the time." "That was danger of our own creation, Dana. We did those missions to get to the point of trust with them. We were never really in danger there. AS long as we continued to follow our own agenda, there was nothing hat they could really do. And, damn it, I was always with you then." "And you think it's different now?" "Yes." he said, a tone of exasperation coating his voice. "We are on their court now. They hold the strings, we sold out our ability to control our destiny when they loaded us on that rail car. We're underdogs, Scully." Dana decided for a different approach. She leaned more heavily against his chest and tilted her head back. "Mulder, I told you two years ago that I was in this with you. We made that pact, remember? We swore that the only ones that we would completely trust was each other. We also attested that we would do whatever it took to change this. That requires sacrifice, which we both have had to do; it requires dedication, which both of us have in overabundance; and it means that we will be in danger. I have to do these things, Mulder; it is the nature of the business." He shook his head and Scully could tell that he was crying a little. She sat forward and turned a little so that she could see his face. "I can promise that I will use my head. I will not put myself into danger if it can be avoided. And I can promise you that I will not let you put yourself into danger." Mulder gulped. "I just..." She laid a hand against his cheek and nodded, her eyes searching his for meaning. She found it and sighed. "I know, Mulder; I don't want to lose you either." He hugged her tighter and they let the silence overwhelm them. Each was lost to their own thoughts, allowing the approach of sleep to be gentle. When Mulder's breathing evened out, Dana tried to disentangle herself from him and move to the chair. However, when she did move, Fox's arms stiffened and his voice reverberated in her ear. "Not tonight, Agent Scully. You are staying right here...we both are. It's just too damn cold." He shifted his body until they were laying as they had the night previous. "Get some sleep, Dana. We'll talk some more tomorrow." When her breath was even, he looked over her shoulder to the window. The stars were bright, as were the tears that fell from his eyes. This would be a hell of a lot easier, he thought, if I didn't love her. She would continue to take risks, and he would have to continue letting her to do so. It was the only way that this plan would succeed. And the plan had to succeed, there was no other choice. And, emptying his mind of other thoughts, he followed his partner into the bliss of a deep sleep. End (4/4) Title and parts: The Taking II Part 2 (1/2) Author: Jenn Chiprich Fox sat back from his desk and wished for just one sunflower seed. He hadn't had any months. Martin raised his head from his task and looked at his office mate. "What is it, Mulder?" "I hate being a pencil pusher." Mulder sighed and bent back over his duty. He looked for his favorite pencil, moving papers around in an effort to locate it. It was nowhere. HE sighed, loudly. "I have to go up to the supply closet, Marty. Can i get anything for you?" "Nah, I've got everything. Thanks anyway." Marty watched as Mulder left the office. The suspicious glint in his eye that he tried to keep hidden from the other man surfaced. There was something about Fox Mulder, ex-FBI, that caused him to be distrustful about his motives. One day something would happen, he would catch it and he would move up the ladder. All it would take was a little time, a lot of patience and a little luck. Mulder shut the door firmly and strolled down the hallway. The man upstairs really did not like him, he had decided a long time ago. He had the weight of succeeding in this mission on his shoulders and here he had a watchdog with whom he had to share an office. Still, if it was going to be easy, he might become sloppy. He thought about the project that he and Scully were working on in the house. Just a few more parts: several circuit boards, a keyboard, a case, were needed in order to complete it. Of course, these were the hardest parts to find, to pilfer, to hide. But, somehow, between he and Skinner and Scully...not to mention Jerry, they had to get them. He didn't want to think about what had to be happening on Colton's and Byers' end in order for everything to completely work. He rounded the corner and started for the stairs. His longish brown hair fell in his eyes and he was momentarily blinded. He made a mental note to ask Maggie to cut it for him that night. It was all he needed to be in a life threatening situation and be blinded by his hair. He took the steps two at a time and exited the well on the top floor. The supplies room was at the end of the hall and he had to check in with the Guardian on duty before entering. It definitely made stealing hard. He signed in and allowed himself to be searched. Once the indignity was finished he pushed into the room beyond and allowed the door to shut behind him. He moved to the pencil area and grabbed three. One for him in the office and tow for home and the project. Could always use good graphite when dealing with electrical circuitry. A cursory glance around the room revealed nothing else that he could remove at this time. He mead a mental note of the broken computer in the corner and vowed to return and find what he could take from it. He turned and left the room. ------- Walter stood behind his desk, stretching. The Guardian that sat opposite him raised his eyes in displeasure. "Your human bodies are frail." Skinner