Blast From the Past
By Postcard
Rating: - R. Crossover. Drama. H/C. Angst. Violence. Romance. Humour.
Pairings: - Fraser/Thatcher. Thatcher/Male. Mulder/Scully. Fraser/Female.
Teaser: - What beholds the future when the past returns!
Spoiler: - VS. ATQH. RWOB.
Disclaimer: - The Due South and X-Files characters in this story are not mine and anything else Due South and X-Files isn't mine either. I do not mean to infringe on copyrights held by any copyright holders for Due South or the X-Files. The story and the new characters however are mine (copyright April/May 2000 by Postcard on all original story content.) Please do not reproduce for anything other than personal reading without the written consent of author. This story is not written for profit and the author does not give permission for this story to be reproduced for profit.
Author's note: - This story is set at the end of the Due South season 2 and is a Due South/X-Files crossover. This is my first attempt at an X-Files story and I'd like to say 'thank you' to Kris and Blink for their encouragement and kind words as I wrote it. You guys have been brilliant. <G> Also, 'thank you,' to Lucky 13 who has beta-ed part of this story. Hope you enjoy the story and any constructive comments are welcome at postcard@manutd.com
Destination: - Kazakhstan
He was running. The enemy was closing in on him from all sides. He had to make it to the border. He had to make it for his wife's sake. The thought of her spurred him on. In the distance he heard a loud blast. BOOM. At least his objective had been accomplished! The high-pressure wave of air from the explosion knocked him off his feet and the noise rendered him temporarily deaf. He could no longer hear if the enemy was still coming after him. His instincts told him that they were though, he scrambled to his feet and started to run once more.
Reaching the borderline, he regained his hearing to the sound of a gunshot penetrating the night air. Dropping to his knees, his last conscious thought was of his wife. The beautiful image of her filled his mind. * Oh Meg, my love. I'm so sorry. * There was supposed to be no greater honour than to die for your country. He hoped that she would understand. His body crumpled onto the border, as his soul was on the borderline between Heaven and Earth.
* * * * *
Some Months Later
Sunday
Destination: - Chicago
Meg peered out of Ben's apartment window onto the dark street below. "Do you think my car will be safe?"
"Meg, it really isn't as bad a neighbourhood as that." The look that Meg fixed him with told him that she had the opposite view. "Well, has anything at all happened to your car when you've spent the night here before?" Meg slowly shook her head 'no.' "My point taken exactly, my love."
"Yes, but that's probably been down to pure luck rather than anything else," Meg said sceptically.
"If it bothers you that much, then why don't we spend the night at yours?"
"Erm, no."
* There she goes again! I don't understand. If she dislikes this neighbourhood so much, then why does she go all strange on me every time I suggest that we spend the night at hers? Her apartment appears to be much more comfortable than mine. Not that I've seen much of it, mind you. I've only been there a couple of times to pick her up for dinner. And then she's been ready to leave and so I've only seen the living room. But even so, it seemed much more commodious and cosy for her than here. *
"I…erm, like testing out our new bed," Meg quickly said. She forced a weak smile at him and hoped that he would accept her reason.
* I know Ben wonders why I won't let him stay at my apartment. How can I tell him that it's because I can't let him sleep in the bed that I shared with my husband! Moving from the house we shared in Ottawa together to Chicago was difficult enough; I just can't get rid of the bed. When I miss him too much, I lie in our bed and close my eyes, and I feel like he's still with me. Even though he's been missing for nearly a year, I still keep his picture by my bedside. I still love him. I'll always love him. They told me to accept that he's dead. No, I can't do that. I won't do that. Not when they haven't found his body and there's the slightest chance that he could be alive. I can't give up hope.
I hated Fraser at first. I treated him so coldly because he reminded me so much of my husband. It was too painful for me to be in Fraser's company. I couldn't be doing with another person who put everybody before himself. I knew what that led to; heartache. I could spot the signs. I couldn't let myself care about Fraser, because I believed that it was only a matter of time before I got a message saying that he too was missing, presumed dead. I didn't think that I could care about anyone again after my husband, let alone love anyone. But even though I tried to keep Fraser at arm length, he somehow broke down my barriers. And after the 'contact' I realised that unbeknownst to me, I had fallen in love with him. I felt so guilty though, as if I had betrayed my husband. That's why I told Fraser the 'contact' couldn't happen again. But when he told me that he couldn't forget it, I realised that I had to try and move on with my life. I couldn't live in the past forever. And so I've been taking it one step at a time. I still cannot get rid of our bed though. I'm not ready to do that just yet. And I don't want Ben sleeping on his side of the bed. I would feel like I was soiling his memory. Besides, Ben's apartment isn't that bad now that I've added a few home comforts to it. *
Ben smiled at her. "So do I, my love. Would you care to test it out now?"
Walking towards Ben, Meg smiled warmly at him. "That sounds good to me." Ben reached down and gently tilted her head up, bringing her lips near to his. Slowly lowering his own lips to hers, he tenderly kissed her. Taking her by the hands, he then led her to their bed.
Meg lay content in Ben's arms after their lovemaking. She was just drifting off to sleep when a loud bang startled her. "What was that?" She was always on pins in this neighbourhood. The neighbourhood was not only decrepit; it was dangerous.
She felt Ben's strong arms tighten reassuringly around her. "It's nothing, my love. It's only one of the neighbours slamming their door."
Meg was still uneasy. To put her mind at rest that her car was still in one piece, she got out of bed and approached the window. Looking out of the window, Meg gasped. * Was that…? It couldn't possibly be him, could it! No, it must be my mind playing tricks on me! I mean, what would he be doing lurking around in the shadows? Surely if that was him, he would come straight to me! *
Hearing her gasp and noticing the odd expression on her face, Ben came to stand at the side of her. "What is it, Meg? Your car's all right isn't it?"
"Oh! Erm…yes my car's fine."
"Then what's the matter?" He placed a hand comfortingly on her shoulder.
"Nothing. I…urm…just thought that I saw someone that I recognised duck into the alley over there. I must have been mistaken!" She took hold of his arm. "Come on, let's go back to bed!"
Snuggling up once more again to Ben, she smiled as he kissed her forehead. "Try and get some sleep Meg, I won't let anybody hurt you."
"I know. Not that you need to look after me though, I'm quite capable of looking after myself."
He smiled at her independent attitude. "I'm quite sure you are, my love." Lifting her head up from his chest, she kissed his cheek, before nestling her head against his neck.
While the couple slept, two figures stood watching the apartment from the concealment of the alley across the street. One of the figures, a woman, turned to her accomplice. "I'll get him out of the way. You just deal with her. Ok!"
"What if she realises?" the second figure, a man, spoke fretfully.
The woman smirked. "She won't. Not if you play it right."
* * * * *
Monday
Destination: - Washington D.C.
F.B.I. Headquarters
Fox Mulder sat with his feet up on his desk, leafing through one of his X-Files. "Mulder, you're not still going over that Kazakhstan case! We closed that case months ago. It was an open and shut case. A simple intelligence job. A joint international task force blew up a weapons installation. Simple as that. Case closed."
"That's what they'd like you to believe. You know Scully, for an intelligent woman, you easily have the wool pulled over your eyes. It's an ideal place for covert operations. In the past, the Soviet regime set up sites in the desert there for the Soviet space-launching program and for nuclear weapons testing. And chemicals are now produced there. If that place was a weapons installation, then why were their shipments transporting goods to the installation in Kazakhstan and none from it? Why were there no weapons ever transported out? Answer me that Scully?"
"There you go Mulder, you just said it yourself, 'nuclear weapons testing.' That's more than likely why the task force destroyed it. I know what the official report said. The reason given for them destroying the installation was because it was producing weapons and selling them off to terrorists organisations and deprived countries. But they were probably keeping it under raps that it was a nuclear testing site that they blew up!" Dana smiled smugly at him.
