Home

The two walked to the door, and Kate turned back to where
Skinner was standing. "Lay down on that sofa until we get back. You're lookin' a little peaked. Rest. We won't be long, now will we, darlin'?" She opened the door and they stepped into the hall. "Whew, he gets a little tiresome, doesn't he? Personally, I don't see what you see in him. But then again, love is blind, isn't it?"

"What, what makes you think I'm, uh, I'm in love with him. He's my boss, that's all. I was just concerned about his health." Scully punched the button for the elevator, trying to hide the blush that was creeping over her face.

"Oh, please, honey, don't try to fool a fooler. I have never seen such a look of relief on a person's face as when I told you I was his sister. If I'd'a had a camera, I'd've taken a Polaroid. Now, tell Auntie Kate what happened that caused him to drive all the way home for the first time in 15 years."



And so, Scully told Kate about the three nights when Skinner had appeared out of nowhere, and the scare he had at the Kennedy Center. She told her about the things Skinner had revealed about his life, and finally, about the last night she had seen Skinner at the hospital, when Mulder had returned.

"Mulder is, or was," Scully's voice caught on the last word, "my partner. He's......"

"I know who he is, Agent Scully. Walter and I e-mail each other all the time. He's been telling me about the two of you for years. He's always been real proud of you all. So, where's this Mulder now? And how do you feel about him, Agent Scully? Agent Scully. Darlin', don't you have a first name, or did your mama put that on your birth certificate?"

"No," laughed Scully as they reached the entrance to the deli. "My name is Dana. Please, I would like it if you called me that."

"Dana." Kate shook her head. "Well, that explains that, now don't it? Walter's been staying at my house, and he's been having terrible dreams. He wakes up screaming, *Don't shoot her, Mulder, don't.* Then he calls out for Dana in the most heartbreaking voice you have ever heard. I had asked him what the dreams were about and he just shrugged and said it was about Viet Nam. I shoulda known better than to believe that crock of shit."

Kate turned to the startled counterman and placed her order. While they waited, they sat at a table, voices lowered, discussing the recent and far past.

"Walter," she sighed, "has had kind of a hard life. He was Mama's favorite, being the baby and all. She doted on him something fierce. And he's right, he was no mama's boy, he could hold his own against any of our brothers. He took it real hard when Mama died, and then Daddy married right away. Walter saw it as a desecration of Mama's memory. Like Daddy couldn't wait till she was dead.
He left home as soon as he could, joined the Marines, was sent to Viet Nam, and was so terribly injured. We thought we were going to lose him for sure. But he recovered physically, but mentally, I don't know. He was so different afterwards. Harder, straighter, stricter with himself. He lost a lot of good friends over there, and it was if he was felt he was to blame for their dying. As if it was somehow his fault.
Then he met Sharon and we thought this will bring back our baby brother. But, no, that didn't work out. And a lot of that *is* his fault. He didn't give very much of himself. Like he was afraid to. Like she might die, too, if he let himself love her too much. So, he lost her anyway, because of his own fears.
When he showed up on my doorstep Sunday morning, I knew something very serious had happened to him. Not just physically, although, I could tell he was sick right away. He looked horrible. He was gray, and exhausted, and could barely stand. He's been at my place resting up, and recuperating, not just physically, but maybe mentally, too. And it would be for the first time in years he's tried to do that. He went and visited Daddy and his current wife. Poor ol' Daddy was so moved by Walter's showing up that he couldn't stop huggin' him."
Then, for the first time since she died, he went to visit Mama's grave yesterday. He stood there, looking at that marble headstone, and cried. I mean, great huge sobs, as if he were bringing them up from his boots. I just stood there and let him cry himself out. And, you know?, it seemed to do him a world of good. He seemed a lot more at peace.
Do you love my brother, Dana?" Kate gathered their order and they started across the street, back to Skinner's apartment.

"I don't know, Kate. I want to. But, I haven't had a chance to try
and I'm not sure he's willing to, anymore. All I know is, I've been worried sick about him, and I want to take care of him and love him if he'll let me."

