Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, or even, yes, Walter Skinner *sigh* do not belong to me 
(damnit). They belong to Chris Carter, Ten-Thirteen Productions and FOX 
Broadcasting. No infringement is intended... I promise to put them back... but 
I'm keeping Skinner a little longer... Joanne Thornton belongs to me... well, as 
much as she ever will...
Hold on... ah, there we go. It's a little hard to type with a cat in your lap, 
but he refuses to go. Well there's an idea in here that I'm playing around with 
that I kinda hinted at in another of my stories "Stalking...". I'd really like 
to know what you guys think. They're getting shorter people! (rah, rah) I'm 
learning. I hope you like this one... I do.
PS: Happy birthday, Scully! (yeah, yeah, she's not real... leave me alone)
Rating: X (language, violence)
Summary: Mulder, Scully and Skinner race the clock to find a kidnapped 
Thornton...
Comments, suggestions and flames are always welcome. Though, I should add, the 
flames will be used for various things, such as warm my igloo and my sled dogs, 
roast whale blubber, toast those little baby seals you've seen on the cover of 
National Geographic, and well... amuse me because I love fire. :-) (flame rights 
altered for those people who still think, even after all our efforts, that the 
land of Canada is made entirely of permafrost... let's wake up and smell the 
coffee people... it's burning.)
enjoy.
Trust In Me 
Nicole van Dam 
--Monday-- 
Bethesda, Maryland, 12:00am
The neighbourhood was completely silent. No more children in the streets playing 
hockey, no more cars coming by every two minutes. This was the time she liked 
the best. The time where, if she wanted to, she could escape into the night and 
never be seen. The fourth floor apartment was lit dimly; a few candles here and 
there. The almost floor-to-ceiling windows made for the perfect 'natural 
television'. A small shadow in the corner of the two floor apartment skulked 
toward an unsuspecting victim: A smaller animal, completely oblivious to its 
stalker.
A quiet humming momentarily distracted the hunter.
"Trust in me... Just in me... Close your eyes... And trust in me..."
Joanne Thornton walked lazily over to the small couch that faced the window and 
sat down. "Slip into silent slumber... Sail on a silver mist..." It was one of 
her favourite songs. Ironically, it was exactly what summed up most of her life 
in the past few months. A month or so earlier, she was forced to relinquish her 
badge for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and relocate because of a stalker, 
which still had a good chance of being around. But it wasn't that bad now. She 
had friends and a good place to live provided to her by the government. "... 
Slowly, but surely, your senses will cease... to exist..." She smiled slyly. 
"Trust in me... Just in me..."
A pair of warm arms reached over the back of the couch; the hands settling over 
hers. And, of course, there were other perks...
"Aren't you coming to bed?" a soft voice asked.
She felt a chin rest on her shoulder. "It's amazing, isn't it? This street was 
so busy today, you couldn't even move without bumping into someone, but now... 
you can't find a soul."
"Is that a yes, or a no?"
Chuckling, she dropped her head back, finding herself looking up at the FBI's 
Assistant Director gazing down at her. "Why?" she asked.
He kissed the tip of her nose. "It's getting lonely." His lips moved to her ear. 
"And cold."
Thornton smiled and eased away from him. "Walter Skinner, is that a hint?" she 
asked.
He looked at her with a frown. "Me?" he feigned ignorance. "Hinting? Please, 
Joanne, give me some credit." He came closer to her. "If I was hinting... you'd 
know."
"Mmmm, well thanks for the offer," she said. "But I'm going out for a walk 
before I do anything." Walter looked a little dejected. She smiled and patted 
his bare shoulder. "Take it easy, Walter," she said. "It'll only be ten 
minutes... It'll give me a chance to warm up..." She stood and walked to the 
door, grabbing her leather jacket from the couch. She turned back to him. "Wanna 
come?"
Skinner pushed himself upright. "Nah... I've had too much fresh air today."
She nodded and opened the door. "Suit yourself," she said. "I'll be back."