Slowly shaking his head at her, Mulder smiled. "No, sorry, you're wrong there Scully, because the Soviet government no longer own Kazakhstan. They don't test their nuclear weapons there any more."
"How do you know for sure that they don't? Just because they don't own Kazakhstan any more, doesn't mean that they still don't test their nuclear weapons there! Mulder you're reading far too much into this."
"Am I Scully! Anybody and everybody who had anything to do with the installation or the intelligence operation is either dead or missing; presumed dead. I mean, just look at what happened to the guys who were sent to blow it up! The Canadian is missing, presumed dead at the scene. Of the other two that were involved, the British one had a fatal car 'accident,' and the second one, the American, had a nasty bungee jumping 'accident.'" Mulder grinned wickedly across the desk at Scully. "The report says he resembled 'road kill.'"
"Well, people will go and take up risky hobbies! It was just an unfortunate accident, that's all!"
"Yeah right Scully! What about what we saw that night at the airfield? What was being transported by plane in those silver cylinder containers to Kazakhstan?"
"They would have been transporting the explosives that the task force were going to use. Those cylinder containers more than likely contained the explosives! They must have been storing the explosives in them that's all!"
"If that's true, then why would 'X' tip us off about the cargo at the airfield?"
"To send you on a wild goose chase."
"He said that the official report was a cover up Scully. That they destroyed a secret experiment facility."
"I agree that it was probably a cover up; but a cover up about the nuclear testing Mulder. Not a cover up of under-hand genetic experimentation. Besides Mulder, if that was a secret experiment facility, and I'm only saying 'if' it was, and they were so called transporting EBE's there for experimentation, then why would they destroy it?"
"Good point. Maybe something went wrong Scully and they had no choice!"
* * * * *
Destination: - Chicago
Meg paced back and forth behind her desk. Looking at her two subordinates, she stopped pacing and shook her head. "This is a consulate, not a zoo. I know that you wouldn't think so, what with your wolf Fraser. But believe it or not, we do work in a consulate. Not that I mind your wolf, constable." She quickly added and looked a Dief, who promptly wagged his tail at her. "But I do however draw the line at a Parrot."
She ducked as the predominately red Parrot, with a hint of blue and yellow on its chest and wings, flew over her head. "Turnbull, whatever possessed you to bring it into the consulate in the first place?"
"Well, Sir it landed on my shoulder during Sentry Duty and I knew that it must be somebody's pet that had escaped, so I brought it into the consulate for safe keeping."
Meg rolled her eyes at him. "Just catch the damn thing and get it out of my office, the pair of you. Oh! And you can then clear up the…mess it appears to have made."
She watched amused, as her subordinates tried to coax the Parrot from off the top of her tall bookcase. Her attention however, quickly turned to two raised voices outside of her office. Through her closed office door, she couldn't quite make out what was being said or whom was arguing, but she hazard a guess that one of the voices would be 'Ovitz;' her personal secretary. All of a sudden, her office door burst open and in walked a tall man with strawberry blond hair, followed closely at his heels by Ovitz. Meg's jaw dropped open as she instantly recognised whom the intruder was.
"I'm terribly sorry Sir. I told him that he couldn't just come barging in without an appointment, but he just wouldn't listen," Ovitz hastened to apologise.
"It's ok Ovitz. I know him. He's…my husband." All of her subordinates stared at her in complete astonishment.
Ben was gob-smacked. He felt like he must be dreaming, no, having a nightmare. * Husband!!! Married!!! She can't be! She never once mentioned to me that she was. I must be hallucinating! Maybe I am allergic to feathers and I am thus, somehow, hallucinating due to it. Yes, that'll be it. She and I are in love. She can't be married to him! I was planing on making her my wife. *
Meg rushed up to her husband and flung her arms around him. Her husband reciprocated Meg's affection by wrapping his arms around her and burying his head in her shoulder-length dark hair.
Fraser looked on, jealous, of this man holding Meg tightly in his arms. However, he was even more jealous of the way Meg was gripping the man. She held onto him with a death grip. He watched in surprise, as Meg kissed the man's cheek, and then placed butterfly kisses all over the man's face. And to Ben's further distress, she then moved her lips, the lips that he himself had kissed only that morning, to the man's lips. Ben stood there stunned, as Meg and the man, her husband, kissed passionately.
Meg couldn't believe that he was actually here with her. She had prayed for this day ever since he had disappeared. She held on to him with all of her might. Afraid that if she let go of him, he would disappear again. Breaking off the kiss for the need of oxygen, she started to cry tears of joy. Between sobs, she managed to say, "Mitch, is it really you?"
He smiled at her and gently wiped her tears away with the back of his hand. "Yes Meg, my love, it really is me."
Pulling his head to rest on her shoulder, she sobbed, "Oh, I've missed you so much."
He kissed her neck and spoke close to her ear. "I've missed you too, Meg."
Closing her eyes, she hungrily inhaled his scent. Somehow he smelled slightly different to how she remembered him. She didn't dwell too much on that thought though, as she was just glad that he was back in her arms. "Oh, I love you Mitch. I never stopped loving you."
"I love you too, Meg."
Finally realising that they weren't alone in her office, she turned to face her subordinates. She still held on tightly to Mitch. Meg took a few deep breaths to compose herself. "I'd like you all to meet my husband, Mitch Thatcher."
Ben was the last to greet Meg's husband. Walking up Mitch, Ben found it took all of his self-control to school his features and shake the hand of Meg's husband. He couldn't look at Meg; it hurt far too much. The sight of them cuddling up to one another was more painful than any bullet wound. The pain ran much deeper. It ran to the core of him, to his soul. He had to get away from the two of them. Ben quickly took his leave and left Turnbull to catch the Parrot on his own.
* * * * *
Meg and Mitch lay side by side together in their bed. Rolling off her back, Meg rolled on top of Mitch and wrapped her arms around him. "Mitch why won't you make love to me?"
"I've told you Meg, I think that we should get to know one another again first."
"But I'm your wife. Don't you think that we know one another by now!"
"Meg, as I explained earlier to you, I want to get my memory back first. I don't remember anything about what happened when I went missing. They tell me that I was captured, but I don't remember."
"I can understand you wanting to get your memory back, but you remember who I am, so why can't we make love?"
"Please Meg, just be patient with me!"
She sighed. "All right."
"Meg, can you tell me anything that I mentioned to you about my work, that might jog my memory?"
"You never discussed your work with me Mitch."
"Surely I mentioned something to you? I really need to know what happened Meg."
"I'm sorry, no. You know your work was top secret. You weren't allowed to tell me."
Meg tried to kiss Mitch passionately on the lips, but he only returned her kiss half-heartedly and briefly. Feeling disappointed and hurt that her husband was rejecting her, Meg moved off him, to lie at the side of him again. She couldn't understand why he was acting so aloof towards her. They used to be so much in love and now he wouldn't even kiss her properly. And that was another thing too. The way he kissed; it was different. What had happened to him while he was gone to make him change so much!
* * * * *
Tuesday
Walking into the consulate, Meg was instantly greeted by the Parrot. "Squawk. Here's 'The Dragon Lady.' Squawk. Here's 'The Dragon Lady.' Squawk. Shoot the Inspector. Squawk."
Meg didn't need two guesses as to whom the culprits where who had been teaching the Parrot to say that! It was no doubt the combined efforts of Ovitz and Detective Vecchio. Meg's emotions were already running riot and the insults from the Parrot just made Meg feel even worse. She had wanted to take a few days off work and spend some time with Mitch. However, when she had suggested it to him, he had told her that he thought that she should go to work, because he wanted her to 'go on as normal.' She had protested that she 'didn't want to go to work and that she wanted to be with him,' but he had insisted that she come to work. Meg had felt like crying in exasperation at him. First he wouldn't make love to her, then he wouldn't kiss her properly and now he didn't want to spend time with her. It seemed to Meg that maybe he didn't feel the same way as he used to about her anymore!
