The ride back to motel was quiet.

There was something about Mulder's explanation that had been bothering her, but she was having difficulty pinpointing the exact problem. She was fully aware of the reasons she had trouble connecting with her fellow agents. Mulder was right. She did judge people. It was probably a result of growing up in a Navy fishbowl lifestyle. There were precise definitions of proper behavior and strict codes of conduct and more than enough people ready to stand around eating popcorn when you slipped. Combine that with everything else and she knew that she tended to view people with a sense of detachment. She cared enough about people in general. She was incensed at the injustices that could be perpetrated on them. But she just did not connect with most people. She sucked at making small talk and she had very little use for the banalities that seemed to pass for conversation. These tendencies had only been exacerbated by her years with Mulder.

She knew it was mostly her fault.

She just had not expected him to prove it so decisively.

As much as it had bothered her, she had not really expected him to tell her that she was wrong. She supposed that she was hoping he might have some helpful hints. So all of that was a null issue. The thing that nipped at her, the thing that she kept coming back too, was the other half of their conversation.

"Scully?"

In for a penny...

"Am I really coming across as that aggressive?"

"It bothers you?"

"I think it bothers me a lot. Professionally, people generally seem to take me for who I am and what I'm capable of. I don't like the implication that I'm suddenly more credible or authoritative just because I'm dressing to the left instead of wearing heels. I'm still me."

"Scully, it's not..." Mulder frowned as he paused to marshal his thoughts." It's not..." he paused again. When he finally spoke, his words were slow, as if he knew what he wanted to say, but was having trouble putting it into logical order. " All of us react to each other on at least two levels: the professional and the personal. For the most part, the professional rules but the personal level still affects us and because of the nature of what we do, it's definitely slanted towards the male-male dynamic."

She braked for a light and when she glanced at him he was staring out the window with a thoughtful frown on his face. The light changed greens.

"It's all a question of dynamics. On the personal level, the male-female dynamic, at it's core, asks 'Is there interest?'. Female-to-female, the question is more along the lines of 'Can I compete'. Technically, that's true for male-to-male dynamics, but when you get right down to it, the guy isn't asking himself 'Can I compete?', he's asking 'Can I kick his ass?'. Throw in all that extra testosterone and most men grow up with the knowledge physical violence is a real possibility-even without being enemies. Our cooperative body language reflects that. We develop all sorts of cues to tell the other guy what sort of threat we are willing to be. You don't have those, Scully. It doesn't hurt you in general, because no matter how committed your body language gets during an argument, unless he's a suspect, no guy really expects you to take a swing at him. But your gender dynamics aren't based on an underlying physical threat so your level of psychological warfare is much higher because you need to defeat your opponent through sheer will. Scully, if I went toe to toe with another man with same level of commitment in my body language that you use on a regular basis, he's wondering if I'm about to take a pool cue to the side the side of his head."

Mulder shook his head slowly.

"It might be different if we were computer techs or something similar. Those jobs reinforce competitiveness on a professional level and most of the guys who would be comfortable in that environment are not likely to be the kind to start bar brawls. Factor in the higher ratio of women in the workplace, and the underlying dynamics shift more to the female model. Cutthroat politics without the actual cutting of the throat. Law enforcement? Even in the FBI half our agents are ex-cops or ex-military. Part of our ability to do our job comes from the ability to kick the other guy's ass. So I guess you could say we judge each other professionally with much of the personal male-to-male dynamics thrown into the mix. It makes it really easy for the lines between the two to get blurred. The problem wasn't that they respect you more because you're male at the moment. You're just coming across as...more committed than the situation warrants. So it's being interpreted as alpha male behavior."

She thought about that carefully. 

"Why hasn't anyone called me on it?' She finally asked quietly.

The side of Mulder's mouth pulled up in a tiny smile, "They're not stupid."

Startled at the note of pride in his voice, Scully glanced at him in confusion. 

He caught the look and he shrugged," They respect you. It's not like it's abnormal behavior. Their male instincts are just telling them you're extremely alpha. You're also a federal agent and highly competent. They're responding partly to that and partly to your confidence in yourself. Your confidence goes bone deep, Scully, and they can tell the difference between that and someone who's just being an arrogant ass. As a woman, they see your confidence. As a man displaying physical threat, that confidence tells them you've met scarier things than them and survived. Most of them admire that."

