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Entry tags:
Alphabet Soup (M-P)
It was a long sucka...LOL
Alphabet Soup: M is for Meddle
Med-dle v. to involve oneself in a matter without invitation
"Gibson, what are you doing here?" Scully asked, as Mulder looked behind them to make sure no one was around them.
Gibson looked at Mulder. "We're safe, but we don't have much time. I escaped from the building they use for experiments. They have underground tunnels throughout the complex that links all the buildings to one another." He turned back to Scully. "They brought me here a couple of weeks ago to assist them with the experiments. They need to know how long they have before the virus gestates into an alien."
Scully and Mulder exchanged a look. Neither could imagine a child seeing the horrific scenes they encountered during their time in Antarctica. Mulder still woke up at night seeing an alien forcing its way out of Scully's stomach. He suppressed a shudder. "We need to go," Gibson said, interrupting his thoughts. "Follow me."
As they were walking, Scully asked, "It was you, wasn't it? You led me to the empty lab and to you."
Gibson nodded. "My abilities have evolved since you last saw me."
Mulder's interest was piqued. "How so?"
"I can put suggestions into people's subconscious, like I did with Doctor Scully. They were beginning to teach me how to move things with my mind. And I can still hear people's thoughts, of course," he explained.
Mulder looked at the young boy with a sense of sadness. The people in power didn't see Gibson as a human, but as a tool to be used by them. "Sounds like you are exactly what they want," he said dryly.
"Now you know why I had to find you."
He led them through back hallways and down the fire escape stairs that had never been used. "Only three people know these stairs exist and they aren't here right now," the boy assured them. When they approached the door to the lobby, Gibson stopped. "There is a man out there waiting for you, Dr. Scully. He wants to ask you out on a date."
Mulder grunted. "I can guess who that is."
Scully ignored him. "What should I do?"
Gibson thought for a moment. "Go back up the stairs and take the elevator down to here. Talk to the man out there while Agent Mulder and I leave. We will meet you in the car."
Scully nodded and handed Mulder her briefcase with the samples of the virus. "They'll be safer with you than me." She turned and quickly walked up a flight of stairs. Cautiously, she opened the door to reveal an empty hallway. She walked down the path until she saw the elevator. Entering in the car, she wondered how long it would take for the doctor to notice the samples were missing. Oh well, she thought, there was nothing she could do about it now.
She rode the elevator down to the lobby and sure enough, Ron was standing out there. He watched her step off the car with a smile. "Laura! I wanted to speak with you."
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the door open. Mulder and Gibson walked stealthy out of the building. Scully turned her focus back to the man speaking, "...and I would really like to show you around town."
She looked at the man sadly. "I'm sorry, Ron, but I'm not interested."
Turning red, he muttered, "It's ok." He began walking back to the elevator. "See you around, Laura."
She almost started feeling bad when she remembered that there wasn't much time before someone figured out she didn't belong there. She exited the building quickly and found their car. Gibson was nowhere to be seen. "Mulder," she whispered, getting into the car, "where is he?"
He started backing out of the stall before Scully finished buckling her seatbelt. "In the trunk. He said it's safer for him in there. Once we get a couple of miles down the road, we'll get him out."
They passed through the security checkpoint with no problems and began driving. After five minutes, Mulder pulled off the side of the road, making sure they couldn't be seen from the highway, and released Gibson. Gibson sat in the back, behind Mulder. "Agent Mulder, we need to go east."
"But the airport..." Scully's voice faded. There was no way they would be able to get Gibson on a plane without Them knowing. "I guess that means we're going on a road trip." She turned to Mulder. "I have to be back in D.C. by Monday morning. My shift at the clinic starts at 6 a.m."
"Think of me as your personal taxi cabbie," he said with a touch of bitterness in his voice.
Poor Gibson, she thought, he's sure to get a brain full of thoughts between Mulder and me. She did her best to try to ignore the situation between herself and Mulder, but was not that successful.
After several hours driving, Mulder pulled into the Wal-Mart in Little Rock, Arkansas. "We need get some essentials," he said.
They walked into the super store and bought the basics for each of them: toiletries, a change of clothes and food. Scully grabbed some food for them to eat in the car. Mulder held up the bag of Doritos she had put in the cart. "Who are you and what have you done with my bee pollen eating..." He didn't know what to call her. Ex-partner? Friend?
Damn, one more uncomfortable silence, he thought.
Gibson must have been getting frustrated too, because he said, "We shouldn't stay in one place too long. Let's go."
The three of them walked to the checkout lane. Mulder paid for everything in cash and they took their purchases to the car. "We'll go to the next rest stop and we'll ditch the disguises," Mulder said. "I, for one, will be happy to get my hair back."
Once they pulled into the public area, Scully got out of the car first. They decided it would be best to take turns, with one of them staying with Gibson at all times. She walked into the restroom and looked around. Fortunately, no one was in the stalls. Quickly, she began to make Laura Croft disappear and Dana Scully return. She reluctantly pulled out the padding in her bra. Well, it was nice while it lasted, she thought. She stuffed everything into an empty Wal-Mart bag and walked outside.
As she opened the car door, Mulder stepped out. "I'll be out as quick as I can."
She nodded and took her seat. Looking back, she saw Gibson staring straight out the window, focusing on nothing. "You doing ok?" she asked.
"No," he answered simply.
She turned her body so she could see him more clearly. "What's wrong?" she asked, her voice full of concern.
"You shouldn't treat him this way. He's not like the others."
Her eyes widened. "What?"
"The others. They all wanted to control you. To make you want they wanted you to be. But not Agent Mulder."
She looked out the window, one part of her hoping to see Mulder approaching the car and the other wishing he would take his time. "Gibson, I don't think you understand. These things are adult things."
He looked unimpressed with her argument. "All I am around are adults. They always make things more complicated than they should be," he noted. Mulder was walking towards them. "He loves you, Doctor Scully, in the only way he has ever known love," he said quickly as Mulder neared the vehicle.
Mulder opened the door, not noticing the tension. "Sorry it took so long."
"It's ok," she mumbled. Her mind was still wrapped around what Gibson had said. The only love he had ever known?
She thought of his parents, always making him prove himself worthy of their love, of his past relationship with Phoebe, who had always demanded everything out of Mulder while giving little in return. It was as if he should be grateful to them because they took on the chore of loving him.
Then, she thought of his sister. The love between siblings was pure, but cut short. He never had the satisfaction of knowing Samantha, the teen, the woman, the person. He was left was only a fractured memory of an eight year old little girl. Though no fault of her own, she left him. Her mind flashed to Diana, his ex-wife. She should have been with him through the tough times and the times of bliss, but she abandoned him also.
Love to Mulder was painful, yet necessary. He didn't know what true love was. Scully knew it would take time, energy and a commitment that was equivalent to marriage to teach him was a pure love was. Could she do it? Did she want to?
Those two questions haunted her throughout the day. They weren't answers to be taken lightly, she knew. Finally, her brain had enough and she fell asleep to the sounds of driving on the highway.
* * * *
When she opened her eyes, she saw that Mulder had already parked the car.
"Good, you're awake. We need to grab a bite to eat," he said.
She shook her head, clearing the last of her sleepiness away. "Where are we?"
"We're right outside of Nashville. I figured here was as good of a place to stop as any." He turned to the back seat. "Are we still all clear?" he asked Gibson.
The boy nodded. "No one knows to look for me here. They still think I am at the complex." At their surprised look, he explained, "They let me wonder about the complex knowing there is no way out. They'll start getting worried when I don't show up for my dinner tonight."
Mulder nodded as he led them inside the Wendy's. Gibson stayed back to speak with Scully. "You are still wondering, aren't you?"
She stopped her walking. It was unnerving for her to have this child inside her head, understanding her thoughts better than she did. "About what?" she asked tiredly.
"If he is really in love with you. Just remember, Dr. Scully, he let all the people he loved leave him. He's not willing to do the same with you." He pushed his glasses back into place.
She nodded her thanks as butterflies flutter in her stomach. Was Gibson actually encouraging her to pursue things with Mulder? He would make a perfect matchmaker, knowing the true desires of people. She could see him starting his own dating service.
He turned back to her as he was opening the door. "I was actually thinking about going to Vegas when I turn twenty-one," he joked with a fraction of a smile.
Well, she thought, who knew this kid had a sense of humor? And a dry wit at that. He and Mulder would get along great.
The restaurant was perfectly busy, enough people to keep the focus off the three of them yet not so busy that they would have to wait around for their food. After they received their order, they found a corner in the back of the restaurant. Scully looked at Mulder. "What's the plan?"