Reaching her office, she found Fraser waiting outside of her office door for her. "Sir, may I have a word in private with you?"
"Erm…yes. Certainly Fraser." They both entered her office and closed the door behind them. * This is the last thing that I need today. I know that he'll want to talk about Mitch and why I didn't tell him that I was married. *
Ben looked over at Meg and cracked his neck nervously. He had so much that he wanted to ask her. So much that he should have asked her yesterday. He reasoned that he had probably been in shock. If he was to be honest, he probably still was! "Sir…Meg, I…why didn't you tell me that you were married?" He hadn't slept a wink all-night and there were bags under his eyes through lack of sleep. The thought that he was losing her and then the realisation that he had lost her; had kept him awake all night.
Meg sighed and sank into her leather chair. "I'm sorry Ben. I never meant to hurt you. The reason I didn't tell you was because I…I was told to accept that he was dead. I didn't want to talk about it because it was just too painful for me, and so I…I blocked it out as much as I could. I did love you though Ben. I…I still do. But I have to try and make my marriage work again. You do understand, don't you?"
Ben mournfully nodded his head and spoke quietly. "Yes. Yes I understand Meg." That was it. There was nothing more to say. It was pointless asking any more questions when he already knew that she had chosen her husband. He wasn't the kind of man to intentionally break up a marriage. Slowly turning around he left her office and quickly made his way to his own. Upon entering his office, the tears that had welled up in his eyes began to flow freely. He cried. Dief sensed Ben's hurt and whining he licked Ben's face in an act of comfort.
* * * * *
Down by the desolate docks, a man sat in his black unmarked car and lit a Morley cigarette. He fixed the man and woman stood beside his car with a cool stare. "Find them. His wife must know where they are!"
"She says he never discussed his work with her," informed the man that was stood beside the car.
"He took the copies as a back up policy, so he must have told her where they are! Just find them." The cigarette smoking man flicked some ash out of the open window, onto the floor, before departing in his car.
The man looked at the woman in anxiety. "What if we can't find them?"
"What do you mean by 'we?' It's up to you to find them. I'm only here to keep Fraser out of the way."
* * * * *
Destination: - Washington D.C.
With a huge grin on his face, Mulder entered the apartment that he shared with Scully. Spotting her sat on the sofa watching a documentary; he went over to her. He got hold of her hands and pulled her to her feet. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he kissed her on the lips. She was used to his kisses by now and as he kissed her, Dana could tell from the kiss that he was buzzing about something. When the kiss ended, Dana looked at him and smiled. "Go on, what have you found out?" He looked like an excited little schoolboy and from years of experience she knew that he must have a lead on a case.
His grin went even wider. "Guess who's just showed up in Chicago?"
Dana shook her head. "Elvis," she joked.
"Ha, ha, very funny."
"So if it's not Elvis, then who is it?"
"Mitch Thatcher. The Canadian who was part of the task force that was sent to blow up the installation in Kazakhstan."
"He has?"
Mulder nodded his head emphatically and ushered her into the bedroom that they shared together. "So come on Dana, get packing."
* * * * *
Destination: - Chicago
After checking in to the hotel, with Dana behind the wheel, Mulder and Scully drove to the address that 'X' had given Mulder. Exiting the lift on the top floor, they walked up to the apartment door and Mulder knocked on it. While they waited for the door to be answered, both of the agents took out their ID badges. However, it wasn't Mitch that answered the door, but Meg. Mulder held his badge up to her. " F.B.I. Special Agent Fox Mulder." Motioning to Scully he added, "This is Special Agent Dana Scully. We'd like to ask Mitch Thatcher a few questions!"
"F.B.I? Why? What's your reason for questioning him?"
"I presume that you're his wife?" Mulder said to Meg.
"Yes. I'm also the Chief Liaison Officer at the Canadian Consulate and as my husband is a Canadian citizen, I'd like to know what business the F.B.I. have in questioning him?"
"We want to question him with regard to a weapons installation in Kazakhstan that he was sent to destroy. He's the only survivor of the operation and there are a few things that we'd like clearing up. May we come in?" Mulder asked.
Meg hesitated for a moment. "Alright." She was curious as to what she might learn and so she stepped aside to let them enter. "But I can tell you now that he doesn't remember anything." Dana and Mulder exchanged glances at the news.
Meg led them down the hallway and into a spacious living room. Mitch was sat in an armchair, sifting through the contents of some large cardboard boxes that were at his feet. He looked up, alarmed, as the two agents entered the living room with Meg. "Mitch, this is Special Agents Mulder and Scully. They're with the F.B.I. They want to talk to you."
He looked at the two agents warily. "The F.B.I.? Erm…what do you want?"
"You are Mitch Thatcher, right?"
"Yes. Yes of course I am. Why shouldn't I be?" Mitch's tone was edgy.
Trying to put Mitch at ease, Mulder spoke in a friendly manner. "Oh, no reason. I just wanted to make sure, that's all."
Sitting in the other armchair, Meg indicated to the sofa. "Won't you sit down!"
"Thanks." Mulder gave her one of his boyish smiles and Scully nodded her head gratefully. Once they were seated, Mulder continued with his line of questioning. "Have you any idea where you've been for the last couple of months?"
"No. I was told that I was captured, but I don't remember anything."
"You work for the CIS, right?"
"Yes."
"Who captured you?"
"As I said, I 'don't know.' And even if I did, I am not at liberty to tell you." As he answered the questions, Mitch looked directly at Mulder, his gaze unwavering. However, his hands gave away his nervousness, as he subconsciously fidgeted with them.
"Can you tell us why you were sent to Kazakhstan?"
"Was I? I told you, 'I don't remember anything.'"
"Is there nothing at all that you remember about where you've been or what you were sent to do?"
"No," Mitch answered firmly.
"The official report says that you were part of a joint international task force that was sent to destroy a weapons installation in Kazakhstan. Can you confirm that?" Scully intervened.
"How can I when I don't remember anything! I don't remember going to Kazakhstan. I couldn't tell you if I was sent to destroy anything or not. I just don't remember. But if that's what the official report says then…" He shrugged his shoulders.
"If you don't mind me asking, what is the F.B.I.'s interest in all of this?" Meg asked.
Dana looked at Mulder and her facial expression told him that he could answer that one. "We're investigating a shipment of cargo that was being flown from the US to Kazakhstan. The shipment of some silver cylinder containers." Mulder looked at Mitch. "Can you possibly tell us what was in those containers?"
"No. Why should I be able to?"
"Because we have reason to believe that the containers final destination in Kazakhstan was the installation that you were sent to destroy."
"Could the explosives that you used have been in those containers?" Asked Scully.
"I don't know. I told you, I 'don't remember blowing anything up'."
"Well, I'm sure you did, because by the time we got there, there was nothing left but a massive crater," Mulder laughed. Seeing that Mitch didn't find it funny, Mulder stopped grinning. Feeling that he had nothing to lose because their line of questioning wasn't getting them anywhere, Mulder decided to try a new line of inquiry. Plus, he was intrigued as to what reaction Mitch would have. "Did you come across any EBE's?" Scully shook her head slightly at Mulder's question.
"Any what?" For a split second, Mulder could have sworn that he saw a look other than 'surprise at the question,' flit across Mitch's face. Mulder couldn't quite place what the look was though. The nearest he could place it was 'startled.' Mulder also noticed that Mitch's hands had balled into fists, turning his knuckles white and his fingernails were digging into the palms of his hands.
"Extra-Terrestrial Biological Entities."
