Disclaimer: I don't own the X Files
Note: Huge thank you to Kyouryoku Senshi for being my beta!

Getting Settled

Dream Scully paled in comparison to real Scully. Mulder kissed the top of her head and held her to him tightly. He knew they needed to get up and be useful, but it had been so long since they'd been together and he never wanted to let her go.

She sighed into his chest and began to move, "We need to get up Mulder."

He tightened his arms and groaned into her hair.

She gave a breathy laugh, "They could be back any minute. Considering that the only barrier between us and them is a plywood door, I would like to get dressed."

"The kids can read minds and Skinner is smart enough to knock."

"Ugh, I keep forgetting that the kids can read minds. You're going to need to watch yourself, Mulder."

He smiled down at her and rubbed her shoulder, "I'll be good. Promise."

Mulder finally let Scully get up. He watched her get dressed until she gave him a pointed look. He sighed and got up.

Scully went out to the car to unpack more of the supplies that they brought along. She found small shelves in the kitchenette area where she placed the kitchen supplies they brought.
Mulder went to the car and set up a little corner for Dagoo that consisted of his crate and bowls for food and water. They had taken as much of Mulder's research as they could hold before they left, in case it would be of use to them. Scully had begun to work on letters to her brothers when the rest of the group arrived. Mulder had sent out a message to Gibson and was reading while waiting for him.

Skinner and Shelly hauled in the wheelbarrow full of food first and Scully jumped up to help them. She had begun to feel a rumbling in her stomach and was excited to see that they had enough supplies for a pretty good dinner.
She lit the wood burning stove that Mulder had collected wood for earlier. Scully looked at the food they had brought and took a bag of rice first and started boiling some water on the stove. She knew it would be more difficult to work with than a normal stove and she was not excited about learning. Skinner unloaded several candles and gas lamps and began to place them around the room. Mulder took a gas lamp and candle from him and put them in his and Scully's room along with some matches. Skinner put another few light sources in the other room as well. Gabby happily skipped into the shack holding a canvas bag in each hand while William followed behind with another four bags and a leashed Dagoo. He unhooked Dagoo and let him go explore his new surroundings. He placed three of the bags by Shelly's bed and gave the other one to Gabby who had begun happily unpacking and folding her new clothes.
William smiled as he watched her and finally went into the main room.
It was peaceful in the main room as the dog ran around in circles and everyone else continued to try to make this small space feel more like home.

Gibson's fears had been confirmed when the colonists expressed their interest in the children. Luckily, they did not want to take them from Mulder and Scully, but they did want to use them for testing. They also wanted Shelly to join them in their own quarters, which consisted of a few large landed UFOs.
Gibson did not like that idea, but wondered if that would end up being better for her in the end. He knew that Shelly had always wanted a place to belong and he wondered if this could be just that place. He knew that the colonists were not offering, they were demanding. However, they would prefer that she come willingly instead of being forced.

They were in charge of running the reservation until it was able to stand on it's own and they wanted to put Scully to work as soon as possible. There were a few doctors, but still not enough for the amount of people. They gave Gibson supplies that he needed to give the new clan and instructions for them and sent him on his way.
Gibson prepared himself for a few tough conversations.

Mulder was pacing the small room as he listened to Skinner and William describe the camp.
Gabby was standing on a stool next to Scully cutting some vegetables for the stir-fry. Scully smiled down at Gabby's small precise hands.
Shelly sat quietly and listened to Mulder, Skinner, and William discuss their new life. She felt odd in this new group and didn't quite know where she fit in. Skinner had treated her well and she knew that William and Gabby were happy she was there.
Gibson arrived right as she was wondering after him. He smiled at her and she felt relieved to see him.

Mulder switched tracks quickly when he saw Gibson.
"How are you guys liking the place?" Gibson asked awkwardly.

Mulder stared at him flatly and offered no response.
"Well, I have some things to give you as well as some information on your new lives." Gibson sat down the large backpack that he wore on his back as well as the duffel bag that was filled to the seems.

