When they arrived Anderea was just leaving the bathroom after vomiting, both because of the pain and uneasiness from the event.
“Derea,” Langly rushed over, pulling her into a tight hug, a little too tight.
“Oww,” she winced, “I hurt my arm,” she told him.
He nodded, but kept his protective hold, walking her over to sit on the couch. 
“He bust in here?” Frohike slipped into investigative mode as he looked over the door, the questions help keep his head clear.
Anderea nodded, “Yeah, ” they all knew it was evident by the busted locks, but the questions helped everyone to keep calm. “William’s in his room,” she noticed John looking around, who nodded in reply.

Scully ran into the apartment right to her son’s room, calling for him, “William.” She pulled him to her chest, kissing the top of his head and not bothering to hide her emotions.
Mulder came in seconds after her, breathless, “Is everyone alright?”
“Everyone but you’re apartment,” Anderea gave a lopsided smile.
He sighed with a nod, giving the place a once over, “Guess I should make a call.” He half smiled and gave a reassuring pat on the younger woman’s shoulder, telling her it wasn’t her fault.

When Agent Doggett arrived, not much had changed. Scully still clung to her child, getting reassuring touches from Mulder, while Byers, Frohike, Langly and Anderea all sat silently on the couch, her head resting on Langly. No one had really said anything. She felt that the longer she stayed silent the longer everything would stay the same.
“Woo,” Doggett whistled, stepping over the fallen door, “Some mess here.” He did have a knack for pointing out the obvious, “Everyone alright?”
Scully nodded, “Although Anderea was banged around quite a bit,” she motioned to the girl in question, “She was the one here,” she tightened her hold on the boy, ignoring her watering eyes. 
“Seems that trouble follows you,” Agent Doggett glared at her, “So what happened here?”
“A man broke in, and went straight for Willy’s room,” Anderea gave him the shortest explanation she could. She just didn’t feel comfortable talking to him, she didn’t feel comfortable talking to anyone right now.
“Seems like it was one of our old friends,” Mulder took a protective stance behind his family.
“Are you sure it was a SuperSoldier?” he turned back to the girl.
“He didn’t flinch when I smashed a lamp over his head and held me up by the neck, one handed. So Agent Doggett, he’s either one of your SuperSoldiers or someone sure as hell had his Wheaties this morning,” she choked on her words, both from anger and trauma. Langly squeezed her hand in reassurance.
He nodded, “We could have some people look around, but my guess is that he’d be long gone,” another question seemed to form in his head, “How did you get him to leave?” His eyes narrowed on Anderea again, he didn’t trust her.
But everyone’s attention seemed to be grabbed by the question. It was the only aspect that hadn’t even been attempted at explaining.
 “I suspect he got bored with me. Said I couldn’t stand in their way, knocked me to the floor and left,” her stomach was fluttering like mad, but she tried not to show it on her face. But it was clear in her eyes. “I’m gonna be sick,” She ran, again to the bathroom.

Langly followed after her, to make sure she was alright, “Derea?” he slowly pushed the bathroom door open to find her sitting on the floor against the tub, “You okay?”
She shook her head, while she hugged her knees.
“What is it?” he knelt down beside her.
She took several breaths before being able to reply, “That ..…that SuperSolider, he, ah it knows me. Recognised my ID, my project ID Number,” she fell victim to her tears again.
He moved to touch her, comfort her, but the realisation hit him: They knew. His face fell.
“What does this mean?” she wiped tears from her face, “Do I have to go? I have to run, hide again,” she started to panic.
“No,” he pulled her into a hug, “No! Nothing like that,” he was saying it as much for her as for himself, “We don’t know anything yet. It might be nothing, a fluke.” They both knew that wasn’t the case, it never is, but the idea was comforting.
She rested her head on his shoulder, “Should we tell ‘Hike and…..”
“no, shh,” he rocked her, “We don’t wanna upset everyone.” The truth was, he didn’t want to admit anything was wrong. He wanted to keep it secret and unreal. 