"Are you serious?" Both Mitch and Meg were looking at Mulder as if he had 'lost his marbles.' Dana smiled at the expressions on their faces. Dana was well aware that because of some of Mulder's beliefs, people in the Bureau called him 'Spooky.' And it was at times like this when she wasn't at all surprised that he had acquired the nickname.
"To explain, Mulder believes that it wasn't a weapons installation that you were sent to destroy, but a secret genetic experimentation facility. He believes that some EBE's were being transported in those cylinders."
"I take it that you don't subscribe to that theory?" Meg smirked.
"No. I don't."
"Look, I'm sorry but I really can't help you. I just don't remember anything." Mitch gestured to the cardboard boxes at his feet. "I'm going through all of those to see if anything will spark off my memory."
"Well, if anything does, be sure to let us know!" Mulder smiled at Mitch.
"I will. That is, if I am at liberty to."
As soon as Mulder and Scully had left the apartment, Mitch turned on Meg. "Meg, did I make copies of my orders? Of maps or information on the operation?"
"No, not as far as I know."
"Did I ever mention what was in those containers to you?" He eyed her suspiciously.
"No. I'd never heard of them until just now." Seeing his agitation, Meg said, "surely you don't believe all of that crap about EBE's!"
He didn't answer her. Instead he started to shout at her. "Come on THINK Meg. Did I make copies? Where did I put them?" He got hold of her by both of her shoulders and shook her with his strong arms.
"Get off me." Meg knocked his hands off her and backed away from him. "I've told you, 'I don't know.'"
"I must have, Meg! Tell me where they are?" He started to move towards her.
Meg stood her ground and squared up to him. "Stop shouting at me Mitch."
"I will when you stop lying and tell me where they are?" He stood right in front of her. Towering down on her, he glared at her. His brown eyes flashed green with anger. She had never seen him look at her like that before. He seemed so different to her. The man standing menacingly in front of her looked like Mitch, but at the same time; he didn't. Looking into his blazing eyes, she couldn't see any of the love that she used to be able to see in them. All that she could see now, was a man filled to near bursting point with hatred and viciousness.
"I'm not lying to you Mitch. Why are you treating me like this? Why are you being so…so hostile and cold towards me? You're different Mitch and not in a good way. I don't know what happened to you while you were gone, but I'm not the enemy Mitch, I'm your wife. So stop treating me like the enemy and start treating me like your wife."
He seemed not to hear her or if he did, he didn't care. With a glazed expression on his face, he reached out to grab Meg by her shoulders again. "Don't you dare even think about it," Meg warned him. She tired to sound fearless, but her voice wavered slightly. He had backed her up against the wall, preventing her from moving out of his way again. Meg could only watch as Mitch flexed his strong muscular arms. Those arms that she had drooled over and that had held her ever so gently in the past. But now, looking at them, they produced a feeling of terror throughout her entire body. Instinctively, she put her hands up in front of her face, to protect it. She knew that he was going to hit her, but when he did, she still couldn't quite believe it.
* * * * *
Back at the hotel, Mulder climbed into the double bed at the side of Scully. "Did you see the expression on Mitch's face when I asked him had he seen any EBE's?"
"What, the one where he thought that you'd gone insane?"
Mulder chose to ignore Dana's remark. "He looked…I don't know, the nearest that I could place it was 'startled.' And the way he clenched his fists! Well, I thought that he was going to cut the circulation off, and that his fingers were going to come shooting through his palm and out through the back of his hand." He grinned at his attempt at humour. "Didn't you notice that?"
"Yes, I noticed that. Not the look, but I noticed the way he clenched his fists. So?"
"So, don't you think that that reaction was a little odd?"
"He was probably just irritated by us asking him questions and so he clenched his fists, that's all. Why? Are you taking him clenching his fists as a confession that he did see EBE's?"
"You've got to admit that it does make you wonder!"
"Well, stop wondering and kiss me." Dana held her arms open for him. Rolling on top of her, Mulder smiled as he lowered his lips onto hers.
* * * * *
Ben lay on his back, alone, in the bed that he had previously shared with Meg. The darkness that was night had enveloped his apartment some hours ago. And the feeling of isolation that the darkness brought with it matched his growing sense of loneliness. He glanced over at his wolf, curled up, sleeping peacefully at the foot of his bed. He cared a great deal about Dief. The wolf was a loyal companion. But Ben needed and wanted more in his life. He needed the companionship and love of a woman. He needed and wanted Meg. He loved her. First Victoria had left him and now Meg. Was he doomed forever to live with only his wolf!
Ben's pining was interrupted as he heard the creaking sound of his door being opened. Surprised that someone would be entering his apartment at night, especially without knocking, he quickly sat up on his bed. Hoping that it would be Meg, he looked towards the doorway in expectation. With his sharp eyes, Ben squinted through the darkness to see who his night visitor was. To Ben's complete disappointment his night visitor wasn't Meg. Recognising whom it was; Ben inhaled a sharp breath and his whole body went rigid.
"Hello Ben."
Ben stared dumbfounded at the woman standing in the doorway to his apartment. The woman that had messed up his head and nearly messed up his entire life. "What are you doing here?"
"What kind of a welcome is that! Aren't you pleased to see me?" The woman sauntered towards Ben.
Ben gulped at the woman standing before him. He had never expected to see her again and here she was, standing right in front of him. Close enough for him to reach out and touch her if he chose to. He asked himself if he was imagining her! In answer to his unspoken question, she started to run her index finger down his check. Surely he couldn't be imagining that! Teasingly she asked him; "don't you love me anymore?"
As if her fingers were poison, he brushed her hand away. "I did, for a long time. But no, I don't. Not anymore. I asked you 'what you were doing here?'"
She smiled scornfully at him. "I came to see you." Fixing him with a look of contempt, her voice was like acid when she next spoke. "But obviously I left it too late, because I can see that that bitch 'Thatcher' has sunk her teeth into you!"
"If you mean, 'do I love Meg?' Then the answer is, 'yes. I love her very much.'"
The woman snarled at him.
"How do you know about Meg anyway?"
"I know everything about you Ben."
Grabbing hold of the back of his head, she pushed her lips to his. Clutching her head through her dark curls, Ben pushed her off him, shoving her head away from his. "No. Not this time you don't!" He forcefully told her. "I won't take part in your evil games. If you love me, or if you ever loved me at all, please leave my life. Turn yourself in. If you have any decency in you, and I believe that you must have somewhere, then do the right thing for once in your life and turn yourself in to the authorities."
"Never."
"In that case I see no other option, I'll have to arrest you myself. I have no choice."
Quickly reaching her hand into her jacket, the 'vixen' pulled a gun out on him. "I'm not going back to jail Ben. And I'm warning you, for your own good, stay away from that bitch. She'll get you killed."
"You've not changed for the better one bit, have you? Is that meant to be a threat?"
"It's a friendly warning Ben. I'm here to warn you to stay away from her, for your own benefit. And I do love you. That's why I'm here. If I didn't love you, I wouldn't be here now, warning you!"
"You don't love me. I don't think that you have the capacity in your heart to love someone. Meg's a hundred times the woman you'll ever be. You don't know what love is."
"Just stay away from her." Still pointing the gun at him, she backed away from him towards the door. At the door she stopped and spoke to him one last time. "Oh, and if I can't have you Ben, then nobody will." She blew him a kiss and then slipped out of the door.
* * * * *
Wednesday
With Dief at his heels, Ben jogged up the stairs of the Canadian Consulate. Reaching the top of the stairs, he found Turnbull stood waiting for him. "Ah, good morning Constable Fraser. Erm…I mean good morning Sir; seeing as Inspector Thatcher isn't in today."
"I beg your pardon Turnbull?"
"Well, as you are 'Deputy Chief Liaison Officer' isn't it correct that in Inspector Thatcher's absence you are 'Chief Liaison Officer?'"
