Spoilers: Gethsemane Rating: X Summary: Thornton and Scully deal with recent events and Cancer Man's plot to rid himself of the Brazilian and Jackie St. George... Dana Scully, Margaret Scully, and Cancer Man belong to Chris Carter, Ten-Thirteen Productions and 20th Century FOX Broadcasting. No copyright infringement is intended. Joanne Thornton belongs to me, or at least, she lets me think that. Jackie St. George belongs to Sheryl Martin as much as Jo belongs to me and is used with permission... So I thought that Jo was really in the dark here with the whole mytharc and needed to be 'introduced' to the bad guys of the 'Files. I really want to thank Sheryl for putting up with all the questions I kept asking about Jackie. There's nothing I hate more than getting facts wrong. Comments, critiques, rants, raves, or praises can all come to me. I will read and respond to them all. Enjoy. Suffering Subtraction -three weeks after Gethsemane- ******** The opening of a door illuminated the dark hallway on the far end. A man dressed in a dark suit walked briskly down the tiled floor; his heels clicking loudly. He stopped in front of a door on the west wall and turned the knob. Wafts of cigarette smoke drifted over him as he stepped inside. He watched the man at the end of the table; an ashtray in front of him. "What is your report?" the seated man asked. "You were right," the other replied. "They've found another ally." "*She's* found another ally." A puff of smoke spread over the man at the table as he thought for a moment. "What's their relationship?" "Good friends. They met almost a year ago." "Are we in danger?" The man standing at the end of the table shook his head. "I don't know. But this one's much like the Canadian." "How so?" "She has a power." "What kind of power?" "When an excess amount of adrenaline is introduced into her system, she goes through a kind of metamorphosis." Another puff of smoke rose from the man. "And does she know about St. George?" A shake of the head. "No, sir." "Not yet." ******** "So... How are you?" the man asked her. Joanne Thornton watched him silently and shook her head. "I don't know," she replied. "I mean, it's like it's all a dream... I just can't..." "It hasn't registered," he told her. Jo looked at him. "I know he's dead, Sean. It's not like I believe he's out there somewhere, though..." Her voice softened. "I wish he was." The bartender smiled faintly and covered her hand with his. "Go home, Jo," he said. "Get some rest. Talk to Walter." "I can't," she told him. "He's gone on a trip to some conference, or something." "Well," he said, backing up. "At least get some rest, okay?" The Brazilian nodded and stood. "Thanks, Sean... See you later." Joanne Thornton let go of his hand and waved goodbye. "Anytime, Jo. Say hi to Dana for me." Jo stepped out of The Brunswick and surveyed the dark, deserted street. She adjusted her black leather jacket and walked to her motorcycle; tossing her keys into the air. Scully didn't live too far from the Brunswick, so Jo figured she'd pay a visit before turning for home. She walked up to the red Harley and frowned. The Brazilian moved around the bike, looking for her helmet which had mysteriously disappeared. She sighed heavily. "The *only* time I leave it outside." Straddling the bike, she inserted the key into the ignition. "Guess I have to disobey the law for a few miles." Leaning to the left, the red Harley pulled out onto the street. The city blocks were fairly quiet even though it wasn't that late. She listened to the rhythmic purr of the engine as she coasted through the neighbourhood just over the limit. A car pulled out behind her, which alerted her slightly. After about a mile or two, it was still following her. While passing a few old buildings, the window of the car opened. Thornton watched the car through the mirrors on her bike and sped up slightly. It wasn't a second later when she felt the back tire of her bike give out. Jo grunted as she tried to regain control of the Harley and noticed a large box that was almost in the middle of the road, like someone had pushed it there. She frowned, realizing she had been set up. Trying to keep an eye on the dumpster, the men behind her, and concentrating on controlling her bike was too much. Once her attention left the car behind her for a second, another shot went off and the front tire gave out, causing the vintage Harley Davidson to spin out from under her; sending her sliding across the road. The motorcycle collided with the dumpster, creating an large explosion. Jo curled up tightly with her back to a brick wall; shielding herself from any debris. The car pulled slowly passed the fire, surveying the damage, and drove away. Jo unfurled herself cautiously and squinted at the flames igniting the dumpster. She couldn't speak; too much in shock at the event. Pushing herself to her feet, Jo grunted as a sharp pain shot through her leg. She shifted the weight from it immediately, gripping it with her right hand. It felt fractured, or maybe it was just cut badly. Either way, she didn't want to find out just yet. Jo limped toward the flaming mass, bringing a hand to her face. Her light touch forced her to flinch and bring the hand back into her field of vision. The fingers were touched with blood and she sighed heavily. Turning back to the dumpster, Thornton started toward it. It was when another small explosion went off that she was deterred and decided to turn away. she thought. She glanced at her watch: 11:30pm. Jo groaned and continued on her way. When she was at the corner, hearing the faint sirens, she turned around. Her head fell forward in defeat at the sight of the large fire. Once the trucks started to arrive, Jo started on her way to Scully's. ******** "Just a second," Scully called to the knock on her door. Walking out into the living room, Dana flicked on a few lights and looked through the peephole. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight and she unlocked the door, pulling it open. "Jo," she said when she saw her friend. "What happened?" Thornton stayed out in the hall for a second, waiting for Scully to finish her preliminary lookover. Her leather jacket was torn in several places, her hands were cut, as was her face which now bore a wide scrape from her forehead to her chin. The Brazilian's right leg had been cut badly and had saturated the jeans in that area. When Dana's eyes finally made it back to Jo's, Thornton smiled. "I... had a little accident." "Get in here." Jo walked into the apartment slowly, limping noticeably. "The kitchen," Dana directed her. Thornton sat gingerly in one of the chairs. "I'm okay," she said, watching her friend scurry around the apartment, grabbing various medical supplies. "Really." The small agent stopped in front of her, having heard the slight waver in her voice. "You're okay," she repeated. "I think your body might disagree with you on that one." "Really," came the answer again. She tried to stand. "I'm... ow..." Jo looked up at Scully. "I'm... in a lot of pain, can you give me a hand?" Dana took her friend's arm and helped her to sit again. "Take off your jacket." Scully pulled up a chair and sat across from Thornton. "What happened?" she asked, untucking Jo's shirt and lifting it to check for damages. She dropped it after a moment and reached for her medical supplies to start work. "I was just coming over to see how you were--" She sucked in a breath through her teeth when Scully touched the scrape on her face. "Doing, and these guys started to follow me. They blew out my tires." Dana nodded, paying close attention to the wound. "And you were wearing a helmet, right?" There wasn't an answer, just a slight shift. Scully pulled away so she