Scully looked at Krycek. He and Cade were visiting with each other, smiling. Krycek had tears in his eyes. She walked over to them and Cade reached out to her. She took his hand and kissed it before giving him another peck on the head.
Cade smiled, looking between his Mom and Dad. �We�re all here.�
Scully and Krycek met each other�s eyes as that statement settled in their heads. They�d never all been together before. The pieces fell into place. Everything suddenly made perfect sense.
�...I�ve got two tickets to Iron Maiden baby�Come with me Friday don�t say maybe��
Scully stared to laugh. He reached out and brushed tears out from under her eyes, laughing with her. He left his hand on her cheek. They had wasted enough time, lost enough life.
��I�m just a teenage dirtbag, baby, like you��
The wall was down for good.
She remembered all those years ago. She did what she�d wanted to do last time they�d heard this song. She put a hand on his face and leaned up to kiss him. He met her halfway.
***
Mulder stood with his back to the table, staring out the window, his face stern.
He hadn�t heard anything about Scully or Krycek. He hadn�t heard anything about any of them. He guessed no news was good news. If they�d been caught, or something else, he�d be the first to find out.
He missed them more than he thought possible. He knew he�d feel a huge loss once Scully was gone. He had the last time. Just because their love for each other may have changed, it didn�t lessen. She was his best friend. Possibly still the most influential and most important person in his life.
He really missed Cade. He had grown quite attached to him since Scully had been home. He couldn�t imagine not being around to watch the little guy grow up.
He barely knew his brother, and couldn�t understand why he felt so lonely without him. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that he was feeling guilty for how he�d gotten them out. It couldn�t possibly be because he�d wasted two years of time that he could have used getting to know Krycek and Cade.
Hell, he even missed Skinner.
He�d really had no choice but to send Maggie away, since she�d been at the house when Koskie had picked up Cade. And Skinner had been livid at the whole thing. He�d been kept in the dark the whole time about what was really going to happen once they left the base. Mulder didn�t think he would have agreed. Once it was over, Mulder hadn�t dared to send Maggie and Cade to Seattle alone. Skinner was the only feasible solution, since he couldn�t return to the Bureau anyway. Skinner was done and wanted out. It had been almost two months since they�d gone. The first week after had been horrible. He�d moped around, only going to work for the damn Syndicate then coming home. He�d resigned his position at the Bureau.
He felt certain that the cheers over his letter of resignation had sounded all the way to Congress.
Mulder couldn�t help thinking that maybe he could have done things differently. But after seeing what Scully and Krycek had been reduced to, he had panicked. They had been forced to act like enemies; she had shot him in the knee. He had seen the aftermath. Scully had damn near been catatonic, had not been herself at all, and Krycek had just given up all together. All Mulder had wanted to do was to stop it. He�d had an idea. He�d asked Spender what it would take. He had been fully prepared to give himself to the Syndicate, to the aliens, the Rebels, whatever. Anything. Anything to stop what had been happening.
He wasn�t sure what to do when Spender said the only thing they really needed was Cade.
Spender had told him he was in charge. He could do whatever he wanted. As long as he would deliver Cade and help with the clean up.
Mulder had done the only thing he could think of. He�d agreed to take over and protect Cade himself.
�You did the right thing, Mulder.� Koskie had told him, as they sat around Marie�s dinning room table.
�I betrayed my brother and best friend.� He responded. �They will never forgive me.�
�Say it out loud. Tell us again.� Marie put a hand over his. �Why did you do it?�
�I did it for them.� Mulder replied softly. �They were killing themselves. They had no way out.�
�They are free.� She said. �That�s what you wanted, that�s what you were trying to do.�
�There had to have been an easier way.�
Koskie shook his head. �You took the only way you had.�
�I�m sure they understand.� Marie leaned back in her chair. �If not now, they will later. And look at me. The first time I meet your brother, I shoot him. I don�t think he�ll look back on our first meeting fondly.�
�You did what I asked you to.� Mulder said softly. �I knew he was going to pull some save-the-day shit. He always does. You�re the best with a gun. At least we were able to control what happened. Maybe I should have waited.�
Koskie sighed and shook his head. �You said yourself that they weren�t going to last that long. I saw Scully myself; she looked like the walking dead. She was just waiting to snap.�
�I should have made a different deal.�
�There weren�t any other deals, Fox.� Marie said soothingly. �You did what you could.�
�You made the greatest sacrifice of all, Mulder.� Koskie said. �It was the most selfless thing I�ve ever seen anyone do. You gave them up for them.
