Gibson hated when things went wrong. There had been so many contradicting thoughts between Krycek, Scully and Mulder that he had been unable to determine whether she would run, or afterwards where they all went. He could make an educated guess that they had gone home, but it was too risky for him to go there. After all, he was just a boy still, and they could finish him off quite easily, if they managed to stop him from reading their minds and plans that is. Which for him was very good news. Nobody could stop him now. Nobody but that boy, and this was a problem with a very easy solution.

He had been out walking for hours now, thinking about Scully and Mulder. As he walked down the street he was lost in his head, thinking about how this was all going rather well considering that by now they had had so many chances to stop him. All they had to do was talk to William, William knew everything, and he knew how to stop Gibson. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice he was being followed. He crossed over the street and started to walk down the alley where he had found an abandoned room he was sleeping in.

He was very tired, another reason he probably wasn't aware he was being followed. There were so many people walking around him he had gotten so used to closing out the thoughts that were random and unimportant to him. So when he suddenly sensed a threat he was unprepared and certainly not ready for the hands that grabbed him from behind, the hands that covered his mouth and dragged his small frame into a corner where they were all safely out of sight.

As Gibson looked at the two men he wanted to laugh. But instead he just stared at them. He could read every thought in their heads and it was most amusing to him. Mulder and Doggett didn't find any of this amusing, and as they stood with him pinned against the wall, demanding answers, they both knew they wouldn't learn anything new from him, but Mulder had a crying lover at home, and Doggett had a lover near death at the hospital. Neither of them was in a hurry to think about the reality they were both fighting against. Gibson loved how weak they both were, that they had turned to violence and hunting him down to get some kind of release from the evils of the real world.

"I want answers from you Gibson."

"I know what you want Mulder. I always know."

"Don't give me any of that mind reading crap. I understand what's going on, I know what you want, I know who you fear, and I know how you plan on making this fight your last. But what I don't know is why. I mean, what the hell happened to you?" Doggett watched as Gibson stared at Mulder and he was anxious for answers himself, it was Gibson's desires that had led to Monica being in the hospital. So the sooner Gibson spoke the better.

"You already know Mulder. You know everything. You have the questions and the answers, the problems and the solutions. You just don't know it. And yet its so obvious where this all lies."

"Enough of the BS Gibson, we protected you, we helped you, and this is how you repay us? I swear to God if Monica... if she doesn't pull through this I will kill you myself do you hear me?" Mulder put his hand on Doggett's arm and the two men gave each other an understanding look.

"It's William isn't it. He knows what's going on, what you want."

"He's just three years old. How could you possibly ask of his help." With his last remark Gibson walked free and Doggett watched him resisting the urge to pull out his weapon. They couldn't bring him in. If the FBI got a hold of him they'd never let anyone talk with him, and there was no evidence pinning any of this on him. So for now, he walked. But as he did so he did it with the satisfaction that he had left Mulder and Doggett knowing that they were powerless. For once, there was truly nothing they could do.

Reyes never walked alone now. Emily was with her, by her side, every minute of every day. But there was so much to be said, to be interpreted that Reyes was tired of walking, tired of listening to the small girl. And yet at the same time, there were things she needed explaining, and more than anything she wanted to know if she was ever going to get out of this. Whether the answer was what she wanted to hear or not, she needed to know.

"Monica, you must know now that I am here to be your guide."

"You're just a little girl."

"I am the only link between you and your fate. The path that you are walking is a dangerous path. I'm here so that if anyone tries to stop you from the other side, to end your duties, I can prevent them from getting to you."

"But where is this, what is this?"

"This is limbo."

"Are you serious?"

"Not the limbo you're thinking about. We're not trapped between life and death or heaven and hell. We're here to do a job Monica. I'm here to do the one thing for my mom I couldn't do before."

"What's that?"

"Give her a daughter." Reyes looked at Emily and sighed, this was a lot to take in.

"How long have you been here?"

"Only a few days longer than you. I was at peace, in a white place, but then I was sent for to protect you. At first I was supposed to protect her, but that was too hard, and I couldn't get near her like you can. You were the next best thing."

"So you're saying I got shot, almost died and then brought here for a reason that I couldn't stop?"

"Yes. Understand Monica that this is not going to be easy. We have a long journey ahead of us, and if anything goes wrong, it's the end for both of us."

"But what am I supposed to do, why am I here?"

"You're here to protect her. You're the only other female Mulder. You're her blood, there's a connection that no one can destroy, it's new and it's strong. You're the one Monica." Emily stopped talking but Reyes couldn't stop hearing her voice over and over again in her head. This was the most bizarre and surreal thing that she had ever been conscious of. There had been some strange events in her life, but this took the cake.

She was in some kind of world half way between reality and whatever the hell existed opposite it, and she was supposed to be protecting her family and the people that she loved dearest? And who was the mystery female that Emily had been referring to?

The person that Reyes' bloodline was akin with and would therefore save her life? The more answers she was given the more questions she had. How much longer she could go on like this she didn't know. But she hoped it would all be over sooner rather than later.

Emily took her hand and they sat down on a bench positioned by a small stream that Reyes had grown fond of whenever she wanted to think things over in this strange place. Emily knew this, and that was why she had sat them down here.

"Monica I know this is hard. I'm nine years old and I'm expected to lay all of this on you and have you take my word for it. But if you don't there will be no tomorrow for any of us, not in this life or the next."

"I just don't see what I can do from here."

"You will. But first I have to show you what will happen if you let this responsibility slide."

"What are you the ghost of Christmas yet to come?" Emily laughed, she may have died young but her adoptive parents had both read 'A Christmas Carol' to her several times, the joke here was not lost on her.

"You have to trust me Monica. There's no one else here for you but me."