"They were all rumors," Motsouka said. Tom had parked the car outside the main office and was watching them with a glazed look in his eye. Scully focused on Motsouka.

"Everyone thought that Wang and the Classics' chair had some sort of personal breakup. But I knew that wasn't true. I…I walked in on them one night. I was there late. I don't like to bring my work home." She looked down.

"Wang and the Classics' woman?" Scully said.

Motsouka shook her head. "She was married, the Classics' woman. He wasn't an academic. I didn't know who he was at the time but then when Wang was kicked to our department…Wang was with him."

"Her husband? He was dumped by her husband?"

"I think so. And then, Ruth…"

"He slept with Ruth?" Scully would have laughed at the horror forming on Mulder's face, if the situation hadn't been so serious.

"No! No, but Ruth knew too. He'd seen the same night I did, was coming down the hall in the opposite direction. He didn't mean any harm, but he liked to tease Wang about it. Wang had some weird ideas on how to teach language, and Ruth laughed him down every time – less because of the ideas, and more because he didn't respect Wang. Seeing Wang under some guy added fuel to Ruth's fire."

"So, calling Ruth here was a trap," Mulder said. "It still doesn't explain how he kidnapped the husband, or why the wife didn't report it."

"What if he didn't kidnap the husband?" Scully said.

"You saw, somebody was living like a caged dog in that old truck stop."

"He also has a helper, though, or how else could he come back and unlock the town hall?"

Tom cleared his throat. He tapped the window, pointing at the motel.

Exhaustion hit Scully like a sharp wind. "We've got to focus on breaking the trances," she said. "We should get inside, change, and meet back up in the lobby."

XXX

Scully heard a knock on her door just as she let her damp, wrinkled button-down slide off her shoulders. The fabric pooled at her elbows. "One minute," she called. She grimaced and tugged the shirt back onto her.

"It's me."

She ignored the buttons, walked to the door and opened it a crack.

Mulder stared at her. He was wearing a clean grey t-shirt and jeans she hadn't realized he'd packed. "Can I come in?" He whispered.

Scully pealed the door open and stepped aside. "Look, Mulder, I know this is pressing but I just need ten minutes to…"

She heard the door shut behind her. His hands were on her waist. She turned in his arms. He met her eye for confirmation before leaning in to kiss her. His lips felt warm and chapped. She pressed against his mouth and wrapped her hands around his back instinctually. They stood together. Scully found it hard to let go. As she broke the kiss, she rested her forehead against Mulder's and shut her eyes.

"I meant what I said. I'm sorry," Mulder said.

"I was scared for you Mulder – at the town hall. More scared than I used to get."

"I get scared too. I think about your abduction and…God Scully I just…"

"How can we…?"

"I don't know. But Scully…" he ran his hands up and down her back. "I want to try. You're the most important person in my life and maybe it's selfish but I want to try."

"I love you," she whispered.

Mulder lifted her chin with his finger and stared at her. "I love you too."

A knock on the door made Scully jump. "Guys?" Motsouka's voice called. "There's something you should see."

XXX

"How did the man fall asleep in ten minutes?" Scully asked, staring at Tom. He was leaned back in the front office's desk chair, his feet propped up. Scully's body was still buzzing. She could still feel Mulder's hands on her back.

"I don't think I've seen him sleep since I got here," Motsouka said. "When you two were gone, he kept trying to ask me questions about you."

Tom twitched in his sleep. He groaned. "όχι." The word seemed to dribble out from his nose. "όχι άκύειν."

Scully Mulder stared at him, as if he were a strange bug they had found on the playground.

"He's been calling out all these words and looking upset. I was going to wake him, but he seems to be fighting something," Motsouka said. "I thought maybe…" She looked unsure of herself.

"όχι άκύειν!" Tom's voice sounded loud and grainy.

"We should wake him," Scully said and leaned forward. She felt both Motsouka and Mulder's hands on her shoulders at the same time.

"He's refusing to do something," Motsouka said. "And…I think he's saying hear or listen. The word sounds similar to the modern one." She looked as if she was in a trance.

"Scully." Mulder's voice was low. "Do you know about lucid dreams?

"Dreams where the person is aware that they're dreaming," Scully said slowly. "Scientists have used EEG measurements to show that it begins in REM stage."

