Julia
Chapter Twenty-seven

Disclaimers, etc. in Headers


Washington, D.C.
February 11, 2001
8:50 p.m.


Julia felt the blood drain from her face. 
However, she remained composed, pulling her hand
from Mulder's reluctant grip to sign, <I don't
understand.>

"And they say I'm crazy," Mulder muttered beside
her.  "Too much nicotine must dull the brain."

She was thankful that Mulder's dry wit hadn't
vanished in the face of this latest test. 
Sparing him a glance, she saw he had paled a bit
too, but was definitely still in control, a
typical smirk firmly in place.

"Nicotine hasn't made me stupid, Fox," Cancerman
replied, leaning back as the waiter approached
with coffee and cake, snuffing out his
cigarette.  "Though it certainly has proven to
be useful in other ways."

If he was hoping to capture her interest with
that cryptic statement, he certainly did.  She
had to stifle the urge to pounce on it, instead
forcing herself to remain unmoved as he watched
her for any sign of interest.

"Come now, Dana," he purred, then, at the sight
of her feigned confusion, amended, "Excuse me -
*Julia.* You've quite immersed yourself in this
role, haven't you?"  The last was said with
pointed insinuation.  "I imagine it must be
difficult for you to bow to the whim of a man,
even if it is your former partner.  Then again,
sex is a great motivator, is it not?"

Aghast, she lowered her eyes and picked at her
napkin.  How much longer would she have to
endure this?  The ruse was so familiar, yet so
foreign to her.  It was true, every word. 
Despite the re-emergence of her innate self, she
was still a whore.

"That's enough," Mulder said, interrupting the
old man's baiting.  "Say what you want about me,
but leave Julia alone."

"I apologize," Cancerman answered.  "There is no
excuse for bad manners... we can be civilized,
even with the world in ruins, am I right? 
Please, have some dessert."

Julia looked up to see him motion to the waiter,
then return his hollow gaze to the two of them. 
She felt like a bug under a microscope as the
old man watched her, the waiter hovering between
them to slice the pound cake with shaky fingers.

"Say something, Julia," he said softly.  "You
must be dying to ask questions of me.  And lucky
for you, I'm in the mood to answer them.  You're
going to be my guest for an indefinite period,
my dear, just like Fox.  Wouldn't you like to at
least have something to show for all your
effort?"  He flashed yellowed teeth at her
before he sipped at his coffee.

She felt Mulder's hand grip her knee, telling
her with the clench of his fingers not to give
in, not to give the old man the satisfaction. 
But a little voice inside told her to pursue
this; they would be out of here within the hour. 
And she'd be lying to herself if she didn't
admit to a mountain of curiosity about the
events of the past nine months.  With a brush of
her hand over Mulder's, she turned to look up at
his concerned face.  Don't do it, he pleaded
with his eyes.

But she had to, didn't he see that? she answered
with a crease of her brow.  All these months
searching for Mulder, searching for a way to
counteract the wretched death the bees spread...
searching for hope amidst the chaos; she had to
know.

Mulder's face became firm and he nodded,
capitulating to her silent plea.  Do what you do
best, he told her with his half-smile.

Encouraged by his faith in her, she turned back
to Cancerman, bringing her hands up to sign,
<Why the mutations?  You never meant for
colonization to succeed, did you?>

Their host smiled, a glib grin that made her
angry.  Yes, he'd gotten what he wanted; but her
ramrod straight back and frosty expression told
him that the game was just beginning.

Sidestepping the obvious, 'I knew it,' the old
man took his time lighting a cigarette.  After a
protracted drag on the stick, he said, "Why
would I want colonization to succeed?  Power -
*real* power - is the ultimate goal.  Not to be
the pawn of another, whether human or alien.  I
saw an opportunity and I took it."

<But infection is still ongoing.>

"Yes, but on *my* timetable.  When the time is
right, the alien threat will be eliminated from
the equation.  The people remaining will
naturally look to me as savior."

The alien threat will be eliminated?  Julia
pondered the phrase, lifting curious eyes to
Mulder.  He had the same look she felt on her
face; confused but curious.  Cancerman had a
plan.  He'd always been several moves ahead of
his opponents in the constant chess match of the
conspiracy.  If they could just figure out where
he was going with his broad scheme....

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing," he said,
getting their attention once again.  "If you
play your cards right, you could both savor the
victory with me."

