"Claire! Our tickets are here!" Darien and Claire looked up as Maggie flew into the lab, waving an envelope.

"Tickets? For what?" Darien was curious. He made a grab for the envelope but Maggie tossed it over to Claire as he lunged for her.

"Why'd ya wanna know?" She ducked out of his reach and smiled playfully.

"I'm curious." He turned to Claire who was examining the tickets.

"You know what they say about curiosity and the cat, Darien." Claire told him.

He grinned. "You know, I always thought the details of that story were greatly exaggerated."

Claire sighed, rolling her eyes. "If you must know Darien, Maggie and I are attending a conference of psychic researchers in Washington DC next week."

"Psychic research? Why?" He tried to flop back into the lab chair but Maggie was already curled up in it. He settled for leaning against the edge of it.

"The Official thought it would be a good idea for me to become more familiar with Maggie's area of research. Since I'm her Keeper now."

He tipped his head back and peered at Maggie. "So why you going?"

"Because I'm the psychic part of the psychic research. They think it'd be good for me." She patted his head. "So you and Hobbes will just have to play nice without me for a week."

Darien pouted, his chin dropping to his chest. "Don't pout, Darien. It's not polite." Claire admonished. "And don't you turn those puppy dog eyes on me!" She exclaimed when he turned to look at her.

The lab door opened slid open and Hobbes appeared on the other side. "I thought I'd find you down here. Big man wants to see us."

"About what?" Darien leaned his head back against Maggie's leg. Her hand absently ruffled the hair on the side of his head.

Hobbes shrugged. "Didn't say. Just told me 'Find Fawkes and get to my office pronto.' So lets go."

Reluctantly, Darien stood up and smoothed his hair where Maggie had been playing with it. "All right." He turned back to the women. "Ah'll be back."

Maggie giggled at Darien's Arnold impression. "Go on. Find out what he wants."

Darien jogged down the hall to catch up with Hobbes. "So what's up?"

"Got me." Hobbes pushed open the door to the Official's office.

The Official and Eberts looked up when they came in. "Hi boys. Have a seat." The Official looked at Eberts who handed them each a plane ticket.

"What�s this?" Darien looked at the Official, then back down at the plane ticket in his hand.

"As you no doubt have already discovered, Magdalena and the Keeper are going to Washington DC." The Official smiled in his patronizing way.

Hobbes looked confused. "Why?"

"Claire and Magdalena are attending a ten day conference on the paranormal that will be attended by some of the top doctors in psychic research. Because the Keeper is going, you are going." He looked at Darien. "And because Fawkes is going, you are going. To keep him out of trouble." He told Hobbes. "Think of it as a paid vacation. Because this is the last time you�ll ever get one from us."

Alex Krycek stood before the men of the Consortium, watching them as they gave him a new assignment.

"Starting in 1978, the Army was involved in a joint project with the Agency called Alpha 421R. It was thought to be unsuccessful in all cases. But we have become aware of one subject who survived the process but remained undetected until now." One of the group Elders handed him a photograph. "Her name is Magdalena Rourke. She was subject to the project when she was four years old. Her parents were killed and she was adopted by the Agency she now works for. Her Keeper will be attending a conference at the Marriott on F Street and she is going with her."

"What do you want me to do?" He studied the picture he's been handed. She was looking over her shoulder at something and laughing, her eyes sparkling. Vibrant red hair that just brushed her shoulders reminded him of a certain red head FBI agent. The girl in the picture was standing next to a tall good-looking man.

"Find her and persuade her to come with you. You are to bring her here. Unharmed." The Cigarette Smoking Man handed him another piece of paper.

Krycek nodded. "Who�s the man in the picture?"

There was some shuffling of papers before he got his answer. "Another agent. Darien Fawkes. He is not seen as a threat."

"When is she arriving?"

"Tomorrow." He heard some whispering. "We expect to have her by the end of the conference. 10 days."

