***DISCLAIMER***: All "X-Files" elements and references
in this story belong to Fox Broadcasting, Chris Carter,
and 1013 Productions, and I am making no money from it.

Archiving: Link only, please!

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The Rules
by shannono
shannono@iname.com


Vignette, CSM first person

Rated PG

Spoilers through "The End"

Summary: The Cigarette-Smoking Man, on his new life.

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The Rules
by shannono


You never learn, Fox.

You didn't play by the rules. Again.

And this time, it cost you.

I guess you know by now that I'm not dead. Or *believe*,
at least. I heard you in the parking garage, demanding
answers from my son. You needn't have bothered. He doesn't
know who I am any more than you do. And he didn't even know
I wasn't supposed to be alive, much less walking upright.

Much less burning down your precious files.

I'm the one who took the boy, Fox. Hand-delivered him to the
Syndicate. I don't work for them directly any more, by the
way. I work only for myself now. They tried to kill me, and
while I will do some "consulting" jobs for them, I don't
trust them enough not to shoot me in the back.

Or run me down with their sleek black sedans.

I was reluctant, you might say, to involve myself in this
dirty little business. But they needed me, and they knew it,
so they found me. Sent Krycek, of all people. I suspected
assassination, of course. What else could I expect from them?

But Alex said he was sent to bring me back. I believed him --
mainly because he didn't shoot me when he had the chance --
so I went. Obviously someone had realized my true worth.

Besides, I missed my old life. I wanted to return to some
semblance of normality.

Some changes were in order, of course. As I said, I can no
longer trust my former colleagues. Not that I ever trusted
them that much, but I at least could sit in the same room
with them and not check my back every few minutes.

Now, I'll limit contact to a few minutes at a time and
concentrate on keeping myself indispensible.

I'm sure that little blaze will help convince them of my
importance to the game.

Oh, yes, that was a stroke of genius, if I do say so myself.
Over the years, we've managed to strike at the two of you
from nearly every angle. We've split you up, taken you,
hurt you, tried to kill you, turned you against each other,
taken your family members.

You're tough, I'll give you that. Either tough or stupid,
and I'm not idiotic enough to underestimate your intelligence.

No matter what, you keep coming back for more.

So I just took away what you keep coming back to.

You probably think this is the way it was planned from the
start. No, actually, the boy was supposed to die in Vancouver.
But he didn't, the game plan changed, and then you jumped in
where you shouldn't have.

You broke the rules, Fox. You got too close. You're supposed
to follow our leads, do our work for us, and then watch it all
disappear before your eyes.

But you were winning this one. And we couldn't let that happen.
We managed to fight you off again, but this time, a punishment
was in order.

A strategically placed match can do wonders.

What I would have given to have been there when you saw the
remains of that office.

I imagine the fire didn't destroy everything you've acquired
in your work. You can probably salvage a few bits of evidence,
a file or two here and there.

But somehow I doubt you'll feel up to the task. You'll probably
never even realize who has your sister's folder now.

Such a pity.

At any rate, it's your move now, Fox.

And this time, stick to the rules.

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