Mulder walked into the lobby of the J. Edgar Hoover building at the FBI. The elevators Bureau staff normally used were under repair, so all employees had to use the freight elevators to go to all floors. This gave the staff the feeling of cattle being herded into a chute, but it left the stairs as the only other choice. And so people stood in line, one behind the other, and waited for their turn at the elevator.

Mulder stood in the crowd along with his fellow Bureau employees. As he waited for the elevator, he caught wind of a conversation between two rookie agents of the FBI.

"Is that him?" asked one of the agents. "Uh-huh," her companion replied. "Wow," the other agent said, "they really do exist." "The X-Files," her fellow agent said, "or the couple Spooky?" "Both - how are you going to have one without the other?" The two agents continued their conversation, unaware that the subject of it could hear everything they said.

"It's so sad," the female agent said. "I heard the only reason why they dragged the X-Files out of mothballs was because the daughter - their daughter - ran away...." "No, you've got it all wrong," said the male agent, "she was abducted, but by little green men or men of a different sort, who knows? It seems to be an occupational hazard in that family." "How do you mean?" "First, his sister was abducted," the man continued, "then his wife - this before they even got married - then him. Kind of makes you wonder what they talk about around the dinner table..."

The elevator arrived, and the crowd shifted forward. The female agent continued to pick the male agent's brain. "So why are they called Mr and Mrs Spooky?" she asked. The last one to get on the elevator, Mulder turned to face the inquisitive pair. "Because on some nights, when the moon is full, I grow pointy ears and fangs and my wife's head spins around on its neck," he replied.

Mulder watched as the doors closed on the two bewildered people.

*****************************************************************************

Scully had her back to the door when Mulder arrived at their office. Sensing someone was behind her, she turned around. There was an awkward silence between the two of them. Scully, still feeling guilty about the way things had turned out earlier, tried to make amends. "I was going to go get some coffee - did you want some?" Mulder shook his head. "I can go upstairs and get a bagel," she asked. "I picked up something on the way in," replied Mulder. Scully nodded. "Oh; O.K." she replied.

The room was silent as Mulder walked past her, and sat down at his desk. Scully paused for a moment, then picked up her coffee mug. She was about to leave the room when Skinner's son, Assistant Director Walter Skinner, Jr., appeared in the doorway. "Do you have a minute, agents?" he asked. "Of course - make yourself at home," Mulder replied. "What can we do for you?" asked Scully. "I received an invitation by way of the Attorney General's office. It seems that the AG was invited but can't go to a function overseas in London. In the interest of international relations, we can't turn down the invitation..." "Isn't that why we have a Vice President?" asked Mulder. "It's not that kind of an affair," Walter Jr. continued. "It's an invitation from Scotland Yard to attend a banquet in honor of one of their officials. Special Investigative Director Phoebe Montague of the Yard. It seems you worked with her once - she used to be known as Pheobe Green..."

When he heard the name, Mulder wondered what his wife was thinking at that very moment. When she heard the name, Scully wondered if anyone saw her back stiffen.

The two of them were so quiet that the AD was compelled to speak. "Agents, I am well aware the two of you are involved in an on-going investigation, in addition to your other duties. But the fact of the matter is that this is a matter of PR both for the Bureau and the X-Files." He paused for a minute before he spoke, "I'm sure you know its no secret many people question the real reason why the X-Files have been re-opened. And I'm not my father - I only have so much influence, and I'm limited by what I can do..." "Funny; it seems I've heard that before. When was it? 19..." Scully replied.

Skinner's son was not taking "no" for an answer. "Your flight leaves tomorrow for Heathrow airport. You'll be there for approximately a week. Any questions?" Mulder and Scully shook their heads. "Good. If you'd like, you can wrap up things here and go home and pack."

The junior Skinner left the office. Mulder and Scully looked at each other, both not knowing who should go first. It was no secret that Phoebe Green was *persona non grata* in their relationship because of her past with Mulder. In fact, it was that past and Scully's reaction to it that made Scully first realize her feelings for Mulder - that and when she saw the two of them lip-locked in the lobby of a hotel during an assignment many years ago. The only time they mentioned Phoebe's name was when they both decided never to mention it again.

Mulder was the first to break the silence. "I know how you feel about this, Scully - you don't need to say it. There has to be a way around this..." "You heard Junior," Scully replied, "this came down from the Attorney General. And far be it from us to create an international incident." "I knew her better than you did," Mulder began, then realized he'd put his foot in his mouth. "What I meant to say is.... That maybe since I was the one who worked with her, maybe I could go, and you can stay here - that is, if that's what you want." "It's a dinner, Mulder. Don't be silly. I'm perfectly alright with this. We'll go, put on our best bib and tucker, and try not to say anything that would cause Great Britain to sever ties with the U.S." Scully turned too quickly to see the look of relief on Mulder's face. "It's settled, then. Let me get some coffee, we'll tie up things here, and go home and pack."

Scully thought about her husband's suggestion as she left the room. "Leave you alone in London with Pyro Spice?" thought Scully. "Not on your life!"

****************************************************************************

Heathrow Airport was a hub of activity. People rushed to and fro, and it seemed that as soon as one plane left, another one arrived to take its place. The two young women stood at the gate, one at the airport to see her friend off, the other to make her first trip "across the pond" to America. "Well," said the young blonde, "We're off!" She bounced the baby she was holding in her arms one last time. "So what do you think, Nigel? Think Mummie would let you travel across with Auntie Charlotte to see the Big Apple?" "Hardly!" the young brunette replied. She took the young baby from her friend's arms. "Really Em, I was only kidding..." The auburn-haired beauty held her child tight. "It will be years before he's ever ready to leave his Mummie; isn't that right, Nigel?" "Meena Cartwright! You're impossible!"