could look directly at the Brazilian. "Right?" Jo averted her eyes to the floor. "Someone stole it." Scully shook her head and stood from the chair. "It wasn't that far, Dana." Scully turned to Jo and leaned against the counter. "That's not the point," she said. "You--" "Could've been killed, I know." Thornton sighed. "Look, I'm not going to lecture you on the safety regulations on motorcycles because I know you know them. Just be careful. Think about the people who care for you. Your family, me, Skinner, Mul--" She cut off suddenly and Jo's head snapped up. Scully's eyes fell and Jo stood, being careful not to put any weight on her right leg. "Dana..." "I'm okay," she whispered, swallowing hard. "You don't need to be, Dana." Scully looked up at her friend, old tears beginning to fill her eyes again. Thornton made her way slowly over to her friend and wrapped her arms around her. "I'll be fine," she said. "We'll both be fine." ******** "I don't believe this..." Rosie cringed as the office door flew open and an angered Jackie St. George stormed out. She stopped in front of the desk. "Can you please tell me why I've been sent to DC?" the Canadian asked. "I just got back from there and now they want me again?" Rosie shrugged. "That was the memo," she replied. "Well what do they want?" "Hey, I don't write them." "Great to see first thing in the morning." St. George sighed. "When do they need me by?" Rosie touched a few keys and paused. "Yesterday." ******** The smoke wafted about the room over the heads of five men. One took a puff of his cigarette. "Gentlemen, in a few days, we will be without two of the most dangerous women in the country." "Who's the second?" someone asked. "Someone by the name of Thornton. Not to worry, St. George will take care of it." "How?" A puff of smoke drifted out of the man's mouth. "Naturally, two women of such strength and power would dislike each other." "How do we know this plan is infallible?" "Thornton sets St. George off and bingo... they both destroy each other." "And if it doesn't work?" "It will." ******** Joanne Thornton limped slowly into Scully's kitchen the next morning and found her friend staring out the window. "Morning," she said quietly. Dana turned around and set her mug of coffee down. "How are you feeling?" Jo shrugged, sitting in a chair. "A little stiff I guess," she replied. "Nothing I haven't felt before." She fingered the bandage on the left side of her face. "You?" Scully poured some coffee for the Brazilian. "Better, thank you." Thornton cleared her throat. "So I figured I'd go to work with you this morning and see if I can get something on the people who followed me yesterday. Or at least why they did." Scully nodded. "Okay. We leave in twenty minutes." ******** Dana walked through the sea of desks that cluttered a large floor in the FBI Headquarters. She smiled politely at the greetings and the sympathetic looks that were sent her way. Joanne merely did her best to keep up, hobbling along the way. She repeated Scully's gesture with most of the people watching them. Most of whom she didn't know at all. The basement was unusually cold; not at all like Jo had remembered it. She attributed most of the feeling to the most recent events that had taken place. Walking in before her friend, she stood in the darkness for a few minutes. Hearing a long and uneasy intake of breath, Thornton turned around to make sure Dana flicked the lights on. "Hey," came a voice from the shadows. "Close the door - You're letting the heat in." Scully frowned and looked around the corner. "Jackie?" The Canadian stepped out with a smile. "So I hear you need my help again," she said. "Never felt so wanted in my life." Jo shook her head, touching the bandage on her forehead. Boy, did *that* voice ever remind her of someone. She looked up again. "St. George?" she asked. The Canadian turned and looked over with a confused expression. Her eyes suddenly lit up and she walked over to the Brazilian, grabbing her hand. "Joanne Thornton." She raised an eyebrow, looking her up and down. "You look like shit." Jo chuckled, nodding in agreement. "I know, thank you. And it's nice to see you too." "Seriously, how've you been?" St. George smiled. "I see you're still in the scrapping business." Jo smiled shaking the Canadian's hand. "Ah, but it's no fun without you, Jackie," she replied. "What's the story this time?" Thornton shrugged, leaning on a desk. "I got into an accident last night." She shook her head. "Bloody good set up job." St. George cringed. "Not with the Harley, I hope." Thornton didn't say anything as she looked at her friend. "Oh, no - Not the Harley. You promised me a ride on that thing and I never got it." Scully watched the exchange with the utmost in interest. She would never have pegged Jo and Jackie as friends, or even to know each other. Though, now that she saw them together and thought about it, they were remarkably alike. "I hate to break this up," Dana interrupted. "But I think we should discuss this in a more secure location." Jackie frowned. "What?" "Just go with it. I think a coffee's in order for this reunion?" "Oo! Yeah," Thornton replied. "Can never have too much caffeine." ******** The small cafe Scully had chosen was very inconspicuous. A little hole in the wall, actually. The trio of women sat in a booth in the corner, each nursing their own mug. "So, how's the Wookie?" Jo asked, her hand wrapped around her mug of coffee. "Married yet?" She glanced at St. George's hand. Jackie took a sip of her tea. "He's off on a trip to California. And no, not yet." She smiled. "He'll be thrilled to hear I found you again." Thornton gingerly scratched around the bandage on her forehead. "Actually, it's a good thing you did because we'll need your help." "I know. I thought that's why you asked me back down here." The Canadian glanced from Scully to Thornton. Dana cleared her throat. "We don't know why you're down here, Jackie," she said. "That's part of the problem. We *didn't* ask you back." "Then who did?" "That's what we have to find out." ******** "So it wasn't Rosie, it wasn't you, and it wasn't Jo..." Jackie St. George frowned in concentration. "Skinner?" "No," Jo was quick to answer. Jackie looked at her. "You seem sure." The Brazilian nodded. "He would have told me." She thought for a minute. "Besides, he's gone until the end of the week and had *been* gone since the middle of last." Scully toyed with the napkin in front of her. "Do you suppose the people who set you up did it?" Jackie's eyebrows raised. "Now there's a good possibility." Thornton extended her injured leg out from under the table. "Okay," she thought out loud. She looked at the Canadian across from her. "So what do you have to do with it?" Dana nodded. "And why you specifically?" St. George shrugged. "What about that Cancer man?" Jo frowned. "Cancer Man?" she asked. "Who's Cancer Man?" Jackie looked imploringly at Scully. "She doesn't know about him?" The redhead shrugged. "It never came up." "Well I'm guessing this guy's either really important, or a real pain in the ass." Jo looked at Jackie and Dana, waiting for confirmation. "Actually, both," Dana replied. "He's been the one obstacle that... Mulder and I had never been able to conquer. Hiding evidence, covering a case so we couldn't do anything with it." She shook her head. "He's probably also responsible for Mulder's death," Jackie supplied. "Directly or indirectly." "Why was I never told about this guy?" Jo asked. "And why don't we just go kick his ass?" Scully chuckled. "Thanks, Jo, but it's not that simple. This man is higher than the FBI. We couldn't do a thing to him except expose the lies he's created." "So why don't we do that?" "We never had enough