"There are reports of hypnotists who have tapped into lucid dreams." Mulder was speaking faster now, looking more excited. "They hypnotists can channel a new state of consciousness. What if that's what Wang is doing. He can control people by waiting until they are in REM state."

"Mulder, Tom can't be in REM sleep yet – he can't have been like this for more than fifteen minutes."

Mulder ignored her. He leaned down to Tom's ear. "Oxi akoús!" His voice sounded flat and nasal.

Tom didn't respond.

"Motsouka, could you tell him not to listen? Just say it in his ear."

Motsouka looked at Scully for confirmation. Scully closed her eyes a moment, opened them and nodded. Only then did Motsouka lean forward toward Tom and say "Min akoús, Tom."

Tom stirred and frowned in his sleep.

"όχι άκύειν," Motsouka tried.

Tom nodded. "όχι άκύειν."

"Now tell him to wake up. Don't touch him. Just tell him," Mulder said.

"Xýpna." Motsouka said. "xýpnios."

Tom's eyes fluttered open. He looked dazed for a moment and then snapped to attention. "οωϛ?" He stood up. "O-okay?"

Mulder nodded at him. "Okay." He looked back at Scully. She could tell he felt a little smug but was trying not to show it.

"So…" Scully said. "Somehow, Wang has accelerated the REM sleep of an entire town, and is now hypnotizing them through lucid dreams?"

Mulder pressed his lips together and shrugged.

"Mulder, that's crazy. Yes, scientists have shown that what you hear, and smell affects your dreams but nowhere to the point of mind control."

"Normally, I'd agree with Agent Scully," Motsouka said "But…"

Scully sighed.

"But that was one of the topics Wang wanted to research. Teaching language by trying to infiltrate dreams."

"So maybe he has. Maybe he's figured out how to combine hypnosis and a lucid dream state and he's rewired these people's realities. It makes sense, Scully."

"Even if – and I do mean if – Wang had connected hypnosis with unconsciousness, there's no proof. And once more it doesn't get us any closer to solving this problem here."

"What if we introduced English into the lucid dream state?" Motsouka said.

"Do you think that'll work?" Mulder asked.

"Well, It's common knowledge in the world of linguistics that an adult who learns a new language never really forgets their native one. Like, it's always in there. The neural circuits have been formed." Motsouka looked at Tom. "So, Tom here has English in his brain, somewhere. I don't think it would be too hard to trigger it…if that's how Wang is getting them to speak Greek."

Scully nodded. The entire plan seemed like the fringe of a lace blanket – superfluous and without pattern. But, then again, didn't most X-files leave her a little cold, like she was half-under a blanket of truth and half-exposed? "So, what do we do?"

"We try Tom again, when he's asleep and dreaming."

XXX

Tom was afraid of something – of that much, Scully was willing to bet He didn't want to fall back asleep. Motsouka communicated to Tom that they were all going to take a nap, and please would he, so that they could capture Wang that night. Under Mulder and Scully's sharp gazes, Tom had bitten his lip and given a curt nod.

Then, the three of them were forced to dawdle down the outdoor hallway to their rooms. As Scully opened the door to hers, she felt a familiar wave of exhaustion hit her. No, a cat nap wouldn't do any harm. She barely noticed Mulder behind her as she waved to Motsouka. They had agreed to meet in an hour – an excruciating hour of what seemed like lost time. Even still, Scully knew it was the best chance they had of getting Tom to fall back asleep.

Wandering toward the bed, she sank onto it. She felt Mulder's hands begin to massage her neck. "Mmm."

"I'm going to stop for a moment and take off your shoes for you," Mulder whispered.

She nodded, her cheek pushed against the pillow. "Thank you." Her voice came out low and gravely. It felt nice to have a forced resting time. It felt nice to have Mulder near here for it. Mulder. She sat up and looked at him. He smiled at her.

Motsouka knew, then. Did it matter? She hadn't seem surprised, waving to Scully. In fact, she had looked at them together like they were a natural pair. We are natural together, Scully thought.

Mulder kicked off his own shoes and scooted up on the bed. He reached over to the nightstand and set the alarm on the little motel clock. Then, he placed one hand over Scully and pulled her to him.

"Just forty minutes, okay?" He said.

Scully snuggled into his side.