�You�re doing that Hallmark thing again, Koskie.�
�It was my first career, you know.�
Mulder put his hands over his face. �Damn, I�ve got us into one hell of a mess.�
�We�re fine. It will pass.� Koskie said. �Everything does.�
�Shit, Koskie.� Mulder shook his head. �You sound like my brother sometimes.�
�Fox.�
He turned away from the window to see Spender.
�They�re waiting.� He said, blowing out cigarette smoke. �Are you ready?�
He was still here, but it was his choice. What he�d chosen to do. It was worth it. It was the only way he could make sure his family was protected.
As Mulder followed Spender out the door, Krycek�s face appeared in his mind. Back before everything went bad. Back when there was still hope for the future. Back when he�d still been misguided. Back when he was trying really hard to hate his brother.
They were standing on the deck of the beach house, drinking a beer.
Krycek turned to face him. �You know who you remind me of? Running around, never having time for anyone or anything else. Mindlessly dedicated on working for a cause that really has no meaning to anyone. You know who you�ll turn into if you�re not careful?�
Mulder stared back at Krycek, trying not to appear too concerned with what he was saying. �Who�s that?�
�Our father.�
Damn you, Alex, Mulder thought to himself as he walked down the hall with Spender at his side.
You were right.
***
�Don�t you ever listen to your messages?� Frohike stared up at him, tapping his foot.
�Sorry, guys.� Mulder said, walking into the Lone Gunmen�s lair. �I�ve been busy.�
�We�ve been trying to get a hold of you for three weeks.� Langly gave Mulder a wounded look. �We said it was important.�
�What is it?�
�We got this email that we think is for you.� Byers replied. �It�s been bounced all over the place.�
�Bounced?� Mulder asked.
�From satellite, to satellite, to satellite.� Langly answered. �It�s untraceable. Whoever sent this really knew what they were doing.�
Mulder looked down at the computer monitor. �What the hell is it?�
�Text.� Frohike answered, pushing a button so the message came up.
Haole �
Remember the night we watched Three King�s?
Duke
Mulder stepped back and looked around at the three of them, then back at the screen.
�What the hell is that? Ha-olay?�
�Howly.� Langly pronounced it for him.
�Okay, and?�
Langly and Frohike exchanged a glance.
�We thought it was from Alex.� Langly said, crossing his arms.
�Alex?� Mulder looked blank.
�Your brother.� Frohike said sarcastically.
�I know who Alex is, thank you.� Mulder said.
�This doesn�t make any sense to you?� The latter asked.
�No clue.� Mulder shook his head, looking confused at their surprise. �I�ve never seen Three King�s. Why would you think it�s from Alex?�
�Haole is a Hawaiian word used for tourists.� Langly said. �And the name Duke-�
Mulder shook his head and looked back at the screen. �I really doubt that Alex is a John Wayne fan.�
�No.� Langly said. �Duke Kahanamoku was a legendary surfer of Hawaii.�
Mulder stared back at Langly, baffled. He shook his head. �I have no idea. I�ve never seen Three Kings and don�t know anything about it other than it was set during the Persian Gulf War.�
***
Mulder sat on his couch back in his apartment. The television was on, casting light on his face as he sat there in oblivion, watching the ending credits to Three Kings scroll by on the screen. His mind was turning again and again. He couldn�t for the life of him figure out what this movie had to do with his brother. He knew that Alex had been an operative over in the middle of the action in Kuwait, but nothing else.
He sighed and turned off the VCR. ESPN popped up, giving him the highlights of the Dallas/San Francisco game as his mind wandered. He had no idea how long he�d been sitting here when the commentator�s voice interrupted his brainstorming.