hard evidence to." "Wait a second," Jackie said. "What's with the 'had' stuff?" She frowned at Dana. "You're not planning on giving up, are you?" "Is there a reason to keep going?" Scully argued. "Of course there is. Look at what you and Mulder have accomplished." "Nothing. We'd accomplished nothing. That's why he..." "Hold on here," Joanne interrupted. "You've come this far, and I've only known you for a year. You and Mulder did great work together." Dana looked at the Brazilian. "But it was his fight, Jo. Not mine." "You've got your own fights now." Thornton placed a hand on Scully's arm and looked determinedly into the American's eyes. "You are not going to give up, Dana. Not on us... and not on Mulder." ******** "Sir..." "Have they met?" "Yes, sir..." "Good." The errant man shifted from one foot to another until the smoking man looked up again. "There's something else?" The man swallowed. "Sir... St. George and Thornton have met before." "And they are friends?" "Yes, sir." "That's unfortunate." He thought for a moment. "I guess we'll have just have to get rid of them in a more... conventional way." ******** "I see your collection has grown quite a bit since I saw you last." Jackie St. George admired the wall in Joanne Thornton's apartment that was decorated with martial art weaponry. Everything from katana blades to bisentos hung, mostly in pairs. "Yeah," Jo replied from her bedroom. "Those Japanese bisentos were quite a catch." Jackie stared at the polished swords. "You still training?" "No." Thornton walked out of her bedroom with a fresh set of clothes on. "Well, kind of. Helps me stay in shape." "Where do you guys want to start?" Scully asked from the couch. Jackie shrugged and looked at Jo. The Brazilian thought for a moment, just as the phone rang. "Hello?" Jo placed a hand on her hip as she listened to the person on the other line. "Yes, I am... Sure... Okay, I'll be right down." She hung up the receiver and looked at her two friends. "They've got my bike," she said. "Looks like we can start there." ******** The Bethesda Police Department Impound Lot seemed very quiet. Scully pulled her car up to the door of the small building and parked. Jackie and Jo emerged from the other side of the car and proceeded to check their surroundings. The sun caused them to squint. Jo pulled her sunglasses out from hanging on the collar of her shirt and put them on "I don't like this place," Thornton said. Scully raised an eyebrow. "You haven't even been here before." Jo shook her head. "Doesn't matter." "Are you guys coming? Or are you just going to contemplate the scenery for a while?" St. George waited with the door open. "I'd like to go in there." She pointed inside. "Where it's air conditioned." Scully and Thornton followed Jackie to the front desk. They were met by a burly man in plain clothes, who wore a badge to state that he belonged there. He looked the trio over with a certain indignation. "Can I help you, ladies?" he asked. "Yeah." Joanne leaned up against the desk, taking the weight of her injured leg. "I came to get my bike." "Your bike?" he said, raising an eyebrow. Jo nodded. "Yeah, you know, like a motorcycle?" Dana looked at Jackie who shrugged. She always remembered Jo hassling the authorities as much as she could. "You don't look like a biker." "And you don't look like a cop, can we get on with this please?" The man glared at her. "Name?" "Thornton, Joanne," she replied, relieved he believed her. He flipped through a few sheets of paper. "Through the back door, out in the yard. It's on the left." Thornton nodded. "Thanks." She turned and headed out in the direction he pointed her, Scully and St. George close behind. Jackie leaned closer to Scully. "You know, the people here just get friendlier and friendlier." "Oh, God..." Jackie and Scully stopped abruptly behind Jo who stared out onto the lot. The shuffling of gravel could be heard under their feet for a moment. Joanne swallowed, frozen by the image in front of her. Her bike was indeed on the left side of the lot... In several pieces. The Harley was barely identifiable; the wheels blown off, the handle bars bent and mangled. The body of the once vivid red was now a charred black with the leather seat ripped to shreds. Thornton made a small noise, one that cause Dana and Jackie to look at her. The Brazilian swallowed again and started toward her bike, taking slow steps. Her friends followed her, a few steps shy. They couldn't believe the look of the bike. Both had seen it in its prime, and now... Now it was dead. Jo stopped, the pile of metal at her feet. With a grimace, she kneeled in front of it, as much as it pained her, and picked up a small piece of scrap. Scully and St. George knelt on either side of the Brazilian and watched her. Using her thumb, Jo wiped the black carbon from the metal, revealing the bright red and the yellow and blue 'Davidson' that once followed 'Harley'. She stared at it for a moment and swallowed. "My dad would turn over in his grave if he saw this," she said softly. "I begged him to take me for a ride on it. He finally gave it to me when I got the licence." She shook her head. "It took me six months to get a decent engine into this thing. A good couple thousand, too." A silence followed. Thornton's head fell forward, placing the metal back into the pile. Scully put a hand on her shoulder. "Come on," she said. "Let's go back to where you had the accident. Maybe we can find something there." ******* "This is where I was thrown off." Joanne Thornton kicked a few stones from the place she ended up, curled against the wall. Her eyes caught a small stain of blood and was fixated. "I assume this is where the Harley was toasted." Jackie wandered around the dumpster which looked like a black contemporary sculpture. Jo looked up and across the street. She nodded and started over to where Scully was, right in the middle of them. Dana crouched on the tarmac, fingering a black tire mark. "Jo," she said. "These are..?" "Mine," the Brazilian replied. "They shot the back tire, then the front one and I spun out." ******** "Alpha-Beta, do you copy?" "Roger, Omega, we are in position." The large man turned to the taller, thinner man, a walkie-talkie in his hand. "You said this was flawless." "It is." "Then why are the two women together?" "Patience, is all that's required." "I'm sick of waiting for your plans," an older, white-haired man interrupted. "This should be underway." "I assure you, it is." The thin man took a drag on his cigarette. "Do not doubt what only time will surely create." "We're all tired of your cryptic assurances. If this is not dealt with in forty eight hours, I will bring my own men on this." ******** Joanne Thornton paused mid-speech. Her head turned one way, then the next. "Do you hear that?" she asked. St. George walked over to them, trying to listen. "Unless you've got some kind of radar there, Jo, I can't say that I do." Jo turned on her heel. "It's over there," she said, pointing to a second story window. ******** "Alpha-Beta, do you have target on sight?" "Roger Omega." A few shifts and the click of a safety latch. "No kills, Alpha-Beta." "Roger that. Alpha-Beta out." ******** "What are you guys talking about?" Dana Scully stood up straight and squinted at the various buildings around them. Thornton and St. George stood, looking in various directions, until there was a sudden crack. Jackie leapt to one side as the bullet bounced off the road awfully close to her foot. Joanne placed a hand on Dana's shoulder, the two of them ducking in reflex. Other bullets followed, none hitting them, but coming close enough for the trio to seek shelter in an alleyway. "What the hell is going on?" Jo asked, leaning against the brick