********
Jo descended the stairs in front of her apartment building and stuffed her hands 
in her pockets. The crunch of gravel made her smile. She remembered when she was 
a kid, wanting her shoes to make that sound when she walked and for the life of 
her, she couldn't make them do it.
"Ah, when pleasures were so innocent," she said to the deserted street.
She strolled down the street; seeing the corner in the distance that she always 
turned around at. Taking a deep breath, Jo looked into the sky and smiled. She 
loved the night. It was so alluring, even when there was the possibility of 
disaster around the corner, she still wanted to go find out. When she lowered 
her head, and the smile disappeared.
"Joanne Thornton, I presume?" The man in front of her was young, early to mid 
twenties, kind of rough looking in the wardrobe department. He stood calmly, 
without any weapons, she noticed, and smiled at her. "I'd like to offer you a 
job."
Jo stared at him without flinching. "I don't want a job," she replied.
"Oh, but I think you do." He snapped his fingers and Thornton was soon 
surrounded by five people of various ages; both sexes, but still no one had a 
weapon. "We know everything about you, Joanne." His tone turned to steel. "Get 
her."
The figures surrounding Jo began to move forward and she tensed. <Looks like 
I'll get that warm up after all.>
A man leapt for her and she ducked, allowing him to sail over her. When she 
stood straight, she felt a fist connect with her jaw and she staggered back a 
step. The woman who had thrown the punch advanced on the Brazilian to get 
another shot. When she threw another punch, Thornton caught it in her left hand 
and countered with a right hook.
The man stood back and watched her fight, not really surprised she could fight 
so well, but happy he was acquiring such a creature.
Thornton dropped to the sidewalk and swung her leg around, successfully taking 
the tall man to the ground. He was the last and she stood, regarding the 
'leader'. Her hand came to her mouth, wiping blood from the corner.
"Looks like your goons didn't work," she said, her chest heaving. "Care to take 
another approach?"
He smiled. "I'd be glad to."
The sudden pain in her neck caused Jo to reach for it. Pulling it out, she saw 
the man smiling at her. It was a dart. Fired from in the shadows, she concluded. 
Her eye sight started to blur and she blinked, trying to regain it. She felt her 
body go limp and fall to the ground. The sensation of the cold concrete was the 
last thing she remembered.
********
--Tuesday--, 10:00am
"So, where do you think he is?"
Dana Scully looked at her partner from one of the two chairs situated across 
from the Assistant Director's desk.
Mulder shrugged. "Late night maybe?" 
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Now, why don't Skinner and 'late night' go 
together in my mind?"
Fox chuckled. "Maybe it's better they didn't."
She smiled at him and the door to the AD's office opened. Walter Skinner walked 
in and strode to his desk. His eyes were tired and he hadn't made eye contact 
with either Mulder or Scully. Shuffling some papers on his desk, the two agents 
turned to each other with raised eyebrows. Their boss was not being himself.
"Sir?" Mulder asked. Skinner looked up at him. "Is everything okay?"
Walter's eyes shifted from Mulder to Scully. He knew better than to keep 
something like this from them. With a sigh, he stood and walked to his door, 
shutting it softly. When he turned back to them, he had another look in his eye.
"Joanne's gone," he told them.
Mulder and Scully frowned. "What?" Dana asked.
"She's gone," he repeated. "She went for a walk at midnight last night and 
didn't come back."
Mulder turned and looked at Scully who looked back to the AD. "Where did she 
go?" she asked.
Skinner shrugged. "I don't know... Down the street?"
"Did you try to look for her?" Mulder wondered.
Walter nodded. "For two hours."
"Do you know how may have taken her?" He shook his head. Mulder sighed. "Okay."
"We're going to have to this the hard way," Scully said.
Mulder nodded and looked at Skinner. "We'll find her."
********
Jo groaned and opened her eyes. She tried to move and discovered she was tied to 
a chair, her hands around the back and her legs to the chair's legs. Frowning, 
she checked out her surroundings. It was dimly lit and the ceiling was about 
twenty feet high. There was a large door at one end and machinery along the 
sides and junk that looked like...