The six-month old little boy played with his mother's auburn locks, twirling and entwining his chubby little fingers around each strand. "Oh, he's such a cutie. Wonder where he got all those red curls?" Charlotte asked "obviously a recessive gene from somewhere - both you and Drew are dark-haired."

The final boarding call was announced, and Charlotte hugged her friend. "I'd better be on this flight, or my husband will send the Yard out to look for me! Oh - thank you for taking those invitations for us. Can't go for obvious reasons, but no reason why you and Drew shouldn't have fun. We'll see you soon!"

The young mother waved to her friend as she walked down the airway. "Say good-bye to Auntie Charlotte," she told her son, and picked up his arm to wave. Once her friend had disappeared, she placed the baby in the carrier that was slung across the front of her body. "There we are; all sung," she said. "Shall we go and watch the bags go round and round the carousel? Give Mummie the chance to avoid traffic a little while?" The baby giggled with approval.

Mulder and Scully got off of their long flight, eager to stretch their tired and aching bones. "Is someone supposed to meet us?" Scully asked. She looked around, craning her already stiff neck to look for a sign with their names on it. Mulder, having the advantage of height, surveyed the crowd. "I don't see anybody, Scully. Wait here; I'll go pick up our luggage. If someone shows up, meet me at the baggage claim."

The auburn-haired mother and her redheaded son walked up to the gates of the baggage claim, and were stopped by a guard. "Sorry 'mam," he said. "I can't let you go any further without a claim ticket." "Oh, that's quite alright," the young woman replied. "My little boy loves to watch the baggage roundabout. Is there anywhere we can stand out of the way?" The baby she held was so cute that the guard relented. "Tell you what, I think that if you stand a little bit to me left, you should get a perfect look at the baggage area." "Thank you," she replied.

The baby gurgled and laughed with glee as he and his mother watched the bags go round and round and round. As the young woman with the auburn hair watched, she saw a man walk past her about twenty feet away...

...And the headache she thought she'd been cured of came back.

She looked away, rubbing her temple in an effort to ease her pain. When she looked up, the man had crossed back in front of her and stopped. It appeared as though her were looking right at her. A group of people walked between them, blocking her view.

When they moved, the man was gone, and in that instant, so was her headache.

Mulder walked through the crowded baggage area, trying to find which of the many carousels was the one that was connected to their flight. For a brief instant, he truly believed that their luggage never made it onto the plane, and they would be forced to spend the week in the clothes they were wearing.

Although Mulder was surprised that nobody was there to greet them at the gate, he was greatly relieved. He wasn't quite sure what would happen if Phoebe were at the gate, arms outstretched as they deplaned. "Pretty cheeky of you, Mulder" he thought. After all, she was Phoebe Montague now...

Mulder scanned the crowd in an effort to clear his mind. He looked at people, seeing them and not seeing them. It was when he walked just past a guard at one of the gates that he saw her. A young woman with dark Auburn hair holding a redheaded infant stood about twenty feet away. Everything began to move in slow motion for Mulder; it was as though he were in a vacuum, not seeing, not hearing anything but the rapid beating of his heart. "It can't be," he thought, "it isn't what actually is, but what you want."

Still something made him retrace his steps back to that spot, and as he reached it, she turned to look at him.

"Meena?!"

Mulder stood, rooted to the spot, staring at the young woman. It looked like her, it had to be her. And the baby - yes, it had to be hers. It had to be. "A hallucination?" He thought. And then he realized that she was staring directly at him. At the moment their eyes met, a large crowd passed in front of them. Anxious to see around them, to make his way through that crowd to the woman and her baby, he started to move when he felt two hands clamp themselves over his eyes. Mulder instantly yanked them down, and looked for the woman and child.

They were gone. Vanished.

"Well, if you persist on treating me that way, Mulder, I shall have to insist you call me Lady Montague from here on."

Mulder turned to face Lady Phoebe Green Montague, Special Investigative Director of Scotland Yard. He dropped her hands; Phoebe instantly picked them up again. "Oh, Mulder, I'm not cross. I'd never be cross with you - how could I? What is it you Yanks say? `long time, no see?'"

Mulder took one more glance around, trying to see the woman and child he'd spotted a short time ago. "Mulder?!" Phoebe demanded. "Hello, Phoebe," he politely replied. "It's good to see you." "And you as well," Phoebe replied. "Well now; let's have a look at you, shall we? Oh my; I see the Fox has gone a little grey around the edges." Before Mulder could stop her, Phoebe raised her hand, and ran her fingers through the grey hair at his temples. "Rather distinguished. Have you considered a professorship? I'm sure you'd have all the girls at Oxford swooning and hanging on your every word..."

"Ahem!"

Phoebe turned around, and she and Mulder faced Scully as she approached. "Nobody came, so I decided to come and find you and the baggage myself, and I see I have." she said. "Agent Scully," Phoebe replied. "How nice of you to come!" "Scully hyphen Mulder, and I wouldn't miss it for the world," Scully replied. "Oh, yes; that's right," answered Phoebe, You two got married. So sorry I missed the wedding." "Well, you know the mail," replied Scully, "hardly reliable once it "crosses the pond..."

Mulder wondered if it was too late to get a flight back to D.C.

"Well, let's find my driver and your luggage. I do hope you'll stay with me at Brittlegate Manor," Phoebe said. "That's very kind..." Mulder began. Scully finished the statement for the both of them. "Of course we'll be happy to stay at Brittlegate Manor. It's very kind of you and your husband to open up your home to us. I hope he doesn't mind."

Phoebe sighted her driver and waved him over. "Don't be silly - old sot's been dead for years."

"Oh, God;" thought Mulder.