Mulder grinned, "Everyone else is afraid of being turned into a pretzel." He glanced at her again "Don't worry about it, Scully. These aren't bikers. No one's going to take a swing at you just to make a point."

Well, that was reassuring. Somehow she doubted Mulder would be to terribly impressed if he got his body back and it was broken. Her mother had always told her to be careful with the other kids' toys. She was about to comment when Mulder sat up with a jerk, his attention fixed outside the window. Their motel had just come into view and as she pulled into the driveway, she noticed a lone figure sitting on the sidewalk in front of their rooms. Mulder was out of the car almost before she stopped.

"Is this your fault?" 

The woman had risen warily at Mulder's accusation. Scully felt her stomach churn as she recognized her. Jenn. The ex-genie's expression was shifting rapidly from surprise to annoyance. Hands on her hips, she glared at Mulder, "I would think you be a bit more grateful."

Mulder's mouth dropped open, "Grateful? Grateful? Why you...I should have wished you into a bottle at the bottom of the ocean. This is the thanks I get? A chance to explore the wonders of PMS and sprained ankles?"

The ex-djinn frowned slowly and Mulder halted his tirade as she abruptly leaned forward and peered into his eyes, "Agent Mulder?" Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open as her head swiveled toward Scully. 

Her shriek bounced off the pavement at ear cracking decibels. "What did you do?"

Up and down the strip of rooms, curtains fluttered. In the interest of avoiding getting arrested, she unlocked the door to Mulder's old room and pushed everyone inside. Kicking the door shut behind her, she fixed the genie with a gimlet stare. 

"Explain. Now."

"I don't believe this. How could you be so stupid? I went to all that trouble and you bollix it up. You saw what happened to Mulder, how could you be so careless? You...you don't know what I'm talking about." Jenn's words slowed as she registered two identical expressions of confusion. "You don't have a clue what I'm talking about, do you?" Her mouth flattened into a grim line and she held up one hand as she yanked out a cell phone. She growled one low, "Gadrien..." as the line connected. Both agents pulled their weapons as a lithe shape began to materialize in the midst of several sinuous intertwining strands of shadow in the corner of the room.

"For God's sake, Gadrien."

Intense green eyes opened to peer from the near-tangible darkness and a low smoky chuckle rolled across the room.

Jenn placed her hands on her hips. "Enough with the adlib, already. What the hell have you done?"

"Just following orders, pet."

The shape in the shadows solidified. The form shifted and seemed to hover between masculine and feminine, then a lean male form dressed in body-hugging black stepped completely into the room. Jenn sniffed. The blond man merely smiled and those eerie green eyes slid over the agents in amusement.

"Having fun, yet?" His grin widened as he took in the guns. "It would appear not."

"What have you done?"

"As I said, pet. Just following orders. It was your own fault you know. If you hadn't insisted on keying the amulet to the fair Agent Scully, none of this would have happened."

Jenn's eyes narrowed into ugly slits and the man hastily held up both hands.

"She broke it, luv. Smashed it into a million pieces. I went with what I could get."

The horror that had flashed across the ex-djinn's face as he started to speak, morphed back into suspicion. "What were the wishes, Gadrien?"

"Her life, his life, and a touch of revenge." Black clad shoulders shrugged slightly and he grinned. "All perfectly legal and within parameters."

"Listen you perverse demon, if I have to wring these answers from you one by one..."

The demon cocked his head as she trailed off warningly, then his smiled shifted suggestively, "Sounds like fun."

"Gadrien! I was trying to be nice."

The demon leaned toward her, "I wasn't."

Jenn sniffed and fell into a nearby chair and glared. 

"She nearly blew herself into the afterlife. I used the first wish to put the pieces back together." 

Mulder shifted uncomfortably as the demon circled him once. Gadrien reached out to finger a lock of the agent's hair and then he smirked and glanced back at Jenn. "Not a scratch."