He looked at the photo again. "It will be."

Maggie watched Washington DC speed by through the cab window. Darien let her lean over him as he pointed out different monuments.

"This is so cool." She breathed as they passed the Smithsonian Castle. She glanced up at Darien who was watching her with a smile.

"I keep forgetting you've never been out of California."

"California? I've barely been out of San Diego." Maggie turned to Claire who was sitting on her other side. "Do I have to spend everyday at the conference? I want to do the tourist thing."

"I don't see why you couldn't. I'm sure Darien and Hobbes would love you show you around." Claire said, earning a snort from Hobbes. Darien reached forward and smacked him lightly on the back of the head.

"Boys, play nice." She admonished.

"We're here." The driver told them before getting out to get their luggage. They piled out of the cab and collected their luggage. Claire paid him and they entered the hotel. She checked them in while Maggie and Darien collected brochures from the concierge desk, and Hobbes stood guard over the luggage.

"Here. You're in 1213, I'm in 1215, Darien and Maggie are across the hall in 1214 and 1216." Claire handed a key to Hobbes and waved at the couple by the desk. Darien saw her and pulled Maggie away from the brochures. "Your keys. 1214 and 1216."

They headed for the elevators. Claire skimmed the schedule of events for the conference.

"So what's up for tonight?" Maggie peered over her shoulder.

"There's a welcome banquet at 8 tonight. Semi-formal, so dress nice." Claire told her.

"Great. And what are we supposed to do tonight?" Hobbes asked.

Claire shook her head. "I don't know. Go be a tourist or something. It's not my job to entertain you." The elevator doors slid open. "Here we are."

Maggie led the group down the hall to their rooms. She slid the key card into the lock and pushed her door open.

The room was spacious and set up for a business traveler. A large desk was set against one wall, complete with an elegant leather desk chair. Next to that was a dresser with a television resting on the top. A cozy easy chair and ottoman were tucked into the corner besides the sliding glass doors leading out to a small balcony. The queen-sized bed stood in the middle of the wall opposite the desk.

Maggie set her suitcase on the bed and unzipped it so she could unpack. She was hanging some clothes in the closet when she heard a knock on the door. She peered out the peephole before opening it up but there was no one on the other side. She shrugged and went back inside. Just as she closed the door, she heard a knock again.

Yanking the door open, she looked around. "Darien, this isn't funny."

"Wrong door, princess." Darien's voice was muffled but coming from inside the room. She shut the door and looked around. Tucked in the corner created by the closet was an adjoining door. Maggie unlocked the door and opened it. Darien was on the other side, a sarcastic grin on his face.

"Knock it off. I didn't notice this door." She pulled more clothes out of the suitcase and placed them in a drawer. "So what are you doing tonight?"

"I think Hobbes wanted to check out some weapons museum." He sat down in her desk chair and pushed off, sending himself rolling across the room. Maggie rolled her eyes and picked up her toiletries bag.

"Sounds like fun." She carried it into the bathroom. "Oh good gracious."

"I see you approve of the bathroom." Darien was leaning against the doorframe.

She was staring at the bathtub. It was a whirlpool tub like the one she had at home, with a separate shower. "How could I not? My tub at home is like this one."

"Oh really?" He spoke next to her ear, startling her.

"Yes, really. You know that." She set her toiletries bag on the counter and pushed past him back into the room. "Out of my way. I have to finish unpacking."

"So what are you wearing tonight?" He followed her back out of the bathroom.

"If I promise to show you before we leave will you go away and let me unpack and take a nap?" She asked exasperated.

He thought about it for a moment before nodding.

"Okay. Have a good nap." Leaning down, he dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "I'll see you later."

"Bye." She shut the door, not bothering to lock it and flopped down on the bed, pushing the suitcase to the floor. At the last moment she remembered to set the alarm before falling asleep.

There was a knock on Darien's door. He hopped off the bed and walked to the door. "Who is it?"

