Julia
Chapter Twenty-nine

Disclaimers, etc. in Headers


Washington, D.C.
February 11, 2001
10:06 p.m.


"Mulder?"

Julia looked up at the seemingly disembodied
voice, lost in the blanket of white behind it. 
The wraith moved, and she saw it was a commando,
his white snow gear blending in with the storm
coming in the open door.  A very short commando,
to be sure, but the gun he had improved his
stature ten-fold in her frightened eyes.

"Frohike?"  Disbelief edged Mulder's voice and
he stood frozen in place, his repeat of the name
ecstatic.

"On the floor!"  Frohike's demand chilled Julia
to the bone and she saw more armed men move up
to flank him, though they kept their distance.

She scrambled from her hiding place, intent on
putting herself between Mulder and their friend. 
That Jeremiah had just appeared to them as
Cancerman shed doubt in their minds as to
Mulder's true identity, she knew.  Not to
mention the fact that before she'd left the
bunker, the Gunmen had all but bought into his
father's portrayal of Mulder as a traitor.

She jumped in the line of fire, bringing her
arms up, the socks waving ridiculously like
white flags.

"Scully," Mulder hissed, "get the hell out of
the way."

No, she shook her head, getting Frohike's
attention at last.  He's not what you think. 
She backed into Mulder, holding her arms out
defensively.  It worked; she saw Frohike's face
light up as he climbed into the van.

"Dude!"  Frohike shoved down his goggles and
grabbed Mulder in a swift hug, Julia caught
between them.  "Good to finally see you again,
man."

"Same here, Frohike."  Mulder's reply was
muffled against her head.  "But I think you're
suffocating Scully."

"Scully?  Is *is* you!"  Next thing she knew,
Frohike had pulled her from Mulder into a bear
hug; the air whooshed from her lungs at the
strength in his arms.  "Awesome."

She squeezed him back briefly, almost laughing
at Mulder's, "How'd he know it was you?"  He was
right; no one had seen her new face after she'd
left the bunker.

Frohike pulled back, his face red with
excitement and not a little pleasure at seeing
her again.  "Only Scully would take a bullet for
you, you idiot.  And the eyes... I'd know those
beautiful blue babes anywhere.  Dream about 'em
every night, you know."

Rolling his eyes, Mulder grunted.  "We can wax
rhapsodic over Scully later, Frohike.  Could we
leave now?"  Taking her arm, she let him help
her down from the van.

And right into a snowdrift.  She immediately
began to shiver and Mulder lifted her again,
this time to sit on the van's edge.  "Socks," he
ordered.  Taking them from her, he quickly
wrapped her feet with a double layer of the
cotton tubes, giving them a quick rubbing with
his hands.  He looked up, meeting her happy
gaze.  "Okay?"

She nodded, tucking her hands under her armpits
for warmth.  Her head snapped up. <Jeremiah?>

Mulder addressed Frohike.  "Where's the man that
came out of the van before us?"

"Spender?  Man, what were you doing with that
guy, anyway?"

"It wasn't Spender, Frohike.  It was a hybrid, a
shapeshifter."

Frohike eyes surveyed the frozen landscape as he
swung his automatic weapon around from his back. 
"Dunno.  We told him to stop, and next thing we
knew, he was gone.  Like he'd disappeared right
before our eyes."

Julia locked eyes with Mulder; they both knew
how Jeremiah could easily blend in with his
surroundings.  He was probably one of the white-
garbed resistance fighters milling about.  Until
they had a chance to speak to him personally, he
wouldn't reveal himself to Frohike and his men.

Julia's sudden shaking in response to the cold
spurred Mulder away from the subject of the
shapeshifter.

"Frohike - we need a jacket. *Now.* And please
tell me you have an extra pair of boots
somewhere."  Mulder picked her up in his arms
and followed his friend to the nearby vehicle
that was nearly lost in the driving snow.

"No boots, sorry.  But I think we can scrounge a
blanket."  He ushered them both into the rear of
the jeep and opened the front door, giving his
team the signal to leave, his gloved hand making
a circle above his head.

Around them, the engines roared to life. 
Another man folded himself into the passenger
seat beside Frohike and he pulled a blanket from
under the front seat, handing it to Mulder
wordlessly.  She'd didn't recognize him; but
then again, she hadn't recognized any of the men
with Frohike *or* with Krycek back in the
building.  Krycek had done what he set out to do
- amass an army.