He knelt down to unpack and pulled out gardening supplies, "These will come in good use. I don't know how used to this you guys are so I included a little manual to help you out. Each home gets a few chickens. Someone will have to go pick some up for you at the farming center, but make sure to have a small fenced off area ready for them before you do. Water is a tricky thing around here, but I was able to get my hands on a filter. It is small and you'll still need to boil most of the time, but it is good for if you need water right away. There are a few of those plastic water tanks where you can store water. The creek is not far from here and you can use the wheelbarrow to carry the bottles."
He paused and looked up to see if they had any comments or questions. No one said anything so he went on, "All of you will have some kind of job in the community, but most of that has yet to be worked out. Scully will have to start working tomorrow, unfortunately. Her services are very much needed."
Scully turned from the stove and nodded to Gibson. She had suspected as much.

"What kind of facilities and equipment will I have to work with?" She asked.

"Well, we placed you all in this area because there is not a doctor on this side of the camp. There is a converted cabin less than a mile from here and a bike you can use to get there. The equipment is pretty much everything you would have at a normal doctor's office. There are many pregnant women on the reservation and that will probably be most of your work, along with immunizations." Scully turned back to her work when she knew Gibson was done with her.

Gibson turned to Mulder, "Mulder, they are planning on trying to open a school next week and they would like you to assist as a psychological consultant and councilor for the staff and students." Mulder just looked at his feet and gave a small nod to show that he heard.

"The super soldiers are not eradicated. Now, they don't seem to know where this reservation is so far, but we cannot expect it to stay secret forever. The colonists want to be prepared in case of an attack." The room stayed in a stony silence as Gibson pulled out four guns, "They have created special Magnetite bullets that will stop the soldiers. It will take a shot to the head to truly kill them but shooting them anywhere will slow them down." Gibson handed one gun to Mulder and one to Skinner and put one aside for Scully, "I'd like it if you guys could teach the adults and teens how to shoot and fight."
Skinner examined the gun in his hand and tightened his jaw. He looked up at Mulder and fixed him with a measured look, which Mulder returned.

"I thought you said we'd be safe here." Mulder stated.

Gibson looked down at his hands, "They don't think it will happen but it is best to be prepared."

Gibson stayed for dinner and the seven of them found perches all around the room. Scully made a stir fry that was good considering the lack of spices and the difficulty of cooking on a wood burning stove.
"We will need more chairs." Scully stated simply as she took a spot next to Mulder against the wall.
There was a table with three chairs and the two single beds in the big room but beyond that there was no seating and there was enough room for another couple chairs.
They ate in relative silence. Gabby's mind spun with all of the thoughts around them and she longed to have some headphones and music. She knew that she would have to get used to this way of life.
Gibson seemed to hear her and he looked up and broke the silence, "I want to continue to train William and Gabby. This stage is a difficult one as they can now hear everyone's thoughts but they have no way of blocking them." He turned to Mulder and Scully; "You remember how much I loved TV when you found me? It's because it was one of the only ways to block everyone else's thoughts. Here, there is not really another way for them to cope. On the colonists base, they will not have to listen to the constant thoughts for a couple hours and they can be taught how to use their different abilities."
"Will they be interacting with the aliens?" Mulder asked.

Gibson looked down, "Well, that is another thing we need to discuss. They have a great deal of interest in the kids and I was worried that they would want to take them away. The good news is that they don't want to take them away, but they do want to run some tests and observe their training sessions."
"There will be no testing!" Scully said as she sat up straight.
"Scully that is not really a choice. Either it happens voluntarily or it will be forced." Gibson winced internally at the look she gave him.

Mulder rested a hand on Scully's arm, "What kind of testing will this be?"

"I don't know. The testing that Scully is thinking of was invasive and preformed by the syndicate. The colonists have, in general, had very little access to human beings until now. They are not needlessly mean or harmful. They have said that I can be there for the testing, I would never let them hurt the kids."
Scully considered sending Gabby and William out of the room, but she remembered that they could read minds and she knew it would be pointless.

She looked at them, "What do you two think of this?"

They looked at each other for a moment and then Will turned back to Scully, "Well if they can help us to learn to clear our minds that would be really great. I kind of hate this." He motioned to Gabby, "So does Gabby."

Scully nodded and looked down at her food, which rested in her lap.
"Gibson, I want to go with them at least for the first time." Mulder said after a beat.
"I'll see what I can do, Mulder, but I can't make promises." Gibson looked to Shelly who had been silently observing, "Shelly, when you're done, I need to talk to you."
She looked down at her plate, which was mostly empty and shrugged, "I'm done."

Gibson nodded and they took their plates to the tiny sink.
"Just place them in there, we will wash them." Mulder called over.

Shelly followed Gibson outside.