"It's me." Maggie's voice called back. He swung open the door.

She turned as he opened the door. She was wearing a full-length hunter green velvet gown, strapless with a straight skirt. Her hair was pulled back in a French twist. She spun around. "What do you think? Do I clean up nice?"

"Wow." He'd never seen her in anything dressier than a skirt. "You look great."

Claire came out of her room, dressed in a soft blue silk gown. "Are you ready Maggie?"

"Are you sure you ladies don�t need an escort?" Darien offered, grinning.

"Yes, Darien. We're sure." Maggie leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll tell you all about it later."

They took the elevator down to the second floor and quickly found the ballroom. The two women checked in, getting their name badges and their table assignment. Maggie sat down with a groan.

"This is going to be bad. I can already tell." She told Claire.

"It might not be that bad."

"It will." She said solemnly. "I saw it in a dream." Claire laughed and waved at someone out of Maggie's view. "I see someone I know. I'll be right back, Maggie."

"Okay. I'll, uh, sit here and be bored." Claire laughed. "I'll only be a minute. The dinner's going to start soon."

Mulder scanned the room for his partner. He caught sight of a red head sitting at a table near the stage and headed through the people toward her.

He touched her shoulder. "Hey Scully. I didn't think I was going to find you."

The woman turned and looked up at him. "I'm sorry. I think you must have mistaken me for someone else." She was younger than Scully, her eyes a more vibrant green.

"Yeah. Sorry, I thought you were my partner." He explained.

"Partner?"

"FBI. I'm Fox Mulder." He held out his hand.

She smiled brightly and shook his hand. "Maggie Rourke. Nice to meet you."

"So what do you do Miss Rourke?"

"Actually, it's Agent Rourke."

"FBI?"

She shook her head. "No, Fish and Game. Out of San Diego. I'm here with some colleagues."

"Long way from home. Well, I'd better find Scully. Maybe I'll see you around."

"Sure. Good luck finding her."

"Thanks."

Claire approached the table as Mulder walked away. "Who was that?"

"An FBI agent. He thought I was his partner."

She sat in the seat next to Maggie. "Cute bloke."

Maggie watched him until he disappeared into the crowd. "Yeah. I guess he is."

The banquet proved to be as boring as Maggie expected. When it was over, Maggie stood up and stretched. "Was that as bad as you thought it would be?"

"Actually, it was worse." Claire also stood, looking around. "Maggie if you'll excuse me, there's someone I wanted to talk to and I see her over there."

"Medical stuff?"

"She's a doctor, yes."

"I'll be in the bar." Maggie told her.

Claire nodded. "I'll come find you."

When she arrived at the bar, she ordered a white wine and hopped up on the barstool. There was a football game on the television and she absently watched as she sipped her wine.

Someone sat down next to her. "Agent Rourke."

She turned. "Agent Mulder. Did you find your partner?"

He nodded. "She's off talking shop with some other doctors."

"So's Claire."

"Your colleague?"

She nodded and they fell into silence, nursing their drinks and watching the game. After a few minutes, Maggie turned back to Mulder. "You'd think for a bunch of people involved in something so interesting, that dinner would have been less-" She searched for the right word.

"Mind-numbing?" He offered.

She laughed. "Yeah."

"It was pretty bad wasn't it?"

She nodded and sipped her wine. "So what do you do for the FBI?"

He looked at his drink a moment. "Scully and I work on cases dealing with the paranormal." He waited for her reaction.

"You mean like psychics and ghosts and aliens?"

"Exactly."

"Cool."

Mulder looked around the bar. There was an empty booth in the corner. "Would you like to go sit and talk?"

"Sure." She picked up her drink and he helped her off the barstool. They settled into the booth.

"You know, most women don't think the X-Files are cool." Mulder cocked his head to the side, trying to figure her out.

She mirrored his expression. "I'm not most women."

