Title: Endings and Beginnings 9 Author: Cinnamon Scully Category: SRH, DSR, Angst, Humor Rated: NC-17 for language and situations Disclaimer: I do not own the X-files characters, nor do I own anything that has anything to do with Richard Patrick or Filter, All information found on Richard Patrick has been documented and is disclaimed to be the possession of such sites. I also do not own any rights to Nine Inch Nails or Trent Reznor. All lyrics have been documented to the album they come from and are as such. All situations therin are fictional unless documented. Fiction and Reality is interweaved throughout the story, but the situations therin are created by the author for entertainment purposes only. Refer to the website that corrolates with this story to find out the truths and discern from the fiction. No money has been made off of this story. Email: richfactwebmistress@yahoo.com Summary: See Part One Jo Jo shook her head no at Scully and Kathy. She got up, walking over to where Sam and Mike were. Sam was sobbing uncontrollably now, as the strain weighed heavily on him, and he didn't know what to do about what was happening. Mike looked up. He said softly to Sam, "She wants to talk, I think." Sam sat back, rubbing his eyes a little. He looked at her, his eyes now just as red rimmed as hers. Mike moved into the seat across the aisle, allowing Jo Jo to sit down next to Sam. He waited for Jo Jo to speak, not wanting to discourage her from saying what was wrong. Jo Jo sighed. "Sam, it's not your fault. I had a dream. It was stupid to get so upset about." "Well, what the fuck happened in that dream?" Sam asked. "Mulder wanted to take the baby. It scared me. Either I got you to give Dana and William or he'd take our baby. It was scary and I'm sorry I got upset and didn't tell you what was wrong." Jo Jo said, looking down, her head hung as if she were ashamed. Sam turned towards her. He took her into his arms and hugged her. "Man, that had to be a terrible dream. It's okay. It didn't really happen." Jo Jo started to cry again. "But what if he catches us? What if he takes the baby? What if he does something and I lose the baby? I don't want to lose the baby." Sam sighed. He hugged her tightly, biting his own lip to keep from sobbing again. "It's going to be alright. We just need to slow down and rest a bit. What we really need is to get rid of Mulder." Doggett sighed. "You're absolutely right. It's just a matter of how do we do that." Brian sighed. "We have to find a way. It's a simple as that. I don't think they can take this much more." Sam rocked Jo Jo, trying to calm her down. He sighed. "Jo Jo, sh, it'll be alright. I know you're scared." Jo Jo said, "I...just...want to...have the baby." "I know." This is the first day of my last days I built it up now I take it apart climbed up real high now fall down real far No need for me to stay the last thing left I just threw it away I put my faith in God and my trust in you Now there's nothing more fucked up I could do Wish there was something real wish there was something true Wish there was something real in this world full of you I'm the one without a soul I'm the one with this big fucking hole No new tale to tell twenty-six years on my way to hell Gotta listen to your big time hard line bad luck fist fuck Don't think you're having all the fun You know me I hate everyone Wish there was something real wish there was something true Wish there was something real in this world full of you I want to but I can't turn back But I want to (Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor, Wish, Broken, 1992) Mulder was pacing in his room, feeling like a caged animal. He looked around his room, breathing heavily. He needed to find Scully and Sam and he need to find them now. He was angry and he smashed something to relieve some tension. He drew his gun, played with it for a moment, then put it back down. He hated everyone in his life that had ever betrayed him and now he was going to make them pay. He turned on the television, seeing the headline, "Lead Singer of Screaming Vomits to perform show in Tuscon, AZ." He said, "Bingo. Got them." He was in Dallas, and knew he was on the trail. He knew he could get them and he knew where they were. This was the break he needed. He was going to fix this and fix it now. He felt like he had thrown away everything and this was his pay back for them making him do so. He wished he could get to Scully. He wished he could make her love him. He wished he could turn back and fix everything. He wanted to so badly, but by now he was so far gone that it was worthless to even attempt to do so. He feared what might happen if he failed. Failure was not even possible. It was not something he could do and he knew that. He quickly packed, loading his car before checking out. He then got into his car, and drove away. He would fix this. When they got to the hotel, Sam held Jo Jo's hand and walked in with her. He sat down onto the bed, pulling her onto his lap. He kissed her neck, whispering, "I know you're nervous. It's going to be alright. I promise you." Jo Jo leaned back into his chest. She sighed. "I just have this horrible feeling. I don't know what it is, but I swear I know something terrible is going to happen and I don't know what to do about it." "Sh. Don't you go thinking things like that. It'll be alright." Sam said. "I know how you feel about those feelings. Just calm down. Things will work out and we'll be just fine. Baby and all." Jo Jo closed her eyes. "What if the baby isn't okay? What if something happens?" "You stop those what ifs. They won't get us anywhere, and you'll only worry more about things that may never happen. It's a thing you've always done." Jo Jo smiled slightly. "I know. I'm terrible for that." Sam rubbed her belly. He smiled, "I don't know about you, but I never thought I'd have a child with someone so strong like you." Jo Jo sighed. She stood up, facing away from him. Sam asked, "What, did I say something wrong?" Jo Jo shook her head no silently. Sam could hear sobs and he stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her. "What is it?" "I'm not strong, Sam. I never have been. Look at me, I'm this blubbery baby who cries all the time." She sighed, her shoulders slumping. Sam said, "You are not. Don't you say that about yourself. You're one of the strongest women I know." "If I'm so strong, then why am I always crying and always so afraid? It's foolish. I should be stronger than that." Sam turned her around. He saw her immediately look down, causing him to lift her chin to make her look at him. Her eyes were red and puffy from her tiredness and tears. He kissed her. "Jo Jo, there is no one else I know who can do the things you've done." "Oh what, cry and run from things? I'm good at that. Any one can do that." "No. You have done brave things. You actually managed to stand up to some people that I don't think many could. It's not fair to yourself to say you do otherwise." "Name one." "How about my dad? You may have gone outside, but you stood up to him from the outset. It took me a long time to actually stand up to him. I defied him instead." Sam said. Jo Jo smiled slightly. "Okay. I see. But still, I've been crying too much." "Doesn't that come with pregnancy?" Jo Jo laughed then. "Damn it. I hate hormones." Later that evening, Sam and Jo Jo were sitting together in their room. Sam had Jo Jo's hand in his and he smiled at her. "You know, that whole marriage thing I was talking about when we first went to stay at Mike's? What do you think about that? I know I'm not the type to really go for that, but I can't help but think that it'd be nice to be married to you. We'd never bore each other." Jo Jo smiled back. "Yeah. It might be nice. But what about having a nice wedding and a party when things are settled down?" "Who knows. We might not be able to wait. Jo Jo, I don't want to mess this up and I don't want to miss the chance to marry you. We don't know what Mulder is going to do, so if we miss this chance now, we may not get another one." "Hm, what do you think everyone else will think?" Jo Jo asked, giving him a kiss. "Well, they won't mind too much." Sam said. Brian stood in the door way. He smiled to himself. "So, you're thinking of tying the knot, are you? Hm, I'm sure we can figure a way to fit that into the schedule at some point." Doggett stood behind Brian. "No way. If you get married, Dana and I are gettin' married." Sam laughed. "So that's the thing for you, is it? What, you want a double wedding?" Scully said, "Why not. It'll be simpler." Doggett groaned. "But if we share the same wedding day it won't be nearly as special." Scully rolled her eyes. "Fine. They get married one day, we'll get married another." Doggett said, "That's more like it." "You never grew up." "You're just figuring this out?" Doggett asked. "No. So when do you plan to do this?" "After this next show. We'll set up a date in some chapel on the way and we'll get married then." Sam said. "Why not. I don't want to wait any more." Jo Jo said, "You just don't want a fat bride." "That's a lie." Mike shook his head. "You two argue way too much." Sam and Jo Jo were walking to the bus, to load for the show. Brian was following them, closely, to make sure that nothing happened to any of them. Just as Brian looked away to answer his radio, a gun shot rang out. He looked up to see Jo Jo have her hands up to her face, her expression one of fear. Brian looked to see Sam fall to the ground, bleeding from what appeared to be his shoulder. He said, "Damn it. MAN DOWN!" Doggett rushed, gun drawn. "What happened?" "Sam's shot, left shoulder. Who ever shot wanted to get his heart, but missed just by a little." "Damn it." Doggett kneeled down. "Sam, can you hear me?" Sam coughed a little. "Yeah. I can hear you. What the fuck happened? I felt this piercing thing hit my shoulder." "You've been shot. Dana is goin' to get some paramedics for you. Just try to relax." Doggett said, quietly, looking at his chest to see the blood pool. Scully ran up, and kneeled down. "Someone get me the first aid kit out of the bus. NOW!" She then ripped Sam's shirt off, so she could assess the wound. She said, "We're lucky. He'll be okay. That's if we get him to the hospital." Jo Jo kneeled down on Sam's other side. She took his hand into hers. "Sam, I'm going to be alright. We'll go with you and make sure you're alright." Sam sighed, then coughed. "I know. Man. I bet you. That it was Mulder." The paramedics arrived. They picked Sam up, gingerly placing him onto a gurney, wheeling him to the ambulance. The paramedic asked, "Who is family. Who do I take with him?" Sam said, "Jo Jo. I want her to come with. No exceptions." Brian said, "Send Jo Jo and his brother with. I've got to find our gunman." The agents that were looking around for the shooter returned. The agent that had taken charge of the search said, "It was Mulder. He left a calling card from his stake out site. Here, you read it." "Nothing can stop me now. You led me right to him." Brian read. "Damn it. Bet you he's long gone. Sam was right." When they got to the hospital, Sam was unconcious and had an oxygen mask on him. Jo Jo was holding his hand, while Doggett was helping the paramedics with history. When they wheeled him into surgery, Jo Jo finally broke down. She didn't want to cry in front of Sam, and make him use energy he needed to keep breathing. She felt Doggett take her into his arms. Scully and Brian arrived with Mike and Kathy. Doggett sighed. "They just took him into surgery. I hope that he survives this." Scully said, "He should be just fine. Damn it. Mulder made sure we knew it was him. He figures that's a warning, I would suppose. How did he find us?" Brian sighed. "More than likely one of the press releases of where a concert was going to be tipped him off. Mulder followed us, and decided that he'd take a shot for now. If he gets his hands on Sam, he'll do much worse than out right kill him. From my profile of him, he'd torture him." Jo Jo started to sob all that much more. Mike and Kathy looked around the room. Mike kicked a garbage can. He said, "What the fuck is wrong with this guy? Sam didn't do anything to him." "It's very complicated." Scully said, sighing. Doggett said, "Mike, do you want to take Jo Jo? I have to fill out the forms that they require." "Sure." Mike came up, Jo Jo immediately hugging him. She sobbed into his shoulder, with no hesitation. She said, "Why?" Mike smoothed her hair, whispering, "I don't know. He'll be just fine. Don't worry about him. Just let the doctors do what they need to do." Jo Jo sighed, finally stopping her crying. She just stood, her head lying on his chest. She was trying to calm down, and knew that if she continued to be upset that it would only make matters worse. Scully said, "Well, I suppose that changes all of our plans. Damn you, Mulder." Brian stood, watching Mike try to comfort the distraught Jo Jo. He said, "Damn it." Scully asked, "What?" "I should have done a better job. I'm supposed to keep him safe. I'm supossed to keep things like this from happening. What do I do? I let some psycho guy shoot him in the back." Brian said, turning around, to face away from Scully. Scully sighed. "Things like this happen, no matter how careful we are. Mulder was going to succeed in doing something some time, or die trying." "There you go. He should have been taken out. I should have handled the situation better. I should have done something to prevent him from actually shooting Sam. It's my job to keep him from having to be hit like that. It's my job to keep him as safe as possible. That means avoiding a gun shot wound in the back." Scully sighed, crossing her arms. "It happened, and now what we have to do is keep anything else from happening. Mulder high tailed after that gun shot. He probably had a get away car that he's already switched twice on us and has crossed the state line. There is nothing we can do for that, except take care of Sam." Doggett came up. "The forms are filled out. What is goin' on here?" Brian said, I didn't do my job. That's what is going on." Brian said, running a hand through his bushy red hair. Doggett said, "Listen. We made a mistake. There was a lot of us. All of us made the same mistake. It's not all your fault." "He's my client." Brian said. "It's MY job, not all of these other agents' jobs to keep him safe." Jean joined them from helping Mike with Jo Jo. "Brian! Right now is not the time for a guilt trip. Now, let's get ready to see Sam get back on his feet and you stop this self-hatred fest. I don't want to hear one more word saying it's your fault." Brian sighed. "Alright. You're right. It's still my fault." "Stop." Jean said. After Sam came out of surgery, Jo Jo followed with Doggett to the room that they put him in for recovery. They had him in critical condition, and were going to monitor his vitals to make sure that he was recovering from the surgery and wound well enough. Jo Jo stood, looking at him, bandaged. He looked peaceful, but pale. She felt tears well up in her eyes, and she didn't like the way things had turned out in the past few hours. Doggett put a hand onto her shoulder. He said, "He's gonna be alright. They just want to make sure that he's healin'. I know you're scared. I am too." Mike stood in the doorway, Kathy holding his hand. Mike whispered, "They think he'll pull through all right?" Doggett looked over at him. "Yeah. He's going to be alright. Sam just was lucky that Mulder missed his target. He was aiming for his heart. He shot him in the shoulder blade." "Ouch. What about the tour?" "I'm afraid, that's over. He can not tour for quite some time. Maybe he can pick it up later, if he really feels like it, but for now, he's not going to be doing any touring, even after he's released. We're going to have to figure something out. Mulder is still on the loose." Brian said. Doggett nodded. "Yes. Mulduh is still out there. He knows that Sam's not dead. He'll be back to finish him off, if he can." Jo Jo started to sob. Scully stepped up to her. She took Jo Jo into her arms, hugging her. "John, be careful what you say. You're upsetting Jo Jo." Doggett said, "Sorry. I didn't mean to upset Jo Jo like that. Why don't Brian and I go to discuss what is goin' to happen next?" "Good idea." Scully said. "I'm going to stay with Jo Jo, and whom ever wants to stay with us." Mike said, "I'll stay." Doggett said, "That settles it. We have to figure out what we do next." Scully gave him a quick kiss. "You go do that." Mike walked all the way into the room, allowing Doggett and Brian to exit. Mike walked up to Sam's bed side, looking down at him. He said, "Man, have you had one shitty tour." Jo Jo laughed quietly at that one. "I think that is an understatement if I've ever heard one." Mike said, "Thanks. I tried to make it that." Jo Jo walked up to Sam's bed side, after Scully let her go. She took Sam's hand into hers, placing it onto her cheek. She looked at him, sighing. "Sam, we weren't fast enough at getting married." Mike looked at her, over Sam. He said, "He'll be okay. You'll still get to do that." "We can only hope. Poor Sam. He is going to be a picnic when he wakes up." Jo Jo said. She smoothed a hair from his forhead. She laughed softly then. "He finally grew enough hair that it gets onto his forehead." Mike laughed. "I can see that." She bent down, kissing his forehead. "You really scared me today. I don't like to be scared like this. Sam, I love you too much." Scully said, "I'll stand outside." After Scully left, Mike walked to the other side, where Jo Jo was standing. He put a hand onto Jo Jo's, lightly rubbing it with his thumb. Kathy had exited with Scully, simply because she did not feel as close to Sam as Jo Jo and Mike did. She thought they might like some privacy. Mike whispered, "You know, I've never seen Sam like this. It's hard. It's really hard." "I was there when he broke his wrist in February. The silly ass forgot to fall on his ass. And then, being a man he refused to go to the hospital until he realized it was broken." Mike laughed softly. "Sounds like Sam." Jo Jo sighed. "I just hope he'll be alright after this is over, and