Mulder turned the small jewellery box over and read the inscription on the back. He had spent almost an hour talking with Reyes about what she had been told by her birth mother's sister, Sophia, in Mexico. Most of it had been relayed to him by Scully months ago, but somehow hearing Reyes telling him and her emotion made it so much more significant.

"I still can't quite get used to this."

"Yeah. I know."

"I mean, I know you must think I've been completely thrilled and laid back about this and the pressure I've put you under to accept you're my sister. When in fact I'm just as taken a back about this as you are. Seeing this photograph, the family that extends from you and our father... And this, this gift, I mean. This guy told your mother he didn't want anything to do with you, and yet here he's apologising for not being able to stay with her."

"Mulder I've been through it a million times in my head, believe me it doesn't get any easier. At least not yet."

"I just feel so guilty, like some how this is all my fault."

"Well that's because it is." Mulder looked at Reyes and she was actually smiling. He didn't know it but she actually felt better for talking about this again. She had been acting like it didn't matter for so long, and with Doggett she had made him believe that she was strong enough to handle this alone. Somewhere a line had to be crossed and she had to let some of this out, or someone else in.

"There's so much more we need to know Monica."

"I know."

"I mean, what exactly happened when you went missing as a child"

"I don't know. Sophia wouldn't talk about it and I didn't like to push her, I'd only just met her. All I know is that the woman who gave birth to me loved me and for some reason she wasn't the woman to bring me up."

"And your adoptive parents have no idea about what you were doing there"

"No. I have no intention of telling them either."

"But Monica, you know you're going to have to go back."

"Why"

"Because you need to ask about your disappearance. We need to know what happened and if it had anything to do with my father or his work, for all we know you could have been abducted..."

"Mulder, just slow down."

"I don't have time to slow down! My son is in danger, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let anything or anyone harm a hair on his head."

"I would never let anything happen to William. But you can't just order me about. I have other things to think about, people to consider."

"John" Reyes paused a second before continuing. Discussing her love life with Mulder was not something she felt entirely comfortable with, brother or not.

"Yes. I don't know how to fit a boyfriend, a home, a job, and a government conspiracy that puts my life in danger, in all at the same time. I understand that you need to know more about my past, I need to know too but I can't answer anything for you that I don't know. Just let me do this at my pace and trust that I will do right by everyone."

Mulder looked at her and slowly nodded his head.

"Ok. But we've got no time to waste with this Monica. I'm going to see Gibson when he gets back to me that he hasn't moved. I tried to contact him earlier but..." Mulder's cell phone began to ring and he took it out of his pocket with an apologetic look on his face, it was Scully.

"Yeah... When? ... No... Yeah I'm still with Monica... I know... Ok, I will." He hung up the phone and looked at Reyes.

"What is it"

"That was Scully. Gibson called. He's in New Mexico." Reyes looked at Mulder and knew exactly what he was thinking. He was going to ask her to go with him to New Mexico. But she wasn't sure that she was ready for a brother/sister family trip.

"Monica..."

"I know, this is the perfect opportunity for us both to ask some more questions. But I'm just not sure." Mulder could sense that Reyes was emotional drained after their long evening; suddenly he wondered where Doggett was. He didn't want to push her any further. This had been a step forward for both of them.

"Ok. Think about. I should go." They both stood up and Reyes was relieved he'd decided to call it a night. She was tired and this wasn't exactly a relaxing evening. Mulder opened the door and turned back to Reyes.

"I know that this was hard for you. I just hope that you know you're not alone." He walked to his car and Reyes closed the door. She shivered and went back into the empty house. She looked around and thought that Mulder had been wrong about one thing. She was alone.


Reyes was up half the night again. Thinking. Wondering what exactly it was that made a person so afraid to know about their past. To understand where they came from and how they ended up being the person they are with the people they know.

Why did it make her panic so much to think about going to Mexico again? Her parents were there, she always said she should see more of them. But Mulder was right that if she went back she would have to tell them why. No more lies.

She still hadn't been able to talk to Doggett about this. It was so frustrating that something was blocking the part of her that would usually reach out to him. He was the one person in her life who she didn't want to lose or upset, but she knew she was pushing him away and that she risked losing him. She spent half the night wondering what she was doing to their relationship, and she could only think of one thing that might make things less straining on how much they cared for one another.

"John, can we talk"

"Sure." He sat down on the bed beside her. He had just got dressed for work and been surprised that Reyes was still in bed but he didn't ask any questions.

"I've been thinking, and I don't like how things have become between us this past couple of days."

"Me either."

"So I think it would be best if I moved out."

"What"

"I'm going to Mexico with Mulder, to see Gibson and to ask Sophia more questions about my birth mother and the circumstances around my disappearance, and when I come back I'm going back to my apartment. There's three months left on my lease and I think it would do us good."

"Why"

"Because right now the time I spend with you isn't for you. Or us. It's for me, and I can feel it pulling us apart. I don't want to lose you, and when I'm with you I want it to be because we're both committed to that moment together not because we live together and have to see each other."

"Monica, I know this has been tough on you but I've been keeping my feelings bottled up for two days now, you can't just announce this and expect no reaction from me"

"I don't."

"You're pushing me away we're not pulling apart, you're pushing us apart and if you move out you're only pulling us further away from each other."

"That's not true."

"Yes it is! You say this is for us, this is to make us closer, it's an excuse for you to wallow in self-pity and not let me help you. If you go through with this I don't know that there'll be much point is us seein' each other."

"John, I don't want to lose you."

"You move out and that's exactly what you'll do." Doggett stood up and went down the stairs. Reyes listened to him storming about until he finally left for work. An hour early. She sat in bed she began to cry, she didn't know what to do, she didn't even know what she wanted anymore.