Title:  Laundry

Author:  Amazon X

E-mail:  yankeestarbuck@yahoo.com

Website:  http://yankeestarbuck.tripod.com

Feedback:  yes, please, flames burned

Category:  Gen/Het

Rating:  R for language

Summary:  The guys find their muscle.

Archive:  Tell me where my babies live, keep my 'nym.

Disclaimer:  Not mine, but I assure you, I love them more than surfer buy does.

Notes:  Every GunFenGirl thinks about this at one point, Frohikian, Byers’ Girl or Langlyphile.  This is my first installment on that order.  I love the idea of a woman living with them, being one of them.  This is just one scenario that I’ve thought up.  For all you Byers’ Girls, he has a fabulous soliloquy at the end, which was too much fun to write.  Writing for Byers is the best, you get to haul out all the 50-cent words you had to learn for the SATs.  And it’s great to think of Bruce’s voice in your head.  I mean, a man who could make the words “paper clip” sound sexy, come on….

************

May, 2001

LONE GUNMEN HQ

LATE AFTERNOON

Mulder and Scully walked into the warehouse they knew well, admitted by Jimmy, waiting to see what Frohike had to show them.  What they weren’t prepared to see was the woman sitting in the lotus position on one of their work tables, a keyboard in her lap, finger mouse in her hand, her thumb gliding over the track ball and her fore finger clicking the trigger button furiously.  She had small ear bud headphones firmly imbedded in her ears.  Her head was bopping back and forth and she began singing “Dreams” by the Cranberries, and well, Mulder thought.  Scully was puzzled to see her there, knowing only the four of them lived in the warehouse, since Jimmy moved in.  This was a rare guest.  Mulder stood right in front of her and looked right at her.  She continued to sing and type and click, until she suddenly stopped and looked at him.  She regarded Mulder a moment, then turned to Langly and said, “That’s them, huh?”

He slowly nodded, not looking up from his screen.  She wiggled her fingers in a wave and went back to work on whatever she was doing.  Langly looked at Mulder and said, “That’s Tina.  She’s…”

“A friend?”

“Of mine.  She’s learning.  The guys are cool cuz she’s domestic.”

“Domestic?  A lone gunwoman?” Scully questioned.

“Yeah, all the most exclusive clubs have to integrate eventually,” Frohike spat out.

It seemed as if he didn’t like their latest acquisition.  But Mulder had known these men for years and knew a fondness when he saw it.  As if on cue, Tina pulled her headphones out, stood up on the table, walked to the edge, grabbed one of the overhead pipes and swung herself off to land on the floor.  She lightly jogged up the rickety iron steps to the living area on the upper level.  She disappeared into the kitchen area and Scully could hear the oven being opened.  The smell of fresh cookies filled the warehouse.  The girl walked back down to the work space and said, “They’re cooling.  I’ll get them later.”

Byers walked down the stairs, eating a fresh, hot cookie.  She turned to him after settling back on the cluttered table and said, “John-John, I swear to God, I’ll cut your fucking fingers off.”

Mulder turned to Byers.  “John-John?”

Byers turned red, but continued on to his work station and said, “It’s nice to relax a bit around friends.”

“And how exactly do paranoids relax?” Scully asked.

Tina looked right at her and said, “They eat my fucking cookies.”

Jimmy had disappeared up the stairs and walked down with the full plate.  He offered them to the two FBI agents.  Mulder took two, but Scully declined.  Mulder was happily surprised that the chocolate chip cookies were warm, moist and damn near perfect.  Mulder began speaking with Frohike about the case they were working on and how there were no obvious clues.  Langly began working his keyboard and Byers began searching through old file drawers.  Frohike sent Jimmy into the new storage area for several video tapes.  Scully stood there, quietly.  Tina looked at her.

“Did they offer you something to drink or a seat?” she asked Mulder’s partner.

“No, I’m fine, thank you.”

“They teach me hacking, I teach them manners.”

“Do you think it’s even?”

“No, they need the manners more.”

There was a loud bell ring from up in the living area and Tina once again put her keyboard down.  She turned to Scully and asked, “You’re just gonna stand there?  They could be a while.”

“I’m alright, thank you.”

