Part 14: A Very Busy Port

WEST TISBURY, MASS.
HOME OF THE LATE WILLIAM MULDER
7:00 AM

Rain was pouring furiously as the alarm went off. Fox Mulder
turned the buzzing off and gently shook Dana Scully's
shoulders. "Oh Sleeping Beauty... " he sang, "Time to face
the day... "

Without opening her eyes, a very tired Scully softly, drowsily
muttered. "Prince Charming, it's you. If you will set the
alarm for another half hour or so, I might make you a nice
breakfast. That's after you kiss me awake."

"Well", he said, nibbling on her ear, I could go for a run, be
back by then, have a shower and do that."

"In the rain? You're nuts!?"

"Gotta stay in shape, Scully. You know that as a doctor and a
former F.B.I. Agent! Mmmm, you smell heavenly."

Scully was determined to sleep and rolled over. "Half an
hour?" she begged.

"Your wish is my command." As he set the alarm,he reached for
a pair of shorts and a tee shirt. "A nice run in the warm
summer rain. Someday I'll get you to try it. Been trying for
10 years. Okay, shoes on, and I'm off!"

Two hours later the breakfast dishes were in the kitchen sink
as Fox Mulder prepared his father's newly updated computer
for a long, long day of work.

"So, when did you manage to do all the updated hardware and
peripherals, Mulder?"

"When I was away for that year. There's a program in here
that can sort everything by category, Timeline, relevance to
you and me, and put the whole invasion thing into perspective.
In case we missed something. Can you do me a favour and hand
me the box marked 1989 to 1991?"

"Sure." Scully gave him the box and opened it for him. Disk
by disk, information was entered into the computer via the
floppy drive, and as the pair went through 1992, 1993-1994,
up to 1995-1997, Scully suggested they break for coffee. By
then it was noon anyway, and eyestrain was beginning to take
effect. As she massaged Mulder's neck and shoulders, Scully
looked at all the other boxes of case disks and the boxes of
folders and medical records. "You are going to break for
meals, aren't you?"

"Yes, I guess I could eat a sandwich. I want to get all this
done as soon as possible."

"Not in one day!" Scully sternly scolded him. "This is too
much even for the Mighty Spooky. I can help you do some of
it, but neither of us are going for a couple of days on end
entering disks, typing files and going sleepless. There's a
limit to what a body can take, Mulder. Even yours."

"Well, I'm counting on your help with the medical files,
Scully, and I think if we break for a short supper at about
seven, we can have this done by two or three in the
morning... that is, if you want to see the results as
quickly as I do."

"All right, sweet talker. Alas, you have rendered the
princess under your spell. Your mesmerizing words have
convinced me of your ardent search for truth and justice."

"Don't forget love..." Puppy face. "Okay, just a sandwich
and a coffee. On to 1997-1998 for me."

By the time there was any hope of the task being three-
quarters of the way completed, Scully was entering medical
data into the computer: Records of the abductees' interviews
over the years, the cancers that resulted from the removal
of the tracking chips, even Mulder's abduction, death, and
return to life. The operation Scully perforned to save him
from becoming a super soldier was even to be entered. She
looked at the clock near the old desk.

"Seven, Mulder. Mulder?"

He had fallen asleep in an arm chair. "Yeah. I'm sorry,
Scully. Want me to take over now?"

"No, and don't be sorry. You were beat. You needed the rest.
Only a few more medical records and we can start the
analysis, back it up, and print it out."

"I'll call and order Chinese food. Why don't you sit down
on the sofa and turn on the T.V. Delivery might take about
an hour."

"Okay. But don't blame me if I fall alseep this time."
Scully stood and stretched. "I need a coffee. Want one?"

"You sit down, I'll bring us both coffees, and I can call in
the order. Please... Scullleee..."

By nine in the evening they were back to work, and the final
entries were made by eleven.

"What's next?" Scully asked, as she poured coffee into
Mulder's mug.

"We turn it all over to this program that I'm enabling...
now... and we wait for it to complete compiling. When that's
done, we put it on disk by disk by disk, duplicate those
disks, and print out the findings as well. Twice. We bind
them, and we wait until the right time."

"And I think it's time I took a bath, Mulder. I'll see you
later."

"Uh, Scully? Come here." Mulder hugged her tightly, standing
to embrace her fully and she returned the hug. As they began
to kiss, he pushed the hair off of her face. "You're looking
much better today, Scully."

"I feel better, you know? Because I believe we're so much
closer to finishing all this and getting William back."

"We are. Don't ever doubt that. I have made a promise to you
and to myself that we will resolve all this crap and live
normal lives. Well, as normal as I can live... "

"Hey. You're you. I've always loved the real you. Now, I need
to pamper myself a little. Don't push too hard, Mulder. It's
so late, Mulder."

"Hey, I'll be in bed by four. I promise," he said with a
smile. "Enjoy your bubbles."

As Scully left the room, he returned to the computer and
watched the readings, disks at the ready. If they had missed
making any
connections, the program would reveal anything they needed to
consider.

"I think you'd be proud of me, Dad," he whispered to a
photograph of William Mulder sitting on an end table beside
the sofa.