Jenn sniffed again. "Does the 'no permanent injury' clause ring a bell? You didn't earn any brownie points with that one, Gadrien. What else?"

"I jinxed fate." 

Jenn's head snapped up, "What?"

Scully was certain that the demon's chest actually puffed out slightly. 

"I jinxed fate. She wanted him to live and since he wasn't in any immediate danger I gave fate a kick in the ass. If he doesn't defy destiny too badly, they should live to a nice...ripe...old...what?"

Mulder's head had shot up and he was staring at the demon intently, but Gadrien was watching Jenn.

"Are you insane!"

Both agents winced at the volume and the demon looked insulted.

"Mobius event, Gadrien! Can you say Mobius event? What kind of demon are you, anyway? I can smell it all over them. The universe has plans for these two and I swear, if I get caught in a backlash because you had to get cute and stand in the way of temporal inertia..."

Scully looked on with interest as the demon's face whitened as Jenn's tirade continued. He turned his head to stare at them intently and he began to look slightly seasick. Scully supposed that he could have been flushing with anger, but from the way his shoulders hunched and the horrified expression, Scully was betting on nausea. 

"Excuse me?"

Jenn broke off and she and Gadrien turned to look at Mulder. 

"I'm sure all of this is interesting, but what about the third...wish? What about..." His hand gestured to take in both Scully and himself.

Gadrien studied Mulder and sneered. He might be shaken, but he was bouncing back quickly. 

"She wanted you to know what it was like to be in her shoes."

His incipient smirk faltered when he saw Jenn's face. "What?"

"What else?"

The demon tried for an expression of nonchalance, but his shoulders tightened slowly and his eyes were guarded. He made an obvious show of shrugging casually," Nothing terrible. She was getting shafted over some report he ducked out on. Got the impression she ends up covering for him a lot. So...she was getting screwed." The demon gave Mulder a look laced with practiced innuendo and something that might have passed for amusement if he hadn't been watching Jenn from the corners of his eyes." You change back when you know what it's like to get screwed...by yourself."

Dead silence followed the sentence as it landed with an unexpectedly awkward thud. No one spoke as the crude humor fell short of wit or style. Jenn just looked at the demon with wide injured eyes and Gadrien shifted uncomfortably, anger turning over.

"Hey! You're the one who got herself obligated to a human...no reason we shouldn't have a little fun is there? What's the problem? She gets what she wants. You get what you want. He gets what he..." His voice trailed off as Jenn looked at him.

Up until that point, Scully had gotten the impression Jenn had mostly been annoyed and irritated. This time, the pain and humiliation were almost tangible. 

"This isn't what I wanted. This isn't..." Her stricken protest was a barely heard whisper. " How could you? I told you...you knew..." She stared at the demon, betrayal on her face.

Gadrien stilled. "They're human. They'll get over it."

Jenn flinched at the anger and the contempt in the demon's voice. She searched his face, "Gadrien, I'm human." 

The demon vanished.

For a long moment, no one moved. Scully found she was having a hard time concentrating on finding a solution and more interested in controlling the sudden image of Jenn's neck being squeezed between her fingers. Did the djinn have any idea what she had put in motion? What this would do to them? Mulder lifted his head from his contemplation of the carpet and Scully was startled by the level of sheer cold menace in his eyes. That was not how she looked when she got angry...was it? 

"What happens if one of us dies...like this?" The words were clipped and precise.

The djinn lowered her eyes and responded quietly, "When the host dies, you'll return to your own body. It's your natural place. The other person will be expelled almost immediately by the force of the reintegration. If they are too damaged or too weak, they will dissipate. Sometimes they can become trapped between dimensions. Occasionally they become non-corporeal entities."

With her gaze on the floor, Jenn did not see the subtle relaxation of Mulder's shoulders. Scully felt her eyes narrow. She did not have time to follow up on that observation as Jenn turned toward her with a serious expression. "There will be side effects. You are still connected to your own body. That's why you have your own memories. But that connection will start to fade as your connection to your host increases."

Scully frowned, "Just how far will that process go?"

"Theoretically? It could become a permanent transfer. But it takes time. Years."

Scully pinned her with a direct stare, "Theoretically? It's never happened?"

