Conundrum

Title: Conundrum
Author: Chad Moore
E-mail: Chad_Skywalker@webtv.net
Feedback: Always welcome
Date: July 25th, 2001
Archive: Yes, please
Series/Sequel: Sequel to "Dangerous Undercurrents."
Category: M/O
Rating: PG13 (some violence)
Status: WIP
Fandom: XF
Spoilers: Set after the TV story, "Existence."
Disclaimers: All familiar characters belong to CC and 1013, any others were
conceived in my warped imagination. Azathoth and the Great Old Ones are
creations of HP Lovecraft. HUGE Beta Thanks: Bertina

Chapter Eight: Kiss of Darkness
By Chad Moore

Dana Scully's first gut reaction was one of stunned disbelief. Jamie Grayson --
Mulder's first love who had supposedly died in an avalanche eighteen years
prior -- was alive. She chided herself for being surprised. The wonders
associated around Fox Mulder never ceased to amaze her. What really packed a
whollop had been the revelation that Alex Krycek was the one to have found him!

With a speech prepared about him going off without telling her, it ended being
swallowed the second Mulder told her why he needed her to meet him at his
apartment and bring her medical bag. He had been determined to find Jamie, and
by god he did it!

Knocking on Mulder's door, she found herself exhaling nervously. Her best
friend neglected to tell her the circumstances surrounding Jamie's miraculous
survival (typical Mulder!) and she had every intention of finding out. When the
door finally opened she was greeted by Mulder's beaming -- slightly worried --
face.

"Thanks for coming," he said, ushering her inside.

"No problem." She smiled back. "Mom loves spending time with William." She
reached out and gave him a warm hug. "This whole thing is amazing," she
whispered.

"Yeah," he agreed, "it's just..."

"Mulder, what's wrong? I could hear it in your voice over the phone."

He looked away, and Scully knew he was dealing with something he didn't want
to accept. "What can I do to help?" she asked, concerned.

He nodded toward his living room. "Would you do a medical examination on
Jamie? He's been ill and I want to know exactly what's wrong."

Was it her imagination or was there a hidden meaning behind his words? "Of
course, but Mulder, why didn't you..."

"It's a long story. Let's just say he's safer here."

Scully simply nodded, well used to his evasive manner. Beside her, Mulder
breathed a deep sigh of relief now that she was here. Dana walked inside and
her breath caught in her throat. Standing in Mulder's living room was a young
man who looked all of nineteen.

"How old is he again?" she whispered out of a corner of her mouth.

"I know! Yeah, he's pale as a ghost but I swear he looks exactly the way he
did back in 1983!"

She sighed. "Mulder, I can promise you he's no immortal alien. Just chalk it
up to good genes. I have a thirty-year-old cousin who looks like he's sixteen."
Breaking off, she smiled and approached the person in question.

"Hi, Jamie. I'm Dana." She extended her hand, and Jamie hesitated before
shaking it. "Um, Mulder, where would you like me to examine him?"

"How about my bedroom? You two can have some privacy while I make a phone call."

"Ok," she said. "Jamie, after you."

Mulder watched them head down the little hallway, giving Jamie a reasurring
smile. He hoped that Scully could find out exactly what was wrong. Just as the
bedroom door closed, his telephone began to ring.

"Hello?"

~oo0oo~

"It's me," Gordon Stratton's voice came down the line.

Outside Mulder's apartment, the sleek black Lexus sat patiently watching the
building. Augustus and Richard, two high ranking Avatar board members and
brothers in the cult of Azathoth, had trailed both parties back to their
respective homes.

Richard turned to the older man seated next to him. "It's Brother Gordon," he
said, indicating the telephone.

"Where are you?" Gordon asked.

"On a street opposite Fox Mulder's apartment," Richard answered.

"Good. Do not make physical contact."

"Sir?"

"The High Priest will be arriving in a few hours. You're to meet him at the
airport. Then and only then will you take action."

"I understand."

Gordon was about to hang up when a sudden thought struck him. "Where is the
traitor, Alex Krycek?"

"He went back to the home of AD Skinner."

