Returnees

Mulder burst into the office.  “Diana?  You here?”

“I’m here, what’s wrong?”  She looked up from the file cabinet.

“Nothing, something’s right for a change.  I got a report of activity off the scale.  We need to get to Oregon, right away.”

Diana tried to hide her sigh.  Okay Fox was younger than her, but sometimes he acted a lot younger.  His enthusiasm had lost some of its charm, especially since it was part of her assignment to reel him in.

“Fox, what makes you think Blevins is going to let us go off to watch lights in the sky?”

“The stellar performance I just put in with the VCS.”  He grinned at her.  “And I’ve already cleared it.”

“You’re kidding.”  She gaped at him.  Blevins had okayed this?  She needed to get word to her people.

“Nope.”  He was searching through his desk and not watching her.  She sighed again, this passion of his was growing - a lot faster than his passion for her was.  They weren’t going to be happy.

“Ahh, here it is.”  He pulled something from the bottom drawer.  “Our flight is at three.  See you at the airport.”  He didn’t even look over at her as he exited the office.

Damn it!  She didn’t dare call from here.  She’d have to hurry.

*****

She made the flight.  He’d been pacing impatiently at the gate, then herded her onto the plane.

“What kept you?  This is one of the most important trips for the X-Files since we got started.”

“Sorry, but you did spring this on me.”  He followed her onto the plane and they took their seats.  After they were settled, she turned to him.  “Where did you get the tip?  Fox, not those weird friends of yours.”

He wouldn’t meet her eyes.

“Oh God, Fox.  You’re going to get us fired.  No wonder Blevins gave the okay.  He probably knows and this is a set up.”

“He doesn’t know about these guys.  No one does.  That’s the way they want it.”

“So you keep telling me.  You don’t even trust me enough - “

“Diana, it’s the way they want it.  It’s part of the deal.  They’re paranoid.  I don’t want to make it worse.  As long as their rules don’t compromise me, I’ve got to live by them.”

“Don’t go over it again, Fox.  Just tell me what we’re investigating.”

“For the past two nights there has been unprecedented activity over three counties in Oregon.  Lights have been reported by upstanding citizens, chased by cops . . . then last night a man showed up just outside of Lone Elder.  He was nude, disoriented.  I think he was returned.”

“Returned?”  Diana stared at him.  “You think this man was abducted and then . . .”  He was looking at her, those damn beautiful eyes of his.  She sighed, he was so frigging sexy.  “Fox, don’t get your hopes up.”  Or get us killed, she thought.

“Who me?”  He grinned, and handed her the file he had amassed, then leaned his seat back and closed his eyes.

She took the information, but since she could watch him unobserved, she seized the opportunity.  He was unlike anyone she’d know.  Besides being brilliant and an incredible, giving lover, there was no artifice about him.  He knew how smart he was, but he didn’t flaunt it, and as for his looks - hell he didn’t even seem to realize.

She knew her own assets, she’d exploited them often enough.  It had bothered her that he was younger, but he hadn’t cared, if anything he seemed to appreciate her experience, and not just in bed.

She still remembered how startled he’d been when she invited him back to her place.  It was as though it had never crossed his mind that she would want him.  The man obviously hadn’t walked through the secretarial pool lately.

As far as she could tell, he’d been ‘faithful’ to her.  Of course that implied a level of commitment that she didn’t think he felt.  Still it was a start.

Yes, it bothered her that he had never invited her to his place.  Oh, she’d seen it.  She’d ‘dropped by’ exactly twice and he had gotten her out of there as quickly as possible both times.  Hell, she’d never even seen his bedroom.

For now she needed to impede the investigation to the best of her abilities, without compromising herself.  She’d thought about missing the flight, but realized as she observed him from a discreet distance, that he would have left without her.  So she had finally joined him.  It would be better to be on-site and see what was going on.

She smiled as his breathing became deeper, more relaxed.  She enjoyed watching him sleep, though she’d had little opportunity.  He refused to stay the night at her place.  She wasn’t sure why that was, but he was adamant about it - kind, but adamant.  So she only got to observe him in situations like this.  He was often restless, jerking awake in the car or wherever, as though from a bad dream, but he wouldn’t talk about it.

She sighed and opened the file.  Might as well know as much as possible.

*****

They were met at the airport by two men and a woman, all very anxious to meet ‘Agent Mulder’ and wary of her.  No doubt they’d been sent by those friends that he refused to discuss.

When they got back, she’d have to make a serious attempt to locate them.  Obviously their activities had stepped up.

After introductions, they were led to a motel chain they knew well and checked in.  The man that had been ‘returned’ was being held for observation.  This trio had an opinion on that too, which Fox seemed to share.

Since that avenue was closed, they investigated the site where he had appeared.  The woman, Lisa, had been nearby and actually seen him before officials had herded him off.

Diana made a note to check with her people about that.  Lisa had gotten close enough to see the bruises on the man’s body.

Ed, the leader of the group, turned to Mulder.  “The moon is two days past full, so there’s plenty of light.  That’s got the government people concerned I think.  They had roadblocks out last night.  Fortunately they’re not from around here and didn’t know all of the accesses.  I sure hope you see something tonight.”

”Me too.  What time should we be out here?”

“It’ll be full dark by 8:30.”

“What about those roadblocks?” Mulder asked.

“We’ll get you in, don’t worry.  We’ll meet you at the diner at 7:30 and drive you out here ourselves.”

“We appreciate this.”  Mulder shook his hand.

They smiled and nodded at him, their looks at her were more guarded, though Mulder didn’t appear to notice.

He managed to keep his cool in front of the others, but Diana could feel his excitement.  She knew what his hope was, that his sister would be one of those returned.  He’d never mentioned the sister to her, but she knew the story and had read the file.  The sister was the real reason he’d even joined the Bureau - the final deal-maker when he’d been recruited.

Diana had no doubt that whoever had made that decision was no longer around to enjoy the fruits of civil service.

She’d hoped he would open up to her, talk about his sister, but he held that close to his chest.  He didn’t trust her enough.  The saving grace was she knew he trusted her as much as he could trust anyone.  He didn’t talk about his childhood either, but it had obviously been difficult for him.  She didn’t blame him for not trusting.  She’d be here when he got ready.

They ate an early dinner to compensate for the lunch served on the plane, then he took a run, trying to work off excess energy until time to meet Ed.  The man was practically crackling with anticipation.