"All right, talk."  Mulder directed the command
at Frohike as he bundled Julia up in the
blanket.

Frohike kept his eyes on the vehicle ahead of
him as they moved in slowly.  "We're second
wave.  Responsible for making sure the Guardsmen
on perimeter can't move in as reinforcements." 
The radio squawked and he paused to answer it. 
"Come back?"

A small, tinny voice said again, "No sign of
retaliation, Colonel, over."

Colonel?  Julia and Mulder exchanged amused
looks; Mulder sobered to address Frohike once
again.  "And you won't find any."

"Say what?"  Frohike gave him a glance in the
jeeps rear view mirror.

"I don't know what the hell you guys did, but I
don't think you're gonna find a Guardsman
capable of shooting back in a five-mile radius
of the complex."  He went on the quickly explain
the way the soldiers had been shocked by the
wristbands they wore, as well as what appeared
to be the whole electrocution - for want of a
better word - of the building.

Julia listened, shaking her head to make sure
she'd heard correctly.  Visions of her dying
minutes flashed into her mind; of the ceiling
bleeding light, of the walls that seemed to
solidify with pinpoints of energy.  Tugging on
Mulder's arm, she said, <Tell him to turn
around.>

"Why?"

<Just do it.  Something's happening and it's not
safe.>

She couldn't explain it, but she pleaded for
Mulder to comply with a serious, assured gaze. 
In the dim cabin of the jeep, she could see his
eyes search hers by the dashboard lights and he
swallowed, his chapped face hardening in an echo
of her resolution.  "Frohike?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell your men to go back."

"What?"

Mulder tore his gaze from her face and leaned
over the space between the two front seats.  "Do
it.  Give the order to retreat.  Don't go near
the building."

"But we have to go in -"

"No!  It's not safe.  Trust me."  Mulder took
her hand, looking back at her to smile.  "Trust
*us.*"

After a few moments of indecision, Frohike
braked the vehicle and picked up the mike. 
"Zero, zero, zero," he barked into the radio. 
"Come back."

A flourish of voices greeted him, each asking a
variation of the same question - what gives?  As
Frohike gave the order to retreat, Mulder sat
back beside her.

"You sure about this?"

<Yes,> she mouthed, putting her arm through his
to give him a bit of her warmth.

He held her close and tucked her head under his
chin.

"We made it, Scully.  Let's go home now."

Home.  She closed her eyes and wondered if they
would ever really have a home again.  But then
quickly dispelled such morose thoughts... her
home was wherever Mulder was.

That had been proven to her a thousand times
over.


**********


11:15 p.m.


She'd never been so glad to see an airport in
her life.  The trip out of the city had been the
slowest, most agonizing car ride she'd ever had
to endure.  They had to creep over rubble, the
frozen snow-covered lumps obviously Guardsmen
trapped in frigid death.  Despite knowing who
they were, she couldn't help but feel sorrow at
their deaths, and hoped they'd been at least
unconscious from the electric shocks before
succumbing to the cold.

The jeep moved through the gates that surrounded
the air fields, Frohike giving the password
through the open door.  Julia felt the blast of
cold air and wondered if she'd ever be warm
again.  Mulder must have sensed her thoughts, as
he wrapped his arms closer around her.  "Okay?"
he asked, murmuring his worry into the crown of
her head.

Yes, she nodded.  She was fine.  A little cold
was hardly a price to pay for freedom.

The jeep pulled into an open hangar; the bright
lights were warming the air.  Julia could see
nothing through the clear plastic holes that
served as windows; nothing of significance,
anyway.  Just a few Resistance fighters keeping
watch at the exits.

"I think we're the first back in," Frohike
stated, getting out from the vehicle.  He
reached in and offered Julia his hand; she took
it gratefully and exited as well, Mulder right
behind her.

A few of the men paused in their circles and
some looked at Mulder with narrowed eyes,
fingers poised on their triggers.

"Down, fellas," Frohike ordered.  "He's cool."

Beside her, she heard Mulder release his breath
in a sigh.  She sighed as well; despite their
freedom, Mulder would never really be free of
the stigma of his association with his father.

He cleared his throat and stood carefully still. 
She knew any sudden movements could be
disastrous for him.  He'd have to lay low before
these men, at least until they were safely away
from Washington.  They didn't trust him as far
as they could throw him.  "Where's the patrol
that usually covers the airport?"