He answered immediately; while Scully had slept, he had already plotted out which route they would take to get home. "I think we should try to make the drive without stopping. The sooner we're in D.C. the better," Mulder suggested.
She nodded, agreeing with him. It was best not to stay in one position for too long. As long as they were moving, people were less likely to notice them. "What are we going to do with Gibson when we get home?"
Mulder frowned. So far, all he thought of was getting them out of potential danger.
"The men who told you about this place. I'll be safe with them," Gibson answered.
"The Gunmen?" Scully asked incredulously. She didn't think any of them had been around anyone under the age of twenty-one in years. She cringed when she thought of them taking care of Gibson.
"They will take care of me," he said, addressing her concern. "No one will look for me there."
Mulder shot a glance at Scully. He had to admit, Gibson had a point. The Gunmen's Lair probably offered him the best security they could give him. "I'll have to call the guys and tell them to get ready." And instruct Frohike to clean up all his girlie magazines.
Gibson smothered a laugh.
Fortunately for him, Scully was too preoccupied to notice. Ever since they stopped at the rest stop, she seemed distracted. She was probably worried about getting back to D.C. by Monday morning, Mulder thought.
He turned away from her to look out the window. This had certainly been a topsy-turvy day for him. In the beginning, he was grateful to have the opportunity to even talk to Scully again. Then, after the car ride to Cobb and her refusal to pursue a relationship with him, he thought he wouldn't be able to function. Fortunately, Scully's no nonsense attitude refused to let him stay in a funk. After they found Gibson, he worked on straight adrenaline for the first few hours, making sure protecting the boy was his number one priority.
It wasn't until after she had fallen asleep and miles of highway had passed that Mulder allowed himself to recall the earlier events. It was in that time he received his first glimmer of hope. One sentence spoken to him by Gibson, "Give her time." Initially, Mulder wanted to demand Gibson to tell him all of Scully's secrets. But seeing how he was acting in the same way of Gibson's captors, only wanting to use the boy for their own agenda, he quickly squashed that line of thought.
Instead, the two talked about Gibson's time since he had been kidnapped. Most of the time, Gibson assured him, he was well protected. There were only a few people who wanted him dead. Mulder was amazed at how calmly the boy spoke of those things.
"I need to go to the bathroom," Gibson announced, pulling the adults from their thoughts. Mulder started to get up, but Gibson waved off his attempt to help him. "I'll be fine, Agent Mulder."
Scully focused on the boy as he walked across the restaurant then turned her gaze to Mulder. "We need to talk. Maybe after he falls asleep," she suggested.
He nodded as cement started pouring in his stomach. He wasn't sure how much more emotional turmoil he could go through. However, he didn't want to ruin any chance to talk to Scully, so he nodded his agreement.
* * * * *
I-40 East
9:45 p.m.
Scully took up the next leg of driving, allowing Mulder to stretch out of long legs and sleep. Which would have been great, except Mulder only had one thing on his mind: why Scully was so nervous. He kept sneaking peeks to the backseat, waiting for Gibson to fall asleep. Finally, after nearly an hour, the boy had settled into slumber.
"So," he prompted, wasting no time.
She turned from the road to glance at his expectant look for a second. "I want to apologize to you. I may have overreacted this morning. In the car," she added unnecessarily.
The fluttering in his stomach was washed away by a wave of relief. "And?" he said softly, almost afraid to say anything.
"In order for this," she said, gesturing between the two of them, "to work, we both need to be completely committed to each other and when I said those things this morning, I was only thinking of myself." She paused. "When you came over and told me about Diana, I was scared."
"Scared?" he couldn't help repeating. Of all the evils she had faced, he wouldn't have thought Diana would compare to any of them.
Nodding, she answered, "Mulder, she is a threat to me. To us. I didn't want to have to spend my time proving to you or myself that I was worthy to be in a relationship with you. When I addressed my concerns to you, you not only dismissed them, you ridiculed them too."
"I'm sorry," he said sincerely.
She looked at him briefly again. "I know you are, but that's where the issue lies. As partners, we were constantly trying to prove our points to each other, to make the other concede their point. That does not make a successful relationship. We have to see each other as equals. That means when you have to respect my concerns and I need to do the same for you."
Mulder thought about her words for a moment. He had never had someone want to treat him with the kind of respect and love that Scully was offering. It was almost too much for him to comprehend. He knew it would be difficult for him to offer her the same; for so long he only needed to think of his own well-being.
Looking at her, he knew that he would have to try; he would allow himself no other option. "I can do that."
"Really?" she asked, not taking her eyes off the road.
He reached over and took one of her hands off the steering wheel. "Really."
She smiled. "Ok."
Then, from the backseat, "Finally. Now, maybe I can really get some sleep."
N is for Nuisance
nui-sance n. an obnoxious or annoying person, thing, etc.
Mulder's Apartment
Sunday, 8:45 a.m.
Mulder walked into his apartment and flopped on the couch with his eyes half open. He wouldn't have cared if the Smoking Man was in the middle of his living room, pointing a gun at his head; he'd probably start snoring in the middle of the old man's threat.
Scully had just dropped him off, after leaving Gibson with the Lone Gunmen. He, like Scully, had concerns about whether or not the guys had it in them to take care of a child, but was pleasantly surprised when they opened their door. They had a new video game system all set up for Gibson and a refrigerator full of healthy food. They swore to check in with Scully twice a day and alert them if anything went wrong.
Though, he had to admit, he was a little suspicious of the cleanliness of Frohike's thoughts when Gibson started giggling as they were walking out of the gunmen's apartment. He would have to have a talk with Frohike later.
He couldn't remember if he or Scully spoke at all during the trip to his apartment. He tried to stay awake long enough to remember the giddiness he felt when Scully softly kissed his cheek as he was getting out of her car, but failed; he was already asleep.
* * * *
Mulder awoke several hours later to a booming voice coming from his answering machine: Skinner's.
"Agent Mulder, this is Assistant Director Skinner. Please be advised that you have a meeting with me tomorrow morning at eight a.m.," he said.
Mulder groaned into his couch cushion as he once again fell asleep.
* * * * *
FBI Headquarters
7:55 a.m.
Mulder sat in the waiting area of Skinner's office patiently. Neither Kim nor the A.D. was there yet. Mulder couldn't remember the last time he was actually early to a meeting with his boss.
"Mulder," Skinner said, surprised. "I wasn't sure you had gotten my message." He walked up to the coffee maker. "Coffee?"
"No thanks," Mulder said. He had already been up for six hours, his internal clock askew from the weekend events.
Skinner started the machine and led Mulder into his office. "Please, have a seat." Mulder followed his instructions and waited for Skinner to speak. "I'll cut to the chase. You've been assigned a new partner."
There was something in the way he said it that made Mulder very nervous. "Who?"
Skinner hesitated. "I want you to know, off the record, I don't approve of this assignment at all. But, it appears that your disapproval of Agent Fowley has left some people in the chain of command more than a little annoyed at you."
Mulder thought of the recent run ins he had with his fellow agents over the past several months. One weasel popped into his mind. "Jeffery Spender?" he asked, jaw clinched.
"No, though his name was brought up several times. I don't know if this agent will be any more compatible with you," he admitted. He looked at Mulder, who was now fidgeting in his seat. "You have been assigned Tom Colton as your partner."
Mulder nearly jumped out of his seat. "What?! That guy doesn't know the first thing about the X-Files."
Shrugging, Skinner replied, "I know that. But you specifically asked for someone who, in essence, is a skeptic. So, there is no way now that you can object to the assignment." He lowered his voice, as if he was concerned someone was listening. "I wanted to tell you that rumor has it that Agent Colton's plan is to get the X-Files shut down permanently, to show you and Agent Scully as frauds. He believes that in doing that he'll be within spitting distance of the ASAC down in BSU."
"Great. You would think after five years the guy would move on with his life," Mulder muttered.
A small smile fluttered over Skinner’s mouth for a second. "What can I say? You have a way of pissing people off. I'm officially assigning him to the X-files this morning. He should be down in your office around nine or so. I would make sure you have all your ducks in a row before he shows up," Skinner advised.
"To think, I couldn't believe partners could get any better after Krycek," he deadpanned.
"Here is your next assignment," he said, handing Mulder over a folder with a look of satisfaction on his face.
The agent quickly scanned the description of the file. And smiled. "Are you going to tell Agent Colton about this?"
