Part Nine

Rio de Janeiro PD

Wednesday, June 26th

In the afternoon

21st Day

"Sr. Walter and Sr. Thomas, over here." Paulo Saiko called them. The MPs and CPs had some of the suspected persons under arrest with the help of spies, who were still undercover. Everbody in Favelas who was on the streets when the police arrived, took cover and fled into the wooden sheds. There had been some shots, one almost hit Skinner, if it hadn't been for a little blonde, blue-eyed, marrooned skinned boy, who unexpectingly pushed him back by the legs causing him to fall, saving him from the bullet. The bullet pierced through the wooden wall as if it was made of butter. Skinner smiled thankfully to the little boy who oggled at him strangly for a moment, but smiled back. But the little handsome face got serious again, and the boy lifted his hand and touched the AD by his cheek. His crystal blue eyes were locked elsewhere, lost in a world just himself, but refocused on the balding man before him.

"Don't worry." He said, "You will find them. They're still alive." And with that the boy hustled away, leaving a dumbfounded AD behind.

"Hey, boy. Come back! What do you mean?" Skinner shouted after the boy but then, in the maze of narrow streets he lost him. He turned to Agent Plumper questioning him. "Did you hear him?"

"Yes, sir. It gave me the creeps." The agent answered when Detective Saiko approached them curiously.

"What's the matter, Senhores?"

"There was a boy, who said ... well, it doesn't matter... he saved my life."

Skinner was still abated by the words and moved to join to the group of the police officers and the arrested suspects.

From behind them the little blonde boy stared thoughtfully at the balding man. He was sure he would see him again one day, and it wasn't going to be a nice encounter. He retreated back to his little hole he called his home, thinking all the while of the balding man and his worries over his two friends. And on touching him had felt the sorrow and anger for what had happened to him not long ago, but that was all at the back of his mind, as his two friends had stumbled again into some kind of danger. He was also worried about his older brother, who hadn't come back, and he felt he never was coming back. He still was shocked by the sensation as he had felt him die, like some other friends of him. His brother never listened to him, also he warned him for the past month, trying to turn fate to another ending.

Unknown Place

Tuesday, July 1st

In the morning

26th Day

The days had passed and the wound on Mulder's shoulder and chest wasn't healing properly. She had tried all she could recall, and as a last resource she bandaged him with leaves and earth. He was in a fever again, shuddering violently. She wasn't feeling very well herself too, her head had began to pound all day . She didn't aknowledge it for a while, as she knew where they came from.

All she knew was that she had to go on for Mulder or he would not survive as well. Finally today he woke up but the fever was still there.

"The next time, please, let a big cat take what it wants. I'm getting too old for this stuff." He murmured, still very weak.

"I promise, as long it's not you it wants." She shot back.

"What's that smell?" Mulder wondered and his stomach began to growl. She smiled at him and reached for a piece of meat which was grilling over the fireplace.

"Well, Mulder-puppy. While you were sleeping like an angel, I got my bow and arrow in aim and ... hunted down a monkey. It got too near. Law of the Jungle." She had it grilled in pieces, as it reminded her too much of a baby, but they had to eat to survive.

She stood up, to turn the meat again on the fire, when she felt a little dizzy and fell to the ground.

"Scully, what's the matter ! Scully, talk to me !" Mulder cried frantic, still trying to get up, but managed only to pull himself to her without standing up, crawling as a kid in his weakened condition. Finally he got where she laid unconsious and cuddled her in his arms, trying desperately to wake her up. "Come on, Dana, don't let me down. You promised." Her eyelids fluttered open, and she focused on him a while and smiled weakly.

"Well, I thought I would never hear you say my name. Means that, I can call you Fox now?"

"Anything you want, Scully, as long as you don't give me another heart attack." He embraced her tightly kissing her forehead and all her face and then deeply on her lips, almost as he were afraid if he unfastened his grip.

Scully reached up to his face to wipe the tears away. "Don't worry, Mulder. I'm OK now. I don't want to leave you alone here." She said. 'Not if I can help it,' she thought quietly to herself.

"I thought you said you would call me Fox now." Mulder said among his kisses.

They stayed embraced till high afternoon, sleeping and dozing near the fire to hold them save from the animals.

That's how the four Indio warriors found them two days later on their way to their tribe, deep in the jungle. They were worried first, to see the couple of white people embraced on the ground, not sure if it was wise to approach them, as the white people only gave sorrow for their people.

Ubiratan was the only one who had ever seen white people, and it hadn't been a pleasant encounter. But these two were wounded and barely alive. He turned to his companions and asked them to help him with the couple. It was almost impossible, to separate them, so tightly the man was holding his female.

They were very strange to them. The female's hair was red like theirs, but it wasn't plastered alike with clay to give the effect of red hair, it was red by itself. Finally getting them apart, they saw the claw's wound, which was already infected by bad spirits and the man's forehead was hot of fever.

The female didn't seem harmed, but was unconciousness. The best was to bring them to their tribe and the knowing hands of the medicine-man.

They made a hammock and put them together in it, and as they were four each one took an end and they carried them to the nearby tribe, after retrieving all of what the two had scattered around.

On the way the male opened his feverish eyes, and his first search was for his female and pulled her tightly to him again, only then he aknowledged the Indios, he could see from there. One of them smiled tentatively at Mulder and he smiled back and dozed off again.

The Indios chatted between them in their ancient singing language. Ubiratan was amazed by the male's eyes.

"Did you see, Guapi? He has eyes as the jungle."

"Yes, Ubiratan. But he is so tall. He is even taller than Abajara." Said the other beside him smiling. He was known as the witty fellow.

"Do you think, pajé Taiguara can help them? The female didn't wake up yet."

"The medicine-man is very wise. He knows everything, and don't you remember? He said a moon ago, the sky is going to bring a couple of white to us. The great spirit of the jungle is by their side and Mother Earth is looking for the female. They will be saved." Said Juremar, all important. He was the oldest of them all, he was already fourteen summers old and soon he would be allowed to marry.

They reached the tribe in the same day. All the people came out of their ocas and gathered around to see what the four young warriors had brought. A man with a big mask approached them and the others gave him way.

"So, you have finally brought the two from sky and with the good spirits on their back. Bring them to my oca I will help them. Ubiratan, you made fine, come and help me. The others stay back and pray to the great spirits for the two. They will need them for what they have been chosen." With that the old medicine-man went back to his oca followed by the four young warriors and the two protected by the spirits.

Friday, July 4th

In the morning

29th Day

"Dana... Scully!" Mulder called in his sleep, he couldn't find her and felt like he was trying to make his way through thick morast and the overhelming density of foliage keeping him away from his Dana. He wanted desperately to hold her tight in his arms. Through the thicket of his nightmare he could hear a strange voice whispering to him, soothing him. He awoke with a start, looking widely around, not bothering with the pain which got through his upper body. Strong hands pulled him down and held him gently so he would not hurt himself more.

"Ubiratan, put the female beside him, he's not calming down if he can't see her. Their bond is too strong and they would die without the other." Said the old pajé pinning the man still down and treated the open wound with his medicine from mother earth.

He helped Ubiratan to place the small woman to the man's side and as he said, as the male was aware of the body beside him, he calmed down.

With the sunrise, and when the evil spirits weren't around, he would be able to help the unconscious female with her infirmity.

End of part nine

Obs.- the several i's on the ends of a word sometimes are the pronunciation they use here. Joe for ex. comes always out as Joey so Fox is Foxi i like the e in be. And the *....* are Portuguese frases.

"tio" means uncle, pronounced (tshee-you) and kids till 20 use it to address older people than they are, which name they don't know, and also when addressing sometimes the teachers. In Brazil we speak Brazilian Portuguese with touches of Tupi/Guarani (Indio language) mixture sometimes.