“Well, you could help me fold the sheets.  Goddess knows, they don’t wanna help me out.”

Scully smiled and regarded the young girl.  She had long hair, with brown roots, red in the middle, about a foot of red hair, with a few inches of blonde tips at the end.  She wore a lavender spaghetti strap tank top with no bra strap showing, as was the fashion. That had always irked Scully, as being very slovenly looking.  She was a thin girl, not skinny.  She had hips and breasts, well developed.  She wore cut off denim shorts and no shoes.  There was a hand-braided macramé bracelet on her ankle, that she probably made herself.  She wore lavender sparkle polish on her toes and the same sparkle polish in baby blue on her fingers.  Her nails weren’t all long, some had broken.  Scully said, “OK, I will.  Let the boys play.”

Tina smiled.  Her eye shadow was various shades of pastel with more sparkles, pink cheeks and pink sparkle lipstick on her rich lips.  Her eyes were a vibrant hazel green-brown.  Tina jumped down from the table and turned toward the stairs.  Langly turned to her and said, “What did I tell you about jumping off the table?”

“Yes, Dad,” Tina rebutted in a whiney teenager’s voice.

“If you get hurt, don’t cry to me.  Let Byers drive you to the hospital.”

“Don’t worry, Tina, I’ll drive you,” Byers assured.

She stuck her tongue out at Langly and led Scully up the stairs to the hallway where the bedrooms and bathroom were.  At the end of the hall was a large iron and wood door that took both of Tina’s hands to pull open.  She walked in and the room was a huge storage area that was turned into a bedroom.  They walked through, to the back where a laundry area was set up.

“How did we hear this all the way out there?” Scully asked.

“They rigged the bell out there.  Frohike can wire anything.  He wired the lights with motion detectors in here, and some on a lighting thing, so when the lights go down outside, the go on in here.  I’m a little afraid of the dark.”

“Really?”

Tina opened the dryer and pulled the sheets out.  They were dark navy blue.  The room had a large bureau, a wardrobe, a wooden standing closet, a dressing table with a bench and mirror and a huge four-post bed in the middle.  All was very light wood, like birch.  The bed was made with a white and pink coverlet with lace on the edges. There were stuffed animals on the bed.  There was a voluminous amount of white chiffon draped over the canopy bars.  There were several storage shelves, painted white, with books and statues, one shelving unit dedicated to statues, dolls and action figures of Wonder Woman.  There was a mannequin of a woman in the corner of the room dressed in the full Wonder Woman costume, including boots, the cape and a wig with the tiara on it.  It seemed Tina was a super hero fan.  There were posters and large paintings covering the industrial walls.  The huge industrial windows were covered with what looked like bolts of white chiffon, the same as the canopy.

“This is your room?” Scully asked.

“Yeah, they turned storage into this for me.”

“Why?”

“I needed a place to live.  I got tossed from my last place.  I couldn’t pay rent anymore, paying for the printing.”

“You paid for the printing of the newspaper?”

“A couple times.  I quit my job, too.  You can’t work 10 to 4 when you’re up all night downloading copyright cracks.”

“That’s criminal activity, you know.”

“You gonna arrest me, Agent Scully?”

The ladies put the folded sheets in the basket and Tina walked out to put them away.  Scully followed her to a room that had a large sliding door, made of chicken wire glass and metal frames.  Tina slid the door open.  The room was sparse, with a bed on one side, a closet on the other, a bureau in between.  Tina opened the bottom drawer and placed the sheets in it.  Tina turned and looked at Scully looking around the room, at the posters and photos of cars on the walls.

“Mel’s room,” Tina announced.

“Mel?”

“Frohike.  His name is Melvin, but I just call him Mel.  He liked it as soon as I mentioned Mel Gibson.”

“Oh, I see.”

Scully looked very amused.  Tina walked out and slid the large door closed.  Scully figured it had  probably been another storage area when this was an industrial warehouse.  Tina walked back out to the stairway and looked down.  The shelves and storage boxes had been moved so that Tina could look down and see what the guys were doing.  They were still working.  She turned to Scully.

“Would you like a cup of tea?”

“Yes, that would be nice.”

“Sure, we can talk.”

They walked to the kitchen area and Tina put the kettle on to boil.  She turned to Scully and asked, “Would you like herbal, orange pekoe, Earl Grey, what?”