"Really? So he's nowhere near the Deliverer?"

"No, sir."

"Excellent! There's been a change in plans. Send Brother Augustus to the
airport. I want you to find Krycek and dispose of him."

Richard was about to speak, but Gordon quickly hushed him. "This is between
you and I, brother. Our High Priest's judgement is clouded as far as Krycek is
concerned. You will be doing a great service to Azathoth by ridding us of the
devious traitor."

"I understand," he said.

"Good, report back to me when the task is completed."

Hanging up, Gordon sat back at his desk. Finally, he would be rid of Alex
Krcyek once and for all...

~oo0oo~

Closing the door, Dana set down her medical bag on Mulder's dresser. She eyed
Jamie warily. His eyes danced around the room, looking for something.

She cleared her throat. "Jamie, if you'll have a seat and open your shirt,
please."

He seemed to only half hear her. "What? Oh, ok."

Dana felt an imperceptible chill whenever he gazed at her with those piercing
eyes. It was almost as if he were reading her mind. Shaking off the odd
sensation, she knelt beside him. First she took his blood pressure, her brow
furrowing with concern. Next, she listened to his heart and breathing. Dana
pressed the cold stethoscope to his chest and he didn't even flinch.

"Your heart rhythm is very erratic, breathing shallow," she told him, pulling
the ear pieces down around her neck.

"I'm sure it's nothing," he remarked stiffly. "I've just been having a little
trouble..." He gasped and startled Dana. He gripped her wrist and said weakly,
"Please, help me!"

"What's wrong? Is it your heart?"

He released her arm and sat back calmly, as if nothing had taken place. "Um...
I'm fine."

She shook her head ostensibly. "Oh, no. You're not getting out of this that
easily."

"I promise it's nothing," he smiled. "I want to thank you for helping me. I
just need to rest."

She noticed that he was also speaking different now. His voice was slower,
deeper, the accent completely gone.

"I want you to rest," she told him, uneasily. "I'm going to have a chat with
Mulder."

Gathering her things, Dana walked back into Mulder's living room. He clicked
off his phone and turned, pain in his eyes.

"Mulder, what's wrong?"

"That was my friend Carolyn. She wanted to know if I was coming to the
funeral. Scully, why didn't you tell me about Phoebe?"

Dana exhaled and took him by the arm. "I'm truly sorry. I didn't tell you at
first because you'd only just left the hospital when I found out."

He turned away and strode over to the window. He simply could not believe what
had happened to his friend. His mind was still fuzzy on the events when he,
Phoebe and Carolyn had revisited the catacombs.

"Is there anything I can do?" Dana asked, moving up behind him.

"It was just like all the others. Her body was nothing but a husk," he choked
on the words. Dammnit! A shoggoth must have lain dormant in the caves, killing
Professor Wickham, Inspector Winston and now Phoebe. He felt a deep surge of
guilt and remorse.

"Mulder?" She placed a tentative hand on his shoulder.

"All I need is to put a stop to this." Mulder returned the phone to its cradle
and wiped at his eyes. "So what's the verdict on Jamie?"

Dana noted the frightened little boy look in Mulder's eyes. He'd been waiting
so long to find Jamie and she had to be the bearer of more bad news. She
motioned toward his sofa.

"Why don't you have a seat?" she suggested.

"Uh-oh," he sighed. "It's bad, isn't it?"

Taking him by the arm, Dana gently made him sit. "Listen to me, Mulder. You
aren't going to like this, but you asked for my medical opinion." Swiftly, she
described Jamie's condition and Mulder felt his heart contract inside his
chest. "He really should be admitted to a hospital ASAP."

Frowning, Mulder clasped his hands together tightly. "I can't do that,
Scully," he declared.

"Why ever not?" she sighed in frustration. "Certainly you wouldn't jeopardize
his health. There's something causing an immense strain to his heart. I'd feel
much better if he were under constant care."

"It's too dangerous. Can't you continue to treat him?"

"I suppose so," she agreed. She paused and took a deep breath. "But, Mulder,
here's the hard part." She sat down next to him and put a hand on his arm. "I'm
very concerned about the psychological trauma he may have suffered."