�Trevor Tanner�s condition�s is improving after his injury last week in Oahu�s North Shore during the World Champion Surfing Competition��
His eyes were drug back to the television. Just the word �surfing� caught his attention. It always did. Everything beach related reminded him of Krycek.
�I know Trevor has been waiting to see how extensive the damage to his leg was, to see how his career was going to be affected. He is the winner of the coveted Triple Crown of Surfing four years running��
Mulder suddenly sat forward on the couch. Triple Crown�Three crowns�
Three Kings.
�Holy shit!� He exclaimed.
He scrambled towards the television for lack of anything better to do, if nothing else, just to get closer to the news coverage. There was footage of the surfer, getting �clamshelled� as Krycek called it. Totally wiped off the board and thrown down into the sand, the surfer was trapped under a thundering wave. �Waimea Bay, Oahu, Triple Crown of Surfing� was subtitled at the bottom of the screen.
Mulder was surprised his heroic moron of a brother hadn�t ran over to heal the guy himself. In the crowd, he caught of glimpse of who he was certain was Krycek and Scully. It was from the back, and anyone other than him would never have recognized them. But he did. They were sitting in the sand, their backs to the camera. Scully turned towards Krycek and beamed a brilliant smile at him. One of those smiles that Mulder had seen fewer times than could be counted on both hands. Her long hair blew around her and they both laughed.
�Oh my god.� Mulder whispered aloud, a weird grin pulling at the left side of his mouth. �Look at that smile.�
Any thought that he�d done the wrong thing vanished. They were happy.
They were free.
Unlike Mulder, who suddenly realized that he had missed the surfing competition by a week.
�Damn.� He said softly.
It was going to be one hell of a long year.
***
The following fall, Mulder walked the hallways of the base. He was tired of this crap. Koskie wasn�t doing any better. They were both burnt out. The clean up was extensive and they were both working all the time. Mulder felt guilty for dragging him into this in the first place.
While he�d been able to give Scully and his brother freedom, he�d managed to drag Marie and Koskie right down in their place into The Private Hell of Fox Mulder.
Mulder�s relationship with both of them was strained. He worked far too much, was consumed with finishing what he�d started. That irritated Marie, which in turn irritated Koskie.
He knocked on the door and then pushed it open. Spender was sitting behind his desk, a cloud of smoke hanging around him like PigPen from a Peanut�s cartoon.
�Have a seat, son.�
Mulder crossed the room and sat down in the chair opposite his father. He didn�t say anything.
�I wanted to tell you myself, Fox.� Spender stubbed out his cigarette.
�Tell me what?�
�It�s over.� Cancer Man leaned back in his chair and eyed Mulder. �The aliens are gone, the Rebels appeased. The world is saved.�
�For now.� Mulder replied.
�Yes, it�s true that there may be repercussions later. Much later. But for now, it�s done.�
�I knew we were getting close.� Mulder replied. �Don�t forget who�s headed the clean-up crew.�
�You�ve done well, Fox.�
�They�ll be back.� Mulder said, refusing to feel anything other than business towards the man sitting across from him. �They�ll devise a new plan, and they�ll be back.�
Spender lit another cigarette. �Maybe. Maybe not. It�s not our concern anymore. We�ve fought enough, both you and I. It�s time for someone else to take over. It�s time for us to stop.�
�What do you mean?� Mulder asked, eyeing Spender with distrust.
�We have known nothing but this all of our lives. It�s cost us both. There are plenty of people to pick up the pieces if needed. Go. Go live life, go be happy. Go be with Alex.�
Mulder was silent for a long time. �What are you saying?�
�You�re free, Fox.�
Mulder didn�t say anything.
�It�s over. You�ve done enough. You�ve saved the world. You�ve saved everyone. Now go.�
Go? Mulder asked himself. Go where? Go do what?
�What are you going to do?� He asked Spender.
�This has been my whole life, Fox.� Spender replied, puffing contentedly on his cigarette. �And now it�s over.�
Mulder remained in his chair, silent and staring back at Cancer Man. He understood. He was almost reluctant to leave.
Almost.
