TITLE: Decoy
AUTHOR: Erin M. Blair
E-MAIL: eblair@sonic.net
CLASSIFICATION/CATEGORY: SRA--Story, Romance, Angst.
CONTENT: Mulder/Scully Romance. 
RATING: PG
DISTRIBUTION/ARCHIVE STATEMENT: OK to Gossmer,
Ephemeral, After the Fact, etc.
AWARD ELIGIBILITY: Spookys 2005
SPOILERS: Erlenmeyer Flask
SETTING: Season One to Season Five
DATE:  
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: 
DISCLAIMER: Mulder and Scully belong to Chris Carter;
David Miller, Christopher Mulder, and Shannon Kennedy 
belong to me.
SUMMARY: What if Mulder was replaced by someone
who looked like him?


------------------------------------
Decoy
Written by: Erin M. Blair
------------------------------------

There are times when you thought
life is all straightened out. There are
times when life treats you unfairly --- what 
happens when the world as you know 
it turns itself upside down? What happens when
a double replaces you in every way?

Your life becomes his life; your 
partner becomes his partner. You know
what you have to do:  you try to find 
your way back to her.

You close your eyes, thinking that 
this really isn't happening. 

But it is.

Everything changes.

Until one day --- you take over your
own life.

From the decoy.

For Mulder, all of this happened on May
18, 1994 during the first year of his partnership
with Scully. Everything began to change then
and Mulder was left picking up the pieces of his
life using a new identity.

Special Agent Fox Mulder became Special
Agent David Miller.

He spent five years being David Miller, but
he wanted more than anything to take
his own identity and Scully back from the decoy.

***
January 7, 1994
Scully's Apartment
Georgetown

Scully was awakened by incessant knocking
on her door early in the morning. She went 
to the door and peered through her peephole. It was
Mulder. *I wonder why he's here,* she thought.
She opened the door. "Mulder. It's two in the
morning."

"Did I wake you?"

Scully nodded. "Yes."

"Sorry. I just...couldn't wait to see you."

"Are you OK? You're still recovering from
that gunshot wound," Scully said. She was
concerned for him, wondering if he was still
in pain from the wound. 

"I'm fine, Scully. I completed my physical
therapy two weeks ago. Remember?"

She nodded. "I remember."

"I want to be with you," Mulder said.

"You do? I'm just surprised that you would
come by. It's not every day that you ..."

"I know. We hardly socialize outside of work,
but I wanted to see you, to tell you...that I'm
in love with you, Dana Scully." He stroked the
outline of her face with his hand. "I know it's
sudden, but I have always wanted to let you
know from the moment I first saw you in the 
basement office."

Scully was, to say the least, stunned. "I 
don't know what to say." She paused. "I
know that I feel the same way about you. I'm
in love with you."

Mulder kissed her hands and then he pressed
his lips to hers. "I'm glad. You know, I feel 
the same way about you, Scully."

Scully nodded. "I didn't know it would be so
soon."

"I didn't want to wait until four years have come
and gone, Scully. I want you to know now. I want
to spend the rest of my life with you."

She could feel her heart soar like a bird. "I want
that, too." Suddenly, she could feel the warmth
of his lips on hers. She was moved by the love
he had for her. She knew this was love and it
would last forever. "I love you, Agent Mulder."

"And I love you, Agent Scully," he said as he 
gave her the deepest of kisses on her neck
before kissing her luscious lips. "I've been in 
love with you ever since I first laid eyes on you."

"You have?"

Mulder nodded. "I've always been in love with you."

***

February 3, 1994

Scully smiled weakly at Mulder as she entered the 
basement office. She was feeling sick that day, but
decided to go after spending most of the morning in
the bathroom, having to deal with wave after wave of
nausea. 

"Scully, are you OK?"

"Mulder, I'm fine," Scully said. "Really." 

Mulder frowned. "Are you sure?"

"I said, 'I'm fine'. I've just been having nausea all day and
the room's been spinning for hours. I haven't passed
out, but I feel as though I will."

Without a word, Mulder put an arm around Scully
to support her as he led her to his chair. 

"Mulder..."

"Do you want me to take you home?" he asked as his
voice was full of concern for his partner and lover. "It's
not a big deal. I will cover it with Skinner." 

"You will?"

Mulder nodded. "Yes. I will tell him that I have taken 
you home because you're sick." 

"Mulder, there's something I need to tell you..."

"What?"

"I think I'm pregnant," she said, her tone 
barely above a whisper. 

"Scully, that's wonderful!" exclaimed Mulder. 

"Are you sure?"

Mulder nodded. "I'm positive."

"This won't get in the way..." 

Mulder put his arms around Scully's waist and then he
moved up his hand to reach her thick, red hair. He ran 
his fingers through her hair and his smile deepened 
as he bent down to look into her clear blue
eyes. "Scully, please don't worry. I really doubt 
they'll separate us for having a baby together. We'll 
find some way for us to continue the X-Files." 

"You're sure?"