They met Ed at the diner as arranged and he drove through the country to get them in place.  Lisa joined them there, as well as several other people.  They settled in to wait, with Mulder listening to their tales of encounters.

Diana kept quiet, observing.  Mulder was grinning like an idiot.  Well, most of the stories were absurd, but she knew him.  Eventually he’d check every one of them out.  He never forgot anything.  It was like working with a damn sponge at times.

As it got dark, the level of tension went up.  She thought Mulder might implode but frankly she hoped nothing happened and they could get back to the motel.  It was a nice warm night, but her idea of fun did not include sitting in the woods with a bunch of lunatics and bugs.

Mulder looked over at her suddenly.  “My watch just stopped.”  Before she could respond, there were lights in the sky and a . . . a hum.

Ed and Mulder were on their feet, running toward a light deeper in the woods.  Diana was up then too, chasing them.  By the time she caught up with them, they were kneeling beside a man.

“Diana, check him out.”  Mulder rose.

“Where are you going?”

“It’s still happening.  I’m going to follow the light.  Diana, get evidence off the man.  You know what to do.”

She nodded and he took off again.  Diana looked over at Ed, then focused her attention on the comatose man.  She knew there was no stopping Mulder for now.

Mulder was running through the trees.  He’d seen the light stab down in several locations, but continue on.  Then suddenly whatever held the light was directly over him.  Whatever it was, it was large enough to obscure the stars.  He stood staring up at it for a long moment, a feeling of weightlessness tugging at him.  Then the light stabbed down at him, blinding him.

*****

He woke disoriented.  He was on the ground, what the . . . something was on top of him.  He reached down and touched flesh.  He carefully sat up and looked at the . . . the young woman lying partially atop him.

He had enough light to see that she was nude and had strangely shaped bruises on her body, like the man that had been returned the night before as well as the man he’d left with Diana.  Her hair was long, half way down her back, but spilling around her now.

He eased himself out from under her and carefully rolled her onto her back, then checked her for obvious injuries.  No broken bones, no lumps on her head.  The bruises were all over her body, but nothing marred her pale face.  She was older than he had first thought, a woman, not a girl and he had to force himself to remain professional as he studied her body.  He needed to get her help.

Without warning she stirred and opened her eyes.  She looked around wildly, terrified.  “It’s okay.”  He spoke softly but she jerked violently, fear and horror obvious in her face.  “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to scare you.  I’ll get you some help, just let me . . . “

She cowered from him, unable to make it to her feet.  Then she was trying to scramble back to the tree.  Either she hadn’t noticed her nudity, or it wasn’t her first concern.

“Listen,” he held out his hand, trying to sound reassuring, calming, “I’m Special Agent Fox Mulder.  I’m here to help you.  Here - “ He slipped off his suit coat and held it out to her.  She didn’t seem to understand the gesture, so he wrapped it gently around her.  “I’m Mulder, can you tell me your name?”

If she understood she didn’t speak.  He was beginning to suspect that her trauma was such that she couldn’t.  He realized she was shivering and it wasn’t because of the cold.  He moved closer to her slowly, his hands still out.  He sat beside her and gently pulled her to him, letting his arms go around her.

She looked up as though trying to read his face.  Whatever she saw did seem to reassure her and she allowed it.  He cuddled her to him, finally taking her into his lap.  She buried her face in his chest.

“Hey, it’s okay.  Just relax.”  He rocked her, murmuring to her until he felt her go limp against him and heard her breathing even out and become regular.

He looked around, but the others hadn’t caught up with him yet.  Well, they weren’t in danger from exposure.  It was a nice night; he’d just rather spend it inside.

She grew restless in her sleep.  His arms tightened around her giving her security and he made comforting sounds.  Her hands clutched his shirt.  He had to smile, she didn’t know him, but she seemed to trust him.  Of course, he thought depreciatingly, he was the only one here. 

He cuddled her closer, she felt good in his arms and she seemed to want to be there.

He finally grew drowsy himself.  They were sure taking their time.  This woman was in no shape to walk, and no way in hell would he leave her.  He made himself comfortable and drifted off himself.

When he woke the sun was rising and she was still against him.  In the daylight he could see that she was a redhead and had a beautiful complexion.  Okay, what the hell had happened to everyone else?  He gently placed her on the ground and moved behind a tree to relieve himself.  He was just zipping up when he heard her cry out, “Mul!”

He hurried back to her side.  “I’m right here.  I was just . . . I’m sorry.  Don’t be scared.”

Seeing him looming over her made her shrink back, so he dropped to his knees and held out his hands.  “It’s okay.  It’s me, Mulder.  Can you tell me your name?”

She didn’t try to respond but her hand reached out to touch his chest, almost as though making sure he was real or solid.  He smiled then, “Yeah, that’s where you slept.”

The woman seemed to blush slightly, but that was probably his imagination. 

“Do you think you can walk?  We need to find the others.”

Fear returned to her eyes then. 

“It’s okay, they’re friends of mine.  We just need to find them and get you to a hospital to get checked out.”

She cringed then and moaned slightly.

“Hey, it’s okay.  I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.  We need to find out who you are and get you back to your family.  I’m not going to leave you alone.  I’ll be there with you.”

She was watching his eyes, reading his face.  Again she seemed reassured by him.  He rose slowly, so as not to frighten her again and held out his hands.  After a moment she took them and let him lift her to her feet.  She wasn’t entirely steady and he tightened his grip.  His coat fell open and he saw her body before she clutched it back around her.

She was more aware today, at least of her nudity.  But he had stopped, frozen.  The bruises were gone.  His face must have changed because hers grew worried and she reached out to touch him.

“May I . . . may I look at you.  I’m sorry, but I need to see, I need to see your body.”

She looked puzzled, but she didn’t move away.  He carefully and slowly opened his coat.  She watched him watching her and kept quiet.  The glance had been right, the bruises were gone.  Her skin was unmarred and healthy looking.

In the dawn light she was beautiful and in spite of himself, he felt a stirring in his groin.  She must have seen something; because she pulled the coat closed again, but didn’t pull away.  He met her eyes; pretty sure it was him blushing now.  “Thank you.”

She still didn’t attempt to speak.  The only word she’d tried to say was his name, but she wasn’t afraid of him.  For some reason that was giving him an absurd amount of pleasure.