Mulder gazed ahead, trying to ignore the pang that went through him. Scully
knew that he was so relieved to have Jamie back that he would dismiss anything
negative.

"One minute he's completely ignoring me, then he's begging for help, next he's
calm." That definitely got a reaction. She saw the unmistakable flash of
suspicion in his eyes. "Mulder, it's almost as if he's under a hypnotic trance
or suggestion."

He felt a prickle of unease. "What are you trying to say?"

"Before I say anything else, I want you to take me step by step through how
Jamie came back to you."

Mulder became very uneasy as he nervously chewed on his thumbnail. "No, I
really don't think you want to know any more than I've already told you."

"But it may help in his treatement," she countered.

He gave in, obviously bursting to tell her. Dana listened patiently as he
related how Jamie, after being stabbed, crawled out of the cave and awoke in an
Oxford hospital with no memory.

Scully sat back. "Is that a genuine explanation, or are you just making it up?"

"Why would I?" he asked, defensively.

"To save yourself a longer, more accurate explanation."

"Would I do that?"

"Almost certainly! Mulder, this is insane. No one, absolutely no one could
survive an avalanche like the one you described."

Mulder jumped up and began to pace back and forth. "No one but Jamie. He came
back for me. Is it any harder to believe than when you were abducted or when I
came back to life before your eyes?"

"I guess it makes sense in a crazy kind of way," she murmured. "I just don't
want you to dismiss the possibility."

"Well, isn't this a switch? I'm the skeptic and you're the believer?"

Dana snickered and glanced at her watch. "I guess I'd better pick up William."

"I'll walk you out," he said. He wiped his nervous hands on his jeans.

"Again, I'm very sorry about Phoebe," she told him. Mulder nodded silently.
"Just keep a close watch on Jamie."

Mulder licked his dry bottom lip worriedly. "He's just been through so much,"
he tried to convince himself. "It's just going to take him time."

"I hope you're right, Mulder." She was taken by surprise when he reached out
and hugged her warmly. He held on, and Dana had the nasty feeling he was saying
goodbye.

She turned back to look at him. "I'll be by tomorrow to check on him. In the
meantime, what he needs now is rest, ok?"

"Thank you, doctor." He smiled before closing the door. Leaning against the
frame, he sighed. Mulder turned and focused his eyes toward the bedroom. He
wondered if Walter was having any luck with a certain Rat...

~oo0oo~

Across the District, Walter Skinner sat in stunned silence after listening to
Alex Krycek's tale of how he became embroiled in the strange dealings of Avatar.

"What the hell possessed you to join their cult?" he asked, then coughed at
the unintentional pun. "Didn't you have enough of that with the Consortium?"

Alex sighed wearily. "Look, it was the only way they'd take me into their
confidence. I really just traded one hell for another."

Skinner just shook his head, amazed at the recklessness of the man. "And you
really don't know what they're after?"

"No," he replied truthfully. "But whatever it is, it's big and somehow tied in
to Mulder and Jamie. Avatar found us before, they will again. They know I
betrayed them by keeping Jamie out of their reach."

"Feeling guilty, Krycek? That's a good sign. It means you still have a
conscious."

"I told you I never wanted to hurt you. All I want is your help."

Walter felt speechless and just sat and stared at the other man. A loud,
booming crack caused them both to jump. The apartment's front door crashed
inwards, and Brother Richard hurried inside, leveling a Glock. His eyes swept
the room for the traitorous Brother Krycek. The gun came up with Walter in its
sights.

"No!" Alex shouted, diving and tackling the assailant. Holding tightly to his
gunarm, the force of Alex's dive sent both men hurling down onto a table. It
fragmented into splintered pieces.

Walter, heart thumping against his chest, watched the gun's progress as it
skittered across the floor.

Overwhelmed, Richard struggled to his feet and bounded through the open door
and down the hall.

Recovering the pistol, Walter took off in pursuit, he stopped in the doorway
as a low groan emanated from the floor. Krycek rolled away from the shattered
table, holding his waist painfully. Walter saw a broken tableleg glistening
with fresh blood.