In all other South American countries is Spanish the spoken language.

Part Ten

Rio de Janeiro PD

Thursday, July 3rd

03:25 pm

28th Day

Skinner was a little obsessed to find out who the little boy was and resolved to go back to the Favela and search for him. Perhaps he had a link to what was going on with his agents.

When he got there and was half the way up the neverending stairs of the hill, he thought perhaps it hadn't been a good idea to go there alone. All the people he passed by where observing him and some he saw nodding, curious about his mission. He saw some kids playing soccer and the ball landed in front of his feet by the kick of an entusiastic little player. They seemed to be born with players-feet. He kicked it back and smiled tentatively at the kids.

"Senhor, that's not very wise to come here alone." he heard a man's voice from behind. He turned around and saw a tall man observing him, leaning on the door entrance with a speculative glance.

"Fabio, let him alone." Skinner looked down startled, when he felt a little hand taking his own in a gentle grip. It was the boy he was looking for.

*Why should I?* the man called Fabio asked in Portuguese.

"Because he's my uncle fromi *Estados Unidos* (United States)." The little boy answered squeezing Skinner's hand giving him a hint to be quiet.

*I didn't know, you had an uncle there, Chico.*

*Mom, said it, when she died, and I wrote him, and he's here. And it doesn't matter, why he's here anyway.*

*I don't think so, Chico. That's my piece. I'm the one who rules here.* Fabio said treatening and came closer towards them, with his hand on his back.

Chico lifted his right foot in a twist and launched forward and kicked Fabio in his guts, still holding Skinner's hand. Fabio went down yelping in pain and was helpless for a moment, giving them time to try to escape. All the people hid rapidly in their colorful houses and wooden huts.

"Come oni!" the boy said to Skinner and dragged him down the stairs with all the speed he could manage. Skinner ran and let himself been dragged away from the Favela. Near the street the boy slowed down and whistled for a taxi. Good timing, the moment they got in it, they heard the cries of anger from Fabio behind them.

*Gee, boy! What happened? Another crazy stranger who thought he could go unharmed into the Favelas? Good thing you helped him out.* the taxi driver said kicking the speed pedal to jump away in high speed, only slowing down, when they were in the highway. *Where to?*

Chico turned to Skinner.

"Which hotel do you are checked in, tio?" he asked with his bright blue eyes looking trustful up to the dark eyes.

Saturday, July 5th

In the morning

30th Day

Mulder awoke from his fever by the first rising of the sun, and found himself in a primitive construction, made of bamboos and with a roof of "sapé" (name of diverse grasses). His first thought was for Scully and for his sake, immediately felt her warm body in his arms, resting against his sound chest and shoulder. Caressing her red hair he only then anknowledged the man by his side eyeing him with curiousity. He seemed very short, and definitely was an Indio, a very old Indio. Mulder tentatively smiled up to him, not sure what else to do.

The old Indio smiled back, with surprisingly white teeth for a man at his age. Mulder heard a sound from the other side and saw an old Indio woman entering the hut with some earthenware bowls, with a beige squash and a mug.

"Nher FA(Eat)", she said to the old man who motioned her towards the couple in the hammock. She giggled when she saw the hazeleyes, and held him shyly a bit of the squash before his mouth.

"Tebanga (delicious)", she said and made the gesture of eating and rolling her eyes.

Mulder remembered the man's words, after they crashed. 'Eat everything, the natives give you, even if it's...' ... disgusting. He let her feed him and it was surprisingly good in taste. He smiled at her, and ate all she gave him willingly.

The old man approached again after he saw that Mulder was trying to wake Scully up, but she didn't. Mulder felt his heart go still, when he saw that she was bleeding by her nose again her face all so white.

"Dana, please wake up!" he said almost inaudible and the tears were falling freely down his cheeks then and he tried to wish the blood away. The old woman left the mug behind and the second bowl with squash and got out of the hut as the old man said something to her.

The old man helped him to wish the blood away, and the bleeding stopped suddendly.

"Teju!" he said than with his singing voice. "Tecóeyma teçay. Ototõi ooçanga, Piápyra. Pairubi Pajé ooçanga." He continued and tried to take Mulder's hand away from Scully, but he wouldn't let her go and nodded negatively holding her all the tighter. The old man caressed his hair and than the wet cheeks and wished the tears away and smiled at him reassuringly. "Piápyra, Coaracy pytybõ Tapitã. Nitio teçay." He touched Scully on her forehead. "Mbiruã marambora. Pajé ooçanga."

A youngster entered then and the pajé told him, to help him with Mulder.

"It's time to cure her from her unhealth, Ubiratan. My green-son Piápyra, does not understand the language of the men."

They turned back to Mulder, who was still embracing Scully oblivious to all.

The pajé took the mug and made Mulder understand, that he had to drink.

Mulder took a sip from the almost bitter water, as he was very thirsty. Soon he felt a little dizzy and fell back in the hammock and his gaze turned unsteady and very weak.

The old pajé caressed his wet cheeks again, and with Ubiratan's help took Scully from his arms and placed her on a mat on the earthy but clean ground in front of the fireplace. The pajé began to sing a monoton songspeech and was wearing a mask. Mulder saw with his blurred vision, that he was pouring mixed powder and a thick oil over Scully's head and face.

More short Indio men entered the hut from all sides and two pulled Mulder gently out of the hammock and placed him near Scully on his knees. The pajé approached him still singing monotonly and took the smoke of a pipe in and holding Mulder's face blew it through his nose, that Mulder had to enhale deep the spicy smoke.

He felt a moment of pain going through his body and then felt like he was going out of it in the form of a type of a hawk and flying out of the hut towards the trees flying higher and above and soon flew deep again and entering the body of a white jaguar in an incredible speed. He flew through the woods in a blurr and suddendly was in a large city nearing an old abandoned church in a mountain, somehow known to him, and as a bloody ritual going on and the face of the scary man he last saw in New York grinning hatefully at him, and than again he flew through the city almost not touching the ground and was back in the jungle, near the Indio village he pulled out of the white jaguar and back to the white hawk and awoke still kneeing beside Scully.

Two Indio men held him there, when he cried desperately as he saw the old pajé with a knife placed on Scully's forehead and more two held him that he couldn't move, just watch with blurred eyes. He saw the knife entering Scully, no blood was spilling out at all and the old Indio man entered his fingers in the open wound. The four men who were holding him in an irongrip pushed him narrower and the pajé took his hand gently releasing it and held it on Scully's face over his own hand. He looked almost hypnotically into Mulder's shocked eyes and then smiled beningly to him, taking his hand away.

As Mulder looked back to Scully with his teary eyes, he saw nothing but the clean unharmed face of Scully in front of him.

The Indio men released him and went silently out the hut, one by one leaving just Ubiratan and the old pajé behind.

Mulder still shaky looked up to the old pajé all but wonder in his eyes and bent then to take Scully back to his arms, also his shoulder wound wasn't hurting so much as before. Dana's eyes fluttered open and slowly focused in on his shiny hazeleyes and she smiled tiredly.

"Did you cry? I said I was ... " she glanced around , when she saw a movement and saw the strange men. Indios, she realized. She had never seen Indios, only the one who was with Sting some years ago and still then just on TV. The younger man, more a kid tilted his head to one side and locked his eyes on hers, amazed and talked shyly to the older one. She smiled to them.

"Scully, it was as a X-File, he blew something in my nose and suddendly I was a hawk, then a white jaguar and I flew through the jungle and then there was a city, where I saw the man from the warehouse in New York, making some ritual and then I was back and the old man had a knife in his hand and cut your scull, they hold me I couldn't reach you, and there was no blood but he took my hand and when ..."