wall. "The Cancer Man," St. George said, to which Scully nodded. Thornton looked back at them. "You mean he does this, too?" Dana sat on a pile of crates. "That's all part of the game." The Brazilian turned back to the street. "Then why the hell didn't I get a rulebook?" she mumbled. "Because there are no rules, Jo," Jackie told her. "They make them as they go." "Then I'm gonna make a few." Thornton walked out of the alley and into the open street. "Jo!" Scully jumped up from the crates and moved to the mouth of the alleyway with Jackie. The Brazilian stopped where they had been hit first and faced the window she looked at before. "Hey Cancer Man!" she yelled. "No use hiding! Come on out!" ******** "Omega, request orders." "Delta-leader, request orders." The Cancer Man brought the walkie-talkie to his mouth. "Leave them. That's good for now." "Alpha-Beta, assume fall back position." "Roger Omega, Alpha-Beta out." ******** Thornton stayed in the middle of the street, her hands clenched, waiting for a response from the silent windows. She heard vaguely the footsteps of her friends behind her and felt a heavy hand on her shoulder. "Looks like you scared them, Jo," St. George told her with a smile. "You know I was trying to remember why I liked you." Jo looked at her. "This reminded me." "Yes, well while this was a valiant effort of uncovering the plot behind this, it was also incredibly dangerous." Dana Scully stared at the two women with a stern glare. "Dana, I was just--" "Being you, I know," she replied. "But being you in this kind of situation is not an intelligent thing to do." She sighed. "Joanne, you're a good friend, but you don't know that man, the story behind him, or the things he's capable of... And I don't want to lose another good friend." After a second, Scully turned on her heel and started back to the car which was half a block from where they were. Jo and Jackie stood absolutely stunned at the speech. The Brazilian swallowed. "She's never called me Joanne before." St. George turned to her, keeping an eye on the redhead. "Listen, Jo, you know she's under a lot of stress right now. Maybe if we just let her call the shots, we can get through this with a little less pressure, okay?" Thornton nodded silently and the two of them started after Scully. ******* The car ride was silent. Scully, too angry and frustrated to speak; Jackie, a little confused and not sure what to say; and Jo, too scared to talk at all. It had been silently agreed to go back to Scully's place. At this time, it would be too dangerous to go to either Jo or Jackie's apartments; both were probably being staked out. Dana pulled her car into the parking spot that was reserved for her only, undid her seatbelt and got out of the car. Jackie and Jo exchanged unsure glances and followed her quickly. If the mood between them could have been worsened, if it could have been ruined more, the sight of Dana Scully's ransacked apartment was certainly the major factor. The coffee table, the couch, chairs, all overturned. Books and papers were strewn all over the floor making the always impeccable apartment look like it had been hit by a tornado. "What the hell happened in here?" Jo exclaimed. She looked around the room, turning on the spot. Dana and Jackie walked in not phased by the mess. "I didn't think he would hit here," Scully said. "I thought he would have stayed away from this place." "Dana, he must have known we would've come here," Jackie replied. Thornton watched them discuss the problem. "The Cancer Man again," she concluded. The two women in the kitchen looked at her, not giving her an answer either way. The three of them stood in silence, wallowing in the mess. "Have you got some clothes?" Dana suddenly asked, looking at Jackie. "They're at Jo's apartment." She nodded. "Okay. Let's go there and get a few things and get out of here." She started toward the door, Jo and Jackie following without hesitation. "Where are we going?" Thornton asked. Scully closed the door. "I'm taking you to my mother's." ******** "Did you really have to bring those?" Joanne looked at her Canadian friend. "You have yours," she replied. "Besides," she said, putting the two katanas in the trunk. "Relinquishing the gun went along with the badge. I don't have any kind of self defense." This Jackie raised an eyebrow at. "Okay, I don't have any until my Instinct kicks in." "Is that what you're calling it now?" St. George asked. Jo shrugged, slipping into the seat behind her. "Gotta call it something." "Are you two ready?" Scully asked, looking in the rearview mirror. The two women nodded and the car started and pulled out onto the road. "Dana...?" Jo started. She saw the redhead look at her through the mirror, so she continued. "Your mother... she doesn't mind us coming?" Jackie smiled. "You haven't met Margaret, have you?" Jo shook her head and the Canadian looked at Scully. "You really ought to introduce her to more of your friends," she said. "She won't mind," Dana told her. "I haven't seen her in a while, so she should enjoy the company." She cleared her throat. "She also likes to help out a little." Jackie chuckled at the comment, remembering the last time. Joanne nodded and looked out the window. She was relieved Scully was speaking to her again. Though, she wasn't sure about meeting her mother. She never did do well meeting The Parents... ******** The house hadn't changed since Dana had been there last. It hadn't changed in years, not that she was complaining. Scully pulled the car to a stop, opening the driver's side door. Jackie followed without hesitation. Jo looked the house over as she exited the back seat of the car, a little intimidated. "This place hasn't changed, Dana," Jackie said. "I wonder if your mom still makes those cookies." Scully smiled for the first time all afternoon. "She'd probably make them just for you." "Jaclyn!" St. George looked up at the front door of the house as the elder Scully came down the steps. She embraced the Canadian, then her daughter. "What brings you two here?" she wondered. Scully started to answer, but her mother's attention was sidetracked to the Brazilian who still hadn't left the car's side. Thornton shuffled her feet slightly; her hands stuffed in the pockets of her jeans. Margaret Scully's stare was just as mesmerising as her daughter's. "Who is this?" she asked. Jo cleared her throat. "Joanne Thornton," she said, walking up to the older woman. She extended her hand and was suddenly relieved that it was accepted with a stunning smile. "I've heard a lot about you," she said. Margaret turned to the other two women. "Let's get inside, huh? I'll make us some tea." ******** The scent of dinner cooking on the stove generated a very homely atmosphere to the Scully kitchen. Margaret Scully looked seriously in her daughter's direction, her gaze never wavering. "Look, mom, I would never get you involved in this unless it was the last resort." The elder Scully sighed. "Well, I guess I'll do it. But only for a little while." Dana smiled and squeezed her mother's hand. "Thanks, mom." She stood to tell Jackie and Jo, but Margaret gripped her hand, causing her to look down again. "How are you, Dana?" Scully nodded, knowing what she meant. "I'm good," she replied. "A little tired, but good." Her mother let her hand go. "Please don't overdo yourself." "I won't." ******** The clang of the two swords together was a welcome escape for both Thornton and St. George. It was a great release, one of which both women shared. Jackie smiled as she blocked another attempt at disarmament. "You're getting slower, Josie." Jo frowned at the pet name everyone she knew, knew she hated. She took another two handed swing, only to be denied again. "That's