“Earl Grey is nice, thanks.  What are you having?”

“Chinese vanilla.  Oolong tea with vanilla seeds.”

“Oh that sounds good.”

“Two then.”

Scully watched as Tina filled two aluminum tea balls with loose tea.  She set the cups with spoons down then went to the refrigerator for milk.  Scully was amazed to watch the girl fill a creamer and take the matching sugar bowl to bring to the table on their own little tray.  It was such a civilized ritual that seemed out of place in this domicile. The water whistled and Tina poured the two cups full.  Tina sat at the table opposite Scully and they looked at each other.  Tina popped up one last time.  She retrieved a saucer, then placed her tea ball on it.  Scully did the same.

“How did you come to live here?” Scully inquired.

“Why?”

“Just curious.  I’ve known them a long time and they don’t just let people move in.”

“Jimmy.”

“That’s true.  But…”

“I met Ringo at a club and we kinda hit it off.”

“Ringo?”

“Langly.  His first name is Richard.  I came by a few times, did a little research for the ‘Gunman’, paid the tab for the printing, things got a little tight for me.  Ringo asked and they let me move in.  I cleaned this place top to bottom.  They dug that.  I don’t nag an’ stuff, they like that, too.  Me and Ringo hooked up, it’s all cool.”

“Are you and he…”

“Fucking?  Yes.”

“I was going to say dating.  But…if you’re that comfortable talking about that…”

“What the hell, we’re both girls, right, Agent Scully?  Do I have to call you that or do you have a real name?”

“Oh, yes, Dana, you can call me Dana.”

“My full name is Christina Angela Bellini.”

The ladies shook hands politely across the table.

“Well, I was living here, and he was OK with it and stuff.  I mean, I’m not easy or anything.  I was living in the back room by myself.  We’d gone on a couple of dates, movies and stuff, dinner.  He kissed me and felt me up and all, you know the way guys are.  He was a virgin, the poor bastard.  Had no clue.  Well, one night, he caught me masturbating.”

Scully choked a bit on her tea.  She dabbed her mouth with the napkin Tina had handed her.  Tina smiled and giggled a bit.  Scully regained her composure and said, “Excuse me?”

“Well, the truth is, he makes me hot.  I have a vibrator and I use it.  Is that bad?”

“Well, no.  I guess not.”

“He must have been outside my door, listening.  He just threw it open, scaring the hell out of me.  The lights were out, but there was plenty of light coming in through the windows from the moon and the street lights.  He closed the door, walked to the bed and that was that.”

“You didn’t stop him?”

“Why would I?  He’s hot.  It’s the hair.  I love men with long hair, since the 80’s.”

“How old are you?”

“How old do you think I am, Dana?”

“I don’t know, 18 or 19, I guess.”

“I’m 29, just on the12th of April.  Thanks, though.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you.”

“None taken.  It’s cool.  It’s not like I wanna grow up anyway.”

“How did you meet Langly, in the club, I mean?”

“I was dancing, he just sat there, all starry-eyed, so I told the muscle to tell him to meet me after my set.”

“Your set?”

“I dance in a club.”

“Exotic dancer?”

“No, I’m a stripper.  Full nudity is my specialty, and acrobatic styling and all that.  But I couldn’t keep up with it.  I do it every once in a while, to make a little money.  But Ringo gets all jealous, like I’ll ever go home with another guy.”

“How did you know he was different?”

“He didn’t give me any money.  Turns out cuz he didn’t have any.  His friends paid for his admission and his beer.  He would look at me, and when I would look down at him, he would blush and look down into his glass.  Not your usual customer.  And I don’t know…I’m a sucker for blondes.”

“He is rather sweet,” Scully noted.

“Oh?  You have thoughts?”

“No, we worked together once.  He couldn’t handle the sight of the autopsy I was performing, and I blacked out momentarily.  He was there to catch me before I fell and hurt myself.”

“Autopsy?  What the hell do you do for the FBI?”

“I was trained as a medical doctor, in forensics.”

“Yuck.  No thanks.”

“It’s very interesting.”

“Yeah, well, I’d rather concentrate on the living, thank you.”