"Mulder, stop it. Take a deep breath, calm yourself. It's all OK." Said Scully, holding a hand on his full lips and almost got a new headache from his endless speech like all had been one phrase. She looked at his shoulder wound and saw that it was almost healed. By the state of it, she had been out of contiousness quite a while. That was explaining his eagerness. She felt much better than before and felt not a single headache and she was really hungry.

She saw the two Indios talk again and the old one giggling, hiding his mouth a bit.

"Pajé, did you see the females eyes? They are as the sky and her hair as mother earth."

"Yes, Ubiratan, and his eyes are as the jungle, but I should have called him Nheeng Cetá, the chatter, and not Piápyra. Tapitãoby made well to shut him up. Bring some food, they are fine now, but they need strenghth and must eat much. And they have to take a bath too. My oca is not meant for skunk. But let them eat first. Hush, hush."

Half an hour later Mulder and Scully were hushed out the oca. Some Indio women took Scully with them off Mulder's side, who wanted to follow her, but the old man grabbed him by his wrist and talked to him in his singing language, all the while balancing his head negatively and headed with the tall man in the other direction and pulled him after. There was nothing left for Mulder then to follow him.

Scully had no other choice either. They reached a nearby river and some of the women began to tug at her remaining clothes, while the others began to take the community bath and soon the children were there too, planching and bathing as well. After a first shock, Scully finally gave in and took her clothes away. The Indio women were all the time almost naked, no one of them had ever seen a bra. They began to touch her, making sure, her skin was not painted and also her hair and bathed her meanwhile with an aromatic homemade soap. The women were chatting all the time, with their singing voices. With time Scully found it very funny and saw, it was not meant to be offending, and touched them too to show her willingness to go on. They began to compare their skin and held their hairs together, to show the diffeence between the red strains and their strong silk blue shining black hair. In smiling, it seemed to be costume to hide the mouth shyly behind the hands in the good natured natives. And she was for the first time taller than other women around her.

Mulder had an equal destiny more down the river, just that the Indio men were rougher than the women. They dunked him into the cold water without remorse and soaped him all over. He blanched trying to stand up but lost all the time his balance by the playful Indios.

The old pajé just gave his orders from the secure margin, smiling all the while, by the way the tall man tried to get hold of himself.

End part 10

v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v

Part Eleven

Rio de Janeiro

Thursday, July 3rd

05:15 pm

28th Day

The hotel clerk had just looked a bit startled when Skinner arrived with the little streetboy, holding his hands.

"Bring some food, or even better two dinners to my room, 45, please." He addressed the clerk.

"Sim, Senhor! It will be brought in half an hour. Any preference, Senhor?"

Skinner looked at his short guest if he wanted anything special.

The boy grinned wide to the clerk and said in Portuguese.

*Two feijoada, please. Complete. My uncle never tried it, and a Caipirinha and Swiss lemonade.*

The clerk raised an eyebrow questionngly and asked.

*Uncle?*

*Sure, what did you think? Something else? He's not one of that kind. He's my Daddy's brother. And I'm very happy, he found me.*

*Sorry, boy. I didn't mean to offend.*

When they were at the hotelroom, Skinner asked sheepishly.

"What was that all about down there?"

"Nothing too much. I just said, you were my uncle to prevent any questions and than I ordered feijoada for us. You have a real nice room here. Wow, there is even a TV, you are surely rich, what?"

Skinner smiled. "I'm sure not rich, just the average. And what is feijoada?" and sat down by the table and motioned his guest to sit on the other chair.

"Feijoada is our national meal. Everyone who comes to Brazil has to taste it at least once." The boy looked still around marveled, how he would like to live somewhere like that by himself and not in the streets. His brother on the other hand had loved the streets and became meaner the more he spent with the bad guys. He was 100 percent sure Alexandre was dead. Killed by the man in black, he always saw in his dreams. He looked back to the silent man in front of him. "What's your name?"

"Walter Skinner. And yours?"

"Francisco Wagner Souza de Almeida da Silva. But everybody calls me Chico."

"Geez, does everybody in this country have such a large name?"

"Many do. My mother's name was even longer, she had 12 names."

Skinner looked him a little as if not believing.

"I'm not kidding, Senhor Walter."

"Well, it's been at least half an hour and our dinner should arrive."

Chico giggled, "Did nobody tell you, that half an hour means at least na hour here? I never saw someone come on time here."

In a way Skinner liked the little openhearted boy very much and ruffelt his blond silky hair.

There was a knock at the door.

"Well, today someone is on time."

"I don't think so. Didn't I say it? " the boy said when Skinner opened the door and Plumper walked in.

"Sir, I was really preocupied, when you left without..." Plumper began, but stocked in the middle of the frase when he saw the little boy from the Favelas.

"Good that you're here, Agent Plumper. Let me introduce you to Francisco ...hm... well, he's called Chico, Chico, this is Thomas Plumper."

"Nice to meet you, Senhor Thomas." The boy walked to him and the agent took the hand to shake.

"The pleasure is all mine, Chico." He looked questioningly at Skinner.

"He saved me when I went stupidily alone to the Favelas. Again." Skinner explained smiling. "Join us for dinner, Agent Plumper. He is introducing us to fei..feij..." He looked down to Chico.

"Feijoada. No one can come to Brazil and not eat it."Chico stated, smiling wider, he was really hungry now, just thinking that he was going to eat a real feijoada.

"Feijoada?! I heard about that, sir. A waiter recomended it to me for the next meal."

When Chico came back from the bathroom, where he refreshed himself a little, the waiter was setting the table and also bringing a spare plate for the other man half an hour later. And excused himself and went away leaving them alone.

"What a spicy smell, what's that? It's all black, Black beans."

"Black beans, cooked with 'carne seca' I don't know the exactly word, but it means dry meat, translated word for word,several spices. You have to put first the rice in the plate, yes, and now the feijoada with the different kind of meat and over it a bit of Mandioca, this white mandioc flour, and vinagrete. This green vegetable is called Couve, to accompany it. Hmm, it's really very fine cut in the lenghth." Chico explained, making his plate with shiny content eyes, making Skinner laugh by the high mountain he made. Sure a little boy like this couldn't eat that much.

"What's that?" he asked, holding a little bottle up.

"No, Senhor. Don't put too much of that on your meal or it will be impossible to eat it, it's very, very hot. But, put the vinagrette, it's not that hot and the mandioc flour calms it down."

Plumper tried first a little bit, after he saw how the little boy stuffed it into his mouth happily. It was really good, even if the appereance wasn't that great, as all was very dark, even the meat at a first glance.

They ate in silence almost all the time, till Plumper coughed when he drank the drink.

"Shit." He exclaimed still coughing and his eyes red from tears. "What's that?"

"Ha, ha, ha. Caipirinha, don't drink it that fast. It's made of sugar-cane snaps, called Pinga, a green little lemon mixed with a lot of sugar. It's very strong, but very good during feijoada, but in little sips. But never drink just Pinga. It attacks the brain, if you drink too much and people get very mean, when they drink too much, but not the Caipirinha." After a glance from Skinner to his glass, he added. "Mine is just Swisslemonade, ...lemonjuice."

Unknown Place

Sunday, July 6th

In the morning

31st Day

Mulder felt slightly silly with his new clothing, but there was nothing left of his suit, and frankly his boxershorts had seen better days either.

The old woman, it seemed the pajé's wife, had made him some sandals while giggling all the time over the long size of his feet. There seemed to be a lot of giggles all the time from every native on his behalf. He had felt rather embarrased, when they had bathed him the other day, as if he couldn't had made it by himself, and as a Indio is totally hairless beside his head you could imagine their wonder and giggles all the more.