I can only pray that Mulder doesn't come back. That's what really scares me, I think. Mulder tried to kill him today. John's right. He'll be back to finish the job off. He'll want to make sure that Sam's dead for the offense he did. I don't see why this man is doing this. It's scary." Mike hugged her. "I know. I know it is. I had no idea that this was going on until you guys showed up. I just have a funny feeling that after Sam is released we're going to have to travel and without a tour I don't know how we'll make any money. Poor Sam, he's going to feel like he let the fans down." "I know. But I know his fans. They will be happier to have him alive and making new music than to see him in concert and possibly die to do so." Jo Jo said, looking up into Mike's eyes. "Yes. You're right. Now it's just a matter of convincing him." Jo Jo rubbed her belly. "Oh, by the time he's able to physically tour, I'll have the perfect reason to keep him at home for quite awhile." Mike smiled. "So you will. So you will. You're going to have to let me see the baby after it's born." "Of course we will. That's another thing I'll make him do." Jo Jo smiled. Scully's phone rang at the hospital as she stood watching for anyone to try and get into Sam's room. She answered it, "Scully." Frohike's voice came through the line. "Hey, Pretty Lady. I got something you might want to see as soon as you are able to. It's a letter that Mulder had in his apartment before he even agreed to stay with you and William in the first place." "Oh? Who did he write it to?" Scully asked, her interest piqued. "It doesn't say who. I think it was a generic letter. He wrote it, hoping it would never have to be true, from what I can tell. Scully, he knew he was going to go crazy." Scully sighed. "Poor Mulder. He really sealed his fate today. He shot Sam, almost killing him. Sam's in critical condition and we have to cancel the rest of the tour. We're not done traveling yet." Frohike sighed. "William misses you a lot. I hope that this finishes up soon. How are you and Doggett doing?" "We're fine. John and I are going to try to get married while on the road, before Christmas. We agreed that we'd just get it done, before something went wrong and we'd end up like Mulder and I had. Apart and alone." "Good decision. Listen, the Punk Ass wants to talk to you." Frohike said. Scully heard some arguing, a phone switch, and Langly say, "How is he doing? I heard that he was shot." "Langly, you were listening in." Scully chided him. Langly said, "Yeah. We all were. You should know that. It's pretty tough lately. I don't know what to tell you, except that maybe if one of you can get to the Field Office nearest you, we can get a scanned copy of that letter into your hands, or fax it. Skinner said he'd be glad to have it sent to you." "Thanks boys. As soon as we can safely send a few of us to pick it up, we will. We'll let you know when to send it." "Alright, Scully. You hang in there." Scully said, "I will, and guys, thanks for the work you did while we were away. It's hard to know that Mulder isn't that man any more." That night, around midnight, Sam woke up from his surgery, groggy. He asked, after coughing, "Where the fuck am I?" Jo Jo jumped at his bedside. She said, "You're in the hospital, Sam." Sam asked, "Why? What the fuck happened?" "You were shot in the back by Mulder. They took you into surgery, and now you are here." "Fuck. This is not good." Sam said, trying to sit up enough to look at her. He winced as he moved. "This hurts like a bitch. Mind if I have some water or something? My throat is dry." Doggett had heard Sam moving, and he said, "Sure, I'll get the water for you. Jo Jo, stay right there." Jo Jo said, "Don't have to tell me twice." Sam sighed. He looked over at Jo Jo. "Are you alright? He didn't get you or hurt you, did he? That bastard." Jo Jo said, "No. But it really scared me, Sam. Really scared me. I thought that I might lose you." She bit her lip to prevent herself from crying. Sam reached a hand up to her, trying to touch her cheek. He said, "Jo Jo, don't get so upset. I'm okay. Okay, this really fucking hurts, but I'm going to be alright." Jo Jo sighed, holding back the tears that she was fighting. "I just thought about what would happen if I didn't have you. I'd have the baby to take care of, and all sorts of things, but I wouldn't have protection and financial help, cause I wouldn't have been your widow. It really scared me today, Sam. It was really really scary." Sam sighed. "It's alright now." "I hope so. They think Mulder will try again." The door opened, and Mike walked in. Mike said, quietly, "I heard you were awake. I thought I'd see how you were feeling." "Like fucking shit, what do you think?" Sam said, smiling. Mike said, "I thought you might be feeling the best ever?" The next morning, Sam's nurse came in, bright and early to check him. She tapped him awake, gently, so she could give him some pills and check the rest of his healing. When Sam felt her tap, he groaned softly, then brushed the woman's hand away. "I don't wanna get up. Leave me alone." The nurse said, "But, Mr. Doggett, you need to be medicated." Sam opened an eye. He said, "What the fuck do you want? I'm sleeping and I'm happy when I'm asleep. Leave me the fuck alone." "Mr. Doggett, don't make me have to force you to take your pills." The nurse said, in a demanding tone. Sam said, "Give me the fucking cup, then let me go back to sleep." The nurse sighed. "Thank you, Mr. Doggett." "Oh, and another thing. Don't call me Mr. Doggett. My brother gets called that. I don't. Call me Sam." Sam said, looking tired and crabby. The nurse gave him his medication, "Sam, the doctor will see you before you can sleep. I'm sorry, but he can only squeeze you into his schedule right now. Then you'll get to sleep all you want. He'll be upping your dose of morphine as well." Sam sighed. "Alright. Then, can I sleep?" "Only till nine. Breakfast will be ready then." Sam groaned. "Sheesh. That sucks ass." The nurse rolled her eyes. She found Sam to be rather rude, obnoxious, and overly difficult. After the nurse left, a short doctor walked in. The doctor said, "Well, Samuel, I see you had a problem yesterday." Sam gritted his teeth at being called Samuel. He hated that. He really hated that. He said, "You can say that." The doctor said, "Well, let's see, what have we here? A gun shot wound to the back, shattering the shoulder blade. You'll be fine in a few days to travel, but you'll have to be very careful." Sam sighed. "Alright, alright. Can I go back to sleep now?" The doctor said, "You may. You'll be having some visitors around ten o'clock. I finally had to chase everyone out about 1:30 when you fell asleep." Sam laughed. "How on earth did you get Jo Jo out of here? She's really stubborn." "You must mean the small blonde. She, well, fought until your brother convinced her that nothing would happen to you during the night. She doesn't like hospitals, does she?" The doctor asked. "No. She hates them. Probably thought you'd suck my blood out before morning. She likes to call doctors vampires a lot." Sam said. "Well, after we got her to go, your body guard set up guards for your door and stayed until about 3. I wasn't going to deny him that. He's F.B.I." "That he is." Sam yawned. "I'm so fucking tired." The doctor said, "We'll see you at nine, then, Samuel." "Please, don't call me that. Call me Sam." "Okay, Sam." At nine, the nurse returned, waking Sam. She said, "It's breakfast time." Sam opened his eyes, looked at the tray, groaning. "What the fuck is that?" "It's jello with ice chips." The nurse said. "That isn't a breakfast. That's something you feed to a little kid to get him to shut the hell up." Sam said, looking crabby with squinted eyes. The nurse sighed. "You must eat it. You'll need something in your stomach, and after your surgery that is all you will be able to handle." Sam rolled his eyes. He started to eat his jello. "Next time, get me good jello. This flavor sucks ass." The nurse felt really annoyed by this patient. She said, "I will see what I can do." Sam said, "Thanks. And, I'm sorry if I've been rude. I just hate hospitals and I'm supposed to be on tour and it's been hell. I don't mean to take it out on you. I tend to get crabby and rip heads off. Especially at six in the morning." The nurse smiled at him then. He had apologized, and she hadn't run across many patients who did that. She said, "Well, I'll see if I can get you a different flavor." "Okay. Thanks." Sam said, finishing his breakfast off. After the nurse left, Brian walked into the room. "I heard you were awake." Sam glared at him. "Not for long. I don't wanna be awake." "Well, Jo Jo insisted that as soon as she could visit that she would." Brian said. Sam sighed, "Sounds like Jo Jo. Such a protective person." Brian said, "That she is. Just, please, don't yell at her. I heard how you were." "I'll try not to. I'm a little short of patience right now." "I can see that. Listen, get some sleep until we come back." "I can do that." Sam said, smiling at him. "Good." At ten o'clock, everyone showed up to visit Sam. Scully said, "Well, I'm going to let Jo Jo talk to him." Doggett kissed her. "I'll be in there a few moments. I want to see how cranky he is." "John! That's mean!" Scully smiled. "Go ahead. You two will never grow up." Doggett smiled. "How on earth did you know?" "I know you two." Scully said, "Now go." Jo Jo and Doggett walked in. Sam was asleep still, and he looked peaceful. Jo Jo said, "Sam, we're here." Sam woke up, opening one eye. "I wanna sleep." Doggett laughed. "At least that hasn't changed." Sam looked crabby. He said, "Well, I had the most wonderful fucking breakfast. I woke at 6 am, and now that I was just about to be really asleep, I can't be." Jo Jo looked rather irritated by this statement. "If you didn't want to see us, why didn't you say so? I could have stayed at the hotel and slept instead of getting up at 7 to get ready to visit you and make sure that everything was ready to go." Jo Jo felt spited and she started to cry, more of a hormonal reaction than a real one. Jo Jo then stomped out of the room. Doggett whistled. "That went well." Sam sighed. "I didn't mean to make her upset. Me and my stupid mouth that opens and says stupid fucking things that hurt." Doggett sighed. "She's been like that since we left last night. She's tired, she's scared, and she's hurt." Sam sighed. "She had a rough night last night? God, I'm so stupid." Doggett sighed. "Mike said that he checked on her throughout the night. Felt that she might get too upset or somethin'. He didn't want her to be alone." "I'm glad he did that. Poor Jo Jo, then I have to go and open my big fat fucking yap." Doggett said, "She'll calm down. Just be gentle with her. She's havin' a hard time." Jo Jo stomped past Scully. She was sobbing now, openly. Scully sighed. She followed Jo Jo, telling Doggett, "Stay here." When she finally caught up with Jo Jo, she asked, "Jo Jo, what happened?" "Sam, he didn't want to see us. He would rather sleep and not visit just for a little bit. I'm so worried to begin with that I want to see how he's feeling. He didn't want to see me." Jo Jo said. Scully hugged her. "I'm sorry, Jo Jo. He didn't mean to say those hurtful things. He's just cranky from being in the hospital and they disrupt sleep all the time, which as you know, with Sam is not a good idea." Jo Jo sighed. "I just wish he wouldn't have ripped my head off. I didn't want to upset him like that." Scully sighed. "Jo Jo, you didn't upset him all that much. You just happened to be the person he ripped the head off due to being woken up. It's going to be alright. Now, why don't we go back to see what Sam has to say?" "He doesn't want to see me." Jo Jo said. "He needs his sleep and I understand that." "Jo Jo, I'm sure he feels very bad for yelling at you. Knowing Sam he feels like he did something to really hurt you. It'll be alright. Now, let's go see him so we can get this mess cleared up." Jo Jo sighed. "Alright. I just don't want him to get mad at me again. I don't like it when he is mad at me for things. I didn't mean to upset him." "I know, I know. He'll be just fine, and he'll be glad that you went back. He doesn't like to upset you like that especially over something so simple." They walked back to the room, Doggett smiling at Jo Jo as she walked back in. Jo Jo said, "I'm sorry for stomping out on you like that. It was wrong of me to do so." Sam looked at her, then looked away, feeling guilty for what he had done to upset her. He said, "I'm sorry for yelling at you like that. It was fucking stupid." Jo Jo sighed. "I understand that you're tired. I just wanted to see you." "I know you did." Sam smiled. "Come here." After they left the hospital, Doggett whispered into Scully's ear, "Let's get that letter. Brian has things under control here and I want to see what Mulduh had to say before this whole mess happened." Scully nodded. "Good idea. I really am curious as to what Mulder has to say about what has happened to him. No matter what he has become, I still want to see him get help and I still care a great deal for the man I once knew." Doggett sighed. "I know you do." Doggett told Brian where they were going, and Scully called the Gunmen. "Boys, get that letter ready. We're going to pick it up." Frohike said, "Okay, Pretty Lady." Doggett drove them to the Field Office. Both Doggett and Scully flashed their badges, allowing them to get into the building. They went to the fax machine. Scully said, "Get the number for this machine." Doggett did as told, and Scully told the Gunmen the number to fax the letter to them. After they faxed it, Scully said, "Alright, let's read this when we get back to the hotel. I think it's only fair to Mulder." "I agree." Doggett said. "I wouldn't want anyone to see what Mulder has to say. It's private. You don't have to let me read it if you don't want." "No. Brian will see this anyways. He needs it for his profile." Scully said, folding the letter. She sighed. "I just hope this tells us why Mulder is this way now. I'm so worried that the only thing we can do is kill him." Doggett took her hand. "We'll get him help. I promise you that." That line sent Scully into a flashback. She remembered him saying that about finding him in the first place. She knew that they would succeed then. They had the first time, they would this time." Doggett and Scully exited to drive back to the hotel. When they got there, Brian asked, "Did you get it? I left a few guards at the hospital so I could work on this with you." "Yes. Right here." Scully opened the letter, unfolding it to find the answers to what had happened to Mulder, and why he was the way he was now. She read silently the first time. I find myself in a dark period and mood. I am no longer the person I was before the abduction. Each day I find myself slipping further into some type of abyss that I will soon fall into, taking everything that I am with it and I must get away from those I care about and love before I hurt them. Funny, I have become what I have seen so many times before, not just in alien abduction cases similar to my own, but in those who are insane murderers that kill for want of love or security, both of which I realize in my present state of mind that I have. It is a little difficult for me to admit that I will soon be raving mad, unable to do what I love and be around those I love. I know that I am unable to prevent it, but I completely understand that I must leave before I commit an act of such replusion to render myself even less human. I may not be insane as of yet, but I feel it coming. Each day I slip just a little bit more, each day I find myself not recognizing those around me as those I can trust. Even Scully is not who I knew before. She has changed, changed into a woman that is not a tag along any longer, but rather a woman of her own merit. I can only admit that it is time for me to leave, and do so without as much heart ache that I possibly can. It is the only option open, for I know that I could break out of any mental institution, having been taught all the secrets, I know that exiting is the only route I can go. I hope whom ever reads this will understand what has happened and forgive me. I may do atrocious acts, but it is not the Fox Mulder you once all knew. It is rather, the Fox Mulder I have become. Love, Fox William Mulder Scully looked at Doggett. She felt tears come to her eyes. "He knew. He knew what was going to happen to him and he didn't tell me. It is just like the brain tumor he had. He kept it from me, because he thought it would make me safe." Doggett handed the letter to Brian to read. He hugged Scully. "Sh. It's goin' to be alright. We'll help him. We will. You have to believe that." When Jo Jo arrived at the hotel, she walked into the room, heading straight for the bathroom. She groaned. She muttered to herself, "Why do I always have to go?" After she finished, she came back out, sitting down on the bed to watch television. She turned it on, flipping through channels, trying to find something worth watching. Just as she threw the remote onto the bed to lay back, a knock came to the door. She sighed, muttering, "Oh sure, just as soon as I'm sat." She opened the door, finding Mike standing on the other side. She asked, "Where's Kathy?" Mike said quietly, "Showering. Mind if I come in?" "Not at all. I was just going to watch television." Jo Jo said, taking her seat. Mike sat down next to her. "How is he doing this morning?" "He ripped my head off, we made up, but he'll be okay. He just hates hospitals. Who doesn't." Jo Jo sighed. "It's been a long past few months, and being pregnant has not made it any easier." Mike nodded quietly. "So, how you holding up?" "I've been better. I just want this to end and for us so we can all go home and live our lives as we choose to." Jo Jo sighed. "It's been too long since I've been in one place and known that I would be there the next week." Mike nodded. "Yeah. I know what you mean." Jo Jo got up. She turned to look at Mike. "And would you look at me. I'm getting fat." Mike smiled. "I don't think fat is the term I'd use." Jo