Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 14:27:54 EST
Subject: REV:  Ask the Right Question (1/1)
Source: revision

Classific: S
Keywords:  None   
Spoilers:  One Son (US6) 
Rating:    R - for some suggestive language
Summary:   Missing scene from episode.  What happened at the Lone 
           Gunmen Headquarters after Scully walked out. 
 
Ask the Right Question 
by Martha  
marthalgm@yahoo.com 
 
Frohike turned away from the door after resecuring the locks after   
Scully's abrupt departure.  "You are fucking stupid, aren't you?" 
 
Mulder watched as Frohike crossed the room to join the others.    
"What?"   
 
"You don't believe us," Frohike replied sarcastically.  "You   
certainly didn't believe Scully."  He paused for a second and began   
shaking his head.  "But you *know* Diana Fowley?" 
 
Byers stood up and approached the agent.  "Mulder, we trusted Diana,   
too.  Certainly not in the same scope or context as you, but we all   
did some work together back in the early days."  Byers was almost   
apologetic with his tone of voice and found it hard to keep   
eye-to-eye contact with a man that he had known for so long.  "I took   
it on faith that since the two of you were . . . close . . . that   
when she showed back up and you didn't question it . . ." 
 
"Records can lie," Mulder spat out. 
 
"Not these records," Frohike answered from across the room.    
"Straight out of the FBI archives." 
 
"She's taking this too personally."  Mulder directed his comments   
towards Byers.  'He'd always been a bit in awe of Scully,' Mulder   
remembered;  'he'd understand.'  "She thinks that just because you   
guys tell her that Diana has been contacting MUFON members . . ." 
 
"Hey, we can *prove* it," Langly interrupted. 
 
" . . . that somehow this means that Diana is part of the conspiracy   
. . ." 
 
"In it up to her eyeballs," Langly again interrupted. 
 
". . . and that it automatically means that she is working against   
us." 
 
"Whipped." 
 
Mulder looked in Frohike's direction.  "What?" 
 
"You heard me.  Fowley's probably the last good piece you've had in   
years, and you're acting like all you want to do is to just jump   
right back in there again."  Frohike circled back around the table to   
face the agent.  "What's the fucking problem, Mulder?  Can't keep   
little Foxy happy all by yourself anymore?"  He physically steeled   
himself for a reaction. 
 
Mulder stared down at the Gunman but was too mentally exhausted from   
the day's events to honor the challenge.  He replied, "You're not   
worth it," and began to walk away. 
 
Frohike's voice took a softer tone.  "Scully is.  Or have you   
forgotten that?" 
 
Mulder turned back towards the group and began to plead his case.    
"She's determined to believe that Diana schemed to get the X Files   
taken away from us.  That Diana's taken advantage of a past   
relationship.  She doesn't understand - I *know* this woman.  Scully   
shouldn't take this personally . . ." 
 
"What about Samantha?" Byers interjected.  "Wasn't *that* personal?    
Wasn't that the whole reason you're even in the FBI?" 
 
"Why don't you ask Diana about your sister?" Langly added.  "If she's   
been tracking these women, she's bound to have come across   
information on her." 
 
"Cassandra Spender would know.  Maybe that's why she won't let you   
see her."  Byers returned to his workstation.  "Mulder, you need to   
get to the bottom of this for yourself.  We'll keep digging on   
Diana's past, but I have this feeling that the picture isn't going to   
get any clearer." 
 
Mulder kept staring at the floor in disbelief that the Gunmen were   
questioning his credibility.  "Well, if you keep feeding Scully all   
this crap, it certainly won't." 
 
Frohike snorted in disgust.  "If she felt like she could get an   
unbiased viewpoint from her partner of six years, she wouldn't have   
to come to us." 
 
Mulder looked up at the three and barely muttered under his breath,   
"Yeah, well, pretty Agent Scully shows up, looking for confirmation,   
and your collective little heads all bob up, oh so happy to do   
anything for her . . ." 
 
Mulder's reply was cut short by a hard slap across the face from   
Frohike. "Get out," the Gunman began softly and then added harshly,   
"Get out, now." 
 
The left side of his face stung, the combination of force and   
leather, but Mulder refused to give in to the temptation to cradle   
it.  He eyed his attacker.  "You little shit." 
 
"Is that *really* the best that you can do?" Frohike called out after   
Mulder, following the agent to the door.  "OK, don't believe us.    
Don't believe anything we've found.  Go to your source, your precious   
Diana Fowley."  Frohike continued baiting the agent fumbling with the   
locks.  "Ask her.  Ask her about Samantha.  Ask her about what she's   
been doing the last seven years.  Ask her what she's doing back in   
the States."  He paused as Mulder jerked the door open.  "And if you   
get any answers - any *truthful* ones - be prepared to ask one more   
question." 
 
Mulder hesitated in the doorway.  "Yeah, and what would that be?" 
 
"Scully, can you forgive me?"  
 
end