"He's not going to let you take care of him, not without a fight. But, I know one thing, you are very, very good for him. He's almost like the brother I remember as a kid. Fight for him, Dana. He really is worth it."

They got back to the apartment and walked in to find Skinner lying on the sofa, his shoes off, a beer in one hand.

"'Bout time you two got back. My ears have been burnin' since you left. Did you tell all the family secrets, Kate, or are there a few you left for another day?"

"Give me that beer," she said as she snatched it out of his hand, "you don't need that." She turned the bottle up and drank from it, then said, "I'm goin' to bed. Put the sandwiches in the fridge, Wally, and we'll have'em for lunch tomorrow. It was nice meeting you, Dana." She gave Scully a hug. "Thanks for takin' care of the big ape, even though he can be an ingrate. Walter, I'm sleepin' in your bed. You either sleep on the sofa, or," she turned and winked at Scully, "you can make other arrangements."

"Hey, I thought you said you were hungry. And what do you mean, make other arrangements? Moose! Kate! Katherine!" Skinner was calling to his sister as she climbed the stairs to the bedroom.

"Good night, Walter. I love you. See you tomorrow." She waved her hand above her head then disappeared into the master bedroom, firmly closing the door behind her.

"God, she's so meddlesome. I'm sorry, Scully. I hope she didn't talk your ear off. Uh, well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow...."

"Why did you leave? What were you doing, leaving me without one word. I've been worried sick, and I don't even get a phone call. On top of that, you use Kimberly to get out of the hospital by having her pose as me. You put my reputation at risk, as well as your health. What if something had happened? They would have blamed me for checking you out against medical advice. And I would have blamed myself if you had..had..", she gulped, "died. Don't ever do that to me again. Do you understand?" She stood, arms folded, glaring up at him.

"You know why I left. What was I supposed to do, stand around with my thumb up my ass while you decide what you're going to do? I'm not about to put myself in a position where I come out second-best to anyone. I'm not going to let myself get hurt again, understand? Not ever again!!"

Scully lowered her head, "Mulder's....ahem....Mulder and I had a *discussion* about us. You and me. And I told him that I wanted to see if I could..if we could build a future together. He..he left and hasn't been in contact since. Walter, is there a chance for us? Or am I wasting my time here? Should I leave and save us both a lot of time and heartache? Or do I stay and start the hardest job I've ever had? Tell me, Walter. Tell me what I should do."

"Why do I have to decide? You're going to do what you want anyway. No matter what I say, it's ultimately your decision, isn't it?" Skinner went over and sat on the sofa, put his elbows on his knees and rested his head on his steepled fingers.

Scully kneeled in front of him and placed her hands on his knees. "I want to know whether or not you want me to stay. If you say "stay", it'll make everything so much easier. But if you say "go", then I'll have to pull out all stops and fight like hell to get you to change your mind. And A.D. Skinner, I can be a bitch when I'm trying to get what I want. So, save yourself some grief and just tell me to stay."
She leaned forward and kissed his jaw, "You know you want to," she kissed his ear, "you're dying to say yes," she kissed his neck, "in fact you're wanting to grab me right now......"
His hands flashed out and grabbed her by the arms; he leaned back, pulling her between his legs so that her upper body lay against his chest, her feet still on the floor.. His mouth covered hers and his arms slid around her back, holding her prisoner. But a very willing prisoner. She responded to the attack on her lips with a matching fierceness.

When he finally stopped it was so he could pull her legs up onto the sofa so that she lay cradled in his arms. She smiled into his face and said softly, "I take that as a yes."

"You should have run when you had the opportunity, Agent Scully, because now you're doomed. Fated for a most difficult life." He held her close to him, kissing the top of her head while stroking her back.

"Hey, I was raised by a Navy officer, I know how to handle Marines. You just gotta show'em who's boss."

"Oh, great, another Navy....what are you doing, Scully?" He stopped and grinned as she started to unbutton his shirt.

"This would be easier if you would stretch out, please. She had pulled his shirt out of his pants, but was unable to finish the buttons.

He quickly changed positions so they were now lying side by side on the narrow sofa. She opened his shirt and started kissing his chest and brought a gasp from him as she lightly bit his nipple.
He put his hand under her chin to make her stop, "Dana, my sister's upstairs." He felt like a 16-year-old making out on his parents' sofa. In fact, he was responding just like that 16-year-old would.

