Rating: X, H Summary: A few peaceful days on the Skinner family farm... Archive: wherever... just make sure my name's on it. Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, and Walter Skinner belong to Chris Carter, Ten-Thirteen Productions, and 20th Century FOX Broadcasting. No copyright infringement is intended. Don't bother taking me to court... they know me too well over there already... Joanne Thornton belongs to me... well... as much as she ever will... sigh... you give them an inch... Alexandra Kennedy belongs to Fiona Bland, thanks for the loan... Okay, this is the last one until Friday. Exams have basically ambushed me from the alleys and while trying to sort out Plato, Niccolo Macchiavelli, titrations, Leonardo da Vinci, Lorenzo Ghiberti, and the Ideal Gas Law equation, I couldn't stop thinking about this story and how I still needed to edit it and get it posted. Anyway, gotta go study... 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... come ON people... Did you all FAIL geography or something???) Heheh... enjoy... Down on The Farm Nicole van Dam The country had almost always been a quiet, peaceful place to take a vacation. The sun creeping over the horizon woke the barnyard animals and started the day. Everything at this time of day looked clean and unused. It was six o'clock in the morning on Walter Skinner's sister's farm in West Virginia. She and her husband had decided to take a week off and asked Skinner if he wouldn't mind keeping an eye on things for them. Of course, he said no. He'd always had a soft spot for his sister and would do anything for her. His vacation time played a perfect part in the plan. At dawn, everyone and everything got up. The sun was your alarm clock. And so Walter stood in the kitchen of the farm house, dressed, fed, and in the middle of his second cup of coffee. He liked getting up early when you had something so beautiful to look at and care for. Glancing at the clock on the wall, Walter set the mug down and walked quietly up the stairs to his bedroom. The old wood floor creaked underneath his weight as he stopped at the door and slowly pushed it open. There, curled up on the left side of the bed, was the sleeping form of Joanne Thornton. She didn't seem to know the farm routine. With a smile, Skinner knelt on the empty side of the bed and leaned over the Brazilian. "Joanne?" he said softly. She let out a groan, ignoring him. "Joanne." With a long intake of breath, Thornton rolled onto her back and looked up at the Assistant Director hovering above her. "Time to get up," he told her. She grimaced at the prospect and rolled away from him, covering her head with the blanket. Walter shook his head at her. "Joanne..." "I'm not allowed to get up before eight," she mumbled from beneath the wool. "Doctor's orders." Skinner chuckled. "Doctor who? Frankenstein?" He put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her onto her back. She groaned again, pretending to cry. "Nooooo," she whined. "I'm on vacation." "Vacation?" Walter asked in disbelief. "From what? You haven't worked for over four months." She stared at him for a minute. "It's my birthday." "Not until tomorrow," he countered. "Nice try. Get up." Grabbing the corner of the blanket, Walter yanked the cover away, revealing the Brazilian in shorts and a t-shirt. Jo glared at him, her eyes narrowed. "Come on," he said. "Take a shower; I'll put some bacon and eggs on for you." Jo dragged herself onto her feet as Skinner walked back out and down the stairs. She sighed heavily, running a hand through her hair. This was going to take a while getting used to. ******** The morning sun was a pleasant feeling on Alexanrda Kennedy's face. She and her inherited horse, Ivory, trotted leisurely down the side of the country road, taking in the scenery. "Nothing beats a morning ride, huh, Ivory?" The horse responded with a shake of his head. Despite the time being nine o'clock, the sun had already established itself in the sky, radiating quite a bit of heat for spring time. Kennedy wiped the sweat from her forehead, using her legs to grip Ivory as she shed her light jacket, revealing a dark blue t-shirt. The Canadian squinted at the sight of a tall barn approaching on the horizon and shaded her eyes to get a better look. "Hey, Ivory, check it out." Kennedy clicked lightly to speed her horse up. She always enjoyed checking out the farms around there. They were relatively close to where she boarded Ivory and she always looked for any signs of the equine kind. As they approached, she glanced the farm house over, noticing a familiar looking blue car and a red Harley Davidson. The two objects never really registered in her mind as the back yard became slightly visible. Kennedy peered as far in as she could when she saw a tall, shirtless man chopping wood. A smile slowly crept its way across her face as she halted Ivory to get a longer look. "Nice," she mumbled to herself, noting the slightly larger than medium build. The man raised the axe again, allowing a full frontal look. "Very nice." It was then that it hit her. "Oh, my God." She squinted at the figure and leaned forward, almost falling off the horse. The man was wearing a baseball cap which made decidedly harder to identify him, but there was no mistaking him. "Uncle Walt?" Another figure joined the first which was easily identifiable. Jo Thornton. "What the hell are they doing out here?" After watching Thornton leave with another arm load of wood, Kennedy reached into her hip sack around her waist and pulled out her cell phone. Pressing a single button, she raised the phone to her ear. It only took two rings before: "Scully's cell phone, Mulder speaking." Kennedy chuckled when she heard the phone's owner in the background. "Just because you keep losing your cell phone, doesn't mean you can play with mine." "Hey, Mulder, it's me." "Kennedy!" Fox exclaimed. "How are you?" "Okay, thanks," she replied. "Listen, I need you to check something for me." "Sure." "I'm standing outside a farm in West Virginia and I was wondering if you could check the owner." "What for?" The Canadian smiled. "Curiosity. Can you do it?" "I guess so." "Great. It's about ten miles from Buckhannon." "All right. Call you later." Kennedy said good-bye and hung the phone up, replacing it in her pocket. With one last look to the Assistant Director, she continued on her ride. ******** The axe fell, successfully sending the two pieces of wood flying to the ground. Walter took the cap off his head, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and replaced it. He yanked the axe head out of the large flat tree stump and walked a few steps to retrieve more wood. Jo dropped the load of wood onto the large pile, not bothering to straighten it. She blew