"A hangar," she whispered to herself. She was in some kind of airport; the chair 
that she was on located right in the middle. She frowned. "I'm in a hangar?"
"Wilkie Collins Airport, to be exact," came a familiar voice. "West Virginia." 
Jo looked into the shadows to see a man walking out from a bunch a crates. "I 
must tell you, you're quite a catch."
Thornton stifled a laugh at the double entendre and pulled against her 
restraints. "That's what they tell me," she replied. She looked up at him. "Hey, 
I'll do what you want if you untie me."
The man laughed. "A good effort," he told her. "But I'm not that stupid."
Jo gave up and stared at him. "So who are you?"
He bowed slightly. "The name's James Wilkes, head of the Siberian Wildlife 
Organization."
The name rang a bell in her mind. "The radical activists."
"You remember us."
"A little too vividly," she replied. "What do you want with me?"
Wilkes clapped his hands together. "Thank you for asking, Joanne. Can I call you 
Jo?"
Thornton narrowed her eyes at him. "No."
At this time, the rest of the group started to emerge and positioned themselves 
around the hangar; some sitting on crates, some on a small, run-down airplane, 
and a few just stood around. Jo scanned the ones she could see and was blown 
away. The ages of these members must have ranked from fifteen to forty.
"Ms. Thornton," Wilkes started, walking around. "As of three days ago, a man by 
the name of Jefferey Horton, President of a Black Market fur company, broke his 
previous record of ninety-seven animal pelts and other merchandise sold in a 
period of a week." He looked at her. "He's now at one hundred and eight. We know 
that you are known for your efforts in the issue of animal rights." Thornton 
stared straight ahead, not bothering to look him in the eye. "And we also know 
of your... ability." Wilkes moved closer to her.
"So what do you want me to do?" Jo asked.
Wilkes trailed a finger under her chin and lifted it so she had to face him. "My 
dear, we want you to kill him."
Jo pulled her head away and looked at him incredulously. "Kill him?" she said. 
He nodded. "Why can't you do it?" she asked, jerking her chin toward him.
"Because you... are an untouchable."
Thornton laughed. "Oh, God, than you guys don't know much about me at all." 
Wilkes frowned. "I've been shot twice, had an arrow in my shoulder, and stalked 
for four months now." She chuckled. "Guys... I'm as touchable as they get."
"But you," Wilkes smirked. "You are different."
"How?"
"Strength, stealth and speed of a jaguar. What more could anyone want?"
Jo smiled. "A good movie and a carton of Haagan Daas." This evoked a laugh from 
many of the people around her.
"It's good you have a sense of humour," Wilkes told her. "You're going to need 
one."
She gazed at him intently. "I'm not killing anyone."
He returned the glare. "We'll see about that."
********
"Here."
Walter Skinner dropped a tall pile of files in front of Mulder and Scully. The 
two of them looked at each other and sighed.
"I'm going through these," Skinner said, dropping his own pile on the table as 
he sat down. "We need to go through her cases to see if there are any people 
that she may have been tangled up with... Maybe if we find them, we'll find 
her."
Glancing at each other, Mulder and Scully started flipping through the files.
********
Jo licked her lips, feeling their dryness. "Hey," she croaked. No one paid any 
attention. "Hey!" A small boy turned to her. "You think I could get some water?" 
He hopped off his perch on a wooden crate and walked toward her. He regarded her 
cautiously. "How old are you?" she asked. "Ten? Eleven?"
"Thirteen," the boy said.
"Geez," Jo whispered, shaking her head. She looked over to the man in charge. 
"Hey, Wilkes!" He looked over to her from a table with a few men looking at a 
bunch of papers. "This kid the legal age for terrorism?" The boy beside her 
frowned; an instant rage brewing inside him. Without another thought, his fist 
buried itself into her stomach, successfully knocking the wind out of her. The 
look on Jo's face was of pure shock and she coughed, trying to gain her breath 
back. Wilkes walked over with a smile on his face and stopped beside the small 
boy, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Why don't you go cool off, Dan," he said, turning the boy away. "I'll talk to 
you later." He looked at Jo and smiled.
