Introduction: "Queen of Swords" is the sequel to "Page of Cups," which I
wrote in the late summer of 1995. You are strongly advised to read "Page of
Cups," which is available at the Gossamer archive or by request from the
author.

"Queen of Swords" picks up the action of "Page of Cups" about six weeks
later. The MSR is continued, and Cassie Hamilton makes a reappearance.
There is an X-File involved. It also purports to set up (and explain?) some
of the events of season three, especially of the "Anasazi," "Blessing Way,"
"Paper Clip" trilogy. A pretty ambitious claim, I know. Please don't take
that aspect of the story too seriously. Since the story takes place before
season three, obviously there are no spoilers for it, although if you've
seen season three, you may (I hope) begin to see implications in this
story.

A Word about Chronology: In the intro to "Page of Cups" I originally wrote
that it took place before "Anasazi." This of course isn't very specific.
Now "Queen of Swords" takes place about six weeks after "PoC." To be as
specific as possible, "PoC" should have taken place near the beginning of
the summer of '95 (say early July) and "QoS" then comes mid-August, a
couple of weeks before the action of "Anasazi" begins. I hope this is clear
enough for everyone. Practically, all you really need to know is that both
Daddy Mulder and Melissa Scully are still alive, and none of the third
season has happened yet (although if I've done my job well enough, much of
it is foreshadowed).

A Word about Titles: Both the titles, are, of course, Tarot cards. The
following explanation is for those who know something about Tarot. The
card-title for each story describes the relationship that my character,
Cassie Hamilton, has to Mulder and Scully in the story. If M&S were to have
a Tarot reading done (jointly) during the action of either story, the card
of the title would be in the Crossing (second) position of the Celtic Cross
and would represent Cassie's influence.

A Word about Policies and Procedures: In "Queen of Swords" I mention some
FBI policies which I made up. Any resemblance to actual FBI policy is
complete coincidence and I don't know whether they actually have these
policies (although I think they should). Also, there's some medical stuff
that may or may not be accurate.

Summary: Mulder and Scully renew an old acquaintance, struggle with their
new relationship, and learn more about the Conspiracy.

Description and Rating: MSR, with NC-17 parts. Approximately 70% case file,
30% MSR.

Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully, Skinner, Cancerman et al. are not mine. We all
know whose they are and we would love to share them with him. I have used
them without permission but also without intent to cause harm (especially
harm of a legal sort to myself). The FBI is also not mine; it belongs to
the United States Government. Cassie Hamilton *is* mine and may not be
borrowed without my permission. Also, please reread the disclaimer above
about FBI policy and medical information.


"Queen of Swords"
Copyright 1996 joan the english chick, all rights reserved.

Part One


BOSTON, MA
12 APRIL 1980
7:17 PM

The three made a tidy family unit sitting in the living room: the parents
reading, the little girl playing on the floor. Suddenly the child spoke up,
without removing her eyes from her dolls. "I don't know you. Who's Rachel?"

Almost instantly, the telephone rang, its shrill voice cutting through the
quiet. The father reached for it. "Hello?...No, there's no Rachel here. I'm
sorry, you have the wrong number. You're welcome." He hung up and exchanged
a significant look with his wife over their daughter's head.

BOSTON COMMON
THE NEXT AFTERNOON

The next day was Saturday, and the young parents took their daughter for a
walk in the park. She amused herself playing space-pirate on a large
boulder while her parents held hands and fed the ducks on the pond.

Too late, the little girl sensed someone sneaking up behind her. It was a
large, scruffy man with malicious intent. The child screamed; heads turned;
the man slammed his hand down on the girl's where it sat on the rock. Then
the would-be assailant screamed hoarsely; the little girl pulled her hand
free and fled as her parents arrived at a run, along with an off-duty
police officer.

Shortly, as the mother comforted the hysterical child, the father and the
cop discovered that the perpetrator's hand was somehow indelibly attached
to the rock whereon it sat. Eventually a grounds crew had to bring a
blowtorch and saw off the nearby rock before the sobbing man could be
arrested. After his conviction and commission to a psychiatric institution,
a team of doctors spent several hours surgically extricating his hand from
the rock.

The little girl recovered swiftly from the attack and went about the
business of growing up. Her parents, on the other hand, were shaken to the
core and spent many long agonizing nights discussing possible options. In
the end, a few favors were called in, a few strings subtly pulled, a few
laws quietly broken, and the parents were again able to sleep comfortably
at night.

WASHINGTON, D.C.
FBI HEADQUARTERS
PRESENT DAY
11:03 A.M.

"Scully, look at this!" Mulder was holding a file folder, and Scully knew
which one it was. She sighed.

"The lab results on that dead monk?"

"He wasn't a monk," Mulder explained patiently. "He was just a disciple at
a spiritual retreat."

"Whatever. So what does the coroner say?"

"No explainable cause of death," Mulder said with evident satisfaction.
Scully was surprised.

"What? Are you sure? For heaven's sake, didn't they find him floating in a
bathtub?"

"Yeah, but there wasn't a significant amount of water in his lungs, and no
electrical appliances present. According to the ME, he just sort
of...stopped." Mulder handed over the file. "See for yourself."

Scully skimmed the information. "Well, Mulder, this doesn't make any sense.
The ME must have missed something." Her partner smiled tolerantly.

"I thought you'd say that. Which is why I asked him to run the tests again,
just in case." He picked up the phone. "Let's see how he's coming along."

While Mulder made the call, Scully sat and watched her partner. It had been
several weeks since their return from Boston, and in that time they hadn't
had sex once - or discussed their newly changed relationship. If Scully had
thought things would change between them after their long talk, she'd been
wrong. Things seemed just the same, though she at least was frustrated by
it. She couldn't figure Mulder out: was he really okay with the way things
were, or did it worry him as much as it did her? And how could she broach
the subject? She sighed again. She should have known better than to have
sex with a partner. Everyone knew it was a terrible idea. It had just been
something about that case - the heat wave in Boston, the mysterious and
enigmatic people they'd met....

"Okay, thanks." Mulder hung up, and Scully forcibly returned her attention
to the present. "He hasn't gotten all the tests back yet," Mulder reported,
"but the ones he has got are the same - all negative."

"So what's your theory, Mulder?" Scully asked tolerantly. She knew he must
have one.

"I'm not sure." He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Some sort of mental
telepathy maybe....or an herb undetectable by our tests."

"We should start questioning the other residents of the retreat," Scully
said. "Someone must know something."

"Yeah, but Scully, you can't just walk into one of these places and start
asking questions. People go to spiritual retreats to...."

"Retreat?"

Mulder wrinkled his nose sourly at her. "Yeah. They don't want us nosing
around disturbing them with non-philosophical questions. We should find out
more about the whole retreat business before we go barging in there."

