Title: Swords 5: The Bough Breaks Author: Batela Rating: PG Summary: Skinner is just about ready to give up hope when a new player enters the ring. e-mail: batela@angelfire.com URL: www.angelfire.com/mb/wsjournal/index.html Spoilers: SR819 and Biogenesis Note: A very big thank you to Sergeeva for being my beta on this one. Bow, scrape, humble humble, We Are Not Worthy! ***************** It had not been a good year for Walter Skinner. First he went off the deep end when his step-father died, leaving his younger brother Alex no choice, as he saw it, but to bring Mulder in on their little family secret. Next, Alex did an about face and suddenly decided to work whole-heartedly for Them. Granted, he did try to explain why, he was under observation by Diana Fowley, but that still didn't sit well with Skinner. Then to top it off, he gets poisoned with some new technology with Alex at the controls. Yes, yes, Diana again, but still, playing lab rat was not one of his goals in life. Especially Diana's lab rat. Skinner leaned over the balcony railing slightly and winced. He rubbed his side; the bruises were still a little sore from the nanite invasion. He lifted his face to the breeze; it felt good and cool. He took a gulp of his diet soda and went inside, leaving the sliding doors open. He really wanted a scotch but he was trying to behave since he just about poisoned himself several months earlier with the stuff. He had a feeling he was going to need his wits about him in the near future. He actually died the other day, his heart stopped only to be brought back again moments later, all by that damned palm pilot held by his ever-loving baby brother. He didn't know what hurt more, knowing his brother hurt and killed him or having to lie to Mulder and Scully about recognizing the photo of his attacker. Alex had been in disguise and neither of Skinner's agents recognized him. Skinner did, though and he had to lie to keep his agents safe. He knew they would have torn the city apart looking for Alex, drawn and quartered him and delivered his pieces on a silver platter to Skinner's doorstep. Skinner was being pulled in three different directions so all he could do was his best to cope. He'd play puppet for Alex and Diana and feed information secretly to Mulder whenever he could. He could only hope that once he was discovered that they would at least knock him out before they castrated him. He had no doubt they would figure it out and he'd bet anything that Scully would discover it first. His soda was getting warm so he went to get some ice. He looked at the blank refrigerator door and remembered; when he got home last night, there was a note sticking to the door. "I'm sorry" in Alex's handwriting. Skinner didn't really know what to feel for Alex's actions. He had called Alex, reminding him that he promised to help him, Walter, to get out of the Consortium not further in. Alex's response was that sometimes, in order to get out of a maze, you have to go through it. Skinner still wasn't happy about it. Maybe Alex was right, he did lose his balls somewhere. Georgetown Medical Center Special Psychiatric Unit Several weeks later Skinner felt his heart breaking in two as Scully marched down the hallway and out of the building, fury emanating from every step she took further away from him. He put his foot into a really big pile while trying to distract Diana's attention. He hadn't meant to quote from Scully's unfinished report; a report he couldn't have known about unless he was snooping. The echoes of her declaring him a liar rang in his ears. The worst thing about it was that he couldn't deny it, he was a liar. He turned and looked at Queen Bitch, a warning in his eyes, before turning his back to her and walking back into the observation room, slamming the door in her face. He stepped up to the one-way mirror, watching Mulder pace psychotically. His cries for Scully had died away as though he knew she had left. This was another reason for Skinner's heart to be hurting. His favorite agent, almost a second brother to him, a brilliant man, reduced to this. A padded room, a straight jacket, mumbling, rocking, screaming for his partner to help him. Skinner felt the rage building in him; he didn't know what was happening to Mulder but somehow They knew which was why They wanted him monitored. For the past couple of months, They had him under observation. Even his bathroom was bugged. It reminded Skinner of a science project, every step being recorded and analyzed, watching for the end product with dispassion. And Diana the coldest scientist of them all. Skinner didn't understand how Mulder could have married her; he was so full of fire while she was a glacier. Maybe he should let that information slip to Scully; Diana wouldn't be alive very long after Scully found out. Mulder wasn't aware that Skinner knew about his marriage, Mulder wasn't even aware that someone had kept the information from his official