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Still more...
Summary: geeks n. A person who is single-minded or accomplished in scientific or technical pursuits
Frohike was closest to the door when someone knocked on it. A quick look at the security monitor showed Mulder...smiling? Frohike hopped off his stool quickly to answer the door. He hadn't seen a smile on Mulder's face like that since he thought he found his first E.B.E. Before that, it was to announce his marriage to Diana. God, Frohike hoped it wasn't anything about her.
Byers walked into the foyer. "Who is it?"
Frohike pointed at the monitor. "Check it out, it's Mr. Giggles."
"Dude, what's Mulder smiling about?" Langley asked, following Byers. "Last time I talked with him, he was still mourning over Scully's resignation."
Byers approached the door with a shrug. "I suppose there's only one way to find out." He opened the door. "Mulder," he greeted.
"Hey guys," Mulder said, grabbing Byer's shoulder in greeting. If possible, Frohike's paranoia was even more heightened. Mulder was never touchy-feely unless something was going on. "I need you to do me a favor."
The three of them exchanged a glance. It was Langley who spoke. "Sure, which government agency do you need us to hack into?"
"The CDC eventually, but that's not why I'm here." Mulder looked at the three men before them, trying to determine which one would best help his cause. His gaze finally settled on Byers. "I'm trying to help a friend--"
"This wouldn't have anything to do with the tasty Dr. Scully, would it?" Frohike couldn't help cutting in. The three knew that outside of themselves and his former partner, Mulder had no friends.
The agent shot a nasty look his way. "And if I said it was?"
Byers held up a hand before Frohike could respond. "What does she need?"
"A lab. She is determined to find a way to mass produce this vaccine. But she needs some place that is protected, nothing publicly funded," he explained. "And hopefully, some place that is known for their security."
Byers thought for a few seconds. "I'm sure I can find a place, but it might be costly," he warned.
Mulder shrugged off his friend's concern. "Don't worry about that. You just tell me how much it is going to be and I'll take care of it. But as far as you know, the money came from an anonymous donor, got it?" He studied each of them until they nodded their agreement.
"She's also going to need supplies and the like," Byers added.
"That's fine, just put it on my tab," he responded.
Frohike glanced at Langley. He knew only the longhaired gunmen would have the lack of tact to voice what they were all thinking. Fortunately for him, Langley didn't disappoint.
"Dude, where are you getting all this dough?" he blurted out.
Mulder looked amused by his friend's question. "Are you saying that a bunch of talented hacked like yourselves have never taken the time to see how much I am worth?" he asked, the corners of his eyes crinkling mischievously.
Frohike was insulted. "Look, Mulder, we only find out the dirt on people we don't like. But if you want us to, we could have your net worth posted on several MUFON message boards in a matter of hours. You'd be getting calls for donations at all hours of the night."
Mulder put his hands up defensively. "I was just kidding. I know you guys live up to every rule there is in the hacker's code of ethics," he assured them. He glanced at the other two to show he meant no harm. "Let's just say I was left quite a bit of money when my dad died. And I can't think of a better way of spending it than to ruin the plans of those men who have been trying to destroy my life for years."
Byers nodded. "Ok, so money is not an issue. I'll get on finding an adequate lab for Scully as soon as possible."
Mulder nodded his thanks. "Also, I need you guys to do a little background check on a Father Peter Downs. He runs a medical clinic right outside of Baltimore."
"Father Downs? You're not getting religious on us, are you?" Frohike asked.
"No, not me. Scully's going to start working in his clinic on Monday as their main physician. I just want to make sure everything is all good for her," he explained.
Finally, Langley couldn't contain his curiosity. "Dude! Why are you suddenly cool with Scully leaving the Bureau?"
Mulder blushed slightly and looked at the ground. "Nothing," he mumbled.
"They're sleeping together," Frohike declared.
Mulder's head whipped up, his eyes on fire. "We are not!"
Frohike shrugged. "Something's up with you two. And it's not the 'we're only really good friends' crap that we have been witness to for the past few years."
The two men stared at each other, neither one wanting to admit he was wrong. It was Mulder who eventually relented. "Fine, yes, things have changed. But not as much as you think." He paused for a second. "Just don't say anything to Scully. You know how she likes to keep things private."
"I guess we'll have to remove the surveillance cameras from your apartment. I like you, Mulder, but seeing you do the nasty is something I never want to see," Langley said.
"I told you--"
"We know, that things aren't like that yet," Frohike cut in. "But, Lord help me, if I have to see your naked butt, you are going to be paying for my therapy bills."