Jo giggled. "I didn't think you would. All I can think about is, what will happen when this baby arrives? It'll change everything. Everything. Sam will have to learn how to play music without blaring it for fear of waking which ever we have, boy or girl." Mike stood up. He said, "I think that Sam will be proud." "I hope so. I really do. It was so scary to see what happened to him." "I know it was. He'll be okay now." "That's if the nurse doesn't kill him." Jo Jo giggled. "He's pretty, well, unhappy and you know what happens when he's crabby." Mike rolled his eyes. "Figures. If Mulder doesn't get him, a nurse will." After Mike went back to his room, he sat down at his computer after he noticed that Kathy had not finished her shower. He took the keyboard, placing it into his lap, typing in the commands to open the programs he needed. Mike started to work on a song that he had thought of through out the night, and he wanted to get some of the skeleton laid out for it to work with later. He typed a few commands in, then took his electronic keyboard, that was keyed up to make certain sounds and set that where the computer keyboard was supposed to sit. He started to play some of the notes he had in mind, though he hadn't the faintest idea what the lyrics would be, if there would be any. It was a fast song, a harsh sounding one. He hit a few more keys, layering the first sound with the second one. He smiled. Kathy stood in the bathroom doorway, towelling her hair dry. She asked, "What are you doing?" "I'm getting this song set up." Mike said, not looking at her. He looked down at his keyboards, then back up at the screen. He then clicked save. He turned to look at her. "How was the shower?" "It was okay. How's Sam doing?" "He's fucking crabby, from what Jo Jo said. Ripped her head off, I guess. It's all okay now, but I guess hospitals and Sammie do not agree." Mike said. Kathy laughed quietly. She sat down on the bed. "Just because I'm here does not mean you have to stop working on the song." Mike sighed. "I know. I just want to talk. I got what I wanted done for now." Kathy smiled. "I see." Mike sighed. "Wonder what we're going to do for supper tonight. If I have to eat shitty hotel food one more time, I'm going to scream." Kathy laughed. "You're so cute when you don't like something." Mike blushed. "I'm cute?" Kathy said, "Yeah, you are." Mike stood up. He put a hand onto the back of his neck, looking embarrassed. "I've never been cute before. Hell, when I found out I was some weird sex symbol, that was weird. I'm usually the freaky guy." Kathy said, "I think you're cute. Okay, cute isn't the word I'm looking for, but it works." "What's the word you are thinking of?" Mike asked, looking at her, questions in his green eyes. "Hm, I haven't decided yet. You're so unique that I don't know what word I should use." Mike said, That's good to know." After Mike left, Jo Jo looked around the room. She sighed. It just wasn't the same without Sam there. It was too quiet and too lonely. She hated to be alone, but she knew that Mike and Kathy might want some privacy, she noticed that Brian and the other agents were busy with something, and that she had no one to talk to. She sat down onto the bed, putting on one of Sam's CDs. She sighed. It just wasn't the same. She missed him picking on her. Maybe it was the hormones or maybe it was something else, but Jo Jo started to cry out of frustration. She sighed. "This is stupid." She started to talk to herself, feeling angry at what had happened. She curled up on the bed, to sit alone for awhile. She picked up her teddy bear, holding it close to her chest as she curled up on the bed, on his side. She wished that hotels didn't mess with bedding at that moment, because she couldn't smell him anymore. This made her cry all that more. She listened to the music for a bit, but it still felt like it wasn't enough hearing his voice recorded. She hid her face into her teddy bear. She whispered, "I wish we could just go home." She finally fell asleep, tired and worn out from the previous day's excitement and not sleeping very well the night before. She clutched at her teddy bear in her sleep. Scully tapped quietly on the door, then opened it slowly. She whispered, "Jo Jo?" Scully smiled when she saw Jo Jo asleep, then sighed. She knew that Jo Jo was very upset, but she thought it was touching how she slept on his side, with the CD player on. Doggett whispered from behind her, "Poor Jo Jo. She's had it so rough lately. I don't think Sam has to worry about her ever cheatin' on him. She's missin' him so much right now." "Well, I think a part of it has to do with the fact that she's afraid after what happened. She's very independent and won't let him push her around if she doesn't want him to." Scully said, smiling. "Let's leave her be." Doggett nodded. "I agree with you on that one." You let me violate you, you let me descrate you You let me penetrate you, you let me complicate you Help me I broke apart my insides, help me I've got no soul to sell Help me the only thing that works for me, help me get away from myself I want to fuck you like an animal I want to feel you from the inside I want to fuck you like an animal My whole existence is flawed You get me closer to God You can have my isolation, you can have the hate that it brings You can have my absence of faith, you can have my everthing Help me tear down my reason, help me it's your sex I can smell Help me you make me perfect, help me become somebody else I want to fuck you like an animal I want to feel you from the inside I want to fuck you like an animal My whole existence is flawed You get me closer to God Through ever forest, above the trees Within my stomach, scraped off my knees I drink the honey inside your hive You are the reason I stay alive (Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor, Closer, Downward Spiral, 1994) Mulder was sitting in his hotel room, knowing that he was risking a lot. He sat on his bed, envisoning what he wished to do to Scully. Scully was the only person who could redeem him for what he had become. He knew that she got him closer to having faith. He wanted to be complete again. He wanted to be able to get close to something he had never been to before. He also knew that after what he had done that there was no turning back. He also wanted to give her all of the pain he had right now. He wanted her to know what he felt like. He wanted her to know what it felt like and to have the hate that he carried now. He wanted to fuck her and feel her from the inside, making himself perfect again. He knew he was flawed and he knew that he was broken. He was sure that she would not care about it, though she made him perfect and completed him in some strange way. He felt that she was the only reason he hadn't ended it all. She was his reason to continue and he wished that she would help him fix the wrongs he had done. He had lost everything, and now all he wanted was to be the man he once was and become somebody else. Kathy stood up. She took his hand into hers. She asked softly, "Does it really upset you if I say things I like about you?" Mike didn't let go of her hand. "No. Not at all." He looked down. "It's just that I haven't had anyone say those things to me for a very long time." Kathy looked down where he was. "I know. Me either." She let go of his hand, picked up the towel, and made her way back to the bathroom to put it back. Mike watched her, noticing how she walked. He smiled to himself a little, noticing that her walk was not weak looking, but showed off strength. She came back out. "Now, what do you want to do?" Mike walked towards her. He took her chin into his hand. He bent in, kissing her. "I don't know, it's up to you." Kathy wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed him back, feeling him wrap his own arms around her, to support her. She whispered in his ear, "I think we can think of something. At least until dinner." Mike sat her down onto the bed. He kissed her again, then held her hand. "I'm just a little nervous. I don't want to just jump the gun here and mess things up." Kathy nodded. "I know. I'm not asking for that if you think I am. I just want to get to know you better." Mike looked down at his lap, his hand never leaving hers. He said, "It's been a long time since I've let anyone know me." Kathy squeezed his hand. "I know. I can tell that it has been a long time. It'll be hard at first, but I think we can make it work." She kissed his cheek. "Besides, it's been a long time since I've let anyone know the real me too." Mike looked at her. "Yeah, I suppose it has been a long time for both of us." A knock came to the door. Mike gave her hand one more squeeze before getting up to answer it. He opened the door, finding Brian on the other side. "We're all going to visit Sam in a minute, then we'll go out to eat." Mike said, "Thanks for telling us." "No problem. We were letting Jo Jo sleep." Brian said, quietly. Jo Jo walked out of her hotel room, looking tired and pale. Mike said, "Whoa, Bri, did you make sure she was up for it?" Jo Jo glared at him. "I'm going if I have to walk my way to the hospital." Brian said, "That's what she told me, so she's going. I don't think there is any stopping her." Jo Jo glared at Brian. She was using Scully to support herself. Scully said, "As soon as this visit is done, I'm going to get Jo Jo into a warm bath and make sure she's coming along alright." Mike shook his head. "If she's determined, there's no stopping her." They loaded onto the bus, making their way to the hospital. When they got there, Scully helped Jo Jo off the bus, leading the way into see Sam. When they got to his room, Jo Jo squared her shoulders, and made her way in with out any help. Sam looked up when she entered. He said, "Jo Jo! You made it. How you feeling?" "I've been better." Jo Jo's voice sounded soft and tired. "It sounds like it. You okay?" Sam asked, worried now by her complexion. "I'll be fine, Sam. You're the one we have to worry about right now." She took a seat by his bed side, taking his hand into hers. "You're the one who was shot, remember?" Sam felt how cold her hand felt. He looked at Scully, his eyes questioning. Scully nodded that she was going to take care of it. Sam asked, "So, what's the big plans for tonight?" "We're going to get a bite to eat, Jo Jo to bed, and perhaps figure out what Mulder's next move will be. Don't you worry about a thing, Sam. I've got it under control. You focus on getting better." Sam said, "Okay, Bri. I will certainly do so." Jo Jo let go of his hand, brushing a hair away from her face. She put her hand back down, holding his again. She said, "May I talk to him for a bit?" Scully said, "We'll be waiting." "Thanks." Jo Jo said, her face growing more pale as the moments dragged on. She smiled a little at them, then turned to Sam. "Sam, I want you to not worry about me." Sam looked at her. "How can I not? You're so pale and so cold." "I'm going to be okay. I'm just tired and I'm hungry. As soon as I eat I'll be fine." "You promise me something. You tell Dana if anything is making you feel sick, okay? I don't need you sick too." Jo Jo nodded weakly. "I will." Her voice was barely audible to Sam. Dark circles were under her eyes, making her face look hollow. "You worry about you, okay? I'll be fine." Sam threw his feet over the side, winced at the pain to his shoulder, and bent down kissing her. "The same goes for you." After Jo Jo was finished visiting Sam, they made their way out to the bus. Jo Jo was walking very slowly, her face very pale. She looked very tired as if she might drop at any moment. Scully looked at Doggett while she helped Jo Jo walk to the bus. Her eyes connected with his, worry in them. Doggett nodded that they'd do something as soon as they could get her to a place with a bed. Mike and Kathy walked behind them, holding hands. Mike looked at Kathy for a moment, gave her a tense smile, whispering, "This does not look good at all." Kathy nodded. She kept silent, following them. She was worried, fearing that something might happen to Jo Jo. When they got to the bus, Jo Jo fainted, her energy lost. Scully held her up. "She's cold to the touch, but she's sweating. Let's get her back into the hospital. I want to make sure it's nothing more than exhuastion. If it's that, we'll just get her into a warm bath, make something liquid for her to eat, and get her into bed as soon as we can." Doggett took Jo Jo into his arms. He said, "Brian, stay with these two. They'll only get in the way." Brian nodded. "Will do." Doggett carried Jo Jo in his arms, her small form hanging limply. She looked whiter than ever before and Scully said, her commanding voice taking over, "I have a woman I must pay medical attention to. I am a medical doctor." "Can I please see some I.D.?" The nurse behind the desk asked. Scully flashed her badge, which stated that she was a M.D. as well. The nurse nodded, leading them to a room to allow Scully to check her out. Doggett put Jo Jo onto the bed there. "I'll be standin' outside. Tell me when you're done." Scully nodded. She turned to look at Jo Jo, felt her forehead, feeling a fever. She then started to revive Jo Jo. She splashed some cold water into her face, and when she sputtered, Scully asked, "Jo Jo, are you okay?" Jo Jo nodded. "I'm tired." "I know you are honey. Let me check you over and make sure that you're not hurting the baby. I'm going to check it's heart beat." Jo Jo nodded. She yawned. "Please, please, don't tell Sam. It'll only upset him and he needs to rest." Scully nodded. "I won't, not unless I have to." She checked the heart beat, smiling. "Baby seems to be fine. You're just exhausted from last night and you're hungry." Jo Jo closed her eyes. "Can we just go back to the hotel?" "Yes, I'm going to draw you a warm bath when we get there, get some broth into you and we'll let you sleep all night and in late if you wish." Scully said. "In fact, I insist that you do so." Jo Jo smiled. "You are such a doctor." "I try to be. Come on, let's you get you to the hotel." When they got to the hotel, Mike and Kathy went back into their room. Mike sighed, taking a seat on the bed. He said, "That was one wild fucking adventure." Kathy sat down next to him. She said, "I know. I hope that she'll be okay." Mike nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Me too. It's not good for her to be travelling so much with the baby." "I suppose it's not. Now that we're stuck, does this mean the man who shot Sam is going to come after us?" Mike stood up. "It could happen. I'm not going to lie to you. As far as I can tell, it could happen." He started to pace a little. "Poor Sammie. When he finds out that Jo Jo is sick, he's gonna be really upset." Kathy stood up, taking his hand into hers. "It'll be okay." "I know. I don't want to pry into their realtionship, I just don't want to hear him yell." Mike said. "He's got some vocals." "I can tell." Kathy said. Mike smiled at her. "Come on, let's have some fun. We have nothing else to do. What do you want to do?" "How about we find something on pay perview. There has to be something worth watching." Kathy sat back onto the bed. Mike found the box, then the movie selections. He said, "Hmm, let's see what we have here." Kathy looked at it with him. She said, "Can we watch this one?" She was pointing to Return to Me. She said, "It looks romantic and good." Mike sighed. "Alright. If that's the one you want to see, we'll watch it." Kathy giggled. "You're so cute when you really don't want to do something." "We already went over that." Mike said, smiling as he chose the movie. He said, "Shit, stupid thing." Kathy looked at what he was talking about. He said, "Fucking thing. I'll make it work." He got the movie to accept the code and tossed the box onto the nightstand. He sat back, fluffing the pillows behind him up. Kathy moved up to sit with him. She sat next to him, but didn't put her head on his shoulder. She watched the movie open, knowing that Mike didn't really like these type of movies. Mike, without looking, moved to take her hand into his. He squeezed it, watching the movie. Kathy smiled, laying her head onto his shoulder. She felt comfortable and happy for the first time in a long time. Scully helped Jo Jo into her room. She said, "I'm going to draw you a warm bath, let you clean up, and order some hot broth for you to drink down before I let you sleep." Jo Jo yawned. "Okay. Thank you so much." "It's one of the things I can do for you." Scully said, putting her hand onto Jo Jo's chin. "You're going to be my sister-in-law." Jo Jo smiled. "Yeah, I know. It's just a matter of getting the wedding on the go. Dana, do you think Mulder will try to do something while we are stuck here waiting for Sam?" Scully sighed. "I don't know. I hope not." She walked into the bathroom, turning on the facets. She tested the water, making sure it wasn't too hot. She said, "We'll deal with it when it comes. I don't think any of us expected what happened. I know Brian still blames himself." Jo Jo sighed. "I wish he wouldn't." "Me too. But Brian will do as he feels. Just don't worry. You're in good hands. Now we'll really anticipate what Mulder might or might not do." Scully said. "I'll let you take your bath and order you that broth." Scully came into the bedroom. Doggett was waiting for her. "How's she doin'?" "She's tired, but she's going to take that bath. I'm going to order some broth up from the room service. I know it's odd, but I can order that." Doggett nodded. He sat down onto the bed. Scully ordered the broth and joined him. She said, "Jo Jo's nervous that Mulder might come back to do something." Doggett sighed. "It's very possible, Dana. Mulduh's a very sick individual right now. Just remember it's not really him anymore. He's someone else now." Scully sighed. "Deep down inside he's still the same Mulder. Some where he's that man that I know." Doggett hugged her. "I know. I believe that too. But, as it may, we must keep everyone safe. Dana, I think we should take shifts with Jo Jo. He might target her next, knowing, even in his insanity, that you're well protected, with or without anyone." Scully