"Yes, I am 'Chief Liaison Officer' in Inspector Thatcher's absence. Why? Is Inspector Thatcher not here?"
"Ah, no Sir. Her husband rang up and said that 'she was ill and that she wouldn't be coming in today.'"
"He did? I hope it's nothing serious! Did he say what was wrong with her?"
"No Sir."
"Right, in that case I'd better give her a ring, just to make sure that it's nothing serious and to see if there's anything that we can do!"
It was very unusual for the Inspector not to come in to work. Even though Ben was no longer dating her, he still cared a great deal about her; he still loved her and he wanted to make sure that she was all right. Ben was also concerned for her safety after his unexpected night visitor. He just prayed that it was a coincidence that Meg was not in work the day after the 'vixen' had turned up at his apartment! * Oh dear! I hope that she's not hurt Meg! *
Ben went into his office and dialled Meg's home phone number. To Ben's disappointment Mitch answered the telephone. * Well, at least he's at home looking after her and she's not on her own if she's ill! *
"Ah, hello Mr. Thatcher. This is Constable Benton Fraser. May I speak with Inspector Thatcher please?"
"No, you may not. She doesn't want to talk to you. What do you want to speak to her about anyway?"
Ben was slightly taken-aback by Mitch's response and also by the bitterness of his voice.
"I'm just ringing up to inquire if Inspector Thatcher is all right? Turnbull has informed me that she's ill and I just wanted to make sure that it was nothing serious and to see if there is anything that either Turnbull or myself can do?"
"Oh! Right! No, it's nothing serious."
"That's good to hear. Erm, you said that 'she doesn't want to talk to me,' might I ask why?"
"She just doesn't, that's all. If you don't believe me, here listen, I'll ask her for you!" Ben heard Mitch yell, "Meg, Fraser's on the phone, he wants to talk to you!"
Ben then heard Meg's faint voice. "Tell him that I don't want to talk to him." Her words were like an ice pick straight to his heart.
"There, you heard her. She 'doesn't want to talk to you.' Satisfied? Now, don't ring here again and stay away from my wife, understood?" Before Ben could reply Mitch had slammed the phone down and Ben was left to listen to the dial tone.
* * * * *
Later that day, Mulder and Scully turned up at the Canadian Consulate wanting to speak to Meg. "I'm terribly sorry but the Inspector isn't in today. She's unwell," Turnbull politely informed the agents.
Scully raised her eyebrows and looked at Mulder. "She is?" Mulder asked surprised.
"Yes. Her husband rang up on her behalf this morning."
"He did, did he? Hmmm," Mulder mused. "Did he say what was wrong with her?"
"No. However Constable Fraser telephoned the Inspector's home and her husband told him that it was 'nothing serious.'"
"Right. Thank you Constable," Mulder smiled at Turnbull. Placing his hand lightly on Dana's back, Mulder then piloted her towards the door. Leaning close to her ear he whispered, "well, what do you make of that? She didn't appear to have anything wrong with her last night!"
"No, she didn't. I suppose we'll have to postpone questioning her about her husband for the time being!"
"Yes. In the meantime I think that we'd better stake out their apartment! Just to make sure that he doesn't do another 'disappearing act,' this time along with his wife!"
* * * * *
Thursday
The morning sun was smiling on the city of Chicago. It was so hot that it was nearly 'cracking the pavement.' Dressed in her long sleeved blouse and trousers, Meg was grateful to enter the cool air-conditioned Consulate.
Walking to her office, Meg heard Ben call out her name. She ignored him and hurried up her pace to her office. Just as she reached her office door, Ben came rushing up behind her and lightly touched her arm. Meg winced.
Ben noticed the look of pain on her face. He looked at her with concern showing in his azure eyes. He hadn't touched her hard enough to hurt her, so why had she flinched in pain?
"I…I don't want to talk to you Fraser. Please, just go away and leave me alone." She couldn't look at him as she spoke.
Ben gently got hold of her hand as she started to undo her office door. "Why not? What have I done? Please tell me!"
She shook her head and still wouldn't look at him. Observing her for any clues as to what he had done to upset her, he wondered why she was wearing long sleeves and trousers on such a warm day!
She pulled her hand away from his and quickly stepped into her office. As she shut the door in his face, it suddenly hit him, like a bolt of lightning, why she had winced and why she was wearing those clothes. * She must be covering up some sort of injury! * Concerned, he knocked on her office door. No answer. Taking a deep breath, he pushed her door open anyway and entered.
"Fraser get out of my office. I never gave you permission to come in."
"I'm sorry Sir for entering without permission, but I need to make sure that you're all right. Have you hurt yourself?"
She didn't answer him. Biting her bottom lip, she looked down and stared intently at her empty desk. Walking around her desk, Ben slowly got hold of her hand. Carefully, he rolled her sleeve up. He gasped in horror at what he revealed. Her normally snow white arm was covered in ugly black and purple bruises. "Oh Meg, my love. How did this happen?" He saw her close her eyes at his question and her entire body tensed up.
Ben delicately took hold of her other arm and rolled her sleeve up to expose another bruised arm. Kneeling down, he cautiously lifted the material of her trousers up and tears gleamed in his eyes at what he uncovered. More bruises. "How did this happen? It can't have been an accident Meg! Not so many bruises!"
Standing up he looked at her face. How it had happened was written all over it. "Your husband hasn't done this to you, has he?"
She couldn't speak. She didn't need to; the look on her face was answer enough. "Oh Meg!" Kneeling down in front of her again, he gently wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her towards him into a loving embrace. Kissing the top of her head, he spoke soothingly to her. "Don't worry, my love. I won't let him ever hurt you again."
"I…I tried to stop him. I really did. He was so strong and so…violent there wasn't much that I could do. I've never seen him like that before. All as I could do was put my arms up to protect my face when he hit me. I tried to fight him off, but it was no use. I'm so…ashamed that I couldn't do more to stop him, Ben." She started to cry.
"Meg you have nothing to be ashamed about. It's him that should be ashamed, not you. Shush, my love. It's all right. Shush," Ben comforted. He continued to hold her and stroke her hair as the tears shook her body.
When the tears finally subsided, Meg lifted her head up from where it had been nestled against Ben's shoulder. " I did however manage to knee him in the groin." Meg smiled weakly.
"Meg, you know that you should report to the police what he did to you?" Ben spoke seriously.
"No." Meg shook her head firmly. "It's too embarrassing. I'm a Police Officer for goodness sake!"
"Yes; you are. But you're also human."
"I'm not reporting it. He's sorry for what he did; he cried afterwards. I don't want my private business made common knowledge Ben." Fraser knew that there was no use in arguing with her when she was being obstinate. He may not agree with her decision not to report Mitch, but he couldn't force her to!
"Besides, there's no way he'll do that again because I won't give him the chance. Once was enough. It's over between us. I don't love him anymore. He's not the same man that I married. I'm going to divorce him."
Ben's heart lifted with joy at her words. * Oh yes! She's going to divorce him. I know that's it's wrong of me to be rejoicing at that, but maybe there's a chance for us now! And he did hurt her! He doesn't deserve her as a wife if he hurts her! I would never even entertain the thought of hurting her, let alone lay a finger on her. If she were my wife I would cherish her. *
"I tried to make our marriage work, until I was exhausted in doing so. He's just so different. It was hard enough trying to make our marriage work because I was in love with you too, but he made it even harder by the way he acted. I don't know him anymore. It was as though he didn't want our marriage to work! Marriage is a two way street and he wasn't pulling his weight at all, it was left entirely down to me. He acted like he didn't love me anymore. He wouldn't even make love to me. Not that I want him to now!" Meg paused to catch her breath. "I suppose what I'm trying to tell you, is that I love you Ben, not him. I want to be with you. That is, if you still want me?"