Title: Alphabet Soup: H is for Hope
Summary: hope n. the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best
Scully walked inside the small building with a sense of anxiousness that she hadn't felt in a long time. For the past several years, she had known exactly what her role was as Mulder's partner. This new venture into the medical field opened many unresolved issues from her past. The name Daniel Waterson popped in her head several times.
No, she thought to herself, shaking her head. This time things were different. Scully no longer needed to bow to the authority of a father figure; she had her own set of priorities and goals. As she told Mulder days prior, her reasons for going back into medicine were bigger than herself. She would succeed. There was no time for second guessing herself.
A young woman sat at the receptionist's desk, looking at Scully. "May I help you?" she said kindly.
"Yes, I'm here to speak with Father Downs," Scully answered.
The woman's face lit up. "Are you Dana Scully?"
She felt surprise; apparently she was known around here. "Yes, I am."
"I'm Amy. It is so good to meet you," the woman said, sticking her hand out to shake Scully's. "I know, I must seem really excited to meet you, it's just that we have been waiting for a new doctor for so long. You are like an answer to all of our prayers."
Scully felt her eyebrows go up. She didn't think she had ever been called that before. "Um, thank you."
Amy stood up and pointed down the hall. "I'm sure you are in a hurry, so I won't keep you any longer. Father Downs is in his office. Go down the hall and make a right. It's the first door on the left."
Scully nodded her thanks and walked down the corridor. What kind of things had been said about her, she wondered. Before she could contemplate much further, she had reached her destination. She knocked softly on the door.
"Come in," she heard the response.
She pushed open the door and saw the priest sitting at a desk. He was in his fifties with thinning gray hair. His eyes seemed to be always smiling, matching the slight grin on his face. Scully could see laugh lines on his cheeks. Obviously, this man enjoyed his life.
"Father," she greeted.
He pointed to the chair across from his desk. "Please, Dr. Scully, have a seat." She couldn't help the small flinch; she still thought of herself as Agent Scully. If Father Downs noticed her reaction, he kept it to himself. "First, I wanted to thank you for your quick response. When I brought up the proposal to Father McCue, I had no idea how long we would have to wait for an answer. We have offered this position to several other people, but something always managed to stop them from accepting it."
"I have to admit, Father, I was taken aback at the idea that you wanted me to work here. It's been a long time since I have had to interact with living patients," she said.
Father Downs nodded, as if he was expecting her to say something like that. "I understand your concern, Dr. Scully. However, based on the paperwork you sent over, you have kept up to date on all your educational requirements and you interned under several doctors of high prestige. This is not like taking an ER position at the biggest hospital in D.C. Most of the people who come here have minor injuries. Our most dramatic injury for last month was a child who had fallen off his bike and broken his wrist. Anything life threatening goes to the hospital down the street."
He looked outside his office window, looking at the neighborhood that surrounded the building. "The people in this community need to know that there is someone who is willing and wanting to take care of them." He studied her face for a few seconds before grinning. "And I believe you have that desire."
Scully knew the priest had no idea of her commitment. She had thrown away her career that she had worked hard for to help people she had never met. And, if she succeeded with the other half of her plan, she would afford them an opportunity that the people in power would never give them. "Father, I want to give these people something that I find most don't have."
He looked at her with interest. "What is that?"
"Hope," she answered simply.
Father Downs nodded up and down slowly. "Maybe now I understand why God had those other people decline our invitation. Because you, Dr. Scully, are exactly what this place needs. Come now, I want to introduce you to the rest of the staff."
Twenty minutes later, she had met her new co-workers. There was one other doctor, Steve Wade and two RNs: Stephanie Rosales and Kellie Greene. They all seemed as open and happy to see her as Amy was. Scully had almost forgotten what a warm reception felt like.
She returned with Father Downs to his office. "So, Dr. Scully, if everything is acceptable to you, I'd like to have you start right away," he said.
"Of course, Father. I can begin whenever you need me to," she answered.
Together, they worked on her schedule. He explained the routine they had; at the beginning of every shift, they met for several minutes of prayer. Scully couldn't imagine Mulder bowing his head at his desk everyday, praying to a god he didn't believe in. The staff also usually attended the 6 a.m. mass together and carpooled to the clinic together. Father Downs left that up for her to decide if she would participate in that. It felt good for Scully to have something familiar, her Catholic roots, to lean on during all of this change.
She was about to leave when the priest called her back in. "Dr. Scully, I know that this is a big adjustment from working for the FBI, but know that your work here will not go unnoticed." He glanced at the cross mounted on his wall.
She nodded. "Thank you, Father."