Mulder nodded. "I'm positive, Scully."

***
Scully's Apartment
May 8, 1994

Scully stared at the ceiling because she couldn't
sleep. She tried to sleep, but she kept having 
nightmares about Mulder. The nightmares had
been occuring every single night for the past 
two months. She figured it must be the pregnancy
hormones or something.

Each night started the same. She dreamt that
she was in a room as she searched for Mulder. She
was then led by a man who took her to a room with
two Mulders. She didn't know which one was her
Mulder. 

Then the nightmare ended with no solution, and only
questions remained.

She dreamed that, after this case, things would 
be different. *How different?* she asked herself. She 
didn't know, but she feared for him, for the both of them
all the same. 

It was what Mulder had said to her recently about 
how a change was going to happen soon on the X-Files. He
had even prophesied it. 

But she knew it went deeper than that, that 
their blossoming love for each other would 
change, too. She feared it would be like her dream: her
Mulder wouldn't be hers anymore. 

She yawned. She was sleepy, but the phone rang.
"Scully."

"Scully, it's me. I couldn't sleep," Mulder said.

"I couldn't sleep, either."

"I think you're getting some of my own habits," said
Mulder wryly. 

She could hear him smile. "I was thinking about what
you said a month ago."

"What did I say?"

"That a change is coming," Scully said. "For us.
For both of us, actually."

"I don't know what I said exactly, Scully, but it's
something that I've been feeling for quite some
time," Mulder said. He paused. "I'm sure it's nothing."

"I hope so, Mulder."

"I've been feeling that our love is evolving into something
like a deep love," Mulder said. "I love you with my whole
heart." He paused. "Besides, we're having a baby together.
Our life is coming full circle."

"I hope it's something like that," Scully said. 

She hoped what he said was true, but the fear for his
safety was still deep within herself. A change seemed
to be in the air for them and for the X-Files.

"I do believe it, Scully. It's just a nightmare, not an omen."

"I hope you're right, Mulder. It's just that -- I don't want 
to lose you."

Mulder wrapped his arms around her waist and gave her
the deepest of kisses. "You're not going to lose me. I 
can assure you. Maybe it's those pregnancy hormones,
Scully?"

Scully wasn't so sure if he was right. She wanted to 
believe him -- she really did. "It could be the pregnancy
hormones."

Mulder's hands slid downwards to Scully's stomach,
already blossoming with child. "Little one, your Mom's
worried about your Daddy. Tell her that I'll be OK."

***
May 18, 1994

Mulder was walking down a dark alley. He was
trying to find Dr. Berube before they took all the 
evidence. It was what Deep Throat had warned
him and Scully about. He wanted to gather the
evidence of what they had found together. *The
alien DNA,*  he thought, * was the important
part of the puzzle.* 

Someone approached him from behind and
hit him. He was taken to a van and the 
engine roared to life. 

Little did he knew how his life would change
from then on. 

***

May 20, 1994

"Are you sure you're Agent Mulder?" asked Skinner.
He was giving him the once over and looking into his
eyes. 

Mulder frowned. This was what he had been afraid of --
being replaced in Scully's life. "Yes, I'm really Fox Mulder,
Sir. I was taken during the case, but I'm back."

He saw Skinner draw a sigh and shuffle some papers.
"I know you're Mulder, but we have a problem. I would like
you to get your identity back, but I don't have any idea
how to get the other Mulder out of Scully's life without causing
too many problems."

"I have a double -- I know that. What's the problem, Sir?"

"There's someone who looks exactly like you, but isn't
quite you," Skinner said. "I know this isn't the news
you wanted to hear."

"They told me that I was being replaced, that I would have
a clone standing in my place," Mulder said. "What really
worries me is Scully and...our baby."

Skinner nodded. "I know." He paused. "I have an idea
of what we can do in the meantime."

"What?"

"We need to give you a new identity," Skinner said. "It's
temporary until we figure out how to get you back to 
being Mulder."

Mulder frowned. This wasn't what he had in mind. "I
like my own identity."

"I know you do, Mulder. We will have to find a way so
you can still be with Scully, but it's going to be hard."

"I know."

***
Present Day
David Miller's Apartment

Mulder looked miserably at the ceiling. He 
was frustrated for not being himself. Life
without Scully had been unbearable for him. He
kept the tabs on her without alerting her. The tears
rolled down his cheeks; however, he wasn't sure 
why it was so hard to get back his life. He saw 
the other man in his life, living his life 
with the woman he loved: Scully. 

It pained him immensely having to have 
a different identity. He knew, deep within his soul, 
that this was only temporary. His gut 
told him this -- he wanted to believe 
so badly that he would return to her. He
knew the sadness Scully felt when she 
came back from the abduction without
their child. He had learned by attending a 
sonogram with Scully before they were both
taken that their unborn child was a girl.

For now, Mulder wanted to keep a safe 
distance from Scully. He needed to wait, 
to see if the time would come when he 
could come back to his life. 

But he couldn't.

Not now, anyway.

