Title: It’s Not Over
By: Amanda
Feedback: greenfreakgirl@tomgreen.com
Rating: PG
Spoilers: my “Jupitor Series” and bits and pieces of TXF. 
Disclaimer:  Didn’t your mother ever teach you to share your toys, CC? Hmm?
Summary: just when you think the past is all wrapped up it bursts through the door, threatening your future. 
Notes: There’s no such thing as season 9, there’s no such thing as season 9, there’s no such thing….. 
Other Notes at End. 
Date Finished: July 13, 2002. 

Life seemed to be moving along normally for everyone. Well normal considering the people involved, but mainly normally normal. Scully had moved out of her apartment and into a new one, with Mulder and William. They wanted the new family to have a fresh start, free from all the events of the past. Anderea felt it best not to pry into just what events they ment. Mulder, Scully and little William relocated to a new building much closer to Mrs. Scully, Maggie’s as she insisted on being called, which surprised her when Scully asked if she would baby-sit. But Anderea wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth, this gave her a chance to get out of the warehouse on something that wasn’t business, which is always a treat. 

Scully gave a complete run down of for the evening: a schedule for William and for them, just in case the younger woman needed them: Dinner, non-fat tofuti rice dreamsicles and a trip to the batting cages. 
“Batting cage?” the image of Scully there made her giggle, especially considering the suits the agent is always seen wearing. Even her version of casual didn’t fit that. 
“Outta that whole list, you find the cages the strangest? What about tofuti? Doesn’t anyone eat real ice cream anymore?” Mulder muttered in his usual good humour.
“We’ll both have our cell phones,” she added, shaking her head, “The numbers are by the phone.” She seemed apprehensive about leaving her miracle child. 
Anderea nodded, “Willy and I’ll be fine.” They all looked over at the year old boy sitting on the living room floor, quietly playing. 
For a moment it flashed in the mother’s eyes; she didn’t want to leave. She had a feeling. 
“Scully, we’d better get going,” Mulder still used their ‘pet names’ for each other.   
“I know, I know,” she smiled faintly, “Give mommy a kiss,” she crouched down to be the boy’s level, kissing the top of his head, “You be a good boy for Anderea now.” Rising to her full height she continued, “If he starts making things float again,” she motioned with her hand, “just ignore it. He’ll stop in a minute or two.” Not the usual babysitting warning, but this isn’t the usual baby. 

The first time Anderea saw William do just that she stared in a state of fright and awe and wonder. It was only for a moment, but he made his mobile spin. The more she saw him do it, the less freaky it seemed And now he just started making his toys hover. A new telekinetic trick. 
“Okay,” she nodded again.
“And feel free to raid the kitchen,” Mulder added quickly, leaning down to kiss his son, “But no boys,” he added with a sly smile. 
“Oh yes sir, Mr. Mulder,” Anderea faked her best little girl voice, “Now you two have fun,” I ushered them closer to the door, “How can I break the rules when you’re still here?”
“Thanks again,” Scully smiled, still in the doorway, “Call if anything…..for anything.”
“Scully,” his voice was almost a whine, “I’m sure she can handle it, she lives with the Gunmen for Christ sake. Babysitting is her life,” He gave the babysitter a quick peak on the cheek before following his partner out. 

She locked the door first thing after it closed, all three locks. Just out of habit. 
“Looks like it’s just you and me William,” She didn’t get much of a reply from him. He looked up than back to his toy. Anderea would only have his company for another half an hour before it was is designated time for bed, before she was alone.  

* * * * * *

After putting the toddler to bed Anderea  gave a glance around the apartment, and saw it was clearly ‘theirs’. Mulder’s court shoes and basketball were carelessly thrown in a corner. Something that would never be seen in Scully’s old apartment, neither would the scattering of toys. This was a family home.  A happy, perfectly normal, fully functional family. The idea and image was warming to her. Someone to come home to or coming home to you and a healthy child hugging and reaching out for you. It was my secret fantasy. She figured it had to be everyone’s secret dream. Something so normal. Something that can only be achieved when everything is normal. It was hers. 

A ringing ripped her from the peaceful daydream. It was only after attempting to answer the home phone that she realised it was her cell phone. The guys insisted she have one, just in case they needed her or she needed them. Personally she thought it was just so they could keep taps on her easier. 
“Hello?” Anderea answered around the fifth ring.
“Five rings? What took you so long?” Langly whined. 
She couldn’t help but smile at his impatience, “Well, Hello Ree. I’m fine, thank you so much for asking.”
“Okay, okay,” he laughed a little, but went back to his original question, “What took you so long to answer?”
And still no hello. “I was with another man,” she waited a beat, “putting William to bed.”
She swore she heard him sigh in relief, “Than you’re out of stuff to do, I should come over. You know, just to keep you company.”
The young woman giggled, feeling as if she was a teenager babysitting , “Mmm can’t. Mr. Mulder said no boys.”
He outright laughed. 
“And besides, you have to put the paper to bed. That’s part of the reason I’m here.”
“I’d much rather take you to bed,” he lowered his voice to an almost husky whisper, suggesting the guys were in ear shoot. 
“oh, that sounds really good, but I’m gonna have to hang up now and I’ll call you when I need to be picked up,” she rushed through the statement, not wanting to give him the chance to talk her out of it, which he could.
“Is that story done yet Langly?” Frohike bellowed in the background. 
“Now get some work done,” She worked on hanging up, “Love you.”
“Love you too,” she knew he blushed, “I’m still coming over!” He rushed his last comment before hanging up. 