Thornton raised her head to him, her chest heaving. "You got a leash for that 
kid, Wilkes?" she managed to get out.
James chuckled. "Dan is somewhat of a crackerjack," he said. "He likes to think 
he's one of us."
"Do you usually recruit kids out of elementary school?"
The man's face hardened. "Listen, he came to *us*. Not vice versa."
Jo twisted her hands in the bindings around the back of the chair. "What about 
school? A childhood? Are you going to deny him of all that? Who's going to be 
responsible when that kid kills his first human, huh?" She stared at him with 
the challenge. "Are you going to cover him?"
Wilkes knelt beside the chair and looked directly into her face. "I don't need 
you to tell me how to run my team. They are all responsible for themselves."
"But you need to drag me in to kill a company president? What's the matter, 
Wilkes? Don't you have the--" His hand came across her face quickly; a sharp 
sound silenced the rest of the group. A few turned. Jo's face flew to the side; 
her eyes closed.
James moved close to her ear. "I don't like your attitude," he said. Her tongue 
moved over the split skin and she could feel Wilkes's breath on her face; 
waiting for her to do something. When she didn't, he continued. "If you don't 
kill Horton... There's gonna be a double murder tomorrow night."
********
"My, God... Mulder, look at this." Fox dropped his files face up and shifted 
over a chair to look over his partner's shoulder. "In 1990, Jo was involved in a 
chase which resulted in her breaking her arm twice."
Mulder's eyebrows raised. "Where?"
"Ummm.... Humerus and Radius."
"No, I meant where was the chase."
"Oh... ah..." She shrugged. "New York." She pointed at a spot in the file. "Says 
here that she wasn't supposed to be a part of the investigation... Sounds like 
you, Mulder."
He smiled at her. "Ha-ha... what happened?"
"Nothing big. There was a chase that just happened by her and she took off on 
her bike. Um... says that she rode up next to the suspect's car and while 
holding a gun on the driver, the car swerved to the left, pushing her into the 
gravel shoulder. Um... The bike spun out and that was that... Sounds like you, 
Mulder."
He looked at her and smiled politely. "Any possibility that those guys are still 
around?"
Dana shook her head. "Doubtful. They were just given a few years." She flipped 
through the file. "No word on them since."
The two of them were silent as they pondered the case. Mulder looked over at the 
other mountain of files the Assistant Director had left there when he left them 
for the day. The curiosity was just killing him. He turned to his partner.
"Hey, Scully?"
"Hm, yeah?" She looked up from the file in her hands.
Fox shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "What do you make of Skinner's sudden 
interest in Jo?"
"I don't think it's a sudden interest at all," she replied.
He frowned. "What do you mean?"
Scully shrugged and moved to face him. "Well... You remember when Jo was being 
stalked and you mentioned we should go to talk to Skinner?" Mulder nodded. 
"Well, she recognized the name. Even said his first. And he was the one she 
stayed with after the whole fight thing at the cabin. So... what do I make of 
it?" She shrugged again. "Nothing, really."
He frowned. "There's something else going on here."
********
--Wednesday--, 9:00am
"Agent Pendrell?"
The small redheaded agent straightened at the sound of the voice. "Yes, sir?"
Walter Skinner walked into the lab. "Did you find anything on that dart I 
brought in yesterday?"
Pendrell nodded. "Yeah, um..." He moved over to a small table. "The dart had 
traces of blood and fingerprints on it. They both belong to a Ms. Joanne 
Thornton, who used to be an agent for the FBI."
"Anything on the substance?"
"Yes." Pendrell picked up a sheet of paper and shrugged. "All I found were 
traces of an acetamenophin and Codeine. Now, adverse effects of that combination 
goes anywhere from nausea to sedation."
Skinner shifted his weight from one foot to the next. "How long would that 
last?" he asked.