Soon, he hoped. 

As David Miller, he was still an FBI
agent. The only people who knew who
he really was were Skinner and the Lone
Gunmen. They helped him secure a 
new identity but with close proximity
to Scully. 

He didn't know how hard it would be to keep
the truth from her. He closed his eyes, 
remembering a time when he was able to
see her, to touch her.

***
May 4, 1998 

Scully opened to the door to reveal
Mulder. "Mulder, I didn't expect to see
you tonight."

"Are you OK, Scully?"

Scully nodded. "I just had a nightmare."
She saw him frown. "Don't worry about it."

"Is it from your abduction, Scully?"

"I don't know. I haven't thought about it,"
she said. She drew a sigh as she paused
briefly before thinking what to say. "Mulder?"

"What?"

"I can tell something's wrong."

"I'm just thinking...of how much I wanted
to apologize for the way I behaved to you.
I know you don't think much of Diana Fowley,
but please remember that you're the best 
partner I've ever had," Mulder said. He was
so afraid she would leave him. "I don't want
to lose you."

***

David opened his eyes. It just wasn't fair. He
was the one who should be with Scully, not
the decoy Mulder. He didn't even deserve
to be near Scully. "I want my life back. I can't
wait forever," he said to himself. 

Being near Scully those times helped him
tremendously, but he had to be careful 
because the decoy had lost his memory. It would
be impossible to go near her again. 

But he knew Scully was in deep despair. All
he wanted to do was to find some way for them
to be together, but how?

***

Scully was walking briskly down the
hallway to Mulder's hospital room. Ever
since they got back from the Pacific
Northwest, he had been avoiding her. All 
she wanted was some knowledge of some 
kind of clue to what she was with Mulder.  

When she entered his hospital room, she
prepared herself for the worst to get some 
dignity back. "Mulder?"

Mulder gave her a blank stare as he
looked into her blue eyes, trying to find
some recognition. Anything to jumpstart 
his memory. "I have no idea who you are -- " 

"I'm Dana Scully, Mulder. Your partner."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I wish I knew. That's all,"
Mulder said.  

"Why do I need to tell you anything?" she
asked more to herself than to Mulder. 

***

After Mulder's release, Scully wished things
would return to the way they had been in the early
days of her partnership with him. She strolled
aimlessly down the hallway to the morgue at 
Quantico. She was sent down there in the meantime
while Mulder was recovering at his apartment. She
wasn't assigned to Quantico, it was just that when the
caseload was light, she sometimes volunteered
to work on other agents' cases. *It just isn't fair,* 
she thought. *I miss the way Mulder used to be. He
always told me where I stood.* 

She missed Mulder. 

She missed the way he used to gaze at her. 

She was unaware that someone was looking at her
from a distance. 

***

Scully had an appointment to be at a meeting
with Skinner that afternoon. As she was walking
off the elevator, she heard some flirting from a familiar 
voice -- Mulder's -- talking to a female agent. She knew
she shouldn't hold it against him, but she wondered why
it hurt so much. 

"Scully, this is Shannon Kennedy. Shannon, this is
Dana Scully."

"Hello," Scully said. "It's nice to meet you."

"I've been seeing her lately. She's been...a great help
in my recovery," Mulder said. "We have such an excellent
time together."

"Look, Mulder, I'm sorry but Skinner wants to meet with 
me," Scully said. She didn't want to hear anymore.

As she walked away, she could hear Mulder's voice. "What's
her problem, Shannon?"

***

When Scully arrived at her apartment, she was 
exhausted. She was getting tired of being upset 
at Mulder's romance with Shannon Kennedy. She 
knew it was due to the fact he didn't remember 
her. She wanted to go to her bedroom, 
to write in her journal. 

But she couldn't.

At least, not yet. 

She heard a doorbell ring and knew who it was
 -- Mulder. "Hello."

"Scully, I just wanted to say..."

"Mulder, it's OK. I'm all right with you seeing Agent 
Kennedy."

"I just don't know how I'm supposed to feel, Scully. 
Everything is full of blanks -- I wish I could remember 
you."

"But you don't. All you know is that we're partners."

"Yes, but I gather it's much more than that," Mulder said.

*Much more than that,* she thought. "I guess you could 
say that. We were more, Mulder." 

"How much more?" He paused. "I need to know."

"We were very close, Mulder. I wish that you would 
remember."

"I wish I could, Scully."

"I know. I wish I knew whether I was coming or going 
with you," Scully said with a frown.

***

After Mulder left her, Scully returned to her bedroom, settling 
her journal on her nightstand. She wanted to write, to clear her 
thoughts. She felt confused, didn't understand why Mulder was 
acting so rudely to her. She knew Mulder had amnesia, but that 
didn't make the hurt any less. She started to write furiously after
she got out her pen: 

I used to believe that once Mulder and I became a couple, my life
would finally get back to the way it should be -- a house in Alexandria,
a caring husband, and a couple of children. Mulder told me to never 
give up on a miracle as he held me in his arms. We made love that
evening. I think we both wanted a miracle to happen that night.

