The Lambs: Part 2 (13/21)     
by Lamia (AKA so kiss me goodbye) 
                                        
Rating: PG-13 (violence, strong language)
Category: S                             
Spoilers: Seasons 1-9, Fight the Future           
Keywords: William; Colonization              
Summary: Liam van de Kamp's life changes the day two 
FBI agents kidnap him and his parents.
                                   
Author's Note: The Lambs is a three-part story (with prologue).
 

Chapter 23

Late January, 2012 
New Mexico 

Days turned over, weeks raced by, and before anyone 
noticed, January disappeared. As he marked another day 
off his homemade calendar, Liam marveled that so much 
time had passed without anything happening. 

After a short break for Christmas and New Year's, it 
was back to school. 

The novelty of the first heavy snowfall for the season 
lasted only as long as its whiteness. The snow made the 
grownups grouchy because everything took twice as long 
to do. Anyone moving topside had to take a shovel to 
cover their tracks, which turned simple tasks into 
laborious ones. The snow ruled out field games like 
football and soccer. Cooped up and restless, Liam and 
his friends rumbled around underground, layered in 
sweaters and socks, like woolen thunderballs, until 
even their energy for grumbling ran out, leaving 
nothing more than dull resentment. 

The snow sapped the last glow of festive spirit in the 
camp. Dr. Scully avoided the mess hall, eating in her 
office or quarters. The rest of her time was spent in 
the laboratory, where work on a vaccine was carried out 
around the clock. Liam wondered if she was staying away 
so she wouldn't have to disappoint them. Even when his 
back was turned he could tell when she had entered a 
room because everything stopped. It was like everyone 
paused mid-breath. Dr. Scully wasn't the only scientist 
working in the camp, but she was the one they all 
trusted: the one they all expected to hear the news 
from. 

Early in January - the day after Liam's confrontation 
with Mulder and Dr. Scully in the corridor - Mulder left 
camp for a week. When Liam asked about it, Dr. Scully 
brushed him off. "He's had to go help a friend." 

Liam had two more dreams where he was the supersoldier, 
but Dr. Scully never reappeared in them and then the 
dreams stopped. When he started to bring up the 
subject, he would look at the shadows on Dr. Scully's 
face and shut up. 

He agonized over his decision not to talk to Major 
Drummond. Gibson had planted doubts in his head and he 
had had no idea if that was a good or bad thing. He was 
uncertain he'd made the right choice until he overheard 
his parents one night. They had been discussing small 
matters - routine events of the day, small stories and 
jokes - when Mrs. van de Kamp had mentioned Major 
Drummond and Doggett. 

"He's like a dog with a bone," she had said. "I'm not 
sure how Dana puts up with it - every day he wants to 
know every little detail about Doggett and his 
memories. I'm sure we'd all rest easier knowing who 
this supposed "commander" person is, but if Doggett 
doesn't know, he doesn't know. Badgering Dana isn't 
going to change that." 

Liam heard the click of a cupboard opening. Probably 
his father putting his boots away. It was his nightly 
habit to polish and shine his shoes in preparation for 
the following day. 

Marie continued. "His interest is bordering on 
obsession - I'd almost question how healthy it is." 
"He's not hurting anyone by it. Better he fixates on 
the commander than the supposed traitor in our ranks," 
Harry said. 

"That's something to be thankful for, I suppose," 
Liam's mother replied. "You might not remember it, 
Harry, but when we first got here, he was so paranoid I 
thought he was going to demand we even install cameras 
and listening devices in the family washrooms." 

Liam straightened. He'd never heard *that* before. 
There was a squeak as the cupboard door closed. Liam 
heard his dad move back to his chair. "We never caught 
anyone." 

"If there was a leak, it didn't give away the location 
of the camp or anything about Mulder and Scully. And 
the identity of Mulder's source is still safe. That was 
Drummond's biggest concern." 

Harry let out a loud and ponderous 'hmm'. 

"What is it?" Marie said. 

"Mulder and Skinner at New Year's. Skinner got news 
about something then Mulder took off. I wonder if there 
is something in this traitor business after all." 

"Something to do with Mulder's informant?" 

"That's the fear." 

Liam lost track of the rest of the conversation as it 
drifted back to mundane matters. His mother was 
concerned by Major Drummond. And if *she* was worried, 
Gibson might have had a point about the Major. 

Gibson: there was another irritation - despite a sort 
of thawing in their relationship. 

*Most* of the time now Gibson was okay to have around. 
But his behavior was still erratic and Liam found 
himself wishing they could go back to just hating each 
other all the time. On bad days Gibson's mood swings 
went from calm - almost helpful - to unpleasant and 
venomous in the shift of seconds. And, with no obvious 
trigger, they were impossible to predict. 