Alphabet Soup: I is for Intruder
Summary: in-tru-der n. to thrust oneself without permission or welcome
Mulder wasn't looking forward to his meeting with Skinner. He had almost forgotten what it was like not to have a partner, though that was his preference before Scully was assigned to him.
He had a feeling that the X-Files were going to be offered back to him. Without Scully around, making them seem credible would be nearly impossible. Which, Mulder assumed, was the point of him being reassigned to them.
Mulder walked off the elevator which had been thankfully empty, approaching Skinner's office. Kim waved him inside. "He's all ready for you, Agent Mulder," she said kindly.
He frowned slightly. He was hoping to have a few minutes to calm himself. To be unflappable. In control. Oh well, he thought as he opened to door.
Skinner stood up as he saw Mulder walk in. "Please, have a seat."
Mulder took his usual seat as Skinner sat in his own. "As I'm sure you are aware, this meeting is to inform you of your reassignment. After discussing the issue with the Deputy Director and the Director himself, we have all concluded that your talents are best put to use when you are investigating the X-Files. Therefore, starting today you will resume your previous position there."
Mulder nodded, not knowing what to say. Skinner continued, "There has been a small team who has been working on reconstructing the files that were destroyed in the fire. They haven't had much success. As lead agent, it will be up to you to find new, current cases to carry the workload of the X-Files."
"Does that mean that the Bureau will cover the cost of my subscription to the Weekly World News?" Mulder quipped.
Skinner ignored him as if he hadn't spoken. "There is another issue. The assignment of a new partner."
Mulder considered the idea of sticking his fingers in his ears and saying "la, la, la" until he saw Skinner's mouth stop moving. There was no way he would ever need a new partner, let alone want one. Scully taught him everything he needed to know to be a better investigator. No one could improve on that.
Besides, most of the time, partners were bad news for Mulder. The image of Alex Krycek popped in his head. The guy who murdered his father, assisted in killing Scully's sister and worked with God knows who just to save his own hide. Yeah, Mulder thought, that partnership worked out really well.
Skinner interrupted his thoughts. "There were a several people who applied for the position when it was made known it was available. We reviewed the applications and decided that one particular agent stood out among the rest." He pushed his intercom on. "Kim, please send Agent Mulder's new partner in."
Mulder could one think of one person who it could possibly be. There was only one who had the experience of being able to "stand out." He hoped for once he would be wrong. As door the opened, he cursed himself for his correct assumption. Diana Fowley.
She slid over to the chair next to Mulder. "Assistant Director Skinner," she greeted. She turned slightly. "Fox."
After shaking his head slightly, Mulder spoke up. "Sir, this won't work out."
Skinner and Diana looked surprised. "Why is that, Agent Mulder?"
"Because I only want partners who call me by my last name," he deadpanned.
The two rolled their eyes. If Mulder didn't know better he would have thought they choreographed the whole thing ahead of time. "I'm sure that can be easily resolved. If you don't want to be called by your first name, I'm sure Agent Fowley would be happy to acquiesce to your wishes," Skinner responded.
"I assure you that I want this transition to go smoothly," Diana said sweetly. "Anything I can do to make thing easier, I will." She paused dramatically then added, "Mulder."
Mulder almost gagged. She was so syrupy that he could swear he felt a toothache coming on. "Sir, may I speak to you." He glanced pointedly at Diana. "Alone."
Skinner nodded and sent Agent Fowley out of his office. "What is it, Mulder?"
"Sir, I'm serious. This will not work out," he repeated.
"Now that Agent Fowley is gone perhaps you will be more forthright in why you think that."
"I was married to her," Mulder blurted out.
Instead of seeing the look of surprise he was sure Skinner was going to have, the A.D. simply nodded. "I know that. Agent Fowley explained that the two of you were briefly married several years ago. She also said that after three weeks, the marriage was annulled."
Mulder nodded in agreement. "That's true."
"Do you still have romantic feelings for Agent Fowley?"
"What? No!" Mulder exclaimed. "There is absolutely nothing like that going on between the two of us."
"Then I don't understand why we are having this discussion," Skinner said frankly.
"Because she's not--" he stopped himself. What was he going to say? She's not like Scully? No one in the world would ever be able to compare to his dedicated partner.
He started again. "Because she's not a scientist. That's what made Scully and I so successful. There would be no balance between Diana and me. We think too similarly. The X-Files need someone grounded in science to validate the things we investigate. Really, sir, I know Diana has a history with the X-Files, but that does not make her the most qualified.
Skinner considered the agent's words for a few seconds. "All right, Mulder. I'll talk to the Deputy Director and voice your concerns to him. But, I'm not promising anything," he warned. "I'll postpone Agent Fowley's assignment until I hear his response."