nodded. "I know Brian will not have a problem with it. I just hope that things will turn out alright. I just want everything to be okay soon." "I know. I know. It'll fix itself." Mike found that he actually enjoyed the movie, simply because the humor in it was well done. He didn't really like romantic comedys, but the way the Irish family acted was just too funny. Kathy now had her arm wrapped around his waist, lying on her side, her head lying on his chest. She could hear him laugh quietly from time to time. She smiled. Mike looked down at her, shaking his head. If someone had told him that he would have been watching a movie with a woman lying on his chest, he would have told them that they were insane. He hadn't even thought of meeting someone, let alone actually dating someone. It had been a very long time and he had been single for so long. After the movie, they sat for a bit. Kathy felt comfortable and didn't want to move and Mike wasn't going to complain about it. He put his arm around her, holding her close. He whispered, "Now what do you want to do?" Kathy didn't move, but answered, "I don't know. It's getting late." Mike laughed quietly. "Yeah it is. I'm sure in the morning we'll have to do something." Kathy got up, stretching. She yawned. "Aww I was comfy though." Mike laughed. He got up, hugging her. "You warm now?" Kathy giggled. "Yes. I suppose we ought to get ready for bed and call it a night." Mike nodded. He took his suitcase out, picking clothes out for the next day, then grabbing his pajamas. He went into the bathroom to change. Kathy shook her head. In such a short time everything in her life has changed. She couldn't believe that she was lucky enough to find someone like Mike, but she was also wary that he could change in a matter of time to be like her former boy friend. She shook her head. Mike came back out, wearing his pajamas. He wore a night shirt with some shorts, and he pulled the blankets on the bed back, turning on the night stand lamp. He climbed under the blankets and pulled them over himself, lying down. Kathy went and changed as well. She came back, and climbed into the other side of the bed, facing away from him. She pulled the blankets around her and settled in to go to sleep. They may have felt comfortable cuddling during the movie, but they both knew they were not ready to go any further than that. Kathy sighed and fell asleep. Mike on the other hand, couldn't sleep. He sighed, getting up, making as little noise as he could. He just couldn't sleep and now was the time he would use to work on a song. Jo Jo came back out after her bath, dressed for bed and toweling her hair. She sat down on the bed, noticing that Scully had pulled the covers back. She said to Jo Jo, "You're broth is on its way." Jo Jo combed her hair, yawning. She said, "Okay." A knock came to the door, and Scully opened it. She took the broth from the room service attendant. When she got it to Jo Jo, she said, "I want you to drink all of this down. It'll make you feel better." Jo Jo nodded silently, drinking the soup down, spoonful at a time. She smiled at Scully, her eyes still hollow and her face still white. She looked so worn out and so sick that Scully worried that so much travel and stress was going to do some irrepairable damage. Jo Jo asked quietly, "When will we go see Sam tomorrow?" "We won't go see him until afternoon, Jo Jo. You both need your rest and we don't want to disrupt him getting better by being in the way of the doctors taking care of him." Jo Jo snorted quietly. "Vampires. That's all they are. I suppose you're right." "Of course I'm right. Now, don't you worry about what will happen tonight. You worry about getting some sleep and finishing that broth. The baby says it's time to rest." Scully said, sitting on the side of the bed. Jo Jo sighed. "I know. I'm sorry I've been such a bother. I'm beginning to think I should have stayed at home. We wouldn't have this problem then." Scully said, "Now you don't know that for sure. Besides, Sam wouldn't leave you behind." Jo Jo sighed, "I know. I just have to wonder what would be happening if I had stayed home." "I know. You sleep and in the morning I'll check up on you, okay?" "Okay." Kathy woke up a bit later, noticing that the bed side next to her was empty. She got up, noticing that Mike had fallen asleep in the chair at his computer. She sighed, getting up to help him to bed. She tapped him quietly on the shoulder, causing him to stir. He jumped, asking, "Wwhat? Is it time to get ready to do something?" Kathy giggled. "No. You must have gotten up to work on something and you fell asleep. Why don't you come to bed and get some proper sleep. You look tired." Mike yawned. He got up, following her to the bed. He climbed into it, lying on his back. He pulled the blankets up around himself, and fell asleep right away. Kathy climbed into the other side, pulling the blankets around herself. She sighed. It made her wonder what Mike really thought of her. She laid on her side, facing away from him. In his sleep, Mike rolled over, throwing an arm around her. He sighed in his sleep, causing Kathy to turn and look at him, smiling. She wondered if this was a good thing, but settled down for the night. It was warm and a little comfortable. She cuddled up to him, when she felt a draft and pulled the blankets up further. Mike snuggled his face into her hair, muttering something she couldn't quite make out. She shook her head slightly, and allowed sleep to claim her. Sam lay in his hospital bed, thinking about how Jo Jo had looked when she visited. He didn't think it was good and he was worried about her now. He wondered if she was going to feel alright and if the baby was okay. He didn't like the way she had looked and he didn't like the way her hand had felt. He had noticed that she had had dark circles under her eyes and that concerned him greatly. He rolled over onto his side, wondering if she wasn't telling him everything. He thought about something that he had also known. She had had red rimmed eyes as if she had been crying for some time as well. He sighed. He hated leaving Jo Jo feeling alone when she was so upset. He winced as his shoulder started to hurt again, and again he found himself cursing Mulder. The nurse came in for his nightly bath and supper. She was a different one than before and he sighed. He looked at her with a glint in his eye. He really wasn't hungry right now, nor did he want to bathe. The nurse was younger than his last one had been. His first nurse had been experienced and middle aged. This nurse was barely pushing 25 from what he could tell. She said, "Mr. Doggett, it's time for supper and your bath." He gritted out between his teeth, "Call me Sam." "Okay, Sam, it's time to eat and take that bath." The nurse said. Sam rolled his eyes. He really didn't like this new nurse. She was short and dark haired. She also looked as if she was very quiet and very shy. Not in the shy way that Jo Jo was, with caution, but shy as if she was nervous a lot. The nurse came up to his bed side, putting his tray down onto the table that swung over his bed. She said, "There you go. After you eat, we'll get that bath taken care of." Sam sighed. "Oh yay. Ice chips and Jello, AGAIN." The nurse giggled. She seemed to like him and he could care less. She smiled at him, then made her way out of the room. Sam shook his head. That's just what he needed. A nurse that had a crush on him. He knew that she'd be perfessional in her job, but it still annoyed him. He ate his ice chips, crunching them as much as possible, to relieve some stress. He sighed. He just hoped that Jo Jo would be alright. It was not good to see her looking so pale. Mike found himself in a dream. It was the dream he had before, where he ran with those he knew until they were gone and he was left standing alone. This time it was different. Kathy shook him awake. He was now tossing and turning next to her and she worried about him. She asked, "Mike, what's wrong?" Mike jumped. He said, "Nothing. Just a dream." Kathy said, "Must have been a bad one for you to get so upset by it and toss and turn." Mike threw back the covers, standing up. "It doesn't mean anything. I have it once a week, and it's always the same. It just tells me that I'm a lonely person. It doesn't matter." Kathy got up, walking towards him. He looked at her, his eyes narrowed and his teeth gritted. He looked rather menacing like this. She said, "If it's a nightmare you have once a week, why don't you do something about it?" "There isn't anything to do. It happens. I get over it until the next time." Mike was still mulling over the changes in the dream. The blonde woman had always been a mystery to him. Kathy was not blonde. She was a brunette. Kathy sighed. "Want to talk about it?" As Jo Jo slept, she started to dream. She was sweating more now and was tossing in the bed. Scully and Brian rushed into the room, guns drawn. Doggett wasn't far behind. Scully shook Jo Jo awake. "Are you okay, Jo Jo?" Jo Jo looked around, her tired eyes feral. She looked from face to face. "Please, don't hurt me." Scully sat down, taking Jo Jo into her arms. Jo Jo started to sob. She whispered, "We wouldn't hurt you, honey. We heard you scream and we came to see what was wrong. What happened?" "I dreamed that Mulder was after me. He had a knife." Jo Jo said. Scully sighed. "You won't get any better until Mulder is no longer a threat." Brian sighed. "I'm afraid it'll be quite some time before we can fix this." Jo Jo sobbed quietly into Scully's shoulder. She was so tired and so upset. She sighed, falling back to sleep. Scully said, "I'm going to stay with her to make sure she's okay. I think she might be going into shock from the exhaustion." A security guard knocked on the door. Doggett opened it. "We heard a scream come from this room." Brian said, "It is under control. I'm F.B.I. I'm sorry for this disturbance." The guard looked into the room. He said, "I.D.?" Brian showed him his I.D. then said, "It's nothing really. A nightmare and a long story to go with it. We'll be handling it." The guard nodded and made his exit. Doggett said, "If you'r stayin' with her, I'm stayin' with her." After Jo Jo had fallen back asleep, Scully sat down, sighing. She looked tired herself and she looked mildly upset. Doggett pulled up a chair next to her, taking her hand into his. "Dana, you okay?" Scully blinked. "Yes. I was thinking. That was a very frightening thing. I'm worried about Jo Jo's mental state. This is very stressful for her and the nightmares she has are very real. It also got me thinking about William." Doggett gave her hand a squeeze. "It'll be alright. I promise you that. Mulduh may try something, but we'll be okay. Dana, I don't want you to worry too much." "I just can't help but worry. Watching Jo Jo go through this pregnancy is difficult. It makes me think of how difficult it was for me to carry Wiliam." Scully said, brushing some tears from her eyes. Doggett put his hand up to her face. He brushed a tear from her eyes. "Oh Dana, she'll pull through and so will her baby. She's just tired and needs to rest. She didn't have nearly as many problems as you had and William is safe with Skinner." Scully said, "I still miss him, John. He's my baby and I haven't seen him for months now. I just want to go home and see my baby. I want to be in a stable enviroment. As of right now, I can not do that." Doggett hugged her. "I know you miss him." "I probably missed his first word and his first step. I probably missed so much and I wanted to be with him as much as I could be. If we went home, Mulder would surely get the baby." Doggett sighed, "We'll fix this. It's not goin' to be easy, but we will get through this. All of us will." Scully sighed. "I know. I feel silly for being upset." "Don't be. You're human. You're tired, you're sick of being away from home, you're scared. It's a human reaction." Scully sighed. "I know. I just can't help but feel weak." He sewed his eyes because he is afraid to see He tries to tell me what I put inside of me He's got the answers to ease my curiousity He dreamed a God up and called it Christanity Your God is dead and no one cares If there is a Hell, I will see you there He flexed his muscles to keep his flock of sheep in line He made a virus that would kill off all the swine His perfect kingdom of killing, suffering, and pain Demands devotion, atrocities done in his name Your God is dead and no one cares Drowning in his own hypocrisy And if there is a Hell I will see you there Burning with your God in humility Will you die for this? (Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor, Heresy, The Downward Spiral, 1994) Mulder was parked out of a church. A Roman Catholic church. He looked at it with disdain and anger. He hated this God, and he had never believed in him as Scully had. He knew it was one weapon, one he knew he could use against Scully if he should choose to. He viewed Scully's God as one that asked for so much, but gave so little in return. He always had. It was all in the believing with the discipline that ruled the way one lived. He could never make himself do the things that any organized religion asked him to do. Sure, he could believe in things out of this world, but none of those things, as far as he was concerned, asked him to do things as Scully's God has done. He felt that the way the things were proved that God was dead to him. He would surely go to Hell, but he didn't really believe in that either. He didn't like to be told what to do and what to believe in, as Christanity did. Mulder felt that the Christian religion, among others, made demands on people that was controlling. He didn't understand that it was out of devotion and love that these acts were done by those who so chose to do so, and not out of fear and control as he had always believed. He believed that Scully's God was nothing but hypocrisy, asking those to believe in him, while closing their minds off to the other things in the world, or as he thought, universe. He would use this against her. He would find away and he would take her with him. If there was a Hell, he'd take her with somehow and all those that had hurt him as well. They'd all suffer with him. Mike sighed. He sat down in the chair, not looking at her. "It's a dream I've had since my grandmother passed away. It's always the same. It doesn't matter. It'll go away and I'll sleep the rest of the night." Kathy walked up to where he sat. She put a hand onto his shoulder, whispering, "But you shouldn't let it alone and ignore it. I think something is trying to tell you something.:" Mike looked up at her, his hair standing up in odd places, now that it was short it didn't just tangle. He sighed. "Alright, if you must know, I have this dream where I am running with this crowd. It's like we're trying to escape something. Some I know, some I don't." "And that scares you? Why?" Kathy asked. "It's not the whole dream. We get to a tunnel, and until tonight I had always been captivated by this blonde woman who stood staring at me and I stared back. The crowd would sweep her away and then I'd run out into the open field get trampled and find myself as the only survior." Kathy said, "That is not a fun dream. What did you see that was different?" Mike sighed. "It doesn't matter." He was a little cautious about letting her know it was her that had replaced the blonde. He looked away from her. "I want to know. It must have had some effect." Kathy said, quietly. Mike sighed. "I'm not sure if I want to talk about it anymore. It's late, I'm tired." "I think you should say something. It's obviously upsetting you." "Fine. You replaced the blonde. Are you happy? Now lets get some fucking sleep." Mike said. Kathy said, "I did?" Mike didn't like the dream in the first place. Having seen her disappear in the dream was not good for him either. He got up, went to the bed and climbed back in. He said, "Anything else?" Kathy knew he was a very private person, much like herself. She nodded no. "We'll talk more when you're ready for it. I don't want to push you." He was irritated and she didn't want to make him more so. Mike rolled over onto his side, facing away from her. He was upset and he hated that. It was the way that dream went. It was the cycle and he'd eventually fall asleep. The next morning, Jo Jo woke up, grumbling. She threw the covers back, stomping into the bathroom. She sighed. This being pregnant thing was a hassle and she was getting tired of it. That was just her state in the morning, and when she had woken up some more and had calmed down, she'd be okay with it again. Scully was sleeping in the chair, arms crossed and head turned into the back of the plush chair. She startled when Jo Jo got up. She nudged Doggett awake, who had taken his spot on the floor. Doggett said, "What? Mornin' already?" "Yep. And Jo Jo is crabby." "Figures. My brother and her make the perfect couple in the mornin'. Both crabby and unapproachable until noon." Doggett sat, sitting up. He rubbed his back, sighing. "I'm gettin' too old to sleep on the floor." Scully laughed. "Just because someone is not a morning person does not mean that they aren't able to talk in the morning. They just prefer not to do so." Doggett rolled his eyes. "What ever, you've seen those two." Jo Jo came back out, climbing back into the bed. She pulled the covers up around herself, fluffing up the pillow. She looked at both Doggett and Scully, as they watched her. She said, eyes narrowed, "What?" "Nothing. It's 8 o'clock in the morning. I'm assuming you're going back to sleep." "Yes. I'm going back to sleep." Jo Jo said. Her hair was tangled and she looked crabby. Scully did notice something. Her face was no longer white and her eyes had lost most of the hollowness of the night before. Allowing her to sleep had been a good idea. Scully said, "John, would you mind going to get me some coffee?" Doggett nodded. "Not at all. I'll be right back." Scully watched as Jo Jo burrowed into the blanktets, right on Sam's side. She shook her head. Some things would never change. She still missed Sam, but she wasn't as upset as she had been the night before. That was a