DULLES AIRPORT,
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
LARIAT RENTAL CARS
SECOND WEEK ON THE RUN

Dana Scully took the rental slip and keys from the service
counter and led Mulder to the two-door sedan which would take
them to Georgetown. Specifically, they were about to return
to Scully's apartment. "You drive, Mulder.  I'm kind of... 
I don't know... Nervous?"

 

Mulder took the keys, opened the door for her, then loaded
the trunk with their bags.  As he took the driver's side and
intended to start the engine, he looked to see if Scully was all
right. "You okay?  You know, we don't need to see your mother
at your place if you don't want to. Want to meet her
somewhere?"

 

"I think I'll feel better once I go through the door. Maybe
it's just irrational to dread going home." She feigned a weak
smile, but there was definitely despair in her mind, and Mulder
sensed it.

 

He took one of those deep breaths he lets out by blowing. "I
think it's natural to dread going back to the place where you
were raising a baby and then things changed.  Be genuine. It's
a healthy thing to feel, Scully."

 

They were off to Georgetown with a turn of the ignition key,
but Scully's mind was on other things. The first day home with
William, the tender feelings she experienced as she nursed him,
the long nights wondering when Mulder would be back. What irked
her was not so much the memory of the man who had so many of
Mulder's genetic traits, but what had been done to Jeffrey
Spender by their father. Mulder's brother had been shot, then
had his face disfigured for life -- all for the sake of this
invasion and colonization. Then, there was the time she said
"Good-bye" to Mulder as he left for parts to be unknown to
anyone.  That was a most painful memory.  His final kiss was
all that kept her from passing out that day.  She was just
going over the news of Mulder's verdict and death sentence for killing,supposedly killing, John Doggett's friend in the
Marines, when Mulder pulled her out of her morose reverie.

 

He gently patted her arm.  "Scully, I asked if you wanted a
coffee." They were parked at a Krispy Kreme's.  "You're way too
pale.  What's wrong?"

 

"Oh, just old history , that's all.  Maybe I need a donut. Get
me something really gooey.  I guess I need the sugar rush." When
Mulder just stood there staring at her, she went with the
standard line she'd always used before: countless places,
countless cases. "I'm fine. Really.  Maybe a little tired, but
fine. Stop examining me."

 

"Think about last night, instead," he advised her.  "That really
put a smile on your face!"  As he went into the store, he turned
to make sure that Scully was not wallowing in misery.  "Smile,"
he muttered. "Just for me."

 

Instead of bringing their orders to the car, he left them at a
little corner table in the store and retrieved Scully from the
car. "Time to get distracted.  You're with a handsome man,
you're going to watch all those young women envying you, and
you're going to listen to the chatter of real people in public.
We've coccooned for too long.  Soak up the atmosphere and clear
the cobwebs out of your head.  Remember, I swore not to let you
be miserable again.  Heck, I even got your coffee right this
time."

 

"Miracles happen," she berudgingly admitted, showing a little
smile. "Let's go in and soak up some atmosphere."

 

A half-hour later, Mulder pulled the car into a spot on the
street he thought of as Scully Street.  He sat there and let
Scully remain still and silent for a few moments. "I bet she's
surprised to see us, AND wearing something old and raggedy,"
he teased her.

 

"I bet not."

 

"You're on. Loser orders pizza AND pays for it. I know what I
claim to know because we didn't tell her we were coming."

 

"No," Scully argued in her old, familiar way.  "My Mom always
manages to look her best, and she has a sixth sense when it
comes to Scully kids, and DAMMIT!  You made me feel better!" 
She gave Mulder a nouggie.  "Let's just see what she's wearing."

 

As they closed the car doors, misty rain began to surround them.
Scully was buzzing her own apartment.  What a rather strange thing
to be doing, she was thinking.

 

"Yes?"

 

"It's me, Mom.  It's Dana and I've brought Mulder."

 

"Okay," a cheerful Maggie replied. "I'll unlock the door. Come
right up!"  There was no surprised note in her voice.

 

"Pizza!  Yes!"  Mulder declared.

"Halvzies if she's in old raggedy stuff."

 

As Scully opened the dor to her apartment, there was her mother
in faded blue jeans, a threadbare plaid shirt with a button
missing, not to mention a few holes, and an exhausted expression
on her face. She put her feet on the coffee table as she relaxed
on the sofa. "Well, what took you so long?"

 

Scully tearfully laughed and ran to her mother, giving her a
long hug. "Oh Mom, I have so much to tell you. I've missed you so
much, and I'm fine, WE'RE fine..."

 

"Honey, it's okay.  It's okay!  I've been cleaning today, but
I want you two to sit right down and relax."

 

Mulder caught Scully's eye and winked.  "Pizza," he whispered.
"Halvzies..."  He sat beside Scully.   "It's good to see you
again, Maggie."

 

"So, you're okay, then?  I've been praying so much for both of
you,and little William." Maggie went from a smile to sadness in
seconds.

 

"We're fine, and there's no reason to think we're in any danger,"
Mulder insisted.  "I think I'll go down and get the bags, then I
need to run a personal errand.  You going to be okay, Scully?"

 

She seemed puzzled, and nodded her head. If he needed to get
something, he needed to get something. "You do whatever you need
to do while I catch up with Mom." She smiled, kissed him
reassuringly, and stood taking his hands in hers. "I know I have
a few things I've missed around here. Look, your fish look
great!"

 

He checked them out briefly.  "So they do.  I'll bring up our
things up and be on my way.  I shouldn't take long. Maggie --
don't cook. We're arranging dinner."

 

"It'd be no bother, and I love to..."

 

"No, Mom.  Our treat. Besides, what are daughters for?"

 

J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING
WASHINGTON, DC
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR SKINNER'S OFFICE
5:59 PM

 

"Thank you for meeting me on such short notice, Sir." Fox Mulder
took a seat in the chair that had become so familiar to him over
the years.  The seat in front of his boss's desk. Memories...

 

"You know we're both taking a risk meeting here," Skinner warned.
"On the other hand, they could be tailing me every time I leave
the building.  How are the two of you?"

 

"I've dealt with most of my demons, so we didn't call in Buffy the
Vampire Slayer. It's day by day, I guess. Scully was so happy to
see me. But we both know she's on an emotional down-slide. She
hardly eats, her nightmares could rock a small town, and there's
a glazed look in her eyes when she thinks no one is looking. Her
face is paler than pale. So, where do we get started?"

 

Skinner took his glasses off and rubbed the space between his
eyebrows."She made me promise not to do this."

 

"I think she's changed her mind.  Let's just say she's willing to
start right away and would likely kill for the chance to get this
underway as soon as possible.  I know you saw what it did to her,
and I know you care enough to help us."  Mulder knew his former
boss very well. "I already have some documents. What do you
have?"

 

Skinner unlocked a seldom used drawer in his desk, reached
underneath and removed an envelope that had been taped to the
bottom of it.  "The agency, the forms, the adoptive family approval, backgrounds, addresses, all safely held until she admitted to
herself she was committing emotional suicide for both of you. I
told her you have a right to have a say, that you were close to
the truth. She wanted him 'safe' where the aliens couldn't get
him. She wouldn't believe Spender had actually saved him from
that."

 

Mulder was flipping pages.  "And how's that?"

 

"I think you should ask Scully that. It's not my place."

 

"No, as a friend it IS your place. If I ask her about that, she may
go right over the edge or right into herself, withdrawing from
everyone and everything. None of us can risk that, Walter. That's
another way 'they' win. So what did Jeffrey do to save William?"

 

"William was injected with a substance that raised the levels of
iron in his blood. From then on, he seemed quite well. No damage
done. It had something to do with some special telekinetic powers
he was developing. They disappeared, but Jeffrey still advised her
to give him to people who could keep him safe, in a place they'd
never look. Where IS Scully anyway?"

 

"At her apartment.  We're staying there with her mother for the
night. No one's watching. They don't fear us! They feel they have
control."

 

"Then I needn't remind you to be careful anyway.  Life can be
awfully short, Mulder."

"That says a lot and thanks, Sir." There was an awkward silence
between the two men who had become quite close over the years,
at the trial, and over the birth of William. "I'd... I'd better
get going. Tell Doggett and Reyes we were in town after we leave.
It's time I acted like a man and protected the ones I love
instead of chasing ghosts.  Say how grateful we are to them for
all they've done for us."

 

Skinner nodded.  "Give my regards to Scully.  Oh, and Mulder?"

 

He was about to exit the office but spun around. "Yes Sir?"

 

"Thanks for the tip.  I won the office pool."

 

"My pleasure.  In more ways than you know." Mulder smiled at his
old friend and left him to his unfinished forms.