"My love, of course I still want you. I love you so much Meg. You don't know how happy you've made me by saying that you love me and want to be with me!" He gently cupped her face and kissed her tenderly on the mouth. Meg responded immediately and pulled him tightly towards her.
Glad to be back in one another's arms, they carried on kissing until they were breathless. Stroking her cheek, Ben looked into her hazel eyes. "Stay at my apartment with me Meg? I don't want you having to go back home to him."
"Alright. I will." Smiling at him, she kissed his lips.
* * * * *
After seeing Meg go to work, Dana and Mulder ended their stakeout of her apartment. Between them, they had decided that it was unlikely that they would miss anything now! And so Mulder drove them back to the hotel so that they could freshen up.
Walking along the hotel corridor towards their room, they were confronted by 'X.' "Go to the abandoned warehouse at 142 King Street, Georgetown, Maryland," 'X' told them before vanishing down the stairwell.
* * * * *
Destination: - Maryland
Mulder and Scully approached the address of the abandoned warehouse that 'X' had given them. With their guns at the ready, they cautiously entered the large warehouse. The only light came from the crack at the bottom of the wooden door, giving the building an eerie atmosphere to it. They both replaced their guns in their holsters and opted for their flashlights. Turning the flashlights on, both pairs of eyes scanned their dingy surroundings.
The warehouse was empty, except for a large, oblong shaped, horizontal freezer in the centre. Both agents' eyes curiously fixed on it.
Moving towards the freezer, together they lifted up the lid. In doing so, set free from the confines of the freezer, a cool ice-mist vapour wafted into their faces. Peering down into the freezer, both agents' eyes went wide in astonishment. Lying there, in the freezer, was the body of Mitch Thatcher. His body was covered in frost. He even had frost on his eyelashes.
On first glance, the cause of death appeared to be a single gunshot wound to the head. The bullet was right in between his eyes; 'execution style.'
Mulder whistled. "Well, it definitely isn't 'Wall's Ice-cream!'"
"No it isn't," Dana solemnly agreed. "Which do you think is the real Mitch Thatcher? This one, or the one we met in Chicago?"
"Personally, I'd bet my last dollar on this one."
* * * * *
Destination: - Chicago
Meg lay naked, on the bed in Ben's apartment while, with great care, he applied Witch-hazel to her bruises. Once he had finished lightly dabbing the Witch-hazel on, he handed her his dressing gown, and in a gentlemanly fashion he helped her to put it on. Sitting on the bed together, Meg placed her hands on his shoulders and kissed him on the lips. She smiled warmly at him. "That's to say 'thank you,'" Meg told him.
He smiled back at her. "You don't need to thank me, my love."
Before Meg could begin to argue back that 'she did,' there was a loud banging on the door. "Open up. I know she's in there with you," Mitch's angry voice shouted from the other side of the closed door.
"You'd better let him in before he breaks the door down!" Meg spoke in a matter of fact tone.
"Alright. But don't worry Meg, I won't let him lay a finger on you."
"Oh, don't worry about me Ben. I'm well prepared this time." She reached for her handbag and pulled out a 45 Smith and Wesson. "If I think that he's going to hit me again, I'll blow the bastards brains out." Ben raised his eyebrows in alarm. Seeing his look, she quickly added, "in self-defence of course!"
While Ben went to open the door, Meg replaced the gun back into her bag. However, she kept a tight hold on her bag, so that if needed, she could get to the gun in time.
As soon as Ben pulled the door open, Mitch placed a heavy hand on Ben's chest and pushing Ben backwards, Mitch barged straight in. Seeing Meg stood there, in nothing but a dressing gown, Mitch's eyes burned with rage. "I told you to 'stay away from my wife.'"
"And I'm telling you, that if you lay one finger on her again, I'll arrest you myself."
"So, you told him did you! I should have guessed that you would! I told you that I was sorry Meg and that I wouldn't do it again. Why did you have to go and tell him?"
"She didn't. In fact she wouldn't tell me. I realised for myself what had happened and even then she defended you. If I'd have had my way, you would be behind bars by now."
"Come on, you're coming home with me Meg," Mitch commanded.
"She's not going anywhere with you."
"Yes, she is."
"No, I'm not Mitch. Go home and cool off."
"What, so you can stay here and fuck your fancy man! No chance! You're coming home with me Meg and that's final. Now put some clothes on."
"Who do you think you are telling me what to do!"
"Your husband."
"That doesn't give you the right to order me around and hit me. You hit me once and that was enough. It's over between us. Go home Mitch. I love Ben and I'm staying here with him."
"No you're not." Mitch made a move to grab Meg and Ben quickly stepped in the way.
"The lady said to 'leave.'"
Mitch glared at Ben with such venom, that Ben thought that if 'looks could kill,' he would be 'as dead as a door nail' by now. Mitch moved his eyes from Ben to stare hard at Meg for a few seconds, before turning around and marching out of the apartment; slamming the door behind him.
When he'd gone, Meg breathed a deep sigh of relief. "You did very well, my love." Ben tenderly kissed the top of her head. Gently putting his arms around Meg, he hugged her. Wearily, they walked towards the bed together and sat down in companionable silence.
After a while, Meg finally spoke. "Make love to me Ben."
"I…erm, I'm not sure that that's such a good idea!"
Meg's heart felt like it was sinking to the floor. * What is it with me! Am I sexually repulsive or what! First my husband won't make love to me and now Ben won't. Why? What am I not doing right? *
"Why not? I thought that you loved me! Don't you want make love to me anymore?"
"Oh Meg, it's not that. I do love you and of course I want to make love to you; I want that very much."
"What's the problem then?"
Ben nervously cleared his throat. "You're…erm…you're married."
"What difference does it make? I was married last time when we made love."
"Yes, but I didn't know that then."
Mid way to the floor, Meg's heart stopped sinking and rose back up again. * Thank goodness! What an old-fashioned gentleman! The reason he won't make love to me isn't because he doesn't want to, but because I'm married and he doesn't think that it's proper to do so. Aw, how sweet of him! But 'sweet' isn't what I want right now. I want his unbridled passion. I want to make love to him. *
"Ben, I'm not going to pressure you to make love to me, but I will say this; 'it's over between Mitch and I. We're separated. I'm going to start the divorce proceedings tomorrow. I love you and if you love me, then I don't see why we can't make love!'"
Ben thought about this for a few moments and what Meg said seemed to make sense to him. * She's right, we love one another and so why shouldn't we show our love in the ultimate way and make love? It's not like we're really doing anything wrong; they're separated! *
Making up his mind, Ben leaned over and began to kiss Meg; lying her down as he did so. Handling her like a delicate piece of porcelain, he caressed her. Careful of her bruises, he gently and slowly began to make love to her.
* * * * *
Friday
After performing the autopsy, Mulder and Scully had hopped on the first flight to Chicago. Arriving at O'Hare just around one o'clock in the morning, they made their way straight to Meg's apartment only to find that nobody was home. Among other things, the results of the autopsy had proved 'beyond a shadow of a doubt,' that the body they found in the freezer 'was' the real Mitch Thatcher, and the agents were intent on arresting and questioning the impostor. Sitting in the car together, Mulder and Scully snuggled up, settling in for what could be a long wait for 'Mitch' to return.
Meanwhile, in another part of the city, the 'vixen' and the impostor were deep in conversation. "Your warning didn't work because he's with her right now," the impostor angrily told the 'vixen.'
"Calm down. Don't worry. I'll get Fraser out of the way."
"You better had. That's what you were hired to do. You should have done it the way you were told to do it in the first place. If you had, she wouldn't have been able to run off to anyone then!"