He laughed. "I can see that. So Agent Rourke, how did you start working for Fish and Game?"

"Please, call me Maggie."

"Mulder."

She smiled. "No one calls you by your first name?"

"Would you want to be called Fox?"

"I can sympathize. My full name is Magdalena."

"That is unusual."

"I blame my mother." She smiled brightly.

"So, Fish and Game?"

"My dad got me the job." She looked down at her drink.

"Does he still work there?"

She shook her head and took a sip of her wine. "No, he's dead. What about you? How'd you get into the FBI?"

"My sister was abducted when I was 12. I'm trying to find her."

"Abducted? Do you know who took her?"

It was his turn to study his drink. "Something extraterrestrial."

"You really believe in this stuff." It wasn't a question.

He nodded, his hazel eyes dark in the dim light. "Do you?"

She didn't answer right away. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"You hardly know me. Why would you want to tell me anything?" He gave her a half grin, which she answered.

"I think you're someone who can keep a secret." Maggie quirked an eyebrow. "Am I wrong?"

Mulder shook his head. "No."

She lowered her voice until it was barley above a whisper. "I am an X-File."

The look on Mulder's face was priceless. "What do you mean?"

"Don't worry. It's not another boring abduction story."

"So then what is it?" His eyes glittered with enthusiasm.

"You can't tell anyone. Not even your partner. And there will be no volunteering for tests or anything of that sort."

"Okay." He agreed, eager to hear what she was going to say.

She leaned in, beaconing him closer. "I'm psychic."

"Really?" He was so close she could smell the liquor on his breath.

Maggie nodded. "I can move things with my mind."

"Can I see?"

"Sure." After checking to make sure no one was watching them, she leaned back and closed her eyes, her hands folded on the tabletop. Reaching out with her mind, she removed Mulder's tie. She opened her eyes and reached up to accept the tie floating across the table to her.

His eyes were wide, watching her. "That was so cool."

She handed him the tie back. "If we weren't in public, I could probably lift you." Impossibly, his eyes grew wider.

"Can you read my mind?"

She shook her head. "No. It doesn't work like that. I can read emotions, if I'm touching someone."

"Did you always have these abilities?"

"No. I developed them when I was four."

"Amazing."

She laughed. "I guess so." Turning the conversation back to him, she asked, "Do you live in DC?"

"Arlington."

"This might seem like an odd question, but do you know any good running routes nearby?" Maggie asked.

"You run?"

"Sure. Girl's gotta keep in shape somehow." She smiled. "Do you run?"

"Yeah. The closest place to run is the Mall. It's nice. You can look at the monuments as you jog." After a moment, he tipped his head to the side. "Would you like a running partner?"

"Yeah, sure."

"I'll meet you in the lobby in the morning?"

"What time?"

"6:30?"

"Sounds fine." Maggie looked around and saw Claire heading toward the bar. "There's Claire. I'll see you tomorrow?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Night, Maggie."

"Night." She wandered over to Claire. "Hey, Claire."

"Is that the FBI gentleman?" Claire asked as they headed for the elevators.

Maggie nodded. "Yup. His partner was doing the same thing you were." She pressed the button for the twelfth floor. "We're going running tomorrow morning."

"Sounds lovely." Claire's response was only partially sarcastic.

"Well I know it's not your idea of a good time, but I like it." She grinned. The doors slid open and they walked down the hall to their rooms.

"Just be careful." Claire slid her key in the lock. "Night, Maggie."

"Night, Claire." Maggie did the same. "And don't worry, I will." She shut the door behind her, kicking off her shoes. She knocked on the adjoining door before opening it. "Hey Darien."

"How was dinner?" He was sprawled on the bed, wearing only his pajama bottoms. She flopped backwards on the bed.

"Horribly boring, as expected." She arched her back so she could see him. "The museum?"

"Once we got there, it was pretty bad."

"Once you got there? Did you get lost?" She rolled over and sat up on her knees, gathering her dress up so she wasn't kneeling on it.

