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CHAPTER 6 System #2

"Sam Mulder. You remember me now?"

"Your name--are you Fox Mulder's sister?"

Her eyes widened with obsession. "Yes, my brother, my missing brother. The files involve him."

"He's missing?" John drew in a harsh breath. "It's all wrong. This is all wrong."

"What's wrong? You know he's missing."

"You're the one who's supposed to be missing!" he blurted. "He's the one in the FBI--"

"Keep your voice down," she hissed. "There's always ears that shouldn't hear."

"Never mind, never mind. I'm asleep," he said flatly to himself. "None of this is real. It's a dream."

"I assure you, this is very real."

"No," he shook his head. "It can't be."

"How can you deny that this is real?" She squeezed his hand again. "Do I have to pinch you to prove it?"

"But if this is real, then what I remember isn't real. Can't be real."

Was it all a dream? Was this real? Was he losing his mind?

"Well." Sam was bewildered. "You remember anything else? Your family, kids--"

"Kids?" he looked up sharply.

The waitress interrupted them with John's coffee.

"Your kids," Sam continued after the waitress left. "You remember them?"

"I remember only one. My son, Luke."

She gave an amused smile. "Figures you'd remember him. He's the oldest, and lately he hasn't had any trouble taking your place bossing the other two around."

His eyes widened. "I've got *three*?"

"Two, really. Luke's yours; Will is Dana's, though he certainly considers you his dad; and Mattie belongs to both you and Dana."

No, this wasn't right, after all.

"This can't be real. I'm asleep. My wife--ex-wife's name--is Barbara, and Luke's dead. Gone! I searched for him, I saw his body, I scattered his ashes! I got nothing left!" he insisted.

Sam froze. *He saw that,* she thought. *He's convinced of it. It couldn't be, though . . . unless . . .*

"Come with me," she said abruptly. "I have an idea, but I need to check something, first."

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