files. Skinner couldn't figure out why it was a secret, but it was so he kept quiet about it. He had no reason to tell anyone, certainly not Scully. If Mulder wanted to tell her his business he would. Mulder stopped pacing for a moment and looked up at the mirror, staring directly at Skinner. A shiver went down Skinner's spine; it was a one-way mirror, there was no way Mulder could know he was there. "Why does anybody get married? I fell in love with her. I was young, I thought she was my friend." He said, shrugging his bound shoulders. He collapsed into a corner, crying out in pain again, crying for someone to stop the noise. Skinner put his hand on the glass, wishing he could put everything right. The sounds roared through his head all clamoring for attention. It was better, quieter, when he was alone, when no one was walking by in the hall. He wished they could just understand about the noise and stay away. Scully left after visiting briefly. He didn't understand why she was angry with Skinner, it wasn't his fault, couldn't she see that? Even he could see that Diana... let's not go there. SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!!!! he screamed in his head, unable to stop crying from the pain. A more soothing presence was nearby, felt like.. Skinner. Skinner was in pain, too. Oh, Alex, how could you? Scully? He loves Scully? Well, that explained a few things. Who else but a man in love would sell his soul to the devil? The voices were quieter. So that's why no one ever mentions Diana to him, she isn't even in his records, Mulder thought. Strange. God help him when Scully finds out. He should have told her. After six years you'd think there must have been at least one opportunity. Like day one, he said to himself. His head shrieked again. A group of med students walking by; Dr. Greg was cheating on his wife with Dr. Julie. Dr. Anton needed another upper to survive these rounds. Mulder whimpered as their voices faded away. Skinner was still watching him, settling in for the night. Mulder felt safer. "Fox." a soft voice came. Mulder squeezed his body into the corner, waiting for the pain to start again. "Fox, just concentrate on one sound." The voice was familiar. "You can do it, Fox, you've always been able to. Just concentrate." "Gibson?" Mulder croaked, looking around for the boy. He was still alone in his padded cell. "I'm not there, Fox, but you can hear me. Listen, Fox, that old fart wants to break you. Don't let him. He thinks breaking you would be a beautiful thing, he said so. The only way for you to get out of there is to learn to control the sounds." Mulder laid down on his back, staring up at the ceiling and the mirror with Skinner just beyond. He needed to get out, he needed Scully. "Dana has her own Truths to find, Fox, let her be, she'll be back. Walter needs you; he'll help you. Just trust in him, even when you think he is doing wrong. He has his own Truths, too. Find your Truth, Fox." "What do you mean, Gibson?" "Is your head hurting now?" "No, no it isn't." Mulder had a headache but the voices were very dim, just a whisper in the background. "See? When you concentrate on one thing, they go away. You've done it all your life, Fox, you just didn't realize it." "What? I've never heard voices before." "Do you think everyone is able to pull correct hunches out of a hat? Sure, people do it all the time, but their hunches are more wrong than right; yours are more right than wrong." "But that isn't hard, people just need to pay attention more often. All the clues are right in front of their noses, they just don't concentrate." Gibson was silent. "I see." Mulder said, sitting up. "I was concentrating." "What happened to me? I mean why.." "That artifact. It contains the entire human DNA genome sequence. Well, the completed artifact does, anyway. You're brain was programmed to turn on full blast when you came into contact with it." "What? Why?" "Come on, Fox, you said it yourself, abductions tend to run in families. You and Sam are part of the main tests, along with me and Cassandra. Jeffrey was, too, but he failed. His didn't take." "I've never been abducted." Mulder protested. "Fox, in the past six years, you've been taken three times. Dana got taken the first time just because she was with you. Remember? You lost nine minutes? Several times?" "Oh my God. Those were real? But I don't remember anything happening." Mulder was shocked. He vaguely remembered his first case with Scully. They were driving when a bright light stopped them. He was excited over his watch losing nine minutes. "You're not supposed to remember. They pick you up once every few years just to reinforce your programming. They're happy to see everything working out, Fox, you're right where they want you and right on time. Is that what you want? To be working for them?" Mulder stood up, aware that Skinner was watching, concerned about him talking to someone who wasn't there. "So just