chose to ignore the implications of the remark and returned to his chair. "First One, sir, there are several things that we need to discuss..." "Yes, yes, not the first of which is the fact that there have been rumors of an uprising against us." the alien sat forward and rested his arms on his desk. "What have you heard of these?" Skinner smiled a tight lipped grin and nodded. "I have heard them, and personally I think that there is no danger. The ones that are behind the plan are not known for their intelligence or their abilities as executors." "Still, you would agree that we need to make examples of them." Skinner maintained eye contact even though he had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. As one of the few that were in a position of authority in this psuedosociety he would be one that would have to discipline them. "Yes." "Then see that it is taken care of, Mr. Skinner. Also, I would like to discuss an interesting point that you brought up at the last meeting. The point being of a decrease in human productivity when births begin to occur." "Actually, this is a point that Fox Mulder brought up, sir." "I understand, but you agree with him and represented him to the council. Would you care to elaborate on the point?" Walter straightened upright and nodded. "It is known that humans are in need of structured society in order to remain productive. Each human has their niche and when they fulfill that niche they help others. This is why you have created this society in which we live. You need our species to maintain ourselves in order that your final plan can be achieved. IS this true?" The being nodded, waving his hands for him to continue. "Human children need structure also, they need constant care for at least the first year of their lives. When a woman gives birth, without an existing form of extended family to care for it, or an existing method inherent in society for caring for it, she has two choices for care. One, she can abandon it, two she has to stay home and care for it. As abandonment is not condoned by the Guardians, the women will have to stay home and care for the infants. This is half of the work force here. A severe drop in productivity will occur. And the frame work for the society will collapse." The First One steepled his hands thoughtfully and remained silent. "And you propose?" "I propose that we institute a child care network." "That will require a shifting of priorities in order to fill the positions needed." the being shifted his weight. "That is not acceptable." Skinner sighed in mild exasperation. "In the long run, First One, I believe that the productivity will actually increase. If each woman remains from work when her child is born until it enters a learning facility, you will have a fifty percent decrease in efficiency. This way, with a little shuffling of personnel, you may only decrease efficiency by less than five percent." The leader nodded slowly, "I will consider this. Are there any other things that you wish to discuss." "Yes..." Skinner moved a pile of papers on his desk until he found the report from the mental health clinic. "I would like to discuss this report that I have here about the..." "Our control methods. Yes, this..." the alien waved his hands at the report. "is only the first draft of what we propose. It was evaluated by a select few at the MHC, and received a rave review. There are several kinks that need to be worked out, and you will be kept abreast of the status, I can assure you." "You propose a system of propaganda that will create an aura of denial, is that correct?" "Yes. A majority of you humans are already half submerged in denial over what your lives have become. This will be an easy scenario to perpetuate." Skinner nodded. "Then that is all I have today, sir." "Very well, Mr. Skinner." The First One rose and went to the door. "Remain as you have been, and you will be rewarded in the end. Good day." The door shut behind the being and Skinner unclenched his teeth. He always reacted this way. Sometimes it was even hard to carry on a conversation with his mouth like that. He wondered if Judas ever felt the way he did. Standing he walked to the window behind him and leaned his head against the frost stained glass. He knew why he had to do this. Staying in a position such as this afforded them the luxury of knowing what was ahead, of what was being planned. But knowing the reasoning did not make this any easier. He was selling out his species in order to help save it...it was damned ironic. As he turned back to the desk, he saw that it was almost five o'clock and he began to pack up to head home. Next to the clock on the desk was a hand made calendar that Maggie had made for him. The date was March 31. Three months. The had been here three months, and he knew that the fight would not be over for years. He was already weary; a long battle was the last thing that he wanted. Still, it was necessary. He grabbed his coat and left the room. ----- The utility room was getting more crowded all the time, Dana thought, sweeping her eyes around the interior. Besides the washer and the dryer, there was a chair, shelves and a coat rack. Added to that now was the fact that the dryer was pulled out from the wall a little, essentially blocking the walkway in the room. The dryer was out to allow easy accessibility to the components that were housed in the hollow wall behind it. It was to this hidden place that she moved now. Scully drug out the box that housed the prized parts and carefully removed the circuit chip that was in her inner material pouch. She