Forgetting the intruder, he knelt by his side. "You just saved my life," he
whispered in disbelief.

He quickly examined Alex's now ragged shirt, stained dark red. Wrapping an arm
around his brawny shoulders, Walter carefully lifted Alex to his feet and
helped him across to the sofa. Removing his shirt in one swift motion, Walter
balled it up and pressed it against the wound. "You were lucky. It's not too
deep."

His fingers pressed into the Russian's waist and Alex responded with a loud
grunt.

"If I'm going to clean this wound, I have to stop the bleeding," Walter told
him.

Above him, Alex cast a nervous glance. "Do you even know what you're doing?"

"It may surprise you to know that I took a course in first aid," Walter
replied with a half-smile. "So just try and keep still."

Krycek shifted his weight and grasped the edge of the sofa. "That's easy for
you to say. You don't have a set of fingers digging into your body."

"Yeah, well. I'm almost done." With one hand, Walter took a sofa pillow and
handed it to him. "Bite on this or something."

Alex looked at it for a moment, then threw it aside. After having your arm
amputated with no anastesia, he could take an AD's thick fingers in his side.
What worried him more was Avatar's presence.

"Go on and warn Mulder," he said.

Walter shook his head. "That guy's long gone. Besides, they were after you,
not Mulder."

"What makes you think that?"

"Presumably they followed us here. Why not just grab Jamie and go? No, they
were after you."

"We still need to get to them," he said, eyeing the door.

"First we're going to make sure you're ok."

Alex eyed him curiously. His touch had become surprisingly gentle. "Why are
you doing this?"

"Because I believe you," he replied.

Alex almost did a double-take, then his face lit up. "Thanks. It's been a long
time since someone did."

"Maybe that's because you stopped believing in yourself?" Walter suggested.

Alex thought about this and realized it was true. "You know, I wasn't always
playing both sides and constantly looking over my shoulder. I used to have
dreams."

"If you really want to change, it's never too late for dreams. Maybe you'll
find them again?" Stopping the blood flow, Walter pressed down one more time.

"Ow!" Alex moaned.

"You know it might be better if we stay put. They'll probably expect for us to
take off. Speaking of things that need need to be taken off..." Walter stood
and pointed down. "...um, your pants."

"What about them?" Alex replied sheepishly.

He smirked and rolled his brown eyes. "Well, I need to get to your wound."

Alex held his hands to his jeans protectively, like a child about to get a
shot from the doctor.

Walter exhaled deeply. "Ok, you know what? It's just going to get infected. So
you can either take your pants off on your own or I can always do it by force."

With a mischievious grin, Alex stood and unclasped the first button...

~oo0oo~

Taking a deep breath, Mulder opened his bedroom door and found Jamie standing
beside a dresser. He ventured inside.

"Jamie, we need to talk," he said gently.

Jamie arched an eyebrow. "Really?"

"I'm a little worried. Scully said that you..."

With catlike grace Jamie moved foward, wrapping his arms around his neck. "Oh,
don't worry. I'm fine." For the first time, he leaned in and kissed Mulder
passionately on the lips. Instantly, Mulder pulled away.

"What's the matter?" asked Jamie, curiously.

"Um, nothing... it's just that," he struggled to find the words, "your kisses
seem different, that's all."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"I can't help it, Jamie," he said, nervously.

"It's been too long. I want you so badly, Fox." He kissed him again.

Once more, Mulder pulled him away. A flash of terror in his eyes. "Why did you
call me that?"

Jamie shrugged. "It's your name isn't it?" "Yes, but..." In the time he'd
known Jamie, he never once called him by his first name. Before he could
finish, the telephone began to ring. Near tears, Mulder thought he might lose
his composure. "I'll be back," he managed to say, turning and leaving the room.

As soon as the door closed, Jamie turned triumphantly. "I can sense my
essence. I'm so close to being whole."