think it, Fox, don't talk out loud. You'll look like one of those people on the street mumbling to themselves. Just think it." "I want out of here, Gibson. I need to get out." "When you can stand in a crowded room and function normally, you can leave." By 6am Mulder was calm and Skinner was unable to believe the transformation in front of him. Twenty med students walked by on morning rounds. Mulder just sat, staring up at the mirror, straight at Skinner. The door opened and Diana came in, the same superior look on her face as always. Skinner wanted so bad to wipe it off her. She was surprised to find him still there. "Don't you have a home, Skinner?" "Why? Offering to share your kennel with me?" he continued to look at Mulder. Before she could get in a retort, she noticed Mulder. "What is this? Why didn't you call me?" she demanded. "You didn't even know I was here, how was I supposed to know you wanted to be called? This is your pony show, not mine, QB." She glared at him. "Yo! Diana! Am I going to be fed and watered or what? I think the term in sickness and in health applies here." Mulder called out. Diana turned and stalked out. Mulder, she's going to get you for that, Skinner thought to himself, chuckling. "Ya, well she can bite me." Mulder called out, startling the man. "On second thoughts, been there, done that. QB, I like that." Mulder laughed weakly. "Hey, Walter? Get me outta here." 2 days later Georgetown Medical Center Mulder sat up in bed, reading the newspaper while the doctors argued over him. Skinner had never seen him so calm in a hospital before, usually Mulder was freaking to get out. "Walter, if I were freaking, they'd put me back." He whispered to his boss. "I wish you'd stop that." Skinner whispered back. Mulder shrugged. "Sorry, think softer." "What?" "Nothing. I'll try." Skinner took the financial section and sat back. He rubbed his side, thinking about the so-called breakfast he had in the cafeteria. Mulder's patience was wearing thin. He rattled his paper. The doctors ignored him. Dr Anderson thought it was all right to release him. It had been 48 hours and Mulder was fine, all his tests normal, except the strange brain functions were still showing up. The other one, Dr Malcolm, was insisting that he stayed. Dr Malcolm was one of Theirs. Diana was there arguing on Dr Malcolm's side. Mulder put the paper down. A warning look from Skinner halted the twitching before it began. Thankfully, they took the argument out into the hall. Mulder waited. He jumped out of the bed and skipped into the room next door, coming back moments later with filched scrubs. "What are you doing?" Skinner asked, putting his paper aside. "Getting out of here, what's it look like?" "They'll be right back, Mulder, get into bed." Skinner urged. "They won't be back for a while, they've been sidetracked. Just go into the bathroom and I'll be gone." Skinner knew he was going to regret this. He went into the bathroom. ************** Lumbard Facility Krycek sat in a forgotten basement office with an open computer file in front of him. He took notes while Kurt #6 gave him an overview of the Project. Krycek made the Kurts put numbers on their chests so that he could tell them apart. He was actually amazed that there was a 5th Column growing within the clone ranks. He didn't think they had enough free will to even entertain the idea of rebellion. The aliens and their human conspirators had seriously under-estimated the human spirit. He picked up the Artifact and studied it, turning it over to get all the angles. The strange inscriptions were a puzzle. He knew it had something to do with human DNA but he didn't understand what it had to do with Mulder's metamorphosis. The Kurts didn't either. After a few wall slams, Krycek believed them. His cell phone rang. "Yeah." he answered. "Where the hell are you?" Krycek smiled; Diana sounded pissed and he could guess the cause. "I had to make a slight detour; why, Fowley, missed me?" "Get that thing to the labs and find Mulder, he's gone." He grinned evilly. Bingo! "Gone? How could you lose a man in a straight jacket in a padded room?" he egged her. He could hear her gnashing her teeth. "Just do it, Alex!" she slammed the phone down. Krycek chuckled as he turned his cell off. He had to hand it to the man, Mulder definitely had style. Must be Houdini reincarnated. "Mr. Krycek?" Kurt #8 stood in front of him. "What." "You called that person Fowley; you didn't mean Diana Fowley, did you?" Krycek found the question rude, but he was curious. "Yes, why?" The answer was completely unexpected. He felt an idea come to him and made a request which was quickly granted. Apparently the clones weren't happy with her either. He contemplated the Artifact as he headed out of the building. He was tempted to keep it and offer it to the highest bidder but he had nothing to bargain for, nothing he could get away with, anyway. He had no actual use for it, he wasn't a