good thing, now if they could only keep Mulder away. That afternoon, Jo Jo got up, getting dressed to see Sam. She put on one of the shirts she had purchased at one of his concerts, a pair of blue jeans, and her tennies. She also pulled her hair back into a pony. When she looked down at herself, she sighed. It was more and more obvious what condition she was in. Scully peeked into the room. "Are you ready to go see him?" Jo Jo turned looking at her. She said, "Yeah, but I look so pregnant." "I'm sure he won't care. He probably misses you a lot." Jo Jo sighed. "I'm just getting so big." Doggett said, "Are we goin' or not? Let's move it." Mike and Kathy came out of their room, Mike following Kathy. Mike said, "So, do you think he'll be in a sour mood?" "Of course he will be. He's Sam, and he's Sam in a hospital right now." Jo Jo said. "Evil places if you ask me." Mike shook his head. "Knew I shouldn't have asked that question." Brian said, "Alright, I checked in with the security I placed outside of his room. They said that nothing happened through out the night, except some old lady down the hall shouted and made Sam mad. Typical of him." Jo Jo giggled. "Sounds like Sam." Mike looked at Jo Jo. "I can tell you slept well." "Yeah. I don't feel so tired today. It's nice to not feel so tired." Jo Jo said, smiling. "I just hope I don't look to fat." Kathy sighed. "I think you look beautiful just the way you are." Jo Jo snorted. "Yeah, and I'm the Queen of England. Come on, let's go." They all got onto the bus, taking the seats they normally would. Jo Jo sat in Sam's seat instead. She sighed. "This is what I'm talking about. Hotels mess with smells too much." Scully looked at her. She laughed. "I'm sure that Sam would be very happy that you can smell him in his seat." Jo Jo giggled. "So I'm weird. You didn't know that already?" When they arrived to the hospital, Jo Jo had to be helped off the bus because she was feeling clumsy and her belly kept getting in the way as she maneuvered around the seats. She grumbled, "Will some one help me here?" Doggett moved back into the bus, helping Jo Jo out of the seats, leading her slowly. He smiled at her. "That help you out?" Jo Jo sighed. "Yes." When they finally got off the bus, they made their way into the hospital, slowly due to the fact that Jo Jo's ankles were sore. She grumbled about it. "I already walk slow. Now I'll be slower than the old man at the grocery store who took five minutes to walk across the front of the store to the parking lot." Doggett laughed. "I don't think you'll be that slow. Look, we're already to the hospital doors." Scully shook her head. She said, "I'm sure Sam doesn't care how long it takes you to get there as long as you get there." Mike and Kathy smiled to themselves, remaining silent. They didn't want have Jo Jo turn on them. Mike was still a little upset from the night before, even if he did not show it. It was bothering him and he would rather be silent than call attention to himself. Brian said, "Well, when I get in, I'll let you visit with Sam before I do. I'm going to see what his doctors have to say, and may I ask Scully if she'll help me out with that?" "Sure. Not a problem." Scully said, looking at Brian. Brian said, "Then I'm going to see what the security has to say about this and we'll go from there." Jo Jo sighed. "I hate being pregnant so much. I'm slow, bigger than a house, and I constantly have to pee. Speaking of that last part, guess what I have to do before I go visit him?" Doggett groaned. "You're right, that's annoyin'. I'm the one who's gonna have to take you." Scully shook her head. "John, just be glad you're male and not female. Imagine what would have happened to the human race if men carried the babies." Doggett rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah. Whatever. I'm goin' to take her to the ladies room." "Thank you, John." Jo Jo giggled. "You two argue like a married couple." "We know." Both of them said in unison. Mike and Kathy went into Sam's room. Sam was propped up on his bed, remote control in hand. He was flipping through the channels. He said, "Fucking hospital television. Nothing good on." Mike laughed. "Good to see you're in good spirits." "Yeah. Where's Jo Jo?" Sam asked. "She had to go to the bathroom again." Kathy said. Sam laughed. "I'm sure that makes her so happy." Mike said, "Actually, no it didn't. She's not happy with that whole pregnancy thing. She says it's a hassle." "I'm sure she does." Sam said. Jo Jo came into the room then. She smiled at Sam. "How are you this afternoon, Sam?" Sam said, "Come here and I'll tell you." Jo Jo made her way to his bedside, and sat down. She took his hand into hers. He said, "Well, I'm feeling better. I don't need as many drugs as I did when I first came here. I'm getting better, and they said soon, maybe as early as next week I can get out of this joint." Jo Jo smiled. "That's what I wanted to hear." Sam smiled. "I bet it was." Mike said, "So there was an old lady last night that made you mad?" "Yeah. This fucking old lady was yelling in the middle of the night for some God awful reason. I didn't care. I wanted to sleep." Jo Jo giggled. "I know you. You're so bent on getting your sleep." "Like you should talk." Sam said, looking at her. Jo Jo sighed. "I'm getting so big." Sam shook his head. "I don't think so. It's not fat fat like some fat people out there. It's not like you sit on your ass all day and do nothing but eat." Jo Jo said, "And some of those people don't either." She sighed. "When will you grow up?" Mike said, "I think we'll give you two some privacy." Sam smiled. "Alright. Thanks man." Mike flashed him a quick smile, then walked out into the hallway, Kathy not far behind. He said, "I didn't want to just exit for their privacy. I want to talk to you about something." Kathy didn't like the tone of voice. She hoped that he wasn't sending her away. She asked quietly, eyes down cast, "Oh, what is it?" Mike stepped towards her. He put a finger under her chin, making her look up. "It's not bad. I wouldn't tell you something bad here anyways. I was thinking this morning, as I showered, about that dream I had." "Oh?" She didn't move from his touch. "I think that it meant something. You were right. I just hope the ending doesn't come true. I think the fact that I saw you instead of the faceless, nameless blonde I almost always saw says something." Kathy looked at him, shyly. She finally moved away from him, her eyes down cast and her shoulders tense. She hoped that it was a good thing that he was saying. She felt so insecure that it was going to be bad. Mike reached out with a gloved hand. He took hers into his, holding it. "Not bad. It's not a bad thing. I think it means I might not be so fucking lonely anymore. I think the blonde was just a blonde. Seeing you, it meant I finally found someone who could stand to be around me." Kathy looked at him. "You think it means that?" "Yes. I know it sounds corny and too sentimental, but I think that after all of my loneliness, it means that I might have found someone. Not just a girlfriend I can marry, but someone I can call friend. I've always wanted a friend." Mike said. "But Jo Jo is your friend." Kathy said. "You can be more than a friend. I'm not saying that's all I want to be. Again, this sounds mushy, but I've wanted a chance to have a family. One that wasn't so fucked up and ass backwards as mine was." Mike said, looking down for a minute. Kathy squeezed the hand holding hers. "I'm glad you told me this. It's good to hear." She was shy and she really wanted to kiss him, but not here. It wasn't the place or the time to do so. Instead she smiled, squeezing his hand to assure him that she cared. Mike put his arm around her shoulder. He said, "Come on, let's go sit down for a bit. I don't want to disrupt anything they might want to talk about." After Mike and Kathy left, Sam said, "So, did you sleep well last night? You don't look so tired this afternoon." Jo Jo smiled. "Yeah. I did." She then looked down. "Actually it wasn't all nice sleep." Sam squinted his eyes. He paused a moment before asking, "What do you mean?" "I had another nightmare last night. I think it was because I was so exhausted." Jo Jo sighed. "The only problem was, it made me scream." Sam took her hand into his, after he had postioned himself to be able to do so. He said, "It was that scary? Jesus Christ, and I wasn't there to be with you. Stupid fucking Mulder." Jo Jo sighed. "It's not your fault you couldn't be there for me. I'll be okay. I think I was just too tired." Sam moved his hand down to her belly. He said, "It's amazing to think that's a baby. Our baby." He felt a small movement under his hand, and he smiled up at Jo Jo. "It moved." Jo Jo smiled at him. "So it did. Wonder what it is." The baby kicked again. "Boy." Sam said. "This kid is kicking." Jo Jo said, "Ouch. A little too hard." Sam rubbed his hand a little. "It's amazing. It's really fucking amazing. That's so fucking amazing." Jo Jo giggled. "It tickles when you do that." Sam laughed. "Glad it tickles. Good to hear you laugh again. I missed it so much. Would you believe that last night some nurse was coming on to me?" Jo Jo giggled. "Well, you are incredibly cute." "Well, yeah, in your opinion. But it was really annoying having this nurse come on to me, as if she could ask me out." Sam sighed. "I can't wait to be out of this place, with you." Jo Jo got up, slowly. She bent down, kissing him. "I miss you out there. It's not the same. And the stupid hotel messes with blankets that I couldn't smell you on the sheets in my sleep." Sam laughed then. "You missed smelling me? I'm pretty rank in the morning. You know that." "It just wasn't the same. I hate being away from you, especially when I know you're hurt." Jo Jo said. Sam kissed her. "Well, I hate being stuck in here. What's John and Dana doing?" "Brian is talking to the doctors with them." Jo Jo said. "Oh. I see." Doggett and Scully were talking with the doctor. Scully said, "So, you think that as early as next week he may be released from the hospital." The doctor said, "Yes. I believe that since we worked on his gun shot wound as early as we did, it will allow it to heal all that much faster. He'll just have to take it easy for a few weeks." Doggett snorted, crossing his arms. "Easy? You don't know my brother very well. I'm sure we'll figure a way to keep him from over doin' it. Somehow I'll talk him into it." Scully rolled her eyes. "John, you are always so mean to your brother. He's not nearly as bad as you always say he is." Doggett smiled. "I know, but he picks on me for bein' old and I like to pick on him back. It's only fair." Sam's doctor said, "I would like Sam to drink a lot of fluids when he gets out. Make sure he doesn't eat too much solid food right away. It'll only upset his stomach and with the pain killers he'll be on for a few days or so after he is out of the hospital, it'll be a good idea to make sure he eats right." Scully sighed. "Now that's the tricky part. It's going to be hard to not let Sam eat what ever he wants. He's picky that way." "Tell me about it. Do you think I could recruit Mike to help me keep him from eatin' things he shouldn't?" Doggett asked. Scully shook her head. "Mike probably would rather have it teach Sam a lesson. Your best bet would be Jo Jo. She'll smack him up side the head if he doesn't follow his doctor's orders." Doggett laughed. "You're probably right. I suppose I'll just get Jo Jo to do just what you said." "Wise decison." She spreads herself wide open to the insects in She leaves a trail of honey to show me where she's been She has the blood of reptile just underneath her skin Seeds from a thousand others drip down from within Oh my beautiful liar Oh my precious whore My disease my infection I am so impure Devils speak of the ways in which I manifest Angels bleed from the tainted touch of my caress Need to contaminate to alleviate this loneliness I now know the depths I reach are limitless Oh my beautiful liar Oh my precious whore My disease my infection I am so impure (Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor, Reptile, The Downward Spiral, 1994) Mulder was feeling proud of himself. Very proud of himself. He was enjoying the fact that he had shot Sam and that it had hurt Scully in the process. He knew it was her who had lead him straight to his target. She was like honey to him, as if she had attracted him, while being so cold and unfeeling underneath. He thought she was his beautiful liar and his precious whore, simply because she had lied to him, and now in moving on to another man had betrayed him even further. He knew he was so impure and she was his disease and his infection that made him this way. He was triumphant in his attack on Sam, causing her to hurt and those around her that she cared about to hurt. He was lashing out at her, even if it was in his mind. Scully had betrayed him. He had seen it coming in the devils that haunted him. He also saw her as an angel. Beautiful, but would recoil from his touch. He knew that the depths he reached now were limitless and it made him angry. She was his liar and it made him impure. He only wanted to make them pay for the way he felt. Kathy sat down next Mike on the bench he had selected. They were still holding hands, and Kathy wondered what was going to happen when they had to go back to the hotel. She asked softly, "When we go back to the hotel for the night, what do you want to do?" Mike stared ahead, thinking. He took a breath, calculated his answer, replying, "Well, I don't really know. I thought I might work on a song. I've been trying to get this one song set up to go and I want to finish it so I can make it a good song." Kathy asked, "What do you exactly do to make a good song?" "Depends on the type of song. If it's a song with words or lyrics, I really concentrate on those first. If it's going to be instrumental I work really hard on the sounds or instruments I'm going to use." Mike said. Kathy smiled. "You take a lot of pride in your work, don't you." "Sometimes. I think sometimes that I'm not good at it all, but I say after awhile, fuck it. I made an album to the best of my ability, it says what I want it to say, if the public doesn't like it, they don't like it." Kathy said, "I haven't heard much, but I did like that one song." "Yeah. It's a quiet song. Quiet like you are in a lot of ways." Mike said, looking down at her. Kathy blushed. She said, "I'm only quiet because I'm shy. I hate being so quiet sometimes. It makes me seem too much of a submissive person and I'm not. Only if I know it's going to help me to survive. Like with Josh." "You don't worry about Josh anymore. He's not here anymore. I won't let him do anything to you. I promise." Mike said, putting an arm around her, pulling her close to him, her head on his shoulder. Kathy smiled. She said, "I know. I just can't help but feel that I should have done something different." "We all have those times when we can't be nearly as independent or outspoken as we wish to be. It's not your fault. Come on, let's go see what Sam and Jo Jo are doing." Mike said, taking her hand into his and helping her up. The doctor, Scully, Doggett, and Brian all walked into the room. The doctor said, "We've been talking about what will happen when you are released from the hospital. We're going to have to find a way to keep you from over doing it." Sam said, "Okay. Shoot." Scully said, "When you get out of the hospital, you're going to be limited on your diet for a while. If you eat solid food, you will only get sick and your pain killers won't do their job. I can't stress enough that you must not put up a fight with this." "Okay. So I eat ice chip and shit like that when I get out. Big deal. At least I'll be with you guys and not stuck in here. That nurse last night thought she could flirt with me." Sam said, looking mildly irritated. Doggett laughed. "A nurse flirted with you? I thought you liked that stuff. You do know where all of the strip clubs are in America." Sam glared at him. "Now I have Jo Jo. What are you trying to do to me?" Jo Jo laughed. "Big deal. So you like strip clubs. You come home to me, you don't go home with them. There is a difference." Sam laughed. "So true. So when do I get out of here, doc?" The doctor looked at his chart. "Well Sam, I'd say that I'm going to hold you here at least until Saturday. It's Tuesday right now. That way you can rest up here and be monitored before I let you out." Sam sighed. "A few days. I can make it." Jo Jo squeezed his hand. "Of course you can." Brian said, "The question should be, can the nursing staff take him for that long?" "Shut up Bri. I'm not that bad." Brian snorted. "Uh huh. Sam, we'll see ya soon. We should prolly get Jo Jo fed." "Okay. Come here, Jo Jo. Give me a kiss before you go." Mike and Kathy walked into the door. Mike said, "Awww, we're going now?" Brian said, "Yep. Jo Jo needs to get some food, and besides, Sam needs to cheat on Jo Jo with one of the sexy nurses here." Mike laughed. "See ya later, Sammie." "See ya." Sam said smiling. "And I won't be trying to date some nurse." Doggett laughed. "Sure ya won't." Jo Jo kissed him. "You try to have fun. I'll see you tomorrow. Love you." "I love you, too, Jo Jo." After they left the hospital, Brian said, "I think it's Jo Jo's turn to pick the place we eat at. At least the type of food." Jo Jo smiled. "That's so sweet of you." Jean smiled. "I know, isn't he just a doll?" Jo Jo smiled. "Italian. I want to have some lasagna." Brian smiled. "Italian it is. I suppose the best place to go in town here would be the Olive Garden." Jo Jo looked really excited. "Olive Garden? Really? I've never been to one of those. Always wanted to go there." Mike laughed. "You really don't get out much, do you?" "Oh shut up. Like you should talk anyways, Mr. I had a cornfield for a back yard." Jo Jo said. "Mike, I think your name just got longer." Scully said. "I noticed." He smiled. Doggett said, "Well, now let's get there so we can eat and not talk about it anymore. Some of us are hungry." They loaded onto the bus, Jo Jo taking Sam's seat. She said, "I wonder what they have there. I might order something else than lasagna. I can get that anywhere pretty much." Scully laughed. "I'm sure you'll decide when you get there." Kathy sat with Mike, contemplating what they had talked about. She smiled at Jo Jo, then turned to look out the window. She didn't really want to go out to eat, but knew that they had no other option. The hotel would be too hectic. Doggett said, "I've only been to the Olive Garden once." Scully said, "They have really good food. Trust me." Sam picked up the remote after they left. He squinted his eyes, thinking about the visit he had just had. Jo Jo looked healthier, but the dream she had told him about concerned him greatly. He didn't like the idea that she was so upset by it that it had caused her to scream. That was frightening to think about for him. He was sure that if he had been there with her, she would have been awake and alright before it could have gotten that bad. Sam picked up his ice chip glass. He used the plastic spoon to break it up a little, then spooned one spoonful into his mouth. He crunched the ice in his mouth, gritting his teeth together. It had been very stressful the last few months, and he worried that something might happen to upset things further. He was sure that Mulder was somewhere, and he prayed that Jo Jo would be safe. He smiled, now thinking about her. The baby that grew inside of her made him happy. Having felt the baby move was an experience he cherished, and if anyone would have asked him about children and how wonderful it felt to have one or to be expecting one, he would have laughed. It amazed him how much this pregnancy had already changed him. Before Jo Jo had gotten pregnant, he hadn't concerned himself with how much sleep she had been getting or how much food she had eaten. Now he looked out for it often. He didn't want to worry about her too much, but he did feel the need to watch over her, even though he knew she was very independent. He wanted the baby to survive. He shook his head. He sighed, muttering under his breath, "Perhaps I am thinking too much about all of this shit." He turned the channel on the television, sitting back. He hoped that there would be something worth watching, something that would be a good diversion to the past few months that had been so difficult. He winced as he shifted in the bed, his shoulder reminding him of how difficult it could be and had become. When they got to the Olive Garden, they selected a table. Jo Jo pouted. "They're going to try and serve wine. I don't even like wine to begin with, but I can't drink it at all anyways." Mike laughed. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure we'll handle it, if it should arise." Doggett said, "Don't worry about a thing. None of us are going to have wine with our meals either, unless you absolutely would like to do so." Mike shook his head. "No." Kathy nodded the same response, looking at her menu to choose a meal. She looked at the descriptions and had a hard time choosing her meal. Scully said, "That settles it. No alcohol. Now, let's pick our meals." Brian sighed. "I was going to suggest that." Jo Jo looked at the list. She said, "I think this Sausage & Peppers Rustica looks nice. I love green peppers. I think I might go with this." Doggett said, "Hm, I think I'll go more traditional. Somethin' I can pronounce. Spaghetti and Meatballs sounds good to me." Scully laughed. "You're cute when you don't think you can pronounce something." Mike said, "Hm, I think I'll have a Tuscan T-Bone. It sounds, well sorta good. Not as ordinary as our steaks here." Kathy laughed quietly. She was still trying to decide her meal of choice. She said, "I don't know what to have. It all looks so good." Mike said, "Hm, let me take a look. Maybe I can get you something." Brian said, "While you're deciding that, I'm going to decide on my dish. I think I'll have the Seafood Alfredo. That looks good." Jean said, "Hmm, this list is daunting. I'll go simple like John." Jo Jo made a face at Brian. "I don't eat anything from the sea. Ewww." Kathy giggled. She said, "I'm going to go simple too. These prices are just outrageous. Mike, your meal alone costs $17.50." Mike smiled. "What can I say, I like to live large." Around nine o'clock, the nurse came into check up on Sam. She smiled at him, asking, "How are you doing, Sam?" Sam tried to cross his arms, but ended up wincing instead. He gritted out between his teeth, "Just fine. Just fucking fine." The nurse didn't seem to mind his language. "Do you need your pillow behind your back fluffed at all?" She smiled at him, obviously flirting with him. Sam rolled his eyes. "No, I don't. What I do need you to do is get me some more ice chips. Perhaps some jello. NOT that crappy flavor you tried to force feed me earlier, the good flavor. You know, something like strawberry." Sam was obviously taking lessons from Mike. He was being very particular and he knew if he wasn't, he'd get stuck with orange again. He hated orange jello. The nurse smiled again at him. Sam sighed. He could tell that this nurse was fairly young and had no real experience. He didn't think all nurses were this way, he knew that the older ones were very professional. This one hadn't learned the ropes yet. The nurse said, "I'll get that right away for you." Sam said, gritting his teeth. "Thank you." He was getting very frusrtated and he had an inkling that this nurse knew who he was. That was more annoying than her flirting. If she just said she was a fan, he wouldn't have a problem. He sighed, he hoped that he could get out of here soon. He turned the channel once again, trying in vain to find something to watch. The nurse came back in. She said, "I got you your strawberry jello and your ice chips." Sam said, "Thanks." The nurse cleared her throat. She said, "I'd just like to say, it's been nice having you as a patient." Sam had been looking at the television. He sighed. "What are you, 24, 25?" "Yes. How did you know?" The nurse asked. "Oh, just a good guesser. You just graduated from nursing school, didn't you?" Sam asked, stiring his chips. "Yes. Do you need anything else?" Sam looked away. "No." Finally came the day when Sam could be released from the hospital. He now wore a sling on his arm, and held it gingerly as he got ready to leave. Jo Jo said, "I'm so happy that you're getting out of the hospital." Sam laughed. "You have no idea how happy I am. Stupid fucking hospital with their shitty food." Mike laughed. "That's one way to put it. Want me to carry this to the bus for you?" Mike held his lap top in his hand. He had borrowed it to Sam, so he could tell his fans updates on what was going on, without alerting Mulder nearly as much. "Would you please?" Sam asked. "And thanks man, for letting me use your lap top like that." "No problem." Mike said. He and Kathy made their way to the bus, letting Jo Jo help Sam with the rest of getting ready for release. Sam said, "Now, when we get out, I just want to be able to sit around with you. I don't know when we'll be leaving this area yet." Jo Jo smiled. "It'll be nice to have you at home again." She helped him put his jacket on, the cooler temperatures of November making it necessary. The nurse that had flirted with him came in again. She said, "Sam, I thought I'd give you one more check over before you exited. I'll also need you to sign this form." Jo Jo looked at the slightly taller, longer legged blonde. She suddenly felt fat, but squared her shoulders. She watched Sam roll his eyes, and she smiled to herself. Sam signed the document. He said, "Let's get the hell out of here." Jo Jo said, "I second that motion." When they got onto the bus, Sam said, "Man, I missed this thing. Even if it's not my own bus." Doggett said, "Well, we're going to hotel; Dana says we'll be there for a few more days at least, so you can rest and your meds can do their job." Sam nodded. "Good. Just glad to be out of that fucking Nazi joint." Scully sighed. She shook her head. "At least you're well enough to complain." Sam smiled, then winced. "Yeah. Let's get me to a bed. I want to watch T.V. and not do anything." Jo Jo sighed. "You did that all week in the hospital." "Yeah, so? At least I won't have some stupid nurse trying to shove orange jello down my throat." Doggett laughed. "You hate that stuff." "I know. She didn't seem to get it." Mike said, "Well, that is a plus. I wouldn't tolerate it for very long. At least you're going to the hotel now." "No kidding." Brian said, "May I see the laptop? I want to see what Sam put up on his site to tell his fans." Mike handed the lap top over. He said, "You might want the pass word for that." "That would be nice." Brian said. "Let me guess, it deals with a naughty word." "You guessed it." Mike smiled. "It's Fuckhop. After my cat." Brian shook his head. "Between you and Sam, I don't know what to do with either one of you." Sam said, "You'll have to go to my site to get the post I put up. OfficalScreamingVomits.com." Brian shook his head. He saw the page come up, and he said, "Now what do I click on?" "Sam Words will get you directly to what I said. The rest of it's news, band info, what not." Sam said, lighting his first cigarette since being out of the hospital. "Now that I can fucking feel again, withdrawl was killing me." Brian read: "Hey fans, it's Sammie here. I suppose you figured out that the tour is cancelled. Don't go blaming me. It's not my fucking fault psychos chase after me. I thought you guys had a right to know that I probably won't be finishing this tour. I just am not capable. Just to let you know, that psycho shot me and I'm typing this on Mike's lap top, while lying in my hospital bed of all places. Mike was on tour with us, but now he's travelling with us. Man, if you guys can help the F.B.I. or anyone else with catching this guy, do it. I'm sure they've flashed this motherfucker's picture on tv a million times by now. Sorry that I can't finish the tour. I'll be seeing you around and hope to have a new album in the works as soon as I can get back to my studio. -Sam" Brian nodded. "Good. Didn't give anything that might be dangerous to the public away. You didn't indicate to Mulder anything if he should access your site." Sam smiled. "Yeah. I don't even know where we're going next, so how can I tell him?" Mike laughed. "Well, we could always run off to some obscure place." "What for?" Sam said. "That psycho has a radar that tracks me." When they got to the hotel, Sam looked over at his guitar mournfully. He sighed. "I can't even play when we're off for awhile. This fucking sucks." Jo Jo sighed. "Sam, it's okay. Before you know it, you'll be playing again." He smiled. "I know. I know. It's just not fair that I can't right now." He sat gingerly down onto the bed, getting comfortable. He winced a few times, and uttered a few swear words under his breath as he adjusted. Jo Jo sat down next to him, moving just as slowly. She groaned. "This pregnant thing is not easy." Sam smiled at her. He said, "Now, we're both sitting down, and neither one of us is going to want to move, how about we bribe someone to help us?" Jo Jo said, "Sam! Bribing is bad. Sure. Who do you wanna bribe?" "Hmm, let's see. Mike might do it for us, but I think we should leave him be. How about you bribe Dana, and I'll bribe John." Sam said. "Sam, your brother will never accept a bribe. He's too good for that. At least pick someone who might take it. Like Brian." Jo Jo giggled. Sam said, "Really? You think that would be a better choice? I mean, he is my body guard and I do already pay him." Jo Jo pouted. "Hmm, we might need to bribe. We could just look so sad and make puppy dog eyes at them that'll they'll take care of us." Sam laughed. "And you said bribing was bad. Making them pity us is so much worse, Jo Jo. I like it. Your plan is good and it costs me nothing." Doggett peeked his head in. "What won't cost you anythin'?" Sam smiled, "Nothing." He made a pouty face. "Can you please get me some ice chips?" Doggett rolled his eyes. "Yes. I'll get you some ice chips. Dana said she'd order your jello in a while." "Good. Make sure it's not orange. I hate orange." "I know, Sam. I did grow up with you." Doggett said. Jo Jo giggled. "I want something to eat." Doggett groaned. "Dana! They're tryin' to put a guilt trip on me!" Scully walked into the room, looking at Doggett, her eyebrow raised, hands on hips. She asked, "What is going on in here?" Doggett said, "They are tryin' to guilt trip me. Look at their faces?" Scully sighed. "John, they both need care. You should know that." Doggett shook his head. He said, "Just be careful, Dana. They'll make you a slave if you're not careful." Sam and Jo Jo exchanged high fives secretly on the bed spread. Doggett caught it, calling them on it. "See, Dana? They've already strated on you. They're goin' to try and talk you into doin' anythin' they want you to do." Scully rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's get Sam some ice chips and Jo Jo some food." Doggett said as they left, "Don't say I didn't warn you." After Doggett and Scully left, Jo Jo giggled. "You're brother didn't fall for it." "Neither did Dana. She seemed to think medically more than personally. Damn, and Mike isn't going to be much help. He'll say tough a lot." Jo Jo said, "You are so hard on Mike about that. He's nice and you know it. He did let you use his lap top after all." "Yeah, yeah he did." Sam said. He reached slowly to the table for his cigarettes. "I'm just thankful to be out of the hospital, know what I mean?" Jo Jo said, "Trust me, I know. Hospitals are no fun." "They're really no fun when nurses flirt." Sam said, flicking some ashes into the tray by him. Scully came back in, ice chips in hand. She said, "Here, Sam." Doggett carried in a piece of pie for Jo Jo. He said, "Here you go. Now don't start the puppy dog eyes for awhile, okay?" Sam laughed. "I promise not to." Mike and Kathy went into their room, Mike setting up his computer quickly. He opened a file, and started to run samples through the computer files. He was oblivious to Kathy as he started to mutter to himself. "Now, that doesn't sound fucking right at all. Hmm, maybe if I put this here...and that there..." Kathy said, "So, you're going to work on a song?" Mike jumped. "Unless you want to do something else." Kathy said, "It's sorta fun to watch you work." Mike smiled a little, turned himself back towards the computer, manipulating the sounds he had stockpiled in his system. He moved his mouse over one, clicked on it and recorded it, changing it to sound different. He said, "Perfect." Kathy was fascinated by the way he worked. It seemed to be complicated, but he seemed to know exactly what he was doing. He pushed play back and listened to the whole part that he had made. It was strange sounding, with some type of synth sound that filled out the drum machine and string sound he had inserted earlier. He smiled. "Now, the lyrics that go with that part." Kathy said, "What's that song going to be about?" "Don't know yet. I was fucking with sounds to layer it first." Mike said, picking up a notebook. He took a pen out, starting to chew on it as he thought. Kathy watched him, letting him work. She thought he looked handsome when he was working, and she wondered what he would do next. She had never seen a computer make music like that before. Mike looked up from his pad. He asked, "Did you really want to do something? I can do this later. It's not a problem." "No, no. I was just thinking, that's all." Kathy said. She sat down on the bed, flipping the televison on. She turned it down low, to allow Mike to think. She didn't want him to stop working on a song because of her. Mike watched her for a bit, then shrugged. He put his pen back in his mouth, thinking, tapping out a rhythm with his hand. He was trying to figure out what lyrics would work best for this song. Kathy stole glances at him from time to time. The way he was dressed today didn't fall short of her notice either. He was in his customary black from head to toe, but instead of a t-shirt, he was wearing a nice button shirt, the top buttons undone. She looked away, blushing, before he could notice. Mike saw her swift motion, asking, "What?" Scully went to check up on Sam and Jo Jo. She opened the door quietly, when she didn't hear anything, smiling when she saw how they were. They were asleep, Jo Jo on his chest, avoiding his hurt shoulder, his arm around her. She walked over to their bed side, taking some of the glasses away and tidying up a little bit. She looked up, noticing Doggett standing in the door way. He whispered, "Let them sleep. You can check up on them later. They're so tired." "I noticed." Scully whispered back. "And it's good to see them together again. I don't think either one was going to tolerate it much longer." "Sorta like me and you, if you think about it. I'm not going to tolerate somethin' like that either. Come on, we'll relax and let them sleep." Doggett said, holding the door open for her. When they got into their room, Doggett sat down on the bed, patting the spot next to him. He said, "Come here." Scully sat down on the bed with him. She sighed. "John, even though it's been difficult the past few days, I'm glad I'm here with you and everyone else. It's been really hard knowing that Mulder is different and that there is nothing I can do to help him until he is caught." Doggett said, "I know. I know. It'll be alright soon. You just have to believe that. It's goin' to be hard for awhile longer. I wish I could tell you how much longer, but I can't." Scully put her hand onto his cheek. "I know. You're so sweet to worry about me like that." She yawned. "I think Sam and Jo Jo have the right idea. A nap would be a very good idea." Doggett laughed softly. "Looks like ya need it, too." Scully moved back up to the top of the bed, lying down. She sighed. "It's been a long past few months. I hope to be home for Christmas. It'd be nice for you to meet more of my family than Mom." Doggett laid down next to her, wrapping his arms around her. He kissed her ear. "I'm sure it would be nice. I heard your brother didn't like Mulduh? Do you think he'll like me?" "Bill? Bill's a hard