Scully smiled.  She was sweet.  She drank tea.  She obvious knew manners.  Scully watched her as she stood, taking the plate with the tea balls to the sink.  She took another from the cabinet and asked, “Would you like some tea cookies?  I keep them hidden.  I can’t keep any cookies around here without them being inhaled instantly.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Tina arranged them on the plate and placed them gently before Scully.  Interesting woman.  Tina sat gently in her chair, then drew her legs up from the floor and tucked them under her.  It looked quite uncomfortable is you weren’t flexible, but she seemed like it was second nature to her.

“May I ask you something personal?” Scully tested.

“I told you I masturbate.  I’m not sure there’s much more I could tell you, but yeah, go ahead.  I’m not ashamed.”

“What’s it like to live with them?  I mean, I always figured they were very strange people.  But you don’t seem phased.  And, you have a sort of grace.  It doesn’t seem like you would fit in as well as you do.”

“Well, I am the daughter of some very important people.  Yep, the Bellinis you’re thinking of, that’s them.  But I’m not the kind of person who goes in for all that.  I mean, I loved my upbringing.  Tutors, the best schools, money, all that.  But Dad cut me off when I walked out.  He wanted me to get cultured, get married and be part of that corporate machine.  But when you find out that your dad is contributing to the whoring out of child workers, economic slavery, and the destruction of the earth’s natural resources by pollution created by his factories, you have your choices.  You can be part of it, or you can actively protest.  I chose protest.  I speak to my mother, and she sends money, when she can.  He’s such a freak like that, keeps her on a budget, now that I’m gone.  If she shops, that’s out of an account, but if she wants cash, she needs permission.  Sometimes my brother sends cash.  That’s pretty cool.  He was my hero growing up.  I feel bad for my mom.  She’s a good lady.  But she doesn’t know how to just pick up and leave.  He’s good to her and all, doesn’t hit her, doesn’t sleep around.  He’s just a fucking zealot about this damn business and I’m not down with that.”

“And you find security here.”

“Well, yeah.  Jimmy’s my, like, emotional twin brother.  We put a hoop and backboard up in the back drive.  Mulder has an awesome three point, I hear.  Mel is your favorite uncle, with his problems, but he’s cool to drink with.  John-John is the most complex, I think.  He’s got so much going on in his head.  He came from the same kinda place I did, but can’t let go and turn around as easy as I can.  He still needs his dad to say, ‘You’re a good boy, Johnny, and I love you no matter what you do for a living’.  The saddest part is, he’ll never get it.  Bertram Byers is a bastard, like my dad.  But he’s not as bad as Ringo’s dad was.”

“What do you mean?”

“I started to cry the first night we made love, after running my hands over his back.  There are strap scars, his nose was broken twice, and there are burns on his chest and legs.  He was just about tortured.  Sometimes, he was too beat up to go to school.  His mom would keep him home.  Well, you don’t get to live on a dairy farm and not milk every day.  Whether or not he was too hurt to go to school, he was under a cow.  If I ever came across their path, Ringo wouldn’t have parents.”

“But his mother didn’t do anything.”

“That’ my point.  If I had a kid, and anyone, including my husband, his father, whatever, lays a hand on him in anger, I’d beat him to death with my bare hands.  I couldn’t imagine being deathly afraid of the person providing you with your life’s necessities.  Nah, my dad’s an asshole, not a monster.  Well, not to me, anyway.”

Scully forced her eyes dry.  She had no idea that Langly grew up in such a terrible situation.  They all didn’t seem what they actually were.  It gave credence to why they were all so paranoid.  But she didn’t speak about Frohike’s past.

“What do you know about Frohike?”

“Not much.  He’s quiet about his life.  I’m sure, though, that there’s a wife and kids in there.  He’s just so closed up, you know.  Thinks I’m gonna go hurt him.  Nah, not my Mel.  He’s too cool.  I like him, a lot.  He sure likes you.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Nah, you don’t.  He thinks different, now.  With the baby and all.  He thinks he knows William’s dad.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, we all think the same thing.  It’s Mulder, right?”

“I’m not…”

“Just say yes or no.  It’s not like it’s a big deal or anything.  So, you guys did it.  If you love him, just say so.”