But it didn't. 

I wanted to believe in a miracle. Unfortunately, I feel as though
God let us, especially me, down. Not once. Not twice. Several times
over the past ten years.  

The cruelest of fates happened: Mulder doesn't remember me. There's
nothing in his memory banks to remember his past and present.
He doesn't even care about me. He doesn't want to remember me 
at all.

Long ago, during the first year after his incident at Ellens Air Force Base,
he told me that he would never give up finding out what had happened
on our case. He didn't like that piece being gone from his memory. He 
would do anything in his power to retrieve it.

However, Mulder hasn't remembered that. He doesn't want to retrieve 
any of his memories. 

When He gave me Mulder that night, He should have told me he would 
taketh away. I know what the old Mulder would have done. I know if our 
positions were reversed he would move Heaven and Earth for me. 

But this was different now. I had plenty of chances. I have no hope to find 
him a cure, like he looked for me. I have no hope of a future now. 

Now that he's gone. 

Now that he has no memory with no 
promise of retrieval. 

Now that he's gazing at another woman 
instead of me. This hurts me to the core. 
I remember when he used to touch my
back and the way he gazed at me.

Now he's not gazing me at all. All he 
cares about is this new woman. I feel
invisible in my own little hell. I want to
flee. I want to run away from him. 

But I can't.

I still care for him. I still love him. I love
the man he used to be. Unfortunately,
I can't change him to be something he's
not. 


Her pen dropped from her hand. Her eyes
were blurred with tears. All she could think
of was what she had lost.

She knew deep in her heart that, if she prayed
for a miracle, she might get it this time. 

***

David Miller was walking down the hallway
towards his office at Quantico, where he taught 
criminal profiling, when he cringed at the voice he 
heard. He made a beeline for his office and shut the door 
behind him. He didn't want anybody to notice the 
similarities between the two of them. 

He knew Agent Mulder had lost his memory, but he 
wasn't worried about him. He was more worried 
about his partner. David had found out through
the Quantico grapevine that Mulder was sent 
there temporarily, and possibly, for good. 

No, it wasn't Mulder he was concerned with. He was
worried about Scully. He had heard from Scully's assistant,
who had worked with her on numerous autopsies, that 
Mulder was treating her badly.  

He knew from the grapevine at Quantico that they
would be going on an X-Files case with Skinner's
permission. His heart, for some reason, dropped
two levels when he heard that. He wanted to protect
her from the pain Mulder was causing her. He wanted
to hold her, to feel her near, and to be with her. How 
was he going to attempt to come into her life again? He 
wanted so badly to tell her the truth about himself, but didn't 
dare. 

From the first moment he saw her, David knew she was
going to be the one. He fell deeply in love with her that 
very day they met. 

She was still the key to his heart. 

David wondered if she knew he was in love with her. He
didn't know. The chances for him to be his true self with
her were extremely rare.

If only he could reclaim the life that he once knew with
her, then they would be both be happy. 

***
Scully sat in her chair in front of Skinner. "Sir,
I'm not sure if I'm ready to be on cases with Mulder. "
She wanted to get out of going, didn't want to be 
breathing the same air as Mulder. 

Mulder walked into the room, late as usual. "I forgot
what time the meeting was," he said apologetically. 
"I forgot how to set my alarm clock and then 
the traffic was a total nightmare."

Scully frowned. "You should have thought of that 
before dashing off with Agent Kennedy," she said
dully. 

"Agents, please leave your personal problems at
home."

"I'm not my brother's keeper, sir."

"I didn't say you were," Skinner said.

"If Scully doesn't want to go, then she should just
work on that autopsy," Mulder said. "It's really no
problem. Agent Kennedy could watch my back."

"I think Scully should go with you, Agent Mulder. 
Agent Shannon Kennedy isn't your partner; Dana Scully
is." 

Mulder frowned. He wasn't happy with Skinner's request.

And neither was Scully.

***

There was uneasy silence between the two agents 
as they left Washington DC to San Francisco, CA. 
"The city by the bay," she said. The airplane seat
she was sitting in was cramped and she was almost
in his lap. Normally, she wouldn't mind the tight 
leg room. 

But she wasn't talking to Mulder for varied reasons.
Sure, he had no memory of her. She was getting used
to it. She didn't like his need to flaunt Shannon in
front of her. 

"I always wanted to come here," Shannon said. She
was gazing intently at Mulder. 

"I always wanted to come here to spend time with the
woman I love," Mulder said. He turned towards 
Scully with an icy stare at her. "How about you?"

"No comment," Scully said. She decided to tell both
Mulder and Shannon a lie. She tried to hold it together,
but she realized she couldn't. "I won't be able to 
do this case after all. I'm going to be on vacation with
my brother, Charlie." She paused. "I've already 
cleared it with Skinner."