"Well, how are we going to do that? Unless your supply of informants
includes a former disciple, the only person we know who might have any
knowledge about this sort of thing is-"

"Cassie Hamilton," Mulder was saying to complete Scully's sentence, when
the phone rang. He reached for it, stabbing the speakerphone button.
"Mulder."

"Agent Mulder," said a tinny but familiar voice, and Scully looked up in
surprise. "Cassie Hamilton here, how are you?"

Mulder grinned widely. "Just fine, thanks. How are you? We were just
talking about you."

"Oh, really? Truly karmic," she said, and Scully pictured her sitting in
her comfortable, eclectic living room, wearing a bathrobe or a long flowing
dress, flipping her long dark hair over her shoulder, smiling
enigmatically. "Anyway," Cassie continued, "I was just calling because I'm
going to be in the D.C. area the next few days, and then you and your
lovely partner showed up in my Tarot reading this morning, so I thought I'd
better give you a call and see if we could get together - maybe do lunch."

"Sounds great," Mulder said, and Scully asked, "What did the cards say?"

"Oh, you're both there!" Cassie exclaimed, with a laugh in her voice. "I
never discuss previous readings over the phone. It disturbs the energies.
I'll happily tell you all about it when I get there."

"What brings you to DC?" Mulder asked.

"Oh, a friend of mine who lives there is moving to Albuquerque, and I
agreed to help her move. She's never made that long a drive before."

"You're driving from DC to New Mexico?" Mulder asked, impressed.

"Sure, it'll take a couple days, it'll be fun. Haven't done it in a while.
You get some great scenery around Oklahoma this time of year." She laughed
merrily. Scully pressed her lips together quietly, thinking about
everything that had happened the last time they got involved with Cassie.

"Anyway, I gotta go," Cassie announced cheerily, as in the background the
sound of knocking was audible. "I have a customer. I should be in DC pretty
soon, I'll be in touch."

"Bye," Mulder said, and touched the button to turn off the dial tone.
Before either agent could speak, the phone rang again. Mulder jumped in
surprise and pushed the button yet again. "Hello?" he said, deprived by
startlement of his normal casual method of answering the phone.

"Fox? Is that you?" the phone said querulously. "I just wanted to call and
say hello before I left for my vacation."

"Oh...hi, Mom," Mulder said, and picked up the receiver. Scully turned
away, giving him some privacy to talk to his mother. She picked up her
previous train of thought in rather a different light. The call from Cassie
had shaken up Scully's thoughts, regressed her to the Boston mindset of a
few weeks ago, back to the fearlessly sensual being she had been then. She
shook her head ruefully at her own large assortment of inhibitions.
Quietly, she stepped over to the door of the X-Files office and eased it
shut, softly turning the lock without attracting Mulder's attention.

"Okay, Mom. Have a good trip....Yeah, tell him hi. I'll talk to you when
you get back....Bye." By the time Mulder hung up, Scully was back beside
his desk raising an eyebrow at him.

"I trust your mother is all right?"

"Yeah, she's off to Palm Beach for a week. It'll do her good," Mulder
opined, leaning back in his chair. As always, Scully wondered how he
managed to do it without falling over. He gave her a searching look.

"What's on your mind, Scully?"

Scully took a deep breath and steeled herself. "On my mind?" She walked
over to Mulder and sat on his lap, straddling his thighs. She looked into
his startled face. "This is on my mind, Mulder." She shifted slightly,
letting her crotch press against his. A brief expression of arousal crossed
Mulder's face, and then he was grabbing her hands as they reached for his
belt buckle.

"Dana, what are you doing? Have you completely lost it?" His tone was a
mixture of his usual gentle teasing and some genuine nervousness, but she
noticed he had switched to her first name.

"Obviously I've lost it, Mulder," she agreed, and since he was still
holding her hands out of the way, she leaned forward until her breasts
brushed his chest. She spoke softly with her mouth almost touching his.
"Lost my cool...lost my inhibitions. How do you like it?"

"Dana, let's talk," Mulder said hoarsely, though his eyes were fixed
hungrily on her lips. "Tell me what you're thinking here."

"Uh-uh." She shook her head; her hair caressed his face. "Six weeks I've
been wanting to talk to you about this, and you've shown no interest
whatsoever. Now I finally decide to get down to the basics, and suddenly
you want to talk? Forget it!" She moved again, and her nipples, which were
pressing insistently against her bra, rubbed across Mulder's chest. He
caught his breath.

"Please...let's talk..." he said again, his voice almost a whisper. He made
a halfhearted attempt to push her away.

"You're some piece of work, Mulder." She sat back, studying his face,
shaking her head. "Don't you want me?"

"Want - God, Dana, you have no idea," he said, and cleared his throat.

"You sure haven't been acting like it. Ever since we got back from Boston
it's been business as usual."

"I thought it would be better that way," he said, aware of how lame the
words sounded. "I mean, we didn't really discuss how, or whether, we wanted
to handle this in public."

"What about in private? We've been alone plenty of times in the past few
weeks. Explain that away!" Mulder had released her hands as he spoke, and
Scully now leaned forward, brushing her lips softly against his. He wrapped
his arms around her back and pulled her close, intensifying the kiss,
moving his tongue across her lips. They both sighed softly.

"I can't," Mulder admitted finally, pulling back to look solemnly into
Scully's clear blue eyes. "I guess I've just been nervous...scared. It all
seemed so simple, but...."

"I know," Scully agreed unhappily. "Harsh reality intruded once we got back
here."

"Yeah." He was silent for a moment, looking at her. "Listen," he said at
last, "how about this: Let's get back to work on this case, and tonight
we'll have dinner. With a moratorium on all work-related talk. Just us,
eating and talking like normal people."

Scully laughed. "Yeah, right. Us, normal." They grinned at each other, and
then she sobered, thinking about it. "Like normal people on a normal
date... Mulder, it sounds wonderful."

"Great." His face lit up. "I'll make us some reservations. Why don't you
call the retreat and see if they have someone official who'll meet with
us?"

"Okay." She bent to kiss him once more, lightly, and then got up from his
lap. He watched somewhat wistfully as she walked back to her desk.

***************

[end part one]


Part Two gets a little risque, but not yet NC-17. Closer to PG-13.

See disclaimers, explanations etc. in part one.

"Queen of Swords"
Part Two

EARTH LODGE RETREAT
SAME DAY
1:40 PM

Scully's car was in the shop, having repairs done on an electrical system
badly battered by their most recent case, so after a brief lunch the two
agents got into Mulder's car and headed for the Earth Lodge Retreat, just
outside of DC in Rockville, Maryland.