She lightly kissed his lips. "We're not going to do anything. I'm just running a confirmation on the things I like about you."

"And what would that be, Agent Scully," he grinned.

She buried her nose into his neck and inhaled loudly, "I like the way you smell," she roamed her hands over his chest, along his back, down the front of his pants, "I like the way you feel, ooooohhh, especially there," she chuckled at his groan, "and I like the way you taste." She kissed him now, teasing his lips with her tongue until he opened his mouth in response.

"Waaaa-leeeee," came a tentative voice from the top of the stairs, "can I come down and get my sandwich? I'm hungry."

The voice startled them so that they bumped teeth. "Moose, for the love of God, go back to bed."

"Look, little brother, you're the one who didn't want to stop and eat. I'm not a waif like Dana, I need sustenance. Just let me get my sandwich and I'll go right back to my room, or rather, your room, and stay out of your hair. So to speak."

Scully kissed Skinner's lips lightly, then sat up on the sofa, pulling her sweater down where his hands raised it above her bra. "Come on down, Kate. I've got to be going anyway. I'm sure Walter's tired and needs to rest."

Skinner was frantically shaking his head and mouthing, "I'm not tired, I'm not tired."
By the time Kate had come down the stairs, Scully had straightened her clothing and her hair and tossed Skinner a throw pillow to cover his bulging front. Luckily, his pants were still zipped, though his belt was unbuckled. She grinned at his and raised her eyebrow.

Kate came around to where Scully as standing and looked down at her brother. "Button your shirt, Walter, you look like a slob." She looked into Dana's eyes and saw a happy response to her unasked question. She leaned over and gave the much smaller woman a hug. "Good for you," she whispered.

Aloud, she said, "No, Dana, you stay and eat, too. I bought enough for all of us, no sense in breaking up a make-out party without at least feeding you before you have to leave. How rude would that be to send you off horny and hungry."

"Katherine!", came Skinner's shocked response. "Good lord, I thought age would improve you, but you seem to be reverting back to your misspent youth." He was hurriedly buttoning his shirt, but decided against tucking it in. Some methods of camoflage would never change.

"You didn't put up the food like I told you, hope this stuff is still good. How could you two lie here and not smell that cajun roast beef? It's strong enough to lift a car. Get some plates and napkins, Walter, if you think you can walk with that piece of wood in your pants."

Scully burst out laughing as Skinner rolled his eyes. He did manage to walk only a little stiff-legged, so to speak, into the kitchen as ordered and got the necessary utensils.
Kate started pulling sandwiches, chips, pickles, and containers of coleslaw, potato salad, and fruit out of the bags and placing them on the coffee table. "That one's for you, Walter. It's a low-fat, low-salt turkey wrap. Don't make that face, young man. It's good for your heart. Don't turn your nose up at it until you tasted it, right Dana?"
Scully nodded, her mouth full of ranch-turkey pita.

"Awww, Moose, this looks like pig slop wrapped in a tortilla. Let me have a bite of your roast beef, come on, just a bite."

"No, I know your bites, you'll take half the sandwich. Eat yours first and I'll save you a little. Lord, you're still such a baby."

"Why do you let him call you Moose, Kate? I hate it when Bill and Charlie call me Muttonhead," said Scully with a forkful of potato salad poised at her mouth.

"Cause she's built like a moose," muttered Skinner under his breath.
Both women hit him on opposite arms at the same time. "Hey, no fair. Y'all are gangin' up on me."

"Asshole. No, honey, the rest of the family have always called me Mouse, cause I was so small." Dana's eyes widened. "Yeah, I know, but I really am the smallest in the family. Everybody else is taller. Except for Momma, she was tiny, just like you. Anyway, when he was little, Walter couldn't say *Mouse*, it always sounded like *Moose*. So the name stuck."

"I still say it's cause she's built like a.....", he looked up just in time not to finish the sentence. Both women were glaring at him, fists raised.