The apartment fell silent, still and dark. Even with the lights and television she still couldn’t shake an errie feeling that came over her, a cold chill, the disappearance of normal. Wishing Langly had put up more of an argument to ‘drop by’ or made more than an idle threat before hanging up. She was rubbing the sides of her arms in an attempt to shake the chill when the front door shook under someone’s knock. Making her way to the door, it shook again. 
“Hello?” a voice that she didn’t recognise asked as she peered through the peek hole. 
A fair sized man stood on the other side; dark features and medium hair. He didn’t look familiar. He tired the knob. 
“Can I help you?”
Again he turned the knob, this time successfully turning it hard enough to snap the lock. And with one push he opened the door; breaking the chain and dead bolt. The force sent her back, crashing into the alcove wall. 
“What do you want?” Anderea asked of him, recovering from having the wind knocked out of her and the pain in her back, “What are you doing here?”
He ignored her, continuing in. 
“Hey!” She grabbed at his arm, only to be swatted to the floor. “Excuse me!” staggering to her feet, latching on to his forearm, “Get Out!”
Again he swatted her away, only with much greater force, sending her crashing on to a side-table.  She cradled her arm, having landed on it. She took several breaths to take her mind off the pain, “What do you want?”
He didn’t need to answer, it became clear what  he came for. He went straight for William’s bedroom. 

It’s amazing how an adrenaline rush can drown out pain and panic. Or maybe it was a sense of duty. Anderea scrambled to her feet, taking a stance between him and the room door. Not that she had any idea what to do. ‘What I wouldn’t have given for a baseball bat, or another blunt object,’ she thought. 
“You can’t stand in out way,” the first time he spoke.
“Probably not,” she reached for a lamp on the hall table, “But I can fight you,” with all her effort she crashed the lamp into the side of his head.  
He barely flinched, “you’re becoming an annoyance.” In one movement he reached out and took hold of her neck with his hand, squeezing. His force lifted her feet off the floor. 

They say that when your life is in danger it flashes before your eyes. That didn’t happen for her, mostly because she had repressed most of her past and because her concentration was on his tightening grasp. Gasping for air and scratching desperately at his hand for release. Opening her tear filled eyes, she hoped to find something in his, but what she saw surprised and shocked her: Recognition. 
“1019756,” he released his hold, letting her collapse to the floor like a rag-doll, landing on her already injured arm. 
“Oww,” she cried out in pain, taking haggard breaths. 

Anderea had past out, the next thing he was gone. 
“Oh God, William!” She tried to get to her feet, but was too weak and battered. And the pain from in her arm and head made crawling to his door harder, but she still managed. “Thank God,” after pushing the door open Anderea found William sitting on his toddler bed, his little hands covering his eyes, “William?” she called to him. 
He uncovered his eyes, and smiled. 
“It’s okay now, but I want you to stay on the bed okay?” she left the door open, after getting a nod from him, like he had understood. 
She dragged herself to sit against the wall, trying to get some sort of order in her head. With shaky hands she managed to find her cell in the wreckage that was the living room and did the first thing that came to mind.  
“Lone Gunmen Newspaper Group, Byers speaking,” his voice rang through. 
“John, I need you guys to come over, someone was here, he went for William-“, he had to break through the rambling. 
“What happened? Anderea, are you alright?”
“William’s fine,” she had to continue with the train of thought, “He left after he said,” the numbers went around in her head. ‘Oh god,’ the realisation hit her, ‘my ID Number. He knew my project ID number’, “Ohmigod…It’s not over…..it’s never gonna be over.” 
“Derea, what is it? You okay?” At some point Langly had taken the phone from Byers. 
“Could you call Fox and Dana?” Suddenly she couldn’t see straight, feeling dizzy and thoughts whirling.
“Byers is calling them. What did he say? What did he do?” Aside from being the worried boyfriend, he was an investigator at heart. 
“…..nothing…..” she stuttered. 
He was silent, waiting for Anderea to answer. 
“I think I’m gonna be sick…..” was the only thing she could say.
“okay, okay. Relax. We’ll be right there,” now the worry in his voice could be heard.