Leaving their car outside the retreat's walls, they were met at the gate by
the director, a short, pudgy, round man with a shiny face and an
eager-to-please attitude. "Do come in, Agent Scully, Agent Mulder," he said
jovially. "We're so glad to have you here."

"Thank you for meeting us on such short notice, Mr. Gardiner," Scully said,
and he fairly shook with pleasure.

"Not at all! Not at all! Always happy to speak to the operatives of our
delightful government," he said without a trace of irony. Mulder couldn't
help grinning. "Now, I assume you'll want to see the spot where the body
was found?"

"Um...yes," Scully said in surprise, looking at Mulder. They hadn't
expected quite such a trusting welcome. "But first we'd like to talk to you
privately, if that's possible."

"Of course. We'll just go to the lounging garden."

The lounging garden was a scene out of an Austen novel: elegantly
sculptured bushes created little nooks perfect for sitting quietly; benches
were placed so that they almost melded with the scenery. The grass and
trees were green, the air smelled faintly of flowers, and everything was
serene and contemplative. People sat and lounged and walked, alone and in
pairs, but rarely in groups of more than two. Most were men, most white and
middle-aged or older. The retreat director led the agents to a secluded
bench and they sat.

"Could you tell us a little about the place first?" Scully requested, and
the round man smiled happily.

"I'd be delighted, Miss Scully. The Earth Lodge Retreat was first built on
this very site by an eccentric older gentleman by the name of Gunther, a
survivor of the Nazi regime who renounced Christianity after witnessing the
crimes of Hitler and his men. Herr Gunther went through phases of Buddhism,
Muslim and new-age spiritualism before eventually settling on his own
eclectic form of earth-worship. He endowed this land and built the
structures you see on it, with the intention that people in religious or
spiritual crisis could use it as a place to quietly contemplate the nature
of the Divine, while freed from the pressures of modern life."

"So how does the retreat make its money?" Mulder wanted to know.

"Well, Herr Gunther's estate was quite generous, and he left no
descendants, so the entirety of the estate is at our disposal. We also have
fund drives, and many of our disciples donate large sums to us in gratitude
for our services."

"What exactly are your services?"

"Oh, simply the basics, I assure you. Each disciple is provided with a room
containing a bed, dresser and chair, and a private bath. Some rooms are
two-person suites. We also provide three meals a day, although some of our
members prefer to bring hot plates and cook in their rooms. Some of them
have very particular mealtime rituals."

"Did the deceased have a roommate?" Scully asked.

"Jerry? No, indeed. He lived alone. He had been here about two months, and
he was quite reclusive - more so than most of our members, I mean." Mr.
Gardiner looked sad. "Such a pity about Jerry. I've been here almost
fourteen years and this is the first disciple we've lost."

"Did Jerry have any friends here that we might talk to?" Scully asked gently.

"Well, as I said, he was reclusive, but he did occasionally sit at the
dinner table with Johan. We might find Johan in the social room."

The agents were surprised to discover that a retreat dedicated to
introspection had such a thing as a social room, and indeed it was a
noticeably small and empty room. Couches were placed in conversational
arrangements; a television sat blank and silent in a corner. Three men and
a woman were playing bridge at a small card table, and in another corner, a
small clump of people was huddled intently around a chess game.

"Johan," the director said, softly touching a man on the shoulder. "May I
speak with you?"

The man detached himself from the chess-watching group and looked curiously
at Mulder and Scully. He was somewhat younger than most of the disciples,
probably around Mulder's age, with dark skin, thick black hair and mild
brown eyes behind thick glasses. When he spoke, it was with a slight Indian
accent.

"These people are from the FBI," Gardiner explained. "They're looking into
Jerry's death."

"Oh? What do you expect to find?" Johan asked, addressing himself to
Mulder. "I can tell you how Jerry died."

"You can?" Scully glanced at her partner in surprise and pulled out a
notebook. "How?"

"It was suicide." The dark man shook his head. "Poor Jerry, he hated to
talk about his problems."

Johan took the agents to see the dead man's quarters. His tiny room,
untouched since the police had removed the body, was Spartan and clean. The
bed was neatly made; the dresser held a few T-shirts, one pair of jeans and
one of sweatpants, and a sweater, all neatly folded. A single candle sat
atop the dresser. The bathroom was similarly tidy; the razor and toothbrush
sat on the sink, aligned with its edges. A towel hung on the towel rack,
folded carefully. Scully found it fascinating and somewhat depressing.

"Did Jerry really enjoy living like this?" she asked their guide, who
shrugged expressively.

"Who knows? As I say, Jerry did not like to speak of his problems. He
enjoyed discussing chess, the weather, ancient literature. We spoke of my
own worries, but rarely of his. He seemed at ease here, if not happy."

"I see." Scully studied him. "Sir, you said that Jerry committed
suicide. According to the coroner's report, there's no way that is
possible."

"I don't know what your coroner would consider proof," Johan said
calmly, "but I know in my heart that this is what happened. Jerry was
quite disturbed in his soul. He often said that death is a way of
improving one's life. I don't know how or exactly why, but I feel
certain he did kill himself."

"We'll look into that." Mulder looked around one last time. "I think we're
done here." Scully nodded agreement. "Thank you for all your help," Mulder
added, turning to Johan and Gardiner. Both nodded and smiled.

"Of course. It's our pleasure," the director said, and the slight Indian
added, "Come back any time."

"We may have more questions at a later time," Scully said. The two men
nodded again.

As Scully and Mulder walked back down the driveway to where they'd left
Mulder's car, neither of them noticed the elderly man watching them keenly
from a wheelchair on the lawn.


FBI HEADQUARTERS
SAME DAY
4:38 P.M.

"...test results are consistent with the coroner's original report. As yet,
we are unable to explain the apparent lack of toxicity in the deceased's
system, given the lack of other cause of death. I am hopeful, however, that
further interrogation of witnesses will produce more useful results."
Scully finished copying her dictated report onto her computer and looked
up. Mulder, sitting at his desk, scribbled a final note on the case file
and looked up as well, meeting her eyes.

"So what do you think, Scully? Suicide?"

"I don't see how, Mulder. It still wouldn't explain the lack of toxicity,
the absence of any weapon...."

"Johan seemed pretty sure of himself."

Scully shrugged. "He also said he couldn't explain how. We need more evidence."

Mulder nodded acceptance. "You done with that?"

"I think so. I'm not going to accomplish anything more here today, anyway,"
Scully said. She smiled at him, almost shyly. "What time's our
reservation?"

"Seven," Mulder replied. "Plenty of time to run home and change."

Scully gave him an exasperated look. "Plenty of time for you maybe, Mulder.
Some of us take more than five minutes to pick a tie." She laughed at his
injured expression.

"My mother always says clothing should be an expression of one's true inner
creativity," he said, making a futile effort at straightening up the papers
on his desk. Scully retrieved her purse from a drawer and went over to him.

