Disclaimer: We own the rights to neither X-Files, MiB, nor home-style apple pie.

CLOSED. The large, red word that had been stamped on the front of the manila file glared in the dim light as it lay closed on Fox Mulder's desk. The word signaled the end of another X-file; not satisfactory, but the end nonetheless. Agent Mulder stared down at the file and considered the word, and how this file, like so many of the others that were tucked neatly away in the cabinets behind him, could have led to much larger investigations...had he only been able to get a little bit more evidence. The hairs of the Jersey devil, for instance, or a tooth from the were-lizard. An alien bone. Something. But it seemed like for as much evidence as he gathered, someone was working just as hard to invalidate his work or destroy it entirely. So after months of working on the X-files, he was no closer to exposing the truth than he had been at the beginning.

He sighed, rubbing his face with his hands as he considered going to an early lunch. His desk phone rang, and he picked it up on the second ring.

"This is Mulder."

"Mulder? Why aren't you answering your cell phone?"

It was Dana Scully, Mulder's partner. Her voice was more concerned than annoyed...no doubt she thought that Mulder had been getting into trouble on her day off.

"It's dead," Mulder said. "Forgot to charge it last night, so I left it at home. I'm not going anywhere today, though—Skinner's making me inventory and organize the Files."

"Sounds tough," Scully replied sympathetically. "Think you're up to the task?"

"It's fine," Mulder said, tossing a sharpened pencil upward so that it stuck in the ceiling. "The worst part is being reminded of all the times we were so close to the truth. I just keep thinking, next time I'll get the evidence I need. Next time, I'll expose what's really going on for the whole world to see."

"You'll get your breakthrough eventually," Scully said reassuringly. "One way or another. I've seen the way you work, Mulder, and it's brilliant." She paused, her voice muffled as she spoke to someone on her end. "I have to go. I'm helping my mom put up new curtains. I'll be in tomorrow, okay?"

"All right, Scully. See you tomorrow."

Mulder hung up the phone and glanced back down at the file on his desk, tracing the stamp with a finger before standing up. He decided to take an early lunch after all.

The area around the Bureau wasn't known for its fine eateries, but there was a little diner just down the road that Mulder had discovered toward the beginning of his career. It was a nice little place that had a few but regular customers, and Mulder was one of them. When he walked in, he noticed there were no other customers, probably because it was still early. He was greeted by the waitress, who knew him by name, and she showed him to his regular seat at a window booth. The waitress brought him some coffee and went away for a bit to give him time to look over the menu. Before she came back, another man came into the diner, the bell over the door announcing his arrival. He did not wait to be seated; he went right over to Mulder's booth and sat down in the seat across from him, drawing Mulder's eyes up from the menu.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Mulder asked. It could have been possible—the man was dressed very much like an agent from the Bureau. He was wearing a black suit with a white shirt underneath, and a black tie was knotted neatly around his neck. The only difference was the dark-tinted sunglasses he wore, which he removed before replying.

"'Course you do, Agent Mulder," the man said, his words tinged with a slight Southern accent.

By now, the waitress came back, frowning slightly at the newcomer.

"I'm sorry, sir. Are you with him? There are plenty of other seats..."

"Don't worry 'bout that, sweetheart," the man said. "Agent Mulder and I are old friends. Now, could you be a dear and bring us each a slice of that lovely apple pie I saw on the counter? I'm buying."

The waitress looked at Mulder for confirmation, but he only shrugged.

"Okay," she finally said, then went away to get the pie.

The man picked up an empty mug that was sitting on the table behind him and helped himself to the pot of coffee that the waitress had left. He calmly sipped from the mug and met Mulder's gaze.

"Who are you?" Mulder said lowly, "and how do you know me?"

"Name's K," the man said. "Agent K if you want to be formal. As for how I know you, well...we used to be partners."

Mulder frowned in thought. This man did seem oddly familiar, but it was like remembering a dream of a dream.

"I'm sorry...Mr. K, but I can't say I remember you."

"That's not surprising," K said, sipping his coffee. "You were neuralized. And that process takes nothing short of a nuclear reaction to reverse."

"Neuralized?" Mulder echoed, but before K could reply the waitress served them the pie.

"Ah, home-style apple pie," K said warmly. "I've never had it in D.C., but I suspect it's more or less the same as in New York."

"You're from New York?" Mulder said, pushing his slice of pie away.

"More or less," K said before tucking into his piece. "It's where Headquarters is at."

"Headquarters of...what?"

K wiped crumbs from his mouth before meeting Mulder's eyes.

"Let me ask you something...do you ever look up at the stars and think—no, feel like the answers to all of life's great questions lie up there?"

Mulder thought the man was joking at first, until he saw the seriousness in his eyes.

