[Disclaimers in part One] Games of the Mind (part 10) by Christina Shuy cshuy@netcom.com "I want the truth... *NOW*." Christina was sitting on K'Nara, holding a gun to her head. "Christina! What are you doing?!" Chris asked, rushing over to her. She stayed on K'Nara, but turned the gun to Chris. "YOu stay out of this. I am demanding that this alien bitch tell me the truth. You've done nothing but interfere in my life, and quite frankly, I'm sick of it!" "Love... I don't understand..." he said, trying to be understanding. "You wouldn't. HOw dense can you be?! Can't you see that they've all been playing us for fools. They're lying. They do work for that bastard chainsmoker who put me in the hospital. They're going to kill us... *ALL* of us!" There was a note in her voice which was frightening to hear. Even to her own ears. <<>> A young girl's voice screamed out. <<>> Caitlin's voice answered. It was then that Chris, and most everyone else, caught a literal glimpse of a red-haired woman with blazing green eyes. The expression on her face was definitely not a happy one. "Julia..." Chris' voice was a whisper, his tone somewhat anguished. "Oh, gods... Julia..." "I don't know how or why any of them put up with you. I certainly don't, and quite frankly, you are dense, stupid, and you *bore* me." Her tone was cruel, cutting, and utterly malicious. It was everything Julia was. The look on Chris' face was one of pain, shock, and anger. <<>> Marie's voice betrayed her shock. <<>> Caitlin asked, though everyone knew it was a rhetorical question. <<>> Christina turned her eyes to Marie's and the two exchanged thoughts. With a flash of pain, it was obvious that there was another switch in personality. Christina backed off K'Nara, gun still in hand, as if saving for future use. Almost absently, she tucked it into the waistband of her skirt, as though her mind had no idea what her hands were doing. <<>> Marie asked, clearly frustrated that it wasn't her... at least not yet. "Ohhh..." There was a dazed tone to her voice, and she wavered as she got to her feet. She put her empty hand to her forehead. "Chris?" Chris stood up stiffly and turned away. His expression was neutral, but Christina, who knew him best, knew that there was pain in his heart. "Chris..." She turned to walk towards him, her head feeling somewhat dizzy. "Chris... wait." "Leave me alone." There was a note of pain in his voice, though he hadn't needed to say a word for her to know she'd hurt him. Badly. <<>> Caitlin's glare was deadly. <<>> Julia's snide comment was one filled with a smug satisfaction. <<>> Valerie spoke up. <<>> There was the impression of something more than that and Julia abruptly silenced. "Christopher, please-" Christina started, eyes filling with tears. "I said go away. You obviously think that way about me... so what does that make you... a liar, just like everyone else-" She could hear the tears in his voice he was struggling to keep back. "You're going to leave... like Von... Like Natasha... like Tillie, and Grampy." He lowered his head, and she knew he was struggling to keep tears at bay. The riot which was starting inside her mind was dizzying and painful. Her headache worsened, and she had to fight to keep aware enough to get through to him. <<>> someone within wailed, clearly distressed at what he had just said. <<>> Christina raged. <<>> a mournful voice murmured. <<>> Caitlin sighed. <<>> There was a dangerous gleam in Julia's eyes. <<>> <<>> Erin moved to stop her, but it was too late. "And you??? How dare you compare me to either Yvonne or Natasha. You left me *FIRST!* FOR Natasha! And then you *LIED* to me about her. For over a MONTH and a *HALF*! So turnabout is fair play." Christina's voice was filled with the pain and rage she'd felt for what felt like six months to her even though it had been much longer. There was an abrupt wrenching and Julia was pulled back. In her stead, Erin commented on what had been said. If she hadn't, there would have been war within the system. "You've lied to me too. And you *know* how Julia is. She's cruel, cutting, and manipulative. I can't do anything about her because she is everything about me I would rather not have. I"m trying to accept her for what and who she is, but this time she's gone too far. I don't think you're stupid, a bore or dense. She was taking the pain for when you were still lying to *ME*-" Whatever else she had meant to say was cut off as he turned, pulled her to him and held onto her, tightly. They were both trembling. He stroked her hair even as tears streamed down both faces. "I'm so sorry for that time. Really, truly sorry. I do love you. And not a day goes by when I don't regret hurting you. Most especially breaking up with you... You are the love of my life. I've known that for quite some time now, and I want to continue where we left off. I love you so much..." His voice was wavering through his words and his tears. She felt the tears begin to dampen the shoulder of her shirt, even as hers did the same to his shirt. "I love you, too. That is one thing I've never lied to you about. And we never really 'left off'. We just kept getting stronger. I know this. You know it too. Julia, however, doesn't quite placate so easily. I need time. I told you this already. Julia herself, though, is another problem. I know how cruel she is and can be... the question is, can *we* take it?" There was a hint of a smile on her lips. "Always." he