Still, it was impossible not to ignore the change in 
the guy's attitude. When they first arrived, Gibson had 
been a recluse, shunning company and brooding in his 
solitary hut. 

Ever since the arrival of Jeremiah Smith, Gibson had 
started doing more with the other grownups. He had 
called for action and people listened. His chess 
lessons with Eric had moved into the mess hall and 
attracted an audience these days. 

But his tempers were hard to take. Too many times Liam 
would find himself just about liking Gibson Praise - 
only for one of Gibson's bizarre fits of anger to flare 
up and drive him away. It was frustrating. Gibson knew 
things about Liam - things Liam desperately wanted to 
know. Several times - on Gibson's good days - Liam had 
been close to asking questions, but his nerves would 
get the better of him. 

Equally frustrating was Liam's desire to know *what* 
those secrets were. What could Gibson know about him 
that was worth such a big production? 

Try as he might, he couldn't banish the question from 
his head. Not knowing the answer was unsettling, but he 
was smart enough to know it might be one he didn't like 
- and that was just as unsettling. 

In their free time Liam and Ellie scoured the camp for 
lengths of rope. The hole was out-of-bounds as long as 
there was snow on the ground, but they could still 
plan. 

At the rate this year was going, the snow would clear 
soon enough and they would find a way to sneak off 
without alerting anyone - friend or enemy. Drones and 
satellites were one thing - but leaving a trail for 
their parents to find them seemed unnecessarily 
foolish. 

February rolled in without any ceremony. If Doggett 
knew who the mysterious commander was, he did a good 
job pretending not to. His recovery was slow but 
definite and although they weren't told officially, it 
was no secret in the camp that the second supersoldier 
was about to be released. 

The scientists were confident the virus which had 
affected Doggett would affect the second soldier. They 
were less sure if the virus would spread easily to 
other supersoldiers. They would be taking a risk 
releasing her. 

Liam kept a hawkish watch on his father. Outwardly he 
laughed and acted normal, but Liam and his mother 
noticed changes - a sombreness they weren't used to. He 
had picked up when Doggett started to recover. These 
days he was back to his sturdy, sensible self, and he 
was an intrinsic part of the camp's security team. Any 
plan involving supersoldiers would involve him. If the 
plan to release the second supersoldier backfired and 
they had to re-captured her, they would have to chop 
her up again. 

Tension ruled life in the camp. It came from waiting; 
waiting for the vaccine, waiting for the experiment 
with the supersoldier, waiting for the end of the year 
... 

December 22 was the only definite date they had. To 
Liam it still seemed far enough away. Between then and 
now there were so many things that had to happen and no 
way of knowing *when* they would. 

Few people seemed to notice Mulder's *second* absence, 
or be surprised at his reappearance days later. Liam 
was collecting his tray of dinner - mashed potato (from 
a packet), vegetables and a slice of cheese - when 
Mulder slipped into the mess hall and approached Mr. 
Skinner. Initially Mr. Skinner seemed glad to see Mulder 
but then his look became thoughtful. Mulder's didn't 
change: there was a grim set to his face. Later Liam 
asked Mulder where he had gone; his reply was brief and 
no more informative than Dr. Scully's had been the first 
time he went away: "To help a friend, Liam." 

Feeling daring Liam pushed for more. "Your friend 
called Esther?" 

Mulder stared at him and Liam knew he had crossed a 
line. 

Ellie had lost interest in discussing Esther, but she 
had put a thought in his head which refused to budge. 
He couldn't bring himself to ask Mulder if this 
mysterious woman had some special reason to be 
interested in him. But just bringing up her name was a 
step towards answers. 

"Be very careful who you use that name around, Liam," 
Mulder said. "The wrong thing said at the wrong time 
can be catastrophic." 

Liam had backed off but his desire to know more was 
rekindled. 

Opportunity came sooner than expected when Mulder 
tapped him on the shoulder two weeks later. 

"Got a moment, Liam?" 

Liam's heart swelled with excitement. He loved his 
conversations with Mulder and Dr. Scully, and when they 
sought him out it made him feel extra-special. He sized 
his friend up: hands plunged in pockets, outside coat 
on, a sober air about him. The atmosphere around the 
camp had perked up as the snow melted and all the 
rumors circulating about the vaccine were positive. 
Mulder's dark mood had to be the result of something 
else. 

"Liam, I have to take another trip - and I could be 
away for longer this time -" 

"Where are you -" 

Mulder put a hand up. "I need to help a friend move - 
that's all you need to know." 