“Come on.  I ran from that direction last night.”  He put his arm around her and she didn’t pull away.  She was barefoot, so the going was slow, but he could hear traffic.  He hadn’t seen a road last night; maybe he wasn’t going in exactly the same direction.

They came to a two lane road and almost immediately a truck stopped for them.

“You guys look like you need some help.  I’m Carl.”

“Yes sir.”  Mulder pulled out his ID.  “Could you take us into Lone Elder?”

“Lone Elder?  Mr. Mu . . .Mulder,” He looked at the ID again, “that’s twenty-five miles from here.”

“What?”

“Yeah.”  The man pointed to the west.  “That way.  It’s in the next county.  You’re in Bull Mountain.  I wasn’t headed that way.”

“Right.  Is there a diner or something close by?”

“Sure, there’s Hall’s Diner just over there.  But she’s not exactly dressed for it.”

“That’ll be our first priority.”  He sounded dangerous then, but smiled a little, and helped her into the truck.

Carl’s smile dimmed, slightly afraid of the man suddenly.

At the diner he led her to the ladies room and waited outside for her, then took her to a back booth and seated her.  The few workmen in for an early breakfast gave them strange looks but kept quiet.  He turned toward the counter to get them some coffee but she grabbed his hand.

“It’s okay.  I’m not leaving.  Let me just get us some coffee, okay?”

She didn’t nod, but she let go of his hand.  He got the coffee and a couple of sausage biscuits and returned to the booth.  “Think you can eat this?”

He unwrapped the food and set it and the coffee before her.  She picked up the mug with both hands as though to warm them, but didn’t bring the beverage to her lips.  It was as though she didn’t know what to do with it.

“Do you, would you like something else?”  He watched her process that question, but she only looked confused.  “How about some hot tea?”

Her eyes lit up at that suggestion and he smiled.  They were a beautiful blue.

“I’ll get it for you.”  He squeezed her hand and rose from the booth again.  He ordered the tea and took it to the table with him.  She smiled at him then, as he dipped the tea bag into the hot water.  He caught his breath, she was lovely.  Okay, he’d just slept with her in his arms out in the woods all night and he’d seen her nude body a couple of times, but this felt different.

“Sugar, cream?”

She hesitated, then reached for a sugar packet.  She tentatively gave it a taste and her eyes widened, as though in surprise, then she smiled again.  He actually chuckled.

“I’d sure like to know your name.”

She ignored that, savoring her tea.

“I need to call my partner.  See about getting you examined.”

She looked up at him trustingly and he smiled, for some reason in no hurry to contact anyone.

After she finished the tea, he forced himself to his feet again.  “I’m going right over there to use the pay phone.  You’ll be able to see me.”

Her smile slipped but she didn’t protest.  He took some coins from his pocket and kept an eye on her as he dialed.

“Diana?”

“Fox!  Where the hell are you?  What happened!”

“I don’t know.  I wound up in Bull Mountain.  Don’t ask me how.  I was following the lights.  I lost consciousness and came to with another returnee.  I’ve got her with me.”

“Is she okay?”

“Getting there.  How many were returned last night?”

“Fox - “

“Just a number.”

“Five, six with your woman.”

“Did you see them?”

“Three of them.  I can’t get near them now.”

“What about their injuries?”

“Covered in bruises, but I saw no wounds.”

“Okay.  Can you pick us up?”  He gave her directions to the diner.  “And could you bring some clothes for her?”

“She was nude.”  It wasn’t a question.

“She’s wearing my coat, but she needs a little more and some shoes.”

“We’ll be taking her to the hospital, right?”  There was silence on the other end.  “Fox?  She needs to be examined.”

“Just get over here.  Don’t tell anyone.”

He heard her sigh, but she didn’t disagree.  He hung up then and returned to the table.

“My partner is on her way.  We’ll get you some clothes, then see what happens.”

*****

Returnees 2

Diana walked into the diner less than thirty minutes later.  She spotted them and moved immediately toward them, walking purposefully.  The red head cringed away from her and without thought he slipped his arm around her. 

Diana noted that and her eyes narrowed.  She slipped into the other side of the booth. 

“Diana Fowley, this is the woman I found last night.”  He began the introductions.

Diana looked at him for a moment.  “You don’t know her name?”

He squeezed the young woman’s hand, “She hasn’t done a lot of talking.  What about the people you found?”

“None of them were conscious.  Are we taking her to be examined?”

She whimpered.

“Don’t worry, Red.  I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”

Diana stared at him, was he . . . no, he wasn’t involved with her.  He’d just found her last night.  He was being protective.

“Did you bring her anything to wear?”  He looked back at Diana.

“Uh, yeah, but it’s too long.”

Mulder smiled, “Not a surprise.  Why don’t you go get the stuff?  She can change in the ladies room.”

“Fox, what about evidence?”

“Evidence?  It’s already compromised.  We slept in the woods last night and she’s been wearing my coat the whole time.”

“Did she have the bruises?”

He nodded, “but they’re gone now.”

“Gone?”

“There’s not a bruise on her.  I checked this morning.”

“Yeah, I bet you did.”  She muttered, then noted the color in his face, but decided not to pursue it.  She stood and turned toward the door.  He didn’t try to stop her.

Mulder turned to see her watching Diana and obviously not liking what she saw.  He squeezed her shoulders.  “It’s okay.” 

Diana returned with a paper bag and placed it on the table in front of Mulder.

He picked it up and rose from the booth.  “Do you need any help?”  This was addressed to the little redhead, so Diana kept her mouth closed.

She glanced at Diana, then took the bag and walked to the ladies room.  Diana watched her with distaste.  She opened her mouth to say something to Mulder, but his expression and the fact that he hadn’t taken his eyes from the door since it had closed behind her, caused her to clamp her lips together.  She rose and got herself a cup of coffee, but didn’t hurry back to the table.

He was still watching when the door opened and she emerged.  The slacks had been rolled up several times as had the cuffs on the shirt.  She looked like she was playing dress up in her mother’s clothes.  She still clutched his jacket.  He had to smile.  He was on his feet moving toward her before he realized it.

Diana’s eyes narrowed, but she followed him.  “What now?”

“We take her back to the motel.”

“The motel?”

“We can’t talk here.  Come on.”  He took her hand and Diana followed them out to the car.  Mulder had opened the back door and helped her inside.  He bent to pick up the shoe that fell off her foot as she climbed in, then crawled in beside her.