"Dunno," Frohike answered, lowering the hood on
his white parka and stripping off his goggles
for good.  "No one around when we arrived at
eight.  We thought we'd have one helluva battle
awaiting us, but nothing.  Nada."

"The Appointing Authority knew something was
up," Mulder said.  "He must have called them in
early, closed in around the city."

Frohike said nothing, distracted by the sound of
more vehicles approaching.  As he walked away to
greet his compadres, Julia took hold of Mulder's
arm.

"What?" He pulled the blanket closer around her
shoulders.

<Nothing.> She smiled, content just to look at
him in the new light of freedom.  He smiled in
return, lowering his head to give her a kiss.

"Told you we'd make it out, didn't I?" he
murmured against her lips, the corners of his
eyes crinkled with happiness as his mouth opened
to deepen his exploration.

God, he even tasted better on the outside, she
thought, her hands letting the blanket go to
clutch at the lapels of his jacket.

"Mulder!"

The shout came in unison, almost in happy
harmony to her ears.  Mulder pulled away, giving
her a wink and a regretful smile before turning
to greet the owners of such beautiful music. 
And it *was* beautiful, she realized, smiling as
well at her friends.

Byers and Langly, almost carbon copies of
Frohike in their white outerwear, ran up
breathlessly to hug Mulder, leaving a smug
Frohike behind them.

"Okay, okay guys," he laughed, but she heard
emotion overrun his voice with choked happiness. 
He disengaged himself from their simultaneous
bear hug and cleared his throat.  "Don't want to
give anyone ideas, all right?"

Julia could have laughed at the blush that
covered Mulder's face, but there wasn't time -
as she was treated to the same from the two men,
their chorus of "Scully!" resounding in the
cavernous hangar.

She let them crush her as Frohike had, meeting
Mulder's sheepish eyes between the wall of
bodies.

"Am I the *only* one who didn't realize who she
was?  Damn it, you haven't seen this new look,
have you?"

"Of course not," Byers answered, pulling away at
last to give her a smile.  "We haven't seen her
in six months, at least.  So good to see you're
okay, Scully."

Mulder folded his arms across his chest,
exasperation making his face darken.  "Then what
gives? *I'm* the one who used to be an FBI
agent, remember?"

Langly released her as well, looking at Mulder
like he'd grown two heads.  "Duh... the liplock,
dude.  Don't tell me you'd play tonsil hockey
with anyone but her, would you?"

Byers piped in with, "Besides, Frohike told us
who she was."

Langly popped Byers on the arm with a rebuke at
his slip.  "Dumb ass."

Julia *did* laugh that time, a barely-there
squeak of breath that caught the two men by
surprise.

"Scully?"  Byers asked, moving forward with
concern.

A sudden rumble beneath their feet made them all
pause.  Julia sobered instantly, raising her
wide eyes to Mulder.

"Later, guys," he said, grabbing her hand. 
"Something's up."

She ran with him to the open hanger door, where
Frohike and his men stood, stupefaction
plastered on their faces.  "Unbelievable," the
little man breathed.

Together, they stood just outside the doors and
the blaring overhead lights, their eyes turned
to the building that seemed so close, but was in
fact some miles away.  The snow had abated
somewhat, and it was easy to pick up its lights
in the distance.  Especially as it was the only
tall structure in sight.

Julia watched in amazement as what looked to be
lightning bolts traveled from the ground up the
side of the building.  The lights within seemed
to set it ablaze with fire, but she knew that
wasn't so.  It was pure energy that burst from
it, bleeding from the concrete and windows like
rivers of gold and silver.

"Dear God," Byers muttered, breaking their eerie
silence.

But no one answered, so rapt were they by the
transformation.  On and on it went, the energy
molding and shaping the structure with unseen
fingers.  Julia had never seen anything like it,
and she doubted she ever would again.  Mulder's
hand held hers tight and at his, "Do you see it,
Scully?" she looked up into eyes that were
shining with justification.

<Yes,> she mouthed, giving his hand a kiss.  <I
see it.>

He turned back to the scene that was unfolding
before them, knowing just as she did that what
they were witnessing was a birth.  The chip had
done more than what was asked of it; it had
given life to the building - alien life. 
Merging with the building's computer system to
breed within the silicon medium, it had
reproduced, sucking in electricity to complete
the cycle of life.  Meshing with the generator
of the cloaking field much as Krycek had
predicted - like a child seeking its mother. 
Becoming one with it, changing the molecular
structure of every material in its path.

