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FBI
HEADQUARTERS
WASHINGTON, D.C
4:32 PM
Skinner paced his office
several times, chewing on the end of his pen as he waited for the
summoned agent to appear.
It was *so* obvious!
He should probably let it go...Tell Doggett to let it go too - it
was none of their business after all. But at the same time if
they wanted to keep them all safe, there had to be a warning
about public performance. ...Tell her to not let it show so
obvio-
"Sir, Agent Scully is here."
The assistant director looked up to see his secretary standing in
the open doorway, waiting for an answer. He faltered and
considered it all one last time before finally replying,
"Send her in."
Mulder had been home. Even a blind person could have sensed that
from the aura radiating off Dana Scully as she unexpectedly made
a 'passing visit' to the headquarters earlier today with baby
William. She'd first gone to the X-Files office to say a friendly
'Hi' to the agents there, and had then travelled up in the
elevator to just catch Skinner between meetings. John and Walter
had bumped into each other later in the afternoon, noting how
happy and relaxed their visitor had been despite all she'd
recently been through - especially only a matter of days after
what had happened at the dock in Baltimore.
It was too obvious. There was only one thing - one *person* -
that could put that kind of smile back on her face...
"Sir? You wanted to see me?" the familiar
quiet-but-determind voice started - pulling him back out of his
ruminations.
A quick clear of his throat, and then, "Uh, hi, yes Agent
Scully. Please, come in."
She did as he bade - closing the office door behind her and then
seating herself in the chair in front of his desk (just as she
had for the past nine years).
This wasn't right and he felt so bad for doing it. How could he
chide her for being happy? She deserved to be able to hold onto
what she was feeling until Mulder could come back home for good.
Hell, she deserved that and a *lot* more. And yet here he was to
take that away from her?
"Is everything okay, Sir?"
Skinner stared at her for a second and then realised this wasn't
such a good idea - especially not here where they were likely
being monitored...
"Actually, would you like to go for a coffee?" he
started, stepping behind his desk.
The red-headed agent eyed her boss curiously and then realised
the reason for his motives. With a nod, she stood back up and
followed the taller man out through the double-doors at the back
of the room.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
DOWNTOWN
WASHINGTON, D.C
"He was here, wasn't he?"
Scully sharply coughed up the sip of latte she had just ingested
and put the cup back down on the table with a shaky hand, despite
her need to stay calm. "A-...uh...I...Sir, do-"
"Dana, please be honest with me. If he's putting lives at
risk because he can't stay away, maybe we need to look at
other-"
"He knows the risks, sir. He..." She paused briefly,
breaking eye-contact to stare down at the cup clasped in between
her quivering hands. "As I told the Gunmen, I have every
faith in Mulder that he won't turn back until it's time to."
Suspicion flared, but for now Skinner chose to play along until
she slipped up.
"Why did you say that, anyway?" she asked, still not
looking up.
"Because of you."
"Wha-?"
"You come to the bureau with your son in your arms and a
massive smile on your face, and you expect us not to be
suspicious?"
Dana shifted uncomfortably under the watchful eye of her boss.
Had she *really* acted that obviously? Missing work and desperate
to get out of the apartment, she'd taken Will to the park and
then - an hour later - driven to the bureau. Surely-... Suddenly,
she understood why she was here having this conversation with
Skinner.
"I found a letter Mulder left behind for me...It gave me a
reason to hope and look ahead. I guess I hadn't realised just how
happy it made me..."
Skinner reached across the table to lightly rest a hand on her
forearm. She looked guilty, and once again he just wanted to kick
himself for broaching her over this, but it *had* to be done if
she wanted to ensure her partner's safety a little better.
"I'm not saying that it shouldn't make you happy. My concern
is for how much you show of that in public. If Agent Doggett and
I were able to put the pieces together straight after seeing you,
imagine how easy it'll be for those hunting Mulder down to put
two and two together! As hard as it is to believe, they're not
that stupid."
She didn't kjnow what to say to that - of course she knew those
chasing away her partner weren't that stupid...Skinner sounded as
if he were implying she was...
A period of awkward silence followed as both federal agents
sipped at their drinks, and it gave Dana chance to reflectupon
what had happened yesterday. Technically, she guessed, she should
be chiding herself for not shouting at Mulder - making sure he
knew how stupid and dangerous and irresponsible and...and...and
how pointless his hare-brained stunt had been. But, God, it
really *did* make her feel rejuvenated! Even now, just the
thought of William lying in his crib after being tucked in by his
father brings a wistful smile to her face (which she quickly
tries to hide with her cup).
...If only she could have turned - seen his face, his smile, the
glint of uncertainty in his eyes that would plea with her to stop
this; his outstretched arms waiting impatiently to hold her...
'Don't turn around... Jus-...just wait a
second...I-'
As much as she hated it, there could be no regrets. He had vowed
it would be the last 'unsafe' visit he made to the apartment
before he could come home to stay. She had to pretend he'd never
been there and keep up her side of the deal. The instant they'd
made eye-contact, if she had turned, there would have not been
anymore 'goodbyes' again - danger or no.
'Well, at least he made sure he was completely empty before he
got back on the road again,' Scully thought with a smirk. 'He
still never learns, though.'
If she'd had any doubts as to whether he'd really been there at
all despite the letters and his voice, a visit to the bathroom
later only to be gifted with the sight of the upright toilet seat
had blown them away.