“I need to stay close to her.”  He said in response to Diana’s look.

At the motel, they all entered his room.  He seated her on the bed and she kicked off the shoes and scooted to the head of the bed, her back against the headboard, watching them.

Mulder pulled out his wallet and handed Diana his credit card.  “Listen, I need to stay with her.  She’s still not steady.  Could you pick up some things for her, closer to her size.”  He spoke guilelessly, unaware of the insult that she perceived.

Diana glanced over at her, but finally took the card he held out.  “Fox, we - “

“Mulder.”

They both turned to look at the young woman.

“What did she say?”

Mulder grinned.  “My name.”

“She calls you Mulder?”

He shrugged, “I prefer it.”

Diana rolled her eyes.  “Okay, I’ll hurry, but we need to talk.”

“We will.  Go on, okay?”

With one last look at the young woman, Diana let herself out.  Mulder saw her shoulders relax.  “It’s okay.  Diana won’t hurt you.”  She wouldn’t meet his eyes.

“Okay, I need a quick shower.  You won’t leave, will you Red?”

She looked up then and he thought she shook her head.  “You stay right here.”  He let himself into the bathroom and took one of the quickest showers on record.  He was toweling himself off when he realized that in his rush he hadn’t brought any clean clothes in with him.

He secured the towel around his waist after giving his hair a final tousle.  He opened the door to see that she hadn’t moved.  “Uh sorry.  I forgot . . . “  He wasn’t looking at her, so he missed her appraisal of his body.  He would have been pleased by her look of approval.

“You probably would enjoy a shower yourself.  There’s shampoo and stuff in the tub, and a couple of towels.”

She rose from the bed.

“You don’t . . . do you need any help . . .”

This time she did shake her head, entered the bathroom and closed the door behind her.  He dressed quickly, then made a couple of phone calls.  He got off the phone when he heard the water shut off.

He’d expected her to put back on the clothes Diana had lent her, but when she emerged, she was wearing a t-shirt he’d left in there.  It reached to her knees and he appreciated where it molded to her.

She sat at the table, watching him.

“I, uh, I have a comb . . . “

She held it out and he nodded, “Yeah, that one.”

She began combing her wet hair, drying it as she could with the towel.

“We should think about lunch.  What are you in the mood for?”  She just looked at him.  “I always knew women were mysterious to me, but you’re taking it to a whole new level.”  Her lips twitched and he smiled.

The knock on the door caused her to pale and fear was back in her eyes.

“It’s okay.  It’s probably just Diana, back with your things.”  He moved to the door and looked though the peephole.  When he spotted Diana, he nodded to Red and opened the door.

She hurried past him and dumped the bags on the bed.  “I had to guess at her sizes, but - “ She stopped when she saw the t-shirt now adorning the smaller woman.

“Uh, I guess she didn’t feel comfortable in your clothes.

“She seems comfortable enough in yours.”

The color rose in Mulder’s face, but he didn’t respond.

Red moved over to the bed to look over the purchases.  She pulled out a pair of white cotton panties and grimaced.  Diana rolled her eyes.  Mulder looked away so neither woman would see his smile.

“Look, Fox - Mulder,” she glanced over before the redhead could correct her again.  “What are you thinking?  We’ve got to notify the authorities.”

“No.  I will not turn her over to the government or a bunch of scientists, I’ll find her family.  I can look after her.”

“You can’t be serious.  You could lose your job, or - “

”Diana, I am not putting her in that position.  She trusts me and I’m not - “

“Fox, she’s not your sister!  You - “ She stopped, but it was too late.  She couldn’t take back the words.  Mulder had frozen in position, unable to speak for a moment.

“Fox, I - “

“We were discussing lunch.  Do you want some?”  He interrupted his manner distant, barely polite, his voice wooden.

“No, I . . . I’ll head over to the hospital, see if I can learn anything.”

He nodded, but didn’t speak.  Diana took a step toward him, but he turned slightly away and she stopped, then took a deep breath and let herself out of the room.

He didn’t even realize she had left the bed until he felt her small hand over his heart.  He looked down to see her beautiful blue eyes watching him, then she lay her cheek against his chest.  He was stunned to realize she was comforting him.  His arms encircled her and he let his cheek rest on the top of her head.

They stood that way for a long moment, then she pulled away and took his hand, leading him to the bed.  She had him sit after arranging the pillows so that they could sit against the headboard.

She sat beside him and cuddled in, then looked up at him expectantly.

“What?”

She nodded and her hand came up again over his heart.

“You . . . you want to hear about my sister?”

She smiled.

“I . . . I haven’t talked about her in a very long time.”

She nodded.

Could he do this?  It had been ages.  He cleared his throat.  “She, Samantha, was taken a long time ago, when she was just a little girl.  She was eight and I was twelve.  I . . . I was babysitting when it happened.  I was in charge and, and I lost her.”

She cuddled close, listening.  “My parents . . . things were never the same after that.  We never found her, she was never returned.  I saw what happened; I know they took her, though I didn’t remember for a long time.  I had memory regression when things got bad for me.  The memories were coming back and I   . . .  My father blamed me, no, not exactly, but there was something . . . Things changed forever.  He, he resented me after that.  And Mom . . .  She never said anything, but she kept a . . . a distance from me.  It was obvious she would have been more comfortable raising a daughter.  I lived with her until I went to school.  I’d see my father occasionally but he traveled a lot.  He worked for the State Department.  I ended up getting my Ph.D. in psychology at Oxford and apparently that made me very attractive to the FBI.  Turns out I have a talent for profiling, that’s getting into the heads of criminals, see what makes them tick and catch them quicker theoretically.

“I miss her, Red.  I still miss her and I want to find her.  I owe it to her, I didn’t protect her.  She’s the one person in the world who truly loved me, unconditionally, and I let them take her.  She’s the reason I was out there in the woods.  She’s the reason . . . I won’t let them have you, Red.  The government knows about this, they’re working with . . . with them.  Someone knows what happened to Samantha and I’m going to find out who that someone is.”

He watched her hand come up to his face and take a tear he hadn’t been aware of on her finger.  She placed it on her own face.  He closed his eyes and pulled her against him.

“I don’t know if you can understand me, Red, but . . . thank you.”  She cuddled in as a welcome.  They sat there, comfortable in a way he couldn’t define.  He had done it, he had talked about Samantha and it, it felt kind of good.