The AD shook his head. "As department head, it will be your responsibility to advise your new partner of his next case."
"Thank you, sir," Mulder said, leaving the office. This, he thought, is going to be a lot of fun.
* * * *
As expected, Mulder heard the sound of the elevator doors opening at 9:12. Instead of the familiar click of a woman’s heals, the halls echoed with the thud of a man’s dress shoes. Fifteen seconds later, a smirking Tom Colton walked into the X-Files office.
Mulder noticed he hadn't changed much in the five years since he first met the agent. His hair was thinning a bit in the back and he wore glasses, but other than that, he looked the same.
"Nice place, Spooky," Colton said sarcastically. He looked around the office walls, which except for a couple of random newspaper clippings, were bare. "No news on the location of Bigfoot?"
"Actually, you just missed Sasquatch season," Mulder replied, trying to keep his annoyance in check.
Much to Mulder's surprise, Colton laughed. Mulder tried to hide a wince as the painful sound came from Colton's throat. It sounded like a donkey having an asthma attack. "I'm just kidding with you, Agent Mulder. I'm really excited to be down here. It will certainly be more interesting than working up with those guys in BSU."
Ah, Mulder thought, so Colton was going to play the role of the good cop. After his experiences with Krycek, who claimed to be an admirer of Mulder's work, being nice was the trigger to Mulder's immediate distrust.
For now, he would let Colton believe he had succeeded in his deception. "I'm glad to hear that, Agent Colton."
"Please," Colton said, "call me Tom. All my friends do."
Mulder had seen his share of kissing up in his time at the Bureau, but he had to concede that Colton had become a master in the art of brown nosing. He couldn't figure out why people in power thrived with that kind of attention; all it wanted to do was make Mulder gag.
"Ok, Tom. I've been reviewing your personal file. It says that you are married and have a son. Is your family ok with all this traveling that your time on the X-Files will require? Agent Scully and I spent, on average, a third of the year out on assignment."
"Of course. My wife is always supportive of me and my decisions," Colton boasted. "And my Tommy, well, he's still too little to notice if Daddy is gone."
"Great," Mulder replied, "because we have a flight to catch tomorrow morning."
He looked taken aback for a second. "What? I thought there weren't any active cases in the department."
Mulder almost smiled at the look of disappointment. He knew Colton was hoping to have some time to do some snooping before he and Mulder went out on a case. He was probably hoping to show the X-Files as a sham before he would ever have to write a report for one.
"That's true. But, fortunately, AD Skinner assigned us this case this morning." He pasted on a concerned look. "This isn't a problem, is it?"
A phony smile appeared on Colton's lips. "No, not at all. What is this case about?"
Mulder leaned back in his chair and gave his best smart ass smile. "What are your feelings about people controlling the weather?"
O is for Opposition
op-po-si-tion n. the action of opposing, resisting or combating
Medical Clinic
10:16 a.m.
Scully walked into her "office" with a sigh of relief. Since space was limited in the building, one side of the room was dedicated to the doctors and nurses' workspace, the other side was their break room complete with a refrigerator and microwave oven. There were personal effects throughout the room: pictures of loved ones, postcards from vacations spots, newspaper clippings of humorous stories. The one area that stood out the most was Scully's desk which only was bare except for her laptop. She didn't want to segregate herself from her co-workers so she made herself a mental note to bring some things of her own the following day.
The morning had been rather busy. There were a couple of young children with ear infections. An elderly woman who had accidentally sliced her hand while cutting an apple. A fifteen year old who sprained his ankle riding his skateboard to school. There were no heart-stopping moments and Scully enjoyed the satisfaction of being able to assist people who needed her help.
As she was finishing writing her notes from her last patient, she heard footsteps. "Hey, Dana," Kellie said. She was the nurse who usually worked with Scully. The twenty-seven year old had long, blonde hair which she wore back in a ponytail.
Her bedside manner was something Scully envied. When Kellie led patients to the exam rooms, they were always smiling and chatting with her. By the time Scully finished examining them, they usually had a frown or a slightly frightened look on their face.
She remembered the slightly panicked look on one mother's face when Scully told her matter-of-factly that her little girl had acute otitis media. After they left, Kellie suggested that Scully use terms most people were familiar with to avoid any panic. During that moment, Scully wished she was inside an autopsy bay, where Latin was the language of choice.
"Are there any other patients?" Scully asked.
Kellie shook her head. "No, believe it or not, it's actually rather dull right now." She walked to the fridge and took out her lunch. "I figure I should take advantage of the lull."
Since she ate breakfast five hours ago, Scully's stomach growled in envy at the turkey sandwich Kellie had in her hand. She gave an embarrassed smile. "I think my body is trying to tell me something."
Kellie waved off her discomfort. "I see it all the time. Doctors always overwork themselves. I think it's part of the job description."
Scully half smiled as she pulled out her salad. She hadn't had a conversation with any of her co-workers outside of work-related issues since she started working here. Honestly, she had forgotten what it was like to talk about things outside of the job.
Kellie, however, didn't have that problem. "So, Father Downs said that you use to be an FBI agent?"
Scully nodded, stabbing a piece of lettuce. "Yes, I was."
Scully recognized the look that passed over the nurse's face, excitement. Everyone, including herself when she was first recruited, thought instantly of the wow factor of being an agent: serving justice to all the would-be scumbags of the world. Too bad, more often than not, it didn't work that way.
"Why did you quit? This isn't exactly a step up, if you know what I mean," Kellie said.
Scully could feel her walls going up. She didn't want to have to defend herself to another person. "It was just time for a change," she answered, trying to keep her voice as neutral as possible.
The nurse recognized her mistake immediately. "I'm sorry, Dana. I didn't mean to come off rude."
She appreciated the gesture Kellie was making. "It's fine," she said sincerely.
The young woman smiled, pleased to have been forgiven. Before she could speak again, Amy stuck her head in the room. "Kellie? We've got a couple of patients out here."
Kellie popped the rest of her sandwich in her mouth. "Guess that means break time is over."
* * * * * *
It was nearly three o'clock by the time things slowed down at the clinic. Scully only had an hour left on her shift and she was looking forward to the long soak in the bath she promised herself. She finished typing her notes when Kellie walked into the room. "Doctor Scully, there is a patient who is waiting for you. She says she knows you."
"Ok, I'll be right there," Scully said.
"She's in room three," Kellie said, disappearing down the hallway.
As Scully pulled on her white doctor's coat, she hoped it wasn't her mother in the room. Usually her mom didn't infringe on her space, but now, convinced that Scully had realized the errors of her ways at the FBI, her mom might have felt it was her place to be by her daughter's side.
She walked to the door and pulled the chart out of the plastic tray on the door. She read the name: Elizabeth Stellar. Frowning, she continued reading through the chart; she knew of no such person. The woman had come in complaining of a pain in her back. Something wasn't right, Scully knew.
Knowing that she was in a building full of people who would come to her aid if necessary, Scully quashed the feeling of anxiousness that had come over her. She opened the door. Diana Fowley stood in the middle of the room with a look of boredom on her face.
"Agent Fowley," Scully greeted, surprised. Quickly, she tried to deduce why Mulder's ex-lover would show up at her new job place.
"Doctor Scully," Fowley returned. She looked at the posters on the wall; most were from pharmaceutical companies reminding people good, healthy habits. "Not quite the same as looking at blurry pictures of UFOs, is it?"
Scully walked to the counter and set down the chart, unimpressed at the woman's attempt at conversation. "Is there a reason why you are here?"
Fowley finally turned her gaze to Scully. Her eyes took in Scully's appearance, almost as if she was appraising her. "I was offered the position to become Mulder's new partner." She watched Scully's reaction carefully. "I wanted you to know I decided not to take it."
Scully looked surprised at Diana's proclamation, but tried not to reveal too much. She was certain Fowley was trying to bait her, to get her to reveal what, if anything, Mulder had told her.
"Really?" Scully asked, her voice deceptively calm. "I would think that you would have wanted to take the job, seeing as you were with Mulder when he first found the X-Files."
Her dig didn't seem to bother Fowley. "You, of all people, should know how unrewarding the X-Files are. After all, isn't that why you are here instead of by Fox's side?" Diana asked. Scully could see the wheels moving in her head, already coming up with more questions to try to pressure Scully into telling her more information.
"Perhaps it is plausible that my reasons for leaving the FBI did not have to do with anything pertaining to my former assignment, but rather external reasons," she answered.
This wasn't going quite had Diana had planned. She had expected Scully rise to the bait and act jealous, as she had when Diana first came back to the US to help on the Gibson Praise case.
