"He's lost a lot of blood. I'm not sure if-"

"Scully, don't say it. He's going to make it. He has no choice."

They finally reached the door and pushed themselves out into the
crisp night air. They headed toward the rental only to find
that it was empty. The keys were still in the ignition, but
Andrea was nowhere in sight.

"Take him to the nearest hospital. I'm going to find Andrea."

Scully started the car and left Mulder in the alley. He was
headed toward the entrance of the building when he heard the
shots. The sound came from the back of the building, and Mulder
quickly changed his direction.

*-*-*-*-*-

"I told you to stop. Do not move or the next bullet will be for
your skull."

"Andrea, you don't want to do something you'll regret. What
about your career? No one will pay to hear you sing behind
prison bars," CSM said quietly.

"Shut up! You don't know me. You don't know a damn thing about
me."

"I know that your father loved you very much. And that he would
hate to see you give up everything."

"I told you to shut your mouth. Don't you dare talk about my
father and what he would have wanted. You took all that away
from him. You took his soul a long time ago and then you took
his life. Now, I'll take yours."

Andrea aimed the gun for his head and placed her finger over the
trigger.

"Andrea, don't."

"Stay out of this, Fox. You don't understand. I have to do
this."

Mulder carefully moved towards her as he quietly spoke to her.
"I do understand. I understand how it feels to want to see this
bastard dead. I've even dreamt of it, but this is not the way.
Put the gun down."

"I can't," she whispered through her tears. "He had my father
assassinated and my brother beaten like a dog. My God, did you
see what he did to Zave?"

"If you kill him, he wins. Please, trust me. Give me the
gun."

Mulder reached out his hand towards Andrea. She looked at CSM
and back at him. She wanted to trust him. She didn't want that
bastard to win. She handed the gun to Mulder.

Mulder pulled Andrea into his arms and held her as she once
again, sobbed in his arms. As he listened to CSM walk away, he
made a silent vow that one day CSM would pay for the pain he
caused. Mulder planned to make sure of that.

The basement office was quiet as Mulder and Scully finished the
paperwork of their most recent case. Their previous unofficial
case was labeled as unresolved. The evidence that Zave had
which tied Krycek to X's death had been destroyed, as well as,
CSM's connection to the murder.

"Mulder," Scully looked up from her desk.

"Yeah."

"Why don't we call it a night? We can finish it on Monday."

"Finish what, Scully?" Mulder asked.

"The paperwork on the Underwood case. Isn't that what you've
been working on?"

Scully rose from her desk and went to Mulder's. She reached for
the legal pad he had been writing on for the last several hours,
but he wouldn't let her have it.

"Good night, Scully. Have a nice weekend."

"You're not getting rid of me that easily. Have you spoken to
her?"

"To whom?"

"To Andrea. Don't play games, Mulder. Not with me."

He leaned back in his chair and looked into her questioning
eyes. "No. I haven't. She doesn't want to talk to me."

"I don't believe that. I saw the way she looked at you and you
at her. Don't give up so easily. Call her."

Scully grabbed her coat and purse and left.

*-*-*-*-*-

"Will you please stop fussing over me? You're worse than Mama
ever was," Zave complained, as Andrea adjusted his pillows.

"I just want you to be comfortable. The doctors said that you
need someone to take care of you and that's what I intend to do."

"Whether I like it or not, huh?" Zave chuckled, but he stopped
when he noticed the expression on his twin's face.

"What happened back there in Chicago? You haven't been the same
since we've been back. Did something happen between you and
Mulder? You tense up or change the subject every time I mention
his name. Did he tell you something about Dad?"

"No, nothing like that," she replied. "So, what's for dinner
tonight? Pizza or Chinese?"

"See. You're doing it again. You know that if something did
happen you can tell me. I'm here for you, too."

"I know that Zave, but sometimes things happen that you just
can't talk about," she kissed his forehead. "Now, about
dinner. Will it be speed dial number 9 or number 10?"

"Number 10. And I want anchovies this time."

*-*-*-*-

Mulder listened to the sound of the busy signal for a few
seconds before he hung up the phone. Maybe he'd try again
later. Maybe.

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