"No, thanks," Mulder replied quickly, echoing
her thoughts.  "The accommodations, while
luxurious, leave a lot to be desired.  There's
something to be said for the freedom to walk out
the doors of this place."

Cancerman sighed, puffing away on the ever-
present cigarette.  "If you had the freedom to
live outside these walls, Fox, you'd find the
world a much more unforgiving place.  Am I
right, Julia?"

The memory of the stark, barren streets was
still fresh in her mind, as were the countless
faces of the starving and homeless.  Lowering
her chin, she found she could not form a
suitable reply.  In that respect, Cancerman was
right.  Once they got out of here, life would be
hard.  There was no doubt in her mind that they
couldn't just wander around; they would still be
hunted until the Resistance prevailed.  And life
underground was harsh, that much was certain. 
Constant threat of discovery meant living on the
edge night and day.

"She knows, Fox.  Knows that this is the place
for you both.  Why do you think she came here?"

At that, she raised her head.  He was twisting
everything... making her into someone outwardly
beautiful but empty and self-serving... as Julia
should be. <I didn't come here to be safe,> her
hands punched into the air.

"Then why did you come here?  To save him?  I
don't think so.  You knew once here, there was
no escape."  He lowered his voice.  "I think you
came here for a very different reason, Julia."

Dear God, she thought.  Did he also know of the
attack?  He couldn't have; suspecting she was
Scully made sense, but she'd done nothing to
give away the plan.  Nothing.  Yes, he knew the
electrical problems were unusual, but he could
only guess as to the source and reason.

"You obviously had help... the new look is
interesting, by the way.  Very good work."

She cringed at the pleased sweep of his eyes
over her face. <If you think I'm going to sing
like a bird, you're mistaken.>

"Sing?  My dear Julia, you can't even speak,
much less sing."

Mulder jumped in, his growing anger radiating
from his tense body.  Julia could feel the heat
through the layers of clothing, his and hers. 
"Shut up, do you hear me?  Shut the hell up."

But his father kept on, poking at the both of
them with venomous glee.  "I expect you had help
from the Underground and I *will* find out all I
need to know, in due time."  His eyes spoke of
the certain torture she would have to endure...
if she was unfortunate enough to remain.

Little did he know that she was going to be free
in a short while.  Whether outside these walls
alive, or within these walls, dead... she was
going to be free.  They would either make it out
alive, or die trying.

"But that doesn't concern me at the moment,"
Spender continued.  "You've been here for over a
month now, correct?  I suspect this electrical
surge is an attempt by the Underground to
disable our security systems, to break into our
computers.  They won't get in, Julia.  They've
tried for months now and we've stonewalled them
at every turn.  Believe me, it's useless."

She and Mulder remained quiet, but not so his
father.  He seemed to be taking great pleasure
in this farce and was playing it to the hilt.

"What used to puzzle me was why you braved this
fortress... to save your partner?  Impossible. 
But you knew that already.  The Underground
didn't need you here, but you volunteered, am I
right?"  Spirals of smoke blew through his lips
as his gaze narrowed on her face.  "I think you
came here to kill Fox."

For several tense moments, silence reigned as
plates heavy with cake and chocolate sauce were
placed before them.  Julia felt a fine sheen of
sweat break out all over her, but tried to keep
her cool.  They could still talk their way out
of this; he was toying with them, bluffing.

<I would never hurt Mulder.>  As she faced down
their adversary, her courage went up a notch. 
Cool composure made her feel normal... made her
feel like Scully.

"So you say now, that you've had a chance to
speak to him.  But I think when you first came
here, you believed him to be a traitor, didn't
you?"

It was no use lying about this. <Yes.>

"And your plan was to assassinate him, am I
right?  He betrayed your ideals.  Betrayed *you*
- how could you not hate him?"

<No.>  Though that's just what the plan had been
- what she'd assured Krycek she could do if
necessary, if Mulder got in the way of the
attack.  But she'd known all along she'd never
be able to carry it out.  She felt the red blush
of guilt creep up her face.

He picked up his napkin and laid it over his
lap, then began to eat, slicing his cake with
slow deliberation.  "If you say so, my dear...
but don't insult my intelligence.  I think you
appointed yourself judge, jury and executioner. 
The opportunity arose and you took it." He took
a bite of the cake. "Mmm... delicious.  Try it,
Fox."

Julia could feel just how off-balance Mulder was
by this development.  More so than she was, she
suspected.  Though he knew of her discussion
with Krycek about the possibility of having to
... God, she couldn't even think it... he knew
that she would never have gone through with it,
no matter what kind of person he'd become.  She
would have followed the plan, then died with him
here.  In sorrow, yes - but no way would she
have joined these people, even if *he* had.