“But our careers…”

“Are obviously more fucking important than your feelings.  Jesus, you like my fucking dad.  Give up people and family and friends for a fucking job.”

“My ‘job’ is finding the truth.”

“Who’s truth?  Not mine, or Mulder’s.  He’ll find his truth.  She’ll come back.”

“Who?”

“His sister.  They’ll bring her back.”

“They?”

Tina nodded.

“How do you know?”

“I just know.  Like, um, a feeling.  I’ve felt it the whole time you’ve been here.  She’s like, linked to him.”

“You’re a psychic?”

“No way, just got a feeling.  I mean, you hear enough about a person, read his articles, talk about the situations and the possibilities, you kinda get connected.  You should feel it, too, being so close to him.  You gonna tell him?”

“No.  You are.”

Scully grabbed the girl by the arm, pulling her to her feet, and pulled her down the stairs.  Tina went along willingly.  Scully stopped in front of Mulder and said, “Tell him what you told me.”

“I heard,” Mulder announced.

“We’ve been watching,” Frohike supplied.

“You’ve got the fucking kitchen rigged, too?” Tina shouted.  “Well, nice to know.  Great, what about my bedroom, or the bathroom?”

She spun around and turned on Langly.

“Is that how you knew to burst in on me that night?”

“No, I…um…”

“Great.  Look, Mulder, you’re sister will come back, I know that.  But this...I gotta go.  I can’t stay here with this shit.  Look, just cuz I take my clothes off for money doesn’t mean you get to look all the time.  Fuck this, I’m fucking out.”

She turned to walk away, to go pack a bag and find a place to crash.  Langly grabbed her arm.  He pulled her to him, put his arms around her and held her in front of him.  She struggled, but it seemed he was stronger than he appeared.

“Let me go!”

“No, we do not have your bedroom or the bathroom under surveillance.  I was listening…for a few nights.  I’m sorry.  Look, don’t go.  Relax, OK.”

She stopped struggling and leaned into him.  Then turned, her back to Langly but he kept his arms around her.  She looked at Mulder and said, “I can feel your sister here.  I can feel her through you.  You just believe so strong.  We can all feel it.”

Mulder was white as a sheet.  He just looked at her, then to Frohike.

“Do you have to tell everyone about my sister?” he shouted.

“Relax, man, it’s not a big deal,” Tina threw back.  “We all have our problems.  What, we’re gonna needle you about it?  Damn, ok, I’ll let loose.  They know, Dana knows, I’m afraid of the dark, ok?  Scared to death.  Mel wired my lights with motion detectors.  I sleep with a light on when I’m alone.  Scared to death of the dark when I’m alone.  OK?  There, you know something about me.  Even?”

Mulder looked away.  He walked to a stool and sat down.  Scully walked over and put her hands on his shoulders.  Tina turned and walked back to her computer.

“You people kill me.  Take it all too serious.”

An alarm began beeping at Langly’s terminal.

“I got an address,” he announced.

Tina reinserted her headphones and tuned out.  To hell with them, she had better things to do.

************

As she was looking over the CNN.com website, checking the news and weather, there was a tapping on her shoulder.  It was Langly.

“Get dressed, we’re going out.”

“You are, not me, happiness.”

“We’ll probably need you.”

“Fine.”

Tina walked to her room and changed into her working clothes: black leather trousers, black Doc Martin boots to the ankle, black turtle neck shirt and her long leather trench coat with hidden goodies.  This would be important if they needed her along.  Her face was scrubbed clean of makeup and she’d removed the polish from her fingernails.  Her hair was pulled back neatly in a ponytail.  She sat in the back of the VW Microbus, reading a paperback novel she’d brought along.  The “mobile command unit” as they called it was equipped with laptop ports, a periscope for surveillance and a power generator.  She sat against the doors, away from all the action inside.  It was dark outside, but there was enough light inside for her to read.

They made it to their stop.  Frohike, Byers and Jimmy got out.  Byers looked in the back door to Tina  and Langly.

“You two stay here.  We’ll stay on the links if we need you.  We have to sneak in somehow.”

Tina wasn’t even sure where they were.  Langly was manipulating the periscope and manning the laptops as he was talking back to them.  Mulder and Scully had driven in their own car to the location, so Tina just sat back, until she was jostled by Langly.