"It could be," she conceded, "but I don't believe that it is. I know why you decided to quit the FBI."
Scully crossed her arms, looking mildly amused. "And that would be?"
"You and Fox are still working together, to try to expose those who are truly in power. The ones who abducted you. The ones who transported you to Antarctica," Fowley answered confidently. "You are going to fail though."
Scully stared at her a few seconds before responding. "You think Agent Mulder and I are secretly working together to expose a consortium of men who, for all intents and purposes, don't exist?" Scully asked slowly, as if she couldn't believe the stupidity of Fowley's idea. "Then why I am working here instead of staying at the Bureau?"
Fowley was not deterred; she had expected that answer. "You are trying to be deceptive. You think this tactic will cause the people in power to believe that without you as his partner, Fox's determination to pursue them will diminish. While you may believe leaving the bureau would cause them to leave Fox alone, I must warn you, you couldn't be more wrong."
Scully shrugged, as if what Diana had said was the most obvious thing in the world. "I cannot protect Mulder from these men anymore than he could protect me. I am fully aware of my limitations, Agent Fowley," she said coldly.
Diana watched her for a moment. Her eyes met Scully's, which were staring back at her, not backing down. Maybe she had overestimated Scully's dedication to Mulder. Maybe she had truly walked away from the work they had done. "Look, I just came here as a friend," she said, changing subjects.
"Of all the words I would think to describe you, Agent Fowley, a friend would not be one of them."
Fowley clinched her fist. She was not accustomed to someone getting under her skin so quickly. All she wanted to do was deliver the message she was sent to give and leave. "Fine. I want to warn you to stay away. Stay away from Fox. Stay away from anything related to the X-files. It's the only way I can protect you."
Scully picked up her chart and walked to the door. "Thank you for your offer to help, but not only is it unnecessary, it is completely unwelcome." She closed the door on the open jawed look on Diana's face.
P is for Personal
per-son-al adj. Of, pertaining to, or coming as from a particular person; individual
Scully's Apartment
Monday, 6:45 p.m.
Scully dropped her keys and put laptop on the coffee table, glancing longingly at her bathroom. Her night of relaxation had been delayed by a surge of patients who arrived in the clinic just as her shift was going to end. Wanting to be a team player, she helped Doctor Wade by seeing a few of them.
As she left, Father Downs walked with her to her car, giving thanks for the extra work she did. She felt a sense of appreciation that almost seemed foreign to her. Overtime was not seen as something to praise, but rather to expect during her time at the FBI.
She walked to her bedroom to change before she attempted to find something for dinner. She placed her clothes in a dry cleaning bag, reminding herself to drop them off before work the next day. After getting into more casual clothes, she walked back out to her living room.
Suddenly, she saw movement from her couch. "Don't shoot me, copper." Startled, she jumped as Mulder held up his hands in mock surrender.
"Mulder, what are you doing here?"
"I tried to get your attention when you walked through the door. I would have followed you into your bedroom, but I'm a gentleman," he said with a grin. "That must be some heavy stuff you're thinking about."
Now that her heart rate was nearly back to normal, her shoulders slumped. "You can say that."
He studied her for a few moments. Whatever had happened was bad, he knew. Scully was a million miles away. "After work, I stopped by the Gunmen's to check on Gibson. He made me promise I would come by and check on you before I went home. I think he really cares for you," he explained.
Gibson! How could she forget about the boy in less than 36 hours? She had every intention of going by and seeing how he was doing after her shift.
"Hey, Scully, it's ok," Mulder reassured her, seeing the panic on her face. "He's doing great. The boys love having him around too. The key to all secrets of government conspiracies is staying in their apartment. I don't think I have ever seen them happier."
"I'm sorry, Mulder. I am just a bit wound up," she admitted.
He patted the cushion next to him. For a moment, she didn't know what to do; seeking comfort from anybody was difficult for her. She sat cautiously next to him. "Scully," he said with a bit of a pout, "I am not going to bite." She waited for the punch line. "Unless you want me to."
His normalcy caused her to become more relaxed. "I suppose Gibson told you why I'm like this."
Shaking his head, he answered, "Nope. But I would like to know what happened."
Subconsciously, she leaned into his shoulder for support. After a couple of seconds, she told about her visit from Diana and her threat she issued towards the end of their meeting. "She doesn't frighten me, Mulder. I just wish she would leave me alone."
Mulder grunted, not sure what to say. Why was it that his mistakes with women inevitably came back to haunt him years after the affair ended?
"You know, there are times I ask myself why, of all people, would you marry--" She stopped herself. Mulder came over to her apartment to provide comfort to her, not argue about past decisions. "I'm sorry."
He wondered if Scully would ever get enough nerve to ask him the emotional reasons behind his marriage to Diana. Sure, she knew all the technical information. They began dating in April of 1988. They got married on June 19, 1990. They had their marriage annulled on July 9, 1990. Despite their failure, they continued to see each other until she accepted her transfer in Europe in December of 1991.
"If anyone has the right to ask about the reasons why I would marry Diana, it would be you," he said softly. "Do you remember what it was like to be 25?"
She laughed softly, taken aback by his question. "Yes, I think I can remember back that far."
"I was so eager to be successful. And not just with the job, but with everything in my life. I was already on the fast track in the Bureau, so there were no problems there. I knew money wasn't ever going to be an issue for me, so I didn't even consider it. My next goal was finding the perfect woman," he explained.
"I met Diana through Reggie Purdue's wife, Andrea. She was a professor at the University of Maryland and Diana was her star pupil. Reggie thought the two of us would hit it off so he introduced us. He always said having someone outside the case to ground you was the most important thing to save your sanity from profiling." He stopped for a moment to think of his friend.
Reggie had been Mulder's saving grace during his time at BSU. He knew when to let Mulder go off on one of his wild theories and when to stop him. Outside of Scully and the Gunmen, he was one of the rare people who Mulder thought of as a friend. He still mourned Reggie's death, sad that he no longer had his boss' wisdom to guide him.
"Anyway, we double dated with Reggie and Andrea. I was awe-struck the moment I saw her. Diana was brilliant. She was eloquent and made you think. She was ambitious. You knew she was going to be successful no matter what she did in life. I was attracted to that confidence about her. Not to mention, she was beautiful."
He could remember with perfect clarity the first time he saw Diana. During the date, she charmed and won him over with her personality, the perfect combination of intelligence, humor and compassion. He remembered the tiny black dress she wore that night; there was no way he could ever forget it. It was, as Frohike said, lust at first sight.
"Now would not be the time to declare your intentions to marry me, Mulder," Scully said, cutting off his trip down memory lane.
He licked his lips, slightly embarrassed. "Sorry. But, the point is that she was everything I thought I could ever want in a woman. In many ways, she reminded me of myself. She was driven and could care less what people said. If she thought she was doing the right thing, there was nothing in the world that could stop her."
"We loved each other the best way we could. Since we were so alike, getting along was natural. I thought that there could be no one better for me. Diana supported me and what I believed without question. After dealing with my parents, who were always ostracizing me, it was a welcome change."
"Mulder..." she interrupted.
He ignored her and continued with his tale. "After a year or so, I proposed to her. Two weeks later, we were married. Then, three weeks after we vowed to be together forever, she told me it was a mistake. A relationship with me was fine, but marriage was too much to ask. I agreed with her. When you put two determined people in the same household, toes are bound to be stepped on."
Pausing for a moment, he thought of his new relationship with Scully. His failure with Diana was one of the reasons he never pursued anything outside a friendship with Scully while she worked with him. While their stubbornness was an asset in dealing with the X-Files, he knew that outside the office, personalities would clash and feelings would get hurt. Subconsciously, he was still worried things between he and Scully would end the same way they did with Diana.
Refusing himself to go down that line of thinking, he continued, "Things were alright between us until I started on the X-Files. She wanted to move higher up the chain of command and she saw my move to the basement for what it was, a dead-end. I understood her decision and gave her my blessing. Three months later, you came knocking on the door and the rest is history."
She surprised him by giving him a soft kiss. "Thank you for sharing that with me. You didn't have to."
Playing with her hair, he replied, "Yes, I did. It's obviously something that has been on your mind for a while, so it needed to be addressed. I will not let Diana, or anyone else, ruin this."
Scully thought for a moment. "She won't. She has no power over either of us. Not anymore. We can't let ghosts from our pasts haunt us."
He gave her a soft squeeze and smiled. "Funny you should say that because you'll never guess who was assigned my partner today."