out a puff of air, cooling her red face as she pulled her tank top away from her body. Her eyes squinted at the bright sun that was almost straight overhead. Staggering back to the chopped wood, Jo eyed the chopping block. Taking the opportunity, she laid across the stump and covered her eyes with her arm. Skinner turned around and smiled at the picture. He walked over and looked down at the Brazilian until her arm moved from her eyes. Using a finger, Jo traced an imaginary line across her stomach. "You can cut right there," she said. Walter laughed and started to turn when Thornton grabbed the head of the axe and pulled him back. "Now come on," she told him, taking the blade and touching it to the invisible line. "Don't be shy." She smiled at him. "If you do it fast enough, it'll go through all the organs and my spine." Skinner shook his head and reached a hand out to her. "Don't be silly," he said, pulling her to her feet. "It'd take at least two shots to get through those nerves of steel." Jo laughed in disbelief as she fell against him, forcing him to put his arms around her. "Nerves of steel," she repeated, her arms dangling at her sides. She sighed into his chest. "That's funny." Walter took her by the shoulders and held her in front of him. "You knew how much work this would be when you came down here." "I know," she replied, her head dropping loosely forward. "I just didn't think I'd have to chop wood." "Hey. I'm the one chopping the wood. You think I'm enjoying myself? You could do it." "No, I couldn't." He frowned. "Why not?" "Chopping wood is a testosterone thing." She motioned at the length of him. "Especially without the shirt, which, I might add, would probably be really turning me on if I wasn't so tired." "I think I should be flattered." "I just thought we'd be doing fun stuff." "Like what?" Jo flapped her arms against her sides. "I don't know... The stuff you saw on Green Acres and The Beverly Hillbillies..." She looked up at him. "Chasing cows, talking to animals, playing... cards... or something." Walter thought for a moment. "Well," he said. "I do have something that kind of combines two of those things." "Really?" Jo's face brightened slightly. "What?" "Feeding the chickens." Thornton groaned loudly. "Not the chickens..." "Yep... Come on." Skinner grabbed her hand and dragged her off toward the chicken coops. "I *hate* the chickens..." "You'll love them." "I had a traumatizing experience with a chicken once..." Walter rolled his eyes. She would do anything to get out of work. "Joanne..." "... It started pecking my arm when I took its egg..." "Chickens are great." "Only if they're plucked, cooked, and come with a side dish..." ******** Kennedy whistled the tune to Birmingham, brushing Ivory with long strokes. Ever since she got back from the farm she saw her uncle at, she'd been waiting for the call from Mulder with baited breath. It wasn't long before she heard her cell phone jingle from her hip sack which hung from Ivory's saddle. She picked it up quickly and brought it to her ear. "Kennedy." "Hey there." "Mulder, whaddya got?" "Well, it turns out that the property is owned by a Jason and Marion Ragobar." The Canadian frowned. "Ragobar?" "Wait, there's more. Before Marion married, her last name was Skinner." There was a silence over the line. "Kennedy?" She shook herself awake. "Yeah. So, this is uncle Walt's sister's farm?" "Something like that." A smile crossed her face. "You guys have a few days to kill?" "What? Why?" "Oh, I just thought we could drop in for a surprise and stay a while." She could feel Mulder smile at the opportunity. "Sounds great." "Good," Kennedy told him. "Meet me in the stables where I board Ivory and we'll go together." She was about to say good bye when she heard another voice on the other end. "Would you stop using my phone? Geez, you answer it once and all of a sudden it's yours." ******** "Well..." Joanne Thornton shifted slightly on the reclining chair; adjusting her sunglasses. "I guess this isn't that bad." Skinner turned his head from an identical chair and smiled. "I told you you'd like the chickens." Jo chuckled. "I was talking about now. Not those blasted fowl." She hummed lightly. "I think I could take this all day... Soaking up the sun." Walter rubbed some lotion into his arms and chest. "You know, you should be careful about that. You could burn." Jo smiled without looking at him. "I'm Brazilian," she said. "I don't burn." He stared at her for a minute before he realized that she had told him that one night. It occurred to him then that he didn't know much about her background. Joanne seemed to be an unusual name for one born in Brazil. He had never really asked her much about what she was. He had asked her once where she got the three large scars on her face. She told him about an accident when she was very young. He took the explanation with a grain of salt because it didn't look like something accidental. The scars were identical, the same length, width and, he guessed, depth. He'd passed many hours of staring at them during the night when she was sleeping; trying to guess what caused them and he could only think of a cat. But those scars were put there deliberately. There was something about her that made her very different, but he was never graced with that information. It irked him, too. She knew he loved her and he knew the same about her, but there was something about her... something important that she wasn't telling him. He supposed that it wasn't much of his business, but he seemed to think that Mulder and Scully knew about it. He sighed and leaned back against the chair. He'd talk to her about it later. "Walter?" He turned to her. "Yeah?" "Would... you ever think about... moving to a place like this?" "With you?" He was shocked he'd even said it. He couldn't believe that had just come out of his mouth. Jo looked at him; surprised. "Well..." She swallowed and was silent. she asked herself. "I... didn't really ask it with that in mind, I... just wondered if you'd ever do it." Walter watched her watching him until he opened his mouth to say something. "Maybe." There was a long silence between the two of them. Both weren't quite sure what to make of the questions and answers that were just said. "So," Jo started. "What else needs to be done today?" Skinner considered the question, glad she changed the subject. "Well, we should start on that dog house. The dogs won't be very happy when it rains." "Yeah, where are those dogs anyway?" "Over there." Walter pointed to the shade of a tree where three dogs sat. Two of the same breed. He watched them for a minute before shifting down the chair and turning over onto his stomach. He sighed and closed his eyes, feeling the sun radiate into his skin. It