“They’re running over, open the back.  Mulder and Scully are jumping in and we’re taking off.  Their car is traceable.  Move!”

She opened the back of the van to have Mulder and Scully scramble in.  Frohike jumped into the drivers seat, Byers into the other side and Jimmy barely made it in, hanging from the door as Frohike took off.  He had the pedal down as far as it would go, but they were heavy, not making the progress he wanted.  Tina could hear the gunshots at the van whizzing by.  Soon they were out on open highway, gunning as fast as they could.  But Tina knew it wouldn’t last.  The car with the agents trailing them would catch up in minutes.  Time to flex.

“Mel, stop the van.”

“What?!” he called out, in fear and confusion.

“Stop the van!”

He jammed on the breaks hard, knocking her into Scully.

“Excuse me, Dana,” she apologized.

She kicked the back doors open and stepped out.  Standing on the highway black top, she could feel the Maryland heat still in the road, rising through her boots.  The black Crown Victoria headed toward them, apparently not trying to slow down.  This would be her only shot.  She walked purposefully toward the car.  Reaching behind her, she pulled the twin Smith and Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistols from their place in the lining of her coat.  She held them at her sides, hiding them from their pursuers, but in full view to Langly, Scully and Mulder, still walking forward.  Black mirrored sunglasses still firmly on her face, they were tinted amber, unknown to anyone but her to help her focus and aim.  She ignored the screams to stop and raised both guns.  It almost didn’t feel real, pulling each trigger, right, left, right, left, straight at the car.  Thirty-two rounds flew out of her guns straight at the car, as she watched it swerve and flip over, flying past the van into the oncoming traffic lane.  The road was quiet and dead, but Tina knew they shouldn’t stick around to see if their pursuers were still alive.  Tina took off at a run toward the back of the van, dove in, with Mulder and Langly pulling the doors closed behind her and yelled, ” Take off!”

Frohike stepped all the way down again.  Tina went about reloading her weapons.  Scully looked at Mulder then to Tina.

“Where’d you learn that move?” Mulder asked.

“Tomb raider.”

“We have to find out if those men are dead,” Scully announced

“No, we don’t,” Tina answered.

“And if they’re dead?”

“Do think they’d do anything less to us?”

“That’s murder.”

“You gonna arrest me, Agent Scully, or just let me save your ass?  How ‘bout that?  Maybe now you’ve figured out why they keep me around.”

“Why is that?”

“Muscle.  They’re smart, and sweet, but not one of them could pull the trigger if they had to.”

Tina took her sunglasses off.  There was no emotion in her eyes, as there had been none in her voice.  Tina looked at Langly, who was speechless and turning whiter than he normally looked.

“Breathe, Ringo, you’re gonna pass out.”

In the front seat, Byers was sitting next to Frohike.  Jimmy was taking deep breaths out the window, trying not to hyperventilate.  Byers looked at Frohike.

“Do you think they’re dead?” Byers asked.

“You saw how that car skittered by on its roof.  Do you think they survived?  They probably have our van description out.”

“Night’s fallen.  I think we can make it back fast enough hide this in the loading bay area.”

“Sounds good.  We’ll put this behind the third door.  No windows.”

“Do you think she’s scared?”

“I hope not.  Then she can’t protect us.”

Frohike drove through Takoma Park normally, then stopped before the loading dock third bay door.  Langly and Jimmy jumped out to raise the door.  Scully and Mulder stepped out with Tina and Byers.  Tina went into the warehouse, turning off the alarm and turning on the lights.  She had email waiting for her.  A friend of hers, a sailor in the Navy who worked in messages at the NSA had sent her a cryptic note.

“Spotted McCartney on the Mall.  We’ll be trying for autographs as soon as we see him again.  The concert is on.  Not sure where they moved the venue to.  Let me know if you’re in or out.”

She looked at it for a long time, letting the message sink in.  Langly walked up behind her and read the message out loud.

“What does that mean?” he asked.

“It means that we were seen at the building.  We’re going to get nabbed as soon as we’re seen in public again.  The word is out on us to ALL law enforcement agencies.  They don’t know where we went, but they’re looking.  He wants to know if we’re OK and should he alter the information.”