After they had finished eating, they moved the trash into the middle of the coffee table and sat around with their feet propped up, talking about the various members of the Skinner clan. Skinner sat in one corner of the sofa, his body angled toward the middle. Scully sat next to him with her feet tucked under her, leaning slightly against him. He couldn't keep his hands off of her, he was constantly playing with her hair, or draping his arm over her shoulder to hold her hand, playing with her fingers.

Kate watched them with hope in her heart that at last her baby brother had found some kind of peace, and someone who would love him as he deserved to be loved. As she told her stories, which grew more outrageous the more they laughed, she could see that this little woman had the strength to hold on to Walter and not let him drift off into that separate world he had been locked in for so long.

At last, their conversations became quieter as the hour grew late. Finally, Skinner tried to cover a huge yawn. Scully slapped him on the leg to get him to move so she could stand to leave.

"I've had a wonderful time wandering down memory lane with you two, but you've got to be tired. And Walter, you need to start getting more rest. Kate, let me help you put these things away before I leave. No, no really, I don't mind."

"Girl, go on, I'll do this, it's nothing more than throwing away some papers and putting plates in the sink. Now, go say good night to my brother. I really did enjoy meeting you, Dana, and I hope we can get together before I leave. I might have a picture or two that I can show you of Wally when he was a baby. He was real ugly, and we wanted to give him back, but Momma always said there was a chance he'd improve so we had to keep him." The two women hugged and Kate shooed her back into the arms of a waiting Skinner.

"I'll walk you to your car," he said.

"No, I'm parked right in front, with my official plates showing so no one will tow me. They'll think I'm here to make a bust. You stay here and go on to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

Scully stood on tiptoe to place a quick chaste kiss on Skinner's chin, but he would have none of that. He enveloped her in his arms and planted a rather noisy smack on her lips.

"I'd love to kiss you the way I want," he whispered, "but Kate will go back and report to the rest of the mob that I'd become a softie. And appearances must be upheld." He smiled, another quick kiss, another whisper, "When she's gone, I'll show you what a real kiss can lead to."

"Walter," called Kate from the kitchen, "I do not report everything to the family. Only those things that need reporting. Such as how you've finally snagged a keeper. Although what she sees in you is beyond me."

"Good night, Kate. I hope I see you again soon."

"You will, honey, you will."

Scully left and Skinner locked the door. Kate came back into the living room, wiping her hands on a dish-towel. She gave him a big bear hug, slapping him on the back.
"She's wonderful, Wally. I'm so happy for you. Are you happy, baby? You look like you are. Tell me," she took him by the arms, "do you love her?"

"Yes, Kate, I think I really do. And I am gloriously happy. And a little scared."

"Don't be, baby. It'll be fine. But what I want to know is, why are you still here? Why didn't you go home with her? If it's because of me, you should be ashamed. I can handle myself just fine, thank you very much. Go on, go to that beautiful woman. You won't regret it, darlin'. And besides, then I won't have to put up with your miserable snoring."

"I don't snore. That's the reverb from your own snoring that wakes you up."

"Humpf, I'll ask Dana that tomorrow. I bet she'll agree with me. Now, go on with you. Or else she might find something better looking on the way home."



Scully drifted in a warm scented cloud of steam and bubbles. She had gotten home, happy for the first time in days, and filled her bathtub with hot water and her favorite aromatherapy bubble bath. She had lowered herself gingerly into the tub and then sat back with a sigh. She splashed water on her face and leaned back, going over the day in her mind.

It had started off so bleak, the fear that she might not see Skinner before work tomorrow coloring her whole day. Then when Kimberly, wonderful, conniving, sneaky Kimberly, had called her to tell her he was back, she had been both hopeful and terrified at the prospect of seeing him. Hopeful that she'd be ble to tell him how she felt, and terrified he'd turn his back on her. She smiled at how the evening had gone, remembering the feel of his hands and the taste of his kiss. She sat for a long while, wondering how long it would be before she would get to know more of his body, and dreaming of what it would be like.

There was a series of sharp knocks on the door. Startled, she sat up, not sure if she wanted to answer. But when they came again, she got out of the tub and grabbed her thick terry-cloth robe and tied it around her waist. She checked the peephole to see if she knew the person outside, and was surprised to see Skinner standing there.