* * * * *

Anderea balanced a grocery bag and her slinged arm. The weather had turned on her since Saturday, since she babysat William, it turned grey with an icy chill. She cut through a park to get back to the warehouse in half the time, usually she took her time, welcoming the break and freedom of the walk. But today she hurried to get home.
“Excuse me,” an older man apologised in a puff of cigarette smoke, stepping aside on the path.
She nodded in appreciation and kept walking.
“I believe I knew your father,” he turned in her direction, waiting for her reaction.
She perked up slightly, stopping but not turning around, “I’m sorry, you’re mistaken. He’s dead.”
“I know,” as he replied a coy smile danced on his lips and he took the last drag from his cigarette before tossing it to the ground, “We spent sometime together on a little pet project you might know…”
She started to walk again, slowly, nervous now.
“Project Jupiter,” he waited for her to turn, which she did, “Ah, I thought that might get your attention, Anderea.”
“How did you…”
“Like I said, I worked with your father,” he pulled another cigarette from the pack, tilting the package toward her as an offering.
She shook her head.
He nodded,  “He certainly put a lot of effort into hiding you,” he lit the cigarette, “Same goes for those new acquaintances of yours.”
She tried to hide how scared she became of this man. His version of charisma made her uneasy along with the look in his eyes, a look that said he knew everything about her. She shuttered, “Is there any point behind this?”
“Ah, right to the point, so very much like your father,” he worked on pushing the right points on her to break her. He smiled coyly when he noticed the twitch in her eyes, “A warning. You can’t really hide or fight. Although I hear you can put up quite a good one,” he motioned to her arm, with an amused look, “I can always get to you,” he tossed away the butt of his cigarette, “and there will be a time when I’ll need to.” He lit another, “It’s never over my dear,” with that cryptic message he turned and walked away.
She stood there, staring blankly, processing what had happened and what he had said and what it all ment now.  Slowly tears streamed down her face.

She had to run, to leave, to hide. It would be best, for her, for them. A cryptic stranger had made the decision, had sealed her fate.

* * * * *
 

She managed to avoid explaining her red eyes when she returned to the warehouse. She desperately wanted to hold off on telling them what she decided, or rather what was decided for her. she wanted one more night where everything was normal, one last night before reality set in.

Anderea and Langly stood in the doorway to her room, sharing a good night kiss. Something they did when they didn’t share a bed.
He cupped her face in his hands, holding their lips closer to share the deep kiss. His hand lightly trailed down her neck.
He pulled back, slowly, “Night.”
“wait,” he had turned tot he hall when she stopped him. She took hold of his hand to pull him into her room.
He happily followed her direction and the kiss she pressed against his lips, the desperate, hungry, urgent kiss.
He reciprocated the hunger, wrapping his arm around her, pushing the door shut behind them. they hadn’t shared this intensity since before that Saturday. Just over a week, but in their relationship that was a dry spell.

Langly’s hold kept them pressed together as she let her hands move over his tee-shirted chest before beginning to pull it off him.
He groaned at the loss of her lips as the shirt came over his head, and landed on the floor.
The reconnected crawling on to her bed. Langly repeating her; slowly pushing her shirt up while caressing her exposed skin.

His mind was concentrating only on the moment at hand. The feel of her skin, the taste of her mouth and the desire growing in him. On the other side, Anderea’s mind continually drifted, not concentrating on the passion at all, but the sorrow and loneliness to come.  That’s when she rolled over on her side, breaking into sobs that slowly wracked her body.
It took Langly moments to clear his head enough to take realisation of the emotional change in his partner. He pulled himself up, proped up on his elbow, “Derea, what’s wrong?” he stroked her bare shoulder.
She didn’t reply, just continued sobbing.
“Derea?” he coaxed her to answer, stroking her back now in an attempt to calm her.
“I have to leave,” she blurted out between burst outs.
“What? No, why?” Langly was confused by the reply, he had purposely put Saturday night out of his head.
Anderea rolled over to face him. She tried twice before the words came out, “I have to leave her, leave you,” tears continually fell from her eyes as she reached to caress the side of his face.
“No,” he brought her hand down, the topic hitting him, “We talked about it, just don’t have to go. There’s no reason. . .”  he stopped, “There is?”
She nodded, hiding her face under her hand.
“What happened?” he sat himself up fully, growing sombre and serious.
Anderea currled into a ball at his side, “A man, at the park,” she sniffled, “He told me. . . he knew. . .” she looked up at him, “he knows where I am. God Ree, he knows about you all,”  she covered her mouth with her hand, hoping to hide her quivering reaction.
He pulled her close, to hold her, fighting the mist in his eyes. He had no words to comfort her, he couldn’t comfort himself.

“I have to leave soon,” she started, just above a whisper.
“We’d better tell the guys,” Langly made no motion to move, just still and holding her.

* * * *

They had arranged the late night meeting at the gunmen kitchen table. Frohike was exceedingly grumpy, having been  pulled from the beginnings of sleep. Anderea had pulled herself together, on the outside she was the image of normal. Langly hadn’t bothered to change his outward appearance. He was still a conflict of emotions which all raged behind the black frames.
Byers was the most observant, even though Jimmy was the only one not woken, “What’s wrong?”
His question broke her facade; she covered her face with her hands, shoulders shaking, “I have to leave.”
Frohike put his hand on her shaking shoulder to soothe her, “Why? He glared at the younger man, who bowed his head, but said nothing.
Again it took her a few tries before she could speak, “They. . . they know,” she let the tears fall, both from being scared and sad.