was then that he realized his problem... "Joanne?" The Brazilian turned to look at him. "Hm?" She smiled when he held up the bottle of suntan lotion. Jo rolled her eyes and got up, walking over to him. He smiled when she took the bottle out of his hand and straddled his hips. "You know, Walter," she said, squirting lotion into her hands. "I think I could get used to this." He hummed in agreement as she started to work the lotion in. "Me too." She smiled and considered the question she asked him and, in turn, the one he asked her. She supposed that she would consider the answer seriously. But she liked the city... and she liked the country. It would be incredibly hard to come up with the answer. She'd try though, she'd try really hard. "Joanne?" "Yeah?" "I think my shoulders are done." She shook her head with a smile. "No, they're not." Walter grinned. "I think I just thought of something that still needs to be done." "Oh?" she asked, feigning ignorance. "What would that be?" Skinner shifted himself around so he was facing her. "The barn's hay loft is pretty dirty." Jo smiled at him. "Yeah?" "What do you say we... clean it?" She was silent for a minute as they stared at each other. "Race ya'." Thornton had a advantage considering he was underneath her. They started off to the large building on the west side of the property and suddenly stopped dead. Skinner ran into Jo, grabbing her shoulders to prevent her from falling over. "So *this* is what you do on your time off?" Special Agent Fox Mulder wore a smug grin across his face. His partner nudged him lightly. "Now come on, Mulder," she said. "I'm sure they were on their way to do something incredibly important." "Yes," Jo nodded. "Very important." Skinner's niece smiled at the two of them. "I don't suppose it would have to do with the hay loft?" "No," came the rapid answer. The trio of Feds laughed. "So, Uncle Walt," Kennedy asked. "Aren't you going to invite us in?" "No -- ow!" Joanne glared at Walter, rubbing her arm. "How about something to drink?" she suggested lightly. "Well, thank you, Jo," Mulder said with a smile. "How nice of you." She narrowed her eyes at the tall American in front of her. "Yeah, you thank me now..." "The door's this way," Skinner told them, extending his arm toward the back door. He lead them into the old house, circa 1930's with renovations, and into the kitchen. The floors were wood and waxed to a shine; it creaked under the weight. The kitchen's floor was tile; the room comfortably sized. "This is a nice place, sir," Mulder pointed out, gazing from wall to wall. "Please." Skinner stopped and turned around. "No 'sir'. I'm on vacation." Mulder pulled a mock salute. "Yes... Skinner." The three agents sat at the kitchen table, Jo making her way to the sink and leaning against the counter, sulking. "So, what are you guys doing here?" the Brazilian asked bluntly. Kennedy turned around in her chair. "You'll have plenty of time to clean the hay loft," she said. "You can spare a few minutes to be hospitable." She was responded with a quiet snarl. "Where did your sister go?" Scully asked, looking at Walter. Skinner raised his eyebrows. "Well, she said that she and her husband needed some time off." He shrugged. "They asked me to look after the farm for them and I said that wouldn't be a problem because my vacation time was coming up." After a quick glance to Thornton, he spoke again. "What about you guys? I don't remember ever asking you over." Mulder looked at Scully who turned to Kennedy. "I was being nosey again," she replied, smiling innocently. "I thought that you guys could use some help." Fox's eyes widened. "Hold on a sec," he said. "Manual labour was not part of the deal." "Yeah," Scully added. "If I wanted to do work, I could've stayed home." Walter stood. "Well, I'd love to tell you that you can stay, but if you're not going to help out around here, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." There was a silence throughout the room. Mulder and Scully conversed silently and Kennedy just sat there, trying to figure out what they were saying. Finally, Mulder looked up at his boss. "Well, now you've just made me feel guilty." ******** "Come on, there are a couple rooms up here." Joanne Thornton led Mulder and Scully up stairs. As the trio passed Skinner and Jo's room, Fox glanced inside. He smiled slightly and turned to the Brazilian. "So, why'd you come from so far to be here?" he asked. "I don't have anything else to do, Mulder," Jo replied. "And besides, Walter asked me to give him a hand." "With the yard work?" He waggled his eyebrows. She glared at him. "Shut up, Mulder." "Or is there another reason you came up here?" "Shut *up*, Mulder." "You know, wink, wink; nudge, nudge; say no more?" Thornton stopped in the hallway, grabbing his bag out of his hand. She took his shoulder in the other and turned him around, pushing him toward a bedroom door. Unfortunately for Mulder, however, the door was still closed, and he slammed into the wood with a loud thud. Fox stumbled back a few steps, bringing a hand to his face. Jo feigned concern. "Oh, geez, Mulder, I'm sorry." He straightened himself and glared at her. She smiled sweetly. "That nudge big enough for you?" she asked, opening the door. She tossed his bag inside and pushed him though. "Why don't you take your own advice, Mulder?" She reached behind him and pulled the door shut. She sighed and shook her head. When she looked up, she saw Scully smiling at her. "What?" Dana looked at her triumphantly. "He's partly right, isn't he?" "Don't you dare say a word, Dana." ******** Fox Mulder squinted at the sun and immediately put his sunglasses on. His hands found their way into his pockets as he waited for everyone else to join him outside. Skinner was the first to come out after him. It was a few minutes before Scully and Kennedy were out there with them. Walter clapped his hands together. "Okay, Mulder? Scully? Why don't you two start on the dog house." Mulder pulled his sunglasses down his nose. "Dog house?" he asked, looking over his shoulder. "I didn't come here to build a dog house." "Yes, you did," his partner replied. He looked down at her. "No, I didn't." She elbowed him in the ribs and gritted her teeth. "Yes... You did." Fox grimaced at the sharp pain. He cleared his throat. "You're right," he said. "Now I remember..." Skinner smiled. "The materials are just inside the barn. Same with the tools." Dana grabbed her partner's arm. "Come, Mulder," she said, yanking him away. "So, what's the duty for me, Uncle Walt?" Kennedy asked. "Hope it's nothing too strenuous. You know how those laborious tasks really drag on me." "Yeah, I know," he replied, to which Kennedy smiled. She had him. "That's why I've chosen the least taxing job