Alphabet Soup: M is for Meddle
Med-dle v. to involve oneself in a matter without invitation
"Gibson, what are you doing here?" Scully asked, as Mulder looked behind them to make sure no one was around them.
Gibson looked at Mulder. "We're safe, but we don't have much time. I escaped from the building they use for experiments. They have underground tunnels throughout the complex that links all the buildings to one another." He turned back to Scully. "They brought me here a couple of weeks ago to assist them with the experiments. They need to know how long they have before the virus gestates into an alien."
Scully and Mulder exchanged a look. Neither could imagine a child seeing the horrific scenes they encountered during their time in Antarctica. Mulder still woke up at night seeing an alien forcing its way out of Scully's stomach. He suppressed a shudder. "We need to go," Gibson said, interrupting his thoughts. "Follow me."
As they were walking, Scully asked, "It was you, wasn't it? You led me to the empty lab and to you."
Gibson nodded. "My abilities have evolved since you last saw me."
Mulder's interest was piqued. "How so?"
"I can put suggestions into people's subconscious, like I did with Doctor Scully. They were beginning to teach me how to move things with my mind. And I can still hear people's thoughts, of course," he explained.
Mulder looked at the young boy with a sense of sadness. The people in power didn't see Gibson as a human, but as a tool to be used by them. "Sounds like you are exactly what they want," he said dryly.
"Now you know why I had to find you."
He led them through back hallways and down the fire escape stairs that had never been used. "Only three people know these stairs exist and they aren't here right now," the boy assured them. When they approached the door to the lobby, Gibson stopped. "There is a man out there waiting for you, Dr. Scully. He wants to ask you out on a date."
Mulder grunted. "I can guess who that is."
Scully ignored him. "What should I do?"
Gibson thought for a moment. "Go back up the stairs and take the elevator down to here. Talk to the man out there while Agent Mulder and I leave. We will meet you in the car."
Scully nodded and handed Mulder her briefcase with the samples of the virus. "They'll be safer with you than me." She turned and quickly walked up a flight of stairs. Cautiously, she opened the door to reveal an empty hallway. She walked down the path until she saw the elevator. Entering in the car, she wondered how long it would take for the doctor to notice the samples were missing. Oh well, she thought, there was nothing she could do about it now.
She rode the elevator down to the lobby and sure enough, Ron was standing out there. He watched her step off the car with a smile. "Laura! I wanted to speak with you."
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the door open. Mulder and Gibson walked stealthy out of the building. Scully turned her focus back to the man speaking, "...and I would really like to show you around town."
She looked at the man sadly. "I'm sorry, Ron, but I'm not interested."
Turning red, he muttered, "It's ok." He began walking back to the elevator. "See you around, Laura."
She almost started feeling bad when she remembered that there wasn't much time before someone figured out she didn't belong there. She exited the building quickly and found their car. Gibson was nowhere to be seen. "Mulder," she whispered, getting into the car, "where is he?"
He started backing out of the stall before Scully finished buckling her seatbelt. "In the trunk. He said it's safer for him in there. Once we get a couple of miles down the road, we'll get him out."
They passed through the security checkpoint with no problems and began driving. After five minutes, Mulder pulled off the side of the road, making sure they couldn't be seen from the highway, and released Gibson. Gibson sat in the back, behind Mulder. "Agent Mulder, we need to go east."
"But the airport..." Scully's voice faded. There was no way they would be able to get Gibson on a plane without Them knowing. "I guess that means we're going on a road trip." She turned to Mulder. "I have to be back in D.C. by Monday morning. My shift at the clinic starts at 6 a.m."
"Think of me as your personal taxi cabbie," he said with a touch of bitterness in his voice.
Poor Gibson, she thought, he's sure to get a brain full of thoughts between Mulder and me. She did her best to try to ignore the situation between herself and Mulder, but was not that successful.
After several hours driving, Mulder pulled into the Wal-Mart in Little Rock, Arkansas. "We need get some essentials," he said.
They walked into the super store and bought the basics for each of them: toiletries, a change of clothes and food. Scully grabbed some food for them to eat in the car. Mulder held up the bag of Doritos she had put in the cart. "Who are you and what have you done with my bee pollen eating..." He didn't know what to call her. Ex-partner? Friend?
Damn, one more uncomfortable silence, he thought.
Gibson must have been getting frustrated too, because he said, "We shouldn't stay in one place too long. Let's go."
The three of them walked to the checkout lane. Mulder paid for everything in cash and they took their purchases to the car. "We'll go to the next rest stop and we'll ditch the disguises," Mulder said. "I, for one, will be happy to get my hair back."
Once they pulled into the public area, Scully got out of the car first. They decided it would be best to take turns, with one of them staying with Gibson at all times. She walked into the restroom and looked around. Fortunately, no one was in the stalls. Quickly, she began to make Laura Croft disappear and Dana Scully return. She reluctantly pulled out the padding in her bra. Well, it was nice while it lasted, she thought. She stuffed everything into an empty Wal-Mart bag and walked outside.
As she opened the car door, Mulder stepped out. "I'll be out as quick as I can."
She nodded and took her seat. Looking back, she saw Gibson staring straight out the window, focusing on nothing. "You doing ok?" she asked.
"No," he answered simply.
She turned her body so she could see him more clearly. "What's wrong?" she asked, her voice full of concern.
"You shouldn't treat him this way. He's not like the others."
Her eyes widened. "What?"
"The others. They all wanted to control you. To make you want they wanted you to be. But not Agent Mulder."
She looked out the window, one part of her hoping to see Mulder approaching the car and the other wishing he would take his time. "Gibson, I don't think you understand. These things are adult things."
He looked unimpressed with her argument. "All I am around are adults. They always make things more complicated than they should be," he noted. Mulder was walking towards them. "He loves you, Doctor Scully, in the only way he has ever known love," he said quickly as Mulder neared the vehicle.
Mulder opened the door, not noticing the tension. "Sorry it took so long."
"It's ok," she mumbled. Her mind was still wrapped around what Gibson had said. The only love he had ever known?
She thought of his parents, always making him prove himself worthy of their love, of his past relationship with Phoebe, who had always demanded everything out of Mulder while giving little in return. It was as if he should be grateful to them because they took on the chore of loving him.
Then, she thought of his sister. The love between siblings was pure, but cut short. He never had the satisfaction of knowing Samantha, the teen, the woman, the person. He was left was only a fractured memory of an eight year old little girl. Though no fault of her own, she left him. Her mind flashed to Diana, his ex-wife. She should have been with him through the tough times and the times of bliss, but she abandoned him also.
Love to Mulder was painful, yet necessary. He didn't know what true love was. Scully knew it would take time, energy and a commitment that was equivalent to marriage to teach him was a pure love was. Could she do it? Did she want to?
Those two questions haunted her throughout the day. They weren't answers to be taken lightly, she knew. Finally, her brain had enough and she fell asleep to the sounds of driving on the highway.
* * * *
When she opened her eyes, she saw that Mulder had already parked the car.
"Good, you're awake. We need to grab a bite to eat," he said.
She shook her head, clearing the last of her sleepiness away. "Where are we?"
"We're right outside of Nashville. I figured here was as good of a place to stop as any." He turned to the back seat. "Are we still all clear?" he asked Gibson.
The boy nodded. "No one knows to look for me here. They still think I am at the complex." At their surprised look, he explained, "They let me wonder about the complex knowing there is no way out. They'll start getting worried when I don't show up for my dinner tonight."
Mulder nodded as he led them inside the Wendy's. Gibson stayed back to speak with Scully. "You are still wondering, aren't you?"
She stopped her walking. It was unnerving for her to have this child inside her head, understanding her thoughts better than she did. "About what?" she asked tiredly.
"If he is really in love with you. Just remember, Dr. Scully, he let all the people he loved leave him. He's not willing to do the same with you." He pushed his glasses back into place.
She nodded her thanks as butterflies flutter in her stomach. Was Gibson actually encouraging her to pursue things with Mulder? He would make a perfect matchmaker, knowing the true desires of people. She could see him starting his own dating service.
He turned back to her as he was opening the door. "I was actually thinking about going to Vegas when I turn twenty-one," he joked with a fraction of a smile.
Well, she thought, who knew this kid had a sense of humor? And a dry wit at that. He and Mulder would get along great.
The restaurant was perfectly busy, enough people to keep the focus off the three of them yet not so busy that they would have to wait around for their food. After they received their order, they found a corner in the back of the restaurant. Scully looked at Mulder. "What's the plan?"