carefully removed the whole pouch and lowered it into the box. A small smile touched her lips and she rose slowly. It made her smile more to realize that she was garnishing happiness out of the simple act of stealing. As she pushed the box back into the hole and secured the plaster in front of it, a hand fall on her shoulder. She turned quickly, gasping as Mulder leaned over her and placed two pencils in the box and replaced the plaster himself. "Is that all, Mulder? Two pencils?" she cocked an eyebrow and he returned the gester with warmth. "For today, Secret Agent Scully. But I did find a new thing to pilfer..." She smiled as she helped him move the dryer back against the wall. "Don't tell me..." "I found an old computer, probably a 286 sitting in the back part of the supplies closet collecting dust." he grinned, "My only problem is getting the damn thing here." "Piece by little piece, Mulder." she leaned against the dryer and folder her arms across her chest. "You've lost enough weight recently that you can fit a couple things in your pants each time." "Look who's talking, Dana." He lifted her up to sit on the dryer and smiled as she was eye height with him. She had indeed lost weight, not so much as to be a danger, but enough to notice a difference. Her red hair was darker, due to lack of sun in the winter. It was long, curling on her shoulders and her face was pale. She looked like a little waif with her childlike clothes and diminutive stature. It was something about her that he was having a hard time handling now, this childlike appearance. It brought out the depth of his protective nature. "How was your day?" "Busy." she averted her eyes from his hazel ones and grimaced. "I saw ten women today that were positive on the pregnancy test." He nodded. "How were they?" She shrugged, creating a tight line with her mouth. "Three quarters were happy. Two were downright upset to the point that we had to remove one. The tenth was indifferent." She turned her eyes to his . "I found out later that this will be her third child. Her first two were liquidated." Mulder scowled and reached out to draw her close. She remained stiff in his arms and he knew that she was maintaining that iron facade of Dana Scully's that he had known for years. "I'm sorry, Dana." She remained silent and pulled away from him. "I just don't know how to handle this all. Everyday I see another person that has had to survive something awful; seeing a loved one day, losing a child, husband, wife. Married couples that were happy, torn apart because of their age difference: he was still potent, she was too old. Young teenagers, separated from their parents, because they were considered within childbearing age. It's too much. I can handle it, by becoming detached. But the level of detachment that I need is too great. I'll lose my ability to care, Mulder. And that is the last thing that I want these bastards to take from me." She wiped an unshed tear from her eye and straightened her back. "So this is what I have to do. I have to monitor and treat these women, giving them injections of God knows what and watch as they become the mothers of possibly a new species." She hopped down from the dryer and pushed past him. "I'm going to be alone for awhile. Please." Mulder nodded dumbly and watched her leave. He had known that it was going to be hard, but for her, it was even worse. She had always cared deeply, freely, and it fit her profession as a doctor. Skinner pushed into the room and hung his coat on the rack. He took in Mulder's dejected pose and nodded. "You too, huh?" "Yeah. I thought I had it tough. I just have to tell people that they aren't crazy. But you, you have to keep them disciplined and Scully has to face them everyday and see their every pain. My God, we'll be lucky to get through this all with our sanity." he slauntered into the kitchen. ----- Maggie watched as Fox pushed food around on his plate. He really had to be depressed for him not to eat, she thought. Dana's plate at the table was empty and she knew that was part of his problem. Skinner met her eyes and silently agreed. Skinner decided to break the silence. "Maggie, how would you feel about becoming an active part in this wonderful utopia that we live in now?" Maggie stopped chewing and sighed. "Walt, you didn't." He smiled, "I sure did. You mentioned before when Fox brought up the idea of a child care network that you were interested in the job." Fox's head came up and met Maggie's eyes. A glow began in her eyes and he could see that she was very interested. He had known that she didn't like staying at home and involving herself in nothing. They had talked earlier and she had expressed the desire to take on that job that they mentioned. In that way, she had decided, she could be involved in the younger ones that were going to face a world that was in disarray. "I think that it would be a good idea for you, Maggie." Skinner continued. "I talked with the First One today and he is thinking about instituting it. I think we could persuade him to use you." Maggie looked happy and Fox smiled for the first time during the meal. He took a dish and filled it with the extra from the meal and left the room. Walter frowned watching him leave the room. Both he and Scully had been working hard and tirelessly for months, the strain was beginning to show. He hoped and prayed that the two of them would hold it together. End (1/2) (2/2) The bedroom door creaked open, but Dana didn't turn from the window. She was tracing the patterns of the late winter frost on the window. Fox closed the door quietly as he