for you." "What's that? Brushing the dogs? Tending to the horses?" "Oh, no," Walter said, turning to look at her. "You get to clean out the animals' stalls." The Canadian's face fell. "What?" she asked quietly. He smiled. "All of them. The horses, the cows, the chickens, the roosters, any animal that resides at this farm." His smile faded. "And you will clean them." "But--" "Ah!" he interrupted, holding a hand up to silence her. "This is for interrupting my vacation, which was going very well before you three showed up. Perhaps you'll remember this before you decide to do it again." Kennedy sneered at him before turning around and heading off to the barn. Skinner chuckled as he watched her walk by Mulder and push him into a small stack of hay. A movement at his side caused him to look. "Feeling better?" he asked. Joanne stared off at the barn. "Not better than I would have if the 'Three Stooges' hadn't shown up." The AD smiled. "I mean better than you were." She sighed. "I suppose so." She pointed her chin off in the direction of Mulder and Scully. "What *are* they doing?" "Trying to build a dog house." He shook his head. "And they're supposed to be my best agents." Jo laughed. "Well Mulder certainly has no idea what he's doing. Hey Mulder! Use the other end, moron!" Fox flashed the Brazilian some sort of obscene gesture and she laughed. "Come on, Joanne," Skinner said, leading her toward the large shed beside the barn. "We've got some painting to do." ******** "Oh my God." Mulder collapsed face-first into the soft couch in the family room. He was followed in by Scully and Kennedy who promptly took the opportunity and sat on him; delighting in the grunt they caused. "Man, that was harsh," Kennedy draped an arm over her eyes and leaned back. "Tell me about it," Dana told her. "I can't believe Mulder didn't know how to use a sander." "Hey!" came a voice from underneath them. Scully lightly slapped his head. "And you call yourself a man." "Shut up," Mulder replied, muffled by the cushions. Kennedy chuckled. "Good comeback there, Meathead. Think maybe after y--" Her joke was cut off by Skinner and Thornton's entrance. Her eyes widened, as did Scully's, when the duo walked in. Scully was the first to recover from the shock. "My God, what happened to you two?" Jo wiped the white paint from her face, only succeeding in smearing it around. "Walter started it." "I did not!" came the rapid response. "Well it's not my fault you can't duck that fast, you old man. Geez, you'd think going through FBI training would've quickened your reflexes." "Old man?" Skinner said incredulously. "Old man? What about you running into the wall?" Scully and Kennedy burst out laughing at the sight, and the story. The Brazilian pointed a finger at the AD, sending paint onto his chest. "I only did that because you pushed me." "Because you were gonna dump that paint can on my head!" "Oh, grow up!" "I have! Apparently so much I'm an old man!" With that, Skinner turned and headed up the stairs to the shower. Jo's seething was cut abruptly short as she watched him walk away. Scully and Kennedy looked at each other in silence; Mulder finally moving his head so he could see. Thornton turned to them and stared for a second. She chewed on her lip; suddenly taking on the persona of a ten year old. "Um... I guess I... should go apologize... or something." She motioned absently up the stairs. The trio of Feds just watched her. She swallowed. "Um, yeah, so... I'll see you guys later." Once she had left, the silence prevailed, but only for a minute when the laughing started. "Woo-hoo... Guess who's sleeping on the couch tonight." Dana pushed Kennedy lightly. "Kennedy!" "What? It's the truth, you know. There's no way he's lettin' her into his bed again." "Ten bucks says he does," Mulder said. "You're on." The Canadian looked at the redhead. "Scully? You in?" "I don't believe we're betting on a social life." She stared at Kennedy silently. "Ten bucks." ******** The hiss of the shower drifted out into the hall as Joanne opened the bathroom door. The humid air wrapped itself around her as she walked inside. She hadn't bothered to knock or anything; knowing that it didn't really matter. Lifting herself to sit on the counter, she sighed. "Walter?" The AD frowned at the voice, not sure if he'd heard it or not. He wasn't sure he wanted to. He knew that he was overreacting, but there was something about that comment that really got to him. He wondered absently why. They'd joked about ages all the time; him being almost ten years older than she. But they'd never been bothered before. "Walter?" There it was again. He hadn't been imagining it. "What," came his flat answer. Joanne studied the floor in front of her, her feet dangling in the air. "I'm sorry." Her head turned when the water shut off and she saw his hand come out from behind the curtain. "Can I have a towel?" Jo hopped off the counter and snagged a towel off the railing, placing it in his hand. She moved back a few steps, waiting for him to come out. When he did, the large towel was wrapped securely around his waist. They stood in silence for a few minutes. "Do you really think I'm old?" he asked. Thornton smiled. "Of course not. It's just the whole arguing mentality, you know? Go for a weakness." She shrugged and wiped some paint from her chin. "I guess I hit a soft spot." Walter smiled and pulled her against him. "Just don't do it again." "You know I will." Skinner smiled slyly and wrapped his arms around her, squeezing until she grunted. "Thanks. Now you can live in comfort knowing you can squeeze me to death." "Oh, I've got a number of tortures." "Wonderful," she replied, pulling away from him. Walter looked down at himself, noting how the majority of the paint from Jo's front half had come off onto him. He sighed. "Oh, thanks... now I need a shower again." Thornton smiled and reached for his towel. "What a coincidence." ******** Bedtime came quicker than anyone had really suspected. Dinner was over with in about and hour and a half, and after that, everyone just went to their rooms; most complaining about aching backs and necks. Walter Skinner was on his side, listening to the night music that always played on a farm no matter where you were. He closed his eyes as a cool breeze flew over him. A small movement beside him caused his eyes to open again and look down. Thornton turned over, now facing him, and snuggled into the pillow. A second later, she was breathing evenly again. Skinner suddenly found interest in the three scars on her face and studied them closely. Joanne had told him that she had got them when she was a child, but they were still almost like new. His fingers touched them lightly, feeling the difference between them and the soft skin of her face. He still didn't believe the story she told him. Some day, hopefully soon, she'd tell him the real reason why they were there. Jo's eyes opened slowly, staring at the man beside her. Her hand emerged from underneath the blanket and covered his, holding it to her face. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I didn't mean to wake you." She breathed in deeply. "No, that's okay," she replied. "What's wrong?" Walter watched her silently, wondering if he should tell her the real reason why he was looking at her, or if he should just make some excuse. He moved his thumb under her hand. "Where did you get these?" Jo closed her eyes, sensing the topic she'd always avoided. "I told you." "No," he said. "You told me what you wanted to." "Walter--" "We've known each other for seven years. We've been seeing each other for six months. Tell me the truth, Joanne," he asked. Knowing that she wasn't going to get away from it anymore, Thornton sat up on the bed; one strap of her tank top sliding off her shoulder. She raised her head to him and ran a hand through her hair. "I was born as part of an Arawak tribe in the Amazon Jungle. My father was white, my mother Arawak. Once the 'white man' came into the jungle, wars began to break out. My brother and I were both in danger. My father, thinking he was doing the best thing, left us in the jungle with the animals, promising to return. We were there for about seven years and were cared for by a female jaguar. When I was nine, the Brazilian authorities came into the forest following leads about the 'wild children of the Amazon'. My brother escaped them... I was taken back to Rio de Janeiro." Walter was fascinated. He couldn't believe what he was hearing was true, but it was. "Then what?" he found himself asking. Jo sighed. "I was taken in to a family in Winnipeg and lived with them. The rest," she said, "you know." Oh, she knew she was leaving out the prime element in the story. The fact that she morphs into a half human half jaguar whenever she feels danger was something she wasn't sure if she wanted to broadcast even to Skinner just yet. "That's all?" the AD asked. Thornton nodded. "The whole story," she replied. Walter patted the space beside him and Jo snuggled herself in. "Thank you," he said. "You know I didn't mean to keep it from you, I'm just..." She sighed. "A little strange." "No kidding." She frowned at him. "That's not the right answer." Walter laughed. "I'm sorry," he told her. He watched her eyes close, and her mouth curve into a lazy smile. He was glad she had finally told him. It was certainly weighing on him, not knowing, so he was sure that she hadn't been feeling very good about it either. Taking the opportunity of an undisturbed moment, Skinner leaned over her and kissed her gently. Thornton frowned, but found herself moving to accommodate him. "What are you doing?" she asked suspiciously. "Consider it a birthday present," he replied. "But my birthday's tomorrow." "So it's early... Stop complaining." "Now that's the *last* thing I'm doing." Jo felt his hand on her hip and smiled at the look on his face. Walter looked up at her with a confused expression. "So *that's* where they went," he said regarding the silk under his hand. "I like them," Thornton told him. "They feel good." Walter smiled. "I think they'd feel better on the floor, don't you?" "Most definitely." ******** "Morning, Scully," Mulder said, walking down the stairs. He smiled at the two women sitting in the kitchen and walked toward them. "Gee, Mulder, don't I get a Good Morning?" Kennedy asked. "I'm heart broken." Fox sat beside his partner and smiled at them both. Scully frowned at the unusually happy look on his face and glanced at Kennedy. "What's wrong with this picture?" Dana asked. "Oo! Oo! I know! I know! Mulder combed his hair!" Fox frowned and ran a hand through his hair. "No, I didn't." "Then what?" The grin never wiped itself off his face. "You," he pointed at Kennedy. "Owe me ten bucks, and you," this to Scully. "Owe me ten as well." Kennedy's face fell in shock. "Get out," she said. "No way," he replied. "He let her in?" Scully asked. Mulder shrugged. "You could say that." "Wow." Kennedy chewed on her lip. She was about to say something more, but the opening of a door caught their attention. They all watched as Jo came down the stairs fully dressed, followed closely by Skinner. Once Jo arrived in the kitchen, she raised an eyebrow. "Can I help you?" she asked. Mulder wore the widest grin she'd ever seen and it really bothered her when he just shook his head at her. Her eyes moved from Mulder to Scully to Kennedy and frowned. "What's going on?" Mulder shrugged. He opened his mouth to tell her, but Scully delivered a swift kick to his shin and interrupted. "We were just discussing the day's activities," she said, turning to Fox. "Weren't we, Mulder." Her partner nodded with a grimace. Kennedy smiled. "Mulder said he wanted to finish my job." Walter smirked. "Nice try," he replied. "That's your punishment." He started over to the refrigerator. "The painting was finished, albeit unceremoniously." He raised an eyebrow at Jo. "Hey," she said, holding her hands up. "I only did it 'cause I had to." "Anyway, the dog house needs to be finished, as do the stables." He thought for a moment. "The fence needs repair and the shed and barn need to be organized." "Man," Thornton said, sitting in a chair. "I'm not starting anything until I've had some coffee." "I'll second that," Kennedy stated. "It's already started." ******** Fox Mulder yawned and stretched to the sky when he stepped out into the barn yard. He promptly received an elbow to the stomach delivered by his partner and doubled over, a smile on his face. "What's the matter, Scully?" he asked. "Upset you're out ten bucks?" "No," she replied. "Just because you almost hung us all with the comment you were about to make in there." He looked at her. "What comment?" "The one about Jo and Skinner. And don't tell me you weren't going to say anything." He smiled. "It wouldn't have been that bad," he told her. "At most they'd be upset with us for a while." "How long's a while?" He shook his head. "It doesn't matter, they don't know. Now come on, we've got a dog house to finish." ******** The thick wooden stake sunk into the softened ground, with little protest. However, that protest was all that was needed to evoke a yelp from the Brazilian handling it. Walter Skinner looked up from his place on the ground, sawing planks of wood. "You okay?" he asked. Thornton held her hand tightly, looking at the offending splinter between her thumb and forefinger. "Yeah," she grunted. Swallowing hard, she used her other hand to grab the splinter and began to gingerly pull it out. Skinner grimaced