only because I'm fighting medieval style." "Ahh... excuses, excuses." St. George swung for her. The loud clang interrupted the attack. "Maybe you're just getting old." Jo stifled a laugh. "Getting old?" she repeated incredulously. She dropped to one knee, raising the sword over her head. "I don't see you winning." Jackie smiled. "I'm just wearing you out." She swung again. "You are older than I am.. Or don't you remember?" "Only by two years, my friend, and I'm not feeling tired in the least." Scully opened the front door to let Jackie and Jo know that dinner was almost ready and to tell them about the arrangement with her mother. When she saw the two sparring, she smiled. "Hey guys!" she called. "Come inside!" Hearing the familiar voice, Jo stopped and looked behind her to the house's front porch. Unfortunately for her, Jackie took the opportunity to disarm the Brazilian, twisting her wrist in a circle. Jo turned back in time to see her sword fall to the ground, but not soon enough to prevent Jackie's foot from hooking behind her ankle and taking her to the ground. Thornton grunted as she hit the grass flat on her back and opened her eyes to see Jackie about to attack with her sword. Jo reached down to her waist, feeling a thinner handle. She pulled the sai out in time to catch the blade of Jackie's sword between the prongs. St. George frowned and looked around her sword to see what the interruption and the high pitched clink was. When she saw the smaller weapon, she smiled and shook her head. Taking the sword back, she used her other hand to pull her friend to her feet. "Am I too slow now?" Jo asked, dusting herself off. "Lucky shot," Jackie told her. "What are you stowing weapons away like that?" Thornton smiled. "Insurance," she said, twirling the sai in her hand once before holding it still; the point facing the ground. "Come on guys," Dana called from the porch. "Mom's gonna get mad if you're late for dinner." Jackie hurried on her way. "Jo, if there's one thing you don't want to witness, it's Dana's mother mad." ******** Margaret smiled at her daughter as she heard the front door open again; the old sound of energetic feet in the front hall. "I don't think it's legal to keep those hidden away," she heard Jackie say. "So it's legal to trip your opponent?" came the voice she was starting to recognise. "I thought that was the way of your martial arts." "Not mine. And I know it's not yours." The elder Scully walked out into the living room to see St. George and Thornton arguing, weapons in hand. It was quite a sight. The two of them were almost the same height, Jo being about three inches shorter than Jackie. The Canadian, with her long ponytail, used as much of her height advantage, and with the long sword sheathed in her left hand she looked very much like a threat. However, Margaret noticed the smaller Brazilian would have none of it. She seemed to welcome the challenge, holding a similar sword in her left hand and another, smaller weapon in her right. "All right, children," she said, causing the two feuding women to look at her. "Weaponry isn't allowed in the kitchen." Jackie and Jo looked at each other. St. George handed the sword to Jo, who was forced to take it. She looked at Mrs. Scully. "They're hers," the Canadian told her walking to the kitchen. Thornton looked at the older woman with an unsure expression. She never did too well with parents. She felt like a child again. Margaret smiled. "Put those down, Joanne and come and sit down." Grateful for the forgiveness, Jo placed the swords down onto the floor and followed Margaret into the kitchen for dinner. ******** The mood had been lifted temporarily from the trio. Being at a safe haven of sorts allowed them to speak more freely and relax. Of course, neither of them could forget why they were there. Thornton stayed downstairs when the rest of the group had retired to bed at about eleven. She sat at the kitchen table with a plate of Margaret's famous cookies in front of her. Picking one off the plate, Jo examined it and took a bite. Margaret stepped out into the dark hallway and wandered down the stairs. When she saw the kitchen light was on, she frowned. It was after one in the morning. Creeping to the kitchen doorway, she was surprised to find Jo sitting at the table. "Joanne," she said softly. The Brazilian looked up. "Hi," she replied. The elder Scully pulled out a chair and sat. "What are you doing up at this hour?" Jo swallowed a mouthful of cookie. "I, ah... don't sleep much," was the answer. "Especially now a days." "Why is that?" Jo smiled faintly. "I like to worry," she said. Margaret looked at her compassionately. "About what?" She waited for the answer. Once Jo said "Your daughter", her eyes cast downward and she was on alert. "Why?" she asked. Thornton pushed a few crumbs around on the table. "She doesn't talk to anyone. She... I've been through enough of this kind of thing to know that you need to." "What about you?" Jo smiled knowingly. "I'm notorious for hiding my feelings. Annoys the hell out of everyone because no one can tell what I'm thinking or feeling." "And all those other times," Margaret started. "You talked to people then?" Jo looked up at her. "No," she replied simply. "I haven't said goodbye to any of the people I've known that passed away. I haven't told anyone." She sighed. "I still have yet to grieve for a lot of things. I've just never felt the right time to do so." "You never spoke to you mother?" Thornton took a deep breath and Margaret knew she a tread on something that was a touchy subject. She wasn't sure how to react, so she left it open. Looking at the table, Jo realized she should really tell her. She felt unusually comfortable around Scully's mother and she *was* giving them a place to stay. "I've had three mothers in my life," the Brazilian started. "And... the only one I felt the most comfortable and safe with... wasn't human." She looked up to see the elder Scully's confused and shocked expression. It was understandable. "It's crazy, I know, but these," she said, motioning to the three scars on her face. "Were given to me by her." Jo shrugged. "Maybe as a marking, maybe as a reminder." "So you're an orphan," Margaret stated. Jo looked at her. "If you want to call it that." She paused, wondering if should go as far as to tell her about her Instinct and decided she really had nothing to lose. "You know about Jackie's... ability," she said it as a clarifying comment. The older Scully nodded. "I have something like that," she told her. "I don't understand Jaclyn's power," Margaret said. "That's okay," Jo replied. "I don't understand a lot of mine." She took a deep breath. "When someone I care for is in danger of losing their life, or if I'm in that kind of position... something happens to me." She tried to find words that would make it easier to understand. "You've about the Fight or Flight syndrome, right?" Margaret nodded. "Well that's the trigger." "What happens?" Another sigh. "I become an animal," she replied. "I mutate, if you want to go as far as to use that expression." Margaret couldn't believe the story. She tried to think if this was a dream or not. "What kind of animal?" she asked. "Half human, half... jaguar." They sat in silence, Jo allowing the truth to sink in. Margaret took a while to sort this out. She supposed that if whatever Jackie could do was a real kind of phenomena, why would Jo lie to her? It almost seemed too farfetched to be something that had been made up. She nodded, accepting the story and looked up at the younger woman across from her. "Dana tells me you're a Doctor." Jo laughed and nodded. "I'm not, really," she said. Margaret frowned. "What about the books she said you wrote?" "Oh, those