All Scully wanted to do was close herself off to him,
to Shannon, and to everyone. The coldness seeped
into her heart and didn't care what was going to
happen to her. Scully wondered when things turned 
wrong in her relationship with Mulder. It was strange, 
considering she used to have a different relationship 
with Mulder. He was loving, considerate, with an immense
passion that enthralled her. She closed her eyes, 
going to back to when things were right. It
was several years ago, back before she was abducted
but Mulder was. She had thought Mulder would come
back to her, but now she wasn't sure if he really had. Her
mind recalled a time when they were talking about the 
erlenmeyer flask case:

They were both at her apartment, going through their
case notes together before they were going off to meet
Deep Throat. She remembered the apprehension in her
gut, that something bad was going to happen. She knew
Mulder was gazing intently in her sky blue eyes.  

She could feel Mulder fingering her titian red hair and then he 
murmured in her ear. It was an intimate feeling that they both
shared.  "Scully? Are you OK?"

She looked up at him with fear in her eyes. She didn't want
to tell him about her fears for him. "It's just that I'm worried 
about this case."

He took her into his arms, feeling her heartbeat next to his.
Then he looked into her eyes again.  "Why?"

"You might think it's strange for me to feel this way. I wish
I didn't -- "

"Scully, tell me."

"You might think that I'm crazy, Mulder."

"I'm one to talk," Mulder said with a wry grin. "Come on, 
Scully. I think I believe just about everything."

"I'm afraid for you, Mulder. Something in my gut tells me
something will happen to you. It scares me to the core."

***

Charlie was waiting for his sister to arrive from 
Washington DC at San Francisco International
Airport. He saw his sister walking in with a man
and a woman. She seemed downcast, not speaking
to either of them. 

"Charlie, hi!" 

"Dana! So glad to see you," Charlie said. "When 
you told me you were coming out here while on a 
case, I knew I wanted you to stay with me."

"I'm glad you asked me, Charlie." 

Scully and Charlie walked together towards the 
baggage claim. "So -- who are those two that walked
in with you?"

"Oh, just these two agents that I worked with,"
Scully said sadly. She changed the subject. "How's
Pamela?"

"She's happy to see you," Charlie said. "So are 
Terri and Kate."  He paused. He lifted her bag
in the luggage cart. "Dana, did you pack a ton of
bricks?"

"No, I didn't," Scully said. She saw Mulder fawning
over Shannon. "Let's get out of here, Charlie."

"Do you need to talk to them?"

"No, I don't." She paused. "As far as I'm concerned,
they don't exist."

***

"Kimberly, I need to reach Agent Scully. I just
found out she's in trouble," Skinner said
as he peered from the doorway. "She's not
picking up her cell phone."

Kimberly turned around to face him in her
swivel chair. "I have no idea, Sir." She drew
a sigh. "Maybe Agent Mulder knows?"

"I don't want him to know," Skinner said. "With
his present amnesia, I think for safety reasons
that only person should know is Scully."

Kimberly nodded. "I think that's a good idea." She 
paused. "She's at her brother's place in Marin 
County."

"She is?"

"Yes, she is. I can phone her if you would like.
Who told you?"

"Someone who cares about her," Skinner said.

***

"Dana, someone is on the phone for you," said
Charlie. 

"Who?"

"Your boss," replied Charlie. He handed her
the phone. 

Scully took the phone from him and then answered.
"Scully."

"Scully, I received word that you need to come back
to DC."

"Why?"

"You're getting a new partner," Skinner said. "I
want you back in DC ASAP."

Scully put down the receiver and looked at her
brother. "Charlie, I have to go back to DC."

"Why?"

"I'm getting a new partner. I'm not sure if I even
like the idea of not working with Mulder, but he's
not the same man. He's hard to work with."

"I thought he's always hard to work with," replied
Charlie. "Bill would be thrilled."

"I'm sure he would be. You're not going to tell him,
are you?"

"I wouldn't do that, Dana," Charlie said. He paused.
"You should tell Mulder."

"He won't care. He's been dying to work with Shannon
Kennedy."

***

Three days later, Scully left San Francisco
for Washington DC. She was glad she didn't 
have to put up with a man who didn't want 
her around.

"You did fabulous work, Scully. I'm very
impressed with how you're holding it together, especially
under the circumstances," Skinner said.

"Thank you, Sir."

"I know Mulder will be out at the BSU
full time. You're going to have a new
partner on the X-Files."

"Who is it?"

"An agent named David Miller. He requested
you."

"Why?"

"He said that he always wanted to to be
on the X-Files and he always wanted to 
partner you."

"Sir, I want to do the X-Files myself for
awhile," Scully said.

"I can't accept that, Scully."

"I don't want someone who has 
a crush on me. I'm not saying David
Miller has a crush...but it would remind
me of what it used to be between Mulder
and I. I want someone who won't care."

"Agent Miller wants -- "

"I don't care if he's excelled in everything
known to man. No partners."

"Are you sure?"

Scully nodded. "I'm sure."

***

David heard that Scully turned down
his request to partner her. He decided 
to call her. 

"Scully."