"Ok. I'll do it the way I was told to in the first place. I'll make sure that he's permanently out of the way this time. "
* * * * *
Daylight broke and there was still no sign of anyone at the apartment. Just to make sure that 'Mitch' hadn't done 'a runner' with Meg, Dana rang up the Canadian Consulate to see if Meg had turned up for work. In finding out that she had, Dana took the car and drove to the consulate to talk to Meg. Leaving Mulder behind to stand across the street from the apartment, just in case Mitch showed up.
Upon entering Meg's office, Dana first decided to ask where Meg had been all night.
"Why do you ask?" Meg spoke defensively and folded her arms in front of her chest.
"Please, just answer the question," Dana spoke firmly.
"I was at Constable Benton Fraser's apartment."
"Was your husband there with you?"
"No. He did turn up at one point, but then he left."
"Have you any idea where he is now?"
Meg shrugged her shoulders. "At home I would presume! Why?"
"Agent Mulder and I need to find him. He isn't at your apartment. Is there any reason why he wouldn't return home all night? And where do you think that he would go?"
"I don't have a clue where he might have gone."
Eyeing Meg, Dana asked, "but you know why he didn't return home?"
"Yes. He came around to Ben's last night and we had…words and the outcome was that he left in rather a huff. He probably didn't feel like going home afterwards. You see; our marriage is over and I've moved out of our apartment. I'm staying at Ben's. My guess is that he might have gone to drown his sorrows. But I don't know where."
"If you don't mind my asking, why have you split up?"
"I'd rather not say. It was for personal reasons. I don't know what happened to him whilst he was missing, but he isn't the same man that I married."
"It's funny that you should say that! There's no easy way to break this to you. Are you aware that the man claiming to be your husband, 'Mitch Thatcher,' is an impostor?"
"I beg your pardon?" Meg looked at Dana shell-shocked.
"Agent Mulder and I had reason to go to an abandoned warehouse in Maryland. Inside, we found the body of your husband. The real Mitch Thatcher. His body had been stored in a freezer to preserve it for some reason. It had been in there for quite a few months."
"Are you positive that the body you found is that of my husband?" If the body really was that of her husband, it did explain a lot about why 'Mitch' seemed so different to her!
"Yes. I'm afraid so. I checked his dental records and medical files."
"You mean that my husband's been dead for months?" Meg was angry now. * How dare he pretend to be Mitch! It was an insult to his memory. * She was determined to bring the impostor to justice, if not for what he had done to her, but for her husband's sake.
"Yes. I performed an autopsy on him. From what I'd say, he's been dead from around the time that he went missing."
"How did he die?" Meg asked softly.
"A single gunshot wound to the head. However…" Dana hesitated.
"Go on." Meg needed to know everything.
"However, the autopsy revealed the symptoms of exposure to high levels of nuclear radiation."
"Radiation?"
"Yes. If my theory is true, that 'it was a Nuclear testing site that they destroyed,' it isn't that strange that he had symptoms of exposure to high levels of nuclear radiation! However, what is strange, is that I also found various puncture marks on his body that I couldn't really account for. Have you any idea what they could be?"
"Erm no. Mitch's body was flawless." Meg stood there silently looking into space for a few moments.
To Dana's surprise, Meg suddenly moved from behind her desk and grabbed her handbag. "Where are you going?"
"Home. I'm not having an impostor in my home. I'm going home to change the locks," Meg told Dana with conviction.
"In that case, I'm coming with you."
* * * * *
Dana and Meg drove to Meg's apartment in separate cars. As they both pulled up in front of the apartment building, a black sedan quickly pulled away from the kerb and speed off. Mulder ran up to Dana as she got out of her car. Jumping into the driver's seat he quickly told her, "Mitch is back. That car just dropped him off. I'm going to trail it. Wait outside until I get back. Whatever you do, don't attempt to go inside without me." Flooring the accelerator, he zoomed off in pursuit of the sedan.
Meg was already walking up towards the front doors of the building. Dana ran up to her. "You can't go in there."
"Why? It's my apartment."
"'Mitch' is back. It isn't safe to go inside."
"You mean the impostor's back!" Meg corrected her. "I'm going inside. I'm not being run out of my own home by an impostor," Meg stubbornly told Dana.
Dana tried to block Meg's way, but Meg was determined to go inside and pushed past her, into the building. Dana had no choice but to let Meg go in. It was Meg's apartment after all! But there was no way that Dana was going to let Meg go into the apartment on her own, and so quickly, she followed closely behind Meg.
* * * * *
Mulder brought the car to a stop not far from the black sedan. They were parked on the same street as the Canadian Consulate and from where he was sat, Mulder could see one of the Mounties stood outside on Sentry Duty. Watching, he saw the woman in the black sedan wind down her window and point a gun at the Mountie. While she took aim, Mulder acted quickly. He sprang out of his car and dodging the traffic, he ran across the street. He reached the Mountie just as the gunshot rang out over the noise of the traffic. Mulder dived at the Mountie, knocking him to the floor. In doing so, the bullet that would have imbedded itself into the Mountie's chest, flew past the Mountie; grazing his arm.
The black sedan disappeared down the street while Mulder stood up and helped the Mountie to his feet. "Thank you kindly. You saved my life. I'm Constable Benton Fraser." Ben held out his hand and Mulder shook it.
"Hi! I'm Special Agent Fox Mulder, with the F.B.I. Any reason why that woman would want to shoot you?"
"Woman?"
"Yep."
"What did she look like?"
"Dark long curly hair. Pretty good looking." Mulder saw Ben go ashen. "Are you ok? Hey, come on, let's get you to the hospital and get that arm looked at!"
* * * * *
Meg opened her apartment door and stepped inside, followed by Dana. Noticing that Dana had her gun out; Meg started to reach into her bag for her own gun to be on the 'safe side.' Before she managed to get to her gun, the impostor jumped out from where he'd been 'lying in wait' behind the door and grabbed her. He shoved the barrel of his gun against her temple and motioned for Dana to drop her own gun onto the floor.
* * * * *
Mulder stayed with Ben while the doctor treated him. Thanks to Mulder's quick reaction, Ben had no lasting damage, just a grazed right arm. Finishing treating him, the doctor left the cubicle and Ben started to put his red serge back on. Whilst he did so, Bob Fraser suddenly turned up 'out of the blue.'
"Hello Son. Glad to see that you're not badly injured. I've brought someone with me who wants to talk to you."
Mulder stared in astonishment at the older Mountie. Scratching the back of his neck, Mulder inquisitively asked Bob, "erm, where did you just come from?"
"You can see him?" Ben asked surprised.
"Yep. Clear as crystal. But where'd he come from?"
"Ah! Well…" Ben stalled.
"I'm dead. I'm not quite sure where I came from, I suppose you could call it limbo," Bob Fraser tried to explain. "But that's not important now. What is important, is what this man here has to tell you." In the empty space that Bob Fraser indicated to, a man appeared.
"Mitch Thatcher!" Both Ben and Mulder exclaimed.
"Yes. There isn't much time left so please listen carefully to me. Meg is in danger and she needs your help. The man pretending to be me is very dangerous and he's holding her hostage. He's after some copies of information that I have; well had. You mustn't give them to him, for Meg's sake, because it would be too dangerous for her to even acknowledge that they exist. I can't rest until she's safe. I'm putting Meg first before everything else for once, like I should have done whilst I was alive. And so should you Ben, because Meg is pregnant with your child. Look after her for me and make her happy. And destroy the bed."
Mitch faded into nothingness and Bob followed suit.
"Meg's pregnant!" Ben's mouth gaped open, stunned by the news.
"He seemed to think so! He also said that she was being held hostage, so come on."
* * * * *
Driving to Meg's apartment, with one hand on the wheel, Mulder dialled Dana's number on his mobile phone. While he waited impatiently for her to answer, Mulder curiously asked Ben, "do you see the ghost of your father often then?"
Ben cocked his head to the side. "More than I did when he was alive."
"Does he normally just pop up like that?"