Her hand took his under the table.  He grasped
it like a lifeline and said, "No thank you... I
seem to have lost my appetite.  For the food
*and* your ridiculous accusations."

As he pushed away from the table, he was halted
by his father's words.  "I wonder if Julia would
make it in one of the holding facilities... you
remember the accommodations, don't you Fox?"

His statement worked as expected, as Mulder
stilled, his hand crushing hers.  He looked at
Julia with anguished eyes, directing his
rebuttal to Cancerman.  "You wouldn't dare."

"I believe you know me better than that, my
boy," came the soft, ominous reply.  "Now, let's
stop this charade once and for all.  It's a
waste of my time and yours."

Julia tugged on Mulder's hand and he responded
by resuming his seat, actually loosening just a
bit.  Easing his stance before the face that
watched their every move from across the table;
not to her.  She knew better - Mulder was trying
a different tactic in an effort to kill time. 
He knew, just as she did, that her discovery
wasn't the real issue... as long as the plan
remained secret.

"So," Mulder began, shoving the plate of cake
away, "what tipped you off, if I may ask?"

"DNA never lies."

Of course, she thought.  They tested her without
her knowledge, pulling a strand of hair or
scraping her skin while she was under anesthesia
that first day.  It was something she'd
overlooked, not realizing Cancerman would be
that curious.

"I had my suspicions from the beginning - and I
wasn't sure until I got the test results this
morning - things are so much slower these days,
you know."  He shook his head with mock
disappointment.  "But I was already convinced,
really.  What sealed it for me was the fact that
you accepted her, Fox.  She seemed to suddenly
make you very happy.  Pleased me to no end."

"Like you really care one way or the other,"
Mulder grumbled, irritation making him look
away.  Julia knew he was scoping out the room;
time was rapidly slipping by.

Hold on.  They needed to hold on, she prayed.

"You're right, my boy.  I *don't* really care."

It was Julia's turn to answer that statement,
fury staining her cheeks. <Then why bother?  You
could have left Mulder in the holding facility. 
Why such elaborate lengths to please him?>

Cancerman sipped at his coffee.  Julia wanted to
scream at him to stop torturing them and just
spit it out, whatever it was.  He was taking
great pleasure in making them wait, finishing
his cup and signaling for another to be poured
before he answered, "I'm dying.  But you both
knew this, am I correct?"

Neither gave him the satisfaction.  Why bother?
Julia thought.  He knows what we know.  But
she'd seen him in the company of a shapeshifter
- a bringer of good health simply by the touch
of his hand.

<The bounty hunter,> she signed, knowing he knew
what she was asking.

"We had an agreement - my help with colonization
in exchange for curing me.  He came for me after
he took Fox; healed me as best he could.  But
what is in me - what I took from Fox so long ago
- it lives within me now.  My colleague cannot
cure me of its effects."  He paused to light a
cigarette and shoved his plate away.  "The most
I can hope for is that the DNA I salvage from
you, Fox, can prolong my life."

She scoffed at the old man, her eyes flashing
and her hands moving with stiff purpose. <His
blood?  To keep you alive?  You could have left
him imprisoned and still gotten what you
wanted.>

He reached for his cup of coffee.  "You
misunderstand, Julia.  The only thing I wanted
that Fox could give me was not his blood...
though it's helped immensely.  It was *you.*"

"What?"  Mulder's soft question echoed the one
in her mind.  She felt him stiffen beside her.

"You, dear Julia... pure of heart, pure of
mind... pure in blood and flesh and genetic
material just waiting to be passed on.  To one
who will not be tainted by direct exposure to
the black oil... but will be immune."

The old man couldn't be implying what she
thought he was, could he?  It was impossible;
she'd known that for many years now.

"I had samples from Fox, of course.  Taken while
he was aboard the spacecraft.  Mixed in a petri
dish with the finest raw material available. 
Ova from you yourself, my dear - just for
science's sake, you understand."  He sighed. 
"Alas, the resulting fetuses were failures,
their DNA incompatible with mine."

"You son-of-a-bitch."  Mulder's choked curse
echoed the pain in her heart.  Their children. 
Sacrificed so this man could live.  Julia felt
nausea roll in her throat.  He *was* speaking of
that which she'd thought impossible... speaking
of killing his own flesh and blood so he could
live.