"This is Special Agent David Miller."

"So?"

"I'm interested in becoming your
partner," David said.

"Why?"

"I've heard so much about you and the
X-Files. I want you to reconsider." He
paused. "You need someone who --"

"David, I'm sure you are a great agent,
but I need to be alone."

"How about a trial run as your partner for
three months? If you don't like me, then
you can find another partner."

"No."

"According to FBI regulations, you need 
someone to watch your back, especially
when dealing with mutants," David said.

She was weakening, he knew. He could
hear her softly agreeing with him. 

"All right, David. You can have a trial run
as my partner. I'll tell Skinner."

***

Scully was in the FBI cafeteria when a man
who looked exactly like Mulder approached
her. "Agent Scully?"

Scully nodded. "Yes?" 

"I have seen you around and you looked 
kind of...I don't know...out of it."

"Who are you?"

"I'm sorry. My name's David Miller." He took out his
FBI identication out to show her and she nodded. 
"Special Agent David Miller."

"So you're my new partner? Sorry, I didn't think 
many FBI agents would agree to do it," said 
Scully. 

"I have always been interested in them," David said. He 
smiled at her. "Always."

"Forgive my staring, but you look awfully familiar," said
Scully. She gazed into his hazel eyes. She could feel
the connection to him."You look like someone that 
I lost."

"You mean Mulder?"

Scully nodded. "How did you guess?"

"I get that all the time from people. The incident in the Pacific 
Northwest...has been all over Quantico. Before I was partnered
with you, I taught criminal profiling," David said. "I...I have 
seen you there before." 

'You have?"

David nodded. "Yes, I was there when you were
teaching pathology." 

"I've never seen you there," Scully said. "We must
have different schedules." She paused. "I'll be 
right back - I just have to put away my tray." 

"OK," David said. His hazel eyes gazed
at her and he thought that she looked
almost exactly when he last saw her. She still
looked like an angel to him. 

Scully walked up to David. She had to admit 
that she wanted to be cold to him, but he was 
thawing her heart of ice. The coldness she began 
to feel when Mulder lost his memory and 
began to see Shannon seemed to be easing.

"Agent Scully?"

"Yes?"

"Can I call you Scully? It's better than saying Agent
Scully."

"I don't see why not. You can call me either Scully or
Dana." 

"You can call me either David or Miller. I really don't 
mind." 

They both laughed. It was the first time Scully had 
laughed for awhile. 

Not since Mulder lost his memory.

"Scully..."

"David..."

They both laughed. David was the first to talk. "You
go first."

"I feel as though I've known you for years," she said
with a smile gently appearing on her features. "You're
so easy to talk to."

"I can say the same about you, Scully."

***

David was more than happy that Scully
reconsidered. He always wanted to transfer
to the X-Files especially when he learned 
what happened to her former partner. He 
looked like Mulder -- the way he used to be -- 
and acted just like him.

"I'm glad you accepted me, Scully."

"Why?"

"When I heard what happened, my blood
ran cold."

"Why?"

"Because I remember what it's like to
lose someone."

"Let me guess -- your sister."

David drew a sigh. "No, it's not a sister. Several
years ago, I lost the woman I love."

"She died?"

"No. I was taken from her. We were on a case."

"What kind of a case?"

"It was a case which shut down our unit -- that I 
heard."

"You heard?" She was puzzled. 

"I was taken during the case. My partner thought
that I would return to her. Unfortunately, she got
back someone who looked like me. He had my
memories, even, but he wasn't me. He didn't know
that we created a child together."

"What did you do?"

"When that decoy had her, I always looked
out for her. When she was missing, I looked
at UFO reports -- everything I could think of --
without the decoy finding out. I hated him getting
close to her but I knew someday that she would
return to me, that she would need me." He paused.
"And you do need me."

"I've never met you before, David."

"Scully, think back during the first year. Back
to the erlenmeyer flask case. You told me that
you trust my instincts, that you found something
of unknown origin."

"I remember that," Scully said. 

"I know this is going to be a shock to you,
but I'm really Fox Mulder."

"How is that possible?"

He softly laughed at what she said. "I knew
you would need proof." He paused. "I know
because I'm him. I'm more certain of this than
you had ever been, Scully. They kidnapped me
on the case. They threw me in the van
and beat me up. They used my DNA to create
a decoy. I thought they would return me to you,
but they didn't." He paused. "I always wanted
to be back with you. I came in here early to see
the files that I missed."

"Mulder.."

"Scully..."

"Mulder, you don't know what I have been 
through."

"I *do* know. I know what the decoy has 
put you through. I know we can't change
what happened to me, to you, and to us. We
were great partners, Scully." He paused. He
gazed into the deep blue pools of her eyes.

"I remember," she murmured.

"There were times when I actually got to 
see you, touch you. Remember that night?"

"It was you?"

Mulder nodded.  "Yes, it was me. I even told
you to never give up hope, to never give up
on a miracle." He paused. "I know the decoy
lost his memories of all that time with you,
with the X-Files. I know you're hurt, that you
want to be alone. I'm sorry for what that decoy
did to you."