And Scully's chuckling then, when they brought her to him, were almost too much and if he could, he would have hidden himself in a dark hole, or maybe that wasn't such a good idea, there could be snakes in them or other dangerous animals. So he was now clothed like an Indio. A cord held a long red colored skin going over the frontside cord and between the legs and again over the backside cord. They tied an overarmband with some colored feathers on his right overarm and two right under his knees and at last one thin headband, but thank God without feathers, but even as he had tried to convince them otherwise had clad him with the red substance they had in their own hair, and gave him his spear back, just enhanced with little feathers as well and a sharp stone tip.

Scully on the other hand was allowed to wear her bra, even when all the native women were naked from the waist on upwards. And from her remaining jacket there was made a short one, without sleeves, on the rest she was clothed the same way as he was. He smiled suddendly as he remembered that there were Indio tribes, were the women were naked downwards too, and had just a single cord around their hips.

He would like to know how his Scully would have handled it then, but then he sobered up again just remembering that men in those tribes were naked too. Thank God, they weren 't in one of them.

End part 11

 v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v

Part Twelve

Rio de Janeiro

Thursday, July 3rd

06:15 pm

28th Day

*Flavio, Mauricio said, that a gringo was here.* asked the man in black with his dark evil eyes.

Flavio felt uneasy under the man's gaze. * Yes, Senhor Raul. An American, he was here the other day with the police as well. Chico said that he's his uncle from America.*

*Chico?*

*Yes, Senhor. Alexandre's brother, the one I brought you last week.*

*How old is this Chico?*

*About eight or minor, Senhor. A slightly strange boy. Some say he has the vision.*

Raul's eyes darkened more by this statement, and felt a gooseflesh running down his spine. It was the one.

*I want him. Search for him.*

*Sim, Senhor. But, ... it can take some time to find him. As we don't know where he is in the moment.*

*It doesn't interest me when or where you find him, as long as it is before Sunday evening the Thirteenth of this month.*

*I will do my best, Senhor.*

*Not the best. Bring him or it will be your last action.* Raul said to the slightly trembling man.

Rio de Janeiro

Skinner's hotelroom

07:00 pm

Skinner looked amazed at the tiny boy in front of him. Plumper and he had stopped eating after the first plate, totally oversatisfied with the huge meal they ate, and this tiny little boy was by his third over piled plate of the meal and still eating as it was the first. By the way, the two dinners would have been enough for at least 6 persons with good health, but after he saw this little boy eating, he began to understand, that the meal must be the usual for Brazilian, and sure not too much.

Suddenly he saw Chico stiffening and thought, that he had finally finished and he would throw up, but the boy's gaze seemed lost elsewhere and a slight shudder shoke the tiny frame and the gaze came back, and he looked totally lost to Skinner. Tears were running down his cheek and in a rush he dashed to Skinner and hopped in his lap, holding him tight around his waist, hiding his face on the large chest. Skinner held him tight, not understanding what was going on. From one moment to another the overjoyed boy became an angstful little being.

"Shsh, what's going on, Chico? What happened?"

The little boy looked with his shiny and teary eyes up to those gentle ones and after taking a big breath said all so lost.

"The evil man is looking for me. And he will take me. Nothing can help it."

"What evil man, Chico? Don't be afraid, I surely won't anyone take you away."

"There's nothing you can do, tio. Sorry I stained your shirt." He said and tried to get down, away from the gentle man who hold him securely, even not knowing him that well, but was held in place.

"Hey, aren't we're friends now? About whom are you talking about?" he asked and looked for an instant to Plumper, who was very silent, leaning back on his chair.

"The evil man who took your two friends. They were very lucky to get away from him, before they reached their destination." He said slowly.

"Lucky? They crashed, and I don't know if they are alive or not."

"They are alive, and were very hurt, but now they are fine and help found them."

"How do you know this?" Skinner asked and felt a little shudder go through the boy and looked at him closely.

The boy smiled and then leaned his head on the large chest again and said with little yawning.

"I know it, because I can see them sometimes. The old pajé is holding them secure until time has come to return them. Don't worry. It's not time yet to rescue them. Do you know a man called Fernandes?"

"No."

"Well, when you find him, he will take you near the two... ." He fell asleep in the middle of the phrase. The day had been long, and he didn't have slept the day before as well.

"What are you going to do with him, sir?"

"First of all I'm going to put him under the covers. Tomorrow we will see what can be done." He stood up with his tiny burden and took him to his bedroom, tugging him under the covers after pulling the sneakers away. He observed him for an instant sleeping peacefully, then went to the door and switched off the light and closed the door.

"Strange boy." Said Plumper still feeling a slight shudder running down his spine.

Unknown Place

Sunday, July 6th

about 2 in the afternoon

31st Day

"Mulder, where are you going?"

"And I know? That old man made me throw my spear for more than an hour now and keeps talking, and I can't understand him. But I think, he's not very impressed by my aiming at all. I said to him to call me Mulder. But does he it? No, he calls me Piápyra, here, Piápyra there. Hey!!" the old pajé took him again by his wrist and some other Indio men followed him. Scully tentatively tried to follow as well, but was soon taken by the wrist by the women, with the task to pull up and down, as some other women, a big heavy wooden pestle in an also wooden cylinder form, where she could make out some corn. By the appeareance it seemed to be for the squash they made. A little boy of about three years, was helping her at times and poured some new corn in the form.

Mulder in the meanwhile was being introduced in the art of fishing.

Fishing with his spear.

"Fishing?! That's something I like to do. But with a spear?" he murmured to himself, and as always when the old man thought he wasn't taking attention enough he held him by his jaw and turned it to observe what he was trying to teach him. He was beginning to enjoy it and oblivious to anything else so deep buried in his task, he distanced himself a bit from the others going a little deeper in the clear water. Suddendly he saw a movement not far away and presting more attention saw an aligator coming towards him and the old man shouting at him. He froze for a moment, but then tried to pull out of the water.

"Oh, shit. Where's the damn aligator? " He saw a dark shadow under the water, coming towards him and shortly after felt something biting him. He groaned and stuck the spear franticly in the water, but was pulled down. He could make out the contours of the reptil and half of his leg in the big mouth, he was almost out of air, when he saw some Indios swimming around him and stack their own spears in the aligator, before he lost contiousness.

He woke up in the oca of the old pajé again, with Scully on his side holding him.

"I can't let you for an hour alone, that you are again wounded. This time it was an aligator. The only thing left now is that a pirranha attacks you."

"Sorry, Dana. But just say me one thing. Do I still have my two legs?" he asked in a whining voice.

"Oh, Mulder. Sure." She answered and gave him a full kiss on his still moist lips. "And be more careful the next time. One day you will give me a heart attack. I don't know, but this old medicine-man is amazing. You're wound is already closing with just these plants he puts on them."

The old pajé walked in and stood beside the hammock, where the two lay intangled, balancing lightly.

"Piápyra, nheoautã. Tapitãoby, nher FA." He said and made the gesture for eating. Then he handed Scully an earthen plate with more squash and some meat and fish. Certainly thinking she was to slow for his behalf, he took a bit of the meat and shoveled a handful in Mulder's mouth and then in Scully's as well and gave them a mug to drink and left nodding the oca.

"Ubiratan! Come here! I'm going to leave the tribe in two days. Is my other white son Abajara back?"

"Yes, Pajé. He came back this very moment with the older warriors." Said Ubiratan howering down beside the old pajé in the typical Indio seat, differently from the American Indios they used to sit on their heels without sitting down to the ground and surrounding their knees with the arms in balance.

"If it is allowed to ask, why are you going away, Pajé?"

"It's important for you to know, why I am leaving. I have to take Piápyra, his female Tapitãoby and Abajara back, where they belong."

"No, Pajé. They belong to the tribe now." Interjected the youngster vehemently.

The old pajé calmed him down, holding him by his arm.