"Not very," Pendrell replied. "Usually if the person lies down, it alleviates 
the effect."
Walter nodded and turned to leave. "Thank you, agent Pendrell."
The agent nodded. "No problem, sir."
********
Joanne Thornton groaned at the stiffness in her muscles. She shifted slightly, 
feeling the binds at her wrists and ankles cause painful friction against her 
skin. Looking around the hangar, she noticed most of the people of the SWO had 
left. Her tongue came out to touch the dried blood at the corner of her mouth 
and her stomach growled. She hadn't eaten for two days and they hadn't given her 
much water either.
Her head turned slightly at the sound of someone walking on the concrete floor. 
She squinted into the darkness, trying to make out the figure in the shadows. 
When she saw the familiar face of James Wilkes, she relaxed slightly.
"So," Wilkes started, walking up to her. "Changed your mind yet?"
"I told you I wasn't killing anyone," Thornton replied. "And I meant it."
Wilkes sighed in frustration. "Why must you be so stubborn?" he asked. "This 
man, Horton, he's against everything you believe in."
"Just because the man sells illegal furs doesn't mean I'm going to track him 
down and kill him." She looked up at Wilkes. "I don't see why ridding him from 
the world of the living is going to do anything."
"It will rid the world of one less monster."
"What about you?" Jo asked him. "Does killing people not define one of the worst 
kinds of monsters?"
James kneeled to the ground and glared at her. "What about *you*?" he said. "I 
believe jailing someone who is innocent is one of the worst crimes, is it not?"
"Johannsen deserved to go to jail," she replied, he tone stern. "The action he 
took was uncalled for."
"Was it?" Wilkes stood and stepped away from her. "David was the best leader we 
had, until you arrested him. Now I'm the one in charge." He smiled. "And I've 
got you at my mercy."
Jo smirked. "Not quite."
He raised an eyebrow in question. "Not quite? I think I do. You can't change, 
now can you? You're tied up and unable to reach anything that may help you."
"I don't need the necklace anymore, Wilkes," Thornton replied. James frowned. 
"So this you didn't know? Ah, well, let me enlighten you..."
********
The Assistant Director arrived after lunch to find Mulder and Scully looking 
over the files he had given them the day before. He was grateful that he had the 
two of them working on the case with him. He needed the help.
"Found anything?" he asked them.
Mulder looked up his boss. "Not yet. We've gone through most of the cases and we 
still haven't really found anything to go on."
"Wait," Scully's voice cut in. "I think I've got something." 
Skinner walked over to look over her shoulder and Mulder leaned in closer. "What 
is it?" Walter asked.
"Jo had a run-in with a group called the Siberian Wildlife Organization in 1994. 
Their leader at the time, a David Johannsen, murdered the president of a chain 
of fur companies because she went against what he believed in. Jo arrested him 
and brought him in on three counts of breaking an entering, two counts on 
disturbing the peace, one on pre-meditated murder, and one on second degree 
murder." Mulder let out a low whistle as Scully flipped the page over. "She's 
been on the SWO's black list ever since."
"Even though she's with them on their beliefs?" Mulder asked.
Dana turned to him. "I don't think she'd be after killing anyone," she replied. 
"Jo may have strong beliefs, but I don't think she'd cross the law." Mulder 
nodded his agreement.
Skinner rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Do we know the group's location as of 
now?"
Scully flipped through a few pages. "Doesn't say anything in here. This is just 
the case."
"But I'm sure we can figure it out," Mulder said.
Skinner nodded. "I think it's time we paid a visit to our computer records 
office."
********
"It'll take a few minutes, but after that, it'll have everything on every 
wildlife organization in the country."
Walter patted the woman on the shoulder, silently telling her she could go. 
"Thank you, agent Reid."
Looking over her shoulder, Pamela Reid nodded and left the three agents to their 
business. "Just call if you need anything."
Skinner took the woman's place in the chair, Mulder and Scully standing behind 
him. "So, why do you think they took her?" Scully asked.