Darien ran a hand over her thigh absently. "Hobbes got us lost. I think we walked all the way around the museum three times before we found it." He pulled her down next to him, taking the comb out of the French twist.

"I should go get out of this dress." She said softly as his hand skimmed over the light boning in her dress.

"I could help." He whispered in her ear. She smiled, her tongue darting out to taste his shoulder. Nodding, she reached up and pulled his mouth to hers.

"You could help."

Maggie sat up in bed with a gasp. Her eyes darted around the room as she tried to slow her breathing.

"Mag?" Darien's warm hand touched her back and she jumped, letting out a small scream. "Bad dream?"

She looked down at him. "Yeah." Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly. "I'm okay."

"Are you sure? Was it a prophecy?" He rubbed her back slowly.

Shaking her head, she laid back down. "I don't think so." Maggie turned on her side away from Darien. She closed her eyes and replayed the dream in her mind. She saw herself running from a large brick house, collapsing on the side of the road, and a large black sedan. "I'm sure it's nothing." His arm slipped around her waist, pulling her back against him.

Darien yawned against her back. "If you're sure." She nodded. "Okay. Night Maggie." He murmured and drifted back to sleep. Maggie snuggled against him, unable to fall back asleep so quickly. Eventually, she slipped back into slumber.

Her watch beeped shrilly, jolting her awake. Maggie sat up slowly, gathering up her discarded eveningwear as she headed back to her room to change into running clothes.

Darien looked up from the nest of pillows and blankets as she left. "Where y' goin'?" His voice was thick from sleep.

"Running. Go back to sleep, love." She gave him a soft smile before she closed the adjoining door.

"'Kay." He rolled back over, burying his head under the pillow.

After splashing some cold water on her face, Maggie felt a little better. She ran a brush through her hair quickly before lacing up her gray and blue running shoes. They matched her blue Lycra shorts and gray Lycra tank top. Sliding her key into the band of her shorts, Maggie headed down to the lobby to meet Mulder.

The dark haired agent was already waiting for her, dressed in a blue t-shirt and gray sweats. "Morning Maggie."

"God, you're a morning person." She groaned good-naturedly.

He grinned. "What can I say? Ready to go?"

"Sure."

They headed out of the hotel, Maggie following Mulder through the streets at a slow jog. When they got to the mall, Maggie sped up, moving slightly ahead of Mulder.

"Have you ever been to DC before?" Mulder asked her when he pulled up even with her.

She shook her head. "No. I've never been off the west coast. Its nice though."

"Yeah. Its not a bad place to live."

They fell into silence as they jogged around the tree-lined path. They passed other joggers and walkers but it was too early for the tourists. When they got to the Lincoln Memorial, they turned and headed back to the hotel.

"You run long distance?" Mulder asked as they turned off the Mall, heading back to the hotel.

She nodded. "I like to keep up my sprinting too. Comes in handy when chasing criminals and stuff." Her words were breathy from running.

"Race ya back to the hotel?"

"Are you kidding?" She looked at him like he was insane.

He shook his head. "Come on. You said you sprint."

"This is a little more than a sprint."

"You can do it." He plucked at the strap of her tank top before taking off.

Shaking her head, she took off at full speed after her. "Unbelievable." She muttered under her breath. She caught up with him at the next intersection, running just at his heels. Pedestrians jumped out of their way as they tore down the sidewalk. Maggie could see the hotel a few blocks ahead of them and pushed herself harder. She pulled up even with Mulder as they came into the last block. With an extra burst of speed, she pushed ahead of him and into the lobby of the hotel.

He followed her and they skidded to a stop, startling the hotel patrons and staff. They stood, bent over at the waist trying to catch their breath.

"You're fast for someone so little." Mulder breathed, trying to catch his breath.

"Hey!" Maggie exclaimed.

A hotel security guard approached them. "Can I offer some assistance?" His voice was businesslike, with just a touch of concern.

