He found her in the sunroom, sitting in the window seat they had built together when the girls were little. The morning sun caressed her cheek, enhancing an already iridescent radiance in her face. But she would have looked that way to him whether it was the brightest day, grayest afternoon or darkest night.

Mulder had his touchstone, and John Fitzgerald Byers had his.

She turned to face him as he approached, and when he reached her, Byers brushed a stray hair from her forehead. There were more silver threads than gold in her hair, but it didn't matter. She loved him despite the fact that his hair and beard had gone almost completely white. He loved her, and thanked God and the powers that be every day for bringing her back to him again.

"Ah, Dickens, I see," said Byers, referring to the weighty tome in her lap. "`A Tale of Two Cities', nonetheless," she replied. "`It was the best of times; it was the worst of times,'" she said as she quoted from Dickens's masterpiece. "I read somewhere that the first sentence in that book was the longest sentence ever recorded in literature," Byers replied. "Well, I shouldn't wonder," replied his wife. "He was paid by the word, like most authors of his time. But I still think he had a way of weaving a tale that is pure magic, even though he may have been a bit verbose."

Byers let his hand trail down to her cheek, and she pressed it against her face as she nestled it in his hand. "What were you going to ask me, John?" she said quietly. "Much as I would love to, I hardly think you intended to spend the morning talking about great works of literature." She looked up into his face. "I know something's troubling you, John. Your forehead has that funny little furrow you get when you have something you're afraid to tell me or ask of me."

Byers bent down and, lifting her face gently by the chin, kissed her. "I don't know how I can ask this of you. It was another lifetime ago. We've been so happy..."

"And we're happy now," she replied. "And now is all I care about. The past and the future will take care of themselves -- they always have. I have nothing to fear or want as long as I know I have you, and you should know the same because you have me - always. What is it, John? You saved my life. Anything you ask of me, I will give."

Byers sat on the window seat at her feat, and took her hands in his. "I wouldn't ask this of you if it weren't so desperately important to two people we both know and love." He paused, and took a deep breath before he continued. "As you know, Mulder and Scully's daughter disappeared six months ago. Langley, Frohicke and I have been searching along with Mulder and Scully to try and turn up any lead we could to find her. As you may or may not know, Mulder and Scully had to go to London on business for the Bureau. They've found her - Meena. She's alive, and in London with the baby we though she'd lost."

"That's wonderful!" his wife exclaimed. Now it was her turn to pause. "But there's something else, isn't there?"

"Meena has no memory of her parents, her life before, of anything before her disappearance," Byers replied. "She was confronted by both her mother and father, yet had no memory or recognition of either of them. In each instance, Meena had an intense headache - it's Scully's belief as is Mulder's that she's fighting a repressed memory. Scully was able to get close enough to her to discover something...."

"A small, red puncture wound just behind her ear," his wife replied quietly. Byers nodded. "I see," she replied.

Byers looked out the window before he spoke again. As he did, he saw the swing that still hung from the great oak tree in their back yard. They had spent so many times out there, he and his wife, sitting in it alone together or with the girls as they were growing up. Their lives had been so different from what could have been. They'd had a happy existence. How could he ask this of her?

"Jacqueline...." he began. "Call me Suzanne," replied his wife. "It was when I was Suzanne Modeski that I created the Anolytic Hystomine they're probably using on Meena now, and the antidote. And it's who you should speak to now."

Byers released his wife's hands from his in protest. "No, I won't do it," he said. "What choice do you have, sweetheart?" she replied. "Whether I am Suzanne Modeski or whether I am Jacqueline Byers I am the only person who knows where to start." She reached over, and stroked her husband's cheek. "I owe my life to you, John Fitzgerald Byers, and I've never forgotten that. Don't be afraid to ask this of me, sweetheart. It's alright. I've already done it."

"What do you mean?" asked Byers. "I have to confess," his wife began. "I already knew that you were going to ask this. I found out when I went downstairs to start some laundry. All the safety measures in the world will not work, sweetie, if you leave the door cracked to your hallowed inner sanctum."

"So you mean you heard everything?" asked Byers. "Every word and every syllable," she replied. "So the answer is yes; I will do it. I already have."

Byers, overjoyed, reached over and hugged his wife, knocking the book in her lap onto the floor. "My darling, my darling thank you! You know I'll do anything - the guys and I will do anything to help you with this. We can pull together a working lab to help you come up with the antidote, help you work on the formula..."

"I'm way ahead of you, sweetie," replied his wife. "The formula's already done. I just need to adjust it the allow for any possible advancements or instability in what they're using on Meena."

"That's great!" replied Byers. "Where is it?"

"On the floor," replied his wife. "Right there. If you pick it up, I'll show you."

The former Suzanne Modeski pointed to the book on the floor. Byers bent down and picked it up, fanning the pages of the book before he handed it to her. "I don't understand," he replied. His wife turned to the last page of Dickens's masterpiece, and removed the flypaper backing to the back cover. When she did that, a white, folded piece of paper fell out onto her lap. She unfolded it, and handed it to Byers. "It was one of the first things I did after you sent me away from Vegas," she replied. "I made a promise to myself that I would be ready, no matter when, to correct what I had done by creating this horrible drug." She paused. "The second was that, no matter how far I had to travel or how long I had to look, that I would find you again and that we would be together. So you see," she continued, "I knew this moment would happen all along."