as he watched her. Just the thought sent a shiver through him. Jo released the breath she had been holding once the splinter had been removed. "There we go," she said, flicking it to the ground. She examined her hand and sucked off what little blood had come out. She flexed her hand and looked at Walter. "Still works," she reported. He smiled and shook his head. "You amaze me," he told her. Jo smirked and raised an eyebrow. "I know." "Please," came Kennedy's voice. She walked up to the duo, followed closely by Mulder and Scully. "I haven't had anything to eat yet." She suddenly shrugged. "I guess that's a good thing, then." "What's going on?" the Brazilian asked. Mulder gestured to the sky. "That," he stated. Thornton and Skinner looked up to see a massive black cloud making its way toward the farm. "Oh... Well that's kind of a problem." "And the temperature's changing fast," Dana added. "I think we've done what we can for today." "No, come on," Skinner said. "We've still got a while." "I don't think so, Walter," Jo argued, still looking into the sky. "I think we should button things up before that baby hits, because when she does, it's going to be pretty bad." Skinner watched her for a minute before deciding to agree. He sent Mulder, Scully, and Kennedy to secure the barn and the shed. Jo ran off to close up the house while he started to put tools and materials away. By the time they were finished, the rain had started; just a light sprinkle. The barnyard looked as if it had been transported three hours into the future to when the sun would have disappeared. "This one's going to take a while." Joanne stared out the window, watching the cloud move lethargically over the yard. And she couldn't see the end. "Hey Jo," Mulder called. She turned. "Why don't you come and talk to us?" The Brazilian moved to the living room where Scully and Kennedy had started a fire to warm their spirits a little. She claimed the armchair as her seat and draped a leg over one side. The room was quiet for a moment. "Well," Jo said. "You called me over to talk... So talk." Scully glanced at Mulder then to Jo. "Well, I guess there's something that I've always wanted to know." Thornton raised her eyebrow in question. "How did you and Skinner ever meet?" Jo glanced at Walter who had an equally surprised look on his face. It was obvious that neither were expecting such a question. No one had ever asked that before and now that someone had, she had no idea where to start. "Well," Thornton started. "I guess after I got my degree, I wanted to do something completely out of the ordinary. I always wanted to be doing something, you know? My mother almost had to keep a leash on me." She thought for a moment. "I started training for the FBI when I was 25, and when I turned about 27, I was recruited by the VCS. There was a banquet for the rookie agents to welcome them into the Bureau and Walter was the MC." Mulder stifled a laugh. "Really?" "What's so funny, Mulder?" Skinner asked with a frown. "Nothing," Fox replied. "I just... never thought... nothing's funny." "Anyway," Jo continued. "I approached him after the ceremonies and we talked." "You didn't make a move?" Kennedy asked incredulously. "No," the Brazilian replied. "Of course not, he was married at the time." Skinner frowned. "How did you know?" Joanne looked at him and smiled. "Please, Walter. Give me some credit. I was a smart kid." She shrugged. "Besides, I saw a ring." Dana waited a moment. "That's all?" she asked. "That's it. I mean, he helped me out in a few cases which helped me climb to the top, but all in all, that's it." "Well that sucks," Mulder mumbled. "What?" Fox was exasperated. "Where's the secrecy? The scandal? The hot, passionate meetings in the rundown motels?" Walter laughed. "We don't have any of that," he said. "Well, not anymore." Jo laughed at the look on Skinner's face after the comment. "Oh, come on, Walter," she said. "You know I'm kidding... kinda." ******** The evening was spent sharing stories and listening to the storm gather; the wind gain speed. Joanne Thornton walked up the stairs to her room and opened the door. This was one of her better birthdays and they didn't even really do anything. Her eyes glanced out the window at a flash of lightning and turned to a lamp to flick it on. Creeping to the window sill, Jo looked out onto the blackened yard and watched the bolts of lightning, remembering the first time she'd ever seen it. Storms had always been something that could entertain her for hours. Sighing lightly, she pulled off her clothing and climbed into the queen-sized bed. Taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly, she nuzzled herself into the pillow under her head. Thornton had left Skinner downstairs with Mulder arguing about the inaccuracies of television shows dealing with the law and media slips in general. Usually, she would have been inclined to join for longer, but the past couple of days had taken a toll on her. Tucking the blanket under her arm, she began to drift off. Not five minutes later, the door opened, then closed again. Joanne was vaguely aware of it; stuck in between being awake and sleeping. The cool breeze tickled her skin as the blanket was pulled back, but quickly replaced. Skinner, noticing she wasn't asleep yet, climbed under the covers and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her against him. He waited for a moment, allowing her to adjust against him before he spoke. "You miss the FBI, don't you?" he asked. "What?" Jo looked over her shoulder. "You spoke of it like you wanted to go back." "That's crazy," she replied. "I couldn't go back." The two of them were silent for a few minutes and Jo was about to drift off when Skinner spoke again. "I don't want to hold you back, Joanne, you know that," he said softly. "If you want to go back, it's fine." "I don't," she replied just as quiet. She turned over in his arms so she faced him. "I'm content with what I've got." Walter smiled and kissed her lightly. "Happy birthday." "Thank you." "So, *how* old does this make you now?" Jo smiled. "You never going to let me forget it, are you?" "Only because you don't let me forget my age," he replied. "Calling me an old man." "That's because you are an old man," she told him. "And you?" "Slightly over the hill." Walter laughed and shifted to his left, moving over the Brazilian. Jo grunted as she tried to adjust to the added weight and gazed up at him. "Hmm... You seem to have acquired some fat in you old age..." "Not fat... muscle mass..." She chuckled softly. "The latter... I'll definitely go for the latter..." The sudden crash caught both of them off guard. It had come from outside. Jo's muscles tightened with the shock. "What the hell was that?" she asked. "I don't