"Yes. Unfortunately. It can be very…awkward at times, depending on where and when he chooses to show up."
"Damn! Come on Dana, answer the phone," Mulder cursed. * Oh, God no! She didn't go inside the building did she? *
* * * * *
Dana's mobile phone persistently kept ringing. Sat on the floor with their backs up against the living room wall, Dana and Meg warily watched the impostor sat in the armchair facing them. His gun was constantly trained on them. Dana didn't dare reach for her phone; for fear that he would shoot. But she needed to answer it and get word to Mulder of their current position. "Please, 'Mitch.' Whoever you are! Let me answer my phone?"
"No way. If you move I'll put a bullet in your brain."
Undeterred, Dana tried again to persuade him. "If I don't answer, Mulder will know that something's wrong anyway."
The impostor thought about that for a minute. "Ok. Answer it. But I'm warning you, if you say anything that so much as implies what's going on here; I'll shoot you. You're dispensable to me; I only need Meg. So keep that in mind!"
Slowly reaching for her phone, Dana answered it, "Scully."
"Dana are you all right? What took you so long to answer?"
"I wasn't able to get to the phone until now."
"Is Meg with you?"
"Yes, Meg's with me."
"Ben Fraser's with me. The woman in the black sedan shot him, but he's all right. He's just got a grazed arm. However, Ben wants to know if Meg's alright?"
The impostor motioned for Dana to hurry the conversation up. "Look, Mulder I can't really talk right now. I'm in the middle of something with Meg."
"Are you being held hostage?"
"Yes, that's right, I'll talk to you later. Bye Mulder."
"Ben and I are on our way."
Dana pressed the end button and replaced her phone into her inside suit jacket pocket. "Why did he want to know if Meg was with you?" The impostor asked suspiciously.
"Ben Fraser was with him and Mulder said that Ben had just been shot."
Meg gasped. She hoped that her worst fears weren't true and that Ben wasn't dead. "Oh my God! Is he all right? He's not dead is he? He can't be dead. Not after what I found out this morning! I haven't had chance to tell him yet." Meg spoke in a panic.
* Please don't let me have been right in the first place, when I'd worried that if I got involved with Ben it would only be a matter of time before I was told that he too, like Mitch, was dead! *
Dana put her arm around Meg's shoulders. "It's all right. He's alive. The bullet just grazed his arm, that's all."
"Thank goodness!"
Their attention was quickly focused on the sound of the door opening. Listening they heard a woman's footsteps tap down the hall towards the living room. Appearing in the doorway to the living room, the woman smirked at Meg. "So you're Meg Thatcher!"
"Who are you?" Meg asked.
"Enough chit chat you two," the impostor cut in. "Now she's here we can begin. I want to know where the copies are and you're going to tell me, now Meg."
"I've told you before I 'don't know what you're talking about.'"
He started to move towards Meg. "I'm not being messed around anymore. I'm going to get the information out of you. You'll tell me where they are, if I have beat it out of you. So be easy on yourself and just tell me."
Meg could see the menace in his eyes as he walked towards her and she instinctively pushed herself as far back against the wall as she could. "Please don't hit me, I'm pregnant," Meg pleaded.
Dana looked at Meg in surprise and then realisation. * That must have been what Meg meant by 'she hadn't had chance to tell him yet.' *
Dana moved herself protectively in front of Meg. "Leave her alone. She's told you that she 'doesn't know anything.'"
"She's lying. She knows where the copies are." As he spoke, he roughly shoved Dana out of the way.
Meg looked imploringly at the 'vixen.' "Please don't let him hit me, if not for my sake, but for my child's. You're a woman. Don't you have a heart?" Seeing the fear in Meg's eyes, the 'vixen' laughed.
Amused, the impostor moved away from Meg to stand at the side of the 'vixen.' "You're wasting you're time begging her. She hates you," he told Meg.
The 'vixen' stopped laughing and spoke icily to Meg. "Yes, I have a heart and the father of your child broke it."
All of a sudden it dawned on Meg who the woman was; 'Victoria.' While the impact of this registered in Meg's brain, the front door came crashing open. Surprised, the impostor and Victoria spun around to see who the intruders were. With the momentary distraction, Meg's police instincts kicked in. She reached into her bag and pulled out her 45 Smith and Wesson. At the same time, Dana reached down to her right ankle for her 'back up gun.'
Mulder, followed closely by Ben, cautiously entered the living room. As soon as the impostor saw who the intruders were, he spun back around to face Dana and Meg. While with her gun, Victoria covered him. Quickly moving nearer to them, the impostor aimed his gun at the women. Both women simultaneously matched his actions and pointed their own guns back at the impostor, causing him to stop in his advancing.
Taking in the scene, Mulder instantly aimed his gun at Victoria. "F.B.I. Drop the gun," Mulder instructed. Victoria just sneered at him. "I said, 'F.B.I. Drop the gun,' now." However, Victoria still refused to let go of her gun.
Still pointing his gun at the women, the impostor started to move towards them again. "Stay where you are or I'll shoot," Dana warned him.
Laughing at Dana, he moved the gun totally on her and pulled the trigger. 'BANG.' The bullet hit Dana's shoulder and the impact knocked her backward onto the floor. A second 'BANG' rang out. The impostor dropped down like a sack of potatoes onto the carpet. Meg had shot him in the head; right between the eyes.
Still clutching her gun, Meg sank to her knees. While Mulder and Victoria were still in a 'stand off,' Ben ran over to Dana and Meg. Ben bent down over Dana to see if she was all right. "I'm fine, just a flesh wound," she managed to say.
Ben checked to see for himself and satisfied, he moved over to Meg. He carefully took the gun from her and encircling his arms around her, he drew her into an embrace. "It's all right Meg. He wasn't your husband."
"I know. I shot him right where Mitch was shot."
Seeing Meg and Ben in each other's arms pushed a button inside of Victoria and she flipped. She swung her gun towards them in an obvious attempt to shoot at them. Mulder saw his opportunity and pulled the trigger on his own gun. The third 'BANG' hit Victoria in the chest before she could fire her own gun. With her hair splaying around her, she fell to the floor.
Mulder bent knelt down and checked her pulse. Slowly getting up, he shook his head. "She's dead."
Mulder walked over to Dana and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her forehead. "Honey, what did I tell you about coming in here without me?" Dana smiled sheepishly at him. Checking her wound he playfully scolded her. "You're lucky it's just a flesh wound and not more serious!"
Ben and Meg held tightly on to one another. Stroking Meg's hair, Ben spoke more to himself than to her. "It's over now."
Ben pulled back slightly so that he could look into her eyes. "Meg, are you pregnant?"
She looked at him, astonished at the question. "Yes. Yes we're going to have a child Ben."
"Oh Meg, that's wonderful news!" Ben gently cupped Meg's face and kissed her tenderly on lips.
Meg smiled at him and then her smile turned into puzzlement. "But how did you know? And more to the point, how did you find out about the impostor?"
"It's rather a long story my love." Ben smiled over at Mulder and Fox smiled back at him. Both men knew that the women were not going to easily believe how they'd found out!
* * * * *
Destination: - Ottawa
The funeral for Mitch with 'Full Honour's' ended. With Meg safe, his mission was now complete and Mitch felt that he could finally rest in peace. He stepped off the borderline and into Heaven.
With his arm protectively around Meg's shoulders, Ben led Meg to their car. Ben started the engine and they headed off to Chicago. Ben had taken Mitch's advice and with Meg's agreement, he had destroyed the bed. Ben strongly suspected that that was where the copies where being hidden. To Mulder's despair, if they were in the bed, they were now nothing but ashes. Ben and Meg were both looking forward to starting their new life together in Meg's apartment, their 'home.' On the drive home, excitedly, they started to plan for the birth of their child.
THE END