He stood up and stared down at his father. �You know, I understand now.�
�What�s that?�
�How you did the things you did.� Mulder said softly. �Why you did the things you did. It makes sense to me now. I did things too. I did things because I believed they were the right things to do. Because I knew in the end, it would be better that I did them.�
Spender smiled lovingly, if at all possible. �Your conscience is clean, Fox. You only did good.�
They were both quiet, each thinking their respective thoughts, before Cancer Man spoke up. �When you see your brother, tell him that he was right. He�ll like that.�
�I�m not sure he�ll want to see me.�
�Of course he will. He�ll have everything worked out in his head by now. Alex doesn�t know how to hold a grudge.�
Mulder didn�t say anything.
�You�ve done well, Fox.� Spender said again. �Your work is done, you deserve to rest now.�
Mulder stared at his father in silence; he didn�t know what to say. He wasn�t sure what he was feeling. He nodded at Spender, and then he turned and walked out of the office. He closed the door behind him. As he walked away, the sound of a gunshot could be heard echoing down the hall.
He closed his eyes and kept walking.
He didn�t have much time. He needed to get to Marie and Koskie. He needed to let them know he was leaving and he didn�t know if he�d be coming back. He�d ask them to come with him. He wouldn�t be proud or stubborn. Hell, he�d already lost one woman he loved because of his pride. He�d already lost his brother because he�d been stubborn. He�d been damned if he�d sit by and let it happen again.
Mulder remembered when he�d accepted them as new family. When they�d both won him over. They�d been in a bar, a year after Scully�d been taken. Koskie had disappeared and Mulder had been left with Marie at their small table. The thought of him and Scully at a different Karaoke bar had briefly invaded his mind and he�d analyzed it, then decided to set it aside. It had no place here.
Koskie had suddenly been up on the stage, bursting out in a horrible rendition of �Desperado� by the Eagles. Mulder had been mortified when he�d come off the stage and sang to him. Marie had been giggling hysterically.
�Did you put him up to that?� Mulder had asked her when Koskie had thankfully left the area.
�Who, me?� Marie asked, pulling a straight face.
Yes, Mulder thought, he definitely had a couple of visits to pay before taking off.
The cold, East Coast air hit Mulder in the face when he stepped outside. He took a deep breath and looked up at the blue sky, wondering what the weather in Hawaii was like just now. He took off his tie and threw it in a trashcan he walked by.
***
Mulder had not quite known what to expect. The laid-back pace of the island was only raising his blood pressure. He had wanted to speed around everyone, put his cell phone to his ear and eat some fast food while driving to Waikiki. Honolulu was the eleventh largest city in the country, making it more frenzied than the other islands, the �neighbor islands� he had been told to call them, so he didn�t look like a �mainlander�. He was under the impression that the other islands were a lot slower.
If he got over to Kaui or the Big Island, he�d probably pull his hair out from all the tranquility.
The three of them stood on the sidewalk, trying to figure out where they were.
�Three Federal Agents,� Koskie said, shaking his head, �all highly educated, and we can�t find our hotel.�
�Excuse me.� Marie stopped a group of teenagers walking by. �Can you tell us how to get to the Outrigger?�
�Which one?� A guy with piercings in his face asked.
�The one in Waikiki.� Mulder replied.
�Hala�� A girl no older than sixteen indicated annoyance and popped gum at them. �There�s four or five.�
Marie looked at their itinerary. �Outrigger West.�
�Malahini�s jammed up.� The pierced wonder pointed. �Go three blocks makai and then turn Diamond Head at the intersection. You�ll run right into it.�
The three of them blinked back at the guy before Koskie spoke up. �Uh, thanks?�
The kid nodded as they walked away. �Mahalo.�
�Am I an idiot?� Marie asked. �Or did that make no sense.�
�I�m not touching that one.� Koskie said.
She flipped open the map again. �What street are we on?�
Mulder and Koskie both stared up at the street sign in silence. They looked at each other, then back up at the sign.
She raised her head to them and Koskie shook his head. �I can�t pronounce that.�
�Sound it out, Steven.� She grinned. �Just like you used to.�
They finally left their rental car in a parking lot to hail a cab.