Mulder took that as his dismissal; he started to get up when Skinner began speaking again. "Does Scully know about the two of you being married?"
He sat back down. "Yeah, she does. Apparently, when Diana took the transfer to Europe, she forgot to change her next of kin out here to someone other than me. When she was shot, the hospital kept calling me with all of her updates after she was shot. Scully got suspicious after a while, so I came clean with her."
Skinner's eyebrows rose. "How did she take it?"
Mulder grimly smiled. "Let's just say I won't be keeping anything important from her anymore. That's a lesson I only needed to learn once."
Alphabet Soup: J is for Juxtapose
Summary: jux-a-pose n. To place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast
"So, Diana Fowley is your new partner?" Scully asked icily. She had asked Mulder to come over to her apartment for dinner to fill her in on what happened during his meeting with Skinner. After hearing his summary of the day, she was beginning to regret inviting him.
Mulder winced as she stabbed the innocent piece of orange peel chicken on her plate. He should have known she was going to take that piece of news difficultly. "No, I told you she *wants* to be my new partner. I already voiced my concerns to Skinner and he's going to see what Kersh says."
His answer didn't satisfy her. "And what happens if they deny your request?"
"I don't know," he responded exasperatedly. He was starting to get angry. It wasn't as though he made the decision to make Diana his partner. "Maybe I'll quit the Bureau and become your sidekick. Nurse Mulder has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"
"Better than Mr. Fowley," she muttered.
He pushed his chair away from the table and began pacing. "Is that what this is about? My marriage to Diana?"
Scully raised her eyebrow, challenging him. "Isn't it?"
"No, Scully, it's not," he answered harshly. "Yes, Diana and I were married. Yes, she and I left on relatively good terms. Yes, I consider her my friend. But, she's not my partner. There's a difference and I'm sorry if you can't understand that."
"I don't trust her," Scully argued.
"Paranoia is my forte, Scully," he shot back.
She stood up, taking her plate off the table. "You are so gullible, Mulder. Do you think it was just by chance that as soon as I resigned they brought in your ex-wife to be my replacement? For God's sake, you can't even sleep with another agent without having to explain your actions to OPR. And you think that there is nothing suspicious about them letting a woman who obviously cares about you to be your partner?"
A smirk passed over his face. "You cared about me when we were partners and you didn't seem to care about OPR then. Or do you let just any of your superior agents kiss you in the middle of their hallway?"
She felt her stomach hit the floor. Though her rage was intense, it was nothing compared to the hurt she was feeling. Did she really think a personal relationship would work out with Mulder? She should have taken his initial response to her resigning from the Bureau as a sign of things to come. A personal relationship with Mulder was never going to work.
His harshness was nothing new, especially when they disagreed strongly with each other. But, tonight, it seemed, was more personal than their other arguments. She knew that the people he cared about the most often received the worse in him. It was a burden she could not handle.
"Go home, Mulder."
He rolled his eyes. Now that he allowed himself to get mad, he was taking all the frustrations of the day out on her. "Sure thing. When the going gets tough, Scully gets going. Or in this case, she kicks her boyfriend out."
"You are not my boyfriend." She wondered how this situation had spiraled out of control.
"Obviously not." He walked to the door. "See you around, Scully. Have fun saving the world." With that, he slammed the door.
Once she was sure he left, Scully curled up on her couch and cried softly.
Fox Mulder's Apartment
8:02 p.m.
Mulder was still fuming when he reached his apartment. He couldn't believe how jealous and prissy Scully was acting. He didn't expect Scully to be so insecure when it came to their relationship. He could see her in her apartment now, sharpening her claws in case Diana became his partner.
When Mulder got to his apartment door, he noticed it was open slightly. Fear replaced anger as he pulled his gun out of the holster. He opened the door with his foot. "Freeze!" he shouted.
Diana put down the fish food calmly, as if expecting him. "Fox," she greeted.
"I hope you didn't give them any food. I already have someone to feed my fish," he said dryly, putting his gun away.
She laughed softly as she took a seat on his couch. "Who would that be? Dr. Scully? She's going to be too busy to help you out with your pets."
He ignored her comment, not wanting to rise to the bait. "What are you doing here, Diana?"
She ran her hand seductively on the couch. "You know, I am surprised that you have kept this couch all these years. Though, with the memories of us that are attached to it, I would have a hard time letting it go too." Diana patted the cushion next to her. "We need to talk."
Like a moth drawn to a flame, Mulder did as she requested. "What's up?" he asked, trying to sound casual.
"I heard that you have put in a request to deny my position," she said.
He shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, I did."
She frowned slightly. "I think after all we've been through, you would at least give me an explanation why you would do something like that." She leaned forward so that her lips were close to his ear. "We make such a good team, Fox."
Mulder stood up abruptly, disrupting Diana's attempt to seduce him. "We made an ok team, Diana. What we were was nothing compared to what Scully and I were. We made the best team the FBI ever had."
"Had, Fox. She isn't coming back, you know," she taunted. "She's going to be swamped helping all those poor people at the clinic."
He narrowed his eyes. Mulder thought back to how Scully said she didn't trust Diana. Maybe she had reason to. "How did you know where Scully was working?"
Diana paused as she realized her mistake. "Skinner told me after you left," she lied.
"Try again. I haven't spoken to Skinner about where Scully is working."
She stayed silent, not wanting to get caught in her lie any further.
Her betrayal filled Mulder's thoughts. How many secrets had he passed along to Them thinking he could rust his ex-wife? "Who are you working for? Kersh? The Smoking Man?" he shouted.
She stood up and caressed his cheek. "I can help you so much, Fox. There are things that I know that you can only dream of," she said softly, in sharp contrast to his loudness.
He pulled away from her touch. "I will not sell my soul to the devil for a few false leads."
Her lips pressed together. "He is not the devil, Fox. In fact, he may be our savior."
"I wasn't talking about him," he shot back. "Get out, Diana. And you can tell whoever you are working for that they will have to come up with something better to ruin me."
She shrugged slightly. "After all this time, you still have learned nothing. You think that you are better than I am because you have morals. Where has that gotten you? Nowhere. My God, you are still in the same place that we got when we were married." She put down a piece of paper with her phone number on his coffee table. "When you grow up let me know and I'll be able to help you."
Mulder plopped on his couch after she closed the door behind her. Scully had been right; Diana was dirty. His gut tightened as he thought of the terrible things he had said to Scully.
What have I done? he asked himself.
Alphabet Soup: K is for Knotty
Summary: knot-ty adj. Intricate, involved or difficult
Mulder's Apartment
Friday, 6:45 p.m.
Mulder muted the sound on his television set as his phone rang. It had been four days since his fight with Scully. He hadn't spoken or seen her since he stormed out of her apartment on Monday night. He wanted to call and tell her that Diana had been transferred to Domestic Terrorism and he was still waiting to be assigned a partner, but his guilt and pride prevented him from doing so.
The week had been spent seeing what X-files had managed to be reconstructed. The results were few and limited. The files that contained anything of importance concerning the shadow government and their findings were, as expected, unsalvageable.
At least there would be one report that wasn't a pile of ash. He spent the week writing the X-File for the "Bee Virus" incident. It had been odd seeing only his name signed at the bottom of the report when he turned it into Skinner's office.
Mulder pulled himself out of his reverie. Whoever was calling him was not going to wait much longer. "Hello?"
"Hey Mulder Man! We're not disturbing any hot action between you and the delectable Doctor Scully, are we?" came Frohike's answer.
Mulder looked at his Scully-free apartment. "Not even close."
He could hear Langley in the background. "Dude, what did Mulder screw up now?"
"If this is about playing Dungeons and Dragons, tell Langley I'm not interested," Mulder joked, trying to pull the attention away from he and Scully.
Frohike recognized Mulder's tone and focused on the real attention why they called. "Does the name Nature's Best Corn Oil sound familiar to you?"
"No, should it?"
"If I told you that they are a company based out of Northeast Texas, about 100 miles east of Blackwood, you would think..." Frohike lead him on.
"That if you are saying what I think you are saying, you get to have my video collection," Mulder said excitedly. He had been asking the guys to keep an eye open for the Consortium's new base of operations.
"It seems that the company is a front for holding the oil that the bees were transmitting. We have several sources that said a whole industrial complex appeared virtually over night," Byers explained, taking the phone away from Frohike. "Lots of security protecting the place. Military is crawling all over the area."
Interesting, Mulder thought. "Where exactly are they located?"
Byers hesitated. "Not over an open line. You and Scully come here and we'll tell you everything we know. We'll have security clearance for you guys. Getting in should be no problem."
"Scully?" Mulder asked. Dealing with her would probably be more risky than breaking into the place the Gunmen found.
"Yes, well, she is the one trying to work on a vaccine. We thought it might be advantageous of her to get her hands on some samples of the virus," Byers answered slowly, as if Mulder were a child.
Mulder slumped against his couch. "Of course," he mumbled.
"When can we expect you two over?"
"Um, I don't know, Scully's pretty busy."
"See? I told you he's in lady trouble," he heard Frohike say in the background.