"I don't know what to say," Scully said. 

"Do I pass the trial run?"

Scully nodded. "Yes, you do." She paused.
"I do have a question."

"What?"

"Did Skinner know that you're really Mulder?"

"Yes, he knew." He paused. "So did the 
Lone Gunmen." 

"How did they know?"

"I needed their help, Scully, to start a new 
identity." He paused. "I needed all the help
that I could get. I couldn't afford to come to
you. You would think that I'm some kind of
clone...or something. I couldn't risk that."

"But you did," Scully said. 

"Yes, I did...now."

"But if you're Mulder...then who is he?" asked
Scully. She was trying to figure this out in a 
logical way. "He looks so much like you."

"I have no idea, but I'm going to find out," said
Mulder. He pressed his lips to hers and then
they broke it off. "I know we're going to need to 
get through this, Scully."

"I know we will," she said. She watched him 
get his stuff together. "Where are you going?"

"You wouldn't want to know," he said ruefully. "I 
need you to trust me on this one."

"You know I trust you, Mulder."

"I trust you with my heart, Scully."

***

"Mom, I need to talk to you," Mulder said. 

Teena Mulder was stunned to see her son 
appear in the doorway of her bedroom. "Fox!
You startled me."

"Who is that guy who looks exactly like me? Is
he a clone?" Mulder asked. 

Teena frowned. Her son had found her other son, 
Christopher. "He's not a clone, Fox."

"He's not? Then how come he took over my life
for the past five years?" 

"I had no idea Chris would do such a thing to
you..."

"His name is Chris!"

Teena nodded. "Calm down, Fox. Christopher
is your identical twin -- Christopher William 
Mulder." 

"I have a twin?"

"Yes, you do."

***

"Mulder?"

He looked up to face Scully. They were laying next to 
each other in bed after a beautiful night of lovemaking. He 
couldn't sleep because of the news that his mother had 
told him. "I'm not sure what to make of this. My own twin 
took over my life for five years, Scully. I'm glad that I have 
another sibling...but I don't understand why he wanted to 
take over my life."

"Perhaps he thought that you had the better life?"

"I don't know what would give him that impression. Christopher
had a stellar career in the FBI; I didn't. He already had Shannon
as his girlfriend. Why would he want mine?"

"You had me; you have the X-Files. He was taken, remember? He
knew Samantha was taken. The thing is: he didn't know much about
you. This was probably his way of finding out if the grass was greener
on the other side of the fence," Scully said. She paused. "You need
to talk to him. You really do."

"I know," Mulder said. He drew a breath. "It's just that I lost
so much time with you, Scully. I don't want to lose every 
single moment with you."

***

Mulder and Scully walked up to Mulder's identical
twin and his partner. The decoy. It was a few months
later and the decoy claimed that his memories came
back. He remembered everything. 

"Do you know you were sent to be in my place?" asked
Mulder.

"They told me that they would harm Shannon if --:" 

"Chris didn't go along with their plan," continued Shannon.

Christopher turned to face Shannon. "Let me talk. OK?"

Shannon nodded. "All right."

Scully rolled her eyes. She still didn't like Shannon. Mulder had
assured her of his love for her; she knew she didn't have to fight 
for him. She knew Mulder's heart belonged to her. She reached 
for Mulder's hand and gave him a squeeze to let him know 
how much she loved him. 

Mulder eyed Scully's reactions and frowned. He knew it
was just a normal reaction, that her mind was still confused
at what Christopher had done to her. He wished
he could shrug it off, but it was hard to do so. "Scully?"

"I'm fine, Mulder."

"I didn't want that to happen," said Christopher. "It
wasn't that hard to become you, Fox. After all, I was
the second to be born after you."

"I thought it was Samantha," replied Mulder. 

"No, she wasn't. I understand how this might look...you
probably thought I was some kind of clone, made to look
like you using your DNA."

"That was what I was told in my captivity," Mulder said.
"I guess that's not true."

"No. Our parents knew what life I would have as soon as 
we were born. They kept you and Samantha, but I was 
given up for adoption. My name really is Christopher Mulder
but I like to go by Chris. Our parents always kept in touch
with me. It was a very unusual sitution because our Aunt
Anne and Uncle Frank took me in. Fox, you and Samantha 
visited until she was abducted." Christopher sadly 
smiled at his brother and his partner. "I know they 
did a horrible thing to you, Fox. I was taken, too. They 
basically returned one Mulder instead of the other." 

"But why did they force you to take my place?" asked
Mulder. He wasn't sure if he should be happy or mad. After
Samantha's disappearance, he had always wanted someone
to talk to when he was younger. He felt a part of him was 
missing.

Perhaps, it really was true. Someone really was missing.
His own twin brother. He looked at Christopher. They both
look so much alike from their hazel eyes down to the mole
in the left cheek. Even their voices were similar. Now 
he understood what Scully was going through. How could
she *not* have mistaken them both? She could never 
have figured this out on her own.