"Well, she sure did a good job on you with that one," she teased. "Come on,
forget those. You're going to cause an avalanche."

"They say a cluttered desk is a state of mind," Mulder said, grabbing his
jacket as he got to his feet. They both laughed lightly as they left,
pausing to lock the office door behind them.

Their dinner at an out-of-the-way French restaurant, not generally
patronized by FBI types, was thoroughly enjoyable. If the agents had
thought they'd have trouble finding anything other than work to talk about,
they quickly proved themselves wrong. They laughed frequently and
comfortably as they discussed college, sports, movies, FBI Academy
professors, and a number of other "normal" things. By the time they had
finished their coffee and dessert, Scully had almost forgotten all the
obstacles that stood in the way of their romantic relationship.

They squabbled briefly over the bill. "Look, I'm not trying to be
chauvinistic," Mulder insisted, "but this was my idea, so I should pay."

"Mulder, your intentions aside, these are the 90s. We'll split it."

"Hey, I have an idea. We'll put it on our expense account under 'personnel
management.'"

Scully rolled her eyes. "OK, you win. You can pay. But next time, it's on me."

That settled, they collected themselves and headed back out into the warm
evening. Buckling himself into the driver's seat, Mulder paused awkwardly.
Before he could frame the question in a neutral way, Scully spoke up.

"Mulder, let's go to my place and talk."

"Sure thing," he said, relieved, and started the car. They drove to
Scully's home in friendly silence.

"Nightcap?" Scully asked as she let them in. She dropped her purse on the
hall table and kicked off her shoes with a contented sigh.

"No, thanks. Dana, I have to tell you," Mulder said, "my head is fully
ready to talk, but the rest of me has something else in mind."

The corners of her mouth twitched, but she controlled them. "I know exactly
what you mean, Mulder, but we do have to talk."

"Look," he said, taking her hand and leading her to the sofa, "remember the
talk we had in Boston? We agreed that we could have a relationship without
letting it interfere with our work. Has that changed?"

"No, but maybe we were unrealistic to think it would be that easy."

Mulder rubbed his chin. "We could tell Skinner."

"Are you crazy? He'd probably close down the X-Files for good! And what
would that do to my reputation? I'd never be taken seriously again," Scully
exclaimed.

"Shh, calm down. It was just a suggestion. For what it's worth, I think
Skinner could keep a secret. But we don't have to tell him."

"He could, but would he?"

"I can't figure him out anyway," Mulder admitted. "Dana, can't we just give
it a try without all the angst? Just go on with our work as usual,
everything normal - except we can spend more time at each other's place on
the weekend, maybe do dinner every now and then. Tonight was fun."

"Yeah." Scully was silent for a long time. "There's something else I've
been thinking," she said finally.

"What's that?"

"Well, you know I'm on the pill."

"No, I didn't," he said, blushing. Scully rolled her eyes.

"Mulder, I swear you're even more clueless than the average man. Okay,
listen: Mulder, I'm on the pill."

"Really?" he said in mock shock. "You don't say."

"Yes. And since we both have to get blood tests every six months for the
Bureau regulations, we know we're both disease-free."

"Yeah...." To Mulder, this was a non-sequitur. He wondered if the average
man would have understood that second comment in context. "Where is this
going, Dana?"

"I'm trying to say I don't think we need to use condoms," she said
patiently. Mulder felt his eyes widen and his groin tighten. His mouth
seemed suddenly dry.

"Um....really? Wow."

Scully looked at him with amusement. "Yes, really wow. What do you think?"

"I think if you don't kiss me this second I'm going to die horribly."

"Can't have that," Scully murmured, smiling as innocently as Eve 9 or 10.
She moved toward him and put her hand in his lap, brushing it across the
bulge in his trousers. Mulder gasped loudly and she covered his open mouth
with her own, flicking her tongue across his lips. Mulder threw his arms
around her, pressing her tightly against him as he devoured her sweet
mouth. Fleetingly, he thought it was a good thing he had refused a nightcap
- the taste and feel of Scully were intoxicating enough. Then she had her
hand under his shirt, playing with his nipples, and he stopped thinking. He
rose unsteadily to his feet, lifting her easily in his arms, and carried
her toward the bedroom.

[end part two]


Hey folks - this time I wasn't able to separate out the naughty parts as I
did with "Page of Cups." Sorry :(   Those of you who don't like NC-17 can
skip this post and read the alternate version which I'm posting in a
moment.

See disclaimers, explanations etc. in part one.

"Queen of Swords"
Part Three

SCULLY'S APARTMENT
NEXT DAY
6:07 A.M.


It was already quite warm outside when Mulder awoke in bed, an unusual
experience for him. Barely had his mind registered this than it also
noticed that he wasn't alone. Was that a woman? Was it Scully? He woke up a
little more, figured it out, and smiled. He rolled over to cover her small
body with his longer one, carefully bracing himself on his forearms to
avoid crushing her. He brushed his lips over her forehead and she stirred,
muttering softly.

"'Morning," Mulder murmured softly. Scully stirred again.

"Mulder?" Her voice was sleepy. "What time is it?"

"Um...." He levered himself up high enough to eyeball her alarm clock. "Six
A.M."

"Urrrrrrrgh," Scully groaned, squeezing her eyes shut. "Time to get up."

"I'm already up," Mulder observed, placing small kisses all over her face.
Her eyes stayed shut, but a small hand wandered across his hip and between
his legs. Her fingers curled around him and she smiled beatifically.

"So I see." She shifted slightly underneath him, spreading her thighs
apart. Her hand guided him between them and he slid inside her. Mulder
moaned low and moved, thrusting slowly. Scully wrapped her arms around his
back and held him...and then she yawned.

Mulder stopped moving. "Hey, wake up."

"I'm awake," she slurred, her eyes still closed.

"Scully, I'd appreciate it if you tried to remain focused while I'm making
love to you."

She opened her eyes, deep liquid blue shining up at him, and made a sound
halfway between a laugh and a groan. "Sorry Mulder." She tried to stifle
another yawn.

"Geez, don't let me keep you up," Mulder said, pretending to pout. He
leaned on one elbow, put the other hand on Scully's flat stomach and slid
it down until he found her center. He stroked her and she blinked a few
times, sleep clearing from her eyes.

"Ohhh...Mulder, what a nice surprise," she said in the tone of a woman who
has just walked into a room to find an old friend there. "I hope you
haven't been waiting long."

Mulder laughed. "No problem - I just got started without you." He drew
himself slowly out of her, almost all the way, and then pushed swiftly back
in. Scully gasped slightly and pushed her hips up to him. They both came
fully awake as they continued the motion, and in moments Scully was sighing
her pleasure into Mulder's ear as they climaxed around and into each other.