He answered immediately; while Scully had slept, he had already plotted out which route they would take to get home. "I think we should try to make the drive without stopping. The sooner we're in D.C. the better," Mulder suggested.
She nodded, agreeing with him. It was best not to stay in one position for too long. As long as they were moving, people were less likely to notice them. "What are we going to do with Gibson when we get home?"
Mulder frowned. So far, all he thought of was getting them out of potential danger.
"The men who told you about this place. I'll be safe with them," Gibson answered.
"The Gunmen?" Scully asked incredulously. She didn't think any of them had been around anyone under the age of twenty-one in years. She cringed when she thought of them taking care of Gibson.
"They will take care of me," he said, addressing her concern. "No one will look for me there."
Mulder shot a glance at Scully. He had to admit, Gibson had a point. The Gunmen's Lair probably offered him the best security they could give him. "I'll have to call the guys and tell them to get ready." And instruct Frohike to clean up all his girlie magazines.
Gibson smothered a laugh.
Fortunately for him, Scully was too preoccupied to notice. Ever since they stopped at the rest stop, she seemed distracted. She was probably worried about getting back to D.C. by Monday morning, Mulder thought.
He turned away from her to look out the window. This had certainly been a topsy-turvy day for him. In the beginning, he was grateful to have the opportunity to even talk to Scully again. Then, after the car ride to Cobb and her refusal to pursue a relationship with him, he thought he wouldn't be able to function. Fortunately, Scully's no nonsense attitude refused to let him stay in a funk. After they found Gibson, he worked on straight adrenaline for the first few hours, making sure protecting the boy was his number one priority.
It wasn't until after she had fallen asleep and miles of highway had passed that Mulder allowed himself to recall the earlier events. It was in that time he received his first glimmer of hope. One sentence spoken to him by Gibson, "Give her time." Initially, Mulder wanted to demand Gibson to tell him all of Scully's secrets. But seeing how he was acting in the same way of Gibson's captors, only wanting to use the boy for their own agenda, he quickly squashed that line of thought.
Instead, the two talked about Gibson's time since he had been kidnapped. Most of the time, Gibson assured him, he was well protected. There were only a few people who wanted him dead. Mulder was amazed at how calmly the boy spoke of those things.
"I need to go to the bathroom," Gibson announced, pulling the adults from their thoughts. Mulder started to get up, but Gibson waved off his attempt to help him. "I'll be fine, Agent Mulder."
Scully focused on the boy as he walked across the restaurant then turned her gaze to Mulder. "We need to talk. Maybe after he falls asleep," she suggested.
He nodded as cement started pouring in his stomach. He wasn't sure how much more emotional turmoil he could go through. However, he didn't want to ruin any chance to talk to Scully, so he nodded his agreement.
* * * * *
I-40 East
9:45 p.m.
Scully took up the next leg of driving, allowing Mulder to stretch out of long legs and sleep. Which would have been great, except Mulder only had one thing on his mind: why Scully was so nervous. He kept sneaking peeks to the backseat, waiting for Gibson to fall asleep. Finally, after nearly an hour, the boy had settled into slumber.
"So," he prompted, wasting no time.
She turned from the road to glance at his expectant look for a second. "I want to apologize to you. I may have overreacted this morning. In the car," she added unnecessarily.
The fluttering in his stomach was washed away by a wave of relief. "And?" he said softly, almost afraid to say anything.
"In order for this," she said, gesturing between the two of them, "to work, we both need to be completely committed to each other and when I said those things this morning, I was only thinking of myself." She paused. "When you came over and told me about Diana, I was scared."
"Scared?" he couldn't help repeating. Of all the evils she had faced, he wouldn't have thought Diana would compare to any of them.
Nodding, she answered, "Mulder, she is a threat to me. To us. I didn't want to have to spend my time proving to you or myself that I was worthy to be in a relationship with you. When I addressed my concerns to you, you not only dismissed them, you ridiculed them too."
"I'm sorry," he said sincerely.
She looked at him briefly again. "I know you are, but that's where the issue lies. As partners, we were constantly trying to prove our points to each other, to make the other concede their point. That does not make a successful relationship. We have to see each other as equals. That means when you have to respect my concerns and I need to do the same for you."
Mulder thought about her words for a moment. He had never had someone want to treat him with the kind of respect and love that Scully was offering. It was almost too much for him to comprehend. He knew it would be difficult for him to offer her the same; for so long he only needed to think of his own well-being.
Looking at her, he knew that he would have to try; he would allow himself no other option. "I can do that."
"Really?" she asked, not taking her eyes off the road.
He reached over and took one of her hands off the steering wheel. "Really."
She smiled. "Ok."
Then, from the backseat, "Finally. Now, maybe I can really get some sleep."
N is for Nuisance
nui-sance n. an obnoxious or annoying person, thing, etc.
Mulder's Apartment
Sunday, 8:45 a.m.
Mulder walked into his apartment and flopped on the couch with his eyes half open. He wouldn't have cared if the Smoking Man was in the middle of his living room, pointing a gun at his head; he'd probably start snoring in the middle of the old man's threat.
Scully had just dropped him off, after leaving Gibson with the Lone Gunmen. He, like Scully, had concerns about whether or not the guys had it in them to take care of a child, but was pleasantly surprised when they opened their door. They had a new video game system all set up for Gibson and a refrigerator full of healthy food. They swore to check in with Scully twice a day and alert them if anything went wrong.
Though, he had to admit, he was a little suspicious of the cleanliness of Frohike's thoughts when Gibson started giggling as they were walking out of the gunmen's apartment. He would have to have a talk with Frohike later.
He couldn't remember if he or Scully spoke at all during the trip to his apartment. He tried to stay awake long enough to remember the giddiness he felt when Scully softly kissed his cheek as he was getting out of her car, but failed; he was already asleep.
* * * *
Mulder awoke several hours later to a booming voice coming from his answering machine: Skinner's.
"Agent Mulder, this is Assistant Director Skinner. Please be advised that you have a meeting with me tomorrow morning at eight a.m.," he said.
Mulder groaned into his couch cushion as he once again fell asleep.
* * * * *
FBI Headquarters
7:55 a.m.
Mulder sat in the waiting area of Skinner's office patiently. Neither Kim nor the A.D. was there yet. Mulder couldn't remember the last time he was actually early to a meeting with his boss.
"Mulder," Skinner said, surprised. "I wasn't sure you had gotten my message." He walked up to the coffee maker. "Coffee?"
"No thanks," Mulder said. He had already been up for six hours, his internal clock askew from the weekend events.
Skinner started the machine and led Mulder into his office. "Please, have a seat." Mulder followed his instructions and waited for Skinner to speak. "I'll cut to the chase. You've been assigned a new partner."
There was something in the way he said it that made Mulder very nervous. "Who?"
Skinner hesitated. "I want you to know, off the record, I don't approve of this assignment at all. But, it appears that your disapproval of Agent Fowley has left some people in the chain of command more than a little annoyed at you."
Mulder thought of the recent run ins he had with his fellow agents over the past several months. One weasel popped into his mind. "Jeffery Spender?" he asked, jaw clinched.
"No, though his name was brought up several times. I don't know if this agent will be any more compatible with you," he admitted. He looked at Mulder, who was now fidgeting in his seat. "You have been assigned Tom Colton as your partner."
Mulder nearly jumped out of his seat. "What?! That guy doesn't know the first thing about the X-Files."
Shrugging, Skinner replied, "I know that. But you specifically asked for someone who, in essence, is a skeptic. So, there is no way now that you can object to the assignment." He lowered his voice, as if he was concerned someone was listening. "I wanted to tell you that rumor has it that Agent Colton's plan is to get the X-Files shut down permanently, to show you and Agent Scully as frauds. He believes that in doing that he'll be within spitting distance of the ASAC down in BSU."
"Great. You would think after five years the guy would move on with his life," Mulder muttered.
A small smile fluttered over Skinner’s mouth for a second. "What can I say? You have a way of pissing people off. I'm officially assigning him to the X-files this morning. He should be down in your office around nine or so. I would make sure you have all your ducks in a row before he shows up," Skinner advised.
"To think, I couldn't believe partners could get any better after Krycek," he deadpanned.
"Here is your next assignment," he said, handing Mulder over a folder with a look of satisfaction on his face.
The agent quickly scanned the description of the file. And smiled. "Are you going to tell Agent Colton about this?"
The AD shook his head. "As department head, it will be your responsibility to advise your new partner of his next case."