Jenn swallowed. "It's...I..." she twisted her hands awkwardly," You have full access to all your old memories. Anything you are experiencing right now is being stored in your old memory. But...as your connection to the host increases, you'll start to experience memory loss. Things you used to know, you just...won't. And you'll start to remember things your host experienced."

From the look on her face, it was not a peaceful transition, nor a healthy one. Scully considered the logical ramifications of two overlapping sets of memories.

"We'll go insane."

"No!" Jenn looked horrified. "No. I made sure. It was part of the agreement I made with Gadrien. No permanent injury or disability."

Scully supposed that schizophrenia qualified.

Mulder glared, "And your friend's little stipulation? That doesn't count as an injury?"

Jenn looked miserable, "It was a linguistic loophole. You are not required to..."

"Have sex with my partner in order to get our lives back?" Mulder's voice was uncompromising.

"You'll go back to normal before the memory loss gets to the point where it damages you permanently."

"It's damaging us now! How are we supposed to work like this? I'm no pathologist. Scully has no real experience as a profiler." 

Jenn looked confused, "If you couldn't work around it, the magic would never have allowed it to happen."

"Well, the magic needs a 411." 

Scully sighed, "How long, Jenn?"

Jenn closed her eyes and shrugged.

Scully bit out the next word sharply, "Guess."

"A year. Maybe two."

Dear god. 

"What if..." Scully swallowed and avoided Mulder's eyes, "What if we go through with it?"

From the corners of her vision, she saw Mulder's head snap around. She refused to look at him.

"You should return to normal with 24 hours. There may be some slight disorientation. As I said, your memories are being stored in your own body. But you currently have a small link to the host. There will be a ...a residue if you will, of your partner's memories, after you return. A phantom memory of everything he experienced while in your body. I'm told it can be a bit disconcerting at first."

No shit.

For the first time in years, Scully could read nothing of Mulder's feelings. Even wearing her face, his personality had shone through. He had still been him. Now, Mulder had shut down completely. No emotion, no motion. She jumped when he spun around and disappeared into the other room. The two left behind regarded each other warily, then flinched as something smashed against the wall. Jenn met Scully's eyes sorrowfully.

"This isn't what I wanted."

Scully tilted her head, "What did you want?"

It took the djinn a moment to answer. Finally she sighed. "I misjudged him. When he made his first wish...I thought..." she hesitated.

"...you thought he was like all the others."

Jenn shook her head, "I thought he was worse. They were just greedy and small minded. He was in a position to be better than they were and he failed. He was so certain he had outsmarted me that he gave no thought to how his wish might affect others. He was like a child, bouncing in anticipation. I thought it was arrogant and careless."

Scully sighed. Half right. She could all but see it. Mulder's face would have lit up like Mathew's at Christmas. Jenn would have had no way of knowing it was not for the result, but just for the pure joy at seeing proof that magic existed. Pure joy. Innocent joy. Careless, the way a child is careless, lost in the magic of the moment. Dangerous and sometimes a danger, but never cruel, and not arrogant.

"I would have granted his third wish...more or less. The inertia behind your destiny is damn scary. Do you have any idea how rare a Mobius event is?"

Scully looked blank.

"The Groundhog Day from Hell?"

Huh?

"I know his primary concern was pulling my fangs, but I think he did care that I got what I wanted. He really could have wished me into a bottle at the bottom of the sea or the heart of the sun. He set me free." 

That was Mulder all right. Kind to strangers, children, and enemies who had just kicked him in the teeth.

Jenn flushed a particularly unpleasant shade of green," He didn't even think to use one of the wishes on you. I..."

Scully contemplated the djinn thoughtfully. She suspected that Jenn had judged Mulder in that respect too. The fact that he didn't know what the result would have been part of it. If she did not believe in the magic, she could not give informed consent for the wish to occur. Mulder would never...

Jenn flushed again and moved to the door. "I'm going after Gadrien. Maybe there's something..." Her voice trailed off and she stood waiting. 

Scully just watched her. Finally the ex-djinn sighed, nodded her head slightly, and left. Scully turned to the connecting door.