Her partner shrugged. "Could be one of a few reasons," he replied. "They could 
want to show her what they're doing now and possibly offer her a membership, 
they could want her to see how powerful they are, they could want something from 
her, or..." his voice trailed off.
"What?" Dana asked.
"They could want her dead," came the AD's voice. The screen flashed up a number 
of organizations' names and Walter scrolled down to find the one they were 
looking for. "Siberian Wildlife Organization," he read. "A radical group of 
animal activists started in 1990 by David Johannsen, a professor at NYU before 
he resigned to gather a few of his students and exiled members of Green Peace. 
He managed to dodge the law until he murdered Janice Leibermann, president of 
Walton's Fur Company."
"When Jo came in," Scully said.
Skinner continued down the screen. "FBI agent Joanne Thornton arrested Johannsen 
and jailed him for life."
"So where are they now?" Mulder asked.
"The SWO's present whereabouts are unknown and the group's current leader, James 
Wilkes, has presently disappeared."
"Great," Mulder whispered.
"There's got to be something more," Walter said, scrolling the screen down 
further. "That can't be it."
"There," Dana said, pointing to the screen. "Jeffery Horton, a president of a 
Black Market fur company has had several run-ins with the SWO since 1992. He's 
been able to avoid the authorities for almost ten years. There's a quote: 'As 
long as I'm part of the SWO, Mr. Horton should fear for his life.' James Wilkes, 
1994."
"That's what they want her for," Mulder said.
"What?" Skinner turned in his seat.
Fox brought a hand to his chin. "Unless anyone from the SWO wants to be 
arrested, they can't touch Horton. But Jo..."
"They can blame it on her," Walter said. "Kill two birds. Joanne kills Horton 
and gets away with it, the group has the president out of their way and they can 
report Joanne to the police. If she kills Horton and gets caught, they've got 
the president and her out of their way... It's a win-win situation."
Mulder grabbed his jacket off the desk behind him. "Let's find out where Horton 
is now, huh?"
********
Thornton was woken up rather rudely by a slap to the face. <Great,> she thought 
foggily. <Another bruise to add to my collection.> She opened her eyes and 
looked up into the face of James Wilkes.
He smiled. "So, Thornton," he said. "Tonight's the night. What'll it be?"
Jo pulled at her bindings, momentarily forgetting she had them. She couldn't 
pull off the stubborn thing much longer. It had been too long since her last 
meal and she didn't have much energy to fight anyone off.
She swallowed and grimaced at the dryness in her throat. "All right," she said. 
"I'll do it. But I want something to eat first."
"Oh, no, I'm sorry," Wilkes said. "We can't do that. We can give you some water, 
but no food until the job's done."
She glared at him. "Bastard."
James shrugged. "Call me what you will, but the offer's in stone."
Jo breathed deeply a few times to calm herself. "Okay, okay, no food. I'll do 
it... And I'll take the water too."
Wilkes turned and smiled. "Very good," he said. "We leave in an hour."
********
"1567 Willford St." Mulder told his partner and boss. "Horton's there until ten, 
then he moves to his company's headquarters."
Skinner checked the clip in his gun. "They'll try him on the move," he said. "We 
should move right to the headquarters and wait for them there. Scully, call for 
a backup team and meet us there." Dana nodded and left the AD's office. "Mulder, 
I'll need your help if they don't come in time."
Mulder nodded. "Sir, I have to ask, are you okay?"
Walter slipped his gun into the shoulder holster. "Talk to me later about 
emotions, Mulder," he replied. "Now's not the time."
********
"Okay people, let's move it!"
Members of the SWO ran to their respective vans and leapt into the back. Wilkes 
watched the team take their positions as a weary Thornton took her place beside 
him. She hadn't bothered cleaning herself up, or ridding herself of the rope 
around her wrists; Wilkes only concerned with freeing them from each other. Her 
leather jacket had been left inside, actually adopted by one of the SWO, so she 
just wore a t-shirt tucked into a pair of jeans. Squinting at the hangar lights, 
she rubbed her arm.