"Pretty much every night," he answered sincerely. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"You think the answers are up there," K said, gesturing with both hands, "Because they really are."

"I don't follow," Mulder said. "Are you talking about God, or something?"

K sighed. "I didn't want to do this, but for some reason it seems to work the best. I'm gonna be straight with you." He pushed his plate away and leaned across the table, resting on his elbows.

"I work for a top secret agency that monitors the immigration of alien life forms onto planet Earth. We protect Earth and its inhabitants from alien threats and ensure intergalactic diplomacy where and when we can. You used to work with me as my partner. Your name was agent F, until you elected to take a domestic position with the FBI as a part of a special, long-term mission and were neuralized to maintain your cover. For the past few years, you've been our plant at the Bureau to keep tabs on human involvement with alien conspirators. From what I've been reading in the papers, you've been doing an excellent job."

Mulder stared at the man across him for a long moment before laughing disbelievingly. He sat back in his seat, shaking his head. "Skinner put you up to this, didn't he? I didn't think he'd stoop so low as to play pranks, but I get the point. In spite of all the cases I've handled, I'm still 'Spooky Mulder'. Thanks for the pie, but I'm just gonna go now."

He started to stand up, but K stood up first and blocked him. "Mulder, you need to believe me. I need you to remember, and I need your advice."

Mulder didn't scowl, but his voice had an edge to it as he sat back down. "I don't know what papers you've been reading, but if you're like everyone else then my advice is the last thing you'd want."

"I don't care what everyone else thinks," K said. "Just you."

"Probably because you're a nut," Mulder scoffed. "Like me."

K chuckled. "How about if I show you that neither of us are nuts? Then will you believe me?"

Mulder glanced at his watch. "Only if you can accomplish in five minutes what I've been trying to do for the past few years."

K clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "Better get to work then. But first, more coffee." He called the waitress over, but when she reached out to take the coffee pot, he gently took hold of her wrist and mumbled what sounded like a string of gibberish. He let go of her, and Mulder expected the waitress to run away in disgust, but she nodded like she was agreeing with whatever K had said. She looked squarely at Mulder, and to his amazement her face seemed to detach from her head and swing open, like it had been a mask. And inside her head, where her brain should have been, there was complex electronics and blinking lights that Mulder had never seen the likes of before. And nestled inside that, on a tiny chair, was a little creature with a big head and large eyes that Mulder knew without a doubt was an alien.

K smiled at Mulder's shocked expression and glanced at his watch. "Three minutes to spare. How's that for proof, hoss?"

Mulder regained his composure, his eyes never leaving the tiny alien in the human suit. "We've got to tell the world! Aliens do exist!"

"Hold your horses, jefe," K said, laying a hand on Mulder's shoulder, "We can't do that."

"Why not?" Mulder demanded, glancing back at the alien to see the mask falling back into place.

"Aliens are here on Earth, but that's not the problem. A lot of them are here peacefully, or as refugees or diplomats. Some of them even work for us." He gestured to the waitress. "For instance, Atana here was assigned to watch over you."

Mulder sunk down in his seat, rubbing his face with his hands. "I can't believe this."

"You saw the face thing, right?"

That's not what I mean. I believe what I just saw, but what I can't believe is that part where you said I used to work with you. I don't remember any of this, or you."

"I don't expect you will," K said patiently, pausing to dismiss the waitress. "But that's okay. I don't need you to remember that. I just need your advice, on a personal matter."

Mulder smiled dryly. "You came all this way and did all that for my advice? Well, I don't know if I can help, but I can try."

"That's all I need," K said, folding his hands on the table. "Back when you and I were partners, you always depended on your gut instinct to resolve a case. I was never really good at that kind of thing. And when you left to take on this assignment, well…let's say I was at a loss for a while before another agent took me under his wing as a partner. And he just retired last night.

"So what do you need my advice on?" Mulder asked.

"I need a partner," K said. "No agent from our agency is supposed to be without one. Part of the rules. And I had someone in mind, but I'm not sure I want to endanger him by bringing him on."

"And why is that?"

"Well, I knew his father. Actually, I was kind of there when his father died…and I feel like I owe it to him to protect that boy."

Mulder looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, that does seem like a pretty difficult decision. But let me ask you something. Do you think that boy will be safer with you, or without you?"

K stared at his hands as he considered Mulder's words, finally breaking into a slow smile. "Thanks for the help, F. Er…Fox. I knew talking to you would help."

He proceeded to put on his sunglasses, and somehow Mulder was not surprised when he pulled out a silver device that was shaped like a large pen.

"Glad I could help, Mulder said. "I guess I'll be seeing you around, then."

K smiled, a little sadly, as he held up the device so that the red light was facing Mulder. "No, you won't."