After a moment of blissful silence, Scully stirred. "Well, time to rise and
shine." Then she recalled Mulder's earlier pun and amended, "I mean, time
to get to work."

"Just five more minutes, Mom," Mulder groaned, burying his face in her breasts.

"Mulder, I don't need to know that much about your relationship with your
mother." Scully pushed him gently off her. His deflated cock slipped out of
her as she sat up, then stood and walked naked toward the bathroom.

Moments later, Mulder joined Scully in the shower. "Mulder, I don't think
this is a very good idea," she said as he turned his face into the lukewarm
water. "We do have work to do. We can't get distracted."

"Who's distracted? I just thought we could conserve water," Mulder said,
reaching for the soap. "Hey, I'll wash your back if you wash mine."

"Okay, but try to control yourself, Mulder. Just wash my *back.*"

Needless to say, Scully's warning didn't take. The two agents made love
again in the shower, and it was quite a few more minutes before they were
clean, dry and dressed. Scully went into the kitchen and discovered, to her
distress, that she had no eggs and her bread was stale.

"We'll have to stop somewhere for breakfast."

"I know this great diner over by the library," Mulder said.

"Nothing too greasy, okay Mulder? Our arteries can't take the stress."

Mulder just grinned.

They kept a studious distance between their bodies as they walked to
Mulder's car, preferring to remain in professional mode in public. Mulder
courteously opened the door for Scully first, and she smiled at him as she
got in. As Mulder opened the driver's door, Scully turned slightly to
buckle her seatbelt and caught sight of a movement in the backseat. She
yelped in surprise, reaching automatically for her holstered weapon.

"What?!" Mulder stuck his head in, and they both looked in surprise. The
movement Scully had seen was Cassie Hamilton sitting up in the back. Her
bleary eyes and tousled hair testified that she had been asleep in the car,
but one would never have guessed that from her cheery expression.

"Hi, guys," she said brightly as Scully put a hand over her racing heart.
"Didn't mean to startle ya."

"What-" The two agents had several dozen questions, but Scully started with
"What happened to your hair?"

"My hair?" She put up a hand to her head. "Oh...I cut it. You like?"

"It's...different." Before, Cassie had had rich chestnut-colored hair
flowing down her back. Now it was level with the line of her chin, making
her look much younger and somehow less mysterious.

"Sometimes in the summer it just gets too hot, you know? By the way,"
Cassie added as Mulder got the keys in and started the car, "that guy's
been watching you two all night. I wouldn't be surprised if he's dying for
a trip to the men's room about now."

"What guy?" Mulder demanded, looking quickly at his rear-view mirrors.

"Shh, don't turn around! He's on the other side of the street, a couple
cars back, blue sedan. I don't think he knew I was here," Cassie said.
Mulder turned his mirror so he could see the man, who was stretching and
looking alertly at them.

"Shit," Mulder opined. He put the car in gear and drove off. The other man
did likewise, following them.

"Let's go to that diner anyway," Mulder said, "We can talk there." He
glanced at Scully, who looked worried.

At the diner, once they had seated themselves in a booth, Cassie looked
from one agent to the other and tactfully excused herself to go tidy up in
the bathroom. While she was gone, Scully leaned across the table to address
her partner.

"Mulder," she hissed, "don't even think about it."

"What?"

"You know what I mean. I can see you planning to let Cassie in on our case.
Need I remind you she's a civilian? And practically still a kid for that
matter?"

"Need I remind you she helped us solve that serial murder case in Boston?
She could probably help with this one. It might be her area of expertise."

"Mulder, she doesn't have an area of expertise! She's a kid who dabbles in
the occult!  Boston was different, because she had pertinent information.
We can't in good conscience get her embroiled in this kind of
investigation."

"Well, everyone tells me I have no good conscience," Mulder half-joked.
Scully was not amused.

"Mulder...."

"Miss me?" Both agents straightened up and dropped the subject as she
herself returned to join them. Scully slid over on the bench and let Cassie
in. All three dug into their breakfasts.

"So what's the deal, you sleeping in my car?" Mulder asked. "You got
nowhere else to go?"

Cassie shook her head. "Well, Nikki - that's my friend who's moving - turns
out her parents don't have room for someone else what with all her stuff in
boxes on their floor. So I coulda found another friend to crash with, but I
got in pretty late, or early as the case may be, about three ay-em to be
exact, so I just figured I'd hang out and wait for you guys. G-People sure
are early birds."

"Well, you would know," Scully said, remembering what she and Mulder had
learned about Cassie's FBI-agent parents.

"Anyway, don't mind me," Cassie went on. "Y'all got a case to discuss, go
ahead and discuss it." Scully frowned, but Mulder turned to her and took
the suggestion.

"Scully, I think we should start by talking to whoever found the body.
That's one thing we forgot to ask Gardiner yesterday. Maybe that person
will have noticed something odd about the crime scene that didn't make it
into the report."

On cue, Scully pulled the report from her briefcase. "Hmm, that's strange,
Mulder. The report doesn't say who found the body. Must have been the
investigating officer's oversight."

"Given the nature of the retreat, it's not surprising that the body had
gone undiscovered for several days," Mulder observed. "We'll have to check
that out." Before he could continue, his cell phone rang. "Mulder," he told
it.

"Agent Mulder, this is Kimberly at AD Skinner's office. He'd like to see
you and Agent Scully here at your earliest convenience."

"Umm...." Scully frowned at Mulder. He held her gaze, hoping to distract
her from the fact that Cassie had flipped the case file open and was
reading it. "Does that mean, like, now?"

"Yes, Agent Mulder. As soon as possible. Is that a problem?"

"No, not at all. We'll be there as - I mean, soon." He hung up and frowned
at Scully. "I don't like it. Some guy staking out your place, and now
Skinner wants to see us. Something's going on."

"Yeah....Mulder, remind me why we're being followed *this* week?" Scully asked.

"I really don't know. But like I said, I don't like it."

"Hey!" Scully had noticed Cassie reading the case file. "This is classified
material," she scolded, taking it away.

"I dunno why. Sounds like suicide to me," Cassie said casually, draining
her apple juice. The agents exchanged a look.

"What makes you say that?" Scully asked.

"Later," Mulder interjected. "We have a hot date with AD Skinner."


[end part 3]


See disclaimers, explanations etc. in part one.

"Queen of Swords"
Part Four

FBI HEADQUARTERS
WASHINGTON, D.C.
10:13 A.M.


Cassie accompanied Scully and Mulder to the FBI building and then
disappeared, saying she had "errands." The two agents made their way to
their boss's office.

"Mulder, Scully...sit down," Skinner instructed. They did so, watching him
carefully.