know." Skinner pushed himself off the bed and opened the door. "Kennedy!" "Yeah?" came the voice from downstairs. "What was that?" "Don't know," was the reply. "We're trying to figure that out." She looked out the back window. "It looks pretty bad out there, I think something's blown over." Walter backed into the room and looked at Jo who was now sitting up. "The storm's getting worse," he said. "There could be a tornado." "What?" Thornton asked, the urgency getting to her. She stood and gathered her shirt and jeans, pulling them back on. "How do you know?" "I don't," he replied, replacing his own clothing. "It's only a possibility." He opened the door wider for himself. "Better to be safe," he said, and walked down to the kitchen. Downstairs, Mulder and Scully continued to watch the skies as best they could with what little light they had. "Mulder?" Dana asked. "Yeah?" "You think there could be a tornado?" He looked over at her. The expression her face held was small. She looked almost afraid, and he couldn't blame her. The thought of a tornado was a serious one and if there was the possibility of an occurrence, they should be preparing now. "I don't know," he replied, moving closer to her. He looked out the window. "There hasn't been any rain yet as far as I can tell. Just thunder, lightning and wind." "There doesn't need to be," came Thornton's voice. The pair looked back at her. "There only needs to be warm air and cold air." She leaned over them and looked out the window and let out a low whistle. "I knew it was going to be bad." Jo looked down at them. "You guys okay?" Dana nodded. "Yeah, we're fine." Thornton watched her for a moment, then decided against calling her bluff. Instead she disappeared into another area of the house. Scully shivered, causing Mulder to glance over. "I hate these storms," she said. She wrapped her arms around herself. "Especially in the night. You never know what they hold." Fox nodded. "The mystery, or the truth. Which one is better? You have the mystery, you spend your life in search of the truth. You have the truth..." He shrugged. "There is nothing left to search for. And ultimately, no life." Scully shook her head. "My partner, the philosopher." He smiled. "I do my best." "I guess this means you know the truth. After all, you have no life." Mulder gripped his shirt over his heart. "My dear, Scully, you wound me." "Remember that." Mulder smiled and turned to look out the window again. "Hey guys!!" The two partners snapped to attention at the urgent voice. Jo came down the stairs, leaping down the last five. "What was that?" she asked. Mulder stood. "I think it was Kennedy." The three of them ran to the back of the house where Kennedy stood with her uncle, looking out the window. "What's going on?" Dana asked. "The barn doors," Kennedy said. She pointed to the barn. "They're open. The animals are going to escape." There was a sudden noise from the yard as the rain started its downpour. A few moments later, the window was completely drenched. "Mulder," Skinner said. "Yeah." "Come give me a hand." Fox glanced at his partner, then outside. "Sure." Skinner yanked the door open, sending a gust of wind and rain inside. "We won't be long," he said as he leapt outside. Mulder followed him immediately. Joanne put a hand on Scully's shoulder. "You better not be." ******** It hadn't been five minutes, and already Mulder's clothes were plastered to his skin. He was having trouble navigating his way to the barn to check on the animals. He only had minimal light plus the lightning to follow his superior. Several puddles had acquired themselves nicely in the grass, causing Mulder a great deal of trouble. "Mulder!" Skinner called. "Yeah!" "You're not far! Keep moving straight!" "Keep talking!" ******** "Jo, would you sit down?" Kennedy shook her head as the Brazilian paced back and forth in front of the window. Scully watched her carefully. "Are you okay?" she asked. Thornton shook her head. "It's happening," she told her. "I can feel it." She stopped and bounced lightly on the balls of her feet. "I gotta go out there, something's gonna happen." She shook her head again. "Then go," Dana said. Joanne stopped and looked at her. "Go," she told her. "Get out." ******** "Make sure they're all latched tightly," Skinner told Mulder from one side of the barn. "If anything happens, I don't want them running away." Fox pulled hard on the rope that held the door closed. He watched the AD move from stall to stall, tightening the doors on each and every one. The crack of thunder caused him to jerk slightly and look to the roof of the barn. "I hope this doesn't fall in..." ******** Jo ran swiftly through the field, leaping every so often so as to miss puddles. It was a blind act, really. She couldn't tell if she was actually jumping over puddles or not. It was just the principle. It was when she was about half way to the barn when it hit her. Her footing lost, she tumbled through the muddy grass until she came to a stop on her side. She curled up, trying to alleviate some of the pain that rolled through her whenever this happened. The rain relented, drenching her to the point where her clothes put of an extra few pounds. Then the pain stopped. And she could no longer think for herself. Everything was different. She became an animal. But a different animal because instead of running away, she ran toward the bolt of lightning that hit the barn... ******** The large blast caused both men in the barn to freeze and look up. Mulder held the door to the barn, waiting for Skinner to finish at the end and join him back to the house. "You almost done?" he called to the AD. Skinner looked over at him, then back to the task. "Just a few more!" It was hard to hear over the thunder and the rain, but Mulder's ears caught the slightest creak from the walls. His eyes drifted over the roof of the barn until he saw the large branch of a tree coming inside. He watched it closely, noticing the beam underneath it was starting to give way. His eyes widened and fell onto the Assistant Director, who happened to be directly below the loose beam. "Skinner!" he yelled. "Get out of there!" Walter looked up at his agent and followed his gaze to the ceiling. The beam was on its last legs and starting to fall. He was paralyzed. He couldn't move. "Skinner!" The last creak let him know it was going to fall and he braced himself, mentally and physically. His eyes closed at he heard the beam fall. He could also hear Mulder vaguely in the background, telling him to get out of there. He covered his head, waiting for the pain to start. But there was never any impact. Walter frowned slightly because of it and opened his eyes, his head snapping up to look. The view he caught almost caused his eyes