scientist and despite claims to the contrary, he wasn't a terrorist. An assassin yes, a terrorist no. And besides, the last thing he needed was his employers, the Russians, the Japanese, the Rebels and the Colonists all turning the planet upside down looking for his cute butt. He wrapped the Artifact up and shoved it into his backpack. He had a feeling he knew where Mulder was hiding out but would deny being able to find him to Diana. Mulder needed re-coup time. Krycek had no doubt that his most worthy adversary would be up to snuff in no time at all. All's fair in love and war, as they say. He was tempted, though; he could use a good roll in the hay and Mulder was the best. No, he didn't want Mulder to catch any of his plans from mind, not yet, anyway. He'd leave Mulder alone for now, the cabin was well stocked with non-perishables, he'd be able to survive there for a while. That was the cabin's main point, after all. Krycek left the building whistling the tune to Friends and Lovers. The Cabin Mulder picked the lock to the door and quickly turned off the alarm using the code he plucked from Skinner's mind. He sighed in relief at the familiar place and took a deep breath. He could smell the leather from Alex's coat. He went into the kitchen and located a jar of canned fruit and a fork and took them upstairs with him. He opened a door and collapsed on the bed, putting the half empty jar onto the side table. Mulder kicked his shoes off and turned over into the pillow. Alex's pillow. He fell asleep, grateful to be hearing nothing but muted animal sounds. Somewhere Skinner lay on the floor of his apartment, trying to catch his breath after Diana's little 'chat' session. After Mulder left the hospital, he decided to throw caution to the wind and he left, too. It took Diana 3 hours to track him to his own apartment. He knew she was on the way when a sharp pain lanced through his side. A quick look showed him the tell-tale blue veins spidering out across his rib cage. He gritted his teeth through the pain while keeping his panic under control. If she was going to kill him, let her. He had no one left; Alex -AWOL, Scully -hated and distrusted him, and Mulder -well, Mulder - that was a tough call. He got the feeling Mulder trusted him but it was hard to say but Scully needed Mulder more than Skinner did. He spent hours trying to convince Diana of his weak story about Mulder asleep so he could use the bathroom. She wasn't fooled but she also wasn't stupid enough to kill an Assistant Director of the FBI. The unusual circumstances would bring a very large investigation of the entire Borough. She couldn't afford that kind of scrutiny so she raised the pain levels to within a hair of mortal and let him stew in it for a while, reminding him who owned his very life. He could honestly tell her that he didn't know where Mulder went to. She believed that and finally took the controls back to zero. He stayed on the floor, gasping for breath long after she had left. When he felt he could move again, he got to his knees and staggered to his feet. He made it to the bathroom in time to lose his lunch and then collapsed onto his bed. By morning he was awakened by pounding on his door, not to mention in his head. He groaned and got up. His mouth tasted like something died in it so he took a quick rinse of mouthwash, he'd brush after he got rid of the rude person at his door. His visitor was a red-headed man he had never seen before. Same color red as Scully's, he absently noted. "Yes?" he said wearily, leaning against the door frame. "Are you Walter Skinner?" the man asked. "Yes. It's not even 6am, who are you?" Skinner growled. "I'm sorry for the early hour, but Mr. Krycek said to give this to you right away." The man held out a small package. Skinner straightened up. He opened the box. "What is this?" he said looking at the strange piece of metal. It looked like an awl. The man explained and told him where Diana was. Skinner stared at him in disbelief. Suddenly pieces started fitting together. He rushed back upstairs to get dressed. The Cabin Mulder sat on the porch, contemplating his currant situation. It had taken him the better part of 2 days and nights to find the 'off switch' for his newly emerging talents. Gibson helped at first but Mulder quickly outdistanced him, his adult mind being stronger. There was no way he could contact his mother, it would put her in danger. Scully was still MIA, Alex was God knows where, and Skinner was under Diana's control. Of course, contacting Diana was out of the question. Hmmm. Diana. There was something strange about her lately. She was cold. The woman he married had an underlying passion. Maybe getting shot changed something in her, but she had been shot before and she bounced right back. He wished the cabin had a phone, he really needed to talk to Frohike. Mulder had seen her through Skinner's eyes and then the doctor's eyes while he was in the hospital and