one to figure out. He might, because you're not Mulder and because you're more stable, or he might hate you because you're an F.B.I. agent and you might get me hurt just as much as Mulder did. Bill, he's Bill. He's the older brother to the extreme. Sometimes I'm surprised we can be considered from the same family." Doggett laughed. "They say the same about Sam and I." Scully said, "Oh, we can tell, trust me." "How?" Kathy shook her head. "Nothing. It's nothing." Mike put down his notebook. He said, "Did you want to talk about something? I mean, if you do, we can." Kathy shook her head. "I don't want to disrupt your working. It wouldn't seem fair if I didn't let you write." Mike laughed. "Well, I think I actually reached my limit for the moment. I might as well as take a break and see what you would like to do. Don't worry about it. Can't always be working, and this song is one of the many I've been working on." Kathy asked shyly, "How many do you have, Mike?" "About 20 for this album alone, but I'm not going to include all of them. It's a matter of what I want to fit for this album or not. This one is more conceptual than my last one was. It's more like the one you've heard a little of." Mike said, setting his notebook on the table across the room. He sat back down on the bed, next to Kathy. "Now what do you want to do?" Kathy looked away from him, blushing. She suddenly felt so shy, she attributed it to his outfit of that day. She said, "I don't know. Maybe we could order some room service. That's if you want to." "Sure. I'm a littl hungry now that you think about it. Something bothering you? You seem awful quiet." Mike scooted closer to her, taking her hand into his gently. She looked at him. "No, no. I'm fine. Just a little hungry." "You sure?" Mike asked, looking at her with concern in his eyes. "What would you like from room service?" Kathy looked down at their hands. "Um, I think I'll order some pie. I feel like having something sweet." She smiled for an instant. Mike smiled very tenatively at her. He was worried that she wasn't telling him something. He made his order, then looked at her. "So, you sure you don't want to tell me something?" Kathy avoided looking at him. "There is nothing wrong." "Then why won't you look at me? Am I dressed too funny or something? I know, it's my nose. It's too crooked and too big. No wait, it's my teeth, crooked, aren't they?" He smiled at her, after he made her look at him. His smile was goofy and exaggerated to make her laugh. Kathy giggled. "That looks plain silly." "Well, it made you look at me. So what's wrong? I mean, all day you've avoided looking at me as if I was ugly." Kathy stopped giggling. "Well, I, it's nothing." "It has to be something. Otherwise you wouldn't look away like you just did." Jo Jo woke up suddenly next to Sam. She got up quickly, though she didn't want to disturb him, failing miserably. Sam exclaimed, "Fuck! Jo Jo! Look out that hurt!" Jo Jo ignored him for the time being, having to relieve her bladder and relieve it in that instant. Sam could hear the toilet flush, and when she came back out, she said, "Sorry. I really had to go and if I didn't go right then it would have been a terrible situation." Sam laughed. "I bet it would be. Come here, and be slow about it. This arm hurts like a bitch." "I can see that." Jo Jo cuddled up to him. Sam put his good arm around her, holding her close. He said, "You know, it's sorta nice being able to be lazy. We don't have to worry about running around, or loading the bus, we can sit right here." Jo Jo smiled. "Yeah. Remember when we first met and you were so nervous that I might say no on the second date?" "I did not do that." Sam said. "You did too. You weren't sure if I'd want to go out with you for you or if I was going out with you because you were famous and because I could brag about it." Jo Jo said, looking up at him, her head on his belly. Sam laughed. "So I did, I guess. You were just so, well, different. You didn't throw yourself at me, you didn't gush at me, unless you wanted to make me laugh, and you didn't demand that I make music just for you." "Well, for one, all of that sounds like work, two why should I gush over you when I know you're good, and three, why should I demand that you make music when you don't feel like it? You're so silly that way." Jo Jo said. Sam laughed. "Well, it is nice to know that you didn't throw water at me when we first met, like Dana did to John. That's just harsh." Jo Jo giggled. "I remember the time you showed up to my apartment though. It was shortly after the tour had ended. You had asked for my address after the concert where we met, and one day you just showed up. I didn't really know what to do." "I had hoped that I was doing the right thing, actually. It was this one shot chance in my mind. I couldn't go back if you said no, it'd seem like I was begging. You know I don't beg." Sam said, playing with her hair. "Uh huh. You do too. Only when you want something badly enough." Jo Jo giggled. "Okay, so I do beg, but I have the eyes for it." He made a pouty face, fluttering his eye lashes at her. Jo Jo laughed. "You're so cute. I'll never forget what you said when you first showed up though. You said to me, in that nervous way you have, with the hand behind the neck, 'Uh, remember me? We met after one of my concerts. I got your address from you, and now that we're not touring, I thought you might want to go out or something.' Like I wouldn't remember who you were *I*, after all went to *your* concert, silly." Sam laughed. "Yeah, I'll admit it, that was lame. As lame as lame gets. So, why did you go out with me if I was that lame?" Jo Jo giggled. "Cause you're cute and because I found it endearing that a famous person was not just a famous person who thought he'd get a date because of his name. Oh, and because you liked me." Sam said, "Good call. Very good call. Besides, if you would have said no, I would have been very sad." "I'm sure you would have." "What, you don't believe me?" "How? John, you're both cut out of the same cloth when it comes to how one treats other people. He may be blunt, but he won't out right cut someone down if he isn't provoked. Besides, John, your brother is a good man." Doggett laughed. "I suppose you're right. Should we take that nap?" "Is Brian keeping an eye on things?" "Yes. As far as I know. Be right back. I'll check. Don't go to sleep without me." Scully got comfortable on the bed, sleeping on her side, facing out. She yawned, feeling very drowsy. She couldn't help but fall asleep without him. Doggett came back in. "Dana, it's a go. Brian's...hey I told you to wait for me. Oh well." Doggett got into the bed, curling his form around her from behind. She moved back into him, sleeping peacefully. She rolled over, cuddling up to his chest. Doggett muttered, "Get a little cozy there, Dana." Doggett brushed some hair away from her forhead. He felt sorry for her in a sense of the fact that she had lost her best friend of eight years to insanity, and had nearly lost her child in the process. He kissed her forehead gently. Doggett vowed that he would do anything to help Mulder out. Even though he was angry with Mulder for shooting his brother, he was not about to allow that anger to consume him and destory Mulder completely. Mulder was doing that already on his own. Doggett held her close, knowing that it had been a hard few months, though Scully had kept it all inside for the most part, except when the load was too much. He knew that she wanted to be as strong as possible, but that was difficult for him to watch her sometimes. He wanted to be there when she cried, when she laughed, when she was mad. He didn't want to miss any emotion. He sighed. "I promise soon, Dana, that things will be okay, and we'll get to spend Christmas with your family. I hope." "It's nothing. It's silly." Kathy said, still avoiding looking at him. Mike took her chin into his hands. He looked into her eyes, trying to figure out what she was thinking. She closed her eyes, since she couldn't look away. He said, "What is it? Do I look freaky or something?" Kathy opened her eyes. "No. You don't look freaky at all." "Then why don't you want to look at me?" Mike asked, hurt written all over his face. He let go of her, getting up. He walked across the room, to the window, his back turned to her. Kathy knew he was hurt. She hadn't meant to hurt him. She just was shy and she knew he was working on some of his music. She felt guilty for making him upset. She got up, walking towards where he stood. He said before she could get close enough to appologize, "Don't bother pitying me. I don't want to be pitied. I just wanted you to talk to me, if something bothers you, I want to know." He did not turn around. Kathy took his arm. "No, Mike, it's not like that." He turned, a sneer on his face. He was upset and his immediate response was to become mean. "Then what is it like? Do you enjoy getting guys to care for you so you can make them feel like dirt?" Kathy started to cry. She had never seen Mike act so cruel to her or anybody. She said, "No, not at all. It's not what you think." "Then tell me what it is. Cause I don't know if I want to continue if everytime you don't want to talk about something or look at me or whatever. I don't want to be ignored." Mike said, looking away from her. Kathy sighed. She caught her breath, then said, "Mike, I just didn't want to disrupt your working. I didn't want to be a distraction. I thought that if I kept looking at you from time to time, it'd give this signal that you shouldn't work and I didn't want to do that." Mike turned around again, this time his face softer. He said, "Why didn't you want to look at me when I said I was done?" Kathy smiled. "Isn't it obvious?" She brushed a tear from her eye. Mike looked down at himself. "No. Not really." Kathy started to giggle. "Oh never mind. You're dressed in a way that makes you attractive, silly." "This? This is attractive?" Mike asked, looking at her with a confused look on his face. "Yes." She stepped closer to him. She put her hand onto his cheek, and since his stature was about the same as hers, it was not difficult. She said, "You are silly." "I am?" Mike put his hand onto hers. He smiled then. "Look, I'm sorry I said that mean thing to you. That was uncalled for." "It's okay. I know you didn't mean it." Kathy said. "Not true. I did, actually. I was mad. I say really mean things sometimes. When I'm mean, ignore me." Kathy said, "Oh you didn't, it's okay." Jo Jo shook her head. "No. You would have gotten angry first. Then you would have gotten sad. I know you. You would have gotten mad, thrown some insults at me, then left, feeling sad." Sam laughed. "You're right, you do know me. I would have been mad and I would have told you off, speaking before I think again. I'm good at it." Jo Jo sat up. She put her hands on his face. "You're also good at other things. Like this." She kissed him then. He put his good arm up, running his fingers through her hair. He kissed her back, then whispered in her ear, "No, you're better at it than I am." "You're so humble sometimes." Jo Jo kissed him again. "I'm hungry. Want to order some room service up?" Sam laughed. "What, and watch you get to eat real food? Jo Jo, that's not fair." "Oh, and depriving the baby is fair?" Jo Jo smiled. "Come on, I'll sneak you bubbly jello in." Sam said, "Alright. That sounds good. Please, cherry or something good." "I'll get you strawberry. I'm gonna get me some strawberry pie, now that I think about strawberries." Jo Jo picked up the phone. She ordered the food. After she finished ordering, she turned back to him. Sam smiled at her. He said, "So, do you think Dr. Dana Scully will get mad at me for having bubbly jello?" "Nah. If I feed you some of my pie, she might." Jo Jo giggled. "As if." Sam made a pouty face. "Be nice to me." She kissed him. "That nice enough?" "Yes." Sam said. He laughed. "Remember what our first kiss tasted like?" Jo Jo giggled. "Yeah. It tasted like spaghetti and garlic. It was so gross tasting, but who was going to complain." Sam laughed. "Yeah. We both had eaten the meal, so of course it tasted like that. Who knew we'd be here after all of that?" "Oh, I think we knew early on." Jo Jo said. "Tell me when you knew I was the fabled 'One.'" Doggett was asleep, his soft snores and breath brushing past Scully's ear. She woke, and found herself curled up to his chest. She snuggled in more, trying to get warmer. She smiled at him as she saw him mutter something in his sleep. Doggett wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to himself. He sighed quietly in his sleep, almost squeezing her. She gasped, making a choking noise. "Uh, John?" Doggett simply squeezed harder, burying his face into her hair. Scully squeaked. "John, you're squeezing me." Doggett finally woke up, loosening quickly. "Sorry. I didn't mean to." Scully smiled. "It's okay. You didn't mean to. I'm awake now. I think I'll stay that way." Doggett rubbed his eyes. "Okay. Sounds like an idea to me. What do you want to do now?" "We should check up on Sam and Jo Jo." Scully said. Doggett smiled at her. "Nah. Let them be for awhile. They haven't had a chance to be with each other for a few days and I'm sure they want to be alone for awhile." Scully laughed. "How much of that is you wanting to be alone with me?" Doggett smiled. "Is that bad?" "No. Not at all. You're probably right. They probably should talk." Scully said, kissing him. "So what do you want to do while we're alone?" Doggett said, "Hmm, how about we just talk or something. You know, for plans that we hope to do." "Like?" Scully asked, looking at him, trying to figure out what he was talking about. "Like Christmas, like our wedding, like Sam and Jo Jo's wedding. I don't know. Anything at all." Doggett said. Scully said, "Hmm, I wonder. We're not very good at this talking thing, are we?" Doggett smiled. "I'm afraid not. We're not really all that good at it." Scully laughed. "Well, what do you want to talk about. How about, um, Christmas, like you said. What are you going to get Sam?" Doggett said, "I don't know. He has his dream guitar already. I thought maybe I'd get him something else. I haven't figured out what that is, yet." "I knew you were the one when we had been dating for awhile, and I showed up to your studio from my apartment and you were standing there in your underwear. You were standing with the door open, and you looked so embarrassed that I had seen you in such a state. You let me in, then ran quickly to your bedroom, putting some pants on. You didn't look at me for twenty minutes cause you were so embarrassed by what had happened. It was so cute." Jo Jo said. Sam laughed. "Me standing in my underwear made you think that I was the 'One'?" "Yes. Is that sad?" Jo Jo asked. "No. I just want to know why that made you think that?" Sam asked. "Well, because it was so cute. You were so shy about it, and you're rarely shy. So, when did you know?" Jo Jo smiled. "I knew when you showed up that one night, upset and distraught because you heard that one of your friends had lied to you and you didn't know where to go. You trusted me enough to come tell me and I just knew I had found some one who would be hard to get over and would break my heart if I lost you. I knew then." Sam said. Jo Jo smiled. "Yeah. It was a hard time. I had been friends with her for a long time and she told me that lie. I don't even want to think about it. I'm just glad that I'm here with you." "Me too." He sat up, lifting his good arm to let her sit back onto his shoulder. She moved, getting comfortable. She sighed. "I'm going to get all comfortable and then the room service is going to knock." Just then there was a knock at the door and Jo Jo groaned. She got up slowly, then waddled to the door. Sam smiled, thinking she looked cute. She already had a small stride and now it was even smaller. She opened the door, taking the food. She said, "Thank you." She took it back to the bed, giving Sam his bubbly jello. She ate her pie, smiling at him, a little bit of whipped topping on her nose. She asked him, "What's so funny?" "You have a little bit of whipped cream on your nose." "Oh. She took it off with her finger and offered it to him to lick off. He licked it, smiling at her. "You might want to be careful." "Oh really, mister bad arm?" Jo Jo giggled. Sam laughed. "Okay, okay. Still, be careful." "Oh trust me, Kathy. Especially after I get done writing a part of a song or something. I'm really cruel." "If you were cruel you wouldn't care if I was hurt. You wouldn't have said you were sorry. Now, don't be silly. Do you think we could talk a security person to take us somewhere in the hotel to do something other than sit here. That's of course after we eat our room service stuff." A knock came to the door. Mike said, "Stay here. I'll get it." He opened the door, taking her pie into his hand. He smiled at her, handing the pie to her. Kathy took it into her hand, and picked up the fork. She started to eat her French Silk pie, smiling every so often at Mike. Mike shrugged his shoulders. "So, what do you want to do when we talk this security person into letting us go out for a bit." Kathy licked her fork clean, getting a new bite ready. "Well, I don't know. There has to be something to do. Hmm, even though I just finished eating some pie, want to go out to the hotel resturant and eat there?" "Sure, I suppose. But what about how we are dressed?" Mike said, looking down at himself again. "It won't matter. You look fine." She blushed then. Mike shook his head. "Okay. What about you?" Kathy looked down at her sweatshirt, jeans clad body. She said, "Hmm, maybe I can dress it up a bit." Mike laughed. "Maybe." Kathy finished her pie, going to her suit case. She picked up a red shirt that had a low neck line. She said, "What do you think about this? How about some dress slacks to go with that?" "It'd be fine with me. I'm not wearing it." Mike said, smiling at her. Kathy gave him a kiss on the cheek, disappearing into the bathroom. Mike shook his head, wondering what he had gotten himself into. Having been so self reliant for so long, he was having a