"Sorry. We were, racing." Mulder explained breathlessly. "Didn't mean to bother you."

Maggie dug out her key and showed it to the guard. "We're heading up to my room. Sorry."

"That's alright. Just try to end the race outside next time." He told them.

"Sure. Thanks." Maggie turned to Mulder. "Where are you going to clean up?"

"I was going to head over to the office. Get dressed there."

"Why don't you come up? No point in you going all that way when you're already here."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "I'm sure Darien won't mind you using his shower."

"Another colleague?"

"Yeah. I'm in 1216."

"Just let me get my stuff and call Scully. Then I'll be right up." She started for the elevators but his voice stopped her. "Hey, good race, Rabbit."

She raised an eyebrow at the nickname. "Rabbit?" She called as she stepped into the waiting elevator.

"Yeah. Little and fast." He called back as the doors closed.

Darien was still in bed when she opened the adjoining door. Silently, she climbed onto the bed and ran her finger down the bridge of his nose. He mumbled something and swiped at his nose. She giggled softly and did it again. This time his hand shot up and grabbed hers. "I said that tickles." He growled.

"So you are awake." She kicked off her sneakers and climbed under the covers with him. "Can you do me a favor?"

"What?" He rolled over and looked at her.

"Agent Mulder, the guy I went running with, is coming up. I told him he could use your shower to get cleaned up. Otherwise he'd have to go over to the FBI building. Is it okay?" She smiled at him sweetly.

"Yeah. Fine."

"Thank you. I'm gonna go shower. He's coming up to my room."

"I'll let him in."

"Thank you Darien." She kissed him and bounced out of the room.

Darien pushed back the covers, stretching to his full height. At the knock on the door, he got up and went into Maggie's room. He opened the door, letting Mulder into the room and went back into his own, Mulder following him.

Darien turned and the two men regarded each other. They were both over six feet tall, lanky with dark brown hair. After a moment, Darien pointed at the bathroom.

"Shower's in there." He told him and went back into Maggie's room, flopping possessively on the bed. Maggie came out of the bathroom to discover Darien lying on her bed, flipping through the channels on TV.

"What's going on?" He shrugged. "Is Mulder here?"

"Taking a shower."

She smiled. Darien was jealous. She bounced onto the bed. "Jealous?"

He looked at her. "No."

"Sure you are. Another rooster comes into the hen house and you can't handle it." She giggled. "Darien, we went running. That's all." She slid her hand down his stomach under the waistband of his pajama pants. "I don't think you have anything to worry about Fawkes." She winked at him and went to find the suit she was planning on wearing today.

Darien let out a breath as she went off to dress. Deciding he was being childish, he went back into his own room. Mulder was just coming out of the bathroom, dressed in a dark suit, barefoot, his hair still wet. "We didn't get introduced proper before. I'm Darien Fawkes." Darien held out a hand to Mulder, who shook it.

"Fox Mulder. Are you with Fish and Game too?"

"Yeah. Maggie said you were FBI? How come you came to the convention?"

He nodded as he tied his tie. "My partner Scully and I investigate the paranormal. I thought it might be nice to take a break from the usual."

"I can understand that."

Maggie appeared in the doorway, dressed in a stylish black suit with a vibrant purple blouse underneath. "Are you boys playing nice?"

"Yes, mom." Darien rolled his eyes. "Aren't you guys going to be late for something?"

Mulder glanced at his watch. "Actually, yeah. Scully's waiting for me downstairs."

At the same moment, there was a knock on Maggie's door. Claire was on the other side.

"Are you ready?"

Maggie slipped on her pumps and looked into Darien's room. "Ready, Mulder?"

"Almost." He was pulling on his loafers.

Claire looked at Maggie. "Mulder?"

"The FBI guy. Darien let him use his shower. We went for a run. Come on, I'll introduce you." Maggie pulled her into Darien's room. "Mulder, this is Claire Morgan. Claire, this is Agent Mulder."