Opening his eyes wide with panic, he stumbled and fell against Mulder's bed.
Picking himself up, a look of pure anger masked his face. Holding onto the
nightstand for support, he stared across at a wall mirror. A harsh, alien voice
hissed from his lips.

"Stop fighting me!"

Reflected back was the glowing soul of Jamie Grayson. "You just made a big
mistake kissing Mulder," Jamie's image told the creature inhabiting his body.

"Is that what you think?" Azathoth shot back at the aura only he could see.

"That's what I know," he replied defiantly. "Mulder's going to figure you out.
I controlled my arm and my voice. I'll just keep getting stronger..."

"Wrong! You'll get weaker, and in a few hours, you'll die."

The golden aura surrounding Jamie's spirit flickered faintly. "You'd better
watch your back. Because if I die, Mulder will make you wish you'd died with
me."

Azathoth smiled, a light flashing dangerously in his borrowed eyes. "Such
defiance. That'll change."

"What are you going to do?" Jamie's soul demanded.

"Your lover in there knows where my box is," Azathoth told him darkly. "I
can't survive without my essence." With one last look at the sparkling
reflection, he added, "And I'd much rather your soul die than mine."

~oo0oo~

As soon as he left the bedroom, Mulder paused to catch his breath. 'He's fine.
It's just me.' Angrily, he answered the insistent ringing. "Yeah?"

"Mulder," three familiar voices replied at once.

The Lone Gunmen! He'd nearly forgotten he'd given them the Necronomicon to
translate. Mulder fought to control his voice as he headed into the kitchen.
"All right, what have you guys found out?"

"It's pretty exciting," Langly told him through a mouthful of grilled cheese
sandwich.

"I have to know -- now!" he cried.

An awkward silence followed, then Byers continued. "There's something we've
found out."

"Get your ass in gear, Mulder!" Frohike added.

"No, I can't leave," Mulder whispered into the receiver. "Just tell me what
you found out."

"Well, once we found the right translation program, the book wasn't exactly
cryptic."

"Go on," Mulder prodded.

"There's a cool representation of the naga box," Langly said.

Mulder cut in, impatiently. "I know what it looks like, what does it say?"

"It's an essence bearer," Byers explained.

Mulder gripped the phone tightly. "A what?"

"Basically it was constructed to trap the life essence of Azathoth. This cult
discovered it and the prophecy of a chosen one. When a chosen one is
sacrificed, the essence enters the host body."

"And this big bad old one with delusions of grandeur will live to deliver its
kind back into the world," Frohike replied.

"What would the essence do?" Mulder had to know. He had to be certain. What
was he thinking? No, it wasn't possible! It couldn't be!

"A life essence is comparable to a human soul. It can possess a chosen living
being," Byers told him.

"We're talking Exorcist here," Langly said. "The thing is, it can't just
possess anybody off the street."

"What do you mean?" Mulder asked slowly, feeling close to an answer.

"There's something in a Chosen One's genetic code that allows the being to
take over."

"Genetic..." The word 'Avatar' flashed like a neon warning sign in his mind.

Byers broke in. "Mulder, even if a fraction of it entered, it would prove
toxic and ultimately lethal to the Chosen One's pre-existing soul."

An impulse of fear gripped Mulder's heart. "Oh, my god," he said hoarsely,
dropping to his knees.

"What is it, buddy?" Frohike asked.

All the color drained from Mulder's face. "He's been acting really... And he
wasn't surprised... And his kiss... And he was so interested in the box..."

"Mulder, what are you talking about?" asked Byers.

"Yeah, you've actually been kissing somebody?!" Langly exclaimed. "Hey guys, I
win the bet!"

Frohike groaned. "I lose. Now tell him what happened when we translated those
symbols."

Byers, ever the clear head, ignored both of them. "We're trying to keep up,
Mulder, but you're moving way too fast."

Their voices were drowned out by the rushing of blood in Mulder's ears. He
pitched forward as if he'd just been punched in the stomach, and let the phone
slip from his numb fingers. This is what happened, then. This was why. The
answer to an eighteen year old riddle stared him coldly in the face.

"He's possessed. Jamie's possessed!"

[Next episode: Oxford Flashback]