could and moved to her. "Dinner?" "Thanks, Mulder." she waved to the bedside table and turned to him. "And thanks for giving me some room, I really needed it." "Hey, what are partners for?" he put down the plate. "Is there anything that I can do to help? What to talk about it?" "I think I've already talked enough about that subject." she looked at the plate and pushed the food around with the fork. "I'm sorry. I know none of this can be helped. I have to deal with this." He sat on the bed next to her. "But you don't have to deal with this alone." she met his eyes and continued. "It thought that we worked this out when you had cancer, Scully. Don't shut me out." She smiled and nodded. "It certainly is hard to shut you out...takes a lot of energy." "Then talk to me." He lifted her head with his fingers and let his eyes support her. "This is really selfish. I really shouldn't be thinking this way." He sighed, shaking his head. "Dana, if you are anything, you are generous. Besides, that is guilt talking through your mouth right now. I know you feel guilt of the survivor type, but it isn't your fault. Let it out." She got up from the bed and returned to the window. "I'm worried about me, Mulder, about my children. Our children." she traced the figure in the glass again. "It's an eventuality that we can't escape. We are going to have to start trying to get pregnant. And when I do, if I do, I'm going to have to get inoculated just like everyone else. I'm going to be giving birth to an engineered child, one that will be inherently different in genetic structure then me or you. It's false. A farce on life." Fox chewed on his lower lip. He knew the thoughts that were in her head. He had them too. A child born to Scully by him was beyond his capability to comprehend. A little Scully, or a little Mulder; the best of the both of them. The best of both of them with an added twist from genetic engineering. It would be theirs, but not at the same time. "We haven't searched for another way out of this, Scully." "Do you have any idea on how long it can take a couple to get pregnant? Let me assure you that it is longer with a time constraint placed on top of it like this. Stress is a terrible aphrodrisiac." She turned from the window and appraised him. "If we don't start soon, Mulder, we may not be able to be in the gestation cycle by nine months from now." He gulped, lowering his head. "I'm not sure about being able to handle this. I mean, for the longest time...." he nodded, trying to find the words. "You're the best in my life, Scully. You're my best friend, the better half of the partnership, and in a lot of ways, my driving force." She opted to remain silent to give him room. He continued, shifting on the bed so that he was bent over his legs. Mulder's hair fell in his eyes. "I've thought about it before, you know. Having children with you, that is. Hell, after you were cured of cancer, I considered buying you a ring. You know I love you, just like I know that you love me." he raised his eyes to hers. "I just always thought that we were better like this, though. Romance and love would only mess it up. I've tried to ignore it, hide it and beat it into submission, but I can't. I'm just so damn scared that something will happen with us and you'll leave me." She nodded and moved over to the bed. "Mulder, you were right when you said that I love you. I always have." she moved his hair out of his eyes. "And I agree that under the old circumstances that we lived, us remaining simply partners was the best. Now..." she moved closer to him to look into his eyes. "Now we have to become more. I have to bear children, or die, that is the decree. If I have to have children, I want them to be yours. We'll stay together, Mulder. You told me all those months ago that we would have to exist as a breeding couple to remain together." He nodded. "I said that we would have to look like a breeding couple, Dana. And we don't have a hard time at that." "No." she grinned thinking of the times in public meetings that his hands had found hers and is arms had encircled her. It had become a game to see who could grace the other with more glancing touches. "But I have had months to think about that, Mulder. I know that we have to maintain an aura of trustibility, and this is part of that. I don't want to have to think about what will happen if I don't, and I don't want to think about what will happen to the child if I do. I want to think about remaining alive to come out on top of these bastards and the wonderful new world that we could raise the child in after all has come to pass." He smiled, gently entwining is fingers with hers. He tugged gently on her hands to bring her to him and sighed deeply when his lips touched hers. He kissed gently, like a virgin, unwilling to spoil their first kiss as lovers with force. She tasted sweet, similar to a sun-ripened apple. His hands unwound themselves and moved to caress her back. Dana murmured as his hands moved over her muscles, returning his kiss with fervor. She had moved her own hands to encompass his head, dreamily stroking his locks. When the kiss promised to turn deeper, Fox broke it off. They breathed deeply for a couple of minutes, leaning their heads against one another. "I don't know if I like the idea of any child of ours getting genetically changed, Scully. I don't know if I want to chance it. But I do know that the only way that we will stay alive is if we follow along with this plan." "Maybe we can figure something out by the time I get my shots." she lowered her eyes. He agreed, tilting her head back