"Ubiratan, they do belong, but they also belong to the other world, and they are needed there. I know, it isn't easy for me either to loose Abajara, but it has to be. And I have taught you almost everything that you have to know to replace me."

Ubiratan's eyes grew wide at that.

"Pajé,..."

"No. There's no time for nonsense. I am old now and it's time to go for the long voyage as all the warriors do."

End of part 12

Obs.: Alexandre is pronounced aleshandree.

Part Thirteen

Unknown Place

Sunday, July 6th

about 3 in the afternoon

31st Day

"My son, Abajara. You are going with me and my new son Piápyra and Tapitãoby." The pajé said to a rather tall man in his fifties, he was clothed like an Indio, but even under the tanned skin, it was obvious, he wasn't one. He was limping on the right leg from an old injury he couldn't remember. He had been found by the old pajé many years ago, wounded and with amnesia as well. Quite readily he had been adopted by the friendly tribe. He had married once, but his wife had died shortly after the unborn child, and he never took another wife.

He was content to be out hunting and help his adopted father and mother and the rest of the little tribe.

"Where to, my father? Can I see now, my new brother and his wife?"

He said eagerly, they were the first like him who came to the tribe since he has been with them.

"Sure. Perhaps my son can understand his brother who came from the sky from a very far away land. I was waiting for you three days now. Come and greet them. Your mother has made meal. Let's share it. We will go after two sunrises. The Great Spirit of the Jungle will lead us."

Abajara went in after his father. The couple was still in their hammock balancing slowly and they were kissing, but got guilty parted, when they noticed them. The old pajé giggled as always when he saw them and patted Mulder's and Scully's head and brought Abajara nearer. He hoped he could comunicate with the two, it was time to move on.

Rio de Janeiro

Skinner's hotelroom

Thursday, July 6th

05:00 pm

31th Day

Chico had now been with Skinner for two days, sharing his hotelroom. He was lurking around carefully not to destroy anything.

When his mother was still alive, they had had a TV, and she always made sure they had enough to eat, by working as a domestic maid in three different apartments for a family and two bachelors.

But it had also been the time when Alexandre had began to go to the streets when their mother wasn't at home. And short after her unexpected death, he had left the house the same day and took him with him.

He had also known for a while that he had used crack and other drugs, but at least he hadn't let him been drugged as some other boys always tried. If it wasn't for the sacks with the intoxicating clue they smelled all day long, they now used crack introduced by Sr. Raul Donato into the Favelas, to keep the minors under his power.

A minor could kill, but not be charged. That made them the perfect dealers. Chico had never been attracted by drugs or stealing around as his brother and in a way had felt protected by his big brother, until now. He was almost eight years old now. He had loved to go to school, when his mother still was alive, and she had made sure, he would go, but all complaining had failed in Alexandre, and now it was too late.

He sighed. Wasn't it time for the huge guy to come back? He had gone to the DP all day since he met him. He saw a file on the drawer and peeked curiously in it, lifting the first page just a little bit. He went pale by the sight of one of the photos in it. He crouched down and held himself with his head resting on his joined knees.

That's how Skinner found him an hour after, rocking forth and back.

"Chico, what's the matter?" he whispered and took him in his large arms and held his chin gently up to face the teary, sad eyes which looked up to him.

More tears were rolling down the tanned face, and the boy embraced him around his neck hiding his face in the vaughn of his neck and shoulders and a muffeled voice answered.

"The photo in the file, it's Alexandre. I knewi he was deadi, but to see him like this..."

Skinner looked at the drawer and saw the file there. He should have put that away, knowing there was a child around, but he had simply forgot it, as he never had children around him. He occacionally saw his nieces and nephews, and only, when he visited his sister and sometimes his younger brother and families.

He sat down on the couch still holding the tiny boy.

"I'm sorry, Chico. I know it's hard, but... you will see, all will become better one day. Cry as long as you must." He really didn't know much more what he could say to ease his pain, but it was cutting his heart in pieces to see this little troll that way, as he should be out playing and laughing as all children should do.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in, it's open."

"Sir, I... . What happened?" Plumper asked.

"He saw the file I brought from the States with the photos... " he paused for a moment. "One of them was his brother Alexandre."

"Sir, perhaps he knows whose behind all the murders. Mr. Washington ust told me, there aren't clues, just the known of Renato Soares."

Chico looked up at this and said still shakily.

"I know who is behind it. Raul Donato, he's very evil."

"Do you know, where he lives? Or looks like?" Skinner asked eagerly.

That was a turn.

"I don't know where he lives, but I saw him once, when he was dealing with Alexandre. Alexandre always made me hide, when people like them came, but I saw him from my hiding place. He is very tall, taller than you. He has dark evil eyes and hairs, and he isn't a Brazilian, even when he speaks like one." Chico said still embracing Skinner.

"Could you give his discription to a Police drawer, he'll try to draw him by what you remember." Asked Skinner smiling reassuringly to him.

Chico smiled back and nodded afirmatively. He surely would do all he could to help Skinner catch the man who killed his brother.

Unknown Place

Tuesday, July 8th

About 4 in the afternoon

33rd Day

It was hard for Abajara to understand the couple, but given some time he managed to make himself understood and he them. After all they weren't speaking Portuguese, but English and in this he wasn't so good. He remembered it from school, and for the first time he had a flash of memory when he had been a little boy, but it was only a flash and nothing more came through.

He translated as much as he could to the old pajé and he could see that he was very fond of the two and all the while ruffeld the younger man's pasty hair. They were now half a day away from the tribe and there weren't much ahead from their destination the old Indio said.

End of part 13

 v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v

Obs.: Taiguara means free.

Part Fourteen

Rio de Janeiro

Skinner's hotelroom

Tuesday, July 8th

10:30 pm

33rd Day

"Chico, would you be OK alone here for a while?" asked Skinner holding the tiny frame in his strong arms.

"Sure, tio. Don't worry about me. All will be fine." Chico reassured him.

They had a lead to Raul Donato thanks Chico's accurade discription but they were led again to Renato Alvares Soares's Ranch in Minas Gerais. And the Delegate Washington Pereira had arranged that Skinner and Plumper went along with him to Minas Gerais, as the Delegate there was a good friend of his, since childhood.

The only problem now for Skinner was Chico, he didn't want to bring him to the authorities as the boy before had said, he would run away, and by his heart, he wouldn't let him go. It was resolved now that he stayed at his hotel room, and the clerk would look in on him sometimes to make sure that he was okay.

They took a charter flight, which were very common here.

Minas Gerais State

São Francisco, by the river São Francisco

Wednesday, July 9th

07:45 am

34th Day

"Sr. Walter, we came some hours too late. Raul Donato is gone, but there are some rumors that a new expedition had gone to the Amazon. It seems they have found something, but I'm not quite sure what our spy there said, it is held as a big secret. Nevertheless, he is sure he can lead us there."

There was a strong knock at the door and a short but stocky dark-skinned man came in.

"Can I introduce you to Fernandes Guerreiro. Sr. Fernandes, these are the two gentlemen I told you about, from the efi-bee-ii." He said mispronouncing the FBI signs heavily.

Skinner and Plumper glanced at each other briefly, when they heard the man's name. After the greetings they studied their next steps.

The Delegate had some experience with the jungle and decided to accompany them as well as Paulo Saiko, and his friend was left to survey the ranch from a distance.

The expedition was ready by 11:00 am, Skinner and Plumper bought more appropriate clothes for their expedition, and the Delegate's friend handed them some weapons and all the rest for the expedition. Each one received a big but handy rucksack with all they needed.

Skinner made a final international call to Maggie. He had called her all night since he was in Brazil to comfort her. Even when she laughed cheerfully to his jokes, he had heard all the time how broken she seemed. It has been now more than a month since they had seen Mulder and Scully. After the phone call he made another to his hotel room in Rio, to check on his little guest. All was fine. Thank God, he thought, he was a bit worried he had left him alone there. But after all, as a streetboy he was used to it, and he should stop worrying.