How much help did this friend need to move? Move where? 
Couldn't they find someone else to help? 

Mulder rubbed his face as though he had a headache. "I 
wanted to ask you a favor." 

"What?" Liam asked less graciously than his mother 
would have liked. 

Mulder ignored his bluntness. 

"Scully's been working non-stop. I was hoping you would 
keep an eye on her while I'm gone. Visit her, have 
dinner with her - make sure she *has* dinner. It's her 
birthday in a week. Think you could help her celebrate 
it?" 

"Sure." Liam would have done it anyway. "Is she okay?" 

Mulder looked away before turning back with a forced 
grin. 

"They're very close to testing the vaccine, Liam. She's 
been stressed. Actually, there's another person you 
could keep an eye on." 

"Who?" 

"Scully's mom has offered to be the first person to 
test the vaccine." 

Liam's jaw dropped. "But that could be -" 

"Dangerous?" 

"But why would she? That's not fair ..." 

None of the grownups were unkind, yet none went out of 
their way to have much to do with him. Mrs. Scully was 
different. Maybe because she was Dr. Scully's mother: 
part of a packaged deal; get one, get the other. 

When he and his parents had arrived, they were the 
outsiders. This was not their world. Like Alice, they 
had fallen down the rabbit hole. But unlikely as it 
seemed, his parents - solid, rural farming folk - had 
carved a place for themselves in this wonderland; his 
mom ran the school and his dad had an important part to 
play in the security of the camp. But Mulder and Dr. 
Scully? They were respected - that was undeniable - but 
they also held back a lot. While they were friendly, 
they were also reserved. 

But they had let the van de Kamps in. *Looking out for 
us, I s'pose.* 

And somewhere along the way the world had gone 
topsy-turvy and the van de Kamps had taken over the 
role of looking out for the couple. And, by extension, 
Mrs. Scully. *It's like we've adopted them.* 

"Wouldn't it be better to test it on ..." 

One-by-one he knocked down the names his mind put 
forward; he knew the answer to his own question. 

Mulder was shaking his head. "She *offered*, Liam." 

"Why didn't Dr. Scully stop her?" 

Mulder's smile was real and sad all at once. "Perk of 
being old enough to vote, Liam." 

-o0o- 

Liam took his commitment to Dr. Scully and Mrs. Scully 
seriously. Mrs. Scully seemed delighted with the extra 
attention until she discovered Liam knew about the 
vaccine trial. Then she no longer found his constant 
hovering around her at meal time adorable. 

Finally, one day, she threw down her napkin and said 
snapped. "He never should have told you!" 

"He just cares about you." Liam said. "I do too." 

"Yes, well, maybe you can do your caring at fifty paces 
while I'm having my dinner!" 

Liam was fairly certain she wasn't angry but he knew it 
was no joking matter. In a smaller voice, all his 
bluster gone, he asked, "Have they given it to you 
yet?" 

Her gaze softened. "Not yet, honey." 

"Will you tell me when they do?" 

Mrs. Scully set her knife and fork in the precise center 
of her plate. She picked up her crumpled napkin, 
flattened it, and folded it under the cutlery. "If I 
promise to tell you, will you let me eat my vegetables 
in peace from now on?" 

"Deal. But you have to give me fair warning - not on 
the day!" 

Agreement reached, Mrs. Scully picked up her fork again. 
Liam watched her hand tremble; it took all his 
self-control to stay silent. 

The first evening Mulder was away Liam had to work hard 
to entice Dr. Scully out of her office. But he found an 
ally in Mrs. Scully and it wasn't long before his mother 
was also in on the act. The three of them soon cajoled 
Dr. Scully into the habit of taking a coffee break every 
afternoon once classes were over. 

Liam acted as messenger, zipping down to her office or 
laboratory to tell her when drinks were ready. 

Sensitive to Dr. Scully's feelings, Liam's mother would 
invite her and Mrs. Scully back to the van de Kamps' 
quarters. The room almost wasn't really big enough but 
the Scullys didn't seem to mind. The three women would 
sit around the table and talk (as far as Liam could 
tell) about nothing consequential. Liam stuck around 
long enough one day to present Dr. Scully a small quartz 
rock necklace for her birthday. He had found the rock 
the first time they'd been allowed to play outside 
after the last snowfall. Eric had found a long piece of 
leather and shown him how to secure the rock in it to 
make the necklace. Dr. Scully had been delighted and put 
the necklace on at once. 