Mulder clinched his jaw. "Give me a couple of hours." He clicked off the phone before he could hear their response. Two hours, he thought, that should be enough time to beg for Scully's forgiveness.
*************
Or not.
Well, he thought as Scully shot him another deadly stare, at least I'm in her living room. He watched her pace back and forth in front of him. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen her so angry. Maybe never.
"What is all this?" she asked, pointing to the bag he placed on her coffee table when he walked in. “Bribing me again?”
"Well when you put it that way, it doesn't seem that nice," frowned Mulder.
"You couldn't have just come over four days ago and admitted what a jerk you were?"
He winced. Strike one for Mulder. "Um, I'm sorry." He meant for it to sound firm and strong, but came out more like a timid question.
"Are you asking me or telling me?"
Yikes. Mulder had been wrong. She wasn't angry. She was livid. He cleared his throat. "I'm telling you. I really am sorry, Scully. I acted like an ass." He put on a hopeful smile. "Forgive me?"
Scully rolled her eyes as she reached in the bag and pulled out a box of chocolates. At least he knew what she liked to indulge herself with. "Maybe. Why did you decide tonight to apologize? You could have come over any time this week," she answered, taking a piece of candy out of the box.
Alarm bells sounded in Mulder's head. If she knew the truth, that he was only here because of the lead the guys gave him, he would be a dead man. Literally. Scully just happened to be cleaning her gun when he knocked on her apartment door.
"Um..." Good job Mulder, he thought, win her over with your stellar answer.
His lack of an immediate answer made Scully more suspicious. "Mulder?" she prompted impatiently.
He knew he couldn't lie to her. Not with her piercing stare. Confession was the only option. "The Gunmen have a potential lead on where They are hiding the virus. They want us to come over so they can give us their specific intel."
Instead of getting the ass kicking he thought was coming, Scully actually half-smiled at him. "See? That wasn't that hard. Let me get my coat so we don't keep them waiting."
Mulder stared at her as if she suddenly spawned a second head. He should have kept his mouth shut, but in typical Mulder fashion, he didn't know how to do what was best for him. "Does that mean that you and I are ok?"
Scully closed her closet door and smiled sweetly at him. "Not even close. But I do appreciate the fact that you risked your well being to come over here and deliver the Gunmen's news."
His face fell. So much for smoothing things over.
*************
The ride to the Gunmen's was uncomfortable, mostly because Mulder's seatbelt was strapped against him tightly as Scully swerved through traffic. He knew there was a reason he always insisted on driving. Finally, they pulled up to the Gunmen's place. Mulder almost began to believe in God, because there was no other way he could have survived that ride.
The guys must have heard Scully's tires squealing around the corner because their door was already unlocked when they approached it.
Byers opened the door for them. "Mulder, Scully, come in."
They followed Byers to where the other two Gunmen sat. The next fifteen minutes were spent with the hackers filling them on what they knew. The company, Nature's Best Corn Oil, was running out of Cobb, Texas, a relatively small town 50 miles west of Dallas.
There were three major buildings in the complex. From what their sources could find out, one was dedicated to studying the virus, the next was a distribution center and the last was used for experimenting on subjects. Each building had a different security system. So far, the Gunmen had only been able to break the codes for the first two buildings.
"We have given you each Level 7 clearance into those buildings," Langley bragged. "That's the highest level there is. You should have no problem getting the samples you need."
"And this," Frohike said, pulling out a bulky briefcase, "is temperature controlled. If you see that the samples need to be kept at a particular temperature, just set it here." He pointed to the small keypad in the top corner. "When you come back, we have secured a lab near Dr. Scully's apartment where she can do her research."
Byers cleared his throat. "Of course, there isn't a person involved with this whole operation that doesn't know what the two of you look like. So, you guys are going to have to wear disguises," Byers stated matter of factly.
"Disguises?" the two of them said together.
State Route 80
Saturday 7:45 a.m.
"I hate this," Mulder complained, shifting in his seat of the car rental.
Scully snickered. "It could be worse, you know."
He grunted in disagreement. "I don't see how. This is what most men fear."
She looked over at him. She had to hand it to the guys; she would have never recognized Mulder if she saw him walking down the street. They had strapped a weight belt around him, making him look thirty pounds heavier. His hazel eyes were masked behind dark brown contacts. And his hair, well, there was nothing to say about that. "You know, Mulder, some women find baldness sexy."
He said nothing as he pulled the rubber on top of his head, covering his hair.
"Stop," she chided. "The guys worked hard making sure that wasn't going to go anywhere."