"Thank you, sir," Mulder said, leaving the office. This, he thought, is going to be a lot of fun.
* * * *
As expected, Mulder heard the sound of the elevator doors opening at 9:12. Instead of the familiar click of a woman’s heals, the halls echoed with the thud of a man’s dress shoes. Fifteen seconds later, a smirking Tom Colton walked into the X-Files office.
Mulder noticed he hadn't changed much in the five years since he first met the agent. His hair was thinning a bit in the back and he wore glasses, but other than that, he looked the same.
"Nice place, Spooky," Colton said sarcastically. He looked around the office walls, which except for a couple of random newspaper clippings, were bare. "No news on the location of Bigfoot?"
"Actually, you just missed Sasquatch season," Mulder replied, trying to keep his annoyance in check.
Much to Mulder's surprise, Colton laughed. Mulder tried to hide a wince as the painful sound came from Colton's throat. It sounded like a donkey having an asthma attack. "I'm just kidding with you, Agent Mulder. I'm really excited to be down here. It will certainly be more interesting than working up with those guys in BSU."
Ah, Mulder thought, so Colton was going to play the role of the good cop. After his experiences with Krycek, who claimed to be an admirer of Mulder's work, being nice was the trigger to Mulder's immediate distrust.
For now, he would let Colton believe he had succeeded in his deception. "I'm glad to hear that, Agent Colton."
"Please," Colton said, "call me Tom. All my friends do."
Mulder had seen his share of kissing up in his time at the Bureau, but he had to concede that Colton had become a master in the art of brown nosing. He couldn't figure out why people in power thrived with that kind of attention; all it wanted to do was make Mulder gag.
"Ok, Tom. I've been reviewing your personal file. It says that you are married and have a son. Is your family ok with all this traveling that your time on the X-Files will require? Agent Scully and I spent, on average, a third of the year out on assignment."
"Of course. My wife is always supportive of me and my decisions," Colton boasted. "And my Tommy, well, he's still too little to notice if Daddy is gone."
"Great," Mulder replied, "because we have a flight to catch tomorrow morning."
He looked taken aback for a second. "What? I thought there weren't any active cases in the department."
Mulder almost smiled at the look of disappointment. He knew Colton was hoping to have some time to do some snooping before he and Mulder went out on a case. He was probably hoping to show the X-Files as a sham before he would ever have to write a report for one.
"That's true. But, fortunately, AD Skinner assigned us this case this morning." He pasted on a concerned look. "This isn't a problem, is it?"
A phony smile appeared on Colton's lips. "No, not at all. What is this case about?"
Mulder leaned back in his chair and gave his best smart ass smile. "What are your feelings about people controlling the weather?"
O is for Opposition
op-po-si-tion n. the action of opposing, resisting or combating
Medical Clinic
10:16 a.m.
Scully walked into her "office" with a sigh of relief. Since space was limited in the building, one side of the room was dedicated to the doctors and nurses' workspace, the other side was their break room complete with a refrigerator and microwave oven. There were personal effects throughout the room: pictures of loved ones, postcards from vacations spots, newspaper clippings of humorous stories. The one area that stood out the most was Scully's desk which only was bare except for her laptop. She didn't want to segregate herself from her co-workers so she made herself a mental note to bring some things of her own the following day.
The morning had been rather busy. There were a couple of young children with ear infections. An elderly woman who had accidentally sliced her hand while cutting an apple. A fifteen year old who sprained his ankle riding his skateboard to school. There were no heart-stopping moments and Scully enjoyed the satisfaction of being able to assist people who needed her help.
As she was finishing writing her notes from her last patient, she heard footsteps. "Hey, Dana," Kellie said. She was the nurse who usually worked with Scully. The twenty-seven year old had long, blonde hair which she wore back in a ponytail.
Her bedside manner was something Scully envied. When Kellie led patients to the exam rooms, they were always smiling and chatting with her. By the time Scully finished examining them, they usually had a frown or a slightly frightened look on their face.
She remembered the slightly panicked look on one mother's face when Scully told her matter-of-factly that her little girl had acute otitis media. After they left, Kellie suggested that Scully use terms most people were familiar with to avoid any panic. During that moment, Scully wished she was inside an autopsy bay, where Latin was the language of choice.
"Are there any other patients?" Scully asked.
Kellie shook her head. "No, believe it or not, it's actually rather dull right now." She walked to the fridge and took out her lunch. "I figure I should take advantage of the lull."
Since she ate breakfast five hours ago, Scully's stomach growled in envy at the turkey sandwich Kellie had in her hand. She gave an embarrassed smile. "I think my body is trying to tell me something."
Kellie waved off her discomfort. "I see it all the time. Doctors always overwork themselves. I think it's part of the job description."
Scully half smiled as she pulled out her salad. She hadn't had a conversation with any of her co-workers outside of work-related issues since she started working here. Honestly, she had forgotten what it was like to talk about things outside of the job.
Kellie, however, didn't have that problem. "So, Father Downs said that you use to be an FBI agent?"
Scully nodded, stabbing a piece of lettuce. "Yes, I was."
Scully recognized the look that passed over the nurse's face, excitement. Everyone, including herself when she was first recruited, thought instantly of the wow factor of being an agent: serving justice to all the would-be scumbags of the world. Too bad, more often than not, it didn't work that way.
"Why did you quit? This isn't exactly a step up, if you know what I mean," Kellie said.
Scully could feel her walls going up. She didn't want to have to defend herself to another person. "It was just time for a change," she answered, trying to keep her voice as neutral as possible.
The nurse recognized her mistake immediately. "I'm sorry, Dana. I didn't mean to come off rude."
She appreciated the gesture Kellie was making. "It's fine," she said sincerely.
The young woman smiled, pleased to have been forgiven. Before she could speak again, Amy stuck her head in the room. "Kellie? We've got a couple of patients out here."
Kellie popped the rest of her sandwich in her mouth. "Guess that means break time is over."
* * * * * *
It was nearly three o'clock by the time things slowed down at the clinic. Scully only had an hour left on her shift and she was looking forward to the long soak in the bath she promised herself. She finished typing her notes when Kellie walked into the room. "Doctor Scully, there is a patient who is waiting for you. She says she knows you."
"Ok, I'll be right there," Scully said.
"She's in room three," Kellie said, disappearing down the hallway.
As Scully pulled on her white doctor's coat, she hoped it wasn't her mother in the room. Usually her mom didn't infringe on her space, but now, convinced that Scully had realized the errors of her ways at the FBI, her mom might have felt it was her place to be by her daughter's side.
She walked to the door and pulled the chart out of the plastic tray on the door. She read the name: Elizabeth Stellar. Frowning, she continued reading through the chart; she knew of no such person. The woman had come in complaining of a pain in her back. Something wasn't right, Scully knew.
Knowing that she was in a building full of people who would come to her aid if necessary, Scully quashed the feeling of anxiousness that had come over her. She opened the door. Diana Fowley stood in the middle of the room with a look of boredom on her face.
"Agent Fowley," Scully greeted, surprised. Quickly, she tried to deduce why Mulder's ex-lover would show up at her new job place.
"Doctor Scully," Fowley returned. She looked at the posters on the wall; most were from pharmaceutical companies reminding people good, healthy habits. "Not quite the same as looking at blurry pictures of UFOs, is it?"
Scully walked to the counter and set down the chart, unimpressed at the woman's attempt at conversation. "Is there a reason why you are here?"
Fowley finally turned her gaze to Scully. Her eyes took in Scully's appearance, almost as if she was appraising her. "I was offered the position to become Mulder's new partner." She watched Scully's reaction carefully. "I wanted you to know I decided not to take it."
Scully looked surprised at Diana's proclamation, but tried not to reveal too much. She was certain Fowley was trying to bait her, to get her to reveal what, if anything, Mulder had told her.
"Really?" Scully asked, her voice deceptively calm. "I would think that you would have wanted to take the job, seeing as you were with Mulder when he first found the X-Files."
Her dig didn't seem to bother Fowley. "You, of all people, should know how unrewarding the X-Files are. After all, isn't that why you are here instead of by Fox's side?" Diana asked. Scully could see the wheels moving in her head, already coming up with more questions to try to pressure Scully into telling her more information.
"Perhaps it is plausible that my reasons for leaving the FBI did not have to do with anything pertaining to my former assignment, but rather external reasons," she answered.
This wasn't going quite had Diana had planned. She had expected Scully rise to the bait and act jealous, as she had when Diana first came back to the US to help on the Gibson Praise case.
