Amy: thanks for your nitpicks and review. They gave me something to think about. I've rectified this chapter. Let me know what you think of it.

By the way, this is my first Lone Gunmen fic and I have a 2nd story in mind.

Frohike looked up from his computer to see Langly walk in with Carly behind him.

" Carly, we need to talk," he greeted her. She raised an eyebrow, " What about?"
Frohike told her the story so far, " he ran out before I had a chance to explain everything." He finished.

Carly turned to Langly, " Frohike didn't take advantage of me," she assured him, " we both wanted it," she felt embarrassed for having to explain things and wondered how much Langly had seen, Frohike had not said.

Langly was staring at her, his expression angry and there was a hurt look in his blue eyes, " You kissed me the other night and now you've slept with Frohike? Was this all a malicious act?. Is this who you really are?" Langly shook his head, " and I thought I knew you. I guess I was wrong."

Carly's eyes filled with tears. She opened her mouth to explain herself but no words came. Instead, she turned and fled.

" That was harsh Langly," Frohike glared at the younger man, " There was no need to say that to Carly."

Langly had regretted his stinging remark as soon as it came out of his mouth. Frohike had left the warehouse, obviously going to go after her. " I've really done it this time haven't I?" he asked Byers.

Carly walked down the street towards Scully's apartment. She couldn't go back to her own apartment to visit her neighbour because her sister might be there. Madeline knew Scully but she didn't know where Scully lived.

She looked up when her face went white for the second time that day. Standing on the other side of the road was the CSM. He hadn't seen her yet so she ducked behind a car that was parked alongside the curb. She peeked around the car and gasped. She couldn't believe who the CSM was talking to-Madeline.

What was the CSM doing with her sister? The two people she loathed the most were working together? If she ever confronted them together, then she had no chance.
She counted to ten and peeked around again, they were gone now and she quickly headed for Scully's apartment building.

Her cell phone rang while she was in the elevator. She took it out of her pocket and glanced at the screen. The caller ID was informing her that it was Langly calling. She rejected his call, then turned the cell phone off.

She found Scully's apartment and knocked. She and Scully had become good friends during the six years she had known Scully and her partner Fox Mulder. Scully answered after a couple of seconds and seemed surprised to see Carly, " Carly…hi." She greeted her.

" I…haven't come at a bad time have I?" she asked Scully and the petite red head shook her head, " I just got back from the AD's office. Come on in." Scully stepped aside to let Carly inside.

Carly sat down on the couch, " I've had an argument with the Lone Gunmen…and I guess I need someone to talk to."

Scully and Carly were in deep conversation when someone knocked on Scully's door. Scully went to answer it, the visitor was Frohike.

" Is Carly here?" Frohike asked Scully and she nodded. She glanced back at Carly, " Frohike's here. Do you want to see him?"

As long as the visitor wasn't Langly, " Okay." Carly agreed and Scully left them alone to talk.
" I figured you'd come here, it was the only safe place for you to go." Frohike said, " Are you all right?"
" Not really. What Langly said really hurt me."
" I'll kick the punk's ass when I get back," Frohike promised. " Do you want to come back with me?"

Carly nodded and said goodbye to Scully. They went back to the warehouse and Carly went upstairs to her room, without so much as a glance at Langly.

" Is she mad at me?" Langly asked Frohike.
" You bet your ass she is and so am I," Frohike replied, then he went upstairs to see if Carly was okay.

Carly knew it was risky, but she went back to her apartment later that afternoon to pick up something she had forgotten to pack…it was important and it couldn't wait. She unlocked the door to her apartment and quickly walked toward the bedroom. She found what she was looking for and headed back into the living room. When she saw who was standing in the doorway to her apartment, her blood went cold.

" What are you doing here?" she asked, when she finally found her voice. She half expected her sister to walk in behind him. " I've come to see you. I thought it was about time I did."

The CSM walked towards her, a cigarette in his hand. He had not changed in the eight years she had known the older man. Carly felt flustered.

" It's been six years since we've seen each other…what do you want from me?"
" A second chance," the CSM answered simply.
" I gave you a second chance, six years ago, and you blew it." Carly stalked towards the door and peered out, there was no sign of Madeline. She turned back to the CSM, " You put my life in danger to save yourself…I hated you then…and hate you even more now."

The CSM walked out of her apartment, " You can't blame a man for trying," he told her. When he was gone, Carly locked the apartment.

I really do need to change the locks, Carly thought as she headed back to her temporary home.

Two hours later, an intruder broke into Carly's apartment and headed for her study. The laptop which was usually sitting on her desk wasn't there. The intruder opened the drawers and found pens, paper, sticky tape…the usual equipment found in a study desk. The intruder opened the third drawer and came across a folded up newspaper.

The intruder unfolded the newspaper, it was the latest publication of the Lone Gunmen. The intruder knew Carly was good friends with the three men and sometimes contributed to their paper.

Something click in the intruder's mind…he had a fair idea of where Carly was now staying. He wondered why he hadn't thought of it earlier.

The intruder refolded the paper and stuffed it back in the drawer and headed out the door.

Langly's fingers flew over the keys as he concentrated on writing his article for next month's publication. He wanted to finish them early so he can have plenty of spare time to play his new computer game. A shadow fell across him and he looked up.

" We need to talk," Carly said to him, " I have a few things to say to you." " Okay," Langly agreed warily and followed Carly upstairs to her room. " What you said to me earlier was really harsh," Carly began.
" I know and I'm sorry. I didn't mean it…I was angry," Langly interrupted.
Carly was about to reply when her cell phone rang. She answered it, the caller was Mulder. Her face went white and Langly was afraid she might faint.
Carly disconnected the call and grabbed her jacket, " we've got to go."
" What's wrong?"
" Someone set fire to my apartment." She told him, " Everything's been destroyed."