Langly continued the reply to the confused and concerned faces, “That SuperSolider. . . it IDed her,” he didn’t have to explain which SuperSoilder, “And today, that cigarette smoking SOB,” he broke in anger.
Byers’ eyes widened and Frohike’s narrowed.
“What does all this mean?” Jimmy couldn’t hide his concern, he didn’t like where this was all going, none of them did.
“I have to leave before they. . .” her throat tightened.
“. . . find you,” Frohike finished in a dry voice, although his true emotion was in his eyes.
She nodded.
“Oh,” Jimmy pouted.

They were silent, each one processing what was going on.
“When, when are you planning on leaving?” Frohike kept her voice even.
She shrugged, “The sooner the better it is. . . well safer.”
He nodded as he stood, walking over to hug her. For a moment she was content in the older man’s bear hug.
He straightened before he spoke, “Just give us a chance to do some poking around before. . . before you go.”
She nodded, but knew she couldn’t wait. The longer she waited the more risk she brought to them.
“I think we should try and get some rest then,” Byers stood, staring sympathetically at Langly. He knew the heartbreak this caused, also the pain and frustration of being helpless to help. “Remember I did say try,” he squeezed Langly’s shoulder in support. “Anderea,” he wrapped his arms around her, an over the shoulder hug.
“John,” she patted his hand as the embrace was released.
Jimmy just gave an empathetic smile, not one for words, as he lead the way out of the kitchen and to their rooms.

Langly and Anderea sat silently in his room, just staring off. Her memorising the space.
“Hey,” his voice filled the room, “When you do go, I want you to take this,” he handed her a rumpled shirt, part of him knowing she wouldn’t wait until morning to go.
She unfolded it, looking at the print, “I can’t take this.”
He sat next to her, “You might as well take my favourite shirt, you already have my heart,” on this his voice cracked.
Anderea wrapped her arms around him, “I love you Ree,” and kissed his cheek.
“I don’t want to loss you,” he turned to her, his eyes welling with tears.
She kissed his lips now, “You never will, ‘cause you have mine,” she put his hand over her heart.
“Do we have to say goodbye?” he rested his head against her.
She shook her head, “Of course not, it’s not goodbye. . . I’ll see you soon.”

* * * * *

She slipped out the last door, silently closing it behind her.
“Are you leaving?” Jimmy’s voice asked from behind her.
“I didn’t want to wake anyone,” was the only confession she was going to make.
“I couldn’t sleep,” he told her, then taking notice of the duffel bag over her shoulder, “I thought you were waiting until the morning or something.”
Anderea turned away, avoiding his sympathetic, sad eyes, the look they all had, “I didn’t. . . I couldn’t,” her voice cracked. After taking a few minutes she continued, looking back at Jimmy, “I couldn’t see them hurt again,” tears started in her eyes, “They look so happy and peaceful when they’re sleeping. I couldn’t see that again,” she was crying now, her tears wouldn’t dry up. Torn by not wanting to leave and having to.
He pulled her into a hug, both of comfort and goodbye. He didn’t want to see her go either, the warehouse family had been filled out by her, his sister figure.
“Jimmy, I want you to take good care of them for me,” her voice was muffled by having her face to buried in his shoulder, still crying, “I love them so much.”
He tightened his hug, “I know, I will.”
She relished in the comfort for a few moments more before pulling away, “thank you.” She kissed his cheek, “I’d better get going.”
They both walked to the secure door. She unlocked the heavy door before turning back for her final goodbye. She was greeted by another hug.
“Be careful,” Jimmy instructed her before releasing the embrace, he too fighting tears and a final plea for her to stay. Although he knew it was best for her to run, they all knew that they just didn’t like it.
“I will,” she forced a smile through her sad face before stepping through the door, into the early morning and uncertain future.
Jimmy closed and locked it behind her, watching on the monitor as she took another look at the warehouse, a look that would have to last only god knew how long, before taking the long walk down the ally.

* * * * *

It had been weeks since she left and life in the warehouse continued. Although they all felt the missing part, the strain and sadness of not having Anderea there. But they continued, mostly because they had to.
“Mail,” Jimmy announced coming bounding back from a visit to the P.O. Box, “Langly I think this is for you,” the young man held up a post card that had an image on Joey Ramone on the front.
“Gimmie it,” he ripped it from the messenger’s hand, flipping it over. It wasn’t addressed to anyone, just the P.O. box number and had no return address; just a short message scribbled on the back, “See you soon” and a large red heart.
He smiled, “Hop so ‘Derea, hope so.”

END
Other Notes: FINALLY MY MUSE IS WORKING!! Well, it wasn’t all that great for the beginning of the fic, but by the end it finally kicked in! Woohoo!! Thanks to Amy Jonas for helping to get ideas moving in my head!
 I just couldn’t wait to write a fic with CSM! It was just too tempting! Character death be damned!!
Remember no season 9, well in my universe anyway!