I did write. It was a pseudonym of sorts." She smiled. "To tell you the truth, I never stayed in one course long enough to achieve a degree. I always wanted something new to do; always wanted a challenge. I guess you could say I'm a jack-of-all-trades." "Like Jackie." Thornton nodded with a smile that was far in the past. "That why we got along so well together." "I'm interested as to where you two met," Margaret said. Joanne nodded. "It was interesting to say the least," she replied. Thinking for a minute, she sighed. "It was in Toronto... at a hockey game. Leafs against the Kings." She laughed. "We must have been the loudest women there. We got into a fight with a few guys who were for the Kings and were kicked out at the beginning of the third period. Jackie and I decided we go to a nearby bar and watch the rest of the game, which we did. Except Jackie became a little tipsy by the end of the game. It was great." Margaret smiled. "How did you get home?" "Oh, I drove her. I don't drink, so it was kind of a bonus for her. Besides, the entire night, she'd been bugging me for a ride on my Harley..." Her voice trailed off. "Joanne?" "No, I'm okay," Jo told her, running a hand over her face. "I... should be going to bed." Thornton stood from the table and walked into the living room. "I'll just take the couch so I don't wake anyone, okay?" Margaret turned to her, unsure she wanted her to leave their conversation just yet. "That's fine," she replied. She turned back to the plate of cookies on the table and frowned. That young woman really needed to talk to someone. ******** Dana Scully walked into the kitchen, not surprised to see her mother there with breakfast on the table. "Hi mom," she said. Margaret turned around and smiled at her daughter. She frowned when she saw that Dana was dressed to go to into work. "Are you going to work today?" she asked, placing a plate for her daughter on the table. "Yeah," the younger Scully replied, grabbing a cup of coffee. "There are some things that I should try to find out." She took a sip of the hot liquid. "Jackie's just about up, I heard her. I'm just going to get Jo." "Dana," her mother stopped her. "Let her sleep, she had a late night." Scully frowned. "She's not sleeping, I saw her out in the backyard." Margaret was shocked to hear this and moved to the window to look out onto the yard. Her daughter was right. The Brazilian stood alone in the backyard, dressed only in a pair of jogging pants and a tight fitting cropped tank top. She imagined that it must be fairly cool out there, but it didn't seem to phase the woman outside. Two long scabbards were strapped to her back, the handles of the two swords visible at the tops. A long black belt was tied tightly around her waist with two smaller scabbards tied in the same fashion by thin pieces of leather. Her arms were outstretched, moving slightly left and right, her hands worked swiftly with the two small silver weapons Margaret had seen her with the day before. Dana joined her mother at the window, both hypnotised by the smooth motions Thornton executed. A few extra moves later, Jo leapt into the air, ridding herself of the imaginary opponents. She landed lightly, sticking the two weapons into the soft ground. She stood after a moment, wiping the thin blades of dirt and started back inside. The backdoor opened and the two Scully women busied themselves so as not to look like they had been watching. Jo took the sais in her right hand and smiled. "Enjoy the show?" she asked. Dana and Margaret looked at each other, then the Brazilian. "It's okay," Jo told them. "I don't mind." "When did you get up?" the elder Scully asked. Thornton shrugged. "Don't know. Before the sun." Margaret frowned. "Joanne..." "Please," Jo said, raising her hand, holding the weapons with her thumb and a couple fingers. She knew what she was going to say and she didn't feel much like a lecture. "I don't need a fourth mother." Dana looked from her mother to her friend. Margaret nodded and turned back to the counter. Jo started putting the sais back in their scabbards at her waist. "I... was going to go in today to see if I could find anything more on the accident or the ambush." Thornton looked at Scully and nodded. "Sounds good." "I think you and Jackie should stay here until I figure something out, though." "What's that?" Jackie said, appearing at the bottom of the stairs. "I don't want to wait here." "Yeah, neither do I," Jo added. "Guys," Dana said. "Whether you like it, or not, you're in danger. If you guys go out, the chances are to good that you'll get hurt." She turned to Margaret. "Mom, help me out here." The elder Scully nodded. "She's right. You two should stay here." "I'll be back at three, okay? Jackie and Jo stared at the floor, looking like two dejected ten year-olds who hadn't been picked for the baseball team. "Yeah, okay," Jackie replied. "Go ahead," Jo told her. Scully nodded. "I'll see you guys later." ******** "Your plan isn't working," the man with white hair stated from his arm chair. The puff of smoke billowed around the tall man's head. "They will cooperate." "Your promises haven't been landing well. How can you assure us that these two women will be done away with?" Another puff. "We'll just have to give them an... incentive, of sorts." ******** "Where is she?" Margaret checked out the front window for the fifth time in the past ten minutes. Her face was lined with worry. Her daughter had said that she would be home at three. It was now eight and the house was becoming restless. "Maybe she just got caught in traffic," Jo offered from the couch. Jackie raised an eyebrow. "For five hours?" Thornton shrugged. "Just a thought." The phone rang suddenly and the three women jumped. Jackie and Jo remained still as Margaret rushed to the phone. "Dana?" she answered hopefully. "Almost." Margaret frowned. "Who is this?" "I understand you have two women with you, Mrs. Scully." Jo looked at Jackie and lifted herself from the couch. The two younger women made their way slowly to Margaret's side. "What do you want with them?" she asked, holding the receiver securely. "Where's Dana?" "Mrs. Scully, I have a proposition for you." "If you don't tell me where Dana is, I'm calling the police." The voice on the other end went cold. "Mrs. Scully, I know you're not a stupid woman and calling the police would definitely be a stupid thing to do... Listen to me, I have your daughter and she's alive. What I want from you are the two women in your custody." Jackie and Jo watched the elder Scully fall under the person on the other line and they both knew that whoever it was, had Scully. "What do you want with them?" This sparked Jackie's attention further and she turned to Jo. She mouthed 'Cancer Man', to which Jo nodded. "To make a trade, Mrs. Scully. Your daughter for Thornton and St. George. Twelve o'clock at the site of Thornton's accident. If there's any suspicion that you've called the police, or any authorities at all, your daughter will die. And I know you want to prolong her life as long as nature will allow." Margaret tried to say something more, but the line fell silent. She took the receiver from her ear slowly and replaced it on the cradle. She stood in silence, staring at the wall in front of her. St. George swallowed. "Margaret?" she asked softly. She put a hand on the older woman's arm, hoping to get her attention. The elder Scully turned to the Canadian. "They have Dana," she said in a tight voice. Jackie nodded. "What did they say?" "They want to trade her for you." St. George brought a hand to her chest. "Me?" Margaret looked at Jo. "The both of you." Thornton glanced at Jackie, then to Margaret. "They want you to go to the site of Joanne's