"From what I gathered in my various investigations with
Scully, they didn't want to be found out. They knew you would
have figured everything out much earlier than we did." 

"I always thought that I held you back," Scully said. 

"I didn't have Fox's training, Dana. I went to the University of 
Maryland, majored in psychology. I graduated with honors. 
However, it wasn't like his training at Oxford. After that, I went
to the FBI Academy at Quantico."

"So you're also Agent Mulder?" Mulder asked.

Chris nodded. "Yes, I am." 

"I wouldn't sell yourself short if I were you. There's nothing wrong
with the University of Maryland. They have a wonderful psychology 
program," Scully said. "I graduated from the University of Maryland."

"I guess I was jealous of his achievements," muttered Christopher. 
"I tried very hard to be you, Fox. It was so hard." He paused. "We're
going to have to explain to Skinner about this."

"Actually, Skinner knew that I'm Mulder."

"He did?" asked Christopher, incredulous. "How?"

Mulder looked at Scully, who gazed at him. He knew he 
owed them both an explanation. "I told him after I came 
back. He knew I was really Mulder, but we weren't sure 
what would happen if it all hit the fan. So we
kept people in the dark for Scully's safety. She was being 
targeted by forces at work, trying to sever ties."

***
The past seven months of being with Scully had been pure
bliss. They caught up on the nuances of being together.
It was the most wonderful experience of Mulder's entire
being, of being with her. She told him about what happened
to her during the past five years he was taken from her. 

Everything. 

It saddened him to the core when he learned she had
cancer as a result of her abduction. When they found
Emily, they petitioned to adopt because she was their
child. 

The child that was taken from them when she was 
abducted. Now they could finally have her. 

Mulder could hear Scully calling his name. He
wondered if she had gone to the doctor's about
her illness. He feared the cancer was back. "In
here, Scully."

"Mulder?"

"Yes, Scully."

She entered Mulder's den. They had been living together now for the
past seven months. "I'm pregnant."

"You're pregnant?"

Scully nodded. "I couldn't believe it, Mulder. I thought...it was
just the flu. We're having a baby!"

"This is the best news you could have given me, Scully. I'm
so thrilled!" exclaimed Mulder. He paused. "Scully, do you
remember what I said back at your apartment all those 
years ago?"

Scully nodded.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Scully, do you
want to marry me?"

A smile appeared on Scully's face and Mulder knew her answer
before she said it. "Yes, Mulder, I will marry you."

***

Mulder was snuggling against Scully's smooth skin 
while the two of them were in bed together. He fingered 
Scully's pregnant stomach. Seven months of bliss 
had come and gone. He was in heaven, full of love 
for his wife and unborn child. "Scully?"

"Yes, Mulder?"

"I'm so happy at how things worked out for us," Mulder said.
"I was so afraid that I would never have this moment."

"I know what you mean, Mulder. I was so scared that
I would never have you," Scully said as she put her 
arms around him. 

"I know what you mean, Scully. We have the rest of our
lives to be together."

"Mulder?" she murmured into his ears. 

"What?"

"I never asked you this, but I think that I should. Are 
you happy being your true self again?" asked 
Scully. She pressed her lips onto his for a 
connect-the-dots kiss. She started to kiss him
on his chest, then his neck, his cheeks, and 
then she placed the sweetest of kisses on his
lips. 

Mulder nodded. "For the past five years, I was 
pretending to be someone whom I wasn't. I'm happy 
that I'm back being who I am. And I'm the happiest
that I've ever been because I can love you fully and 
openly."

"I'm glad," she said as she smiled at him. 

***

The petition to adopt their daughter was granted. Emily
Christina Mulder was brought to them. She was about
five years old, with strawberry blonde hair and deep blue 
eyes. Scully was the first to speak. "Emily."

"Hi Mommy," said Emily. She then focused her attention
on her father. "Hi Daddy." 

"Welcome home, Emily," Mulder said. He gently placed his
hand on Emily's hair. "You look so much like your Mommy."

Scully gently smiled at both Mulder and their daughter. Her
heart was blessed with the love she had for them. She could
feel Emily and Mulder wrapping their arms around her. "Let's
go home."

***
Epilogue

Emily settled back into life being near her parents. She
was so happy to be with them, so happy at a new beginning
for all of them. 

Now she was visting her mother at the hospital with her father.
"Daddy, did she really have two babies?"

Mulder nodded, and then he smiled at Emily. "Yes, she 
did."

"I want to see them."

Mulder was holding his daughter's hand while they
were looking through the glass at the nursery. "See that
baby, Emily, with the 'Baby Boy Mulder' -- that's your little
brother, William. And the baby with the 'Baby Girl Mulder'
is your new sister, Elizabeth." Mulder knew they were finally 
complete as a family 

And now they would start a new life. 

Together.

-- the end -- 


Feedback: Yes, please! Send to: eblair@sonic.net 


Author's Notes: