Rated: G
Category: Missing Scene, Vignette.
Spoiler: Fight the Future
WASHINGTON, D.C.
AFTER THE OFFICE OF PROFESSIONAL
REVIEW MEETING
As the sun was slowly setting in Washington, Mulder and Scully walked silently away
from the Hoover Building and
neither said anything for quite a while after taking one another's hand.
Mulder led his partner to a bench, where they sat staring at the yellow-orange haze
which was quickly fading to darkness as the sun bade the area good night. "Penny
for your thoughts, Scully?"
"Hmm? Oh, I was just wondering where we go from here. You do know, of course, they'll
destroy, cleanse, sanitize each and every thing we've said and written, everything we knew as evidence, and think they've
broken us. But they haven't. I think you know that as well as I do." She patted his arm and smiled slightly, weariness
showing around her eyes.
"In a sense, yes. They may think they've covered all their bases, but there are truths
that even they may not be aware of. After all, they couldn't stop me from going all the way to the Antarctic to find
you. Sometimes, I wonder where the OPR ends, and their puppeteers begin." He turned away for a few moments, apparently
deep in thought. "You remember seeing it, don't you?"
Scully saw the softness in Mulder's eyes. It was almost as if he was afraid that
question would make her world tumble. She looked at her shoes. "Yes, I saw it. So, either you had me big time,
or I really saw it."
"Since I can't put anything over on you, Agent Scully, that must mean you saw a ship."
She smiled. "I guess I should have had the 'I Want to Believe' poster instead of
you, Mulder. Whatever fates conspired to bring us together, they screwed it up just
that much. You did believe. I
was the scientific skeptic, who believed that whatever I saw, I had to have physical
proof of it. Yet, I've always
believed in God without wanting a piece of evidence."
"I guess I wanted to believe all that the proof of the conspiracy, the aliens, everything,
would just fall into my lap and we'd all be home for supper by the end of the day. After everything we've been through,
I'm finding out it's a long road ahead, and we've chosen to stick to it. I just don't know exactly where to look next.
But you've just convinced me to go on."
Scully rested her arm on Mulder's knee. "Sometimes, you just never know what's around the corner." She stood and
straightened her jacket. "Well, I suppose
I should pick up my car and head home. It's getting late, and I'm tired. They didn't give me long after my hospital stay
before
grilling me again."
Mulder stood, and rested his hands on her shoulders. "I know a place where the company's
friendly, and the meals aren't half bad, either. No OPR members allowed."
"I don't know... "
"Look, your car's at my place anyway. So why don't we grab something to eat at
Casey's, and let our hair down. Just us and no business. Guaranteed." Mulder was serious. Definitely serious.
"Gee," Scully felt like smirking. "You had me, Mulder. And here I thought we were
going to look for more cornfields
and bees and... "
"No, I never 'had' you, Scully. And wipe that smile off of your face. We're off of the
clock now. That means we're just two people winding down from a long, long workday. Besides, I'm buying. And then...
"
"Then, let's go home."
"Then, let's go home. Tomorrow's another workday."