James looked at her and smiled. "Ah, Joanne," he said. "So glad you're feeling 
better."
She turned her bruised face toward him. "I'm feeling as good as you could get in 
my position," she replied. "Let's get on with this, okay?"
"My sentiments exactly. Follow me." Wilkes lead her to a waiting van and helped 
her inside. "Now," he started. "Once we reach the company's headquarters, we'll 
wait until ten, when Horton arrives. At that time, a group of my people will 
come out of the alley beside his headquarters and surround him. Once that's 
accomplished, you'll approach Horton with this gun." Wilkes held a revolver out 
for Jo to take. Thornton reached out and took it apprehensively. "You'll shoot 
him." She looked up at Wilkes who stared back. "No talking. Just point and pull. 
You're the only one with a weapon. When he's dead, come back here and we'll wait 
until the perimeter's clear then let you go."
"How do I know you'll keep your word?" she asked.
James winked at her. "You'll just have to trust me."
********
"Nine-fifty," Fox answered. "Where the hell is Scully?"
"Right here, partner," came a voice behind him. "Nice to see you too." She 
turned to Skinner. "The team's set up inside and outside the building. No one's 
getting in or out." She looked out the window. "What's the plan?"
Walter watched the building across the street. "We wait."
The three of them sat at a window across the street from the headquarters. 
Neither really knowing what to expect. Part of them not wanting to know. 
Skinner's nerves were getting to him and if Horton didn't show soon, he was 
afraid he was going to lose control. It was the sudden movement of a car that 
caught their attention.
"Look," Mulder said. The car stopped in front of the building. The lights turned 
off, as well as the car, and the door opened. A tall man stepped out dressed in 
a business suit and holding a briefcase.
"Horton," Skinner told them. All they needed now was Wilkes. It was his move 
now. "Come on, Wilkes," he whispered.
Scully pointed to the shadows to the left of Horton. "There," she said. "The 
SWO." A small group of figures emerged from the alley and moved on the 
president.
Fox stood and drew his gun. "Come on--" He was cut off by a steel grip on his 
arm.
"No," came Skinner's voice. "We wait until Joanne shows."
They watched the group surround a bewildered Horton, who was trying to 
understand what was going on. Then a van pulled up, the back doors opening. The 
dark shape of a woman tentatively stepped out, a gun in hand, and walked up to 
the president.
"There she is," Walter said, getting to his feet. "Let's move."
********
Joanne Thornton wasn't sure what to do. There was no way she was going to be 
responsible for this man's death, no matter how many times he'd done something 
illegal. It just wasn't how it was done. She walked up to Horton, her chest 
heaving, seeing the rest of the SWO watch her. She knew that if she didn't do 
this, that they would kill her along with Horton. Jo swallowed, raising the gun 
in both hands.
<God, forgive me...>
********
"Move in, move in," Scully ordered, holding the walkie-talkie to her mouth.
Skinner's eyes widened as he saw Jo raise the gun and he froze halfway across 
the street. "Joanne!" he called. He saw her head turn and he started toward her 
slowly. "You don't need to do this."
Suddenly, the back of the van opened again and another figure stepped out, 
coming up behind Jo. It was Wilkes.
Thornton straightened her head and flinched at the sensation of the cold steel 
against her skin. "Do it, Thornton," Wilkes whispered. "And I'll consider not 
killing you."
"Joanne!"
She didn't move, she couldn't move. It was like she was frozen in place. She 
knew Skinner was there watching and she prayed he'd do something. She couldn't 
do this herself. The barrel of the gun pressed harder against her neck and she 
moved under it.
"Come on, Thornton," James said harshly. "Do it."
Swallowing hard, Jo cocked the gun and raised the gun to her sights. She closed 
her eyes, feeling a tear roll down her face; her chest heaving.
Feeling his heart pound against his chest, Walter did the same, training his own 
weapon on Wilkes. "Forget it, Wilkes!" he yelled. "We've got twenty officers 
around the area! There's no way you're getting out!" Mulder and Scully watched, 
their own guns drawn, waiting for an outcome. The both of them manoeuvered 
themselves around the SWO's circle.