"Sir, whatever it is, I can assure you-"

"You're not in trouble, Agent Scully," Skinner interrupted. "Surprising
though that may be." He sighed. "It's come to my attention that the two of
you are working on a case that did not come from my office. Nor, in fact,
did it come from any of my immediate superiors, as far as I can ascertain."
They looked blankly at him.

"But sir - the orders seemed perfectly regulation," Mulder said. Skinner
made a pained face.

"I'm sure they did. I'm not blaming you for this - I can't explain it
myself. You were not officially assigned to this case by anyone in the
Bureau. But I have put the required paperwork in order so that you *are*
officially assigned to it...as of yesterday. Your report will contain no
mention of this...somewhat unorthodox arrangement," he added deliberately.
"Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," said Scully, and "Up to a point, sir," said Mulder. Skinner
shook his head resignedly, but not at them.

"Very well. I look forward to reading your report." They knew a dismissal
when they heard one, and rose to leave. But before they reached the door,
Skinner spoke up again. "By the way, Agent Mulder....don't consider this
permission to investigate who put you on the case. Stick strictly to the
matter at hand. That's an order."

"Yes, sir," Mulder said with a scowl.

In the hallway, Scully opened her mouth to comment, but Mulder raised a
hand, signaling her to silence. They didn't speak all the way down the
hall, into the elevator, down to the basement, and down another hall. Once
back in their office, though, Mulder spoke first.

"What do you make of it?"

"Mulder, we both saw the orders. They were completely regulation, on FBI
papers, using FBI codes and protocols, bearing the seal and stamp."

"Yeah," he agreed. "So what does it mean?....That someone at the Bureau
doesn't want us to know where the orders are coming from?"

"Well....Mulder, could the Lone Gunmen forge orders like that?"

"I'm sure they could, but why would they? The Gunmen know my phone number."

"That's not the point," Scully said patiently. "If they can do it, so can
hundreds of other hacker-types...probably at least a dozen in the D.C. area
alone, right?"

"Good point." Mulder considered this. "If that's the case, we'll probably
never know."

"Never know what?" Cassie popped in, still cheery. "Hey, glad your meeting
was quick. No detention this time?"

"No, not even grounded," Mulder said, grinning at her. Her good humor was
infectious.

"Listen, Cassie," Scully said, "what was it in the case file that made you
think of suicide?"

"Oh...." She switched gears, becoming suddenly the professional they
remembered from her Boston spiritual-advising gig. "Well, the report stated
that the deceased was found in a bathtub, with a lit candle and the
remnants of a stick of incense on the edge of the tub. There are subsets of
earth-worship religions that believe that in order to go peacefully into
the next life, one's death on this plane should involve all four elements:
water, air, fire, earth. The bathtub water is the water. The candle is
fire. The incense represents the intersection of earth, air and fire. And I
bet if the water were tested, you'd find it had a high saline content."

"In fact, it did," Scully said, very surprised. "The ME originally supposed
there might have been semen in the water, but was unable to prove that."

"I'll bet it was just rock salt," Cassie said. "To represent earth. Some
believe that if one intends suicide, one can surround oneself with the four
elements and then control one's breathing and heartbeat until they stop."

"Biorhythms," Mulder put in. "There've been some great studies -"

"But it's not possible to kill oneself with biorhythms," Scully
interrupted. "You reach a certain low point of oxygen depletion and lose
consciousness. Then once you're unable to consciously control your
breathing, it returns to normal."

"That's the idea, anyway," Cassie said. "But there are those who believe
that with enough strength of will, you can keep that from happening. I'll
bet you anything this Jerry was one of them."

"Even if he was," Scully said, "that doesn't mean that's what happened.
Just believing something doesn't make it true."

"Doesn't it?" Mulder asked. "If you hypnotize someone and convince them
they're drowning, they'll die."

"But you won't find their lungs full of water, Mulder. It's all in the mind."

"So is biorhythms," Cassie observed. Scully was silent for a moment, stumped.

"Well," she said finally, "even if you're right, it's going to be as hard
to prove as homicide. Possibly harder. We should still talk to whoever
found the body."

After a quick phone call to Mr. Gardiner, the three left the office and
went downstairs to the parking garage. Mulder and Cassie joked about UFOs
as Scully brooded. As Mulder was fumbling for his car keys, a loud noise
ricocheted through the garage. The acoustics of the place made it echo and
rebound dizzyingly. At first Scully thought it was a car backfiring, but
then Cassie yelled "Get down!" They all hit the floor. Two more shots rang
out and then silence, filled by the sound of running feet. Mulder was up in
a flash, pursuing the runner back through the doors leading to the Hoover
Building. Scully loosened her gun from its holster and followed; Cassie
followed behind, more slowly.

Mulder pounded up the stairs, still hearing the running feet. "Stop!" he
yelled, but the other didn't obey. And then a door banged shut and the only
running feet were Mulder's, with Scully behind him. Mulder burst through
the door into a hallway crowded with FBI agents, walking this way and that.
Any one of them could have just stuck a gun back under his or her clothing
and slowed his or her pace to normal. Mulder swore fiercely and turned back
to the stairway, heading back to his car. The women trailed behind him.

"What was that all about?" Scully asked as they got into the car. Her voice
shook slightly with delayed reaction. She reholstered her gun.

"Oh, you know. Probably nothing," Mulder said, but his voice was tight with
anger. Cassie was silent. Mulder started the car and drove to the retreat.

EARTH LODGE RETREAT
11:12 A.M.

This time, the agents and Cassie were met at the gate by Johan. The slim
dark man gave Cassie a searching look but said nothing about her presence.
"I'm very sorry Mr. Gardiner couldn't meet you," he said. "He was called
away on an urgent matter. He asked me to speak with you. It was I who found
Jerry's body."

They walked a little ways into the lounging garden and Johan sat with
Scully on a bench. Mulder paced near them, while Cassie gazed around,
apparently oblivious to the conversation.

"I'm afraid I'm not going to be much help," Johan said. "I tried not to
look too closely at Jerry's rooms when I went in. I felt it would be an
intrusion."

"You went looking for him after you didn't see him for a few days?" Scully
prompted.

"Yes. I knew that Jerry had not eaten in several days and he had often said
he did not believe in the healing power of fasting. As I said yesterday, he
had been unhappy, which is why I worried about him."

"What did you do when you found him?"

"I had no doubt he was dead. I left quickly and fetched Mr. Gardiner. It
was he who called the police."

"You didn't notice anything unusual? Items out of place, windows open...."

"No. I am sorry."

"Do you know whether Jerry had any enemies?"

"If he did, they were of the outside world. In here, there are no enemies
and very few friendships."

"Is it unheard of for someone from the outside world to come here looking
for someone....a family member perhaps?" Scully was fishing now, and she
knew from Mulder's expression that he was getting impatient with it.