But deep in his heart he couldn't help it.

Unknown Place

Friday, July 11th

About 4 in the afternoon

36th Day

"Hey, Abajara. Please say to the pajé Taiguara to slow down. I can't walk that fast." Mulder said already without breath, and Scully wasn't in a better shape either.

Pajé Taiguara giggled again. He had to look out for his Piápyra a lot more than on Tapitãoby. After crossing a large river swimming he was the only one who got almost strangled by a Sucuri, the watersnake.

He decided to rest for a while and use the time to put a strong magic on him. At least the snake and other reptiles would make a long arc around him.

"What does he want now?" Mulder asked Abajara frowning, when the old Indio began to paint his body with strange colored signs.

Abajara laughed a little. He liked his new brother.

"He said, he would put a magic on you that the snakes and other reptiles go out of your way."

Scully smiled disbilieving, well almost, she thought of Mulder's injury from the aligator. It was almost healed and there wouldn't be any scars as well, as she could make out. "Does it help?" she asked then.

"Father is a great pajé and looks for his children." Abajara stated very proud.

"How come you are here?" Mulder asked after the pajé seemed to be done with him.

"I don't remember. I just remember from the day on father found me almost dead. He and mother took care of me since then, and he taught me everything I had to know to survive in the jungle. They took me as a son they never had. And so are you his children now."

"But how come, he brings us back to civilization and you he never thought of it?"

"I don't know for sure, but he said something, that you two have to search for the truth, and hunt the evil in form of a man. And make children."

Mulder choked on his water, after he heard the last sentence. "What?"

"Yeah, he says it's really time to contruct a family, that's what life is for. He can't understand why you haven't children yet. He was married when he was fourteen."

"Well, ahm, for us fourteen is very young to ... to marry." Scully managed to say, as Mulder just stared disbelieving.

"An Indio woman marries normally when she's twelve, and the man fourteen."

The old pajé looked around, then stood up and gestured four the three to be quiet. He had heard something and knew it was time for destiny to fullfill.

Just a long time after the other three could hear a faint noise coming towards them. Mulder looked around, but the old pajé had disappeared without any sign.

"Look here, what do we have here?" They heard a voice from behind, and soon after they were surrounded by six men with rifles pointed towards them. "Well, Indios you are certainly not, even when you are clothed as them. By the discription I have I'll bet you are the two feebies Donato is after."

The short man turned to the others. "Tie them! Let's rest here for today."

Mulder saw his thirsty gaze when he looked at Scully, but before he could make a move he had turned away. They were tied by a tree, and as the day turned to night, some of the men were already sleeping.

The only awake beside the three prisoners were the man who spoke to them before and another one.

Finally the man they heard called by the others as Roberto walked to them and reached for Scully.

"I always liked redheads." He said smiling and began to touch her.

"Don't touch her, your son-of-a-bitch. Or I kill you." Mulder shouted pulling on his ties.

The other man hit him with the rifles end. "Shut up. Hey, Roberto, leave something for me." He smiled licking his lips.

"But just when I'm finished."

Scully struggled savagely when the man pulled her towards a hidden place. "Oh, a wild cat. I knew you would have a red head's fire." and kissed her hard, or tried. He felt a sting on his neck and when he reached for it he took out a little arrow. "Shit." he said with a strangled voice and then he felt nothing more.

"Tabitãoby." Scully heard the old pajé's voice. She bounced the heavy weight away from her and stood up and saw him with a pee-shooter, and he handed her a gun. Where did he have this gun from? She thought briefly and turned around to the men on the fireplace.

Suddenly hell broke lose and there was shouting and shooting from everywhere. She dashed to Mulder and Abajara and while she was trying to free them the other man was behind her and pointed the rifle to her.

"You bitch!" he cried and pressed the trigger down. A shadow lunched before her and pulled her to the ground the same time the shot came out of the rifle's cane in a roar.

"Father!" Abajara cried out loud. And after they were freed he kneeled beside the old pajé.

"Don't grieve. It had to be. I knew the moment I saw Tapitãoby and Piápyra, I had to pay and be Tecobiara, the one who takes the place of the other. My children are safe, and that's all that a father can wish. And your family needs you too, Abajara. Never come back to the great spirit of the jungle. Swear it. My spirit will always be with you all."

Abajara cried silently when he felt the Indio's hand go limp in his hands.

"I'm sorry, Abajara." Said Scully she had liked the old Indio, and felt guilty he had received the bullet which was meant for her. Mulder took her in his arms and rested his head on hers.

"Well, if I'm not mistaken, you seem rather like my two agents, in a way or another." Said a deep voice behind them and they felt a hand on each one's shoulder.

They stiffened and turned startled around. "Skinner?!"

End of part 14

 v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v

Part Fifteen

Near Iracema in the Amazonas State, Brazil

Friday, July 11th

10:35 pm

36th Day

"Well, if I'm not mistaken, you seem rather like my two agents, in one way or another." Said a deep voice behind them and they felt a hand on each one's shoulder.

They stiffened and turned around startled. "Skinner?!"

They saw him smiling at them. He had a three days old beard and an adventurous hat on, with a synthetic snake band and high black leather boots.

Scully hugged him to Mulder's dismay. And suddendly he became very aware of his nearly nakedness, by Skinner's humourous gaze. What a heck of a way to be found by the AD. When one of them was hurt again and in a hospital anywhere in the States, he seemed to be there and now even in the middle of the jungle. He decided to hug him too, very briefly. He was happy to see the older man. Even when he never was going to say so, not even to Scully. He had become very used to it anyway, as the old pajé always hugged him, or had, and turned around to see to Abajara when he noticed a short, blue eyed but taned man starring at Abajara. The man was trying to say something, but nothing came through his lips for a while.

"Papai?" he asked tentatively then, the blood seemed all drained from his face so ashenlike it was. Skinner held his breath, hearing Washington's whispered question, to the silently crying man beside the old Indio. Abajara looked up at the man in front of him, he couldn't remember to have seen him anytime in his life or what he remembered of it and felt a bit strange, when the man suddendly was in his arms clunging on him and weeping softly. He looked up then as if asking for help to his brother Piápyra, and not knowing what else to do, patted the shoulders of the weeping man in comfort. After a while Washington looked up and tried embarrassedly to wipe the tears away. His father hadn't said anything until now. Hadn't he recognized him after all? Sure, he was anymore the little boy who used to be like a puppy behind his father, when he had the chance. But he could make out a slowly transformation in his father's gaze, when he returned his intensly.

Abajara didn't recognize him, but the crystal blue eyes brought flashes through his mind, from a little boy and sometimes of a blonde woman, but with the same blue eyes. He felt the world whirling and a slight headache. And suddendly he could remember what he forgot for so many years.

The hunt he had been hunting with some new friends, which after all had been nothing but searching for gold. And he naive as he had been in those days had trusted them, and when he finally figured out what they wanted to do and rebelled, then they shot him and left him in the jungle. He could remember the rage he had felt deep, wounded, when he saw them slaughter a whole Indio tribe for profit and nothing else just for the land and the supposed gold mines it held.

Rio de Janeiro

Skinner's hotelroom

Wednesday, July 12th

01:30 pm

37th Day

They had arrived Rio de Janeiro an hour ago, and Washington dropped them at Skinner's hotel. He couldn't wait to bring his father back home to his waiting mother. He still almost couldn't believe that he had his father back, and had given the news very cautiously to his mother. Almost twenty years had passed. The old Indio pajé Taiguara had been buried in the Indio way, and would never be forgotten by his son Abajara, Lincoln swore, Abajara's real name.