smiled as he leaned closer to kiss her gently. ----- After a while of reveling in cutting through the pain of betrayal yet again, they realised they were alone in the room... a room with a bright view of the earth spinning below them. "You know... we've got to stop doing this..." Christina closed her tearsticky eyes and turned back to murmur into his shoulder. "Doing what?" Chris asked, giving her a gentle squeeze and kissing her at her hairline. "Screaming at each other all the time? You know, when I said before that we never fought, I didn't expect you to be holding this sort of thing against me. I am sorry... and you were right... about both Lise and Natasha. But what do we have to stop doing?" SHe laughed softly before answering. "Causing a storm of emotion and then making up the way we have been... gonig into a severe paranoia fit... and what the hell were you thinking comparing us to Von and she who shall not be named?" Her tone of voice was still light, but there was also pain in her voice. "I had to find a way to get you back to your senses. Julia had gone too far and I needed to make you aware of that too." "Oh, I was well aware of it. I still am. I know Julia went too far, but that still doesn't excuse what you did. That hurt." "So did what you said to me." She felt him kiss her forehead, and she smiled. "Not as much as what you did... As I said before, it's going to take some time... I didn't want you to leave me when you did, and now, with being compared to both Yvonne and Natasha-" There was pleading in his eyes. "Please don't talk about this anymore... I am here... with you... right now. And here is where I want to stay. If you'll have me. Regardless of what Lise may have said to you in the past. As for Julia-" "I heard what Julia said. She never said she didn't love you." "But she never said she did either..." <<>> Valerie's voice was almost gleeful. Julia hadn't said a word, but from the impressions she had been able to gather, she'd formed that conclusion. "So what does that prove? *I* love you... The rest of us love you. As a matter of fact, if it weren't for the pain, I think Julia does too." she murmured into his shoulder. <<>> Julia was suddenly very defensive. Everyone else within had to stifle the smile. <<>> Caitlyn sighed. <<>> <<>> Christina murmured, though she had to keep from laughing. his voice smiled in her mind. "I love you too." she said, aloud, pulling him closer and kissing him. "And I'm never leaving you. Ever." * "I think you were right. We did need to leave them alone." K'Nara commented. "How about giving them their privacy?" Mulder asked. "And telling us what is going on. Where is my sister?" "Your sister is alive, though unfortunately, there are forces standing in the way of your reunion with her... ANd We are not certain where she is." "I wish you would stop stringing us along. I am getting really tired of this. I want to know where my sister is or what you intend on doing to find her!" "Agent Mulder, we are aware of the actions of the person who is apparently in control of many things which occur on your planet. The one you often see who is smoking a cigarette. I know I do not need to tell you this, but you really must be careful where he is concerned." "Tell me something I don't already know." Mulder growled. "Look, since you've tried to talk to us about this, you've given us absolutely nothing to go on." Scully said. There was suddenly a shaft of light extending floor to ceiling before all of them. The earth circled lazily in it. "What's this?" Scully asked. "If you will recall, we mentioned that we had found a way to remove the excess carbon dioxide from your atmosphere. We use it as fuel in our ships." "Yeah, so?" "This was part of the reason why we needed the engineering knowledge of the students we took. Yes, we admit that taking them without prior consent was not a wise idea, but as your government has convinced the public as a whole of the lie that your people are the only ones in existence, it was the only way to go about it." K'Nara said. "But there is the danger of taking too much from an enclosed system, isn't there?" Scully pointed out. "It could throw the entire system out of balance." "We will continue doing so, and monitor the situation on your planet. If need be, we can replenish your planet's oxygen supply. As well as our mission to influence the scientists." K'Nara stated. "I still don't understand how one relates to another." Mulder said. "Technology, Agent Mulder. You don't think that your people would pick up the technology they have without people like Christina, do you?" T'Kenn said, though he sounded a little uneasy. "So you abducted the best of the Engineers so you could influence where they would take technology? What's the catch?" Mulder asked. "Not necessarily influence... just allow them to see that their ideas are quite viable." T'Kenn explained. They were interrupted by a sharp shout from the other room, where Christina and Chris still stood. The monitor screens still held their images for the others to see. "You know, guys, for claiming we're not prisoners or test subjects, you certainly are treating us like lab experiments... Where did you go?" Christina's voice was sharp through the speaker. "I think we should head back to them. If I remember correctly, they've both got tempers we don't want to deal with." Mulder said. They all agreed and headed back to the other room. End Part 10.