It took Liam a week to realize their afternoon breaks 
were getting longer. He worked it out after an 
unpleasant day in which Major Drummond had sprung an 
after-school surprise on them. Papers in hand, Liam was 
fuming when he reached the door of their quarters. 

He slammed the door behind him, earning himself a stare 
from his mother. He had interrupted her in the middle 
of a sip. The cup was poised at her mouth. Mrs. Scully 
and Dr. Scully sat in the other seats at the table, 
small smiles on their faces. 

"Was that necessary?" Marie said. 

He grumbled an apology. 

"Are you going to tell us what's wrong?" 

"We're doing a play for Easter," he said as if that 
should be enough to explain his temper. 

"That sounds fun - you like plays, don't you?" 

His reply was sullen. "I don't want to sing in front of 
everyone." 

"Oh?" 

"I have to sing in Major Drummond's play. We all do - 
everyone who has a speaking part. I told him I can't 
sing but he wouldn't listen." He could hear his own 
outrage - how silly it was, but it felt good to let his 
frustration out. 

Dr. Scully was no good at holding back her laughter. 
"What part are you playing, sweetie?" 

Liam scowled and rechecked his script. "Some guy called 
Simon of Cyrene." 

"I'm sure you'll be lovely, dear," Mrs. Scully said in 
that infuriating manner old people had. Looking for 
sympathy and not finding it, Liam huffed, stamped all 
four steps to his room, slid open the door, and threw 
his bag on the floor. 

He hadn't properly closed the door before he heard his 
mother. 

"That was a rare display." She sounded embarrassed. The 
chink of china followed the shuffle of the women 
getting to their feet. His arrival marked the end of 
their break. He was churlishly pleased. There was a 
long sigh and he heard his mother again. "He's usually 
so even-tempered. They don't stay young forever, do 
they?" 

"No, they don't," Mrs. Scully said. 

"Yes - but - I had hoped - it's just, nearly eleven 
seems too young to be worrying about *that* sort of 
thing." 

"I expect you don't have anything to worry about for a 
few years, Marie. Both of my boys were nice as pie 
right up until their fourteenth birthdays. Do you 
remember, Dana? *Dana*?" 

"Oh! Sorry, Mom. Just lost in a thought for a second." 
Dr. Scully didn't elaborate and recovered the thread of 
conversation. "I never saw much of a change in Bill, 
but Charlie's punk phase drove Dad wild. I should think 
Liam has some more growing to do before he's giving you 
that sort of trouble, Marie." 

His mother sighed again. "I hope you're right. I think 
living here ..." 

"I think we forget how hard it is on the kids 
sometimes," Mrs. Scully said. 

-o0o- 

That night Liam dreamed he was on stage in front of a 
swathe of faces and every time he opened his mouth a 
deep frog's croak bellowed out. The harder he tried to 
sing, the faster he croaked, and the sound of laughter 
in the hall was hysterical. Equal parts horror and 
outrage, he stormed offstage - and he was suddenly face 
flat in the desert. 

He lifted his head and spat out dirt. It was dark. His 
excellent eyesight took in the stalks of desiccated 
creosote bush, white skeleton balls in low light. More 
to the left. More to the right. He was lying on 
something coarse but yielding. Pushing himself up on 
the stumps of his wrists, he - 

The stumps of his wrists? 

Liam screamed. 

The coarse thing squirmed under a knee. He was kneeling 
on a writhing sack. A toe pushed its way forward to the 
lip of the canvas. 

He was the second supersoldier. 

He was the second soldier and she was reassembling. 

Stunned, Liam didn't have to will himself to be calm. 
Looking down on the woman's chest, he couldn't even 
figure out how he was supposed to react. A tingle wound 
its way up his left leg. *I guess that's my foot.* 

He waited, staying as still as he could, until he 
became aware of a buzzing in his temple and whitenoise 
in his ears - like hearing the sea in seashells. The 
longer he listened, the stronger he sensed there was 
something else. Something alien operating in the 
static. 

*What is this place?* 

It wasn't his thought. 

Liam clutched at his head, screaming at the invader. 
*Get out!* 

Desperately he sought an escape. *I don't want to be 
here.* He clenched his (her?) face, straining to make 
his mind a fortress. Alien thoughts were coming through 
the static louder now, jumbled and wondering in rapt 
confusion. 

*I* don't *want to be here*. Unable to say how, Liam 
jumped out of the supersoldier body and out of the 
dream. When he opened his eyes he was back in bed. 

It would have been easy to get stuck on one thought: 
"Why me?" But as he lay shivering he reached a 
realization. Tugging his blankets over him, Liam's face 
screwed up. More than anything, he was really, really 
angry.