"It could be," she conceded, "but I don't believe that it is. I know why you decided to quit the FBI."
Scully crossed her arms, looking mildly amused. "And that would be?"
"You and Fox are still working together, to try to expose those who are truly in power. The ones who abducted you. The ones who transported you to Antarctica," Fowley answered confidently. "You are going to fail though."
Scully stared at her a few seconds before responding. "You think Agent Mulder and I are secretly working together to expose a consortium of men who, for all intents and purposes, don't exist?" Scully asked slowly, as if she couldn't believe the stupidity of Fowley's idea. "Then why I am working here instead of staying at the Bureau?"
Fowley was not deterred; she had expected that answer. "You are trying to be deceptive. You think this tactic will cause the people in power to believe that without you as his partner, Fox's determination to pursue them will diminish. While you may believe leaving the bureau would cause them to leave Fox alone, I must warn you, you couldn't be more wrong."
Scully shrugged, as if what Diana had said was the most obvious thing in the world. "I cannot protect Mulder from these men anymore than he could protect me. I am fully aware of my limitations, Agent Fowley," she said coldly.
Diana watched her for a moment. Her eyes met Scully's, which were staring back at her, not backing down. Maybe she had overestimated Scully's dedication to Mulder. Maybe she had truly walked away from the work they had done. "Look, I just came here as a friend," she said, changing subjects.
"Of all the words I would think to describe you, Agent Fowley, a friend would not be one of them."
Fowley clinched her fist. She was not accustomed to someone getting under her skin so quickly. All she wanted to do was deliver the message she was sent to give and leave. "Fine. I want to warn you to stay away. Stay away from Fox. Stay away from anything related to the X-files. It's the only way I can protect you."
Scully picked up her chart and walked to the door. "Thank you for your offer to help, but not only is it unnecessary, it is completely unwelcome." She closed the door on the open jawed look on Diana's face.
P is for Personal
per-son-al adj. Of, pertaining to, or coming as from a particular person; individual
Scully's Apartment
Monday, 6:45 p.m.
Scully dropped her keys and put laptop on the coffee table, glancing longingly at her bathroom. Her night of relaxation had been delayed by a surge of patients who arrived in the clinic just as her shift was going to end. Wanting to be a team player, she helped Doctor Wade by seeing a few of them.
As she left, Father Downs walked with her to her car, giving thanks for the extra work she did. She felt a sense of appreciation that almost seemed foreign to her. Overtime was not seen as something to praise, but rather to expect during her time at the FBI.
She walked to her bedroom to change before she attempted to find something for dinner. She placed her clothes in a dry cleaning bag, reminding herself to drop them off before work the next day. After getting into more casual clothes, she walked back out to her living room.
Suddenly, she saw movement from her couch. "Don't shoot me, copper." Startled, she jumped as Mulder held up his hands in mock surrender.
"Mulder, what are you doing here?"
"I tried to get your attention when you walked through the door. I would have followed you into your bedroom, but I'm a gentleman," he said with a grin. "That must be some heavy stuff you're thinking about."
Now that her heart rate was nearly back to normal, her shoulders slumped. "You can say that."
He studied her for a few moments. Whatever had happened was bad, he knew. Scully was a million miles away. "After work, I stopped by the Gunmen's to check on Gibson. He made me promise I would come by and check on you before I went home. I think he really cares for you," he explained.
Gibson! How could she forget about the boy in less than 36 hours? She had every intention of going by and seeing how he was doing after her shift.
"Hey, Scully, it's ok," Mulder reassured her, seeing the panic on her face. "He's doing great. The boys love having him around too. The key to all secrets of government conspiracies is staying in their apartment. I don't think I have ever seen them happier."
"I'm sorry, Mulder. I am just a bit wound up," she admitted.
He patted the cushion next to him. For a moment, she didn't know what to do; seeking comfort from anybody was difficult for her. She sat cautiously next to him. "Scully," he said with a bit of a pout, "I am not going to bite." She waited for the punch line. "Unless you want me to."
His normalcy caused her to become more relaxed. "I suppose Gibson told you why I'm like this."
Shaking his head, he answered, "Nope. But I would like to know what happened."
Subconsciously, she leaned into his shoulder for support. After a couple of seconds, she told about her visit from Diana and her threat she issued towards the end of their meeting. "She doesn't frighten me, Mulder. I just wish she would leave me alone."
Mulder grunted, not sure what to say. Why was it that his mistakes with women inevitably came back to haunt him years after the affair ended?
"You know, there are times I ask myself why, of all people, would you marry--" She stopped herself. Mulder came over to her apartment to provide comfort to her, not argue about past decisions. "I'm sorry."
He wondered if Scully would ever get enough nerve to ask him the emotional reasons behind his marriage to Diana. Sure, she knew all the technical information. They began dating in April of 1988. They got married on June 19, 1990. They had their marriage annulled on July 9, 1990. Despite their failure, they continued to see each other until she accepted her transfer in Europe in December of 1991.
"If anyone has the right to ask about the reasons why I would marry Diana, it would be you," he said softly. "Do you remember what it was like to be 25?"
She laughed softly, taken aback by his question. "Yes, I think I can remember back that far."
"I was so eager to be successful. And not just with the job, but with everything in my life. I was already on the fast track in the Bureau, so there were no problems there. I knew money wasn't ever going to be an issue for me, so I didn't even consider it. My next goal was finding the perfect woman," he explained.
"I met Diana through Reggie Purdue's wife, Andrea. She was a professor at the University of Maryland and Diana was her star pupil. Reggie thought the two of us would hit it off so he introduced us. He always said having someone outside the case to ground you was the most important thing to save your sanity from profiling." He stopped for a moment to think of his friend.
Reggie had been Mulder's saving grace during his time at BSU. He knew when to let Mulder go off on one of his wild theories and when to stop him. Outside of Scully and the Gunmen, he was one of the rare people who Mulder thought of as a friend. He still mourned Reggie's death, sad that he no longer had his boss' wisdom to guide him.
"Anyway, we double dated with Reggie and Andrea. I was awe-struck the moment I saw her. Diana was brilliant. She was eloquent and made you think. She was ambitious. You knew she was going to be successful no matter what she did in life. I was attracted to that confidence about her. Not to mention, she was beautiful."
He could remember with perfect clarity the first time he saw Diana. During the date, she charmed and won him over with her personality, the perfect combination of intelligence, humor and compassion. He remembered the tiny black dress she wore that night; there was no way he could ever forget it. It was, as Frohike said, lust at first sight.
"Now would not be the time to declare your intentions to marry me, Mulder," Scully said, cutting off his trip down memory lane.
He licked his lips, slightly embarrassed. "Sorry. But, the point is that she was everything I thought I could ever want in a woman. In many ways, she reminded me of myself. She was driven and could care less what people said. If she thought she was doing the right thing, there was nothing in the world that could stop her."
"We loved each other the best way we could. Since we were so alike, getting along was natural. I thought that there could be no one better for me. Diana supported me and what I believed without question. After dealing with my parents, who were always ostracizing me, it was a welcome change."
"Mulder..." she interrupted.
He ignored her and continued with his tale. "After a year or so, I proposed to her. Two weeks later, we were married. Then, three weeks after we vowed to be together forever, she told me it was a mistake. A relationship with me was fine, but marriage was too much to ask. I agreed with her. When you put two determined people in the same household, toes are bound to be stepped on."
Pausing for a moment, he thought of his new relationship with Scully. His failure with Diana was one of the reasons he never pursued anything outside a friendship with Scully while she worked with him. While their stubbornness was an asset in dealing with the X-Files, he knew that outside the office, personalities would clash and feelings would get hurt. Subconsciously, he was still worried things between he and Scully would end the same way they did with Diana.
Refusing himself to go down that line of thinking, he continued, "Things were alright between us until I started on the X-Files. She wanted to move higher up the chain of command and she saw my move to the basement for what it was, a dead-end. I understood her decision and gave her my blessing. Three months later, you came knocking on the door and the rest is history."
She surprised him by giving him a soft kiss. "Thank you for sharing that with me. You didn't have to."
Playing with her hair, he replied, "Yes, I did. It's obviously something that has been on your mind for a while, so it needed to be addressed. I will not let Diana, or anyone else, ruin this."
Scully thought for a moment. "She won't. She has no power over either of us. Not anymore. We can't let ghosts from our pasts haunt us."
He gave her a soft squeeze and smiled. "Funny you should say that because you'll never guess who was assigned my partner today."