"Walter, what's wrong? Why are you here? Are you all right? Are you having any pain?" She grabbed his arm and pulled him inside the apartment. She looked into his eyes to see if there were any signs of distress, then placed her fingers on his pulse. Other than a little increase in pulse-rate, he seemed to be fine.

"Uh, no, no, I'm fine. I just, uh, I had a couple of medical questions I wanted to ask. Uh, I'm sorry, were you in bed?"

"No, I was taking a bath. What medical questions? Why didn't you just call me? Or wait till tomorrow? Are they that important?" She was watching him to see if maybe he was showing signs of a stroke. He seemed to be acting totally out of character.

"I, uh, I just wanted to know what the doctor meant when he said I could resume normal activities. Exactly what normal activities? Your hair is wet in the back. It's real curly when it's wet." He put his hand around her back and played for a moment with the springy curls. He advanced toward her just a step.

She stepped back the same step. "Yeah, my hair's real curly. That's why my brothers called me Muttonhead. They said I had hair like a sheep. What activities? You know, like running, or, uh, or tennis, uh, Walter, what are you doing?"

He had moved closer and put his hand on her waist. "Well, what about more *personal* activities? Is there any danger from dying of a heart attack if I were, oh, I don't know, engaging in a little one-on-one?" He moved both his hands to her waist, not taking his eyes from her hair. He started to untie the sash that held the robe closed. "Have you washed your hair yet? I could do that for you."

"The last guy that offered to do that wanted to kill me," she said, breathing rapidly as she realized that she was fixing to experience what only moments ago she had been dreaming of. "I hope you're not planning on doing that, are you Walter?" Her breathing stopped all together as he got the knot undone and opened her robe. He put his hands on her bare skin and she almost swooned.

"Let me bath you, Dana, I want to touch you and explore you and then make love to you. Will you let me?"

"Yes," was her breathless reply.

Scully moved closer to Skinner and started to slip her arms around his waist but he stopped her. "Not yet," he whispered.
He took her hand and led her to the bathroom where just 2 weeks before he had cleaned her face after her drinking bout. He slid the robe from her shoulders and it fell into a heap on the floor. She kicked it out of the way, towards the door. He held her hand while she stepped into the water and settled back. He kneeled beside the tub and reached across to get a nylon pouf but she grabbed his wrist.

"No, you get in, too," she said.

He grinned, "It's gonna be a litle crowded, don't you think?"

"We'll manage."

"The tub's gonna overflow and get the floor all wet," he said as he stood up.

"There's a drain in the floor. Get in."

"What if my clothes get wet on the flo...."

"Walter, get in the god-damn tub!"

His grin slowly faded as he saw the desire in her eyes. With infinite slowness he pulled his shirt out of his pants and unbuttoned it. He slid it off his shoulders, turned slighly to lay it on the closed toilet lid, and pulled his t-shirt off. Her eyes traveled over his well-muscled chest and flat abdomen. She could see the scars from the wounds he received in Viet Nam, and the one inflicted by Luis Cardinale, the same man who had helped Krycek to kill her sister. She wanted to remove them with a touch, take away all the pain they had caused, both physically and emotionally.

He leaned over to untie his boots and she got a glimpse of the smooth skin and hard muscles of his back. He kicked off his boots and stood on the toe of his sock in order to pull it off. First one foot, then the other.

"That's gonna stretch the elastic in those socks, Walter. Then they won't stay up."

"My sock staying up is not what I'm concerned about," he smiled. "It's other areas that are more important right now."

"I don't think that's gonna be a problem. I think we'll manage to find a way. Just hurry, please."

"Why? Getting a little frustrated?" He unbuckled his belt, then slowly unbuttoned the fly on his jeans, where there was a noticeable bulge. He sat on the toilet to remove the pants, then stood again to remove his boxers.

She had to remind herself to breath. He stood for just a moment as her eyes now traveled slowly down his body. He was embarrassed by her reaction and dropped into a body-builder's stance, tightening his muscles to show off definition.