"Not unheard of, but rare. That sort of thing is not encouraged."

Scully made an unhappy face. "Well, thank you. You've been very helpful.
We-" She was cut off as Cassie gave a little yelp and came rushing back to
them.

"Mulder," she hissed, "I know that man. We have to get out of here. Now!"

"What man?" Mulder looked where she had been looking and saw an elderly man
in a wheelchair, his head bobbing slightly. He appeared to be asleep.
"Him?"

"Mr. Burns?" Johan asked. "He's always seemed quite benevolent. A very
quiet man."

"He's not as harmless as he looks. Come *on*!" Cassie was insistent, giving
the agents a mere moment to bid Johan good-bye before she hustled them
away.

"Who was that guy? What was that about?" Scully demanded.

"This." Cassie handed Scully a file folder that she produced from somewhere
on her person. Mulder started the car, executed a neat U-turn, and glanced
at the file. It bore a big number beginning with X, and Mulder's perfect
memory kicked in. He felt a twinge of surprise and excitement.

"That's not an X-File I've ever read," he exclaimed. "Where did you get it?"

"It's mine." Cassie would say no more. Scully read the file, her eyes
widening. Mulder drove a few blocks, then pulled over and parked and began
reading the pages Scully had finished. Cassie fingered a gemstone hanging
around her neck.

"This isn't complete," Scully said, finishing the last page and handing it
to Mulder. "Where's the rest of it?"

"There is no rest of it," Cassie said. "The investigation was never completed."

"Why not?" Mulder finished the last page as well. Both agents twisted in
their seats to look at Cassie. Mulder's eyes were bright with excitement.
"How did you do that? With the rock?"

"I don't know." She looked directly at him, speaking seriously. "I've never
done anything like it again. As for the file, it was in my parents'
safety-deposit box. I found it there after they died. I'm pretty sure they
pulled strings to get the investigation called off."

Pieces began to fall into place as Scully remembered another file on Cassie
and her parents. "That's why the FBI wanted your parents for the X-Files
back then," she said, nudging Mulder. "The director knew they had a
personal interest."

"'Protect the kid,'" Mulder said, remembering the handwritten note on the
other file. "Your parents probably refused the X-Files gig because they
were afraid of putting you in danger."

"What does it all have to do with that man at the retreat?" Scully asked.

"He's one of the bigwigs the Bureau sent to try to convince my parents to
take over the X-Files. I remember them saying if he was behind it, they
wanted no part of it," Cassie said, frowning as she tried to dredge up the
memory. "If I recall correctly, my father's words were something like 'I'd
sooner trust the bastard with the cigarette growing outta his lip.'" Mulder
and Scully exchanged a glance.

"One of CancerMan's cronies?" Mulder said slowly. "That's bad news. What
was he doing at the retreat?"

"I don't know." Cassie fidgeted nervously. "Drive to your place, okay? I
want to check the cards."

Mulder started up the car again without comment. Scully stared out the
window. Then, after a moment, she lowered the visor and used its mirror to
check for cars behind them.

"Anything?" Mulder asked, low.

"I think so. Two cars back."

"There's no point trying to lose them. They'll be staking out our homes,
and anyway, it would let them know we're on to them."

"But Mulder, we're not on to them. We don't have a clue what they're up to."

"We have a couple of clues."

"Why would they anonymously send us to the retreat, and then shoot at us
for it?"

"Maybe we should go back and talk to the guy."

"No," Scully said. "That's a sure way to let them know we're on to them."
Mulder scowled, but he had to concede the point. In moments they pulled up
at his door.


[end part 4]


See disclaimers, explanations etc. in part one.

Part Five contains mild sexual contact ***BETWEEN TWO WOMEN*** so stop now
if that kind of thing isn't for you.

"Queen of Swords"
Part Five

MULDER'S APARTMENT
WASHINGTON
12:13 A.M.

After a quick cup of instant coffee (which Cassie declined), the agents set
about rereading Cassie's file, and then Mulder logged on to the FBI
database to see if he could find any more information on the mysterious
wheelchair-bound man. Meanwhile, Scully helped Cassie clear a space on a
table for her Tarot cards.

"I'll just do a reading on the general situation," Cassie said. "It won't
be very specific, but maybe it'll jog something." She unwrapped her cards
from their forest-green velvet scarf and spread it on the table like a
little tablecloth. She held the cards to her chest for a long moment,
closing her eyes in thought. Scully remained silent and the only sound was
the soft tapping of Mulder's computer keys.

Finally Cassie opened her eyes, shuffled the cards quickly once and dealt
out three in a row. "Past, present, future," she explained softly as she
dealt. "Hmm." She studied the cards intensely. Scully leaned forward to
look.

"Past: the Chariot. It stands for conflict resolved, a hasty decision that
solves the problem but perhaps leaves strings hanging.

"Present: Nine of Clubs. Hidden enemies. Deceit.

"Future: Four of Cups, reversed. New possibilities, new approaches, new
knowledge." She pressed her lips together in thought.

"The fact that the past card is from the Major Arcana suggests that the
issue is an important one, with great impact. In the past there was some
kind of big battle or argument which was resolved, but not all parties were
completely satisfied. There are still those who lurk and wait for the
opportunity to resolve things more to their liking." She paused for a long
moment, then slowly dealt three more cards, one on top of each from the
first set.

"The second set of cards requests elaboration," she explained. Mulder had
stopped clicking and was listening carefully.

"Amplifying the Chariot: Strength Reversed. Pettiness, abuse of power. I'll
bet this refers to the whole thing with my parents. Someone was trying to
control them, or trying to use them as pawns to control someone else.

"Amplifying the Nine of Clubs: Page of Swords. Vigilance; a person who's
good at perceiving the hidden. I'll bet this refers to you, Mulder, or the
two of you, and what you represent. The 'hidden enemies' are yours.

"Amplifying the Four of Cups: Judgment." She sucked in her breath, making a
little whistle of surprise. "What's coming will bring you new information
useful in your search for the Truth." She looked piercingly at Mulder.
"Your eyes are going to be opened. Possibly, you'll discover a new enemy
you weren't aware of."

"Great, just what we need, another enemy," Mulder quipped. "And 'Mr. Burns'
must be an alias. I can't find word one about him in the computer banks."

Scully shivered nervously. "So what do we do now?"

Mulder stood up with determination. He strode to the window, picked up his
tape and fashioned a big X out of tape on the window. Then he turned back
to the two women.

"We wait," he said.

And wait they did. Cassie put away her cards, still looking troubled, and
they ordered a pizza. As they munched, sitting on the floor, Scully shot
Mulder a few surreptitious looks, wondering how long they could remain
patient.