hard time opening up to her, as well as understanding some of her motives. He was facing away from her when she came back out. She said, "Mike, should we go?" Mike turned around, noticing how she looked. He gulped a little, then said, "Sure. I'll ask Brian if we can have an escort." Kathy smiled. "I'm glad that we're going." "Me too." "How about something for the baby? They are going to be having one very soon. Okay, so she's a few months away, but they still will need a lot of things." Scully said. "That's a very true fact. Hm, I don't know. I thought maybe I would get them a crib. They will be needing it after all. If you and William hadn't moved in, I would have given Luke's crib to them perhaps." Doggett said, looking a little sad at the mention of Luke's name. Scully said, "Sam would have never said yes to it. In fact, knowing Sam, he would have lost his temper and refused to take it. He knows that crib brings memories up for you. If you get them a crib, buy them a new one. They'll like it so much more. I suppose as soon as we can get Jo Jo into a hospital, I should give her an ultra sound. We haven't done that yet." Doggett smiled. "Yes, I suppose we should do that. Wonder what they are goin' to have." "Sam is a twin, right? A fraternal twin, right?" Scully asked. "Yeah, so?" Doggett asked. "What does that have to do with it?" "It might mean that Jo Jo is carrying twins. Twins have twins. It's a fact. It doesn't always happen, but a lot of the time, the twin parent passes on the twin gene." Scully said. Doggett smiled at her. He said, "You do realize that if they have twins that Sam will be a little more nervous than he is already." Scully laughed. "Well, I don't know what he'll do if he has a girl." "He'll be Sam and very protective about her. Just you watch. If Sam and Jo Jo have a baby girl, twin or no twins, Sam will make sure that girl is a Daddy's Girl." Scully kissed him. "Oh, and like if you had a baby girl you wouldn't." Doggett said, "Of course I would. Little ladies need all the spoiling they can get. They may not get it when their older." Scully said, "It makes me want to try and have another child. Your child. I won't have to worry where the baby came from, I won't have to be concerned that I was tricked in a lab. I would know it was yours. I just don't know if I could go through the pregnancy and possibly miscarry." Doggett kissed her. "Well, we'll worry about that later. Dana, I don't want you to rush and think that you have to have a baby because Sam and Jo Jo are. It wouldn't really be fair to the Will, and it wouldn't be fair to yourself. You're right, that pregnancy was hard for you. I don't want to see you get sick or have to worry about you like that for awhile. If Will is all we'll ever have to share, then I'll be fine. He's my son now. I don't care who his father is." Scully felt some tears come to her eyes. She smiled, her tears not of saddness, but of joy. "Really, John? If the invirto doesn't work you'll be fine with just Will?" "Yes. I have you and I have Will. It's all I've ever asked for in my life to be happy. A woman I love and loves me, and a baby. A child I can raise as my own and can love, who in turn loves me. You've given me that. Come on, let's check on Sam and Jo Jo now. We'll only be a few moments." There is a game I play Try to make myself okay Try so hard to make the pieces all fit Smash them apart Just for the fuck of it Bye bye oooh Got to get back to the bottom Bye bye oooh The big come down isn't that what you wanted? Bye bye oooh Find a place with the failed and forgotten Bye bye oooh Isn't that really what you wanted now? There is no place I can go there is no way I can hide It feels like it keeps coming from the inside There is a hate that burns within The most desperate place I have ever been Try to get back to where I'm from The closer I get the worse it becomes The closer I get the worse it becomes There is no place I can go there is no place I can hide It feels like it is coming from the inside (Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor, The Big Come Down, The Fragile:The Right, 1999) Mulder sat in his car, watching the hotel. He was going to deliver a note to Sam, letting him know that he had given up so soon. He also had a separate note for Scully. He read the notes to himself. Sam, I haven't given up on killing you yet. I thought I'd let you know, before you get too cozy. Be on the look out for me. I will be seeing you soon. That gun shot wound was only a warning. Fox Mulder Mulder sighed. That was a good note he thought. It was going to really rile Sam up, and shortly after his gun shot wound that was not good for him. He read the note that he wrote to Scully. Dear Scully, I'm where you wanted me to be. I'm so far down that there is no coming back up. Isn't this what you wanted to happen to me? Didn't you all along want to see Spooky crushed and forgotten? A failure of the F.B.I.? Well, it's happened. It feels like it's from the inside and now there is nothing I or you can do. I will finish what I started. Fox Mulder. Mulder walked into the hotel, looking cheerful. He said, "I'd like to have this delivered to a Sam Doggett and a Dana Scully. I don't them to talk to me right now. I just want these notes delivered." He put them on the table to drive away to his newest hiding place. Jo Jo finished her pie, setting the plate down. She smiled at him. "Now, what do you mean I have to be careful?" Sam put his jello aside. He leaned in, slowly, kissing her. He whispered, "This is how. You never know what might happen." Jo Jo smiled. She kissed him back. "I really missed you, did you know that?" "I missed you too." He cupped her face with his hand, kissing her. "I'm so glad that I'm not in some crappy hospital bed anymore. Just then the door opened, Doggett and Scully walking in. They had keys given to them for security reasons. Doggett said, "Okay you two." Sam glared at his brother, then smiled. Jo Jo leaned back into him , letting him hold her close. Sam asked, "What's up, bro?" Scully said, "Well, we've decided that we want to have Jo Jo get an ultra sound. We should have done so earlier, but we were all scared and preoccupied. As soon as we can, I want to get her into the hospital for a routine check up. I'll be checking herself, Sam, so don't worry about at thing." Jo Jo asked, "How soon?" "Well, I thought we might be able to get you into the hospital sometime tomorrow, if I can jockey to get a room with the proper equipment." Jo Jo said, "Okay." Scully said, "Actually you two might be expecting twins and not even know it." Jo Jo giggled. "With how fat I've been getting, I wouldn't put it past the possibility." Sam froze behind Jo Jo. "Twins?" Doggett laughed. "One baby was all you wanted right now, wasn't it. Oh come on, if you have twins you'll love them both to death." "I know, but twins?" Scully laughed. "Sam, you're a twin. Twins often have twins. I'm not saying you and Jo Jo will have twins, but it is very possible." Sam smiled big then. "Wow, twins." Mike and Kathy sat down, looking at their menus. They both were a little shy around each other, and since this was their first date, neither one really knew how to act. Mike looked over the menu, deciding upon a meal of pasta and a salad. He smiled a few times at Kathy over his menu, though still shy about speaking. Her outfit was nice and he didn't know how to respond. Kathy smiled at him. She picked a patty melt with a salad as well. She really wondered what he was thinking of her. Did he like her outfit? Did he want to be here with her? Mike signaled that they were ready to order, telling the waitress what he wanted. Kathy followed suit. The security guard that was their escort stood in an undisclosed place, watching to make sure things were going smoothly. He didn't give himself away to anyone who might be trying to locate him. Now that they didn't have menus to hide behind, Mike said, "So, what do you think will happen next?" "I don't know. I just hope that this Mulder stays away. It was bad enough that Sam got shot. I don't want to see anything else go wrong." Mike smiled shyly. "Yeah. I know what you mean. I have seen Sam hurt before, you know, but it was never like that. It was mainly an accident at a concert here or there." Kathy said, "I don't want to think about all of these bad things. Can we talk about something happier?" Mike smiled. "Okay. Um...I guess I should say you look nice, right?" Kathy laughed softly. "It has been awhile for you, hasn't it?" "Yeah. It has. Way too long." Mike looked down for a moment. "Look, I'll be right back. I have to go to the bathroom. I don't think anything will happen to me. Stay here." Kathy said, "Okay." She had no intentions of going anywhere. She was happy to be out with Mike. It was nice and she liked him a lot. She was baffled by him, but that was okay wih her. Mike thought of how stupid he had just sounded. He went into the bathroom, did his business and went back out. When he saw that a man had taken his place, he felt furious. He walked back to the table, determined. When he got there, he asked, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" The man looked at him. He was considerably bigger than Mike, but Mike didn't care. The man said, "You left the little lady alone." "What the fuck is the matter with you? You think just cause I get up for a moment that means you can come here and just pick up the lady?" Mike looked down right mean. Kathy had been harrassed by the man. She hoped that this wouldn't come down to a fight. The man stood up. "I was checking her out. She looked hot." Mike sneered at him. "And that makes you think you can try to buy her off for what ever sick perverted thing you want to do with her?" "Well, yeah." Mike balled his hand into a fist. He was very angry now. This was the last thing that Kathy needed. He said, "Get away from her. She doesn't need mother fucking scum like you around." "What are you, her boyfriend?" "Yeah. Now what are you going to do about it?" A knock came to the door. Scully said, "I'll get it." On the other side of the door was a bell hop. He said, "I have a note for a Dana Scully and a note for a Sam Doggett." Scully said, "I'll take those." She turned around, looking at Doggett first. "This is Mulder's handwriting." Doggett took the notes from her hand. He said, "Well, he's not about to give up on Sam." "Fucking figures. Let me read it." Sam said. Jo Jo leaned forward, knowing he was going to have troubles keeping his temper in check. He read it, crumpling it up. He said, "That mother fucking no good ass hole had better expect something coming to him. I'm fed up with his crap." Doggett felt his ears go red with that comment and the way his brother said it. He said, "Well, this proves that he's in town. We can get a team to canvass the area and we can get a hold of him, solving this whole problem." Scully shook her head. "Sam, it's not that simple, and I know you're mad and you're saying things to say things, but we can't just jump the gun. Mulder has a very well-thought out plan. He is not going to give up easily and he knows what will make you react in certain ways. He's profiled you, believe it or not." Sam sighed. "I'm sorry. It just royally pissed me off. Get Bri in here. I want to talk to him about this." Scully tapped on the adjoining door. She said, "Brian?" Brian replied, "Yeah, what is it?" "Sam and I have recieved threatening letters. We want you to come in here and talk about it." Brian stepped in. He said, "Well, now, let me see these notes. What is our ol' buddy Mulder up to now?" Scully couldn't help but notice the humor that Brian had, and how it was similar to Mulder's former humor. She said, "Well, apparently he's still in town, or he was. He probably dropped them off, no one knew who he was, then he took off." "Probably switched vehicles too." Brian said. "Well, as soon as Sam's arm heals enough for travel, we'll take off and deal with what ever comes." The man stood up from the table. "Well, what are you going to do about me punching you in the face, shorty?" Mike glared up at him, his eyes narrowed, his jaw locked. He looked positively creepy and angry. He said, "Listen, just because I'm short doesn't mean shit. Don't you know who I am?" "Yeah, you're an annoying, little, pathetic twirp who doesn't deserve this lady here." The man said, glaring down at him. Mike laughed. "Wow, for the first time in my life someone isn't fawning over me for being famous." "You are not famous. If you're famous then I'm rich." "I'm Mike Flood, you idiot. Hell yes I'm famous, and if you're not careful, I'm going to sue you for harrassing this woman here. Better yet, I won't have to sue." Mike said. "You are not Mike Flood. You don't look a thing like him. He has long hair." The man said. "I cut it. Big deal. I'm still Mike Flood. Now fucking back off before I get that security guard over here and let him take care of you, you worthless person." The man asked, now wondering if he'd just made a huge mistake, "Are you really Mike Flood?" "Yes. Didn't we go over this already? Now go away." He was feeling irritated. He looked over at Kathy, who was amazed at how mean Mike could sound. The man said, "Sorry man, didn't know who you were." He walked off. Mike took his seat. "That was fucking annoying." He sighed. "Look, I'm sorry that had to happen. I didn't want to say those things. He made me mad." Kathy took his hand over the table. She said, "Mike, that was very brave. You stood up for me. Thank you." She smiled at him, squeezing his hand. Mike looked down, a little embarrassed. "I'm sure you think I'm mean and terrible now. I said some nasty things." "No. You were angry and you were upset that this man upset me. Thank you so very much. No one has done that for me." Kathy smiled at him. Mike looked up, smiling very shyly. He didn't know what to think. He hadn't been jealous about anything or anyone for so long that he identified it as such. He said, "I'm glad I could stand up for you." "Me too." Kathy wondered what he was thinking. She sighed. "What's the matter?" Mike asked, concerned now. Kathy looked down, fighting back tears. It had just hit her that Mike had said to the man that he was her boyfriend. She didn't know what to think or to say about that. She shook her head, getting up from the table. She didn't really feel all that hungry now. Mike watched her for a second. He could only think to himself that he had messed something up with her. He said, "Fucking idiot. Now look what you did." He got up, following Kathy. He didn't bother to get the security guard to follow, he figured that the guard would on his own. When he caught up with Kathy, he touched her arm softly, getting her attention. She stopped. When she turned around, Mike felt his heart break. She looked so sad and lost. He asked, "What's wrong?" Kathy shook her head, biting back tears. She hugged him suddenly, startling him. Mike said, "Okay, is this a good sign or a bad sign?" Kathy laughed then. She kissed him, taking her hands and placing them on his face. She said, "Mike, what you did, no one has done for me." "So what the fuck was this running from the table for?" Mike asked, completely confused by her actions in the past five minutes. Kathy said, "I, I didn't realize you considered me as your girlfriend." "Oh that. Wait a minute, did that make you unhappy? Did I say the wrong thing?" Mike asked, trying now to really figure out what she was doing. "Let's go back to our room and I'll tell you which it is." Kathy said, taking his hand into hers, squeezing his hand for encouragement. Mike said, "Okay, but you will tell me there, right?" Kathy simply giggled. She said, "You'll see." Mike followed her, and when they got into the room, he said, "Now will you fucking tell me?" Kathy kissed him. "Does that answer your question?" Mike kissed her back. "Yes. I guess so." He let her go. "I'm confused. Now what will we eat?" Kathy hugged him. "You're silly." "No, I'm hungry." Mike said. "Kat, no really, what will we eat?" "What did you just call me?" Kathy asked, looking at him. "Kat. Is that bad?" "No. I like it a lot. Call me that again." Jo Jo sighed. "I'm hungry, there is nothing that Sam and I can do about it, so I want to go get something to eat." Brian said, "Not such a bad idea. I think I'll send Doggett and Scully with you, sitting at a separate table, while I iron these notes out with the nearest field office." Doggett said, "Good idea." Scully said, "You two go first, we'll follow you in." Sam got up, slowly moving with his sling. He said, "Wait, all I can eat is jello. This sucks." Scully said, "Do you think you can handle a chicken soup?" "Yeah. Probably." Sam smiled. "Finally, real food." Jo Jo waddled to the door. She said, "Come on, Sam. The baby and I are hungry." She crossed her arms, her belly a shelf for them. She glared at him. Sam made it to her. He said, "We're both slow. Alright, alright, we'll go." They walked out the door, leaving Doggett and Scully to wait a few minutes. Scully said, "I hope your brother is very careful in the next few days. Mulder wants him riled up so he makes a mistake. He's trying to set a trap for Sam." "That's exactly what I was thinkin' and afraid of. Mulduh is not goin' to stop until he gets what he wants. I'm no profiler, but I can plainly tell that Mulduh is calculatin' everythin' he does from here on out. He knows he's got only one shot at killin' Sam now." Doggett said, looking at her, his blue eyes a frosty grey. He was not pleased by what Mulder had written. "Come on. We should make sure they make it there alright." Scully took his hand. "Besides, we never really got to go many actual dates." Doggett laughed low in his throat. "Nope. Not with the baby around. I'm sure that things will be fine if we keep an eye on things." Scully linked her arm into his. "Yes. There they are." Sam and Jo Jo were holding hands as they walked down the hall way. They were talking to one another, as if they were taking their time to get to dinner. Jo Jo didn't seem to be in too much of a rush. Doggett said, "I'm glad he's happy. Now it's only a matter of time before Mulduh is behind us and gettin' the help he needs."