He sulked for a few moments before saying, "How come your transformation wasn't as dramatic?"
Scully looked at her reflection in the window. She was still startled when she saw the unfamiliar woman looking back at her. The wig she wore made her appear to have long, wavy brown hair. Her complexion was completely different as well. Instead of her pale, Irish skin, she now had beautiful bronze skin, thanks to a bottle of tanning lotion. She looked down at her chest. "You don't call these dramatic?" Her bra size jumped three cups during the hour-long transformation.
Now it was Mulder's turn to snicker. "Well, at least your name matches your assets."
Despite the tension between her and Mulder, she couldn't help but to let out a small laugh. "Laura Croft. I'm surprised they changed the spelling of the first name."
"I'm surprised you know the correct spelling of her name," he responded.
She shrugged with a wistful smile. "I'm sure there are a lot of things about me that you don't know."
Mulder didn't say anything for a few minutes until he suddenly turned off the road into a gas station parking lot. "Scully, I really am sorry for the way I acted on Monday. I was defensive when I shouldn't have been." He paused, making sure he had her full attention. "You were right, Diana is dirty."
"How did you find out?" was her only response.
"She let it slip that she knew where you were working. Then she offered to give me some leads if I dropped my request for a new partner."
"And?"
"Let's just say she was transferred to Domestic Terrorism on Tuesday. Currently, I am the only active agent on the X-Files," he said. He was encouraged by the look of relief that passed over Scully's face. "Scully, I don't want to throw away anything that might happen between us because of one fight."
She licked her lips and began speaking softly. "I have had a lot of time to think about you and me this week. What we have been to each other in the past, what we are now and what we could be in the future." She looked him in the eyes. "And nothing has changed. Nothing will change. We are not compatible. Not in the romantic sense."
"But, Scully, I--"
She put her finger over his lips. "I know, and I feel the same about you. That's what makes it hurt so much."
The rest of the car ride was quiet, neither of them wanting to disturb the other's thoughts. When they entered the city limits of Cobb, Scully broke the silence. "Are we going to be ok to do this? We have to have one hundred percent of our focus on this."
Mulder was about to object, but realized she was right. The Gunmen went through a lot of trouble to do this for them. "Let's get this show on the road."
Alphabet Soup: L is for Larceny
Summary: lar-ce-ny n. the wrongful taking and carrying away property with intent to convert them to the taker’s use
Working together wasn't as hard as Scully feared it might have been. The two of them slipped back into their professional personas quite easily. Her stomach wasn't keeping up with the facade though; it was still giving her grief for what she had said in the car.
Not allowing herself to be comforted by Mulder's apology was extremely difficult. She knew, however, that she deserved better than the way Mulder had treated her at her apartment. So many of the men in her life had demeaned her in a way to control her. After she left Ethan when she first started the X-Files, she vowed to herself that she would never let herself be put in that position again.
She could tell her words had hurt him, but was relieved when he respected them. So much of her angst stemmed from the lack of respect he showed her. Maybe, if he could get to the point of listening and truly hearing her, things could work--She pulled herself short. No time for hopeful thinking. That was best left for the last ten minutes she was awake at night.
They turned down Civic Center Drive and were in awe of the complex in front of them. The three buildings looked like they should be found in the middle of a major metropolis are, not in the middle of the Texas desert. Each was at least six stories high, windows covering every side of the buildings. To the left side of the complex, there was a large parking complex, looking full despite the fact it was a Saturday. To the right, Scully noticed a smaller building that looked like a hotel.
Mulder drove up to the security checkpoint. They showed their phony IDs to the man in the booth. After running their names through the system, the guard instructed them which building to go to and they were sent on their way. They parked quickly and found their way through the parking structure.
When they walked up to the building, Mulder leaned down to her ear. "Any idea of where we're going?"
She shook her head. "No, but I'm counting on your stellar improv skills to figure that out. You've broken into countless military bases. I figure this should be a piece of cake."
"Gee, no pressure," he muttered.
His worry, however, was for naught because they found their ticket to information standing right next to the elevator.
A man, in his mid-thirties, was standing there alone, waiting for the next car. He had neatly combed brown hair and wore a pair of wire-rimmed glasses. His clothes were neatly pressed and his briefcase looked as if he polished it that morning.
He looked over at Scully and smiled. Mulder noted with a surge of jealousy that his eyes lingered on her chest for a couple of seconds too long. Scully noticed this too and decided to use this to her advantage.
"Hi," she said with a slight southern drawl. She shot Mulder a nasty look when he poorly disguised his laugh for a cough. "I was hoping you could help me out."
The man's smile grew. "I'm always willing to assist a lady in need. How can I help?"