Realizing there *was* no way out, Wilkes swallowed and curved his finger around 
the trigger. He leaned to Jo's ear to try again. "Joanne," he said. "You're not 
making this any easier." She didn't move. She stood stock still, not sure what 
she should do, but knowing the outcome of one of the choices.
Skinner licked his lips and stepped a little closer, his gun still on the SWO 
President. His eyes were trained on Wilkes's finger around the trigger, waiting, 
and almost wanting him to try it.
"Your choice, Joanne," James said. He swallowed. "It's been nice knowing you." 
Wilkes tightened his finger a little around the trigger and a shot rang out. Jo 
flinched and shut her eyes, waiting for the pain and her body to lose itself, 
but it never came. She heard Wilkes's body fall to the concrete sidewalk and she 
released the breath she'd been holding. The members of the SWO were in such 
shock, they couldn't move, ultimately making easy targets for the backup team to 
arrest. Skinner hurried to Jo's side. He reached for her outstretched arms, 
taking the gun gingerly from her hands, carefully making sure it didn't go off. 
He looked over his shoulder and handed the gun to Mulder, who glanced at Scully 
at his side.
Thornton turned her head to see Skinner looking down at her. She moved to face 
him and pulled him down to her, kissing him once and wrapping her arms around 
him. Walter closed his eyes, resting his chin on her head and held her closely. 
After a minute, he pulled away and looked down at her.
"Are you okay?" he asked, fingering the bruises that decorated her face.
Jo smiled weakly and nodded. "I'll be a lot better once I've eaten," she 
replied. "I haven't eaten in two days."
Mulder and Scully walked up to them, seeing the coast was clear.
"How does pizza sound?" Mulder asked. "Scully's treat."
Dana frowned, glaring up at her partner. "Mulder... Come here..." He smiled down 
at her.
Thornton laughed. "Sounds like a plan," she said. "Just point me to the nearest 
parlor."
********
A few days later...
The curtains in the window waved in the breeze that happened through every now 
and then. Taking a deep breath, the Assistant Director to turn over in bed. His 
eyes opened briefly and he was surprised to find his partner still awake; facing 
the ceiling.
"Joanne?" he asked. He frowned and propped himself on his elbow. "You okay?"
Jo's eyes flicked to his face. "I was going to kill him," she said seriously. "I 
was going to kill that man if it wasn't for you."
Skinner nodded and motioned for her to come closer. She rolled onto her side, 
feeling his arms move around her, and buried her face in his bare chest. "You 
had no choice," he told her. "It was his life, or your own and I don't think 
you'd sacrifice yourself for a criminal like him... Am I right?"
He felt her sigh tickle his skin. "Yeah."
He hugged her tightly as a comfortable silence fell over them and he stared at 
the wall. "Did you tell Mulder and Scully?" he asked, referring to their 
relationship.
"I told Dana," she told him. "No doubt Mulder'll know tomorrow." She looked up 
at him. "That's okay, right?"
Walter smiled and nodded. "They'd have found out sooner or later. I'm just glad 
they heard it from one of us and not the grapevine."
Jo looked at him suspiciously. "Now how would the grapevine figure it out, 
Walter?"
Skinner swallowed. "Did I tell you how much I missed you?" he said, rolling over 
her. He kissed her lightly. "And did I mention how lovely you look tonight?"
Thornton smirked. "Uh-huh..." She hummed her approval, tilting her head back, 
and closed her eyes. "I'll get you in the morning..."
THE END 
February 23, 1997 
"Slip into silent slumber Sail on a silver mist Slowly but surely Your senses 
will cease... to exist" --The Holly Cole Trio "Trust In Me"
"What is beyond... is really within." --Hindu concept
"Adonde vas... Alli estas." ("Wherever you go... there you are") --Buckaroo 
Banzai (I just think it sounds better in Spanish)
Death to Roborat!! >:-)