The aliens were not the only life forms that
traveled through space; their means of transport
were alive as well, she realized.  Probably
enslaved just like the human race, kept under
control to serve the master by ways unknown. 
But let loose, it thrived unchecked, revealing
its true nature in shimmering sights and sounds.

It was no wonder Cancerman wanted control of it. 
He alone had known where the real power lay.

As they watched, the building became rounder,
shifting and melting until it became a ball of
pure energy, rising up from the rubble like a
star in the night.  Silently, it drifted up, a
beacon that shone so brightly it created shadows
on the pavement as if they were standing amidst
the hottest summer day.

Julia let the blanket fall from her shoulders as
her head tilted up to follow its movement.  The
snow was gone; the moisture in the clouds sucked
up into the pseudo-spacecraft.  The night was
clear now and the star - she could think of no
other word for it - picked up speed, racing away
into the unknown universe, leaving a trail of
light in an arc behind it that shimmered for
some minutes.

"Whoa."

Frohike's awed word broke them from their
stunned silence.

"Amazing," Byers agreed.

Julia knew that even if she could speak, there
was nothing to say.

Langly piped in, turning to his friends with a
smile and a nod.  "Bitchin'."

As they laughed, relief overtaking them, Julia
turned to Frohike. <Krycek?> she mouthed,
picking up the blanket.  The chill was returning
to the air in waves and she knew she'd need it
again soon.

"He knows the drill," Frohike answered.  "If
he's not here by midnight, we leave."  His eyes
peered over her shoulder and he lifted his chin
in an bid for her attention elsewhere. "Scully."

She turned, noticing Mulder some yards away, his
head still craned to follow the rapidly fading
light in the sky.  Instinctively, as if he'd
never lost the desire to know and understand. 
She gave Frohike a small smile, then set out
after Mulder.

As she approached him, she saw him falter, his
head dropping to his chest.  His knees buckled
and he sagged to the pavement, his palms
stopping his descent as he swayed in an effort
to prevent his total collapse.  Julia ran and
crouched beside him, draping him in the blanket
before easing him down to a sitting position,
his back against her chest.

"I'm okay," he said shakily.

With her trembling fingers, she turned his chin
her way, her eyes searching his face.  He
smiled, pulling a hand free to touch her face as
well.  "I'm fine, really.  Just... overcome, I
guess.  And so damned tired."  He closed his
eyes and leaned into her touch.

She felt his muscles lose what little fumes of
adrenaline they had left and he sagged against
her.  Holding him tightly, she heard his
sniffles come and go, the minutes passing in
silent introspection.

They were safe.  They were free and among
friends.  They'd just witnessed an event that
would inspire the men around them to tell the
tale to their children for years to come.

As Mulder composed himself, she felt a tear or
two slide down her cheeks.  She knew exactly how
he felt.  The night darkened again as they sat,
the clouds that had been chased away drifting
overhead.

"I once told you," he whispered, "that all I
ever wanted was the truth.  And when I was
taken, I thought to myself that I'd finally
found it.  But I was wrong."  He sat up and
brought his hands to her face, his burning gaze
bright and clear.  "I had it all along.  In you. 
You're my truth, Scully.  Not some light in the
sky... you."

His forehead dropped to touch hers and she held
on to him, her hands draping the blanket over
his legs.  He'd just realized what she'd known
for years.  Not that she'd ever tell him that,
she thought with a grin.

"Scully?"

She pulled away to brush the fresh snowfall from
his brow and touch her lips to his temple.

"Can we go back inside now?  I think my ass is
frozen."

Ah yes, she thought.  So good to be back to
normal.

She stood and gave him her hand.  He pulled
himself up and wrapped the blanket around her
again before sweeping her up in his arms.  She
squirmed, her wide eyes telling him to put her
down.

"What?"

<You don't have to carry me, Mulder.  I can
walk.>

In answer, he walked forward, his grin shining
out into the night.

"I'm Jibril, remember?  Bringer of truth."  At
the roll of her eyes, he laughed, "Just go with
it, Scully."

She did, letting her cheek settle against his
heart.



End Chapter Twenty-nine