"What do you think?" he muttered through gritted teeth, "Will I win Mr. Universe?"

"I think it's time someone did a calendar of the Hunks at the FBI. And you'll be on every page. Get in, Walter, please, get in."

He put one foot then the other into the water and lowered himself in. As he did, the water overflowed. Scully gave a fleeting thought to the drain, hoping it wasn't clogged. If it was, then the water would leak into the apartment below. Screw'em, she thought, I'll pay for the damage.
It took a minute to get them situated where they were both relatively comfortable. He sat with his back against the end of the tub and she was between his knees, close to but not touching his crotch, facing the side of the tub.

"Put your hands on the side of the tub, Dana, okay? Just for a litle bit." She did as she was told, but it was difficult. She wanted to take her hands and rub every inch of his body, stroke him until his erection was at its peak. But, she waited.

He picked up the pouf and poured a little bath gel onto it. Then, he started rubbing it slowly across her back. The action caused lather to slowly drip down her back. He moved the pouf over her shoulder and around to her throat. He slid it down between her breasts, then across each one, his thumb flicking across each nipple as the pouf passed over them. She was gripping the side of the tub so hard her knuckles were white. Her breath would catch in her throat each time he touched her nipples. Her pelvic region had engorged when he first touched her and now burned with her need for him.
He knew what he was doing to her emotions, he could see the flush that was starting on her neck. He wasn't being cruel, he just wanted to make sure she remembered their first time with as much passion as possible. He was hurting, wanting to take her right this minute, but knew that if he was patient, he could make them reach unbelievable heights of ecstacy.

He moved the pouf lower, under her breasts, back and forth over her abdomen, all the time caressing her back with his other hand. He kept moving the pouf lower, lower until she was sure he was going to touch her where she burned. Instead, he moved it around, down her thigh and back up her inner thigh, then down the other leg.

She couldn't take it any longer; she turned with a splash, and grabbed the sides of the old-fashnioned tub on either side of his body. She pressed her breasts against him, her nipples hard against his chest. She covered his lips with hers, and assaulted his mouth with her tongue. He wrapped her in his arms and crushed her to him. He slid down in the tub so he was resting on his spine, moved his mouth so he could kiss her neck, her chest. He lifted her slightly so he could cover her breast with his mouth, and she gasped.

"Now, Walter, now, please, I need you now!!!" Water splashed everywhere as they quickly manueuvered so she was now resting on the bottom of the tub and he was above her. In order to open herself to him, she put her feet on either side of the tub. Then, finally able to touch him, she guided his penis into her at last. She wrapped her legs around his hips and they began the age-old rhythm that would bring them both to fulfillment.
They called out each others' names at the same instant. Gasping from the exertion and physically spent, Skinner took a moment before he could sit back. She still had her legs around his hips, not letting him move completely away from her. He leaned forward again to kiss her, then sat back again.

"I haven't made love in such an awkward position since I tried it in the backseat of a VW beetle. What say you if we retire to your bed, and try it again."

She gave him a languid smile, and nodded her assent. She moved her legs and he slipped out of her, then stood up. He held out his hand and she took it and then stood beside him in the tub. He stepped out, grabbed a towel hanging from the towel bar and wrapped her in it. Then, he picked her up and carried her to her bed. He dropped her unceremoniously onto it and then lay down beside her.

"Walter, I'm cold, let's get under the covers." She reached under the pillows and pulled the comforter and top sheet back and they scrambled under them. He pulled the towel away from her and threw it onto the floor. They snuggled close to each other, sharing their body heat. He kissed her lips and she responded with a small open mouth kiss of her own. Then she wiggled around so his head lay on her chest, his mouth near the beginning of the soft swell of her breast, which he would kiss every litle bit. She kissed his head, and stroked his cheek, and they lay there content for the time being.

"Dana," Skinner said softly, worry tinging his voice, "do you have any idea what you're getting into? I'm not an easy person to be around. I've, I've got an awful lot of demons that need to be exorcised. Are you sure you want to stick around?"