He was surprised when his stomach growled.

He chuckled and she smiled.  “I guess I forgot to order anything.  How about Chinese, maybe some soup? That should be light enough, okay?”

It didn’t take long to arrive, but gave her time to try on some of the clothing that Diana had purchased.  It was fairly obvious she didn’t care for it and Mulder couldn’t really blame her.  The colors were wrong enough that even he noticed and the styles weren’t . . . her.  At least they fit better.

He saw her eyes start to droop as they were eating, and by the end of the meal he was afraid she was going to fall into her soup.  He scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bed.  The move startled her at first, but then she relaxed and stretched out on the bed while he covered her with the extra blanket.  That was probably unnecessary, but she pulled it around her and her eyes closed.

He cleaned up what was left of their late lunch and pulled out the file.  That’s what he was doing when Diana knocked again.  He hurried to the door before she could wake Red and let her in.

She glanced over at the bed, then sat down at the table.

“Did you find out anything?”  He asked softly.

Okay, he didn’t want to talk about anything personal.  She was grateful, she needed more time to figure out how to handle that.  She nodded, “Ed was there, he has a friend that works at the hospital and she slipped him some information.  The guy that was recovered first has begun to talk a little, but he doesn’t remember who he is.  Apparently none of them do.  Their fingerprints have been sent to DC to see if they’ve been reported missing and when.”

“And they’re still being held incommunicado?”

“The military are guarding the hospital.”

“The military?”  His voice rose and he glanced over at the bed.

“They’re not in uniform, but it’s pretty hard to miss.”

“Shit.  Now do you agree we can’t turn her over?”

“Fox, I . . .”

“I won’t do it.  I want you to return to DC in the morning.  Keep Blevins off my back.  I’ll drive her back to Washington.”

“Drive?  Fox, that’ll take days.”

“Yes, but it gives her the time to recover, maybe remember on her own.  I’m not going to let them have her.”

Diana looked over at the bed again and saw that the woman was awake and listening to them.  Mulder followed her eyes and stood.

“Hey Red, get enough of a nap?”

She glanced at Diana and didn’t respond.  “Red?”

She looked at him then and gave him a little smile, then got off the bed and went into the bathroom.

“Fox, are you sure you - “

“It’s settled Diana.  We’ll take you to the airport in the morning.”

“I’m trying to look after - “

“I’ve been looking after myself for a very long time Diana.”  She drew back as though stung, but before he could speak the bathroom door opened and Red joined them.  Diana had the definite impression that she’d been listening at the door.

She decided to change tactics.  “What about dinner?  Do you want to go out somewhere?  You’ve been trapped here all day.  I could watch her or - “

“No, we ate late.  Maybe we’ll order a pizza later or something.”

“Where . . . where is she going to sleep tonight?”

Before he could respond, she had crawled back into the bed and pulled the blanket up, staring defiantly at Diana.

Mulder swallowed hard to keep from laughing and nearly choked.  When he got it under control, he looked at Diana.  “It’s okay.  She can stay in here.”

Diana had no response to that, but refused to look back over at the younger woman.  “Do you want to work on our reports?  They need to correspond.”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea.  Red, you want to watch TV or something?”  He rose and turned on the set for her and found a channel she seemed to want, then returned to the table.

They worked for about an hour, until their reports were close enough to suit him.  There was no mention of his new charge.  “Okay, you can take both reports back and I’ll submit an additional one when I get there.  Just keep him off my back for a couple of days.”

“It will take more than a couple of days to drive across country.”

“We’ll have the weekend too.  If we leave when you do, I think I can make it by Monday.”

“That’s pushing it.”

“I can do it.”  His face was set.

“What if I need to reach you?  What route are you going to take?”

He shrugged, “What do you think?”

She pulled a map out of her briefcase.  “There’s not a lot of detail, but the major highways are here.”  She spread it out on the table.  “The best route looks like I-84, to 80, to 76, to 70.  It’s a straight shot and major roads.  You could make the best time.”

He nodded, “That sounds good.  I’ll check in a few times, make sure everything’s going okay.”

“I’m worried about this Fox.”

“I appreciate that Diana.  Just don’t tell anyone about her.  I don’t want her taken by anyone again.”

Diana nodded and rose, folding the map.  He wouldn’t need it, the man never forgot anything.  “So, you don’t want any dinner?”

Mulder looked over at Red.  She shook her head slightly.  “No, we’re good.  Thanks anyway.”

Diana set her shoulders and moved to the door.  She looked back once, but neither of them seemed to notice, so she let herself out.  This was bad, and it was going to be worse.  Her people were not going to be happy that he had this kind of access.  What if she remembered what she’d been through?  Damn.

******

They finished up the Chinese for dinner rather than getting anything else, or leaving the room.  They watched some TV, with him explaining some of the new shows to the best of his ability.  She really didn’t seem to care, watching him more than the TV.

When she yawned, he grinned down at her.  “I guess you still need some catch up time.  Go get ready for bed.”

She looked at him for a moment, then nodded and picked up the nightgown that Diana had purchased for her.  She held it up and turned as Mulder chuckled.  “Okay, it’s not the most attractive . . . “ It was full length, white cotton with small pink flowers all over it.  He wouldn’t have chosen pink for a redhead, but then he wouldn’t have picked anything with long sleeves or ruffles either.

She disappeared into the bathroom and he shook his head.  Diana obviously wasn’t happy about Red and Red was even less than happy with Diana.  He did not understand women, he knew that, but keeping them apart would be beneficial for everyone - that much he was sure of.

He looked up from the table when the door opened and his eyes widened.  She was back in his t-shirt, not the matronly nightgown.  He felt his body begin to respond and cleared his throat as he stood.

“I’ll take the bathroom now.  You go on to sleep.”

She watched him with a small frown on her face, but of course didn’t speak.  When he emerged in t-shirt and slacks, she looked . . . disappointed.  He sat at the table instead of joining her and her eyebrow rose.

“It’s, uh, it’s okay, you go ahead and get comfortable.  I can - “

She pulled back the covers and waited.

“Red, last night was one thing, I mean we were outside, you were in shock, but -“

She shook the covers at him and her eyebrow went a little higher.

“You, you really want me to . . . “

She nodded emphatically once.  “You’re sure?”  Her look was pure demand then and he rose slowly to move toward the bed.

