[For disclaimer stuff, see part 1...] Games of the Mind (Part 3) by Christina Shuy cshuy@netcom.com Christina ran from Mulder's basement office at near breakneck speed, heading for the stairway. The elevator had been determined to be too slow. Continuing the pace, she ran out of the building and out into the warm spring of Washington, D. C.. <<<'Get me out of here.... GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE!'>>> Christina's own voice echoed through her mind. <<<'And where would you have us go?'>>> Valerie's voice was heard, but then almost instantaneously muzzled. The thought ran over and over and over. Before she realised what happened, she found herself in front of the Jefferson Memorial, looking into the water and surrounded by strangers. The headache which had started blooming in Mulder's office some time ago now it with sharp intensity. SHe felt more than faintly queasy. Not only that, her lungs hurt from having run so far so fast, though she had no recollection of where she'd run FROM or where she though she had been headed. <<<'What posessed you to run?!'>>> Valerie said, finally. <<<'That was a damn stupid move on your part.'>>> <<<'Shut up and go away, Valerie. As far as I know, you're the one who got us into this mess to begin with!'>>> Christina answered. <<<'Not only *that*, you're sounding far too much like she who claims to be our mother!'>>> <<<'Oh, no you don't... leave me out of this... that bitch is NOT *MY* MOTHER.'>>> <<>> <<<'What the *hell* gave you the idea that I was trying to take over your life? You screwed up your life. You made your bed, now you get to lie in it.'>>> <<<'At least I'm not the one hiding something from the rest of us! You've been lying to us from the start of this whole mess.'>>> <<<'What are you talking about?'>>> <<<'You're hiding something-'>>> <<<'I am not!'>>> <<<'You're lying!'>>> Lisa butt in. <<<'I AM NOT!!!'>>> Valerie's reply made the headache worsen. <<<'She certainly didn't make things any easier.'>>> Marie stated. <<<'Marie, get the hell off my case about this. *She* is the one who ran! It's not like the rest of us had any other choice but to go with!'>>> Valerie's retort sharpened the pain. It did not help. <<<'Are you saying I'm the one in control? I'll tell you one thing, and I hope this gets you to SHUT UP. I am NOT in control!'>>> <<<'Oh, yeah? Says who?'>>> <<<'Says *me*!'>>> <<<'Like you're some great authority.'>>> <<<'You certainly aren't!'>>> <<<'Oh, no?!'>>> <<<'No!'>>> <<<'In that case, *prove* it!'>>> Valerie was screaming. <<<'It's not like you-'>>> Christina started but was interrupted. "Are you ok?" She heard a stranger's voice to one side of her. She realised her eyes were closed and she was gripping the railing between the monument and the pool surrounding it like a vise. It hurt, but she couldn't loosen her grip. It seemed her fingers wouldn't listen to her brain. "I... uh... yes. Just a little headache." she managed to say between breaths, her head throbbing. She squinted through the headache but couldn't see anything. "I'll be fine..." She screwed her eyes shut again. The pain was worse than her usual tension/stress headaches and part of her wished she hadn't run off alone. <<<'Sure... like running away is the solution to everything?'>>> <<<'Caitlin... I REALLY don't need to hear this. Especially not right now.'>>> the thought felt more like a sigh. She heard the thought whirl around in her mind, and there was an ache... a longing ache. She felt a hand on one of her clenched fists and then felt it gently attempt to disengage fingers from the railing. WHen that failed after a few moments of trying, she felt the same hand, warm, soft and familiar, on her cheek, caressing the skin lightly, wiping away tears she hadn't even known were falling. She heard and felt his presense, even before a word was spoken. The touch of his hand connected them instantly, and she felt him resist the urge to pull away. "Really hurts, doesn't it, love." she heard Chris' voice ask before he slipped his arms around her. She let go of the railing and threw her arms around him. Then, the tears began in earnest. The pain, confusion, and fear overcoming what restraints she had built up against them and she felt him stroke her hair gently. SHe was relieved he was one person she could trust in the area, especially since she still didn't know how she'd lost so much of her life. <<>> Lisa screamed, causing a momentary throb. <<>> For several long minutes, he let her cry, her tears soaking into the fabric of his shirt, while he held her and stroked her hair, murmuring endearments and continuing to soothe her as best he could. As the confusion eased a little, she could feel the tension ease from both of them in the way in which they'd always helped the other. "Shh... love, I'm here... I'm always here for you when you need me. After all, I have a lifetime to return the favour..." She heard his whisper and was trying to keep from crying even more. "I was wondering where I could find you two. You're a hard person to track down, Christina, you know that?" she heard Mulder's voice as if from a distance, and her headache throbbed, making it feel as though her skull were full of cotton batting. <<<'Go away, Mulder!'>>> she heard one of her internal people declare. <<<'As if we haven't done ENOUGH to hurt you already, you're chasing after us for MORE?!!!'>>> Her thought planes shifted once again, and she felt more than faintly dizzy. "Agent Mulder, how did you find us so fast?" <<<'Like I really knew where I was going to begin with...'>>> one voice mused, gloomily. <<<'Well, if you didn't know where you were going, you shouldn't have run to start with!'>>> answered another, though the tone was far too familiar. <<<'Look, I've had enough of not trusting my own judgement, so if you wouldn't mind, *shut up*. The body's mother was *not* right.'>>> <<<'Why would he want to chase after us anyway?'>>> <<<'Maybe Agent Mulder's got a masochistic streak.'>>> another voice snickered. <<<'Julia, that's enough! We have enough to deal with right now without having to deal with being paranoid too.'>>> Caitlin's voice cut through the extreme paranoia. <<<'Are you calling me paranoid?'>>> Julia answered. <<<'You are. But I don't want to argue about it right now.'>>> Julia shut up, but everyone involved could hear her grumble. "Chris has a cel phone. He called me right when he found you." Mulder answered. <<<'Chris has a cel phone?! That's something new.'>>> Caitlin noted, though the smile was also widely felt. "I'm not sure why you'd want to find me..." Christina sighed. "I don't understand..." Mulder answered. "I think she's afraid of having hurt you in some way, Agent Mulder." Chris stated, calmly, readig her feelings and emotions with the accuracy that had always been between them. "SHe hasn't, Chris. As you know, my sister has always been a sensitive subject with me and I'm surprised she would know anything about Samantha, considering she isn't really physically old enough. It was not something widely publicised at the time. Not only that, she wasn't even in the same area when Samantha disappeared. According to the records you gave Scully and me ten months ago, she would have been-" "I was six months old biologically at the time your sister disappeared. I don't know HOW I even know you have a sister, especially since we've never met before today, but I do know what I have told you so far..." Christina answered, looking up at Mulder, having regained at least partial composure. "Do you at least have any ideas?" "According to Valerie, whom you've apparently met directly for a brief moment, aliens DO have something to do with this, but it is likely only she remembers what happened during the ten months we were missing and she isn't telling the rest of us... <<<'Even though we generally don't lose time like that!'>>> Caitlin sounded annoyed. <<<'A minute here, a minute there... you know what they say...'>>> Lisa's voice was somewhat joking. Christina felt the collective groan. <<