"Walter, do you love me?", she asked. He nodded, his cheek rubbing against her chest. He kissed the soft skin again. "Because I love you with every part of my soul, Walter. I may not know all your demons, and I may not be able to exorcise any, but I want to be with you as long as you'll let me. I'm not leaving, I'm gonna be right here, driving you nuts, trying to see if I fit in with your family, hoping you'll forgive me mine. Got that straight, mister? You're stuck with me."

He raised his head slightly so he could look into her eyes. "I have never, in my whole life, loved anyone as I love you. If you're willing to stay with someone like me, and willingly put up with my crazy family, then you are much finer than gold. You have my heart, Dana, it's not much, but right now it's the most precious thing I can give."

He kissed her again, this time with infinite gentleness and love. She again lay his head against her heart and held him close.
And so they lay, warm, content, and eventually, instead of making love again, they drifted off to sleep. No nightmares tonight, no dreams at all. Just peace and fulfillment and hopes for a long future together. They slept the sleep of children, safe in each others arms and safe in the eyes of God.



Another Monday in Washington, D.C., the hub of bureaucracy of this great nation. The coffee shop was packed again with government officials, both major and minor, stopped by to get their morning jolt of caffeine. The same table was empty, the two beings sitting there watching the masses scurry about in their endless search for.....what? Did they even know? Michael and Gabriel shook their heads. Why didn't these people just realize that peace, contentment, happiness, or whatever else they were seeking was a waste of time and energy. They weren't going to find it in work, or play, or sex, or money, or movies, or books, or any of the ten thousand things they did in their search.

They needed to sit back, look at the world around them, at the wonderful people that inhabited this world, appreciate all the beautiful things that came naturally to this world and feel humbled that all of this was done for them. Instead of trying to improve on a perfect product, they needed to thank God, or whatever name they called him, for giving them such a gift.

And if they could learn to slow down, live life as it came, love their families and each other, so many of the problems they had created would go away.
But, people hadn't changed since the first caveman picked up a rock and threw it at his neighbor, and it wasn't likely it was gonna change now.

"So, Michael, how's things been going? Still on vacation?"

"Yeah, for a litle longer. I've finally got those people all squared away, and unless you have another assignment for me, I'm still just kicking back."

"Oh, yeah, how is she doing with that bald guy? Is she beginning to think she might have made a mistake? Is she thinking maybe the other guy wouldn't have been so bad?"

"Naw, she's happy as a lark. That's not to say they don't have their ups and downs. They are both strong-minded, willful people who butt heads over the silliest things, then truly enjoy the effots to make up. I think they fight sometimes just so they can make up."

"Ah, that's good. Too bad about them not having any children, though. They'd probably make good, loving parents."

Michael gave Gabriel a shove. "Boy, what are you talking about? If Abraham's wife can have a baby at 99, and John the Baptist's mother, Elizabeth, have him after the age of menopause, what makes you think these two aren't going to have a baby? If the Big Guy's wills it, so shall it be."

"Does he will it?"

"Eeemmmmmm, we'll see."

"What about that other guy, Mulder. How's he handling this."

"Like any human. He's having a hard time accepting it. There's been a lot of tension between the three of them, and he stays gone alot. But eventually, I think he'll come around. He's not a god, it's not easy for him to forgive. But his life is fixing to heat up, so he's not going to have much time to dwell on it. He's fixing to be abducted, and although he will be returned, he'll be a changed man. He'll have a long row to hoe, trying to convince people about the dangers to come. But, the other two will join forces with him, and they will change the outcome for the better."
"Okay, Gabriel, now that I've brought you up to speed, tell me what's up. You've got a shit-eating grin on your face, and I have a feeling I'm about to get shafted."

"Well, old buddy, your next assignment finally came in. It's not for a few years, but you may need that long to come to terms with it."

"Oh, Lord, what is it?"

"You're going to be assigned to another Clinton president. In the year 2024. Chelsea's gonna run for prez, and win. And guess what? She's the perfect combination of her mother and father. A hard-nosed bitch who's gonna lo-o-o-v-v-v-e-e interns." Gabriel cackled loudly at the thought.

"Nn-n-n-n-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o!!!!!!!!! Not another one!!!!"
Thunder rolled and lightning flashed, and Gabriel laughed until rain poured from the heavens.