Byers took his wife's face in his hands. "I love you, Mrs. Byers," he said softly, "But not as much as I love you," she replied. "Now let's cut the chatter, and get to work."

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

The call finally came at five p.m., just as Mulder and Scully were getting ready for dinner, and the butler rang the phone in their guestroom with the trans-Atlantic call. "There's a call for you, sir," the butler said when Mulder answered. "A Mr. Walter Skinner calling from Florida."

"Go ahead," replied Mulder. "Sir, are you there?" the butler asked, referring to the caller on the other end of the line. "This is Walter Skinner," the caller replied. "Very well then, sirs," the butler answered, "ringing off."

Mulder waited for the click of the extension to speak. "Skinner - what's up?" he asked. "You know, I'd forgotten what fun we had when we did this to Scully in Vegas," Langley answered. "even after all these years, you've gotta admit I still can fake a mean digitally copied voice..."

"Like you fake most everything else in your life," answered Frohicke.

"You're just sore because, unlike some of us, I can walk and chew gum at the same time," Langley replied.

"Much as I'd love to hear you guys discuss your endless talents, I'm afraid we're running out of time," Mulder replied. "I agree," replied Byers wife on the speaker phone.

Mulder motioned to Scully to pick up the extension in the next room. "Mulder, you remember my wife, Jackie?" Byers said as Scully picked up the extension. "Yes, of course," replied Mulder. "Good to hear from you again, Jackie," Scully replied when she joined the conversation. "I wish it were under better circumstances," replied Jackie. "Hopefully those circumstances will get better with your help," answered Scully.

"I'm going to let my wife fill you in on what's transpired since our last conversation," Byers replied. "John told me that your daughter has been brainwashed, and the symptoms you described to him mimic those brought on by the anolytic histamine I created a number of years ago," Jackie began. "You should be familiar with those symptoms yourself, Scully - you were injected with the drug in Vegas, as was Langley."

"Yes, I remember," Scully answered.

"Even though I had an antidote for the anolytic histamine back then, my concern now is that the formula that may have been used in your daughter's case could be much stronger and more unstable than it was originally, thus rendering the old antidote useless. I'm also concerned with the number of injections your daughter may have received."

"So what are we looking at, Jackie?" asked Mulder. "I made adjustments in the anolytic histamine and the antidote, and tested them on Langley," Jackie replied. "The fun part was strapping him down on the table and duct-taping his mouth shut," Frohicke interjected. "Frohicke, please!" chided Byers. "Don't tell me it wasn't as much for you as it was for me," Frohicke shot back. "I'm sure a good time was had by all, guys, but that's not why we're here," Scully replied.

Jackie continued with her findings. "The antidote worked almost as I expected..."

"Why almost?" Scully interrupted. Byers answered the question for his wife.

"The only flaw we discovered with the antidote concerns the way it was administered."

"Or rather the time we administered it," Jackie replied. Jackie paused before her next statement. "We discovered that administering the antidote too close to the time of injection with the anolytic histamine could cause serious adverse reactions."

"What kind of adverse reactions?" asked Scully. Jackie paused again. "Don't hold out on us, Jackie, just to spare our feelings," Mulder replied. "We know there are risks, and we're willing to take them, if need be."

"Including a complete psychotic break?" asked Jackie. "Langley suffered a psychotic break that resulted in complete catatonic episode that lasted for almost an hour," Byers said quietly. "That's why it took us so long to get back to you."

"We were working on the problem when Langley snapped out of it," Frohicke added. "My concern is," Jackie continued slowly. "that we don't know how much of the anolytic histamine is in Meena's system. There is the possibility that there is a high level of it, almost to the point of toxicity. If the timing is off, if the antidote is administered after she's been injected with the A.H...."

"It could push her into a catatonic state," finished Scully. "Yes," replied Jackie. "And quite possibly one from which she would never recover."

Conversation stopped on both sides of the Atlantic as the news sank in. "I could try to come up with another antidote," began Jackie. "They don't have the time," answered Byers. "We've already lost a day - who knows which treatment will be the one to permanently erase Meena's memories for good?"

"So risking complete and irreversible catatonia is a better choice?" argued Jackie. "But it's our choice," answered Scully quietly. "And it's a chance we're willing to take." replied Mulder.

Conversation stalled for the second time on both sides of the Atlantic. "I have to say that I don't recommend this," Jackie began. "I know," replied Mulder. "I know. But it's the only hope we have."

It seemed like an eternity before Jackie spoke again. "The formula for the antidote has been sent via encrypted files to your laptop; the Lone Gunmen assured me that this was the best way -- that the two of you never left home without it."

"You know us too well," replied Scully. "I'm sure Phoebe will allow you use of the Yard's laboratories, if she knows what's good for her," added Frohicke. "Don't worry - we'll take care of everything here, including Phoebe," replied Mulder.

"Well, I guess that's all, then," Byers replied. "Keep us posted," Langley added. "We want to know when to break out the champagne when you guys get back."

"We will," Mulder replied. "Jackie.... I want you to know how much this means to us," Scully added, "and how hard this had to have been for you. Thank you's not enough."

"What's hard is knowing that I created something that has brought so much sorrow to so many, including to those I know and love," replied Jackie. "But you've created something that will bring us infinite joy," replied Mulder.

"You've given us a way to bring our daughter home."