Unbeknownst to her, Walter Skinner sat quietly watching the
multitude of emotions that creased and smoothed Agent Dana
Scully's features. He found it fascinating how one instant she
could look *so* happy - without a care in the world - and then,
within a heartbeat, that world came crashing down around her,
leaving her bereft, hollow and lost... In fact, it gave him an
insight as to how the two partners had learnt to read each other
and master their silent communication. Not to say he couldn't
understand the reasons for what she was going through; he just
wished he could change them.
He'd made so many deals with CGB Spender et al to secure Mulder
and Scully's health and safety. Yet, ironically, *this* was what
was slowly killing them.
Was there really anything he would or could change if he were
able to do it all over again, though? ...Except shoot Krycek a
lot sooner, of course...
"Did you tell him about what happened with William?"
Skinner finally asked, clearing his throat.
"We didn't really speak, and he'd have never-..."
Scully's sentence sharply cut short and her eyes opened wide as
she realised her slip up. "I...He...It wasn't-"
Skinner reached out once again, this time to cover one of her
trembling hands. "It's okay," he whispered.
"If-"
"Would you like anything else?" a blonde-haired woman
cut in, taking away the now-empty coffee cups.
The assistant director quickly withdrew his hand and looked up at
the waitress standing beside him. "No...uh...No, we're fine,
thanks," he smiled awkwardly.
With a final curious glance at the two, the woman left.
"You
know if it were up to me you wouldn't have to sneak around like
this," he continued, turning back to face Dana. "But
don't lose your trust in everybody - don't feel you *have* to lie
to me."
"It was nothing...I didn't even see him..." At the
frown he gave she uneasily explained, "I was soothing
William when I found a note on my desk he'd put there on the day
he left. It..." She shook her head, wiping away a tear. He'd
been their saviour on several occasions, but nobody could have
her trust now except Mulder - too much had changed. So she
couldn't disclose too much about anything. "I fell asleep. I
woke up in my bed and Will was in his crib. That's about
it."
"Dana..." There was no hiding the high level of
accusation in that tone.
"What? Every second that passes I regret not seeing him, but
then I mentally kick myself for feeling that because he shouldn't
have come back in the first place. At least I know he's okay and
thinking of us - that he's finally set before this waking hell
completely cuts him off...Is that such a bad thing to be grateful
for?" Her eyes slipped shut briefly and the ghost of a sad
smile played on her lips as she remembered discovering the
bouquet of roses that now proudly stand in a vase on the desk
where she'd found his first letter.
"No. Of course not."
"He had such little time with William before...before he had
to go...For him to be able to just cuddle his son in his arms and
then lay him in his crib means almost as much to me as it
probably does to him. I-...If I'd been able to see or speak to
him, there's no way I could have told him about what I witnessed
William do and then have forced him to walk away. I couldn't do
that to him - to us."
Skinner gave a sympathetic nod but remained silent - waiting to
see if the female agent would share anything else. When she
didn't, he tentatively pressed, "I know, and I fully
understand, but I'm concerned about his decision to turn around,
and why now? If he's putting all your lives on the line
an--"
"It *won't* happen again," she snapped bitterly.
"But maybe we should really start looking at those other
options..."
"I told you, he just wanted to say his own proper goodbye -
don't you think he deserved that?"
"Yes, b--"
"All you need to be 'concerned' about now is how it can be
made safe for his *permanent* return as soon as humanly
possible." The anger in her voice and fire in her eyes aimed
in his direction gave the impression she was blaming her boss for
being a contributing cause for Mulder's forced absense, and all
he could do was watch her with raised brows.
"His family needs him." That one sentence drained
everything out of her, and with a quick glance down at her watch,
Scully raised to her feet. "I really have to go - I left
Will with my mom, and I just want to get back to him."
The assistant director stood also and stared at her until she
finally lifted her eyes to look at him. "You don't have to
do this alone - you still have friends at the Bureau."
"I know," came the quiet reply. "But I have to do
it alone. Until my partner is back by my side, this is mine to
try and live with alone. And no, this isn't hormones or hysteria
speaking: it's the way it's always been in our partnership, and I
wouldn't change an iota of that." Giving an appreciative
nod, she said goodbye and then left the cafe.
Still standing, Skinner watched the small figure walk away until
she was out of sight.
Well, that had gone swimmingly!
He let out a heavy sigh, gave the waitress a ten dollar bill and
then slowly made his way back to the Hoover building - not much
wiser than he'd been when he'd arrived, and (quite frankly) a
little confused as to what had actually just happened. All he
could do was hope he believed her and could trust them not to put
their future in such jeopardy again.
...Maybe he didn't have as much trust as he'd ordered her to have
after all...
***
THE END...for now
***
DISCLAIMER:
Once upon a time in a strange land far, far away, a surfer dude
by the name of Chris Carter created a wonderful world with
beautiful people, and gave joint rule to his friends 1013 and
Fox. But then the leaders abused the new world and almost sent it
crumbling to the ground. Thankfully for the beautiful
inhabitants, fanfic writers came along and helped save the day!
And they all lived happily ever after! Moral of the story? I
don't own 'em and I don't get any financial gain from doing this,
so please don't bother sueing. Oh, and the toilet seat belongs to
Truthwebothknow ;)
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