decided that she looked like someone with a steel rod up their butt. He felt calmer when she was around, though, her thoughts didn't seem to intrude on him like the others did. Holy SHIT! Mulder jumped up and ran into the cabin. The Watergate Next day Diana answered her door and stared in shock. "Fox!" she put her arms around him and pulled him into the apartment. "Where have you been? You shouldn't have left the hospital, you're very sick." She put a hand to his forehead and sat him down on the couch. Mulder looked at her, his heart hurting for the woman he knew. He really did love her when he married her. They had so much in common besides their dedication to the X-Files. Music, food, books, movies; never a dull day, they had so much to talk about. Even making love with her was an adventure, she had a wicked imagination. She taught him a lot and not just in the bedroom. She taught him how to feel again after Phoebe tore him apart. Now he was being torn apart again. "Why?" he asked. Diana sat down. "Why what?" "Why take her form? Why couldn't you let her die in peace?" "Fox, I don't know what you're talking about." Diana took his hand. "I know what you are. Diana died from her gunshot wound and you took her shape. You're one of the Rebels." He took his hand back. 'Diana' stood up and was quiet for a moment. "This has gone too far." she said. "The Others have polluted our heritage with your primitive genes. We were on this planet first, it is ours by right of superiority. We created you're puny race, you are ours to destroy. You are mere animals on the evolutionary ladder, we are the true sentient species and therefore it is our right to rule over you, to have dominion over all the living things creeping about on this planet." She looked down at him with a smug look on her face. Mulder knew shooting her was out of the question, it wouldn't work, the aliens were unaffected by bullets. He suddenly felt something familiar and he sprang to his feet, tackling her. She went down in surprise, not expecting his attack. She put her hands on his throat and squeezed with inhuman strength as she flipped him over onto his back. She didn't hear the door open or notice the shadow looming over them. Mulder mimed pressing the switch and pointed to the back of 'Diana's' neck with a stabbing motion. Skinner hesitated for only a moment before activating the ice-pick and jamming it into her neck. Her face froze, eyes widening in disbelief. Mulder quickly rolled out of the way as she collapsed onto the floor, an alien ice-pick sticking out from the back of her neck. "Cover your face and go across the room." Mulder said hoarsely to Skinner. The AD covered his face with the hem of his coat, backing away to the kitchen entrance. Learning from past mistakes, Mulder yanked it out before the skin and organs could regenerate. Green goo bubbled up and out from the hole. Mulder stood on shaky legs, watching the process. He knew the acids wouldn't bother him, he had been immune to them since he was infected with the virus a couple of years earlier and received the vaccine. Watching it always gave him satisfaction; one down, who knew how many more to go. Skinner stared in shock. In all his years with the Consortium and his six years with the X-Files, this was the first time he had actually seen physical evidence of something non-human. He wasn't sure what to think or how to feel as the green goo disintegrated taking the rug with it, leaving an outline on the floor. "I'm sorry, Fox." Skinner said, nodding toward the spot. Mulder walked over to him and looked at the small picture of him and Diana on the bookshelf next to the kitchen and it hit him. He could feel the tears start to fall and was pulled in by strong, supporting arms to a rock he could take refuge on. Epilog Mulder refused to allow Skinner to destroy the palm pilot that held his life, first because he wasn't sure that by destroying it the nanotechs wouldn't instantly kill Skinner, second because the devise needed to be studied. What if someone had another one that could trigger the nanotechs again? Mulder took the palm pilot to the Gunmen. They would figure out how to disarm it and hopefully get rid of the poison in Skinner's body once and for all. CSM took the news with only a tightening of his mouth and a deep inhale on a cigarette. He was pissed, his best agent was dead. He didn't want to think about who or what he had been sleeping with. Thank God no one knew about that. Or so he thought as across town Mulder suddenly ran into the bathroom sick to his stomach. He reached into his own mind and hit the 'off' switch. Never swim in a sewer, he advised himself. Skinner staggered into his apartment, dead on his feet. He was stopped by a note hanging from the ceiling at face range. He yanked it down. "Congratulations, but as they say -it ain't over till the fat lady sings, and brother, is she getting ready to wail. Keep your head up." -Alex. The End.