accident at midnight." Jackie nodded. "I knew it," she said. "Knew what?" Jo asked. "They must have heard about what you can do, Jo," she replied. Flipping her ponytail over her shoulder, Jackie turned to her friend who was sitting on the back of the couch. "They've been trying to get me for a long time now. They know what I can do and I'm worth millions on the buyer's market." She ran a hand over her face. "You would be too. They want to control us; to use us for their own projects." "So they have Dana just so we'll surrender ourselves over to them?" St. George shook her head. "No... No, we will not surrender." "Jaclyn..." Margaret warned. "We're going to get her back," she said. "But we're not surrendering." ******** "I want to go with you." Jackie St. George looked up at Margaret Scully from the laces on her boots. "No," she said, shaking her head. She reached for the scabbard that held the Dragonsword and slung it over her back. "It's too dangerous." Margaret put her hands on her hips. "Jaclyn, you know I've done this before." "No," Jackie replied. "You haven't. That gang was like a pussy cat when it comes to these guys." "What gang?" Joanne asked, setting the long swords into the two scabbards on her back. "I doesn't matter," St. George said, dismissing the story. She turned back to the elder Scully. "Margaret, you've got to understand, these people don't care if you, me, Jo, or Dana are killed. They're completely ruthless." "But she's my daughter." Jackie's head fell forward. "Jackie, why don't we just let her drive the car? I mean, she doesn't have to be in the way and in case we need a fast break or none of us are fit to drive..." The Brazilian shrugged. "It might be a good idea." Jackie stared at her friend for just a moment which seemed like longer. Sighing in defeat, she turned to Margaret. "Okay," she said. "But stay out of their sight." ******** "They're late." "They'll come." "What makes you so sure?" "Because we've got her." The two men turned to the woman bound and gagged in the corner. Dana Scully was in average condition. Slightly bruised and blood out the corner of her mouth and such, but generally, she was still healthy. Silently, the redheaded agent hoped she stayed that way. ******** "You ready?" Jackie held out her hand to her Brazilian cohort. Thornton nodded, placing her hand over Jackie's, the two of them gripped each other's wrists. "Remember, 'the simple only reappears--'" "'When the complex is exhausted'," St. George finished. She smiled. "Let's rock." The two women jogged lightly out into the street; aware of any slight movement from either direction. They scanned the streets for any vehicles or anything that may be of any interest to them. The place was deserted. A couple lone street lights were the only source of illumination. St. George turned to Thornton. "You see anything?" she asked. Jo shook her head. St. George wandered over to the building on the left, thinking most likely, that was where they would be keeping Scully. Her right hand reached behind her, feeling for the end of the scabbard, just to make sure her sword was still there. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a slight movement just inside the door. "Jo," Jackie started to whisper. "There's--" She cut off abruptly. The Brazilian was nowhere to be seen. St. George frowned and turned back to the door to see two men standing before her, both holding guns calmly. "Jackie St. George, I presume," the man on the right stated. The Canadian swallowed. "Gave up on Dr. Livingstone, huh?" she asked with a wry smile. "Ms. St. George, this is no time for jokes." The sound of two feet landing solidly behind the two men caused them to spin on their heels. Joanne Thornton smirked at them before bringing both men to the hard concrete with a perfectly delivered spin kick. She looked down at them. "Don't suppose you'd be up for any kicks then, huh?" Jackie chuckled. "Nice double play," she said, shaking her friend's hand. "Least you could've done was save one for me." "Yeah, next time." The two women made their way silently into the building. ******** "Sir?" "What is it?" "They've entered the building." The puff of smoke billowed around the man's head. "Take her out the back door." ******** Joanne Thornton held the swords tightly, trying to decide what to do. Jackie stood by her, awaiting the same conclusion. Jo sighed. "Why must these guys always have guns?" she asked. "It's so unsportsmanlike." Jackie shrugged. "Don't know," she replied. "Maybe they have an esteem complex or something." "Come on ladies," one of the two men said. "Why don't you just give it up?" "Because then it wouldn't be fair," Jackie said. "Really, you guys have the advantage on this, you know. I mean, you with guns, and us with swords, it's just not fair... All we want is a fair fight." As soon as the words came from Jackie's mouth, the two men in front of her fell to the ground in pain. The Canadian frowned and noticed the metal in each of the men's legs. She sighed heavily. "Didn't I tell you to save one for me the next time?" she told her friend. "Didn't I?" Jo moved forward, removing the sais from the men's thighs. "Yeah, well, you weren't really getting very far with them, Jackie. What kind of master plan did you have swirling around in that little head of yours?" "I had the *perfect* plan." "Yeah, you're a little slow on the uptake today." The two of them made their way slowly up a short flight of stairs and walked through a long hallway that was lit minimally at best. They came upon a junction in the shape of a T. St. George peeked around the corner, followed silently by Thornton. "Where does he want her?" one man asked. Jackie backed up immediately, pushing her friend backwards. However, she had no idea how roughly she did it. Jo slammed up against the wall with a grunt, feeling the scabbards dig into her. "That'll leave a bruise..." "Shh!" Thornton turned to Jackie with a frown. The two men passed calmly without seeing them. The Canadian looked at Jo. "Stay here," she said. "They're mine." Jo shrugged as Jackie walked out into the hallway. She followed the two men close behind, but without either of them noticing. "He wants her out of the room--" "Aw, no," Jackie said. "You mean I have to find a whole other place you're hiding her?" The two men frowned and turned around slowly. St. George smiled. "Morning, fellas," she greeted. Her right hand reared back, delivering a hard clout to one man's jaw. The other man rapidly went for his holstered gun, which Jackie caught. "Oh, don't do that," she said, throwing her left hand at him. She successfully connected with his jaw, sending him flying against the wall, holding his chin. Thornton put a hand on her shoulder. "Looks like there's more to an engagement ring than decoration," she said. The Canadian looked over at Jo and started down the hall. "Just wait till you get the wedding band. Then you'll be unstoppable." ******** "On three," Jackie whispered. Jo nodded. They stood outside the room that the two men were headed. This was where Scully was apparently being held. "One... two... three!" The two women leapt into the room, ready for any retaliation. Men with guns, or not, they would go down fighting. But they didn't need to. St. George straightened with a frown. "Well who said the party was over?" She looked at Jo. "I didn't," The Brazilian replied. They wandered around the small, unfurnished room. They looked for anything that may give any clue to where Scully had been taken. "Hey, Jo," St. George called Thornton over to a corner of the room. She was bent over a small area on the floor. Jo knelt next to her, placing the swords on the dirty wood floor. She leaned forward and sniffed lightly. "It's