She scooted over to give him more room.  Okay, if it made her more comfortable.  He could, could hold her until she went to sleep then he’d spend the rest of the night at the table.  He never slept more than a couple of hours a night anyway.  It would be . . . okay.  She glanced pointedly at his slacks, so he removed them, folding them and laying them over a chair.

She turned her back to him and cuddled into his chest as she pulled his arm over her, anchoring him around her.

God she felt good against him.  Just how bad an idea was this?  Very quickly her even breathing told him she was asleep again.  His own eyes were growing heavy.  After all he had slept under a tree last night, very different from how comfortable he was now.  Maybe he should try to catch a couple of hours; he’d have a long drive starting tomorrow.

Returnee 3

It was full daylight when he woke.  He’d slept through the night?  He glanced at his watch.  Damn, he’d slept eleven hours!  How the hell many years had it been since he’d slept eleven hours?  She squirmed against him and his morning hard on took on a whole new meaning. 

No, he couldn’t, he wouldn’t take advantage of her.  He’d have to be careful on the trip back.  He was damn attracted to her, more than any woman that he could remember.  But hell, he didn’t even know her name.  Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.

He slipped out of the bed and hurried to the bathroom.  A cold shower took care of his problem physically, but she was right out there and they would be alone on the road for days.

Hell, he was an adult, not some horny teenager.  He’d just make sure all of the rest of the motels had two beds in each room.  It didn't cross his mind that it hadn’t occurred to him to get two rooms.

Once dressed, he returned to the room.  She was still asleep, but had moved over to his side of the bed and was hugging his pillow.  He sat on the edge of the bed and brushed her hair out of her face.  “Hey, Red.”  He spoke softly, “It’s morning.  You need to wake up.”

She mumbled something, then opened her eyes to see him leaning over her.  It brought an immediate smile to her face and his breath caught.  She was so beautiful with that red hair spread all over the pillow and those big blue eyes smiling up at him.

“I, uh, I’ve already had my shower.  You go ahead and get ready.  We can get a bite of breakfast, then take Diana to the airport.” 

Her smile dimmed at the mention of the other woman, but she nodded and rose from the bed.  She gathered up the least offensive of the clothing Diana had purchased and disappeared into the bathroom.  He heard the shower cut on and found himself visualizing the scene he was missing in there and shook his head.  Oh this was a great way to go mad.

He packed up his clothes, making room for her things as well.  He heard the water cut off just as the knock came on the door.  He opened it when he identified Diana.  She didn’t look very rested.

“I was just packing.  Red’s getting dressed.”

“Fox, please tell me you’ve changed your mind.  This is a very bad idea.”

“Maybe, but it’s my bad idea.  Diana, you mentioned my, my sister yesterday - “

“Fox, I - “

“If you know about her, then you know how important this is to me.  I will not let them have her.  I won’t Diana.  Do you hear me?”

She sighed, but nodded.

They both turned to look as the door opened.  The young woman had pulled her long red hair back into a ponytail, though the drying tendrils around her face were escaping the elastic band and curling.

She had brought out his kit bag and handed it to him.  “What about your things?”

She looked down at his bag and he realized her toiletries were sharing the space with his.  It was stupid, but it gave him a warm feeling.  Diana’s eyes were hard and cold as she looked at this interloper that was causing her so much aggravation.

“You ready for some breakfast, Red?”

She smiled at him and ignored Diana.  Mulder lifted the suitcase from the bed and opened the door for the women.  Diana carried her suitcase to the car and waited as Mulder opened the trunk. 

‘Red’ opened the front passenger door and seated herself.  Diana stopped, stunned at her audacity.  Mulder didn’t say anything, slipping into the car himself rather than make a comment.  It would be a bad thing to laugh, even though that was his inclination.

Diana let herself into the back seat with a snort and Mulder made a concerted effort not to look toward either woman.

He pulled into a diner on the way to the airport and the three of them entered and took a booth in the back.  He sat beside Red, as though shielding her with his body.  Diana noted the protective gesture and felt even more dismay. 

He ordered for her and she nodded her approval.  Diana rolled her eyes, but couldn’t really call her on it.  The others in the hospital hadn’t spoken either.  It was as though they’d forgotten how.  She had said his name; that was a start.  The problem was, what would she say when she could speak?

Following breakfast Mulder drove Diana on to the airport.  Red had resumed her seat in front and Diana didn’t attempt to beat her to it.  She wasn’t really sure she wanted to sit next to Fox right now anyway.

As he pulled up to the door of the terminal, she touched his shoulder.  “Be careful Fox.  You’re taking I84 to 80, right?  Please call me tonight and let me know . . . “

“Don’t worry about us, Diana.  Just keep Blevins busy.  I’ll check in tonight.”

Mulder didn’t accompany Diana inside, which hurt her in a way she couldn’t quite describe.  She understood that he didn’t want to leave his charge alone, but there had been no opportunity to say anything in private. 

Once she disappeared into the terminal, he pulled away and turned toward the exit. 

“Not 84.”

“What?”  He looked over at her startled.

“Not 84.  Another way.”

“Another way?  Why?”  He looked over at her.  She was perfectly serious.  Was it just because Diana had suggested it?  No, this woman wasn’t petty.  Yes, she had asserted her position with him.  Hell, he had saved her life and she felt safe with him.  He could only hope it was justified.  But petty?  No, it didn’t feel like that.  She was obviously serious about this route change.

“Okay, south?”

She nodded, smiling.

“The I-5 it is.  We’ll head toward Las Vegas for a while, then turn east.”

She relaxed back against the seat.  For some reason he felt more comfortable about this arrangement himself.  He glanced over at her to find her watching him.  “What?”

She just smiled.

“Come on, you can talk now, can’t you?  You just didn’t want to in front of Diana.”

Her smile dimmed at the sound of the other woman’s name.  “Don’t . . . trust.”

“Hey, I know you don’t like her.  I’m pretty sure she’s not very fond of you either, but she is my partner.  We’ve worked together for nearly six months.  It’s important to trust your partner.”

She sniffed.

“I need to know why you don’t trust her.”

Red looked away for a moment, obviously thinking about the question.  Finally she looked back at him and shook her head.  “I don’t know.”

“Okay, but if you decide, will you tell me?”

She studied him for a moment, then nodded.