"Mulder," she said at last, not knowing where the question had come from,
"have you ever had sex with another man?" Cassie's eyes widened. Mulder
swallowed the pizza in his mouth and looked in surprise at Scully.

"Um...well, yes," he admitted. "Why?"

"No reason."

"What about you, Scully?"

"Me? I've had sex with plenty of other men," Scully joked. Mulder laughed,
but he didn't look away. "OK...no," she said. "Never with a woman. But I've
thought about it. Wondered...."

Mulder looked at Cassie, remembering a few things they had heard said in
Boston. It had been strongly implied that Cassie "swung both ways." He
looked speculatively at Scully and saw that she was giving the same look to
Cassie.

"Hey, don't knock it till you've tried it," Cassie said quietly, and she
moved more swiftly than either agent had expected - she slid across the
floor and pressed her mouth against Scully's.

Dana felt her heart racing and an odd fluttering in her stomach. She was
more nervous than she had been even the first time she'd kissed a boy.
Cassie tasted of pizza and strange herbs; the sensation of her arm around
Dana's shoulders and her breasts pressing against Dana's was utterly
foreign, and yet very arousing. Scully found herself returning the kiss
with passion.

Mulder watched with fascination. He was beginning to feel a stirring in his
pants when suddenly the phone rang, once. Mulder leapt up.

"That's him," he said. "I'll be right back." He strode out of the apartment.

Scully stared at Cassie, who had swiftly and gracefully removed herself to
a comfortable distance. Dana's breathing was rapid, and she didn't know
what to do or say...or think.

"It's okay," Cassie said calmly. "You don't have to make any big decisions
this second. Anyway, we wouldn't want Mulder getting jealous." Scully felt
her face getting hot.

"Do you think it's insane to try to keep our relationship a secret?" she asked.

Cassie shrugged. "I don't know what the Bureau is like. But I suspect that
if you did go public, it'd be unbearable. Unless you get married."

"Married? I don't think so." Scully tried to picture herself married to
Mulder. It was entertaining, but she didn't think it would work. "It would
never work."

"If you say so." Cassie smiled her enigmatic smile.

Mulder flew down the stairs and entered the laundry room in the basement of
his building. From the shadows, a tall dark man in a trenchcoat emerged.

"Agent Mulder."

"What the hell is going on?" Mulder demanded, getting right to the point.

"The gentleman at the retreat is no concern of yours."

"What does that mean? Are you saying it's just coincidence that this case
took us right into the lap of one of the Players?"

"I am saying that you were not intended to recognize him. Your presence
there was for the benefit of others."

Light began to dawn. "You mean, we were sent there to scare someone else."

"The people to whom I refer do not scare easily."

"Neither do I."

"You misunderstand me, Agent Mulder. This matter is larger than you realize."

"So help me realize it!" Mulder cried, but the man was already moving away.
He was gone before Mulder could form another probing question.

Sighing, Mulder climbed the stairs and returned to his apartment. He found
Scully and Cassie still where he had left them, eating pizza and awkwardly
making small talk. Quickly, he filled them in on the conversation.

"So we were meant to be seen at the retreat," Scully said.

"Yeah. But by whom?"

"By the bad guys, of course," Cassie said. They looked at her. "Well, it's
clear, isn't it? Whoever hid 'Mr. Burns' at the retreat thought he would be
safe there. By sending you two there, someone else was saying "Hey, think
again.' That old man is one of the ones who wanted to use the X-Files for
his own personal or political gain years ago...he's friends with those who
are still trying to use you. So someone on your side is trying to scare
them off."

"Do you think someone deliberately killed Jerry just to draw us there?"
Scully asked skeptically.

Mulder shrugged. "Maybe he really did commit suicide, and someone took
advantage of it. What's driving me crazy is, who is this mysterious someone
that's on our side? We know it's not Skinner, unless he's a much better
actor than we thought."

"Mulder," said Scully, "whoever it is has clearly gone to a lot of trouble
to make sure we don't find out their identity. Maybe we should leave it
alone."

Mulder stared at her. "Are you serious? Scully, aren't you even curious?"

"Of course I'm curious. But Skinner did say we weren't to investigate the
who's behind this. And I'd rather not borrow trouble...especially not now,"
she added, giving him a look heavy with implications. Mulder pressed his
lips together, nodding reluctantly.

"I guess you're right."

"But you guys still have this case to solve," Cassie prompted. "You can't
just leave it hanging. And I don't need the cards to tell me that."

"Nooo...." Mulder looked speculatively at Scully. "Scully, would it be
possible to induce cardiac arrest through biorhythms?"

Scully frowned. "I...don't think it would be impossible," she said carefully.

"Can you convince the medical examiner to go along with a verdict of death
by ritual suicide?"

"Probably," Scully said reluctantly. "I'll call him first thing in the morning."

"Good," Mulder said with satisfaction. "Case closed." He laughed
sarcastically, though his voice held a bitter note. "Or as closed as any of
our cases ever is."

*****
SOMEWHERE IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
8: 15 P.M.

Cigarette smoke curled sinuously toward the ceiling as the scout made his
report. "They won't get away with this," his superior growled, inhaling
deeply. "Using young Mulder as the message is unforgivable. It will not be
tolerated."

"Sir, we've removed 'Mr. Burns' to the new location you specified-"

"That matter is now irrelevant. The game, as they say, is afoot. It begins
again."

Another long drag; another thick curl of smoke drifting upward. "We'll have
to find a way to discredit the son. Perhaps to turn him against his
partner. Meanwhile, the experiments will continue."

He stubbed out his cigarette. "I want the father taken care of." He looked
up. "See to it personally, Mr. Krycek."

"Yes, sir."

*****

OUTSIDE SCULLY'S HOUSE
WASHINGTON, D.C.
NEXT DAY
10 A.M.

Scully was sure Cassie knew that she and Mulder had just made love three
times before showering and dressing, but Cassie said nothing except "Try to
stay out of trouble, okay?" as she bid them good-bye.

"Have a safe trip," Mulder said. "Send us a postcard from Albuquerque."

"Will do. Hey, take care, you two. Really." She smiled brightly. "Call me
anytime you want to try something new, Dana." Scully blushed hotly and
averted her eyes. Mulder grinned. Cassie laughed cheerily and hopped into
the U-Haul. Her friend Nikki, behind the wheel, waved and started the
engine. Mulder and Scully watched the van move down the street and turn the
corner.

"You know, Scully," Mulder said as they headed back inside to collect their
briefcases, "you should really take Cassie up on that sometime."

"You think so?" Scully looked at Mulder with a mixture of possessive
affection and trepidation. "I mean...you wouldn't mind?"

"Hell no," he said, closing the door behind them and pulling her into his
arms. "I love it that you're open to extreme possibilities."

Scully laughed, and Mulder kissed her sweetly.

[end]