blood," she reported. Jackie nodded. "I know. Do you think it's Scully's?" Jo shrugged. "It's a good possibility." "Thornton!!" came a bellowing voice from the street. "St. George!!" The two women rushed to the window and looked down the one story to the street below. Both their hearts leapt at the scene of not only Dana Scully being held tight, a gun to her head, but also Margaret had been spotted and stood alongside her daughter. About six men surrounded them; all looking up at the window. "Bastards," Jackie whispered. Jo's eyes closed tightly, and knelt on the floor. She slowly made her way of discarding her weapons and tossing them out the window. St. George frowned upon seeing them fall to the street and turned to her friend. Seeing Jo's state, she bent down beside her. "The Instinct, isn't it?" she asked. Thornton nodded. "The sword, Jackie," she managed to get out. The pain rocked through her body as it always did; the intense feeling of every cell splitting simultaneously. "What?" "Your sword. Activate the Rage." Nodding, Jackie pulled the sword from the scabbard on her back. With a last look at Jo, she intensified the grip with her left hand. She cried out as the needles from the hilt shot out, impaling her hand. Thornton doubled over, feeling herself change; feeling her body grew a couple inches, arms and legs thickening. She ran her tongue over her teeth, feeling them grow pointed. A second later, she stood, completely of a different form. The static in the room seemed to unify the two women. Thornton and St. George looked at each other, knowing neither of them were the enemy. Scully looked up at the window, cringing slightly at the sound of the static. She knew Jackie would have started the Rage. She also knew Jo would have changed and this worried her. They always had to make sure they were out of the way when Thornton changed because she could never differentiate between good and bad. She responded instinctually; she reacted. So they would be in just as much danger as the enemy would be. Dana felt herself breathe a small sigh of relief when she saw Jackie leap out of the window, landing safely and staring down the men around her. However, Scully's heart skipped a beat when Jo jumped out of the window after the Canadian, landing not two feet from her. Where Jackie stood tall, Jo remained close to the ground, one hand on the pavement in front of her. Scully didn't know what was going on. And the men around her didn't either. The six men who held the two Scullys moved closer to the two growling women, their guns drawn. Dana grabbed her mother and pulled her back to the other side of the street. "Dana...?" "Come on, Mom," she said, walking backwards. "This isn't going to be pretty." The men walked slowly, advancing little by little on the two women. Three on Jackie and three on Jo. Thornton watched the men intently. Her golden eyes hardly moved as they came closer to her. Without warning, Jo sprang in the direction of one man who yelped in surprise. She took him to the warm pavement and growled in his face. The man froze, staring up at her. A shot rang out in the street, and Jo roared painfully. She leapt off the man and turned to the source of the noise. The three of them tried to take her at once, but it didn't take long for all of them to be lying on the pavement, moaning in pain. Each of them nursed a gouge or a scratch and were startled when she growled again. She wasn't finished... The solid Dragonsword sliced through the the air toward the barrel of the revolver, knocking it from the shocked man's hands. Two handed, the sword flew by his chest, slashing not only his clothes, but the skin underneath. St. George turned to the other two men as they rushed her, one at a time. Jackie turned to her side as one approached, grabbing hold of his arm and twisting it behind him. This caused his feet to leave the ground and his body to become airborne. The second man was thwarted by the point of the sword. He skidded to a stop not two inches from the metal. Jackie held fast and with one flick on her wrist, the man's shirt fell open and he dropped to his knees. The static died down and St. George chuckled at the sight of the babbling man at her feet. She leaned on the butt of the sword, wearily keeping her balance. Scully smiled from her place with her mother, relieved. However, the party was far from over as she caught sight of the one man Jackie dealt with first, raising his gun to the Canadian. "Jackie!!" she yelled. St. George turned, confused, and her eyes widened at the man with the gun. Her heart sped up slightly and she swallowed hard. There was no way she could start the Rage again; she was too tired. But she didn't need to. The growl caught her attention. The man reached his finger around the trigger and was no way prepared for the force of the hit. He flew to the ground, landing hard, and looked up into the face of an animal. Jo snarled at him, baring the white, pointed teeth and swatted him once, leaving four trails of blood. The man cried out in pain and grabbed his face. "Jo!" Jackie called. The mutant looked up from her 'prey' and toward the Canadian. St. George smiled. "It's over." The animal shook its head. Jo closed her eyes and growled at the pain rocking through her body, returning her to 'normal'. Thornton knelt on the pavement, holding her head. "God, that hurts," she complained. "Tell me about it," Jackie replied, bringing the Brazilian to her feet. Jo looked down at herself. Her clothes were tattered and torn from the transformation. "If only I could just wear, like, maternity clothes or something when this is going to happen." She shook her head. "I really liked this shirt." Dana and Margaret ran out from their place in the shadows and joined Thornton and St. George. The younger Scully was clearly confused. "How..." she started. "How did you do that?" she asked. Jackie frowned. "Do what?" "How come Jo didn't attack you? How come she could understand you?" Jo put a hand on Jackie's shoulder. "That's actually a neat thing," she said. "Something discussed better over tea?" Margaret suggested, wanting to rid herself of this night and go home. "Only if those cookies are involved..." ******** The Scully living room felt much lighter to all its inhabitants. The mood was more relaxed as if there was not a care in the world. "So what's the story?" Dana asked. St. George sipped on her tea. "Jo and I became good friends after a hockey game up in Canada. We started hanging out and doing stuff together; going to sports games, conventions, stuff like that. And one time we happened across a gang rape. I'd never told her about what I could do and she hadn't told me about her, it just kinda happened. Anyway, it was then that we discovered our... Gifts, let's say, were compatible." Scully frowned. "Compatible?" "Yeah," Thornton stepped in. "Whenever we're in that particular state, we recognise each other for what we are and know we're on the same side." "It's the static that does it," Jackie told the redhead. "I've got to activate the Rage before she changes or else I'm at risk of getting myself gouged." "Cookies anyone?" Mrs. Scully walked into the living room with a plate full of her home-baked cookies. "Woah, baked goods." Jackie and Jo immediately dove for the plate. Margaret shook her head and looked at her daughter. "It's nice to have the house full again," she said. Dana looked at the women across from her, oblivious to anything but the cookies, and their conversation. "Yeah," she said. "Mom... I don't think Jo meant it when she said she didn't want a fourth mother." The elder Scully squeezed her daughter's shoulder. "I know she didn't," she replied. "I think was a call for one." END July 16, 1997