He drove steadily, stopping briefly for lunch, but getting back on the road as soon as possible.  They were quiet, but comfortable with each other. 

Even though he’d had the best night’s sleep in memory, he was ready to stop for the day a little after five.  He found them a motel and checked in, having her wait in the car, keeping her exposure down.

He carried their things inside.  She noted the two double beds, but made no comment.  He found them a cafeteria near the motel and they had a healthier dinner.

When they returned to the room, she turned on the TV.  The news was on and the lead item caught his attention.  He moved over and turned the sound up.  It was a report about a problem on I-84, blocking the highway for hours.

“It’s a good thing we didn’t go that way.”

She put her hand on his arm.  “That’s where we would have been.”

“Yeah, I bet the back up - “

“That’s where we would have been.  They knew we were coming.”

He just stared at her for a minute.  “What are you saying?”

“It was a . . . a trap, for us.”

“How could it be?  No one knew we were going that way, no one even knows that I have you.”

She just looked at him, not speaking.

“Diana?  You think Diana would - “

“Don’t tell her where we are.”

“Red, you - “

“Just don’t tell her.  Please.”

After a long moment, he nodded.  “But I need to call her.”

“Be careful.”

He looked at the phone in the room, but decided not to use it.  “I’ll use the pay phone next to the drink machine.  Want to come?”

“No.  I’ll get ready for bed.”  She saw his eyes dilate slightly but managed not to smile.  It was a nice compliment though.

He checked his pockets for change, then let himself out.

He called Diana’s home phone and she answered on the first ring.  “Fox?”

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“Where are you?  I was, was concerned.”

“Really?  It’s not that late.  We didn’t have any problems.”

There was a slight pause before she answered.  “Uh, great.  I heard on the news about the tie up on I-84 and I - “

“Tie up?  Where?”

There was an even longer pause then.  “It was on the news.  The highway was closed, I thought maybe . . . “

“It must have been behind us.  We didn’t see anything.  I did have a heavy foot.”

“Oh.  Well good.  The sooner you get back to DC the better.  Blevins is okay for now.  He thinks you’re tying up loose ends.  If you’re back in the office by Monday I don’t think he’ll even notice anything.”

“Good.  I don’t want to be called in on the carpet first thing.”

“Is everything okay?  Is she able to talk yet?”

“No, my name.  That’s about it.”

“Well, I guess that’s not surprising.  So she hasn’t remembered her name?”

“Not yet, but we’ve got a few days.  I’m hoping tomorrow or the next day . . . “

“Yes.”

“Well, I need to get off.  We want to get an early start in the morning.”

“Good idea.”

“I probably won’t call tomorrow, unless something happens.  I’ll check in on Friday.”

“You’re sure everything . . . “

“Yes.  She slept most of the time.  Too bad we don’t know if she can drive.  I could’ve used the relief.”

“Be careful Fox.  I don’t mind if you call tomorrow.”

“We’ll see.  Goodnight.”

“Nite, Fox.”  She didn’t want to hang up.  It felt like he was already disconnected from her.  It hurt and it scared her in a way she just couldn’t define.

He broke the connection.  According to his watch, he hadn’t been on the phone long enough for a trace even if she had the equipment at her apartment.  At that thought, he glanced at the door to their room.  Red had put that train of thought into his head.  Was it a good thing?  He’d come closer to trusting Diana than anyone else he’d met since becoming an adult.  Was that because they occasionally slept together?  There was no commitment, just bodies in need.  He felt guilty about that, but it seemed to be all she needed too.

Whatever, he was going to be on his guard now and that wasn’t a bad thing.

He returned to the room to find her in his t-shirt, watching TV from the bed closest to the bathroom.

“I need to stretch a little after all that driving.  Do you mine if I go for a short run?”

“Be careful, Mulder.”

Simple words, but they touched him.  She was worried about him, she seemed to care.

He nodded.  “Don’t open the door for anyone.  I have a key.  And don’t use the phone.”

She smiled then, “Who would I call?”

Right, he was all she had in the world right now.  For some reason that felt good.  He slipped into the bathroom to change to his running clothes, then returned to the larger room to stretch.  He was aware she was watching him more than the TV.

“I won’t be long.”  Then to his surprise, he leaned over and kissed her brow.  Her eyes widened and he moved back quickly.  “Sorry, I . . . “

“Hurry back.”  Was all she said.

He left, chastising himself for such a boneheaded move.

He ran a couple of miles, but the pull of her was strong, so he headed back.  She was still awake and smiled that beautiful smile when he let himself in the room.  “I’m gonna shower.  What’s on?”

“I’m watching the news, but I still don’t recognize anything.”  She looked a little forlorn.

“Hey, don’t push yourself.  It’ll come back.”

She sighed, but nodded.

After his shower, he returned wearing his t-shirt and boxers, but got into the other bed.  Her lips parted in surprised and he looked away, then back at her.  “I think this is better, Red.”

“You do?”

He looked away again and slipped under the covers.  “We should get some sleep.”  He turned off the light and rolled over, not facing her.  She made no further protests, but he could actually feel her displeasure.

It took awhile for him, but she drifted off fairly quickly.  Eventually her even breathing relaxed him and he too fell asleep.

The next thing he knew, he felt her cool hand against his brow.  “Mulder wake up.  It’s okay.”

The dream.  Shit.  He brushed his damp hair back from his brow.  It must have been a bad one.  He forced himself to sit up.  God, he was soaked.  He was surprised no one was pounding on the door.

“I’ll get you a towel.”

“That’s okay.”  He stripped off the t-shirt and wiped his face.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

He shook his head.  “I’m sorry I woke you.”

Her hand touched his cheek.  He closed his eyes and leaned into it for a moment then straightened up.  “I’ll, uh, I’ll . . . maybe I’ll watch a little TV.  I’ll keep it low.”

“You need sleep, Mulder.”

He shook his head again.  “I never sleep again after . . . “

“This is . . . common?”

He looked away.  “I’ll try not to keep you awake.”

“Lie back.”  She pushed him back toward his pillow, “and scoot over.”

He blinked at her, but did as she ordered.  She stretched out beside him and cuddled into his chest.  “Close your eyes Mulder.”

He looked at her incredulously for an instant, then thought, what the heck.  He pulled her close and let his eyes shut.  He’d humor her and then when she was asleep, he’d move over to the chair and read or something until morning.