“Alter it how?”

“Change the identities of the accused, so we’re off the hook.  He can do that.  He’s almost as good as you are, Ringo, but he’s on the inside.”

“So that makes him better than me.”

Scully looked at her and said, “You mean, they can just erase who was there?”

“Yeah, he’ll get into their system and delete the video file.  It’s all digital.  Then he’ll choose some random Baltimore hackers to blame it on.  He’s done this for me before.  Otherwise, I couldn’t walk out in public.  The only ones who saw me are dead.”

Tina walked over to the phone.  She dialed the watch floor and adjusted the volume of the speakerphone.

“NSGA Fort Meade, CT-02 Durning speaking.”

“Speaker.”

“Can I help you?”

“Are you going for the tickets tonight?”

“Yeah, I’ll try for them tonight.  If I have time.  Why, you wanna go?”

“Yeah, me a few friends all wanna go.  It’s an opportunity of a lifetime.”

“Check.  Later.”

She hung up without saying goodbye.  She looked at Scully.

“Done.  And I told him about the car.”

“How?”

“’Opportunity of a lifetime’ means there were unavoidable deaths.  They listen to the conversations and monitor all of his email there as well.  It’s the NSA, what do you expect?  But we came up with a code.”

“What does he get in return?” Langly asked, gravely.

“He gets to stay alive.  He knows I’ll put him in the ground if he speaks of this.”

Langly nodded gently.  Byers locked the door and set the alarm.  He and Frohike closed in on Tina.

“You could have gotten us killed, girlie,” Frohike admonished.

“Mel, I saved our lives and you know it.  Now, back off.  We’re safe.  He’ll erase our images.  Yours, too.”

Scully’s eyes widened.  When they entered the building, a DoD storage facility, she didn’t think that her safety was compromised.

“Our images?” Scully asked.

“Hidden cameras.  You didn’t see them.  Duh, it’s the DoD.  But my friend’s a good egg.  He’ll hide us.”

“What if he gets caught?” Mulder asked.

“Then he fries.  His deal, not mine.  He offered the first time I was hiding.  My dad can’t fix everything.”

The group stood in the work room, in silence, listening to the equipment hum.  Tina leaned on Langly’s chest, nuzzling her head into his neck.  His arms automatically slipped around her protectively.  She was willing to do anything for them.  Deep inside, Frohike respected her.  She was his little girlie, as he’d said.  He wanted Langly to take care of her, but knew the boy would mess it up somehow.  That’s why Byers and Frohike insisted she move in there.  She gave up her job to work for them.  They would take care of her as she took care of them.  Fuck her father, Frohike thought.

Tina looked up into Langly’s eyes.  He looked down, blue sparkling into hazel, he touched his forehead to hers.  Scully stood there, staring at them.  This was a scene she’d never imagined.  Tina broke away and said, “I think I need to rest for a while.  I need a little sleep.  Someone else has to cook tonight.  I’ll see you all later.”

She walked up the stairs, quietly, and on to her room.  Langly watched her go.  He looked at Frohike and said, “You know how that bothers her.  Why question her?”

“I don’t know.  I just…she takes such risks and she’s not even worried about her safety.  What if something really dangerous comes up?”

“Then we’ll handle it like we always do,” Byers interjected.  “I’m fairly confident Tina knows what she’s doing.”

Mulder walked over to the huddle.

“This happens a lot?”

All three looked at him blankly, staying silent.  He held his hands up, to give up.  Jimmy came running to the top of the iron stairs and shouted, “She’s sick.”

Langly was the first up the stairs, Byers behind him and Frohike trailing.  Langly ran to her door, but heard the sounds from the bathroom.  He walked quietly to the door, knocked.

“Tina?  Are you OK?”

“I’m throwing up.  Do you think I’m OK?”

More sounds of retching were audible through the wooden door, painted white when Tina couldn’t sleep one night.  Said it would reflect the light when it was open so she could better apply her make up.  Langly tried the handle.  It gave and the door swung open.  Tina was kneeling in front of the toilet, having just flushed, wiping her mouth with toilet paper.  She looked up at him with tears streaming down her face.  Langly scooped her up into his arms and took her to her room.  He turned to Byers and said, “Get her some water.  I’ll put her in her pajamas.”