"Nice to meet you." Mulder shrugged into his suit jacket.

"Same here. We'll see you later Darien." Claire waved to Darien as they drifted out into the hallway. Maggie slid up on her toes to kiss Darien. "We'll be done around four today if you want to go to dinner."

He arms slid around her waist. "'Kay."

A cough from the doorway made them both look up. Claire and Mulder were staring at them. Maggie blushed and extricated herself from Darien's embrace.

"Bye Darien." Maggie followed them into the hallway, letting the door shut behind her. She looked at both of them as they got into the elevator. "Sorry guys."

"Does her face always turn the same color as her hair?" Mulder teasingly asked Claire.

"Only when she's really embarrassed."

"My partner does the same thing." Mulder winked at Maggie. "Must be the red hair. So what do you do at Fish and Game, Dr. Morgan?"

"Please call me Claire. I'm not really at liberty discuss my project."

He nodded. "I understand." The elevator doors slid open and they stepped into the lobby. Professionals were milling around with their continental breakfasts, discussing business over coffee and muffins. Mulder scanned the room for Scully, using his height to find her. "I see her." He led the two agents through the crowd.

Claire caught sight of a friend and called out to her. "Dana!"

The small redheaded woman turned. "Claire. Good to see you again." She looked at Mulder. "Morning Mulder. I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up."

He looked at Claire and Scully. "You know each other?"

Scully rolled her eyes. "Yes, Mulder. Claire and I met when I was in medical school."

"Scully, this is Agent Rourke. She works with Claire for Fish and Game." Mulder introduced Maggie.

"Nice to meet you." Scully offered her hand. "Claire has told me so much about you."

"I'm Maggie. Nice to meet you." She shook Scully's offered hand. The doors to the ballroom opened and the crowd began to push their way inside. "I guess we'd better go in."

"Was it as bad as last night?" Darien asked in greeting when he opened the door. She grinned as she came inside.

"You can't possibly imagine. These people really know how to go on about nothing. All they talk about is tests they performed and how the labs were set up and stuff." She took off her suit jacket and hung it on a hanger in her closet. "Worse yet, Claire looks like she's really enjoying it." She hung her pants on another hanger and pulled off her hose, tossing them into a ball near her suitcase. "I can't believe we have ten days of this." She slipped into a pair of cutoffs and unbuttoned her blouse.

"Here." Darien tossed her blouse on a chair and gestured for her to lie down on the bed on her stomach. His gentle hands rubbed the tension and fatigue out of her shoulders and back.

She sighed in pleasure. "Thank you Darien. That feels so nice."

"You looked tense. Better now?"

She nodded and stretched before getting up to find a shirt. She pulled a soft gray t-shirt over her head and flopped back down on the bed.

"Hey. Isn't that my shirt?" Darien tugged at the bottom of the shirt.

"Might be. I-" Maggie was interrupted by a knocking on the door.

"Come on kids. Keep and I are hungry." Hobbes called from the other side.

Darien shook his head and got up to open the door. Hobbes pushed his way inside, followed more sedately by Claire. "Where're we going?"

"Dana told me about a good place in Chinatown." Claire told them.

"Dana?" Darien looked at Maggie.

She was putting on a pair of sandals. "Mulder's partner."

Alex watched the happy group exit the restaurant. He recognized the tall man with his arm around Maggie's waist as the man from the surveillance photos, Darien Fawkes. He leaned down to say something to her and she laughed, a soft sound that floated back to his hiding spot. The other two walked in front of them. His file indicated that the blond was a doctor, Claire Morgan, and the short man was Robert Hobbes, a paranoid ex-FBI agent. Fawkes was tormenting Hobbes, the two women watching in amusement. Turning away from them, he walked the few blocks back to his car. Tomorrow he'd try to make contact with her, set up the beginnings of a relationship.