Sounds outside woke him and his eyes opened.  What time . . . it was light outside?  Red squirmed against him and his body reacted immediately.  He’d slept?  He’d actually fallen back to sleep after the dream?  He had never, even as a child . . .  Her warm breath stirred his chest hair; right, he had taken off his t-shirt.  Then he realized his hand was inside of the t-shirt she wore, caressing her back, feeling the silkiness of her skin.

Her leg moved, brushing his cock and he stifled a groan.  He moved carefully away from her and rose from the bed.  She didn’t wake, but moved to the warm spot he had left.  He looked down at her, then moved on to the bathroom and took a shower, using the opportunity, and privacy, to relieve himself.  Once in control, he dressed and returned to her side.

“Hey, Red, it’s time to wake up Sleepyhead.”

She stretched and the t-shirt pulled tight across her breasts.  All the good that his time in the shower had done was gone.  She opened her eyes to see the lust plainly visible in face and reached for him.

He backed away quickly.  “We need to get moving.  Go ahead and get dressed.”

“Mulder, how did you sleep?”

He looked at her then, deeply into her eyes, “Very well, thank you.”  The words were simple, but she heard the depth of it.  She nodded and rose from the bed.

They ate a quick breakfast and headed east.  At lunchtime they pulled into a diner and stopped to stretch and eat.  The TV was on and several patrons were watching what looked like a massive back up on a highway.

Mulder led her to a booth and when the waitress approached, asked her what was going on.  “Oh, it’s bizarre.  Yesterday there was this huge tie up on the I-84 up north.  Well today, there’s another one.  Several hundred miles east and it’s on the I-80 as well now.  They’re talking about it on all the channels.  It’s become a real joke.  Coffee?”

They placed an order, but exchanged glances when they were alone.  “Red, I want to exchange cars.”

She nodded.  “How?”

“Let me think about it.  Don’t worry.  It could still be a coincidence.”

“Do you think it is?”  She watched his eyes.

“I don’t see any reason not to take precautions.”  He squeezed her hand.  “Don’t worry.  I’ll keep you safe.”

“I never doubted that.”

His lips parted in surprise, but before he could speak again, the waitress returned with their drinks. 

When they were back in the car, he turned to her.  “Let’s find an airport.  We can ‘exchange’ rental cars there.”

She nodded and they drove off.  They found the airport in Stockton, Kansas.  Mulder drove around and saw the fleet of rental cars available.  “Okay, I want you to take the bags and wait for me.  After I fill up the car I’m going to switch.  Then I’ll pick you up.”

“They won’t just exchange cars without asking for - “

He grinned at her, “No, they won’t.  Don’t worry about it.  Come on.”

When he picked her up about twenty minutes later, he was driving a navy sedan, dusty on the outside, but with a full tank of gas.

“Like it?”  He grinned.

“Yeah.  I never really liked white cars anyway.  Let’s go.”  She grinned.  “Are you going to tell me how you did this?”

“No way, if I did I’d have to kill you.”

She gave him the eyebrow, but he chuckled for a moment, then sobered.  “I do need to make a phone call.”

She looked up quickly, “Diana?”

“No.  I don’t know what’s going on there.  But because of what is happening, we need some more cash.  I’ve got some friends that can help us out.  I trust these guys.”

After a moment she nodded.

At the next filling station, he went in and bought a map.  She waited in the car while he used the pay phone.  It didn’t take long and she didn’t ask any questions.  He was smiling when he returned and that was enough for her.

When they reached Topeka he found the Western Union office and picked up their cash as well as a note.  When he got back in the car, he split the money with her, giving her $300 and keeping $200 for himself.

“What are you doing?”

“If we should get separated, or if anything . . . I want you to hold on to this and keep this address.  These are the guys that sent the money.  Go to them and stay there.  They’ll look after you, find out who you are.  In fact they’re already working on it.”

“They are?”

“I called them earlier.  They’re checking missing people with your description.  It would help if they had your fingerprints but we’ll do that when we get there.”

“What if they don’t - “

“You are not to worry about this.  I shouldn’t have said anything before . . .  how about we stop and get you a few more clothes.  Something that you pick out.  I mean, we’re rich now, right?”

That brought a smile back to her face.  “Really?”

He laughed, “Really.  I’d like to see what you’d pick out.”

“I don’t know my taste.” She sounded a little nervous then.

“Sure you do.  Come on.”  He put the car in gear and found the nearest shopping center.

It was an uneventful day and they put a lot of miles behind them.  They kept the radio on, checking on the events up north when they could.  

*****

He looked up from the TV and his mouth fell open when she came out of the bathroom.  He hadn’t seen her purchase that. 

It was dark blue, sheer and short with those little straps, what did they call them, spaghetti straps, yeah.  The panties matched and were cut high enough to make her legs look . . .

Oh god, he couldn’t . . . she looked so damn good.  She moved toward him, their eyes locked and her arms went around him.

“Red, you - “

Her lips cut him off.  When the hell had he bent over and tasted of her? Allowed his tongue to explore her, duel with her tongue?  Her hand was inside his t-shirt and brushed against his nipple.  The reaction was immediate.  She smiled at him then and her free hand slipped under his waistband.

Returnees 4

He looked up from the TV and his mouth fell open when she came out of the bathroom.  He hadn’t seen her purchase that.  Oh god, he couldn’t . . . she looked so damn good.  She moved toward him, their eyes locked and her arms went around him.

“Red, you - “

Her lips cut him off.  When the hell had he bent over and tasted of her? Allowed his tongue to explore her, duel with her tongue?  Her hand was inside his t-shirt and brushed against his nipple.  The reaction was immediate.  She smiled at him then and her free hand slipped under his waistband.

He grabbed her hand, pulling away.  “No.”

“Mulder, I - “

“No.”

“I want - “

“No.”

She looked at him then, trying to read his eyes.

He looked away, “We . . . you don’t know who you are, we don’t know who you are.  You could be married, have a, a family.  I don’t want you to, to regret the time that we . . . I’m not going to take advantage of . . . “ He shook his head.

“It’s not taking advantage - “

“Red, no.  Don’t make this any harder.”

Her eyebrow rose and color suffused in his face.  “You know what I mean.  When you get home and find out who you are, I don’t want you to have memories that would make you uncomfortable.  This trip is to keep you safe, not to make things worse for you when you . . . “ He shrugged.

“You don’t want me?”

<