The elevator doors opened and the three walked inside. "Well, see, I'm new to this place. I didn't realize how big this building was and I didn't bother asking for directions. Do you think you could point me in the right way to the research labs?" She looked down at the ground, hoping to look embarrassed.
He pushed the button "3" and "5". "You need floor five."
"Thank you so much," she said cheerfully. Her face was beginning to hurt; she couldn't remember the last time she smiled so much.
"So, I take it that you are part of the new rotation," the man continued.
"Yes, I am. Just got here this morning."
"Well, I'm sure we'll be bumping into each other again then. My name is Ron Peeps. I work down in the archives department." He stuck his hand out.
She shook his hand. "Laura Croft." She pointed to Mulder. "And this is my assistant, Michael Luder."
Ron barely broke his gaze from Scully to acknowledge Mulder's presence. The elevator beeped softly. "This is my stop. If you have any other questions, please feel free to stop by and I'll help. Just call extension 254."
"Thank you, Mr. Peeps," she said.
He walked off the elevator. "Just call me Ron."
She forced another smile. "Ok. Thanks for your help again, Ron."
The doors closed as he waved goodbye. When they started their ascent, Mulder made a gagging sound. "Could that guy be more obvious?"
"What? He seemed very nice."
"*Laura*," he said emphatically, "he was checking you out!"
The elevator doors opened as it revealed the fifth floor. "Feeling jealous?"
He was, but there was no way he would admit it. Mulder followed her off the car. "Now where are you going to go? If you can't figure it out, I'm sure Mr. Tour Guide would be happy to help you."
She ignored him as she walked down the hallway, full of confidence. No one watching her would ever know that she had no idea where she was going. For a reason she couldn't explain, she found herself stopping in front of the third door on the right side of the hallway. She slid her security card through the reader.
A couple of seconds later, the light turned from red to green and they were admitted inside. The lab was perfect. There were no stray papers, nothing on the desks out of place. They quickly surveyed the room and saw no one. "Lucky guess," Mulder whispered.
Scully walked to the side of the room with a large refrigeration unit on it. Once again, she slid her clearance card through the reader on the front. Three tense moments passed before she heard the lock released. She let out a small sigh of relief as the door automatically opened.
Inside the unit, there were six large shelves than spanned the entire width. On each shelf, there were at least a hundred sealed test tubes. She set her briefcase down and opened it. After putting on a pair of latex gloves, she carefully reached inside and pulled a test tube out of its holding place. She gasped.
"Mu--Michael, come here," she instructed.
Mulder, who had been attempting to access any information on the system's computer, walked to Scully. Inside the tube was a thick, black oil-like liquid. "Looks like the bees have been busy."
She nodded as she replaced the vial. Each shelf had different dates on the front of them, each one year apart. She kneeled down to the bottom shelf and spotted what she was looking for: June 1998. Carefully, she pulled out a dozen samples and placed them in her briefcase. She set the temperature to forty degrees and closed the case. She resealed the door and walked to where Mulder was sitting.
On the computer, he quickly found the most recent test results and began to print them. When he tried to access individual test subject results, his authorization was denied. When he began to search for any other sites where they were growing the corn, the door opened. He shut the search window down.
A middle-aged woman walked in, looking surprised to see them. "What are you doing here?"
Scully opened her mouth, but no words came out. Fortunately, Mulder found his voice. "We're trying to get up to date on the latest findings for a vaccine. We‘re part of the new rotation," he said, hoping she believed him.
The woman rolled her eyes. "Another wave of people? Don't they tell you guys anything before they send you up here? No one is allowed in here without first going through the decontamination unit." She looked around the room carefully. "You didn't touch anything other than the computer did you?"
Scully shook her head. "No, just accessed the files. We apologize for our mistake." She motioned for Mulder to take the papers as she picked up the briefcase. "Where should we go?"
"Down the hall, make a right and you'll see a green door. It's right there." She walked to the computer than Mulder had been using and opened a new window. "Now, if you would excuse me, I have things to do."
They left the lab in a hurry. "We need to get out of here," Scully mumbled. "As soon as she realizes that there are samples missing, this place isn't going to be so friendly."
Despite the urgency to leave, Scully once again found herself drawn to another door. "Scully?" Mulder asked. "We need to get out of here."
She shook her head. "I don't know how to explain it, but I just feel like this is the right way to go." She opened the door and couldn't believe who she saw on the other side.
"Scully?" he asked again, wondering why she was standing in the middle of the doorframe. He looked past her and froze.
"Dr. Scully, Agent Mulder, I'm glad to see you."
It was Gibson Praise.
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