Mulder and Scully had received new clothes by the courtesy of the PD in Minas Gerais. Mulder was relieved, that he could finally get rid of the clay in his hair.

After Skinner had checked the two recovered agents in, and brought them to their hotelrooms, he got as quick as he could to his own room. He was anxious to check on Chico, and he had already called Maggie from Minas Gerais to bring the good news.

"Chico!" he called. He couldn't see him in the living room. "Perhaps he's still sleeping." he assured himself and dashed to the bedroom.

No one was in there either. He checked the bathroom. He passed with his hand over his balding head, and looked around and froze in the middle of the action. The nightlight by the bed was on the floor, and some other objects. "I knew, I shouldn't have left him alone behind."

He stormed to the living and picked up the phone. "Here's room, 45. Is that Sr. Romario? When did you check the last time on the boy Chico? ... At ten? Did you see someone with him? Or some other suspicious persons around? OK. I have some other questions later."

He stormed out and went to Mulder's and Scully's adjoined rooms, and after a rapid knock dashed in without waiting for the come in.

He wasn't thinking in courtesy, when the little boy could be in serious trouble.

"Mulder, Chico has been kidnapped." he said and only then realized what was happening before his eyes. The two separated guilty from a passionate kiss, blushing deeply.

"Chico?" Mulder asked still flushed.

"The boy I told you on the plane. He has been kidnapped from my hotel room. I've to call the delegate. And... Congratulations, it sure was time."

"Just friends, in a pig's eye." He murmured under his breath and rushed back to his hotel room after closing the door behind him.  

Rio PD

Wednesday, July 13th

06:30 pm

39th Day

"Sr. Walti, please calm down. We are going to find him." Said the delegade for the upteenth time in two days as the AD began again his pace in the delegate's department. "I have almost all my men on it."

"Sorry, Mr. Washington. It's just frustating to wait here and do nothing."

Said Skinner and finally sat down again on the chair beside the couch were his three agents were seated.

"I know. But,... ." the delegade began to say, when there was a knock at the door. *Come in*, he said and a dark-skinned police officer dashed in.

*Sr. Delegado, there was an annonymous phone call a minute ago. Na alert for a strange ritual going on on the hill with the old abandoned church.* said the police-officer, still holding the knot of the door.

Skinner was already standing again, the minute the MP came in.

"What did he say? Something about Chico?" he asked eagerly.

"We don't know for sure, but it has to do with the rituals. There was an annonymous phone call by the special number we installed some years ago, to give the people the chance to call without being recognized. The people here are very afraid to be the aim then. You can come, but remember don't get shot or I'm the one to respond by your actions."

Rio de Janeiro

On the hill

07:55 pm

The unsteady lights of Rio shone softly to the hill. No wind was wavering the candle lights which were surrounding the altar in the old church, hidden in the woods up the hill.

Rio at night could take the breath away by its beauty of the marvelous city and far away we could make out the Christ Statue on the Corcovado, embracing all the city and who would come from the ocean by his open arms, the soft curves of the beaches, like Copacabana, Ipanema, Flamengo, Botafogo and all the names they have, the lights which waved silently by the ships slowly motion to the tact of the sea, big or not on the harbour and on the horizon, or the full of verve mountain of the Sugarloaf.

But all that went unoticed by the men in the once holy church. Infected by their beliefs and to the man in the dark coat.

A naked boy was brought, held between two red and black coated men, no light could reach their hidden faces, to soften perhaps their souls, oblivious to the light shudder which went through the tiny frame.

With no second thought they were discarding of another tiny body, hidden under a red blanket on the blood bathed altar. The new boy was held up for all to see, no one felt pitty of the tear wet face, of the sad crystal blue eyed boy.

The low humming sound of their voices accompanied the dark coated man's murmur in an old hymn to the evil. The boy was placed on the blood bathed altar, with his wrists tied to the sides. White and black powder was poured over the boy and soon followed by oil. The dark coated man held his arms wide open with a golden snake like dagger in his right hand. Just the tiny boy could see the burning dark eyes.

All fear from the evil man left the boy's gaze, unwavering he held it, no sound would leave his throat. The dagger was descending slowly but steady. He could hear shouting, but didn't advert his from the burning eyes. He felt wonder by the growl of the man, by the hole and forming blood running down the hateful face from the front over the nose and silently down his chin and his look of disbelief. The dagger almost fell from the weakened hand. With a last jerk he tried to descend it but was falling behind by the stroke of a bullet in his chest. A last gaze and the man's eyes broke to stare at a balding man with fury in his eyes.

End of part 15

Thanks to all who wrote me and the nice feedback, YOU made me go on. Well, what do you think of the story till now?? The insomniac marianne.

v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v

Part Sixteen

Rio de Janeiro

On the hill

Wednesday, July 13th

08:20 pm

39th Day

The body fell silently onto the church floor. The dark veil fell back to reveal the face of the evil man, with the eyes broken now in his lifeless stare.

Skinner freed the tiny boy and held him close and it did not matter when his shirt got dirty from the colored powder, oil and blood. The tiny arms surrounded his neck in a tight embrace, and a shudder choked out from the tiny frame. The boy's eyes closed with a sudden relief and the face finally released to a silent cry with the tears running freely down his cheeks.

Suddendly it began to rain, through the broken roof of the ancient, abandoned church in his halfhidden place, cleansing the bloody altar of all its remains of the bloody ritual hold by the now dead form of a man by its side.

Skinner pulled his suit jacket off to wrap the tiny naked boy in it. And went out the church with the little boy still in his protective arms.

The rain stopped its torment all the sudden and it began to reveal the unsteady lights of Rio which shone softly to the old church hidden in the woods up the hill. And Rio at night still could take the breath away by its beauty of the marvelous city for those who care. And far away we can make out the Christ Statue on the Corcovado, embracing all the city and who comes from the ocean by his open arms, the soft curves of the beaches, like Copacabana, Ipanema, Flamengo, Botafogo and all the names they have, the lights which wave silently by the ships slowly motion to the tact of the sea, big or not on the harbour and on the horizon, or the full of verve of the Sugarloaf mountain.

All this didn't go unoticed by the man and the child.

The Delegate Washington Pereira silently took the weapon from the altar Skinner had left there to take care of the child. He cleansed it of every trace and hid it behind his back in his waistband and turned away to see the agents they had rescued the other day look at him. He shrugged flushing.

"I surely can't handle an inquery, why a FBI AD had a weapon on Brazilian ground, my spare weapon by the way. Surely not. Let's geti out ofi here, my men can take care of the rest. What a hell of paperwork I will have." With that he went rapidly out to follow Skinner walking down the hill to the waiting cars.

He was really relieved, there had been just one death in the whole action. He had almost frozen when he had seen the dagger descending towards the boy. Who would have been dead now if it wasn't for the huge FBI AD.

For all the paperwork that would come, he would be the only one who used the gun. Paperwork, paperwork, sometimes he thought he was drowning in them. And thought if up there in America they also had that much paperwork. There was always the complaining of the waste of paper, and the woods who fell victim because of the paper, and all the while the paperwork still grew more. Even with all the computers there were now in all better DPs. He saw them retrieve the other dead boy under the red blanket, and closed his eyes for a moment and he hoped it would for God sake that it would be the last time he saw such an aberation of human actions.

Rio de Janeiro International Airport

Wednesday, July 16th

20:35 pm

42nd Day

It was almost the hour for their departure from the marvelous city and its kind inhabitants. All were there to say good-bye, Delegade Washington with his family and his new found father Lincoln Pereira. Paulo Saiko and some other detectives and police officers. The last days had been spent with sightseeings and feasts, in the strong rythm of Samba, Forro, Bossa Nova and all its different kinds of Brazilian music, and why not some Elvis, Beatles and other sounds in the middle from the newwer groups and singers. All were there but a tiny little boy with such sad crystal-blue eyes. Skinner looked around still hoping to see him for a last time but with no avail. The husky female voice from the airport speaker announced the last time for the departure to Washington DC.