"Then my doctors realized what was missing -
your ova was taken from you before your exposure
to the black oil.  The missing ingredient, so to
speak.  And by then, the only black oil
available to me had been mutated."  He smiled
ruefully.  "Shot myself in the foot with that
one, you could say.  But you - *you* had been
exposed long ago.  You and Marita were the only
two I knew of that still lived.  And Marita, I'm
sorry to say, was lost to me before I realized
her value.  Shot myself in the *other* foot with
that one."

A smile accompanied his next words as he noticed
her surprise.  "But you, my dear Julia - you
will graciously donate what I need."

Mulder spoke up, saying what they both were
thinking.  "She can't have children."

Cancerman exhaled, the smoke clouding his face. 
"She can now."

Julia gripped the edge of the table.  Had they
done something to her in the Infirmary when
she'd first arrived?  Laura had told her they
were sterilizing her; pregnancy was the last
thing anyone wanted in this place.  But
Cancerman just said he was sure it was her when
Mulder accepted her into his bed.  So why was he
sure of her fertility?  And he *was* sure, she
could tell from the gleam in his eye.

"The chip, my dear," he drawled, "surely you
know that I can manipulate it in any fashion? 
You've seen what it can do.  I do believe it
even has the capability to generate tissue. 
Ova, to be precise."

Julia felt a tiny bit of relief surge through
her.  The chip he was speaking of was long gone,
replaced by the one Krycek assured her could not
be used against her.  And Cancerman didn't know
that - he was assuming the chip in her neck was
the same one he'd given Mulder years ago to cure
her cancer.

Mulder knew this too, his eyes capturing hers
with shadowy relief as well.  They both knew she
was safe from his father's plans.

"Ask Fox - I threatened to call you here with
it.  But at the time, you were more valuable to
me as blackmail material.  And I suspected you
were in a position to know about the women I
threw at Fox.  It was only a matter of time
before you'd come to him - and to me."

<I may not be pregnant,> she countered. <And you
can't force me to become so.> She knew damn well
she wasn't pregnant, and would never be.  But
the ruse had to be maintained, which meant some
resistance was expected.

"And I believe my cooperation would be required
as well," Mulder said softly.  "Something you'll
never have."  Under the table, their fingers
interlocked, sure in the execution of the plan.

Cancerman killed his cigarette, only to light
another, the coffee forgotten.  "Oh come now...
you want it.  Admit it."  He smiled, a sinister
thing that grated on her nerves.  "Michael?  Or
Gabriel?  How sweet.  Picking out baby names
already."

Julia felt as if she *would* vomit, right here
on this pristine white tablecloth.  The bastard
had listened to them this afternoon.  She'd
known they listened, but to have it thrown in
her face with such snide pleasure was the last
straw.

Her free hand rose up and she slapped him.

The Guardsmen started forward immediately, but
Cancerman waved them away, working his jaw. 
"Quite a feisty thing, aren't you?"  His voice
became steely and his eyes hardened to pieces of
beady granite.  "You will *both* do what I say -
or suffer the consequences."

Suddenly, the lights flickered in the
restaurant, then went out totally.  Murmurs of
slow panic arose in the darkness until the
emergency lighting kicked in at the exits.

"Oh, I'm so scared," Mulder drawled, pushing
away from the table to stand.  He pulled Julia
up with him, sarcasm dripping from his voice,
"Nice dinner, sir.  Though the company left much
to be desired.  If you'll excuse us...."

"You can't stop me, Fox."  The statement made
them pause in the act of turning.  "Resign
yourselves to that fact... it will make your
lives much easier."

Julia held onto his hand as they walked away,
then looked up as Mulder was stopped by a
Guardsman.  The soldier was joined by another
and together, they blocked any exit.

So close... they'd been so close.  Julia
squeezed Mulder's hand and he dropped his chin
to look at her, a small smile lighting his eyes. 

She was puzzled for a moment by his complacency,
then it dawned on her - he wasn't planning on
submitting.  The glow in his eyes moved over her
face as if touching her with his lips... in a
sad goodbye.

No.  Don't do this.  We can think of something
else.

All this and more bled from her face in the span
of a second.  But it was too late.  As if in
slow motion, she watched Mulder grab at the
pistol in the Guardsman's holster.  Julia felt
frozen in place, unable to react.  Her hand was
shoved away and she stumbled back, just as
Mulder turned and fired.



End Chapter Twenty-seven