to meet his eyes. "I never sleep with a girl on the first date, Scully." he grinned, "so it will be a little while before we build up to that level." She smiled in return and leaned back against him. "That's fine. I don't want to shock my system by immediately going from partner to lover. You are a man to be taken in doses, anyway." He laughed outright and pulled her closer, watching the curtain on the window move in and out. "We should get back down to your mother and Skinner soon. They'll be wondering what happened to us." --------- Even in the utilities room, located in the interior of the house, the cold still seeped. It was a less biting cold then what had been a month ago, but it was still cold. Mulder stood in the room, clad only in a pair of old sweatpants, rubbing his arms up and down to gain warmth. Around him was the remnants of various computers and electronic instruments, laid out and carefully arranged. He stared at the components and moved to the washer where a large sheet of paper was laid out. Taking the pencil he had lifted earlier, Fox began to sketch. Occasionally, he would lay the pencil down to rub his eyes. It was getting late, he knew, but time was precious and this room was the only one that could have a light on that was not observed from outside. He bent over his work of art again, straining his eyes. He would be damned if he didn't forget his glasses all those months ago. The door behind him opened and Walter crept in, quickly shutting the door to keep the light in. Mulder whipped around, reaching for a gun that he hadn't carried in months. "How's the plan?" "As good as can be expected from a nondraftsman." Mulder stretched his back. "I knew I should have taken that electrical engineering course." Skinner looked over Fox's shoulder. The drawing was basic, but not poorly done. It outlined the general and sometimes intricate details of a computer schematic. Mulder sat back on his heels, rubbing his forehead. His face was pale and his eyes were cloudy. "How on earth can you do this? And does Dana know that you do this at all hours of the night?" "No." Fox broke out with a laugh, "she thinks she finally broke me of the insomnia habit. And a photographic has always been my curse, I think that this is the first time that I have considered it a blessing." "It looks like it takes a lot out of you." Walter laid a hand on Mulder's shoulder. "Yeah, well, it takes a lot of concentration and quiet. Gives me a royal headache. But I saw this plan at the FBI headquarters before we left, and took a really good look at it. This is exactly what we need, and this way we'll have something to follow and have a way of knowing whether we have all the necessary pieces." "It's after one, you know. You have to get up in less than six hours." "Six hours is an eternity of sleep for me, sir." Still, Fox laid his pencil down on the washer and turned to pick up the constituents that were on the floor. Walter grabbed his arm to usher him out the door. "I'll get them, Mulder, go back to bed." Mulder smiled his thanks and moved out of the room, securing the door behind him. Skinner gazed at the drawing again, shaking his head. Fox Mulder had never ceased to amaze him, and this new hobby was no exception. He rolled up the paper slowly and placed it in the cubby hole. ------- Maggie eyed the door to the old school with trepidation. It had been years since she had been involved with child care. It had been ten years, truth be told, since she had run a child care facility for her church. But, after raising four of her own, tending to children was like second nature. And, she told herself, for the next four or five months she would only be setting up the facility. The babies would arrive soon after that. The door gave easily and she walked into the dusty hall. The building itself had not housed anything for over a year, leaving a residue of dust on everything. The smell of yesterday overwhelmed her. In her mind's eye, she saw a triplet of young Scully children running down the corridor of a similar school. Bill Jr. was in the lead, as usual, Melissa and Dana following behind, their catholic uniform skirts whipping around their legs. Her children, her babies. Maggie shook her head as her tears threatened to fall. The last thing that she wanted to do was to give into her sorrow; it would accomplish nothing. Her work in this area might help her children's children and on that possibility she concentrated. The rooms were all a good size, she decided as she opened the last door in the hall. They were perfect for cribs, beds, and toys. The front room, the old nurse's office, could serve as that again. The second room could be for administrative use. Fifteen minutes later, she had completed a tour of the entire building; that was the second and first floors. Already she had outlined the report that she would put together for the First One on the materials necessary and the speed with which the task could be completed. As she made her way to the front door, she spotted a small annex that she had previously missed. Deciding to check it, she walked quickly down the hall to find a stairwell. She descended, using the flashlight that Mulder had pressed upon her that morning. At the bottom of the stairs, she found a tiny closet and two rooms. A quick inspection of the rooms showed that they were a custodian's office and the boiler room, respectively. The closet held nothing in particular except some brooms, a few pails, and a grime covered, old washed out computer. She shut the door and climbed the steps and exited the building. ----- End (2/2)