Frohike and Jimmy followed Byers out, knowing she was dehydrated, probably hadn’t eaten the whole day.  She would be all right.  Scully looked down into Frohike’s dark eyes.

“How is she?”

“Nauseous, vomiting, probably dehydrated.  She needs to sleep.  This always happens after an adventure.”

“Our girl can’t handle the adrenalin of funky poaching,” Jimmy threw in.

Frohike turned to him. The boy was learning.  He was finally getting the lingo and the attitude.  If only he wouldn’t bounce around like a flea on a hot brick.  Mulder walked over to Frohike.

“What the hell is going on here?  ‘Our girl?’  Who is she?  How can she have people in NSA doing things for her?  Something just isn’t right.  And I’m not happy with this.”

Byers walked down the stairs and handed the water to Jimmy.

“Please take this to Tina.  Tell Langly to join us.  And stay with Tina.  I would like to speak to Agent’s Mulder and Scully and this is between us.  I apologize, Jimmy, but there’s quite a bit of history here and I need to clear things up.”

“Sure, Byers, no prob.”

Jimmy walked up the stairs.  Byers folded his arms and leaned back against the work table.  Langly walked to the group and asked, “Jimmy said you wanted me.  What’s up?  Tina’s sleeping.”

“Mulder seems to think something’s amiss with our girl.  Maybe she’s here for reasons other than she told us.”

“Not happening.  She’s not like that”

“We know,” Frohike threw in.

“Mulder, let me explain something to you,” Byers began, arms still folded.  “You have come to us over the years times too numerous to record for assistance.  We have happily obliged you, knowing that you are fighting the same good fight we are.  But I don’t think you know us as well as you think you do.  You see us as quirky, paranoid nerds who have great amounts of technology and information at our disposal.  But do you see three people when you look at us, Mulder?  Do you know how wonderful it is to look at a woman, other than Agent Scully here, and see a pretty girl, happy, vibrant and wishing to be in our company?  Do you know how hard it is for me not to hate and discount all women, except for Agent Scully, after all I’ve been through with Susanne?  Well, maybe you should take another look, Agent Mulder.  We are three individual people, who crave friendship and human contact, other than we three.  You weren’t as surprised about Jimmy joining us, and our occasional dealings with Yves.  Well understand this, we are just as human as you are, and not as afraid to show it.  Not anymore.”

Mulder was stunned.  Byers, succinct as ever, just told him off.  Byers was never angry at anyone.  But he must have felt strongly about this.  Frohike was looking at Mulder, as was Langly.

“I’m sorry.  I was just worried…”

“About what?” Langly interrupted.  “That I’m fucking a stripper?  That I’m fucking at all?  Or that she has contacts?  That now know you?  You never cared about this shit before, Fox.”

Langly spat his name out.  Mulder winced.

“Look, no one will hurt William,” Frohike soothed.  “We have certain words out in the whisper stream that there should be a network of protection around him. The sailor probably knows that.  But you need to know that we’re not just your freaky little friends…not anymore.”

Mulder nodded.  He looked at the floor in defeat.  Jimmy had heard everything and walked back down the stairs.

“She’s awake.  She wants you, Langly.”

Langly turned without a word and walked up the stairs.  Tina was laying in her bed, stroking her cat, Rosie, and smiling gently.  Langly sat on the bed.  She looked up at him and smiled wider.  He leaned down to kiss her.  She sat up, leaning on her elbow, scaring the cat off the bed.

“So, Mulder doesn’t trust me?”

“He does now.  We don’t care.  I love you, you know.”

Langly blushed.  His first time ever admitting that to a woman.  He looked away, to the open door.  Tina touched his hand.  She crawled to him, put her hands on his face.

“I love you, too, you know. You all saved me, from myself.  I know how much I need to be here, more than I can tell you.  And I’m so grateful that you all welcomed me.  And I was so happy that you liked me.  I’d never hurt you, never betray you.  Neither will my friend.  I’d give my life for you guys.  I love you, Richard Langly, with all my heart.”

She kissed him, sealing her statement.  Langly held her close, knowing that whatever happened from that moment on, they were a family.  Mel, John-John, Jimmy, Ringo and Tina.  A family.

The End