After checking into their rooms, showering and getting dressed, it was late. They hadn�t eaten since the hideous lunch on the plane and were starving. Marie got on the phone with the concierge and when Koskie pranced into the room, modeling a loud Hawaiian shirt, she covered the mouthpiece to giggle.
Mulder whistled at him, only encouraging him further.
�You like?� Koskie put his hands on his hips and spun around. �I thought of you when I saw it.�
�I�m getting turned on just sitting here.� Mulder said, a serious look on his face. �Hawaii Steve-O.�
�You can save that for later.� Koskie replied, stage whispering to make sure Marie could hear. �You know how my sister doesn�t like to share.�
�Well, the Chili�s downstairs closed on hour ago.� Marie hung up the phone looked at her watch. �But the country club is open until four in the morning and apparently there�s a big blues thing going on there tonight. So there�s supposed to be lots of southern food.�
�Bring on the Alabama Slammers!� Koskie exclaimed.
�I�ll take you up on that.� Mulder said.
Koskie grinned. �You�ll lose.�
�Uh, I don�t think so.� Mulder shook his head.
Koskie nodded. �Under the table, baby.�
Marie grabbed her purse and opened the door. �I don�t want to hear about what you guys do under any table. We have to get up early tomorrow and it�s already late.�
�All nighter.� Koskie danced out the door.
She looked up at Mulder while following her brother out. �You�re such a bad influence.�
They walked into the Nashville Waikiki, the smell of BBQ�d ribs and fried pickles hung in the air. �Look at Little Sister� by Stevie Ray Vaughn was blasting away. The dance floor was crowded.
�My mouth is watering.� Koskie said.
�No Steven, that would be drool.� Marie replied. �It�s a habit you�ve had since infancy.�
�Someone has poopy pants.� Koskie replied, pointing at her. �Have a drink, you�ll feel better.�
Marie looked up at Mulder, at the weird expression on his face. �You okay?�
�I don�t think I�m ready for this.� He said softly, staring at Scully and Krycek on the dance floor.
��What about the neighbors�What they gonna say�Stop little sister�You�re getting carried away��
Mulder stared at the two of them; Koskie and Marie followed his gaze.
Krycek spun her away. She tried to grab his hand and missed, nearly knocking over a couple behind her. The couple was Skinner and a woman he�d never seen before. Skinner pushed Scully back towards Krycek and he caught her. They all laughed.
��Hey, hey, hey�Look at little sister��
Mulder�s mind couldn�t grasp what he was seeing. It made no sense. It didn�t fit. The flight over here must have passed through a wormhole, projecting him into an alternate universe. He must have missed the message. He must have been asleep. He didn�t hear the captain�s announcement.
Ladies and Gentlemen, next stop: The Twilight Zone.
They were so happy. They were fine without him. What was he thinking? He didn�t belong here.
Mulder turned around and walked out.
Marie followed him as he walked out of the lobby and onto the street. Koskie scrambled after the two of them.
Marie put a hand on his arm as they walked down Kuhio Avenue. �You okay, Fox?�
He nodded.
�Mulder, you came here to find them.� Koskie said. �Are you sure you don�t want to go back?�
�I�m sure.� He said, throwing his arm up to hail a cab.
The three of them crammed in the back and the driver turned around, raising his eyebrows at them.
Marie leaned forward. �You know someplace we can get some food this late?�
They sat in Eggs �n� Things, eating crepes and drinking coffee.
�Sorry.� Mulder said, twirling his coffee mug around on the table. �I just hadn�t been expecting that.�
�It�s okay, Fox.� Marie said. �The Triple Crown doesn�t start for two days, you have time to prepare yourself. At least you know they�re here.�
�I feel like an idiot.�
�You should.� Koskie said, then winked at him. �There�s more than one reason I call you Wienie Boy. If you know what I mean.�
Mulder grinned and threw his napkin at him.
***
They woke up as early as possible, took the shuttle over to the USS Arizona, then headed back to Waikiki, planning on taking the hike up Diamond Head. There were wandering Sans Souci