"Sr. Walter, don't worry, please. I swear I will take care of Chico as if he was my owni childi." The delegate promised with his warm voice. "He surely didn't want to say good-bye. Please understand, it's hard for our people to say it."

Skinner finally turned and closed his eyes for a moment and took a last gaze towards the doors of the airport, but he did not see a tiny blonde boy walk through. On the other side of the passport control he saw his three agents waiting for him.

"Thank you, Mr. Washington, for your help. I know you will take care of him."

"Sure. And call me just Washington. Take care of the worrysome agents of yours. I hardly can't believe, that that lanky agent of yours could have been bitten by a Piranha in the aquarium of my son's. My father said that was the only thing left since the old pajé had given him a magic, that snakes and other reptiles don't attack him. He surely forgot to include toothy fishes." The delegade said still laughing when he thought of the episode occured at his home. And then Agent Scully's frown and what happened next would be burned forever in his mind.

No one saw the tiny boy crying silently hidden behind a pile near the big windows which led the sight to the big airplanes.

The big plane was moving and turning to the start trajectory and the little boy stood by the nearest window and followed it with his steady gaze, his nose and hands pressed on the thick glass. But he could make out no one through the little windows of the plane.

Skinner looked sad through his window to the airport and saw the shiny windows aisle and the tiny frame of a little boy pressed to one of them for an instance before the plane turned completely and took off.

He closed his eyes.

Hours after he heard the soft snoring of Agent Plumper by his side. From the courtesy of the PD of Rio they had gained business flight seats, so it was easy for Skinner to stand up and go to the corridor without disturbing Plumper in his sleep. He had quite enough hived of the traditional Caipirinha to be disturbed anyway. It was dark in the plane but not dark enough, that he could not have noticed the trouble some agents of his in a passionate kiss.

"I hardly think, that's a good place for this kind of behaviour, Agent Mulder and Agent Scully." He whispered and caught himself smiling by the embarrassed faces, when they got startled apart, on his way through the corridor.

When he returned he remembered something. "By the way, I think this, well, unfortunately, this belongs to you, Agent Mulder." and tossed him a slightly wrinkled tie in his lap.

Mulder's eyes grew wide, and he said smiling happily. "Thank you, sir. That tie..." but kept open mouthed when Scully stood up with a start and took the tie from him.

"Only over my corpse, Mulder. Over my corpse." She said frowning and went to the end of the compartment. When she got back, there was no tie in her hands anymore. Settled and with a satisfied grin she leaned back. She glanced at Mulder. "Close your mouth. Lucky you, there are no flies in the airplane. And stop scratching your head." She frowned. "Snakes, aligators, spiders, reptiles, a piranha and now lice. Give me a break, Mulder." But began to scratch her own head.

Washington DC

Friday, July 18th

10:30 am

44th Day

"Walter, what are you waiting for?" asked Maggie through the phone.

"Well, Maggie, are you sure?"

"As sure as anybody can be. And what's more important, you are sure and really unbearable lately." She said with her smiling voice to the man she loved.

"Ok, I'm going to try." He said, hung the phone up and dashed out of the door. He frowned. "You again? Well, I don't have time for your crap, I have a plane to take." And rushed out of the office, and left behind a cigarette-smoking man, who smashed his cigarette on the floor. And starred behind the balding man.

Skinner's office

10:40 am

"Hi Kim. We're here for our meeting with Skinner." said Mulder joyable.

They had good news for him.

"Sorry, Agents. You came some minutes too late. Assistant Director Skinner left about five minutes ago. He said something about he had to take a plane. And left cancelling all his meetings till further orders. It was just to late to inform you."

They looked at each other in silent question. "Do you think?" they asked in unison then, not ending the phrase, but understanding each other.

"You bet." And left the office. Leaving a wondering secretary behind. She frowned, a crazy chef and mad agents, what was left?

Rio de Janeiro

20:15pm

"Sr. Walter, what a half surprise." Said the delegade smiling.

"Half surprise?" Skinner asked.

"Sure. The half surprise was, that it took so a short time for your return. I could bet it would take at least till a month. Come in. My wife has dinner ready." He invited the huge man.

"Is he here?" asked Skinner eagerly, and a little flushed.

"Sure, he's in his room at the end of the corridor. Feel free, my home is your home." He said and laughed satisfied when he saw the huge man dash through the corridor and knock hesitantly on the closed door.

*It's open.* The little boy said and dried his wet eyes rapidly, when he saw the door openening.

"Walter!" he shouted and pulled in the open arms, the ones he felt the most secure in the world. "Did you come to take me with you?" he asked shyly and lifted his head to look deeply in the dark brown and warm eyes with his crystal-blue eyes.

21:15 pm

"Well, as I said before, I was not surprised and collected some information from the right channels. And as you are an AD from the FBI and Chico almost eight and without any family left, and, with our says to all as well, it won't be difficult for you to adopt him in a short time." Washington said to Skinner seated on the couch with the sleeping boy in his arms and continued. "Sure, it would have been easier, if you were married, Walter."

Skinner grinned a bit. "Well, I think, that wouldn't be any longer the case. I'm engaged since yesterday."

"Meu Deus, you're fast, Walter. OK." The delegade said chuckling.

Washington DC Airport

Saturday, July 26th

10:30 am

52nd Day

A huge balding man and a tiny blond boy came through the costumes and the pass control.

"Walter!" called a voice sofly and the tiny little boy looked up with his little uncertain but nevertheless happy crystal-blue eyes from his father's warm brown ones to the dark haird woman in a shy gaze.

She hugged his father and gave him a little kiss and bent down to look in those shiny eyes and smiled warm to the shy boy. She ruffelt his silky hair in a ternly way and gave him a kiss on his cheek and the point of his nose, just like his mother used to give and he hugged her tightly.

"Walter, you never said, he was so endearing." She said and stood straight up with the tiny boy still in her arms. "And he sure needs to eat more." Her mother instincts already shining through, by the tiny frame she held.

They reached Skinner's apartment and Maggie fixed the already prepared meal for lunch, meanwhile Skinner showed Chico his new home for the moment, till he could buy a house for himself and his new family.

"Oh, Walter. I almost forgot to say. I invited Dana and Fox for lunch, I hope you don't mind. They said they had some news to give."

"No problem. What happened now with my trouble some agents?" he murmured under his breath in Chico's new room.

"Something good, Papai." Said the boy with his shiny eyes. "The old pajé's final present to his son and daughter."

Skinner remembered well the short old Indio who appeared as a ghost in front of them and led them to his two agents the night he also died, by taking the bullet in Scully's place.

There was a ring at the door and he went there with Chico in his arms and opened it to Mulder and Scully.

"So, what's the good news?" he asked. "Come in. Can it be I'm going to hear finally the bells? It's sure time. For what I saw on the plane."

"On the plane?" Maggie asked curiously and than smiled, when she saw the newcomers blush.

"Well, yeah, I mean, ahm, but,... Scully!" Mulder pleaded.

"Well, sir. I just wanted to inform you, I've been checked by the doctors when we came back from Brazil. Well, there's no trace from my cancer." She said finally, still flustered, and amazed.

"Papai, didn't I say, the old pajé had a final present for his son and daughter? He was Tecobiara, the one who takes the place of the other." The little boy said blessed to see the hapiness in his new family. Not still out of danger. But who was?

The End?

End of part 16

Thanks to all who wrote me and the nice feedback, YOU made me go on.

Well, I finished, I think!?? MarianneJ The insomniac. Feedback?

Surely there's the treat left of Cancerman.

And the adventure continues in