to fall out of his head. A human/jaguar mutant stood not one metre from him. He could hear a low growl coming from it; its eyes shut. His heart leapt in his chest when it looked down at him, the yellow eyes glowing. Mulder released the breath he was holding. It was Jo. She'd caught the beam. But he could tell she'd be letting go of it pretty soon. He could see her grind with the effort. "Skinner!" he yelled. The stunned AD looked over at him. "Come on! Let's get out of here!" Walter looked back up at the creature that was in the midst of saving his life and marveled at how such a... feat of nature could hold that beam which must have weighed in at about 50 pounds. At least. The golden eyes squeezed shut as a penetrating cry radiated from its chest. Walter's eye widened at the sight of the white pointed teeth clenching together. Mulder thought. "Skinner!" The Assistant Director scrambled to his feet and with one last look at the unusual hero, he ran towards Mulder and out the barn door. She could feel herself changing. She was starting to change back and she wasn't liking it. Her arms were screaming in pain; shaking with the effort needed to hold the beam. There was no way she could hold this thing back in her human form. Jo watched the door close; watching Mulder and Skinner leave, and not a second later, her arms gave out and the solid wooden beam dropped the one foot to the floor. Thornton fell to one knee, feeling herself change; the pain searing through her. Jo stood slowly on shaky legs having returned to 'normal'. She could hardly move her arms. It felt as though the muscles had stretched to their limit, which they probably had. Shifting her weight lightly, Thornton started toward the barn door and back to the house. ******** The door to the farm house flew open suddenly, scaring Kennedy and Scully to their feet. "Uncle Walt, what happened?" Kennedy asked. "Are the animals okay?" "Yes, Kennedy," he said. "Oh, and by the way, we're fine, just in case you were wondering." Skinner's niece took his arm and helped him sit. Dana moved to her partner's side and manoeuvered him to a chair as well. She busied herself checking the two men for injuries. "Hey," Kennedy said. "Where's Jo?" Walter straightened. "She went out there?" he asked. ******** Joanne dropped to her knees three quarters of the way to the house. Her clothing was soaked and torn from the rain and the transformation. Her chest heaved with the effort of navigating her way back to the house with what little energy she had left. she urged herself. Thornton looked up, squinting in the rain. Sucking the water from her lip, she pushed herself to her feet, managing to get to the door and open it. A small gale ushered the Brazilian in through the door. Jo stopped, bracing herself against the wall, her chest heaving. Skinner was the first to appear from around the corner. "Joanne," he said, relieved. He rushed to her side and pulled one of her arms around his neck, walking her back to the kitchen. "What the hell were you doing?" Thornton swallowed at the question and cleared her throat. she thought. Glancing at Mulder, Scully and Kennedy who had heard his ask, she stood up straight. She ran a hand through her hair, slicking it back from her forehead and looked up at him. "Saving you," she stated simply. Mulder and Scully watched intently. They both knew that Jo hadn't told Skinner yet about her 'ability'. They guessed this was the time. Walter was confused. "What are you talking about?" Thornton smiled. "Put some coffee on; let me change." She started for the stairs. "We'll talk in a minute." ******** The storm had died down considerably by the time everyone was together and comfortable again. The barn was secured with no animals lost., however, there was quite a bit of damage done to the roof. The fire in the hearth began to warm the quintet in the living room. Kennedy sat in front of the fireplace, warming her back to the point of discomfort, Scully stole the arm chair; Mulder having to settle for the floor just front of it. Even after he'd changed. Skinner and Jo took up most of the couch in clean, dry clothes, the AD's arms wrapped around the Brazilian who leaned back against him. "So this thing kicks in... when exactly?" Walter was just getting the gist of the mutation thing with Jo. Joanne leaned her head against his chest. "Whenever an excess amount of adrenaline is--" "Introduced into your bloodstream, I know," Skinner interrupted. "I understand that part. It's just..." His voice trailed off and stared off into the fire. Mulder and Scully watched him, waiting for the rest of the sentence. "What is it?" Kennedy asked, tired of the silence. The AD was brought back from his reverie and looked at the top of Jo's head. "Well... Why doesn't it happen when we... you know." He moved his hands back and forth. Joanne frowned and looked at Mulder and Scully for an answer. "Well," she said. "That's... something I'd never thought of before." "That's something I'd rather not think about ever," Kennedy replied. "Can we move on?" Scully smiled at the comment. "No wait," Mulder said. "I'm interested in this." He looked at Jo. "You don't change when...?" Thornton shook her head. "Not even when it's good?" "Hey," Walter interrupted. The Brazilian laughed. "No," she replied. "Never." Fox brought a hand to his chin. "Then maybe you only change when you mentally register that you or someone you love is in danger. " He looked up at her. "You've got to *think* that you're in danger in order for it to work." "Or it could just be endorphins instead of adrenaline," Scully supplied from her place behind Mulder. Jo seemed to be the only one who fully understood. "The hormone like morphine," she replied. "Which, is like opium?" Skinner looked over at Mulder and smiled, shaking his head. Scully nodded. "Yeah, they stimulate opioid receptors in your central nervous system and one of the effects is a state of euphoria." "I don't think I want to hear anymore," Kennedy said from the floor. "Well, yeah," Jo said. "But you seem to neglect the other effects which include respiratory distress, convulsions, coma and possible death." She felt Skinner shrug behind her. "Sounds about right to me." Jo smirked and elbowed him lightly. "Shut up," she said. "Can we move on, please?" Kennedy pleaded. "Oh, come on," Jo said. "This is educational." "For who?" "Well, I tell you none of you are moving on for another few days," Skinner told them. Mulder frowned. "What?" "Why?" Scully wondered. "There's a big hole in the barn's roof and we have to fix it before my sister comes back and kills me." There were groans all around. "Don't blame me. Blame Mother Nature." Jo covered her face with her hands. "What a way to spend my birthday." THE END June 13, 1997